She held me tighter, not breaking away until I lifted her face gently upward into a kiss.
“Why don’t you try it on?” I asked, a little breathlessly a while later.
She grinned.
“Okay, be back in a second.”
She picked up the clothes and ran into the bathroom. I didn’t hear anything for a long time.
“Ruby?” I called. “Are you all right in there?”
“Yeah,” she called back, her voice faint.
I was about to open the door when she stepped back out into the bedroom. Her blonde hair was tied up into a high ponytail, her back straight, her slim but muscled arms complemented by the top and her long legs encased in the black fabric that outlined her taut frame. The outfit was tight, fitting her proportions perfectly.
Wow.
“Um,” I stuttered, “you look amazing.”
“Thanks!” She blushed shyly, giving me a self-conscious twirl.
I wanted to applaud whoever’d made that outfit—maybe send them a handwritten thank you note.
“We should get going,” I said reluctantly.
“I’m ready,” she replied, squaring her shoulders.
We left the room together, our hands entwined as we made our way back downstairs to meet the rest of the army. I didn’t want to let her go.
Tejus and Hazel were waiting for us at the bottom of the stairwell. Hazel grinned as she laid eyes on Ruby, nodding appreciatively at her outfit, and then glancing down at her own. She was wearing the same get-up, her dagger held in a sheath at her side with another broadsword swung over her back. She held out another sword and dagger to Ruby.
“Here, I got you these.”
“Thanks,” Ruby replied, hugging her friend. “How are you feeling?”
“Hungry,” replied Hazel, looking guilty and breaking away from the embrace.
“It’s a good thing,” Ruby replied. “Hopefully we’ll bump into Jenus.”
“Let’s not hope that,” Tejus muttered, “not if he’s been given powers by the entity—he could actually be dangerous for once in his life.”
“Have you and Derek worked out the formation yet?” I asked Tejus. He nodded, focusing in on me, but leaving a hand on the small of Hazel’s back. He obviously didn’t want her out of his sight. I knew exactly how he felt.
“The dragons and Hawks will lead a small division of ministers on vultures. The rest of them will be joined by the jinni queen and her team as well as the witches and warlocks. Their only job is going to be to try to get close enough to close the portal back up so neither the entity nor his army can escape. The guards will be split into four regiments: one with you, another with me, and then one each with Ben and Derek.”
“The villagers?” I asked.
“Staying with the kids,” he confirmed.
Good. I didn’t want them anywhere near this.
“Jenney too?”
Tejus shook his head. “Jenney’s insisting on fighting, Ash.”
I grimaced. “Where is she?”
“Outside with the guards. She wants to be in your regiment. But if you want her back here, I can insist on it.”
“I’ll deal with it,” I muttered, moving my way through the crowd and out onto the entrance steps. I scanned the grounds for Jenney, and found her at the far end of the gardens, chatting with some guards.
Furious, I stormed out.
“Jenney!” I yelled once I was close enough. “What in Nevertide’s name are you doing?”
She glared at me, color rising in her cheeks. “Ash!”
“Don’t ‘Ash’ me! What are you doing? You’re meant to be staying behind with the kids. This is ridiculous!”
“I’m fighting—and you can’t stop me.”
“I’m EMPEROR, of course I can stop you!” I bellowed.
First Ruby and now this! Why was everyone so eager to go out and meet their death?
“Ash,” she replied, trying to keep her tone level and reasonable, “I’m doing this. You can’t stop me—really you can’t. I deserve a chance to help. These are my people too, you know, and I want to be beside them when we face the entity. It’s been great looking after the kids, but now it’s time that I did my bit for Nevertide.”
I practically growled at her.
She was impossible.
“I’ll look after her, Emperor Ashbik—on my life,” one of the guards said, stepping forward.
“Me too,” replied another.
“And me.”
“As will I, on my life.”
Four guards knelt before me.
“With your lives,” I barked, glaring at Jenney, who was looking irritatingly smug. I stormed off, vowing that I’d be watching her throughout the battle. Two people, then, whom I would be constantly worried about as we marched against the entity. It made me feel far from comfortable.