"You kissed me?" Amara asked, accusingly.
"In my defense, I was just cashing in on that promise a little earlier." I held up my hands in defense. "That said, if you have something to say, I'm all ears."
Amara looked at me, with eyes narrowed and a turbulent storm coursing behind. Being as tall as she was, I was intimidated to say the least. "That was not a promise."
"Probability? I get it."
I was only now coming to a realization that I might've gotten swept into the heat of the moment. Although her face was a sculpture of icy aloofness, the budding pressure set my teeth on edge.
"Would you like to join me?" I held up the food tray and saw her eyes dart only for a moment. "Or not? I can eat alone."
"Do you think this is a joke?" She asked, calmly.
"I think this is tragic." I replied, keeping my face impassive.
The night wasn't as frigid when standing inside in the room as it had been when traveling through the forest. I was still concerned about the food getting cold. I proceeded to rest it atop the nightstand.
"I see," Amara nodded, catching my attention, "it must be because of that little Favorability meter you have going on. What does it say now?"
I took a cursory glance and found it struck at 35%. I gulped.
"What? Not ticking upward, is it?"
That certainly did not bode well for me. I sighed. "Alright, I get it; you're mad. But why are you making such a big deal out of a single kiss? That didn't last even five seconds."
Amara sneered. "Must I remind you that it was you who wanted to forge a friendship between us? I wonder what became of that promise."
She seemed hell-bent on making a mountain out of a molehill. I bit my lip and considered her words.
While it was true I liked Amara and wished to take it further, I had concluded that her feelings didn't differ much from mine. She had shown concern for me on more than one occasion, and even setting aside her Favorability, I was positive over the signs I had read.
As I thought up to there, my mind froze. The beat of my heart, on the other hand, raced inexplicably. I blinked.
"How about I make you a new promise?" I said, drawing near. "We go on a date—have a talk, dine in some fancy restaurant, and watch the sunset from atop the Alps. And if at the end you do not kiss me, I will offer a formal apology."
"Huh?" Amara scoffed. "So we're making bets now? Is that you talking?" She spoke, drawing closer. "Or is it your heart?" Her sharp-nailed finger poking at my chest.
I kept silent, not averting my gaze in the slightest. Even as she applied force to push her finger deeper, I kept still.
"Maybe I should've just removed it back in the forest?" She suggested with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. "Or maybe I should just gouge it out now?"
"Do it." I verbalized it, each word with a strong emphasis.
Amara peered into my eyes with her soulful crimson orbs. This close I could see their crystalline essence and an inhuman charm. I felt pain erupt from my chest as her clawed hand dug in. I groaned but otherwise made no motion.
"I remember you liked the taste of my blood." I said, halting her motions. "Would you like some more?"
"What?" She shot me a confused look. "Are you trying to change the topic?"
I smirked and lifted the sword strapped to my hip. Opening my mouth, I held my tongue out and made an incision. A spike of pain erupted from my cut and exposed nerves. Even as the blood dripped from my tongue, I did not move an inch.
Amara's eyes were wide, droplets of my blood dying her pale white hand a shade of crimson. "You fool..." She uttered, though her hand had already lifted to wipe a stream running down my chin. She stared at her bloodied fingers deeply, her eyes wide in interest while her breath came out a little ragged.
She licked. Her tongue swiping off the droplets from her finger. Her attention then shifted to me, mouth wide open and fangs on full display.
Her mouth enclosed around mine, sucking on my tongue deeply. A mixture of pain and pleasure coursed through my body as I felt her tongue entangle with my slimy appendage.
Her warm and supple figure was so close that I could no longer resist pulling her in and embracing her with passion and lust. My heart growled in approval, but I was too lost to care. My sole attention fixated on the moonlit beauty writhing in my embrace.
The pain slowly receded, but the iron tang of the blood was exchanged between us in a wet, sloppy kiss. My hands roamed her robed figure, digging into the openings of her armor, seeking flesh and warmth.
At last Amara pulled back, pushing on my chest. She looked at me with her hazy eyes and asked, "How did you know?"
I calmed my pulsating heart and cleared the fog of lust from my brain. "How did you do it?" I asked her back.
She clicked her tongue and leaned back. "After the increase in my status, I managed to shroud a part of your Soul Record using Night Veil."
"Is that why I hadn't been getting new notifications about your Favorability increase?"
"That's a cheat meter, and you know it." She replied. "But yes. I wanted to see how you would react without some arbitrary love meter edging you on."
"So that part about kissing, it was you dropping the bait?"
"Yup." She replied, seeming particularly proud of that bit.
I shook my head, blinking. "You're testing me an awful lot today. First the Dragon Heart and now this. I would like to make it clear: I do not appreciate being tested like that."
"Noted and filed." She nodded. "Now your turn—how did you know?"
I shrugged. "It was a gamble really. I realized something odd about your behavior, like you seemed to be contradicting yourself, so..."
"Wait," Amara tilted her head. "You cut your tongue to see if your hypothesis would hold? Are you an idiot?"
"It worked."
"That's beside the point." She sighed and shook her head. "Forget about it; just finish your food."
I allowed a smirk to grace my lips, relishing in my victory. Though small, it somehow held more significance than all my prior victories combined.
"Are you not going to join me?" I asked. "There's enough food for two people."
Amara stood in silence, thoughtfully tracing her lips. She then sighed and flopped onto the bed, a small measure of joy to be found in her crinkled eyes. Whatever her reason, she genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself, and that was everything my heart desired.
Huh?
I paused. Did I—? I shook my head, discarding the thought before it could occupy my mind.
The food consisted of steaming broth, hard bread, and some salt on the side. Salt was a precious commodity in the Kingdom due to its scarcity and only Greystone County was known to produce it. It made the entire meal seem like a token of gratitude.
"You know, you should stop concealing my Soul Record." I suggested, as we sat atop the bed, breaking bread and dipping it within the piping hot broth.
Amara grumbled as she chewed on her piece of bread. "But I don't like it."
"That's no excuse for what may potentially be a way to make me even stronger." After her Favorability had hit 30%, I had been granted an option to select one attribute to add upon my own. Although it was only a 5% increase, it was still monumental when considering the sheer breadth her attributes had expanded to. Who knew whether the increase in Favorability would translate to an increase in percentage or grant me another attribute choice?
"Besides," I added, "I have over 100 free stat points. Imagine if I just dumped them all in my Spirit?"
Amara's eyes shone at the prospect, and she considered my words carefully. I was only experiencing an increase of 37 attributes to my agility from her 5% contribution, but if I increased her overall attributes even further, then that number was bound to get even higher.
"Fine." She relented. "But remember this: my feelings aren't to be quantified by some ridiculous Favorability meter or whatever."
"I will take note, your highness." I offered an exaggerated bow alongside a smile.
As Amara released her hold over the Soul Record, I was instantly able to note a few things. One, her Favorability hovered close to 50%, and two, my own compatibility with the Dragon Heart was at 82%.
"You don't mind if I fill my empty summon slot, do you?" I posed, catching Amara off-guard.
She frowned as she looked at me and then said, "I won't stop you if that's what you want."
I smiled, anticipation coursing through me as I was about to make another summon.
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