Page 23 of The Necromancer's Prisoner

“Fine.” A shiver raced over him despite the nearby warmth. “Cold.”

Alistair nodded, fresh worry tugging down his lips. “I wasn’t sure if you’d make it when you fainted out there. The storm is dying down, but it’s got some bite left in it yet.”

How long has it been since another living being genuinely cared about what happens to me?

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Iggie glanced around him to avoid staring at Alistair’s too-kind face. “Where are we?”

“I’m not sure. When you collapsed, I kept heading in the same direction until I discovered this cave nestled in a ravine. I thought it best to rest here, considering…”

He trailed off, eying Iggie, who mustered a feeble smile. “Considering my lack of tolerance for the cold? Well, we can’tallbe filled with dawnflame, can we?”

Chuckling, Alistair’s eyes flicked toward the fire. Iggie followed his gaze. When he saw the crackling golden flames, he hissed in a breath and scooted back. “What the Dark isthat?”

Alistair frowned. “I was in a hurry and didn’t have access to easy kindling. I found some chopped logs in one of your crates and did what I could to get the fire going.”

Iggie stared at the dawnflame tinging the fiery logs. Everything Alistair said made perfect sense, and Iggie certainly needed warmth however he could get it. Yet, that didn’t stop his rising horror at the sight. Every instinct he had screamed at him to back away. It had been bad enough watching Alistair wielding dawnflame against that monstrosity attacking the tower. But to see it unleashed in a simulacrum of a pyre…

A gentle hand rested on his back, and Iggie froze in place. “I’d recommend stayingnearthe fire,” Alistair said with a hint of amusement. “Much easier to get warm that way.”

Iggie forced himself to scoot a little closer to the flames. “I suppose you have a point.”

Searching for anything to distract him, his gaze settled once more upon Alistair. The paladin stood beside him, his chestnut hair windblown and his eyes like liquid pools of honey.

Shadow and shade, Knight or not, he truly is beautiful.

Alistair cleared his throat, and Iggie realized he’d completely ignored whatever Alistair was saying. “Sorry. What was that?” he asked, his voice coming out slightly breathless.

“Isaid, I think we might’ve discovered what’s been terrorizing Singer’s Rest.”

It took Iggie an embarrassingly long time in his frazzled state to realize what the paladin meant. “You think that creature abducted those missing villagers you mentioned?”

Alistair shrugged. “Other than you, it’s the only unexpected thing I’ve seen out here so far. And while I might have dismissed its presence as a mere coincidence or a product of the storm, there’s also the matter of the light.”

Remembering the strange light he’d seen while rescuing Alistair after his escape attempt, Iggie nodded. “Now that you mention it, the glow from that creature looks a lot like what I saw out in the storm.” He shuddered as he pictured the monster ripping apart his undead. His bundle of spirit links felt emptier than usual with so many connections snuffed out. “So, does that mean you’ll need to face it again—figure out what it is and what it wants?”

“More than that,” Alistair replied, his voice grim. “It means I need to slay it.”

Iggie’s heart skipped a beat as fear squeezed his chest. “You saw that thing! Nothing you or I did had any effect on it. You can’t possibly hope to defeat a monster like that alone!”

Alistair’s face hardened. Gone was the caring man of a moment before. In his place stood a battle-hardened Knight of the Order prepared to pass righteous judgment on his foes. “The Order sent me here to eliminate the threat to Singer’s Rest. Other complications aside, I intend to do whatever it takes to complete my mission and protect those in need.”

Complications. Was that how Alistair viewed him—some troublesome problem to resolve in the course of performing his holy duty? And if so, did he see Iggie as another victim to save…or a threat to vanquish? The thought that Alistair might have only opened up to him as he had in order to keep a close eye on a potential enemy sent a hollow ache gnawing through him.

He’s a paladin. You don’t honestly expect him to care about you…do you?

Iggie sat up, letting out a low groan as he stretched his exhausted body. Alistair moved to help, but Iggie waved him off. “You’ve done enough already,” he said stiffly. “Thank you for saving me—consider your duty fulfilled.”

A slight furrow appeared in Alistair’s brow. “Of course. If there’s anything else I can—”

“I said I’m fine!” Iggie snapped. “All I need is some space to relax.”

Hurt flashed across Alistair’s face, causing immediate guilt to squirm in Iggie’s gut. Before he could muster an apology, the paladin rose and strode toward a passage that looked like it led deeper into the cave.

“Very well. I’m going to do a bit of exploring and make sure this cavern is safe to rest in until the storm dies down. With the supplies you scavenged, we have enough food, water, and wood to last a few days. So long as you keep the dawnflame fire supplied with fresh logs, it should keep burning.”

Then, Alistair was gone, holding his glowing sword aloft to light his path down the tunnel until he vanished from view around a bend.

Iggie sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. Could he have been any more of a jerk to the man who just saved his life? Regardless of Alistair’s motives, he’d been cordial enough so far. The least Iggie could do was return the favor as long as they remained trapped together. After that, Alistair would be off to finish his quest, and Iggie would…