Mages of Rubia ✔️

Ch13

When I wake up, Ravana is very clearly watching Lief sleep.

"Creep," I mutter.

It barely glances my way. "Go make a salve or something, quiet one."

"I'm too busy reading up on your language. You and Lief aren't used to speaking the human tongue together, are you?"

"No. We have always spoken the demonic dialect together. He knew it when we met. I don't think he knew I spoke the human tongue until you told him we spoke."

"You should work on communication, if you want a relationship with him," I say on the way out.

I don't pick up one of my books when I'm out of bed, though. It's still very early--or late?--so I head to Cooper's hidey hole. When I climb in he's awake and holding a pan like a weapon.

"Just me," I say as he lowers it.

"You startled me, Az."

"Sorry."

"Where were you earlier?"

"Trapped in my tower."

"Like that princess story!"

"If so, that would make you my knight."

He hums. "In that particular story, he was a prince."

I lean close and press my lips to his.

"Who cares? I didn't really get told many stories as a kid, anyway."

He sighs. "You've been focused on your work a lot."

"Magic is an alluring craft," I say, lighting his lantern with it so I can see him better.

"Impressive, you can light a lantern."

"Don't be mean, Lief's been too busy to teach me any more stuff. With his whole... thing I'm not supposed to mention."

"Who would I tell?"

I shrug. "It's pretty lame, he's just trying to figure out what's going on with the war. Not even stop it, just figure it out."

"Why?"

"No clue. But since he's disobedient I'm meant to be his replacement, so he hasn't been telling me much. I read it all from his journal."

"Isn't that a violation of privacy?"

"I'm too curious, I can't help it."

"Can't believe I'm with such an evil little man."

"With like romantically or as in you're currently in my vicinity?"

Cooper sets his hands on my shoulders. "Romantically. Have you been reading so much that you forgot we're kind of dating?"

"It was an unclear sentence, I didn't forget whatever we are."

"We're lovers," he says dramatically, flopping down onto his sleeping bag. Of course, he's still holding onto me, so I fall on top of him.

"We are?"

"If that's alright with you." It doesn't sound like it's up for debate either way. I smile.

"Yeah, its alright."

"Good, because I would have cried so much."

I sit up, not really minding that I'm on his lap. He's a big guy and I'm little, I'm sure he can handle it.

"If I ever make you cry I'll disown myself and beg at your feet for forgiveness."

Cooper props himself up unsteadily. "No need to disown yourself, grovelling is quite enough."