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Chapter 74: After-Party?
The Guild Master smirked as he looked over to Tobias. "Well, now that you’re not on death’s door, let’s talk. You lot did good today. If it weren’t for you and the others, Timberstead would’ve been wiped off the map."
Tobias adjusted his glasses, standing nearby. "That’s why we came."
Bran grinned, arms crossed. "Though it’d be nice if we didn’t almost die every time we do something heroic."
The Guild Master laughed again, clapping a hand on Bran’s shoulder. "Heroics tend to come at a cost. You’ll get used to it."
Elisse, standing beside her griffin, spoke up. "What happens now? The dungeon breach is over, but the town is still in bad shape."
The Guild Master’s expression turned serious. "Now? Now we rebuild. The Guild will send in reinforcements to help with repairs. Adventurers like you will be compensated, of course. But for tonight..."
He gestured toward the main Guild Hall. "You rest. You’ve earned it."
Zayn blinked. "Rest? You mean, like... actual rest? No ambushes, no monsters falling from the sky, no crazy undead dragons?"
The Guild Master chuckled. "Unless you count snoring adventurers as monsters, yeah. Get some sleep. You look like you need it."
Zayn sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "That might be the best thing I’ve heard all day."
...
The steam curled around Zayn as he sank deeper into the hot water, letting the warmth soak into his sore muscles.
His wounds were healed, but exhaustion still clung to him, weighing down his limbs.
For once, he was just resting. And it felt damn good.
He grabbed the bar of soap, running it through his hair, scrubbing out the grime and dried black blood from the earlier battle.
The scent of herbs filled the air, mixing with the steam, relaxing him even further.
Then he felt it.
A shift in the air.
A presence.
His grip on the soap tightened as he stilled, lips thinning.
Someone had entered his room.
His first instinct was to jump up, but he forced himself to remain still, listening.
His weapons were out of reach, but he wasn’t defenseless — if it came to it, he could use his soul energy.
Soft footsteps. Light, deliberate. Not an intruder, but not someone careless either.
Then the bathroom door creaked open.
And there she was.
Not Elisse. Not Kara. Not anyone from his team.
It was her.
The half-elf who worked the night shift at the Guild Hall.
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed under her chest, pushing up the curves barely concealed by her skimpy clothing.
The fabric clung to her figure, more of an afterthought than actual coverage.
A small smile tugged at her lips as her amber eyes flicked over him, taking in the scene before her.
Zayn exhaled slowly, tilting his head. "Didn’t take you for the type to walk into a man’s room unannounced."
The half-elf chuckled, stepping further inside. "Didn’t take you for the type to be so unguarded."
"Maybe I figured a private room was a safe place to take a damn bath," he replied, running a hand through his wet hair.
She hummed, sauntering closer.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows across her smooth skin.
Her smile softened, and for a moment, she simply looked at him, her gaze flickering over the bruises that still lingered faintly on his skin.
Then, without warning, she moved forward and sank onto her knees beside the tub.
Before he could ask what she was doing, she leaned in and pressed her face against his bare chest.
Zayn stiffened.
Her soft warmth contrasted with the cooling water, her breath tickling his skin as she nuzzled against him.
It was such an unexpected gesture that he didn’t react at first, just sat there, staring down at her in confusion.
Then he felt it — her lips curving into a small smile against his skin.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Zayn exhaled, his hand twitching slightly in the water. "For what?"
"For saving me, everyone in the town..." she whispered.
"The others contributed as well." Zayn said.
"But you did the most work and got injured badly because of it."
That made him quiet.
She leaned in again, and that was when he noticed the bit of soap smudged onto her cheek.
He blinked. Then, without thinking, he reached up and swiped it away with his thumb.
That was when she pulled back, her face still close to his, her eyes searching his.
For a brief second, the atmosphere shifted.
Then he pushed her away.
Not hard, just enough to put some distance between them — and enough for the water to splash onto her.
A soft gasp escaped her lips as the water soaked through the thin fabric of her already revealing clothing.
And that was when he saw it.
The fabric clung to her body, outlining every soft curve, every enticing detail. Her chest, already barely covered, was now entirely visible.
She didn’t shield herself.
She let him look.
And then — just to make sure he had a proper view — she arched her back slightly, pushing her breasts together.
Zayn swallowed, his grip on the edge of the tub tightening.
She smiled. "Do you like them?"
His jaw clenched.
She tilted her head, leaning in slightly, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting. "You were staring," she teased.
Zayn dragged a hand down his face, exhaling. "You’re unbelievable."
She chuckled. "Oh, come on. You saved my life. Isn’t this a decent enough reward?"
Zayn shook his head. "That’s not how this works."
"Mm," she hummed, tapping a finger against her chin. "Maybe not usually. But maybe I just wanted an excuse to see you like this."
Zayn closed his eyes briefly, willing himself to ignore the way his body reacted to her.
She was dangerous.
Not in the way monsters were. But in the way that made men lose their composure.
And he had spent too long fighting to keep his.
She smiled again, leaning in close enough that he could feel her breath against his skin. "You’re fun to tease, you know that?"
Zayn sighed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Are you done?"
She grinned. "For now."
She pushed herself up to her feet, making no effort to fix the way the soaked fabric clung to her.
Before she left, she glanced over her shoulder.
"Oh, and Zayn?"
He didn’t look at her, still focusing on keeping his composure.
She smirked. "Make sure to come to the After-party, okay?"
Then, with one last knowing glance, she turned and walked out, leaving him alone in the steaming bath.
