The town was bustling as busy as ever, with plenty of guards on the walls. Somehow workers had finished construction of the castle towers in the hours we’d been gone. Any other time, I would have paused to marvel.

  Now I acknowledged the magical engineering feat but kept trudging toward my castle, mind full, heart a bit heavy. I scanned the crowds we passed out of habit and noted that at least 30% of everyone I checked were still below level 25. Some were way low. Not good.

  I’d risen to level 16, which was great, but I still had 9 levels to go. I had so much hunting and work to do, but for the moment, I pushed all of that aside and just walked beside Ruby. Our somber group paused outside of my castle with an unspoken accord.

  “I can’t think any more,” Lana whispered. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken, her shoulders slumped. “But . . .” She looked between us, not hiding her anguish, her gaze seeking something.

  Ruby gave her a long hug, then Jane did likewise. They didn’t speak, but just stood there with her. Andy stepped up next and held out a hand. “Come on. You need rest and you need company. I do too.”

  That was bold, and maybe not the best time, but I bit my tongue and did not interfere. Lana hesitated and Andy added, “I’m not trying to replace Scott. He was my friend too. I’m just saying it’ll feel good to have someone nearby. That’s it.”

  “Or, if you want, I can go sit with you for a while,” Jane offered.

  Lana managed a weak smile, then took Andy’s hand. “Thanks, Jane, but I don’t want to talk. I just want to close my eyes with someone to hold me for a bit. Andy, you’re right. It sounds perfect.”

  They headed for his tent. It was still barely noon, but it felt like we’d been gone all day. Tomas wrapped an arm around Jane’s shoulders and scanned the rest of us. “I think it’s a good idea we all take a break.”

  He was right. I should have said it. They were looking to me as some kind of leader, at least while out in the wild, but Tomas was always better with that kind of people managing. Everyone nodded agreement, so the two of them headed off arm in arm toward their tent.

  “I need food,” Ruby said, turning toward her tent, but I caught her hand and nodded toward my castle. “Me too. Come on. Jeeves can prep something while we rest.”

  Steve marched up and I braced myself for another jab about the two of us. Ruby sighed and said, “Now’s not a great time.”

  Steve snorted, placed a hand on each of our shoulders, and squeezed a bit. His gaze looked more serious than usual as he looked from Ruby to me. “Listen, you two. Find your path. Stop dancing around the issue and figure out how you’re going to move forward.”

  “Steve,” I warned, but he spoke over me. “Hush.”

  “Did you just hush me?”

  “I guess I did, so listen up. I’m the youngest in my family, with 4 older siblings. I was always good at teasing, and it kind of became my thing in my family. I tease you both for two very good reasons.”

  “Oh?” Ruby asked, not able to hide a long-suffering smile.

  “First, because it’s so very satisfying.”

  “Here we go,” I said.

  “That part’s for me,” Steve added. “And it helps you keep from getting a swelled head. The second reason is for you. I’m trying to help you see through the foolishness you’re both wearing like blinders over your vision.”

  His expression turned serious, like really serious, and for the first time since we met I remembered he was at least 10 years older than me or Ruby. In that moment, he looked it, and his words took on a gravity he usually avoided.

  “You two are important to our survival. All of our survival, not just the team. You are already becoming great, but you could be amazing if you would get out of your own way and stop pussyfutting around your feelings for each other.”

  “Steve, we’ve had a hard morning,” Ruby began, but Steve shook her a bit.

  “You can’t keep avoiding it. All of us could have died this morning. We could all die tonight. We can’t hold back. Figure it out and make a choice.”

  “Some choices aren’t that simple,” I objected.

  He snorted and rolled his eyes. “You two are making it difficult. It doesn’t have to be. Look at me, my choice is easy. I’ve got a smokin’-hot girlfriend who is very vigorous. I choose to embrace that relationship and draw as much personal satisfaction from it as possible.”

  “Thanks for ruining the moment you just created,” Ruby said, but her tone was teasing.

  As if on cue, Susan rushed around the corner of the street and sprinted at Steve, calling his name, her thick, blond hair streaming out behind. She wore a medieval white blouse and royal blue skirt, and I had to admit she did make a pretty inspiring sight.

  Steve winked at us, then strode to meet Susan. She launched into his arms, kissing him passionately. I knew firsthand how good of a kisser she was. Steve weathered the storm admirably well and carried her into his tent.

  Ruby sighed and glanced at me. “Leave it to Steve to make a moment awkward.”

  “Come on,” I agreed, gesturing her toward my entrance. Despite my sudden fear that she would instead make an excuse and head for her own tent, she came along. The door opened for us and Jeeves bowed, his tux and top hat spotless.

  “I trust your adventure proved fruitful, sir.”

  “It was a rough morning, Jeeves. Anything to report?”

  “All is well, sir.”

  “Great. Can you rustle up some grub for us? Maybe something Italian? We need a break.”

  The unflappable butler never batted an eye, despite my Earth phrasing. “Very good, sir. May I suggest a bottle of wine from your inventory.”

  “You can see my inventory?”

  “Indeed, sir. It is my duty to assist in managing it. I can even relieve you of the need to personally visit the store to sell items you wish to divest yourself of.”

  That perked Ruby’s attention. “Can you shop for us too?”

  “Indeed, ma’am.”

  She flashed him a warm smile. “You’re a gem, Jeeves. Think you could find me a few outfits appropriate for exploring and fighting? I’ve had some wardrobe issues today.”

  “At once, my lady.”

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  “We’ll discuss selling later. If you’re going to the store anyway, see if you can find anything I can use for throwing all those crystal shard spikes we picked up this morning.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  I led Ruby to the back of the castle where we sat at my long dining table. She glanced around at the rich decorations, the comfortable sitting room, and the gold-highlighted place settings. “This all still feels so unreal.”

  “I know, but it’s totally welcome.”

  Steve was right, we needed to talk. Too much had happened in that dungeon, and it had felt like we’d reached some kind of crossroads. I loved having Ruby as a teammate and a friend, but not even I could ignore the fact that something else was brewing between us. We had to figure out what it meant. But not yet.

  We spent a delicious half hour simply enjoying a meal and chatting together. Jeeves produced a huge platter of chicken piccatta, along with a bucket of spaghetti and half a dozen meatballs the size of softballs. The tomato sauce was seasoned to perfection. He produced a bottle of red wine that paired perfectly with the meal. It didn’t even need any Tasty Cake mushrooms to make it perfect.

  We avoided the weightier matters and chatted about our families and favorite vacation spots back on Earth. She’d mentioned her father was in international banking and they’d moved many times growing up. I hadn’t known she had two younger siblings, a sister and a brother, both teens, still living with her parents in France.

  When she asked about my favorite vacations, I had to think about it. I hadn’t traveled internationally like she had, but I’d visited most of the states in the U.S. My default was always outdoor activities, even when not fighting forest fires or skydiving.

  My favorite recent vacation was the back-country ride with Tomas and our friends that got interrupted by the whole teleporting-to-a-death-battle-world thing. I didn’t mention I’d arranged the whole trip as a way to escape memories of Isabella’s rejection and try to ground myself again.

  Ruby’s favorite recent vacation made me laugh. “Of course it was a shopping trip.”

  “Not just any shopping trip. Milan and Florence, Italy. Amazing shopping for fashion and leather, particularly handbags.”

  I should have realized her family must be super wealthy, but she never acted stuck up like so many rich people I’d known. Ruby was so genuine, it was one of many qualities that really appealed to me.

  After the meal, we moved to the sitting area and Jeeves activated the fireplace. Sitting close to Ruby with the crackling of the fire in the background, its pleasant warmth easing tense muscles, our eyes met, and it was time.

  She hesitated, suddenly nervous, so I pulled my chair around so we faced each other, our knees touching. I took her warm hands in mine and she did not resist. My heart raced and suddenly I wished Jeeves hadn’t started the fire. It was too hot.

  “Ruby, we both nearly died this morning. In that crazy fight, one thing became very clear. I . . . You are important to me.”

  There! I said it, and my tension only ratcheted higher. I tried to keep my grip light on hers. There was so much more I wanted to say, but I couldn’t seem to make the words come.

  She looked down at our hands and took a deep breath, then nodded slowly. “I . . . Lucas . . .” She licked her lips. Talk about distracting!

  Breathe, idiot. If you faint now, this moment will never come again.

  Ruby looked up to meet my gaze, and the flecks of gold swimming in those big brown orbs swallowed my soul. Her eyes glistened. Was she about to cry?

  Crap. Not the direction I wanted this conversation going.

  She straightened and continued in a rush. “We’ve got something, I mean there could be something if only . . .”

  I waited anxiously for her to continue.

  “Lucas, have you ever been in a serious relationship?”

  Ouch. Way to dredge up painful memories. I tried to cover my unease with a smile. “Once I thought I was. Just a few days before we got teleported here, I proposed to my girlfriend.”

  “Oh. Wow. And she . . . ?”

  “She said no and broke it off.” I couldn’t keep my anger and pain out of my voice.

  Ruby squeezed my hands tighter. “I’m very sorry.”

  I shrugged. “Actually, after everything I’ve been through in the past week, I’m starting to think she was right.”

  Ruby raised one exquisite eyebrow and I blew out a breath as I tried to make sense of my emotions and thoughts. “I cared about her, thought I’d fallen in love and actually asked her to marry me. She said she’d come to realize I was too wild and reckless for her.”

  “From what I’ve seen of you, she sounds pretty perceptive.”

  “Like I said, maybe she was. I met her while preparing to launch my startup. I’d left skydiving and wilderness fire fighting behind and lived a pretty boring life.”

  “I’m glad you embraced your adventurous side again,” Ruby said.

  “Me too, but we’re getting off topic. What does all this have to do with what we’re feeling for each other?”

  “I’m not happy you had to go through that, but I am relieved you can understand my situation better. I was engaged once.”

  “Really?” I mean, how could she not have had tons of guys interested. Some how I’d never imagined she might have been engaged. At least she wasn’t saying she was secretly married. That would royally suck!

  Her voice fell, so soft the popping of the fire sounded loud in the room. “He met another woman and broke it off to marry her.”

  Oh, hell. Actually, I wanted to say good dodge because a dude stupid enough to go for anyone other than Ruby had to have serious mental issues. Thankfully, even I sensed maybe that wouldn’t help in the moment. Bonus for higher Wisdom, I guess.

  “Lucas, ever since then, I’ve only managed casual relationships. I’m terrified of anything deeper, but with you, well I don’t think I could keep it casual.”

  Whoa. That was a lot to take in. She was right, too. If I’d accepted Susan’s offer to hook up, that would have been nothing but a short-term passionate fling. Neither of us would have invested real emotion into it. With Ruby, a relationship would be different. We were already great friends and I couldn’t imagine a meaningless fling with her.

  “I do understand.”

  “Good. I’m not sure where that leaves us, though.”

  I considered it for a moment, then got a thought. “Like you just said, I embraced a different life than I’d been leading before. I think you did too.”

  She nodded. “So?”

  “So, I’m not the same person I used to be. It’s only been a week, but our world has totally and fundamentally changed. Even when we defeat Queen Marisara in 3 weeks and return to Earth, what if we keep our powers?”

  “What if we don’t?”

  I shrugged. “I’m still not the same person. I wouldn’t be satisfied with the same life. You’re not the same person either, are you?”

  Ruby leaned back, our hands sliding apart as she regarded me, her deep gaze penetrating. “But you are the same person, Lucas.”

  I chuckled. “How can you say that? I fight monsters up close and personal, even when they rip me apart time and time again.”

  A little smile tugged at her full lips and she shook her head slowly. “You fought monsters back on Earth too. You took on forest fires, the closest thing our world has to dragons. You literally dove into adventure, and when those scammers took everything from your grandmother, you didn’t hesitate to charge into a totally new arena to hunt down those monsters.”

  Her words rocked me back. Could that be right? I mean, sure, at one level, it was. And if we did return to Earth with our powers, I would totally use my new abilities to make an even bigger difference. I’d start with scammers, but wouldn’t end there. I had the power to make a difference, and I would.

  “Isabella sensed the hero in you. Now you’re becoming that hero and it’s easy for me to see.”

  “Flattery will get you a lot,” I teased.

  Ruby returned my smile and sat forward, reaching for my hands. My heart pounded and I barely believed the conversation had come around again. I leaned forward too, anxiously waiting for her next words.

  “Lucas . . . I need time.”

  I blinked as my heart nearly stopped and my hope smashed flat as if that Overlord Drake had stomped it with all 4 feet. Why wasn’t I more relieved? Was I really ready to dive into a meaningful relationship? I honestly couldn’t answer that question.

  While I tried to think how to respond, she continued, her voice stronger. “Maybe we’re different, maybe you’re ready to move on from your old girlfriend. Maybe I am ready to risk taking a step I’ve feared for 2 years, but it’s still not easy.”

  “Ruby—“ I began, but she spoke over me.

  “Please, Lucas. I can’t pretend both of us don’t have emotional issues we need to resolve. I also can’t pretend I don’t care for you more than I ever believed I could, especially in so short a time. But I still need to move carefully. I still need time. We need time.”

  Okay, she wasn’t totally rejecting me. Just the thought of Ruby rejecting me like Isabella had nearly froze my heart with dread. Maybe Ruby was right. This could work. We could be amazing together, but if we rushed it, we’d wreck everything.

  I squeezed her hands and held her gaze. “Fine. Really, it’s fine. We’re not in a hurry. Sure, we’re stuck in a death battle game where we could die any second, with a terrifyingly short deadline before Earth will be destroyed, but there’s no rush.”

  She chuckled, and the music of her voice danced all the way down my ears. I added, “Really. You’re right. We both have some things to process before we can take whatever path we decide works moving forward with open eyes and clear minds.”

  Ruby’s smile was like the rising of the sun. She nodded once, firmly. “Okay, then. Let’s keep things light for now.”

  “Agreed.”

  She took a deep breath, then let it out, tension bleeding from her shoulders. “That’s a huge weight gone.”

  It was too. As much as part of me still imagined her throwing herself at me like Susan had done with Steve, I felt good. We could now both make peace with our pasts, and now the future lay open and unobstructed before us. Ruby and I could figure out what that future meant together.