Fire & Night (Warriors & Mages Book 1) by V.K. Dixon

Author:V.K. Dixon [Dixon, V.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Xenia House Press
Published: 2026-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

19TH OF OBSCURA, 1573

Though Evylin found a note instead of her husband when she woke the next morning, she tamped down her disappointment. They might be in Deckard’s home village, but that didn’t mean he could shirk his responsibilities. Nor could she forget hers.

After the positive reception of her swordplay, Evylin didn’t bother hiding her trousers when she went down for breakfast. Mathes, Serah, and Thom, already enjoying their meals, greeted her warmly.

“There’s a plate ready for you,” Serah said, spreading jam across a particularly fluffy-looking biscuit. “Jonn told us you appreciate a good breakfast.”

Evylin sat next to Thom where the plate piled high with food waited. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” Serah insisted. “We heard you stirring, and Thom says you’re needed at camp early this morning.”

“Training with your uncle?” Mathes asked.

Evylin nodded. “Exactly.”

“I take it you’re used to mornings without Jonn around,” Serah said, giving her a conspiratorial smile. “He’s always been an early riser. Never did have time for breakfast.”

“Mm. I’ve told him my sentiments on his terrible habit,” Evylin said, pulling together a mouthwatering bite of potato hash and ham.

Thom lifted a slice of toast. “Jonn misses out on everything good. He’s too busy ‘getting the important things done,’” he said, then elbowed her. “It’s what makes him so boring.”

Mathes shook his head with a humorous grin. “He’s always been a hard worker,” he said. “Always seeking ways to improve—both himself and others. Do you remember, Serah, him telling us at just thirteen that he wanted to reorganize the barn because he thought he could make it more efficient for my work?” The Deckard parents chuckled together, and Mathes shook his head. “That boy had a servant’s heart from the start.”

Evylin shoved a forkful of eggs into her mouth to avoid responding. She’d assumed Deckard’s fixation on work was, as Thom had suggested, a mere striving toward perfection. It was why she’d suggested that their relationship remain amicably indifferent; he could focus on his work and not mind her needs. Now, she wondered if she’d made a mistake.

A servant, through and through. Had Deckard taken her suggestion as a slight? She’d imagined herself a burden and tried to make him happy by removing that weight from his shoulders. But what if he saw it as a rejection? What if Deckard would be happier caring for her than ignoring her?

Despite the distance between them, Evylin knew Deckard enough now to be sure he would. Caring for others was what he liked best—not soldiering.

Unease made her stomach swirl, but Evylin forced herself to finish her breakfast. Deckard had taken the army horse back to camp, leaving the cart for their return tomorrow, so she and Thom rode two of the farm horses. As neither of them was much for conversation in the morning, they made it more than halfway before Evylin grew bored with the silence.

“Did you enjoy being back in your old room?” she teased.

Thom shifted in his saddle. “Not particularly.”

“You prefer your tiny tent?”

“It’s better than some.

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