Stop for snacks? My amber eyes drifted down to her waistline. Was it me, or were her clothes hugging her just a bit more snug than the last time we met? Goodness, how long ago was it--one month? Two, perhaps? Yeah, definitely around two months. The assassin was definitely packing on some pounds. I suppose you have to keep insulated against the extreme cold northern Salvar was infamous for. Or maybe she was just getting lazy. Ulroke was gone, and her slowly growing ass was keeping his bone throne warm. Commanding this collection of cocksuckers must have kept her from getting out in the field herself.

Either way, this little trip would be good for her. Best case scenario, she's finally going to get some exercise. Worst case, a little extra marbling would make getting rid of the evidence even tastier.

“Sure, we can stop wherever you'd like.” I led her through the interior of the airship towards the main cabin, hissing orders to my elven crew the entire way. “The ship still has plenty of food stored away, as I'm the only one who's alive enough to need it. It's mostly shitty military rations, though. And fruit.”

I threw myself down into a stuffy, padded chair and motioned for Amari to have a seat across from me. She obliged. On the low circular table between us laid a faded map of the entire continent, the countries of Salvar, Alerar, and Raiaera clearly marked with separate colors. Each region was painstakingly labeled, with each major and secondary road noted with thick black swaths of ink. Big cities and smaller towns, forts, trading posts, supply depots, train and airship stations, sea ports, fucking everything was present and accounted for by the Aleraran army. Bless their obsession with detail.

My sharp grin only widened. A lust for ultraviolence swelled in the pit of my stomach. My heart fluttered with the thoughts of the terror that we were about to unleash on the world.

“I'll let you pick where.”

Amari shot me one of those cocked eyebrows that she loved to give out. “Isn't this whole trip your idea? And you're making me decide?”

Hungry amber light flashed in my eyes. “I'm not the one who grew up a princess or baroness or whatever in this frozen hellhole. I was raised in Radasanth. I don't know anything about the local delicacies, or the best restaurants, the prime places to sample the local flavor and raise a little havoc.”

The Ar'Tuel's gaze drifted back down towards the map. I felt myself growing more and more impatient.

I wanted to kill. I wanted to feed. I wanted to become the horror that I always knew I am, just once more. I wanted to remind everyone of the Scourge of Eiskalt.

I wanted to see the fear in another man's eyes before I popped them out of their sockets. I wanted to see how much blood I could pull from someone with my thorns before their lifeless body hit the crimson-tainted snow. I wanted to hear the dying screams of countless people and savor the tortured cries of their children.

It had been too long.

Far too long.

I can't wait much longer.