Date

Ash booked a restaurant—the whole restaurant—for our date. He said he wanted to make me feel safe and comfortable. Some might say that he was showing off his authority and wealth, but I couldn't help but be touched by his thoughtfulness. He made me feel cherished. He made me feel as if I mattered. That feeling was so unfamiliar, I needed to pinch myself several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

The restaurant was on the thirtieth floor of the soaring skyscraper. The place resembled those luxurious, high-end spots in the Mortal Realm that had always been beyond my reach. Now, I was walking into an elegant, and most likely extremely expensive restaurant, knowing that Ash and I were going to be the only guests. It felt surreal.

The waiter led us to the upper level, to the table in the alcove surrounded by windows. "You can see the entire center of Caligo City from this place," Ash said, pointing at the kaleidoscope of street lights and architectural wonders that form an amazingly rom