Extra's Rise: I Stole All The Women In The Hero's Party-Chapter 119: Testing The Party (V)

Another clash. Another flurry.

Then —

He slipped inside her guard for a half-second and tapped the edge of his sword to her neck.

Silence.

Then Kara sighed, dropping her staff slightly. "Fine. You win."

Tobias exhaled hard and stepped back, offering her a hand. "Barely."

She took it.

Zayn and Elisse were already walking over, Zayn with a canteen and Elisse holding a cloth.

"You were amazing," Elisse said, pressing the cloth to Kara’s cut. "That spike trap was brilliant."

"Could’ve worked if I’d forced him back a little more," Kara muttered. "He adapted too fast."

Tobias sat down beside her and winced. "My ribs disagree with your conclusion."

Zayn handed her the canteen and grinned. "Pretty sure you shook the earth so hard that our rent just went up."

Kara took the water, drank, and then — just barely — smiled. "I’ll make it up to you. Free earthquakes for life."

Kara soon sat on the edge of the bench, breathing slow and steady as Elisse gently pressed a palm to her shoulder.

A faint golden glow pulsed from her fingers, slowly stitching the skin together. "I swear, Tobias hits harder than he looks," Kara muttered, grimacing.

"Most of that was from the ground punching you back," Zayn quipped from across the room, a wet towel hanging around his neck. "I’ve never seen so many rock uppercuts outside a fantasy-themed boxing match."

With a huff, Kara gave him a sideways glare. "You’re next. Let’s see if you’re still making jokes after I raise a mountain underneath your ribs."

Zayn raised his hands in surrender. "Noted. Will not provoke mountain lady."

Tobias, still catching his breath by the wall, tilted his head back and chugged down a thick red potion.

It glugged loudly as it went down, and he exhaled sharply afterward. "Whew. Tastes like strawberries and guilt."

Elisse stood and gave Kara’s shoulder a gentle pat. "That should hold until we get back."

Then she turned toward Tobias, folding her arms. "You overdid it again. You didn’t have to push that hard."

Tobias leaned against the wall, eyes closed now, but he smiled faintly. "She was pushing hard too. Figured I’d return the favor."

Kara, despite herself, gave a small smirk.

Then Zayn looked to him more seriously. "Any advice for her, Boss?"

He cracked one eye open.

"Yeah," he said, wiping his mouth. "Start using close combat more. You’ve got power and precision, Kara. That surprise factor? It messes people up. Just ask my sternum."

Zayn snorted.

Tobias stretched his arms with a groan and gestured toward the hallway. "Let’s freshen up. Then we’ll hit the guild. If we don’t show up soon, they’re gonna think we passed out in a ditch."

As the group started to shuffle inside the house, the soreness and fatigue of battle finally started to settle in.

Kara was the first to disappear down the hall toward the bathroom, and Bran immediately followed, claiming dibs on the living room couch "for medical reasons."

Tobias limped toward the kitchen for more water, muttering something about soul energy and how "no one appreciates the cardiovascular cost of swordplay."

Zayn turned toward his room — but a soft hand tugged his sleeve.

He looked over to find Elisse standing by her bedroom door, eyebrows raised in a pointed expression.

She glanced down the hall. Nobody watching.

Then, without a word, she opened the door and dragged him inside.

Zayn barely got a word out before the door clicked shut behind them and she pushed him gently — yet firmly — against the wall.

"Elisse — "

"Shh," she said, her voice low, her breath warm against his cheek. "We still have time... let’s use the bathroom in my room."

"Eh, are you serious?"

"Deadly," she whispered, before leaning in and kissing him.

It wasn’t a sweet, morning kiss or one of those casual pecks they shared when no one was looking.

No — this was the kind that made his brain hiccup and forget how standing worked.

Her hands slid up under his shirt, warm and confident, tracing the sides of his torso.

Zayn blinked, completely caught off guard.

"Hey — wait, my shirt — " he mumbled as she started pulling it over his head.

"It’s in the way," Elisse murmured, lips brushing his collarbone.

"Well, yeah, but so is gravity and we respect that —" He yelped slightly as his shirt got tossed behind her with an impressive flick.

Then, his hands found their way to her waist almost instinctively, fingers grazing the hem of her blouse.

She smiled into the next kiss, tugging his head down as she pressed herself closer.

Zayn’s heart thumped.

Not from nerves — okay, a little from nerves — but mostly because this was Elisse.

She smelled faintly of whatever she’d been brewing earlier — lavender, herbs, maybe a touch of charcoal — and it made his thoughts scatter like dry leaves in a storm.

She reached down and took his hands in hers, guiding them to the bottom of her own shirt.

"Your turn," she whispered.

Zayn blinked. "Wait, you want me to —?"

"Unless you want me to do everything," she said with mock sternness, biting her lower lip.

He grinned. "I mean, I wouldn’t complain — ow!"

She had flicked his forehead.

"Behave," she said, though she looked more amused than irritated.

With slightly clumsy fingers, he slipped her shirt up over her head, trying very hard not to look like a twelve-year-old fumbling through a forbidden magazine.

She laughed softly when he got her hair tangled in the fabric and had to stop mid-way to fix it.

"Smooth," she teased.

"Absolutely killing it," Zayn deadpanned. "I’m the king of seductive wardrobe removal."

"Clearly."

Her shirt joined his on the floor.

Then they were pressed together again, skin against skin, breath against breath.

There was a pause, not awkward — but quiet, meaningful. Her hand rested against his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"You’re warm," she murmured.

Zayn smiled. "Thanks. I’ve been in the sun all morning, fighting against Tobias."

She laughed, forehead against his. "Come let’s change that, off to the shower."