《Shadowborn》 Prologue: A Deal You Can’t Refuse Prologue: A Deal You Can¡¯t Refuse Even four monthster, I could still feel the bite of my de as it tore through the neck of Zagrith Grimsbane, the Abyssal King. He was far, far from the first man I¡¯ve killed, and yet I expected it to feel¡­ different somehow. He¡¯d killed thousands, and he¡¯d been responsible for the deaths of who knows how many more. He¡¯d been on the cusp of bringing about the apocalypse. Even as I¡¯d separated his head from his shoulders, he¡¯d been chanting his corrupted spell. Trying with his veryst breath to grant himself the unimaginable power that would have secured his reign. And when I watched his head roll away from me and his body slump to the ground, the only thought in my mind was to wonder who was next. I turned to fight his servants only for them to either copse, no longer powered or enved by his dark magics, or surrender now that their liege was gone and their binds were released. I remembered the cheering and the celebrations that followed. The throngs of people that stopped to shake my hand and pat my back and give me teary embraces that my body returned even as my mind didn¡¯t. Everyone drinking and fucking with wild abandon. It had probably been the singlergest celebration in thest century, and I¡¯d spent the entire timepletely miserable. I hung around long enough to make sure there were no major issues. Long enough for the heroes to be given honors and titles andnd and riches. I was one of them, even if it never quite felt like it, which meant I got a share of the rewards. I¡¯d left it all behind when I slipped out of the capital. Where I was going, I wouldn¡¯t need it. Grimsbane was dead, which meant I was no longer needed either. Well, I hadn¡¯t left everything. The cursed de I¡¯d used to kill Grimsbane sat next to me, and the flickering of the firelight always made it look more menacing. It rode the line between longsword and bastard sword, though so much power raced through me when I wielded it that its weight hardly mattered. Its scabbard was made of a metal that seemed almost weightless, and a sp held the de in its embrace while also containing the sword¡¯s curse. A bloodred gem not unlike an eye stared at me from its hilt, and I knew that if I drew it the de would be tinged with red as if I¡¯d just recently bathed it in blood. I hated that de with every part of me, but I¡¯d also never met anyone else who could wield it. Not without turning into an unstoppable bloodthirsty monster, at least. I¡¯d been created for the sole purpose of swinging it and not dying horribly, but even that role was almost at its end. One more day of travel, and I could finally rest. The moment a woman¡¯s voice broke the silence, I knew my day was about to turn into a massive headache. ¡°We need to talk, Godyer,¡± she said. I leapt to my feet and called upon my shadows. They didn¡¯t answer. I lunged for my de, but my fingers passed through it like it was made of smoke. No, like I was made of smoke. I froze, then turned back to where I¡¯d been sitting. I saw my own form slumped against the tree, but I could see my chest rising and falling ever so slightly. I wasn¡¯t dead, at least. ¡°If you¡¯re quite finished,¡± the woman said, ¡°then please, take a seat.¡± None of my skills activated, which meant the woman either held no malice towards me or was weaker than I was. Considering I was currently being projected outside of my body away from my skills, I knew which option I¡¯d put my coin on. Whatever she¡¯d done to me, there was nothing I could do about it but y along and bide my time. While I moved around the fire, I finally got a good look at my visitor. To say she was attractive would be like calling a raging inferno a little warm. Her face was heart shaped and her features were perfectly symmetrical and alluringly soft. She had long golden hair that flowed over her wless bronzed skin that glowed in the firelight. Flowing white robes swayed in a wind I couldn¡¯t feel, and they left very little of her voluptuous proportions to the imagination. I could very clearly make out every detail of her body, down to the nipples poking through the fabric and the faintest shadow of the curls between her legs. From how hard it was to drag my eyes from her body, I knew I was being magically charmed. She had an aura that drew the gaze to her assets. One designed to be warming andforting and disarming. I could feel my body reacting to hers against my will and knew it had to be powerful magic, but I managed to pull my gaze to meet hers. Her eyes were a mesmerizing swirl of warm oranges, golds, and violets, and I knew the moment I looked into them and felt an intense pressure on the back of my neck who¡ªor rather, what¡ªwas sitting across from me. ¡°Whatever you want from me, goddess, the answer is no.¡± Her soft, perfect lips quirked upward. Lips that begged me to taste them against every sense I had ¡°Are you certain? You haven¡¯t even heard what it is I have to say.¡± I didn¡¯t bother sitting. This would be a short conversation. ¡°You need something from me. You gods always do. Unfortunately, you have nothing I want.¡± Her eyes shimmered. ¡°I¡¯d hardly approach the Godyer empty handed.¡± I wonder if she knew she was using one of the very few titles I¡¯d gained over the years that I didn¡¯t despise. She undoubtedly did. ttery? Or could it be an olive branch? ¡°The only things I want, you have no power to grant me.¡± ¡°Are you certain of that?¡± There was no trace of deceit on her face, so I sat down. ¡°Considering you¡¯re holding me hostage, I guess I have no choice.¡± She sped her hands in herp. ¡°Oh, Zaren. There is always a choice.¡± Sure there was. In my experience though, that choice was usually between two giant piles of shit. ¡°Just get on with what you want. If memory serves, only oracles can meet with gods without torching their souls.¡± My soul wasn¡¯t exactly run of the mill, but it would be best for everyone if I didn¡¯t die until I found the deepest darkest hole I could. I didn¡¯t want to leave that de for someone else to find. It was thest thing I could possibly offer this realm. ¡°Very well. I need your help to save this world.¡± Augh slipped out before I could stop it. ¡°Already done. Find another monkey to dance for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say, but you and your little group of friends didn¡¯t save the world. You only earned it a stay of execution.¡± Great. Wonderful, even. I was right about the headache, at least. ¡°Grimsbane lives?¡± She hid her mouth behind her hand andughed. A softugh that tugged at emotions I¡¯d left dead and buried long ago. ¡°No, that sword of yours made it quite impossible for him to resurrect. Grimsbane is dead, but I¡¯m afraid you were toote. He may not have finished his summoning ritual, but he got far enough to attract the attention of the god he was trying to channel.¡± That only made meugh harder. ¡°Sorry,dy, but Godyer is just the name of my ss. I don¡¯t think I actually have the juice to take one on.¡± That seemed to amuse her. ¡°I¡¯m well aware. I don¡¯t need you to take on an outsider god, I need you to make sure he can¡¯t get into this realm to begin with.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Alright, for the sake of conversation, what will you be doing in the meantime?¡± ¡°Whatever I can. As will the other gods, once they realize the threat we face, but you more than anyone know we are limited in how much we can interfere, even in this.¡± She must have read the look on my face. ¡°They think the god will lose interest.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°The others don¡¯t know what I do. They haven¡¯t been paying close enough attention.¡± I saw the way her eyes slid towards the sword. ¡°Your de isn¡¯t of this world. I¡¯m sure of it. The moment you used it to sever the ritual, it sent ripples across the realms.¡± It was true that the sigils on the de werepletely unlike anything I¡¯d evere across. I¡¯d spent thest four months trying to find a way to destroy it, and not even the oldest books in Grimsbane¡¯s keep had anything that even hinted at what the de was. ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder what your domain is since you know so much.¡± That made her nce away. ¡°Family. Love. Bonds.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be shitting me.¡± I stood. ¡°Allura? I¡¯m sitting in front of the fucking sex goddess? Yeah, this conversation is over. Put me back in my body so I can go bury myself alive like I nned.¡± She flushed. ¡°I am not a sex goddess!¡± Suddenly, she was considerably less attractive and considerably more terrifying. Terrifying in a way that made my pants feel a little tighter, sure, but that wasn¡¯t the issue currently. ¡°I am a goddess of the bonds forged between those that love one another! Sex just happens to fall within my domain.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. And what, if I may ask, is the boon your followers ask for most often?¡± Her re might have frightened anyone else, but there was nothing left she could do to me that hadn¡¯t already been done. ¡°Allura, I¡¯ve buried everyone I¡¯ve ever loved. There was a time where I begged you¡ªany of you¡ªto help them, and I got nothing in return. I hate the gods, but I hate you most of all.¡± If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d have thought she actually looked ashamed. ¡°I¡¯ve watched you for a very long time, Zaren. You may not believe me now, but I will never lie to you. Ask me anything, and I will answer.¡± I snorted. ¡°Is that so? In that case, why did you leave him to his own devices?¡± It¡¯s been years since I¡¯d killed my master, and I still couldn¡¯t say his name aloud. ¡°He yed the system,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°There are very specific rules about when we can and cannot intervene. Your former master made sure to help both sides of the conflict just enough that neither side could or would take action. A dozen of my siblings had ns in the works to try and take him down, and they were infuriated that you beat them to it.¡± Infuriating gods was nice, but that was hardly an answer I was a fan of. ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but aren¡¯t prayers exactly the window you assholes need to intervene?¡± ¡°Technically, but none of us were willing to go near you.¡± She paused. ¡°Do you know the history of your ss?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s been a pain in my ass.¡± She smiled softly, but there was a sadness in her eyes. ¡°You are the twelfth mortal to be given the ss of Shadowborn in this realm. Do you know what the other eleven did?¡± ¡°Nothing good, I¡¯m guessing.¡± She inclined her head. ¡°Wars between the gods¡¯ chosen have been raging for millennia, but you know that.¡± This world rarely went a century without one god choosing a mortal to do their bidding and another god choosing a mortal to stop them. They were often resolved before the conflict hopped continents, but asionally they escted. Especially when more than two chosen were involved. ¡°Every time a ss in the Shadowborn tree has been involved, it was on the side of darkness. And every time, it resulted in a dark age. Your ss is a harbinger of death and destruction, and the other gods were too busy trying toe up with a way to put you down to worry about trying to help you.¡± It wasn¡¯t every day you learned you were destined to destroy civilization. Any other day and I might have been ttered. ¡°But not you. You¡¯re different.¡± ¡°I was lucky,¡± she corrected. ¡°We¡¯re sitting here now because you are the first Shadowborn to fight on the side of light. If you agree to do it again, then this world might stand a chance.¡± I believed her, but there was something she wasn¡¯t telling me. ¡°You said you were listening to my prayers. I know for a fact that thest time I asked anything of a god was long before I chose a side.¡± Allura stood and walked until we were an arm¡¯s length apart. ¡°In all your prayers,¡± she reached out and trailed her fingertips down my cheek. Where they touched, it felt like fire was kissing its way down my face. Scalding hot, butforting in a way I¡¯d never known. ¡°You never once prayed for yourself. You only ever prayed for others. No matter your situation. You had every right to turn into the monster we expected you to, but you never did.¡± I brushed her hand away. ¡°Fat lot of good that does me now.¡± Her eyes twinkled. ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Why don¡¯t you ask me the question that¡¯s burning you up?¡± I didn¡¯t want to. I was sure I wouldn¡¯t give a damn about whatever it was she had to say, but I was terrified I would. ¡°What could you possibly have to offer me?¡± She smiled again, then drew from behind her a tall ss container. In it were over a dozen floating green mes, each the size of a bead. The container radiated magic, and more than one of my skills resonated with it. I sucked in my breath. Those mes couldn¡¯t possibly be what I thought, right? ¡°Even against their will, they were a part of the machinations of a dark god. Their souls were condemned.¡± She held the container out, and I took it. It was warm andforting and familiar. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop your master, but I wasn¡¯tpletely powerless. As they died, I took in each and every one of their souls. They deserved better, and now I have a chance to give them just that. So do you.¡± For a full minute, I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that, if you agree to aid me, then I will have the souls of those you have lost reborn into the world. Resurrection is outside of my domain, but something like this?¡± She put a hand on the ss. ¡°I will give them life, and I will give them my blessing. Most importantly, they will have the chance to earn an afterlife.¡± I hated gods. That was never more true than this moment. She¡¯d certainlye prepared. She had me by the balls and she knew it. ¡°What would you have me do?¡± She gently took back the ss. I wanted to hold it for longer, but all my strength had left me. ¡°First, if I¡¯m right, then the sword is the key. I¡¯ll be taking you off the board for a time, and the sword will go with you. If we¡¯re lucky, then the absence of the sword will make this god lose interest.¡± Yeah, like that was going to happen. ¡°And when we inevitably aren¡¯t lucky?¡± ¡°Then we prepare. You will worry about the mortal ne, and I will handle the divine side of things.¡± She walked away, and when she turned back towards me the jar was gone. ¡°Your current sses are suited for ying a dark lord, but you will need different tools for what is toe.¡± I felt a spark of something that felt dangerously close to hope. ¡°You can alter my sses?¡± ¡°I can reset you to an earlier level.¡± She smirked. ¡°Normally, something like that is reserved for a punishment. By the time you wake, I will hopefully have more information. You¡¯ll have to find a way tomune with me on your own, though I¡¯ll help where I can.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just talk with me like this?¡± Her eyes traveled to where my real bodyy slumped. When I followed her gaze, I realized I was starting to smoke. Literally. The plumes that came from my flesh had a greenish tinge to them. My soul was burning my body from the inside out. ¡°The other reason I have to put you to sleep is to give your soul time to recover. Meetings like this are usually reserved for after death, but desperate times¡­¡± I took a long, deep breath. ¡°Find a cleric, prepare for war, research the de. Anything else?¡± Her palm returned to my cheek. Her aura was warm and weing, and her smile loosened the knot in my stomach. ¡°You¡¯ve barely seen the other side of twenty winters, Zaren. While you¡¯re out there trying to save the world¡ªagain¡ªdo try and enjoy yourself. Does that mean I can count on you?¡± Ignoring the sound of my body starting to sizzle, I nodded. I¡¯d gone through hell to make sure the deaths of the others hadn¡¯t been in vain, I could go through worse to give them a chance at something better. She put a hand on either side of my face and leaned in close. Thest thing I remembered before the world went dark was the feeling of her lips brushing against mine. Then searing pain ripped me apart from the inside out. # # # Author''s note: What to expect/not expect: Spoiler What to expect: Hopefully plenty of intimacy of varying types: Some love interests will be a bit more eager than others, but hopefully thetter ones will be worth the wait. I want the litRPG side of things to be a bit less number crunchy (for the reader, at least) so hopefully the story won''t get bogged down with a sea of stats and skills and otherplicated things to keep track of (you can if you want, but you won''t have to). Dark Themes:This is a big one. You will meet many characters who have been through horrible and traumatic things, andZaren is no exception. That being said, oveing trauma and finding their way back into the light is going to be a core part of many characters'' journeys. Things might be miserable at times for some, but they won''t stay that way. Whatnot to expect: non-consensual explicit scenes: There will be references to them and you will asionally see the aftermath, but I have no ns to ever write one out in full. Furry scenes: there will be demi-humans to romance (asionally humans with some animal-like traits like ears and tails) but nothing with full on anthropomorphic beasts. Sorry if that''s your thing, it is not mine. NTR or incest: again, simply not my thing. The main character will not have any explicitly sexual sses or skills (though he might meet some others with them) but there just might be some forces affecting the world that Zaren will have to uncover for himself. I might add to these listster if questions pop up, but for now here you go. [copse] Edit: Spoiler Added paragraph starting with "From how hard it was" [copse] Chapter One: A New Beginning Chapter One: A New Beginning Nothing quite like waking up with an intense full-body ache. I was still in the same sitting position, the bark of the tree I was leaning against biting into my back, and it felt like I¡¯d spend an entire night in the position. When I finally managed to look around with bleary, crusty eyes, I realized that was likely an understatement. Ayer of snow coated the ground, and the biting cold only made my aches more intense. It didn¡¯t help that the morning sun reflected off the white nket and made my headache return with a vengeance. My conversation with the goddess had taken ce towards the end of summer, which meant I¡¯d spent at least a few months asleep. I should have asked her exactly how long she nned to put me down for, but I¡¯d had other things on the brain. Things like saving the souls of all the people I¡¯d failed to protect. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± My breath fogged when I spoke. I hadn¡¯t exactly beenden with winter gear, so I had to hope I could find somewhere to get some warm clothes rtively soon. First things first, time to see what I was working with. I pulled up my information window and groaned aloud. ¡°Well, at least I¡¯m not level one I suppose,¡± I mused.
Zaren Nocht Race: Human Primary ss: Shadowborn - 5 Secondary ss: None Tertiary ss: None
Level five. My deal with the goddess had cost me over a hundred levels. If she actually held up her end, that would be a small price to pay. Levels can be regained, lost lives couldn¡¯t. Not normally, at least. That meant I¡¯d have to be careful, though. I didn¡¯t have the padded stats of three sses and dozens of skills to allow for my more reckless style of fighting. Speaking of¡­
Strength [15] Arcane [0] Vitality [20] Focus [9]
Dexterity [15] Divine [0] Fortitude [15] Resilience [70]
Agility [10] Primal [20] Endurance [10] Will [10]
My first reaction was to wince. The numbers were very sadpared to what I¡¯d once had, but then I did some quick mental math. Average starting stats totaled at 120, which meant I had a whopping 70 points that hade seemingly from nowhere, not counting the four I would have gained from levels three and five. I¡¯d already decided to at least give Allura the benefit of the doubt, and it looked like she was keen to prove herself. I¡¯d take what I could get, I supposed. That beefy resilience would give me all kinds of resistance to magical damage and effects, such as the one that tried its best to annihte me every time I drew my cursed de. Speaking of my eternal burden, I didn¡¯t see it nearby. I didn¡¯t panic, though, since Allura had clearly stated the de was important. I had an idea of where it might be, so I checked on my three skills. One was the core skill granted by my ss.
Lesser Shadow Maniption (a) - The shadows have always been your ally, now they are your servant. Can expend mana to attack or defend. Attacks do minor damage and defense cannot block magical blows. Damage dealt or reduced is determined by Primal stat.
The second was exactly what I expected, and I was d Allura had picked this one for me to keep. It woulde in handy, especially when it came to dealing with the damn de. The third made me curse. It was one skill I would have rather been without.
Hidden Pockets (p) - All you own is what can be carried. Gain ess to a pocket dimension that can be used to store items. Suppresses magic effects. Current dimensions: 5x5x5 foot cube.
Predator''s Pursuit(p) - All creatures fear the dark. Those that don¡¯t, should. You can sense fear. The stronger the fear, the further you can sense it from. You gain additional agility based on the strength of the fear when you are moving towards its source.
I had many reasons to hate my ss, and this was one of them. It seemed designed to turn me into some kind of predator in the dark, and many of the skills I¡¯d seen and taken made it hard to feel like one of the good guys no matter how hard I tried. It¡¯s like the system knew I was only doing good to spite the evil bastard who¡¯d created me. Not a bad spread to start with, though I could have used another offensive ability in the ce of [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] One issue I immediately noticed, though, is that my storage had been considerablyrger before. Hell, I could have hauled around an entire carriage for shits and giggles. I¡¯d spent too much of my life with absolutely nothing to my name, which meant I¡¯d developed some slight hoarding tendencies. I hoped all my gear wasn¡¯t gone, but I could worry about thatter. Best to take stock of what I did have. The first thing I drew out was the de. It was just as menacing as ever, and it felt heavier than it had before. The burden of significantly reduced stats, I supposed. I leaned it against a tree and went to fishing for whatever else I could find. A few minutester I knelt among a few dozen shitty rations, a not insignificant pouch of coin, two full waterskins, a thick ck winter cloak that went down nearly to my knees with a fur-lined hood to match (Allura, you¡¯re growing on me more and more by the minute), a single change of standard traveling clothes, and a single roll of parchment in a watertight tube. No armor, which meant I was stuck with the simple traveler¡¯s clothes I wore. I knew what the parchment was, so I stowed it immediately. It woulde in handy in the future, but considering I was in the middle of bum fuck nowhere right now, it was little more than kindling. I threw on the coat, tore into a ration, and stowed the coin as well. I hefted the sword, but I ended up stowing that as well. In my current state, I could probably wield it for about ten seconds. Best to keep it out of sight where its magic couldn¡¯t call to anything nasty while I was distracted. ¡°Couldn¡¯t bother to give me a real sword, huh?¡± I asked the air. I wondered if she was paying attention to me at all or if she¡¯d decided to leave me to my own devices. Now that our conversation was over and done with all I could think about was the litany of questions I wish I¡¯d asked. Oh well. No sense crying over it. At the very least I could move forward feeling like her influence over me wasn¡¯t too strong. I briefly wondered if she¡¯d done that on purpose. The more instruction she¡¯d given me, the more likely I would have been to tell her to go fuck herself. Giving me a vague goal and letting me do things my way was probably the best tactic she could have used. Maybe she did know a little about me after all. The area I was in didn¡¯t resemble the area where we¡¯d talked. Until I was certain, best to assume she¡¯d dropped me somewhere else entirely. She could reset my ss and give me free stats, so relocating my ass was hardly outside the realm of possibility. I picked a direction and struck out at random. I needed to get my bearings, and that wasn¡¯t exactly easy to do in a thickly wooded area. I needed high ground andndmarks. If I could stumble my way to a settlement, even better. Especially since I could use some of this coin to buy myself a de that didn¡¯t do its best to obliterate my poor abused soul every time I drew it. Unfortunately, I had never been a lucky man. I walked for a few hours before my scalp prickled. Allura could take away my skills, but she couldn¡¯t take my instincts. I dropped into a fighting stance just before the first wolf came into view. It wasn¡¯t big enough to be a dire wolf, but it was plentyrge enough to properly wreck my shit if I wasn¡¯t careful. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, there was something very wrong with the beast. One of its eyes was a standard yellow, but the other was a sickly green. Webs of matted, ck fur spread across the beast¡¯s side like veins, and I could feel the faint pressure of magicing from the creature. ¡°And just what the fuck are you?¡± I asked it. Thankfully, it didn''t respond. Then two more wolves crept out of the bushes on either side of me. An ambush. Honestly, I was embarrassed that I¡¯d walked right into it. I really had to get used to my weaker self before it got me killed. Normal wolves were one thing. A disy of power and they¡¯d run off in search of easier prey. Something in my gut told me that these weren¡¯t normal wolves. I raised my arms and let some of my shadows trail upwards in thin tendrils. ¡°Go on, doggie. Find someone else to munch on.¡± The wolf was unimpressed. Its hackles raised and it bared its teeth. Itspanions began to stalk closer to me. Looks like I was about to get in some experience already. I just had to hope that whatever magic was affecting the beasts didn¡¯t juice them up too much. ¡°Fuck it.¡± I drew the cursed de from my shadow pocket with one hand and unsped my cloak with the other, letting it fall to the ground. The wolf lunged, and I swung the de, scabbard and all. I hit the wolf in the body with all my strength and managed to knock it away. I felt the impact in my wrists and shoulders, but the blow did its job and sent the wolf sprawling. Without undoing the sp, I couldn¡¯t ess the de¡¯s cursed magic. On the other hand, it couldn¡¯t unravel my soul either. That didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t swing it around like a big ass club, though. The next wolf tried to sink its teeth into me, but got a mouth full of metal scabbard instead. The third one tried to get behind me, but Ished out with my shadows andnded a cut to its snout and another on its shoulder. Rather than red, its blood was a green several shades darker than its eye. Where it dripped in the snow, it sizzled. That was bad, and so was the sensation I got when I used my skills. I could feel the effect on my mana, which made me curse. I¡¯d spent so long with a hefty mana pool I hadn¡¯t even though to check how much I was working with now. I threw the wolf in front of me to the ground and mmed the de down, taking its jaw with me. Ished out again with shadows, aiming for the beast¡¯s neck. This time with piercing attacks. I felt bone crack when I twisted the sword and rolled away just before another of the wolves could jump me. One wolf limped away, bleeding profusely from the deep wounds in its neck, its jaw hanging at an angle. That left two for now. This time, I was the one to initiate. I lunged and managed to m my de into one wolf¡¯s head, but the other leapt on me from behind. I used my shadows for defense even as the wolf bit into my shoulder. I immediately knew I¡¯d made a mistake when I felt the bite of magic tear into my flesh, but the wolf¡¯s attack put me in an ample position. I used my shadows to stab the inside of the wolf¡¯s snout even as it jerked its head to try and rip my shoulder off. It burned through most of my mana, but I stabbed the roof of its mouth and its throat enough that it finally let go. It reeled back, but not before I hit its shoulder with the scabbard. I felt bones crunch and the beast howled. It faltered, and I used the gap to rain blow after blow until it stopped moving. I¡¯d fought beasts muchrger than thest wolf, so it was only a matter of time before I was able to dispatch it now that I didn¡¯t have to worry about it nking me. I only needed to attack it twice with my shadows before I could step forward and finish the thing off. After that, ignoring the searing pain that raced through my veins, I tracked the only wolf left by the heavy trail of blood it was leaving behind. It red at me with that creepy green eye, rasping through the wounds in its throat. I put it out of its misery quickly. [Level up!] Seems the wolves were a little out of my weight ss. I shook my head even as I sunk down with my back to the nearest tree. Not so long ago, I would have been able to use my shadows to snap the necks of all three wolves without breaking a sweat. This was going to be a huge pain. [Blight neutralized] Blight, huh? That¡¯s a new one. Must¡¯ve been whatever that corruption was. Still, thanks to my insane resilience, it looked like I wasn¡¯t going to die to poison at least. I waited a few minutes to make sure the wolves hadn¡¯t left any friends behind in the trees, but it seemed I was alone. First things first, I needed to see just how poorly I¡¯d done. I pulled up my current status. Health: [79/200] Mana: [2/90] ¡°Fuck me!¡± I¡¯d cut that much closer than I¡¯d have liked. If anything else decided to take a chunk out of me, then I was screwed. Even now I was pretty sure luck had yed a heavy role in my survival just then. Judging by the smoking holes in the snow and the burning on my back and shoulder I was pretty certain the wolves¡¯ blood was acidic. I¡¯d be willing to bet some coin that stabbing them with a non-magical weapon would lead to very bad things. With that out of the way, it was time to level. Like all even numbered levels, six meant I got a new skill. I just had to hope I had some decent options this early in my journey. I won¡¯t be much use to Allura as a corpse, so I had to consider my current weaknesses. I initiated the level and looked at my options. Two of them were the standard starting skills avable by default. [Shadow Sense] would boost everything but my eyesight in the dark. It was helpful when it came to moving around at night, but it was limited by how bright it was. I¡¯d take it eventually, but for now I needed something more immediately useful. [Cursed Existence] could help against the wolves, but I had no way of knowing if I faced a curse or a simple poison. I¡¯d learned the hard way that the two were different. I was leaning towards curse, but if I was wrong then I¡¯d wasted a level. The third skill avable was one I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get untilter, but I¡¯d dly take it now. So I did.
Shadow Stitching (a) - Destruction is not the only role of a shadow. Expend mana to manipte your shadows and stitch a wound closed, staunching any bleeding. Injuries affected by this ability heal faster
As long as I didn¡¯t get jumped by anything else before I regained some mana, I¡¯d be set. That meant not loitering around the dead bodies, so I got to my feet. My shoulder was still pretty torn up, so I poured as much water as I dared over it. After, I rubbed some snow into it. The cold helped with the pain, and hopefully it would keep it from getting infected until I could get my hands on something a little more substantial. I continued on my way for a good while until I heard the sound of running water. I followed it to a stream which flowed past rapidly enough to be rtively clean but slow enough that I could go into it. It wasn¡¯t my first time in the wilderness, so I spent some time hunting enough wood to get a fire going before taking a dip in the frigid water. The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, so I figured this was as good a spot as any to hole up. The river would protect one side and the trees made a nice little alcove I could spend the night in. Around when I was building the fire my mana finally regained enough to use [Shadow Stitching]. Just as I remembered, it was a distinctly painful experience. The shadows became thread-thin and wove in and out of my flesh before pulling the cuts closed, but I was too thankful it counted the bite as one injury for the sake of my mana toin. Once I had the fire going, I stripped down to take a dip and wash the blood and grime from the battle off. That¡¯s when I got my next big surprise of the day. I¡¯d hardly been small, but it seemed Allura had seen fit to ensure her champion was well endowed. I was as big soft now as I¡¯d been hard before. A part of me wanted to see just how improved my new equipment was, but between the cold, the pain, and the day I¡¯d had so far I figured I¡¯d hold off on that particr experiment. I scoffed. ¡°Not a sex goddess. Could¡¯ve fooled me.¡± One painfully chilly rinseter I was satisfied my injuries weren¡¯t going to kill me overnight. I wrapped myself in the cloak, mmed down another ration, and curled up with my back against a tree a ways away from the mes. I was exhausted enough that the most I could do was silently question why Allura hadn¡¯t seen fit to give me a fucking bedroll before I drifted off. # # # It was the smell of smoke that woke me initially. At first I berated my unconscious brain for being an idiot, but as I got my bearings I realized that the wind was blowing the smoke from my sad little campfire away from where I sat shivering in the dark. If that wasn¡¯t enough to wake me up, there was something else I could smell on the wind. Meat. Cooking meat. I hadn¡¯t eaten anything but rations since I¡¯d left the capital. I hadn¡¯t had it in me to go hunting, so I¡¯d just lived off what I had on hand. The smell that assaulted me now had my mouth watering and my stomach grumbling rebelliously. Health: [132/200] Mana: [53/90] Not quite ideal, but it¡¯d do. At least to take a look. Anything smart enough to cook meat was smart enough to answer at least some of the questions I had. As long as they weren¡¯t hostile, of course. If they were, well I¡¯d cross that bridge when I got to it. Judging by my regen, I¡¯d slept about five hours. Naturally, since I was sleeping wrapped in a coat and sitting against a tree, I didn¡¯t get the full bonus that came with a good rest. Half would do until I at least got a bedroll and maybe apanion so I wouldn¡¯t have to spend the night half asleep. I didn¡¯t anticipate thetter happening any time soon, but it was nice to dream. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I missed having others to glower at. The sky was cloudy still, and the forest seemed to devour even the tiniest sounds I made while I crept through the trees. It was pitch dark, but that was where I felt the most at home. It wasn¡¯t long before I saw the re of orange peeking out through the trees. An active campfire this early in the morning meant one of a few things. Worst case scenario was that it was arge group that had enough guards not to have to worry about night ambushes. If they seemed hostile, I¡¯d have to back off and hope I came across someone else. Granted, it was entirely possible that these woods were rtively peaceful and there wasn¡¯t much real danger leaving a fire going. My encounter with the wolves made me think otherwise. On the other side of the coin, the mes could very well keep night predators at bay. Without knowing where I was, I had no real way of knowing. Another reason was that they simply couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t go without the heat of the mes during the night. Perhaps they had young, sick, or wounded with them. Whatever the case, I needed to get closer to find out. I moved silently and low to the ground. I activated my [Shadow Maniption] and used it defensively. The dark tendrils that wrapped around my arms and upper torso would make it even harder to spot in the dark, and after a brief check I confirmed that a single use only cost me five mana. I could afford that if it meant avoiding conflict. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t option number one. I only counted four bodies, and only one was currently on watch. Thanks to the brightness of the fire blinding their one sentry, I was able to get to a nice little spot out of the wind to watch them for a good while. A heavily armored woman was the one peering out into the dark as if she expected an attack at any moment. There was a man that dozed not far off, but his de was resting right next to his hand. His armor was lighter than the woman¡¯s, but it was well used. It had seen battle. The third man sat next to the fourth, who was a woman lying with a towel across her forehead. Every so often the third man, a smaller guy who wore armor designed for quickness and sat next to a bow, would lean over and check hispanion. She was closest to the me, and I could only assume she was injured. Walking out of the dark in the middle of the night was the height of stupidity, so I settled down and simply watched. About two hours before dawn the sleeping man stood and went to tap the shoulder of the woman on watch. Without saying a word, she walked over to the one tending to the wounded woman and leaned over. My senses were painfully average, so I couldn¡¯t make out whatever it was that was said, but the man stood andid in the spot where hispanion had been sleeping before. The armored woman took his ce next to the injured woman. I could tell they were not only seasoned, but more than familiar with one another. Once I¡¯d gotten a good feel for each of them, my eyes went searching for the source of the smell that had drawn me in the first ce. A metal pot sat next to the fire, just close enough to keep warm, and I could smell the stew inside it. It made my stomach rumble so loudly I was certain it would get me caught, but by the time the sky began to lighten none of them had made any indication that I¡¯d been seen. It was in that light of early morning I made another discovery. Four adventurers, six packs. Whatever had urred, it seemed not everyone made it out. I waited until the guard changed again, the smaller man in the light armor taking watch, before I finally made my move. After dismissing the shadows I¡¯d been using as camouge, I approached from the area that had the least amount of cover with my arms spread out to the sides. It didn¡¯t take long for the man on watch to spot me. ¡°Hold!¡± he shouted. Hispanions scrambled to their feet, and I was impressed to see that neither of them looked towards me. Their eyes searched the trees, no doubt looking for any sign of ambush. ¡°Ho, there!¡± I tried to sound non threatening, but I¡¯d spent my entire life trying to aplish the opposite so it wasn¡¯t as effective as I¡¯d have liked. ¡°I mean no harm, I¡¯d just like to talk. I¡¯m alone and unarmed.¡± Other than an evil cursed sword, of course, but it was stowed out of sight. The man¡¯s eyes narrowed, and the armored woman put herself between me and her injured friend. It was the third man that spoke. ¡°I find it hard to believe you¡¯re all alone out here, friend.¡± His tone suggested I was anything but. He walked so that he was closer to me than the other two. His hand was on the hilt of his de, but he hadn¡¯t drawn it yet. Up close I could see that he was older, maybe in histe forties or early fifties, and bore himself with an ease that spoke to his experience. He¡¯d be more than dangerous if things got ugly. I made sure to keep my hands well in sight, raising them to push my cloak back so he could get a good look and see that I didn¡¯t have any weapons on my belt. That didn¡¯t mean I was harmless, of course. I could easily have a ss that didn¡¯t use weapons or some way to store them out of sight (which I did on both counts), so he still regarded me with the same level of suspicion. ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s the truth,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°If that¡¯s the case,¡± the thin man said, ¡°then you¡¯d best be on your way.¡± Well, it wasn¡¯t attack on sight. I could work with this. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then I¡¯ll move along. I just saw your fire and thought I¡¯d offer a hand.¡± The woman tensed, but the man who was the clear leader didn¡¯t react. ¡°Not sure what you might be offering, nor what you¡¯d want in return.¡± ¡°I assume your friend is injured?¡± None of them answered. ¡°I have a skill that might be able to help her. As for what I want, a bowl of that stew and some directions would be more than enough for me.¡± The thin man put an arrow on his string. ¡°Pretty sure I already told you to piss off¡ª¡± ¡°Hang on Al,¡± the grizzled man said. Then, to me, ¡°what kind of skill? No offense, but you hardly seem a priest.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have healing magics in the normal sense,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I can close wounds if she¡¯s hurt. It¡¯ll keep her from bleeding out until you can get her back to safety.¡± ¡°Pierce,¡± the woman hissed, ¡°Lana''s in bad shape. She might not make it as is.¡± Pierce grumbled. ¡°Al, toss him a knife.¡± Al did so without verbalint, though his expression was as far from cuddly as one got. He threw it a little harder than necessary, but I managed to snag it out of the air anyways. Pierce raised a brow at me, and I knew he understood the message. I meant no harm, but I wasn¡¯t harmless. ¡°I¡¯m not in the habit of trusting strangers,¡± he said, ¡°so I¡¯ll have to ask you to prove that skill of yours.¡± Not unsurprising, but I still wished I wasn¡¯t having to use up my mana. I drew the de across the back of my hand, then activated [Shadow Stitching]. Threads of darkness worked their way through my flesh and pulled it shut. A cut like this would be healed by the end of the day. Al took a step back, but Pierce just nodded. ¡°Yen, grab our guest a bowl. Al, keep an eye on him. You, what¡¯s your name?¡± I hadn¡¯t been paying much attention when I left the capital, and there was every chance my name had be at least a little widely known. ¡°Ren,¡± I told him. Not a lie andmon enough to not arouse suspicion. He stepped aside and allowed me to approach the injured woman while Yen went to grab the bowl. Al stayed close behind me, which gave me a chance to hand him back his dagger. He snatched it with a sneer. Who pissed in this guy¡¯s porridge? I was acutely aware of Pierce and Al looming over me while I kneeled down next to Lana. She wore a padded robe that wouldn¡¯t be much good against anything overly dangerous, so I figured she was either the group¡¯s healer or some kind of mage. Moving slowly as to not antagonize my new friends, I peeled back the bloody bandages on Lana''s side. What I saw made me wince. Something long and sharp had sliced right through her, and normal stitches hadn¡¯t seemed to help much. The cut was too neat to have been made by ws. ¡°A trap?¡± I asked, not really expecting an answer. Pierce grunted in affirmative. ¡°Got nicked trying to save a kid I figured might be our new fifth.¡± His eyes flitted to one of the still-packed bags. ¡°Guess I figured wrong. Can you help?¡± Luckily for him, I could. My [Shadow Stitching] was better than normal stitches in that it could go much deeper to seal the wound shut. ¡°As long as she¡¯s not poisoned and she hasn¡¯t got any severe infections, she should be alright.¡± I put a hand over the wound. ¡°You¡¯ll still want to get her to a real healer, though.¡± She reacted to my touch, but her face was covered in a sheen of sweat. She mumbled incoherently while her eyes searched the sky unseeing. ¡°If you can hear me, then you¡¯ll want to brace yourself. This is going to hurt.¡± Pierce kneeled down by her head and pulled a leather bit out. He slipped it in her mouth, then held her shoulders down. He was no stranger to this sort of thing. I put one hand on her hip to try and keep her lower half as still as I could manage, then activated my skill. The cut was deep enough it took double the mana, but I could tell immediately that it had worked. Mainly because she immediately started screaming into the bit and trying to shove us off. The processsted less than ten seconds, and she¡¯d passed out by the end. ¡°Well?¡± Yen asked. I sat back and Pierce handed me a towel to wipe the blood from the hand that had touched the cut. ¡°Like I said, she should be fine. My skill stops the bleeding, and it¡¯ll help it heal faster. That doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯spletely out of the woods though, no pun intended.¡± Yen¡¯s shoulders slumped in relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± She handed me a still-steaming bowl, which I took gratefully. Pierce stood. ¡°Come. Might as well take a seat. I guess we owe you some directions, too.¡± Chapter Two: The Scholar Chapter Two: The Schr I had a feeling that Lana might have been the cook of the group, but I was so hungry for real food that I had noints about the admittedly nd stew. Al went back to watching the woods while Pierce sat back and let me eat. He was kind enough to give me time to devour two full bowls before he started with his questions. He seemed more rxed, but I noticed his hand hadn¡¯t left his sword once. ¡°So, what¡¯s your story?¡± I leaned back, enjoying the feeling of a full belly. ¡°Always been a bit of a lone wanderer. Seemed to be going well until I ran into a pack of green-eyed wolves.¡± I heard Al curse behind me. ¡°Blightwolves? Out here? I told you we should never have taken this job, Pierce.¡± As badly as I wanted to ask what the fuck a blightwolf was, I didn¡¯t want to tip them off to my ignorance just yet. Luckily, Pierce¡¯s expression told me all I needed. He was begrudgingly impressed. ¡°You survived an encounter with blightwolves? You¡¯re either very lucky or very strong.¡± Something told me that confessing to killing all three of them was a bad idea. ¡°Definitely the former. I barely got out alive.¡± Pierce snorted. ¡°Let me guess: you stabbed one and your sword melted?¡± Well, that confirms that theory. If I hadn¡¯t been swinging around an indestructible scabbard, I would have been in deep shit. I wonder if that¡¯s why Allura didn¡¯t bother with a normal weapon. She might have saved my life if that was the case. ¡°Something like that. They were busy enough with my supplies for me to sneak away. I¡¯m pretty handy on my own.¡± The only response I got was another grunt. Clearly something didn¡¯t add up in my story, but he didn¡¯t call me out. Then, finally, ¡°Listone is about two days southeast.¡± He jerked his thumb towards where I¡¯d assumed southeast was thanks to the sun. ¡°Best way is to head straight east till you hit the road. Shouldn¡¯t take much more than a day to clear the forest from here, then it¡¯s a rtively straight shot.¡± So I¡¯d been going in the right direction. Even if I hadn¡¯t stumbled across the group, I¡¯d have found the town eventually. I thanked him, then looked towards the packs that were still packed up. ¡°I need some supplies. Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to sell me one of those?¡± I jerked my thumb at them. He looked, then let out a long sigh. ¡°I suppose right now they¡¯re just dead weight, and with Lana still out they¡¯re more hassle than they¡¯re worth.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. Like I said, I can pay.¡± He rubbed the stubble on his chin. ¡°The smaller pack I¡¯ll sell to you for seven silver. That¡¯d be enough to buy a new one when we get back to town, at least.¡± I took a good look at the other pack. It was twice the size, and my eye was drawn to a velvet case sticking out of one of the pockets. I did my best to hide my excitement. If that case was what I thought, then stumbling across these adventurers might have been a boon after all. ¡°And the other one?¡± Pierce scowled. ¡°Won¡¯t be of much use. It¡¯s a lot of books.¡± When I turned a questioning eye towards him, he huffed. ¡°We were paid to escort a schr to some old wizard¡¯s tower, only we didn¡¯t know it was going to be filled with all sorts of traps. Our fifth, an idiot boy named Dern, set off some of them. In the chaos, Lana got hurt and Dern and the schr ended up dead. We waited a while, but she never came out.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I can protect her from beasts and bandits, but I can¡¯t keep her from sticking her nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡± Instinct told me there was more to the story, but I didn¡¯t want to press too much. Not when I was certain I couldn¡¯t take all three of them at my current level. ¡°I do like books. How much?¡± Pierce¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Three gold for the schr¡¯s pack.¡± ¡°Three gold! You¡¯re out of your mind.¡± He stood. ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s the deal. I know plenty of people who like books, and she¡¯s got enough to make it worth even more than that. So, just the smaller pack then?¡± I got to my feet as well. If I was right about that case, then three gold was a pittance. I wasn¡¯t going to let him know that, though. I reached into my jacket and used my shadow pocket to deposit four gold in the palm of my hand. I held them up, one between each finger, and his eyes went wide. ¡°Four gold for both, and you point me towards the tower.¡± The pause after seemed to stretch on before Pierce shook his head. ¡°Fine, they¡¯re yours.¡± I gave him the gold and he pointed towards the opposite direction of town. I thanked him once again and went to grab both packs. The first was a very run-of-the-mill adventuring pack, which was exactly what I needed. The second nearly knocked me over when I tried to pick it up. The damn thing must¡¯ve weighed half as much as I did! ¡°Best of luck, Ren.¡± I tried not to be annoyed by the amusement in Pierce¡¯s voice. He clearly expected me to have too much trouble with the schr¡¯s pack to bother, but I just turned and gave him a wide smile. ¡°Appreciate all your help.¡± Then I let my shadows wrap the schr¡¯s pack and shift it into my pocket dimension. In the blink of an eye, it waspletely gone. Al cursed and Pierce¡¯s back straightened, but I just gave them azy salute and shouldered the small pack. The first rule in the wilderness was to never underestimate your opponent. There was no telling how many levels even a scrawny guy might have packed away and at with six-and-a-half feet of a fairly broad and muscr build, I was hardly scrawny. I knew for a fact that Pierce and his crew could wipe the floor with me, but my little trick made them hesitant enough to let me walk away from their camp with a bellyful of stew and two packs¡¯ worth of supplies. Not a bad haul for four gold and a chunk of mana. # # # ¡°Fuckin¡¯ Pierce.¡± The velvet case was exactly what I thought it would be. A holder for a very rare set of spectacles that allowed one to see the flow of magic. I¡¯d seen simr artifacts before. Unfortunately, it was empty. I was willing to bet Pierce knew that. The books might have been valuable, but considering only one of them was in anguage I could read I had no way of knowing. The only one I could read covered ancient history I was either already familiar with orpletely uninterested in. Nothing after Grimsbane was mentioned. The only silver linings were the bedrolls and cooking supplies. Even the rations were somehow worse than what I¡¯d been eating so far, and the clothes inside were many sizes too small, though the frilly underwear I found was enough to send my imagination racing against my will. If I wanted to make that four gold worth it, I needed to track down the schr¡¯s body and see about recovering those spectacles. Maybe I¡¯d get lucky and they¡¯d have already set off all the traps for me. Yeah right. Most of the day passed by uneventfully. I stopped at a small stream long enough to refill my waterskins. I had a tinderbox now, so making a small fire to boil the river water was no real difficulty. After that it started to snow, so I pulled my cloak up and kept trudging. I didn¡¯t fully trust Pierce, but it turned out I didn¡¯t need to. In their haste, they hadn¡¯t bothered to cover their tracks while they fled from the tower. It was around midday when my destination came into view. A couple of dpidated buildings clustered around a tall ornate tower made of dark gray stone. The moment I looked at it I felt the magicing from the ce. It was a familiar chill. Experiments had happened here, and I was reasonably sure they hadn¡¯t been humane. Misery caused by magic left a taint on thend, and I¡¯d lived in that taint long enough to recognize it. The sooner I could get out of this ce, the better. It didn¡¯t take more than a nce to know that the buildings around the tower weren¡¯t worth my time. I doubted they¡¯d even be any good in a rainstorm. It was only the magic in the tower kept it so pristine looking. What it was doing all the way out here, I had no idea, and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know. Luckily for me, thest group through had left the door open. Massive reinforced wood doors that looked tall enough for a troll to walk in. I thought briefly of trying to loot the tower, but I was still a poor little level six wretch. Without being able to use the cursed de effectively, this kind of spelunking was best left for another day. No, the smart thing would be to follow the party¡¯s steps, get in, get the spectacles, and get out. I still wasn¡¯t fully recovered from the blightwolves. The inside of the tower was dark and foreboding, and I stopped long enough to pull a torch out of my new pack and light it. Either Lana or the schr clearly knew what they were doing, as I could see signs all over of disarmed, disabled, or intentionally set off traps. There was thick dust over the floor, so I was careful to step only where I could tell the party had stepped safely. That allowed me to make it to a stairwell in the back and ascend to the second floor. After climbing the stairs, things got a little more strenuous. There was no sign of another flight, which meant I had to go looking for it if I wanted to keep going up. Even more annoyingly, the traps seemed to increase in deadliness here, and I could see scorch marks where some had exploded. I was more cautious than before, and was rewarded when I was able to duck under some kind of slicing ward that nearly took my head off. Whoever had owned this tower really didn¡¯t want people getting in. There must be some secret key to turn them all off, but I didn¡¯t have the time or patience to go looking for it. It was halfway to the stairs where I caught up to the party¡¯s progress. I knew the moment I saw poor Dern, his upper half about six feet away from his lower half. The cut was clean, and I figured it must have been caused by whatever sliced poor Lana. ¡°Sorry, Dern. Hell of a way to go, buddy.¡± Now that I was actually on speaking terms with a goddess, I figured I might as well pause long enough to say a quick prayer for the poor sap. Once that was done, I went through his pockets for anything of use. What? He wasn¡¯t going to use any of it, and I didn¡¯t see Pierceing back for the body any time soon. A few minutes of careful lootingter, I stepped away with a longsword, a hunting knife, and an extra waterskin. The rest was either covered in blood and guts or otherwise useless to me. I sent a silent prayer of thanks to Dern and strapped the des on. With two packs, a cursed sword, and three waterskins, my storage was getting a little crowded. Besides, the weight of a de at my hip was reassuring. There were no other bodies in the hallway, so the schr hadn''t died here. I could see the trail of blood where they¡¯d carried Lana off and the pools and spray from Dern, but no sign that anyone else had even been injured. Pierce had lied. If he¡¯d truly seen the schr die, their body would be near Dern¡¯s. So the schr had survived. Longer than Dern, at least. Now that I was looking for it, I could see a single set of footprints in the dust. Scuffles where they¡¯d stopped to look at or disarm further traps, then more frantic tracks that must have been where the traps had started to go off and the survivor booked it. The schr had been the one who got them this far after all. As soon as Pierce lost them, he must¡¯ve given up. I figure he didn¡¯t like his own odds at trap busting. With only one set of footprints to follow, things grew easy again. They were considerably smaller than mine, but as long as I stepped exactly where the schr stepped, I was fine. I passed more closed doors, but after seeing Dern my sense of curiosity was thoroughly sated. I might get my hands on some skills that would give me an edge against magic trapster on, but I was weak as a kitten now. It was on the third floor that I found her. She was good, but even she¡¯d fallen prey to the tower eventually, it seemed. I¡¯d been through a dungeon or two in my time, and I was willing to bet she¡¯d been lulled into a false sense of security by repeated patterns or simr rune designs only to be tripped up by a trick trap. This one had erected two barriers that went from wall to wall¡ªone on either side of the girl¡ªthat had left her trapped inside. She was slumped against the wall with her knees pulled to her chest. Her head was between them, which meant I couldn¡¯t tell if she had the spectacles on. It was hard to make anything out thanks to the distortion caused by the semi-transparent blue barrier walls, but I could at least tell that the girl wore no armor. I examined the barrier, then tapped a finger on it. A simple force wall. Not overly dangerous, but incredibly durable. I could see scratches in the wall and floor where she¡¯d tried to dig around it, but all the runes were on my side of the barrier. I mmed my fist against the wall a few times. ¡°Hey, girl!¡± I called. I did it again. No response. I couldn¡¯t even tell if she was breathing. ¡°Well, nothing else to do, then,¡± I mumbled. I summoned the cursed de while I looked over the runes. I¡¯d never quite learned to read them like wizards and schrs, but I knew enough to tell how the magic flowed. The runes linked together in a chain, creating a loop that kept the barrier up until the power ran out or some other condition was fulfilled. I didn¡¯t care about that. I found the point where the loop reset and held the de up. I condensed mana around a single finger until it the tip was coated in a dark violet glow. ¡°Here we go. Don¡¯t eat me.¡± With my other hand, I flicked thetch on the scabbard. Immediately, the whispers started. Either formless or in anguage I couldn¡¯t understand, I never really knew. All I did know was that they scared me. They scared me almost as much as the waves of anger and hate that flowed from the de every time it was unleashed. Using my thumb, I very carefully pushed the de out of the scabbard a hair. The gem in the hilt glowed angrily, and a small crimson tendril wormed its way out of the tiny sliver of de showing. It searched around as if sniffing until it got near the mana-covered finger I held in front of it. Like a moth to a me, the tendril twisted towards the mana. I used it like a lure and led the tendril to the point where the runes looped, then released the mana just before the tendril touched me. With its target gone, the tendril drifted towards the next strongest mana source. It touched the rune, and the magic contained in the formation began to unravel. It crumbled and cracked, being drawn into the tendril until the rune shatteredpletely. The barrier flickered, and I shoved the de back into the scabbard. It felt like it was pushing back, even as I flipped thetch shut. With the loop broken, the barrier faded from existence. ¡°Well, buddy,¡± I said to the sword, ¡°we¡¯ve still got it.¡± The sword¡¯s only response was to re angrily at me, though that might have been my imagination. I banished it back to my pocket dimension and headed for the schr. Now that the barrier was gone, I realized she wasn¡¯t human. Her flesh was as white as the snow outside, and her hair was a beautiful silver threaded with gold that I knew to be natural. It hung just past her chin, held by a double braid that trailed either side of her head and met in the back, falling towards her neck. I hadn¡¯t seen an Arelim since the battle against Grimsbane, and the ones I''d faced had hardly been so petite as the girl in front of me. Her forehead rested on arms crossed over her knees, so I knelt down and gingerly lifted her head. The spectacles were there, but I wasn¡¯t so heartless as to just take them and leave. She looked gaunt, but I couldn¡¯t help but take a moment to notice her face. Even through the dried tear tracks that went down her cheeks, she was absolutely beautiful. I was just beginning to reach towards her throat to search for a pulse when her eyes fluttered open. I froze at the sight of them. Her irises were a shocking cobalt with a golden ring around the edge of her pupil that seemed to fade into the blue in the most beautiful way I¡¯d ever seen. I always managed to forget how captivating celestial eyes were. They stared at me uprehendingly for a few seconds, then three things happened all at once. My [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] skill went off, she opened her mouth and screamed, and I felt a sharp pain in my side. I threw myself back, mostly to put distance between us, before realizing that there was a hilt currently sticking out of my ribcage. I probably should have felt pain or anger, but surprise was the only thing that bubbled to the surface. I looked at the girl, who was frozen in fear with her hands mped over her mouth. ¡°Did you just stab me?¡± I demanded, incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said into her hands. I looked from her to the de that was in me then back to her. ¡°You stabbed me!¡± She pushed herself up the wall. ¡°You scared me! I woke up and you were looming!¡± My brain finally started to catch up to what was happening and the pain began rolling through me. ¡°I was checking for a pulse! I wasn¡¯t sure if you were alive!¡± She made a squeak, then looked around. ¡°You got rid of the barrier?¡± ¡°Yeah. Right before you stabbed me!¡± Her eyes made their way back to the knife, and her face went ck. ¡°Oh gods! I stabbed you!¡± ¡°No shit!¡± I fucking hate getting stabbed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m¡ªDON¡¯T PULL IT OUT!¡± she screamed. I ignored her and yanked the de out with a hiss. Blood immediately began pouring from the wound. I pointed the crimson coated knife at her usingly. ¡°Just because you put it there doesn¡¯t mean you get to tell me how to take it out.¡± She ran towards me, pulling out a strip of cloth. ¡°Quick! Use this to staunch¡ª¡± ¡°Calm down, will you?¡± I activated [Shadow Stitching]. She stopped in her tracks as the tendrils began sewing the wound shut while I grit my teeth to keep from groaning in pain. Picking the skill up had been a great decision, but I really wasn¡¯t nning to have used it this often. I waited until it was done before I spoke. ¡°This is hardly the first time I¡¯ve been stabbed.¡± Her jaw was practically on the floor. She stormed the rest of the way and lifted my shirt before I could so much as protest, leaning close and examining the now-sealed injury. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a skill like that! What are these threads made of? They don¡¯t look like string¡­¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t¡ª¡± I jerked when I felt her fingers brush against my skin. They trailed the flesh to the side of the wound, then paused when they went over one of the older scars. I heard her suck in her breath as her soft fingertips traced across my abs. I could feel the warmthing from her, and her touch sent fire through my veins that was all headed to a very specific ce down south. With a small amount of panic, I remembered that I now had to conceal a weapon considerablyrger than I was used to. Luckily, I was saved from having toe up with a reasonable way to put distance between us. Her face flushed again, this time much more intensely, and she jerked back like she¡¯d been shocked. She fell to her knees and pressed her forehead to the floor. ¡°Please, sir, ept my humblest apologies! You saved my life, and I maimed you in response! I will of course ept any punishment you deem fit!¡± As much as I didn¡¯t want anyone prostrating themselves in front of me, it was a convenient way for me to get my sudden erection under control with a quick adjustment. Once it was mostly gone, I cleared my throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it probably won¡¯t even scar.¡± I held the knife up. It was better suited to cutting steak than people. But she was not having it. ¡°I¡¯ve caused you injury, Lord. Feel free to return the favor if it would serve as proper rpense!¡± Oh boy. I could already feel the headache forming. ¡°First off, I¡¯m no lord, so drop that. Second, I¡¯m not going to stab you. You were caught of guard, so I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± I¡¯d been caught off guard as well, which really bothered me. One pretty face and I¡¯d fallen apart. She raised her head. ¡°Then what punishment would be fitting, sir?¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°I don¡¯t want to punish you.¡± Her face paled, and her eyes flicked towards the knife. ¡°Then does that mean you wish me to punish myself?¡± ¡°What? Hells no! Look,¡± I lifted my shirt again, trying and failing to ignore how her eyes widened and her cheeks darkened at the sight of my stomach, ¡°it¡¯s not even bleeding anymore. A day or two¡¯s sleep and it¡¯ll be like nothing even happened.¡± She didn¡¯t answer until I lowered my shirt. Then her brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I injured you. I deserve punishment.¡± Dear gods, what has this girl been through? I could already feel this conversation going in circles, so might as well head it off at the pass. ¡°Fine. Stand up.¡± She cringed, which made me feel like shit, then hid her emotions and did as I asked. ¡°Do what you will, sir.¡± I bit back the exasperated sigh that desperately wanted out. I reached for her face and she flinched, jamming her eyes shut. Then I flicked her on the forehead. She staggered back like I¡¯d struck her, then her look turned back to one of confusion. She rubbed a hand where I¡¯d flicked her with barely held back tears in her eyes, then looked at me incredulously. I crossed my arms. ¡°There. Punishment delivered. Now can we move on please?¡± I could tell that she wanted to protest, but finally she seemed to give up. She nodded meekly, then looked around. When she saw I was alone, she frowned. ¡°Did Pierce send you?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± Her brows drew together, then she seemed to understand. Her shoulders dropped. ¡°I see. He left then. I suppose that makes sense.¡± The tears were back at the corners of her eyes, but they didn¡¯t fall. I¡¯d never been a very touchy-feely guy, but in that moment it took everything I had to resist the urge to pull her in close and hold her tight until her tears were a thing of the past. It was such an unexpected impulse that I nearly failed to contain it. Had Allura altered more than just my cock? Or was something else going on here? I shook the thought aside for now. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked. She sniffled. ¡°Rhani, sir.¡± ¡°Just call me Ren. No need for the ¡®sir.¡¯¡± Her eyes flicked back to me, but other than the wetness in them and the sag of her shoulders she showed no outer emotion. ¡°It seems that I am in your debt, Ren.¡± Great. I had a sinking suspicion that her idea of debt was going to be as taxing as her views on punishment. That being said, her not being a corpse did create more than a few possibilities. ¡°You¡¯re here for a reason, right? In this tower?¡± She nodded. ¡°The wizard who created this tower was powerful and knowledgeable. I¡¯d hoped I might find something of his on one of the top floors.¡± Figures. Still, if she was capable of navigating the traps, then going a little deeper could be a good opportunity. ¡°Do you still want to keep searching?¡± She brightened, but quickly hid it. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Without the others, it could be dangerous.¡± ¡°No risk, no reward,¡± I told her with a shrug. ¡°If you think you can get to the top, then I say we give it a shot. You¡¯ll find I¡¯m a bit lighter on my feet than the others you were here with.¡± Her fists clenched, and her eyes practically glowed. Well, she was a celestial, so there was a chance they were actually glowing. ¡°I can disable most of the traps! And if you can handle the ones I can¡¯t however you handled that barrier, then we could probably make it.¡± ¡°In that case, get us to the top and I¡¯ll consider your debt paid in full.¡± # # # I¡¯d hoped I might be able to pump Rhani for information about where and when I was, but I quickly became distracted. I didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d been through, but I desperately wanted to. I¡¯d seen a glimpse of who I thought the true Rhani to be when I¡¯d used my skill. Inquisitive. Eager. Warm. Even now, as she flitted from trap to rune to trap, I caught shes. She liked to mumble to herself excitedly as she puzzled through them, and the particrly tricky ones simply enraptured her. More than once she¡¯d take one apart and turn to me, beaming, only to quickly hide her joy and return to the meek and submissive girl who could barely look me in the eye. It didn¡¯t help that the tower had gotten warmer the further we delved into it. I knew celestials were physically cold natured and therefore didn¡¯t mind lower temperatures, but I was caught a little off guard when she shed her thick outer scribe¡¯s coat and, after I insisted, allowed me to throw it over my shoulder. Underneath she wore a skirt that didn¡¯t quite make it to her knees, showing off long slender legs, and a tight fitting top that left a patch of her navel bare just above her waist and sleeves that didn¡¯t go much further down than her shoulders. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes from drifting over the creamy white of her skin. Especially since she seemedpletely unaware of how much of it she was showing off every time she knelt, crouched, or crawled around taking apart the runes that dotted the towers. I desperately needed something to keep my mind upied as she knelt in front of a door that apparently had runes lining the knob with her legs slightly to each side in a pose that looked disturbingly like she was about to¡ªfocus, Zaren. ¡°So, Rhani, mind if I ask you some questions?¡± She froze, but continued moving so quickly I might have imagined the pause. ¡°Ask me anything you like, sir.¡± I bit back the impulse to correct the ¡°sir¡± again. Baby steps, Zaren. Baby steps. ¡°You seem to be quite the expert at all this. Where¡¯d you learn runebreaking?¡± I thought I caught a brief smile. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m self taught. I had a lot of free time on my hands growing up, and I¡¯ve always been drawn to magic.¡± She taught herself runebreaking? Even with a teacher, the art took dedication. ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ll bet your skills are in high demand then.¡± Her face fell, which meant I¡¯d said something wrong. She spoke under her breath, but I was able to make out: ¡°my skills? Surely. Me? Not so much.¡± She opened the door and knelt on the floor, beginning work on whatever trap was meant to be sprung by the person who walked through. Then, loud enough for me to hear, ¡°thank you for saying so, but this is the first time I¡¯ve left my home. As you can see, I¡¯ve done a great job so far.¡± Thest part she added bitterly, kneeling over another rune. That just wouldn¡¯t do. I decided to give in to my impulses just a little and walk over to her. I was careful to only step where she¡¯d stepped so far so as not to set off any traps. She looked up at me with wide eyes, and I felt a spike of feare from her. She winced when I reached towards her, but didn¡¯t move. Not even when I gave her head a soft pat, though her eyes went wide. ¡°I¡¯ve seen fully trained runebreakers who couldn¡¯t hold a candle to you. If Pierce hadn¡¯t chickened out, you guys would be at the top floor already.¡± Her cheeks seemed a bit rosy, but she kept her meek demeanor. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, sir. Now you should step back. I wouldn¡¯t want you to get hurt if I make a mistake.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± I jammed my hands in my pockets, forcing myself to look her in the eye lest my gaze wander southward where I would have quite the view, ¡°I trust you. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± She opened her mouth to say something, then promptly shut it. She didn¡¯t speak until she¡¯d finished dismantling the rune in front of her. She stood to move on to the next rune, but I stayed right behind her. If she was still bothered that I wasn¡¯t hanging back, she didn¡¯t say anything else. She stopped at a window and began work on something that must have been etched into the sill. I shook my head at how close together thest few runes had been. ¡°It can¡¯t be normal for there to be this many traps. How would the asshole who lives here even get in?¡± She let out a breath that might have been augh. ¡°They¡¯re dead-man sigils. The owner of this castle probably spent years cing them all over, and when he died they all became active. It was likely meant to act as a safeguard against anyone who might kill him for his secrets.¡± ¡°Makes sense, I guess. What is it you hope to find, anyways?¡± She finished with that rune before answering. ¡°In my studies, I found out that the master of this tower apparently uncovered information about several mythic sses. ording to the correspondence I found, a little over thirty years ago he was trying to sell the information to the highest bidder. Then he disappeared, and it was discovered that all hisirs were nowyered in dead-man sigils, so everyone figured he¡¯d been killed.¡± Mythic sses. I felt bile rise in my throat. My own ss was a mythic. ording to Allura, one of the rarest ones known to mortals. ¡°Messing with sses is a one way trip to misery.¡± Even I was surprised by the bitterness in my voice. ¡°sses should be left up to the gods.¡± She stopped me at the base of the next stairwell. I wish I could meet whoever designed the tower so that you had to make your way through the entire floor before you could go up another level and hit them in the mouth. She kneeled down and got to work on the next one. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Her tone was t,pletely devoid of emotion. ¡°You disagree.¡± Her breath caught, and I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, Rhani. You¡¯re allowed to have your own opinion.¡± She looked at me and I could practically see the question on her tongue, but she didn¡¯t ask it. Instead she turned back to the sigil. It wasn¡¯t until they were halfway up the stairs after that she finally said what was on her mind. ¡°You call me by name.¡± She spoke so softly I almost missed it. I frowned. ¡°Do you not want me to? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not overly familiar with Arelim culture. Or any of the celestial cultures for that matter.¡± She looked at me as if I¡¯d grown a second head, and I wondered what I¡¯d said that was so odd. ¡°Please, forget I said anything.¡± She tried to keep climbing, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. She was two steps above me, which meant I only slightly looked up at her. ¡°Whatever it is you want to say, I think I¡¯d like to hear it.¡± Rhani chewed on her lip for several seconds. I didn¡¯t let her go, but my grip was light enough that she could easily pull away. ¡°All my life, the only one who ever used my name was my father and my sister.¡± Ah, I think I understood. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know Arelim names were reserved for family.¡± That only made her eyes widen. ¡°No, no! You misunderstand! It¡¯s not that they¡¯re reserved for family, its just that¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­?¡± I prompted. She looked away. ¡°You¡¯ve got it backwards. It¡¯s not only family that can use my name, it¡¯s that only my family that cares enough to do so.¡± Almost as if it had a mind of its own, my hand traveled down her arm until it wrapped around hers. ¡°Then what do people normally call you?¡± ¡°¡®Girl¡¯ is probably the mostmon. ¡®Arelim¡¯ is a fairly standard way to refer to us. Thanks to my stature, I even get ¡®child¡¯ somewhat often, but usually that one is used out of spite. Otherwise I¡¯m typically not referred to at all.¡± I climbed the steps until we were even then wrapped my arms around her. She stiffened at first, but after a moment¡¯s pause she buried her face in my chest and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Rhani. Nobody should have to go through that.¡± No matter how hard I try not to, I still remember a time where me and my friends would whisper each other¡¯s names in the dark for no other reason than to have a chance to hear them aloud. I remember the times after when I¡¯d whisper them to myself at night just to reassure myself that they¡¯d existed. I wasn¡¯t going to be the one to break the embrace. I held her until she softly pulled away and wiped her eyes. ¡°You are a strange man, Ren. There aren¡¯t many who would bother consoling an Arelim.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not consoling an Arelim,¡± I argued. ¡°I¡¯m consoling a cute girl who is way more amazing than she¡¯s willing to admit because apparently everyone else in her life has been to much of an ass to do it.¡± I could see her trying to fight it, but despite her best efforts she ended up with an ear-to-ear smile. Her cheeks took on a rosy hue, and she sped her hands behind her back in a way that entuated her bust very nicely. ¡°Thank you. Come on, we should get moving if we want to get out of the tower before dark.¡± I followed her up thest of the steps and into the hallway. Immediately I knew something was different about this floor, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. She reached towards a wall to disarm the next trap, but after it began to glow I felt that familiar tingle at the base of my skull. Magic activating. Rhani didn¡¯t even have time to react when a de erupted from a nearly invisible seam in the wall. Chapter Three: Top of the Tower Chapter Three: Top of the Tower I reached for her with a curse on my lips, but I was going to be too slow. Years of muscle memory tried to take over, but I was trying to use skills I no longer had. The de leapt out, long and curved, and hit her full force on the side, just below her breasts. I felt a pull from my mana, and then suddenly she was mming into me. I cradled her as we fell to the floor. She wheezed, eyes wide in fear and pain. I caught a flicker of ck, but I didn¡¯t think anything of it. I held her with one arm while the other searched for where the de had cut into her ready to activate [Shadow Stitching] the second I felt blood. She clung to me desperately as she struggled to fill her lungs. Her entire body shook, but I could still find no injury. Her skin was cool and smooth under my palm, and before I even realized what I was doing it had slid under her shirt in its search for the cut I knew had to be there. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright, just breathe,¡± I told her over and over. I felt her ribs under my palm just before I hit the swell of her breast. Just small enough to fit in my palm, it wasn¡¯t until my thumb brushed against the nub that I even realized where my hand was. It must have hit her more in the back. I reached around, my hand never breaking contact, but I made it all the way to her spine without finding so much as a nick. Finally, with a violent gasp, she managed to take a breath. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead into my shoulder. ¡°It hurts! Gods, it hurts!¡± Her breaths came quick and ragged. ¡°How bad is it? Am I gonna die?¡± I struggled to get my heartbeat under control. There was no blood, which meant she was alright. Bruised and winded, but alive. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I¡¯d felt weak against the blightwolves, but seeing that deing at her and not being able to do anything? I¡¯d felt powerless. It had ripped open old wounds and left me on the edge of panic. ¡°You¡¯re alright,¡± I told her. ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± With a more level head, I checked again. Her clothes weren¡¯t even torn, and there was still no blood. She kept her death grip on his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t lie. Please don¡¯t lie. I don¡¯t want to die, Ren. Not now.¡± ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± I put my palm to her cheek and gently turned her face towards me. ¡°Rhani, look at me.¡± She did. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Look.¡± I brushed my hand against her side where a bruise was already starting to form and she shuddered. Then I held it up for her. ¡°No blood, see? You¡¯re alright.¡± She started to calm down and I helped her sit up. Before I realized where she was, she was sitting in myp. Her hands clung to my shirt so hard I wouldn¡¯t have been able to remove her even if I¡¯d wanted to. ¡°How?¡± she breathed. ¡°One of your skills?¡± But she shook her head. ¡°Can¡¯t be. I¡¯m a true schr. I don¡¯t have any offensive or defensive skills.¡± I detected a faint trace of bitterness, but I filed it away to unpackter. If that were the case, I could see how a book full of mythic sses might appeal to her. But if it wasn¡¯t her skills, then it could only have been mine. That wasn¡¯t possible. [Shadow Stitching] was one of very few non-offensive Shadowborn skills that could affect others, and I knew I hadn¡¯t used it. I checked my status and skills in case I¡¯d missed something. I was five mana short. That could only mean I¡¯d activated my shadow maniption, but I hadn¡¯t directed my shadows to attack. Before, I¡¯d never been able to use my shadows to defend someone else. My ss was, through and through, apletely selfish ss. At least that¡¯s how I always understood it. Even now though, the only thing that made sense was I¡¯d somehow used my skill to protect her. ¡°I think I activated a skill,¡± I told her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it could work on others, but¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t get another word out before she threw her arms around me and buried her face in the crook of my neck. ¡°That¡¯s twice now you¡¯ve saved me.¡± Her trembling was starting to fade, so I began rubbing small circles on the small of her back. ¡°And I¡¯ll do it again if I have to, but I think I¡¯d rather you not almost die again.¡± Sheughed. It was a beautiful and melodic sound that made warmth bloom in my chest. ¡°I agree.¡± She pulled away, but still made no move to get off myp. Now that my adrenaline was starting toe down and he was sure she was alright, her position was going to cause a very specific problem very soon. Rhani bit her lip, then her face went crimson and she jumped to her feet. She quickly went to inspect the wall where the de had nearly killed her. I made sure to be right behind her, ready to throw another shadow defense if I needed to. ¡°I knew it!¡± she eximed. ¡°That trap should never have triggered! There isn¡¯t a trigger on that one, it¡¯s manual! Oh!¡± ¡°What? What is it?¡± She beamed at me. ¡°I leveled up! It seems I uncovered a secret of the tower.¡± Then her smile faded. ¡°And if I¡¯m right, that means there¡¯s something here that¡¯s capable of activating traps without us needing to trigger them.¡± Well shit. That was bad. ¡°Traps are one thing. I¡¯m not sure I want to tangle with whatever the evil wizard left behind to guard his crap.¡± Just like that she was back to chewing on her lip. ¡°You know more about this stuff than me. If that¡¯s what you think is best, then we should go.¡± I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You did amazing to get us this far. You don¡¯t need some book of sses.¡± I didn¡¯t want to mention that I knew more than my fair share about rare sses just yet, but maybe in the future I could help her get a ss she deserved. She smiled gratefully at me, then turned towards the stairs. She barely made it a step before there was a loud grinding noise. Immediately, I pulled her into my chest and wrapped both arms around her. Even if I could defend her, I¡¯d rather take the hits myself. It proved unnecessary. Nothing came at us, but a trap had definitely been activated. Where the stairs had been now stood a stone wall. It was magical, so there was a possibility that my de could destroy it, but it was also a possibility that the curse would run rampant and send us tumbling to our deaths considering we were in a magical tower. ¡°I don¡¯t think the guardian wants us to leave,¡± she said into my chest. I red down at her, but she made no move to escape my grasp. ¡°You stay right behind me unless I say otherwise. You might know traps, but this is my domain. You do what I say, the moment I say it. Alright?¡± If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d swear she was pushing herself into me. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said. Her eyes were definitely glowing this time, and I found I didn¡¯t mind being called ¡°sir¡± just this once. ¡°Let me see those spectacles.¡± She handed them over withoutint. I put them on and immediately my sight was overloaded with information. I saw the currents of magic as they flowed through the room. It was a single hallway that had a single door at the end. There were more traps, but disarming them wasn¡¯t an option anymore. It was my turn to break some runes. I looked back at her, and she suppressed a giggle. I¡¯m guessing I don¡¯t exactly pull of the spectacles, but that was a problem forter. ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll make this quick.¡± I earned another gasp from her when I summoned my cursed de. If these traps were able to be triggered manually, that meant they weren¡¯t solely dead-man sigils. This close to the wizard¡¯s trove, the traps wouldn¡¯t be overly destructive. I left the sp in ce and wielded the de, scabbard and all. Health: [168/200] Mana: [72/90] Considering I¡¯d been stabbed not too long ago, I was doing pretty alright. I hefted the sword and began clearing traps. The first was another de, but it snapped when it came into contact with mine. There was a force trap, but the scabbard reflected the force back enough to crack the wall. Just like with the blightwolves, it seemed evil indestructible sword was the ultimate cheat. By the time I¡¯d reached the end of the hallway, I¡¯d only suffered a single real attack. A firebolt had caught my shoulder, but thanks to my insane resilience I¡¯d barely felt it. I turned back to Rhani with a grin. She practically ran through the path I¡¯d created as soon as I gave her the go ahead. ¡°Where did thate from?¡± she demanded. ¡°How does it work? Is it indestructible? Who made it?¡± She began to circle around me, her eyes wide as saucers. Her gaze was locked solely on the de. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a sword like that before! What are those symbols on the sheathe? I don¡¯t even recognize thenguage!¡± ¡°Whoa, Rhani!¡± I said with augh. ¡°Take a breath!¡± She was flush and practically vibrating with excitement. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you were hiding something that amazing! Can I see the de?¡± She reached towards it. ¡°No!¡± I said a little too quickly. She recoiled in rm and I felt her fear spike. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to snap.¡± I hefted the de with both hands and lowered it so she could look closer. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. It¡¯s cursed, but due to some special circumstances I can wield it safely.¡± She put her hands behind her back and leaned as close to the scabbard as she could without touching it, giving me a very clear view down her shirt. One that made me recall vividly the moment where I¡¯d had her breast in my hand. This girl was going to be the death of me. ¡°I¡¯ll exin more eventually, but right now I think we should focus on getting out of here.¡± She straightened and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°Right, right, right. No, you¡¯re right. But I can look at itter? Not touch, of course, but look?¡± Iughed and ruffled her hair. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a promise. We just need to make sure we don¡¯t die first.¡± She paled a little, but nodded. ¡°Then by all means, what are we waiting for?¡± The second I saw the room on the other side of the door I knew we were in for some shit. It was a circr room that must have taken up damn near the entire tower. There were only two doors. One behind us and one directly across from it. On either side of the far door stood two golden suits of armor as tall as I was, either one wielding a greatsword that was probably as tall as Rhani. ¡°Think those are the guardians?¡± I asked her. She shook her head. ¡°No, those are golems. They¡¯re not sentient. Without their master, they¡¯re probably inert.¡± She stepped closer and grabbed the hem of my shirt. ¡°Whatever the guardian is, it¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°Do you see any traps?¡± Rhani searched the room with the spectacles I¡¯d returned. ¡°No. There¡¯s magic everywhere, but I don¡¯t seen any concentrated enough to be runework.¡± She squinted at the golems. ¡°And those two are definitely inert.¡± There was a hint of barely contained excitement in her voice. I chuckled. ¡°Assuming they don¡¯t try to kill us, I¡¯ll make sure you get a chance to take a closer look.¡± She made a happy squeal and pressed into my back. ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± No traps and no sign of whatever nasty guarded the ce. ¡°Let¡¯s head towards the door and see what happens. Stay close.¡± She nodded, but she was still pressed up against me. Any closer and we¡¯d need to start removing clothes. A tantalizing prospect for after we face mortal peril. Thankfully, she didn¡¯t seem as distracted as me. Her eyes never stopped roving the room even as they crossed the floor. ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll use your cursed sword?¡± It was hard to keep my eyes from being drawn back to the golems. On one hand, they were much too obvious to be the threat. On the other, I¡¯d been wrong before. ¡°Not if I can help it. At my current strength, I can only wield it for about ten seconds before it starts devouring my soul.¡± Her fingers gripped my shirt tighter. ¡°Am I weird for wanting to examine the sword even more now?¡± I patted her head without looking at her. ¡°Very much so, but it¡¯s adorable.¡± She hummed. It was around the halfway point that I felt the unmistakable sensation of being watched. ¡°The guardian sees us.¡± ¡°Then why isn¡¯t it attacking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Lets just keep moving.¡± My hand rested on the hilt of my new sword the entire time, but we reached the golems without anything happening. I looked at the door, then at Rhani. The plea was obvious in her eyes. ¡°Oh, go on then. But make it quick.¡± She wrapped me in a quick hug, then darted off to the nearer of the two golems while I watched the room closely. This time she made no move to repress her ramblings while she poked and prodded the golem. It stood a little taller than me, which meant it dwarfed Rhani. Up close it looked like little more than a set of tarnished te armor wrapped around stone, but I¡¯d fought golems before. Enemies that felt no pain and knew no fear were a real pain in the ass to deal with. ¡°I was right,¡± she babbled excitedly, ¡°they¡¯re intact, butpletely inert. I¡¯ve never even read about golems thisplex outside of skills!¡± She ran her hands along the breastte. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re designed to be directed with a control crest, but there isn¡¯t one paired. I¡¯ll bet they were bound directly to their master.¡± She bounced to the other one, but her face fell. ¡°Oh, this one¡¯s broken.¡± She touched it on the navel. ¡°It¡¯s core ispletely shattered.¡± She sounded crestfallen. I ruffled her hair in response, and she smiled softly. ¡°Come on,¡± I told her, ¡°let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t bait out a guardian.¡± I reached for the handle with a questioning look, and she nodded. I grabbed it, expecting something nasty to jump out at me, but the room remained peaceful. I twisted and pulled, but the door simply opened anticlimactically. On the other side was a study that looked exactly like I expected a wizard¡¯s study to look. Books as far as I could see, a small bed shoved in the corner like an afterthought, and shelves and shelves of jars, gems, and items that could have been either worthless curiosities or deadly artifacts. I was almost too slow to catch the blur that was Rhani. She tried to race past me, her eyes wide as saucers, but I caught her by the arm. She looked up at me, her eyes pleading, but I raised a brow. ¡°Traps?¡± She pouted, but gave the room a good once over. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ll be careful, I promise. Can I go now? Please?¡± I released her, and she began flitting around the room like a juiced up butterfly. ¡°There¡¯s so much stuff! There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be able to carry it all! Damn it! I wish Pierce hadn¡¯t made me leave my pack outside. I don¡¯t know what I want to take and what I want to leave!¡± I cleared my throat. When she looked at me, I held up my hand. Shadows washed over it, collecting into a bag-shaped lump before they melted away leaving her pack in my grasp. ¡°This one?¡± Her squeal reached a pitch I didn¡¯t think was possible just before she mmed into me, wrapping me in a rib-crushing hug with surprising strength. ¡°You¡¯re amazing!¡± Then she snatched the bag and practically dumped it on the floor. While she shoved aside the useless things like food and bandages, I began to walk around the room. I pulled a book off the seriously overloaded shelf, but when I opened it the pages were nk. A second and third book proved to be the same. If I had to guess, whoever owned this tower had a very ¡°if I can¡¯t have it, nobody can¡± outlook on life. He wouldn¡¯t be the first I¡¯d met. I fucking hated wizards. I was annoyed, but mainly I felt bad for Rhani. She was still pouring over the contents of the wizard¡¯s desk, but she¡¯d be devastated to learn that all the knowledge in the tower was lost. I trailed a hand across the wordless spines, but paused when I reached one that still had letters on it. They were in anguage I didn¡¯t recognize, but when I opened it I knew I was looking at some form of magic manual. I could feel the traces of magic engraved into every page. So he could only wipe the nonmagical books then. Made sense. While Rhani was talking to herself excitedly about some bracer she¡¯d found I looked around at all the books. I found two more that still had titles on the spines. One was a very old leather-bound book filled with simple magic of a past era. Simple runes that could be activated simply by putting mana into them, regardless of ss. This tome seemed to have an archive of them that had some interesting sounding effects. Effects much stronger than I¡¯d thought simple runes were capable of. Rhani would probably love this one. The third wasn¡¯t a book at all. It was hollowed out, and inside rested a gemstone shaped like a star. I¡¯de across one or two in the past, so I recognized the keystone immediately. My curiosity piqued, I took ap around the study to see if I could find its home. Rhani had just moved onto the book shelf when I found the star shaped depression in the corner of the bed¡¯s headboard. I¡¯d never been one to leave a question unanswered if I could help it, so I slotted the gem. The mattress hardened, and I found a seam under the pillow. When I opened it, I found arge, hand-bound tome. When I opened it and read the first page, my blood ran cold. The Ultimate Compendium of sses by Valethar Karn. The world mmed to a stop. The ground wobbled underneath me and my gut felt like someone had just nted a boot in it. The pages were handwritten, and when I flipped to the back I could tell it was unfinished. ¡°Rhani?¡± I asked, keeping the book from view. She pulled her nose out of the book of runes I¡¯d left out for her with a wide smile. ¡°Yes?¡± I kept my face free of emotion. I didn¡¯t want to frighten her with what I was feeling right now. Not with how skittish she¡¯d been so far. ¡°You never mentioned the name of the wizard who owned this tower.¡± She frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t? Oh, it was a man named Valethar Karn. He was a genius. ording to the correspondence I found between him and thest king of Amesseria, he was widely considered the authority on sses.¡± I dreaded the answer, but I had to ask. ¡°And how long ago did you say he died?¡± ¡°Well, thest time anyone saw him was just a few years before the Abyssal King was defeated, so I guess nearly thirty-five years ago. Have you heard of him?¡± My back was still to her, so she couldn¡¯t see the book I had in my hand. I flipped to the section that talked about mythic sses, already knowing what I¡¯d find. My own ss and its abilities¡ªthe first fifteen levels or so, at least¡ªwere chronicled on the page. I knew Valethar Karn, alright. I¡¯d killed him the day I escaped theboratory he¡¯d used to create me. That had been a few months before the Chosen¡¯s party had stumbled across me and I¡¯d joined up to help save the world. Thirty years. Allura had put me to sleep for thirty fucking years. There wasn¡¯t anyone who would have missed me, but the fact that the world had turned for three decades while I¡¯d slept made me angrier than I was willing to admit, and I wasn¡¯t sure why. I heard Rhani¡¯s footsteps behind me. I wasn¡¯t ready to talk about this right now, so I banished the book to my pocket space before she saw it and shut the secretpartment. I felt her tentative touch at my shoulder and turned, trying to hide my turmoil. Now I knew why I¡¯d recognized the taint in thend so quickly. It was identical to the taint where I¡¯d spent most of my life. This tower was another home to the man who¡¯d taken everything from me. ¡°I wish you¡¯d have told me his name sooner. Karn was not a good person. We should go.¡± Whatever she saw on my face made her shrink. I felt bad, but my current expression was the best I could manage under the circumstances. I needed to be away from this tower. I wanted to burn it to the ground. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll grab my things, then.¡± I wanted to tell her to leave it all. Nothing good coulde from anything that man had touched, but I repressed the urge. We¡¯de all this way, and I couldn¡¯t tell her to toss what she¡¯d found without telling her why. There were many reasons why I couldn¡¯t do that, chief among them being there was no way to reveal my past with Karn to her without mentioning the fact that a goddess had hidden me away for thirty fucking years. My tone was enough to impart a sense of urgency, because she had her pack filled to the brim in minutes. I thought about offering my storage to her, but the thought of having anything more than his book bound to me made my skin crawl and my voice die in my throat. ¡°Lets go. Stick close, and we should be able to follow the path we used to get up here.¡± Her only response was a nod, so I opened the door to therge circr room. In my brief emotional distress, I¡¯d managed to forget that we still hadn¡¯t seen the guardian that protected the tower. I saw it now, and I almostughed. Even after divine intervention, it seemed my former master was still poised to take the things I cared about from me. Some form of wraith I¡¯d never seen floated in the center of the room, and nking it were nearly two dozen humanoid figures. Their skin was sickly pale, their eyes werepletely colorless, and they had angry veins of ck that spiderwebbed across their bodies and over their clothes. They all carried decrepit weapons that glowed darkly. As I stood there in the doorway, frozen, the wraith lifted a single, long-fingered, ck hand and pointed at me. Then its minions surged forward as one. My first action was to kick Rhani back into the study, then m the door shut before she could protest. I grabbed the broken golem and yanked it down in front of the door to block it, then turned and drew my sword just as the first of the thralls hit me. I felt her fear spike through the door, but I ignored it. Allura could take my skills, but she couldn¡¯t take the years I¡¯d spent swinging a sword. I blocked the first strike, hacked into the torso of the attacker, used my shadows to attack two more, then kicked a fourth in the chest hard enough to send him sprawling into the thralls behind him. I needed to lead them away from Rhani. I was still only level six, so I had no illusions that I could take on this many foes. That didn¡¯t mean I nned to go down without a fight. Time became a blur. I swung, ducked, blocked, hacked, stabbed, and rolled. The thralls faded away. All that I saw was the weapons. They managed tond a few blows, but the attacks were rtively weak. The real danger came from whatever magic was imbued in the des, but my resilience cut that damage down significantly. I managed to slip through the throng and edge my way around the corner of the room. The thralls came at me in twos and threes, but I¡¯d almost never fought a fair fight in my life, and all of them I¡¯d been on the shit side of. Hell, it had been seven of us against an army once or twice. I was no stranger to fighting multiple foes at once. I kept on the move, twisting and hacking and putting the thralls in each other¡¯s way. They were slow and clumsy, but numerous. Worse, any blows Inded hardly seemed to bother them at all. A handful I might have been able to manage, but this many was impossible at my current level. Then the wraith decided to join the fray. It swooped down and lurched into the golem I¡¯d thrown in front of the door. The runes etched into the armor glowed red and ck cracks began to spread across the armor. It stood with jerky movements, then hefted its sword. The thralls gave me space as the wraith advanced, and just then Rhani burst through the door. She took one look at the situation and her eyes widened. I felt her fear spike, and I silently pleaded for her to get back inside. The wraith never even looked in her direction, and neither did the thralls. Rather than doing what any sensible nonbat ss would and hiding in the study until the fighting was done, she jumped behind the second golem. That was thest I saw of her before the wraith pressed me. It didn¡¯t fight with any particr skill, but it had a reach advantage and the insane strength of a construct. Blocking a strike felt like I was getting hit by a battering ram, and under its armor was only stone. Inded a few blows, but my de bounced off harmlessly. Stone golems¡ªespecially those wrapped in fucking te armor¡ªwere best fought with blunt weapons or magic. I had neither of those outside of my rtively weak shadow attacks. I had one option, and it was a really shitty one. I retreated under the wraith¡¯s onught until my back hit the door we¡¯de from, but then it paused. It seemed to be waiting for something, but I had no clue what. Then it tilted its head and the thralls began walking towards the golem Rhani was hiding behind. ¡°Rhani!¡± I called. ¡°Get out of there!¡± As it turned out, I¡¯d underestimated my little schr. No sooner had I shouted than the golem she hid behind lit up. Cobalt blue runes glowed, and it surged forward. It moved with precision, unlike the wraith-possessed golem I now fought, and bowled into the thralls. Rhani backed away, a glowing bracer wrapped around her arm, and directed the golem. It smacked the thralls around with ease, but it was having the same problems I was. One de wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her from the horde for very long. Before I could even think about helping her, I needed to take care of the wraith in front of me. I struck it with my shadows, but they barely scratched the enchanted te. It lunged forward, assaulting me with a barrage of heavy blows that made my arms go numb below the shoulders. The final strike, a particrly jarring one that curved upward a hair¡¯s breadth from my throat, knocked the de from my tingling fingers. It leveled its de at me, but didn¡¯t move to finish the job. Meanwhile, Rhani was cornered behind her golem while the thralls surged forward in a wave of flesh. Fuck it. I¡¯d really hoped not to do this with Rhani in the room, but I summoned the cursed de. With the indestructible scabbard I could probably take the wraith on, but not fast enough to be able to protect my new friend and ally. It was time for thest resort. I could feel the eagerness of the de in my hands. Knowing I had no other option, I undid thetch, and the whispers began. Ten seconds. That was all I could bank on before I started to lose myself to the hate and the rage. Crimson tendrils of raw power unfurled from the de. Immediately I felt a ripple go through the thralls. Not quite fear, but something more akin to anticipation. The colors in the room deepened, and I could make out each and every individual rune etched into the wraith and the golem. My senses exploded. I could make out all the detail in the room, from the nicks in the armor of the wraith in front of me to the hammering heartbeat of Rhani. I dropped the scabbard and wrapped both hands around the hilt. One. The wraith lunged forward, but I parried its attack with ease and brought the de down on its sword. The force behind the blow drove the tip into the stone below. Two. I stabbed into the wraith¡¯s shoulder and crimson energy erupted across the length of my sword. It ripped into the golem, tearing its enchantments to shreds and sending it crashing to the floor. Three. The thralls charged me all as one, forgetting about Rhanipletely. Four. I cleaved through them in a blur of crimson. This time, when I struck them, they stayed down. Five. The crimson began to wrap around my arm. I could feel it digging into my flesh and burning the core of my being. It pulled me in, demanding I submit, but I pulled back. Six. I was faster now than I was before. I wove through the thralls until Rhani and her golem were at my back. Seven. I thrust my hand out and my shadows, infused with the raw crimson energy that coursed through me, rushed forward in a wall of destruction that imed another six thralls. Eight. Despite the fates of their allies, the remaining thralls threw themselves at me with a fervor I hadn¡¯t seen in them before. Nine. My arms felt like molten lead. Heavy and on fire. Even as I cleaved through the final thrall, they trembled. A red hot pain was beginning to form in my sternum. I was running out of strength to resist the de¡¯s pull. Ten. The wraith, now free of the golem, leapt at me. I swung the de and cut it neatly in two. As it died, I felt a rush of emotione from the creature. Gratitude. I tried to step towards the scabbard, but my body gave out. I fell to a knee, then I felt my face hit the stone. The pain that had started in my sternum began to spread. It was like I was being burned from the inside out. Devoured. Annihted. The crimson tendrils worked further up my arms, caressing me and lulling me into the de¡¯s fiery embrace. I felt the de lift, then the sensation of steel sliding on steel. The crimson withered. The whispers vanished. The heat faded, but the pain remained. Someone rolled me over. I felt hands on either side of my face. Something hot and wet hit my cheek. Tears. Someone was yelling something. I couldn¡¯t make it out. Something else called to me, and my exhaustion answered. I was vaguely aware of Rhani¡¯s face above me, but it seemed miles away. As if I was looking at her through a tunnel. I smiled and tried to tell her that everything was fine, but the words never quite made it past my lips. She got further and further away as the pain faded to nothingness, and then unconsciousness took me. Chapter Four: Proving a Point Chapter Four: Proving a Point I felt like I¡¯d been trampled by a horse. For a brief moment, I forgot where I was. I wondered if I¡¯d gotten caught up in one of Sandrel¡¯s cons. I still held a bit of a grudge from when he¡¯d shoved me in front of that carriage, even if it had gotten us free rooms at the inn that owned it. The longer Iy there, the more I remembered what had led to my current state. It was cold, and when I opened my eyes I saw a water damaged ceiling with sagging supports. I took a look around the small, dingy room around us. It had once been a fairly simple home, but the years had done it no favors. The smoldering embers of a fire cast a soft glow across it. I briefly worried about Rhani, but even groggy my brain was able to make sense of the soft warmth currently pressed into my chest. I risked a nce, trying to move as little as possible. Her head was nestled into my chest, and she had one leg and one arm thrown over me. I could feel the slight rise and fall of her breaths, but most of her was hidden under the nket that covered us both. She looked so at peace I was loathe to wake her, so I took a look at all the notifications I¡¯d received instead. [Level up!] [Level up!] [Skill Evolution Detected] [Level up!] [Skill Evolution Detected] Hot damn! Three levels and two evolutions? I should definitely be dead right now. I figured the sword had taken up a good chunk of the avable XP from the fight, so I shuddered to think of what I might have gained without relying on it. Judging by the pain in my chest I wouldn¡¯t be able to use it safely for about a month, but that was a small price to pay considering the alternative was death. First things first, I needed to check out those evolutions. They might affect what skill I choose for level eight. Considering how much I¡¯d been using ittely, it was no surprise that the first skill to evolve was my [Hidden Pockets] skill. Now [Hidden Pockets II], my storage had jumped from a five foot cube to a seven foot cube. Not overly helpful currently, but I wasn¡¯t going to turn down extra carrying capacity. The second one caught me off guard. [Lesser Shadow Maniption] shouldn¡¯t have evolved until at least level ten, and it should have turned into [Shadow Maniption]. Something had happened that caused it not only to take a different path, but to split into two skills I¡¯d never seen before.
Conjure Shadow (a) - Trust in the dark. Always. Use mana to create a tendril of shadow capable of both attack and defense. Strength of the tendril is determined by the Primal stat in terms of damage and damage reduction. If attached to an allied creature, will act independently until the tendril¡¯s mana is exhausted.
Control Darkness (p) - Every light casts a shadow. You are able to control shadows you conjure by focusing your will through them. The size and rtive strength of the shadow increases the less light it is subjected to and the Primal stat. Can only perform simple actions, and shadows will be inert if they grow too far from you.
I racked my brain to think of what could have caused it, but it didn¡¯t take long for me toe up with a working theory. During the battle, I¡¯d used the power from the sword to cast my shadow attacks rather than my mana. Before my reset, I hadn¡¯t been given the cursed de until I¡¯d been approaching level thirty. Somehow, it had affected my growth. Considering I¡¯d been keeping it stowed since I¡¯d reset, it was entirely possible that it had forced my [Hidden Pockets] to evolve as well. I¡¯d have to test both my new skills soon, but first I had a skill to select and attribute points to distribute. When I checked the avable skills, I was unable to keep my lips from curling into a smile. I didn¡¯t even bother to read the rest of them as I made my selection. This one had saved my life again and again, and I honestly didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to get it for another twenty or thirty levels at least.
Horde yer (p) - Numbers are no advantage in the dark. When outnumbered, gain a buff to your offensive physical stats. The greater the difference in numbers, the greater the stats..
With that bonus, I didn¡¯t have to worry nearly as much about my physical stats just yet. Running into groups would boost my strength, dexterity, and agility artificially, so I¡¯d be able to hold my own. If [Conjure Shadow] was as powerful as I hoped it was, then I could afford to focus my lower level points elsewhere. Levels seven and nine each gave me two attribute points, and I already knew where I¡¯d put them. Three into my Focus, and one into my Will. Focus would bring my mana up to 120, and Will would help it regen faster. Considering how things had gone so far, I really needed to focus those stats up. Once I¡¯d allocated them, I took another look at my overall stats.
Strength [15] Arcane [0] Vitality [20] Focus [12]
Dexterity [15] Divine [0] Fortitude [15] Resilience [70]
Agility [10] Primal [20] Endurance [10] Will [11]
Looking a little better, but still nowhere near strong enough to save the world. Once I found a decent base of operations I¡¯d need to power level for a while. Maybe Rhani would be willing to join me. With the book I¡¯d taken and the knowledge I¡¯d gained being subjected to Karn¡¯s experiments, perhaps I could get her abat ss as her secondary. Almost as if she knew I¡¯d been thinking of her, Rhani began to stir. Her hand trailed across my chest, sending fire through my veins, and stopped just over my heart. Then, with a sound that was somewhere between a mumble and a sigh, she pushed herself up into a sitting position without looking my way. I was about to tell her I¡¯d woken, but the words died in my throat as she stretched, reaching her arms above her head with a groan. I found myself very distracted by what she was wearing. Or, rather, what she wasn¡¯t wearing. With only a bra on to cover herself, I got a good look at what little of her I hadn¡¯t seen so far. In the dim light cast by what was left of the fire I could see the muscles in her back shift as she reached towards the ceiling. She was facing mostly away from me, but I could still make out the swell of her perky breasts. Then she stood, and I saw that she was wearing just as much on her lower half as her top. Her skirt had been long enough to hide the shape of her, but with nothing but a frankly adorable set of cotton panties to cover her modesty I was confronted with the fact that Rhani had one of the most perfect asses I¡¯d ever seen in my life. I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off it even as she walked to the fire and crouched down next to it, throwing a log into the embers and poking it until the mes began to brighten. I knew that the celestial races were supposedly descended from humans and angels, but until I saw her perfect body illuminated by the warm glow of the me I¡¯d never really believed it. More than anything, after what had happened, the mere fact that she was alive made my breath catch in my throat. She crouched by the me for another minute or so with her arms wrapped around her knees. Then she let out a long sigh and pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes were on the floor in front of her as she approached, and I realized I had a problem. Her unwitting show a moment ago had left me very aroused, and the proof of that was currently straining against my pant leg. Seeing the shadows of her corbones pointing my gaze towards her perky chest, her smooth, creamy stomach, and the dip of her hips that drew my gaze towards what little of her was still clothed definitely didn¡¯t help. She made it all the way back to me and was just lifting the covers when she finally looked at me. She froze when she realized I was looking back at her. ¡°Um, hi,¡± I said simply I figured she¡¯d be pissed I was currently getting quite the eyeful, so I waspletely unprepared for her eyes to fill with tears in the brief moment before sheunched herself at me. Her arms went over my shoulders and her face buried itself in the crook of my neck. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± she cried. Okay, I was very d she wasn¡¯t angry with me, but feeling her chest pressed against mine was not doing anything to help my situation. I put one hand on the small of her back while using the other to try and twist my raging erection away from her. She sobbed into me once, which made me frown. A quick nce at my health and mana, which were full, suggested I¡¯d been out for at least a day. Probably more. Once I was reasonably certain I¡¯d shifted the proof of my arousal out of the danger zone, I used my other hand to gently stroke her hair. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry I scared you.¡± Her grip on me tightened. ¡°You were barely breathing! I couldn¡¯t even feel your pulse! Then you didn¡¯t wake up for three whole days and I just¡­¡± I winced. Three days, huh? Great. I¡¯d spent more time asleep than awake since my reset. ¡°Yeah, when I told you that my sword was cursed, I may have downyed it a little.¡± She pulled back. ¡°A little!?¡± She angrily wiped a tear away and crossed her arms. ¡°That was the scariest moment of my life! I thought that sword was going to devour you! If I hadn¡¯t gotten your¡ª¡± She froze. Even in the firelight, I could see her face going crimson. She looked down at her state of undress, finally realizing what she¡¯d been showing off. I figured I¡¯d cut off her breakdown and pushed myself to a sitting position. ¡°You got my scabbard, didn¡¯t you?¡± I put my hand on her bicep and gave it a squeeze. ¡°You figured out that it would seal the de from just what you saw in the moment. You¡¯re amazing, Rhani.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized Arelim were capable of turning every bit of flesh from their neck to their ears such a pretty shade of crimson. She looked down, crossing her arms over her chest, and mumbled something that sounded like ¡°it was nothing.¡± I looked from her to the fire. Like all celestials, her skin was cool to the touch. She could handle colder temperatures than humans could, which is probably why her clothes covered so little of her. If she¡¯d been snuggled up to me, I could only assume it was to keep me warm. ¡°You saved me from having my soul devoured by a cursed de then cared for me over the course of three days all by yourself. It¡¯s not nothing.¡± Her bottom lip trembled. She opened her mouth, and I knew she was about to disagree. I kept talking before she could. ¡°And that¡¯s not even mentioning that miracle you pulled off with the golem. I¡¯m not even sure if amazing is a strong enough word. You¡¯re probably one of the smartest people I¡¯ve ever¡ª¡± I had no choice but to stop when her lips crashed into mine. Her skin might be cool, but her lips were warm and soft. It was a clumsy, hectic kiss, but that only made me want to kiss her back even more. I¡¯d only just started to lean into her when she jerked back and pped both hands over her mouth. She sunk back on her knees with her shoulders slumped. I felt a spike of feare from her, sharp enough to activate my skill. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± she said, her eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done that! Please don¡¯t hate me!¡± I tamped down the slight frustration that tried to rise and reached out to brush a stray hair out of her face. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not mad. Promise. Why would I hate you?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t¡ª¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I raised a brow. I didn¡¯t want to push her too hard, but I was beginning to realize that if I didn¡¯t push her at all I¡¯d never get any answers. I slid over so that my leg was pressed against hers and we were almost face-to-face. ¡°Rhani, I¡¯m not mad that you kissed me. If you keep apologizing for no reason and being down on yourself, then I might start getting angry. Now, please, answer me. What reason could I possibly have to hate you?¡± She sniffled. ¡°Because I¡¯m a celestial,¡± she said miserably. My brows drew together. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± I don¡¯t know what she was expecting, but my answer clearly wasn¡¯t it. Her face scrunched up. ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough? What man in his right mind would want something like me?¡± All I could do was gape at her. ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± She nodded. Fine. If she was going to be this weird about it, I wasn¡¯t going to hold back. I gently grabbed her hand. She flinched, but made no move to resist when I pulled it under the covers. She barely seemed to be breathing as I led it towards the part of me that was still straining angrily against my pants. I ced her palm over it, ignoring the heat that red through my body at the contact, and waited. She didn¡¯t seem to understand at first, then her eyes grew so wide I feared they might fall out of her head. I smiled. ¡°Does that look like the reaction of a man who doesn¡¯t want you?¡± I was fully expecting her to freak out and pull back, so I failed to fully hold back a surprised groan when her fingers wrapped around my cock. She gasped at the sound of my voice, but her eyes never left mine. The fear faded, even if it didn¡¯t disappearpletely. ¡°This is¡­because of me?¡± I struggled to keep my breathing as even as I could. ¡°Very much so. You make it very hard to keep my eyes off you.¡± She looked at where her hand sat in myp, then back to me with uncertainty in her eyes. She bit her lip, then her hand started to move down my length. I shuddered at the sensation, and she seemed to take it as a sign to continue. I certainly wasn¡¯t going toin. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would¡­appeal to you. Nobody¡¯s ever looked at me like that before. ¡°Then they¡¯re morons,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°I spent half the time we were in the tower trying to hide this guy from you.¡± Her breath hitched, and her hand sped up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to¡ª¡± ¡°I really wish you¡¯d stop apologizing for things that need no apology.¡± I put my palm to her cheek. After a moment, she pressed into my hand without ever taking her eyes off me. ¡°I won¡¯t be upset if you don¡¯t feel the same way, but to say that you appeal to me is a bit of an understatement.¡± ¡°T-then, can I¡ª¡± she stammered to a stop, but I saw her eyes flit down to my lips. I shifted my hand so that it was on the back of her neck and gently pulled her closer. She allowed herself to lean forward and put her free hand on my chest. Her beautiful blue and golden eyes closed just before our lips met. This time, the kiss was much more hesitant. Much slower. I took my time exploring her lips, and she seemed content to do the same. All the while, her hand never stopped stroking me. It felt amazing, but I ached for more. My pants, which I¡¯d purchased back when I had a more reasonably sized cock, were starting to cause me physical pain. I pulled back from the kiss. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re doing more harm than good down there.¡± She was panting slightly. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She went back to chewing on her lip, then I felt her hand finally leave. My disappointment was brief, as it travelled just far enough to grab the buckle of my belt. She paused, the question clear in her eyes. I was expecting her to stop, but I was d to be wrong. I nodded briefly, and she began trying to undo my belt with one hand. She flushed when I chuckled, shooting me a re. Using the hand not on the back of her neck, I threw the covers aside and gave her some help. Once the belt was out of the way, she fished my cock out with an eagerness that made me raise a brow. ¡°Oh¡­¡± she breathed, unable to take her eyes off it. I couldn¡¯t me her, Allura¡¯s gift was even bigger than I thought it¡¯d be when fully hard. It was easily eight inches long, and it looked evenrger when she wrapped her slender fingers around its base. Her lips curled a little when I shuddered at her touch, then she started slowly moving her hand up and down my length. ¡°Fffuck,¡± I groaned. It would seem my new weapon was a bit more sensitive than the old one, too. Her smile widened, and I sunk my hand into her hair to pull her back towards me. She came happily, returning her lips to mine. I was surprised when she was the first one to send her tongue questing, and let it in happily. She explored my mouth and I hers while she slowly jerked me with soft, smooth motions. She nibbled my bottom lip and my hand found its way to her perfect ass to give it a squeeze. She moaned into my mouth and her hand sped up. I pulled back but kept my forehead pressed to hers. ¡°Do you want me to touch you?¡± I whispered. ¡°Please¡­¡± Her voice was barely more than a whisper. I gave her ass another squeeze and she pushed her tongue back down my throat with renewed vigor. I kneaded her wonderfully firm cheek for some time before my hand started to travel northward. I enjoyed every inch of smooth skin that my palm slid over. She shivered when I slid my hand under her bra and gave her perfect breast a squeeze. It fit in my hand perfectly, just as I remembered. She moaned again when I ran my thumb over her nipple and her unupied hand twisted behind her. In an single impressive move, her bra was tossed aside. I pulled away so I could enjoy her fully, and the sight of her took my breath away. Her chest heaved and her tits jiggled magnificently while she continued jerking me off. Two perfect white mounds each topped with a dark gray peak. I leaned my head down and took one into my mouth, and she gasped. Her fingers sunk into my hair and pushed me into her. As much as I enjoyed her breasts, I had one more ce for my hand to go questing. It went southward, and her entire body shivered when I ran my finger over the cloth of her panties. It waspletely soaked through, which let me feel every bit of her lower lips. ¡°Oh gods!¡± Her body jerked when I ran my fingers down her slit. One brush and her legs spread to give me better ess. I caressed her folds and she began to push her hips into me. ¡°I¡ª¡± she broke off with a gasp when I grazed her clit through the fabric, ¡°¡ªI¡¯m afraid you¡¯re doing more harm than good down there,¡± she panted. Iughed, releasing her nipple from my mouth, and straightened so that I could look her in the eye. ¡°You think you¡¯re funny, do you?¡± She opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment I slid her panties to the side and touched her directly. Her words ended up a gasp, which melted into a moan when I slid a single finger into her core. Her grip tightened and her hand sped up, which made it very difficult to focus, but I still managed to start slowly moving my finger in and out of her. I kissed a trail from her breasts up her neck, then recaptured her lips just as I slid a second finger in. She moaned into my mouth and began rocking her hips against my hand. Her trembling hand gripped my hair hard enough to border on pain, but that just made me speed my hand up. I could feel myself getting close, and I wanted to finish her first. I curled my fingers towards myself and she cried out, breaking the kiss and burying her head in my shoulder. ¡°More! Please, more!¡± I sped my movements up and kissed her neck, then spoke directly into her ear. ¡°See? Now we¡¯re getting somewhere. You¡¯re finally asking for what you really want.¡± Her only response was to moan into my shoulder and rock her hips faster, trying to match my movements and get my fingers deeper. Her hand wrapped around my cock reached new speeds, and her thumb lifted to brush against my ns. Pleasure washed over me, but I could tell that she was even closer than I was. ¡°I think that deserves a reward, don¡¯t you?¡± I whispered. ¡°Mmmhmm,¡± was all she could get out. ¡°Then go ahead,¡± I pressed my thumb to the nub at the hood of her core, ¡°cum for me.¡± Her body clenched around my fingers. I felt a wave of wetness on my hand as her body spasmed, and she cried out. Her grip on my cock grew tighter than ever before, and even through her body-wracking orgasm she kept pumping her arm. The sound of her voice as she came and the feeling of her shaking form pressing into me was enough to finally send me over the edge. I buried my nose in her hair and growled as I came. The first shot hit her on the side, and she somehow had the wherewithal to aim the rest away from both of us. Once both of our orgasms had finished, I fell back with her on my chest. Her breasts heaved while she tried to catch her breath, and I wasn¡¯t much better. I¡¯d had sex before, but it had never felt like that. My experiences had been solely based on physical attraction. Nights spent desperately seekingfort and distraction in the arms of someone else who also thought they were spending their final night alive. Those nights with other fighters, frantically trying to find pleasure andfort without growing attached to one another for fear one of us would die the next day were nothingpared to what I felt now. I wrapped my arms around Rhani and kissed the top of her head. She sighed contently and nuzzled into me. ¡°Was that enough?¡± I asked. ¡°Or do we need to go again to prove that you¡¯re almost as beautiful as you are brilliant?¡± She giggled sweetly. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point. Though¡­¡± I bit back augh of my own. I trailed my fingertips lightly down her back, stopping to grip her ass. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it as many times as you like.¡± I felt her shiver against me, but she only repositioned so that she could throw one of her slender legs over mine. For a while we just sat there holding one another. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d felt so at peace. Now that I¡¯d relieved some of the pressure in my groin, I felt like I could finally think straight. ¡°We should probably clean you up,¡± I said finally. ¡°No need.¡± I raised a brow, and she flushed. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant. Watch.¡± She drew a symbol in the air and whispered a few words, and the cum vanished. ¡°A simple cleaning spell. Before I got my ss, my father wanted to make sure I had the skills to serve as a maid if no other option presented itself to me.¡± I grinned. ¡°Handy.¡± That made her giggle. I ran a knuckle across her jaw. ¡°You want to tell me why you were so freaked out before now that I¡¯ve finally gotten through to you?¡± Her expression fell, but she didn¡¯t retreat like I was afraid she might. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m a celestial. Ever since the war, humans have hated us.¡± I frowned at that. ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair. It¡¯s not like your people decided to be enved to Grimsbane. By the time anyone knew what he was capable with that blood mage ss of his it was toote.¡± She sat up with wide eyes. ¡°You mean you believe the stories?¡± Believe them? Fuck, I¡¯d lived them. I still had nightmares sometimes of being forced to kill the demi-humans that were enved to the bastard. To be trapped in your own body and forced to fight the very people trying to save you was a hell I wouldn¡¯t wish upon my worst enemy. The moment I¡¯d cut Grimsbane¡¯s head off the seal had been broken and they¡¯d been freed. Thing had been pretty hectic when I¡¯d left, but I had no reason to believe there would be such deep seated grudges this many yearster. I ced my palm on her cheek. ¡°I have it on very good authority that it¡¯s true. The celestials had nothing to do with Grimsbane¡¯s rise to power. Not willingly, at least.¡± Her bottom lip trembled. ¡°Oh. My father had always been adamant, but I thought he was just trying to make me feel better.¡± I held my hand out and she took it hesitantly, then allowed me to pull her back down so that she wasying next to me. I wrapped my arms around her and she nuzzled into me. It was only just growing light outside, so there was plenty of time to cuddle. Especially now that I had her talking. I kissed the top of her head and she sighed. I stroked her hair until she felt like talking again. ¡°My father is the only human I¡¯ve met who didn¡¯t look down on us. Even Pierce and his party treated me like I was little more than a child they were begrudgingly taking care of. I squeezed her. ¡°Fuck Pierce. He¡¯s an asshole.¡± She giggled. ¡°What about other celestials?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°Like I said, my father cared for me. He¡¯s of noble blood, so he was able to protect me and my sister. He gave us better lives than most celestials get to lead, which meant the other Arelim resented us. It¡¯s always just been me, my sister, and my father.¡± Damn. No wonder she was so starved for attention. I wanted to reassure her, but there was still too much about the current world I didn¡¯t know. Considering my mission, I couldn¡¯t afford to make hasty promises, no matter how badly I wanted to make sure she never felt so alone again. I decided it was time to take her mind in a different direction. ¡°So, what happened in the tower after I passed out? I can¡¯t imagine it was easy to get me all the way down here.¡± She shed a smile at me. ¡°Actually, aside from the fact that I was terrified you were dying, it was easy. When you killed the wraith it deactivated all the traps, and I still had a golem that was able to carry you down here.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you want to go back in now that the traps are inert,¡± I said with a groan. Sheughed. ¡°No, once you started to get color back, I looked around. I¡¯m guessing all the locked doors were just the bedrooms of the residents. The only room with objects of value was the top floor, and we got the important stuff out of it. I just wish I knew what those poor thralls were.¡± I knew, and the answer made me sick to my stomach. Honestly, it took me longer than it should have to put it together. ¡°They were living curses.¡± She went rigid in my arms. Curses were created by sacrificing levels¡ªthe caster¡¯s or a catalyst¡¯s¡ªto create powerful magical effects, usually at the cost of the life of whoever¡¯s levels were sacrificed. It was considered a lost magic, but it was possible to condemn a person to a cursed form by using all their levels as the catalyst. ¡°If I had to guess, the dead-man sigils didn¡¯t just activate traps.¡± She shivered, then wiggled deeper into my embrace. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we¡¯re lucky to be alive. I thought living curses were supposed to be more dangerous.¡± I debated hiding the truth from her, but she¡¯d almost died too. She deserved to know. ¡°I think they let us win. They were only pressing me hard enough to force my cursed de out. As soon as I drew it, they all left you alone.¡± She looked up at me with a frown. ¡°Why?¡± If Rhani was half as smart as I thought she was, telling her anything about the de was risky. Intelligence and curiosity like what I¡¯d already seen from her could be dangerous around something as deadly as the de I carried. That being said, I simply couldn¡¯t bring myself to distrust her. ¡°The de devoured their magical energy, but not before it unraveled the curse that kept it in ce. Once the curse was unraveled, their souls were freed. It¡¯s the same concept I used to free you from the barrier trap.¡± Uh oh. Her eyes were glowing again, which meant I¡¯d flipped her switch. ¡°Unravels magic? Does that mean it was trying to unravel you while you wielded it? How much control do you have over the effects? Can I see it now? You did promise.¡± I hesitated, and she immediately switched to a pout. ¡°Drawing the de nearly killed me,¡± I exined, ¡°and bringing it out before I¡¯ve fully recovered could be dangerous.¡± Plus, I was still freaking out a little that it had affected my ss, and if Allura was right about an outsider god being drawn to the de then I wanted to keep it hidden away as much as possible. At least until I had a few more levels under my belt to protect it. She stuck her bottom lip out. ¡°Fine. I can wait.¡± Sheid her head back down and wiggled into me. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you want to move out soon?¡± ¡°The sooner the better.¡± I needed to get to Amesseria and start getting ready for whatever threat Allura had foreseen. ¡°Do you want to travel with me?¡± I asked hesitantly. I hadn¡¯t seen her smile so widely yet, but it quickly fled her face. She buried her face in my chest. ¡°That would be amazing, I¡¯m headed there anyways.¡± Well that was either a stroke of good luck or a sign of something else. Had Allura arranged our meeting, or was I just overthinking things? Either way, I found myself rather excited to know that she¡¯d be around at least long enough to get to the capital. However long that took. ¡°In that case, we should probably head towards Listone.¡± I leaned in and whispered directly into her ear, ¡°This is nice, but it would be nicer in a soft, warm bed.¡± She shivered, and I felt her finger trail down the length of my half-hard dick. ¡°Will¡ª¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Will it really fit?¡± she asked so quietly I almost didn¡¯t hear. I raised a brow. ¡°Do you want to find out?¡± She hid her face in my shirt, but nodded ever so slightly. The simple action sent fire through my body. I was painfully aware that the only thing stopping us was my pants and the very flimsy cotton cloth over her privates, but we still barely knew one another. The list of things I wanted to do to her was long, but more than anything else I wanted to know more about her past. About her. I wanted to find every source of pain in her life and make sure she never had to fear them again. If I was understanding her correctly, she¡¯d never been any kind of intimate with a man. I wanted her bad, but for the first time in a long time I wanted something a little longer term than a quick hook up. I chuckled and forced myself to sit up, bringing her with me. ¡°Then we should get to Listone. Nobody¡¯s first time should be in shithole like this. Besides, I want you to spend the trip back making sure this,¡± I pointed from her to me, ¡°is something that you actually want.¡± She sat up, and her breasts made it somewhat difficult to maintain eye contact. ¡°You think I¡¯m not sure now?¡± ¡°I think I saved your life twice, you saved mine, then you went through several days terrified and alone.¡± I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. ¡°Take the two days and think on it and, if you decide you still want it,¡± I leaned in close, ¡°then I¡¯ll make sure you spend our first day back unable to walk.¡± Her face returned to that beautiful shade of crimson. She nodded, but when I went to stand up she pulled me back down. She looked at me with pleading eyes and I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I leaned in and gave her a quick peck that turned into a less-than-chaste kiss, then she allowed me to get to my feet. I started packing, but by the time I¡¯d put out the fire she¡¯d managed to throw her clothes on, stow the bedroll, and shove her books into her bag. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think she was eager to get back to Listone. Chapter Five: Ambush Chapter Five: Ambush By the time I made it out of the sagging house that we¡¯d been in, the sun had risen in full. She stood in front of the golem, looking at it with a somber expression. ¡°I wish we could take him with us.¡± I frowned. ¡°Why can¡¯t we?¡± She lifted her wrist where a bracer covered in runes sat. ¡°It takes mana to give itmands. It would slow us down if we had to keep waiting for me to recharge, and a celestial with abat construct will only cause us trouble down the road.¡± I looked at the golem and started doing some calctions in my head. It was only a little taller than me, which meant it was just shy of six-and-a-half feet. I stepped in front of it and willed shadows to spill from my foot. They extended under the golem and, after a brief mentalmand from me, it fell into my storage. I felt the sensation of something taking up a good chunk of my pocket space and smiled. Rhani gasped. ¡°How did you do that?!¡± ¡°Storage skill, remember? Look.¡± I conjured a ball of shadow and tossed it. The ball ttened in the air until it was wide enough for the golem to fall from it and impact the ground. ¡°Can you stillmand it?¡± Her bracer glowed bright. ¡°Kneel,¡± she said, and I could feel the maged into the word. The golem did as she said, sinking to a knee. She beamed at me, and I returned the now-kneeling golem to my storage. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! How much can you store?¡± ¡°Seven foot cube, as of right now,¡± I told her. Between the golem, the sword, and the other gear I had, it wasn¡¯t even a quarter full. Then something urred to me. ¡°Rhani, what happened to my sword after I passed out? The cursed one, I mean.¡± The one I¡¯d gotten from poor Dern was already at my hip. She cocked her head at me. ¡°As soon as Itched the de into its sheathe, it vanished. I figured whatever spell you¡¯d used to summon it faded when you passed out.¡± Shit. That wasn¡¯t how my skill worked. I had to consciously move things in and out of my storage. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what would happen to everything in it if I died, and I really didn¡¯t want to find out. If what she said was urate, that meant the de had somehow found its way back to my pocket space without me putting it there. It was another instance of the de acting differently than it had before. Had something changed when Allura reset me? Or, considering I hadn¡¯t drawn it since I used the sword to kill Grimsbane, had something happened during that battle? It wasn¡¯t a happy thought. I needed to think on it, and we needed to get moving if we wanted to make it to town. ¡°Come on, we should get moving.¡± She nodded happily. I started walking in the direction Pierce had told me Listone was in. She fell into step behind me, which made me pause. I arched a brow in her direction and stared at her until she flushed and moved to walk beside me. I couldn¡¯t help but notice a slight bounce in her step as she did. In no time we¡¯d left the foreboding tower behind and entered the trees. With the sun poking through the canopy, I was rtively certain of the direction we were heading. Even if I wasn¡¯t, the pack I¡¯d bought had a rudimentarypass. I thought as we walked, and she seemed content to let me. Allura had said she wanted me to prepare the world for whatever conflict was sure to rise. It wasn¡¯t umon for contests between Chosen to ur, which meant she thought that whatever wasing might be worse than the usual wars that broke out. Since gods and goddesses rarely did anything without reason, I had to assume she¡¯d put me here on purpose. If she wanted me to find strong warriors, then it was no surprise she¡¯d led me to a manual that could help me force sses. The thought made my skin crawl. My life had been a living hell for the sole purpose of gaining the ss I now had, and no matter how bad things got I refused to be my master. He¡¯d spent years raising children under specific and often brutal conditions to try and draw out rarer sses, I was just one of his sesses. I wouldn¡¯t be him, but I couldn¡¯t dismiss the book in my storage either. What he¡¯d done had been horrible, but destroying it felt like I was throwing away the pain and suffering of every subject that had died in his experiments. If I could use what they¡¯d given the world for good, shouldn¡¯t I? That led my thoughts to Rhani. Was the book the only reason I¡¯d been put here, or was she another? Could she be useful in achieving whatever it was Allura wanted of me? If she was, would I be a horrible person for trying to use her? I could always ask for her help, but it would be tricky considering my circumstances. One way or another, I needed to know more about her. ¡°Rhani, feel free to tell me if I¡¯m prying or asking something I shouldn¡¯t, but would you mind telling me more about your ss?¡± She brightened. ¡°Of course not! I know sses are personal, but after this morning¡­¡± she trailed off with a dreamy smile, then shook herself. ¡°I mean, yes. I¡¯ll tell you.¡± She took a moment to collect her thoughts. ¡°Like I told you, my ss is just your standard Schr ss. It¡¯s an umon one, I suppose, but my only friends growing up were books, so it made sense.¡± She blushed a little, which gave me no choice but to reach an arm around her shoulders and press her into me. That earned me a brief smile of thanks, but walking like this was awkward so I let her go. ¡°I¡¯ve got the core schr skill that rtes to reading and information retention, but I managed to get two skills that are at least rare. One acts like a sixth sense when I¡¯m researching. If I¡¯m trying to learn about a specific topic, I feel a tug when I read something rted to it. I¡¯ve also got a skill that lets me use mana to read othernguages, so I¡¯ve put a number of points into my Will and Focus.¡± She sounded particrly proud of those. ¡°I¡¯ve also got an identify skill and a skill that lets me perfectly copy any writing I have in front of me as long as I have my own pen and paper. Thanks to my obsession with runes I got a runebreaker skill that allows me to learn the basic purposes of magic arrays. Other than that I just took some attribute boosting abilities. Oh, after that fight I got a skill that protects me from the negative effects of magical writing.¡± It wasn¡¯t lost on me that thest ability would be very useful for when I needed to learn more about my sword. Thest person who tried to identify it ended up going insane. In fact, many of her skills sounded incredibly useful. ¡°That¡¯s pretty amazing for a simple Schr,¡± I teased. ¡°Can I ask your level?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only level sixteen,¡± she replied sheepishly, ¡°and that¡¯s after getting two levels in the tower.¡± Iughed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say only. That fight got me to nine.¡± She stopped in her tracks with her mouth hanging open. ¡°Nine? You¡¯re only level nine? How in the world is someone amazing as you only¡ª¡± she cut off abruptly. Her jaw mped shut and her gaze fell to the ground in front of her. ¡°You have a mythic ss, don¡¯t you?¡± Well, if I wanted to keep her around then she was bound to learn eventually. ¡°That¡¯s right, though if I¡¯m being honest the curse in my sword did most of the work back there.¡± Once again, she began chewing on her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked. You shouldn¡¯t tell me anything.¡± This girl. I walked up to her and grabbed her chin between two fingers, lifting her face and forcing her to look at me. Her mesmerizing eyes found mine uncertainly, and I felt a twinge of feare from her. ¡°I thought I told you to stop apologizing for things you don¡¯t need to apologize for. If you keep it up, then I just might have to punish you.¡± She swallowed, and I leaned down so that our faces were nearly touching. Her breath quickened, and I smiled at her. ¡°And you absolutely should have asked. Turnabout is fair y, and I give you my word here and now that I will never be angry at you for asking a question. I love your curiosity, and it kills me every time you hold it back because you¡¯re afraid of how I¡¯ll react to it.¡± I stayed there, just out of her reach, until I felt her fear slowly start to fade away. I raised my brows, and she swallowed. ¡°Then, um, would you please tell me about your ss, too?¡± I grinned, then leaned down to give her a quick peck. ¡°I would be happy to.¡± We continued walking while I gave her a quick rundown on what my skills were. She knew about the storage and the stitching, of course, and [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] made her pale a bit, but she was the most interested in my new shadow abilities and my [Horde yer] passive. I could see the question burning at her, so I nodded. ¡°Can I see your [Conjure Shadows] in action?¡± The words rushed out like she was afraid I¡¯d stop her. My response was to lift my hand and activate the skill. I was curious myself, after all. I felt it use double the mana as its previous iteration, but with my increased pool that wasn¡¯t overly worrying. I felt an icy cold sensation travel down my arm and a thinyer of shadow wrapped around it from elbow to wrist. I willed it to extend, and it unfurled and twistedzily through the air. Rhani¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± It definitely looked more substantial than the light attacks I¡¯d used before. I was curious about the other evolved skill, so I took control of the tendril. The sensation was strange, like I¡¯d suddenly grown an extra limb. I could feel it moving and, after a few seconds of feeling it out, started to understand how to control it more directly. Her eyes never left it, especially not when I willed it to reach out and lightly caress her cheek. She shivered, and I realized I could feel her warmth even through the tendril. That was an interesting development. ¡°We need to find a way to get you levels.¡± She reached out and hesitantly brushed her fingers against the tendril. I could feel her touch as if she¡¯d done the same thing to my arm. ¡°If you¡¯re this fascinating at level nine, I can¡¯t wait to see what else you¡¯re capable of. Can I know the name of your ss?¡± ¡°Shadowborn,¡± I replied before I could stop myself. That made her frown. ¡°How do you even end up with a ss like that?¡± I looked away and dismissed the tendril. I should have expected a question like that. While normally sses were based off the personality and skills of a person when they unlocked them, it was possible to gain rarer sses through impressive feats. That wasn¡¯t what had earned me my ss, though. ¡°I know I said I wouldn¡¯t be mad if you asked me a question,¡± my voice came out tter than I intended it to, and she tensed, ¡°but there are some questions I¡¯d rather not answer. That¡¯s one of them.¡± She seemed crestfallen. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± I ruffled her hair and forced myself to smile. ¡°There you go again with the apologies. I¡¯m not mad, I promise. Maybe I¡¯ll tell you someday, but it¡¯s not something I like talking about.¡± She cheered up a little, but then ended up walking in silence for a while. I could practically see the questions bouncing around in her head, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to coax them out. ¡°Do you have any aspirations for your secondary ss? Sixteen is pretty close.¡± Brief panic flitted across her face and I felt fear. ¡°N-not really.¡± Well, I guess we could add ¡°really bad liar¡± to the list of reasons I was really starting to like Rhani. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to, I was just curious.¡± We both had secrets, so I was hardly going to pry. I¡¯d learned a ton during this conversation, from the nature of her ss to the fact that she wasn¡¯t bothered by the nature of mine. I found myself quickly shifting from wanting to know more about her to wanting to find a way to keep her around. # # # The first half of the day passed without anything interesting happening. I could feel Rhani¡¯s questions burning at her, but it seemed my own query had changed something. The topics of conversation stayed rtively harmless, and I got the feeling that she was more afraid of what I might ask than how I might answer. We stopped for a break around midday and ate some cold food. I had just finished stowing my pack in my storage when I felt a surge of strength. My body felt lighter. When I flexed my hands, my fingers moved quicker. The world around me seemed to slow down ever so slightly. My Strength, Dexterity, and Agility had been boosted. [Horde yer] was active. At least three creatures had decided me and Rhani were enemies and were preparing to attack. I was always on alert, so my movements didn¡¯t change. Rhani was waiting for me, nervously fingering the edge of her cloak. When I walked straight up to her, she straightened. Then she squeaked when I snaked an arm through the gap of her cloak and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her close. I leaned down and brushed my lips against her cheek, then leaned forward to whisper in her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t react, but someone or something is watching us, and I think they¡¯re getting ready to attack.¡± She stiffened, and I cast [Conjure Shadows] on her. I willed the tendril to wrap around her waist so that she¡¯d be safe if worst came to worst. ¡°Now giggle like I said something crude.¡± She did so, then whispered, ¡°what should we do, then?¡± Her tone, though shaky, was sultry enough that anyone with a proper skill might assume she was flirting. ¡°If I drop the golem,e out swinging. After that, use it to protect yourself. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± I pulled back and gave her hip a reassuring squeeze. Just then, the neers decided to show themselves. ¡°Well,¡± a snide voice called out, ¡°what do we have here?¡± I turned towards the man walking out from behind a tree. I hadn¡¯t heard them approach, but I was also used to heightened senses. I looked him up and down critically. A greatsword was strapped to his back, and his shoddy armor told me he was a closebat fighter. There had to be at least two more to trigger my skill, so my eyes scanned the trees. I spotted the man with crossbow hiding just inside the tree line. A ranged fighter would be difficult, but as long as his arrows weren¡¯t magic then my shadows would hopefully be able to deal with them. The man with the greatsword made a hand signal and three more men walked out of the trees behind him. I stepped in front of Rhani. Two of the neers, a man with a buckler shield and mace and a man carrying a long spear, walked to stand between us. The third took residence behind them, and I didn¡¯t see any visible weapons on his person. If there was a magic user among them, then my money was on him. Five against two was tough odds at best, especially with a nonbat ss. Worse, I wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on the cursed de this time. I grimaced when I realized what I had to do. These weren¡¯t wolves or living curses, they were people. My master had made sure I was very good at killing people, and I¡¯d honed those skills well during the war. If it came to a fight, I¡¯d have no choice but to show them no mercy. I just wish Rhani didn¡¯t have to see that side of me. Not yet. ¡°Hello there, friends,¡± I called. They had no way of knowing about my skill, so they couldn¡¯t know I¡¯d already anticipated them being my enemies. ¡°Something we can help you with?¡± Greatsword chuckled. ¡°We were shocked when we stumbled on these tracks. Figured we¡¯d follow them and see what we found.¡± Mentally I cursed myself for not hiding our traces even a little, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d run into hostiles so soon. ¡°Well, you found us. We¡¯re just headed back to town. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I think we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± ¡°Now, now, not so fast. Why don¡¯t we chat a little before you go? Never know if we might have something to offer one another.¡± I looked at each one of their faces in turn, and I didn¡¯t like what I saw. Poorly hidden grins. Cruel eyes. One of them even licked his lips. These men were here to hurt us, and they were going to enjoy it. There was no use keeping the pretense up. ¡°We don¡¯t have anything of value,¡± I raised my arms, drawing my cloak back to show it as I had with Pierce, ¡°so why don¡¯t we just go our separate ways?¡± I knew it was futile, but I had to at least try. Then Greatsword¡¯s smile turned dark. ¡°Now I wouldn''t say you¡¯ve got nothing of value¡­¡± His eyes drifted to Rhani, who stepped closer to me with a whimper. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Since I¡¯m a good mood, give me and my boys a go at her and I¡¯ll let you leave with your life. If she does a good enough job, I might let you keep her.¡± I let out a breath. At least he¡¯d made it easy for me. I could tell at a nce that these men were killers, and now that I knew they were rapists as well I had no qualms about what came next. Reluctantly, I let the Zaren of old out of its cage. The one who had killed men much scarier and much stronger than these. He came out eagerly, and I felt everything I¡¯d be since Grimsbane fade until it was barely a thought in the back of my mind. Rhani had her task, and she was a smart enough girl to be able to handle herself. I had my own job to do. ¡°If I¡¯m being honest,¡± I told him, taking a step forward, ¡°I was kinda hoping you¡¯d say something like that.¡± Greatsword¡¯s grin faltered. The two at his front raised their weapons, but I was already throwing a disk of shadow into the air. The golem fell from the sky with enough force to shake the ground,nding in the same kneeling pose as I¡¯d stored him in, just in front of the two men. ¡°Attack!¡± Rhanimanded behind me. My [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] skill activated, just as I¡¯d hoped it would. A heavily armoredbatant falling from the sky was startling, and I had already figured the leader for a coward. The moment he even thought I might be a high enough level to pose a threat, he became afraid. I felt the fear and lunged forward. Since I was moving towards its source, my agility got another boost. The golem surged forward, crashing into the Shield and swinging its de at Spear with enough force to knock him back. I darted past the three of them, moving much too fast for either of them to react. I felt something go whistling by. Crossbow had fired, but he¡¯d misjudged my speed. I had a few seconds before they were reloaded, and I nned to make the best of them. Greatsword frantically drew his de while stumbling backwards, but I was on him too fast. I drew my sword and struck in a single motion, biting into the gap just under his chestte. Crimson sprayed, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury of giving him any respite. I twisted and struck again, but he managed to get the de out and block my second attack. With no shield and only medium armor, I figured he had either high Fortitude, damage reducing skills, or both. We traded rapid blows and I got a sense of his skill. He was good, but in my world good got you killed. The fourth time we crossed des, I knocked his own up. While we both recovered from the impact, I conjured a tendril on my left arm and sent it shooting towards the underside of his exposed bicep. The tendrilshed out like a whip and cut into the muscle. The man cursed, and I mmed the tip of my de into his thigh. He tried to swing even as he fell to one knee, but the arm I¡¯d cut wasn¡¯t working too well. I felt the tendrilsh at something behind me and heard an impact just to my left. Crossbow had a skill to reload quicker, but my shadow had defended me on its own. Greatsword tried to fight, but his injuries let me get another cut in on his forearm and hip with my de while my tendril stabbed him in the shoulder, then I smashed the pommel of my de into his nose. He crashed back, but not before his body began to glow ever so slightly. I recognized the healing magic immediately. Spear and Shield were both still upied with the golem and my tendril swatted aside a second bolt from the crossbow. ¡°The girl! Shoot the girl!¡± Greatsword cried. He was injured, but if I wanted to keep my boosted stats I couldn¡¯t kill him. Instead I whirled on the fourth man, Healer, and hurled my sword at him. It spun end over end, just barely missing when he threw himself to the ground. Hitting him hadn¡¯t been my intention, though. It was difficult not to be a little terrified when three-and-a-half feet of sharpened steel was hurtling towards you. With my agility boosted again, I closed the distance in seconds. I drew the hunting knife from my belt and mmed my fist into Healer¡¯s mouth. His head jerked back and I sliced the de across his exposed throat. His hand shot up and something fiery hot mmed into my gut, but I had Resilience to spare and a very high pain tolerance. I flipped the dagger and shoved it in his chest to finish the job. It always paid to be thorough with healers. I looked to Rhani just in time to see the tendril I¡¯d put on her snake out and deflect another crossbow bolt. This one came close enough to leave a cut on her cheek, which made her fall to the ground. ¡°Defend!¡± I yelled at her. She repeated themand, her eyes wide in panic, and the golem disengaged to run at her. That left Spear and Shield free to move. Shield moved to chase after the golem, but Spear saw me standing over the body of his healer and cried out in rage. He charged me, and I raised the dagger. There was no time to go looking for my sword, the knife would have to do. He thrust at me, but I used both my de and the tendril to knock the blow aside and step in close. I sunk my elbow into his chin and swiped the de down at his hands, but he caught the blow with the haft and swung the spear around. I kept in close, and he failed to get the tip of his weapon between us. I grabbed the haft with one hand and yanked, sinking the dagger into his shoulder. He jerked back with a cry, taking the dagger with him, so I started raining blow after blow on the man¡¯s face. He took the first few like a champ while he tried to wrestle the spear away from me, but I¡¯d wrapped the tendril on my arm around it. I conjured a second one and willed it to attack his legs, and before long he was a groaning pile below me. The cuts on his thighs were deep, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t be a problem again. I heard the drumming footsteps and spun just in time to avoid the overhead swing that would havee down on my head. Greatsword was back in action already, but I had a different weapon now. The spear was still wrapped by my tendril, so I yanked it to my hand. Polearms weren¡¯t my favorite, but I knew how to use them well enough. I spun it while I retreated from the greatsword¡¯s wide swings. I had more reach, but the hefty de would cut right through the wood of my spear. With a roar, Greatswordunched at me. I sidestepped the blow and stabbed, but I knew the second the spearhead hit skin that the man was some kind of berserker. It felt less like cutting flesh and more like hardened leather. He swung again, but his wounds weren¡¯t fully healed yet. They were wide and clumsy, and I still had the dexterity and agility from my skill. I danced with him, sneaking strikes in with spear and shadow, until he finally fell to the ground covered in a dozen different injuries. Thest of which had been a cut to his throat, which meant he wasn¡¯t going to be around much longer. Not bothering to watch him bleed out, I rushed Shield. The golem was keeping him at bay with a half dozen crossbow bolts sticking out of his chest. Rhani didn¡¯t look any worse for wear outside of the cut on her cheek. She was doing a good job keeping the golem between her and Crossbow. Speaking of, the crossbowman called out a warning just in time for his friend to turn towards me. He raised his shield and caught my strike, but my tendrils shot out and wrapped his shield up. I yanked it to the side and buried my spear in the shoulder holding the mace. ¡°Rhani!¡± ¡°Attack!¡± she yelled. Shield tried to twist away, but I had enough of a hold on him that he waspletely unprepared for the golem to run its de through his chest. He stood for several seconds, his system keeping him alive for longer than possible, but the blood loss finished him off. I felt my boosted stats fade, and he copsed. He hadn¡¯t even hit the floor before I lunged for Rhani. I could tell that her tendril had run out of mana, and if I were a cowardly archer I would have been holding my shot for the perfect moment. I wrapped my arms around her and, almost at the same time, I felt the bolt bury itself in my shoulder. If it hadn¡¯t hit me, it would have taken her in the center of her chest. She cried out when we hit the ground, but I just turned to look for Crossbow. He gave us onest sneer before disappearing into the trees. The battlefield was silent except for the groans of the spearman. Then the golem stood up straight and nted the tip of its de into the ground. I reached up and ripped the bolt out and used [Shadow Stitching] to close the injury. I checked my condition and winced. [Health: 94/200] [Mana: 41/120] Not nearly enough for me to consider going after the crossbowman. I looked at Rhani, but her eyes were locked on the bastard that the golem had run through. I didn¡¯t even have a chance to say anything before she turned away and vomited. She heaved while tears streamed down her face. I gently wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest, ignoring any mess she might be making. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright. You¡¯re alright,¡± I told her softly. She grabbed two fistfuls of my shirt and buried her face in my chest, trembling. I held her tightly with one arm while the other gently stroked her hair. ¡°You did what you had to. It¡¯s okay.¡± While she cried into my chest, I got to work locking the beast inside me back in its cage. It went reluctantly, eager to move and hunt and kill the crossbowman. It went though, and I felt myself grow lighter. Rhani felt warmer as I pressed her into me. The crossbowman all but faded from my mind. The only thing that mattered in this moment was the girl wrapped in my arms. I knew the look of someone who¡¯d never taken a life before. Not everyone had the luxury of being forced to kill when they were fourteen, and I had an idea of what was going through her head. The men would have done terrible things to her, but a life was a life. She cried silently for a time, and by the time she¡¯d collected herself I no longer heard the groaning of the spearman. ¡°Tell your golem to follow us,¡± I said gently. She did, and I put one hand under her knees and lifted her up. She yelped a little, then wrapped her arms around my neck. ¡°Don¡¯t look at them if you can.¡± ¡°You killed them,¡± she whispered. I winced. ¡°I tried not to, but they made their decision before we even saw them.¡± She shuddered in my arms. ¡°I know, but¡­¡± She sucked in air a few times trying to get her breathing under control. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone die. Even Dern I didn¡¯t see until I was hauling you out, and even that was¡­¡± ¡°I know. I wish you didn¡¯t have to see that, but the world can be a cruel ce.¡± She didn¡¯t respond. Once I¡¯d gotten her a decent distance from the ambush spot I set her down against a tree and kneeled next to her. ¡°Stay here and have the golem guard you. I¡¯ll be right back, alright?¡± Her hand shot out and grabbed my shirt in a vice grip. ¡°What? Where are you going?¡± ¡°I need to make sure they¡¯re dead,¡± I gently removed her hands and ced them in herp, ¡°and you need a moment. I¡¯ll just be a few feet away, so just take a breath.¡± I waited until she¡¯d given themand before I went back to the battlefield. By the time I¡¯d returned, all four men were well and truly dead. I quickly got to the other reason I¡¯d carried her away and started going through their things. I sent their weapons to my storage, then started going through their pockets. For the most part I found nothing of interest. A few coins, some poor quality equipment, some ties I really didn¡¯t want to think about the use of, some jerky and other foods that I left alone, and half-empty waterskins. It was on the leader¡¯s body I found something that made my blood run cold. It was a sheet of paper that had been folded and unfolded so many times it was nearly worn through. On it were no words, just a hand drawn picture. One that perfectly captured the hilt of the cursed sword I carried in my storage. I took a long look over the bodies. No camping gear. Waterskins half full. They had a camp nearby, and I doubted anyone who knew about my de would send men with levels as low as these. No. Every instinct told me that there was arger group somewhere out in this forest. A group that was after the de I carried. Were they serving some enemy god? Were they serving that god¡¯s Chosen? Would this new outsider god even be able to select a Chosen? I had too many questions and no way to ask them. I needed to get to Amesseria and find one of Allura¡¯s priests. Until then I was just stumbling around in the dark. I stood and contemted burying the men, but that would be foolish. The crossbowman had survived, and I had no doubt he¡¯d scurried off towards their main force to warn them of the dangerous shadow wielding man they¡¯d encountered. This group may not have known enough to guess that I was the one they were looking for, but it was entirely possible that their leader had more information. I walked back to Rhani as fast as I dared without tipping her off that I was worried. I found her right where I left her, sitting against the tree with her knees tucked to her chest. She jumped to her feet as soon as she saw me, and I saw her shoulders sag in relief. ¡°Better?¡± I asked. ¡°Not really,¡± she admitted. She waved her hand and whispered a few words and the blood and vomit that covered me disappeared. ¡°You must think I¡¯m pathetic.¡± I touched the golem and sent him back to storage before answering. It would be too difficult to hide his traces. ¡°I think you did a good job back there,¡± I said earnestly. I reached out and gently wiped the blood from her cheek. The cut wasn¡¯t deep. It would be gone in a few days. ¡°You kept your head, and you were there when I needed you. For your first real fight, I couldn¡¯t have expected better.¡± She stepped close enough that she could rest her head on my chest. ¡°Am I foolish for thinking that was scarier than the wraith fight?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I gently stroked her hair. ¡°Monsters are easy. They¡¯re usually born to hunt and kill us. People are much scarier. There¡¯s nothing quite like looking into the eyes of a person who ns to hurt you, and there¡¯s no real way to prepare for it.¡± ¡°I want to get as far from here as possible.¡± The slight quiver in her voice got to me and I ced a kiss on the top of her head. ¡°Then lets get moving. If we make up enough ground, hopefully we only have to spend a single night in the wilderness." Chapter Six: The Accords Chapter Six: The ords I wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake twice. I had Rhani walk in front of me so I could use a tendril of shadow to cover our tracks as best I could. If they had anyone with half decent tracking skills it would be a moot point, but it was better than nothing. Rhani was silent during the trip, and I found myself constantly wishing I knew what to say. That she was torn up by what had happened was a given. She may not have killed the man herself, but she¡¯d given the order to attack him. She¡¯d watched him bleed out and die. That wasn¡¯t the kind of thing she¡¯d get over in a night. What tortured me was thinking of the litany of other things that could have been bothering her. They¡¯d made it clear what they wanted from her, and I could only imagine that was a hard thing to hear. She knew I¡¯d been low level, so I couldn¡¯t even me her if she¡¯d doubted our victory. Hells, I hadn¡¯t even been sure we¡¯de out on top. But the one thought that kepting up no matter how hard I tried to stamp it out was whether she saw me differently now. I¡¯d spent my life fighting enemies stronger than me. Armies withrger numbers than mine. I¡¯d reached a point where I almost didn¡¯t know how to fight someone weaker than I was. My ss seemed designed to win unwinnable battles, and it had shaped how I fought. I knew that, when outnumbered like we were, the best course was to hit so hard and so fast that the enemy doubted their advantage. Take out the biggest threats while I was stat boosted and shock the weaker ones with brutality so that I stood a chance. It had gotten me out of more scrapes than I could count, but I¡¯d been told before that the way I fought was unnerving. I¡¯d heard the phrase ¡°cornered animal¡± more times than I could count, but that had never bothered me. Not until I had a wonderful girl that I was quickly growing more and more attached to watching me end lives. I¡¯d never been proud of what I was, but today I was surprised to find that I felt ashamed. Rhani hardly said a word when I told her we¡¯d be spending the night without a fire. It bothered me that she didn¡¯t ask why. That she hadn¡¯t so much as asked me a question since the fight. I found us a recently sheltered area and we got ready to bed down. I summoned the golem and had her set it to guard us while we slept before giving her pack to her. When I pulled my bedroll out, she eyed it and chewed her lip. I smiled as best I could. ¡°If you want to share, all you have to do is ask.¡± She jumped, then flushed. ¡°Um, in that case, mine is probablyfier.¡± With augh, I banished the bedroll. It would be a cold night, and the thought of having her warm body snuggled into me was more than a little appealing. Before I knew it, I had her back pressed into my chest and my arms wrapped around her. Only when she¡¯d settled into my arms did she finally seem to rx. Just when I figured she¡¯d nodded off, she spoke. ¡°Ren? Can I ask you something personal?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll answer, but sure.¡± ¡°Does killing get easier?¡± I closed my eyes. Not something I wanted to talk about, but definitely something we needed to. ¡°I¡¯m the wrong person to ask that, I¡¯m afraid.¡± She hesitated. ¡°Why?¡± There was no answer I could think of that wouldn¡¯t make her hate me, but I didn¡¯t want to dodge the question either. ¡°I never had the chance to see life like that. I¡¯ve been surrounded by death for as long as I can remember. Kill or be killed was my life for a long, long time.¡± ¡°Then killing those men didn¡¯t bother you?¡± I could feel the reluctance in her tone. She wanted to ask about as much as I wanted to answer. Not really. Especially not after what they¡¯d said. After what they¡¯d threatened. ¡°Yes and no. It bothers me that it didn¡¯t bother me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Neither did I, honestly. ¡°I¡¯ve known men like that. If we didn¡¯t kill them, they¡¯d have hurt someone else. I gave them an out, but the moment they didn¡¯t take it I had no other choice.¡± ¡°My sister says that we always have a choice.¡± ¡°And she¡¯s right. Unfortunately, sometimes that choice is live or die. If I had let up even a little and they¡¯d gotten a hit in, if they¡¯de out on top, then they¡¯d have hurt you.¡± I tightened my arms around her. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the people I care about suffer too many times. So long as I have a say, I¡¯m not letting anything happen to you.¡± She made a humming noise and I realized she was almost asleep. Just when I¡¯d started to drift off finally, she said in a half-asleep voice, ¡°Abat ss. I want a magic basedbat ss for my secondary. I¡¯ve been pouring points into Arcane because of it.¡± I frowned. That was hardly something to be ashamed of. ¡°Why should that bother me?¡± Her response was so quiet I nearly missed it. ¡°Good celestials aren¡¯t supposed to want to be strong. I want a strong ss so I can show people we aren¡¯t the monsters they think. I was afraid you¡¯d hate me for it.¡± ¡°Oh, Rhani,¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°At this point, I don¡¯t think I could ever hate you.¡± If she heard me, she didn¡¯t show any sign of it. Her breathing evened out and I knew she¡¯d fallen asleep. I made my decision then and there that, whatever the future held, I was going to help her with that goal. I fell asleep thinking of ways I could do it. # # # The next morning she made no mention of our conversation the night before, and I didn¡¯t bring it up either. Not when she almost seemed to be the energetic Rhani I knew from before the fight. She spent the first half of the day telling me about her family. About her older sister, Xara, who acted protector their entire lives. Xara, it seemed, had gotten it in her head to be a soldier. She¡¯d spent the years before her sixteenth birthday sneaking out and training with practice swords so she could get a fighter ss, and it had driven their father up the wall. He¡¯d apparently been determined to make at least one of them into a decent housemaid. He had allies in high ces and apparently that was one of the safer career choices, but Xara had missed no opportunity to sneak books to Rhani at every opportunity. When she¡¯d gotten her schr ss, her father had resigned himself to his fate. Any time Rhani talked about Xara, she practically glowed. It made me want to meet the woman very much. ording to Rhani, we could make Listone by dark if we didn¡¯t stop for a midday meal. I could tell she was getting tired, but if she was willing to push through then I wasn¡¯t going to stop her. The sooner we got out of these woods the better. A town where we could hide among the popce would make me feel a hell of a lot safer. As we neared Listone, however, I could feel her retreating into herself. Finally, with a sigh, she pulled off the bracer that allowed her to control the golem and held it out to me. ¡°Here,¡± she said, and the sadness in her tone was unmistakable. I frowned. ¡°No, you more than earned that. It¡¯s yours.¡± But she shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s against thew.¡± ¡°Thew? Whatw?¡± She slowed to a stop. ¡°You know, the ord?¡± Ah, shit. Sounds like I was missing something I would have known if I hadn¡¯t spent thest three decades napping. ¡°Rhani, if I tell you a secret, will you promise to keep it?¡± Her eyes widened. She lowered the bracer, but didn¡¯t put it on. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Fuck. How the hell do I say that I was actually one of the seven heroes who killed the legendary Grimsbane and then made a deal with a goddess to sleep for thirty years in exchange for the reincarnation of all my friends? She¡¯d think I was insane. Hells, I thought I was insane most of the time. Baby steps. I just needed to give her enough of the truth until I figured out a less crazy way of breaking it to her. ¡°I¡¯m not from around here,¡± I ended up saying. Not technically untrue. ¡°In fact, where Ie from is very different from the things you¡¯ve told me.¡± Also not untrue. I¡¯d lived in a time of war and tyranny. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the ords are or what it entails. Sorry.¡± Her hands fell to her sides and she stared at me. For a moment, I was worried she¡¯d forgotten how to blink. ¡°Not¡­from around here?¡± she asked finally. I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Yeah. People are pretty different where I¡¯m from, too. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, though, I¡¯d like if you could exin the basics to me.¡± She started chewing on the inside of her mouth. She crossed one arm and brought the other to her chin. She turned and started walking towards Listone again. ¡°You know about the war against Grimsbane, but not the ords?¡± she asked finally. So they were rted. I knew Rr and the others had been negotiating all kinds of things when I bowed out, but I hadn¡¯t exactly stayed to see the oue. I hadn¡¯t been nning on sticking around long enough to see the world I¡¯d saved. ¡°That¡¯s right, as strange as it sounds.¡± ¡°Well, the ords were a set of agreements that set restrictions on the various races of demi-humans.¡± That made me stumble. ¡°Restrictions? What the hell for?¡± Her confusion only seemed to grow. ¡°The Abyssal King used armiesprisedpletely of demi-humans. He couldn¡¯t have be such a tyrant and enved the continent without them. After his death, restrictions were put in ce to ensure the races couldn¡¯t help another like him to power.¡± I could feel my blood boiling. ¡°Hang on, most of them didn¡¯t have any choice! Hebined his sses with forbidden ancient magics to enve entire bloodlines at a time!¡± ¡°And like I said before,¡± she exined, ¡°there¡¯s no way to prove that. After the war, it was impossible to tell those who were enved from those who served willingly, but they all imed innocence. Most of the human popce had been beaten down by the demi-humans that served under Grimsbane. Many called for widespread executions, but the Seven managed to talk them down to the restrictionsid out in the ords.¡± Suddenly, tracking down my former allies found its way much higher on the list. I needed some answers from them about this fuckery, but none of that was Rhani¡¯s fault. I calmed myself with some effort. ¡°Alright, so what restrictions are we talking?¡± She nced at me uncertainly. ¡°Well, each race was given different restrictions based on their level of involvement. Racial features were taken into ount as well in some cases.¡± ¡°Celestials, then, since it¡¯s pertinent.¡± ¡°Well, the reason I can¡¯t have the bracelet is that I can¡¯t carry magical items without a special permit. I only have the spectacles because my father pulled some strings and Pierce was my chaperone.¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s not all.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We aren¡¯t allowed to own property either, and we can¡¯t work jobs that involve fighting, crafting, or magic unless we¡¯re bound to a Patron. Celestials with sses considered dangerous must have a Patron as well. It also spells out circumstances in which we can be indebted.¡± ¡°Indebted?¡± ¡°Forcefully beholden to a city or Patron as their servant for a disclosed amount of time until whatever debt we¡¯ve incurred is paid off,¡± she said quietly. ¡°If an adventurer orwman came across me with this bracer, they could turn me in for a reward. Then, if my father didn¡¯t receive word quick enough, any eligible Patron could im me from the prison.¡± I had to put my hands into my pockets to keep from hitting something. It was no wonder she was so skittish, she was worried I¡¯d turn her in. And rightfully so, it seemed. ¡°Let me get this straight, the celestial races lost pretty much all their rights as a punishment for being enved?¡± She seemed surprised by the barely contained anger in my voice. ¡°If you look at it that way, then I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± The resignation in her voice was too much for me. Forget Allura. Forget this outsider god. Nobody deserved to have all those restrictions put on them for something the previous generation had done. For something they¡¯d been forced into doing. I was going to Amesseria, then I was going to tear it down brick by brick until I erased these ords from existence. I wanted to ask about the other races, but I was afraid I might lose my shit if she kept going. ¡°We¡¯ll need to find a way for you to hold onto that bracelet. Fuck the ords, and fuck anyone who enforces them.¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°You mentioned Patrons a few times. borate on that please.¡± ¡°A Patron can either im indebted demi-humans or take them on as voluntary servants. My sister voluntarily went into servitude so she could fight in the army.¡± She didn¡¯t sound like she was particrly happy about that, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dig into that. ¡°Technically speaking, anybody who owns property in one of the major cities can be a Patron, but statuses into y when determining how many servants you can take. A cksmith who owns their forge could take a few demi-humans as apprentices, but he couldn¡¯t take in enough to form an army.¡± I stopped walking. ¡°Wait, so all you need to do is own property in one of the cities?¡± Her look became cautious. ¡°Yes, but for that reason those with the means try to hoard the properties where they¡¯re able. Sometimes entire cities are owned by a handful, and they rent out the spaces. If we¡¯re using the cksmith example again, a noble might own his forge, so the servants would technically be owned by the noble. The cksmith is just borrowing them. Getting a property that fits the requirements would be costly and time consuming.¡± She held the bracer out again. ¡°Which means you¡¯ll need to hold onto this if we go into any cities.¡± But, for once, I already had the solution to the problem. ¡°And if I already owned some property?¡± She froze in disbelief. ¡°But you said you weren¡¯t from around here.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s been in the family for a few years.¡± The resignation I¡¯d seen so far seemed to battle with something new. Something dangerous. Hope. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have proof, do you? If not, we¡¯d have to wait until you got some.¡± I pulled the watertight tube from my storage and opened it, depositing the scroll inside into my hand. Had Allura known about thesews when she left it for me? I handed it to her and she unrolled it with trembling fingers. When she read it, her brows disappeared into her hairline. I felt a hint of fear when she looked at me next, and I immediately realized my mistake. My name was on the damn thing, and a schr like her was bound to recognize it. ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t steal this.¡± Ouch. ¡°I give you my word that the paper in your hands ispletely legitimate. It¡¯s bound to me and everything.¡± ¡°Zaren Nocht¡­¡± I felt a jolt at hearing my namee from her lips. I bet Rr still thought he was funny for deciding on that to be myst name since I¡¯d had none at the time. I still wanted to kick Sandrel in the jewels foring up with it. He thought he was clever. ¡°As his son, then legally the property would go to you. But you told me you weren¡¯t a lord!¡± Son? I¡¯m not his¡­ah. Honestly, it was the only thing that made sense. I was physically twenty, so it was the only logical leap her mind could have made. I chose not to correct her on that for now even though I was positive it woulde back to haunt me. ¡°In my defense, it had slipped my mind at the time. I¡¯m technically a lord, I guess, but I don¡¯t have a drop of noble blood in me.¡± She stared at the scroll for a bit longer, then gave it back to me. I banished it and she sped her hands in front of her. ¡°Ah, um¡­ Does that mean that¡­ I mean, are you¡­¡± She rubbed her thighs together. I sighed. It was really unfair that she was too cute to be angry at. ¡°Rhani, would you like me to be your Pat¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t even let me finish before she jumped me. Literally. Her lips mashed into mine and her ankles locked behind my waist. I barely reacted in time to catch her, my fingers sinking into the soft flesh of her thighs. One of my hands slid up her back to keep her steady while our tongues wrestled and fought. Hers explored my mouth with a frantic thoroughness that made me chuckle into her. Finally, she had toe up for breath. She stared at me, flush, but made no move to escape my hold. I chuckled. ¡°Is that a yes?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said breathlessly. Then she dove back in. When I started straining against my pants, I forced myself to pull back. ¡°As much as I¡¯m enjoying this, if we don¡¯t get a move on we won¡¯t make it to Listone.¡± Her breath still came hard, and her gaze kept flitting between my eyes and my mouth. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing a bedroll again tonight.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself fromughing. ¡°Neither would I, but I¡¯d much rather share a bed.¡± Her nostrils red. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± I set her down, ¡°on if we can make it before nightfall or not.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± She grabbed my hand and started dragging me, then paused. She turned and pushed the bracer into my palm. When I tried to protest, she silenced me with a kiss. ¡°Just until we make it official.¡± For the first time since we¡¯d left the tower behind, I could fully see the Rhani that had captured my heart, so I didn¡¯t argue. Listone turned out to be a decently sized town. Thatch roofed houses sat in neat little rows, and from the hill that overlooked the town I could clearly tell which of the buildings was the inn. It was the only structure that was more than two stories. Now that Rhani was no longer dreading returning, I could barely keep up with her. She practically dragged me to the local Adventurer¡¯s Guild. She stopped us outside the building, all business. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s a good chance that there isn¡¯t anyone who can oversee an official servant¡¯s contract, and I know you don¡¯t want to wait the weeks it¡¯ll take for them to send one out.¡± She stared into my eyes so that I could see how serious she was. ¡°You¡¯ll need to indebt me.¡± Anger rose immediately. ¡°Not a chance. I¡¯m not¡ª¡± She silenced me by putting a finger to my lips and I raised a brow. Where had timid and shy Rhani gone? ¡°It¡¯s the best way, and if you¡¯re the one to both turn me in and im the debt, then we¡¯ll be fine. Just set the term for a few months, and by the end of it we¡¯ll be somewhere I can join you willingly.¡± I could see the logic in her argument, but I¡¯d spent most of my life without freedom. The idea that I¡¯d be taking away what little she had, even if she was telling me to do it, rubbed me the wrong way. ¡°And if you decide in a month that you regret it? Rhani, this is servitude we¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°I know, Ren. I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡± I really didn¡¯t want to say what I knew I had to. ¡°And if there are things I haven¡¯t told you? Things about my past and my goals that could very well make you regret ever making this decision? I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re making a mistake, but I can¡¯t help but feel guilty that you don¡¯t have all the information. Only after grabbing my hands in hers and stepping so that we were chest to chest did she speak. ¡°Ren, I¡¯ve felt more happiness in thest few days than the rest of my life. You make me feel like nobody ever has before, and the thought of going back to my father¡¯s estate now after what I¡¯ve shared with you so far makes me want to curl up and cry until I¡¯m out of tears.¡± She twisted her palms so she couldce her fingers with mine. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d find a Patron I wanted to serve, much less one that would want me for something other than my body or what I could do for them. Please?¡± She stuck her bottom lip out and hit me with wide, wet eyes, and I knew I¡¯d lost. Dear gods, what have I gotten myself into? ¡°Fine, you win.¡± Her pout vanished and she beamed at me. ¡°Now we just need toe up with something worthy of indebting. If I admit to it, then they¡¯ll barely ask any questions.¡± ¡°Well, you did stab me,¡± I pointed out. She pulled one hand free to smack me in the chest. ¡°On ident!¡± ¡°And now you¡¯ve assaulted me. Will that be enough?¡± Her eyes glittered. She nodded, and allowed me to lead her in. The sun was beginning to set, so there weren¡¯t many people in the Guild. Those that were hardly paid any attention to us. We approached the desk and the receptionist looked up. She smiled at me, then her eyes flicked to Rhani and her expression faltered. ¡°How can I help you today, sir?¡± My mouth suddenly felt very dry, but I¡¯d spent my life bluffing through situations. This would be nothing. ¡°I¡¯m here to indebt this Arelim.¡± The woman winced. ¡°And what infraction did shemit?¡± ¡°She, uh, stabbed me.¡± ¡°Stabbed you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± The woman looked at me with clear disbelief. She turned her eyes towards Rhani. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Rhani said miserably. ¡°It¡¯s as he says. I¡¯m here to ept punishment.¡± The receptionist shot me a look that I couldn¡¯t quite interpret. ¡°Very well. Stay here and I¡¯ll have a runner sent to grab a guard. They¡¯ll take her to the Pens.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I n to im her as well.¡± Her brows shot up. ¡°I assume you have some proof of status to do so?¡± I handed over the deed and her face went pale. ¡°Apologies, sir. I¡¯ll need to verify this.¡± She pulled out a small golden square with raised edges and a needle in the center. ¡°Would you be so kind as to prick your thumb here? We¡¯ll need the blood for the verification.¡± I did as she asked and she disappeared. I nced at Rhani, who was doing her best to look miserable. I could see the excitement in her eyes, though. ¡°You and punishment,¡± I said quietly. I leaned in close. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I might think you wanted to be punished.¡± I could see her pupils dte, then her thighs began rubbing together. Before she could answer, though, the receptionist had returned. She hastily gave me back the deed and sat. ¡°Standard indebted servitude for assault is six months to five years.¡± ¡°The minimum is fine,¡± I said quickly. The receptionist nodded, and I couldn¡¯t help but think she looked a little relieved. ¡°We don¡¯t have any servants on record for you, so how would you like your im to be shown? We have piercings and cors on premises, but for tattoo or brand you¡¯ll have to wait till morning.¡± Fighting back the nausea at the thought of marking someone as mine with thetter two options, I red at Rhani. She hadn¡¯t told me that part. She looked back, and I swore I could see the corner of her mouth twitch upward. I had half a mind to choose the piercing. ¡°Cor is fine.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± She left again, and when she came back she had a long golden te with a cor attached. It had a simr formation on one end to the device she¡¯d used for verification a moment ago. ¡°We¡¯ve already keyed the Patron side of the cor to you, we just need her information.¡± Rhani stepped forward and pressed her thumb to the spike, and I felt a pulse of magic travel through the cor. The receptionist looked at the te. ¡°Rhani Via. I¡¯ve got next of kin as Xana Via. Is that correct?¡± Rhani sucked in her breath, but said, ¡°yes ma¡¯am.¡± She nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll send them a missive so they know where you¡¯ve gone and how long you¡¯ll be gone for.¡± She lifted the cor off the te and handed it to me. It was a simple ck leather with a sp. ¡°The cor is bound to both of you, but only you¡¯ll be able to put it on or take it off, sir.¡± Trying to ignore the second wave of nausea, I put the cor around Rhani¡¯s neck. The only silver lining was the glow I could see in her eyes. She bit her lip, and I could see her clenching her hands. She was trying very hard to hold back her emotions right now, and I wasn¡¯t much better. The sp clicked into ce, and there was no turning back. ¡°Will there be anything else, sir?¡± the receptionist asked. As badly as I wanted to get to the inn, the responsible part of me knew I couldn¡¯t just yet. ¡°I¡¯m looking to head for Amesseria as soon as possible. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know if any caravans or groups are headed that way anytime soon, would you?¡± She frowned, then checked her notes. ¡°It looks like Korey¡¯s set to leave in the morning, but he¡¯s probably full up already. Havershaw¡¯s caravan is set to leave in a few days, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯d have room for two more if you can afford it. I can leave a message that you¡¯re interested. I assume you¡¯ll be at the inn?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Very well. Have a wonderful night, sir.¡± She bowed, and we took our leave. Rhani didn¡¯t leap at me like I figured she might, but she did snake her hand into mine and grip it as tightly as she could. When I nced at her, she¡¯d reached up to rest the tips of her fingers on her new cor, and her lips were pressed so tightly together to keep from smiling I worried she¡¯d hurt herself. I squeezed her hand back and her cheeks flushed, but the corners of her mouth crept upward. ¡°So, to the inn?¡± I asked her. Her only answer was a very enthusiastic nod. Chapter Seven: Rhallani Chapter Seven: Rhani When I told the innkeeper I wanted a room with a single bed, I felt Rhani shiver beside me. After thanking her and ignoring the pointed look she gave me, we headed to check it out. It was nothing fancy, but it was four walls, an intact roof, and an honest to gods bed with real pillows and reasonably soft covers. I barely had time to look it over once before lips crashed into mine. Rhani threw her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately. I stumbled a bit, caught off guard, but I quickly regained my wits. I was growing very tired of holding back, and with how fervently she explored my lips I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d mind. My hands found their way below her cloak and onto her back. Then they went lower, and I grabbed a handful of pear-shaped cheek in either hand and gave it a good squeeze. She moaned into my mouth and pressed into me even harder. My hands went lower still until I had a grip on her thighs, then I lifted. Her ankles locked together behind me as her back hit the wall. I felt her fingers working their way into my hair even as one of my own hands caressed its way up her body to give one of her pert breasts a squeeze. Her legs tightened around me and she gasped. I trailed a line of kisses across her cheek and down her neck until I could nibble at the flesh above her corbone, and she made the most wonderful sound. I grew even harder than I already was, and from the way she started to grind her hips into mine I knew she felt it. I slid my hand under her shirt and brushed my fingers across the nub at the center of her breast and her body trembled. ¡°W¡ªwait,¡± she panted, and I realized I could sense the faintest trace of fear in her. I froze, not daring to move a muscle. Had I pushed too hard? I slowly lifted my lips away from her throat so I could look her in the eye. Her cheeks were flushed, but the heat in her eyes told me it wasn¡¯t regret that made her hesitate. ¡°Rhani?¡± My voice was soft, but it made her shiver. ¡°B¡ªbath. I haven¡¯t truly bathed in a week. We should take a bath.¡± It sounded like she was talking to herself more than me. Technically speaking, other than a brief dip in an icy river, I hadn¡¯t bathed in about thirty years. That didn¡¯t stop the second head in my pants from telling me how little it cared. Not for the first time, I wondered if Allura had remembered to give me enough blood to power my new equipment without starving my brain of it. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± my hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her towards me so I could kiss the corner of her mouth, ¡°then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do,¡± I kissed the other corner, ¡°even if you¡¯re driving me a little crazy.¡± I leaned in and she kissed me back in full for a few more seconds. She used her legs still wrapped around me to grind against my length again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, though she didn¡¯t particrly sound it, ¡°I can help you with it, if you¡¯d like?¡± I growled and pinned her even higher on the wall. I leaned until our noses were practically touching, but our lips didn¡¯t meet. ¡°No. Once we start, I don¡¯t n on stopping.¡± I gave her ass a smack, leaving my hand to get a few gropes in. She squeaked, but desire shed in her eyes. ¡°If you want to bathe tonight, it¡¯s now or never.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to let me down first,¡± she pointed out, though she sounded as reluctant as I felt. I held her up against the wall for a few more seconds, then relented and set her down on wobbling legs. I grabbed her chin between two fingers and gave her a quick kiss, then leaned so my lips were right next to her ear. ¡°If at any point this bes to much for you, you will tell me and we¡¯ll stop. I won¡¯t judge you for it. Whatever we do tonight, I want you to enjoy it.¡± I felt that hint of fear fade, and she giggled. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to make you wait too long, then.¡± I spun her towards the door and gave her another smack on the ass. The heated look she shot over her shoulder gave me the impression that there would be plenty more spanking in our future. She¡¯d been here before, so I followed her to the bathing house out behind the inn. It was split by gender, so I bid her a reluctant farewell after drawing her pack from storage long enough for her to get a change of clothes out. Then, pulling out my other outfit, went towards the men¡¯s side. Between the blightwolves, getting stabbed, and fighting two very uneven battles, I was starting to think it would be more efficient to simply burn my current shirt than worry about trying to patch it up. I banished it anyways. Never knew when I might need some strips of cloth. Thankfully the thought of spending time in a room with other nude men was enough to quell my angry erection. There were a handful of them, but they took one look at my scars and my stature and made the wise decision to give me a wide berth. I cleaned myself up as best I could and sat down for a brief soak. I¡¯d never taken the best care of myself. I knew that. I went from struggling to survive for a decade under my old master straight to fighting an unwinnable war that I fully expected to kill me each and every day. I didn¡¯t know how many of my previous levels I had earned simply by throwing myself at a powerful enemy and being genuinely surprised when I was the one left standing. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d sat in a hot bath and simply enjoyed the heat seeping into my muscles. I didn¡¯t know if there was ast time. I decided to give Rhani a bit longer so I could go over things in my head for a moment. I leaned against the edge of the bath and closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t know what exactly this was between us, but I knew she was rapidly bing important to me in ways that honestly frightened me. If I wanted to go down this path, I needed to understand how I¡¯d found myself on it in the first ce. Was it Allura¡¯s interference? Or was it something else? I hadn¡¯t felt like this about someone since Eliya. Just thinking the name felt like I was being stabbed all over again. I still remembered holding her as she died. The feeling of the life going out of her as her body went limp in my arms. The smile on her face as she spent her final breath begging me to not let her death break me. It had. Losing her shattered something in me that I figured would never be right again. It was that moment I¡¯d decided either Karn was dying or I was. I hadn''t really thought I stood a chance, but then I found myself standing over his corpse while hisboratory went up in mes around me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to take my own life. Not while I was the only one left who would remember Eliya. Who would remember the others. Instead, I went searching for the nearest nasty thing that might do the job. It fell too. So did the next one. And the one after that. Rr had found me sitting atop the corpse of a troll who¡¯d developed a taste for the children of a nearby vige. He¡¯d taken my rage and aimed it towards Grimsbane. I was just thrilled to have a target that I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to kill in a million years. By the time I started to realize we actually had a chance, I¡¯d seen too much death and destruction. Too much pain and misery. Grimsbane was the tyrant I knew myte master would have someday be. I¡¯d slept with women during my time with the Rr and his party, but I¡¯d never gotten close to any of them. I didn¡¯t know if it was because I refused to let anyone in after Eliya or if I was simply incapable of it. If I was scared of getting hurt again or if Iliri had been right to use me of punishing myself for what I¡¯d lived through and others hadn¡¯t. Whatever the reason, by the time I decided to bury myself and this cursed de alongside me there was nobody left to miss me. I thought I¡¯d prefer it that way. Now? I wasn¡¯t so sure. I¡¯d known her for less than a week, and Rhani had awakened things in me that I hadn¡¯t known still existed. I wasn¡¯t sure the full depth of my feelings towards her, but I knew they were growing deeper with every passing day. Had Allura fixed whatever was broken in me? Or was it something else? Iliri thought I was punishing myself for failing those in my past. Now that I had a chance to secure their futures, had I subconsciously left that burden behind? Above all, did any of it even matter? When I thought about Rhani, the taste of her lips, the feeling of her beneath my hands, the sound of herugh, of her moans, I decided it didn¡¯t. I could torture myself with questions I might not ever be able to answer, or I could go back upstairs and enjoy my adorable little schr the way she so clearly wants to be enjoyed. After all, the mission Allura had given me wasn¡¯t like the war against Grimsbane. I didn¡¯t have some singr enemy to throw myself at. She wanted me to prepare this world, and that wasn¡¯t something that happened overnight. This mission could take years, and I found that thought considerably less daunting if I had someone like Rhani at my side. Hells, she was so smart I had no doubt she¡¯d be invaluable if I told her about the task the goddess had given me. No, not if, when. But I¡¯d never get to that point as long as I sat in the bath moping. The bath had been amazing, but I had something else warm to sink into tonight. I wasn¡¯t surprised that she¡¯d returned to the room before me. I was surprised at just how much difference a bath made. She¡¯d been beautiful before, but when I entered the room and she stood to look at me I was gripped by the urge to throw her onto the bed and make sure she needed another wash by the time I was done with her. Tonight was her first time, though, so I would take things slower. Judging by the hesitant look on her face, she¡¯d done almost as much thinking in the baths as I had. ¡°There you are, I was starting to wonder,¡± she said. I locked the door¡ªsomething that she very clearly noticed¡ªand crossed the room until we were face to face. I cupped my palm to her cheek, and she leaned into my touch with half-lidded eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I made you worry. Were you waiting long?¡± I started to lower my hand, but her own rose and trapped it against her cheek. ¡°No, not long. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be the first one back.¡± I trailed my thumb across her bottom lip. ¡°I take it you had a productive soak, then?¡± She bit her lip where I¡¯d touched it. ¡°D¡ªdo you want to find out?¡± This girl. Iughed and pulled her closer to me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and lowered my lips to hers. She hooked one arm behind my head and melted into me, and I enjoyed her taste much more leisurely than I had before. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to watch what I say to you, aren¡¯t I?¡± She ran her hand down my chest. It didn¡¯t stop until it found the waistband of my pants. ¡°I wish you wouldn¡¯t,¡± she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. ¡°Then I won¡¯t.¡± She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips back to mine. Then, rather than going down, her hand went up. Up underneath my shirt, her cool hands trailing over my stomach. She touched the first scar, and I jerked back. My hand shot to her wrist, stopping it in its tracks. ¡°Don¡¯t, please.¡± Her eyes searched mine. ¡°Why?¡± How could I possibly exin it to her without ruining things? ¡°I want tonight to be about you. I don¡¯t want you to spend it wondering about¡ªabout my scars.¡± She swallowed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them.¡± When I stiffened, she brought her other hand under my shirt and ran it up my back up to where three long lines trailed from my shoulder de to my hip. ¡°You were out for three days, remember? I had to take your shirt off to dress your wounds.¡± I let go of the hand in my grasp and it went back to caressing my abs. I stood there, frozen, while her fingers explored every part of my torso. What could she possibly think? Many of them were from the countless battles I¡¯d fought, sure, but I was only level nine. The only possibilities for a level nine having damage this extensive were torture, that I¡¯d gotten them before my ss, or that I was lying to her. I wasn¡¯t sure which option scared her most, but I knew they¡¯d all urred to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said finally, and she smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure your curiosity has been driving you crazy.¡± She gave my nipple a tweak, and jumped up to capture my open mouth with hers when I gasped. ¡°Now who¡¯s the one throwing around unneeded apologies?¡± she asked coyly. Rhani was ying a dangerous game, and it was time she learned that. I scooped her up before she knew what was happening. She squealed as I tossed her on the bed, but when shended there was a wide smile on her face. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it aside. Immediately her eyes roamed over my chest appreciatively, then she leaned back on her elbows and spread her long ivory legs enough to make her skirt ride up. I saw a sh of the ckce panties I¡¯d noticed the day I¡¯d purchased her pack from Pierce, and it was the final straw. I descended upon her mercilessly. I covered her mouth with mine, propping myself up with one arm under her head while the other explored her body. I ced my knee between her legs and she wasted no time in grinding against it. The leg not under me wrapped around my waist, and I felt her hands on my back. They traced my scars with soft, light touches that drove me crazy. When my hand quested southward and rubbed the mound under the ckce, her back arched and her fingernails dug into my back. ¡°I think you¡¯re wearing far too many clothes,¡± I whispered in her ear once I allowed her to breathe. She stopped touching me long enough to put her arms up. In one quick motion I pulled her top off, revealing her perfect breasts. She hadn¡¯t bothered putting on a bra after her soak, it seemed. She moaned when I leaned down to capture a nipple in my mouth while my other hand kneaded her free breast. ¡°Oh yes! Ren!¡± she ground against my leg harder, but I pulled it away. She whimpered, but stopped when I started trailing kisses from her breasts down towards her navel. No sooner had I hooked my fingers in her waistband than she raised her hips and allowed me to pull the fabric down, leaving her panties in ce. One day I¡¯d fuck her while she wore her cute little skirt, but tonight I wanted all of her. I ran my thumb down thece of her undergarments and she gasped sweetly. I trailed around the spot she wanted touched most, but I never quite touched it. The fabric was already soaked through. ¡°A shame. You look so cute ince, I¡¯m almost hesitant to take them off,¡± I teased. She rocked her hips towards my thumb. ¡°Please, Ren. Please touch me there.¡± Deciding to have mercy on her, I removed the panties as well. As soon as I got past her hips and saw that there wasn¡¯t a single hair above her perfect pink slit, I paused and raised my brows. ¡°A bath, huh?¡± ¡°Ren!¡± she begged. Laughing, I trailed my fingers all the way down her legs while I pulled thece off her. By the end I was kneeling at the edge of the bed, so I sank down and grabbed her thighs, pulling her body towards me in one quick move. ¡°Since you asked so nicely.¡± ¡°What are¡ªOh!¡± she gasped when I kissed the tender flesh on the inside of her thigh. I trailed kisses up one, then the other, each one bringing me a little closer to the heat at her core. ¡°Y¡ªyou don¡¯t have to¡ªaaahn!¡± Her words failed her when I trailed my tongue up her outer lips. ¡°I know I don¡¯t have to,¡± I gave her another long, slow lick without any real pressure behind it, ¡°but I want to,¡± I trailed a slow circle around her folds, then brought a finger up to tease the soft flesh just inside them, ¡°but if you really don¡¯t want me to, then¡ª¡± Her hands sunk into my hair and pulled my face into her. I threw her legs over my shoulder and began licking. Slowly at first, but I quickly picked up speed. Her grip tightened and her legs squeezed my head, so I plunged my tongue into her depths. She pulled me in tighter with a high pitched cry, then she fell back when I pressed two fingers to the nub at her hood. I felt her body shudder and her pussy clench around my tongue. I worked it slowly while she shivered through her orgasm, letting her ride out the pleasure. From where I sat I couldn¡¯t see her face over her heaving breasts, but finally her thighs released their vice grip I could hear her breathing hard, so I gave her a few parting licks before I kissed another trail up her body. When I got to her face, she pulled me into a heated kiss, not caring that my face was still covered in her juices. She pulled back with a heated gaze that flicked towards my lower half. ¡°I think you¡¯re wearing far too many clothes,¡± she panted. I trailed my fingers up her stomach and between her breasts. ¡°You know, if you¡¯re going to keep parroting what I say then we¡¯ll never get to the really fun stuff.¡± She reached up and captured my face with both hands. There was a fire in her eyes that both worried me and made my cock jerk hard. ¡°Ren?¡± she said sweetly, ¡°take off your fucking pants.¡± That made meugh, which only seemed to stoke that fire. I kissed her, giving her nipple a quick tweak as revenge for earlier, then stood at the edge of the bed. ¡°Now we¡¯re getting somewhere.¡± She didn¡¯t blink once while she watched me undo my belt and drop my pants to the ground. When I lost the undergarments as well and my cock came into view, she bit her lip so hard I thought it might start bleeding. As soon as I stepped close enough she reached out and wrapped her fingers around it. I groaned, and she took it as a sign to add her other to the fray. She pumped me slowly, her eyes locked on my face to watch for my every reaction, her face only inches from my erection. Her plump lips were slightly parted and so perfectly soft looking that it took all my willpower not to push my hips forward. When she leaned in and gave the head a tentative lick, it damn near pushed me over the edge. I didn¡¯t speak and she didn¡¯t look away when she went in for the second one, this time much more confident. She licked it a third time, then opened her mouth wide and took my head past her lips. ¡°Fuck, Rhani.¡± My hand found its way to the side of her head, but I didn¡¯t push her. Her eyes glittered and she took me deeper while her hands continued to stroke me. It started off clumsy and hesitant, but every time she pulled a groan out of me her technique improved. As her confidence grew, so did her speed. She pushed down as far as she could, but there was just too much. I felt the back of her throat again and again as she tried to take me deeper, but each time she gagged. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but her gaze only grew more determined. I ran my hand through her hair. I was getting close. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too far,¡± I told her, my voice low and husky, ¡°we¡¯ve got at least six months for you to take it all.¡± She moaned into my cock and one of her hands disappeared between her legs. I felt her tongue working my shaft even as I slid in and out of her mouth, and her lips felt like heaven wrapped around me. My cock throbbed, and I felt the final waves of pleasure rapidly approaching. ¡°Rhani, I¡¯m gonnae,¡± I grunted. Her eyes red, irises glowing, and her other hand returned to my length. She doubled her efforts, and the slickness from the juices on her hand were too much. I tried to pull back, not expecting her to swallow her very first time, but her hands grabbed my hips and pulled me even deeper into her mouth. I erupted, and I felt her sucking grow even more intense. Her throat worked overtime to swallow spurt after spurt of thergest load I¡¯d ever shot in my life. I clutched onto her head with as much force as I dared while pleasure tore through me. I grunted, struggling to keep my footing, but she never stopped swallowing. When I was finally spent, she slowly dragged her lips backward. I shuddered at the feeling of her soft mouth on my sensitive cock, and sucked in my breath when her tonguepped against my head looking for any sign of remaining cum. Then she pulled back with half-lidded eyes. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue, showing me that none of my load remained un-swallowed. ¡°Holy fuck, Rhani,¡± I panted with raised brows. I watched her slowlye out of whatever trance she¡¯d gone into. Then her eyes went wide and a crimson flush crept from her neck up to her face. She made a whimpering sound and buried her face into her hands while drawing her knees to her chest. She mumbled something into her hands that sounded something like, ¡°oh gods, please don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± Not really the reaction I was hoping for after all that, but I was currently experiencing the wonderful rity that came with a good nut. I sat next to her while my cock softened and wrapped an arm around her. She tensed at my touch, but her face remained buried. Had I done something wrong? ¡°Hey,¡± I cooed, ¡°hey,e on. Rhani, tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± She just shook her head. ¡°I¡ª¡± But I knew that tone. I kissed her temple, then said into her ear, ¡°if you say ¡®I don¡¯t want you to hate me,¡¯ I will pin you down and use my tongue to make you cum until you beg for mercy.¡± She sniffled, but didn¡¯t say anything. Looks like I hit the nail on the head. ¡°Look, Rhani, whatever it is, we can talk about it. In fact, I¡¯d very much like to talk about it.¡± She only shook her head harder. ¡°It¡ªIt¡¯s embarrassing! I can¡¯t! You won¡¯t want to be with me!¡± Gods, how many times had this girl been put down for the way she was that she was this terrified? ¡°Rhani,¡± I knew how much it meant to hear her name, so I hoped using it might calm her, ¡°you just gave me the best blowjob I¡¯ve ever had in my life. I can promise you that I very much want more of what we¡¯ve done so far.¡± That just made her retreat into herself even more. I gently rubbed her back, thinking about what I said. Only one possibility came to mind. That had been the best blowjob I¡¯d ever had, even if it didn¡¯t exactly have muchpetition. Not exactly the kind of thing I¡¯d expect from someone who¡¯d never been with a man. I knew she was a virgin, though, since I¡¯d just seen the physical proof with my own tongue. I kept stroking her back and put a hand on her knee. ¡°Rhani, if you¡¯ve done stuff with other guys, I won¡¯t be angry. I can hardly fault you for anything you did before we met.¡± Her head jerked up, eyes wide. ¡°NO! No, it¡¯s not that! I¡¯ve never¡ªI¡¯ve never even kissed anyone.¡± I¡¯d be lying if that didn¡¯t make me feel a little good about myself, but if it wasn¡¯t that¡­ ¡°Then would you please tell me? I¡¯ve seen some pretty awful things in my time, and I¡¯d prefer not to let my imagination run wild.¡± If I found out that someone had hurt her, that someone had done something to her against her will, then I¡¯d hunt them down to the ends of Kasidiel. Her hands went to herp where she wrung her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve never done anything like that with anyone, but¡­¡± Her thighs rubbed against one another, and her next words were so quiet I had to lean in to hear them, ¡°but I¡¯ve read about it. A lot.¡± Relief floored me. Of all the world-shattering revtions I was afraid of, the fact that she was a bit of a pervert was probably best-case scenario. I couldn¡¯t help butugh, but that only made her shrink more. I fought down theugh and pulled her in for a kiss. She seemed surprised at first, but when my tongue prodded at her lips she relented and melted into me. ¡°I¡¯m notughing at you,¡± I told her, ¡°I was just caught off guard. You had me worried it was something actually bad.¡± She stiffened in my arms. ¡°But it is!¡± she practically wailed. ¡°I¡¯m a pervert! A degenerate! I¡¯ve spent thest week just imagining you doing all sorts of things to me!¡± Is that so? I pulled her shoulders so that her back was pressed to my chest and snaked my arms under hers so I could wrap a hand around her breast. She gasped, and my other one went lower. ¡°What sort of things?¡± When she didn¡¯t answer, I brushed my hands along the insides of her thighs. Her legs spread for me, but she just whimpered in my arms. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± I gave her a loud sigh and began to withdraw my fingers. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t force you.¡± I¡¯d barely made it an inch before her hand grabbed my wrist. She tugged slightly, but I had her beat on strength. ¡°I¡ªwhen you made me walk in front of you, I wondered what it would be like if you just pushed me against a tree and took me right in the forest,¡± she blurted out. I smiled and let her guide my hand to her folds. I rubbed my fingers against her outer lips and she sighed. I nibbled on her ear, then whispered, ¡°good girl.¡± Her body went rigid. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°When we shared the bedroll, I secretly wanted you to just slide my panties over and slip in.¡± I moved my fingers quicker and began to tease her nipple with my other hand. ¡°Ahn! I felt how hard you were. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep because I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about waking up with you inside me.¡± I slid a finger in and she moaned. She leaned back into me, one hand still on the wrist that was between her legs, the other she reached up and ced on my cheek. ¡°I wanted to wake you up by sucking your cock, but I was too scared.¡± I slid a second finger in and nibbled on her neck above the cor that served as her sole article of clothing. She needed no extra prompting, and I had better things I could be doing with my mouth. ¡°I was so wet when you put this cor. I was afraid you¡¯d hear it when we were walking to the inn. I was dripping.¡± I slid a third finger in and she arched into me. ¡°Even in the tower,¡± she panted, ¡°I could feel you looking at me. I¡¯d never been looked at like that before. I was so hot. I kept imagining you pinning me to the wall and fucking me.¡± I sped my fingers up and she began pushing her hips up to meet them. Her eyes were closed, and I could tell she was lost in the bliss. ¡°Flipping my skirt up while I worked on the traps and taking me from behind. Making me break runes with your cum dripping from my poor abused snatch.¡± I removed my hand from her breast and reached down to rub circles around her clit. ¡°Throwing me onto the bed in that study and taking me in all three holes until you had to throw me over your shoulder and carry me down like a¡ªaaaahhhhh!¡± She screamed as she came on my fingers. Her body convulsed, and she held onto me like she might float away if she let go. Liquid squirted far enough to clear the edge of the bed andnd on the floor. I let her ride out her orgasm, peppering her neck with kisses while she bucked against me. I wrapped my arms around her stomach and held her tight until her cries calmed down and the spasms stopped. I nuzzled into her neck. ¡°Still think being a pervert is so bad?¡± She twisted in my arms and shoved her mouth against mine. I let my hands roam freely, from her breasts to her hips to her thighs to her butt, but never quite to her swollen lower lips. She finally broke the kiss and lowered to rest her forehead against my jaw. ¡°If you keep giving me these mind blowing orgasms, you¡¯ll never be rid of me.¡± I gave her pert rear another squeeze. ¡°Is that all it takes?¡± She giggled adorably, her fingertips trailing up and down my forearm. She sighed contentedly. I knew it was a foolish question, but I asked anyways. ¡°Do you want to stop here for tonight?¡± Her eyes snapped to mine with a ferocity that almost made me flinch. ¡°Not a chance. After all,¡± I felt her hands wrap around my cock that had fully recovered from her mouth, ¡°this little guy isn¡¯t done yet.¡± My brows raised. ¡°I¡¯ve spent some time down here tonight,¡± I trailed my finger along her folds, ¡°so trust me when I say he won¡¯t feel so little for long.¡± She rose to the challenge in my tone and shoved my chest back before leaning down and taking my length in her mouth again. She wasn¡¯t trying to get me off like before, so it was a much more soothing affair this time. I put my hand on the back of her head and gently applied pressure, and she moaned in appreciation. ¡°I only wish we¡¯d had time to stop by the store for condoms,¡± I admitted. The thought of her carrying my kid sent thrills through me that I didn¡¯t have time to unpack, but I wasn¡¯t going to bring a celestial child into this world until after I¡¯d torn these ords to shreds. Her lips slid off my shaft with a pop. ¡°Actually, that isn¡¯t necessary.¡± Excitement sparkled in her eyes. My breath caught in my throat. ¡°Go on.¡± She gently worked my shaft in her hand while she smiled up at me. ¡°Well, you know how celestials are adept at simple magics?¡± ¡°I do now.¡± She kissed the head of my dick. ¡°For my eighteenth birthday, my sister showed me a spell that prevents conception.¡± Her empty hand trailed down her stomach, stopping just above herhers. She whispered a few words in celestial and a violet sigil briefly shed over her womb, then she looked up at me with hooded eyes. ¡°Until I deactivate it, you can fill me up as much as you want and I won¡¯t get pregnant.¡± In a sh I had her pinned underneath me, my cock resting on her stomach. She looked up at me with wide eyes, but her legs merely spread underneath me. She reached down and pulled her lower lips apart, giving me an amazing view of her bright pink insides. I held myself up with one hand and lined myself up with the other. Her chest heaved when the head of my cock gently prodded her opening. I felt a thrill of fear from her, but it vanished almost as quickly. ¡°Will you kiss me when you go in?¡± she asked. I leaned down so that we were face to face. ¡°If you ask me so sweetly, how could I ever say no?¡± I teased her folds, but I was still hesitant to push in all the way. I hadn¡¯t ever been anyone¡¯s first time, and that was before my upgrade. Thest thing I wanted to do was hurt her, and after seeing just how big I waspared to her slim frame I suddenly found I had doubts. But Rhani just reached up with one hand, leaving the other at her pussy, and looked me in the eyes. ¡°Fuck me, Zaren,¡± she whispered. It was all I needed. I pressed my lips to hers even as I slowly inched my hips forward. Fiery hot tightness enveloped my head and she cried out into me. I pushed in a little more and felt resistance, then her body clenched below me. I froze, but she wrapped her legs around me and used them to pull me in. I slid in further and she flinched, turning her face from me. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I whispered. ¡°Just breathe. Rx. If you clench, it just hurts worse.¡± That¡¯s what I¡¯d been told, at least, and I finally understood what that meant. Her walls mped down on me so hard I couldn¡¯t move if I wanted to, and I wasn¡¯t even halfway in yet. Her eyes were mped shut and her breathing came in gasps, so I leaned down and peppered her exposed throat with kisses until I felt her body starting to rx. Once I could move again, I slowly slid out, then back in. ¡°Aaaahhhh! Ren!¡± Her nails dug into my back. Her body tightened when I started to make more progress, but it rxed much quicker thanst time. I slowly slid in and out, pushing just a litttle deeper each time. She buried her face in my neck and wrapped her arms around me, but her legs kept pulling me in deeper and deeper. I was d she¡¯d already brought me to orgasm once, because I wasn¡¯t sure if I could havested this long otherwise. She was unbelievably tight and hotter than I¡¯d expected a celestial to be. Her body resisted my advance, but her walls seemed to pull me back in every time I tried to leave her fiery embrace. Her fingernails dug into my shoulders hard enough to draw blood, but I just kept slowly sawing in and out. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I felt our hips meet. ¡°I¡¯m all the way in,¡± I told her. ¡°Fuck, there¡¯s so much. I feel so full.¡± ¡°Just breathe, my adorable little schr,¡± I felt her walls tighten around me, then they started to loosen. Weid there for a while, just letting her get used to my size. ¡°That¡¯s a good girl.¡± She cried out, and I felt her pussy clench around me just before I felt a wave of wetness at my crotch. I¡¯d begun to suspect it, but now I knew for sure. She had a praise kink. ¡°I¡¯m so pathetic,¡± she whined. I threaded my fingers into her hair and turned her face towards mine so I could kiss her. ¡°Perfect is what you are.¡± She pushed into the kiss and I slowly pulled my hips back. She moaned again as I slid almost all the way out, then pushed back in. I settled into a slow rhythm, slightly picking up speed with each thrust while we made out. When I finally got to a reasonable speed, she pulled back. ¡°This is perfect, but¡­¡± I knew what she wanted, but I wanted to hear her say it. I came to a stop fully buried in her. ¡°Yes?¡± She bit her lip, then I saw the heat in her eyes. She swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I asked you to fuck me.¡± Well, when she put it like that. ¡°Be careful what you ask for.¡± Her eyes glowed, and I repositioned so I was kneeling upright, dragging her hips with me. She gasped, and I could see the arousal wash over her. I grabbed her hips with both hands and lifted her so I had a good angle, then I pulled my length out until there was barely an inch left inside. ¡°Whatever happens,¡± she said quickly, ¡°don¡¯t stop.¡± This fucking girl. Rather than pushing my hips forward, I mmed hers down. She cried out in ecstasy, then I started hammering our hips together in full. She grabbed two fistfuls of the covers and held on for dear life. My gaze was torn between watching her breasts bounce every time my hips mmed into her fantastic ass and seeing her eyes rolling into the back of her head while she screamed incoherently. I hadn¡¯t been thrusting for long before I felt her tighten around me and the screams reached a higher pitch. She¡¯d given me clear orders, so I just ramped up the speed. Her orgasm chained into a second one and her body arched so deeply that only her shoulders and my cock held her up. Not long after that, I felt her trying to rock her hips into me. An idea urred to me, and I conjured a single tendril that Imanded to wrap around her back and lift her up so that we were once again chest to chest, but sitting upright this time. Her arms and legs wrapped around me, and she buried her face in my chest, but this position gave her the leverage to meet my thrusts. She mmed her hips down even as I pumped in and out of her. She cried out into my chest when I resumed my previous speed, and her fingernails tore into my back. Feeling her clenching down on me was bringing me closer and closer to the edge. ¡°I¡¯m getting close,¡± I grunted. I felt her lips frantically kissing my neck. ¡°Cum for me, baby. Fill me up.¡± I erupted, shooting burst after burst as deep inside hear as I could. She shuddered against me, and I knew she was having a final orgasm. She trembled against me limply. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back while I waited for her to find her way back to reality. I could feel myself softening inside her, so I gently lifted her off my length. A deluge of cum fell from her, mixed with the crimson of her first time. I took a look at the bed and was d to see we¡¯d managed to keep pretty much all the fluids to one side. I¡¯d have to make sure I left a hefty tip for the maids, but at least I¡¯d have somewhere dry to sleep. I stood with her still wrapped around me and walked to the dry side of the bed. I held her with my hands while I used the tendril I¡¯d conjured in the heat of the moment to lift the covers andy her down. She was out cold with an expression of bliss on her face. I hunted down a towel and cleaned us both up a little, then I blew out the candle that lit the room and slid into the bed next to her. I wrapped my arms around her and, even asleep, she nuzzled into me. Safe, warm, and wrapped in the embrace of someone I was beginning to care very much about, I drifted off in no time. Chapter Eight: Arcane Intuition Chapter Eight: Arcane Intuition Quick note on POVs: Spoiler This is the only time throw in a heads up, but this chapter will be from another''s POV. All other POVs will be from third person, Zaren will be the only one in first person. [copse] # # # Rhani was going to be in so much trouble. Growing up, Xara had told her over and over to watch out for humans. That they¡¯d use and abuse her until she had nothing left to give then throw her aside like trash. When Zaren had first found her in the tower, she¡¯d been terrified of him. It had been Xara¡¯s voice in in her head when she stabbed him. She¡¯d been more terrified in that moment¡ªeven more so than when she thought she¡¯d starve to death alone in that trap¡ªthan she¡¯d ever been. Then everything had gone weird. She¡¯d stabbed him. Actually stabbed him. And he¡¯d brushed it off. Like it had been little more than an inconvenience. She¡¯d tried to make up for it, just like she¡¯d been taught, and he¡¯d brushed it off. Xara had spent most of Rhani¡¯s teenage years teaching her how to act around humans to avoid angering them, but following Xara¡¯s lessons had only seemed to annoy Zaren. He was so much bigger than her, and the way he moved made him seem ten times more dangerous. He had such intense sapphire eyes that seemed to burn right through her. Her body had heated up every time she caught him looking at her out of the corner of her eye. The way they roamed over her, almost reluctantly. He¡¯d tear his gaze away, only for it to be drawn back. It was like he was trying everything he could not to look at her exposed skin and he just couldn¡¯t help himself. She hadn¡¯tsted long before she was trying to bait out those nces, feeling a sense of pride every time his willpower crumbled. It had her hot and bothered in a way she¡¯d only ever experienced in the books Xara so often snuck her. He was tall and dark and terrifying and¡­nice. Patient. Understanding. She hadn¡¯t really understood how much so until they¡¯d been ambushed. When he attacked those men, she caught a glimpse of what he looked like when he was truly angry, and it scared her almost as much as it stoked the heat in her chest anytime he was close enough to touch. He¡¯d been furious and lethal, not at her, but for her. At first she¡¯d made a promise to herself to keep her distance from him. Then, when he¡¯d turned out to be kind and charming and even a little funny she promised not to let it go any further than something akin to friendship. Then, after he¡¯d used nothing but his fingers to bring her to mind-shattering orgasm, she promised she would only let him have her body, not her heart. Now here shey, her head nestled into the crook of his shoulder, tracing the lines on his chest while he slept soundly. She¡¯d failed on every count, it seemed. Zaren mumbled something in his sleep, and she smiled. She¡¯d been worried she¡¯d given herself awayst night when she¡¯d used his full name, but then he¡¯d proceeded to fuck her brains out and cuddled her to sleep. The scars were only part of how she figured it out. No level nine¡ªor six, she supposed¡ªcould possibly have so many. There were a number of smaller ones that might have been old enough to be from before he¡¯d gained his ss, but most of them were far too new for that to be possible. And when she ran her fingers down the thin, barely noticeable line where she¡¯d stabbed him, already on its way to fading from existencepletely, she knew those injuries had to have been life threatening. Then there was the way he¡¯d fought. Rhani hadn¡¯t seen any sign of skills other than the ones he¡¯d told her about, but he fought like a force of nature. It wasn¡¯t just skill, either. The way he moved. The speed at which he made his decisions. How quick he¡¯d been to dismantle those thugs in such an efficient way. It wasn¡¯t training that made him the way he was, it was experience. Then, when he¡¯d handed her the deed, she¡¯d known. She didn¡¯t know how it was possible, but he was the same Zaren Nocht that had helped kill the Abyssal King almost thirty years ago. She¡¯d thrown out the lie about him being the true Zaren¡¯s son, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice that he neither confirmed nor denied it. It terrified her, but she knew he could sense fear. She¡¯d been as careful as she could to keep her emotions in check. He was hiding something, but he¡¯d only known her for a week. She had no reason to expect him to divulge whatever incredible secret he was keeping, so she¡¯d decided to simply wait for him to tell her when he felt ready. And then, at every step, she¡¯d fallen for him harder and harder. She wanted to discover his secrets almost as much as she wanted him to confess them to her. Which brought her to the notification she¡¯d woken up to. [Skill Evolution Detected] She¡¯d never had a skill evolve before. With her umon nonbat ss, she¡¯d honestly expected it to never happen. She knew skill evolutions were either tied to specific feats or repeated specific usage of a skill, and the nature of her newly evolved skill worried her, especially because it had reced the skill she¡¯d been most proud of: Secret Hunter.
Secret Hunter: When researching a specific topic, this skill will activate when you uncover rted information
It was a skill she¡¯d never heard of before, and that had thrilled her. It was thanks to that very skill she was able to uncover the information that had led her to Valethar Karn¡¯s tower. To Zaren. Now it was gone, reced by what she could only hope was a superior version of the skill.
Arcane Intuition: It¡¯s easy to see the thread when you hold both ends. Once per day, you can fix a question in your mind. For the duration, any time you encounter a person, ce, thing, or information that rtes to the answer of your question, you feel a sensation that indicates the target¡¯s rtion to the question.
It had an epigraph, which had nearly made her faint from excitement. Only legendary and mythic skills had epigraphs. For her to have earned even a legendary skill with an umon ss meant either divine intervention or a great feat. The only thing she could think of that she¡¯d done was puzzle out Zaren¡¯s true identity, which meant she couldn¡¯t possibly tell him about the skill yet. She wanted him to be the one to tell her his identity. She didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d react if he found out she knew. Almost as if he could sense her thoughts, she felt his hand stroke her hair. She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the sensation of his fingers threading through her silver-gold locks. She¡¯d always hated her hair since it was such a dead giveaway of her blood, but he seemed to enjoy it greatly. With how good it felt anytime he ran his hands through it, she was very tempted to grow it out longer than it was. When she finally decided to look up at him, she was rmed to meet his eyes. That was yet another oddity about him she¡¯d noticed: he never made a sound when he woke. She wondered if it was part of his ss or if it was a habit he¡¯d picked up. A habit he¡¯d been forced to pick up. Another mystery to eat at her, not that she minded. He was practically mysteries wrapped in more mysteries wrapped in a very attractive form that she desperately wanted to run her hands across at all times. But gazing into the deep blue of his intense stare always sent such a thrill through her. His hand continued to gently stroke her hair, and she hummed happily. She was loathe to move from her incrediblyfortable spot in the crook of his arm, but she pushed herself towards his face for a quick kiss anyways. He met her halfway, and she settled back into his arms. He smiled down at her. His smile was another thing that drove her crazy. It was always so held back, like he was afraid if he smiled too wide the world would take whatever it was that made him happy. ¡°Good morning.¡± His voice sent chills through her. Deep and smooth, it carried a kind of promise with it that made her heart skip a beat. Gods, she was in trouble. ¡°One of the best I¡¯ve had in a while, that¡¯s for sure,¡± she said back. She closed her eyes when he ran a knuckle down her jaw. Gods she loved the way he touched her. Not when he was using those callused hands to send waves of pleasure through her, though she enjoyed that immensely, but the light caresses that always left her feeling slightly giddy. So casual, yet so intimate feeling. She could see uncertainty in his eyes, but that was nothing new. The only time he seemed sure of himself was when he had a weapon in hand. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Sore. Very sore.¡± Her whole lower body felt like one big bruise, and she wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. He chuckled, and the vibrations from theugh rumbled through his chest. ¡°Noted, but that isn¡¯t what I mean. Are you really okay with¡­¡± he ran the thumb of the hand not trapped underneath her across the strap of leather at her throat. She bit back a sigh. She took his fingers and guided them to the side of her face, and he caressed her dly. ¡°Ren, the only thing about yesterday I regret,¡± he tensed at the word, ¡°is that by the time you came inside me I was so thoroughly fucked that I didn¡¯t get to fully enjoy it.¡± Gods, the words sounded even more ridiculous out loud than they had when she¡¯d read them. She quickly filed them under things to never say again, but not before she noticed a twitch from the sheets over his crotch. Fuck, she wished she could feel her legs right now. He rxed though, and that had been her goal. Then, to her pleasure, he said in a husky voice, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll just have to remedy that next time.¡± It was official. She was the luckiest Arelim to ever be born. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from reliving the moment where she¡¯d told him her depraved thoughts while he fingered her into oblivion. If he¡¯d been into that, would he be willing to help her live out some of her other fantasies? But she shook the thought away. There would be time for thatter. Hopefully. She nestled into him and closed her eyes again. After nearly dying no less than four times, she felt she deserved a little rest. ¡°Anytime you want me, I¡¯m yours.¡± ¡°I¡¯d say the same was true in reverse, but I¡¯m not sure we¡¯d ever leave the room.¡± She giggled. So what if he was hiding things from her? If he kept making her feel this happy, then he could have all the secrets he wanted. If she was dreaming, she never wanted to wake up. She hadn¡¯t felt this warm, content, and safe since¡­ well, ever. Then his next words brought her high crashing down. ¡°Rhani, I think we should talk. About whates next.¡± Oh no. She tried to tamp down her terror. Xana had told her over and over that men would do anything to get her into bed only to dump her after. She knew he¡¯d never do that to her, but there was still a voice in the back of her mind that told her it was all too good to be true. He had to have felt her spike in fear, because his hand started working slow circles on her back. She closed her eyes and just focused on the feeling. She was freaking out for nothing. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking a lot thesest few days,¡± he started. ¡°You¡¯re smart. Very smart.¡± Was she too smart? She¡¯d met many men who hated not being the smartest one in the room. The looks of disgust they¡¯d shoot her anytime she did anything resembling showing off her intelligence had been a constant in her life. She swallowed, forcing herself to listen to his next words. ¡°I¡¯m sure it hasn¡¯t escaped you that I barely talk about myself,¡± he continued,pletely unaware that he threatened to send her spiraling, ¡°and you deserve to at least know why.¡± Excitement warred with worry. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me anything you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said too quickly, ¡°I know you have secrets, and there¡¯s no reason you have to tell them to me.¡± Silently she screamed at herself. That was the opposite of what she wanted! ¡°I disagree.¡± He started running his hand through her hair again, this time almost absentmindedly. ¡°I like you. Quite a bit.¡± Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure what¡¯s next for me, though I have some ideas. What I do know is that I want you there, if you¡¯re willing.¡± Could he feel her heart hammering in her chest? Staying with him was the only thing she wanted right now. She wanted it more than she¡¯d ever wanted anything in her life. ¡°Does this have something to do with the goals you mentioned outside the guild?¡± Even without looking at him, she knew he¡¯d be smiling. ¡°See? Smart. Don¡¯t freak out when I ask this,¡± she prepared to thoroughly freak out, ¡°but how serious were you about wanting abat ss?¡± She tensed. She wanted one so badly it kept her up at night. Until she¡¯d met him, it had driven nearly every decision she¡¯d made. But those thoughts were dangerous for an Arelim to have. Humans weren¡¯t fond of demi-humans trying to rock the boat. She¡¯d had it drilled into her countless times to keep her head down if she wanted to stay safe and free. But this was Zaren. If she couldn¡¯t trust him, then she needed to know that now rather thanter. ¡°Very. Why?¡± Just those two words sent terror into her heart, and he shifted the arm sheid on to pull her more into his chest. ¡°My goals are¡­ lofty. The tower, the bandits, they¡¯re just the beginning. Things are just going to get more and more dangerous for me, and if that scares you then I need to know that now. If you want to keep being a schr, I don¡¯t want to put you in harm¡¯s way.¡± Her mouth felt oddly dry when she reached up and ced her hand over his heart. She could feel it hammering, and she realized he was just as nervous as she was. ¡°I want to stay with you. Whatever that entails. You¡¯re my Patron now. Your goals are my goals.¡± That made him chuckle for some reason, and she finally made herself look at him. His smile was one of relief. ¡°You have no idea how right you are.¡± She rolled so that she could rest her arms on his chest, then her chin on her arms. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°First, let me ask this. There are things I can¡¯t tell you right now and questions I know you have that even I don¡¯t have an answer for. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°I always loved a good mystery.¡± He ran his hands down her bare back. ¡°There¡¯s somethinging. Something bad. You can¡¯t ask what it is or how I know just yet, you¡¯ll just have to trust me. I need to change the world, and I think I¡¯ll start with getting rid of these ords and setting things right between humans and demi-humans.¡± For what felt like a full minute, she forgot how to breathe. Had she heard him right? On one hand, it soundedpletely insane. On the other, mythic sses were mythic for a reason. ¡°You aren¡¯t making fun of me, are you?¡± ¡°One day another fight for the fate of Kasidiel will ur. Demi-humans make up the majority of the poption in this world, and we¡¯ll need to be united if we want to stand a chance. Even ignoring that, nobody deserves to live like you¡¯ve been forced to.¡± His hand found her cheek. ¡°But, I¡¯m going to need someone really smart to help me. Know anyone like that?¡± She didn¡¯t remember climbing up his body. The next thing she knew she was straddling him with her tongue wrestling with his. She felt scorching hot hands on her hips, and remembered that she was wearing nothing but her cor. When she pulled back, her face was burning with a heat that had little to do with embarrassment. She took pride in the way his eyes drifted over her chest hungrily. ¡°So what¡¯s our first step?¡± Even she had to fight back augh at the enthusiasm in her own voice. He ran his hands up her thighs, but made no move to be more intimate. ¡°Your first step is to take the day off.¡± She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her by running his thumb across her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve had a rough week, and you¡¯re not used to this kind of life yet.¡± She very much liked that he included thatst word. ¡°I am. Plus, I didn¡¯t get fucked into oblivionst night. I¡¯ll make my rounds and get us supplies, then I¡¯ll see about this caravan that¡¯s supposedly heading towards the capital. Once I¡¯ve got a timeline, we can talk details.¡± She nibbled the tip of his thumb. ¡°Is that an order, Patron?¡± His smile was clearly a trap, but even still she wasn¡¯t ready for him to flip her so quickly and easily. One moment he waspletely still, the next the room spun and he was looming over her, his face only inches from hers. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist, which left her hips just off the bed. Gods, he was fast. ¡°It is now,¡± he growled before dipping his head and trailing kisses down her jaw. ¡°Behave, and we can start ticking off those fantasies of yours one by one.¡± Oh dear. That sent heat racing through her body, and she had half a mind to pull him into her regardless of if her body could handle it or not. But he¡¯d issued a challenge, and the reward was much too sweet to pass up. ¡°As you say, master,¡± she whispered. Immediately she knew she¡¯d made a mistake. His body locked up and a chill traveled the length of her spine. He pulled away without looking at her. ¡°Please, never call me that.¡± There was a ragged edge to his voice. Suddenly some of his scars made more sense, and her heart shattered. She put a hand on either side of his head and gently pulled him into her chest. Now it was her turn to run her fingers through his hair. She could very much see why he enjoyed it. ¡°Never again, I promise.¡± Theyid like that for nearly half an hour, neither willing to break the silence that had formed. She cursed herself for saying something so foolish, but there was no taking it back. She¡¯d just have to make it up to himter. Eventually, he kissed her goodbye and left to take care of his to do list. She watched him go, sending another prayer of thanks to whatever god or goddess put her in his path. The moment the door closed behind him, she decided on the question she¡¯d use her skill to ask. How do I help Zaren? # # # Rhani slept for the first half of the day, but eventually she had to leave thefort of her room to empty her dder and find something to eat. The former went off without a hitch, but thetter task is when everything wentpletely wrong. At first she¡¯d been confused by the strange looks she received, especially from the male patrons as she waded through themon room towards where the innkeeper stood. Then onemented on how lovely her voice was, and she¡¯d gonepletely scarlet. It hadn¡¯t even urred to her that the sound of her cries might carry through the walls, and she hadn¡¯t exactly been quietst night. It didn¡¯t help that her legs felt like jelly still, and her gait was a little bowlegged. She¡¯d just order food then take it up to her room and eat it away from the stares she felt on her. For the first time, she wished she had some less revealing clothes on. Her humiliation only grew worse when the woman behind the bar discreetly offered her a vial of something that would help her recover. She¡¯d taken it gratefully, and almost immediately some of the soreness started to fade. A steaming pile of muttonnded in front of her at the same time [Arcane Intuition] went off. Her gaze had been drawn by the indignant cry of one of the barmaids. Apparently one of the customers had gotten a little handsy. When she saw the customer in question, however, rm bells started going off in her head. Literally. A wave of cold washed over her at the sight of the stranger like she¡¯d been dunked in ice water, and her intuitive understanding of her new skill told her that it was having a very negative reaction to him. He wasrge and thick. As tall as Zaren, only broader in the shoulders. His face was much crueler, too, and the sneer he shot at the barmaid sent the poor girl running. He was bald, and his eyes were dark with malice. She still didn¡¯t know what Zaren¡¯s goals were, but she knew that this man was somehow a threat to them. She wanted to run back to her room and hide under the covers, but she couldn¡¯t possibly pass up the opportunity to help the man who¡¯d saved her life in more ways than one. Her humiliation forgotten, she nted herself in the seat and started eating, keeping an eye on the bald man. She ate slowly, but she¡¯d almost run out before he finally stopped harassing the barmaids and took his leave. The moment he was out of sight she raced after him. Zaren was going to be furious, but she wasn¡¯t going to ignore her new skill. Thanks to his stature and the way people avoided him on sight, the man wasn¡¯t exactly hard to follow. Rhani did her best to stay at a distance, always staying close to buildings so she could duck behind cover if she needed to. She felt a thrill every time someone looked at her, saw her cor, then dismissed her from their thoughts, but each time she forced herself to focus on her quarry. She thought he was heading for the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but he walked straight past the front door and turned the corner of the building. It wasn¡¯t long before she realized where he was going and her stomach dropped. He¡¯d entered the one ce every demi-human feared. The Pens. Cells little more than cages where indebted demi-humans were held until they could be moved to a more permanent location. Many of them never got that far, as anyone with proper Patronage could walk in and im the indebted if they had the funds to do so. Was this man a Patron? For apletely different reason, Rhani found herself incredibly thankful for the enchanted leather around her throat. Walking into that building went against every instinct she had, but she¡¯de this far. Hoping she didn¡¯t look as terrified as she felt, she followed the man through the door. Luckily, her hesitation hadn¡¯t cost her, as he¡¯d gotten caught up flirting with the woman behind the counter. Rhani could tell by her expression that the woman wanted nothing to do with him, but she silently sent a prayer of thanks for the receptionist¡¯s sacrifice. Hopefully she wouldn¡¯t have to endure him too long. There was a board that had a list of bounties on criminal demi-humans, so Rhani got busy looking it over. She didn¡¯t bother reading the words, she simply stood where she could see the man out of the corner of her eye. What was he doing here? Was he after a specific demi-human? Was he after a bounty? She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t see the second employee until he was almost upon her. ¡°Is there something I can help you with,¡± His eyes flicked down to her cor, ¡°miss?¡± Rhani¡¯s breath caught in her throat. She had no clue what to say. Worse, the man she¡¯d been following had stopped to look in her direction. His eyes traveled over her and she felt revulsion rising in her chest. When he shot a slimy grin at her, she had to grip her skirt to keep from running. She was smart. Zaren had said he wanted to count on her in the future, so it was time to earn her keep. She turned to the employee and said the words as they came to mind. ¡°My Patron is interested in procuring another demi-human, and he sent me to see if you had any he might be interested in.¡± The man¡¯s brow raised. A Patron collecting an indebted servant meantmission. She¡¯d managed to jump from insignificant Arelim to payday in his eyes. ¡°Right this way, then.¡± She could feel the bald man¡¯s eyes on her while she followed the man into the ce that had haunted most of her nightmares since she¡¯d been a girl. She¡¯d be alright. She wore a cor. She had a Patron, so there was nothing they could do to her. Even if they did try something, Zaren woulde for her, right? ¡°Looking for anything in particr?¡± her guide asked. She tried not to vomit at the sound of him reducing people like her to a shopping list. ¡°I know my Patron¡¯s tastes. If I see one he¡¯ll like, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± The man mumbled something under his breath, but she was too nervous to hear it. Thankfully, in a town this size, most of the pens were empty. That didn¡¯t make the sight of the thin, soiled mattresses on the floor or the cells upied by only a bucket any less terrifying. The first one they saw was an Oni that would have towered over even Zaren. His horns nearly scraped the ceiling, and his dark red flesh was covered in grime. He was covered in scars, and his snarl at them when they passed made her heart leap into her throat. Then there was an older Kitsune woman who looked at them with dark eyes. The fur on her foxlike ears and tails was filthy and matted. After that were two scarred Tieflings that were wrapped in chains. From the way they looked at her when she passed, she wondered if they might not actually belong here. She stopped outside the cell of a girl who couldn¡¯t have been any older than she was, and not just because of the bruises and welts that covered her from head to toe. Rhani had just enough time to take in her swollen-shut eye, the raw strips of flesh around her wrists, and the clear handprints on her dark violet forearms and neck before her skill activated a second time that day. This time it was different. Rather than icy cold, she felt like heat exploded in her chest. It wasn¡¯t the warmth that she felt around Zaren either. It was fiery hot. Urgent. Demanding. The girl was important, and Rhani needed to get her out of here immediately. ¡°This one,¡± she said, her voice trembling. She cleared her throat. ¡°My Patron will want this one for sure.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes rose to regard Rhani. They were crimson, and her pupils were vertical slits that Rhani could barely make out. Her hair looked like it might be a simr shade of red, but it was hard to tell from the dirt and mud in it. It didn¡¯t help that it was short and choppy, and Rhani thought she could see parts where it had been torn out. Her skin was a deep shade of gray that bordered on blue, and odd markings wove up her left arm. Rhani wasn¡¯t sure what race the girl was, if she was being honest, but that wasn¡¯t really what bothered her. There was barely any light behind the girl¡¯s eyes. She regarded them dully, like she could barely be bothered to acknowledge the person talking about taking her from this ce. ¡°You don¡¯t want this one,¡± the man said quickly. ¡°That big brute in the lobby? He pays her nearly daily visits. Waiting on his boss toe im her, apparently.¡± He grimaced. ¡°Trust me when I say you don¡¯t want to piss that one off. I mean, just look at her.¡± He gestured towards the poor girl. Rhani suddenly regretted eating so much back at the inn. She was going to be sick. ¡°And you just let him?¡± she demanded before she could stop herself. The man just shrugged. ¡°He waivedmission, so she doesn¡¯t actually belong to the pens. She¡¯s still in his custody, we¡¯re just housing her.¡± This was no longer just about helping Zaren. She couldn¡¯t just leave the girl to her fate. She wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Can she be imed?¡± ¡°I told you, you don¡¯t want¡ª¡± Rhani squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, letting her anger banish her fear. ¡°Can. She. Be. imed?¡± The man sighed. ¡°Yes, technically, though it¡¯s frowned upon to poach someone else¡¯s capture. Not that I mind screwing that asshole over.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Your funeral, girl.¡± Girl. She¡¯d almost forgotten how small it made her feel. ¡°The terms?¡± ¡°ording to her bit, she¡¯s here forrceny and attempted murder. Minimum is five years, max is sixty.¡± Five years! Zaren was going to absolutely murder her. ¡°The minimum, then. Let¡¯s make this quick. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want him to see you leading his catch away.¡± That lit a fire under the man. Rhani wanted to hit him when he ran into the cell and jerked the girl to her feet. The girl, though, didn¡¯t resist. She didn¡¯t even make a sound while he hauled her out and towards the back. ¡°We¡¯ll go out this way. I¡¯ll grab a cor from the back.¡± Rhani had no choice but to follow. On her feet the girl was even shorter than Rhani was, and her gut twisted when she saw the girl¡¯s back. Two jagged nubs poked out from her shoulder des, sticking through the hastily cut holes in her shirt. She was a Seraphim, and someone had cut away her wings. Every second it took for the man to select another in ck leather cor was agony. Even while he stood next to her, pressing the sp against the side of her own cor to bond it to Zaren¡¯s magic, she expected the bald man toe thundering in. By the time he¡¯d taken Zaren¡¯s information and she¡¯d told him to send the bill to the guild, her hands were trembling. When he finally handed the girl over to Rhani, it took everything in her not to sprint out the door. It was early afternoon when Rhani led the girl back to the inn. Through the entire trip, neither said a word. It wasn¡¯t until they were safely back in Zaren¡¯s room that Rhani stopped to allow her panic attack to run its course. She sat on the bed, hyperventting, while the girl watched passively. As badly as she wanted him to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, she was thankful he wasn¡¯t here. He¡¯d been reluctant to indebt her even with her begging, and Rhani had just acquired him a servant for five years. He could always sell her off, technically, but he¡¯d never do it. It was the only thing worse than what she¡¯d just done. It took her far too long to collect herself, but she finally managed to get her breathing under control. She pushed her hair back and took a breath. She looked to the Seraphim girl, hoping to see something other than the dead expression she¡¯d worn at the Pens. There was no change. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Rhani asked. The girl¡¯s face remained expressionless. She took so long to respond that Rhani began to wonder if she even spoke themon tongue, but finally she said, ¡°this one¡¯s name is whatever this one¡¯s master wishes it to be.¡± Her voice was t and without inflection, but it was also soft and small. Oh, gods, Zaren was going to murder her. She gently put her hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder, but there was no reaction. ¡°My name is Rhani.¡± She wrinkled her nose at the smell of the poor girl. There was no telling when she¡¯dst been able to bathe, and there was every chance that herst bath had consisted of little more than a bucket of cold water being thrown at her. ¡°What do you say we get you cleaned up? I bet you¡¯ll feel better.¡± The girl made no response, so Rhani pulled out her cloak and wrapped it around the Seraphim¡¯s tiny frame. The edges of the nubs on her back were long healed over, so her muttion wasn¡¯t a recent thing. She pulled the hood low and led the girl through the inn. She stopped long enough to purchase a second room, the one across the room from theirs, then went straight to the baths. The girl still gave no reaction and made no sound while Rhani undressed them both, then led her into the bath proper. The Seraphim was skin and bones. Rhani could see her ribs under her taught flesh, and she suspected starvation was the reason her breasts were nonexistent as well. She sat the girl down and started washing, but every bit of grime she washed off just made her nausea worse and worse. Dark blue handprints, cuts, teeth marks, and mottled bruises covered nearly every inch of her. She had to be in immense pain, but still she showed no expression. It took her over an hour to get the girl clean. She¡¯d washed her hair three times before it reached the fiery crimson she knew it to be. The state of it made Rhani want to weep. Grown out, it would be beautiful. As if all of that weren¡¯t bad enough, under the litany of marks on the girl¡¯s back were half a dozen long crisscrossing scars. When she was finished, she gently pulled the girl¡¯s head to rest in her bosom. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± she said softly, stroking the girl¡¯s hair. She stayed like that as long as she dared, then helped the girl dry and dress. She refused to put her back into those horrible rags, so the girl ended up in an extra set of Rhani¡¯s clothes. Their size difference made them considerably less revealing, but Rhani would still beg Zaren to get the girl some fresh clothes as soon as possible. Shit. Zaren. She¡¯d allowed herself to get distracted by the girl long enough that she¡¯d almost forgotten. He was going to lose it. There was no way he didn¡¯t freak out when she told him. How was she going to tell him? He hadn¡¯t hated her for any reason so far, but surely this was simply too much. She took the girl to the second room she¡¯d bought and tucked her into the bed. Rhani told her to rest and not to leave the room for any reason, then locked it from the outside and retreat to the room she¡¯d shared with Zaren. Last night suddenly seemed so far away. She was clever. She needed some way to spin this so that Zaren would let the girl stay but wouldn¡¯t beat himself up about it too much. If she could manage it, she needed to find a way to keep him from hating her while she was at it, but that was lower on the list of priorities than she would have liked. Hand to her chin and chewing her lip, she began to pace. Chapter Nine: Scarlet Chapter Nine: Scarlet So far, today had been rather productive. It had cost most of the coin Allura had left me with, but my storage was full of new additions. An arsenal of basic weapons, some basic health and mana potions, actual cooking supplies, and a crate¡¯s worth of adventuring supplies took up a good chunk. The supplies I¡¯d gotten for my ns with Rhani were the most important. Hopefully she hadn¡¯t been too bored all day. I¡¯d left her with her books, but when I walked out of the inn that morning I hadn¡¯t nned to spend nearly all of the day out and about. Squaring away our travel had taken most of my time. There was a caravan leaving in the morning, but I wanted to spend a few days in Listone before we worried about heading out. I needed to see if I could gather information about whatever threat was lurking in the forest before we left the town¡¯s rtive safety. There would be a smaller one headed south in a week, so we¡¯d hitch a ride with them. It would be easier to find a group in therger towns between here and the capital, so that seemed the safer option to me. Thergest part of the day had been spent using the guild¡¯s training facilities. Thanks to my status, it had been rtively easy to register as an adventurer, though the measly F rank felt a little insulting. Once we settled, I¡¯d need to raise it fast. I had a feeling I¡¯d need whatever perks came with a high rank before too long. Once I¡¯d been registered, though, I was able to start swinging some of my new weapons around. I definitely noticed the absence of my skills, but I was rather pleased with the muscle memory I¡¯d retained. I hated revealing anything about my abilities to any onlookers when I still didn¡¯t know who my enemies were, but I didn¡¯t regret using two of the day¡¯s hours to get used to controlling my shadow tendrils. I¡¯d learned that I could use them to pull things from my storage. And though they couldn¡¯t lift too much or hit too hard, I¡¯d managed to get somewhat proficient at whipping small objects like throwing knives with them. I was also thankful to have some pants that weren¡¯t quite so tight in the crotch and more than one shirt that wasn¡¯t riddled with holes. Considering Listone¡¯s size they were hardly the heights of fashion, but the only person who¡¯s opinion mattered likely cared more about taking them off than looking at them. Just thinking about the adorable-yet-perverted schr waiting for me in my room made me smile. Our conversation this morning had gone better than I could have hoped, even if its ending had been ¡­ less than desirable. I hadn¡¯t realized someone calling me master would evoke such a negative expression, but I could hardly be surprised. Most of the men I had been forced to call master in my life ended up dying by my hand, after all. The woman behind the bar in the inn gave me an odd look when I entered, but I brushed it off. Maybe I was a sappy fool, but I felt a giddy warmth that only had a little to do with the promise of my own pleasure when I thought about helping Rhani live out her dreams. Her wildest desires. I only hoped she didn¡¯t start too strong out the gate. I had some experience with women, but it was rather limited. Those thoughts fled the moment I hit the stairs. I could feel fear, sharp and frantic,ing from the direction of our room. My hand on my sword, I all but ran do our door and threw it open. She froze, mid-pace, and the moment she saw my face her fear spiked. After a quick look I saw that she was unharmed, so I forced myself to calmly close the door behind me and turn to her. I could feel her fighting¡ªand failing¡ªto get her fear under control, and my chest tightened. Her eyes were wide and red-rimmed, and it looked like she¡¯d been biting her lip so hard it had be chapped. She¡¯d straightened when I¡¯d entered and was clenching the folds of her skirt so tightly her knuckles were white. I searched her face for any trace of what might be wrong, and I realized her fear was directed at me. Keeping my voice as level as possible, I asked, ¡°what happened, Rhani?¡± The corners of her mouth turned downward. Her bottom lip trembled, and a film of wetness filled her eyes. ¡°I fucked up!¡± she cried. I couldn¡¯t have stopped myself from stepping forward and wrapping my arms around her if I¡¯d tried. ¡°Hey,¡± I ran my hand down the back of her hair. It was still damp like she¡¯d recently visited the baths. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Whatever happened, we¡¯ll figure it out.¡± She grabbed two handfuls of my shirt and buried her face in my chest, then shook her head. ¡°I did something bad. Something really, really bad. And stupid. You¡¯re gonna hate me. I know I¡¯ve said it before, but this time it¡¯s different. I did something you¡¯ll never forgive me for!¡± I gently extracted her from my shirt and put a palm to her cheek. ¡°Rhani, look at me.¡± She did. ¡°I have known some very bad people in my life, and they did things to me that you¡¯ll never be capable of. Whatever you did, there¡¯s no world where it¡¯s bad enough to make me hate you.¡± I could tell by the look in her teary eyes that she didn¡¯t believe me, which made my gut twist with worry. She was right about one thing, this time was different. I forced myself not to react and gently rubbed her shoulders. ¡°Tell me. I promise I¡¯ll hear you out and we¡¯ll talk it through.¡± She sniffled. ¡°I don¡¯t know where to begin.¡± I wiped some of the wetness from her cheeks. ¡°How about at the beginning?¡± While she took a few breaths to calm down, I led her to the bed. I sat next to her, my hand at the small of her back the entire time. ¡°One of my skills evolved,¡± she said abruptly. My brows rose and a sh of panic fluttered in my chest. She¡¯d leveled up from uncovering the tower¡¯s secrets, did that mean she¡¯d evolved a skill by uncovering one of mine? Could Allura be involved? Could the cursed de? I shoved those thoughts away. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡± She clearly thought otherwise. With a trembling voice, she quickly described the nature of [Arcane Intuition] to me. With each word, I had to fight to keep my brows from inching higher and higher. In terms of information gathering skills, hers was incredible. The more I thought about it, the more these vibes from the universe sounded more and more like divine intervention. Was she meant to be Allura¡¯s way of pointing me in the right direction? ¡°Since I get the feeling it¡¯s relevant, can I know what question you asked today?¡± Her cheeks darkened slightly. ¡°After this morning, I wanted to know what I could do to help you.¡± Damn. This girl gets a rare and potentially powerful skill and the first thing she does is use it to help me? What the fuck went down that she¡¯s so afraid of my reaction? I gave her forehead a soft kiss, then urged her to go on. When she described the thuggish man and the reaction her skill had to him, ice flowed through my veins. ¡°Did he hurt you?¡± I asked, my body going rigid. She shook her head. ¡°No, but he did see my face. If he saw me again, he might.¡± I was just contemting hunting the man down when she started talking about how she¡¯d followed him. When he¡¯d caught her, and she¡¯d been forced to lie and go walking through the pens. The way she talked about them made my skin crawl, and I longed to pin her down and kiss every inch of her until she forgot ever setting foot in them. How anyone could let something like that exist was beyond me, and I doubled down on my ns. The feeling in my gut only grew worse when she began describing the Seraphim girl she¡¯d seen. I¡¯d never seen an Arelim turn green until that moment. I rubbed her back some more. ¡°You want to help her, don¡¯t you?¡± She stiffened. ¡°I won¡¯t pretend to be okay with this whole indebting system, but from what you¡¯re saying it sounds like I can hardly make her situation any worse. If it¡¯s important to you, we can go talk to her. See if she¡¯d be willing toe along with us. Remember, I promised I¡¯d never be angry at you for asking me anything. That includes requests. Even ones like this.¡± She brightened for a second, but then only grew more miserable. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a littlete for that.¡± In spite of myself, I recoiled slightly. My reaction didn¡¯t go unnoticed, either. A tremble worked its way through her. ¡°Rhani,¡± my voice was barely more than a whisper, ¡°what did you do?¡± ¡°I may have imed her on your behalf.¡± She said the words with her eyes fixed on the ground in front of us, and for a full minute I couldn¡¯t breathe. I tamped down the emotions rolling through me. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Across the hall. I got us an extra room in case the bald guyes looking for her.¡± I held out my hand, and she ced the key into it without a word. She¡¯d been clutching it so tightly it had cut into her palm. I took it, then grabbed her hand before she could pull away. I pulled a bandage from my storage and gently wrapped it before I let her go. ¡°Let¡¯s go meet her, then.¡± She flinched at the tness in my voice. We left our room behind and crossed the hall. After a nod from her I knocked on the door, then used the key to enter. The girl was already standing next to the bed with her head bowed, Rhani¡¯s clothes practically hanging off her. I thought I¡¯d prepared myself for the memories I knew woulde when I saw her. I was wrong. I¡¯d held onto the faint hope that Rhani had been exaggerating the extent of the girl¡¯s injuries, but seeing them with my own eyes I realized that the opposite was true. Even from across the room I could see them all. Worse, I could name the cause behind damn near every one of them. The bruised scrapes that came from fingernails. The thin cuts that would have been caused by the de of a knife being slowly drawn across her flesh. The outlines of the thick hands that had pped and grabbed her all over. The swollen face where she¡¯d been hit. Hard. The puffiness of her forearm where someone had grabbed and twisted it hard enough to fracture the bone. The torn and uneven hair that had been used as little more than a handle to throw her around. The curved line of square bruises that only came from humanoid teeth. The mottled bruising around her throat where it had been crushed in a vice grip on more than one asion, likely while her assant¡ª Don¡¯t go there. I knew if I looked under her clothes I¡¯d find more of the same. Probably worse, If I had to guess. Then her eyes drifted up to mine and my breath caught in my throat. I knew the look. Complete disinterest in the world around her, as if she no longer had it in her to worry about what horror came next. There were no wants or hopes or dreams behind those eyes. Just a dull resignation that threatened to send me back to ces I swore I¡¯d never go again. Theck of anything in her gaze cut me so deeply that it took a moment for me to realize I¡¯d seen those eyes before. Not just the look, but the eyes. The color of blood with a single vertical slit. I¡¯d seen the color of her flesh, too. A blue violet that was almost gray in the light. I¡¯d only ever seen the two traits together once, and the memory made the floor pitch underneath me. I managed to keep any trace of a reaction off my face. I could feel Rhani behind me, waiting for judgment. I¡¯d stood in the doorway long enough. I sped my hands behind my back when I entered, partially to try and reassure the girl I wasn¡¯t nning to strike her and partially to hide how they shook. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked her. Rhani had told me how the question had gone for her, but I needed to gage the answer myself. ¡°This one¡¯s name is whatever master wishes it to be.¡± Her voice was marred by the hoarseness that came from a throat that had been abused in more ways than one. Her head tilted a degree. ¡°You are this one¡¯s master?¡± I closed my eyes to hide the anger I knew would show in them. This one. She¡¯d been conditioned to refer to herself as such to remove any semnce of self. Then there was the title. The sound of it sent waves of revulsion through me even stronger than when Rhani had used it this morning. ¡°Yes, though I dislike that title.¡± Her head bowed slightly, and her eyes found the floor. ¡°This one will refer to master however master wishes.¡± I began to walk a slow circle around her. Every step sickened me, but I needed to know as much as possible about the girl¡¯s mental state. ¡°Ren would be preferred, but sir will suffice.¡± I kept my tone calm, but firm. I was walking a line here. If there was anything left in her to save, I¡¯d have to be very careful not to snuff it out with carelessness. When I left her line of sight, I¡¯d hoped she would at least tense up or shift in some way. She remainedpletely motionless. She was past the point where she feared the pain toe. When I saw the bumps where her wings had been cut away, a primal part of me that I thought long-buried twisted in anger. If I ever found the ones who¡¯d mutted her, I¡¯d make them regret being born. I finished my circle and came to a stop in front of her. ¡°What is the name on your status window?¡± I asked her. She didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°Is Sir ordering this one to give him such information?¡± A faint glimmer of hope made its presence known. It was possible that she¡¯d simply been punished for using the name she¡¯d been born with, but there was also the chance that she held on to the information for personal reasons. That she preferred her owners to use whatever name they gave her, not her true one. One small act of sanctuary for whatever was left of the girl she¡¯d once been. ¡°No. I¡¯ll need something to refer to you, though.¡± ¡°Whatever sir wishes,¡± she repeated. ¡°Scarlet will suffice for now,¡± I told her. The color of her hair and eyes. Hardly creative, but I didn¡¯t want it to be a permanent name anyways. Rhani was right about the malnourishment, but I wasn¡¯t so certain of the cause. Whoever had done this to her could have been starving her, but it was also entirely possible she¡¯d simply lost the will to live. To keep herself fed. ¡°This one thanks Sir for the gift of its name.¡± She bowed her head again. ¡°What does sir want of this one?¡± ¡°For now, nothing. I prefer my servants to be well rested and well fed, so I expect you to sleep and eat an adequate amount.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Hopefully that would be enough to keep her going until we could rekindle her will. I turned enough to see Rhani, watching the transaction with rapt attention and more than a little fear. ¡°Will you see to it that she¡¯s fed?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Rhani said quietly. I gestured towards the door, then said to Scarlet, ¡°wait here. Once you¡¯ve eaten, get some rest. Use the bed,¡± I added as an afterthought. She regarded the bed with the same disinterest, but I could tell even from the brief look that she wasn¡¯t used to sleeping in such soft ces. My heart went out to her. I wanted to try and banish the pain I knew she¡¯d been through, but I knew that this was the best I could do for her right now. I turned and left Scarlet alone in her room. Rhani waited for me in the hallway. ¡°Get light food, nothing too rich or greasy. She won¡¯t be able to keep it down otherwise. Make sure she eats a good amount, but don¡¯t let her gorge herself. She might take my order too literally and begin overeating. I¡¯ll need you to keep an eye out and make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± Rhani nodded, then said, ¡°Ren, I¡¯m so¡ª¡± I held up a hand to silence her. ¡°We can talk after she¡¯s eaten, alright? I just need to think for a minute.¡± She mped her jaw shut, then turned and headed down the hallway with clenched fists. I wanted to reassure her, but I needed to make sure I wasn¡¯t going to lose it first. I entered our room and plopped down on the bed. I dug the heels of my palms into my eyes and sighed. There was still hope for Scarlet, though these next few weeks would be a very delicate bncing act. What had Rhani gotten us into? I didn¡¯t realize how much time had passed until I heard the door open and close, then I felt Rhani¡¯s weight sink onto the bed next to me. I wanted to reach out and hold her just as badly as I wanted nothing to touch me. ¡°I hope you¡¯re serious about wanting to help her, because I won¡¯t be able to do it without you. She released a breath. ¡°This mess is my fault, so of course I¡¯ll do whatever you need me to.¡± I left my head resting on one hand while I waved the other. ¡°You did the right thing. I won¡¯t fault you for it, it¡¯ll just take me a few days to figure this all out in my head.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯ll take care of her. Just leave everything to me.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t a pet, Rhani,¡± I snapped before I could stop myself. I felt her flinch, and guilt piled onto the heap of emotions rolling around in me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯ll leave things to you, but you¡¯ll need to do exactly as I say.¡± When I finally dragged my gaze up she was looking at me uncertainly. ¡°I¡ªI think it might be better if I deal with her,¡± she forced herself to say. ¡°After all, I know what it¡¯s like to be a demi-human in this world.¡± I stared at her until she looked away, then started speaking. ¡°The first barrier is going to be touch. You¡¯re going to constantly want to hold her tight and try to make her feel better, but that¡¯s only going to make things worse.¡± I reached out and put a hand to her cheek, and she leaned into it without even meaning to. ¡°You were lucky enough to have a sister who loved you. One I¡¯m sure was quick to hug or kiss away all your hurts growing up.¡± I slowly pulled my hand away, and her cheek followed the touch. ¡°You spent the rest of your life touch starved, and even now you can¡¯t imagine what it¡¯s like not to crave a warm embrace or a soft caress. If there¡¯s love behind the action, you can¡¯t see a scenario where the touch would be unwee.¡± I could see the wariness in her eyes, but she made no move to refute me. ¡°Now I want you to imagine a different life. One where felt the touch of others plenty, but it was only ever to cause you harm. There was never any sister to hold you tight. Never a father to run to in your darkest nights. The only touch you¡¯ve ever known is pain. The only time another¡¯s hands have evere near you is to hurt you.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Then how can I possibly help her?¡± ¡°You have to start slow. Small. Big embraces like hugs or kisses will only frighten and confuse her.¡± Memories shed again, and I fought them down. ¡°The only time people have wrapped their arms around her have been to hold her down. The only times lips have touched her skin were lust-driven men doing unspeakable things to her.¡± Rhani¡¯s face paled. ¡°Only light touches, and never with any sort of suddenness. Brush against her elbow when you walk up from behind her or past her. Briefly touch a fingertip to her shoulder when you¡¯re talking to her. Let your skin rub against hers ever so slightly when you hand her something. At first she won¡¯t react to them, then she will. When those reactions start to die down a bit, ramp it up, but slowly. We have to very carefully show her that not all touches are bad ones.¡± I could see that she¡¯d started wringing her hands in herp. ¡°Okay, but¡ª¡± ¡°And no matter what you do,¡± I cut her off, ¡°don¡¯t try and sing my praises. Avoid mentioning me at all if you can. Keep things about the two of you unless she brings me up first. I doubt that will happen for a long while, but you never know.¡± That made her grimace. ¡°So I can just neverpliment you? Not even when we¡¯re in public?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I amended. ¡°When other people are around, her mind will rationalize it. You serve me, and a part of your duties involve protecting my image. That¡¯s what she¡¯ll tell herself, at least. In private, though, if you try and convince her I¡¯m good and kind it will only make it harder for her to trust you. This will be a battle of attrition, and trying to force things will just make her retreat further into herself.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll make sure to tell you whatever I can about her as well.¡± But I shook my head. ¡°No, don¡¯t betray her trust. If she tells you something bad like she¡¯s nning to harm herself or someone else, thene to me. Other than that, I trust you to deal with whatever information you reveal. We want her to feelfortable enough to tell me herself, but for us to ever get to that point she¡¯ll need to be able to lean on you. If you go giving away her secrets, especially to me, you¡¯ll alienate her.¡± She studied my face for a long while. ¡°How do you know all this?¡± I didn¡¯t want to say it, but I knew she¡¯d figure it out eventually anyways. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been through what she has. I¡¯ve been where she is. Maybe not exactly, but close enough.¡± There was a brief sh of confusion on her face, but I could see the moment she connected the dots. Her face twisted with horror, but she hid her expression quickly. I watched her, terrified of what her next move would be, but she simply crawled behind me and wrapped her arms over my shoulders and around my chest. ¡°Gods, Ren, I¡¯m so sorry. I had no idea.¡± I just took a moment to enjoy the warmth of her. I trailed my fingers down the length of her forearm, and her grip tightened around me. ¡°It was a long time ago.¡± Technically, that was even true. ¡°I¡¯m still sorry I put you in this position.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°I want you to spend the night in her room tonight.¡± She stiffened. ¡°Right. Of course.¡± Her tone was clipped, and I cursed myself for being an idiot. I twisted until I could capture her lips with my own. ¡°It isn¡¯t a punishment. I don¡¯t want her to be alone all night, and I can guarantee you she doesn¡¯t want to spend the night with me in the room.¡± I kissed her again. ¡°We¡¯re okay. Promise.¡± She melted into me and we made out for a bit longer. Finally she pulled away. ¡°It¡¯s not normal, by the way.¡± When I looked at her in confusion, she rified. ¡°Her wings. I know we haven¡¯t talked about how the ords affect the other races, but clipping wings is still very illegal. If anyone ever found out who did it, the consequences would be severe. That poor Seraphim.¡± That made me feel a little better, and I appreciated she¡¯d thought of my feelings on the matter. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re wrong, though. Scarlet is no Seraphim.¡± She frowned. ¡°She has to be. Her wings are too high to be a Subus, and she can¡¯t be a Drakken without scales.¡± I smiled in spite of everything. My lovely little schr. ¡°I know. What do you know of demi-humans? Of their origins, I mean.¡± It only took her a second to recall the information. ¡°Well, a few thousand years ago, the world was popted with the primogenitor races. Angels, demons, dragons, fae, and others. Humans wereparatively weak, but they had children faster than any of the magical races, so they were universally enved. Then the gods gave us the ss System, and we had the power to fight back. There was a big war that killed many on both sides, then peace. Humans turned out to be verypatible with nearly all the other races, and demi-humans were born.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen a beast with her coloring before,¡± I admitted. It had been a monstrous bastard that Grimsbane summoned during that final battle. Something not of this world. It had nearly killed us, and after everything was said and done our wizard, Be, had sworn he¡¯d uncover just what the hell it was we¡¯d killed. I needed to track him down and see if he was sessful. ¡°I¡¯d never heard of it before, but it was powerful. Powerful enough to be considered on par with the legends of the primogenitors.¡± I could practically feel her vibrating against me. ¡°Ren, are you saying you think the girl in the other room might be a new type of demi-human?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I think.¡± And if whatever beast had sired her was from the ne where this other god wasing from, the more I could learn about it the better. If I didn¡¯t think Rhani¡¯s skill evolution had been Allura¡¯s doing before, I sure as shit did now. I summoned two nk leather-bound books and held them up. ¡°If only we knew someone schrly who might be interested in documenting this potentially new race¡ª¡± She snatched the books out of my hand, excitement recing everything else. She peppered me with kisses until we were bothughing on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Ren,¡± she said to me. ¡°But why are there two books?¡± I couldn¡¯t give her the full reason without revealing even more about myself than I already had, so I¡¯d give her the half truth I¡¯d decided on when I bought them. ¡°It¡¯s going to sound a little strange, but I want you to do something for me.¡± Her smile was so radiant it chased away most of the darkness I still felt in me. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°I want you to record the monsters we meet out in the world. Draw them, describe them, list their strengths and weaknesses, everything. Consider it practice.¡± ¡°For Scarlet?¡± ¡°For now, yes.¡± Her eyes glimmered at the unspoken challenge. I¡¯d put another mystery in front of her, and she was more than happy to sink her teeth into it. She kissed me again. ¡°Thank the gods fate put me in your path,¡± she breathed after. I flinched involuntarily at how unintentionally urate that was. If she noticed, she didn¡¯t show it. ¡°Be careful with her. I¡¯d help her regardless of her race, but she could be more important than either of us realize. And give her one of these.¡± I handed her one of the healing potions I¡¯d bought. It had been expensive due to the low stock of the small town guild, but just thinking about how much pain Scarlet was probably in meant it wasn¡¯t even a choice. She stood up, clutching the books to her chest. ¡°I will. And Ren, thank you. For saving me. For not hating me. For everything.¡± I smiled. ¡°Go on, we can talk more in the morning.¡± She turned to leave, but paused at the door. I could tell by the way she held her shoulders that she wanted to ask something but was afraid to. Just when I thought she¡¯d give up and leave, she turned back. ¡°Ren? If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who was it that saved you? That pulled you out of¡­ whatever hell Scarlet is in right now?¡± I was surprised to find that I wanted to tell her. I wanted to tell her everything. From Allura to Karn. I decided that I would, eventually, but for tonight I could at least answer her question. ¡°Her name was Eliya.¡± Her hand was still on the knob, but she didn¡¯t open the door just yet. ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°She died in my arms.¡± And I¡¯d been powerless to save her. Her jaw clenched, but she just nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± After she left, I couldn¡¯t help but think how grateful I was she didn¡¯t try to say ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chapter Ten: Skipping Town Chapter Ten: Skipping Town Thanks to old wounds being ripped open, I slept like absolute shit. The only silver lining was that I got a lot of thinking done. I went over it in my head a few dozen times and decided Rhani had done the best she could. All things considered, she¡¯d probably ended up with the best possible oue. Besides, if I couldn¡¯t help one girl who¡¯d been through the worst this world had to offer, how could I hope to save everyone else? I wanted to be clear with myself, though. I was helping Scarlet because it was the right thing to do. If doing so helped me get answers about my enemies, then that was just a bonus. The bald man worried me. If I was right about Allura being the one to give Rhani her information, then that meant the goddess had led them to Scarlet. If Allura thought baldy was bad news, then I was inclined to agree. It was time to change ns. We needed to get out of Listone before he came looking for Scarlet. That was how I ended up outside Rhani and Scarlet¡¯s room before sunrise. I knocked softly. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± I called. It was a minute before the door cracked open. My brows travelled northward when I saw nothing but undergarments through the gap in the cloak she had pulled around her. Her eyes were bleary, but her cheeks were flushed. When she saw my eyes travelling over her body, she shifted to widen the gap in her cloak. I could see the hard nubs poking through the fabric. ¡°Good dreams?¡± She smiled. ¡°The best. But they just can¡¯tpare to the real thing.¡± I eyed her, then made a quick adjustment to the n. ¡°Come with me, we should chat.¡± I pretended not to notice her biting her lip when I walked back into my room. I hadn¡¯t realized how much I¡¯d miss waking up with someone snuggled into me until I¡¯d been all alone in bed. She shut the door behind her, and she¡¯d barely taken another step before I¡¯d swept her up and pinned her against to the wall next to the doorway with my leg between hers. Her gasp of rm was silenced by my lips, and there was barely a moment¡¯s hesitation before her hands were all over me. Her tongue slid against mine, and I sunk my fingers into the flesh of her ass. She moaned into me and started grinding against my leg. I let go of her rear and slid her bra up so I could knead one while my other hand slipped beneath the waistband of her panties. She moaned again when I slid one finger along her outer lips before plunging inside. She was dripping wet. I chuckled. ¡°Someone¡¯s ready to go.¡± I felt her lips on my throat. ¡°Always.¡± Her hands went to my waistband and fished out my cock. I slid her panties to the side and she lined me up. I slid in to the hilt with a single thrust and she cried out into my neck. I groaned as her heat enveloped me. Her silky smooth walls massaging every inch. I slid one hand to the outside of her thigh and lifted so she could hook her leg around my waist. The other I sunk in her hair and pulled. Her head went back with a gasp, and I put my own lips to her throat. She cried out when I started thrusting. One of her hands roamed my chest while the other wrapped over my shoulder so she could hold on for dear life while I fucked her into the wall. She held her voice in as much as she could, but when I felt her walls tighten around me and a loud moan slipped out. I took mercy on her and upied her lips with my own. She stopped focusing on holding the moans in and started rocking her hips against me. I fucked her into the wall for a long while. She was constantly shifting her hips to try and get me in deeper, and I aimed my thrusts towards her weak spots. In just a few more minutes, I felt her climax roll through her. I could feel my limit getting close. She must have felt it too, because she pulled back and pressed the side of her face to mine. ¡°Cum for me, baby. Cum for me,¡± she pleaded. I mmed into her a few more times before I used my grip on her hair to guide her lips back to mine, then I plunged in as deep as I could and let go. I felt her third orgasme at the same time as mine while I painted her insides white. I kissed her until the aftershocks of her orgasm faded, then I let myself slide out of her. ¡°Did you get to enjoy it that time?¡± I asked her. She giggled, then rested her head on my shoulder after I let her leg drop. ¡°Way too much.¡± She hummed happily and ran her hands down my back. ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m forgiven?¡± ¡°It means,¡± I trailed the tips of my fingers down her spine and she shuddered, ¡°that you didn¡¯t do anything I need to forgive you for in the first ce.¡± I pressed my lips against the top of her head. ¡°So stop beating yourself up. I already said I¡¯d help the demi-humans, I¡¯ll just have to start small.¡± ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered into my shoulder, then she froze. Hearing that made me much happier than I cared to admit. I brushed my lips against the tip of her ear. ¡°And I love you too, Rhani.¡± I was surprised by how much I meant it. She made a happy sound and nuzzled deeper into me. It was several minutes before I could coax her out. ¡°We¡¯re skipping town today. I want to get a move on. I¡¯ll take Scarlet with me, I need you to head to the shop and get some traveling clothes that fit her.¡± Rhani nodded, fixing her clothes and drawing her cloak around her. I couldn¡¯t help but notice she didn¡¯t use her cleaning spell to remove my cum from her lower lips, but I didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°Where should I meet you after?¡± ¡°South side of the city. The caravan is probably already getting ready to head out.¡± I saw her eyes flick towards my lips. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to ask for a kiss, right? I¡¯m happy to taste you whenever, wherever.¡± She beamed, then leaned up for a quick peck. ¡°We should save it for in private, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care much what people think of me.¡± ¡°You should.¡± She pulled the cloak around her tighter. ¡°If you¡¯re going to repair rtions, then you need friends on both sides. Until you¡ª¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°¡ªuntil we make some progress, you need to ride the line. Prove yourself a friend to demi-humans by not being cruel to us, but don¡¯t alienate yourself by being too openly familiar. I can be one of your wives in private, but in public it¡¯s best I remain a servant.¡± I choked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, one of my what now?¡± She shed a smile at me. ¡°Sorry, we need to get moving before that caravan leaves.¡± ¡°You mischievous little bookworm.¡± I gave her a smack on the ass and her eyes red. ¡°Get a move on. And get an extra sleeping bag, just in case one of the two we have gets torn. Or I need some way to punish you, I suppose.¡± She red, but her smile never wavered. We went back to her room where Scarlet was sitting on the bed waiting. I hoped she hadn¡¯t heard, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she did. ¡°What will this one¡¯s duties be today?¡± She looked much better after the health potion and a night¡¯s rest. ¡°You¡¯ll be following me. Your, uh, duties will be the same as Rhani¡¯s. Stay close, defend yourself if you need to, and if I give you orders then follow them immediately.¡± Thest one rankled me, even if I wouldn¡¯t be giving orders unless it was life or death. ¡°This one understands.¡± I turned to Rhani, who started pulling on clothes. When she saw me watching, she made a point to give me a little show. This girl was incorrigible. I ended up looking at her for a second longer than I meant to, whatever I¡¯d been about to say lost to her long ivory legs and her perfectly round butt. By the time I looked back towards the other girl, I yelped. Scarlet was standing right in front of me with her hands reaching for my waistband. Completely nude. ¡°Whoa, hold on!¡± I jumped back and grabbed her wrists. She froze, and I saw her pupils re slightly. Her skin felt abnormally warm, and I could feel magic thrumming through her blood. The tug felt almost familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite ce it. Even after the potion, up close her body was exactly as bad as I¡¯d feared. Teeth marks marred the slight bumps that were her breasts and her stomach was covered in bruises, more cuts, and one or two burns. Her ribs protruded further from over her stomach than her breasts did over her ribs. ¡°This one apologizes,¡± she said. ¡°This one misunderstood.¡± ¡°Scarlet, I will never order you to do anything like that with me or anyone else. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± I let her go and she stepped back slowly. Her eyes searched my face with slightly more interest than normal. I gave a pointed look to Rhani, who had frozen halfway through her show. She smiled sheepishly, but then I turned to where Scarlet was retrieving her clothes and froze. ¡°Stop.¡± My voice came out against my will. Scarlet ceased even breathing while my eyes traveled over her back. It was the long white scars that had first caught my eye. Old wounds caused by a barbed whip unless I was mistaken. That wasn¡¯t what made my blood run cold, though, nor were the jagged and torn stumps of her wings. On the back of her left shoulder was a brand. Two crescents with a line bisecting them. I recognized it because, until I seared it off, the same brand had marked my own flesh. I struggled to control my breathing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please continue to get dressed.¡± Rhani put a hand on my arm with a question in her eyes. I grabbed it and willed my shadows to deposit the control bracer on her wrist. ¡°You¡¯re taking the golem, and that isn¡¯t up for discussion.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Will you get arrested?¡± ¡°No, but¡ª¡± ¡°Then you keep the golem near you at all times till we¡¯re out of Listone. Not up for discussion.¡± I could see the question in her eyes, but I couldn¡¯t tell her why I was suddenly terrified. I tucked a strand of her gorgeous silver and gold hair out of her face. ¡°I¡¯ll exinter, but I¡¯m not taking any risks. Not now, and definitely not with you.¡± Then I put a folded slip of paper in her hand. A list I¡¯d writtenst night before trying and failing to go to sleep. ¡°Get these, too, while you¡¯re at it.¡± She read the list, then her brows drew together, but she nodded. I gave her what was left of my coin as well. ¡°You¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡± # # # Pulling a six and a half foot golem out of thin air definitely caused some stares, but if it meant Rhani being safe I was alright with a little attention. As usual, Scarlet had no reaction. Despite her warnings, I gave Rhani a quick peck on the top of her head before I sent her off, then I took Scarlet to the south side of town. Just like I¡¯d figured, the caravan was making itsst preparations. I counted four wagons and about a dozen people milling about. Only four were kitted out in adventuring gear, so I figured the other six were either drivers or served some other function in the group. The adventurers were the first to draw my eye. All four were human. One man dressed in fine armor with a long thin sword at his hip apanied by three women. One wore almost exclusively leather and had a recurve bow slung across her back while the other wore the padded clothes often favored by mages. The third one caught my eye. Long blond hair pulled back into a tail and shining green eyes ented a smile that could light up a room. Her armor was nothing too fancy, but it was rather shiny. She was probably the only person in the group that seemed excited and energetic this early in the morning. There was almost a glow about her that brightened up whoever she talked to. Everyone except for the man with the thin de, at least. The caravaneers consisted of four humans, an elf, a dwarf, a Nekomata, and a Dragonling. Of the three demi-humans, only the Nekomata was female. The humans in the group all wore standard travel clothes, bustling about strapping things down on the carriages and directing the demi-humans who carried thest of the crates. One of the human caravanners spotted us and grabbed a second. They had a quick conversation and one came jogging over. ¡°Sorry, we¡¯re all filled up on muscle,¡± he did a double take when he saw Scarlet¡¯s face under her hood, but didn¡¯tment. ¡°And we don¡¯t really have room for any passengers.¡± ¡°I was wondering if we might just join you on the road,¡± I told him. ¡°We can help in a fight, and we won¡¯t charge. I just feel better in a group. We¡¯ll worry about our own supplies, so you don¡¯t even have to factor that in.¡± He still looked uncertain. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It sounds like you¡¯d be getting a free ride to me.¡± ¡°We can handle ourselves,¡± I assured him, ¡°though if it makes you feel better I can pay.¡± He thought for a moment, then shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re strangers, and I can¡¯t have you around the caravan at all hours without some kind of contract, and we¡¯re already above budget for security.¡± Four carriages worth of goods only afforded four guards? It sounded like someone needed to make some adjustments to that budget. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest, I need to get to Amesseria, and it¡¯s a little time sensitive. I can¡¯t afford to wait for the next caravan, and I¡¯d rather not travel alone in these parts.¡± The guy scoffed. ¡°You realize that makes me feel less inclined, right?¡± ¡°Oh, let him join,¡± a familiar voice said from behind me. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was d or annoyed to see Pierce, nked by Al, Yen, and Lana, join the conversation. ¡°I owe him a favor, and you owe me a favor.¡± ¡°Pierce. d your friend made it,¡± I said. He inclined his head. ¡°The healer was perplexed. Said there was no way she¡¯d have made it, said he¡¯d never seen a skill quite like yours before. Not as good as real healing, but it¡¯ll do in a pinch.¡± His eyes flicked down to the sword at my hip and his brow raised. I sighed and started unbuckling it, but he justughed. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. Not like the sword cost me much in the first ce. Loot is loot, and if you braved that deathtrap then you earned whatever you found.¡± His expression grew serious. ¡°I should probably ask, since I¡¯m gonna get asked myself. She didn¡¯t die too bad, did she? I only hope it was quick.¡± A re of anger rushed through me. He really hadn¡¯t stopped to make sure she was dead before he abandoned her. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t find her body. I found her. Rhani¡ª¡± I put slight emphasis on her name, ¡°¡ªis fine. She¡¯ll be joining us soon, hopefully.¡± His brows rose. ¡°I¡¯m impressed. Seems I owe you two favors now. As much of a pain as it is escorting a little girl around, you¡¯ve saved me quite the headache. I¡¯ll take her off your hands.¡± A possessive urge gripped me, but I fought it down. ¡°Not necessary. She¡¯s with me now.¡± His brows drew together, then his eyes flicked to Scarlet. They went from her face to the cor just visible above the neckline of her cloak, and he scowled. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that. Release her to me.¡± My hand found its way to the hilt of the sword and hispanions all shifted their weight slightly. ¡°Not happening. Like I said, she¡¯s with me now.¡± He stared me down, doing his best to be intimidating, but I¡¯d faced scarier men than him before I¡¯d been fifteen. Finally, his dark look faded. ¡°Fine, it¡¯s your funeral. You should probably know that her sister might just mount your head on a pike.¡± Well that was new information, but I was d Pierce wasn¡¯t pressing the issue. It would make the trip pretty awkward otherwise. Then Lana gasped. ¡°Hang on a minute, you don¡¯t mean she¡¯s the Arelim wandering town with that golem, do you?¡± she demanded. I opened my mouth to respond when I heard an excited squeal from the caravan. A blur of brown flew towards us, stopping to reveal a woman with curly brown hair and wide blue eyes that stared at us excitedly through thick sses. ¡°Golem? Did I hear you say golem? You have one? Can I see it? I can pay!¡± The words tumbled out and with each one she grew closer to me until our noses were practically touching. ¡°Er, yes. I have a golem. My servant is with it now, but if I cane along with your caravan then you¡¯ll have the entire trip to examine it all you want.¡± She squealed again and grabbed the man by the shoulders. ¡°Korey! A golem! They cane, right? You can take it from my pay or something! Please please please please!¡± Korey rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine! If Pierce is vouching for you, then I suppose you can tag along. We won¡¯t be slowing down for you, though, so it¡¯s on you to make sure you and your servants keep up.¡± She pumped her fist. ¡°Yes! I have to go tell Garm and Mai, they¡¯ll be ecstatic!¡± Then, as suddenly as she¡¯d appeared, she vanished. By the time I picked her out, she¡¯d grabbed the Nekomata girl by the arms and was jumping up and down excitedly. ¡°Is she always like that?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Korey and Pierce said at the same time. ¡°Joy.¡± Korey just gave me a grim smile. ¡°Well, you know Pierce and his lovely little group. I¡¯m Korey, I¡¯m in charge of this whole shebang. Over there is,¡± he pointed the other caravaneers out one by one, ¡°Mihrel, Vaze, Cilrien, Mai, Jn, and Garm. Jezal is the lovely woman you just met. I¡¯ll let Fel introduce his little band to you on his own time. Wee, try not to fuck shit up. Now I¡¯ve gotta go, someone gave Jn another box he can¡¯t see over, and I need to know who to yell at.¡± I introduced myself then Scarlet before he made his way to the dwarf who was struggling to carry a crate as tall as he was, then started yelling at the woman, Vaze, who was trying and failing to hold in herughter. Pierce pped me on the arm. ¡°This makes us even.¡± Then he left. What a dick. Hispanions followed. Al shot me what seemed to be his signature sneer and Yen merely inclined her head with a neutral expression. Lana thanked me with sparkling eyes, telling me not to mind Pierce and to let her know if there was anything she could do to repay me, but I assured her that wasn¡¯t necessary. I was just wondering how I might help get this show on the road a little sooner when I felt a sharp jab at my shoulder. ¡°You!¡± I turned to see the blond girl in the shining armor. Her smile was gone now. ¡°What kind of bastard are you to abuse her like that?¡± she demanded. I was very confused until I realized she was gesturing towards Scarlet. ¡°I think you¡¯re jumping to conclusions here,dy.¡± Her cheeks flushed. ¡°Let me guess, she fell down and hit her face over and over again? People like you make me sick.¡± She was passionate, I¡¯d give her that. I turned towards her and crossed my arms. She was taller than most girls, but I was taller than most everyone. She was still a few inches shorter than me. ¡°Why don¡¯t we start over. Hello, my name is Ren. You are?¡± She jabbed her finger into my chest. ¡°Not someone who¡¯ll stand idly by while you hurt people who can¡¯t fight back, so you¡¯d best noty a hand on her.¡± She stormed off without letting me get another word in edgewise. I exchanged a look with Scarlet, who¡¯s expression still hadn¡¯t changed. ¡°Will Sir be wanting this one to handle the loud woman?¡± I snorted. ¡°Hardly. After golem girl, she just became my new favorite.¡± The blond girl continued to shoot me usatory nces every so often while I helped the Dragonling adjust and strap down some crates. He was taller than me, which wasn¡¯t umon for his race. Jet ck scales covered the backs of his hands, forearms, and the fronts of his shins. The same scales covered the back of his neck and the underside of his jaw, wrapping up so that they trailed under his eyes. I knew they¡¯d stretch over his shoulders, most of his back, and his thighs as well under his clothes. A scarred tail trailed behind him, and onyx horns sprouted from the sides of his forehead and twisted behind his skull. Yellow eyes appraised me curiously, and he bowed his head in thanks. I spent about thirty minutes helping where I could, though I noticed that Pierce, Fel, and their respective groups did little to speed things up. Around the time I was helping the Wood Elf, Cilrien, tie down thest wagon, I heard the sound of a very excited Jezal. I followed the high pitched shouts and found her practically bouncing around the golem, who stood there as one might expect a nonliving construct to. Korey stood with his head in his hands, but my attention was drawn to where Pierce had pulled Rhani aside. He had one of her biceps in his grip while he talked to her in hushed tones. The second I saw her expression I knew something was wrong. I headed towards them, resisting the urge to draw my weapon. The second she saw me she pulled free of Pierce¡¯s grip and half-ran to me. I was just about to ask her what had happened when she practically ran into my chest. I felt her arms trembling when they wrapped around me underneath my cloak. Pierce raised a brow in surprise, but Rhani just buried her face in my shirt. I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Rhani, what happened? Are you alright?¡± She nodded, collecting herself. ¡°Yes, sorry. I just¡ª¡± she shivered, then whispered so that Pierce wouldn¡¯t hear, ¡°I saw him.¡± I nced at Scarlet, and she tensed. She should have been out of earshot, but I knew she¡¯d heard Rhani¡¯s words. She must have some exceptional hearing. I made a mental note of it, then turned my attention back to Rhani. ¡°Did he see you?¡± ¡°No, but Ren, he was asking about me. He knows I¡¯m the one who took Scarlet.¡± I really wanted to crush her to my chest and promise she¡¯d be safe, but she¡¯d been right earlier. Doing so could cause problems down the road. Instead, I just squeezed her shoulder. ¡°He won¡¯ty a finger on you. Not as long as you¡¯re mine.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She seemed calmer, so I let her go, though not before I shot a re at Pierce, who merely shrugged and walked away. ¡°Come on, lets go rescue your golem.¡± Jezal had been joined by the Nekomata, Mai. She was of a simr stature to Rhani, though a little fuller in the chest. Her hair and fur were both ck as night, and her ears twitched while she walked slow circles around the golem. A long ck tail flicked side to side behind her. ¡°I me you for this,¡± Korey grumbled at my side. ¡°We¡¯ll never get out of here at this rate.¡± Garm, the Dragonling, approached. When he spoke, it was with a thick ent I didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°Should I pick her up and tie her to a wagon again?¡± ¡°Let me try something,¡± I said. Leaving Rhani with Scarlet and the two men, I walked up and touched my finger to the golem. Shadows wrapped around it and the golem vanished into my storage. ¡°Hey!¡± Jezal whined. ¡°Bring her back! She¡¯s one of the most advanced non-skill golems I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the golem back out after we stop to make camp.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll just have to wait till then before you can look at it. I was going to have Rhani here run it through some paces for you before we settled down for the night, but at this rate I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have the time.¡± Her nostrils red. She turned on her heel and stormed towards the carriages, barking orders all the while. ¡°Mihrel! You¡¯re tying that knot to the wrong hook! Vaze! Shut the crate and stop eating the merchandise! Jn, Garm, get on your carriages already! You too, Mai! Come on, people, let¡¯s move!¡± Korey looked at me appreciatively. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ve ever seen her handled so quickly. I¡¯m impressed.¡± ¡°She just needs the right motivation. Let¡¯s say I know the type.¡± I ruffled Rhani¡¯s hair, and she fought my hand off with a smile before fixing it with an amused re. I caught the blond girl from before staring at us, but there was a little less vitriol in her eyes this time. Instead I saw a hint of uncertainty that made me throw a smirk her way, but she just huffed and stormed off. Korey noticed where my gaze had gone and looked to Scarlet himself. He winced. ¡°Look, I get that it isn¡¯t my ce to tell you how to deal with your servants, but¡ª¡± ¡°I only acquired her yesterday,¡± I told him. ¡°I¡¯ve got no intention of mistreating her or Rhani, nor will I allow them to be mistreated.¡± He rxed. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Anyways, I guess I owe you for getting us moving sooner, so let me know if you guys need anything.¡± Then he frowned. ¡°You guys do have supplies, right?¡± I pulled one of our travel packs from my storage and his eyes widened, then I sent it back. ¡°Like I said, you won¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± Despite my help, it still took another forty-five minutes before the caravan finally rolled out of the town. I made sure Rhani and Scarlet spent their time shielded from the center of Listone just in case the bald man came looking, but thankfully he never did. Finally, nearing noon, the caravan set off. Each of the demi-humans sat in the drivers¡¯ seats while each of the human caravaneers took a seat next to them. All the adventurers would be on foot, it seemed. It hadn¡¯t snowed in a few days, but the thickyer of clouds overhead made me wonder how long that wouldst. I didn¡¯t rx until long after Listone had faded from view, and it was even longer before I felt Rhani start to calm down. She was really freaked out by the man, and I made a silent promise to take her mind off things tonight. The caravan wasn¡¯t moving too fast, so once we¡¯d entered the forest to the south of Listone I had Rhani take Scarlet into the trees so she could change into some clothes that fit her. As soon as they¡¯d disappeared from sight, the man from the other adventuring group approached me. He had slicked back ck hair and a neatly trimmed beard. Up close I could tell his gear was very fine, though I could see marks from plenty of use. He had dark eyes that sized me up like I amused him and an oily grin that immediately set me on edge. He walked with his arm restingzily on the hilt of the long, thin de at his hip. ¡°So you¡¯re Ren, then?¡± His tone was jovial and easygoing. ¡°Sorry about Serena, she¡¯s our newest member, and she can be quite the handful.¡± ¡°No worries. I¡¯ve dealt with worse.¡± Heughed like I¡¯d said something funny. ¡°All the same, let me know if she¡¯s being too much of a pain and I¡¯ll have a talk with her.¡± His eyes flicked towards where Scarlet and Rhani disappeared. ¡°She¡¯s just a girl from a small town. Plenty of ideas in her head. Hasn¡¯t figured out she¡¯s got no business telling others how to treat their property.¡± I decided then and there that I didn¡¯t think much of Fel. ¡°Like I said, nothing I can¡¯t handle. Don¡¯t go out of your way or anything.¡± Heughed again. It was a fakeugh that probably worked on most people, but I was hardly most people. He certainly had a kind of natural charisma, but his words were a little too honeyed for my tastes. ¡°So, since you¡¯re around, what can you and your ves do? Just in case ites to a fight, of course. I like to at least know what tools I have at my disposal.¡± A perfectly harmless reason for asking coated in words that worried me. Still, he had a point. ¡°I¡¯m good in closebat, Rhani has her golem. I don¡¯t currently n for Scarlet to fight.¡± He nodded with a knowing expression. ¡°Every ve has their use.¡± ¡°Servant,¡± I corrected, all humor leaving my voice, ¡°not ve.¡± Even that distinction made my gut twist. ¡°And how about your little group?¡± His eyes glittered darkly. ¡°I stab things, S shoots things, Rastra sets things on fire, and Serena pokes things with her spear.¡± I knew if I gave him vague answers I¡¯d get them in return, but his expression still bothered me. I decided I¡¯d keep a close eye on him and his. He disappeared when he saw Rhani and Scarlet walking back towards me. Scarlet still wore her same disinterested expression, but I couldn¡¯t help but think she looked a little morefortable in clothes that fit her. Her cloak at least wasn¡¯t dragging on the ground and her top didn¡¯t hang from her narrow shoulders. I gave Rhani¡¯s hair a ruffle and felt her arm wrap around my waist to give me a quick squeeze. Despite the circumstances we¡¯d left under, I still felt a thrill of excitement. We were finally on the path to Amesseria. I¡¯d found at least one amazing ally and was surrounded by a few potential ones, and I felt like I¡¯d managed to get my hands on a big piece of the puzzle with Scarlet. ording to Korey when I asked, as long as nothing went horribly wrong, we¡¯d hit Amesseria in a little under three weeks. Then I could finally start holding up my end of Allura¡¯s deal. I could only hope that she still nned to uphold hers. Chapter Eleven: The Lancer Chapter Eleven: The Lancer We were slowed a bit by the snow that began to fall in thete afternoon, but by the time the sun started to set Korey seemed pretty happy with our progress. Once they¡¯d gotten the horses squared away and circled the wagons up, they got a decent sized fire set between them. I made good on my promise to Jezal about the golem after that. I summoned it and told Rhani to do some simplemands as Jezal asked for it, but I made sure to tell her not to let her mana fall below half just in case of an ambush. I didn¡¯t think anyone would attack us until we got further from the city, but I wasn¡¯t going to make any assumptions. Jezal, who I¡¯d gathered to be some level of artificer, was enraptured. Mai, though she rarely said a word, seemed just as interested. I hung around for a bit, but Gram ensured me he¡¯d keep an eye on things and make sure Jezal didn¡¯t get too excited. The Dragonling looked like he could have tossed both women over hisrge, ck-scaled shoulders with ease, so I left chaperoning to him. I wanted Scarlet to start warming up to Rhani, so I left her with them as well. They¡¯d set two-man watches, switching every four hours, so Yen and S went to take spots just on the edge of the firelight. After some friendly ribbing, Pierce¡¯s group and Fel¡¯s group started pairing up to spar a little so everyone could get a handle on one another¡¯s fighting styles. First up Fel and Al tangled swords. I got the feeling that Al was morefortable with his bow than the shortsword he used, but he was still pretty quick with it. Fel on the other hand fought with the immacte technique of someone who¡¯d trained under the best of tutors. He was lightning fast and struck with a well-practiced uracy. He fought Al with an almost contemptuous ease. It wasn¡¯t until Al was panting and gasping for breath that he finally disarmed the rogue. Rastra and Lana¡¯s ¡°duel¡± was more of a showcase. Lana was capable of mostly precision water and ice magics while Rastra threw mes around with much more power than control. If it came to a melee, especially in a forest, Rastra¡¯s magic would likely do more harm than good. So far I wasn¡¯t particrly fond of either woman, but I also had a more-than-healthy dislike for just about any mages. I¡¯d do my best to reserve judgment. As the final two, Pierce and Serena squared off. Pierce rubbed me the wrong way at times, but I couldn¡¯t deny he was a skilled warrior. He fought a mostly defensive battle, but his moves were quick and efficient. None of the flourish Fel put into every one of his moves. Where Fel fought like a river, flowing and twisting his entire body with each strike, Pierce fought like a tree. Tall, wide, and immovable. His arms were a blur, and from the few times he did attack I got the feeling his hits would pack a wallop. The fightsted for some time, but not because he was toying with Serena. In fact, I had the feeling he saw the same thing I did. Three strikes in and I could tell she¡¯d never had a real teacher. Her grip was off, her stance was all over the ce, she overextended every other strike, and she seemed unable to think about offense and defense at the same time. I doubted she¡¯d ever really sparred against a skilled opponent from the way Pierce was able to take her apart at leisure. That being said, she had one thing going for her. She was a natural. Anyone else wouldn¡¯t havested two seconds, but she reacted lightning fast. She recovered from mistakes that should have ended the duel right then and there and her bnce was impable despite her poor footwork. With a little training, she would be a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for her, there was something working against her that Pierce must have noticed as well, since he used it to send her ass over teakettle into the dirt with a well ced shoulder. Serena had clearly never fought in that shiny armor of hers. Any armor, unless I was mistaken. She made an angry noise and mmed her fist into the dirt, and I made the mistake of letting out a soft chuckle. She red at me with obvious hatred in her eyes. ¡°Something to say?¡± she demanded. I probably could have kept my mouth shut, but I was still a little raw at the assumptions she¡¯d made earlier. ¡°I was just wondering whose idea it was to buy that armor, since I doubt it was yours.¡± S hid a giggle behind her hand, which only made Serena¡¯s cheeks grow redder. ¡°I suppose you know all about how to wield a spear then, swordsman? I notice you don¡¯t even wear armor, so I can¡¯t help but wonder just how much fighting you do at all. Unless, of course, you just hide behind your ves.¡± Anger pricked at me, but I¡¯d been dealt worse insults. Still, I could tell that this was something best dealt with sooner thanter. I rose to my feet with a disinterested sigh. ¡°First off, they aren¡¯t my ves. You¡¯d do well not to make that mistake again. Second, as it so happens, I do know a little about spear work. I could give you some tips, if you¡¯d like.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. I wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of polearms, but it was always smart to have something with reach in your arsenal. Especially when many of the things you fought had big teeth and nasty ws. Serena rose to her feet, her face even redder than before. ¡°I don¡¯t need any advice from someone like you.¡± Everyone was watching with rapt attention. Fel, S, and Al with amusement, Rastra and Lana with passing interest, and Pierce with an intense curiosity. I could back down. Probably should, considering I had no idea what her skills were. I had a feeling Fel had instructed her not to use her skills since I hadn¡¯t seen any sign of them activating during the duel with Pierce, so there was no way to gage what her level was. Still, even if I lost, I could prove I was at least a little handy in a fight. I walked towards the impromptu dueling ring and summoned the spear I¡¯d taken from the bandit with a flourish. I touched the sword at my hip with my other hand and banished it at the same time. I heard intakes of breath from behind me, and I jammed the butt of the spear into the ground. ¡°Prove it.¡± She sputtered, then gripped her spear with both hands so tightly the tip trembled. ¡°Assume your ready stance.¡± I leaned on the spearzily. ¡°Ready? I¡¯m ready now.¡± That had the desired reaction. She lunged forward and thrust her spear towards my stomach, but I just spun my own weapon one-handed and knocked the strike aside. I stepped in close and rapped the wooden haft into her ribs, then stepped out of her reach before she could spin around. I wasn¡¯t Pierce. I¡¯d been raised and trained to allow no room for error, and her armor would mean she would barely feel the tap. The thing that was hurt most was her pride. ¡°Big opening moves are a mistake when you don¡¯t know your opponent¡¯s level of skill,¡± I told her. With a growl, she spun her spear and struck three times in the blink of an eye. I caught two with my spear and the third with my hand. I recognized the skill. [Flurry Strike]. Not spear-specific, and also not a great opener. I yanked the spear hard enough to pull her off bnce and smacked the back of her shoulderdes. ¡°Offset your feet, and for fortune¡¯s sake don¡¯t let your feet ever get any closer together than your shoulders.¡± She dropped into a stance that looked at least a little better than before and circled me. Good, she was at least taking a second to examine opponent. She¡¯d barely stopped to think during her duel with Pierce. ¡°Tell me, do you ever follow your own advice or do you just enjoy condescending?¡± I arched a brow. ¡°Make me break a sweat and I just might.¡± Her next move was to dance in at an angle, bringing her spear low. Then she seemed to twist mid-step and the tip was suddenlying at me from above. [Feinting Strike]. A false attack followed immediately by a strike from a different direction. It might have worked had she note at mepletely differently than before, clearly signaling she was trying something. Rather than even trying to block, I stepped in close and caught her wrist with my free hand. I flipped my spear and jammed it into the ground just behind her, then mmed my shoulder into her breastte. Her feet tangled in my spear and she fell backwards. She would havended t on her back had my hand not shot out and grabbed the front of her breastte. ¡°Stop opening with skills,¡± I said as I held her up. She was heavy in her armor, but I managed to keep my arm from trembling. ¡°Every time you use one, you attack differently. You need to learn to work them into regrbos so your enemy doesn¡¯t expect them as much.¡± I dangled her for a few more seconds to make my pointnd, then I hauled her to her feet and shoved her back. I pulled my spear out of the ground and twirled it. ¡°Again.¡± She happily obliged, and she didn¡¯t even open with a skill. She brought the spear over her head and spun it for momentum before mming it into me from the side. I had to finally use both hands thanks to the force behind the blow. She had high strength, that was for certain. She bounced off my block masterfully, dancing at me with a barrage of unskilled strikes that led into another [Feinting Blow]. It was leagues better than her first attempt, but there was a brief hesitation between her normal strike and her skill activating. It was expected considering she was learning on the fly, but it was still enough of a tell that I managed to divert the strike. There was ag after the skill too, but just like before she recovered quickly. Thanks to her focusing on her footwork now, she was even able to get in a few more blows while she twisted into a better position. We traded back and forth for a full minute, and she managed to sneak a cut on my ribs with a very well-ced [Flurry Strike]. She had another problem, however, that I felt the need to correct. Our spears crossed again and I twisted mine inside before I brought the other end forward and pulled the head back. She pitched forward, and I hit her in the cheek with the section of my haft between my hands. Her head jerked back and she stumbled, losing her grip on her weapon. Her arms iled, and she fell onto her rear. From the way she moved, I suspected that if she hadn¡¯t been weighed down by armor she¡¯d have been able to recover. She rubbed her cheek in a daze while I scooped her spear up. It was a fine weapon, well made and very bnced. ¡°You¡¯ve got five feet of weapon here, and you¡¯re only using thest few inches.¡± I held it out to her, butt first, and yanked her to her feet when she grabbed onto it before letting it go. ¡°You need to be able to use every inch like its second nature.¡± I could feel sweat trickling down my brow, so I smiled. I shifted my feet into a stance and raised my spear. ¡°Ready for another?¡± She looked at the weapon in her hands for several seconds before she looked back up at me. Then she nodded, determination recing all her frustration, and got into her own ready stance. This time I attacked first. I darted forward and imitated her [Feinting Blow], though without the skill. It wasn¡¯t as effective, but it put her enough off bnce for me to bring the butt of my weapon up and knock her back. Her bnce never wavered, and she transitioned beautifully between falling and spinning into another strike. She stabbed three times, swept at my feet, activated [Flurry Strike], brought the butt end down from above, then spun with a wide swing that I barely managed to block in time. She bounced off the block again, but this time instead of bringing her weapon all the way around she twisted and mmed the haft into my stomach. I staggered back and doubled over, and she looked more surprised than that her hitnded. ¡°Good shot,¡± I grunted. I forced air back into my lungs and stood. ¡°You¡¯re an even quicker learner than I thought you¡¯d be.¡± Her redness returned, but there was no anger behind it this time. I dropped into a stance again, and this time we both attacked at once. There were no lessons or advice, only the crossing of two weapons. The camp around us melted away until there were just the two of us going toe to toe. Time faded, and the only thing that mattered was the mming of wood on wood. The smacks of strikes finding their way past defenses. The controlled breathing of two fighters. She worked more skills into the exchange, and each one got smoother and smoother until I could hardly see theming. Then, after a particrly intense exchange of over a dozen blows between us, she danced back until she was nearly at the edge of the arena. I could have followed her fairly easily, but I was curious to see what she was about to do. She leveled the tip of her spear at my heart and I saw the head glow golden. Winds of the same color swirled around her ankles, and then she was shooting forward like an arrow. Her feet slid along the ground like it was made of ice, and swirls of gold and red light trailed from the tip of her spear as she sailed across the little arena in the blink of an eye. I¡¯d never seen this particr skill, but I¡¯d seen variants of it. I knew better than to try to block, and I wasn¡¯t sure if dodging was even an option. Almost by instinct, I conjured a tendril on my left forearm while I threw myself backwards. It wrapped around the haft of her spear as soon as she was close enough, and I tried to pull it to the side. It worked, somewhat, but in reality it was more like I was using her spear as an anchor to push my own body aside. It scraped across my ribs, but avoided anything overly important. Unfortunately for the both of us, it didn¡¯t stop when it missed. Her body crashed into mine, and it took everything I had to dig my heels into the ground and keep us upright enough that her spear didn¡¯t lower into the ground and vault us into the unknown. The world blurred before I was mmed into something solid and wooden with her armored body crushing me against whatever had stopped us. I saw stars for a moment, but once my vision cleared I saw we¡¯d careened into a wagon hard enough to slide it a few feet to the side. Her spear had gone through the side of the wagon, stopping where it hit the part of the haft my shadows were wrapped around. This meant I was rather pinned between a rock and a hard ce. I knew she was a few inches shorter than me, but her narrow build made her look smaller up close. She had to lift her face to look up at me. Emerald green eyes shimmered back at me. Locks of golden blond hair were stered to her forehead, and a good amount of the rest of her hair had escaped its tail in our bout. Inches from her face, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the scar that ran the bridge of her nose. The very minimal makeup that enhanced the already natural beauty she had. The high cheekbones and narrow chin and plump pink lips that were slightly parted while she panted from the exertion of using so many skills in such a short period of time. Then she realized the position we were in. Her jaw mped shut, her eyes went wide, and her face that was reddened by exertion turned positively crimson. She started yanking on her spear, but to get leverage she had to put her free arm on the other side of me, bringing her body even more into mine. She yanked, but the spear was caught in the wood of the wagon. ¡°Allow me,¡± I told her. I connected to the tendril and had it wrap its way towards the tip of her spear. I could tell it had twisted after impact, so I used the tendril as a guide to line the head up with the hole and pulled it out. Her eyes never left mine, so she never even saw the tendril of shadow before I dismissed it. As soon as it was free, she practically leapt backwards. I brushed myself off and took a peek into the hole. We¡¯d lucked out and the spear had gone between two boxes, but there was still arge hole in the wagon¡¯s side. I was sure we¡¯d get yelled at thatter. ¡°That was very impressive. A Lancer skill, right?¡± She stiffened. ¡°I¡ªhow did you¡ª¡± I waved a hand and went to retrieve my spear from where it had fallen at some point. ¡°I¡¯ve known one or two. It¡¯s a very impressive skill, but anyone with a bit of sense will pursue you to the point where you won¡¯t be able to use it. You need, what, ten feet of space?¡± Her mouth opened and closed several times before she spoke through gritted teeth, ¡°twelve, actually.¡± I inclined my head, then walked past her. ¡°In a real fight, your opponent will be too busy trying to kill you to let you get that far. There might be times where they back off and give you the chance to use it, but you run into the same issue as before. You need to learn some moves you can work in to give you the space you need. Watch.¡± I made some quick swipes, then with a forward thrust I let go with my front hand to grip the spear lower. I swept it in one big arc, then another while I leapt backwards,nding in the stance she¡¯d used when her skill had activated. ¡°Something like that. Executed right, they¡¯ll be off bnce and reeling long enough for you to use that powerful skill of yours. Careful though, because it¡¯ll only work once.¡± She was still struggling to find a response when the pping started. Fel first, though a few others quickly joined in. ¡°Well, that was something!¡± He threw an arm over Serena¡¯s shoulders, and she jumped. ¡°I knew I saw something in you, kid! And you were all hesitant to let me buy you that gear.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Money well spent, as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± This time there was clear embarrassment in her blush. ¡°Th-thank you for the lesson,¡± she forced out. I inclined my head and banished my spear. ¡°Any time. And I guess since I probably cost you most of your stamina pool it¡¯s only fair I take your spot on watch tonight.¡± She blushed harder. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary! Besides, isn¡¯t your stamina also impacted?¡± I syed my hands with a grin. ¡°Just my natural stamina, and that recovers pretty quick. I don¡¯t have any weapon skills that need stamina to activate.¡± She gaped, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice Fel¡¯s eyes narrowing. ¡°You use a spear and you don¡¯t have any spear skills?¡± he asked. I crossed my arms. ¡°It¡¯s not my favorite weapon by any means. I much prefer a sword. My skills lie in other specialties, though.¡± I enjoyed how ufortable that seemed to make Fel. Let him specte what my ss was all day long, I preferred to keep him in the dark for as long as possible. Serena mped her mouth shut. ¡°Thank you, then.¡± After, she pulled away from Fel and stormed off towards where Fel¡¯s group had set up their tents. Fel took another look at me. ¡°She¡¯s on next watch with Pierce.¡± I said my thanks and went to find Rhani. The others all watched me with varying levels of surprise and suspicion, but only Lana and Rastra voiced any praise. Unless I was reading too much into the look, I suspected Lana was more impressed by me than anyone here. I guess I did save her life, though, so she probably had the best opinion of me to begin with. On my way to Jezal¡¯s examination area, Korey appeared and pushed a bowl of stew into my hands. When I protested, pointing out he¡¯d initially insisted on not giving us any resources, he just waved me off. ording to him, as long as I was helping by standing watch and training the ones he was paying, he¡¯d feed me. It smelled delicious, so I decided not toin. I only ate about a quarter of it, though. I had ns for the rest. Jezal had resorted tobing over the golem with a magnifying ss nearly the size of her head while Mai sat on its shoulders looking over the camp, her tail swaying back and forth happily. It was stationary, so I assumed Rhani had hit her limit on mana. Garm watched from nearby, sitting against a wagon with Vaze nestled into his side. She was holding a book, but her head was slumped into Garm¡¯s shoulder. He noticed me and inclined his head. It took me a moment to find Scarlet, who was sitting cross legged on the top of the wagon above Garm¡¯s head. She was staring at me, and from this distance it almost looked like her head was tilted slightly. I walked up behind Rhani, who was watching the golem wistfully. She jumped when I cupped her ass with my hand and squeezed, then smiled wide and pushed into my palm when she saw it was me. ¡°I saw part of your duel. That was amazing!¡± I left my hand on her behind and stepped so that my front was pressed against her back. Once my hand was between us, I started kneading her cheek slowly. She leaned into me happily. ¡°It was a good opportunity. The others will be hesitant to screw with us, and I got a chance to give Serena a couple of pointers. She¡¯ll be quite the fighter someday, I think.¡± Then I held the still-steaming bowl of stew in front of her. ¡°Hungry?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Can I really? I thought it was theirs!¡± ¡°Technically, it is. Korey gave some to me anyways.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Then you should have it all.¡± I put it right under her nose and I could hear her stomach growl. ¡°I insist. Consider it an apology.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I gave her a brief rundown of the duel, and she finally took the bowl with a pout. ¡°Fine, but I want to share some with Scarlet. If she¡¯ll eat any, that is.¡± Then she smirked at me. ¡°You took Serena¡¯s watch, huh? Trying to curry favor with the cutest girl on the trip already?¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± I dug my fingers into the flesh of her ass hard enough to make her gasp. ¡°And you¡¯re the cutest girl here, make no mistake.¡± She giggled, then leaned into me and started eating the stew. She hummed happily at the taste. ¡°It¡¯s good you two are friends, though. I got a vibe from my skill when I watched you fight.¡± That was a surprise. ¡°Good or bad?¡± ¡°Good,¡± she said between bites, ¡°very good. It felt like when I found Scarlet, but less¡­urgent.¡± She looked around quickly then, once she seemed sure nobody was watching, rose on her tiptoes to brush her lips against my jaw. ¡°She¡¯s very pretty, too.¡± I gave her a hard look before bringing my hand back and giving her rear a good smack. She gasped, then went red. She looked around to see if anyone had noticed, but I¡¯d already seen Garm shoot an amused look at us. ¡°You¡¯re more than enough for me,¡± I told her. ¡°Gods, I hope not.¡± She gave me a devious smirk. Then she leaned in to say in a sultry whisper, ¡°it would be so hot to hold her up while you fuck her silly, pounding her adorable little slit with your wonderful spear so hard you have to take all her watches for a week.¡± I hardened at her words, and she pressed into my erection. Even through about sixyers of fabric, the sensation was heavenly. I looked at her incredulously, and my mind went back to the ¡°one of your wives¡±ment from this morning. ¡°You are something else.¡± Then I noticed the triumphant look in her eye. ¡°You little pervert,¡± I hissed, and she shivered at the word, ¡°you¡¯re just trying to get back at me for taking the watch tonight.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± Her innocent act was so convincing I wondered why I¡¯d ever thought she was a poor liar. I leaned in close, just out of range of her lips, then reached up and flicked her nose. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I have a cloak on. Besides, I don¡¯t think Serena has any ns to end up in my bed in any lifetime.¡± At her confused expression, I told her about what had happened when I first arrived at the caravan. Her expression grew furious. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell her the truth?¡± she demanded. ¡°No point. As far as she was concerned, all the proof she needed was under Scarlet¡¯s hood. Anything I said would have sounded like an excuse.¡± She looked as annoyed by that as I felt, but I heard Pierce calling my name before I could try and dispel her worries. I waved at him, then looked back down at my cute little bookworm. ¡°Go have Scarlet help you polish that off, and don¡¯t let Jezal keep you up toote. If you need to, go ask Garm for help. He seems to be the Jezal wrangler. I¡¯ll be in after my watch.¡± She grabbed my cloak before I could step away. ¡°In our tent or in our bedroll?¡± she asked with pleading eyes. I snorted. ¡°Considering how tight my pants feel right now, I think I¡¯ll decide when I¡¯m done with my watch.¡± Leaving her guessing seemed like good enough rpense. She pouted, then looked around again before rising up on her tiptoes again. I met her halfway for a quick peck, then headed off after Pierce. Pierce had decided on a roving patrol around the outskirts of the camp, and I saw no reason to argue. Other than business, he hadn¡¯t said a word to me since the duel. We¡¯d made a full circle around the camp before he finally spoke, and his words caught mepletely by surprise. ¡°Anyone ever told you that you fight like a Betian?¡± he asked. I didn¡¯t answer right away, and I knew that was a mistake the moment I looked him in the eye. I should have asked what a Betian was, but I could tell it was toote for that now. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it mentioned.¡± It was the only answer I coulde up with that wouldn¡¯t incriminate me more. He grunted. ¡°Strange thing is, that old fuck Grimsbane hunted them down near to a man. Way I heard, thest of them died in the war.¡± Shit. How the fuck did Pierce know about Betians? He couldn¡¯t have been more than twenty when the war went down. Granted, that would have put us at around the same age. Had he seen real action? ¡°I¡¯ll have to take your word for it.¡± We¡¯d been the Chosen¡¯s party, so naturally thest of the Betians had fought beside us. In a losing battle against Grimsbane¡¯s greatest general, they¡¯d given their lives to save ours. They¡¯d held back the tide of Grimsbane¡¯s army long enough for us to put down General Ilthiard, but not before they¡¯d been ughtered to a man. I¡¯d been close to one, and she¡¯d trained me in all manner of weapons. ¡°I saw one in a tournament when I was a boy,¡± he continued. ¡°The legends say they¡¯re warriors of unmatchable skill. My grandfather used to tell me they were the defenders of humanity in the days before the System, but I always figured it was a load of crap. When I saw the way that Bentian tore through his opponents with ease¡ªseasoned fighters with over a hundred levels each¡ªI changed my tune.¡± ¡°Sounds like a fairy tale. Either way, they¡¯d have all died before I was born.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Makes me wonder how the hell a kid like you knows how to fight like one.¡± I didn¡¯t believe his story about seeing one in a tourney. Or, rather, I did, but I had a sneaking suspicion that hadn¡¯t been the only asion he¡¯d seen one. Just who the hell was Pierce? I shrugged. ¡°I had some entric teachers, I guess.¡± Definitely not a lie. Another grunt. ¡°Tell me true, kid. What are you doing out here?¡± ¡°Just trying to survive.¡± I didn¡¯t like how inquisitive Pierce had suddenly be. He was fishing for something, and I needed to figure out what before I ran into a trap. ¡°Same as anyone else.¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe.¡± We walked in silence for a while. ¡°Fel is a moron, but you¡¯ve already pieced that together. Korey¡¯s an old friend. The son of a shield brother that didn¡¯t make it off the battlefield. Can I count on you to protect him when he inevitably fucks up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to stand by and watch people be killed.¡± ¡°Good. If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d like to know exactly what you¡¯re capable of. I give you my word that I won¡¯t breathe a lick of it to anyone else.¡± I snorted. ¡°Sorry, Pierce. I very much doubt we¡¯ll ever be enemies, but I¡¯m not just going to tell you everything about me because of what little you¡¯ve given me here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a level thirty Battlemaster and twenty-one Tactician. I¡¯ve got skills for a wide variety of weapons with a focus on des, and my allies get bonuses when following my orders. I¡¯m also good at spotting weaknesses. Very good. Do you know what weakness I see when I examine you?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll tell me.¡± ¡°When you stumbled in on us in the woods that day? Not a damn thing. I could tell in an instant that magic wouldn¡¯t be very effective, arrows less so, and getting in close would be a hell of a fight. Now? The only way to get a true advantage over you is by taking that Arelim of yours hostage.¡± He held a hand up when I red at him. ¡°Not my style, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re lethal. The kind of lethal that doesn¡¯te from a happy upbringing. I can see that much in your eyes when you think nobody¡¯s watching.¡± I wondered if he could see it right now, too. ¡°You¡¯re right about that, at least.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°And yet, it¡¯s clear you care for others more than yourself.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Seems a good basket to toss a few eggs in.¡± I looked at him for a long while. ¡°I¡¯m good at fighting groups,¡± I said finally. ¡°But most of my strength lies outside my skills. I¡¯m observant and paranoid as hell, and I don¡¯t take chances when ites to the people I care about.¡± Heughed humorlessly. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point. Nonbat skills?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a decent tracker, good at moving around unnoticed, and I¡¯ve seen my fair share of shit.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ve got warts older than you.¡± ¡°Believe me or don¡¯t. You asked.¡± That answer seemed to please him. ¡°You mentioned your servants aren¡¯tbat trained, but the Seraphim girl moves with a dangerous gait.¡± ¡°I just took her in yesterday. Giving her time to recover from herst master before I worry about seeing what she¡¯s capable of.¡± ¡°Fair enough. If things go south, are you more sword or more shield?¡± We¡¯d made it nearly a quarter around again before deciding on my answer. ¡°I¡¯m whatever the situation needs. Sword, shield, or the dagger that slips through your ribs in the dark of night.¡± For the first time since I¡¯d met him, Pierce smiled. ¡°Good to know.¡± Chapter Twelve: Truths and Planning Chapter Twelve: Truths and nning The rest of our watch went by in silence. I bade him goodnight when our recements found us and started towards where Rhani had set up our tent. I was stopped halfway by thest person I expected to still be up. Serena. She was waiting near the entrance to my tent, pacing nervously in front of antern. Gone was her armor. In its ce was a long dark red cloak that covered nearly her entire body. She¡¯d let her hair down as well, and it spilled across her shoulders and down her back in long golden locks that flickered deliciously in the low light of thentern. A squeak escaped her when she saw me, then she collected herself. ¡°Ren. I wanted to talk to you,¡± she whispered. I looked at the nearby tents, then jerked my head towards the woods. She nodded, then followed me with thentern until we were out of earshot. Her nose and ears were red from the cold, and every time she looked at me I thought I could see her cheeks color as well. When we were decently out of earshot, she took a breath. ¡°I wanted to apologize. For earlier. I said some unkind things because I jumped to conclusions, just as you said.¡± She must have seen the surprise on my face. ¡°Rhani sought me out. Set the record straight. She talks very highly of you.¡± She looked away. ¡°She seemed rather upset that I could think you were capable of¡­ such things.¡± She looked away. Damn, guess I¡¯d have to slip into Rhani¡¯s bedroll after all. ¡°All is forgiven, no harm done.¡± Her eyes snapped back to me with fire in them. ¡°Nonsense! I insulted you, and then you turned around and helped me improve more in a single spar than I have in thest six months.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I can¡¯t take all the credit, you¡¯re a natural with that spear. All you needed was a little guidance, the rest was all you.¡± ¡°Me and a few skills that make me proficient with spears and polearms,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Proficiency skills don¡¯t magically make you better, they amplify the knowledge and technique you already have,¡± I argued. ¡°It¡¯ll make you stronger, but only if you have a good base to work with. Now you have that base.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Her gaze fixed on the ground. ¡°Why are you kind to me?¡± I blinked. ¡°Am I not supposed to be?¡± She shifted her weight from foot to foot. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡ª¡± She made an irritated sound in the back of her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t like charity. I want to earn what I¡¯m given.¡± ¡°Is that why you were embarrassed Fel bought you that armor and spear?¡± ¡°How did you¡ªnever mind. Yes. He offered me a deal. He bought me equipment and I work for him until it¡¯s paid off.¡± Her hand snuck out of her cloak to rub her nose angrily. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you get out of helping me, and that makes me suspicious. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What is it with pretty girls and apologizing all the damn time?¡± I muttered under my breath. ¡°Sorry? I didn¡¯t catch that.¡± I didn¡¯t know whether tough or not. ¡°Nothing. I helped you because you needed the help, no more, no less. It helps that sparring with you was the most fun I¡¯ve had in a long while.¡± Well, not counting the fun I¡¯ve had with Rhani, of course. Her only response was to sniffle. I could see her breath in the cold of the night. Her eyes seemed locked in on the ground. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool, Ren?¡± Uh oh. That question had to be a trap. ¡°I think you¡¯ve got plenty of potential, but I also think you¡¯re pretty new to all this.¡± She sniffled, and I realized it wasn¡¯t because of the temperature. ¡°You fought me. Hells, you basically embarrassed me in front of the camp! Don¡¯t sugarcoat it! You fought against me, do you really think someone like me has a chance out here? Or am I an idiot for refusing to be a seamstress like my mother? We¡¯re only a day out, so if I should just give up and go home, I¡¯d like you to just tell me.¡± I wanted very badly tough, but I had a feeling that might just make things worse. Instead, I walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. She seemed much smaller out of her armor. ¡°Serena, do you know what word I¡¯d use to describe your fighting skills right now?¡± She nced at me uncertainly and shook her head. ¡°Untrained.¡± She hung her head. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Untrained,¡± I continued, and her face rose a little, ¡°and still a better fighter than most of the people I¡¯ve known in my life.¡± Her brows narrowed, as if she suspected a trick. ¡°You¡¯re a natural with that spear. Am I right in thinking you¡¯repletely self-taught?¡± ¡°I am,¡± she said hesitantly. ¡°Then that¡¯s damn impressive.¡± She straightened slightly. ¡°Serena, on your own, you¡¯ve reached a skill with the spear that most need a half dozen skills to reach. Do you know what¡¯s going to happen if you get some real training and work out the bad habits you¡¯ve formed?¡± She shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re going to be a force of nature. You want my advice? Don¡¯t let that idiot Fel put you any deeper in debt. Hopefully you get yours paid off before he realizes what an absolute gem he¡¯s got in you.¡± Her face dipped forward again, but not before I saw her blushing furiously. ¡°I still don¡¯t get why you¡¯re so nice to me.¡± I stepped so close that she was forced to look up at me. When she met my eyes, I smiled. ¡°Because of all the people I¡¯ve met in thest two days, you¡¯re the first to get upset over Scarlet¡¯s injuries. If that wasn¡¯t enough, you¡¯re also the first person I¡¯ve met who uses Rhani¡¯s name. You, to your own great misfortune, are a good person. People are going to try to take advantage of that, so I figured it was my duty to give you a fighting chance.¡± She swallowed. I could practically see steaming out of her ears. ¡°Oh.¡± Her eyes started to drift away, but she forced them back to mine with no small amount of effort. ¡°W¡ªwould you be willing to spar with me again?¡± she asked. My smile widened. ¡°Name the time and ce, though I should warn you that I can be a bit of a harsh teacher.¡± ¡°V¡ªvery well then. I look forward to seeing how you wield other weapons.¡± Then her eyes went wide. ¡°Like swords! Weapons like swords!¡± She started backing away. ¡°Ah, um, I should let you get to sleep. It¡¯ste. Thank you again. Um, good night. Rest well.¡± I could only shake my head while she scurried back through the tents towards where Fel¡¯s group had set up. Could her unintentional double entendre be Rhani¡¯s work? Or was it possible that I¡¯d managed to stumble upon another poor repressed pervert? Either way, one thing was for certain. When she wasn¡¯t yelling at me, Serena was incredibly cute. I needed to get to the bottom of this whole ¡°multiple wives¡± thing Rhani¡¯s dropped on me twice now. Thinking of Rhani was enough to make me head towards my tent with a spring in my step. I had promised to make things up to her, after all. Unfortunately, when I lifted the p, it seemed she was already asleep. All I could see was her head, the rest was tucked under the bedroll. I¡¯d gotten another tent so Scarlet could have her own, but she was curled up in the corner as far from the entrance as possible. All I could see was her face, but she seemed to be as out as Rhani. Trying not to feel too disappointed, I ditched my cloak and boots, then stripped off my shirt and pants until all that was left was my underwear. The cold wouldn¡¯t bother me, and I had a feeling Rhani would want to make up for lost time in the morning. My ns changed slightly when I carefully slid into the bedroll, doing my best not to wake my little schr. When I pressed up against her back, I had a very sudden realization. There was not a stitch of clothing on her below the cor. The feeling of her back on my chest and the brief foray of my hand to confirm that she wore no panties had me hard in an instant. I couldn¡¯t help but think of some of the fantasies she¡¯d told me about that night in the inn. I wanted very badly to help her with some for more than one reason, but fucking a sleeping girl still strayed far too close to certain lines for my tastes. Not without several in-depth discussions first, at least. Then I wrapped my arms around her and brushed my hand against her very hard nipple, eliciting a slight gasp from her. One that was in no way muddled by drowsiness. There¡¯s no way. One of my hands quested southward. Sure enough, when I slid a finger between her thighs, I found that she was absolutely drenched. Even better, a barely contained breath slipped out of her at the touch. She was still very much awake, though she was clearly pretending otherwise. Well, in that case¡­ I tried to move as little as possible while I fished my member out. I wasn¡¯t going to fuck a sleeping Rhani, but one pretending to sleep? Well, if I didn¡¯t, then we might just drown in our bedroll. I shifted like I was moving to spoon her, then I slowly and deliberately slid my length across her folds. She tried her best, but a restrained moan still slid past her lips. I worked my hips slowly, coating myself in her juices while I slid one arm under her. Despite her attempted deception, I could barely hold back myugh when her torso lifted just enough to let my arm slip under. I wrapped the hand around her breast and gave it a squeeze, then used my other hand to line myself up. I teased her entrance with the head for a few seconds to give her a chance to prepare herself, then I slid myself in with one long, slow, push. Her hot depths sucked me in greedily, and I had to fight to hold in my groan as her silky smooth walls just pulled me in deeper. I hilted myself in her and justid there, enjoying the feel of her back on my chest and her pussy wrapped around my cock. Rhani whimpered, but it was muffled. A quick check revealed she had a mouthful of bedroll. I yed with her breast in one hand while the other roamed her body with light touches. The entire time I didn¡¯t move my hips. Finally, when her hips started to twist in a desperate attempt to create even a little friction, I took pity on her. I put a hand on her thigh and began to slowly and sensually fuck her. I pressed my lips to the nape of her neck while I worked her. Every thrust was pure bliss, and every slow pull back made her shudder delightfully. It wasn¡¯t the hesitant first time or the frantic quickie we¡¯d had that morning, but a peaceful, sensual embrace that I never wanted to end. I began to gently finger the nub just above where we were joined, which earned me another muffled moan. My eyes flicked to Scarlet, but she hadn¡¯t so much as twitched an eyelid. I rubbed in slow circles while I sawed back and forth, and it wasn¡¯t long before I was rewarded by the feeling of her mping down on my cock before her body clenched tight. I kept going, both with my hips and my fingers, to prolong her orgasm. The fluttering of her inner walls added to the stimtion, and I buried my face into her hair to muffle my own moan. My hips started thrusting faster and faster as if they had a mind of their own. I could feel my limit approaching. I let go of her breast and wrapped my arm far enough around her to grab the shoulder facing the sky and pulled her tightly into me. I nibbled the flesh between her shoulder and neck and fucked her as fast as I dared so that our hips meeting wouldn¡¯t wake half the camp. Then, all too soon, I buried myself in her and released. I felt her cum again while I filled her, panting into her neck. With how much she loved getting creampied, I figured that crest was nevering off her womb. I kissed her neck while she came down, then I whispered in her ear, ¡°I¡¯ll fuck you however you want, but if I ever go to far you will tell me. Understood?¡± I had to reach up and pull the soaked bedroll out of her mouth before she answered, ¡°yes, Zaren. I understand.¡± Her words were slurred, and I could hear the smile on her face. I kissed her cheek, then I snuggled into her warmth without pulling out of her depths. I could tell the moment her tired pants switched over to the slow breaths that meant she was asleep. Drifting off full of my cum and cock was almost enough to make me ignore the g staring me in the face. Come morning, I¡¯d have to address the fact that she¡¯d called me by my full name for a second time now. # # # Sleeping wrapped around Rhani (and, in this case, with Rhani wrapped around me) once again proved to be some of the best sleep I¡¯d gotten in my life. I still had nightmares, of course, but her warmth chased them away as soon as I returned to consciousness. Though, as I couldn¡¯t help but notice when I groggily woke that morning, her warmth was in a rather unusual spot. It wasn¡¯t until I felt her tongue on my sac that I realized she¡¯d woken me by wrapping her soft lips around my shaft, and she was currently taking it deeper than she had the first time. My hands found her hair and I ran my fingers through it, which led to her humming happily into my cock. The sensation drew a groan out of me, which only caused her to do it again. ¡°You are going to be the death of me,¡± I said softly. Then Scarlet spoke, and both Rhani and I froze. ¡°Sir, may this one go relieve herself?¡± she asked, kneeling on her bedroll with only a shirt on. ¡°Of c¡ªcourse,¡± I stammered. Rhani had frozen well over halfway down my length, and I could feel her tongue straining towards my sac. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask for my permission for that. You can go whenever you need, though don¡¯t go too far.¡± Her head still didn¡¯t move, but Rhani¡¯s soft fingers had risen to slowly and carefully massage my balls. Scarlet nodded, and I saw her eyes flick towards where Rhani was curled up around my lower half, but she didn¡¯t say another word. As soon as she was gone, I grabbed a fistful of Rhani¡¯s hair. ¡°You little shit,¡± I said with augh, ¡°she definitely heard that.¡± I used my grip to drag her up and down on my cock, and she moaned appreciatively. One hand slid up to work the shaft without breaking contact with my skin while the other continued fondling me. I¡¯d woken halfway through the process, so it wasn¡¯t long before I was unloading down her throat. Just likest time, the amazing heat of her mouth didn¡¯t slip off me until she¡¯d swallowed every drop. I shuddered at the feeling of her lips dragging across the head. Once she was done, she tucked me back into my underwear and climbed up and out so that she wasying on my chest. I rolled with her until we were both on our sides and pulled her into a deep kiss. She groaned when I broke it, resting her head on my arm. ¡°Gods I love how you taste, Ren.¡± Iughed while I slowly straightened out the hair I¡¯d messed up, then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes from where she¡¯d been trying to deepthroat me. ¡°The feeling is entirely mutual.¡± She giggled when I started peppering her neck with kisses, but I couldn¡¯t let things go too far. Not before we had a talk that¡¯s been a long timeing. I pulled back and just took a moment to look at her. Her perfect pale white face. Her narrow nose that wrinkled even as I looked at her. Her mesmerizing blue and gold eyes that I could look into forever. Her thin, soft lips that felt heavenly no matter where she put them. I let out a long sigh. ¡°A goddess tasked me with preparing the world for an outsider god who was attracted by Grimsbane¡¯s final ritual.¡± She blinked. Then blinked again. Then her eyes started to glow. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Insane?¡± ¡°So much cooler than any of the theories I wasing up with.¡± It was my turn to blink in shock. ¡°You actually believe me?¡± ¡°Ren, you¡¯re carrying a magic sword that¡¯s capable of unraveling magic and eating souls. You being a Chosen is hardly the most oundish part of you.¡± A fair point, I suppose. Although¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not a Chosen. Not technically, at least.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve got a mythic ss, though.¡± ¡°And I had it long before I struck a deal with the goddess.¡± That surprised her. ¡°A deal? You made an actual deal with a goddess?¡± ¡°It¡¯splicated, but yes.¡± She was taking this remarkably well, though I suppose she¡¯d already guessed most of it. ¡°Chosen are gifted their ss by a god or goddess and are expected to serve their interests because of it. She came to me after because of my ss and its properties, so she had to offer something in return.¡± She chewed on her lip. I knew the look to mean she was struggling with just which line of inquiry to pursue next. ¡°The sword is rted, then?¡± ¡°She seems to think the sword is what the god is after.¡± Her hands traveled up my chest and started drumming against my skin. Her chewing intensified, and her thighs started squirming against one another. ¡°Go on,¡± I said with a chuckle, ¡°ask and I¡¯ll answer.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the real Zaren Nocht?¡± she asked before I even stopped speaking. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°The goddess put me to sleep for thirty years, though she didn¡¯t tell me it was going to be for so long.¡± ¡°You said only you could wield the sword. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but my ss revolves around true darkness, which in apaniment to light is one of the two true primal magics. Something about the interaction between the sword and primal magics makes me able to direct the destructive curse in the de. She also boosted my Resilience, which helps me resist the curse.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got seventy.¡± ¡°Seventy!?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re really only level nine? You don¡¯t have another ss?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the goddess reset my level when she put me down to sleep.¡± ¡°How long before we met did you wake up?¡± ¡°About a day.¡± ¡°You jumped eight levels in a day?¡± ¡°Four, technically. She only dropped me to level five.¡± She was practically vibrating. ¡°That means she didn¡¯t reset you, she just took your levels.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a difference?¡± ¡°A reset would have made you pick a new starting ss, ording to the stories, but to take your levels means she either kept the experience for herself or used it for something. Now shut up, I¡¯m asking the questions here.¡± I raised a brow, but didn¡¯tment. She thought for a few more seconds. ¡°The outer god?¡± ¡°I know nothing about them, and neither did the goddess when we spoke.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spoken since?¡± ¡°Apparently it¡¯s bad for the soul to talk without using the correct channels.¡± ¡°Damn it, we need to find you a cleric, priestess, or oracle. Preferably a gorgeous one with really big boobs.¡± ¡°Are you trying to build me a harem?¡± She jabbed me in the chest. ¡°I said I¡¯m the one asking questions! Which goddess?¡± I hesitated at that. ¡°Allura.¡± That caused her to sputter. ¡°The sex goddess!?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a sex goddess,¡± I argued in spite of myself, ¡°she¡¯s the goddess of love, family, and bonds. But yes, the sex goddess.¡± There were tears in her eyes as her hands drifted up to cup my cheeks. ¡°Then my prayers really were answered.¡± Then it was back to business. ¡°Your n?¡± ¡°Get to the capital, see what the situation is like, start trying to repair the rift between humans and demi-humans while I try to find information on this god.¡± ¡°Vague, but doable if you¡¯ve got a goddess helping you.¡± Then her eyes went really wide. ¡°My skill evolution.¡± She gripped my face and pulled me in close. ¡°Did you fuck a new skill into me?¡± I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that, but it wasn¡¯t a possibility we couldpletely discount all things considered. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s certainly not impossible. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a coincidence you got a skill that protects you from cursed writing just after you were in the presence of my very cursed de.¡± She locked up. Then she pushed away and very slowly sat up, letting the bedroll fall and baring her breasts to the room. I sat up as well, worried she¡¯de to the exact conclusion that had been haunting me thest few days. Her gaze fixed on a point in front of her and I knew she was looking through her skills. Her eyes zed over, and she brought a finger to her lips. ¡°My skills. My ss. I found the information that led me to that tower using a rare skill. Allura was pushing me towards you. I was literally made for you. To help you.¡± I swallowed. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, it¡¯s a possibility.¡± Then a smile slowly broke out on her face. Sheunched herself at me with a squeal and wrapped her arms around my neck. ¡°Awesome! Awesome, awesome, awesome! This is the best day of my life!¡± The relief I felt brought a tear to my eye. I was terrified she¡¯d hate me for that, but it seems my fears were unfounded. ¡°If she did make you for me, she did a damn good job.¡± I barely had time to make out the radiant smile on her face before she was on me, sucking on my tongue while her hands roamed roamed. It took a while, but I finally managed to get her to calm down enough to breathe. ¡°I¡¯m yours,¡± she panted. ¡°My ss, my skills, my body, my heart, all yours. I knew you were amazing the day I met you and I was more right than I could ever have guessed.¡± ¡°Easy!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Take a breath, Rhani. You don¡¯t have to take it that far. I want you to be my partner, not my servant.¡± I tugged on her cor. ¡°This is temporary. At least, what it represents is,¡± I added quickly when I saw her disappointment, ¡°if you want to make me really happy, then let me see you live a life where you¡¯re truly happy.¡± I thought she might explode, then she seemed to dete. ¡°Gods, you killed him. You¡¯re the one who killed Grimsbane.¡± I frowned. ¡°Rr killed Grimsbane.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Officially, sure, but my father toldme the truth. You killed him. You saved the world. You¡¯re a hero. A legend. You¡¯re unbelievably amazing and I¡¯m just¡­ me.¡± Her bottom lip trembled. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. ¡°Do you know what I was doing when the goddess found me?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I was headed to the Gurges Mines. I was going to take the deepest tunnel I could find and bring that mountain down on top of me so nobody could ever use this sword again.¡± Her eyes went wide, and I slid my hand up so that I could caress her cheek. ¡°I was going because I didn¡¯t have anything left to keep me here. Everyone I¡¯d ever cared about was gone.¡± I pulled her close so that we were chest to chest, but I didn¡¯t kiss her yet. ¡°I killed Grimsbane because I knew I had to, but I didn¡¯t care about what was on the other side of that fight. Even when Allura gave me this task, all I could think about was how toplete it, even if it killed me. I know we¡¯ve barely known each other for long, but for the first time in my life I want to see whates after. You¡¯re the reason for that, so don¡¯t you ever say that you¡¯re ¡®just you.¡¯¡± Her bottom lip trembled more violently, then the tears started to fall. She pushed her lips into mine, and I just held her through the wettest kiss of my life so far. Eventually she broke the kiss to just rest her head on my shoulder while I stroked her hair. I heard the rest of the camp starting to wake up outside, so I figured we wouldn¡¯t have too much longer to ourselves. ¡°I also wanted to talk to you about [Arcane Intuition].¡± ¡°I have the skill because of you, so of course I¡¯ll use it for you.¡± Se didn¡¯t take her head off my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it on the same question of how to help you.¡± ¡°While I appreciate that, I had another question in mind.¡± ¡°Name it.¡± There was no sugarcoating the information I so desperately needed right now. ¡°I need you to ask who¡¯s hunting me.¡± She shot up like she¡¯d been electrocuted. ¡°What!?¡± I quickly exined the drawing I¡¯d found on the bandits that had attacked us before and my suspicions of arger camp. ¡°Someone is after my sword, and we need to know if it¡¯s just another asshole out for power or someone rted to this outer god. They showed up a little too quickly after I¡¯d awoken for my tastes.¡± A determined look settled on her face. ¡°Of course. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°I very much doubt you ever could.¡± I could see in her eyes the promise of what she wanted to do to me in that moment, but it simply wasn¡¯t to be. The p opened, and I turned expecting to see Scarlet. ¡°Rhani, do you know where Ren is? Scarlet is being very unelp¡ª¡± Serena froze when she saw us. She saw Rhani first, going red when she realized the Arelim waspletely naked. Her eyes lingered on her exposed breasts before she looked to me. Our eyes met and her redness deepened, then her eyes roamed down my body, taking in every muscle and every scar, before stopping at the bulge in my undershorts Rhani had drawn out of me. She squeaked out an apology and disappeared, which made Rhaniugh until more tears wereing from her eyes. I shot her a look and she calmed just enough to speak. ¡°I thought that only happened in my trashy romance novels!¡± Then sheughed even harder. Scowling, I threw her shirt at her. I quickly got dressed, then went looking for Serena to do some damage control. I found her outside, strapping thest of her armor on with S¡¯s aid. I couldn¡¯t see her face since her back was to me, but her hair was in a thick braid that fell down her back so I could tell her ears were still red. S saw meing, looked to Serena with a raised brow, then said something that sounded suspiciously like ¡°good job, girlie,¡± before winking at me and sauntering off. ¡°Sorry about that, Rhani basically knows no shame and I¡ª¡± The words died in my throat when I saw her face. She was furious. Not with me, I realized when I felt a spike of feare from her, but herself. ¡°You must hate me,¡± she said angrily. ¡°How could you not?¡± Dear gods. Why do I seem to be exclusively attracted to women with this mindset. ¡°Serena, I can assure you I don¡¯t. Why would I?¡± She adjusted the armor on her forearm to give herself an excuse not to look at me. ¡°For insinuating you could put someone else through something like what Scarlet went through when you¡ªwhen you look like that.¡± Ah. That¡¯d do it. She¡¯d certainly gotten an eyeful of more than just my bulge. ¡°Like I saidst night, I¡¯m not going to waste my time being angry at you for caring about another person. You couldn¡¯t have known about my past yesterday.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I couldn¡¯t have known anything about you, and I assumed the worst immediately. I¡¯m despicable.¡± Iughed at that. ¡°Hardly. You just need to learn to look a little better before you leap.¡± ¡°Even if you¡¯ve forgiven me for it,¡± she said, switching to fiddling with her other forearm, ¡°how can I forgive myself?¡± ¡°You do better next time. Sometimes that¡¯s all you can do.¡± I could tell she was going to keep beating herself up about it, so I looked around to make sure everyone else was busy. They were, so I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the tent she was changing in front of. She squeaked in rm, but didn¡¯t fight me. We had to both kneel down in the tent¡¯s tight confines, but once we had I lifted my shirt. Her eyes went wide and she tried to look away, but I grabbed her hand. ¡°Look, Serena. Please.¡± It took her a second, but she finally did. She turned a little green while she looked over them. I flicked a strap on her wrist and pulled a gauntlet off, then led her fingers to two jagged scars from where a wild dog had torn into me when I was thirteen. ¡°We all have our scars. Some you can see, some you can¡¯t. These? These are nothingpared to some of the internal ones I¡¯ve built up over the years.¡± Her fingers trailed over my abs, tracing the line where I¡¯d been caught off guard by a starving kid and nearly been disemboweled for it. It stopped on the one that was clearly fresher than the others, a short white line just a few inches to the right of my navel. ¡°Want to know where I got that one?¡± She didn¡¯t take her eyes off it, but she nodded. ¡°Rhani stabbed me,¡± I told her. Her gaze shot up to mine, eyes wide. ¡°I stumbled across her unconscious and trapped, and she panicked when she woke up and saw me kneeling over her. I forgave her, do you know why?¡± She shook her head, so I said, ¡°because I¡¯ve been hurt by a lot of people in my life. Enough to know the difference between someone who hurts you because they don¡¯t know better and someone who hurts you because they want to.¡± I gently turned her hand over, running a thumb across her palm, and slid her gauntlet back on. I talked while I redid her straps. ¡°Did your words hurt? Sure. But you felt bad about them. You beat yourself up plenty as far as I¡¯m concerned, and the event is going to make you a better person. It¡¯s all water under the bridge. Don¡¯t forget how you felt, but don¡¯t let it drag you down, either.¡± I gave the gauntlet a tug to make sure it¡¯d set right. ¡°Wesh out when we¡¯re afraid or frustrated or when we feel like things are happening that aren¡¯t in our control. It¡¯s just our nature. We can choose to hold everyone responsible for every little thing, or we can choose to move on and better one another. I¡¯ve seen far too much pain and suffering in my time to go with the former.¡± I lowered my shirt and it broke whatever trance she was in. ¡°We should¡ª¡± she cleared her throat. ¡°We should go. People might make assumptions otherwise.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m good, but I¡¯m not ¡®quickie through a skirt of armor¡¯ good.¡± She blushed and crawled out so quickly she nearly took the tent with her. By the time I was exiting, she was looking at her hand in confusion. ¡°You put it on better than Fel does, and he bought the thing.¡± I was just about to make ament in poor taste about not just being good at re-dressing women when Rhani swooped in with a broken down tent under her arm and Scarlet in tow. ¡°Oh, good, you two made up. Here you go, Ren.¡± I touched the tent and banished it to my storage, then I noticed the packs in Scarlet¡¯s hands. Mine was thrown over her shoulder, but Rhani¡¯s was clutched in her hand. She hardly seemed bothered by the weight of all the books. ¡°Scarlet, may I see those?¡± She held mine out first and I banished it, then she lifted Rhani¡¯s pack with a straight arm like it weighed nothing. I banished it, careful not to show how impressed I was. It seemed our little mystery demi-human was rather strong indeed. Rhani noticed it too, and we exchanged a nce that promised we¡¯d discuss itter. I turned back to Serena, who was very pointedly trying not to look at Rhani¡¯s chest. ¡°Serena,¡± I pulled her attention to me, ¡°what was it you wanted to ask me about?¡± Her blush returned. Gods, it was easier to get this girl to turn red than Rhani. I¡¯d named the wrong girl Scarlet. ¡°N-nothing! It was nothing. Forget about it.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice her eyes flick towards Rhani, and my brows rose. ¡°You should know,¡± I told her, ¡°that I¡¯ve yet to meet someone more stubborn than me. Don¡¯t tell me, and I¡¯ll spend the day pestering you.¡± Serena tried to cross her arms, but it was evident she¡¯d picked up the habit when not wearing armor. ¡°Well, if you must know, I was wondering if you¡¯d like to join me during our travel today. I¡¯d like you to tell me everything I did wrongst night so that I can do better in the future, but that won¡¯t be necessary. I¡¯ve thought better of it.¡± Rhani elbowed me. ¡°Last night?¡± ¡°The duel!¡± Serena exploded. ¡°Last night during the duel, and at no other point!¡± I opened my mouth, but Rhani beat me to it. ¡°He¡¯d love to! I, for one, think its a great idea. And,¡± she leaned closer to Serena, ¡°if you have any questions he can¡¯t answer, I¡¯d love to.¡± Serena drew herself up with her chin lifted. ¡°In that case, I do have one question.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes glittered, but my battle senses activated. There was a trap here somewhere. ¡°Ask away!¡± ¡°I¡ªis it a prerequisite to stab Ren before bedding him?¡± Rhani¡¯s jaw practically hit the floor, but if she responded I missed it. I was too busy doubled over, holding my sides inughter. Rhani finally recovered, though her face was crimson, and whirled on me. ¡°You told her that?¡± she demanded. Then she whipped out her dagger. ¡°You know what? Yes. Yes it is. Here, you can use mine.¡± I onlyughed harder at the shocked look on Serena¡¯s face as Rhani turned the tables. They both red at me, though I saw blushing smiles all around. Once I wiped enough of the tears away to be able to see again, I looked at each of them in turn, Scarlet included. She was staring at me, and though her gaze seemed as disinterested as usual, up close I could tell that her head was definitely tilted like she was confused. I didn¡¯t have long to dwell on that, though. All the drivers were loaded up and the carriages were starting their motion. ¡°Serena, all jokes aside, I would love to walk with you today.¡± ¡°If you insist,¡± she said, though when we started walking I noticed she had a bit of a bounce in her step. The snow was kind enough to wait for us to get moving before it started falling in lowzy drifts, but I made good on my agreement and walked Serena through everything I remembered from the duel. I wasn¡¯t at all surprised that she responded to criticism better thanpliments, and as long as it was rting to her technique with an actual spear she was focused and driven. It was a productive conversation, right up until the caravan came across the body. Chapter Thirteen: Baits and Lures Chapter Thirteen: Baits and Lures I felt the sharp spike of fear just before I heard the scream. It was a piercing shriek that sent every bird in a half-mile radius scattering to the winds. Serena and I were sprinting before it died out, though I made sure to shout at Yen and Rastra to stay at the back of the caravan. This could very well be a trap. Worried stares followed us to the front where Jezal stoodforting a trembling Mai that had her face buried in the artificer¡¯s shoulder. Even as I ran past I could see the poor girl was trembling from head to toe. It had been her scream we¡¯d heard. Pierce, Fel, S, and Korey were kneeling over the body while a half-dozen others watched. It was maybe fifteen feet from the road in a depression in the ground that hid it from the view of the caravaneers. With how much crimson stained the snow around the body, I suspected Mai¡¯s nose had led her to investigate. The body itself was in a bad state. I saw at least one ear of a Nekomata and the stump of a tail, but most of her features were hard to make out. Predators had shredded the body rather thoroughly, and entire chunks of the body had been torn away. From the struggle marks in the snow, slowly being covered by this morning¡¯szy fall, I was sure the poor soul had been alive when the predators had found her. Fel and S both looked like they might vomit, as did many of the others. Only Pierce and Korey seemed rtively unaffected by the gore. I knelt down next to the body and they didn¡¯t say anything. There was only so much I could tell with how little of the body was untouched, but I pulled out a dagger and used it to prod and lift parts of the body anyways. The flesh on her remaining wrist was rubbed raw. Manacles, likely. What little clothing remained was little more than rags of cheap, dirty fabric. No sign of shoes, but the bottoms of her feet weren¡¯t raw. She hadn¡¯t traveled far enough to damage them. She hadn¡¯t been dressed for travel, especially in this cold weather. Then I saw the deep clean cuts on the outside of her thighs, and bile rose in my throat. I heard retching behind me, but I didn¡¯t look to see who it was. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Pierce asked me. Fel snorted. ¡°Who cares? Some idiot Neko got lost and eaten. Throw some snow over her and lets be on with it.¡± I ignored him, looking to Pierce. ¡°Wait for me by the treeline. We¡¯ll follow the tracks and make sure the animals that did this aren¡¯t still nearby.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you, I suppose,¡± S said reluctantly. ¡°No,¡± Pierce and I said at the same time. He looked at me and inclined his head, so I said, ¡°this could easily be a trap or distraction. It¡¯s smartest to leave as many fighters behind as we can just in case. The rest of you should get moving, we¡¯ll catch up.¡± Fel stormed off muttering about a waste of time, and S followed him not long after. Pierce headed towards the tree line with a curious expression, and I turned back to the crowd. I took a second to find the one I was looking for. Serena was a few feet away, her hands on her knees, throwing up for a second time. She tensed when I put a hand on her shoulder, but rxed when she saw it was me. ¡°First body?¡± She tried to use her hand to wipe her mouth, but it was still gauntleted so she only seeded in nearly hitting herself in the face. I offered her a cloth from my storage, and she nodded gratefully. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never seen something so horrible. The poor thing must have been so scared.¡± She shivered. ¡°I need your help.¡± There was still a pretty strong undertone of green in her face, but she squared her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯d dly put down the monsters that did this.¡± I appreciated the sentiment, but I shook my head. ¡°Me and Pierce are going to take care of things. I n to take Rhani, and I need someone I trust to watch over Scarlet while we¡¯re gone. Can I count on you?¡± Her expression was a mix of annoyance at being relegated to babysitter and relief that she wasn¡¯t having to go after the predators. ¡°If you think that¡¯s the wisest course of action, I¡¯ll defer to you.¡± I was d she didn¡¯t argue. It didn¡¯t take long to track down my two lovely servants thanks to therge armored golem. Scarlet was the same as always, though I noticed Rhani stood with her hand on the smaller girl¡¯s shoulder when I approached them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°Corpse by the road,¡± I told her. In as few words as possible, I brought her up to speed. She didn¡¯t look thrilled about going hunting, but she didn¡¯t argue. I looked at Scarlet. ¡°You¡¯ll be staying with Serena. Do as she says until I return. You have my permission to protect yourself, her, and this caravan if attacked.¡± ¡°This one will behave,¡± Scarlet promised solemnly. Giving my thanks to Serena, I led Rhani towards Pierce with the golem in tow. He didn¡¯t say a word as he fell into step beside me with Rhani trailing just behind, and I started following the fading tracks of whatever had killed the Nekomata. I waited until the caravan was out of sight before speaking. ¡°The Neko wasn¡¯t just an unlucky traveler.¡± ¡°No,¡± Pierce agreed. ¡°It was a lure.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand covered her mouth. ¡°What? Why? How can you tell?¡± ¡°She showed signs of imprisonment,¡± I exined, ¡°and someone hobbled her so she couldn¡¯t escape. Left her alone and bleeding until the scent of her blood attracted whatever it is we¡¯re hunting.¡± She looked as disgusted as I felt. ¡°What could she have done to deserve such a thing?¡± ¡°Most likely? She only died like that because she¡¯s Nekomata.¡± Pierce raised a brow, but said nothing. Rhani stumbled over a tree root and I stopped to catch her. ¡°Who would do something so cruel for such a reason?¡± Her voice trembled with a note of fear. I wished I didn¡¯t have to tell her such a horrible truth, but fate seemed determined to remind me that the world was a very shitty ce sometimes. ¡°Beastkin have very strong smelling blood, and Nekomata have the strongest of the subraces. In the early days of the war, Grimsbane would have his spies drop trails of injured Nekomata leading from dangerous areas to popted ones out of his control. The scent of their blood would attract predators, and he¡¯d use their deaths to lead those predators to poptions to weaken them before attacking.¡± I felt Pierce¡¯s eyes on me the entire time. There was surprise in them, but not at the information. We¡¯d worked hard after the war to make sure information like that was tamped down. It came from a time where Nekomata ves were used the same way in hunts forrge and powerful creatures, and we¡¯d wanted to put a stop to the practice. ¡°You think someone is trying to lure predators near the caravan?¡± She shook her head in. ¡°That¡¯s barbaric.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most likely scenario. That, or they¡¯re just trying to catch any travelers in their.¡± My money was on a different option, but I wanted to be sure before I voiced that thought. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this to the others,¡± Pierce noted. ¡°Neither did you,¡± I argued. He made no move to deny he¡¯d already known about the baiting. Half of them wouldn¡¯t believe us, the other half would probably freak out. No sense in doing so until we had more information. ¡°I get why you pulled me, but why the Arelim?¡± He asked with a jerk of his chin. ¡°She¡¯s going to help me take them out.¡± I returned the longsword to my hip. ¡°You¡¯re going to stay far enough back to watch, but not close enough to horn in on the experience.¡± He snorted. ¡°Need a babysitter, do you?¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking at him. ¡°You wanted to know what I¡¯m capable of. This is me showing you.¡± He didn¡¯t respond to that. We were likely moving towards sleeping predators, so I banished the golem. It would make too much noise, and I could re-summon it easily. We picked our way through the trees for about an hour. The tracks were growing fainter, but I¡¯d been on enough nighttime hunts that I could still follow the traces easily. Wolves, unless I was mistaken by the shape of the prints. Two at least, maybe three or four if they were marching in file. They led us to a small ravine where a single blightwolf sat outside a low cave. Pierce cursed, but I wasn¡¯t surprised. I¡¯d been expecting just that, actually. ¡°Change of ns. You two head back and alert the caravan, I¡¯ll make sure they don¡¯te after us.¡± ¡°No,¡± I told him, loosening the de in its sheathe, ¡°this changes nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a blightwolf, boy, and they rarely move alone. Hell, it¡¯s probably the same one that nearly ate you before we met.¡± ¡°Not likely. I killed all three of those.¡± He froze. ¡°They killed your party, then?¡± ¡°Never had one. Now shut up and watch.¡± I started forward and Rhani followed. A quick touch to her hip and one of my shadow tendrils was coiled around her waist ¡°Like the bandits, keep the golem near you. I want you close enough to get experience, but not to put you in too much danger.¡± She nodded. ¡°You really killed three blightwolves on your own?¡± she asked. I grinned at her. ¡°Scary cursed sword, remember?¡± That didn¡¯t seem to make her feel any better, but she didn¡¯t say another word as I tossed my cloak aside and approached the wolf. Its ears flicked and one sickly green eye opened to look at me. It rose and let out a low growl. I conjured two more tendrils, one on my left shoulder and the other from the wrist holding the sword. I willed the second tendril to thin itself as much as possible and wrap around the length of my de until every inch of metal was covered in its inky ckness. I covered my hand and forearm for good measure. I tested its sharpness, pleased to find it felt just as sharp on my thumb if not more. I sighed when three more blightwolves stalked out of the little cave behind the first. My stats boosted from [Horde yer]. ¡°It can never be easy, can it?¡± They fanned out to nk walking low on their haunches. I stood, waiting for them to make the first move. Two lunged at me, but my tendril whipped out to intercept one while I swung my de at the other. The first sank its teeth into the tendril, but I willed it to wrap around its snout then pierce into its neck as an anchor. I struck at the other, catching its nose with the tip of my de before jabbing the tip into its shoulder. Bright green blood sprayed and sizzled on the snow around us, but my shadows were unaffected. Just as I¡¯d hoped. Using my tendril, I yanked myself towards the muzzled wolf. It thrashed, trying to pull itself free, but the shadow had a strong hold on it. I swung my de upward and cut deep into the wolf¡¯s throat, then brought it down on its back. The de bit deeper than it would have normally thanks to my shadows, and the back half of the beast went limp. I kicked it away, freeing the tendril in time to whirl at the next attacker. I used the tendril solely for offense and found it had about double the reach of my longsword. It swiped at another of the wolves without me needing to direct it, which gave me the opportunity to throw myself back at the one I¡¯d wounded. It snapped at me, ripping a chunk of fabric and flesh off my thigh, but I mmed the pommel of my sword down on its shoulder. I heard something snap, but the momentum of the beast¡¯s body knocked me to the floor. I rolled, using my tendril to push off the ground andunched myself to my feet. Two more rushed at me, but I conjured another tendril below the first one on my shoulder. Two tendrils whipped in unison, keeping the wolves at bay. They snapped at the ck whirling protrusions, but they didn¡¯t bite down like the first one had. Seemed they¡¯d learned their lesson. One tendril, thest foot of its length long and thin like a de, scored a lucky hit on the eye of one wolf. Seeing my opening, I hurled myself into its blind spot and hit it with three quick strikes. I felt one of my tendrils twisting behind me and willed it to widen into a shield just before another wolf mmed into my back. I hit the ground and fangs sunk into the arm with the tendrils, but one had wrapped around my flesh to protect me from the teeth. The other stabbed it again and again, growing slightly thinner with each strike. I knew it was running out of mana fast, so I conjured yet another tendril at my hip. I was burning through mana, but I¡¯d expected that. My newest tendril stabbed into the wolf¡¯s belly, and it must have hit something important because the beast yelped and recoiled. Freed from its weight, I stabbed my de behind me. It hit flesh, and I cursed when a spray of acidic blood hit me. I rolled out from under the bloodied beast and it limped away. Blood poured from its injuries, especially the long jagged gash in its belly, and it copsed into green-stained snow a few stepster. I felt my [Horde yer] passive fade, which meant it and the wolf I¡¯d paralyzed were probably both dead. That left two. I baited them in, and oneunched at me. I let it mp its jaws around my tendril-wrapped forearm and used its own weight to drive my de into its body. I missed its heart, but over half of my de was lodged in its body, and my arm wasn¡¯t the only thing wrapped in a tendril. Even as the tendril on my hip wrapped around my torso to protect me from the ws of the wolf where it tried to rip into me, I willed the tendril on my de to leave the metal behind and strike out into the flesh and bone surrounding it. I used the senses gained from connecting to the tendril to worm towards its heart. One well-ced pierceter, and the wolf went limp. Unfortunately, using the tendril that way revealed the metal to the highly corrosive blood that coursed through the monster. Barely a secondter I felt a good chunk of de snap off in the beast¡¯s body while I struggled to extract myself from under its corpse. There was a sh of fangs when thest wolfunched at my trapped face, but it disappeared in a blur of gold and blue. The golem, its de still in its sheathe, mmed into the wolf. The beast tried to sank its fangs into its attacker, but it only got a mouthful of metal and stone. The golem, unbothered by the attack, wrapped its arms around the wolf and began to crush the beast into its chest. It began to thrash and yelp, but the golem just kept tightening its arms. Around the same time I managed to extricate myself from the body of the third beast, managing to only recieve a few burns for my efforts, I heard a crack apanied by a pained howl. The golem held it tight even as I walked over and used the remaining mana in my tendrils to put the beast out of its misery. [Level up!] [Blight neutralized] I ignored the notifications for now and arched a brow at Rhani. She shrugged. ¡°You said to use the golem to protect myself. The wolf can¡¯t eat me if the golem is holding it, right?¡± I just shook my head and walked over to ruffle her hair. I pulled her into a tight hug and she clutched me back tightly. I could feel the tremble in her limbs. ¡°You did great. Thank you.¡± I kissed the top of her head and checked my status. Health: [157/200] Mana: [70/120] I¡¯d neutralized the blight quicker, too. Did that mean I¡¯d simply gotten a smaller dose or was I stronger this time? Hard to tell. I felt cool fingers on my bare flesh and looked down to see that, though my tendrils had protected most of my flesh, my outfit had mostly melted away form the waist up. Already the adrenaline was beginning to fade and the cold was creeping in. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll ever get used to watching you fight for your life like that,¡± she said softly. I kissed her again. ¡°Guess it¡¯s a good thing I leveled, then.¡± She shed me a smile, then ran to grab my cloak without me asking. Around then Pierce approached us with an awestruck look on his face. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ve ever seen anyone fight quite like that, I¡¯ll admit.¡± Then his eyes took in the scars on my exposed flesh and widened further. I held up the half of the de in my hand. ¡°It was sloppy. I should have done better.¡± ¡°Against four blightwolves? You should be dead, so I¡¯d take the win.¡± Once again, I couldn¡¯t help but notice how he talked about them. Like they were a higher threat than normal. I¡¯d killed seven now thanks to my unique resistances and skills, but something was bothering me. I pulled a fresh shirt out of my storage and donned it, and it wasn¡¯t until after I¡¯d thrown my cloak over my shoulders and we¡¯d started the journey back that I asked the question that burned at me. ¡°Pierce, howmon are blightwolves in this part of the country?¡± Unsurprisingly, he seemed to understand exactly what I was asking. ¡°Not nearmon enough to warrant seven in as many days.¡± I was afraid he¡¯d say that. ¡°Safe to say they¡¯re the target of the lures.¡± ¡°Safe to say,¡± he agreed. I could tell that Rhani burned with questions, but they must have been rting to something she didn¡¯t want to discuss in front of Pierce. We spent the rest of the walk in silence, and I took the chance to take care of my level up. Even number, which meant a new skill. Of my current options, three were appealing to my situation. [Cursed Existence], [Armor of Shadows], and [Dark Senses]. I¡¯d need all three eventually, the only question was which one mattered the most right at this second. [Cursed Existence] would help me wield the cursed de, but right now I wanted to keep that hidden safely away. No need to draw attention to myself. [Armor of Shadows] is just the kind of defensive skill I needed right now, but in the end I needed to be able to see threatsing.
Dark Sense (p) - Fear not the dark, for it takes more than eyes to truly see. The darker your surroundings, the stronger your other senses grow.
[Dark Sense] was the best option. Something or someone was stalking me, and I needed to be ready for when they finally caught up. So long as I was traveling in a group, a surprise attack at night would be our enemies'' most likely tactic. I¡¯d survived more encounters than I¡¯d care to admit because my enemies thought using the night would be an advantage, only to realize I¡¯m more deadly in the dark than the light. I took the skill, but thanks to the bright snow all around I didn¡¯t feel any change. I¡¯d exin it to Rhaniter. It took us less time to get back to the road than it had to track down the wolves, but by the time we reached the body of the Nekomata the caravan had moved on. I summoned some shovels from my storage (Never go adventuring without them, you never know when you need to dig up buried treasure. Or a grave.) and started to dig. Nobody said a word, but Rhani grabbed a two shovels and gave one to her golem. Even Pierce took one, and together we dug deep enough into the hard, frozen ground that we could at least give the poor woman some kind of burial. It was on the trip back that Rhani grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled me back from Pierce before telling me that her skill had activated when she¡¯d seen the corpse. Whoever was after us, the Neko¡¯s fate was tied to them. I felt immensely sad that nobody would ever know what happened to her. I didn¡¯t know her name, and I doubted I ever would. Just another nameless corpse on my journey that would haunt me. For a moment, I found myself hoping I was right and that these men were after me. That would mean I get a chance to repay them for what they¡¯d done to innocents like the Nekomata. I just hated that things were going to get worse before they got better. # # # Once we caught up, we told the others our agreed upon story. With Pierce in the lead and some mauls from my storage we¡¯d dispatched the blightwolves. Everyone seemed shocked we¡¯d taken them on without much more than a few scrapes on my part, but everyone pretty much attributed that to Pierce. I wasn¡¯t going to correct them. Not yet. If there were any eyes on us, I wanted the others to be somewhat dismissive of me. That might give me a chance to do some damage before our enemy realized I was a threat. The rest of the day was a somber one, but nobodyined when Korey upped the pace a little. Jezal took the reigns of the wagon while Mai curled up into her side with red-rimmed eyes. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Serena kept stealing nces at me, but they were so quick I was never able to guess the meaning behind them. Whatever it was that bothered her, she didn¡¯t bring it up that night when we sparred. I didn¡¯t want to bother with new lessons until she got a hold on the ones I¡¯d started, but she already showed considerable improvement over yesterday. She was as determined to improve as anyone I¡¯d met, and she took every bit of criticism as a personal challenge to improve. Afterwards, Korey and Mihrel brought bowls of stew for me, Rhani, and Scarlet. They offered no exnation and I asked for none. I¡¯d seen Pierce talking with them earlier, and I knew he¡¯d vaguely mentioned that I¡¯d be invaluable if more blightwolves showed up. As far as they were concerned, some food was a small price to pay for my aid when they needed it. Once we¡¯d eaten our fill, I left Scarlet with Serena once again and took Rhani out into the woods. Last night had been amazing, but I figured I could do better after she¡¯d saved me during the blightwolf fight. Once we were out of the light cast by the campfires and there were some trees in the way, my senses started to heighten. She clung to me when we reached the point of near-total darkness, the only lighting from the moon and stars through the canopy above. I led her with my arm wrapped around her waist since I could find my way so easily in the dark. I could feel the creak of every nearby tree while the wind whispered through the trunks. I could sense every root and rock below my feet as if I already knew it was there. I could hear the rustling of her cloak, the swishing of her skirt, and the wetness between her thighs. I could smell the arousaling off her in waves, and I could only make it so far. Her heartbeat spiked in excitement when I pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Just like my hearing, my touch and taste were likewise amplified. The vor of her lips was stronger than anything I¡¯d eaten since I¡¯d woken up. The feel of her slippery tongue was all I could focus my mind on. Her hands roaming my body drowned out all the sound in the forest. Then she squealed in delight when I spun her around and pushed her forward, keeping an arm around her waist and guiding her hands to the trunk of the nearest tree. I could practically taste her arousal on the air when I flipped up her skirt. I could sense her arching her back, presenting herself to me. I slid her panties to the side and ran a finger down her slit, and she moaned. My ears and nose hadn¡¯t deceived me. She was gushing. In the near-pitch ck, the waves of pleasure that were amplified by my skill nearly made me cum on the spot when I mmed my hips into hers the first time. I could feel her every fold and ridge. Every drop that dripped down her legs. Every millimeter of hot, silky flesh that pulsed and writhed around my member. Every quiver of her inner walls felt like a velvet soft hand caressing my length. I started moving, but I onlysted about three pumps before I was unleashing my load into her depths. I felt her cum at the same time, but once she¡¯d recovered I could tell she was confused. ¡°Ren?¡± I leaned into her and ced a kiss on the back of her neck with an embarrassedugh. ¡°Sorry, love. I wasn¡¯t ready for all the sensations that came with my new skill.¡± She reached back and ran her fingers through my hair. Another sensation made a thousand times better by an amplified sense of touch. ¡°New skill? Is it sex rted?¡± With a chuckle, I briefly exined [Dark Sense] to her, never leaving the incredibly soft embrace of her pussy. By the time I was done, I was already starting to grow inside her again. She must have felt it, because she started to slowly rock her hips. ¡°So,¡± she said, turning her face towards me while she used the tree to push herself back into me over and over, ¡°you¡¯re telling me that when it¡¯s pitch ck, you¡¯re hypersensitive?¡± I groaned and started rocking my hips to meet her thrusts. ¡°For now. I¡¯ll get used to it. Hopefully.¡± Now that I was in more control, I could feel each and every shift in her body and breath. I took note of every time I hit a spot that made her gasp, quiver, or clench, and I started attacking those points mercilessly. I wrapped a hand around her throat and turned her head so I could kiss her while applying gentle pressure and I felt her clench around me like a vice. I fucked her through the orgasm, keeping my other hand on her hip for leverage. I could hear her nails digging into the bark of the tree, which made me pick up the pace. ¡°Oh-hh-hh-hh-fffu-uu-uu-ck,¡± she panted between thrusts. ¡°I think¡ªI¡¯m going¡ªto really¡ªlike this¡ªskill.¡± She clenched around me again when I hit a particrly sensitive spot. ¡°So-oo dee-ee-eep,¡± she cried. The fingers in my hair clenched tight and her mouth opened in a silent orgasm. I let the spasming walls drive me over the edge and let loose. I fucked her hard and fast the entire time I was painting her insides white, and I heard the spray of liquid hitting the ground and the tree in front of her. Her legs buckled, but I wrapped an arm around her to keep her from falling. I let myself slide out and wrapped Rhani up, kissing her slowly and softly until she was able to stand on her own again. ¡°It¡¯s not the reason I took it, but it¡¯s definitely a nice bonus.¡± ¡°I never knew it would be so different in the dark,¡± she admitted. ¡°Not knowing exactly where your hands were going and not being able to read your expressions was¡­ very hot.¡± I slid her panties back into ce, trapping my spunk inside her, while she hung off me happily. ¡°Back to bed then?¡± she asked. ¡°You go on and get some sleep. I want to stay out for a bit and test the limits of this skill.¡± She refused to let me go until after I¡¯d let her explore my mouth thoroughly. She groaned when I pulled away. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to make it to the next town. You don¡¯t think we could convince Serena to let Scarlet stay with her for a night so you can properly fuck me into a puddle, do you?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. I summoned antern and lit it, then handed it to her. The light banished most of my senses, but it was only antern so some of them remained. ¡°Go get some sleep, I¡¯ll join you in an hour or two.¡± I sent her off with a smack on her ass, and she smiled at me over her shoulder. I relished in the feeling of my senses growing stronger with every step she took. I¡¯d felt blind since I lost this particr skill. Well, this tree of skills, at least. I hoped I could get it to evolve again, but that would mean a lot of fighting in the dark. Considering how used to havingpanions I was growing, I wasn¡¯t sure how much of that I wanted to do. Once it was just me and the faint starlight filtering through the canopy, I sat down next to a tree and closed my eyes. Just like I remembered, I could strain each of my non-sight senses in turn. I put my hand to the tree behind me. I could feel everything for well over two hundred feet, down to the mice rutting in their burrow a dozen trees over. It was overwhelming, so I was forced to focus my attention in specific directions. Once I reached my limit of how much I could take, I switched to smell. Scents overwhelmed me. Flowers, herbs, animal shit, trees, dirt, snow, the musky smell of the bodies of all mypanions. Once that was finished I tried taste. Less useful for now, but I could still taste the things around me not unlike a snake might. Then I moved on to hearing, and it felt like my head was being ripped in two. Every nocturnal animal skittering through the underbrush, some predators, some prey. The ever so faint swish of feathers and the scrape of talons on bark. The terrified squeal of the grouse when some shadow in the night snatched it from the ground. The huffing of the wolf¡ªnormal ones, not blightwolves¡ªwhile it scented a rabbit. The sound of hips ppinging from Fel¡¯s tent apanied by S¡¯s moans. I tried to steer my senses away from the camp. Voyeurism was never my thing. That didn¡¯t mean I could afford to ignore it, though, so I swept over every once in a while doing my best not to take in any words that weren¡¯t for me. I did this for the better part of two hours, just as I¡¯d promised Rhani. I didn¡¯t get any useful information, but I was slowly getting the more extreme end of my new skill under control. Like controlling my tendril, it would take some time to grow fully ustomed to the extra input. On one of my final passes with my hearing, I paused at Scarlet¡¯s voice. It was muffled, but I hadn¡¯t gone far from our tent to rail Rhani. It was the closest one to us, so I could make out the words. ¡°This one has a request,¡± she said. I know what I said about not being a voyeur, but my curiosity regarding Scarlet was simply too great. Plus, the fact that she¡¯d reached the point where she wasfortable making requests of any kind made me happy. We were already making progress. ¡°Of course, Scarlet,¡± Rhani responded. I heard the shuffling of fabric and I figured she was repositioning in her bag. More ruffling fabric apanied the following pause. Then, ¡°this one does not wish Rhani to take on the full burden of our master.¡± Well now I couldn¡¯t possibly stop listening. ¡°What are you talking about? What burden?¡± ¡°Sir uses your body. This one will offer its body as well. This one does not like you sacrificing yourself to protect it.¡± Rhani made an adorable hum, then more fabric on fabric. In my mind¡¯s eye, I could practically see her shifting so she was sitting face to face with Scarlet. ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. I¡¯m not sacrificing anything, and he isn¡¯t using me. I sleep with Ren because I love him, not because he¡¯s my Patron.¡± Another pause. ¡°This one¡­ does not understand.¡± ¡°Ren isn¡¯t like your previous owners,¡± Rhani exined. ¡°He won¡¯t do anything to you or me that we don¡¯t want him to.¡± ¡°You wanted him to rape you in your sleep?¡± Rani made a choking sound. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were awake for that!¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asleep at all, and I¡¯m pretty sure that jerk knew the entire time. And it wasn¡¯t rape because I¡¯d already told him I wanted him to do that to me. He gave me plenty of chances to stop him, and I know if I¡¯d said even one word in fear or pain then he wouldn¡¯t haveid a hand on me.¡± Damn, I¡¯d have to be much more careful arround Scarlet from now on. I would have sworn she was out cold when I looked at her, and I wasn¡¯t often so easily fooled. ¡°Then,¡± Scarlet continued, ¡°the seed in you now? The scent of his hand on your throat?¡± Okay, I¡¯d have to worry about her senses as well. The thought of Rhani burning to write what we¡¯d both just learned in her notebook made me smile. ¡°Both of those were apanied by one of the best orgasms I¡¯ve ever had. He didn¡¯t grab me hard enough to hurt me, and he didn¡¯t do anything I wasn¡¯t desperate for him to do.¡± ¡°You like the pain? Of sex?¡± A sharp intake of breath. The sound of a Rhani revtion. ¡°Sex isn¡¯t supposed to hurt. Well, aside from the first time. Or if you¡¯re into that, I suppose. But normally, sex feels good. Very good. Almost as good as after when he holds me in his arms and I feel like everything is right in the world,¡± she said dreamily. Rhani is a cuddler. Already kinda knew that, but I¡¯d make sure to mark it down forter as well. Scarlet made a sound in the back of her throat. ¡°Do you think that Sir will every touch this one the way he touches you?¡± I could practically hear the mischief in Rhani¡¯s voice. ¡°Do you want him to?¡± ¡°This one does not know.¡± More rustling. The almost imperceptible sound of flesh on flesh. Rhani had grabbed her hand. ¡°Do you like how this feels?¡± ¡°This one¡­ does not hate it. That frightens this one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be afraid,¡± Rhani said. ¡°Like I said, Ren isn¡¯t going to do anything to you that you don¡¯t want him to. Someday, when you¡¯re ready, I know he¡¯d love to have you in hisp so he can hold you tight and run his fingers through your hair, but he won¡¯t do it until he knows you want it.¡± ¡°And if this one never wants that? Will Sir rece me with another who will?¡± I felt a slight shock hearing her refer to herself. She wasn¡¯t as far gone as she pretended. There was still a scared girl in there, and I was impressed by her strength. ¡°Of course not!¡± Rhani said immediately. ¡°Ren would never do that. It doesn¡¯t matter if you never let himy a hand on you, he¡¯ll take care of you and make sure nobody ever hurts you like that again for no other reason than it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡± ¡°He did not want this one,¡± she argued. ¡°You imed this one behind his back, and he was forced to take this one in.¡± ¡°I did what I did because I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of leaving you in that horrible ce for even another second. If I¡¯d have gone to Ren and asked him, I know he¡¯d have felt the same. All I did was save you another few hours of pain and suffering.¡± There was another pause, then more ruffling. ¡°This one will not keep you up any longer. If you do not wish it, then this one will not attempt to give her body to Sir.¡± ¡°I want you to do what you want to do,¡± Rhani told her. ¡°If you want him to touch you more then that would make me very happy. If you don¡¯t, then that¡¯spletely fine, too.¡± Just when I though the conversation was over, Scarlet whispered, ¡°Good night, Rhani.¡± I returned my senses to their normal enhanced levels and slowly made my way back. Scarlet was making clear progress, and faster than I¡¯d have hoped. I just needed to make sure I didn¡¯t betray the hope she¡¯d just barely begun to feel. Thentern was out by the time I got back, but I no longer needed it to undress and slide into the bedroll beside Rhani. No sooner had I settle down than she rolled over to face me and nuzzled into my body. Then, in a soft whisper, she said, ¡°Scarlet is afraid you¡¯ll get rid of her if she doesn¡¯t offer you her body.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure whether to kiss her or smack her, but I knew she wasn¡¯t bringing it up for my sake. With my new senses, I could tell the exact moment Scarlet stopped breathing. ¡°Well, if she brings it up again, then tell her that¡¯s a foolish fear to have. She¡¯s a part of this strange little family now, for better or for worse, and what she is or isn¡¯t willing or able to do has no effect on that.¡± I pressed my lips to the top of her head and I felt her lips curve into a smile against my chest. ¡°We¡¯ll find a ce for her eventually, and it¡¯ll be a ce that makes her happy. I¡¯m more than willing to wait for as long as it takes.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how Scarlet would react, but I was pleased by the slight speeding up of her heartbeat before it calmed and her breaths fell into a deep rhythm. It wasn¡¯t long after that Rhani drifted off as well, but I was up for a good while longer just listening to them breathe. I cared for Rhani more than I¡¯d cared about anyone in a long time. Already I was starting to care for Scarlet and Serena, too. That scared me, because along with that affection came fear. It had been so long since I¡¯d really cared for someone that I¡¯d forgotten how visceral the fear of something happening to them could be. When I finally forced myself to close my eyes, it wasn¡¯t the Nekomata lying dead and mutted in the ditch I saw. Chapter Fourteen: The Alpha Chapter Fourteen: The Alpha Over the next few days I fell into a rhythm. Wake up and help pack up camp, grab some breakfast, spend the day walking and chatting with whoever I ended up near, help set up camp at the end of the day, train with Serena for an hour, eat some of whatever Korey was offering, find some time to spend with Rhani, then either spend an hour honing [Dark Sense] on my own or do it during whatever watch I picked up. We didn¡¯te across any bodies, but I figured that was because of the snowfall. I tried not to think about how many corpses we might have passed that were buried under the thick white sheets. My only sce is that I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d passed anyone who might have been dying and not dead. There were few fears as potent as the one felt in thest moments of life. My skill would have picked up anyone close enough for us to save. I got plenty done during those days, though. Serena was rapidly improving every night, and it seemed she was getting more and more excited for our training sessions. I also made plenty of headway in learning a little about the caravan we were traveling with. Korey¡¯s father had earned some property in the war, and he¡¯d inherited it as his father¡¯sst living kin. Mihrel owned the property next door, and the two ended up moving in together before getting married and starting a business. They¡¯d gone north to collect some rare materials to get their shop up and running, and they¡¯d run into Pierce almost by chance while in Listone. Jezal was a longtime friend of Mihrel. A gifted yet entric artificer that had a minor explosion-rted falling out with the artificer¡¯s guild in Amesseria and Korey had scooped her up to work for him. She¡¯d brought along Mai, a Nekomata who¡¯d been used as a test subject for some years before Jezal used her savings to buy out Mai¡¯s contract and transfer it to Korey. Vaze was a merchant with a head for numbers, but she¡¯d been screwed out of a deal by a partner she¡¯d trusted and ended up in the crosshairs of some nasty people. Garm saved her life and brought her to Korey after hearing what he¡¯d done for Mai, who¡¯d apparently been a friend from his childhood. Korey hired Vaze and became Gram¡¯s Patron after that. Jn, the not-very-talkative Mountain Dwarf, had a number of mending skills. Once he¡¯d heard what Korey was doing he convinced the man of his usefulness. Thanks to him, Korey could buy damaged merchandise, fix it up with Jn¡¯s help, and resell it at a profit. Jn knew Cilrien, who was apparently from this area of the world originally, and convinced Korey to bring him along for the trip. Cilrien was even less talkative than Jn, though, so I didn¡¯t know much else about him. I hadn¡¯t noticed any marked change in Scarlet, but Rhani assured me she was growing more and morefortable. Already she was looking leagues better than when we¡¯d found her. Not all of her injuries werepletely gone, though, which made me wonder just what her health pool looked like. If her former masters spent time torturing her for fun, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to know. I¡¯d seen her around Serena fairly often, though I wasn¡¯t sure which girl was responsible for seeking the other out. Either way, Serena was always more than happy to keep Scarletpany anytime I wanted to get some alone time with Rhani. It was four days after we¡¯d found the body that something finally happened. We sat around the fire enjoying Gram¡¯stest vat of delicious stew. Spirits were higher than they¡¯d been. Even Rhani couldn''t help but curl up into my side, leaning her head on my shoulder while nursing a half-empty bowl. It had been a few days since thest snow, and I thought the sun had done a lot to improve morale. The clouds had rolled in around sunset and, though no snow was falling, there was no light other than the flickering orange of the mes. It was then that fear stabbed me like a hot iron. Sharp and frantic and immediately close by, which meant it was strong. I¡¯d barely even felt the boost to my agility before I¡¯d tossed my bowl aside and was hurtling towards its source. I left the glow of the firelight behind and my senses exploded. I guided them forward as I conjured a single tendril that whipped in front of me to clear my path while I sprinted through the dark as fast as my legs would carry me. I heard the bloodcurdling scream and the snapping of teeth. It was Mai, alone and surrounded by three blightwolves. I didn¡¯t know what she was doing out here alone but that didn¡¯t matter. She yowled in pain and the smell of blood hit my nostrils. She cried out, begging the gods for help. There were no gods here, but there was one very pissed off Shadowborn. I mmed into one hard enough to knock it into another and my tendrilsshed out at the third, marring its snout. I twisted back and scooped up Mai, who had blood pouring from a deep gash in her lower leg. She screamed again¡ªit was pitch ck, so she probably didn¡¯t know what was happening¡ªand nearly blew out my overtuned eardrums. I just conjured one of my backup swords and wrapped it with a tendril. The cut on her leg was deep and it bled heavily. ¡°Sorry about this,¡± I whispered. Then she screamed bloody murder as I activated [Shadow Stitching]. She fought against me, her sharp nails cutting into the skin on my arms and neck, so I conjured a tendril at her hip and shoved her back towards camp. ¡°Run!¡± I shouted, turning back to face the beasts. I threw myself at them while she started limping away as fast as she could, sobbing hysterically. I reigned in my senses so that I could sense everything within ten feet of me and went on the offensive. Tendrilsshed and my shadow-wrapped sword bit into fur and flesh. I didn¡¯t bother keeping track of the wolves, I just hit whatever was in front of me. The boost from my [Horde yer] coupled with my tendrils and [Dark Sense] made me a force of nature. The wolves would have had an advantage over anyone else in the dark, but not me. I hamstrung one but the other mmed into me hard enough that the third slipped free, charging after Mai. I cursed and chased it, but even with my boost from [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] the wolf was faster than I was. My tendrils kept the wolf behind me at bay, but the one I was chasing would still reach Mai before I did. Luckily for Mai, I wasn¡¯t the only one nearby. Mai screamed for help again when the wolf lunged at her. My tendrilshed out, keeping the jaws at bay for just a second longer, and help arrived in the form of the small angry form that was Scarlet. She mmed a log into its jaw hard enough to shatter the wood and the wolf went flying. I was right about her strength, so I conjured a long metal maul. ¡°Scarlet!¡± I hurled it at her, and she grabbed it out of the air with ease. The wolf tried to snap at her, but this time the metal of the maul shattered its jaw. She didn¡¯t relent and mmed the weapon into its body again and again. Her third strike split skin and a spray of green acidic blood hit her in the face, arm, and body. She hissed, and when she struck again it caved the wolf¡¯s head in. I felt the tendrils on my back give theirst few withering strikes and turned to fight thest wolf, but I never got the chance. Scarlet shot forward with a scream and hit the wolf so hard its crumpled form sailed through the tree it impacted against. The strike was much stronger than the ones from a moment ago, and when I took stock of the blood and burns on her body everything went into ce. Fuck. If I was right, I wasn¡¯t going to stop until I found the owner of that brand and put him in the fucking ground. I could seenterns running towards us. Scarlet stood with such indifference I knew she was going to be okay for at least the next few minutes. Mai recoiled with another frightened cry at my touch, but when I assured her she was safe she threw herself at me and sobbed into my chest, thanking me over and over. Just before the light of thenterns stripped my senses, I confirmed my hunch with a quick sniff. It wasn¡¯t just blood from her injuries that I smelled. Yen and Rastra came running up. It was their watch, but they hadn¡¯t been near this side of the camp. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where are they?¡± Yen demanded. I jerked my head back behind me. ¡°Dead. There might be one more limping around back there, but it won¡¯tst much longer. They caught her alone, but I got there in time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Mai cried. ¡°I just wanted to relieve myself and get away from the fire and everyone else for a minute but¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I told her, rubbing her back softly. ¡°You¡¯re okay now, and that¡¯s what matters. Come on, let¡¯s get you back to camp.¡± I lifted her slim frame easily and she clung to me with shaking arms. I looked to Scarlet, who was covered in burns. I conjured a health potion, holding Mai with one arm and a tendril around her waist, and held the vial out to her. ¡°Here. You did good tonight.¡± She took the vial hesitantly. ¡°This one has no need for healing. This one has plenty of health remaining.¡± ¡°All the same. Please.¡± There would be time to talk about my revtionter. Right now, I had to¡ª The light had dampened my senses too much, so I was too slow to react. Rastra never stood a chance when something lunged out of the shadows and mmed her into the ground. Her head bounced once, then she let out a scream and was ripped into the dark with her fingernails gouging deep grooves in the dirt. With a curse, I dropped Mai as gently as I could mange. ¡°Stay with her!¡± I yelled at Yen and Scarlet, then I hurtled after Rastra. I heard her screams, then saw the mes being thrown in the distance. Good, I was going to need her to buy me time to close the distance. I heard the fight, but the heat from the mes and her screams made it hard to make out what was happening. I knew her attacker had torn into her side, but with ws and not fangs. It didn¡¯t move like a blightwolf, especially when itshed out and swept her legs out from under her, then lunged forward and sunk its jaws into her neck. Her cries went silent just when I arrived. It wasn¡¯t a blightwolf. Not exactly. It moved around on all fours, but its front limbs were built more like arms than the forelegs of a canine with ws rather than paws,plete with a thumb. Its chest was broader, and when it turned to me it rose on its back legs until it stood nearly ten feet tall. I wasted no time in hurling my sword at it. The attack was more of a distraction than anything else, as it gave me the chance to dart in and tap Rastra¡¯s body long enough to conjure a tendril then cast [Shadow Stitching]. It would only work on living allies, so at least when the skill took hold I knew she was still alive. For now, at least. Her body twitched, but she made no sound. I¡¯d have to hope it would be enough to save her life, because something told me I¡¯d need all my mana to handle whatever the fuck this beastman was. It circled, growling when I conjured a battleaxe from my storage. Big bastard would need a big weapon. I curled the tendril at my wrist around it, then conjured one on either shoulder and another on my hip. It was most of my mana, but I was Rastra¡¯s best hope for survival right now. The beast circled, and I knew I couldn¡¯t let it make the first move. In a one on one fight like this one, I was at a disadvantage. My current skill set was better suited to disadvantaged fights, not duels. To make matters worse, Rastra¡¯s magic had caught some nearby foliage on fire, lighting the area enough to make my [Dark Sense] obsolete as well. The fire was spreading, too. It dodged my first swipe easily, but my tendrils were quick enough to leave a few shallow scratches on its chest. Just enough to show that it had the same green blood that would not be good for my health if I got any on me. I pressed forward to try and push it away from Rastra, but this one was smarter than the others. It used its ws for defense, then it tried to use the same trick on me as it did Rastra. I managed to avoid getting my leg swept, but I wasn¡¯t ready for the second attack to follow it up so quickly. One of my tendrils withered to keep me from getting sliced to ribbons, but it was still like getting hit with a battering ram. I went flying, but my tendrils came in clutch once again. They softened the impact when I mmed into a tree and even managed to push me so that I fell on my feet. It¡¯s jaws missed my throat by inches, and I managed to sink my axe into its hide. The de stuck fast, and the beast spun. Since the axe was tethered to my arm, I found myself sailing through the air again. I held on for dear life until the wide de finally dislodged and I was sent tumbling to the ground. I barely had time to recover before the beast was on me. My tendrils stopped his jaws from tearing my throat open, so they were a little too upied to stop its ws from raking into my side. My tendrils exploded into spikes in the beast¡¯s mouth and it jerked back, spraying me with acid blood. I jammed the shadow-wrapped haft of my axe into the beast¡¯s mouth and tried to hold it back, but the beast must have weighed four times as much as me. Its ws dug deeper into my torso, but I started stabbing all my tendrils into its forearm. Its grip finally loosened enough for me to wriggle free and I rolled away, but not before it used its other w to slice deep into my calf. I mmed my axe into its body and left it there, retracting my tendril from the weapon I used it to pull myself away while the beast ripped the melting weapon out and threw it aside with a snarl. I hooked one of my remaining tendrils to a tree and pulled myself to my feet. If I wasn¡¯t certain before, I was now. The blightwolves were being used for a very specific purpose. To draw out whoever wielded the cursed de. It was my only way out of this, even if it was a risky move so soon after using it before. I didn¡¯t get the chance before Serena came flying out of the mes with the sword I¡¯d thrown a moment ago. She wore no armor, but that only meant she was faster than usual. With the element of surprise, she was able to use [Flurry Strike] tond three rapid blows on its hind leg before darting between us. She cursed when she saw the de was already melting and tossed it aside. ¡°Serena!¡± I thrust my hand out and conjured a halberd, holding the ded side. She grabbed it and I used it to pull her close so I could wrap my hand around her wrist. I conjured a tendril there and wrapped it around her de as I wrapped my own, then I dragged my hand across her hips and conjured two more. ¡°The shadows will protect you from the acid, but don¡¯t get hit. Buy me thirty seconds, and don¡¯t you dare die.¡± She spun away from me without another word and I summoned one of the two mana potions I¡¯d been able to afford and downed it. Once it took effect, I used [Shadow Stitching] on myself. Once the searing pain of the skill was finished, I limped over to Rastra. She was still alive, but barely. I used another [Shadow Stitching] on her just to be safe to close the wounds I¡¯d missed the first time, then summoned a health potion and poured it down her throat. After that it was time to help Serena. With armor on, she¡¯d been fast. Without armor, she moved like the wind. She danced around the beast, darting in and out andnding blow after blow. The halberd, boosted by my shadows, bit deeper than it normally would have. Any openings caused by her inexperience were filled nicely by my shadows. She had all thebat skills I needed, and my shadows just pushed her over the edge into unstoppable territory. That didn¡¯t mean she had it easy by any means. Already one of my tendrils was gone from blocking strikes and she had a cut above her eye that covered half her face in crimson from where the beast had knocked her into a tree. The mes were growing higher, and I could hear shoutsing from the other side of them. I summoned a greatsword and hefted it, testing my injured leg. It hurt like hell, but it¡¯d work. She struck and danced backwards tond beside me. The beast saw the both of us and made no move to attack, instead circling us warily. ¡°Remember myst lesson during our first spar?¡± I asked her. She never took her eyes off the beast. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Well what I didn¡¯t tell you is that the maneuver I showed you is much easier to pull off when you¡¯ve got someone to fill that gap.¡± A curt nod showed she understood, and she charged back in. She spun her de and cut deep into its chest,nded a [Flurry Strike] on its leg, then used a [Feinting Blow] to cut it deep across the snout. She spun, swinging wide, and I dove in just behind her de. It hit air as the beast jumped back to avoid it and I filled the gap, swinging my greatsword andshing out with every tendril I could conjure. I felt the buildup of magic behind me and thrust forward with every tendril. They stabbed into the beast with barbed tips and I nted my de in the ground. The beast¡¯s nostrils red and it snarled in anger, trying to rip free, but it was toote. In a blur of gold and red, Serena shot past me. With me holding the beast in ce, her strike hit it dead center. She mmed it back so hard all my tendrils were ripped free, each taking a chunk of flesh with them. I wrapped the tendrils around her to protect her from the deluge of acidic blood and hauled her into my arms where we both fell to the ground. She was still attached to the halberd, so it came along for the ride and tore through even more of the beast. [Level Up!] It slumped to the ground not long after us and lie still. Serenay on top of me for several seconds, her face only inches from mine while she caught her breath, her limbs still shaking with adrenaline. It took me a minute to realize what was pressing into my chest. Since she was always wearing armor, I¡¯d never gotten a chance to appreciate that she was very¡­physically gifted. But that was information forter. ¡°Rastra. We can still save her.¡± She nodded breathlessly, and I unwrapped my shadows from around her. She ran over to where Rastra stilly and gasped. When I got a look at the mage myself, I had to agree. Threerge gashes tore from her nose across her left cheek. Her neck and the left side of her torso was a mess of blood, flesh, and shadow stitches. I couldn¡¯t see her leg, but I knew it had to be in bad condition, too. ¡°Get her back, I can make it on my own.¡± She opened her mouth to argue, but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, she won¡¯t. Go, and hurry.¡± Thankfully, she listened this time. She scooped her arms underneath Rhastra¡¯s back and shoulders and carried her off into the still-burning forest. I managed to limp away from the more dangerous areas before I copsed into the snow, groaning from how good the cold felt against the injuries that dotted my body. I didn¡¯t want to know, but I looked at my status anyways. [Health: 37/200] [Mana: 14/120] Hoo boy. Maybe it was time to start slowly investing stats in Vitality. I went ahead and put both points from my level up there, and some of the pain lessened. It wasn¡¯t long before Serena came back. I opened my mouth, but she cut me off. ¡°I ran into your golem, and Rhani got her the rest of the way back. Now will you let me help you?¡± ¡°dly.¡± With the mortal peril out of the way, I couldn¡¯t help but appreciate her for a second. Long legs with toned thighs that strained against her tight pants and wide hips tapering into a fairly thin waist that widened back out into a chest I figured Rhani would appreciate greatly. If she noticed my gaze, she didn¡¯t mention anything. I let her pull me to my feet, but when I tried to stand on my own she stubbornly pulled my arm over her shoulder. There were far worse things than letting a beautiful girl hold you up, so I dly allowed myself to lean on her. She drug me past where Lana and the others were containing the fire. Her arm was wrapped around my waist and her trembling hand gripped my hip like she was worried I might slip away. ¡°You did amazing back there. I¡¯d be dead if it wasn¡¯t for you,¡± I told her. I didn¡¯t think she meant to, but she pulled herself into me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t havested more than a few seconds without your skills. You¡¯re the amazing one here.¡± ¡°It was a group effort. You painted quite the picture leaping through the mes in nothing but your traveling clothes. Like a goddess made flesh.¡± And I knew what I was talking about. ¡°I¡ªit was nothing.¡± I gave her a squeeze. ¡°It was everything. I owe you one, and don¡¯t you dare hesitate to collect.¡± She reddened, but before she could reply we both heard a cry of rm. Rhani came running up, panic on her face, and ran her hands along my chest searching for injuries. ¡°Ren! Oh gods, are you alright? Do you need me to get Mihrel?¡± I ruffled her hair with augh. ¡°I¡¯m fine thanks to Serena, here.¡± Rhanitched onto Serena, and I had to raise a brow at how her head nuzzled into Serena¡¯s bust. ¡°Thank you so much! I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d have done if he¡¯d been hurt.¡± Serena uncertainly wrapped her arm around Rhani, so I leaned down and whispered in her ear, ¡°she likes hugs a lot. You can enjoy things like this.¡± With color in her cheeks, Serena tightened her grip on Rhani and crushed the little schr into her breasts. I figured Rhani could thank meter. She was still firmlytched onto Serena when Korey came jogging over with a grim expression. ¡°Seems I should be paying you after all,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you did for Mai.¡± ¡°How is she?¡± I asked. ¡°Scared as hell and a little freaked out, but otherwise unharmed. I just hope this doesn¡¯t mean we have to be on high alert all the damn time now.¡± ¡°Doubtful,¡± I told him. ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but I¡¯d ask Mai if she started her monthly flow sometime in the past few days. If these blightwolves have been feeding on Nekomatas, then they¡¯ll be attracted to the smell of her blood from miles out. I¡¯d see if Jezal can make something to hide her scent.¡± He grimaced, and I was d he didn¡¯t ask me how I knew about her time of the month. When you have heightened senses, you learn lots of different smells. ¡°I¡¯ll pass that along. Rastra is another matter. She¡¯s in bad shape, but Mihral says that if she makes it till morning she might survive. Those stitches of yours are no joke, it seems.¡± ¡°I do what I can. Scarlet?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t leave Mai¡¯s side. I didn¡¯t realize they were so close.¡± Now it was my turn to grimace. ¡°I doubt they are. When Rastra got grabbed, I ordered her to stay by Mai. I meant just for the moment, but I get the feeling that if I don¡¯t go get her she¡¯ll stay there all night.¡± Korey inclined his head. ¡°Either way, take tonight and tomorrow to recover. We can worry about watches then. I just need to figure out how we¡¯re going to transport Rastra.¡± ¡°I can stick some of your less valuable crates in my personal storage to make room on one of the wagons if you¡¯re willing,¡± I offered. He shook his head. ¡°You continue to astound. I¡¯ll let Vaze know to single some boxes out, but that can wait until morning.¡± I tapped the top of Rhani¡¯s head. ¡°Come on, let her go. We need to go get Scarlet.¡± Serena looked as reluctant as Rhani to let go, but they obliged. I felt her hand tighten on my hip. ¡°I¡¯lle with you. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± I snorted as she turned us towards where everyone was collected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who saved who¡¯s life here?¡± ¡°Thanks to you I gained a level. I¡¯m neen now, just one away from my secondary ss.¡± Your level was an intimate thingto share with someone else, so I was touched at her confession. I figured it was only fair to tell her my own. ¡°That makes two of us. The level up, I mean. I¡¯m level eleven now.¡± She jerked, but she made no move toment about how low it was. Rhani, who nestled into my other side, leaned forward and said, ¡°neen is really good! I¡¯m level sixteen myself.¡± A soft smile spread over her face. ¡°I¡¯m the highest level here?¡± ¡°Seems to be that way.¡± I lifted my arm enough to ruffle her hair before dropping it back to her shoulder. ¡°A few more weeks of training and it¡¯ll start to actually look it.¡± She smiled wider, but didn¡¯t say anything until we got to where Mihrel was treating Rastra. She had bandages over half her face and most of her body, but at least she was alive. Mihrel nodded to me, respect in his gaze, and I looked to where Mai sat curled up in Jezal¡¯sp. Her long ck tail was curled around both of them. Jezal stroked her hair softly with a film of tears in her eyes. ¡°There are no words I know that can express my gratitude,¡± she said to me. ¡°If there¡¯s anything at all I can do for you, name it.¡± A debt from a skilled artificer was no small thing. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I gave Korey some info on how to keep her safe, so I¡¯d talk to him when you can.¡± Better not to air out Mai¡¯s condition in front of everyone. ¡°Of course. Thank you again.¡± I turned to where Scarlet sat nearby with her legs crossed, the half-melted maul sitting on herp. ¡°This one did as ordered, Sir.¡± I took a leap and reached slowly for her head. I saw her eyes widen a fraction at the approach, then her pupils quivered when I gently patted her head. ¡°You did good. Thanks for the save. I¡¯ll make sure to find a suitable reward for you.¡± I had one in mind, but it wasn¡¯t something I wanted to talk about tonight. ¡°Now let¡¯s go get some sleep, alright?¡± She stood without another word, but Serena cleared her throat. ¡°Um, actually, I was wondering if maybe Scarlet wanted to stay the night in my tent. I don¡¯t¡ªI mean, if she wants¡ª¡± The encounter had freaked her out more than she let on, it was no wonder she was still clinging to me. I wondered if this was the first time she¡¯d faced a magical beast of that caliber. Scarlet, however, looked to me. ¡°If Scarlet wants to, then of course that¡¯s okay.¡± After a fight like that, it was only natural to not want to be alone. Scarlet made a humming noise. ¡°This one has no objections, Sir.¡± ¡°Then by all means. I¡¯ll find you in the morning.¡± After a quick nod, Scarlet started towards Serena¡¯s tent. She paused, then held the maul out to me without looking in my direction. I banished it without a word, then looked down at Serena who seemed much more rxed than she had a moment ago. ¡°Thank you again. See you tomorrow.¡± She slid out from under my arm with some reluctance and I gave her the extra bedroll from my storage for Scarlet. After that I let Rhani be the one to half carry me to our tent, though I put less weight on her small frame than I had Serena. We were barely through the p before she¡¯d tied it shut and removed my clothes. After, shemanded me toy down and enjoy myself. For the next hour, she took it upon herself to take care of me, and we both fell asleep nestled happily into our bedroll. # # # You are so pathetic, Serena scolded herself silently. She was happy Scarlet would be joining her since being alone after looking up at that horrible monster was an image she saw every time she closed her eyes, but what she really longed to do was share Ren¡¯s bed. It was a stupid, foolish impulse, she knew. Rhani loved him greatly, and Serena could tell that Ren loved her right back. That knowledge did nothing to stop her heart from hammering when he¡¯d yfully run his fingers through her hair or her breath catching every time their bodies grew close during training or the heat that threatened to melt her every time he told her how amazing she was or¡ª Enough! Someone like him would never look twice at someone like her. She was nearly twice his level and she could still barely touch him in a fight. He was tall and amazing and dark and brooding and kind and very attractive and no matter what she did she just couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what it would be like to trace each and every one of his scars with her tongue. Goddess, she was such a fool. She shook the thoughts out of her head before they made heat start to spread in a different area. One she couldn¡¯t exactly tend to currently like she had every night for thest few days. Not with adorable little Scarlet sleeping just a few feet away. At least, that¡¯s what she thought until she rolled over and saw Scarlet¡¯s unnerving red eyes staring at her in the dark, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. Her eyes practically glowed in the dark, and her vertical pupils always seemed to be so piercing. They were such a contrastpared to the rest of the adorable girl Serena hade to know, and they fascinated her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I woke you,¡± Serena whispered. Scarlet didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°Does Serena like sex?¡± she asked finally. Adrenaline raced through her. Could Scarlet read minds? Why had she asked that? Was Serena that obvious? ¡°W-wh-why would you ask something like that? Do you like sex?¡± Immediately Serena cringed at the idiocy of the question. She wasn¡¯tpletely naive, she knew what kinds of things the crueler Patrons did to their servants. From how Scarlet looked when Serena had first met her, whoever had been her Patron must have been a monster. But Scarlet didn¡¯t seem bothered by the question. Just thoughtful. ¡°This one did not like sex. It hurt, but so did everything else. But when this one sees Rhani do it¡­¡± She made a humming noise. ¡°Rhani says Sir makes her feel very good with sex. Could that be true?¡± Dear goddess, this was not a conversation Serena wanted to be having right now. Especially not since thatstment had made her lower region start to feel a bit damp. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. He seems very caring, so I would imagine that it might be quite¡­ pleasant.¡± Scarlet made that same humming noise, which Serena realized meant she was thinking. ¡°Sometimes, during sex, there was more than just pain. Sometimes, there were moments where this one felt good, but this one always hated those moments. It was easier when everything was just pain.¡± Her head slipped out of the bedroll and touched the top of her head. ¡°But when Sir touched this one today, it was¡­warm. There was no pain, just the other thing. Is there something wrong with this one?¡± Serena wanted so badly to wrap her arms around Scarlet and hold her close, but Rhani had impressed upon her the other day of the dangers of just that. ¡°Yes, Scarlet,¡± she said softly. ¡°Something is wrong with you, but that isn¡¯t your fault. You were mistreated and abused, and that left scars that might never fully heal. That doesn¡¯t mean you have to stay like this, though. If you liked the way him patting you felt, then you should tell him that.¡± Serena reached out and, moving slowly just as Ren had earlier, gently stroked Scarlet¡¯s hair. The corners of the Seraphim¡¯s mouth twitched downwards slightly, which is the most emotion Serena had ever seen on her face. ¡°Not every touch is sexual, and they shouldn¡¯t cause pain. It¡¯s natural to want more of something like this.¡± The corners of her mouth twitched downward more, so Serena started to pull away. Like lightning, Scarlet¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, then gently pulled it back to her head. Serena went back to gently stroking her uneven hair. ¡°Rhani said that Sir would love to hold this one tight someday if this one wished it, but what if Sir did and this one didn¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Ren wouldn¡¯t be bothered,¡± Serena said confidently. ¡°Or, rather, he wouldn¡¯t be bothered by you. I guarantee he¡¯d be angry with the monsters that hurt you though.¡± Scarlet began humming again, and Serena kept gently running her fingers through Scarlet¡¯s damaged hair until her arm started to ache. Finally, Serena asked, ¡°do you want to feel what it¡¯s like?¡± The humming stopped. ¡°You don¡¯t have to, but if you want I can hold you for a bit and you can decide if you like it. That way you won¡¯t have to worry about whether or not you can do it with Ren.¡± Sure, there was a bit of selfishness in her offer. She wanted very badly to hold the adorable girl tight, and if Scarlet agreed then she¡¯d finally have her excuse. She only hoped she hadn¡¯t frightened the strange yet cute Seraphim off by offering. Scarlet didn¡¯t respond for what felt like an eternity, but finally she nodded her head once. Serena retracted her hand and Scarlet slid from her bedroll with startlingly silent movements. Serena held her own bedroll open, not sure exactly what to expect. She was surprised when Scarlet slid in so that they were face to face, lowering herself until she could rest her head on Serena¡¯s breasts. Serena held her with one arm while she continued gently stroking her hair with the other. Scarlet shivered, but remained stock still otherwise. After a while, she slowly started to rx into Serena¡¯s body. Just when Serena was starting to drift off, Scarlet said, ¡°This one¡ªI like this very much.¡± It was enough to bring tears to Serena¡¯s eyes. She pressed her cheek into the top of Scarlet¡¯s head. ¡°Then you¡¯re wee to it any time.¡± Scarlet hummed again, but this time the tone was different. Softer. At some point she fell asleep, and Serena felt her own eyes drooping. She didn¡¯t want to go to sleep just yet though, not while she was enjoying this so much. Scarlet was just so adorable and every time Serena looked at her it made her heart break a little more. She wanted to help the girl so badly. She wanted to be there when Scarlet learned how to smile andugh again. She didn¡¯t know if that would happen by the time this journey was done, though, and afterwards there would be no reason for Ren to continue to train her every day. She knew she was a fool for doing so, but before she drifted off she did what she did every night before bed. She wrapped her hand around the pendant she¡¯d worn since she was a little girl and prayed to the goddess she¡¯d worshiped in secret for most of her life. Allura, please, I¡¯ll do anything if you just give me a reason to stay in Ren¡¯s life. Chapter Fifteen: The Penitence Cut Chapter Fifteen: The Penitence Cut I didn¡¯t get much sleep that night, but I did enjoy the feeling of Rhani''s warmth for as long as I could before I had to get up. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever get used to waking up with someone else, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t ever get tired of it. I couldn¡¯t wait for the day where we could do so in the same bed in the same spot for more than a single day. She grumbled a bit when I slipped out of the bedroll at sunrise, but after a quick peck on her forehead and an order to go back to sleep she curled up in the warmth I¡¯d left behind and did just that. I could see Fel and Lana on thest watch, but other than them nobody was up and moving around just yet. Nobody paid me any attention when I sat down and built myself a little fire away from the rest of the camp. I set up my basic brewing kit and tossed a choicebination of herbs in the pot. I had a lot of time to think while it brewed. What I wanted to do and what I could do were, as always, two very different things. I knew exactly what I could do to help Scarlet, but whether she¡¯d let me was another matter altogether. After seeing what she did to those wolves, her mental health wasn¡¯t the only reason to hesitate. If I was right, and I screwed up, someone could get hurt. And not just Scarlet. The one who eventually interrupted my vigil was Vaze. She sat down next to me and held out a vial of shimmering red liquid. ¡°Here.¡± I looked at the healing potion. ¡°I¡¯m a little light on funds right now.¡± She pushed it towards me. ¡°If you don¡¯t shove one of yours down Rastra¡¯s throatst night then she gets a burial, not a nket. Fel¡¯s too much of an asshole to reimburse you, so here.¡± I didn¡¯t like that she was the one out of pocket for this, but considering my ns I wasn¡¯t in a position to refuse. ¡°Thanks.¡± I touched it and banished it straight from her hand, and she grinned. ¡°That¡¯s still a wicked skill. I¡¯ve seen portable storages, but never like that.¡± Probably because mine had some additional effects tacked on, but I wasn¡¯t about to go into that. ¡°Thanks. She¡¯ll be alright then? Mai too?¡± Vaze nodded. ¡°Mai¡¯s gonna make a full recovery. It helps that Jezal hasn¡¯t left her side for a minute. Rastra? Well, she¡¯ll live. Might not look the same after, though. Poor girl.¡± ¡°Scarred is better than dead. Some guys are even into that.¡± Vaze leaned over and sniffed the pot that had started boiling. ¡°Some guys, sure. Not Fel, though. He likes ¡®em pretty. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he cuts her loose. I just hope shends on her feet.¡± d to know my shitbag instincts were still on the mark. ¡°I¡¯ll help if I can. If I¡¯d have been quicker, I could have saved her a lot of hurt.¡± She gave me an odd look. ¡°I have to ask, what¡¯s your deal?¡± I snorted. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡± ¡°Soon as you strutted up with that freaky looking Seraphim¡ªno offense, but you have to admit she¡¯s hardly got a normal color palette¡ªI popped down by the adventurer¡¯s guild. ording to their records, you¡¯re a fresh F rank adventurer, and you¡¯ve got two demi-humans in tow. That means you own property.¡± Her eyes glittered. ¡°A girl gets curious.¡± I added some more herbs to the pot and stirred it slowly. ¡°I might own somend in the capital.¡± ¡°How much?¡± A lot, actually, but it would be difficult to exin that to someone who was clearly as sharp as her. ¡°I inherited some, but I never really wanted it. Now some shit¡¯se up and I finally have a use for it.¡± She nodded as if what I said made perfect sense. ¡°Well, when we finally make it, I hope you¡¯ll consider Korey and the rest of us when ites to staffing. I think we could really help one another in the long run.¡± She leaned forward and sniffed again. ¡°Hang on, is that Valerian I smell?¡± I arched a brow. ¡°Among other things. You an alchemist?¡± ¡°Hardly, but I dated one for a while.¡± Her look suddenly became intense. ¡°You nning to put someone to sleep?¡± ¡°Not against their will.¡± I pulled the pot off and poured it into a canteen. ¡°My skill is useful, but it¡¯s not exactly pleasant. If you had threads piercing your insides trying to pull you back together, you might want to be unconscious for it.¡± She turned a little green. ¡°Fair enough, I suppose, but if anyone goes taking unscheduled naps then I happen to know a few concoctions that do a hell of a lot worse than Valerian.¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± She left without another word, and I had a feeling she was about to start warning people what Valerian smelled like. I let her go. The more I tried to reassure her, the the less she¡¯d believe me. I banished the canteen of sleeping draft and the brewing kit before kicking the fire out. I helped them clear the back of one of the wagons, adding two crates of unrefined metal to my storage, then helped them get Rastra in. I gave Mihrel some of the sleeping draft in case she woke up and wanted to no longer be awake for a while. By the time I got back to our tent, Rhani had already packed it up. In record time, we were on the road again. Seemed everyone was eager to get a move on. I was amused to see that Serena and Scarlet were standing closer together than usual, and ted when at one point Serena wrapped her arm around Scarlet for a brief embrace. I noticed that everyone was looking at me differently than before, and I could hardly me them. Especially after Korey hopped off his wagon and came to talk with me. ¡°I thought you should know,¡± he said, ¡°that I had Garm and Cilrien harvest the valuable bits from those blightwolves and their alpha. When we get to the next town we can sell them.¡± ¡°You can have a third since you harvested, just make sure Serena gets a third as well.¡± He grinned. ¡°Shit, I was going to argue for twenty percent. You¡¯ve got a deal.¡± His grin fell. ¡°Still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you and the girl took out an alpha by yourself. Hell, I¡¯ve never heard of one this far from the Then Wastes.¡± Well that was a new word to ask Rhani aboutter. ¡°We got lucky. My ss is a bad match for magical poisons, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Either way, I¡¯m d you¡¯re around.¡± He nced at me from the corner of his eye. ¡°Not many who would risk so much for a demi-human.¡± Then he shrugged. ¡°Not many who let their servants run around with free reign of a one-of-a-kind golem, either.¡± ¡°Guess not.¡± ¡°You care about them, don¡¯t you? Those girls of yours.¡± ¡°I do.¡± He nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, then. Rare to see someone who actually gives a shit about people like them. Even more so to see someone willing to show it.¡± Well now. Suddenly this conversation got interesting. ¡°Are things so bad in the capital?¡± He raised a brow at me. ¡°I haven¡¯t been back in a very long time.¡± He grunted. ¡°It can be. Sometimes it¡¯s genuine hate. For twenty years after the war, everyone knew someone who¡¯d been killed, taken, or tortured by one of the DHs under Grimsbane¡¯s thumb. Distrust and hate ran deep. Even now old grudges remain and kids were raised not to trust other races.¡± He snorted. ¡°ords definitely didn¡¯t help. Especially not with the way power and property started getting thrown around like candy.¡± I gave him an inquisitive nce, and he continued. ¡°Once the ords hit, those with the means and power started grabbing up property like its candy. For some, it¡¯s hard to turn down such cheapbor. Birthrates what they are, there are a lot more demi-humans than there are people with the means and the character to give them a fair shake. And, if you¡¯re someone who might rock the boat, it suddenly gets very hard to do business.¡± ¡°Hard enough that you¡¯ve got to go north personally to collect materials?¡± He inclined his head. ¡°I noticed it cost me about four times as much to buy mats than anyone else and when I did I very rarely got everything I ordered.¡± Damn. It sounded like these ords might be even more difficult to deal with than I¡¯d originally anticipated. ¡°And the king just lets this all happen?¡± ¡°Oh, old King Rr does what he can, but the seven¡¯s altruism got ahead of them.¡± So Rr was still in charge? Good. That meant at least one of them was where I could find them. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, they wanted to avoid any more tyrants, which is admirable I suppose. Set up a council to make decisions so no one person could have too much power. Rr ended up in the king¡¯s spot by popr demand, and apparently he¡¯s a good enough guy. Before he even knew what was happening, though, his council got stacked. From what I know, the only reason the ords ended up as lenient as the did is because Rr kept pulling it back.¡± ¡°Lenient?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. My uncle told me some of the originalws they tried to push. Not pretty.¡± Great, that meant I¡¯d have to at least talk to Rr before I broke his nose. ¡°Owning property isn¡¯t the only method to being a Patron, though,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Maybe, but unless you can get to A rank or above you¡¯re talking about one or two at most. It¡¯s tough to be anything below C rank, too. The vast majority don¡¯t make it past that.¡± ¡°Are things that dangerous?¡± ¡°Not usually. It¡¯s the cost that¡¯s the real problem. C jobs and below don¡¯t pay for shit, and things in the capital aren¡¯t exactly cheap these days. It doesn¡¯t help that the requirements for ranking up are murky at best, so those at the bottom usually end up kept at the bottom. Most end up getting pressured into joining up with crews or businesses, and once you do it¡¯s hard to get back out.¡± He jerked his chin to where Fel was shamelessly flirting with a supremely uninterested Lana. ¡°It¡¯s how low rank adventurers like Rastra and Serena end up with dickheads like Fel. When you¡¯re at the bottom, you have to take whatever chances you can get.¡± ¡°And Pierce?¡± ¡°A legacy. He made his name and got his levels before the ones in charge got the system all settled in. Legacies, assholes who¡¯ll make sure the system stays in ce, and the odd duck just too strong for the system to flush out. That¡¯s all that¡¯s left.¡± His tone made it clear what he thought of that. ¡°So, stick together, huh? Vaze mentioned something simr.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I bet she did. Look, I¡¯m not asking you for anything. I figure we should at least worry about getting to Amesseria in one piece first. Once we get there,¡± his eyes flicked to mine again, ¡°if it really has been so long since you¡¯ve been back, then I¡¯m just saying it might be nice to know someone who knows they of thend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, then.¡± He held his hands up with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s all I ask.¡± He took his leave and I got to spend the rest of the walk thinking over the information he¡¯d given me. I liked Korey, and I liked the little group he had pulled together. I could definitely find worse allies when I got to Amesseria, that seemed a given at this point. # # # Korey must have sensed that people were still frightened about the events ofst night because he stopped the caravan earlier than normal. The sun was still up by the time they¡¯d circled the wagons, started dinner cooking, and unhooked and fed the horses. My health and mana still weren¡¯tpletely recovered, so Serena agreed with surprising reluctance when I asked for the day off. Dinner was nice. Apparently, Garm had thrown some special ingredients into his stew to take everyone¡¯s minds off the attack. I didn¡¯t know what, but it tasted so good I didn¡¯t bother to ask. Everyone wasughing and joking, and even Mai was up and limping around. I was distracted enough with my thoughts that I didn¡¯t realize Scarlet had approached me until she sat at my feet. My brows raised, then raised even further when her arm shot out and grabbed my wrist before bringing it down and cing my hand on top of her head. I began to slowly stroke her hair and she made a humming noise in her throat. A tone I hadn¡¯t heard yet, but one that settled my nerves somewhat. When I looked around and saw Serena standing nearby beaming with Rhani next to her, a hand mped over her mouth and her eyes crinkled in a clear smile, I knew my decision had been made for me. I patted Scarlet¡¯s head for a few minutes, letting her enjoy it. Then I rose to my feet. Her crimson eyes watched my every move with more interest than I¡¯d seen from her before. ¡°Scarlet, I want you toe with me. Please.¡± Her eyes widened a fraction, and I felt the slightest tinge of fear from her. It was the first time some had slipped out of her since we¡¯d met. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you aren¡¯t in trouble.¡± A quick jerk of her head resembling a nod, then she rose to her feet. I conjured antern and lit it, then walked out of the campsite. I could feel Serena and Rhani¡¯s eyes on me, but I couldn¡¯t look at them right now. I walked until I found a clearing with a number ofrge stones. One was wide and t enough that it could be a table. It would suit my needs perfectly. ¡°Scarlet,e here.¡± She stood in front of me, her eyes never leaving mine. Moving slowly, I unsped her cloak and set it on the little stone table. ¡°Will you remove your shirt for me, please? Just your shirt.¡± She showed no emotion while she quickly peeled the cloth off and set it on her coat, leaving nothing on underneath. I¡¯d been hoping she wore a bra, but I suppose she still didn¡¯t need to. I could still see her ribs clearly, but it looked like she¡¯d at least started to fill out again. Many of the more severe marks she¡¯d had when we met still remained, but they were faint. I could still see the where the blightwolf blood had burned her, too. The fact that she still had so many injuries despite the System¡¯s regenerative abilities could only mean one thing. ¡°Scarlet, what is your health pool?¡± Her pupils narrowed. ¡°Is Sirmanding this one to answer?¡± ¡°No.¡± I couldn¡¯t look away from her captivating eyes. It felt like several minutes before she finally said in a soft voice, ¡°seven hundred, Sir.¡± Damn. I knew it had to berge, but thatrge? It would take a day and a half of constant bedrest just to fill her health pool. Since injuries healed slower the lower percentage of health you had, it was no wonder so many of her injuries persisted as long as they did. Not only that, but severe wounds would hamper that regeneration further. Wounds like wings that had been amputated as hers had. Between the widespread extent of the damage, the malnutrition, and what they¡¯d done to her wings, it would be some time before she reached full health naturally. ¡°I see,¡± was all I said. ¡°And how much do you have currently?¡± ¡°Two hundred fifty three, Sir.¡± She should be low after being hit by so much acid, but not that low. I conjured the poor quality mace I¡¯d taken from the bandits and handed it to her. I gestured towards one of the boulders in the clearing. ¡°Hit this as hard as you can.¡± She hefted the mace. ¡°Shall this one use a skill, Sir?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± A curt nod, then she dashed forward and obliterated arge chunk of the boulder. Shards of stone went flying, and I had to shake my head at the raw destructive power. She was either a high level or she had a lot of artificial power. With the brand on her shoulder, I knew what my money was on. I brought out the health potion Vaze had given me. It had been an act of kindness, and this felt like a good way to pay it forward. ¡°Drink this.¡± She took it, but didn¡¯t drink it right away. ¡°This one is not worth wasting such a precious resource on.¡± Had she already realized what my n was? ¡°Please, Scarlet. I¡¯d rather not make it an order if I don¡¯t have to.¡± She made a humming noise, but this one was of a lower tone than the one at camp. She drank it, and the burns started to fade. A few of her bruises and cuts cleared up as well, but her expression never so much as flickered. ¡°Now strike this boulder next.¡± If I hadn¡¯t been watching so closely, I might have missed the skill she activated. Some kind of empowered strike skill that increased the impact, if I had to guess. With the skill, however, the damage was almost the same as the first strike. She didn¡¯t look at me afterwards, simply staring at the ground in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re a berserker, aren¡¯t you?¡± The muscles in her back tightened. ¡°A rare variant, if I had to guess. Bloodletter? No, Tortured makes more sense.¡± Her head whipped up at me, her eyes wide. I felt another tinge of fear. ¡°It¡¯s why they hurt you so much, isn¡¯t it? To make you stronger.¡± She didn¡¯t answer. I reached forward and very gingerly touched the jagged edge of her wing. Her body shuddered, and I knew I¡¯d been right. ¡°They hurt, don¡¯t they? Your wings?¡± A curt nod was her only response. ¡°Come here.¡± I brought her to the t rock and sat her down on her cloak. The mace, still clutched in her hands, was bent at a jagged angle. It was little more than scrap metal now. I took it and banished it, then knelt in front of her. ¡°If I could make that pain go away, would you let me?¡± Her pupils narrowed to slits, and I could hear her breathing hitch. ¡°This one would be less useful to Sir if there were no pain.¡± So it wasn¡¯t just health, then. She must have skills that increase her stats ording to how much pain she was in. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be useful if it means you¡¯re hurting all the time. I¡¯ll ask again, do you want me to make the pain stop? I can, if you let me.¡± Her breathing sped up, but she didn¡¯t answer. I conjured a cup and the canteen of sleeping draft. I filled the cup and set it next to her. ¡°This is a special drink I made. It¡¯ll make you sleep without any dreams. If you take it, I promise you¡¯ll feel better when you wake. I won¡¯t force you. Not even in this.¡± I stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to go relieve myself in those trees for a moment so you can think on it.¡± She looked to the cup and I thought I could see a flicker of longing in her eyes. I stopped long enough to rub the top of her head, and her eyes closed. ¡°It¡¯s okay to want things,¡± I whispered. Then I took my leave and left her sitting alone in the clearing. I waited for a good ten minutes, then made my way back. She was curled up on her side with her knees tucked into her chest, snoring softly. I checked the cup to ensure she¡¯d drained everyst drop, then I summoned arge sheet and threw it over the t rock. I drew out the tools I¡¯d need¡ªa set of long, thin des, natural disinfectants, a bottle of whiskey, some herbs I could make into a pain relieving poultice, two more of my remaining five health potions, and plenty of bandages and cotton cloths¡ªand set them out across the edge of the rock. I took my cloak and my shirt off, letting the sharp cold invigorate me. Then I gently picked up Scarlet¡¯s sleeping form, marveling at how tiny and fragile she felt in my arms, andid her out on her chest with her face pointed towards me. I used the whiskey on my hands and the knives, poured some over her back, then dried it with a cloth. Then I turned off thentern to make it pitch dark. I put my hand just over her heart and listened to its slow, steady rhythm. My other senses would be better than my eyes for what I had to do, and I didn¡¯t want to see anymore blood right now. I took a long breath to steady my nerves, then I picked up one of the des and uncorked a health potion. I dipped the de in the potion, then I got to work. # # # It was well over two hourster that I walked back into the clearing with Scarlet¡¯s painfully tiny form in my arms. She always seemed small, but right now she felt downright tiny. Not only that, but because she was a flight-capable race, her bones were much lighter than normal bones. She felt like she hardly weighed anything at all. I hadn¡¯t bothered to put her shirt back on, mainly because the bandages wrapping her chest did enough to cover her modesty, but I did wrap her tightly in her cloak. Rastra was awake, though she was still relegated to the back of the wagon. Because of that, they¡¯d built the fire just past where she sat and set up benches and seats around it so she could still be a part of dinner without having to get up. I carried Scarlet past most of the people milling about, and I¡¯d nearly made it to the back of the wagon before the shouting started. I couldn¡¯t me them. I¡¯d been as neat as possible, but I was still covered in blood nearly to my elbows and my pants had more than a little crimson on them. I knew they were shouting questions at me, but all I could manage was some mumbled reassurances that everything was fine. I heard their words, but the meanings bounced right off. It was another drawback I¡¯d forgotten about my enhanced senses. Feeling a de cutting into flesh was bad enough. Hearing the sound of the flesh parting under the edge? Being able to tell muscle from skin from tendon from bone just by the way the knife in my hand vibrated? Tasting the blood on the air with every cut? It brought back memories I worked very hard to tamp down. Ones where I wasn¡¯t always the one holding the de. Someone grabbed my arm while I gently set Scarlet down next to Rastra. I put her on her side with her back facing towards the me. Serena was the one holding onto me, but I didn¡¯t want to look at her right now. Not until I was more in control of the memories that lurked at the edge of recollection. I looked until I found Mihrel walking towards us with a worried expression. I knew he¡¯d been trained as a healer until his decision of ss took him a different direction. ¡°Can you take a look at her?¡± I asked him. ¡°I did what I could, but I¡¯d feel better if you did.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said, worry etched into his face. He gently unwrapped her, then saw the bandages. Bloodstained across where her wings had once stuck out a few inches, but now little more than two bumps. He gently pulled them aside to look at the injuries, still held together by my [Shadow Stitching]. There was a pause, someone was still asking me something, then he turned around and punched me in the mouth. I remember getting hit, then I remember the ground. ¡°Are you out of your fucking mind?!¡± he demanded. He took another step towards me, but someone grabbed him. I pushed myself up on my elbow, rubbing my jaw. ¡°What?¡± Serena¡¯s voice. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He fucking carved her up, that¡¯s what! In the middle of the forest, no less!¡± Mihrel stepped towards me again, but whoever was holding him had a good grip. ¡°Are you trying to kill her with an infection?¡± ¡°I took precautions.¡± My voice sounded distant, even to me. ¡°Oh, really? What, did you ssh some whiskey on your knives before you started cutting?¡± I sighed and pushed myself to my feet. ¡°Yes. And I did that after I put her to sleep so she wouldn¡¯t feel anything. Then I dipped my tools in healing potion and made sure to drip it on the incisions after I was done so they¡¯d close up faster and not get infected.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡ª¡± He paused with his mouth open. ¡°That¡¯s not something I¡¯ve ever considered.¡± ¡°Old school battlefield triage.¡± Pierce¡¯s voice this time. ¡°You can use a single potion to save a dozen lives that way. Safest method for emergency amputations, though who the hell taught you that I have no idea.¡± I felt my feet moving and plopped down on a chair in front of the fire. I stared into the mes, weing the way they dulled my senses. Mihrel went to fuss over Scarlet, and I could feel everyone¡¯s gazes on me. I risked a nce and saw Serena looking at Scarlet¡¯s back with horror. Horror that she turned towards me. ¡°What did you do?¡± she demanded. There were tears in her eyes. Someone else started towards me, but I didn¡¯t bother trying to make them out. I just went back to staring at the mes. ¡°Look,¡± Korey, now, acting as peacekeeper, ¡°I¡¯m thest one to butt into someone else¡¯s business, but this is crossing a line. I think we¡¯d all feel a little better if you gave us a reason as to why you took her out into the woods and came back with her all bloodied up.¡± I supposed that was fair, but the exnation I had to give was one of the many things that haunted me. That would haunt me until the day that I died. Knowledge that nobody should have. ¡°The Penitence Cut,¡± I said finally. All I got in response was nk stares with one exception. Garm shot to his feet with a loud gasp. ¡°Bullshit!¡± he said, his words thick with an ent, ¡°is a myth!¡± ¡°I wish it were,¡± I told him honestly. He snarled, and for a moment I saw violence in his eyes. ¡°And you did this to her?¡± ¡°No, I undid it.¡± That shocked him into calmness. He looked uncertainly at where Scarlety, taking a step back. Korey cleared his throat. ¡°Alright, and what exactly is this Penitence Cut?¡± Garm saved me from having to answer. Sort of. ¡°An ancient ritual saved for worst criminals in Seraphim culture, long before demi-human races mingled. Punishment for those whomit most awful crimes and wish to repent.¡± Huh, I actually didn¡¯t know that. My knowledge of the practice was considerably more¡­modern. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous,¡± Fel said from somewhere off to my side, ¡°but what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surgery,¡± I exined. ¡°Seraphim wings are very sensitive, especially at the base. Touching them is an intimate act because of that. The Penitence cut is where you amputate the wings in a specific way right where the wings are the most sensitive. Done correctly, it makes those nerves grow into one another, creating a constant feedback of pain while those nerves are caught in a constant loop of trying to heal themselves.¡± There was no sound other than the crackling of the fire. ¡°I have it on good authority that, even after years, it feels like walking around with red-hot daggers stabbing into you over and over. It¡¯s a constant hell.¡± I knew Scarlet wasn¡¯t a Seraphim, but I had to imagine her wings weren¡¯t dissimr. Nobody spoke while everyone digested the information. It wasn¡¯t until Rhani appeared between my legs with a bucket of water and some cloths that I realized she was even present. She didn¡¯t look up at me as she started to wipe the blood from my hands. ¡°Why,¡± her voice cracked, ¡°why would anyone ever do that? To anybody?¡± ¡°Like Garm said,¡± I told her, ¡°it was used as punishment a long time ago. It was lost to time for a while, but Grimsbane found it and used it as an interrogation and intimidation tool. You¡¯d stay in line too if it meant saving your loved ones from such a fate. It¡¯s how he got the Seraphim under his thumb in the first ce.¡± There were general sounds and words of disgust all around. Seemed themotion attracted damn near everyone. Serena gently started stroking Scarlet¡¯s hair. ¡°What could Scarlet have ever done to deserve something so horrible?¡± I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was on the verge of tears. Were it so simple. ¡°Nothing, probably.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°Because if you take a girl before she¡¯s fourteen and make her live a few years in constant agony then there are pretty good odds she gets offered a powerful ss in return.¡± Even Fel looked disgusted by the idea. Rhani slipped a hand into mine and squeezed it. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that,¡± she whispered. ¡°I didn¡¯t know until yesterday.¡± I said back quietly. ¡°Not for sure, at least.¡± She finished with my hands and dropped the towel in the bucket. ¡°Then those materials you had me buyst minute?¡± All I could do was nod. Her face was unreadable as she stood and took the bucket away. I watched her go wondering what she thought of me. Terrified that she¡¯d see a glimpse of the old me that I¡¯d kept buried so well ever since I¡¯d made the deal with Allura. More than she¡¯d seen during the ambush after we¡¯d first met, at least. I still remember the day we first learned about it. When we¡¯d found an entire prison of Seraphim Grimsbane had given the Cut to. Many of them had been driven insane by it, and no small number of them begged us to put them from their misery. A few of the stronger ones had agreed to serve as test subjects for Be and Iliri so they could find a way to undo it. Mihrel reappeared with a bashful look on his face. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I¡¯m sorry. Guess I jumped the gun.¡± I waved a hand. ¡°If I held a grudge against everyone who took a swing at me I wouldn¡¯t have many friends left.¡± Most of the others started to wander off, but I felt Serena sit next to me. ¡°Will she be alright?¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± I had to hope that, physically speaking, there were simrities between her and Seraphim. I could stomach a lot worse than most, so I¡¯d ended up helping get rid of the Cut in the past. On a Seraphim, I was confident my work would have been more than adequate. On whatever subrace of demi-human she was? Well, we¡¯d have to wait and see. ¡°Would it be alright if she stayed with you again tonight? I think it¡¯d be best if you¡¯re the first face she saw.¡± I also wasn¡¯t sure I could handle the smell of fresh wounds tonight. ¡°Of course,¡± she said immediately. ¡°Thank you. She seems to react well to you.¡± I could feel her staring at me, so I finally forced myself to meet her eyes. Whatever she saw made her features soften. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. Of all things, that was enough to snap me out of my reverie. ¡°What the hell could you have to be sorry about?¡± She flushed. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s nothing.¡± I pulled her back down when she tried to stand. ¡°Nope. You¡¯re not getting off the hook that easy. I¡¯m starting to get real tired of everyone apologizing over stuff they have no reason to apologize for, so you¡¯d better tell me now or I¡¯m taking off tomorrow, too.¡± She opened her mouth but I raised a finger threateningly. ¡°And if you apologize again, I¡¯ll add another day.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She squirmed in her seat. ¡°I made another awful assumption about you. When I saw her back while Mihrel was looking over her, I just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should be insulted you keep looking for the worst in me or relieved you at least feel guilty about it.¡± She flinched. ¡°It¡¯s not like that!¡± ¡°It kinda feels like it.¡± She squirmed further, and her flush deepened. If I wasn¡¯t somitted to getting the bottom of this, I¡¯d have appreciated how adorable she looked in the firelight. It made me want to wrap my arms around her and kiss her doubts away. A startling impulsepletely unlike those that I was used to. ¡°You¡¯re¡­amazing,¡± she said finally. ¡°Why do you say that like it¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± She said quickly. Then she tucked her chin into her chest and the words started tumbling out. ¡°I haven¡¯t had much luck with people before. Every time I start to look up to or get close to someone, they turn out to be someonepletely different than I thought they were. I guess I just can¡¯t stop thinking that one of these days you¡¯ll turn out to be some horrible person just because I think you¡¯re so¡ª¡± she cut off. ¡°So, um, amazing.¡± I got the feeling she¡¯d been headed somewhere else, but I wasn¡¯t going to push her any further than I already had. ¡°If I give you one of the skeletons in my closet,¡± I told her, ¡°would that make you feel any better?¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°You don¡¯t have to!¡± I wanted to, though. ¡°I can promise I¡¯ve got secrets aplenty. Things that nobody but me knows, not even Rhani. Ask me a question¡ªany question at all¡ªand I give you my word I¡¯ll give you an honest answer.¡± Serena sat stiff as a board. Her mouth opened and then closed several times as she repeatedly went to ask a question then decided against it. Finally, she seemed to settle on one. ¡°Why are you somitted to helping Scarlet? And don¡¯t say because it¡¯s the right thing to do. You hardly know her, and I saw the look in your eye when you carried her out of the woods just now.¡± Damn. She really wasn¡¯t pulling any punches. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that she¡¯d asked the question I¡¯d been so desperately avoiding the answer to. ¡°A part of it,¡± I said finally, ¡°is that I have an idea of what she¡¯s been through and what she¡¯s going through now. Someone helped me then, and a piece of me feels like it¡¯s my duty to pass that kindness along.¡± ¡°And the other part of you?¡± she pressed. I took a moment to look at everyone around us. Though some of them still stole nces here and there, nobody was close enough to hear my next words. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. The cut, her ss, her torture. It¡¯s not just me helping someone, it¡¯s me trying my damnedest to undo something that wouldn¡¯t have happened in the first ce if I hadn¡¯t been so careless.¡± A soft gasp escaped her lips. ¡°You told me you hadn¡¯t met her until the day before we met,¡± she said slowly. There was a faint, reluctant usation in her tone. ¡°And that was true.¡± How could I tell her without revealing too much? ¡°I knew what was done to her because I knew the man who came up with the theory.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t me yourself for someone else¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°No, but when I killed that man, I should have made sure everyone he was working with died too.¡± My voice came out as a deadly whisper that frightened even me. I felt a shiver run through her, but otherwise she was so still she might have been a statue. ¡°After seeing what he did to her,¡± Serena said finally, ¡°maybe we¡¯ll get another chance.¡± I looked to her in surprise, but she stood without meeting my gaze. ¡°See you tomorrow for training?¡± she asked. ¡°You know it. Do you need help with Scarlet?¡± ¡°I can handle her. I¡¯ll find you in the morning to give you an update.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to wake me if you need me.¡± She shed me a soft smile, then went towards Scarlet. Rhani approached me almost as soon as Serena was gone, and she was wearing a mischievous smile. ¡°You go get some rest, I¡¯ll make sure Serena and Scarlet get settled.¡± I nodded my thanks, then made my way towards our tent. I disrobed and slid into my bedroll, but it was difficult to ignore the whispers in the camp with my [Dark Sense]. I ignored their words as best I could, but I couldn¡¯t block out their tones. Suspicion and disbelief were chief among them. Many worried I was making the Penitence Cut up or using it as an excuse to hurt Scarlet. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever get to sleep, but then Rhani slipped into the tent. Without saying a word, she stripped down until she was nude and slid into the bedroll. Rather than curling up against my chest, however, she pulled my head into her breasts and guided my arms until they were wrapped around her. Lips brushed my forehead, then she whispered, ¡°it¡¯s my turn to hold you tonight.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile as her fingers ranzily through my hair, gently massaging my scalp. I pulled her in tightly, pressing my face into her cleavage, and she giggled. It wasn¡¯t long before I drifted off. Contrary to my fears, I had no nightmares that night. Chapter Sixteen: Serena Ravin Chapter Sixteen: Serena Ravin # # # Serena¡¯s bedroll did next to nothing to dispel the cold. It was thin enough that she felt every stick and root through the padding, and she couldn¡¯t help but wish there were some way to get warm. Then, as if in answer, she heard the fabric of the tent rustling. She hummed happily when she felt his hands. Large, rough, hard, warm. They started at her hip, pressing against her through the bedroll that was so wonderfully thin now, tracing up over her stomach, stopping to trace the edge of her breast, trailing up her neck, threading through her hair, then cupping her cheek, then they were turning her head and finally¡ª She moaned with need when his lips captured hers. Ren tasted wonderful as her tongue traced his lower lip. He pulled the top of the bedroll aside¡ªshe¡¯d left it open on purpose, of course¡ªandy over her. His weight was soforting, and so hot. He was still clothed, but that didn¡¯t stop her questing hands from slipping under the cloth and exploring everything she could reach. She moaned when he started ying with her breast, then louder when she felt his fingers digging into the flesh of her rear. His knee found its way between her legs and she ground against it desperately, all while she sucked on his tongue greedily. ¡°You¡¯re perfect,¡± he growled in his deep, gravelly voice that never failed to send thrills through her. The only response she was capable of was to spread her legs and sink her hand into his hair and pull his lips back where they belonged: devouring hers. She heard the rustle of fabric, then something hot and hard was tracing its way down her stomach. She kissed him more fervently, only breaking it when she felt his tip press at her entrance. ¡°Please. I want you, Ren. I need you,¡± she begged. He grinned at her. The same grin that made her want to do unspeakable things. His beautiful blue eyes drank her in. In that moment, he saw her. Really saw her. Not as a Lancer, not as the nobody daughter of a seamstress, not even as an adventurer. As a woman. As his woman. He leaned in close and his lips grazed across her ear. She raised her hips, desperately trying to push him in, but she couldn¡¯t get the right angle. Just a little more, and¡ª His teeth nipped at her earlobe, then he whispered, ¡°all you have to do is ask.¡± She felt him push forward. Cried out. The pressure was unbelievable. The pleasure. The feeling of him over her. Of him about to be in her. She could feel her folds parting, weing him in, then¡ª Then she woke up, cold and alone and unbearably soaked. Her breathing wasing in gasps, and she burned with humiliation when she realized one hand was fondling her breast while the other was firmly nted between her legs. Goddess! With Scarlet sleeping only a few feet away! What was wrong with her? Then the contents of her dream came back to her in force and she nearly came on the spot. She could still smell him. Still taste him on her lips. Still feel him over her, and by the goddess she found herself wishing the dream hadsted just a minute more. Serena wanted to scream in frustration. Why was she so infatuated with him? So what if he was tall and rugged and handsome? Who cared if he was clever and funny and kind and patient? It wasn¡¯t like hearing the terrifying anger in his tone when he talked about killing the monster from his past had turned her on greatly, either. There was no way she¡¯d fallen asleep fantasizing about him turning that calm rage towards anyone who looked at her wrong. Oh, Goddess! Have mercy, I don¡¯t know how much more of this I can take! She was still furious at herself fromst night. Her momentarypse where she¡¯d, for a brief and horrible moment, thought he¡¯d hurt Scarlet didn¡¯t even bother her half as much as the wasted opportunity. She could have asked him anything under the sun, and she¡¯d been too much of a coward to ask any of the questions she really wanted answers to. Questions like if he was attracted to her. If he saw her as more than just a na?ve little girl trying to y adventurer. If there was any chance he¡¯d ever look at her the way he looked at Rhani. If he spent half as long wondering how she tasted as she did him. No, she had to go and ask something that had clearly brought up horrible memories from whatever past had earned someone as amazing as him such horrendous scars. Scars that, in spite of everything, she was so very drawn to. The look in his eyesst night made her want to kiss each and every one until he forgot about where they came from. To give herself to him until he couldn¡¯t remember the demons he hid so well. She wanted it almost as badly as she wanted to know the Ren he kept hidden so carefully. The one she¡¯d seen going toe to toe with that alpha to save a woman he barely knew. It was a low, uncertain humming that snapped her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to put it together, but once she had she was across the tent in a heartbeat. She held her breath when Scarlet started to stir, her crimson eyes struggling to blink the grogginess away. She looked around for a few seconds, then she sat up with a strangled cry. ¡°Easy!¡± Serena tried to hold her still. ¡°Mihrel said you shouldn¡¯t move yet.¡± But Scarlet only cried out again, twisting and reaching for her back. She brushed her fingers against where her stumps had been and froze. ¡°Gone¡­¡± she whispered. Fear gripped Serena. Had Ren done something wrong? Had he lied about the cut? ¡°Scarlet, is something wrong? I can go get Mihrel if you¡ª¡± ¡°The pain!¡± Her gaze jerked to Serena¡¯s. Her brow was furrowed, and the corners of her lips traveled downwards. ¡°The pain is gone!¡± Relief flooded Serena. Tears built in Scarlet¡¯s eyes, then the girl threw herself into Serena¡¯s arms. Surprised but happy, Serena happily embraced her back, careful of the bandages. Scarlet started to shake, and it was a few seconds before Serena realized that the girl was crying. It was the most emotion Serena had ever seen from Scarlet, so she was going to make damn sure she wasn¡¯t going to be the first one to let go. It took a while for Scarlet to calm down, but she finally managed it. She stirred, and Serena opened her arms and allowed the tiny Seraphim to pull away. She gently wiped the tears off Scarlet¡¯s face. ¡°Feel better?¡± Scarlet nodded with a sniffle. ¡°This one never thought¡­¡± A sob racked her. ¡°Never thought the pain would be gone. Sir said he¡¯d make it go away, but this one didn¡¯t dare hope,,,¡± she sniffled again. Serena was unable to stop herself from fishing a handkerchief from her things and using it to wipe her eyes and nose. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s alright,¡± she cooed. ¡°You feel fine? No pain?¡± Scarlet shook her head. ¡°This one does not know how it will ever express its gratitude.¡± ¡°Well, ¡®thank you¡¯ is always a good ce to start.¡± ¡°Then this one will say thank you.¡± She turned towards the front of the tent, then paused. ¡°Will Serena apany this one?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± Scarlet nodded once, and Serena had barely managed to get a shirt over the girl¡¯s head before she was off. For someone who¡¯d just undergone surgery, Scarlet seemed hardly bothered. With a surprising strength, Serena found herself being dragged through the camp by the hand, and they made it to Ren¡¯s tent in no time. Scarlet was about to enter, but Serena pulled back. It nearly yanked her shoulder out of its socket, but thankfully Scarlet stopped with a confused expression. Ignoring the rebellious part of her that very badly hoped for a repeat, Serena cleared her throat loudly. ¡°Ren? Rhani? Scarlet¡¯s awake, and she wants to talk to you.¡± Serena heard some cursing and quick movement that made her face heat up something fierce, but she managed to keep a straight face when they finally called her and Scarlet in. Scarlet seemed suddenly hesitant, so Serena led the way inside with Scarlet in tow. They were clothed, both to her relief and her disappointment, though by the state of Rhani¡¯s hair and the flush on her cheeks Serena was fairly certain they hadn¡¯t been a moment ago. Ren smiled briefly when he saw Serena¡ªsomething that made her heart flutter in her chest¡ªbut his expression faltered when it fell on Scarlet. He looked at her with barely concealed fear in his eyes. Serena squeezed Scarlet¡¯s hand, and Scarlet squeezed back so hard Serena felt bones pop. ¡°Go on,¡± she urged. Scarlet let go and started walking towards Ren. She paused, then kept going until she walked straight into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°Thank you, Ren,¡± she said. He rxed, and the slow relieved smile that spread across his face made everything feel worth it. Scarlet pulled away long enough to reach an arm towards Rhani, who happily joined the hug. Serena stood there, torn between jealousy and not wanting to feel like an interloper, before Scarlet turned and held a hand out towards her as well. Serena hesitated, but then Ren just smiled at her and jerked his head. Hoping she didn¡¯t look as giddy as she felt, Serena joined them. She wrapped one arm around Scarlet and the other¡ªonly because there was nowhere else to put it and for no other reason¡ªaround Ren. Ren kept one hand on Scarlet¡¯s head, but he conjured a tendril of shadow that wrapped around all four of them. Though she didn¡¯t cry again, there was a clear wetness to her eyes while Ren and Rhani both asked Scarlet how she was doing and if she was feeling any pain still. She was adamant that she was not, and any time someone started to drift too far away her hand managed to find them and pull them back in. There were smiles all around, and none of them had anyints about the close quarters. Serena nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt Ren¡¯s hand at the small of her back, and she was suddenly violently aware that she¡¯de all this way in her smallclothes. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to her. And the way he said it carried enough emotion that she felt heat in her chest. ¡°I¡ªI barely did anything,¡± she stammered. But he pulled her in for a hug anyways. No Scarlet between them, just him and her. She squeaked, terrified at first, but she couldn¡¯t stop from pressing her breasts into him when he wrapped his arm around her. One of her hands found his chest and the other ended up on his back. Both wanted very desperately to quest lower, but she controlled herself. Barely. ¡°You did much more than you had to,¡± he argued. ¡°I owe you. Twice now, since you saved my life. If you need anything, all you have to do is ask.¡± Oh Goddess! How could he have known the effects those words had on her? The very same words from her very vivid dream just before he¡¯d been about to¡ªno, don¡¯t think about it. She wasn¡¯t wearing anything under the shift she wore, and thest thing she needed was for her arousal to poke through. If she needed anything. What she needed was for him to pin her down with his lips and solve the very apparent issue that was her now-drenched panties. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ll think of something, I¡¯m sure.¡± Heughed. Goddess it felt good when heughed with her pressed against him. Low and deep rumbles that vibrated through her whole body. She needed to get out of here before she did something foolish. Mercifully and all too soon he let her go and she forced herself to put distance between them. Why was she working so hard to hide her feelings again? In that moment, it was very difficult to remember. ¡°We should get some breakfast, the others were starting to move around when we were making our way through camp. And I should really get some actual clothes on.¡± Oh no. No, no. She hadn¡¯t meant to say thest part out loud. To her utter horror, she saw his eyes flick down to her breasts then back up. She knew she was poking through. She could feel the fabric rubbing against her nipples. It didn¡¯t help that the shirt was particrly tight around her bust, either. Normally she had a bra to help her, but right now¡­ But he didn¡¯tugh orment or even raise a brow. He just picked his own cloak up off the ground and stepped close enough to drape it over her shoulders. They were face to face, his arms around her, so near to one another that she could feel the warmth of his breath. ¡°It¡¯s a bit cold out, so you can take this for now.¡± Oh Goddess, it smelled like him. That was not helping. ¡°Yes. Cold. Very cold.¡± That was why her extremely sensitive nubs were hard as diamonds and no other reason. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you, then.¡± She bowed hastily towards where Rhani was helping Scarlet dress, then practically ran out of the tent. Somehow, during that mess, she¡¯d managed to fall for him even harder, and she had no clue what to do about it. Well, considering it would take them at least another thirty or so minutes to get everyone up and moving and another fifteen to get all the horses hooked up, there was one thing. Now that her tent was unupied, of course¡­ # # # They found another body a bit after noon. Another Nekomata, this one a little more intact than the first. Ren insisted everyone keep moving and that he¡¯d take care of it. He grabbed Rhani, and then to Serena¡¯s incredible pleasure, called her over as well. At the end of the trail were another four blightwolves, but thankfully no alpha. Ren gave her two more tendrils, one wrapping around her weapon yet again, and they made short work of the beasts. He fought like a demon, ruthless and single-minded. He tore through them, and she lived in the slipstream he left behind to make sure his back was covered. With his tendrils and is own shadow-wrapped sword, he was a whirlwind of destruction. With her spear, she was in prime position to take advantage of every opening he created. And there were many. She hadn¡¯t noticed it with how frantic and terrifying the battle against the alpha had been, but fighting with him felt amazing. Whether it was the sparring they¡¯d done or something else, it feltpletely natural. It was as if she knew what he was going to do before he did it, and from how quick he was to cover her in return she wondered if he felt the same. The wolves never evennded a blow against them, especially when it was down to a single wolf and Rhani¡¯s golem stepped in to finish it off. They were all smiling after, and their smiles turned into celebration when Rhani leveled up. With Rhani¡¯s guidance and Ren¡¯s shadows, they carefully harvested some parts to sell at the next town in a few days, then headed back to the caravan. There were a few surprisedments at how little time it took and even one or two suggestive nces from Vaze about how it probably should have taken longer that Serena very pointedly ignored. Ren more than made up for it when he spent the rest of the day walking at her side while Rhani hopped on the back of the injured wagon to keep Scarlet and Rastrapany. Scarlet had tried to insist she was fine to walk, but Ren had put his foot down and ordered her to ride. He stayed nearby pretty much the whole day, and Serena was at his side, so she got to see how just about everyone stopped by at some point to check on her. Everyone but Fel, at least. Once word got around that she was doing better than she had been the day before, people started warming back up to Ren. They weren¡¯t the only ones warming up either. Whether because they were finally far enough south or because the season was finally turning, the temperature started to rise. Not quite enough to melt the snow, but enough so that it wasn¡¯t quite so miserable all the time. Serena had to silently scold herself for being happy she wouldn¡¯t have to wear a thick cloak all the time. She loved the way Ren¡¯s eyes flicked towards her chest, and though she was still enjoying wearing his cloak very much she hoped that soon she¡¯d be wrapped up in him instead. She just had to figure out how to cross thatst invisible line that seemed determined to exist between them. She ended up with the first watch, and after their fight against the blightwolves Ren gave her the night off. She¡¯d been disappointed, but he¡¯d promised to make it up to her. Serena had no idea what that meant, but she was incredibly eager to find out. Then her watch came to an end, and her world came crashing to the ground. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Serena demanded, certain she¡¯d misheard Fel. ¡°I said,¡± Fel spoke slowly, as if she were an idiot, ¡°that you¡¯ll be warming my bed tonight, so lets get a move on.¡± Revulsion choked her. ¡°I¡ªI will do no such thing!¡± Heat was rising to her face, but for once it had less to do with embarrassment and more to do with anger. His face split in a slimy grin. ¡°Sure you will. It¡¯s a part of your job description.¡± ¡°It most certainly is not!¡± Fel stepped close enough that there was less than a foot between them. ¡°The contract you signed was very clear. I provide you with armor, a weapon, and supplies, and you follow mymands.¡± ¡°In battle!¡± ¡°Not what it says in the contact,¡± he looked her up and down. ¡°You¡¯re wearing my gear, that means you do what I say. It¡¯s S¡¯s time of the month, and Rastra is all fucked up. That means it¡¯s finally your turn.¡± The relish in his voice made her skin crawl. Serena couldn¡¯t help herself. She pped him across the face hard enough for the sound to echo through the camp. ¡°You¡¯re a disgusting pig,¡± she spat. He rubbed the spot she¡¯d struck, but his eyes only promised retribution. ¡°You signed the contract. Not my fault you didn¡¯t read the fine print. You can refuse, of course, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to report your breach of oath to the guild.¡± He clicked his tongue and shook his head. ¡°Nobody will touch you after that. It¡¯d be such a shame to see such a promising career go down the drain because you¡¯re being a little prude.¡± Her fists clenched. ¡°When I tell them what you¡¯re really doing, then you¡¯re the one nobody will believe!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Heughed. ¡°You think they¡¯ll believe some country bumpkin from out in the sticks¡ªone who hasn¡¯t had anyone important in her family line for generations¡ªover me? An established lord with a very good reputation?¡± He leaned in close and whispered just for her, ¡°girl, I¡¯ve got friends in high enough ces to bury you. Now quit wailing, and get in my tent.¡± Serena could feel tears in the corners of her eyes, but she wouldn¡¯t let them fall. Not in front of him. She wouldn¡¯t go with him, no matter what. But she also knew his threats weren¡¯t idle ones. He could ruin her career. Her life. This far out, she¡¯d have no choice but to continue with the caravan, and there was no telling when she¡¯d be able to get enough money to make it back home. If she went with him now, surely Ren would want nothing to do with her. Could she count on him for help? He owed her, but did she really want to put him in such a position? If Fel could bury her, could he bury Ren? No, there had to be another way out of this. One she wasn¡¯t seeing. Some way to tell him to go fuck himself that wouldn¡¯t cost her the dream she¡¯d had since she was a little girl. He grabbed her by the front of the armor and yanked her forward. ¡°Time¡¯s a wasting, and the longer you make me wait the angrier I get. Now get that armor off, and get in there.¡± Armor. What had the terms of the contract been? So long as she used his equipment, she was beholden to him. It wasn¡¯t all epassing. She wasn¡¯t his ve. Even she wouldn¡¯t have been so foolish as to have signed her life away entirely. Ignoring the embarrassment that tore through her to even think about it, she started undoing straps where she stood. He frowned. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m using the equipment you paid for, right? Those were the terms?¡± Her gauntlets fell to the dirt, followed by her breastte. His brows drew together in anger. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go this route.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from you.¡± It was difficult to remove the armor from her legs without giving him a show, but somehow she managed it. ¡°If it means I have to do anything with slime like you, then you can have it all back.¡± His dark eyes glowed with fury, but he smirked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t get too eager. The contract mentions any equipment I provide for you, or have you forgotten the little shopping trip we went on before leaving Listone?¡± Her hands froze. He¡¯d insisted on buying her a set of everything before they left. Her armor. Her spear. Her tent. Her bedroll. Her cloak. Her boots. Her clothes. Everything she owned other than her undergarments had been paid for by him. Had this been his n all along? But even looking at him, she knew. She¡¯d rather suffer humiliation than let him put a single hand on her. Without taking her eyes off him, she pulled her shirt over her head and threw it in the dirt. Then, ignoring the sting of the cold on her bare flesh and the stares of everyone around them, kicked off her boots and removed her pants. Soon all that was left were her undergarments, her socks, and her ne she always wore under her clothes. She covered herself as best she could, but her hands were only so big. He took an appreciative look at her shivering body. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s how you want to y this. Just know that when youe crawling back to me, what I¡¯ll do to you is so much worse than if you¡¯d have simply been a good little bitch.¡± She didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she turned and stalked off, hating how she knew his eyes were glued to her ass the entire time. She kept her head down as she stalked towards her tent, d that at least she¡¯d brought her own socks. She stopped long enough to grab her second spear, the gift her father had given her for her seventeenth birthday, and stormed off from the tent that was no longer hers. She heard someone call her name, but she couldn¡¯t bear to talk to anyone now. Not like this. How many of them had seen? Goddess, had Ren seen? What must he think of her now? She probably looked so pathetic. She couldn¡¯t bear to look for his face. Couldn¡¯t bear the thought of finding his eyes and seeing pity in them. She kept walking, then she was running. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but Dexterity and Agility were two of her highest stats. She ran into the darkness, somehow avoiding running into any trees. She wasn¡¯t sure how long she ran before her foot caught something and sent her sprawling. She hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her chest and the spear from her hand. She tried to stand, but all she aplished was to pull her shivering knees into her freezing chest. The first breath she managed to take was a sob. She should have seen thising. She¡¯d been such an idiot. Of course Fel hadn¡¯t actually seen her for a good fighter. She¡¯d been so excited when he offered her a contract that she never stopped to think how odd it was that someone of his status was wasting time with a nobody like her. He¡¯d only done it because of her body. So he could force himself onto her. Serena was so caught up in wallowing that she missed any sign her attacker might have made until it was only a few feet from her. The first indication she was no longer alone was a low growl unlike anything she¡¯d ever heard. A single rumbling note that she felt in her bones. She heard it, then froze. Moving as slowly as she could, she pushed herself up and looked around. It didn¡¯t take her long to find them, even in the dark. Moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating the beast¡¯s long, gray-skinned body. It was built not unlike the alpha, but smaller. It¡¯s back legs were shorter, letting it stand almost upright, but its front legs were beefy and muscr. Then, even stranger, she saw a second set of limbs behind the first. More slender than their counterparts but just as long, they touched upon the ground while the beast crept around her. Serena could see ck lines on the flesh almost like tattoos, but the thing that caught her attention the most were its eyes. Glowing red with a vertical slit pupil and ck scleras. They regarded her with something disturbingly close to intelligence. Then she heard the heavy footfall behind her and knew she was fucked. She risked a nce to see a second, identical monster behind her. It¡¯s snout was shorter than a wolf¡¯s, almost shaped like a cat. This one was close enough that she could see a single line of bristles trailing down its back. It had no tail, but its tongue was unnaturally long as it hung from a mouth filled with fangs and tasted the air. Oh Goddess. She was going to die. She had no armor, no help, and her spear was not in her hand. She looked without moving her head and spotted a glint of moonlight on steel. It wasn¡¯t near the creatures, but if they pounced she¡¯d be dead before she got to it. She rocked forward so her weight was on her feet and the beast she was looking at snarled. She had one chance to get to her spear.
Step of the Skydancer (a) - No weapon made by man can harm the wind itself. Expend mana to enter a state of heightened bnce. You can change direction even without touching the ground for the duration of the skill. Your speed is enhanced, and you can sense vibrations in the air around you.
She sent a prayer to Allura, then activated her skill. She felt the beast behind her lunge, but she was already in motion. She danced to the spear and picked it up, but the second beast had lunged for the spear as well. No sooner had her fingers closed around the wooden haft than it mmed its arm into her. The air was knocked out of her and she was sent sprawling, but [Step of the Wind] was still active for a few more seconds. She managed to recover, but not before the first one had closed the distance. Itshed out, and long curved ws extended from its fingers. They tore into the exposed flesh above her right hip, and pain ripped through her. She stabbed at it, but her de barely scratched its tough flesh. She couldn¡¯t fight them both. Not alone and naked. She needed to get back to camp, but as they both rushed her from different sides she realized she wasn¡¯t sure which direction camp was in. She struck at one, but they were lightning fast. One danced away while the other darted in, and she felt ws tear into her back calf. She swung the spear, trying tond a blow so she could use [Feinting Blow], but they didn¡¯t stay within reach for longer than it took tond a single strike. She backed away, trying and failing to keep both in her line of sight at the same time, but they were clever. They skirted the outsides of her vision, making her turn away from one to strike or block the other. They were cautious of her spear, but not afraid of it. She tried to change direction, but they both darted in again. This time her spear caught one, but the other knocked her to the ground. She felt ws slice into her bicep and cried out. She mmed the butt of her spear and caught something fleshy. She heard a hiss and felt something rip across her back. She mmed her spear again, but the second one darted forward and snapped its jaws around the haft and twisted. There was a sharp crack and the top foot of the spear went spinning into the darkness. Her lifeline was gone. The beasts both mmed into her in unison. ws ripped into her shoulder and high on her neck and then she was mming into the ground, face down. She tried to push herself up, but one of the beasts was on her in an instant. It shoved her down with one of its massive arms and the ws buried themselves into the flesh between her shoulderdes. She cried out and tried to struggle, but its second set of smaller arms shot out. One grabbed her by the back of the neck and mmed her head into the ground twice while the other grabbed the arm she¡¯d swung with and twisted it up, forcing her other shoulder into the ground. She tried to kick, but the ws dug deeper into her back. Her head swam from the pain and the impact, and she felt something warm and hot dripping down her face. Her head had been cut open when it had mmed it down, and though the forest around her swam, she tried to fight. She didn¡¯t manage much before she felt long fangs sink into the flesh of her shoulder. Serena screamed. It was a feral, primal sound. One filled with fear and anger and frustration. She was going to die. She didn¡¯t want to die here. Not like this. Would any of them know what happened to her? Would they be able to find her corpse in the morning? Would these monsters leave anything left to find? What would Ren think? Would he mourn her? Would he care? The fear that she¡¯d felt when she¡¯d faced down the alpha blightwolf had been nothingpared to the raw fear that filled her now. Then, at least, she¡¯d had a weapon and the light of the mes and Ren. Now she had nothing. She was going to die, afraid and alone, just like those Nekomata they¡¯de across. She tried to scream again, but it just came out as a choked sob. ¡°Please, Allura¡­¡± she said weakly. The beast lowered its head so that it was next to hers and inhaled deeply. Then it began rumbling. A single, low note that came from its chest. The small hand at the back of her head ripped upward and she cried out again. The beast¡¯s maw grew closer, its fangs only inches from her exposed throat, and it breathed in again. Then¡ª ¡°Mchaaaaaaaaiii.¡± It spoke. The beast spoke. One word that made no sense to her, but it had said something. It had a deep voice like a rockslide that tore through whatever strength she had left. The one eye that could see its head looked into the bloodred pupil. She saw intelligence, but she also saw other things. Malice. Hate. Anger. Evil. Its lips raised, showing its fangs. The arm wrenched again, twisting her head so that her neck was facing it. It reared back, and her body went limp. In herst moments, one final prayer traveled through her mind. Allura, at least make it quick. It was quick alright. If she¡¯d have blinked, she¡¯d have missed it. Something came hurtling out of the dark and mmed into the beast on top of her. Its weight disappeared and its ws ripped through her flesh, but it was gone. She was alive. She looked desperately for her savior, knowing there was only one person it could possibly be. It was Ren, but it wasn¡¯t. Four thick tendrils of shadow sprouted from his back, stabbing and shing at the monster that thrashed underneath him, but her eyes were drawn to the de in his hand. Long, crimson, and glowing with runes she¡¯d never seen before. Tendrils of shadow just like his but tinged with glowing red whipped around furiously, gouging deep cuts into the beast. Then Ren turned and looked at her, and her blood froze in her veins. His blue eyes were gone. In their ce was a glowing red, both like and unlike the monsters they fought. Just as intense, but somehow warmer. He threw his hand out, and something flew past close enough to nearly knock her over as it cut through the air. She turned to see a long metal scabbard m into the second beast that had crept up behind her. He followed a second behind and cut deep into the beast twice, lopping off the two front limbs on its right side while his flurry of tendrils carved into it. He mmed the de into the beast¡¯s body and she heard a roar in her mind. He let it go and whirled back to the other one, picking up his scabbard and swinging it like a bludgeon. It mmed into the beast, but instead of pressing the attack like he normally did he stumbled back. He lunged for the sword, ripped it out, then mmed it into the scabbard and flipped atch. ¡°Seven seconds,¡± he panted, ¡°almost too much.¡± Oh how badly she wanted to kiss him, but she was covered in still-bleeding wounds. She checked her health and fear raced through her. [Health: 19/180] It was lower than her health had ever been, and it was still dropping. ¡°Ren.¡± Her voice was so quiet. So weak. He was too far away. He¡¯d never hear her. He¡¯de, but toote. She was¡ª Then he was there. His arms wrapped around her and pressed her into him. She sobbed, then screamed when searing pain ripped through her injuries. His skill pulled her injuries closed, saving her life. She felt the cold, smooth touch of his shadows as two tendrils emerged from her skin at her hip and her shoulder. Something cold and hard¡ªa vial of healing potion¡ªfound its way to her lips and she drank desperately. Some of the pain faded and she felt something else pressed into her hand, then he was gone. She whimpered, reaching for him in the dark, but she heard the sounds of snarling, ws cutting through the air, metal impacting flesh, and she knew he was fighting. She tried to stand, then realized the item he¡¯d put in her hands was a spear. She used it to push herself to her feet, straining her eyes to try and make out what was happening. He was a blur in the darkness. They tried to use the same tactics on him that they¡¯d used to take her down, but he didn¡¯t seem to need line of sight to keep track of them. If they even managed to get close the tendrils of shadow exploded in a flurry of cuts that drove them back. They couldn¡¯t get to him, but they were fast and smart enough to keep him on the defensive. His mana wouldn¡¯tst forever. She was in no shape to throw herself back into the fray, but that didn¡¯t mean she could afford to sit on the sidelines and let the man she was so hopelessly in love with die saving her. She dropped into one of the many stances he¡¯d taught her, her spear held out in front of her, and activated [Exalted Rush].
Exalted Rush (a) - Strike swift and true, like an arrow of the Goddess. Requires thrusting weapon. Use mana to fill the tip of your de with divine power, then surge forward on heavenly winds to pierce your target. Divine damage triggers after twelve feet and pierces armor.
She felt the winds caressing her. Saw the golden light surrounding her spearhead as a red glow started deep in the metal. Power surged through her legs and her arms, and she felt her weapon tug against her. Pulling her. Demanding to be let loose like an arrow on a drawn bowstring. It built and built and built until she felt like she¡¯d explode, but she held it back. These creatures were smart. If she missed, she doubted she¡¯d get another shot. A sudden shift. He knocked a beast back, drawing a deep cut in retaliation. Had he seen her at the ready? It didn¡¯t matter. It reeled, arms swinging. Off bnce because he¡¯d cut two of them off already with that strange and terrifying de. She didn¡¯t rush forward as much as she finally released her spear from where she held it back. The heavenly winds enveloped her in their embrace and the world became a blur. A tunnel of color with only one thing in the center of her vision. The spear seemed to elongate, defying physics to reach towards its target. The beast¡¯s eye widened in surprise, but she was already surging towards it. The spear missed its heart, but it hit the beast and ripped through the gray flesh and muscle. It yowled in pain and anger when it mmed into the tree and the metal of her spear bit into the wood, pinning it in ce. Itshed out at her with one of its remaining arms, but the shadows coiled and protected her. They batted the strike away before they started stabbing into the beast¡¯s neck and body, taking advantage of its pinned position to inflict enough damage to make the beast finally go still. Once the tendrils had stopped their assault, no longer sensing danger from a corpse, she ced her foot against the beast and yanked the spear out. With a scream, she mmed the tip into the bottom of the beast¡¯s skull for good measure, then she turned to find Ren. Now one on one, he seemed to be faring better. He¡¯d abandoned his smaller, quicker sword for arger two-handed one. It gave him the reach he needed to both keep the monster¡¯s attacks at bay and get in strikes of his own. She could see where he limped, though. Where his clothes were torn and shes of crimson reflected the moonlight. Anger surged through her. These damned monsters wanted to ambush and double team their prey? They could get a taste of their own medicine. Regardless of her sad health status, she activated [Step of the Skydancer] and charged the beast. It saw hering, but she sensed its muscles shifting to spin and changed direction on a dime to avoid the strike. She stabbed it in the flesh below its shoulder, and Ren took advantage of the distraction to dart in and m his de into the beast¡¯s back. It snarled and turned on him, but his shadows kept it from tearing him apart. He caught one strike with his sword and twisted the de to pin the w to the ground while three of his shadowsshed out and wrapped the beast¡¯s other paw with razor-sharp tendrils. It bucked, but he held it long enough for her to dance back in and dump [Flurry Strike] after [Flurry strike] until her stamina ran dry and the forest started to spin around her. The ground pitched underneath her and she found herself unable to fill her lungs. She knew she was falling, but the cold hard earth never seemed to quite reach her. Not before strong, warm arms had wrapped around her and gently pulled her into him. She felt his flesh on hers, his hot, callused hand at the small of her back when he pushed her into his chest even while the other cupped the back of her head and held her to the crook of his neck. The spear slipped from her fingers, but she didn¡¯t care. All she could do¡ªall she wanted to do¡ªwas sink her trembling fingers into the fabric of his torn and bloodstained shirt. She heard the timbre of his voice, but she couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. The words didn¡¯t matter to her, not then. All she cared about was that he was there. Holding her. Whispering in a reassuring tone while he held her against him and stroked her hair. Then the tears came. The fear hit her all at once. She should have died. She should be a corpse in the dark thanks to her own stupidity. She twisted her hands into his clothing, pulling herself deeper into him, letting the sobs wrack her body. Letting his scent wash away the smell of blood. Letting the warmth of his body and his arms seep into her and banish the unbearable cold. The harder she pulled, the tighter he held her. His nose buried in her hair. His hand rubbing circles on her back, fighting off the biting cold that had seeped into her bones. Serena didn¡¯t know how long they sat there before her terror and panic finally reached manageable levels. She mumbled something about being okay now, but he just held her tighter. She rested her head on his shoulder, more than happy to just sit there for as long as he¡¯d let her. She couldn¡¯t feel the cold hard dirt of the forest floor, but rather the tops of his thighs. He¡¯d pulled her into hisp and, at some point, wrapped a cloak around her. She felt notifications prodding at her mind, and took a quick peek. [Level Up!] [New ss Selection Unlocked!] She was too tired to be excited. That was something for in the morning. Something she didn¡¯t care to think about right now. Instead, she just nuzzled deeper into the heat of his body and whispered, ¡°thank you.¡± Chapter Seventeen: Alive Chapter Seventeen: Alive She was alive. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered into my chest. With my boosted senses, she might as well have screamed it. It was music in my ears, unbelievably sweet. It almost made meugh, because I wanted to say the same thing right back to her. She was alive. I hadn¡¯t been toote. Not this time. She was a little worse for wear, but she was warm and breathing and alive. She¡¯d been so out of sorts I doubt she noticed how desperately I¡¯d clung to her those first few minutes. Hearing her heartbeat slow. Smelling her blood all around us. Feeling every tremble of her frozen and battered body. How could I not have pulled her away from the corpse of that beast and wrapped her up in my arms as tightly as I dared? She was alive! I¡¯d made it in time. A part of me knew that it wasn¡¯t just that, either. If she hadn¡¯tsted as long as she did, I never would have made it. Hells, if she hadn¡¯t had the strength to stand back up after everything and throw herself back into the fight, I doubt I would have walked away either. She was strong and fast and skilled and beautiful and amazing. I made up my mind then and there. ¡°You¡¯re staying with us tonight,¡± I told her. I¡¯d heard enough of her and Fel¡¯s conversation to get the gist. ¡°And that isn¡¯t up for debate.¡± She nodded into my shoulder. ¡°Okay.¡± I ran my hands through her hair a few more times. Even stered with blood and sweat, it was soft and full against my fingers, and it seemed to go on forever. I could have sat there all night, but she needed a warm bedroll and some real clothes. I conjured an extra pair of boots. She argued weakly, but I wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer. Not after I¡¯d almost lost her. She tried arguing again when I started to put them on her myself, but quickly gave up. Unable to stop myself, I ran my hands up her legs and counted her every injury, all still sealed by my skill. They weren¡¯t the jagged rips that the blightwolves left, but rather deep, clean slices. If I hadn¡¯t seen the fight with my own eyes I might have thought des did this. ¡°Wait here for a moment.¡± She nodded, her emerald eyes searching mine. I stepped away from her reluctantly and immediately missed her warmth, but I had to see them with my own eyes. They were smaller versions of the creatures Grimsbane had summoned on that day. Something not of this world. If I hadn¡¯t used the cursed de to weaken them, we wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance. Speaking of the cursed de¡­ I went to retrieve it where it had fallen. I thought I¡¯de to understand the de over thest few years of the war, but I was starting to doubt every secret I¡¯d uncovered. It had changed, but I had no clue how or why. I should be unconscious at best, dead at worst. The meager levels I¡¯d gained since drawing it at the tower shouldn¡¯t have been enough to protect me. I¡¯d drawn it assuming I might not survive the act because it had meant saving Serena, but the moment I¡¯d undone the sp¡­ The only emotions I¡¯d ever felt from it were rage and anger and hate. I¡¯d always appreciated that since those were the only things I knew after I¡¯d escaped Karn. I felt those again when I pulled it from my storage and undid the sp, but that wasn¡¯t all I felt. There was something new. Something achingly familiar. A loneliness that I¡¯d never realized had be such an integral part of me until Rhani had stepped in to fill that gap. Then Scarlet. Then Serena. But that wasn¡¯t even the weirdest part. Those emotions had shifted in the fraction of a second where my hand had first wrapped around the hilt. I felt something else from the de. A desire to protect. It had torn through countless enemies through the years and caused untold destruction, but this was the first time I¡¯d felt it demand the deaths of monsters for the purpose of defending a life. I touched two fingers to the scabbard. ¡°I have to put you away now,¡± I told it, trying not to feel foolish for talking to a sword, ¡°but not because I want to. Thank you for saving my friend.¡± The sword, because it was in fact still a sword, didn¡¯t answer. I banished it, trying to decide if that faint sense of reluctance belonged to me or not, and retrieved my other weapons. I stopped long enough to hack the head off one of the beasts, then I banished both bodies and all the parts I could find into my storage. They nearly filled it, but I wasn¡¯t nning to keep them there for long. Serena had stood by the time I returned. Her cloak was wrapped tightly around herself and she looked more than a little ridiculous in my boots, but she was alive. She clearly favored one leg, so I turned around and crouched down. ¡°Hop on.¡± She spluttered. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I can walk on my own!¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking back at her. ¡°Your two options are either hop on my back or I can throw you over my shoulder. Your choice.¡± Thankfully, she didn¡¯t argue any further. I tried to think pure thoughts when I felt the heat of her press into my back and she wrapped her long, toned legs around my waist, but the way she shivered when my hands gripped her firm thighs did a number on me. Despite her protests, she wasted no time in wrapping her arms around me and pressing her cold face into the warmth at the back of my neck. We didn¡¯t speak while I picked my way back towards camp. Not until we could see the mes through the trees and the forms of people moving about. I felt her legs tighten around me, then she said, ¡°please put me down.¡± I paused. ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡± ¡°Please, Ren. I don¡¯t want to be carried into camp. I don¡¯t want him to see it.¡± Reluctantly, I set her on her feet. She swayed slightly, but I steadied her. I was going to have words with Fel before this was over. I put a hand to her cheek, and she gasped. ¡°You never have to deal with him again. Not if you don¡¯t want to.¡± She ced her hand over mine and closed her eyes. Her lips curved a little. ¡°Thank you, Ren. For more than just saving me.¡± Her legs were unsteady underneath her, so I wrapped an arm around her waist. I may not be carrying her, but I wasn¡¯t about to let her limp into camp unassisted. Serena leaned on me gratefully, and we walked into the light. With the fire behind them and my eyes used to the dark, it was hard to make out the silhouettes of the people around us. One stood up and turned towards us, and I recognized Vaze after I had a second to adjust. She was grinning. ¡°Finally. I wonder what you two were up to out there that she¡¯s having to lean on you like¡ª¡± Her smile fell and the color drained from her face. ¡°Cilrien, go get Mihrel now.¡± I looked at Serena and winced. In the light of the fire, she was in bad shape. Her face was covered in blood and dirt, and the side of her head was already darkening with bruises. Other than the red of her blood, the darkness of the dirt, and the gold of her hair, there was no color in her face. She ran to us and draped Serena¡¯s free hand over her shoulder. ¡°What the fuck happened this time, Ren?¡± Serena shook her head, then leaned into me as if that took too much effort. ¡°Not his fault,¡± she protested weakly. ¡°I was stupid. Got attacked. Ren saved me.¡± For the third time in as many days, the caravan started collecting around the back of the medical wagon. ¡°More blightwolves?¡± Pierce asked. I could only shake my head. ¡°Whatever they were, they made blightwolves look like bitches.¡± Korey swore. ¡°Dead?¡± I nodded, and he let out a relieved breath. ¡°That¡¯s good at least.¡± The men were kind enough to avert their eyes while Mihrel parted Serena¡¯s cloak and started looking at her injuries. He swore, then made ament about how useful my stitching ability was turning out to be. With a gasp, Rhani came up with Scarlet in tow. She grabbed my arm, unable to take her gaze from Serena. ¡°Is she alright?¡± she asked. I pulled her in for a quick hug. ¡°She will be. Stay with her, there¡¯s something I need to take care of.¡± She nodded, and I looked around for the face I wanted to talk to most. ¡°What the fuck is the big deal?¡± Fel demanded, walking up, ¡°so she got a little cold, she¡¯s a big girl¡ª¡± The words died in his throat when he saw Serena, then he saw the look on my face and took a step back. His hand went to his sword, but I stopped a few feet from him. I conjured a tendril, then used it to dramatically drop the head of the monster we killed at his feet. It was just as terrifying in the light as in the dark. It flopped to the ground with a stter of blue-ck blood, its jaw hanging limp and its tongue lolling out the side. I heard gasps and one hastily muffled scream, but I didn¡¯t take my eyes off Fel. ¡°That should more than cover whatever debts Serena¡¯s incurred to this point. Keep your shit, she doesn¡¯t work for you anymore, clear?¡± His expression twisted. ¡°Who the fuck do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± I took another step and I let out the Zaren who¡¯d fought a war for three years. Who had spilled enough blood to fill ake. Who had seen more pain and misery and suffering than anyone had the right to and gone back for more. When I spoke, I barely recognized the voice that came from my mouth. ¡°I think,¡± I told him, ¡°that I¡¯m talking to a spoiled rich prick that I could take apart and bury so deep in the woods that nobody would ever find you. And I wouldn¡¯t lose a wink of sleep over it.¡± Fel puffed out his chest, but whatever he saw in my eyes was enough to scare him. I could feel his fear and, for once, I didn¡¯t hate the feeling. I glowered at him until he deted, then he awkwardly picked up the head and ran away with his tail between his legs. Once he was out of sight, I returned to where everyone was fussing over Serena. Mihrel was wrapping thest of her injuries while Rhani wiped her down with a damp rag. Someone had put some food in Serena¡¯s hands, and already she was starting to get some color back. Scarlet sat by her side holding her hand with her lips slightly turned downward. Serena, though, only had eyes for me. I worried I might have overstepped, but there was only gratitude in her face. Gratitude and something else I didn¡¯t want to think about tonight. Rhani smiled at me, then gave me the damp rag. She whispered something in my ear about getting the tent ready and disappeared, so I started gently wiping the mud and blood. Once Mihrel seemed satisfied, she stood on her own. She seemed a little steadier, but didn¡¯t protest when I offered my arm and she hooked her own around it. We passed Rhani on the way to the tent, and she grabbed Scarlet and headed off to find Vaze to see about getting recement equipment for Serena so she would have something to wear in the morning. When I led Serena into the tent, I rolled my eyes. Rhani had taken the bedrolls and untied thempletely, spreading one out on the floor like a full sized bed and the other set aside to presumably use as a nket. ¡°I have an extra if you aren¡¯tfortable with this,¡± I told Serena. Her only answer was to shake her head and grab my arm tighter. She let go long enough to let her cloak fall to the ground and kick off her borrowed boots, then she looked at me expectantly. ¡°Don¡¯t make me be the only one half naked,¡± she said softly. My shirt was barely off before I felt her still-freezing fingers brushing my abs. Once again tracing the lines of my scars. I kicked off my shoes as well, but she only gave me a pleading look. Chuckling softly, I untied my pants and let them drop. She eyed where my undershorts were quickly starting to tighten, but I left those on. I didn¡¯t know if she was ready for that yet. ¡°You saved my life.¡± She stepped closer so that our bodies were almost touching. I took one of her hands and massaged some heat into her fingers. ¡°Pretty sure that makes us even.¡± She gulped and moved close enough that her breasts were pressing into me. I could feel the heat radiating off her. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty sure you said you owed me two. That means I¡¯m still up one.¡± After tonight, I had no room left for reticence. One hand still wrapped firmly around hers, I slid the other to her waist. I pulled her body against mine and she let out a soft gasp. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true. Come up with anything I can do to settle the score yet?¡± Her eyes left mine for as long as it took to nce down at my lips. ¡°There are just so many things to choose from. I don¡¯t know what I want most.¡± I let go of her hand so I could cup her cheek. The one that wasn¡¯t bruised and cut. She released a shaky breath at the contact. Her eyes fluttered, but didn¡¯t close. ¡°I guess I can knock a few items off the list for you. Try and make your choice a little easier.¡± Her face rose towards mine with her lips slightly parted and I leaned down to close the gap. Her lips were soft and plump and scorchingly hot on mine, but that just drove me in deeper. It was chaste at first, but she quickly wrapped her arm around my neck and used it to pull me closer. I felt her tongue prodding at my lips so I answered with my own. She melted into me and her legs gave out, but I held her against me to keep her from falling. ¡°You taste even better than I dreamed,¡± she breathed, still clutching to me. Then her already flushed face grew redder. ¡°That was supposed to be in my head.¡± I justughed and tilted her head upwards so I could capture her lips again. Her taste was nothing to shake a stick at either. It was only her injuries and the fact that I was supporting all her weight that kept me from pushing further. Then, all too soon, Rhani returned. She pushed open the tent¡¯s p and walked in with a bundle of clothes. ¡°Well, Vaze said she¡¯d have to look for something to fit those big boobs of yours in the morning, but for now¡ª¡± She froze mid-word, her mouth open while her eyes traveled over our bodies that were almost entirely exposed. Serena froze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so¡ª¡± ¡°Finally,¡± Rhani said with a roll of her eyes. Then, over her shoulder, ¡°it¡¯s fine, they¡¯re just making out. And it¡¯s really fucking hot.¡± Thest part was whispered under her breath, and I doubt anyone but me heard it. ¡°B-b-but I¡ª¡± Serena stammered, tears in the corners of her eyes, ¡°I kissed him! He¡¯s yours, and I shouldn¡¯t have! Oh Goddess, I¡¯m such a¡ª¡± But Rhani just scoffed. She grabbed Serena¡¯s cheeks, then pulled her down to nt a kiss of her own on Serena¡¯s perfectly plump lips. ¡°There, now we¡¯re even. Now by all means, go back to making out. Don¡¯t let me stop you.¡± It seemed that Serena¡¯s brain had ceased all function, so all I could do wasugh while Scarlet slipped silently into the tent. ¡°As much as I would enjoy that, maybe we should get horizontal first.¡± Rhani grinned, already peeling off her outer clothes. Per her new usual, she wore no bra. ¡°I can get behind that. Or you can. I¡¯m not picky.¡± Serena made a squeaking noise, so I rapped Rhani on the head. ¡°Bad Arelim. No horny tonight.¡± She stuck her tongue out at me, but she still smiled. ¡°Fine, fine. The real question is how we want to do this. I vote Serena gets to be in the middle since she¡¯s the one who almost died.¡± Serena¡¯s only response was another squeak, but she let me and Rhani lead her to the bedrolls. After a few minutes of tangled limbs and questing hands that I wasn¡¯t entirely sure belonged solely to Rhani, we all ended up under the nket together. To my surprise, it was Scarlet who appeared from under the top bedroll to im Serena¡¯s front. She nted her head in Serena¡¯s sizable bust and wrapped her arms around her chest so tightly I feared we¡¯d never get her off. Serena looked a little concerned, more by the fact that she¡¯d wanted to nuzzle back into me than anything else, but she made noints when I pressed my front into her back, wrapping my arm around both girls to spoon them. Rhani ended up the other piece of bread in the Scarlet sandwich, and the tiny girl ended up squished between two sets of breasts. I was only a little jealous but, from the light hum that emanated from the valley, I could give her tonight. I blew out thentern that lit the inside of the tent and plunged us into darkness, which had the wonderful and unfortunate side effect of amplifying every inch of Serena¡¯s heat pressed into my chest and my thighs. I kissed the nape of her neck, and she sighed. ¡°Ren, I¡ª¡± she started. I could hear the uncertainty in her voice, so I reached around and tilted her chin up so I could silence her with a kiss. ¡°Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. Right now, just enjoy this. You¡¯ve earned it.¡± Her bottom lip trembled, but she just nodded and rested her chin on the top of Scarlet¡¯s head. Iid down with my nose just far enough from her hair that I could breathe and closed my eyes. In the dark, I could tell the exact moment each of them finally drifted off to sleep. It was only after all three were out that I allowed their steady breathing to lull me into unconsciousness. # # # Allie hated second watch. It always took her so long to sleep she never managed to get a wink beforehand. Tonight was no different. Her watch wouldn¡¯t start for another fifteen minutes, but thest thing she wanted to do was lie there and wallow. Her bedroll felt colder than usual, though she knew that it was all in her head. She was just lonely, but she¡¯d always been lonely. Tonight just felt worse than normal for a number of reasons. ¡°Whatever,¡± she mumbled. She climbed out of the bedroll and threw on some clothes and tied her raven-ck hair into a tail so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way. Some days she loved her hair, thought it was beautiful and luscious and one of her most beautiful assets. Today she strongly contemted cutting it all off just so she didn¡¯t have to bother with it. She didn¡¯t feel likepletely gearing out either, so all she did was throw her leather chestte over her head andce up her boots, then she strapped her swordbelt on and crawled out of her miserable little tent. At least it was Nora who sat at the edge of the dim firelight. Nora, the other neer to the group she¡¯d joined up with. Allie was only here because of Alenden, and now she was pretty sure this would be herst outing with them. Nora would be the only one she missed. Nora didn¡¯t look up when Allie approached. Tall and muscr yet feminine at the same time. Scars crisscrossed her tanned arms, but she wore the proof of the battles she¡¯d fought with pride. She normally wore armor, but it seemed on this hot night she¡¯d also opted to spend her watch in less than normal, which meant Allie could practically see every muscle that rippled every time the fighter breathed. Her vibrant red hair barely made it to her shoulders, but Allie had never seen it not tied back. Allie had never been attracted to women, but Nora did something for her. ¡°Allisandre,¡± Nora said in greeting, not taking her eyes off the dark ins. Allie sat down next to her. ¡°I wish you¡¯d just call me Allie.¡± She grunted. ¡°Your name is very¡­pretty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mouthful is what it is.¡± Nora eyed her. ¡°Fine. Allie, then.¡± For some reason, that was enough to make Allie smile. Something she did precious little of these days. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, so I can take watch early if you want.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Nora said, though she made no move to get up. She shifted ufortably. ¡°Are you¡­alright?¡± Nora struck Allie as someone who had never been very good with people, but she did try. Allie found it annoyingly endearing. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine. Just one more thing, right?¡± That earned a snort from the muscr woman. Every time something had gone wrong on this particr expedition, which had been often, Nora had simply said it was ¡®just one more thing¡¯ they had to worry about, as if it was no big deal. The others had been getting annoyed by it, but to Allie those words had felt like a lifeline. She¡¯d already dealt with so much shit, so what was one more thing? Nora turned her deep blue eyes to the guys¡¯ tent. ¡°You could do better than Alenden anyways. He is a fool.¡± The sheer fact that Nora was trying to cheer her up made an unfamiliar warmth bloom in Allie¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s not so bad.¡± The corners of Nora¡¯s mouth twitched downwards. ¡°Why end things, then?¡± Allie wasn¡¯t even sure if she knew. ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes shifted away, and Allie figured that would be the end of the conversation. Then, ¡°the others, I don¡¯t think they like me much. I doubt I¡¯ll be invited back either.¡± She fingered the massive warhammer leaning against her leg. ¡°I may not understand, but I¡¯d like to try.¡± Oh, what the hells. Why not? ¡°Alenden is great. Charming, handsome, not an idiot or a dick.¡± He was actually rather sweet, if she was being honest. When she¡¯d met him, she thought she¡¯d finally found the one. The man who would clear that final hurdle. ¡°Honestly, he was perfect in just about every way. Exactly what I¡¯d always wanted in a partner. There was just one problem. Something he was missing that I needed to be able to truly love him.¡± It felt like Nora was leaning towards her in anticipation. ¡°What was it?¡± Allie huffed. ¡°I wish I fucking knew.¡± Nora¡¯s brows drew together. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand.¡± Neither did Allie. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just an unlovable bitch. Maybe I have too high standards. Maybe I¡¯m destined to die sad and alone because I¡¯m too busy waiting to stumble across the perfect man who doesn¡¯t exist to make the effort to love the people right in front of me.¡± The words came tumbling out against her will. By the end, she was nearly in tears. She was so tired of it. She craved¡­something. Someone. She hated being alone. She¡¯d read romance book after romance book just trying to live off the faint warmth that living vicariously through them provided. She wanted someone to lie down next to at the end of the day. Hell, she wanted a friend that stuck around more than a few months. She¡¯d tried over and over until her heart felt like a raw and exposed nerve. ¡°Sorry,¡± Allie said, shaking her head, ¡°you don¡¯t want to hear about my shit.¡± But Nora looked more thoughtful than annoyed. ¡°You have a right to be as picky as you want in a partner, and I¡¯ve met many women so trust me when I say you are not a bitch.¡± She punched Allie¡¯s shoulder softly. ¡°A bitch would have used Alenden for pleasure and cast him aside when they found someone better, but you let him go when you saw no future with him.¡± It was probably the most Allie had ever heard Nora say in a single sitting. ¡°Thank you, Nora.¡± She grunted, then they sat in silence for a while. Long past when Nora¡¯s watch should have ended, but she made no move to leave. Allie made no move to mention it either. Even if they weren¡¯t talking, it was too nice just sitting in someone else¡¯spany. ¡°Nora, would you want to pair up after this? Try and find a new group together?¡± Nora didn¡¯t answer, and Allie immediately felt stupid. Nora was a monster with that hammer, and she fit into many more teams than Allie¡¯s Spellde ss did. She didn¡¯t even want to think about her secondary ss right now for a number of reasons. But then she nced at Nora¡¯s expression. The woman¡¯s scarred hand was gripped tight around her warhammer, and her eyes scanned the darkness intently. Had she seen something? Heard something? Allie got to her feet slowly, making a show of stretching in case they were being watched. She used the movement to scan their surroundings, but she didn¡¯t see¡ª There. Movement. She put her hand to her sword as nonchntly as she could. ¡°Southeast,¡± she whispered, ¡°someone slinking towards us.¡± A nearly imperceptible tip of the head was the only indication Nora gave that she¡¯d heard. Allie silently cursed. What a night for both of them to be without their full armor. Nora stood, using the warhammer to push herself to her feet. ¡°I should get some sleep now. Good luck with your watch.¡± Allie didn¡¯t want to alert whoever was watching, but she didn¡¯t want Nora to leave her alone either. ¡°Sleep well,¡± A grunt of affirmation, then Nora went to her tent. No, not her tent, the guys¡¯ tent. She was going to wake the others. Allie began to walk the perimeter of the camp, her sweating hand on her sword. She¡¯d almost made it around to where she¡¯d seen the movement when someone spoke. ¡°Ah, shame. Seems I¡¯ve been spotted,¡± a male voice said. She whirled and drew her sword in a single motion. He looked to be a few years older than her. His sandy blond hair was messy and matted, and there was a darkness in his eyes that made her shiver. ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± she demanded. ¡°What do I want?¡± The man scoffed. ¡°You idiots are the ones trailing me.¡± Allie froze. That made no sense. The contract was to hunt whatever beast had been mutting travelers, there had been no mention of a man. Trying to ignore the dryness in her throat, she raised her sword and activated [de of Fire]. Blue mes licked their way up her sword, heating it but not harming it. ¡°You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°Not likely.¡± He pulled something out of his pocket. Allie crouched, ready to dive in a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°But it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been wanting to test my little beastie against real adventurers.¡± He held the object to his lips and she realized it was a whistle. He blew it twice, though the only sound was a faint whine. It glowed darkly, and he smiled at her. It was a dead smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. She didn¡¯t know what sixth sense told her to throw herself to the side, but the instinct saved her life from the¡­thing that swooped out of the darkness. She heard the sound of something as sharp as a de cut through the air where she¡¯d been standing, missing her by inches. She got to her feet and yelled, ¡°Attack!¡± Then she looked at the thing that had nearly killed her and her blood turned to ice in her veins. It was taller than her though it walked on four limbs, though its front two looked more like arms than the forelegs of any creature she¡¯d ever seen. It¡¯s paws were long and double jointed, like fingers, and even as she watched it flexed its hand and long, lethal ws slid out and dug into the ground. Its maw was shorter, like a cats, but its fangs were long and protruded down well past its jaw. It had mottled gray and blue skin, and glowing crimson eyes with no white in them at all. Something behind it shifted and she realized that the damn thing had wings. Massive and ck-feathered, they folded into its back so tightly she would have thought them part of its flesh. Before her shout had even finished echoing across the ins, four figures had exploded from the tent. Nora ripped through the side like it was wet paper, hurling herself straight between Allie and the monster. The others, Alenden, Roarke, and Evern, were much slower to her defense. ¡°You owe me a new tent after this you wild¡ªwhat in the hells is that?¡± Roarke screeched. They stopped short, but Nora¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Allie saw something else moving in the dark and acted on that same instinct, throwing a [Winter¡¯s Shield] in front of Roarke. Long ck spikes as long as Allie¡¯s forearm mmed into it, stopping an inch from the annoying mage¡¯s face. A tail. The fucking thing had a tail that could shoot projectiles. He screeched and fell back, but the man just chuckled. He raised the whisle and blew it three times, then the thing attacked. Nora swung her hammer at it, but the thing was too fast. It rushed past her and delivered four strikes in rapid session at Evern. The ranger didn¡¯t even have time to scream before it carved him up, then sank its fangs into his throat and tore. Evern fell, gurgling, and Roark hit the thing with a firebolt. It did little more than piss it off. It snarled at him, but Allie and Nora charged it. Nora hit it with an empowered strike and the beast flinched a little, but its tail just whipped towards her. Allie threw up another [Winter¡¯s Shield] while she sprinted across the battlefield. Shended a strike on its back, and her de cut into its flesh with a hiss. Alenden fell to his knees beside Evern and started chanting. A glow settled around the ranger, trying to knit closed the gaping wound at his neck before he bled out. It was all Allie was able to make out before the thing whirled on her. She and Nora tried to stay out of reach of its ws, but it was too fast to dodge. Nora¡¯s warhammer too slow tond a solid blow. As soon as they¡¯d managed to nk it, it would spin and unfurl its wings to give it space and reposition. Cursing, Allie let the mes on her sword go out. She needed speed, which meant she needed her newest skill. She activated [Conduit] and felt herself crackling with arcs of lightning. The world seemed to slow, and her sword glowed with arcs of blue electricity. Now able to react to the monster¡¯s insane speed, she hurtled forward. Shended two strikes, but her [de of me] packed more of a punch. Her sword couldn¡¯t get past the thing¡¯s thick, ropy muscle. Roarke, having finally stopped pissing himself, started throwing a barrage of spells at the beast. me and lightning and arcane bolts mmed into it. They did damage, but not nearly enough. Alliended two more strikes, but then the creature turned to face her. She saw intelligence in the way it tracked her movements. The way it followed her de. When she tried to attack it now, its tail met her every strike. It spun and knocked her aside with its wing, thenunched a barrage of spikes at Roarke who was fumbling with a mana potion. He threw himself to the ground, but not before he caught two in the arm and one in the upper leg. By the time Allie got to her feet, it had pounced on Nora. She fought the beast valiantly, but she was one warhammer against ws, wings, and a tail. It pressed her methodically even as Allie, still juiced up with [Conduit], tried to close the gap. It tore her defenses apart andnded a single, sickening blow down her face and chest. Nora went down without a sound, and Allie cried out. The beast turned back to her and its eyes found her de again. She tried to get past it, to get to where Nora was bleeding on the ground, but everywhere she tried to go it blocked her. [Conduit] had worked for a time, but the beast had adapted to her speed and the skill was draining her mana fast. ¡°Help us!¡± she yelled at the other three. Roarke, who was moaning in pain, just pulled away. ¡°Leave him, Alen, he¡¯s done for! Heal me so I we can run!¡± Run? He was going to run? He wasn¡¯t even bothering to try and help Nora. He¡¯d given up on Evern, who was gasping for breath. The beast watched her with its terrifying crimson eyes, waiting for her to make the first move. She released [Conduit] and her shoulders sagged. This thing was way out of their league. Nora was down, Evern was dying, and Alenden was a healer, not a fighter. She couldn¡¯t count on Roarke, if he even had any mana. It was over. As the tip of her de dipped closer and closer to the ground, the only thing she could find the strength to think about was how much death was going to hurt. If this would be a fitting end to the decently miserable life she¡¯d led. Then she saw Nora stir. She moved, but not quickly. Her arm reaching blindly for her weapon. Allie wasn¡¯t afraid to die. Not really. It wasn¡¯t like there was anyone who would miss her when she was gone. She couldn¡¯t just give up on Nora, though. She didn¡¯t know the girl well, but she¡¯d been the first one in what felt like years that had even tried to understand her. With the creature watching her every move, she lifted her de and activated the core skill of her new ss, [Sword of Night]. A ck glow enveloped the metal, making it look like a sword-shaped hole in the universe. When she raised it, its outline trailed behind it like shifting afterimages. In her hand, it felt weightless. If she managed tond a blow, though, she knew it wouldn¡¯t be the same for whatever she hit. She took a breath, then let out everything. She dashed forward and swung. She felt the thing¡¯s tail moving to intercept her, but it missed. It missed. Shended a deep cut in its nk and spun away, trying to lead it away from Nora. It lunged at her with a roar, but she just caught one of the ws with her ck de and activated [Riposte]. The retaliating strike cut deep into its limb, and it roared again. Then she noticed its eyes. They were still following her sword. Or, at least, they tried to. They seemed to shift in and out of focus, and the thing kept blinking. Her skill made the sword harder to track! Something about it seemed to work doubly on this monster! She had a chance. Sheunched herself with renewed energy and reigned blow after blow on it. She threw out an [Air Slice] and, just as she¡¯d hoped, the beast couldn¡¯t track it. She threw three more, and by the time thest hit there were four deep cuts on its nk. It snarled, but instead of attacking it backed away. She was just getting ready to attack again when she heard the faint ringing of the whistle. Four bursts. With onest snarl, the beast turned and disappeared into the air. That could only be a bad thing. Allie turned her de on the man, but the curious look on his face sent chills down her spine. ¡°Well, now. Aren¡¯t you interesting?¡± he mused. She raised her sword, but he flicked his hand. There was a burst of sickly yellow light and the world turned upside down. Then she was on her back. Her sword was gone, and her entire body throbbed with pain. She tried to stand, but the man sunk a single knee into her chest and sat on her. He was much heavier than he should have been. ¡°What¡¯s the ss that gave you that little trick? It seemed to work well on my Malek, so I¡¯ll need to know everything about it.¡± ¡°Fuck you!¡± she spat, trying to dislodge him. Tsk, tsk, he clicked his tongue. ¡°The hard way it is, then.¡± From under his ratty cloak he pulled out a thin dagger with a de made from some sickly green crystal. She struggled hard, her eyes going wide, but he just flicked a hand. Another burst of yellow light and her arms felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. She tried to lift them, to do anything, but she couldn¡¯t. Her legs were just as useless. ¡°You can still talk, so if you feel like telling me then by all means.¡± He raised the dagger. ¡°Go fuck yourself!¡± Why couldn¡¯t she move? What was he going to do to her? Terror ripped through her. This was worse than being ripped apart by the monster. He used the dagger to slice off the straps of her armor, then he stood up long enough to toss it away. He cut away her clothes next, baring her breasts. Oh gods, was he going to rape her? But instead, he just touched the tip of the abnormally cold dagger to a spot just above her left breast. ¡°This is going to hurt you a lot more than it hurts me,¡± he said with a feral grin. He pushed the dagger in, and she screamed. Pain worse than anything she¡¯d ever felt ripped through her. Like she was being burned alive from the inside out and stabbed over and over again all at once. Like someone was digging around in her chest. Like a hand had closed around her heart and started crushing it. Memories assaulted her, but not memories of her own. Strapped to a table, a scalpel cutting into her. A boy chained to a wall, screaming a name she didn¡¯t know. The feeling of blow after blow raining down on her even as she begged for mercy. Fighting children her size with dulled and chipped des. Fighting feral animals while being just a step above naked. Burning and cutting and ripping and stabbing and a pain between her legs that made her want to die and¡ª ¡°Interesting.¡± The man pulled the dagger away after he¡¯d cut a line across her chest about three inches long. ¡°Your ss? Night¡¯s de? That¡¯s a new one for me, and that¡¯s saying something. What¡¯s even more interesting is that soul of yours. I¡¯m going to have fun cutting into you.¡± He pulled the whistle out, but she barely registered it. Pain ripped through Allie again and again. Memories, ovepping, of some dark and awful ce. Somewhere she only felt pain. She wanted to scream, but she couldn¡¯t remember how to force the air into her lungs. He put the whistle to his lips, then¡ª A sh of silver. A spray of crimson. A foul cursing that she¡¯d both heard before and never heard before. Nora, with a scream of rage,unching herself at the man. Allie wanted to help, but all she could do was curl up and beg the gods for mercy. The pain. Oh gods, the pain. It was everywhere. It was every inch of her. It was inside and out. To exist was to hurt. Watching people be hurt. People she didn¡¯t know but cared for so deeply. A sharp sting in her chest. The feel of her own blood flowing out of her in buckets. The pain fading to a coldness. Wee, except for one thing. The boy with the blue eyes leaning over her. His tears falling on her face. The way he cradled her and, even in herst moments, made her feel whole. Safe. Loved. Lips that weren¡¯t her own whispered words that tore at her very soul. Don¡¯t let this break you. A feral shout. A de wrapped in shadows. The man, standing over Nora with blood covering the side of his head. Her body moved without any input on her part. shes of me and wind and ice and darkness. Screams that were and weren¡¯t her own. She saw Nora on the ground, covered in her own blood, but it wasn¡¯t just Nora. It was Allie, too. It was the boy with the blue eyes. Then she was on the ground again. The pain was just too much. She just wanted it to end. Then Nora was over her, calling a name that was and wasn¡¯t hers. She cried, too tired to scream. Nora cradled her, shouting something at someone, but she wasn¡¯t just Nora. Allie had been here before. Pain assaulted every part of her while she died, but she wasn¡¯t dying. She wanted to, but she couldn¡¯t. Nora faded away. The boy faded away. Everything faded away except those words. A plea, and a curse. Don¡¯t let this break you. Chapter Eighteen: Answered Prayers Chapter Eighteen: Answered Prayers I slept like the dead. I hadn¡¯t realized how much time I spent at night with my guard up, butying with the three people I cared about most well within range of my tendril¡¯s defenses rxed me enough that sleep grabbed me and refused to let me go. Not until I felt something prodding at my shoulder. I tried to ignore it, losing myself in the warmth I was pressed into, but the prodding persisted. I finally forced myself to crack an eye open. The owner of the finger poking me was Serena, and I stopped a moment to appreciate how beautiful she lookedying there in the early morning light that filtered through the tent. Somehow during the night we¡¯d gotten rearranged, so her back was no longer pressed into me. I was briefly distracted by the fact that she wore nothing but underwear and that a certain naked Arelim was wrapped around her, then I smiled. Even just her face was something amazing to wake up next to. ¡°Help me,¡± she whispered. I raised a brow, and she gestured towards Rhani. ¡°She¡¯stched on, and I have to¡­um¡­you know¡­¡± I chuckled softly. I leaned down to where Rhani¡¯s face was and started to trail slow pecks up her neck and across her cheek until I got to her lips. She started to stir ever so slightly, and naturally her first instinct was to return the small kisses. I kept at it, slowly pulling my face away. Her lips chased groggily after mine, releasing Serena from her death grip. Serena wiggled out while I gave Rhani the kiss her half-asleep brain demanded. When I broke it off and Rhani went to nuzzle back into her Serena-shaped pillow, she instead found Scarlet somehow in her grasp. Rhani wrapped around her, nuzzling into Scarlet¡¯s chest with happy mumbles, and I saw a triumphant light in Scarlet¡¯s eyes, and I chuckled again while Serena practically ran from the tent, barely managing to snag a cloak from the clothing pile on her way out. I reached out and brushed my fingers through Scarlet¡¯s hair. She let out the hum that I was beginning to realize meant she was happy, and my smile widened. ¡°You really like hugs, don¡¯t you?¡± Her eyes flicked down to Rhani¡¯s head, then she nodded. My eyes wandered over Rhani¡¯s back, pausing at her wonderfully shaped rear, while I did my best to ignore the morning wood in my pants. After a few minutes, Serena ducked back in. She tossed the cloak aside with a shiver and dove under the covers, pressing every inch of cold skin she could into my front. Her freezing fingers slipped under my armpits in their quest for warmth. ¡°Hey!¡± I hissed. ¡°That is so rude!¡± She must have been feeling particrly bold this crisp morning, because she stuck her cold nose right into the crook of my neck. ¡°Rude is letting such a beautiful, half-naked girl be cold when you¡¯ve got all this warmth to go around.¡± Indeed, I could feel two hard somethings poking into my chest. I managed to get a hand between us long enough to massage some heat into her fingers, and she beamed at me. Right before she turned over, curled up, and pressed her freezing feet into my legs. ¡°You little gremlin.¡± I wrapped an arm around her and started tickling her sides mercilessly. She squeaked and squirmed, trying her best to keep her giggles quiet. ¡°Mercy! Mercy!¡± she hissed quietly. I saw her eyes flick to my lips with some heat in them, so I leaned down and gave her what she wanted. She kissed me greedily at first, then I felt her fingers in my hair and she slowed down to enjoy my lips more thoroughly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask me,¡± I told her. Then she twisted in my arms and we made out for a good while. By the end I was on my back and she wasying with her upper half draped across my chest and a leg hooked over mine. She trailed her fingers across my skin. ¡°Is this really okay?¡± Now that she was at my mercy, I gave into the constant urge to run my fingers through her locks to my heart¡¯s content. From the way she closed her eyes she enjoyed it as much as I did. ¡°Of course it is. If you want it, that is.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she said immediately. I kissed her forehead. ¡°Then it¡¯s okay.¡± I nced at Scarlet, who was still watching us with some interest. Rhani snored happily into her chest. She settled in, and soon neither of us wanted to break the moment of serenefort. Her fingers never stopped trailing over my skin, though, so I knew she never went back to sleep. ¡°I leveled up.¡± She said it so softly it took a moment for me to realize she¡¯d spoken. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic! Level twenty, right? Have you chosen your new ss yet?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°I¡¯m still deciding. I wanted to get your opinion.¡± A momentary panic red, but I tamped it down. This wasn¡¯t like back then. I wasn¡¯t a part of anyone¡¯s ss being forced on them. I could listen to what she had and give her advice, but the choice would be up to her. ¡°My opinion is for you to pick what ss feels right, but I¡¯m happy to listen.¡± Rhani jerked up, one eye half-open. ¡°sses? Did someone say sses?¡± Iughed as Rhani dragged Scarlet over toy on my other side, her head resting on my shoulder. Scarlet made an irritated hum, but made no move to relinquish her spot in Rhani¡¯s arms. ¡°Nice of you to join us. Serena hit twenty.¡± The sleep fled from her eyes. ¡°That means a secondary ss! What about you, did you level?¡± A fair question. Serena had only hit eighteen a few days ago, and I¡¯d just been level eleven when we¡¯d killed those beasts. ¡°I did, actually, but let¡¯s focus on Serena for now.¡± Rhani nodded eagerly, and Serena cleared her throat. ¡°Well, the first ss I can choose from is dedancer.¡± Rhani started vibrating and I let out a whistle. ¡°That¡¯s a powerful ss. With the way you move, you¡¯d be a force of nature.¡± Serena nestled deeper into me and I started gently running my fingers up and down her back. She was hesitant about something, I could tell. ¡°My second is Seamstress, but that was an option when I turned sixteen, too.¡± Rhani wasn¡¯t put off in the slightest. ¡°It could be useful to be able to make your own gear.¡± But Serena only sunk into me further. ¡°And your third option?¡± I prompted. ¡°¡­ess¡­¡± I frowned. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°Priestess,¡± she said louder. Rhani looked as confused as I felt. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you worshiped,¡± she admitted. Serena squirmed, so I started putting a little more pressure into the hand that massaged her. ¡°That''s because I don¡¯t. I¡¯ve only set foot inside a temple twice in my life. I¡¯ve never been particrly religious.¡± Then why the hell did she get a priestess ss? Usually it showed up in people who¡¯d been either raised or saved by the church, and even moremonly in those that devoted their life to a particr god or goddess. To say it was rare for someone who didn¡¯t worship any gods to get the ss was a severe understatement. ¡°Serena, you can tell us anything. We won¡¯t judge you for it.¡± My initial fear was that she was some kind of secret cultist, but I banished that thought. She¡¯d never exactly reeked of religious zeal. She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t worship, but I do pray sometimes.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes had gained that adorable glow. She sensed a mystery. ¡°Prayer in general, or to one god or goddess in specific?¡± ¡°J-just one.¡± Her face had grown red, and she refused to meet our eyes. ¡°But I¡¯ve never told anyone about it before.¡± Could it have something to do with the ne she wore? I hadn¡¯t noticed it untilst night, but she always wore so much armor that was hardly surprising. I tried to recall its shape since it was currently obscured by the shapely legs pressed to her chest, but it eluded me. ¡°Which one?¡± Rhani asked. She¡¯d sat up, dragging poor Scarlet into herp. With how ufortable Serena seemed to be, I felt the need to step in. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us if you don¡¯t want to, but we¡¯d like to know. It might help us make sense of things.¡± Her face still buried, she mumbled thest name I ever expected to hear from her lips. Allura. Of fucking course. I pped a palm to my face even as Rhani burst out inughter. I couldn¡¯t see Serena¡¯s face, but her ears had gone crimson. ¡°She¡¯s not a sex goddess!¡± Serena protested. ¡°She¡¯s a goddess of¡ª¡± ¡°Family, love, and bonds,¡± Rhani and I said in unison. ¡°We know,¡± I said. ¡°She made that very clear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a perfectly normal goddess to¡ªwait, what?¡± I let out a long sigh and rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°Long story short, I may be on a mission given to me by Allura herself. The fact that I might have had an affect on your ss, though, is worrying.¡± More than worrying, considering my past. I wanted no part in ss eugenics, and I would have hoped Allura would have understood that. Serena¡¯s jaw went ck. Her arms fell to her sides, and her shoulders slumped. ¡°If that¡¯s a joke, it¡¯s not funny.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± I said, ¡°I think that the fact the sex goddess asked me to save the world is fucking hrious most days.¡± ¡°What I don¡¯t get,¡± Rhani said over Serena¡¯s protests at what I¡¯d said about Allura, ¡°is that she still shouldn¡¯t have had something so drastic as a priestess ss thrust on her. I mean, look at me,¡± she pointed a thumb at her still-bare breasts, ¡°my ss fit my lifestyle perfectly, and she still gave me some skills that are of use to you.¡± She looked to Serena, who seemed to be having trouble processing her words. ¡°Unless you did something specific, then there¡¯s no way you¡¯d have gotten a ss so different from your lifestyle and primary ss.¡± Serena opened her mouth to say something, but then her eyes bulged. Her jaw mped shut, and her entire body started to turn red she blushed so hard. I saw her eyes fix on something in the air in front of her, then she shuddered and her pupils dted. Even in the light, I could see her skin glow gold for a brief moment. ¡°Serena,¡± my voice was dangerously level, ¡°please tell me you didn¡¯t just pick that priestess ss.¡± ¡°I¡ªI did¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Rhani cried. ¡°Why would you do that? Do you even have any points in the divine stat?¡± ¡°Twenty, actually,¡± she said quietly. That made my brows raise. Then I thought about it for a moment. ¡°Your rush skill uses the Divine stat, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She nodded, but Rhani wasn¡¯t done. ¡°That¡¯s still way too big of a risk without¡ª¡± she gasped, ¡°¡ªyou do know why you got that ss!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever seen someone look so giddy and so embarrassed at the same time. ¡°I do.¡± We both looked at her expectantly and she seemed to shrink. ¡°W¡ªwell, I might have, maybe, sort of, been praying for thest few days. About¡ªabout something specific.¡± Me and Rhani both exchanged a nce. She clearly hadn¡¯t been praying for a Priestess ss, otherwise Serena wouldn''t be so confused. I slid closer and put a hand on her knee. ¡°Serena, I won¡¯t force you to tell us anything, but in a way I am a sort of agent of Allura. If it¡¯s within my power, I¡¯d be willing to make that prayere true.¡± Her eyes found mine, and I was surprised by the depth of the longing in them. ¡°It¡¯s not important now, but¡­¡± She took a moment to collect herself. ¡°For thest week or so, I¡¯ve been praying almost nightly to Allura. I said I¡¯d do anything if¡­¡± she mumbled thest bit. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone but Scarlet heard that,¡± Rhani said. ¡°I said I¡¯d do anything if it meant I could stay in Ren¡¯s life!¡± she blurted out. Silence fell in the tent for a full minute. Rhani looked stunned, but Serena¡¯s eyes only searched mine desperately for any sign of a reaction. ¡°You idiot,¡± I said finally. Her face fell, but I pulled her into my arms and pressed her head to my chest. ¡°You didn¡¯t need to take a ss for me to want you around. Just you is more than enough for me.¡± I felt her tremble, then she sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I kissed the top of her head while I ran my fingers through her hair. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s much toote for apologies. You just took a ss for me. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯re stuck with me for a good long while, my adorable little priestess.¡± Just like that, the tension was gone from her body. She twisted so she was sideways in myp, her legs across mine, and then she fervently took control of my lips with her own. Her arms went around my neck while one of mine wrapped around her waist to keep her voluptuous body pressed into mine. My other hand trailed a line down the outside of her smooth, toned legs. ¡°Does that mean,¡± she said, only bringing her lips far enough away from mine to speak, ¡°that we can¡ªthat you want to¡ª¡± I silenced her by trailing my fingertips along her inner thigh. ¡°I want to do many things to you,¡± I gave her a quick peck, ¡°but I have to ask, have you ever been with a man before?¡± I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but I wanted to be certain. She tried to hide back in my chest, but I wouldn¡¯t let her. I darted in and trailed a line down her jaw until I could nibble on her neck, wringing a moan out of her. My questing hands traveled closer and closer to her core with light caresses, but I never gave her the touch she really wanted. ¡°N¡ªno. I¡¯ve done things with b¡ªboys before, but I¡¯ve never go¡ªgone all the way.¡± My hand gripped the inside of her thigh. ¡°But you want to? With me?¡± She nodded breathlessly, her hips shifting towards my hand. ¡°Good, because I want to go all the way with you.¡± Her body shuddered. ¡°But we should probably wait until we get to town.¡± I could feel the disappointment in her body. ¡°But I¡ªI mean, if you think that¡¯s best.¡± Iughed softly and trailed my lips across her corbone. ¡°If you really want to, then so do I. I mean, I¡¯ve got no problem with the entire caravan hearing your screams and knowing you¡¯re mine,¡± a violent tremor ran through her from head to toe, ¡°but I figured you might not prefer that.¡± She twisted more, trying to get my hand into her sacred ce, while her lips found their way to my neck. Then a finger ran down my length and I groaned. She started at my base, slowly trailing all the way to my head. I heard her gasp when she got three quarters of the way. ¡°Will it hurt that much?¡± Rhani answered for me, her face flush and her nipples so erect I might have feared for Scarlet¡¯s eyes had they not been locked on our every movement. ¡°It hurts at first, but the real issue is that once he gets going and your brain starts to turn to mush after a few orgasms you just kinda forget to keep quiet.¡± Then her eyes sparkled. ¡°But, if you really want to, I can think of a few things you could do with your mouth.¡± Serena gaped at her, but I just chuckled. ¡°You should probably know that Rhani is quite the little pervert. You should see her when she gets going. But I can tell you¡¯re disappointed. You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± I finally had mercy on her and ran a thumb over her soaked cloth-covered slit and her body arched into mine, ¡°there are plenty of things we can do until then.¡± ¡°Oh Goddess!¡± she whined, her hips bucking. I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about her invoking Allura right now, but I figured that was a problem forter. I had other things to worry about, like how Rhani was squeezing Scarlet so tightly she was starting to turn a deeper shade of purple than normal. ¡°If you want it to just be me and you,¡± I put some more pressure into my finger, ¡°then that¡¯s what you¡¯ll get, but if we keep making Rhani just watch then she might explode. Do you want her to touch you?¡± She nodded with very little hesitation, but Rhani paused. She looked at Scarlet in her arms. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay for this.¡± Scarlet slipped from her grasp and sat cross-legged on the bedroll to the side. ¡°This one will stay.¡± That was all Rhani needed. Sheunched forward andtched herself to Serena¡¯s neck, her hands already roaming Serena¡¯s toned curves. Serena moaned, then again even louder when I slipped a hand beneath her waistband and touched her core directly. She reached up and pulled her bra down, freeing her bouncing, beautiful breasts from their confines. I briefly saw her two perfect pink aree and the hardened nub at its center before Rhani¡¯s hand found one and her mouth found the other. Wasting no time, her free hand trailed its way down until it found the nub at the top of Serena¡¯s lower lips and started rubbing slow circles. Serena arched again, but I captured her mouth with mine before she could wake half the camp. Rhani seemed to have the clit on lock, so I gently slid a finger into Serena. All the sensations at once proved to be too much. She cried out into my mouth and I felt her clench down on the intruder while her entire body arched and trembled. ¡°That was,¡± Serena panted once she calmed down, ¡°amazing.¡± Rhani sat up, though she never halted her slow ministrations below Serena¡¯s waist. ¡°And that was just forey. If you let us, then we can really blow your mind.¡± Serena leaned into me, biting her lip. ¡°We should really talk tactics if we¡¯re going to be teaming up officially.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes practically glowed. ¡°That¡¯s not a no.¡± ¡°If you could¡ª¡± Serena¡¯s voice caught, and she cleared her throat, ¡°¡ªif you could leave my mouth unupied then I suppose¡ª¡± That was as far as she got before Rhani squealed in delight. Before either of us knew what was happening, she¡¯d whisked what little remained on Serena offpletely, exposing her dripping lower lips and the neatly trimmed patch just above it that was the same color as her hair. I ran my hand through it, then over her clit, then her slit where I slid my finger back in. ¡°Someone was prepared.¡± She moaned sweetly. ¡°Luck is where preparation meets opportunity.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I kissed her cheek, ¡°I suppose you are getting lucky.¡± ¡°Shut up and talk tactics,¡± Rhani chided. Then she grabbed one of Serena¡¯s legs and started to pull it. Serena, with a nervous eagerness, shifted to follow Rhani¡¯s maneuvering. She ended up in myp with her back against my chest, her legs spread wide in front of Rhani¡¯s sparkling eyes. I trailed my hands over the sensitive flesh at the inside of her thighs, then trailed them up and around her lower lips, up the sides of her toned stomach, then stopped to grab a breast in either hand. They were muchrger than Rhani¡¯s, so flesh spilled around my fingers when I squeezed. ¡°You¡¯re fucking perfect,¡± I whispered in her ear. She gasped, and I felt another tremor run through her body. ¡°M¡ªmy ss is Lancer,¡± she said with a trembling voice, ¡°but you already know tha¡ªaaaAAAHHH!¡± Her word turned into a cry of ecstasy as Rhani dove in and wrapped her lips around Serena¡¯s lower entrance. She hooked an arm around one of Serena¡¯s thighs and the other I felt worm between our bodies to knead Serena¡¯s pert ass. Serena¡¯s hips bucked and jerked, but Rhani showed no mercy in whatever it was she did down there. I could hear slurping sounds over Serena¡¯s cries, barely muffled by the hand she¡¯d mped over her mouth. I began to gently y with Serena¡¯s breasts through her obvious orgasm. ¡°I did figure that much out, yes.¡± Lancer was an umon variant of Spearman, and only with that ss could she end up with a Rush skill like the one she¡¯d used before. ¡°I¡¯ve also figured out your [Flurry Strike] and [Feinting Blow], but those are fairlymonbat actives.¡± ¡°I also¡ªah!¡± Her hand reached down and sunk into Rhani¡¯s silver-golden hair, but instead of pushing her away she pulled the Arelim deeper into her. ¡°I¡¯ve got two more active skills. [Step of the Skydancer] gives me more mobility for a few seconds, then there¡¯s [Exalted Rush].¡± She held back another groan and I lifted her hips to give Rhani better ess. She shot me a re, but kept going. ¡°I have to rush for twelve feet to get the Divine damage to activate, but once it does the attack pierces armor.¡± I rolled a nipple between my fingers and leaned down to nibble on her neck. ¡°Four active skills. How many passives and how many ability skills?¡± ¡°I took three-ee attribute boosts. My Dexterity is highest, followed by Agility then Endurance and Divi-iiine.¡± She threw her head back onto my shoulder and grabbed Rhani¡¯s own head in both of her hands. Rhani¡¯s eyes glowed even brighter when Serena used her grip to start riding Rhani¡¯s face in full. ¡°F¡ªfuck! I started with [Polearm Specialist] which raises my¡ªAH!¡ªmy proficiency with all polearms, then I took [Spear Specialist] to add onto that¡ªoh, right there!¡ªmy weapons are more durable when I¡¯m blocking and I took a skill this morning that makes it easier to hit weak spots with thrusting attacks¡ªOH GODDESS!¡± She came again, even harder thanst time. I pulled her chin over to keep her mouth upied again and she attacked my tongue greedily even while waves of pleasure racked her body. Rhani kept licking away the entire time, though from the way Serena¡¯s muscr thighs mped over her head I didn¡¯t think she had much say in the matter. After, she let her head rest back on my shoulder while I wrapped my arms around her. Sheid her arms over them, her fingers entwining with mine, while Rhani sat back to wipe her face off and admire her handiwork. ¡°I never thought eating a girl out would be so fun,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Now lift her up a little, big guy.¡± I arched a warning brow at her, but I did as she asked and lifted Serena high enough that Rhani could get to my throbbing member still trapped in constricting cloth. She rolled her eyes even as her fingers deftly fished me out. ¡°I know, I know, no pration. But now it¡¯s time for you to give your ss rundown, and we can¡¯t let Serena here be the only one cumming.¡± Well, if she was going to put it like that. Serena gasped when my member came into view. Rhani made a gesture and I lowered her so that the top of my shaft was pressed against her lower lips, parting them. I groaned as her heat enveloped my the base of my cock, and immediately she started sliding along my length. ¡°Your turn,¡± Rhani said with a wink. Then she got back into her previous position and took the head of my cock in her mouth while it poked through Serena¡¯s legs. She paused long enough to grab Serena¡¯s hands and guide them back to holding her hair, then she got to work twirling her tongue around my head. She didn¡¯t move her lips, though, looking at Serena expectantly. Finally, Serena understood and started moving Rhani¡¯s head up and down my length. ¡°Fuck me, you have read way too much erotica,¡± I said through clenched teeth. While Serena used Rhani¡¯s lips to get me off, I told her about my own ss and abilities. With her hips in the way Rhani couldn¡¯t go too deep down my shaft, but she spent more than enough time stimting my ns while Serena¡¯s hot lower lips slowly slid back and forth over the top of my shaft. Serena didn¡¯t ask any questions until I¡¯d finished, and as soon as I named thest of my skills I felt Rhani¡¯s hands fondling my balls. Her tongue began to work overtime, and I felt two hot, juice-soaked fingers start pressing against the flesh behind my sac. Serena must have interpreted my grunt, because she started moving Rhani¡¯s head up and down at a rapid pace. Then, when she looked over her shoulder to meet my eyes, wanting to see what face I made when I came, I went over the edge. As always, Rhani swallowed every drop I sted down her throat with relish. Once she¡¯d finished cleaning my cock off she released it with an audible pop. Then she crawled her way up both our bodies and kissed Serena deeply, and I was pretty sure I saw a brief sh of her tongue pushing something into Serena¡¯s mouth. As soon as she¡¯d finished tongue wrestling with Serena I captured her chin and brought her lips to mine. ¡°You are incorrigible,¡± I told her. She smiled, then nestled into my side with a hand on Serena¡¯s stomach. Serena settled into us as well. ¡°You really don¡¯t have any attribute boosting skills?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need any,¡± Rhani answered. ¡°As a mythic ss, all his actives and passives are simply stronger than raw stats. Look at [Horde yer] for instance. When he¡¯s outnumbered, even by just one or two people, he gets multiple levels¡¯ worth of temporary stats.¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re so strong.¡± I kissed her neck and she sighed happily. ¡°My ss is designed to thrive against unwinnable odds. To hunt down threats stronger than me.¡± Then Rhani frowned. ¡°Wait, what about your new skill? The one you gotst night? You¡¯re twelve, and even numbers mean new skills.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. The truth was, I still hadn¡¯t decided. I¡¯d had a rough n for my first twenty levels, but recent events had shaken those ns up a bit. The logical choice was [Cursed Existence].
Cursed Existence (p) - The dark in you fears no curse. You are immune to curses that are a lower level than yourbined total, and you gain increased resistance to stronger curses depending on the level difference.
If I took it, then I¡¯d be able to use the cursed sword with much more safety. In the short term, it was the clear winner above my other options, even the new one that had appeared with thest level, [Armor of Shadows].
Armor of Shadows (a) - Fear no de when embraced by the dark. You can expend mana to form armor made from your shadows capable of withstanding physical and magical damage. Amount of damage absorbed is based on Primal stat. Target must be a willing humanoid, and you can cast shadow-based abilities through the armor without needing physical contact with the wearer.
I¡¯d run over the night again and again while trying to fall asleep. When I¡¯d brought the de out during my mad dash to save Serena, something had been different. It had always been angry, but for the first time I felt like it was angry with me. Then there¡¯d been a moment where we¡¯d formed a sort of connection. Like it was demanding answers. After it sensed my panic, something shifted. The crimson tendrils that I normally had to fight so hard to control started to hurl me faster through the trees. If they hadn¡¯t done that, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save Serena. [Cursed Existence] would help me wield the de, but it wouldn¡¯t help me understand it. Before, I¡¯d only wielded it once without the skill. Once I put that barrier up, whatever emotions existed in the de would no longer be able to reach me. Even if they could, they¡¯d be muted. Eventually I¡¯d be immune to the de¡¯s effects altogether. [Armor of Shadows] on the other hand was an anomaly in its own right. In the seventy levels I¡¯d gained in my primary ss before Allura had reset me, I¡¯d never seen the skill. Moreover, it was only the third skill in the Shadowborn line I¡¯d ever encountered that could be used on others. [Shadow Stitching] fit the theme at least, since it caused so much pain when activated. If I ever went full dark side, it would make a very dangerous torture tool. The other was [Conjure Shadows], which is what really gave me pause. I¡¯d used the sword to protect Rhani back at the tower, and almost as if in response my skill had evolved into something that could be used for protection. I¡¯d nearly lost Serena because I couldn¡¯t reach her in time, and now I had the chance to take a skill that would let me protect her even from a distance. Was it the sword¡¯s doing? Was it reacting to my desire to protect the people I cared about? I was jerked from my thoughts by someone prodding my forehead. I blinked, my eyes focusing on Rhani¡¯s concerned gaze. ¡°Ren, where¡¯d you go there?¡± I looked from her to Serena, who also looked back at me with worry, and I made my choice. ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking. I had an option between skills, but you helped me make my mind up.¡± I took [Armor of Shadows] and then briefly exined the skill to them. ¡°That sounds both incredibly useful and very overpowered,¡± Rhani said with a pout. I wasn¡¯t ready to voice the theory that my ss skills were being affected by a cursed weapon likely not of this world, so I held my tongue. ¡°Perks of a mythic ss, I suppose.¡± I gave Serena a squeeze. ¡°At least now we don¡¯t have to worry about getting you new armor just yet.¡± She beamed, then pulled me down so she could capture my lips. Rhani managed to slide in at some point, taking her ce, then turned and nted her lips firmly on Serena¡¯s when the blond pouted. Watching Rhani and Serena, two women I was very attracted to, sucking on each other¡¯s tongues while their hands roamed across each other¡¯s bodies as well as my own, very quickly got me hard again. Serena, still sitting on myp, was the first to notice it. ¡°It¡¯s back already?¡± She wrapped a callused hand around it. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this thing is going inside me. Eventually.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand joined hers on my cock. ¡°I know, right? I thought the same thing.¡± Then she bit her lip, and I knew we were in trouble. ¡°I know we¡¯re waiting for you to get to the main event, but would you like to see it in action? Just so you aren¡¯t worrying about it, of course.¡± Serena looked at me with a question in her eyes and I squeezed her in response. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I¡¯m more than happy to fuck Rhani with an audience.¡± She couldn¡¯t vacate myp fast enough. She nestled into my side while Rhani lifted a leg to straddle me. ¡°Line me up?¡± she asked Serena. With her fingers trembling in excitement, Serena¡¯s warm, slender hands wrapped around my member and pointed it towards Rhani¡¯s dripping slit. I felt movement on my other side. Scarlet had repositioned so sit next to me. Her unblinking eyes were trained on where Rhani was about to drop down. I put a hand on her head then ran it all the way down her back, and she made her happy humming sound. Then I slid one arm down Serena¡¯s back as well, stopping when my fingers slipped past the curve of her ass and I was able to caress her pussy from behind. She shuddered, but like Scarlet she didn¡¯t take her eyes off what was about to happen. I took my hand from Scarlet¡¯s back and put it to Rhani¡¯s ribcage just under her breast. With a happy smile, she slowly and carefully lowered herself down. My head hit her lower lips and met barely any resistance when they pushed past, then I was enveloped in her hot embrace. She slid lower, inch by inch, letting out a long, low moan right up until I bottomed out and her hips hit mine. ¡°See?¡± she said between breaths, ¡°a perfect fit.¡± Serena reached hesitantly, but she paused halfway. Rhani reached out and grabbed her hand, putting it below her navel above where I¡¯d be inside her. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t get a good feel of all your wonderful assets.¡± She started gyrating her hips, drawing a hiss out of me. Gods she felt good, and somehow the knowledge that Serena was watching everything made it feel so much better. To my surprise, it was Scarlet who spoke next. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t hurt?¡± It wasn¡¯t the monotone voice she usually used. Curiosity colored her tone in an adorable way. Rhani leaned back to give them a good view, supporting herself by resting her hands on my legs. Now that she had leverage, she was able to gyrate even faster. ¡°Gods, no. If it was any bigger, maybe, but his cock stretches me out in just the right amounts.¡± She lifted her hips enough that half my cock was visible, then mmed them back down with a groan. ¡°And he hits all the best spots.¡± Serena slid her hand lower, then inverted it and put two fingers to Rhani¡¯s clit, eliciting a surprised gasp. ¡°Oh, you are just amazing.¡± Then she started bouncing up and down while Serena fingered the sensitive nub. She threw her head back, one hand leaping up to dig its fingers into her breast, and did her best to hold in the moans while she rode me. I slipped my fingers deeper into Serena and she moaned as well. I started matching Rhani¡¯s thrusts with my hand and I felt Serena¡¯s breathing start to quicken. Rhani found afortable pace and started twisting her hips while she moved up and down. I buried my face in Serena¡¯s hair, breathing her in and letting the waves of white hot pleasure roll through me. Serena leaned back, but she never took her eyes off Rhani or the slight bulge in her stomach every time our hips met. ¡°You never¡ªoh, fuck¡ªyou never told us about your new skill from your second ss,¡± Rhani said. It took me slowing my ministrations for Serena to realize she¡¯d been spoken to. ¡°[Healing Touch] is my new skill.¡± Rhani frowned, slowing a little but not stopping. ¡°[Healing Touch]? Not [Prayer of Healing]?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I rewarded Serena by slipping a second finger in and she leaned into me. ¡°That¡¯s what it says. I can heal with a touch, though I¡¯ll need to up my mana and regen.¡± Rhani¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Then it sounds like you¡¯ve got a nonstandard priestess ss.¡± I looked at the bandages on Serena¡¯s body. ¡°Try it now,¡± I said gently. She looked down, then she frowned. Then she, somewhat reluctantly, pulled her hand from Rhani¡¯s clit and wrapped both her arms around her stomach. They started to glow, then her eyes widened. ¡°It feels so¡­warm.¡± Rhani¡¯s walls started twitching, and I knew she was getting close. A wicked idea came to mind, and I leaned down to whisper in Serena¡¯s ear, ¡°do you want to see what happens when I really let go?¡± She twisted and captured my lips, then nodded. She whimpered when I withdrew my fingers from her heat, but I heard her breathing quicken when I wrapped my hands around Rhani¡¯s hips. I pulled her down then flipped over, bringing her with me. I grabbed her thighs and folded her almost in half. Her eyes went wide, but they glowed with excitement. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother the rest of the camp,¡± I told Serena, ¡°so would you be a dear and¡ªwhat was it Rhani said a bit ago? Keep her mouth upied?¡± Serena crawled forward uncertainly. ¡°How should I¡ª¡± ¡°Sit on my face,¡± Rhani babbled, ¡°sit on my face so he¡¯ll fuck me like I know he can. Please, it¡¯s gonna be so hot.¡± Serena¡¯s brows shot up. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to see what you mean when you say ¡®pervert.¡¯¡± Then she swung her leg over Rhani¡¯s head so that she was facing me. She seemed hesitant to lower herself, so Rhani¡¯s arms wrapped around her legs and pulled her down. ¡°I fear we¡¯ve only scratched the surface of her desires,¡± I pulled my hips back slowly until there was less of an inch of me still inside, ¡°but damn it if I¡¯m not excited to dive deeper.¡± I mmed myself in with a single thrust and she moaned into Serena¡¯s core, causing the busty blond to moan in surprise. ¡°Oh, Goddess, do that again!¡± I obliged. Then again. Then again. I mmed into her as hard as I dared, slowly picking up speed. I threw Rhani¡¯s legs over my shoulder and mmed away, enjoying the show of her breasts bouncing while she ate Serena out. Her moans grew into cries and Serena¡¯s head jerked back, her mouth open in a silent scream of ecstasy. I leaned forward and pulled her close enough that I could suck on her neck while my hips mmed into Rhani¡¯s ass with fervor. Rhani clenched around me, her back arching and her muffled cries reaching a new pitch. Serena¡¯s eyes went wide and her chest heaved. ¡°Did she just¡ª¡± ¡°Cum? Oh yeah,¡± I said. Her silken walls mped down, making it almost difficult to keep sawing in and out, like she was trying to pull me in and keep me there. I could feel my limit approaching, but I held it back. I could get Rhani one more orgasm easily. Serena started ying with her own breast and her hips started gyrating on Rhani¡¯s face. Rhani reached around and slid one finger into Serena¡¯s cunt while the other started working the nub at the entrance, and Serena¡¯s eyes rolled back into her head. She clutched onto me while she came, and I felt Rhaniing again. This time I let Rhani¡¯s orgasm push me over the edge. I mmed into her three more times then buried myself in as deep as I could before I started pumping her full of my cum. Her orgasm rolled into a second one, and the whole time she never stopped shoving her tongue as far into Serena as she could reach. Serena¡¯s orgasm finally ended and she lifted herself off Rhani, who grinned while gazing into nothingness. ¡°Soooo gooooood¡­¡± Serena¡¯s position brought her within my reach, so I leaned in for a kiss. ¡°Well? What do you think?¡± She tried to dismount from Rhani¡¯s face but her shaking legs gave out and she copsed into me. ¡°I think I can¡¯t wait to get to town,¡± she panted. I slid my softening cock out of Rhani and a line of cum dribbled out. She giggled happily, still properly dazed. Serena saw the cum and her eyes widened. ¡°You aren¡¯t worried about¡­ y¡¯know?¡± I ran a thumb over the sigil above Rhani¡¯s womb and another spasm worked its way through her body. It glowed briefly as I focused a little mana into it. ¡°Our resident pervert here knows a simple contraception spell.¡± ¡°So¡­no condoms?¡± Iughed at the note of hope in her voice. ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want them.¡± She was practically drooling while she traced a finger down Rhani¡¯s belly and scooped up a fingerfull of the cum dripping from her. ¡°How far till town, again?¡± ¡°Two more days,¡± Rhani mumbled happily. Scarlet shifted across the floor and leaned over Rhani¡¯s face. ¡°Rhani¡­ is happy?¡± Rhani, finallying back to her senses, reached up and ruffled Scarlet¡¯s hair. ¡°Very happy. Ren would never touch me if I didn¡¯t like it.¡± She stretched her arms above her head. ¡°The only way I could be happier is with an hour or so of aftercare and cuddling, but we don¡¯t have time for that.¡± She sat up and giggled. ¡°Gods that felt good. I haven¡¯t cum that hard since the night you took me into the woods.¡± I recognized the look on her face and leaned in for a kiss. I could still taste Serena on her lips, so I figured I¡¯d give Serena a kiss too. Then, giving her plenty of time to pull away or give me a sign not to, I leaned forward and kissed the top of Scarlet¡¯s head. I got a happy hum in response. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get dressed and hope nobody walked too close to the tent during all that.¡± Chapter Nineteen: The Paladin of Tydarr Chapter Neen: The Pdin of Tydarr While the others were getting the horses hitched, we took a moment to try out my new skill. The moment I¡¯d cast [Armor of Shadows] on Serena, I knew I¡¯d been right. The skill had somehow been influenced by the sword. The shadows that wrapped around her had the consistency of metal with soft cotton underneath them, but they were lighter than leather. They took the shape of greaves that went up to her knees, a ted skirt that made it about halfway down her thighs over something that could really only be described as armored panties, a wrap of shadows under her breasts that connected to tes that both covered and entuated her bust, pauldrons on either shoulder, and bracers that covered her forearms and the backs of her hands but left her fingers bare. The cherry on top was the strip of ck around her throat. The red ents were what gave it away. Faint crimson trim where the shadow te met the night-ck fabric. The faintly glowing red gems in the center of each different part of the armor. One in the middle of her chest, one on each shoulder, each bracer, each greave, and even one on either side of the ted skirt. If you lifted the skirt (which Rhani did, obviously) then you would see another gem just above where her neatly trimmed patch of hair rested. The brightest of the gems was set in the ck around her neck, and that was the point where I could feel my magic connect to the armor. ¡°I can¡¯t go out like this!¡± she protested immediately. ¡°And how could this possibly constitute as armor?!¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s see.¡± I summoned a dagger and took her hand. Gently, so that even if I hurt her it would be little more than a nick, I stabbed the dagger towards the exposed flesh of her arm. Just before I made contact, it hit some invisible barrier that sparked crimson. It wasn¡¯t imprable. I felt that if I pushed hard enough it would give, but it would slow the strike down and reduce the damage taken. ¡°I think you¡¯ll be fine,¡± then I ran an eye up and down her body. The armor looked fucking amazing on her. ¡°Well, practically speaking. Personally, I can¡¯t get enough of you in it, but if you want to wear a cloak I wouldn¡¯t me you.¡± Blushing furiously, she threw a cloak over her shoulders. ¡°And you called Rhani the pervert.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I protested. ¡°Just because it¡¯s my skill doesn¡¯t mean I have any control over how it manifests.¡± Although, considering how much I liked looking at her in the armor, I had to at least consider it took personal taste into ount. I didn¡¯t want to dwell on what that said about me. ¡°Whatever,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s just get moving.¡± She cheered up considerably when I gave her a quick kiss, which naturally meant I had to give Rhani one as well. Then, after a insistent hum from Scarlet, I ced one on the top of her head, too. Already my odd little family was growing demanding. It was a nice problem to have. Rhani and I finished packing up the tent while Serena made straight for Rastra to heal what remained of her wounds. They¡¯d been serious enough to hamper the standard regeneration, but Serena¡¯s new magic sped the process up by a matter of days if not weeks. After everyone congratted (with some confusion, considering the nature of the ss) Serena on her milestone, they finished hooking up the horses and we were off. This close to town we started to see more signs of travelers. I hoped that meant we¡¯d see no more dead Nekomatas, but it was hard not to feel like some poor soul was lying dead just behind every hill and tree. At around noon we encountered some shady fellows asking us to pay a toll, but one look at the nearly-seven-foot-tall golem and they decided they had somewhere better to be. This time of year, there weren¡¯t many braving the roads, so it was mid-afternoon before we came across our second encounter. I knew immediately this one would be much more eventful. It would also be a major pain in my ass. The woman sitting by the road sharpening her sword was armed to the teeth. Two swords at her back, an empty scabbard at her hip, and I counted at least three different daggers strapped to her even from this distance. Her armor was ornate, but had clearly seen a number of battles. She had short cropped ck hair and dark eyes that scowled at our group when we crested the hill. She made no move to hide, so those at the front immediately spread the warning. Al and S slunk away to try and flush out any hidden attackers while Serena, Yen, Pierce and I took up spots in the front. When we drew close, the woman stood. She¡¯d be taller than Serena up close, though a little shorter than me. Just from the way she moved I could tell that this woman was dangerous. Like a stalking predator moving towards prey. ¡°We need to talk,¡± she called. ¡°Whatever it is,¡± Pierce called back, ¡°then it can wait until after¡ª¡± ¡°Not you, old man,¡± she barked. Then she raised her still-drawn sword and pointed it straight at me. ¡°You.¡± I took one look at her and knew exactly what she was, and I was not in the fucking mood. ¡°No thanks, I think I¡¯ll pass.¡± Her face twisted. ¡°Pass? Pass? Ie all this fucking way, and you¡¯re just going to pass?¡± She snorted. ¡°Quit being an ass and let¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I said no thanks.¡± Old anger started to build, but I choked it down. If the magic I felting from her wasn¡¯t enough to tell me what she was, her attitude would be. She was just like the rest of them. Her face darkened and she strode forward, ignoring how everyone but me suddenly had their weapons drawn. ¡°You don¡¯t get to just say ¡®no thanks¡¯ and ignore me. We¡¯re going to have a chat, and then¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Her face started to turn purple. Her shoulders tilted forward and I could see violence in her stance, but she held herself back. Like a tiger on a leash. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking, ¡°tell me, whose bitch are you anyways?¡± A little antagonistic, maybe, but I¡¯d care about thatter. Maybe. I took too much pleasure in seeing how badly she wanted to take a swing at me, but the fact that she hadn¡¯t yet meant she probably wouldn¡¯t. And if she did? Well, that would be okay too. The others watched with wide eyes while the woman took several deep breaths. ¡°I¡¯m Kat, Chosen of Tydarr, and you will¡ª¡± I barked out augh even as the others sucked in their breaths. ¡°Tydarr? In that case I¡¯ll need to change my answer to fuck no. Go tell the god of war that he can go fuck himself. I¡¯ve seen enough of his domain tost several lifetimes.¡± She got right up in my face, but I didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°Watch your fucking mouth. You¡¯re lucky he¡¯s also the god of valor and honor, or I¡¯d put your ass in the dirt.¡± ¡°But you won¡¯t, because your god is one of the ¡®good guys.¡¯ At least, he pretends he is.¡± Damn, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get to see a vein burst today, but here we were. Her jaw clenched so tightly I was impressed by the integrity of her teeth. Then she nced around the group of awestruck observers. I didn¡¯t take my eyes off her, not even when she flicked her hand and there was a sh of radiant gold. ¡°There, your little pet Seraphim will grow her wings back in weeks instead of years. I wasted a miracle on your shit, so will you kindly listen to what the fuck I have to say?¡± I risked a nce at Scarlet, who was touching her back with a look of wonder on her face. I turned my gaze back to Kat. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll hear you out. But you call any of my friends ¡®pet¡¯ again and we¡¯re going to have a problem.¡± I pushed past her and started towards the trees. ¡°Where the fuck do you think you¡¯re going?¡± she demanded. ¡°To talk. The caravan can move on without me. Serena, youe too.¡± I didn¡¯t think I had to worry about Kat attacking me, but I wasn¡¯t going to take the risk. Plus, I wanted Serena there to ground me. I didn¡¯t have the best track record with Chosen. I looked back at Kat. ¡°Coming?¡± Kat let out a string of choice expletives that made even Pierce wince, then stormed after me. He shot me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. I could handle a Chosen. Looking relieved, Serena fell into step behind me, the spear I¡¯d given her clutched in her hand. ¡°Gotta say, you aren¡¯t what I expected from the Chosen of the sex goddess. I figured you¡¯d look more, well, like her.¡± She pointed towards Serena. I didn¡¯t acknowledge the jab with a response. ¡°Why don¡¯t we skip to whatever it is you want from me.¡± She sneered. ¡°Well fuck you too, then. I want to be here even less than you do.¡± ¡°I can assure you that¡¯s an impossibility.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to bring you to the rest of the Chosen. We¡¯re gathering in Caywick.¡± I grimaced, and not just because she was trying to get me to the capital of the neighboring nation, Larisea. Then the rest of her words processed. ¡°Wait, just how many strong are you?¡± ¡°Not counting you? We¡¯ve got four.¡± Fuck. Even the conflict against Grimsbane had only involved three Chosen on either side, and it had nearly destroyed the entire continent. ¡°Then it sounds like you hardly need me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a dipshit. Four of us means four enemy chosen, and we aren¡¯t even sure its just us four. Well, five, now that I¡¯ve finally tracked your ass down.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I won¡¯t count. I¡¯m outside the conflict.¡± ¡°Bullshit. You reek of Allura.¡± ¡°Because I made a deal with her, not because I¡¯m a Chosen.¡± She screwed up her face. ¡°What the fuck kind of deal do you make with a sex goddess? She give you a magic cock or something?¡± It was a good thing I was so angry, otherwise I might have reacted to her identally correct guess. ¡°Not a sex goddess, and it¡¯s none of your business what I¡¯m up to. It doesn¡¯t involve your conflict, so kindly fuck off.¡± Her eyes darkened. ¡°Oh, get over yourself. If you¡¯re right, then you¡¯d tip the scales in our favor.¡± ¡°Or I could muck the whole thing up by getting involved,¡± I argued. ¡°I may not be a Chosen, but I am still an agent of a goddess. Just by participating I could open some dangerous doors for the other team. The ancientws exist for a reason, and if I identally break one that means one of your enemies could too.¡± She looked me up and down with a critical eye. ¡°And how the fuck do you know so much about it if you¡¯re not a Chosen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know you near well enough to get into any of that.¡± She made a growling noise. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be straight with you. Shit¡¯s different this time. Gods have changed sides, and nobody seems to know why. I mean,¡± she threw up her hands, ¡°our cleric is the chosen of motherfucking Yaos!¡± Well damn, if the god of infamy was a good guy now, then shit was indeed fucked. I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that, though. As much as I wanted this conversation to be over, I realized this was as good a chance as any to get some answers. ¡°What¡¯s the conflict?¡± ¡°Fuck if I know, the gods are being unusually cryptic, even for them.¡± She must have seen something on my face, because her eyes narrowed. ¡°Wait a fucking minute, you know something, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You curse a lot, did you know that?¡± ¡°Fuck off and tell me what you know.¡± ¡°Which one? I can¡¯t rightly do both.¡± ¡°Just fucking tell me.¡± I waited long enough for her to start fingering the hilts of her weapons before I finally threw her a bone. ¡°There¡¯s an outer goding, and Allura seems to think it¡¯s bad for business. If gods are hopping sides, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s those that support the new guy and those that don¡¯t.¡± She spat out another colorful string of curses. ¡°All the more reason for you to help, then.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Really? And which side are you on?¡± ¡°The good side, obviously. Dickweed.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re so sure about that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a fucking pdin of Tydarr. Read a book, Tydarr is always one of the good guys.¡± ¡°And Yaos is always one of the bad guys.¡± She opened her mouth to yell again, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. ¡°So what, you¡¯re just going to sit on the sidelines?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got my own shit to deal with. If whichever side is against the god fucks up, I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m the contingency. Lucky me.¡± She made a growling noise. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wish you were the bimbo I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d be.¡± She crossed her arms and started thinking. I wondered if she did that often or not. ¡°Fuck this, I¡¯ve got better shit to be doing. You¡¯reing with me to tell the others what you know. You can do whatever after.¡± ¡°The fuck I am.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have your gods go talk to Allura themselves? She knows a shitload more than I do.¡± Some of her vitriol faded. ¡°We can¡¯t because nobody knows where Allura is.¡± I stared at her, and she crossed her own arms. It was more out of reticence than anger. ¡°Look, we¡¯ve got one oracle with amunion skill and it¡¯s got a three month cooldown. Last time we asked, they had no clue where she was. Hasn¡¯t been seen in a couple of years. But they felt a burst of her magicing from here, so they sent me to investigate.¡± She waved a hand at her own head. ¡°Divine sense ¡®n shit.¡± Well, I could officially add that to the top of my things to do list. Finding out what the fuck happened to Allura and making sure she was still keeping those souls safe. She couldn¡¯t resurrect them if she was dead. ¡°I¡¯ve told you what I know. She didn¡¯t exactly give me much to go on.¡± Kat snorted. ¡°Maybe you know more than you think. I¡¯ve got a keystone, so grab whatever pets you want to bring along and the busty blond and we¡¯ll¡ª¡± The anger rose again, and I contained it again. I shoved it right next to the memories that threatened to resurface. ¡°I told you not to call them pets,¡± I growled. Sheughed. ¡°Or what? You gonna pin me down and fuck me too with your magic cock¡ª¡± The rage broke free. The memories came with it. I didn¡¯t remember closing the distance, but the next thing I knew our faces were inches apart. ¡°I have never and will never force myself on another,¡± my voice was deathly calm,ced with violence, ¡°and if you ever use me of it again then I¡¯ll rip out your fucking tongue regardless of who holds your leash.¡± Whatever bluster she had disappeared. The color drained from her face, and she backpedaled from me. I followed, keeping within arm¡¯s reach. ¡°I¡¯ve yed the gods¡¯ games, and every time I¡¯vee out on the fucking bottom. Only one Chosen has ever done jack shit for me, and you aren¡¯t him. You want to go be their pawn? Knock yourself out. Just remember that thest Chosen conflict left us with this mess.¡± ¡°W¡ªwhat the fuck are you?¡± she breathed, her eyes wide. I didn¡¯t know what she was asking and I didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯m someone who has been fucked with one too many times. Now go back to your little Chosen party and leave me the fuck alone. Youe up with something more concrete that I can actually help with,e find me in Amesseria. Until then, there¡¯s exactly one god I owe anything to, and it sounds to me like she wants just as much to do with you fucks as I do.¡± She fell back into the grass, one hand clenching the hilt of her weapon with white knuckles. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªI¡¯m not¡ª¡± The rage in me faltered, and I was able to get a grip on it. Looking down at her, I felt immensely guilty. She couldn¡¯t have been any older than me, and I knew better than anyone that nobody chose to be a Chosen. That was up to the gods. This girl didn¡¯t ask to get thrown into a war, and I knew just by looking at her that she wasn¡¯t ready for what she¡¯d have to endure. She was arrogant, but I didn¡¯t think she was a bad person. She definitely wasn¡¯t the worst Chosen I¡¯d ever met. ¡°This outer god wasn¡¯t the only thing Grimsbane was summoning,¡± I could at least give them this. Having someone else looking into it couldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°So if you want answers, look for monsters that aren¡¯t of this world. Monsters like this one.¡± I summoned the headless corpse that had nearly killed Serena and dropped it at her feet. Her eyes widened further, but her gaze kept darting back towards me. I started to walk away and realized she wasn¡¯t looking at me, but above me. My gut twisted when I saw the single, thick tendril that was swaying back and forth above me. It¡¯s tip was long, straight, and sharp-edged like a sword. Not just any sword, either. It¡¯s shape was disturbingly familiar, but I didn¡¯t want to think about that right now. I hadn¡¯t activated my skill, and my mana was untouched, so where the hell had this tendrile from? I dismissed it, but not before it¡­resisted me. Pushed back against the dismissal. That scared me almost as much as its phantom appearance. I looked back at Kat over my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t let the gods wring you dry. They aren¡¯t worth it. If you ever get tired of being a puppet,e find me. Divinity and I don¡¯t mix very well.¡± With that I turned and left her with the headless corpse. She could take it back to her allies and not be returning empty-handed. There was a sh of light. Kat and the corpse were gone. A part of me hoped I¡¯d never see her again, but I knew I would. Eventually. Probably sooner than I¡¯d like. Though it terrified me, I forced myself to look at Serena. Her expression was guarded, but I could see worry and a hint of fear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯ve got to be sorry for,¡± she said carefully. Neither did I. That didn¡¯t do anything to dispel the guilt. I began the journey back to the caravan, and I could still feel that kernel of fear in her as she followed. We probably made it halfway back to the caravan, walking in silence, before she spoke. ¡°You hated her.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°No. Not her, but what she was. I¡¯ve got a bad track record when ites to Chosen.¡± ¡°So because she¡¯s Chosen she has to be your enemy?¡± There wasn¡¯t any usation in her voice, just a desire to understand. ¡°I¡¯ve met six Chosen in my life, and there was one of them that didn¡¯t make themselves my enemy. I guess it¡¯s hard for me to move past that.¡± I could see her doing the math in her head. Her brows knit together, but she didn¡¯t ask what I knew she wanted to. I wasn¡¯t sure either of us could handle the answer I¡¯d have to give if she did. ¡°And now?¡± she asked. I jammed my hands into the pockets of my coat. ¡°I guess I can give them the benefit of the doubt, at least. One in six was alrightst time, so there¡¯s gotta be at least one of them that isn¡¯t aplete prick. Maybe it won¡¯t be likest time. ¡°I¡¯ve done things I¡¯m not proud of,¡± I said, not looking at her, ¡°and those things pale inparison to what I¡¯ve witnessed. To what I¡¯ve endured. I¡¯m not¡ª¡± My voice caught. ¡°I¡¯m broken inside. I¡¯ve been broken for as long as I can remember. I thought I¡¯d moved past that, but¡­¡± My conversation with Kat had opened wounds I had repressed so thoroughly during the war I¡¯d forgotten I¡¯d forgotten them. Serena took a ss just to stay with me, so I owed her the truth. I started talking. I told her who I was. Who I really was. I told her that I¡¯d buried everyone I¡¯d ever cared about before Rhani, though I didn¡¯t give her their names. I told her how I¡¯d shoved down every ache and misery so deeply that it was like a second Zaren,pletely different from me, lurking. Waiting to take the reins anytime I needed someone¡ªsomething that had no room left in it for mercy or hesitation. I finally forced myself to look at her. There was a wetness in her eyes, but there was no judgment in her face. No condemnation. No pity. ¡°I¡¯ve killed people. A lot of people. Most of them I don¡¯t regret. They were either monsters or trying to kill me. Some of them were good people put in impossible positions and killing them was the best out of a lot of really bad options.¡± I let out a long breath. ¡°I want you, but I also want you to¡ªno. I need you to want me back. To know the darker parts of me and not hate them, because I can¡¯t imagine letting you care for me anymore than you already do just for you to realize you hate me down the road.¡± She opened her mouth, but I held a hand up to silence her. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to go back on what¡¯s been said and done, but I won¡¯t take things any further until you at least start to understand the depth of the darkness inside me. Rhani has seen some of it, but not all of it. Not nearly all of it. Now, since this world is fucked, she¡¯s stuck with me for at least the next six months. You aren¡¯t. The me I had to be is still very much a part of me. It likely always will be.¡± ¡°Is that why you brought me? To show me that?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°No,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I brought you because¡ªbecause I knew she¡¯d bring up memories best left forgotten, and I hoped you being there would be enough to ground me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I think I thoroughly underestimated my own shit.¡± Some of the tension left her shoulders, but not all of it. She walked up to me and rose up to kiss me¡ªnot on the lips, but on the cheek. I closed my eyes and savored the brush of her lips, knowing full well it could be thest. I said, ¡°I should have told you sooner, that way you wouldn¡¯t have fallen for a monster.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t a monster,¡± she argued immediately, and some of the tightness in my chest loosened. ¡°A monster wouldn¡¯t have treated Scarlet the way you do. It wouldn¡¯t have risked its life to save Rastra or Mai. Wouldn¡¯t have almost died to save me. It definitely wouldn¡¯t have held me the way you did after.¡± She pulled the cloak tigher around her and I realized it was the same cloak I¡¯d wrapped around her that night. ¡°I¡¯ll take some time to think, like you¡¯re asking, but only so that when I tell you I don¡¯t care then you¡¯ll really believe it.¡± A curt nod was the only response I trusted myself to make. She smiled, though it was soft and uncertain, then she turned to lead the way back to the caravan. On the was back I desperately tried to lock those memories away where they¡¯d been, but they refused. The genie was out of the bottle, and I was going to have to deal with the aftermath. One way or the other. # # # Serena took me up on the offer of the second tent that night. She took Scarlet with her, and I was grateful for that. I tried to convince Rhani to go as well, have a girls¡¯ night, but she wasn¡¯t having it. I think she could tell that no matter how much I wanted to be alone, I shouldn¡¯t have been. She was even kind enough to not push anything. She didn¡¯t ask any questions or send her hands questing. She just kissed me lightly, told me she was there if I needed her, and cuddled up to me. I trailed a hand up her back. I stopped when I got to the strip of leather around her neck. I¡¯d known her with it longer than I¡¯d known her without it. Even though I knew she¡¯d wanted the cor, even though I¡¯d seen her smile when she ran her finger along it when she thought nobody was looking, my conversation with Kat had shaken me. I had to ask. Had to know for sure. ¡°Rhani?¡± I said softly, almost hoping she was already asleep. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I never¡ª¡± Fuck, I could barely get the words out. ¡°You never felt like you had to do anything when it came to us, right? I never made you feel like you had no choice?¡± She tensed. Then she uncurled from her spot at my side and pushed herself up so that she was leaning over me. She put a hand to my cheek and forced me to look into her golden-blue eyes. They glowed slightly in the dark, reflecting off the curtains of silver and gold that hung around our faces. There was an intensity in the glow that wasn¡¯t there when she was happy or excited about something ¡°Zaren,¡± she said softly, but not weakly, making sure she had my full attention, ¡°you have never done anything to me that I didn¡¯t want you to do.¡± She smirked. ¡°In fact, by the time we¡¯d left the tower, I was ready to start ¡®forgetting¡¯ my clothes when we went to sleep until you finally made a move.¡± I reached up and tucked her hair behind one ear. She pressed into my palm, and her smile softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking.¡± She hummed, then she lowered herself and brushed her lips against mine. Her weight on me was afort, and she slowly enjoyed my mouth with her own curved in a smile. ¡°Now who¡¯s apologizing for things they don¡¯t need to?¡± The knot in my stomach unfurled ever so slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I agree.¡± She gave me another soft peck. ¡°You deserve so much more.¡± We stayed like that until she was sure I was okay, then she curled back up against my side with her back pressed against me. As if trying to show that I had her trust. I listened to her breathing slow and even out. She mumbled something and snuggled deeper into me, so I rolled and slung an arm over her. Rhani, Serena, even Scarlet had started to feel like a tether. A handhold I could use to pull myself out of the dark. I didn¡¯t know what it was like to not have nightmares. My good nights were the ones that I was at least able to tell the difference between the terrors of my dreams and the ones I faced when awake. With the locks inside of me shattered and the Zaren of old prowling around through memories I wished I could burn from my mind, I was terrified to close my eyes. With how long I spent lying there, staring into the dark and listening to Rhani slumber against me, I figured I wasn¡¯t going to be getting any sleep that night. Though it left me alone with my thoughts for far too long, I preferred it that way. I heard theming long before the dim light of the hoodedntern filtered through the tent¡¯s opening. I didn¡¯t dare breathe when Serena slipped through the p with Scarlet fast on her heels. They slid in quietly, and Scarlet immediately darted towards Rhani¡¯s front. Even unconscious, Rhani¡¯s thin, pale arms wrapped around the warmth as if they had a mind of their own. Serena was a bit more hesitant. She extinguished thentern, then she slid into the bedroll and pressed into my back. Her arms slipped under mine and wrapped around my chest, and she pressed her forehead to the nape of my neck. She knew I could hear every sound that urred in the darkness of the tent, so she didn¡¯t bother raising her voice above a whisper. ¡°I did my thinking, and I¡¯ve made up my mind. I was wrong in the forest.¡± Her arms tightened and she nestled into me further. ¡°I do care. I care very, very much. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through, but I¡¯d like to.¡± Her fingers trailed across my chest, and I knew she was tracing my scars. ¡°Like you said this morning, I¡¯m your priestess. To me, that means my duty isn¡¯t just healing your body, but your mind and your soul whenever you need it.¡± I ced the hand not sandwiched between Rhani and Scarlet over hers andced our fingers together. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered back. I wonder if she knew how much I meant it. I felt her cheeks tighten, and I knew she was smiling. ¡°I took a ss for you, so you¡¯d better believe you¡¯re stuck with me for a good while.¡± The knot loosened further, and I felt my own lips curl into a faint smile. She fell asleep not long after, and Scarlet drifted off, too. Wrapped in warmth,fort, and maybe even love, my fear was gone. I wasn¡¯t afraid of whatever I¡¯d see when I closed my eyes when I had the people I cared about most pressed into me. I drifted off, feeling more at peace than ever before despite the emotions rolling around in my gut. Even with the Zaren of old prowling around the recesses of my mind, the nightmares didn¡¯te. Chapter Twenty: Anford Chapter Twenty: Anford The city of Anford was easily four times the size of Listone. It was nestled in between a wideke and the start of a set of mountains blocking the valley that was the only path south for at least a hundred miles. When we hit the top of the first hill after we left the forest proper, I could see the low walls and the rows of buildings in the afternoon sun. We¡¯d somehow made it without running into whatever Nekomata killing group was hunting me or the bastard who was no doubt heading to reim Scarlet even as we made our way down the hillside. There were patches of snow here and there, but it was finally warm enough that it was starting to melt. Even the horses seemed to pick up the pace as soon as the city was in view. The idea of a real bed called to me, too, and not just because of the sudden spring in a certain blonde¡¯s step. As eager as I was to get to an inn, I wanted to take care of a few things first. I sent Rhani, Serena, and Scarlet ahead to get us rooms. I asked Scarlet to keep her hood up at all times when walking around, and she seemed to understand it was to hide her from the bald man from Listone. Korey assured me we¡¯d be in town for a few days at least while he tried to do a little business right before he told me that Fel and S wouldn¡¯t be continuing with us after Anford. When I asked about Rastra, his only response was a grim look. As soon as we hit town I made a beeline for the local adventurer¡¯s guild. The bits of blightwolf earned us some coin, but dumping the decently preserved body of some creature they had absolutely no record ofted us a small fortune. After answering as many questions as I could about the thing and earning a bump from rank F to rank E, I visited some of the sponsored shops and got my hands on some rather pricyponents and materials. Then I rushed back to the caravan. My first stop was Rastra. She¡¯d barely said a handful of words since she¡¯d woken up, and despite her wounds being healed thanks to Serena she still wore the bandages over her face. The one uncovered brown eye drifting to me was the only reaction she gave of my approach. I was still angry with myself for letting her get so hurt. For letting my guard down and allowing that alpha blightwolf to get the jump on us. Anger would do nothing for either of us right now, though. I shoved aside my irrational dislike for mages and asked how she was doing. ¡°I¡¯m alive, thanks to you,¡± she answered, though she didn¡¯t sound very thankful. ¡°He left me, though. Threw me aside like I was nothing.¡± ¡°Fel was an asshole. You¡¯re better off without him.¡± Her eye held a hollowness that made my gut clench. ¡°Even if I was nothing more than a pretty face to warm his bed, I was getting experience and coin. Jobs. Even my rank was slowly starting to crawl up.¡± She trailed her fingers over the bandage on her face. ¡°Now I¡¯m nothing. Nobody will want someone like me in their party. My magic is too unpredictable, and now I can¡¯t even offer myself.¡± She wrapped her arms around herself and curled into a ball. ¡°I¡¯m revolting. I won¡¯t even be able to go back to¡ªto what I had to do before I got my ss.¡± ¡°I can make sure you stay with the caravan at least until Amesseria.¡± Her eye widened, and I saw the faintest trickle of hope. ¡°A lot can happen between now and then, too. Interested?¡± She rubbed the bandage again. ¡°You saved me once already and haven¡¯t asked anything in return. I¡¯m not sure I want to add to that debt.¡± I crossed my arms, choosing my words carefully. I didn¡¯t want to make any false promises and I didn¡¯t want to give too much away about my ns. ¡°How about this, then? I¡¯ll pay your way to Amesseria, and when we get there you can earn the money back.¡± She opened her mouth. ¡°Through adventuring. Whether with me or another group, but we¡¯ll worry about that when we make it to the capital. Sound fair?¡± She just shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like there, clearly. There aren¡¯t enough jobs to go around, and the rich and powerful ones like Fel hoard all the good ones. There¡¯s nothing left but scraps for the rest of us. Dangerous jobs with shit pay. If I can¡¯t fight safely and I can¡¯t fuck well, then there are plenty of other adventurers willing to do both.¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s true now,¡± I said with a shrug, ¡°but I don¡¯t n on letting the system stay that way for very long. I¡¯ve got a habit of fucking up hierarchy bullshit, and I¡¯m more than willing to help whoever I can on the way. Trust me or don¡¯t, but it sounds like you don¡¯t have a lot to lose.¡± Rastra looked at me for a long while. ¡°Fine, I guess you can¡¯t do much to me anyways. At least from the sounds the Arelim makes at night when you inevitably fuck me over I can enjoy it.¡± There was a faint trace of humor in her voice, and I thought I saw the faintest hint of a smile. Fel better hope I never see his face again, because I was really starting to regret not breaking itst time. ¡°I¡¯m not nning on it.¡± She turned the scarred side of her face away. ¡°Right. Of course.¡± It was always something. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. ¡°You¡¯re very cute, and if you think a couple of scars are gonna turn me off then you¡¯re dead wrong.¡± Her eye widened, and I saw some color in her cheeks for the first time since the attack. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fuck you because I prefer partners who want me there, not because I can¡¯t stand your scars. Got it?¡± I released her chin and she nodded. I could feel her eye on me while I left to find Pierce. He wasn¡¯t far off, helping Vaze with some boxes. ¡°Pierce, got a minute?¡± He grunted, then followed me a few feet to the side. ¡°Thanks for doing all the work on the way here,¡± he said before I could speak. ¡°Those blightwolves would have been a real pain otherwise.¡± I waved him off. ¡°I want to talk to you about Rastra.¡± ¡°You¡¯reying im to her, then?¡± ¡°What? No, I was actually asking if you¡¯d rece Dern with her until Amesseria. Whatever debts you think you owe me I¡¯d consider filled.¡± He scratched his stubbly chin. ¡°Yen¡¯s been breathing down my neck about it anyways, so I¡¯ve got no issue. Not sure if she¡¯ll agree, though. She¡¯d been despondent since the prick ditched her.¡± ¡°I already talked to her. If she gives you shit, tell her it was my idea.¡± He grunted. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I figure I can rece Fel and Sol for half the price. Not like they did much anyways.¡± ¡°Might not be as simple as that. Fel¡¯s noble, opened some doors for us. Without him, some might try to push Korey around here and there.¡± There was an unasked question in his eyes. I sighed. ¡°Technically I¡¯ve got a Lordship in the capital. Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s inherited and leave it at that. Good enough?¡± His brows shot northward. ¡°That¡¯ll definitely do. I can tell Korey if you want to get back to your women. Should I tell him he¡¯s allowed to use your rank?¡± ¡°I¡¯d prefer he keep it subtle, but he can do what he needs to so we stay moving. I¡¯d rather not spend more than a week in Anford if I don¡¯t have to.¡± Not with at least two entities pursuing me. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along, My Lord.¡± His eyes glittered with amusement. ¡°Yeah, no. Just Ren is fine.¡± A gruffugh was his response as I left him behind and went looking for Jezal. I¡¯d only just spotted her when a bundle of white gray fur mmed into me. I patted Mai with a smile that she returned, looking up at me while her tail swished back and forth behind her energetically. ¡°Thank you again. For saving me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± She nuzzled my hand and I was surprised to find that she was purring. I¡¯d never met a Nekomata who purred. I¡¯d never been around one who was particrly happy, though, so I guess that wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk to Jezal. You two have a minute?¡± She nodded and led me by the hand. Jezal brightened when she saw me. ¡°Ren! What can I do for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here tomission a project.¡± They both lit up at that. I held a piece of paper that I¡¯d spent a few days writing instructions down on then set the bag of materials on the back of the wagon Jezal had been working on. She eagerly began to read, then she paled. She flipped the sheet over and pointed it away from her as if the words might leap off and attack. ¡°I can¡¯t see that! Just from what I saw, I should have to pay you a fortune for it! I¡¯ve never seen those materials used like that!¡± I chuckled. I¡¯d gotten the recipe from someone I¡¯d almost managed to call friend before they¡¯d died. It had beenpletely created by them from the ground up. They¡¯d been a genius, and the world was worse off without them. ¡°I don¡¯t know all the steps since I¡¯m not an artificer, but I assume you can fill in the gaps?¡± ¡°Ren, you don¡¯t understand! I can¡¯t just unsee this! I could make a lot of money making something like this, so I can¡¯t just let you give me the recipe for free. Especially not when I still owe you!¡± Mai crouched down in front of the paper with her head tilted to read it. After a few minutes, she gasped. ¡°It¡¯s so unorthodox! Jezzy, we need to try this!¡± I took the paper, flipped it over, then put it back in her hands. ¡°If it¡¯s that big a deal, then make the first one on the house. I¡¯ve got all the materials right here, I just need someone to put them together. I¡¯ll even let you keep the leftovers.¡± She still looked uncertain, but finally she nodded. ¡°Alright, fine. But when we get back to the capital, we¡¯re sitting down with a scribe and making an official contract so you at least get a cut of whatever money I make off them. I won¡¯t do it otherwise.¡± Well, that would certainly help my financial situation. I¡¯d be a moron to refuse. ¡°Deal. No need to rush it, just let me know when you¡¯re done. After that I can tell you what else I remember about my friend. Maybe you can figure out some of the other stuff they were working on.¡± She got that fired up look in her eye and I left before she could start bombarding me with questions. I gave Mai a few more pats before I left, though. I¡¯d never realized the fur around Nekomata¡¯s ears was so soft. By the time that was taken care of it was dusk, so I started towards the inn. The Swallow¡¯s Tail was rmended by Korey, so that¡¯s where we¡¯d decided to stay. Just like before, we¡¯d decided on two rooms. I doubted we¡¯d use the second one, but I wanted to have them both just in case and we had the money. I¡¯d had Rhani slip the innkeeper an extra gold piece to tell anyone that we were sleeping in the vacant room until further notice, too. I tried not to get too excited about what I knew wasing, but it was difficult. I¡¯d soughtfort in pleasure before, but very rarely was I the initiator. Even then it was physicalfort, usually before a battle we figured we had no business in winning, so there was never anything more than the pleasure of sex and the warmth of another person. I hadn¡¯t ever had the kind of intimate connection I felt with Rhani. I¡¯d felt the longing I had with Serena once before, but the memory was wrapped up in so much pain and misery that I couldn¡¯t dwell on it for long before I lost myself to it. After all the blightwolves, the Nekomata, the bandits I¡¯d killed, the strange six-legged monsters, and my conversation with Kat, I was in desperate need of afort that came from more than just physical connection. For the first time in my life, I was in a position to find some. I only hoped someday I could find a way to repay these girls for what they were doing for me even without meaning to. So when I knocked on the door, I was smiling. I waited a few seconds to give Rhani a moment to prepare whatever it was she¡¯d prepared. Scarlet opened the door, peeking up at me through the crack. Only when she looked around me and saw nobody else did she open it and let me inside. I heard the sound of the door shutting and locking behind me, but I barely registered it. My attention was upied by what was currently happening on the onerge bed in the room. I¡¯d been half expecting some sort of sexy outfits or negligee, but I was not expecting both women to bepletely naked already. Serenay in Rhani¡¯sp, her head resting on Rhani¡¯s shoulder while the Arelim¡¯s slender hands reached around her, one hand fondling Serena¡¯s generous tits while the other rubbed slow circles over her bright pink pussy. When she saw me looking she grinned, mischief in her eyes, and used two fingers to spread Serena¡¯s lower lips so I could see everything. ¡°You were taking a while,¡± Rhani exined, ¡°and she was getting in her own head.¡± I could only shake my head and adjust my suddenly-straining pants. Serena lifted her head off Rhani¡¯s shoulder to look at me with heated eyes. Her neck and face flushed redder than it already was, but her legs only inched apart. ¡°I thought you¡¯d keep us waiting forever.¡± I looked down at Scarlet with a raised brow. Her body was hidden by the cloak Rhani had picked out for her. She looked up at me, expressionless as usual, but her eyes were bright. ¡°Incorrigible,¡± she said. Then she hummed, and the tone made me think ofughter. I ruffled her hair with augh. ¡°That they are. You¡¯re staying, I assume?¡± A single nod. ¡°This one will watch. This one wants to see more of Sir making them feel good so that this one might learn what it wants.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± I turned to the two eagerdies on the bed and peeled off my shirt. Their eyes locked on my chest with rapt attention and maybe a little drool while I slowly approached until I was next to the bed, practically standing over them. I caressed them both, a cheek in either hand, but my next words were addressed to Serena. ¡°This is yourst chance to back out. Or postpone, at least.¡± Serena took the hand I had on her cheek and guided it to the breast not upied by Rhani. ¡°Ren, I love that you care enough to ask, but please don¡¯t make me wait any longer.¡± I gave her a squeeze, and her hands went to my pants. I kicked off my boots while she undid my belt then exposed my lower half to the room. She groaned happily when Rhani chose that moment to flick her fingers across Serena¡¯s clit. ¡°You know,¡± Rhani said, ¡°hests much longer the second round. If you want your first time to be memorable, then we should really make him cum once before he puts it in for real.¡± Serena wrapped her hands around my length and slowly started pumping me. I closed my eyes at the touch of hands callused by hours upon hours of training with a spear. It was so different from Rhani¡¯s soft and slender fingers, but it was in no way worse. ¡°You just want an excuse to fuck him first,¡± Serena chided. ¡°But tonight he¡¯s mine.¡± That made me smile. She was learning already. ¡°There¡¯s more than one way to properly milk a cock you know.¡± To prove her point, she leaned over enough to lick the head, I shivered at the feel of her hot, slick tongue. ¡°If that isn¡¯t your thing, though, I¡¯m more than happy to oblige. I still need to practice taking the whole of his fucking amazing dick down my throat.¡± Serena¡¯s response was to tug me close enough that she could give me a tentative lick. I threw a leg up on the bed so I wouldn¡¯t end up falling on them, which gave Rhani the perfect angle to run her tongue along my sac. Then Serena¡¯s lips closed around my head and she slid forward, working her tongue along the underside of my shaft right until I hit the back of her throat. A groan slipped out. Her mouth was much hotter than Rhani¡¯s, and that heat threatened to drive me crazy. I could see the fire in Serena¡¯s eyes. I brushed my knuckle against her cheek. ¡°That feels amazing, but don¡¯t push¡ªfffuck!¡± She silenced me by going even further and I slipped into her throat. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes while she worked herself deeper and deeper until her nose was pressed into the hair at my groin. ¡°Oh, you bitch!¡± Rhaniughed, ¡°Just because I said I hadn¡¯t yet, you had to, didn¡¯t you?¡± Triumph shined in Serena¡¯s emerald eyes and she started moving her head back and forth. Rhani doubled her assault on my balls, and I knew I wasn¡¯t going tost for long. Serena gripped my thighs so she could pick up speed and started face-fucking herself with my cock. She made gagging noises and tears streamed down her face, but she made no move to slow down. Her eyes shot to mine, staring at me through the tears, and the plea in her eyes was too much. ¡°Cumming!¡± I warned her. She pulled back so that my head was resting on her tongue just as I exploded into her mouth. She gulped it down greedily and I had to put a hand to the wall to steady myself while her tongue mercilessly worked the tip of my still-sting cock. My toes curled while she thoroughly sucked and licked away everyst drop. Serena pulled away, breathing heavily, and smiled at Rhani. ¡°Was that a thorough enough milking for¡ª¡± She was forced into silence when Rhani¡¯s tongue plunged down her throat. ¡°Oh gods,¡± I gasped, watching them go at it. ¡°One of you was bad enough. I may not survive the night.¡± I grabbed a towel off the strategically ced stack on the bedside table and started wiping the tears and spittle from Serena¡¯s face around Rhani¡¯s questing lips. Rhani finally came up from air around the time Serena¡¯s eyes started rolling back into her head forck of oxygen. ¡°That was so fucking hot.¡± I sank down onto the bed and continued wiping Serena¡¯s face before giving her a heated kiss of my own. I looked at Rhani. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if you don¡¯t like women as much as you like men.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t before, but fuck. Serena is just so amazing. Besides,¡± she started kneading Serena¡¯s breasts, ¡°when you start to fill out your harem, I¡¯ll need something to upy my time. I can¡¯t rightly keep your mind-shattering cock all to myself, can I?¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± Serena¡¯s hand found my already-hardening member before I could address the haremment. ¡°In my admittedly limited experience, I remember boys taking a bit longer to¡­catch their breath.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand joined hers and Iughed. ¡°I¡¯m starting to think it wasn¡¯t just my length that Allura improved.¡± Both hands stopped and they stared at me. ¡°Ah, did I not mention that? I may have woken up with a bit extra down there.¡± Their wide-eyed gazes fell to my groin. ¡°I always said you were blessed down there,¡± Rhani breathed, her hand starting to pump again, ¡°but you neglected to tell me how true that was.¡± Serena leaned on me and traced my corbone with kisses. ¡°An actual gift from Allura.¡± She trailed up my neck and nibbled my ear. ¡°I want it inside me. I want you inside me.¡± I pushed her onto her back and Rhani nestled into her side. She wrapped one arm around Serena¡¯s waist and reached down to wrap her hand around my member. ¡°Oh please let me guide you in.¡± Serena¡¯s gaze never left mine while I positioned myself over her. Rhani tugged me forward and I felt the head of my cock kiss her entrance. Serena shivered, but I could see in her eyes that there was no need to ask if she was ready or not. ¡°Just breathe,¡± I told her. Then I started pushing. She moaned at the pressure. Her breath came in gasps, and she cried out softly when my head slipped in. Fuck, she was tight. Tight and wet and hot. I felt like I was going to melt from the heat of her walls as I slowly inched in further and futher. She let out a long whine, then made a gutteral sound when I hit resistance. Rhani, who had been watching with wide eyes and an ecstatic smile, turned and buried her face in Serena¡¯s hair. She rubbed her hands in circles over Serena¡¯s stomach while she whispered wordless reassurances in her ear. I slid out, then pushed back in even further. One hand sunk into Rhani¡¯s hair and the other reached up to pull me closer. I upied her lips with mine while I slowly worked in and out, an inch at a time, loving the feel of Serena moaning into my mouth while her fingers twisted into my hair. Her legs wrapped around me and her hips bucked. She used her body to yank me in thatst inch in one thrust, and she cried out into me. ¡°It¡¯s all in,¡± Rhani cooed. ¡°You took him all. You¡¯re doing so good.¡± Her hand dipped lower and started slow circles around Serena¡¯s clit. I didn¡¯t stop my assault on Serena¡¯s lips until she was used to my girth inside her. I resisted the urge to ask if she was ready. I had to learn to trust that if they needed to stop then they¡¯d tell me. Instead, I broke my kiss long enough to say, ¡°I¡¯m going to start moving now.¡± Not a question, but a warning. One she could easily protest to, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t want to. I didn¡¯t want her to either. Her long, sweet moan while I slowly pulled out was music to my ears. The arm not under Rhani dug its fingernails into my back while I slid back in. Her back arched and she cried out, her voice begging for more. Her legs pushed against my rear, pulling me back into her fiery embrace. I held myself up with one arm, digging the fingers of my other into her perfectly toned ass and using it as leverage to push in deeper. Her gaze was still filled with demand, so I thrust harder and harder. Her hand left my back and she ced it just above where we were connected, her fingers sying around her stretched entrance while I pounded away. I saw a golden glow moments before an intenselyforting warmth spread through my cock and into my body. She was using her new skill, repairing the damage I¡¯d done from tearing her hymen even as I fucked her. The more I thrust the stronger the warmth grew until I was pounding her hard enough that Rhani had to keep her from being thrust into the headboard of the bed. Serena¡¯s moans rose into screams and she came with a toe-curling shudder. The glow grew stronger during her climax, pulling me in and amplifying the wave of pleasure that came every time our hips met. I sank my face into her neck and just breathed her in. Her limbs wrapped around me, pulling me in while I fucked her, and I felt Rhani trailing kisses across my shoulderdes and up my neck. One final thrust and I unleashed myself inside her. She screamed my name¡ªZaren, not just Ren¡ªand she came too. I felt Rhani¡¯s hands all over me. A gentle touch while she kissed every part of me she could reach. I let my weight rest on Serena, knowing my Lancer was more than strong enough to handle it. ¡°I see what you meant,¡± Serena said between the tremors that rolled through her still, ¡°about needing to wait until we had solid walls around us.¡± I slid out and felt Rhani¡¯s hand brush against my softening cock. I felt the faint trickle of simple magic, and when I looked down the white and red of her first time had vanished. ¡°No fair,¡± Rhani said, ¡°she can still form sentences!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready for that skill of yours,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°But if it worked the way I think it did, then the night is still very young.¡± I let my gaze roam over their naked bodies. Serena¡¯s still slick with sweat. Rhani¡¯s pale white skin and dark gray nipples practically begging to be yed with. I sat back to check on Scarlet, who was still sitting on the corner of the bed watching with rapt interest. Her cheeks were dark, and I thought I could see faint movement under her cloak. She saw me looking and her head tilted, as if saying don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re done already. Though not fully ready just yet, my cock was hardening. There was one person wrapped up in our little pile who hadn¡¯t orgasmed yet, and it was time to remedy that. I grabbed one of Rhani¡¯s legs and threw it over Serena. Rhani squealed, ending up face down on all fours with her breasts hanging over Serena¡¯s face. She red back at me, but there was anticipation in her eyes. She arched her back, pushing her ass up in challenge. I mmed myself in to the hilt with one thrust and she cried out. I grabbed her by the hips and fucked her mercilessly, just the way she liked it most. She tried to hold herself up, but she copsed when Serena took her nipple into her mouth and bit down. Wet pping and unrestrained cries filled the room while I pounded away. I reached below, sliding my fingers in and out of Serena¡¯s slit to coat them in her slick juices, then brought them up to trail circles around Rhani¡¯s perfect little gray starfish that winked at me with every thrust. Her moans reached a new pitch, then I pushed past the rim of her asshole and she threw her head back and screamed, ¡°OH FUCK YES!¡± I curled the finger and twisted it and she screamed, mping down on my cock and spraying my thighs. Her rim clenched around my finger so hard I couldn¡¯t even move it while she came, but I could keep fucking her. I reached my other hand up and shoved her head down enough that Serena could wriggle up and pull Rhani down until they were face to face. Over the ps between our hips I heard the sounds of them sloppily making out. I felt something tickle the base of my shaft and realized Serena had started mauling Rhani¡¯s clit. Rhani came again in a matter of seconds, then she copsed forward into Serena¡¯s shoulder during her third climax. Serena wrapped her arm around Rhani, but her fingers never stopped. Not even when I felt the warmth spreading from her fingers, through Rhani and into me. Rhani came a fourth time, too spent to make more than a gutteral moan, and I let myself go. I came until I had nothing left, filling her to the brim then sitting there enjoying the aftershocks of her consecutive orgasms. Sheid limply over Serena, and I didn¡¯t need to see her face to know she wore a fucked-silly smile. Serena beamed at me, slowly stroking Rhani¡¯s hair. Now it was apparently her turn to coo sweet whispers into Rhani¡¯s ear while she found her way back to reality. ¡°Mmmh,¡± Serena purred. ¡°Someone is sensitive. I think I could definitely get used to this. Also,¡± she kissed Rhani¡¯s ear without her eyes leaving mine, ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand the appeal of watching you fuck other girls silly.¡± I ran a hand over Rhani¡¯s cheeks and she mumbled happily. ¡°You two are more than enough for me,¡± her brows rose, ¡°but if you insist, then who am I toin.¡± She smiled, then she gasped when I brushed my once-again-hardening cock against her lower lips. ¡°Though, for right now, it seems it¡¯s just the three of us. You and me until Rhanies back.¡± Heat red in her eyes and she pushed against my length, trying to slip it in. ¡°You and me. I like the sound of that. If we hurry, then it¡¯ll be her turn again by the time we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Hurry?¡± I slid in slowly and carefully, and her moan made my cock twitch. ¡°Why would I do that? We¡¯ve got all night, and I intend to enjoy myself.¡± The fire in those emerald eyes told me that she felt the same. # # # It was the faintest of movement that woke me. Someone was up and walking in our room. I didn¡¯t so much as twitch a muscle when I woke, a habit I¡¯d picked up by the time I was fifteen. It was pitch ck, so I could hear everything in our room and the rooms adjacent to us if I chose. Serena and Rhani were right where I¡¯d left them. Rhani was curled up into a ball, her head resting in the crook of my shoulder while her back pressed into my side. Serena was draped over me, her head on my chest and her hand resting just over where my heart beat. I¡¯d fucked them until they¡¯d both nearly passed out, and even then I¡¯d had to put my foot down and make them rest. I¡¯d pumped load after load into them both, but Serena¡¯s skill seemed to have the additional effect of giving me near-limitless stamina. It was Scarlet that wasn¡¯t there anymore. Her nearly silent footfalls across the room were what had woken me. She paused at the door, ncing over her shoulder at us and making a soft hum that I didn¡¯t recognize, then slipped out the door without making another sound. Before I could even panic I heard the door across the hall¡ªthe other room we¡¯d rented¡ªopen and close. She¡¯d gone into it for some reason, and I knew I wasn¡¯t going back to sleep unless I knew she was alright. I conjured a tendril and used it to gently lift Serena so I could slip out from under her, then draped her over Rhani. Then I slid from the warmth of the bed and headed towards the door, grabbing my pants off the ground on the way. Once in the hall, I put a palm to the door to the other room. My skill couldn¡¯t simply see through walls, but if I focused it I could at least hear any sounds through the wood. At first I heard nothing. Had I been mistaken? Had she gone somewhere else? She was quiet, so maybe she¡¯d just gone in here to sleep. Just as I raised my hand to knock, I heard it. A sniffle. Well I¡¯m definitely not going back to sleep now. I knocked gently, waited a few seconds, then opened the door and walked in. She hadn¡¯t even locked it. I could see her crimson eyes in the dark. She was sitting in the middle of the bed with her knees drawn tightly to her chest. In the dark I could smell the saltiness of the single teartrack on her cheek. ¡°This one did not mean to wake you,¡± she said softly. I walked across the room and she tracked my every movement. I made a mental note to tell Rhani that she apparently had excellent vision even in the pitch ck room, but that was something to worry aboutter. ¡°Old habits die hard, I¡¯m afraid.¡± I sat on the edge of the bed and she sniffled again. She didn¡¯t move a muscle when I reached out and brushed the wetness from her cheek. ¡°I¡¯d like to know what¡¯s bothering you. Was it what we did earlier?¡± Scarlet had never made any indication she wanted to join in, but I¡¯d tried to make sure she never looked ufortable at least. She¡¯d spent so much of her life too afraid to feel emotion that it was difficult to get any kind of read on her. She shook her head. ¡°This one was d to be included.¡± Included was an interesting word to use, but I set that aside for now. ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± Another sniffle. This close I could tell that the corners of her lips were pointed downward. That her bottom lip trembled. ¡°Is Sir ordering this one to answer?¡± ¡°I think you know I¡¯m not.¡± She pulled her knees tighter to her chest. I turned my body a bit and held an arm out. It was nearly a minute before she finally moved. She unfolded her legs and crawled with slow, timid movements into myp. She sat sideways and curled into herself, resting her head under my chin with her arms curled against her chest. I wrapped my arms around her and a shudder ran through her body. A muted sob, if my guess was on the mark. ¡°I want to help you, Scarlet, but I can¡¯t do that if I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong.¡± I gently started stroking her hair, content to stay like this as long as she needed. ¡°This one does not know if she will ever want sex,¡± she said finally. ¡°After what you¡¯ve been through, that¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll never be upset with you for that.¡± ¡°But this one¡¯s ss is no longer useful without the pain. This one doesn¡¯t know how else to be useful to Sir.¡± I got the sense that I needed to choose my words carefully. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be useful for me to want you around.¡± ¡°B¡ªbut this one¡ª¡± Her words caught. It was the most emotion I¡¯d heard to date from her voice. ¡°But I want to be useful. Somehow.¡± Ah. Ah. Of course. I felt like an idiot. I squeezed her with one arm while I rubbed her back with the other. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll find something. Just because you need pain to use your ss now doesn¡¯t mean you always will. If you¡¯re willing, and if it¡¯s what you want, I can help you change.¡± ¡°Sir can¡ªyou can change my ss?¡± ¡°It depends. I know you¡¯re a Tormented Berserker, but I also know you have way more health than you should. Will you tell me your sses? Both of them?¡± She trembled, but her fingers dug into the flesh of my chest and she forced herself to calm down. ¡°Tormented Berserker twenty-four, Sacrier twelve.¡± I sucked in my breath. Her second ss was almost as strong as my first one, and those two were a very deadlybination. Tormented Berserker made her stronger the more pain she endured and the more damage she took while increasing her toughness. Sacrier would inte her health to insane amounts and, if she had the skills I expected her to, would get stat boosts from taking damage. Boosts that wouldst longer since her regen was hampered by her mangled wings. If I hadn¡¯t already, I would have made a vow to track down the bastard who¡¯d made her like this and put him in the ground. She tensed at my reaction, so I kept rubbing her back until she started to rx again. ¡°How long ago did you hit level twenty-four?¡± ¡°Two days before you found me.¡± That was good, then. Once you hit twenty and started splitting your experience between two sses, it took a lot to level up. ¡°Your ss isn¡¯tpletely set in stone. If we approach it right and work on switching you to a specific fighting style, then we can try to move you away from such a horrible path through ss and skill evolutions.¡± For once, I found myself actually hoping Allura or the de were influencing the sses around me. If anyone deserved it, Scarlet did. She started shaking. When she spoke, her voice trembled. ¡°I don¡¯t have to stay like this?¡± ¡°No. No, and I would very much prefer it if you didn¡¯t.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯ve watched too many people I care about suffer. If you want to be strong, we¡¯ll make you strong. I won¡¯t order you or tell you what ss to take, but I will ask you to choose one where I don¡¯t have to see you hurt so much.¡± ¡°You¡­ you care about me.¡± A statement more than a question. One with more disbelief in its tone than I liked. ¡°I do. Very much so. I may not have chosen you back in Listone, but I would have given the chance. And if anyone, your former masters included, evere for you, I¡¯ll kill them myself.¡± Her fingers clenched and unclenched against me. Her chin tucked into her chest, and she drew herself into a ball. I smelled the salt before I felt the wetness on my skin, then she let out a long, keening whine. I crushed her into my chest and just let her cry. She cried until the tension drained from her body and she ended up slumped against my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like this. I want my ss to be different,¡± she said. ¡°Then that¡¯s what we¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°We can worry about that tomorrow." Without pulling her away, I reached down and started wiping her tears away with my thumb. ¡°First we need to decide what ss you want to aim for.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would even want. What there is other than what I am.¡± ¡°And we can remedy that. For now, just rest with the knowledge that we are going to change your ss. It might be difficult, but we¡¯ll do it. Even if I have to get you to level fifty for your second evolution.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I held her until the shaking faded and her breathing slowed. After a while I realized she¡¯d fallen asleep in my arms. I wasn¡¯t going to leave her by herself tonight, not after the conversation we¡¯d just had, so I scooped her up and carried her back into the other room, using a tendril to quietly open and close the doors. I used the tendril again to lift the covers and slide in behind Serena. A hand reached over and brushed against me, then Scarlet, and I heard Rhani¡¯s voice ask, ¡°is everything alright?¡± ¡°More than alright. Go to sleep, I¡¯ll exin everything in the morning.¡± She mumbled something then nuzzled back into Serena¡¯s chest. I sidled over until I could feel the heat of Serena¡¯s back against my side, but I never let Scarlet out of my arms. I closed my eyes, trying to prepare for the difficult conversation I hading in the morning. I was almost asleep when I heard Scarlet¡¯s voice, barely loud enough for even my enhanced hearing to pick up. ¡°Noelle,¡± she whispered. ¡°My mother named me Noelle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very beautiful name,¡± I whispered back. ¡°Thank you, Noelle.¡± The only sign she heard me was a soft sigh and the feeling of her lips curling upward ever so slightly against my chest. Then Noelle was asleep, and I didn¡¯tst much longer than she did. Chapter Twenty-One: Hard Conversations Chapter Twenty-One: Hard Conversations Serena had been onto something. I could definitely get used to this. I hardly needed a nket when I woke up in a sea of limbs and warm flesh. Noelle had a death grip on my chest even in her sleep. Serena had managed to once again throw herself over me, though she¡¯d buried her face in my neck this time. Rhani had somehow ended uppletely perpendicr to the rest of us, draped over my waist with her breasts pointing towards the ceiling. Rhani and Noelle were still snoring softly when I woke, but I was a little rmed to realize that Serena was wide awake. It took me a bit to get her toe out from being buried in the crook of my neck, and when I did her eyes were red-rimmed. ¡°Hey,¡± I cupped her cheek and she closed her eyes and leaned into my palm, ¡°hey, Serena, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She shook her head and tried to dive back down, but I twisted and caught her face in my hands, peppering her with kisses until she started to calm down. ¡°Talk to me, please.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she said in a tone that very clearly said it wasn¡¯t nothing, ¡°it was just a bad dream, that¡¯s all.¡± I gave her a peck on the forehead. ¡°If you¡¯re sure. I¡¯ve got more than a little experience with them, so if you want to talk then I¡¯m here.¡± She nodded andid back down, but she at least didn¡¯t hide her face. Something had seriously spooked her, and I very much wanted to know what. I knew better than anyone not to push, though, so I just held her until the others started to stir. Rhani stretched shamelessly, unting her bare breasts in the clear hopes I¡¯d take the bait. Between Serena and the conversation I needed to have with the three of them, I wasn¡¯t really in the mood. She must have been able to tell, because she pouted and snuggled into me and Scarlet. ¡°Now will you tell me what happenedst night?¡± Serena shot me a questioning nce, and I sighed. I pushed myself up so that I could sit against the headboard, which was enough to jostle Noelle awake. She gave an irritated hum before twisting to sit in myp, ring at Rhani for making us move. Serena followed me, curling up so she could lean her head on my shoulder. ¡°First things first, I have a confession, Rhani. Something I¡¯ve been hiding from you.¡± She paled, but other than that she hid her expression well. ¡°Alright.¡± There were no words I could use to soften the blow, so I merely drew the book I¡¯d taken from the tower out of my storage and handed it to her. She started with confusion, then she opened the first page and her face lit up. A momentter, the repercussions of what she held hit her, and her expression fell. Her brows knit together and she looked at me with barely concealed hurt in her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± was all she asked. Serena watched with curiosity and confusion, but seemed content to wait for answers. I forced myself not to look away from Rhani, though. ¡°Because I knew Valethar Karn, and when I saw the book, I panicked.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t understand, why would you¡­¡± She leafed through the book, then she looked at me. I could see the wheels turning in her head, trying to fit the pieces together. Her eyes went to Scarlet, then they drifted over the scars on my body and her eyes widened. With shaking fingers, she flipped to the back section of the book. She went page by page until she got to a spot where two had been torn out. Two that were still in my inventory, and would stay there until I decided whether or not I should burn them. I knew she understood the second she saw the torn edges. She dropped the book like it had burned her, tears in the corners of her eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t¡ªthe whole time in that tower and you¡ª¡± Her eyes went wide again and she wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°You didn¡¯t know. Not until thest room. That¡¯s why you reacted the way you did. When you found this.¡± I nodded, but Serena was still very confused. Noelle wasn¡¯t doing much better. Serena cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m lost. What am I missing here?¡± Rhani looked to me, unable to find the words. ¡°Valethar Karn,¡± I started, ¡°was a genius wizard who spent his life learning everything there was to know about rare sses. What their names were, their abilities, and,¡± I put a hand at the small of Scarlet¡¯s back, ¡°how to force them onto people.¡± Rhani started turning green, and Serena¡¯s hand went to her mouth. Noelle just stared up at me with unblinking eyes. ¡°He¡¯s responsible for the theory and the practice behind what was done to Scarlet.¡± I¡¯d decided not to use her true name until she gave me permission or told the others. ¡°I know about her ss because I watched him make a Tormented Berserker once before, not long after he seeded in giving me the ss I have now.¡± You could have cut the silence in the room with a knife. Noelle was so tense I worried she might snap, and Serena¡¯s fingers curled against my skin. Rhani just looked at the book as if she hated it as much as I did. She went back to turning the pages. ¡°Then all these other sses¡­¡± ¡°Most of the information gathered in that book exists because of what he did to people I cared about,¡± I confirmed with a gentleness I didn¡¯t feel. ¡°Even before Grimsbane fully rose to power, the world was not a nice ce. Corruption and darkness ran rampant, and there were any number of kids born to families that couldn¡¯t afford them, didn¡¯t want them, or had left them behind in some form. He found and bought those kids, kids that wouldn¡¯t be missed by anyone, and he experimented on them.¡± ¡°He forced them through trials. Hurt them and mutted them and made them fight monsters and each other all in the pursuit of drawing out and learning of rare sses. When he¡¯d learned all he could, if they weren¡¯t useful to him, he disposed of them. Like garbage. That book is a testament to the suffering of the closest thing I ever had to a family before the three of you.¡± The words had been easier to say than I¡¯d thought, but that didn¡¯t make them hurt any less. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rhani, for hiding it from you.¡± She shook her head adamantly. ¡°No, you have no reason to be sorry. If I¡¯d have known how he knew what he did, I never would have gone to that tower.¡± I smiled, though I didn¡¯t feel it. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t know.¡± Her lips curved a little, but her face remained pallid. ¡°We should destroy it. No knowledge is worth what your friends went through.¡± ¡°For a while I wanted to do just that, but I changed my mind.¡± Rhani looked to me in surprise. ¡°A lot of people I cared about went through hell so that book could get filled, and I¡¯ve decided that destroying it would be like spitting on the memory of that. I think¡ª¡± I tried to shove away the emotion that colored my voice, ¡°¡ªI think that the best thing I could do to honor that memory is to use their sacrifice to help people. People like Scarlet, here.¡± Noelle jerked at that, but she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Rhani, I have a job for you,¡± I said. Rhani looked at the book again, then she set her jaw. ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°I want you to go through that book and help Scarlet find a new ss. We won¡¯t go to the extremes listed, but hopefully we can do enough to nudge her in the right direction in time for her uing ss evolution.¡± Noelle looked to me with wide eyes, but Rhani nodded. ¡°I can do that. Of course. Helping her with a ss sounds like something I might enjoy a lot.¡± I smiled. ¡°I thought you might. Once you do that, we¡¯ll go shopping. Make sure everyone has the proper gear moving forward, Scarlet included.¡± I looked down at Serena, who was staring at the bed in front of her. ¡°We¡¯ll go get some basic supplies while these two do that. We can also get you some clothes that fit right,¡± I gave her breast a squeeze, and she squeaked and shed a smirk at me. ¡°Sounds like a n, but¡­¡± She started chewing the inside of her cheek. ¡°Hey,¡± I jostled her enough to get her attention, ¡°none of that. This is a no hesitation zone. If you¡¯ve got something to ask or say, then say it. No judgment, no anger.¡± ¡°I¡ªI want to¡ª¡± The hand not wrapped around my waist gripped the bedsheets so hard they might tear. ¡°I want to go to the pens,¡± she said softly. That was a surprise. One none of us were expecting, judging by the spikes of fear I felt from both Noelle and Rhani. ¡°Alright,¡± I said carefully, ¡°but only if you tell me why.¡± She shuddered. ¡°I know it¡¯s horrible to even ask this, but would you consider iming another demi-human if we found one in a simr situation as Scarlet?¡± I ran a hand through her wonderful golden hair. ¡°We can¡¯t solve all the worlds problems at once,¡± she looked away, so I gently pulled her chin back, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t solve the ones in front of us. If it¡¯s what you want, we can at least go look around.¡± Rhani looked green again. ¡°Why would you ever want to go there?¡± she demanded. Serena pulled away and hugged herself. ¡°I¡ªI had a nightmare. One where I was in the pens and men coulde in and do whatever they wanted to me. It was¡­vivid.¡± Now I knew why she¡¯d been so out of it this morning, though I almost wish I didn¡¯t. ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine the thought of someone suffering so horribly while I¡¯m sitting herefortably sleeping with the man I care for.¡± She let me pull her back into the pile, then so did Rhani. I pulled all three of them in close. ¡°Of course we can go, then.¡± I kissed her forehead, then Rhani¡¯s. ¡°And of course you and Scarlet don¡¯t have toe. Me and Serena will go while you look through the Compendium.¡± Both Noelle and Rhani rxed when I said that. ¡°You know, if you keep picking up strays,¡± Rhani said, ¡°You might want to consider buying an extra wagon so they don¡¯t all have to walk.¡± That wasn¡¯t a half bad idea, but it could wait untilter. ¡°I was going to wait until we got to the capital,¡± I said slowly, and they all turned their attention to me, ¡°but there¡¯s no real reason I can¡¯t start building a household now. I¡¯m going to need one before all is said and done, and I can¡¯t think of a better way to fill it than by helping people in need.¡± Serena gripped me tightly with a smile finally breaking through and Rhani beamed like she agreed very much. I gave them both a kiss, then nted one on Noelle¡¯s head, and sat up. ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s today¡¯s gamen. Let¡¯s go get some breakfast, then Scarlet and Rhani wille back here and startbing through the book while Serena and I head into town.¡± # # # Eike Feng was in a mood. Three months out here in the sticks and he hadn¡¯t seen head nor tail of his quarry. Bad enough he had a whole camp of idiots and ruffians to try and keep hold of, but Feng¡¯s employers had him out here looking for a needle in a haystack. What was worse, something was out there killing all the damn blightwolves he¡¯d been spent months luring up here, and the charm his employers had given him only glowed for a grand total of about twenty seconds across two separate asions. He figured the sword was somewhere in this godforsaken city, but he had no clue how he was going to find it. He knocked back another pint of ale, much too drunk for it to still be this early in the afternoon. They¡¯d only used four of the damn cat-ears so far, but already they were down to theirst one. He¡¯d have to see if there were anymore in the pens. Not that there were many more blightwolves left in the area. His scouts hadn¡¯t seen the alpha prowling around either, and he shuddered to think there was someone out here who could kill one of those bastards without losing half their men. He was in a foul enough state that he nearly bit the head off the sap who plunked down in the seat across from him. He only paused when he noticed the fineness of the armor the man wore. Then, once he¡¯d used his poison cleansing skill to banish some of the stupor he¡¯d drunk himself into, he thought something about the man was familiar. ¡°Eike Feng, head of the Scorpions, if I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± he said. Feng growled. ¡°You trying to get me caught? Fucking moron. Get out of here before I gut your sorry ass.¡± The man crossed his arms. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll take my coin elsewhere. It¡¯s a shame, though. I¡¯m angry enough right now to grossly overpay for your services.¡± That gave Feng pause. He¡¯d lost a lot of money on this expedition so far, and if he couldn¡¯t get that sword he stood to lose a lot more. Taking a job from this rich little prick could certainly swing the odds in his favor. ¡°And just who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Fel Vossen.¡± The man made no move to extend his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve done some work for my uncle.¡± Ah, the Vossens. A bunch of heartless womanizers, the lot of them. Plenty of business in them since they had more money than they knew what to do with. ¡°Alright Vossen, I¡¯m listening.¡± The brat¡¯s smile could curdle milk, which meant he was probably a good business partner for men like Feng. ¡°There¡¯s a caravan in town, and I want you to hit them and hit them hard. Do whatever you want with the rest of them, I just need you to make sure a specific one bites the dust.¡± Revenge, huh? Still, if the boy could give him all the caravan¡¯s details, it might be well worth it. ¡°What are we dealing with, then?¡± Vossen started rattling off the members of the band. The one group might prove trouble, but the knowledge of some rare golem intrigued Feng. An artifact like that would him a lot of money. His interest was piqued further by the Nekomata since he still needed to replenish his stock, but when he got to the man he needed killed Feng made his mind up. A shadow magic user. Not something Feng hade across often. If it was the same one from Listone, then he owed the boy some payback for killing four of Feng¡¯s men. They¡¯d been idiots, but it was a matter of principle. Feng took the job, and Vossen was thrilled. At least Feng now had something to look forward to. This was a job he could handle in his sleep. # # # After giving Rhani some guidelines to follow when ss searching during breakfast, Serena and I headed out. We decided to get our purchasing out of the way so we could spend the rest of the day on the Pens and anyone we might encounter there, but I could tell it was weighing heavily on Serena¡¯s mind the entire time. We stocked up on rations, healing and mana potions, and I reced the basic weapons that had been lost to the blightwolf blood. I wanted as wide variety of weapons as I could manage since I had no weapon-specific skills. At the request of both Rhani and Serena, we also tracked down an extrarge, heavy duty sleeping bag. It would be inconvenient to travel with it except for the aforementioned pocked dimension, and as ingenious as Rhani¡¯s double bag method had been getting one we can all share sounded like a much more pleasant option. Just in case, I grabbed three, as well as two tents that wererger and nicer than the one we¡¯d been using. I had the money and the storage, so why not? Then it was just some odds and ends for the near future and we were set. After that we went clothes shopping, but Serena was determined to only get in, basic clothes. She assured me that, until we were in a position with more reliable ie, she¡¯d rather use my [Armor of Shadows] than spend the chunk of change it would take to outfit her in anything simr to her previous gear. I had to say, clothing that fit made arge difference. I didn¡¯t think it was a coincidence that her pants were so tight I could see every curve of her lower half, nor did the tight-fitting tunic with the low cut escape my notice. I was hardly going toin, though. Especially not when she strutted out of the store and shed a smile at me over her shoulder. Her yful mood didn¡¯tst long after that, though, so I figured it was finally time for the Pens. The ones in Anford were a step above those in Listone. It was a multistory building with three dedicated desks and at least a dozen people running around inside. We managed to g down an attendant who suddenly became very helpful when she learned of my status. Now that I was slowly getting used to the idea that, for now at least, life as a servant under me was a better life than many demi-humans led normally, Imissioned two dozen cors primed with my mana that could be equipped outside of a guild setting. I was warned that the recipient would have to imbue the cor with their own mana voluntarily, and that there were tests to see if it was done under duress, but I didn¡¯t think either would ever be an issue. There was also the small matter of actually paying the im for Noelle, who was listed simply under the name ¡°Seraphim,¡± since Rhani had merely sent the bill to my ount back in Listone. We had the funds, so it was no issue. After that it was a matter of deciding which blocks we wanted to tour. The Pens served as a jail for demi-humans, so there were sections that held actual criminals. Murderers, rapists, and others that we had no interest in trying toy im to. After some brief debate, we decided we¡¯d take a look at the area that held those who¡¯dmitted lighter crimes. Petty theft, loitering, and those who¡¯d had grievances cast against them severe enough to warrant incarceration. When we started walking the cells, it quickly became apparent that Serena was disgusted by the conditions. She was even more angered when I told her that these cells were miles above the cold dank cages we¡¯d seen in Listone. She quickly wrapped her hand in mine and stayed glued to my side for the rest of the trip. Immediately I knew we were in trouble. The problem was that there were so many that I wanted to help. Too many. Sad eyes and dejected postures haunted every cell, but I knew I had to keep an eye out. These people were in a bad ce, but many of them simply seemed disinterested. I would help them someday, but there could very well be someone here that needed my help now. I was being hunted, and I was a ma for trouble. I needed to find someone I wouldn¡¯t be dragging into more danger than they were already in. In this cold part of the world, we passed mainly Dwarves and Elves. There were a few Lycanines here and there with wolflike ears and tails, but most of their angry snarls ran a little too close to the muzzles of the blightwolves. Plus, with their temperament, I didn¡¯t want them around Mai. I knew dangerous people when I saw them, demi-human or not. There were a handful of Tieflings and a single Oni, but from the looks in their eyes and the information posted outside their cells we decided against it. It was near the back that one of the upants called out to us. ¡°Excuse me, master,¡± she called. Ignoring the bolt of emotion that came from the name, I looked over the Kitsune with a critical eye. She stood with her hands behind her back, pressing out her chest which was rather generous considering her shorter stature. She had risen on her tiptoes a bit, so I guessed she was probably a tad shorter than Rhani. Two fox ears stuck up from her head and a long bushy tail hung behind her, both ck as night and matted with dirt and who knew what else. She put on an eager face, but from the limpness in her tail and the desperate look in her golden eyes I knew it was a front. Something that immediately caught my attention. What she said next, after seeing I¡¯d looked her way, intrigued me more. Not because of what she said, but rather because of how she said it. ¡°If your tastes are for girls like me, then I could make you feel good.¡± Serena¡¯s hand tightened around mine, but I kept my face nk. A tant proposition, but I could see how much she wanted me to say no in her eyes. I could feel her fear that I¡¯d take her up on it. That I¡¯d use her. I was willing to bet that if her hands weren¡¯t sped behind her back they¡¯d be trembling. When I saw the marks on her neck and the handprints on her slender legs and forearms that stuck out from under the rags she wore my brows drew together even more. I looked at the info card outside her cell. She¡¯d been arrested for theft in the markets. One look at her and I was willing to bet she¡¯d been stealing food to survive. Hardly a reason for someone like her to suffer in a ce like this. ¡°No, thank you. I prefer my partners to bepletely consensual.¡± Relief. Immediately hidden, but it had been there. ¡°Are¡ªare you here to im someone then?¡± she asked. I let go of Serena and crossed my arms, and she seemed to shrink. She didn¡¯t look away, though. Under the desperation I could see a fire in her eyes. A strong will forged by a tough life. ¡°I am.¡± Her nose wiggled, and I realized she was scenting me. Kitsune, like most of the beastkin, had very sensitive noses. Kitsune doubly so. Depending on her heritage, it was possible she could smell more than scents, too. I knew a Kitsune who could smell lies once, and I¡¯d always been fascinated by the race. She gulped. Her ears twitched and her tail swished side to side ever so slightly. ¡°T-then you should meet another Kitsune. She¡¯s a bit further down. She¡¯s super smart, and she¡¯ll be very useful to you.¡± That made me raise my brows in surprise. I¡¯d been sure she was about to ask me to im her, but to ask me to im someone else¡­ She reminded me of someone. A painful memory that meant I wasn¡¯t leaving this girl in this cell if I could help it. ¡°I¡¯ll look into her, but under one condition.¡± Her tail stopped moving. ¡°Whatever you want, master.¡± ¡°Not master. Never that.¡± She flinched even though I¡¯d tried to keep my voice calm. ¡°I want you to tell me why you tried to get me to use you just now.¡± Her eyes widened, and her tail dipped until it was between her legs, curling so it didn¡¯t touch the filth of the floor. ¡°B-because I wanted it. I¡¯m a slut.¡± The words were spoken more like a condemnation than a confession. I took a step closer to the bars. She shrank back, but her feet didn¡¯t move. ¡°You¡¯re not a very good liar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. I can see that much in your eyes.¡± Her pupils quivered, and she sniffed again. I saw some color in her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t look away. ¡°It¡¯s my sister,¡± she said quietly, her eyes flitting to the attendant. ¡°I bribed the guards so Patrons would have to walk past me before they got to her. If I take care of them, then they¡¯ve got no reason to do anything to Ko.¡± Fuck. Fuck. I didn¡¯t say a word until I¡¯d quashed the memories down. Of two girls¡ªtwo sisters¡ªlying in their own blood. Both killed by a man I should have protected them from. One when he¡¯d abused her, the other when she¡¯d tried to avenge her sister. I closed my eyes until the memory was gone and I was back in control. It was difficult, especially when my mind drifted to how exactly she might have bribed those guards. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Tsuki, mas¡ªum, mister.¡± I nodded, then turned to the attendant who had been watching the entire interaction with a passing interest. I knew they were trying toe up with a way to get me to im both girls. Not out of sympathy, but because it meant double themission. ¡°Please take Tsuki to the front. She¡¯ll be leaving with me.¡± ¡°Wait, no!¡± Tsuki protested. ¡°You promised!¡± ¡°I did,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to collect Ko next, don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t split you two up for any reason. You can call me Ren.¡± Her eyes went wide before filling with tears. They didn¡¯t fall, though. I could see it in her face. The look of someone waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under her. I knew nothing I could say would reassure her short of producing her sister, so I nodded to the attendant. ¡°You can wait for me up front. I¡¯ll collect the other and head back.¡± The attendant shrugged, then opened the cell. Tsuki walked out, still in a daze. The attendant grabbed her by the arm, but her grip softened after a re from me. I held my hand out and she took a single key off the ring and told me the cell number. When I looked at Serena, she was practically glowing. ¡°I¡¯ll go with Tsuki, make sure they don¡¯t hurt her.¡± She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and followed the attendant to the front. I waited until the three of them were out of sight, Tsuki looking over her shoulder at me the entire time, before I headed to Ko¡¯s cell. Was this a coincidence? Meeting two sister¡¯s whose tale was so much like someone I¡¯d failed to protect? We¡¯d never havee across them if not for Serena¡¯s nightmare. Had the nightmare been a message from Allura now that she was a priestess? And if it was some kind of message from Allura, then why? Was it meant to be some kind of morbid reminder of what I¡¯d been through? Of what I stood to gain if I kept up my end of the deal? Or was it another olive branch? A chance to almost literally do what I couldn¡¯t before? Some kind of ploy to help convince me that things could be different this time. Or maybe it was something else. Maybe these twins were capable of something I¡¯d need in the future. There were too many possibilities and no way to confirm any of them, so I set the question aside for now. More and more questions seemed to be piling up by the day. All I knew was that my protective instinct spiked when I got to Ko¡¯s cell. She was the spitting image of Tsuki in every way, except her fur and hair were the color of freshly fallen snow. They would be, at least, after a bath or two. She sat huddled in the corner with red-rimmed eyes and streaks in the grime on her cheeks caused by tears. Her tail was wrapped around her, and she clutched it like she feared someone might take it from her. ¡°Hello,¡± I called softly. Her eyes drifted to me, the same gold as Tsuki¡¯s. Her brow furrowed and her ear twitched, then she sniffed the air. Immediately her features twisted in horror. She trembled violently from head to toe, pushing further back into the cell and hiding her face in her tail. Raw fear rolled over her in waves. I didn¡¯t know what she smelled on me, but it fucking terrified her. Well, that¡¯s not how I saw this going. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± I unlocked the cell, and she whimpered. She peeked at me over her tail with tears in her eyes. ¡°Ko, right?¡± She jerked. ¡°You¡ªyou know my name?¡± Her voice was muffled by the tail, but I could hear the disbelief and confusion. ¡°I do.¡± I stepped inside the cell and crouched down, but drew no closer. ¡°Your sister told it to me. Do you want to see her?¡± She clutched her tail even tighter, but she nodded. ¡°If youe with me, you never have to worry about getting split apart again.¡± I held out a hand. She stood slowly, and I noticed that while Tsuki was bruised, battered, and filthy, Ko was just dirty. ¡°Ryoko,¡± she said. ¡°My sister calls me Ko, but my name is Ryoko.¡± ¡°Alright, Ryoko. What do you say we go see Tsuki now? Then we can get you all cleaned up, into some real clothes, and get you as much food as you want.¡± Her ears perked up and the tip of her tail twitched. Her stomach grumbled loud enough that I could hear it. She stepped closer, then stopped. ¡°Food?¡± ¡°Sure. What do you like to eat?¡± ¡°Berries are nice. And chocte.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll get you some of both.¡± She stepped so that she was just out of arm¡¯s reach, and I lifted my hand a little. With one arm still sunk into her tail, she tentatively reached out and grabbed my hand. I didn¡¯t move right away, and she seemed surprised at my gentle touch. She wrapped her fingers around me as tight as she could, and I stood. When I did, towering nearly a foot taller than her, she shrank a little. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Come on.¡± We started walking back, her death grip on my hand never wavering. Every so often she leaned over and sniffed me, but each time she only grew more confused. ¡°You smell¡­strange.¡± ¡°I promise I bathed this morning,¡± I told her with a chuckle. After what we¡¯d donest night, not even Rhani¡¯s magic could get us clean. She sniffed again. ¡°Not that kind of smell. You smell like malice, but¡­ not like you are malicious. Like you spent so long around it that the stink clung to you and won¡¯t let go.¡± Well that was no surprise. At least I knew why she¡¯d been so terrified. If I met someone who smelled at all like the sick bastards I¡¯d spent my life surviving and fighting then I¡¯d have been scared witless too. ¡°And your sister? Would she be able to smell that?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Ki can¡¯t smell malice. She smells the good things. Happiness, kindness, contentment.¡± ¡°And under all that malice? What do I smell like?¡± She leaned in and took a deep whiff. She finally let her tail go and it fell to swish behind her. It wasn¡¯t hanging straight down, and I couldn¡¯t sense as much fear, so at least she was starting to do better. Even if only a little. ¡°You smell like¡­despair, but its old. Like you spent so long in it your soul just gave up on making the scent anymore.¡± Well that was heartening. Not exactly surprising, either. Still, if it was old, then maybe that meant I wasn¡¯t the same person I used to be. Whatever the case, she seemed morefortable now. When we walked through the hall with the Lycans and the Tieflings, though, she clung to me. Her free hand gripped the hem of my shirt tightly, and her tail wrapped around my waist while she hid behind me. Then we hit the front of the building and she let out a soft cry. I followed her eyes and saw Tsuki, looking at her sister with a tear-filled gaze. Ryoko took a step, then froze. She looked at me pleadingly, and I released her hand. ¡°Go on,¡± I urged. Ryoko shot forward like she¡¯d beenunched from a cannon. She became a white streak that bowled into her sister, and then they were holding one another tightly. They buried their faces in one another¡¯s shoulders and their tails wrapped around their waists. I let them enjoy their reunion under Serena¡¯s watchful eye while I filled out paperwork and paid the fees. There was no next of kin listed, so the guild didn¡¯t bother with notifications. We managed to separate them long enough to get the strips of ck leather around their throats, and as soon as I did Tsuki threw her arms around me. ¡°I knew you smelled kind,¡± she said softly. I patted her head with augh. ¡°Come on, I may have promised your sister a bath and some food.¡± This time, both sisters'' stomachs grumbled in unison. Chapter Twenty-Two: Elisa Chapter Twenty-Two: Elisa Even descending into the disgusting and dark sewers, Elisa couldn¡¯t stop smiling. It wasn¡¯t because she¡¯d finally found a group willing to take her spider hunting to get some levels, nor was it because she had a pouch full of her inventions hanging on her hip, ready and waiting to be used. No, it was because she could still feel Cynthia¡¯s lips on hers. The chaste kiss Cynthia had nted on her before she¡¯d descended with this party down into the bowels of Anford. She hadn¡¯t even realized Cynthia liked her that way. The feeling was more than mutual, and she couldn¡¯t wait to explore the possibilities of that kiss further. After she got back to the surface, of course. As if he could read her mind, the leader of the party, Camden, said, ¡°hey, girl, get your head out of the clouds. Focus on what we¡¯re doing, not your girlfriend.¡± He was kind of a dick, but he was willing to take her along on his expedition. For a hefty price, of course, but there were few more lucrative experience sources than spider exterminating. He was tall and broad, and he had a hammer that probably weighed as much as she did. He intimidated the shit out of her, and he knew it. Levels were levels, though, and if she was ever going to pay off her debts and get her and Cynthia out of this city then she had to take risks. Risks like taking a utility ss into spider-infested sewers. The other fighter in the group, Finnegan snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t really me her, Cam. I¡¯d be fantasizing about that tight ass too.¡± To prove his point, he smacked the ass of their fourth, Tiana, and left his hand thereto give it a few good gropes. She grimaced like she would rather be anywhere else, but she made no move to stop him. Camden was a dick, but Finnegan was an outright pig. Unfortunately he was lightning fast with his dual swords and a cousin to Camden, so he was on the mission same as her. Tall and oily and very handsy when it came to Tiana. Elisa had heard of what some of the female adventurers went through, but seeing it in person was an entirely different story. Tiana was just another in a long line of them willing to put up with more than a little sexual harassment if it meant levels, money, and reputation with the guild. The only real way to escape whatever social ss you were born into, and it wasn¡¯t made easy by anyone along the way. She wore her dark auburn hair in a low tail and had piercing turquoise eyes that seemed to stare more than they looked. She was tall and incredibly shapely, with a body Elise would kill for, which probably helped and hindered her in equal amounts. Helped her to get onto groups, but put her in the sights of creeps like Finnegan. Elise, on the other hand, was short, gangly, and while she was somewhat proud of her rear she had little to work with upstairs. Her dull brown hair was short and hastily tied back since she could rarely be bothered to mess with it. She was the kind of girl that guys (and girls) hardly looked at, especially with beauties like Tiana around. After spending just a little time with Finnegan, she was suddenly thankful for it, and equally guilty she felt that way. ¡°Do you normally go this deep to hunt Vx Spiders?¡± Elise asked uncertainly, trying to take her mind off the horrible state of the world. ¡°No,¡± Camden said shortly. ¡°But the infestations have been popping up more and more all over Anford. The city is paying more and more to anyone willing to exterminate them, which means more and more adventurers are heading into the sewers to cash in, which means we have to go further in than normal to try and torch some of the egg nests.¡± ¡°Just stand back and leave the work up to us,¡± Finnegan drawled. He threw an arm over Tiana. ¡°We¡¯ll handle the bigger ones, and Tiana can deal with the little bastards no problem. We¡¯ve done this a hundred times now.¡± Elise clutched her pack, trying to hold onto the warm feeling of Cynthia¡¯s lips on hers. The soft smile full of promise on the face of someone who was usually so reserved. The creeping sensation that she was being watched threatened to drown it out entirely. One of those was much nicer to think about than the other. ¡°Here we are.¡± Camden knelt down to pull at some webs stretched over a hole. ¡°Big enough to be worth our time. Let¡¯s go.¡± He and Finnegan lowered themselves down, and Tiana wasn¡¯t far behind. From the grimace she shot towards Elisa, it was evident Finnegan was "helping" her down. Elise followed as well, but not before she pulled some chalk out and marked the entrance. Just in case. She tried not to think about the fact that she was lowering herself into a dark scary hole, but it was hard not to flinch when she felt hands on her lower half. They were thin and gentle, and once she was down she realized Tiana had been the one to help her. She gave the girl an appreciative nod and turned to where Camden was lighting a torch. ¡°Normally we have Tiana hold the torch, but you¡¯ll do,¡± Camden said, handing it to Elisa. Finnegan snorted, then spit. ¡°Just try not to drop it. Some of these webs are liable to be mmable.¡± They closed ranks with Tiana behind them and drew their weapons. Only then did Tiana seem to rx a fraction. It wasn¡¯t lost on Elisa that she felt safer facing death than the hands of her party members. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got something better than a torch,¡± Elisa said. She handed the torch to Tiana, who watched with a raised brow as the shorter girl pulled out a short, thin piece of hexagonal metal. She twisted it, then pulled the ends apart to reveal a ss vial filled with a liquid that glowed brighter than the torch. More consistently, too, without the flickering of me. She handed one to Camden. ¡°You can clip it on your belt so you don¡¯t have to worry about me being around corners. I¡¯ve got two.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°Not bad, girlie.¡± He clipped it on and Elise gave her second one to Finnegan. ¡°It¡¯s mana charged, but I¡¯ve topped those off. They should be good for about three hours.¡± Her manamps were one of her earlier inventions, and they were some that she was particrly proud of. Finnegan clipped his on without a word. He just nced at Tiana with a wink. ¡°You know the drill.¡± She just nodded. She¡¯d rarely said more than a few words since Elisa had met her. They crawled out of the hole and into arger tunnel. Onerge enough for even Camden to not have to stoop at all. He and Finnegan walked side by side, which really worried Elisa. She¡¯d done her research before joining this expedition, and it was incredibly rare for Vx spiders to get muchrger than a dog in Anford. Not that a dog-sized spider wasn¡¯t fucking terrifying on its own, but this tunnel felt muchrger than it needed to be. It was nearly an hour before they finally found a nest. Finnegan tossed a firebomb into the nest and a horde of spiders descended upon them. They had ck, bulbous bodies with yellow markings on them and long thin legs. The front two of which were more than sharp enough to cut flesh, even on the tinier ones. Panic seized Elisa¡¯s throat, but the other three were ready. Finnegan and Camden stood back while Tiana raised a hand. She threw out two spinning blue disks that shot out darker blue threads of mana that twirled around it them like des. She swept them through the hordes of the smaller spiders, painting the walls with the green blood of the small army of creatures. She effortlessly mowed them down, and it wasn¡¯t until four that were nearly a foot long darted out that the other two got involved. Camden swiped two aside with one swing of his hammer, and Finnegan darted forward and killed each of the other ones with a single swipe. They continued like that, ying the spiders that came at them until no more came from the smoking nest. Camden wiped some of the slimy green blood off his chin. ¡°See? Nothing to it.¡± Elisa let out a nervousugh. If that was as bad as things were going to get, then maybe she was foolish for bringing so many gadgets. They burned out two more nests that went more or less the same, though the third time there were twice as many of therger spiders. Each time, Elisa made sure to mark the direction they were going in chalk on the wall if for no other reason than to make sure she could get out if she got separated. During the fourth nest, arger one came out. It was nearly the size of a dog, and it took a chunk out of Camden¡¯s leg before Tiana sted it with a bolt of magic that turned it into paste. ¡°Fuck! Fucking spiders!¡± Camden spat, checking his leg. It wasn¡¯t a deep gash, but it was bleeding heavily enough that they took a breather. He drank an antidote that would counter the spider¡¯s venom while Finnegan found a chunk of rock to sit on. He shook a bottle of glowing blue liquid¡ªa mana potion, it seemed¡ªat Tiana. She grimaced, but she still went to sit in hisp. Only after he¡¯d started fondling her breast did he give her the potion. Just watching it made Elisa want to vomit, but Camden barely even acknowledged it. ¡°Four nests isn¡¯t bad, but I want to keep going. I¡¯ve never heard of tunnels this big before, and I want to see where they go. If we find some juicy information, then we can sell it when we get back to the guild.¡± He looked to Tiana, who was doing her best to ignore Finnegan¡¯s hand in her robe. ¡°You¡¯ve got the way out memorized, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said, her voice strained. ¡°Though it would be dangerous to go any deeper. We don¡¯t have Lilianna with us, after all.¡± A cry slipped out of her before she clenched her jaw shut. Finnegan must have pinched her nipple hard from the way she red at him. ¡°We¡¯re fine. We don¡¯t need her whining.¡± ¡°We can keep going,¡± Camden insisted. He stood and tested his leg. ¡°Four is nothing.¡± He jerked a thumb at Elisa. ¡°Not even enough to get this one a level.¡± ¡°And thatst spider?¡± Finnegan¡¯s other hand went lower, and she grit her teeth. ¡°It wasrger than any we¡¯vee across so far.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We handled it, didn¡¯t we?¡± Finnegan argued. One one hand, the idea of morerge spiders set Elisa¡¯s flesh crawling. On the other, she¡¯d paid a lot of money for experience. ¡°I can try to help. I brought some more gadgets just in case I¡¯m needed.¡± Finnegan looked at her critically. ¡°No offense, but we¡¯ve got this. You just stay out of the way and try not to get bit.¡± ¡°Fin¡¯s right,¡± Camden said. He picked up his hammer. ¡°You¡¯re paying to leech, not to get in the way. Nowe on, Fin. Pull your fingers out of Tiana so we can get moving.¡± Finnegan snorted, but he let Tiana up. She hastily set her clothes right while the other two started further down the tunnel. Unable to bear it any longer, Elisa stepped up beside the taller girl. ¡°Is it really okay for him to handle you like that?¡± Tiana just shrugged. ¡°I made a deal with him before I knew how much of a disgusting creep he was. My ss gets benefits when I¡¯m aroused, so I told him he could feel me up whenever as long as I got a bigger-than-normal cut.¡± Elisa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How the hell did you end up with a ss like that?¡± ¡°Eh, jilled myself one too many times during my magic sses.¡± She shot a half-grin at Elisa. ¡°I spent a lot of time with in bed with my boyfriend whenever I wasn¡¯t training up my main ss. Guess the gods took notice.¡± ¡°Do you ever regret it?¡± ¡°Sure, any time he starts sticking fingers in down there, but it gives boosts my spells and helps with my regen so I can hardlyin. Soon as my contract is up I¡¯ll find someone who isn¡¯t quite so¡­¡± she rubbed the nipple he¡¯d twisted, ¡°rough. I prefer a gentler touch.¡± Suddenly her attire made a bit more sense. Her robes had no sleeves, and the sides were cut very low to give easy ess to her front. The skirt that went down past her knees was slit on the sides, exposing her thighs when she walked, and Elisa had yet to see any sign of underwear of any kind. ¡°That¡¯s¡­gonna be hard to stop thinking about,¡± she admitted. Tiana just grinned. ¡°Not that I¡¯d mind letting a cutie like you cop a feel if you¡¯re interested, but don¡¯t you already have a girl? Or are you a harem kinda gal? I sure hope it¡¯s door number two, there¡¯s just something fun about sharing.¡± Elisa had no idea how to deal with the heat in her face right now. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know, actually. That was kinda unexpected. I like her, a lot, but I don¡¯t know if we¡¯re exclusive or even really dating or anything like that.¡± ¡°First loves.¡± Tiana shook her head. ¡°Adorable. Well, if you decide you want to have some fun before you get locked down or you two go looking for a third to have some fun with, let me know. Girls are always better than creeps like Finnegan. All the guys who aren¡¯t don¡¯t want anything to do with someone like me.¡± She said thest part somewhat bitterly enough that Elisa both wanted to know more and didn¡¯t want to pry in equal amounts. Elisa liked Cynthia. She really liked Cynthia. She¡¯d also never had someone as attractive as Tiana be so brazen with her before. She had no idea how to respond, but luckily Camden saw themgging behind. ¡°Tiana!¡± he barked. ¡°Get up here, we¡¯ve got another nest to clear.¡± They cleared another two nests, which brought Elisa up to fifteen. She felt a thrill when it happened, but she didn¡¯t mention it to the others. She was afraid Camden would call it the second she got a level. She put her points into Arcane. Thanks to [A Mother¡¯s Love], which let her infuse mana into her creations, and [Deadly Inventor], which increased the effectiveness of infused lethal gadgets based on her Arcane stat, she finally had a reason to do so. Then things went wrong on the next nest. While Tiana was keeping the smaller spiders away, one dropped onto her shoulder from the ceiling. So quickly Elisa wouldn¡¯t have seen it if her eyes weren¡¯t constantly drawn to the exposed flesh on her side and the way her breasts came close to slipping out every time she swung an arm to cast a skill. It bit her before she could knock it off, and whatever venom was in the little bastard sent her right to the floor writhing in pain. Her disks vanished and the mass of spiders¡ªranging in the size of Elisa¡¯s hand to so small she could barely track them¡ªsurged forward towards the other two. Elisa lunged forward to help Tiana, though not before she reached into her pouch and pulled out two silver spheres by touch. Either was about three inches in diameter, and they both had two grooves on either side and a button in between them. She clicked the button on either of them and tossed them into the mass of spiders. After a two-second dy, they both started shooting fire from the grooves, spinning and rolling themselves deeper into the mass while they billowed me that stuck to and melted any spiders they touched. She didn¡¯t stop to watch the aftermath. She knocked the spider off Tiana, who¡¯d started convulsing with her face twisted in pain, and smashed it with a booted foot. Then, with adrenaline charged, trembling fingers, she poured one of the general antidotes she¡¯d purchased down Tiana¡¯s throat. The others were frantically trying to get the spiders off of them, so Elisa pulled out another of her Spitter Spheres and lobbed it. This one started billowing an aerosol that was water, peppermint extract, and vinegar. Not a pleasant smell, but it hit the spiders like a wave and made many of them run back into their holes. ¡°Fuck! I fucking hate spiders!¡± Finnegan yelled, still trying to pat thest of them off. He quickly downed his own antidote, but Camden was still benefitting from the one he¡¯d taken a moment ago. ¡°What the fuck was that, Tiana? Shit!¡± ¡°She got bit by that little red one,¡± Elisa said. Tiana was still convulsing, so she lifted the taller girl¡¯s head and put it in herp. ¡°Red recluse, looks like,¡± Camden said. He smeared what was left of the body along the ground with his boot. ¡°Nasty bastards. Venom hurts like hell, but she¡¯ll be fine with an antidote.¡± He cut a re at Finnegan. ¡°Not going to make her work for this one, too, are you?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Tiana panted. ¡°Elisa was kind enough to give me one. I¡¯ll be fine once I catch my breath.¡± Then, loud enough so that only Elisa could hear, ¡°thank fuck I don¡¯t have to suck him off again. I owe you one.¡± Camden looked at her with a frown. ¡°Elisa to the rescue. What the fuck was that skill you used and why do I smell like spoiled toothpaste?¡± Tiana made no move to stand just yet, and Elise was more than happy to have the woman¡¯s head in herp. ¡°Not a skill. Spitter Spheres.¡± She pulled out another of the spider repellents. ¡°I made them. They dispense anything I can make into an aerosol, and if that aerosol is mmable then they can spit fire. And spiders hate peppermint and vinegar, so I figured I¡¯d make a few that could drive off the smaller ones.¡± He looked begrudgingly impressed. ¡°Not bad. Might have to bring you down here a second time. Or, at least, buy some of those off you.¡± Elisa could not put into words how badly she didn¡¯t want to go anywhere with Finnegan again, but she was warming up to Tiana. Still, spreading the word about her gadgets had been a part of why she was doing this. ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to work out a deal after we get out.¡± With a sigh, Tiana finally got unsteadily to her feet. She knelt down by the green and red stain. ¡°What I want to know is what the hell a red recluse is doing down here. Vx spiders are a highly invasive and territorial species. They should have killed any other spiders they found down here.¡± ¡°Who the fuck cares?¡± Finnegan asked. ¡°A spider is a spider. I say we find a few more nests and chuck more of her little fire balls into them, then get the fuck topside.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still worth mentioning to the guild,¡± Tiana insisted. ¡°The rate at which the Vx are burrowing is already getting out of control, this is just another instance of strangeness.¡± ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Camden said. ¡°We¡¯ll mention it. Elisa, how many of those spheres do you have?¡± ¡°Eight more fire, five spider repellents, ten wire-webs, ten boom-gas, four false daylights, and four light spitters,¡± she rattled off. Camden whistled, and Tiana grinned. ¡°Damn, girl. You really dide prepared,¡± she said. ¡°Great, fantastic,¡± Finnegan whined. ¡°Can we move on now? I want to get back before it gets toote.¡± At Finnegan¡¯s urging, they started down the tunnel once more. They found another of the nests, and Elisa¡¯s spitters worked wonders in both torching them and burning up many of the spiders that swarmed because of it. This time, she spotted the red recluse scurrying on the ground before it could get to Tiana and managed to smash it. Then a wave of the dog-sized spiders charged from holes in the walls hidden by the webs. Two shot towards Tiana, but the others all rushed Camden and Finnegan. Tiana raised a hand and four curving bolts shot out. They all took a different twisting path through the air before mming into the spider, one after another into the exact same spot, until its carapace imploded. Then the other mmed into a wall she conjured. Then she closed her open hand and shot out a thundering pulse that sent it sprawling. She yanked one of her still-spinning disks over and sliced it neatly in half. Camden was faring a little better than his cousin, He swung his hammer in wide, sweeping arcs that crunched carapaces and snapped legs wherever it hit. There were still dozens of cuts across his legs and arms, but Finnegan was being swarmed. His two des darted in and out in a blur, but hecked the wide, crowd controlling attacks Camden wielded. By the time Tiana finished off thest two with her disks, he was covered in red and green blood. He sunk to one knee. ¡°What in the ever loving fuck was that? They¡¯ve never done that before!¡± Tiana sank down on her haunches, breathing hard. ¡°That was an ambush, no two ways about it. I¡¯ve never seen Vx¡¯s that big before, either. We should get out of here and tell the guild. This is more than just aggressive breeding, we¡¯re talking about actual tactics here. That suggests intelligence.¡± ¡°Either way, we can talk after we¡¯re out of here. Fin, give Tiana a mana pot. And no, she doesn¡¯t have to do anything for it,¡± he said before Finnegan could even open his mouth. He just shrugged and tossed the potion to her, then tossed a healing potion to Camden. He pulled one out for himself, walking past Tiana and Elisa. ¡°You know, Tiana, if you want some of the really good stuff, you could always let me have a go at that¡ª¡± He never got to finish the thought. Finnegan took two steps past Elisa and there was a sh of ck and a soft snickt. A spray of something warm hit Elisa. She had just enough time to realize that the same crimson that now coated her had sprayed all over Tiana as well before she heard a thud. She looked down to see Finnegan¡¯s head¡ªstill leering lecherously¡ªrolling between them. Then his body hit the ground, and they all looked up at the spider that had erupted out of another hidden hole. This one was big. Bigger than any dog Elisa had ever seen by a significant margin. It crept out of the floor, its front two legs raised to attack again. It stood twice as high as the dog-sized spiders had, and it had terrifyingly massive fangs to match. ¡°NO!¡± Camden screamed. Elisa and Tiana both scrambled back, but Camden hurled himself forward with a scream. He activated a skill and mmed his hammer into the spider¡¯s carapace hard enough to crack it before it sliced deep into his leg in retaliation. It lunged forward to finish him off, but Tiana mmed five more bolts of force into the spot where Camden had cracked. It ruptured, spraying bright green blood everywhere, but the monster didn¡¯t go down. Tiana cursed and held out both hands. The spider plunged its leg through Camden¡¯s side and he screamed. It lifted its other leg, but before it could bring it down a beam of blue energy erupted from Tiana¡¯s palms. It pierced right through the spider¡¯s cracked armor and out the other side. Immediately, it went limp. Cursing and screaming, Camden managed to pull the leg out of him. Tiana sprinted to Finnegan¡¯s body, fumbling through his pockets until she came out with a pouch of vials. She pulled out a red one and hurtled for Camden, pouring it down his throat. She looked back to Elisa, who was still frozen to the floor in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, help me get him up!¡± Elisa stumbled forward, stopping long enough to unclip her manantern from Finnegan¡¯s belt, then helped Tiana lift Camden to his feet. He choked back an angry sob when he saw his cousin¡¯s corpse, but there was no way we were dragging him and an injured Camden all the way to the surface. ¡°Move, now!¡± Tiana ordered. No sooner had they started to drag Camden back the way they came than more of the dog-sized spiders started emerging from the walls. Elisa tossed fire spitters behind her while they ran, hoping it would slow them down. Tiana shot more and more bolts of force until she cursed, then fished out a mana potion and downed it with a grimace. Most of the spiders seemed wary of the fire, and Tiana scared the rest off with more spells, but she was running out of mana and her attacks were losing their power. Raw fear tried to paralyze Elisa with every step, but Tiana kept urging her on. Her breath was starting toe in desperate gasps and there was a stitch in her side, but they were making progress. The worst of the spiders seemed to be behind them. They were going to make it. Then she fell. It was as if suddenly one of her legs wasn¡¯t working anymore. Camden kept going, ripping away from her, and she hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind from her lungs. When she looked back, she saw that her foot was tangled in a thick web that must have been lying in wait. She tried to tug her foot free, but it was stuck fast. The web was glued to her boot, and she wasn¡¯t near strong enough to pull it loose. She tried to get free, but it was no use. She looked to where Camden and Tiana had stumbled to a stop and turned back. ¡°Help me!¡± she cried. Camden took one look down the way they came, and whatever he saw made him shake his head. ¡°Fuck that, she¡¯s done for. Tiana, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t leave her!¡± Tiana cried. He just looked at Elisa with pity in his eyes. ¡°Sorry. For what it¡¯s worth, I hope it¡¯s quick.¡± Then he turned and ran down the hall. Tears fell from Elisa¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want to die. She wasn¡¯t ready to die. Cynthia was waiting for her. She had to get back, to ask her about that kiss, to kiss her more, to tell her about the crush she¡¯d had on her friend for years now. She went back to yanking helplessly, sobs wracking her body. Then Tiana was there. She pulled out a dagger and started cutting Elisa¡¯s boot away. ¡°Fucking assholes, the both of them. Shit.¡± Together they managed to pull Elisa to her feet, but the spiders were almost on them. ¡°My bag!¡± Elisa cried. Her tools¡ªher only weapons¡ªwere out of reach. Caught in another of the sticky webs. ¡°Leave it or I leave you!¡± Tiana yelled, dragging Elisa by the arm. Already the light from themp on Camden¡¯s hip was long gone, but Elisa still had the one she¡¯d taken from Finnegan¡¯s corpse. Her foot stung from the sharp rocks that she no longer had a shoe to protect herself from, but she kept pushing herself forward. Tiana hade back for her. She just had to ignore the sea of skittering sounds and hisses that came from behind them. ¡°There! I marked the entrance!¡± Elisa cried. ¡°I swear, if I never see another spider again, it¡¯ll be too fucking¡ª¡± The ground under them disappeared. One moment they were running, the next they were falling into the darkness. Themp slipped from her grasp and tumbled off into the rock that fell alongside them. Elisa was weightless for a brief moment, then pain red through her body when she mmed down to the ground. In pitch ck darkness. Her leg folded under her and something cracked. She screamed until someone mped a hand over her mouth. ¡°Shut the fuck up unless you want every fucking spider in these tunnels to know exactly where you are!¡± Tiana hissed. ¡°My¡ªmy leg,¡± Elisa sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s fucked. I can¡¯t¡ªgods, it hurts!¡± Tiana cursed. ¡°The light. You had a light. Where¡ªthere!¡± Doing her best to muffle the sobs that wracked her body, Elisa looked for the light. It was maybe two dozen feet away, up an incline, but it was intact. ¡°Okay, stay right here, I¡¯ll go get the light and we¡¯ll get a healing potion in you, then we figure out how to get out of here. Alright?¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡± Oh gods. A healing potion wasn¡¯t going to do much for a broken leg. Not fast enough to make a difference. She was going to die down here in the dark. So far away from the light above. So far away from Cynthia. ¡°You should go. You won¡¯t make it if you¡¯re hauling me through the dark. Y¡ªyou can find help ande back for me.¡± Even if she didn¡¯t believe that for a second, but it was better than admitting she was as good as dead. That she¡¯d died the minute she¡¯d been foolish enough toe down here. The tears started flowing and more pain throbbed through her leg. Her body went limp, as if it was suddenly a thousand pounds. She felt Tiana¡¯s hands on her face. ¡°Fuck that. You¡¯re going to be fine, you hear me? You¡¯ve got that cute receptionist to get back to, so you¡¯d better get ready for a little more pain. It¡¯s gonna hurt like hell, but we¡¯ll get out of this. Now, wait here.¡± Elisa choked back another sob. She was grateful for Tiana, but she also didn¡¯t want to watch this girl die trying to help her. She desperately found herself wishing she was strong enough to send her off on her own, but she was too afraid of dying alone and in pain to do it. Tiana¡¯s heat disappeared, then she was silhouetted in the light. She crept over and scooped it up, then ran back to where Elisa was waiting. She almost made it back when she slowed to a stop. Her face went ck, and all color drained from her cheeks. Thentern fell from her hands and rolled down the incline. Her eyes were fixed on something behind Elisa, and silent tears began to trail down her cheeks. She fell to her knees and began to mutter a prayer. Despite the fear and pain that threatened to consume her, Elisa turned to look over her shoulder at whatever was behind her. When she saw it, she knew for a fact that she was never getting out of here alive. There was no amount of wishful thinking or clever ys or fancy gadgets that could save her now. The spider that loomed over her was massive. Twice the size of the one that had killed Finnegan. From where she sat, it must have been ten or fifteen feet tall. It¡¯s body alone was bigger than Elisa, and it stood taller than any man ever could. It looked down at her with its many eyes and fangs the size of her forearm rubbing together. Its forelegs were like two swords as long as she was tall, and she knew if it chose it could cleave her in half without a second thought. It raised a single leg, slowly and deliberately. Elisa didn¡¯t even have it in her to scream at this point. All she could do was sit there and watch it m its wed leg down on thentern, shattering it and sending the glowing liquid inside everywhere. Outside its container, the mana escaped in seconds. She didn¡¯t want thest thing she saw in this world to be such a horrific monster, so she turned to take onest look at Tiana. Her eyes were closed, her face was turned towards the sky, and her mouth still moved in silent prayer. Then thest of the mana drained, and pitch ck darkness descended. So did the spiders. Chapter Twenty-Three: Decisions and Dinner Chapter Twenty-Three: Decisions and Dinner The twins were still understandably skittish around me, so I¡¯d sent them off with Serena to the baths. She shot me a look over her shoulder that suggested she nned to show me just how grateful she waster. I bade them goodbye and went to check up on the progress of the other two. I knew I was in for something the second I knocked on the door to our room. Rhani opened it just enough to stick her head through and smiled wide. ¡°Ren! Perfect timing. We¡¯ve got a surprise for you.¡± I arched a brow. I was typically not a fan of those, but it was Rhani, so how bad could it be? ¡°I¡¯m prepared to be surprised.¡± She pulled the door open and stepped aside. When my eyes found Noelle, a soft gasp escaped me. For the first time, she wore clothes that actually fit her. A soft blue tunic that went down to her knees and gray pants underneath. That wasn¡¯t what drew my attention, though. Gone was her uneven, choppy hair. It seemed that Rhani had cut it short, just long enough toy down but short enough to hide the damage that had been done to it. She stood with her hands sped in front of her and her shoulders set. Her face was as emotionless as always, but her eyes were locked on mine. I smiled at her. ¡°Looking better and better every day.¡± She made a happy hum. I was beginning to understand that the sound wasn¡¯t a normal hum, but something akin to a cat¡¯s purr. Different tones meant different things, and I was starting to be able to pick them out. ¡°Would Sir¡ªwould you rather my hair were long?¡± There was a hint of uncertainty in her normally monotone voice. I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. ¡°You should wear your hair however you like it most. Long or short is fine by me.¡± Her hum lowered. She looked down and shifted her weight from foot to foot. ¡°But¡­would you prefer it long?¡± I arched a brow. I leaned in close enough that Rhani wouldn¡¯t overhear and whispered into her ear, ¡°I think you would look beautiful with long hair, Noelle.¡± A shiver went through her body, then she pressed her head into mine. ¡°Me too,¡± she said. I ruffled her now-short hair, and her happy hum returned with a vengeance. When I stood, she pressed into my side. ¡°Well, that actually leads me to this.¡± I pulled out a set of vials that were filled with a forest green liquid. ¡°These are wellness potions. Simr to healing pots, but they work much slower.¡± I gave them to Noelle, and she held them with her head tilted. ¡°They¡¯re designed to help recover from long illnesses. Your body is already struggling to repair itself from constant injuries and malnutrition, and having to use nutrients to heal those wings will only make that worse.¡± She pulled one out and sniffed it curiously. I continued. ¡°This will give your body the extra boost it needs. One a day will help your body recover over the next few weeks. You¡¯ll likely put on some weight, you should notice having much more energy, and¡ª¡± I ruffled her hair, ¡°¡ªit might even make your hair grow a little faster.¡± Her eyes widened. She immediately uncorked one and downed it, then frowned. ¡°It tastes of mint. And something¡­sweet?¡± Iughed. ¡°Just keep in mind that drinking more than one a day won¡¯t increase the effects.¡± Rhani¡¯s hands appeared around my waist. ¡°I was very happy when Scarlet asked me to take care of her hair.¡± She smiled up at me for a moment longer, then her expression sobered. ¡°How did it go?¡± I pulled her in close to give her a peck on the forehead. ¡°We now have two new additions to the family. Twin Kitsune named Ryoko and Tsuki.¡± Another shiver went through Noelle. ¡°Are they¡­ like me?¡± I wrapped an arm around her as well and she melted into me. ¡°Yes and no. Tsuki, it seems, has gone to great lengths to protect her sister. She¡¯s done a good job of it, so Ryoko hasn¡¯t had nearly as rough a time of it. I want to make sure she doesn¡¯t have to do that anymore.¡± Noelle nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll meet them soon,¡± I promised. ¡°Serena¡¯s getting them all cleaned up, then we can have a big family meal. Have you made progress in the ss search?¡± Rhani brightened. ¡°Yes! We¡¯ve narrowed it down to a number of different¡ª¡± ¡°Spirit Guardian,¡± Noelle whispered. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I thought that sounded like a pretty solid choice. Rhani seemed surprised, though. ¡°And why that one?¡± I asked. She leaned her forehead into my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill, I want to protect. I want to protect Ryoko and Tsuki. And Rhani and Serena.¡± Then, quieter, ¡°and Zaren.¡± How could I not squeeze her tightly into my chest after that? Her happy hum returned when I did. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll do our best, but at the very least we can get close. I think a guardian ss suits you. Nowe on, let¡¯s get some food and meet the twins.¡± Rhani sidled up next to me after we¡¯d left the room and Noelle did the same, though hesitantly. I wrapped an arm around either of them. ¡°Now, we don¡¯t have a lot of wiggle room left with just the one level, but at the very least we can aim for something outside of the berserker tree. First things first, you¡¯ll want to keep in mind why you¡¯re swinging your weapon every time you swing it. If you attack only to destroy, you¡¯ll end up with more destruction sses. If you attack to protect, then it should start to nudge you onto the right track.¡± ¡°So then¡­¡± Noelle mused, ¡°Ren won¡¯t send me to attack people?¡± I squeezed her. ¡°No. You¡¯re mypanion and a member of my household now, not a tool or a weapon. I ask that you protect those that I care about and those that you care about. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± Her fingers wrapped themselves in the hem of my shirt, and I thought I saw the corners of her mouth twitch upward. ¡°My old masters¡­ they would send me to hurt people. Sometimes kill them, sometimes hurt them enough that others could kill them for levels. Then when I got caught and arrested, they woulde in and say I was an escaped servant. Then they¡¯d reim me and start over.¡± I shifted my arm so I could rub my hand in small circles around her back. ¡°That¡¯s over and done with. Nobody is ever going to make you kill again, least of all me.¡± Her grip on my shirt tightened. ¡°Then¡­in the room¡­you said, ¡®our family.¡¯ Is this one¡ªam I really a part of that?¡± ¡°Of course you are,¡± I said without hesitation. ¡°I haven¡¯t known a blood rtion since I was nine years old. The only family I have in this world is the one that I choose, and I would very much like to include you in that family.¡± Noelle pulled herself closer to me. ¡°I would like that as well.¡± I crushed her into me and she hummed. ¡°Then it¡¯s done. You¡¯re part of it now, no going back.¡± Her grip loosened, but she rubbed her shoulder against me. ¡°You, Rhani, Serena, and hopefully now Tsuki and Ryoko. I¡¯ll need someone to watch over them when I¡¯m not around though, think you¡¯ll be up to the task?¡± Her face shot up. ¡°Yes.¡± It was the closest to genuine excitement I think I¡¯d seen from her. I chuckled, and Rhani was beaming on my other arm when we walked into the main room of the inn. ¡°Good. Now that¡¯s settled, let¡¯s eat.¡± They went and grabbed us a table in the corner of the room big enough for six while I headed for the woman behind the bar. I paid a little extra for a veritable feast. It was a big day for Tsuki and Ryoko, after all. Now that Rhani had calmed down, I could see something was bothering her. ¡°Everything alright?¡± I asked. She jumped, then looked away. ¡°I was just thinking about thependium. Some of the stuff I read in there¡­Some of the ways it rmends to coax out sses are horrible. I can¡¯t stop thinking about¡­about how he learned it.¡± I put my hand on hers. ¡°I know how you feel. I lived it, remember?¡± But she just shook her head. She twisted her hand over so we could intece our fingers. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what would happen if the wrong person got ahold of the book. As much as the idea makes me sick, a part of me wants to make sure nobody ever does.¡± A serving girl set drinks on our table and I sipped thoughfully. After she¡¯d disappeared, I asked, ¡°What if we did exactly that?¡± Her hand clenched around mine. ¡°I thought you said that would be like throwing away the sacrifices of your friends?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying we throw away the information, just the book itself.¡± I took another long sip of my ale. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking ever since I told Scarlet here that I¡¯d help her find a new ss. What if my own ss isn¡¯t the only reason Allura chose me?¡± Noelle perked up a bit, but Rhani only looked more confused. ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± ¡°I was a part of Karn¡¯s experiments for longer than anyone else but Eliya,¡± I exined, choosing my words carefully. ¡°I did what I could to mitigate the horrors hemitted. I spent a lot of time consoling the other experiments. Learning what he did and helping them puzzle out why he did it. Hell, I was part of more than a few of them against my will. Through all that, I learned a lot about what he did and why he did it.¡± I could see the curiosity warring with the horror in her eyes. She wanted to know more, but it hurt her that I¡¯d been through so much. I kept going. ¡°It got to a point where I was able to guess what he was doing with decent uracy. I couldn¡¯t stop him, but I could at least help prepare the others. Give them an idea of what they were in for so they could at least brace themselves. I learned a lot about how sses function. If I put my mind to it, I could probably recreate most of his sesses just from memory.¡± The horror was starting to win out, so I put both my hands around hers. ¡°I¡¯d never do that, but maybe I could use what happened to me. What I went through and what I learned because of it. I¡¯d never force a ss on someone else, but maybe I could help others towards the sses they want.¡± Her look became pensive. I went in for what I figured might be the killing blow. ¡°What do you think about helping me make a newpendium? Take the good from Karn¡¯s book¡ªthe skills, the better ways to draw out sses¡ªand leave out the horrific methods he used. Then, when we get to Amesseria, maybe we find willing lower level adventurers and offer them a chance at rare sses. We document our methods and their results, and you can create a book even better than Karn¡¯s without the horror involved.¡± Her eyes went wide. Her fingers locked around mine in a vice grip, but for an entirely different reason. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve got time still before we reach Amesseria, and I want to see if I can help Scarlet here,¡± I ruffled her hair, and she closed her eyes and hummed, ¡°before I go making any grand ns. But if what Rastra told me about adventuring is true, there might be a lot of lower level adventurers willing to jump at a chance like this. If I can find good people, then I can start building a loyal group of strong fighters. I can¡¯t think of a better way to ¡®prepare the world¡¯ than that.¡± A slow smile spread across her face. ¡°I¡¯ll need a much better name than The Ultimate Compendium on sses. It¡¯s much too clunky.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡± That went better than I could have hoped. She looked up at me through hershes. ¡°And you won¡¯t just help humans, right?¡± I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. ¡°Of course not. I don¡¯t care about race beyond their rtionships to sses. Not every race can achieve every ss, after all, but I won¡¯t discriminate against anyone who wants to try. I¡¯ll help anybody willing to listen to me.¡± She nestled into me and nursed her own drink, but Noelle merely continued to stare towards where the baths were, no doubt waiting for Serena and the twins. Not long after our discussion I heard a sharp intake of breathe from her. Rhani followed her gaze and I heard a ¡°so cute¡± escape her lips. Indeed, the twins looked like different women after a nice bath. The fur on their tails and ears were silky and shiny. Without the grime, I realized that the two were both very attractive with the thin, foxlike chins and narrow noses Kitsune were often known for. There wasn¡¯t a scratch on Tsuki, and I figured if I asked then Serena¡¯s mana pool would be depleted. Not that I wasining by any means, the only reason I hadn¡¯t asked her to heal them was because I knew she¡¯d do it regardless. Serena was beaming at me, a twin clinging to either hand. Seems the baths had gone well. They both wore shirts that I assumed belonged to Serena from the way they hung almost to their knees, but they were cinched tight with a belt. When Ryoko saw us, she quickly hid behind Serena. Tsuki, however, looked at Rhani and Noelle with curiosity. We all stood. ¡°Ryoko, Tsuki,¡± I gestured to either of them in turn, ¡°this is Rhani and Scarlet.¡± Rhani waved, but Noelle walked up to them. The twins both looked to Serena, who nodded encouragingly. They let go of her and walked in a slow circle around Noelle, who looked between them with her normal impassive expression. The twins were still barefoot, so Noelle¡¯s new boots that had about two inch heels put them about at eye level. Ryoko sniffed. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Seraphim like you before.¡± Tsuki¡¯s nose wrinkled. ¡°Her smells are all confused.¡± Then their ears shot up and they froze. Their tails flicked as they looked to the barmaid who walked by with a tray of steaming food, the drool already starting to drip from their mouths. I chuckled. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all take a seat and we can get to eating. Once we¡¯ve got nice, full bellies, we can talk. The twins ended up sitting between Serena and Noelle, and I ended up between Serena and Rhani. Ryoko seemed hesitant until Tsuki started chowing down, then she followed suit with just as much gusto. Serena chided them softly to not eat so fast they made themselves sick, but it wasn¡¯t until I promised them that they wouldn¡¯t be wanting for meals that they slowed down. By the end of the meal, the only one who came close to putting as much food away as them was Noelle. Once nearly every dish was polished clean, I sat back. Ryoko looked like she might nod off with her tail curled in herp and her head resting on Serena¡¯s arm. Tsuki¡¯s eyes were just as tired, but she forced herself to remain alert, watching us all warily. ¡°Well,¡± I said, bringing everyone¡¯s attention to me, ¡°now that we¡¯re all clean and full, I suppose we should talk.¡± Ryoko tried to force herself to sit up, but she nestled back into Serena¡¯s arm when the taller woman scratched her ears. ¡°Now that I¡¯m starting to build up an actual household, we should at least be on the same page.¡± Tsuki shifted in her seat and Ryoko hugged her tail to her chest, but neither spoke. I had their attention, though. ¡°Rhani is the proverbial brains of the whole operation. She¡¯s my lead researcher and depending on her second ss will probably be helping me inbat. Since Serena is the only other human, treat her as the second inmand. When I¡¯m not around, treat her word as mine.¡± They both nodded. ¡°Scarlet, here, I¡¯m putting in charge of you two.¡± I turned to Noelle, whose pupils dted. ¡°She¡¯ll be responsible for your safety when I¡¯m not around, so until you two get a little morefortable I want you to stick around her or Serena. Alright?¡± They nodded again. ¡°Now that we have a little money, I want to give each of you an allowance so you aren¡¯t having to rely entirely on me for things you might want or need. I¡¯d like for you to have some kind of role in our household, and I would prefer it be something you enjoy doing. So if you¡¯re willing, I¡¯d like to know what kind of things you excel at.¡± ¡°You want to know our sses,¡± Tsuki said. More of a statement than a question. I inclined my head. ¡°If you¡¯re willing, then yes. If not, then a general idea of what you¡¯re capable of is fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m an alchemist,¡± Ryoko offered. Tsuki made a growling nose at her, but Ryoko just clung tighter to Serena and stuck out her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s my ss, at least. I don¡¯t have much experience when ites to real alchemy, but a couple of my skills apply to anything that brews like stews or soups.¡± My brows rose. ¡°That would definitelye in handy.¡± I summoned a pen and grabbed a napkin, then started writing. ¡°How did you end up with that?¡± ¡°Ki got the food, I prepared it. Stews were the best way to make the meats not taste like the animals they came from, and I guess making them is close enough to brewing potions. When I got the option I thought I might be able to use it to help make money.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re willing, then the household alchemist would be a great way for you to more than earn your keep.¡± I slid the napkin across. ¡°Do you think you could make this?¡± She read it with a frown. ¡°I think so. I¡¯d need the equipment, though.¡± I smiled. That was an incredible stroke of fortune indeed. ¡°We can take care of that in the morning.¡± Then I looked at Tsuki. ¡°And as our alchemist, she¡¯ll be both out of danger and someone well worth protecting. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her.¡± That seemed to rx Tsuki a little. ¡°My ss is a standard Kitsune ss. Trickster Spirit. My skills rely on distraction and misdirection. I used it to keep us alive, but I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll be able to help you. It doesn¡¯t exactly have a lot ofbat application.¡± Interesting. It¡¯s true that it¡¯s a rtively weak ss, but it had some powerful evolutions. ¡°Then I think for now I¡¯ll have you keep doing what you¡¯re doing. Keep an eye on your sister, and on the others. Come to me if you see or feel anything amiss. Once we¡¯re back in the capital and we¡¯ve got real walls around us, we can reevaluate. How does that sound?¡± I could see the hesitant hope in her eyes. ¡°I would like that.¡± Her ears flicked. ¡°And will you¡­ will we be expected to take care of any other¡­duties?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said softly, but firmly. ¡°No matter what, I will never ask you to do anything like that. Your body is yours to do with as you like. If you want to be with someone that way, I won¡¯t stop you. If not, then that¡¯s your decision. Myself included.¡± I ruffled Rhani¡¯s hair. ¡°You might as well know that Rhani, Serena, and I have that level of rtionship, and something tells me that these two will leave me plenty satisfied.¡± The tension left her shoulders entirely. ¡°Thank you. If you¡¯re telling the truth, then I¡¯ll do my best to repay you for giving us this chance.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Then I looked to the others. ¡°Korey wants to stay in town for a few days, so I want to see if there are any jobs we can do. Get some money, levels, and maybe even a rank if we can manage it.¡± Tsuki looked rmed, but I held up a cating hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I n to leave you with the caravan. They¡¯re kind to demi-humans, and they might owe me a little.¡± Rhani leaned forward. ¡°Garm knows some basic alchemy stuff, and Mihrel could probably teach you about healer salves.¡± Tsuki seemed relieved, and Ryoko perked up. ¡°Will I really get to learn alchemy? Actual alchemy?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want,¡± I told her, ¡°then I¡¯m more than happy to help you. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get plenty out of it, so you¡¯ll hardly hear anyints from me.¡± She grabbed her sister¡¯s arm excitedly, and even Tsuki¡¯s mouth curved upward. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll do my best as well. If you need someone who can scout ahead, I can get out of tough situations when the need arises.¡± ¡°Good to know. In the morning, all of you can go shopping for clothes, alchemy supplies, and whatever else you need.¡± Tsuki¡¯s hand found Ryoko¡¯s. ¡°What will the sleeping arrangements be?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, Rhani and Serena will nearly always be with me,¡± I gave them both a pointed re, ¡°but, if the three of you are amenable, I was going to have you share your room with Scarlet.¡± Just like with Rhani and Scarlet before, I didn¡¯t want them to spend their first night with us alone. Noelle stood and walked over between them. They both looked up at her with some uncertainty, then she reached out and put a hand on either head, softly rubbing her hand into the fur around their ears. ¡°Yes,¡± she said simply. Ryoko looked like she might keel over at any minute, and Tsuki was fighting against her drooping eyelids with everything she had. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take them upstairs so you can all get some much needed rest?¡± She took them both by the hand and nodded to us before heading towards their room, leaving me behind with Rhani and Serena. ¡°So, thoughts?¡± I asked. They both slid around the table so they could lean into me. ¡°I think they¡¯ll fit in great once they get morefortable,¡± Serena said. I wrapped an arm around either girl. ¡°I agree. Finding an alchemist ss is an unexpected bonus, too. I figured we¡¯d have to go hunting for one when we hit the capital. She seems excited to learn more about it.¡± ¡°Tsuki seemed unsure,¡± Rhani pointed out. And honestly, that factforted me. ¡°Tsuki has been looking out for her sister for her entire life. I¡¯d be worried if she wasn¡¯t suspicious of us. We¡¯ll earn her trust eventually, and until then she¡¯s wee to be as cautious as she feels she needs.¡± Rhani nodded,ying her head on my shoulder. ¡°Zaren,¡± she said quietly, ¡°earlier when you were talking about helping people get sses they want¡­¡± I ran my fingers through her hair. Then did the same for Serena when she pouted. They both leaned into me. ¡°I may have been nudging you into a potentially powerful ss since you mentioned you wanted abat one. It¡¯ll be up to you if you decide to take it, though.¡± She smiled ear to ear. ¡°Were you ever going to tell me?¡± ¡°Maybe. I know how much you like figuring things out on your own.¡± Rhani pinched my side, but Serena justughed. ¡°Well,¡± Serena said, nuzzling into my neck, ¡°even if you didn¡¯t mean to, you certainly helped me get a ss I like very much.¡± There was still a kernel of unease in me at that. ¡°You really don¡¯t regret it? Taking a support ss as a frontline fighter?¡± She justid her head on my shoulder. ¡°Not in the slightest. Besides, who knows how this ss will turn out? You both said my first skill is non-standard, and one of my Lancer skills scales with Divine. Maybe I¡¯ll have better synergy than you think.¡± ¡°I certainly hope so.¡± I ced a kiss at the top of both of their heads, then I took a look around the dining room at the other customers. When I did, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the same thing I¡¯d been seeing around town. ¡°There isn¡¯t a war going on, right?¡± I asked. They both frowned at me. ¡°No, though if a Chosen conflict is escting it could only be a matter of time,¡± Rhani told me. ¡°Then where are all the men?¡± I did another scan of the room. It was decently busy at this time of night, but just like everywhere I¡¯d been in town the ratio of men to women was one to five at best. In fact, the only male that wasn¡¯t a customer was the burly man behind the bar. ¡°I was still distracted when we were in Listone, but here there seem to be much more of one than the other.¡± Serena¡¯s brow furrowed, but Rhani gasped. ¡°That¡¯s right! You wouldn¡¯t know, but over thest thirty years birth rates have started to skew towards female. I guess things were a bit more even back in your time, but it¡¯s so normal now that I didn¡¯t even consider it.¡± I leaned back in my chair. ¡°So couples just started having more girls than boys? Why?¡± Rhani shrugged. ¡°Nobody knows. It wasn¡¯t sudden, either. I can look into it when we get to the capital, but in the years following Grimsbane¡¯s death there were simply fewer males born each year among all the races. With sses to even the odds when it came to strength, there wasn¡¯t too much fuss about it. There have been studies, but no concrete answers. Last I heard, the leading theory is that it rtes to some residual magic from whatever Grimsbane was doing when he died.¡± My foot tapped the ground. More women than men, huh? If that was true, then some of what Rastra had told me made even more sense. ¡°We¡¯ll definitely want to look into that more,¡± I told her. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in coincidences on a normal day. We potentially have an outsider god fucking with the world, so that¡¯s doubly true.¡± Serena drained thest of her drink. ¡°But what motive could an outsider god possibly have for making the poption so skewed? It¡¯s not like women are any weaker than men thanks to the System, after all.¡± I inclined my head in agreement. ¡°If it¡¯s the outsider, then we can assume it¡¯s only a part of the y. There¡¯s bound to be more that we haven¡¯t seen yet. Motives we don¡¯t understand. Especially considering we have no idea what the domain of this god could possibly be. If they even have one.¡± ¡°Maybe it wants a bigger poption,¡± Rhani suggested. ¡°More wombs means more babies. One man and ten women can grow the poption a lot more than one woman and ten men.¡± That was certainly a theory with merit. ¡°Maybe, but even if you¡¯re right the poption growth isn¡¯t the end game, it¡¯s a means to an end. No sense conjecturing until we have more information. Any other worldwide developments since I¡¯ve been gone you forgot to mention?¡± Serena just shrugged. ¡°I lived in Listone my whole life. My mom was a seamstress and my dad worked on a ranch, so I don¡¯t exactly have the best knowledge of the world now or then.¡± Rhani just turned so that her back was leaning against my side and tapped her chin. ¡°Well, there¡¯s the blight way down to the south. That¡¯s where the blightwolvese from. It¡¯s some kind of magical corruption that attacks thend and the creatures that inhabit it. You already know about the ords, but you should probably know that most other kingdoms don¡¯t treat demi-humans much better with the exception of the eastern continent. They¡¯repletely reversed, though. Divided demi-human kingdoms that oppress humans almost as bad as Elion treats demi-humans.¡± Something about that set off a warning bell in my head. ¡°It didn¡¯t used to be like that,¡± I noted. ¡°No, it didn¡¯t. A part of it was refugees fleeing Grimsbane, then it was refugees escaping the ords. Any demi-humans known for having strong sses in their family fled the continent. Even still, I never understood why they corrected so heavily in the opposite direction.¡± I had a few ideas. If a god wanted to take on the entire poption, they¡¯d need to do whatever they could to weaken them. Causing discord and strife to the point of setting entire kingdoms at one another¡¯s throats was a good way to make sure your enemy could never mount a full force against you. If that was the case, then it wouldn¡¯t just be politics and public opinion that would oppose me trying to get rid of the ords. I didn¡¯t tell Rhani about my suspicions just yet, though. Tearing the ords apart would be hard enough without going against a literal god in the process. ¡°One thing at a time.¡± I gave her a squeeze. ¡°First, we get to the capital. Then we worry about finding a group of good people to surround ourselves with. Then we change the city one person at a time. After that, we can worry about the rest of the world.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Serena said with a chuckle. ¡°No big deal, right?¡± I tilted her chin up so I could give her a real kiss. Then, when Rhani lifted her own face without any prompting, I gave her one too. Gods above, these two were already a handful. Rhani really wanted me to keep adding to the harem? We were agains the wall and the din in the room was loud enough that nobody was even looking our way, so I wrapped one hand around Rhani¡¯s ass and cupped Serena¡¯s breast with the other. ¡°No big deal.¡± Rhani bit her lip and Serena squirmed when I started kneading them both. ¡°And in the process, I''m sure you¡¯ll find plenty of cute girls to add to our¡­household.¡± I slipped my hand under Rhani¡¯s waistband so I could touch her directly. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve got a minute, we should really talk about that.¡± Serena suppressed a moan when I sunk my fingers into her breast. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Well, like Rhani said,¡± I slid a finger down her crack and across her rear entrance and she moaned, ¡°in my time there was a bit more of an even ratio. That meant rtionships were, on average, a bit more monogamous. I gather that¡¯s no longer the case these days.¡± ¡°Thank the goddess for that,¡± Serena breathed. I could feel her nipples already starting to poke through her shirt, so I gave one a pinch. She rubbed her body against mine, barely holding in her voice. ¡°Otherwise there wouldn¡¯t be nearly enough of men like you to go around.¡± ¡°Mmm, the world wouldn¡¯t be able to handle more men like me. I cause enough chaos on my own.¡± I brushed my lips against her jaw and my hand quested south and under her waistband from the front, where I ran my fingers over her already drenched lips. ¡°But back to the topic at hand,¡± I slid a finger in and she had to bite her finger to keep quiet, ¡°While I¡¯m not opposed to adding more girls to our rtionship, I want to make sure that: one, they¡¯re the right girls, and two, any girls we do add to the harem are at least agreed upon by¡­ current members.¡± Rhani leaned into me enough to rotate her hips, giving me easier ess. I slid into her core from behind with two fingers. ¡°Nnnng, I think that¡¯s fair. You¡¯ve definitely got options. You don¡¯t even have to have a full rtionship with most of them. I¡¯m sure any number of girls would love to just be your fuckbuddies.¡± I started to slowly slide my fingers in and out of both women and I felt their hands go to my thighs. Serena was on the side where my hardening cock pressed into my thigh, so she started running her hand along its length. Rhani went southward, cupping my balls. I let out a breath at their ministrations. ¡°Fuckbuddies? Wanting more sister-wives is one thing, but you really just expect me to fuck around?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice how Rhani clenched around me at the word sister-wives. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go around looking for any warm hole you can stick your cock into,¡± she gave my sac a squeeze, ¡°but if someone came up to you willingly¡­¡± She trailed kisses down my neck. ¡°Well that would bepletely different. And hot. And who knows? Maybe they¡¯ll want more than just a fucking amazing cock to y with.¡± ¡°What happened to keeping it in private?¡± I asked. I slipped my fingers, now coated in her juices, out and back towards her rear hole where I started tracing slow circles. She let out a low whine and tilted her hips more. ¡°This is different. Just a good little servant servicing her Patron.¡± She let go of my balls long enough to undo my belt and slide her hand onto me directly. Serena was only a half-second behind. Soon I had her running her slender, callused fingers up and down my shaft while Rhani massaged my sac with her own smooth hand. ¡°I see. In that case,¡± I slid a finger into her ass and her back straightened. I started working slow circles around Serena¡¯s clit with my other hand. They both twisted and attacked my neck. I pressed my cheek to Serena¡¯s head. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with this, too?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡­what I have with you, I wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world, but what I have with Rhani¡­¡± I sped my fingers up. ¡°Mmf! What I have with Rhani is great, too. It¡¯s like she¡¯s the sister I never had, but so much better because we can do¡­ those things. And she¡¯s so good with her fingers¡­ and her tongue¡­ and¡­ and¡­¡± Her hand paused and her mouth stopped halfway open. Her breathing starteding in quick gasps until¡ª ¡°Mmmmmmnngggg!¡± she came as quietly as she could manage, curling up into my side. ¡°I¡¯m d. And I hope that anyone else we add feels the same.¡± I started working my finger in and out of Rhani¡¯s ass faster and faster. Her hand fondled me even faster while her other gripped the table. ¡°And no matter what happens, I want clearmunication. At all times. If you feel like I¡¯m neglecting you or you have an issue with another girl, you will tell me. I won¡¯t be angry.¡± She nodded, and I went back to slowly working two fingers in and out of Serena while I mercilessly attacked Rhani¡¯s rear. ¡°F-f-f-fuuuck that feels so good,¡± Rhani whined, just quiet enough not to be overheard in the low din of the room. ¡°Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, Ren. Whatever you ask. As long as I can have at least a little of you then I don¡¯t care how many girls you get addicted to this cock of yours.¡± I ced a kiss to her temple. ¡°You get such a dirty mouth when you¡¯re about to cum, you know that? And all from that cute little asshole of yours. I¡¯m really going to have to see what it can handle one of these days.¡± ¡°Oh, please, Ren. Just say the word. I¡¯m yours. All of me. Oh fuck.¡± Sheid her head on the table and lifted her hips to give me a better angle. I slipped a second finger in and she whimpered. ¡°If you keep making me feel this good then I don¡¯t care.¡± She slipped her free hand into her own pants and started rubbing. ¡°Shit,¡± she hissed, ¡°I¡¯m gonna cum. In the middle of this room with your fingers in my ass I¡¯m gonna cum!¡± She clenched around my finger and let out a muffled cry then, true to her word, she came. It was over a minute before her body stopped spasming. ¡°You know, between this and the bedroll incident, I¡¯m starting to think you might have a bit of an exhibitionist kink.¡± She panted happily, and Serena just kept stroking me in my pants. She smiled. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen just thesest few days, I¡¯d think she has more than a few. You¡¯ve found yourself quite the little pervert, Ren.¡± I dried my hand on a napkin then went back to gently stroking her hair. ¡°It¡¯s always the nerdy ones.¡± Rhani left her head lying on the table. ¡°I love you so much.¡± I kissed the back of her shoulder. ¡°I love you too.¡± Serena made an uncertain noise, so I kissed her too. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like you have to say it yet. No rush. We¡¯ve got plenty of time to feel each other out.¡± She nuzzled into my neck happily. ¡°I do care for you. A lot. More than I¡¯ve ever cared for anybody before.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s more than enough for me. Until I made that deal, I never thought I¡¯d ever get to be this close with anyone. Much less two girls as amazing as you.¡± Rhani pushed herself up off the table and leaned against my other side, resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t heard youin once that you lost thirty years. You seem weirdly okay with it.¡± Serena nodded into my neck to say she agreed. I let out a sigh. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t have much to miss. The closest thing I had to friends were the Seven, and I don¡¯t think any of them but Rr ever really cared too much for me.¡± Serena bit her lip. ¡°What were the Seven really like? Or the Six, I suppose.¡± I went back to fondling them while I talked. This time I kneaded one of Rhani¡¯s breasts and Serena¡¯s butt. They both settled even deeper into me with contented sounds, their hands slowly trailing along my thighs and groin in return. ¡°Well, Rr was pretty much everything you expected a chosen to be. Strong, handsome, honorable to a fault. He kept us together when things were bleakest. He could rally any army, make the most inspiring speeches you¡¯ve ever heard, and leave you feeling like you really could make a difference in the world. He always said he saw me for what I could be, not what life had made me. I always told him to stop talking out of his ass, but he was still the only Chosen I ever came across that I didn¡¯t despise.¡± ¡°Sandrel was our rogue. He could get in and out of anywhere. He had skills that could make him impossible to detect right up until he stabbed you. That was unfortunate at times since he used those abilities almost exclusively for mischief. The number of times I thought Rr was about to deck him were numerous to say the least. My skills meant I usually ended up a part of his schemes, sometimes against my will. I trusted him inbat, just never at any other point. He was all about doing the right thing, but what that thing was often got left to interpretation.¡± ¡°Be was our wizard. A clever little rat of a man who was quick to put himself first, but he was an unparalleled genius. Only he could have figured out half of what Grimsbane was up to just by the residual magic left on his victims. He hated me about as much as I hated him, but there was a level of mutual respect between us. He was good at his job, I was better at mine. Other than that, we just kinda pretended the other didn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Torren was our muscle. Carnage incarnate, he lived for the fight and had an insane sense of justice. He always said he could smell the sins of my past, though, and promised that once Grimsbane was vanquished he¡¯d see to it that I got what I deserved, be it good or bad. I didn¡¯t really stop in to check with him when I left Amesseria.¡± ¡°Then there was Yvonne. Where Be was all about clever spells and immacte casting, Yvonne was a torrent of raw magical power. She wielded nature magic stronger than anyone I¡¯ve ever met, but she was awkward as hell. Rr pulled me aside one day and assigned me to Yvonne duty, which meant I was in charge of making sure nobody took advantage of her or was too offended by something she might have said offhandedly. She found out and resented me for it all the way until the end, no matter how many times I kept conflicts from urring because of her.¡± ¡°And finally, Iliri was our cleric, and the other chosen in the group. She had a heart of gold and you couldn¡¯t find a kinder person anywhere when it suited her, though she had a bit of a stick up her ass. She was all about redemption and growth, but only on her terms. She never did quite manage to get rid of the air of superiority that she wore like a cloak. Unfortunately I don¡¯t think she could ever get past the darkness in me. She tried her hardest, but you can only do so much when the person you¡¯re trying to help doesn¡¯t want to be helped.¡± Serena ran her hand along my chest. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± My first instinct was to dodge the question, but I wanted to build something that had a chance atsting between the three of us. ¡°I think I just buried one too many people,¡± I admitted. ¡°Everyone I cared for when I was under Karn died, most of them in front of me. Even after, every time I thought I might care for someone enough to move on, they died too. After a point, it started to feel like anyone who cared for me was punished because of it.¡± Rhani caressed my face. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± ¡°Maybe it was.¡± I leaned my head on the wall behind me. At some point my hands had stilled, and I didn¡¯t quite have it in me to get them moving again. ¡°But when you watch someone you care for killed in front of you specifically because they cared for you, it sort of sets the tone.¡± They both stiffened at that, and I could feel the question burning on their tongues. I closed my eyes. ¡°Her name was Hannah. She was clever. Often too clever for her own good. She reminds me a lot of you,¡± I gave Rhani a squeeze. ¡°She¡¯s the one who taught me how to read. She taught me to read magic, too. How to follow the flow and find the spots best to interrupt it. I was twelve at the time, and she was one of the few friends I made when I was under Karn¡¯s care.¡± Serena kept rubbing my chest, and Rhani put her hand on mine and gave it a squeeze. It helped more than they knew just having them there. ¡°She was the one to figure out what Karn was doing first. How to puzzle it out. But in the end, she was too smart. She learned something that she wasn¡¯t supposed to.¡± ¡°What was it?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°No idea. I never got the chance to find out. That wasn¡¯t even the worst of Hannah¡¯s crimes in his eyes. She¡¯d grown to care for me far too much. We were just kids, so it wasn¡¯t anything more than friendship, but given time¡­¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about Hannah in years. Not since I¡¯d buried too many other faces to take her ce in my nightmares. ¡°And then I did the worst thing I could have possibly done.¡± Serena, this time, prodded. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I made the mistake of caring right back.¡± They both tightened their grips. ¡°One day, he called me and the others in. He stood there with Hannah at his side. He ordered us not to move¡ªwe had ve cors that couldpletely override our will¡ªand he killed her. Made it clear that it was my fault. I had to stand there and watch her die. See the light go out of her eyes. Nobody was willing toe near me after that, and I wasn¡¯t going to get anyone else killed.¡± They both wrapped their arms around me, but they remained silent. ¡°After, I wasn¡¯t unlike Scarlet when we first met her. Karn had been breaking my body for years, but seeing Hannah die like that broke something inside me. It was a miracle that I got dragged out of that pit.¡± ¡°Eliya, right?¡± Rhani asked. Conflicting emotions rolled through me when I heard the name. Happiness. Longing. Rage. Anguish. Guilt. So much guilt. ¡°Yeah. She was another experiment in progress, and she was never afraid of Karn like the others were. She befriended me against my will and dragged me back into the light.¡± Rhani¡¯s head lifted. ¡°Experiment in progress?¡± ¡°There were three groups of us. Failed experiments were the ones that Karn couldn¡¯t force into sses like he wanted. They didn¡¯t oftenst long after they got their sses. Sometimes he¡¯d kill them just to make sure they never told a soul what his experiments entailed. Other times he¡¯d sell them off or force the experiments in progress to kill them for levels or to push them towards whatever sses he was aiming for.¡± They tensed, and Serena shuddered. ¡°That¡¯s awful!¡± ¡°Yep. But with the cors on us, there was nothing we could do but try and make it quick.¡± The words tasted like ash in my mouth. It had been Eliya who would tell the others that to try and help them sleep at night. It hadn¡¯t worked very often. ¡°Thepleted experiments were in a better ce, but not by much. Kids he¡¯d sessfully bullied into one ss or another, but enough was known about the ss that he didn¡¯t bother to learn anything else from it. I liked to think he kept them around to show off his sesses, but he wasn¡¯t afraid to use them to punish others.¡± ¡°Then there were kids like me and Eliya. We got rare sses that little to nothing was known about. It was still hell, and there weren¡¯t many limitations put on what could be done to us by those he entertained, but he made sure any visitors or experiments left us alive. She knew he couldn¡¯t risk killing her, so she pushed the boundaries more than anyone else.¡± I let out a long breath. ¡°But even Karn reached the end of his rope eventually.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Serena asked. That was one topic I wouldn¡¯t¡ªcouldn¡¯t revisit. Not yet. Just thinking about it made my gut wrench. Made my hands feel mmy. It felt like a hot knife was being jammed right into my sternum. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told them. ¡°That¡¯s one story I¡¯m not willing to relive just yet.¡± ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t apologize!¡± Serena said. She sat up so she could take my cheek in one hand and kiss me deeply, then pressed her forehead to mine. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for prying. You¡¯ve already told us so much.¡± I ran my hand through her hair and pulled her back into my chest. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. If it weren¡¯t for you two prompting me, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d have even gotten that far. Suffice to say that what happened with Eliya was¡­different than what happened with Hannah. Or anyone else, for that matter. I¡¯d like to tell you one day, but not today.¡± Rhani pulled me in for a kiss of her own. ¡°Of course, Ren. You know we¡¯re more than willing to wait as long as you need. And,¡± she kissed me again, slow and soft and thoroughly, ¡°I know I don¡¯t need to say it, but I will. You¡¯re not alone anymore. You¡¯ve got us, and we¡¯re lucky to have you.¡± I knew that. And yet Hannah¡¯s face still swum in my mind at night. Especially after I¡¯d met Rhani. It made me wonder what horrible fate was going to befall Rhani and Serena for having the audacity to care for something like me. I didn¡¯t say that, though. I knew exactly how they¡¯d react. Instead, all I said was, ¡°I know. Already my life in this time is leagues better than my life ever was before, and I have you two to thank for that.¡± It was starting to gette. The crowd was starting to thin, and more than one customer and waitress had raised a brow in our direction. ¡°Enough of that, though. What do you to say we take this up to the bedroom and leave all that sad, mopey stuff behind, huh?¡± Rhani gave me a look that said she knew exactly what I was doing, but she didn¡¯t fight me on it. Serena pulled me down for onest kiss before she stood and stretched, drawing the envious eye of a few nearby men and more than a couple of the women when I stood and embraced her from behind. ¡°You can try to hide it all you want, but I know you¡¯re exhausted from how little you sleptst night.¡± She smiled at me, and Rhani grabbed my other hand to start pulling me towards the room. I dragged Serena along with me. ¡°I¡¯ve still got more than enough energy for a few before-bed activities,¡± she argued. I arched a brow and pointedly looked at the nipples still straining through the fabric of her shirt. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m certain of that.¡± She blushed, but she also stuck her chest out more regardless of who was looking. Seems Rhani wasn¡¯t the only exhibitionist I had on my hands. I let Rhani drag me into the room, then I let them both strip me of my clothes. After that, I let the bodies of the two women I loved wash away the pain of my past. They did their best to take my mind off the one ce I wasn¡¯t willing to go. It almost worked, too. Chapter Twenty-Four: Noelle Chapter Twenty-Four: Noelle So many things had happened over thest week that Noelle had no idea how to begin processing. She felt as if her life before Zaren belonged to a different version of herself. Like it had been a nightmare that was already fading to the back of her mind. Like it had happened to someone else. She was more than willing to let it fade away. All the pain, the despair, and the hopelessness had no ce in her anymore. Not as long as Zaren was willing to let her be a part of his family. Family. Dinnerst night had been the best night of her life so far. Now,ying with the twins pressed into her side, still wrapped around one another, she couldn¡¯t help but fear that she¡¯d wake up back in her cell. That she¡¯d open her eyes and Vald would be opening the door, throwing her onto her ufortable excuse for a bed so he could make sure her health never ticked too high. But she¡¯d decided she¡¯d trust Zaren. It terrified her to her core, but she¡¯d put her faith in him. She¡¯d allow herself to hope that he really meant the things that he said. That the life he offered was actually possible. That she could actually be a part of his household as something other than a weapon. But that line of thought brought with it a new feeling. One that had sat in her chest since Zaren had said her name yesterday morning. It wasn¡¯t pain exactly, but it was something of an ache. A dull throb that she didn¡¯t like, but didn¡¯t know how to get rid of. Like there was a part of her missing. It had unsettled herst night when she fell asleep, but it was worse now. After some thinking, she knew it had something to do with the twins. It wasn¡¯t anything of their doing, but it was rted. She could still feel that intense burst of heat when Zaren had charged her with their wellbeing. That he wanted her to be a protector and not a weapon made her feel as if she was floating. It was the same rush as when he ran his fingers through her hair or wrapped her in a hesitant embrace or ced a chaste kiss on the top of her head, but it came from within instead of without. But as that rush had faded, the ache had grown in its ce. Cuddling with the twins until they¡¯d all fallen asleep had helped, but then it made the ache worse. They were so soft and warm. Their hair was sleek and smooth, their tails were impossibly fluffy, and even their bodies were like pillows. They were slightly taller than Noelle was, but they had considerably more in both their chest, hips, and thighs. Everywhere she looked, there was just so much¡­more of them than there was of her. In the early morning light, Noelle had a great view of the two curled up face to face. They radiated heat like a furnace, so the nket had been tossed off long ago. They wore some of Serena¡¯s old shirts Vaze had let her borrow¡ªtoo small for Serena¡¯s considerable bust but long enough to almost resemble a dress on the tiny frames of the twins¡ªand they wore nothing else underneath. Ryoko¡¯s shirt was still pulled low, but Tsuki¡¯s had ridden up to her waist. Like Serena and Rhani both, they were shapely and would be very pleasing to the male eye. To Zaren¡¯s eye. She hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been making the tone of discontent deep in her chest. She knew she¡¯d get no more sleep, so she slid out of the bed. She also wore one of Serena¡¯s old shirts, It had been cut in the back to make room for her nubs, so Serena had given it to her so that she could sleep in it. The cloth still smelled ever so slightly of her, and that broughtfort to Noelle. That didn¡¯t stop her from shedding the shirt and setting it gingerly on the corner of the bed. Thefort Serena¡¯s scent only deepened that ache further. Today, everything seemed to. Naked, she padded silently to the mirror in the corner of their room. It was as tall as she was, so she could see her entire reflection without having to angle it at all. She¡¯d put on a decent amount of weight already in thest eleven days. Her ribs were nowhere near as pronounced, and her chest wasn¡¯t t any longer, but it was still little more than two bumps. Her hips still pushed against her skin and her thighs weren¡¯t thick enough to touch unless she forced her legs togetherpletely. The closest thing to any real definition on her was small, lean muscles. She didn¡¯t have any of the soft, inviting parts that the other women all had. The long swathes of soft flesh that Zaren so clearly loved to run his hands across. Was that the cause of the ache? The knowledge thatpared to Rhani, Serena, and even the twins¡ªher body had nothing that could possiblypete? Before she even realized it, a film of hot wetness had filled her eyes. She blinked it away angrily. She still wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted him that way. If she could even handle what he might wish to do to her. She knew it was foolish topare herself to the others in such a way when the most he¡¯d ever done was simply held her, but she just couldn¡¯t stop. There was a soft knock on the door. The faint scent of Rhani drifted underneath it, but Noelle wasn¡¯t sure if she could handle talking to someone else right now. Then she heard the sound of a key sliding into the lock, and a momentter Rhani was sticking her head in. In the mirror, Noelle could see her frown at the bed that only held the two sleeping Kitsune, then her eyes found Noelle. Her frown deepened. She slipped in and gently closed the door behind her before walking across the room. ¡°Scarlet? What¡¯s wrong, sweetie?¡± Curses. Again, the tone of discontent had been rumbling in her chest without her realizing it. She looked at Rhani¡¯s reflection, keeping her expression neutral as always. She¡¯d had to for so long she couldn¡¯t even remember how to do anything else. ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡± If there had ever been a time where Noelle had been embarrassed to be nude, she couldn¡¯t remember it. For most of her life, she¡¯d either been left naked or given rags that barely covered her. Still, she felt the urge to hide her sad, underdeveloped regions from sight. Rhani, being Rhani, just stepped forward until her front was pressed into Noelle¡¯s back. She wrapped her arms around Noelle¡¯s torso, her cool fingers leaving trails of fire wherever they touched her skin. She rested her chin on Noelle¡¯s shoulder and hugged her gently. ¡°Scarlet, you know you can talk to me. Whatever you tell me stays between us.¡± Noelle. My name is Noelle. She wanted to say it so badly. To hear her name spoken aloud by Rhani¡¯s soft, melodic voice. Hearing it from Zaren set her chest ame, but he was the only person she¡¯d ever given her true name to. The first person to speak it aloud since she¡¯d been taken from her mother. She wanted Rhani to know it, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it. Rhani was so warm. She still smelled like him, too. His scent did a little to calm her, but it made both the heat in her chest and its apanying ache worse. ¡°You are very pretty, Rhani.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Serena is very pretty, too. And Ryoko and Tsuki.¡± Her brow furrowed, but her smile didn¡¯t waver. ¡°You¡¯re just as pretty.¡± The ache throbbed. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± Her arms tightened around Noelle. ¡°Of course you are!¡± Then she winced and nced sheepishly at the twins, and just repeated in a much quieter tone, ¡°of course you are, Scarlet.¡± Noelle just shook her head. ¡°I am not shapely like all of you. I¡¯m thin and unpleasant to look at and¡­ and I¡¯m an abomination.¡± Rhani¡¯s nostrils red. She stalked around Noelle and put a hand on either of her shoulders. ¡°You listen to me, you are no such thing. You went through something horrible, and it¡¯ll be some time before your body recovers, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re unpleasant. You¡¯re beautiful, and as you recover you¡¯ll only grow more so.¡± She caressed Noelle¡¯s cheek with one hand. ¡°And you are not an abomination. Why would you ever think that?¡± Noelle couldn¡¯t force herself to meet Rhani¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m no Seraphim. People call me that, but it¡¯s incorrect. I¡¯m something else entirely. An abomination.¡± There was no answer initially, and when Noelle looked up Rhani was biting her lip. ¡°Actually, we kind of already figured that out. Zaren did, at least.¡± Her hum switched to one of confusion. ¡°But¡­you never said anything.¡± Rhani gently stroked her hair. ¡°We didn¡¯t want to freak you out. Zaren was worried if he asked you then you might think he was trying to coerce you into telling us your actual race, and he was willing to wait until you were morefortable to have this conversation.¡± The tone of her hum rose even more. ¡°Does he know what I am?¡± ¡°No, but he has guesses.¡± Noelle¡¯s face rose. ¡°We think you¡¯re a new race of demi-human. That when Grimsbane did his ritual, he brought over some kind of new primogenitor species. Not an abomination, but the first generation of something new.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s why he took me in. To learn.¡± ¡°No!¡± she put her hands to the side of Noelle¡¯s face and kissed her forehead. ¡°No, I promise that isn¡¯t it. He wants to help you. He really does care for you, just like me and Serena do. We want to know more about you and your race, sure, but all thates second to you. To making sure you¡¯re okay and happy.¡± ¡°Happy.¡± Noelle wasn¡¯t sure what that word even meant, but a part of her wondered what it might feel like. That made the ache worse than anything else had so far. Rhani let her hands trail down Noelle¡¯s shoulders. ¡°So don¡¯t you worry for a second that your appearance is going to be off-putting to Zaren.¡± She leaned in close and whispered, ¡°he confided in me that he¡¯s slept with a dragonling before. If he can handle all those scales, then there¡¯s no way he has issue with you. Besides,¡± she ran a thumb along Noelle¡¯s cheek, ¡°I happen to think that your coloring is rather fetching.¡± Her hum sank back down to an uncertain tone. ¡°Zaren would¡­find me attractive? Even if I am t?¡± ¡°I think he would,¡± Rhani said with a soft smile. ¡°But he won¡¯t ever act on it unless you wanted him to.¡± Her tone had shifted to that same reassuring one they all used so often. The one that had terrified her first,forted her second, then began to frustrate her third. Noelle shifted her weight from foot to foot. ¡°And if I¡­If I wanted him to?¡± Rhani¡¯s smile widened until she was practically glowing. ¡°Come here, we don¡¯t need to stand for this whole conversation.¡± She walked over to the bed and sat down, patting the mattress next to her. ¡°Do you want to get dressed?¡± The twins were still out cold, and Noelle hardly cared about clothes right now. Not after what she¡¯d let slip out. She walked over to the bed, but instead of sitting next to Rhani, she straddled the Arelim and sat in herp, resting her head on Rhani¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Oh!¡± Rhani wrapped her arms around Noelle with a chuckle. ¡°Alright, this is more than fine. Come here, sweetie.¡± She trailed her hands up and down Noelle¡¯s back. Noelle shuddered each time her fingers went near where her wing stumps sprouted from her back. ¡°Now,¡± Rhani said, ¡°first things first. Can I ask you some questions?¡± Noelle nodded. ¡°Alright, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know.¡± Her hum sank lower. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Answer me this, then. How long have you had your primary ss?¡± ¡°Five or six winters, I think.¡± ¡°That means you¡¯re twenty-one or twenty-two. You¡¯d be the oldest one here if we don¡¯t count the years Zaren was asleep.¡± One of Rhani¡¯s hands trailed up her back to start caressing the back of Noelle¡¯s head. ¡°Now, answer this however it makes sense to you, but do you want Zaren to be more than what he is now?¡± Noelle nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what, but¡­I want the ache to go away.¡± ¡°What ache?¡± Her hum raised to an embarrassed tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to put it into words.¡± ¡°If you try, then maybe I could help.¡± Her fingers quested perilously close to the nubs on Noelle¡¯s back and she shivered. Noelle¡¯s own hands moved on their own, sliding across Rhani¡¯s back. Rhani hummed herself, but it wasn¡¯t the same as Noelle¡¯s hum. She knew it wasn¡¯t involuntary, but a soft sound of pleasure. ¡°When I am near Zaren, I feel¡­nervous.¡± Rhani froze, but Noelle¡¯s hands kept moving. ¡°What kind of nervous, Scarlet?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Always, when others are close enough to touch me, my chest would clench. Like my heart was flinching. I think¡ªI think I was always afraid of what they would do if they wanted to touch me. It was like that at the start, but then it changed. My chest would still clench, and my heartbeat would speed up, but if he touched me¡ªif any of you touched me¡ªit was warm. Nice. I,¡± she swallowed, ¡°I liked it. And¡­¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± Rhani prompted. ¡°And if he didn¡¯t, I¡¯d feel an ache. One I didn¡¯t like. It didn¡¯t hurt like I used to hurt, but it was still bad.¡± Rhani pressed her lips to Noelle¡¯s temple. ¡°You wanted him to touch you, and you were disappointed when he didn¡¯t.¡± It was preposterous, but it made too much sense to deny. ¡°I think so.¡± Her head shifted, and Noelle knew Rhani was looking towards the mirror. ¡°And you¡¯re wondering if he doesn¡¯t because he prefers the rest of us. Because our builds are different.¡± Noelle¡¯s voice came out a whisper. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I can promise you that isn¡¯t the reason.¡± She kept stroking Noelle¡¯s hair for a while. ¡°You want your rtionship to change, but it would be helpful to know how you want it to change.¡± Just trying to think of an answer to that line of inquiry made her sink her face into Rhani¡¯s neck. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what I want, I just know that I don¡¯t want things to stay like this.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Rhani cooed. ¡°Let¡¯s start with what you do want. You said you wanted him to touch you more. How? Like this?¡± She went back to running her fingers along Noelle¡¯s hair and back. ¡°Or do you want more?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know,¡± she breathed. It was a lie. The heat in her core frightened her. She wondered what it would be like if Rhani¡¯s soft, cool hands went further south. She wondered what her lips would feel like against other parts of her, not just the top of her head. She wondered more what it would be like for Zaren to do the same. For once, she didn¡¯t wonder out of fear. ¡°Hmm. How about this, then.¡± Rhani moved her hands to match where Noelle was touching her. ¡°Zaren won¡¯t push the boundary between you two because he¡¯s afraid of hurting you, but he won¡¯t mind if you¡¯re the one doing the pushing. Do you think you¡¯d befortable doing that?¡± Noelle¡¯s mouth was suddenly very dry. Her hum had risen in pitch again, which could only be a good thing, but the idea of being the one to initiate¡­ She slowly slid her hands down Rhani¡¯s back, and Rhani moved her hands in a perfect mirror. ¡°This is okay?¡± ¡°Scarlet, you can touch me however you want, and I promise I¡¯ll be okay with it. Just go as far as you¡¯refortable going.¡± Noelle experimentally explored Rhani. One hand went to her lower back while her other rose to caress the back of her shoulder. She danced around the sensitive area around her wings, not trusting herself with the power she suddenly wielded. ¡°There you go, just like that. Do what feels good to you.¡± Noelle sat up. A quick nce towards the twins revealed Tsuki awake and watching them curiously, but she was still wrapped around a snoring Ryoko. Noelle turned her attention back to Rhani. She brought her hands around to Rhani¡¯s front, and Rhani continued to mirror it. Then she slid up and, before her fear could get the better of her, she caressed Rhani¡¯s breasts. Rhani smiled, then she moved her hands to do the same. Noelle felt a little foolish when she felt Rhani¡¯s hands passing over her small bumps, but then she squeezed. A gasp slipped out of Noelle while sharp warmth bloomed in her body. She squeezed Rhani again, and Rhani squeezed back. She started to knead Rhani¡¯s breasts, and the hands on her tiny chest did their best to mirror the movements. ¡°Does that feel good?¡± Rhani asked. Noelle nodded eagerly, and Rhani chuckled. ¡°It feels good for me, too. See? Don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t have udders like Serena, you¡¯re beautiful in your own way.¡± Another wave of warmth flushed through Noelle¡¯s body, but it had nothing to do with Rhani¡¯s hands. She went lower, trailing down Rhani¡¯s sides and onto her thighs. Her breath caught at the feeling of Rhani¡¯s hands doing the same, bringing them perilously close to the hot ache in between her legs. She slid her hands back up and around to cup Rhani¡¯s rear through her skirt, and a moan slipped from her mouth when Rhani did the same. She clutched Rhani¡¯s butt and moaned again when Rhani¡¯s fingers dug into her own bare flesh. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Rhani breathed. ¡°You¡¯re in control, here. Do whatever you want.¡± Whatever she wanted? What did she want? Her core ached, but it was apletely different feeling than the ache in her chest. A needier one. A more urgent one. Would it really be okay if she slipped a hand between Rhani¡¯s legs? But there was another part of her that demanded attention. The flesh on her upper back prickled unbearably. It had been for days now. She left Rhani¡¯s rear with some reluctance and traveled back upward until her fingers dug into the flesh between Rhani¡¯s shoulder des. When Rhani copied the motion, Noelle cried out and fell forward into Rhani¡¯s chest. The Arelim tensed, but Noelle just dug her fingers into Rhani¡¯s flesh harder. Then she cried out again when Rhani copied the movement. Her hum had risen to an all new pitch, one she¡¯d never hearde from her own chest before. ¡°Scarlet?¡± There was worry in Rhani¡¯s voice, but Noelle felt as if she no longer had control over her limbs. She continued to dig into Rhani¡¯s back, and Rhani did her best to keep up. She searched around with her hands, burying her face in Rhani¡¯s neck, finding the spots that relieved that prickling. That sent waves of warmth through her body stronger than anything they¡¯d done so far. Then she touched Rhani¡¯s back where her wings would have sprouted, and she felt Rhani¡¯s fingers on her growing nubs. White hot pleasure wracked her and her body clenched. Tremors ran through her while she clung to Rhani, who just softly massaged her back. Some kind of pressure that had been building in her abdomen seemed to release with incredible force, and finally she went limp. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t know what that was,¡± Noelle gasped. Rhani kept softly pressing her fingers into Noelle¡¯s back. ¡°That, unless I¡¯m very mistaken, was an orgasm.¡± Noelle froze. She looked down to where her legs were spread over Rhani¡¯sp to see a patch of wetness already spreading along her skirt under Noelle¡¯s slit. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Shhh.¡± Rhani pulled her back into her chest. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯ve never been touched like that, so there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of or sorry for. Do your wings hurt? Is that why you had me massaging them?¡± Noelle reached behind her, but her arms couldn¡¯t quite fold enough for her to touch the base of her wings. ¡°They don¡¯t hurt, but they itch. It¡¯s prickly, but you made them feel better. Do you think something¡¯s wrong?¡± When Rhani¡¯s fingers brushed against them, she shivered. They were nowhere near as sensitive as they were a moment ago, but they still sent waves of sensation through her body. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. They¡¯ll probably itch like this until they¡¯re healed. We¡¯ll still tell Zaren and have Mihrel take a look at it. Can I tell Zaren some of what you¡¯ve told me? Your age and your willingness to set the pace?¡± Having Rhani be the one to tell him felt like a weight was being taken off her shoulders. She gave Rhani a short nod, and Rhani smiled again. Now that Noelle was calmer and thinking clearer, she took a moment to read Rhani¡¯s face. The flesh around her eyes was tight, and her cheeks were redder than they would have been with how little she and Noelle had just done. ¡°You are upset?¡± Noelle asked. Rhani¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No, of course not! You did nothing wrong, Scarlet.¡± But Noelle just tilted her head. ¡°Not me, no. You¡¯re upset about something else. Did Zaren not satisfy youst night?¡± Tsuki¡¯s ears flicked to attention, and Rhani turned a shade of crimson. ¡°W-well, not entirely. Serena was still exhausted because she didn¡¯t sleep much the night beforest, so she passed out after just a couple of orgasms.¡± Considering he¡¯d taken Rhani when he thought Noelle had been asleep a few feet away in the past, she wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was. ¡°He didn¡¯t want to continue?¡± Rhani let out a long sigh and fell back so she wasying on the bed with her arms syed, a naked Noelle still sitting on herp. ¡°Of course he did. He waspletely willing to fulfill my every desire even after Serena had nodded off.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t let him,¡± Noelle guessed. ¡°Nope.¡± She took a long breath. ¡°He was exhausted, and he was in thinking mode. Something¡¯s on his mind, and I figure it was our fault for asking too many questions after you three went upstairsst night. He¡¯s ruminating, and he¡¯s doing it all alone, and he still want¡¯s to make sure we¡¯re all taken care of.¡± ¡°Um,¡± Ryoko said, having finally woken up at some point, ¡°I¡¯m confused, but isn¡¯t that a good thing? Aren¡¯t most men usually the opposite?¡± Rhani waved her hand. ¡°Oh, sure, it¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s one of the many reasons I love him so damn much, but sometimes I wish he¡¯d worry a little more about what he wants.¡± Tsuki sat up and Ryoko came with her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°Well,¡± Rhani huffed, ¡°he¡¯s amazing. He¡¯s attentive, a wizard when ites to puzzling out exactly what I want and when I want it, and he¡¯s so damn willing to help me and Serena live out our wildest fantasies. He¡¯s loving and caring and a fucking great cuddler and I find myself falling in love with him more and more every day.¡± The twins looked to Noelle, but she just shrugged. She was as lost as they were. ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± Tsuki asked. ¡°Of course not!¡± she said immediately. ¡°But it urred to me the other day that I have absolutely no clue what he wants, especially in the bedroom. I¡¯d kill for him to throw me down and take what he wants from me for a change, but he always manages to turn it around and make it all about me or Serena.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m starting to wonder if he even knows what he wants.¡± Tsuki crossed her legs, her tail swishing back and forth behind her. ¡°Let me get this straight. You have a big, strong, very attractive man apparently devoted to your pleasure, and that upsets you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Rhani eximed. Then, ¡°No!¡± She dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know! It¡¯s not just when we¡¯re in bed, I¡¯m worried if he keeps giving and giving and I don¡¯t find some way to give back then he¡¯ll burn out. I¡¯m terrified he went so long unable to want for anything he forgot how to.¡± ¡°Like me,¡± Noelle said softly. Rhani sat up and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have thought before I spoke. But yes, you two share some simr scars. More simr, I think, than he lets on. He¡¯s just much further along in his recovery than you.¡± Her hand rubbed small circles on Noelle¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯ve just been thinking that if I can get him to express his wants in the bedroom, then maybe it¡¯ll help him do the same outside of sex. ¡°I want¡ª¡± Noelle¡¯s breath caught at the word, but she forced herself to keep going. ¡°I want to help him, then. Or, at least, help you help him.¡± ¡°Count me in, too,¡± Tsuki said. Rhani¡¯s head whipped towards her, and she shrugged. ¡°What? I like sex a lot, I just prefer getting to pick my partner. You¡¯ve been hyping Ren¡¯s dick up something fierce, and I¡¯m gonna be curious ¡®till I can give it a go.¡± Rhani was biting her lip, and Noelle found the corners of her lips twitching. She knew the Arelim was currently imagining some very interesting situations that involved Zaren, her, and Tsuki. Noelle, too, most likely. ¡°I have no idea how we¡¯d even go about doing that, though,¡± she admitted. A slow mischievous grin spread across Tsuki¡¯s face. ¡°Well, good thing I¡¯m a master nner. Tell me, what do you think about having me tie you uppletely? Blindfold and gag and everything? If he can¡¯t use your words or expressions, then he¡¯ll have to improvise.¡± From the way her breathing hitched, Rhani definitely wasn¡¯t against it. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that,¡± she admitted. Tsuki leaned back, her grin widening, then suddenly she was behind Noelle, a shadow of her fading where she¡¯d sat. She¡¯d used a skill, but Noelle had no idea how it worked. She wrapped her arms around and started kneading Noelle¡¯s breasts. ¡°Or we could just send this one in. If neither knows what they want, then there¡¯s a lot we could learn from what he tries first.¡± Noelle decided she very much liked the feeling of Tsuki pressed into her back, ying with the small bumps on her chest. ¡°I would¡ªmmh¡ªI would be willing to try that.¡± Rhani¡¯s brows had disappeared into her hairline. She looked at Ryoko. ¡°Are youfortable with this?¡± Ryoko blushed deeply. ¡°I¡¯ve never been with a man. Or anyone, really. Ki was always the more outgoing one, I¡¯ve never¡ª¡± she squirmed where she sat, ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted to, but Ren seems nice. If he wanted to, then maybe¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Tsuki cut in, hugging Ryoko to her chest. ¡°No, if there¡¯s anything anyone wants to do with Ko, I¡¯ll do it. Leave her alone.¡± Rhani scratched Tsuki behind the ears. ¡°Nobody has to do anything they don¡¯t want to, but,¡± she shed a smile at Ryoko, ¡°if you want¡ªand only if you want¡ªI¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t be too hard to convince. I¡¯m not sure if even he realizes how desperate he is for love and affection, so if you wanted something less casual then I''m sure we could get that going.¡± Ryoko let out a quiet squeak, but her tail swished back and forth rapidly. Tsuki didn¡¯t look too happy about it, but she made no further argument. Her stomach, however, decided to choose that moment to let out a low growl. Rhaniughed. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go get some breakfast, huh? Ren and Serena are still sleeping, so we can n a little longer before they get down.¡± She nced at the wet spot on herp. ¡°I¡¯ll have to grab a new skirt, though.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Noelle mumbled. With two fingers under her chin, Rhani lifted Noelle¡¯s face up so she could lean in and ce a soft kiss on her cheek. Warmth bloomed from the spot where her lips touched Noelle¡¯s flesh, and a shiver went through her body. Rhani grinned. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. Nowe on. With you and Tsuki on my side, there¡¯s no way he¡¯s ready for what we cane up with.¡± # # # Noelle slipped into some of the clothes they¡¯d bought for her. They were so much nicer than anything she¡¯d ever worn, and sometimes she never wanted to take it off. Not only because she loved the feeling of the soft cloth against her skin, but for the fact that someone had bought them for her. They were far and above the mostfortable clothes she¡¯d ever owned, and she cherished them on a level she kept carefully hidden from the others for reasons she didn¡¯t fully understand. She convinced the twins to at least put on some undergarments under the shirts that hung off them, but they didn¡¯t want to wear anything more than that. They didn¡¯t have clothes yet that would amodate their tails, and like Scarlet they were used to making due with very little clothing. By the time they were all dressed Rhani was waiting for them in a fresh skirt. She confirmed that Zaren and Serena would be remaining in bed for a bit longer, so they all headed down to get some food. Noelle ended up with a te full of sausage, eggs, biscuits, and gravy. She made sure to drink another of the wellness potions during the meal, and she found herself mostly listening while Tsuki and Rhani started to bounce ideas off one another for the best way to discover Zaren¡¯s desires. Since they were hardly the only ones in the dining room they kept their voices low and the details light, but it still wasn¡¯t long before the needy ache started to build again in Noelle¡¯s core. The one that was much warmer than the one in her chest that had faded considerably since this morning. They¡¯d been talking for nearly half an hour when the door to the tavern opened. It had been opening and closing periodically as people left for the day, but something about this time made Noelle¡¯s skin crawl. Then she sniffed, and her blood froze in its veins. She knew that scent. She knew it very well. She still smelled it in her nightmares. The conversation in the room seemed to die a little, as if the man who walked in carried with him such an intimidating air that even the other customers took notice. Tall and broad. Bald with a scar running down the side of his face. Beady ck eyes that were filled with cruelty. Well-used, intimidating armor and a half-dozen weapons hanging off him. He scanned the room and his gaze fell on her. He smiled. A slow, malicious smile. The smile of a predator that had found its prey cornered and injured with nowhere left to go. In that instant, every bit of progress she¡¯d made in dragging herself away from what he¡¯d made her seemed to vanish. She wasn¡¯t Noelle anymore. She wasn¡¯t Scarlet, either. She was Seventeen, a subject who didn¡¯t even get a name. Just a number. Unable to fight back. Unable to do anything but lie there and suffer through whatever pain he had in store. She couldn¡¯t move. Couldn¡¯t remember how to. She regressed back to the ve who only did what it was ordered to. Even if it wasn¡¯t there, she felt the weight of the metal cor that made her body no longer her own. She whimpered, and Rhani¡¯s head shot up. She looked to the door and paled. ¡°All of you, get upstairs now.¡± She stood. ¡°Find Ren, hurry. I¡¯ll slow him down.¡± No! Don¡¯t! Please, just run! Noelle wanted to scream, but she was a prisoner in her own body. The twins stood, and Tsuki grabbed both Ryoko and Noelle by the arm, but she couldn¡¯t move. She was clutching the table to tightly. Trembling. Oh gods. She was going to go back, wasn¡¯t she? He was here to take her and break her back down into Seventeen, only it would be so much worse now that she knew what her life could be like. She¡¯d gotten a taste of freedom, and it would haunt her for the rest of her miserable life. Vald prowled across the room with a furious smile. Rhani tried to head him off, but she barely got more than a few words out before he struck her. The back of his hand crashed into the side of her head hard enough to send her sprawling into the empty table next to her. She bounced off it and hit the ground, trying and failing to push herself to her feet. Noelle knew the force of that strike. For someone like Rhani who had never been seriously struck like that, it would be a few minutes before the room was done spinning. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you in a minute, Arelim,¡± Vald spat. Other customers stood, some muttering and others shouting, but Vald was far too intimidating for them to actually stand up for a demi-human. Then he closed the rest of the distance between him and Noelle. ¡°Seventeen. You¡¯ve been very bad. You were supposed to stay put.¡± A dozen responses came to mind. She could im that she¡¯d been forced to, that she¡¯d had no say, but that felt like it would be disrespecting Zaren and Rhani. No, she wouldn¡¯t say that. She wouldn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯d punish her no matter what, and she wouldn¡¯t give him the satisfaction of begging. At least the twins had disappeared at some point. At least they¡¯d be safe. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He gripped her arm roughly and yanked her to her feet. He looked her over and grinned. ¡°Well, it looks like we¡¯ve got some work to do. You seem to have entirely too much health at the moment. Don¡¯t worry, I made sure to get the inn with the soundproof rooms.¡± Raw fear coursed through her, and she let it. She didn¡¯t want to go back. She wanted to stay. With Rhani. The twins. Serena. Zaren. He could sense fear, right? Surely he could feel how scared she was right now. She wanted him. Needed him. She¡¯d decided to put her faith in him. He wouldn¡¯t want her to go either. For him, she could fight back. She dug her heels in and yanked. Vald clearly wasn¡¯t expecting resistance, because she actually managed to twist her arm free of his grip. She was just as surprised as him. Surprised enough that she ended up falling to the ground. She tried to run, but that small moment of defiance had taken every part of her. She had none left. Her limbs would no longer listen to her. He glowered at her. ¡°My, my, it seems we have a lot of work to do. Just remember that whates next you brought on yourself.¡± He reached for her, and another terrified whimper escaped her lips. A sh of silver. A heavy impact. An axe mmed into the table between them hard enough to knock it a foot to the side. Vald flinched back, and tears of relief fell down Noelle¡¯s cheeks when they both looked to see Zaren standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was barefoot, wearing only pants and a thin shirt, but he was here. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to step away from mypanion,¡± he said. His tone was calm. Too calm. His feet made no sound on the wooden floor while he walked towards them. His face waspletely devoid of emotion, but there was a darkness in his eyes. Angry did not begin to describe what Noelle saw in them. It should have terrified her, but instead it chased her fear away. Vald turned towards Zaren and cracked his neck. ¡°So you¡¯re the little shit who stole my property?¡± Zaren stopped just out of reach from him. He ignored the question. ¡°You should know that your skill that makes people you look at afraid of you is doing more harm than good. There have been perilously few people in my life I¡¯ve feared, and I killed all of them.¡± A skill? Noelle was already terrified of him, so such a skill would magnify that. Just knowing about it made the terror inside her wane. Vald just snorted. ¡°Cute, but I don¡¯t give a fuck about that. You want to do the smart thing? Stay out of my way. I¡¯m taking that one.¡± He jerked a thumb at Noelle. Again, Zaren gave no indication he¡¯d even heard Vald speak. He turned his face towards where Serena, who had on about as many clothes as Zaren, was helping Rhani stand. Around them the other customers were already fleeing the room. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m f-fine,¡± she said thickly. Already Serena was healing the damage, but Rhani¡¯s eyes were still unfocused. He turned his attention back to Vald. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you two questions.¡± Vald snorted. ¡°Let me guess, answer or die?¡± Zaren didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°If what you did to my friend wasn¡¯t enough of a reason to put a dog like you down, you striking a woman I love would be. No, you died the moment you walked in that door. Answer my questions, and I might just make it quick.¡± Vald justughed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an uppity little shit? An Arelim lover? Seriously? What, you got a demi-human fetish?¡± ¡°I can tell by your hands that you¡¯re not much more than a brute,¡± Zaren said. Vald tensed, but Zaren continued. ¡°Definitely not a surgeon. Who took her wings?¡± Echoes of pain raced through her back. The white hot pain stabbing into her over and over for years and years. Vald just frowned. ¡°Why the fuck would I give a shit about that?¡± Zaren just sighed. ¡°I suspected as much. Fine. Last question, who took over for Vorl?¡± Every muscle in Vald¡¯s body went taught. ¡°What the fuck did you just say?¡± Now it was his voice that was dangerously quiet with the threat of violence. ¡°Vorl? You knew who he was, at least. You¡¯re old enough, and you¡¯ve got enough resemnce in your face to be his kid. Nephew, more likely, since he didn¡¯t exactly prefer women.¡± Vald took a step towards him, which meant it was a step away from Noelle. ¡°How the fuck does a kid like you know that name?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Korr, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Zaren continued. ¡°In fact, I was fairly certain everyone involved ended up six feet deep, yet here you are. Still using Vorl¡¯s brand. I want to know who I missed.¡± Vald fingered the cudgel that hung from his belt. A brutal instrument for a brutal man. ¡°Change of ns. I¡¯m going to kill you slow. Find out every little morsel of what you know and how you know it. You¡¯ll be begging for death by the time I¡¯m done with you.¡± Zaren was supremely unimpressed by Vald¡¯s threats. ¡°He begged, you know. Your uncle. Begged me not to kill him. Tears and snot all over his face.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Pissed me off. Can you imagine? All the lives he ruined, and he had the nerve to beg? How many of his victims pleaded for mercy, I wonder? I was very happy not to give him an ounce, though sometimes I wish I¡¯d done it slower.¡± Vald took his cudgel off his belt. ¡°I don¡¯t know what bullshit you¡¯re spouting, kid, but¡ª¡± ¡°Your father didn¡¯t beg¡ªI¡¯m guessing Korr was your daddy at least, he certainly passed on the temperament andck of intelligence¡ªbut most days I figure that¡¯s just because I didn¡¯t give him the chance. He was actually dangerous, so I didn¡¯t really have time to chat before I separated his head from his shoulders.¡± Vald¡¯s breath came in ragged gasps. ¡°How did¡ª¡± ¡°I burned the bodies, of course. Had to make sure Grimsbane didn¡¯t use any of the twisted magic that might remain from your uncle¡¯s brands or marks. I left the heads, though. I wanted the others to know I wasing.¡± Zaren lifted his arms, almost as if weing an embrace. ¡°vers, torturers, and monsters are so often cowards, I knew they¡¯d scatter like the cockroaches they¡ª¡± ¡°RAAAAAGH!¡± Vald screamed. He lunged, bringing his cudgel down, but Zaren was ready. Shadows erupted from him when he darted in. One second his hands were empty, the next there were daggers in his palms. Two tendrils of shadow caught the cudgel and pulled the blow past him while two more stabbed towards gaps in Vald¡¯s armor. Zaren¡¯s hands became a blur, and Vald staggered back. He screamed, but this time in pain. The hilts of two daggers protruded from him, sunk into the gaps between his armor. One in his leg, the other in his side. ¡°You little fuck!¡± Already, there were two more daggers in Zaren¡¯s hands. His tendrils whipped around him agitatedly. ¡°Your father made sure I knew exactly where every nerve cluster on the human body was and what it felt like to get stabbed there. I was thrilled when I got to return the favor.¡± Vald ripped the dagger from his torso and charged. Zaren met him head on, his form disappearing in a whirlwind of shadow and de. Vald must have had thirty levels on him, but Zaren fought like a force of nature. He mmed four more daggers into the soft points of Vald¡¯s body, and the man screamed in pain each time. His shadows alternated between blocking and stabbing for any target they could reach. In seconds, Vald was covered in a dozen injuries. ¡°It always annoyed me,¡± Zaren summoned two short swords, ¡°how sadists like you could never seem to handle pain.¡± With another roar, Vald charged once more. This time Noelle saw the activation of a number of skills that seemed to give even Zaren a hard time, right up until a blow connected with Zaren¡¯s side that sent him flying. Hended on his feet, but Noelle could tell the strike had hurt. Zaren was an amazing fighter, but he was still only level twelve. Zaren was right about Vald being a brute. He relied on force far more than anything resembling skill, but he had plenty of it. Vald would have him beat in sheer stats alone, and Zaren¡¯s skills only helped him when he was outnumbered, fighting someone who feared him, or fighting in the dark. He had none of those advantages right now. Zaren might be able to whittle down Vald¡¯s health, but all Vald needed to do wasnd a few solid blows, and from the look on his face he knew it. ¡°You¡¯re weak. Good, but weak. No fortitude, and no health.¡± He threw his cudgel aside and drew a hatchet. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna keep you alive long enough for me to do to your other little pets what I did to Seventeen here.¡± He twirled the hatchet and limped forward. ¡°The Arelim, the Kitsunes, and even that blond bitch there. When I¡¯m done, they¡¯re gonna look just like she did.¡± He jerked his hatched towards Noelle. He attacked Zaren again, but Noelle was hardly paying attention. The thought of being at Vald¡¯s mercy back in her cell terrified her to her core, but he wasn¡¯t just threatening to take her back. He was going to hurt the people she loved. The people who had saved her and shown her kindness and warmth. She felt a heat in her chest. Onepletely unlike the one she felt when Zaren touched her. When Rhani or Serena held her. This heat was sharp and painful, and it demanded something of her. Anger. Fury. Rage that choked out the fear. Vald would not hurt the people she cared for. Her trembling stopped, and she reached out and wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the axe still sticking out of the table next to her. Vald was pressing Zaren back into the room¡ªnow empty of other patrons¡ªbut that just increased the distance between her and Vald. Zaren fought defensively, but she knew he¡¯d be fine for a few more seconds. She backed away to give herself a little more distance. She¡¯d wanted to be a guardian. Zaren had asked her to be a protector. It was time for her to show him that his faith hadn¡¯t been misced. She gripped the axe in both hands and waited for her opening. For Vald to throw himself into another barrage of rabid hacks. For him to bepletely certain he was overwhelming his opponent with raw force, as was his way. Then, she activated [Bull Rush].
Bull Rush (a) - Expend stamina to rapidly close the distance between you and your target and increase the damage of your next strike as long as your momentum isn¡¯t stopped. Damage increases with distance charged.
She hurled through the space of the room at a breakneck pace. Not quite as fast as Serena¡¯s rush, but damn close. Zaren¡¯s eyes widened a fraction, but he just twisted out of her path andshed out with his tentacles to keep Vald¡¯s attention. The blow would have been devastating, but Vald inadvertently shifted just enough so that his armor took the brunt of the attack. He grunted in surprise. The force of the blowpounded with her skill sent him crashing through the nearest table. She stood to her full height and brandished her axe. ¡°You will not hurt my family,¡± she told him. Vald spat out a wheezingugh. ¡°Family? A mutt like you? It would be funny if it weren¡¯t so sad.¡± But there was a hint of fear in his eyes. He knew better than anyone her skills. Her stats. Her health. They could hit one another all day and it would be him that ran out of health first, especially after he¡¯d been damaged by Zaren. But she couldn¡¯t use most of her skills. Not without enduring more pain and injury, and that would make Zaren sad. Rhani and Serena, too. No, she¡¯d defeat Vald without resorting to the skills he¡¯d forced upon her. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. ¡°Noelle?¡± Zaren asked softly. She shivered. One simple word, and he¡¯d dispelled all her fears. She could do this as long as she had him. ¡°He is mine.¡± He nodded as if he¡¯d expected much, and she felt warmth spread from his hand. ¡°I¡¯m right here. No matter what happens, he isn¡¯t taking you.¡± No. He wasn¡¯t. Zaren wouldn¡¯t let him, and now neither would she. He stepped back, his de at the ready, and inclined his head. The message was clear. Vald was hers. He wouldn¡¯t interfere unless he had to. He understood that she needed to do this. Needed to face him. ¡°Cute,¡± Vald spat. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± Noelle wasn¡¯t Zaren. She didn¡¯t know how to goad Vald into attacking, so she started things off. She lunged in, and he brought his axe up to meet hers. She wasn¡¯t used to fighting with so little strength, but she felt so much lighter than before. Quicker. There was no pain to slow her down, and her body didn¡¯t feel as frail as it once had. That was all thanks to Zaren. After the very first exchange, she thought she may have made a mistake. He slipped her guard and the de of his axe mmed into her side, but the impact was dull. She staggered back, more in confusion than pain, then looked down to see why. There was a gash in her shirt, and underneath she could see the ck matte metal of the armor conjured by Zaren¡¯s skill. He¡¯d let her do this, but he wouldn¡¯t leave her undefended. The warmth she¡¯d felt spreading over her had been his magic wrapping around her. Protecting her even as she protected him. Her heart sang even when Vald tried to use her momentary distraction to get a strike in. Shadows erupted from where her wings would be and knocked the de aside. He¡¯d given her two tendrils to work with in addition to the armor. Worry started to settle into Valg¡¯s gaze. He nced to the door, but he¡¯d already threatened her family. She wouldn¡¯t let him escape so easily. She threw herself at him, trusting Zaren¡¯s magic to keep her safe. The tendrils didn¡¯t attack, but between them and the armor they made an imprable defense. They allowed her to attack with impunity, and Vald had no recourse. He tried to hack at her, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough to get past the shadows. Wasn¡¯t smart enough to think of a way in that wasn¡¯t a frontal assault. She threw herself forward and swung the axe with everything she had. Fury built up in her, not because of what he¡¯d done to her, but what he threatened to do to the others. He wanted to use raw aggression to overwhelm his opponents? She could do the same. He became a blur. A shape that was nothing more than a destination for the axe in her hand. She mmed it into him over and over, some blows blocked and others slipping past his rapidly weakening defenses. She gave him no room to fight back. No room to escape or mount a defense. She¡¯d fought through unimaginable pain for as long as she could remember, and not even her screaming muscles or aching lungs could get her to let up. Not until he was on the ground in front of her. He weakly tried to raise his hatchet, but she knocked it away and leveled her axe at him. It was chipped and shattered by the ferocity of her inexperienced assault, but it was enough to put fear into his ck beady eyes. He was panting, bleeding from a dozen deep cuts all over his body. Gashes where she¡¯d cut through the armor he wore. Blood seeping from under the dents where she hadn¡¯t. With Zaren¡¯s help, it had beenughably easy to defeat him. She could feel the fear from both her past and his skill knocking at her consciousness, but her anger held the reins now. The tendrils wrapped around the arm holding the axe. Not pulling her back nor pushing her forward, but strengthening her. She understood. Zaren was telling her that he was there. He was with her, but it was her decision. Vald¡¯s fate was in her hands. ¡°P-please¡­¡± he begged. Disgust filled her. This was the man she¡¯d feared for so long? All of the sudden he seemed so much smaller. Her body still remembered the pain he¡¯d put her through, but for the first time she felt like she might be able to truly move past it. She lowered the axe, and then Zaren was there. He nodded at her, his eyes glowing in approval, and she let him pull her away from Vald so he could take her ce. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Zaren said, drawing a de from his storage, ¡°I¡¯m not so forgiving.¡± He lifted the de and pressed the tip to Vald¡¯s throat. The door burst open. ¡°Stop!¡± a new voice called. Zaren sighed, but he looked up at the four city guards that had just burst into the room. Then he looked down at Vald and pressed the tip of his de forward enough to draw out a bead of blood. ¡°You started this, and I¡¯m sure nobody will put up much of a fuss if I end this here and now.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Vald cried. ¡°Answers! You wanted answers!¡± One of the guards stepped up, a hand on her de. A tall woman with weathered armor. ¡°Stand down, sir. You¡¯re holding a defenseless man at sword point.¡± The de didn¡¯t move, but his eyes flicked to the insignia on her breastte. ¡°You¡¯re a captain, right?¡± he asked. The guard frowned. ¡°I said¡ª¡± ¡°You might want to listen to this next part, Captain.¡± He dug the de in deeper. ¡°Talk. All of it. Bases, numbers, names, or I¡¯ll split your throat open before the captain can even draw her sword.¡± The captain tensed, but not before information started to tumble out of Vald''s mouth. Locations where other vers hid, how many ves were there thest time he was in them, the names of the local ve trade leaders, the routes they used, everything he could think of. ¡°I don¡¯t know who took over after Vorl died, but I know that a new yer is in charge now. I¡¯ve never met him, and I don¡¯t know his name, but he¡¯s supposed to be strong. The seconding of Valethar Karn, some say.¡± Zaren let out a long breath. ¡°You get all that, Captain?¡± The captain in question, who was standing with her mouth open, merely nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll have operations in ce by the end of the week, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Zaren took onest look at Vald and shook his head. He banished his sword, then said, ¡°you¡¯re just like they were back then. There¡¯s nobody you won¡¯t sell out to save your own skin. May you rot just like they did.¡± He turned to walk away, but Vald wasn¡¯t as beaten as he¡¯d pretended. He lunged at Zaren¡¯s back, a dagger in his hand. The captain lunged forward drawing her weapon, and Noelle cried out, but Zaren hardly reacted. Two ck tendrils shot out from his back, moving so fast Noelle could hardly track them. They severed Vald¡¯s arm at the wrist, sending the hand flying, then whipped across his chest and gouged out four deep cuts in his chest in the blink of an eye. The tendril¡ªits tip shaped like a long, thin de with a tinge of red in it¡ªcut right through Vald¡¯s armor. Then with a final flick, one left a deep cut in the side of his neck that fountained blood. He staggered back, blood spurting from his stump, his injuries, and his mouth, then slid down the wall. He burbled something unintelligible, looking at Zaren, then he slumped. The light went out of his eyes. Vald was dead. The captain stood frozen, her sword halfway from her sheath. ¡°You killed him.¡± ¡°And the world is better off for it,¡± Zaren said. ¡°My skill defends me automatically. It activated when he tried to strike me.¡± Noelle had seen his skill acting defensively, and she knew what she¡¯d just seen had been different. She also knew he¡¯d baited Vald into attacking. She didn¡¯t n to say any of that out loud, though. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Vald¡¯s corpse while Zaren talked with the guards, who regarded him cautiously. At some point the axe fell from her hand, and not long after she felt arms wrapping around her. Two, then four, then eight. Rhani, then Serena, then the twins all wrapped around her. Only then did the tears start to fall. Vald was dead. He¡¯d never hurt her again. He couldn¡¯t take her away any longer, and it was thanks to Zaren. Her face ended up buried in Rhani¡¯s chest, but she felt hands stroking her everywhere, Her hair, her back, her arms. Someone grabbed her hands. Someone else ced a kiss on her forehead. An arm wrapped around her stomach and someone¡¯s face pressed into the back of her neck. She couldn¡¯t tell who was who through the film of tears in her eyes, but she didn¡¯t care. Then they parted, and she felt cold where their warmth had been. She wanted to protest, but then he was there. She could tell by his smell. By how much harder his front was than the others. His hand found the side of her face, nearly eclipsing her head with its size, and she turned towards his warmth and threw her arms around him. She twisted her arms in his shirt and he held her close, caressing her head while she cried into him. Soft warmth enveloped her back and she knew she was being sandwiched against him. She also knew there was nowhere she¡¯d rather be. ¡°I made you a promise,¡± he said softly, ¡°and I keep those.¡± That¡¯s right. He¡¯d promised to kill whoever came for her. Vald really had been dead the moment he¡¯d walked through the door. She pressed into him even harder. She never wanted the moment to end, but there was something she needed to do. Something she wanted to do. That felt like an important distinction to her. She pulled away, and they let her. Zaren wiped the tears from her face, and she let him. Then she turned towards Rhani. ¡°I never thanked you for saving me that day in Listone,¡± she said in a wavering voice. Rhani, who had tears in her own eyes, smiled wide. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Every day I¡¯m d I found you, Scarlet.¡± ¡°Noelle,¡± she corrected. Then she looked to Serena. ¡°My name is Noelle, and I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s taken me this long to tell you that.¡± Rhani¡¯s tears fell, and she pulled Noelle back into an embrace. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful name. Noelle. I love it.¡± Serena, also crying, joined in. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re a part of our family, Noelle,¡± she said. Noelle felt a hand that could only be Zaren¡¯s on her back, just below her wings. Where she wanted to be touched the most. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs for a bit to calm down, then we can worry about setting out for the day. How does that sound?¡± Still buried in Rhani and Serena, Noelle could only nod. Growing closer to Zaren was an inevitability, she decided then and there. Right now she just wanted to be surrounded by the people she cared for. By the people that cared for her. And while he herded them back up the stairs, her hum reached a warm pitch she never thought she¡¯d hear again. Chapter Twenty-Five: Mission Prep Chapter Twenty-Five: Mission Prep Cynthia had lost track of how long she¡¯d been sitting at the table in the main hall of the Guild. Nothing felt real. She vaguely remembered Camden staggering back, bruised and injured. She remembered him telling her that Elisa was dead. That he¡¯d left her behind to die alone and afraid. Torn apart by hordes of spiders in the dark. She remembered screaming. Crying. Her fingernails digging into the flesh of his face and her head exploding in pain when he¡¯d struck her. Someone had dragged her away, and she¡¯d ended up at this table. She knew she was in shock. She¡¯d seen so many adventurers in the same state after they came home with fewer party members than when they¡¯d left. That knowledge did nothing to stop her mind from going to dark ces. From thinking of how scared Elisa must have been. That she¡¯d never hear her closest friend¡¯s voice again. She¡¯d never get to see Elisa gushing over her genius creations in that way only she could. Never get to hold her again. Never get to explore wherever their rtionship had been headed. She¡¯d never get to tell Elisa just how long she¡¯d had a crush on the adorably nerdy girl. How much it had meant to Cynthia when Elisa had so bashfully asked if she¡¯d ever consider leaving Anford and going to the capital where Elisa¡¯s gifts might find a ce. They¡¯d made so many ns. ns that were now pointless. Elise was gone, and after attacking an adventurer on Guild grounds so was her job, most likely. In a single morning, she¡¯d lost everything. Everything that mattered, at least. Cynthia was vaguely aware of people offering condolences. Coworkers and adventurers who recognized her. Their words never quite made it through the fog in her head. What was she going to do now? Everything had made so much sense yesterday, but now the world felt shattered. Wrong. Yet everyone else was going about their day as if the most important part of the world hadn¡¯t been ripped away. At some point, after minutes or hours or days, she looked around the room. Something had shifted the mood, and it took her a moment to figure out what. There was a man standing by the bulletin boardbing over the avable jobs. So many of the others stared at him while trying to pretend they weren¡¯t. Some in curiosity, others disdain, more than a few with lust. He was alone. Did that mean he was looking for a party? For members? He was a new face, and that could mean opportunity for some,petition for others. Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair, sharp blue eyes, and an air that made the adventurers near him skittish. He wasn¡¯t scary, exactly, but there was an intensity about him. He read over each and every job closely. He didn¡¯t just look at the pay, but at every detail avable on the sheet before moving on to the next. His gaze lingered on the spider-hunting job, the open ended one that had taken Elisa from her. Cynthia knew him, she realized. He¡¯d been recently promoted to E-rank after bringing in those creatures. She¡¯d been present and had seen just how terrifying the monster was. This man may have been low ranked, but she didn¡¯t think it was forck of power. She¡¯d worked as a receptionist at the guild for three years, and to her eye he didn¡¯t carry himself like a low ranker. There was a danger about him. A calm confidence. A sort of resigned strength. Then, as if he could feel her gaze, he turned his head and his gaze fell upon her. She could only imagine how she looked. Eyes red from crying, her makeup smeared, her lip split and her face splotchy and swollen from where Camden had struck her. She was a mess, to be sure. She red back at him, bracing herself to be dismissed. For the pity to twist his features. For him to feel sorry for her. But there was something else that shed behind his eyes. Not pity, but sympathy. Understanding. He inclined his head to her, a gesture of respect and condolences. One that settled the pain in her gut more than anything else had so far. Somehow he knew what she was going through just at a nce, and he knew there was nothing he could say to take her pain away. But there was something he could do. He turned his attention back to the board, and she forced herself to stand and run out of the guild. She sprinted home as fast as she could, relishing in the burning of her lungs and the pain in her legs when she arrived. She darted to where she¡¯d been stashing her money¡ªher savings for a future that no longer existed¡ªand collected every coin she had. Then, hoping he¡¯d still be there, she raced back. When she returned, he¡¯d barely moved. He held in his hand a job rting to a band of gnolls spotted in the south. A dangerous job, but not one that paid well. She collected herself as best she could, sure that she still looked more than a little disheveled, and approached. ¡°I want to hire you.¡± Her voice came out steadier than she¡¯d expected considering they were the first real words she¡¯d spoken since she¡¯d learned of Elisa¡¯s fate. Gods, he was tall up close. She had to fight not to cringe when he turned to her. He was intimidating in a way that was so natural he likely didn¡¯t even realize what he was doing. He was also painfully handsome in a terrifying way, and a traitorous part of her wish she¡¯d met him when she hadn¡¯t just had an integral part of her ripped out and stomped on. He looked at her with an appraising eye, then gestured to a nearby empty table. She nodded, and they sat. ¡°Not sure why you¡¯d want me,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m just an E rank.¡± His tone made it clear how little he cared about rank. There wasn¡¯t any disdain or bitterness in his voice, just curiosity about why he was sitting across from her. She set her sack of coin on the table. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was all she had. ¡°I¡¯ve met a lot of adventurers, and you¡¯re definitely not just anything. You brought in those monsters that the schrs have been drooling over thest two days.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± ¡°I can handle myself if the situation demands it.¡± She suddenly felt so uncertain. The money she had to offer was nothingpared to the other jobs that would be much easier. ¡°I want to hire you.¡± ¡°You mentioned that. What¡¯s the job?¡± A lump formed in her throat. ¡°Corpse retrieval.¡± Bile rose in her throat and she had to fight the urge to mp a hand over her mouth. She wouldn¡¯t vomit in front of the man she was trying to hire, and she wouldn¡¯t let him see the pain those two words caused her. She¡¯d practiced keeping her emotions in check for years with adventurers of both sexes shamelessly hitting on her, and she used every bit of that practice now. His gaze softened. ¡°I see. Where from?¡± ¡°The sewers. Under them, at least.¡± The man¡¯s eyes flicked towards the board. ¡°The Vx spiders?¡± She gripped the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He regarded her for a while, leaning back in his chair. Eyes a blue so deep she felt like she was going to fall into them regarded her with an intensity that made it hard to hold his appraising stare, but she did. ¡°I¡¯m Ren. Your name?¡± ¡°Cynthia.¡± ¡°A pleasure, Cynthia.¡± His fingers drummed on the table. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what happened. I¡¯d like as much information as possible before I decide whether I¡¯ll take the job.¡± She gave him a curt nod. That was a reasonable request. She donned her receptionist mask. She could maintain it for at least long enough to get through this conversation. ¡°As the job on the bulletin states, the Vx spiders are an invasive species. One that¡¯s been expanding into new areas of the sewers over thest few months. There¡¯s currently an open contract for burning the nests to drive the infestation back, but it¡¯s little more than an inconvenience to the city as a whole.¡± ¡°So I read,¡± he said. ¡°No civilian deaths so far, just a few adventurers and some pets. Your friend was one of those adventurers, then?¡± Another pang of pain. ¡°Yes and no. The group she was with were adventurers that have been on a number of spider hunts, but she is¡ª¡± the words died in her throat, ¡°¡ªwas a nonbat ss. She paid them to take her for experience farming. It¡¯s not umon, especially with the spider hunts.¡± Ren¡¯s finger started slowly tapping the surface of the table. ¡°What went wrong?¡± Cynthia forced herself to remember Camden¡¯s words. ¡°There was an ambush. The spiders set some kind of trap, apparently. They incapacitated their mage, then injured the fighters. After, a spider caught Finnegan unawares and killed him. They fled, but Camden was the only one to make it out.¡± ¡°How big was thergest of the spiders?¡± ¡°Camden said it was a few feet tall, I think.¡± His finger tapped a few more times. ¡°You know where they went down?¡± She nodded and pulled out a map of the city. She pointed to where they¡¯d descended. ¡°I don¡¯t know past that, unfortunately.¡± He nodded thoughtfully, but Cynthia knew what an adventurer on the fence looked like. He looked up at her. ¡°And you want me to find her body? It¡¯s possible it might not be pretty.¡± Oh gods. Oh gods. Cynthia clenched her fists to fight back another wave of bile. Of tears. She could do this. She could hold on long enough to finish this, then she could break down. ¡°If¡ªif it¡¯s bad, then anything of hers would be enough. She was an inventor. She went down with all of her creations, so if you could bring back anything¡ª¡± she choked, ¡°¡ªanything of hers that I could remember her by. And offer her a decent burial, if you can.¡± She slid the meager pouch of coin across the table. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t much, but I¡¯m afraid this is all I can offer you.¡± He eyed the pouch for what felt like an eternity, then he let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I just can¡¯t justify taking this job.¡± He slid the coins back towards her. ¡°I hope you understand.¡± She felt like she¡¯d been hit in the gut. The weight of today mmed into her, threatening to break her. ¡°I get it. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised.¡± He inclined his head, then he stood. She remained sitting. She wasn¡¯t sure she could get her legs to work anyways. ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry for your loss. The pain never goes away, but it does get easier to carry. Eventually.¡± She blinked back the tears already beginning to to form. She didn¡¯t trust herself to answer, so she just nodded. He left, and a sob slipped past her lips. It was over, then. She¡¯d failed. Elisa was gone, and she¡¯d never have anything to remember her friend by. The girl she¡¯d spent thest two years falling in love with. Even Ren wasn¡¯t willing to help her. Although, before the tears fully blurred her vision, she couldn¡¯t help but notice him grab the spider hunt information off the bulletin board on his way out. # # # Spiders. Why did it have to be spiders? Why couldn¡¯t it be literally anything else? And Vx spiders, no less. The magical, invasive species variety, too. Also known as the biggest pain-in-the-ass species known to Kasidiel. But Cynthia had sought me out, and if I was right then there was no way I could deny her request. That didn¡¯t mean I had to take her money, though. But fucking spiders? Anything with more than four limbs that got any bigger than a coin needed to be cleansed with fire. Especially those that scuttled. I needed to prepare, though. Spiders meant venom, and venom demanded antidotes. I stopped by the general store where I¡¯d gotten Noelle¡¯s wellness potions and bought any that I might need. General antidotes, specific remedies that I probably wouldn¡¯t need but wasn¡¯t willing to risk going without, some extra belt-hungnterns, and some paring knives meant specifically for cutting into carapace. After I left the store, my thoughts drifted to Noelle. To what had happened this morning. What I¡¯d done, and what I¡¯d learned. Vorl¡¯s nephew. If I didn¡¯t know before that Karn¡¯s experiments were somehow rted to Noelle, I sure did now. Even thirty-five yearster, he was haunting me. I hadn¡¯t been thorough enough when I¡¯d dismantled his operation, and now others were paying the price. It was one more thing on the list of shit I had to take care of after I got to the capital. I was still more than a little raw that I¡¯d let him get so close. That he¡¯d struck Rhani and grabbed Noelle before I¡¯d arrived. I¡¯d already been moving when the twins sprinted up the stairs to get me, but even then I¡¯d almost been toote. I should have guessed he¡¯d be so close behind us. That he probably had contacts in the city that would lead him to us. My only sce was that he was dead now, and that Noelle knew that he couldn¡¯t hurt her any longer. Not only that, but she¡¯d stood up to him. She¡¯d fought him off. Sure, she¡¯d had the help of my skills to do it, but I could only imagine it would speed up her recovery. Vengeance on the ones who hurt you didn¡¯t do much to stop the pain, but knowing you were stronger than them did. Not only that, but she¡¯d told the others her name. She trusted them enough to give it to them. It brought a smile to my face. ¡°I told you I smelled him!¡± a voice said from somewhere behind me. My smile widened. I turned to see my strange little familying down the road towards me, Ryoko in the lead. She was dragging an exasperated yet amused Tsuki while the other three followed behind. They were more or less how I¡¯d left them, though I noted Noelle had undergone another outfit change. She was wearing armor. It looked to be leather, but it was more than I¡¯d seen her wear so far. I also couldn¡¯t help but notice it was simr in shape to what had appeared under her clothes when I¡¯d cast [Armor of Shadows] this morning. A leather torso that wrapped around her front and her lower back, shoulder guards, bracers, greaves, and a leather skirt that went over her pants. She looked at me with clenched fists, the corners of her mouth turned slightly downward while she watched my face closely. Since they were the first to me, I scratched the twins behind the ears. I¡¯d been worried that my disy of violence might have frightened them, but they¡¯d been oddly eager to be close to me since this morning. Tsuki especially, though I had no idea why. Once I¡¯d given them a good enough scratching to have their tails flicking back and forth happily, I turned to Noelle. ¡°Don¡¯t you look fit for battle,¡± I noted. ¡°I like the look.¡± She straightened, and her lips rxed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would approve.¡± ¡°If you like it, then I approve. I¡¯m surprised you went with something lighter, though.¡± Serena sidled up next to me and put a hand at the small of my back. She was doing considerably better today than yesterday. ¡°We made sure she knew it was an option, but she was dead set on leather.¡± I wrapped an arm around her, and I was surprised when Noelle was the one who took my other hand and slid hers into it. ¡°May I ask why, Noelle?¡± A shiver went through her, just like every other time I¡¯d said her name. I had to fight to keep my smile from widening, but I squeezed her hand. She looked up at me. ¡°I have a lot of health, so I don¡¯t need anything too extreme. Besides, the armorer said it would take time to fit armor to someone my size, and leather was just faster.¡± That made sense. ¡°If you want something heavier in the future, we can¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± she said quietly. I raised a brow, and she shifted from foot to foot while gripping my hand tighter. ¡°If my wings ever work, I need to be used to lighter armor.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a good n, then.¡± I let go of her hand to ce mine on her back and pull her into me. She hummed and wrapped an arm around my waist just below Serena¡¯s. When I touched the area around her wings, she let out a soft gasp. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked. She looked at Rhani, who made an urging gesture, and Noelle¡¯s hum shifted in pitch. ¡°My back around my wings¡ªand the wings themselves¡ªhave been feeling¡­prickly. Itchy.¡± I ran a thumb along the muscles in her upper back and she shuddered with half-lidded eyes. ¡°That¡¯s likely a part of the healing process, but we¡¯ll keep a close eye on it. If you need any help with it, just let me know.¡± To myplete surprise, the flesh of her cheeks darkened. It was probably the first time I¡¯d ever seen her blush. ¡°I would like that.¡± She pulled herself into me deeper, and Rhani looked like she was about to explode with happiness. Something had gone on when I wasn¡¯t paying attention, it seemed. Serena¡¯s hand started exploring my back. ¡°Did you find us a job?¡± ¡°Yes and no. I¡¯d like to get started on it as soon as possible, so let¡¯s head towards where Korey and the others are staying.¡± I looked at Rhani, who had moved to stand with a hand on either twin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Did you get the equipment?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± She ruffled the twins¡¯ hair. ¡°A basic travelb. I had them load it on a covered wagon. They should take it to where Korey has his own stored by the end of the day.¡± Neither Serena nor Noelle seemed willing to let me go, which made walking a little awkward, but I wasn¡¯t about toin. The twins, however, looked suddenly uncertain. ¡°We really can¡¯te with you?¡± Ryoko asked. ¡°Trust me, where we¡¯re going, you won¡¯t want to.¡± That got everyone¡¯s attention, so I told them about Cynthia, the guild receptionist who¡¯d tried to hire me. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with Vx spiders before, so I figured we could take the job.¡± Rhani studied my face. ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason though, is it?¡± Ever the observant little schr. ¡°No. Vx feed off magic, which is why they can grow so much in urban environments like this. Once they start getting big enough, they trap their pray and feed on their mana till the host dies.¡± Serena grimaced. ¡°You think her friend might still be alive, then?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a possibility.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°But not one you told this Cynthia about?¡± I shook my head. ¡°The only thing more dangerous than not having any hope is having false hope. If I told her there was a chance her friend was alive then came back with a corpse anyways, it would destroy her.¡± I¡¯d seen a lot of death and loss in my life, and I had an inkling that Cynthia and Elisa weren¡¯t just friends. Not with how devastated the poor girl was. Tsuki shuddered. ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t want Ryoko to go with you.¡± She chewed on her lip. ¡°I also don¡¯t want you to go,¡± she said in a small voice. Rhani wrapped her arms around the girl while we walked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ren won¡¯t take us anywhere too dangerous. We¡¯ll be just fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what the girl we¡¯re going to rescue thought too,¡± Tsuki grumbled. My brows rose. I hadn¡¯t realized she already cared so much about our wellbeing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Tsuki. I n to bring everyone back with a few more levels.¡± We still needed to get Serena¡¯s second ss past its first level, and I wanted to do that before we left the city. ¡°And Rhani, I¡¯d like you to switch your question for the day. Ask what happened to Elisa Thornes.¡± I¡¯d gotten herst name from another of the receptionists before I¡¯d left. She nodded. ¡°Done and done. I¡¯ll make sure to change it back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Korey¡¯s caravan wasn¡¯t far from the inn we were all staying, so it didn¡¯t take us long to arrive. The wagons were all stored in a warehouse so they could be locked up at night, and Jezal had set up a small workshop to craft while she was in the city. Just as I¡¯d hoped, Jezal was present. And where Jezal worked, Mai and Garm were around. Vaze was there too, picking through the crates with a clipboard. Mai noticed me first. She perked up, ears twitching, then poked Jezal. ¡°Ren!¡± Jezal said, catching the attention of the other two. ¡°What brings you here?¡± Me, Serena, and Noelle were still shoulder to shoulder, and the twins were using us as a wall to hide behind. Ryoko peeked from around Serena¡¯s side, while Tsuki looked over Noelle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to ask a favor.¡± They all noted the two Kitsune hiding behind us. ¡°I¡¯m always happy to help,¡± Jezal said. ¡°Actually, I was more here for Garm.¡± The Dragonling¡¯s brow arched. ¡°This is Ryoko and Tsuki, they¡¯ll be joining us from now on. We¡¯re going on a mission, and I was wondering if I could leave them with you guys.¡± I ruffled Ryoko¡¯s hair. ¡°Ryoko here is a budding alchemist, and I was hoping you could show her a few things.¡± Garm nced to Vaze, and she nodded to him. ¡°I would be d to,¡± he said in his thick, growling tone. I coaxed the twins out and introduced them to Garm. They both sniffed the air, then shared a nod. After that, they seemed to be more at ease. Vaze approached me with a gleam in her eye. ¡°An alchemist, huh? She any good?¡± ¡°Not sure she¡¯s been given the chance,¡± I answered honestly. She crossed her arms, one finger tapping away on her bicep. ¡°If she is, I¡¯m sure a deal could be worked out. We provide the ingredients at a discount, she makes the potions, then we split the profits. Garm can do some basics, but a real alchemist could us some much needed money.¡± It was definitely worth considering. ¡°Let¡¯s see how she does while we¡¯re gone, then if she has talent and is willing, we can discuss details. Till then, I¡¯ll leave some money with her for supplies.¡± Vaze inclined her head. ¡°I¡¯ll help where I can, of course. You¡¯ve done more than enough to help us, and I¡¯m not going to turn down the opportunity to invest in an alchemist.¡± I informed them about the wagon we¡¯d have showing up soon, and Vaze and Jezal promised to help set it up when it arrived. I told them we¡¯d be going on a job that might take a day or two, but they informed me Korey wasn¡¯t nning to leave Anford for a few days still anyways. After they agreed to pass along our ns to Korey, we took our leave. I started towards the sewer where Elisa¡¯s party had descended with Serena, Noelle, and Rhani in tow. I figured I¡¯d wait to summon the golem until I was sure we wouldn¡¯t have to crawl through any tight spaces. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m excited to fight spiders,¡± Serena admitted. I agreed. ¡°Vx spiders are a different beast altogether, too. Hopefully they don¡¯t get too big, but you should use this just in case.¡± I summoned a spear with a wide crossguard that would be good for hunting boars. ¡°Noelle,¡± she perked up, ¡°have you decided what kind of weapon you want to use?¡± She fingered the edge of her chest guard. ¡°I¡¯d like an axe, I think.¡± I nodded. I summoned a two hander that had a longer haft to give her some extra reach. When I handed it to her, she held it reverently. ¡°This is good,¡± she said. I looked at Rhani, but she just rolled her eyes. ¡°Stay in the back, use the golem for defense. Yeah, I know.¡± But I smiled. ¡°Actually, Noelle will be watching your back. You can¡¯t poison a golem, so you¡¯ll be our main frontline. Me and Serena will be backing you up for a change.¡± A slow grin spread across her face. ¡°Really! Yes!¡± She threw her arms around me. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°Yeah, thank me again when you¡¯ve got giant spiders running you down.¡± Serena was turning a shade of green. ¡°How big are we talking exactly?¡± ¡°Dog sized if we¡¯re lucky.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re not?¡± The biggest Vx I¡¯d ever seen had been nearly thirty feet tall, but I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that. ¡°ording to Cynthia, maybe as tall as you.¡± She clutched her spear tightly. ¡°Would now be a good time to tell you that I¡¯m afraid of spiders?¡± I paused. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself toe along. If you want to sit out, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Serena just sighed. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be facing worse by the time all is said and done if I¡¯m staying with you.¡± I wished I could argue. I gave her arm a squeeze and she smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Vx aren¡¯t too scary when you know how to deal with them. And with my Resilience, I¡¯m even more suited to kill them. But, just to be safe, here.¡± I pulled the pouches out of my inventory and gave one to each of them. It would hang from their belts. ¡°Antidotes, healing potions, and a mana potion. Just in case.¡± They all nodded and strapped them on. I had to help Noelle a little, and I realized that some of her buckles on her armor weren¡¯t strapped down correctly. ¡°Hang on, let me fix these for you.¡± She froze, letting me adjust her straps as needed. ¡°You¡¯ve never worn armor before, have you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I have a skill that only activates if I¡¯m not wearing armor, so they never let me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wear armor if you don¡¯t want to,¡± I told her. She shifted from foot to foot. ¡°It reduces the damage I take, but it increases the pain.¡± Rhani sucked in her breath, and Serena wrapped her arms around Noelle. I finished adjusting her straps. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m d you¡¯re in armor. If we have you fight in it enough, then hopefully your skill will evolve into something else.¡± ¡°Do you really think that could happen?¡± I smiled at the hope in her voice. She was working less and less to hide it. I patted her head. ¡°I think there¡¯s no harm in trying. Even if it takes a while.¡± Noelle made an uncertain hum, then she reached up and grabbed the hand on her head. I froze, but to my surprise she simply moved it lower until it was pressed against the side of her face. She closed her eyes when I gently ran my thumb along her cheek. ¡°I would like to try, then.¡± I hadn¡¯t seen her be this forward yet, so I left my hand there. ¡°Then try we shall. And after we finish, we can experiment to see what exactly your skill counts as armor. If we can find something light andfortable, like bracers or something, you can wear it during our off times as well to counter it.¡± By the time she let my hand go, her cheeks had darkened slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± I left it there for a moment longer to show her that I was caressing her because I wanted to, not just because she wanted it. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me until we¡¯ve managed to get you a ss and skills you actually like.¡± Her lips twitched downward, and she nodded. Rhani was practically glowing after our little interaction, and Serena was trying and failing to hide a warm smile. Noelle remained close to me for the short time before we arrived at the sewer entrance. I was reminded of her heightened smell when she wrinkled her nose, but she brooked noint when I led the way down. Once we were out of the city proper, while I lit some waist-hungmps and handed them out, Serena started to strip. ¡°Um, Serena?¡± I asked when she decided her bra was also unnecessary. I was enjoying the show to be sure, but it was a little hard to get into the mood when you were in a literal sewer. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t appreciate the eye candy, but maybe now isn¡¯t the best of times.¡± She smiled shyly. ¡°Well, when you gave Noelle your armor, it appeared under her clothes anyways. Besides, it had more than enough support thest time I wore it. My panties got bunched up and I couldn¡¯t reach them, so I figured this would be better.¡± Well if that¡¯s how she felt, I wasn¡¯t going to argue. Sewers or not, I still pulled her against my chest and gave her a deep kiss while I cast [Armor of Shadows] on her. When I did, she gasped. ¡°It¡¯s so warm! It feels like¡ª¡± ¡°Like Ren is embracing you all over?¡± Noelle offered. She blushed, then nodded. I took a moment to appreciate how good she looked while I ran my hand along the exposed skin around her midriff. ¡°Skills always have a bit more to them than their description, and mine are no exception. We¡¯ll have to experiment with this one when we have the time.¡± That and I hoped multiple castings might help it evolve eventually. If I could summon more than one at a time, that would be amazing. She took a fluttering breath. ¡°I thought it would feel different. Rougher, like leather, but it¡¯s soft.¡± Her fingers became a blur while she twisted her hair into a single braid. ¡°I¡¯ve had underwear lessfortable than this. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to wear normal armor ever again.¡± Rhani traced her finger along the top of Serena¡¯s cleavage. ¡°One of these days I want to see what it looks like on me, too. It covered a lot more skin when he cast it on Noelle.¡± Indeed it had. On Noelle, it had created a full set of armor for her. The only areas left uncovered were her head and the gap on her back where her wings would emerge. Whether it was Noelle¡¯s doing or mine, her outfit had been much less revealing than Serena¡¯s. On Rhani, though¡­ Well, if it had anything to do with the wearer¡¯s level of perversion, it was hard to imagine anything more conservative than an armored bikini, really. Rhani¡¯s hand found my cheek and she pulled me down for a kiss of her own. Then, when I felt a reticent tug on the back of my shirt, I leaned down and kissed Noelle on the cheek as well. It was only a slight brush, but her hum reached a high pitch and she blushed slightly. She let me go, though, so it seemed that was what she wanted for now. I banished Serena¡¯s clothes and we started down the tunnel in the direction Cynthia indicated. Once we had a heading, Rhani asked, ¡°Zaren, why don¡¯t you wear armor? I¡¯ve always wondered.¡± It was a fair question, I supposed, but one that I hadn¡¯t really put a lot of thought into. ¡°I¡¯ve worn it in the past, but for most of my life my fighting was done for survival and almost always at a moment¡¯s notice. I never had the luxury of armor when I was growing up, so I simply learned to fight without it. Even now, because so much of my fighting style revolves around speed and chaos, I can¡¯t wear anything that¡¯s too heavy or makes too much noise. Otherwise it would do more harm than good. And we simply haven¡¯t had the time for me to have something strong enough to matter but light enough to move in to be made.¡± ¡°What about your [Armor of Shadows] skill?¡± Serena asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure it would make me quite dangerous on the battlefield, but I don¡¯t want to use it on myself. Not yet, at least.¡± Rhani apparently sniffed a mystery. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°For one, I¡¯d much rather you three be safe than me. I¡¯m used to fighting at a disadvantage, and knowing my skill protects you makes it easier to focus on offense.¡± Serena¡¯s back straightened, and Rhani shed me another smile. ¡°And,¡± I continued, ¡°if I¡¯m being honest, I want to see what I can get the skill to grow into.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, in the past, my ss has been exceptionally selfish. This time around, I¡¯ve got a whopping three skills that I can use on others, which is two more than I had before. Something¡¯s different, and if I can get the skill to evolve into something better for protecting my allies, I think that¡¯d be for the best.¡± I could see questions burning at her, which made meugh. ¡°Go on, ask.¡± ¡°What kind of ss is your ss? You¡¯ve said it was always a selfish one, and it clearly makes you stronger when fighting at a disadvantage even at your rtively low level. No offense, but it also doesn¡¯t ever look much like a ¡®good guy¡¯ ss when you use it.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Because it¡¯s not. ording to Allura, I¡¯m the first wielder of my ss to ever fight for the light.¡± Serena sucked in her breath. ¡°How is that possible?¡± I had theories, but they were a little difficult to get into without revealing just how I¡¯d obtained my ss in the first ce. That was still a conversation I wasn¡¯t ready to get into, though descending into a dark underground filled with hostile creatures was already digging up old memories. ¡°I¡¯m a special case. To get my ss normally, you¡¯d have to live a pretty abysmal life. Sometimes, when the ¡®good guys¡¯ win, the world doesn¡¯t always benefit. Given enough time, the selfish and greedy will find a way to abuse any system. When things get bad enough and the lowborn¡¯s lives get hard enough, eventually someone like me is born that gets a ss capable of changing things.¡± ¡°Go through enough, and you end up wanting to tear down the world instead of building it back up better. Best I can figure, the Shadowborn ss is a bnce shifter. A way for the dark to fight back against unrelenting light when a utopia goes too far and crushes those at the bottom of the food chain.¡± I knew she had more questions, especially about my ss, but I also knew that afterst night she¡¯d be hesitant to ask them. I felt guilty for it, but I was also d I wouldn¡¯t have to answer those particr inquiries. She was simply too darn smart sometimes, and I knew if she wanted to she could cut right to the questions that would be hardest to answer. There was a warmth at my back that I knew to be Serena¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been very concerned with us, but are you alright to go down here?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. She was getting better and better at reading me, and for once I didn¡¯t think that was a bad thing. ¡°I¡¯m no fan of the underground or spiders, but I¡¯ve never been someone who had the luxury of choosing their trials. This is nothingpared to some of the shit I¡¯ve been through, and I didn¡¯t have all of you with me then.¡± She bit the inside of her cheek, but nodded, though she didn¡¯t remove her hand until we arrived at a chalk marking over a thickyer of webs. Rhani gasped. ¡°Here! My skill pinged!¡± The chalk was fresh. An arrow pointing down at the webbing. When I tried to cut it with a knife, the webs nearly broke the de. ¡°These are Vx webs, alright.¡± I summoned a tendril and used it to carve through the webs. This time, they parted easily. That the Vx had thought to seal up the entrance was something I took special note of. I already knew they were somewhat intelligent considering their use of ambush tactics, but I was beginning to wonder just how intelligent this colony had grown. ¡°Last chance to back out,¡± I told them. I angled myntern down the hole. It didn¡¯t go far before it widened out into arger tunnel. Rhani snorted. ¡°Yeah, not a chance. If you think I¡¯m letting you go into the scary spider hole without me, then you¡¯re insane. Where you go, I go.¡± Serena¡¯s hands trembled a bit as she clenched her spear, but she nodded as well. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of backing you up even if I¡¯m a little afraid. I¡¯ming too.¡± I looked at Noelle, who was shifting her feet side to side while fingering the head of her axe. ¡°My family is going down there. So am I.¡± Serena wrapped her up in a tight hug, lifting her feet off the ground. I just nodded. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go kill some spiders.¡± Chapter Twenty-Six: Spider Hunting Chapter Twenty-Six: Spider Hunting I dropped through the hole first without antern to make use of [Dark Sense]. I thought I detected movement in the distance, but nothingrge enough to be a threat was in the immediate vicinity. The tunnel wasrge enough for even the golem to move around with ease, which didn¡¯t bode well for any of us. Vx spiders weren¡¯t known for being wasteful, so if they had been the ones to dig these tunnels then there was a reason for it. A reason a bit bigger than the spiders Cynthia had led me to believe were crawling around down here. If we were lucky, they¡¯d just moved into some already-existing caverns they¡¯d found. I knew that there was an entire abandoned civilization somewhere under the mountains that started just near Anford, and it was entirely possible these tunnels eventually connected to those caverns. I wouldn¡¯t put my money on that, though. Always best to assume the worst case scenario until proven wrong. I summoned the golem and called the rest down, helping them through the hole one by one. Serena first, then Rhani, with Noelle bringing up the rear. I made sure to be a little extra handsy with the first two¡ªsomething that earned me some very appreciative res¡ªbut I was surprised when Noelle practically rubbed herself against me on the way down. Something had changed this morning beyond freeing her from the threat of Vald. Once we were done with our retrieval/rescue, I¡¯d have to get to the bottom of it. Now that ournterns were bathing the tunnel in light, the presence of the spiders was evident. Thickyers of webs coated the stone in all directions. The ground underfoot was soft, but the webs weren¡¯t sticky. ¡°Keep a lookout for charged webs,¡± I told them. ¡°Vx can give their webs any number of effects when they spin them, and they activate those webs by channeling mana through them.¡± I trailed my hand along the webs on the wall. Inert. ¡°The smarter the colony, the more dangerous the effects.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Rhani gasped. ¡°The spectacles! If they have to charge their webs, I¡¯ll be able to see the magic.¡± ¡°Good thinking.¡± I conjured the case and handed it to her. ¡°You¡¯re watching the walls, then. I¡¯ll take the lead since I¡¯ve got the detection skill. Serena, you and the golem follow at a small distance. My shadows will keep me safe long enough for you to assist if we get ambushed. And whatever you do, stay away from the walls.¡± Rhani donned her spectacles and the rest of us got in a loose formation. I summoned two leaf-shaped shortswords that wouldn¡¯t be too cumbersome in close quarters but were still pointed enough for stabbing. I could see the goosebumps on Serena¡¯s exposed flesh. ¡°Which way?¡± she asked. I pointed. ¡°That way is downhill, so the party would have gone that way. Deeper means more nests.¡± She groaned. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say that.¡± I offered her a smile, then I started down the tunnel. We hadn¡¯t made it far before Rhani spotted something. A small metal tube with a hexagonal shape that set off her skill. ¡°This thing has residual mana on it,¡± she said. She fiddled with it, then it slid apart to reveal a crystal vial in the center filled with a clear liquid. Whatever its purpose was, she was unsure. ¡°Looks like we picked the right direction. Come on.¡± The tunnel¡¯s descent turned deeper, but there was still no sign of movement. It wasn¡¯t for a good two hundred feet before we came across their next clue. A single shoe, sliced open and webbed to the ground. Sort of. It pinged Rhani¡¯s skill as well, so I knelt down to take a look. It was wrapped in webs, but they hung loose. I could have easily picked the shoe up, but there wasn¡¯t much point. It had been mangled beyond use. ¡°What happened?¡± Serena asked, crouching down next to me. I did my best to ignore the way her skirt red out when she did, giving me quite the eyeful. ¡°Snare trap.¡± I pointed to a thicker strand of webbing that was darker than the surrounding strands. It led up to a patch of web patterned slightly different from the wall around it. ¡°A smaller Vx sits there, hidden behind the webs in a tunnel just big enough for it, then when its prey gets nearby it channels mana through the right webs. The imbued webs re up and get impossibly sticky, trapping whoever is unlucky enough to catch it.¡± I looked down at the shoe. It was facing back the way we came. It was narrow, a good shoe for trekking but hardly broken in. Recently bought. Not something a fighter like Camden would wear. No, this was most likely Elisa¡¯s. I took a quick trek back towards the entrance where the ground felt like it had a little more give. The others followed while I dropped to a knee and sent a tendril questing into the webs, willing it to thin and split until I could work it through the cracks in the ground underneath. ¡°Well that¡¯s troubling,¡± I said aloud. I stood and felt Serena¡¯s hand on my back. She hadn¡¯t gone more than a few feet from me since we¡¯d dropped into the tunnels. ¡°What¡¯s troubling?¡± she asked. ¡°This was a pitfall trap, unless I¡¯m mistaken.¡± Now that I knew what to look for, I could see the edges. I pointed them out, and the others stepped well back. ¡°The spiders waited until she was on top of it and pulled the rug out from under them. Dropped them into a cavern below.¡± The snare was one thing. Not too far outside the intelligence I¡¯d been expecting. The pitfall was a little further, but the fact that they¡¯d repaired the tunnel? That was bad. Very bad. It suggested the colony was a lot bigger¡ªand therefore smarter¡ªthan any reports I¡¯d seen came close to indicating. It was no wonder Elisa¡¯s group had been caught unawares. Serena twisted her spear in her hands. ¡°That sounds bad. Should we retreat?¡± I stomped on the floor, causing her to flinch. It was sturdy enough. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was rigged to fall again or not. ¡°No. We fought Vx back in the day. Grimsbane made a deal with one of their queens, used her colony to control an entire mountain range.¡± I made my way back towards the shoe, then past it. ¡°If we stay away from the eggs, the small ones won¡¯t mess with us. Only the bigger ones are smart enough to be a threat otherwise.¡± Rhani shivered. ¡°Yeah, Ren, that isn¡¯t as reassuring as you think it is.¡± That was true enough, I supposed. ¡°Bigger onese in small numbers, so we won¡¯t get swarmed. That¡¯s good because we don¡¯t have any crowd controllers. Besides, bigger Vx mean more silk.¡± Rhani, who was walking with Noelle nearly pressed into her side, perked up. ¡°Silk? Spider silk?¡± ¡°Vx silk can be incredibly useful if you know how to work it.¡± We passed the shoe. It¡¯s owner had made it this far, so there was every chance she was still alive. As long as she¡¯d survived that pitfall, at least. ¡°Their bodies make the silk in pouches in the bottom of their abdomen, and they imbue it with specific types of mana when they spin it to alter it. Work that raw silk the right way and you can make clothes and armor with powerful effects.¡± I heard scratching and saw that Rhani was already writing away in the book I¡¯d given her. I offered her a smile I didn¡¯t feel. Every step deeper felt like more weight was being loaded onto my shoulders, but I couldn¡¯t let them see that. I stepped closer to her and gave her a light pat on the ass. ¡°Feel like scoring yourself some magic underwear?¡± She bit her lip and looked at me with heat in her eyes. ¡°Now that I know they exist, you bet your ass I do.¡± I smiled, then I conjured a short de, still in its sheathe, and handed it to her. ¡°Hopefully you won¡¯t need it, but just in case you do.¡± She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she said, ¡°you¡¯re going to teach me how to use this when we¡¯re out of here, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The basics. I should have already, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want your first lessons to have such an audience.¡± She grimaced, then nodded. ¡°Xara made sure I knew at least a little bit, but I hope you¡¯re right and I don¡¯t have to use it. Being that close to a spider¡­I don¡¯t envy the rest of you. I know I said I wanted abat ss, but maybe a ranged one would be best.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°Already ahead of you. I want that big brain of yours far enough back that you can strategize.¡± She was clearly relieved to hear that. Serena stepped close to my other side. ¡°I wish I had a backline ss,¡± she grumbled. It was so ridiculous I had tough. ¡°No you don¡¯t. You move way to beautifully to be wasted at a distance.¡± Her cheeks reddened, but her lips only barely curled upwards. I was beginning to think she more than just disliked spiders. I was searching for the words to reassure her when I felt [Horde yer] activate. Against swarming enemies like spiders, it was the perfect skill. ¡°We¡¯ve got iing.¡± I gave a few practice swings to test my strength. ¡°Feels like a good number, too.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what math my skill used when calcting enemies, but I knew smaller ones like spiders counted for less. At a guess, they had us at least three to one. As long as none of them were huge, we¡¯d be fine. The golem and I took up positions in the front. I conjured two tendrils on myself and one on Serena, using the armor to do it from a distance. It emerged from the back of her hips like a tail, coiling around her defensively. She lowered her spear, but the tip of it trembled. Her jaw was clenched so tight I could hear her teeth grinding. I swept my gaze across the walls. When you knew what you were looking for, it wasn¡¯t hard to spot their hidey holes. I summoned a throwing knife and chucked it at one. I heard it impact, followed by a pained squeal, then two dozen spiders exploded out of hidden pockets in the walls. They ranged from a foot high to just under my knees. They skittered towards us in a mass of ck and yellow. Bulbous hairy bodies on long, thin legs. Serena let out a shriek, and I sensed her falling back. No time to check on her. The golem led the way, swinging its greatsword with long, wide swings that took out three or four spiders with each strike. They swarmed it, but their fangs and wed forelimbs were harmless against its magically reinforced body. It just started stomping around and turning them to bright green sts. I stepped in and cut the ones off its shoulders and back while my shadows stabbed at the ones swarming around my ankles. A few of them slipped past us, but Noelle leapt in front of Serena and dispatched them with ease. After the initial wave, four more emerged from hidden coves in the ground. These were twice the size of the rest, but they were still no match for me and the golem. It grabbed one and skewered another with its sword while I darted between the other two. My tendrilsshed out at the smaller one while I dove in with my swords and stabbed therger one right in the face. I turned to finish my second off just in time to see the golem use the spider in its hands like a bludgeon, spraying me with green blood while it mmed the two bodies together. I wiped the blood from my face and arched a brow at Rhani. I hadn¡¯t heard her give a singlemand. ¡°Is it just me, or is your golem getting smarter?¡± She just shrugged. ¡°I told you it¡¯s not like anything I¡¯ve ever seen before.¡± I looked to Serena, who had gotten to her feet and was looking down at one of the more intact spider corpses with a sick look on her face, then back to her. ¡°Want to learn how to harvest silk sacs?¡± She screwed up her face, but she nodded. I pulled out the paring knife and sliced open the belly of the nearest Vx, felt around in its innards, then showed her how to pull it out and cut it free. She looked almost as green as Serena, but she took the knife from me with steady hands and got to work on the next one. I conjured up a bucket and tossed the first sac in. It was barely big enough to fill my hand, but they¡¯d add up quick enough. I twisted my fingers, feeling them pull the mana from the air, then whispered a few words that still sounded like gibberish to me. There was an almost imperceptible pull, and the guts and grime vanished from my arms. Rhani¡¯s brows shot northward. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my thing!¡± I just grinned at her. ¡°Guess you¡¯ll have to find a new thing. I¡¯m a quick study.¡± Hannah had once taught me how to read and affect the flow of magic, and seeing Rhani use her quick clean simple spell enough times had let me recreate it. I looked to Noelle, who stood nearby. ¡°I need to have a talk with Serena. Give us a minute?¡± She nodded, and I let Rhani get to work while Noelle watched the walls for movement. When I got to Serena, I trailed my fingers along the exposed flesh between the breastguard and the skirt. She jumped at my touch, then gasped softly when I pressed my lips to the skin between her neck and her pauldron. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°When I was a little girl, I went out ying with some friends. We found a cave, and we dared each other to go in. I fell into a nest of spiders. Hundreds of them. I still have nightmares sometimes of how it felt having them crawling all over me. Dozens and dozens of painful bites. I was sick for two weeks before a healer made it out to check me over, and he said I was lucky to have survived. I thought I¡¯d moved past it, but seeing the size of those things¡­¡± I wrapped an arm around her and she let herself be pulled into me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to force yourself. I don¡¯t want to see you suffer.¡± She ced her hand over mine and leaned her head on my shoulder, not taking her eyes off the dead spider. ¡°No. I can¡¯t stand them, but I can¡¯t stand the thought of this Elisa being trapped down here, scared and alone, either. I just¡ªI just need to figure out how to not be afraid.¡± I pulled her away from the spider and made her look at me. ¡°No, that¡¯s not the way to go. Fear isn¡¯t a bad thing, Serena. Only two kinds of people don¡¯t feel fear: idiots, and people who don¡¯t have anything left to lose.¡± She ran her hand down my chest. ¡°And which are you?¡± ¡°A bit of both, sometimes,¡± I admitted with a chuckle. ¡°Buttely, neither.¡± I caressed her cheek. ¡°I was plenty terrified the night I almost lost you. The trick isn¡¯t not being afraid, it¡¯s making sure that fear can¡¯t control you. Though I¡¯m probably not the best to advise you on this subject.¡± She leaned into my hand and closed her eyes. ¡°Why not?¡± I rested my other hand on her waist and ran my thumb along her chin. She was starting to get some color back in her cheeks, which was good. Her desire to help people would always be stronger than her fears, so right now I needed to y on that. ¡°When you live in fear for long enough, then you get used to it. I went from being afraid of every moment of every day to not caring enough about myself to feel so much as a worry.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°And now I¡¯ve got something I¡¯m afraid to lose but that I care about enough to fight for. That¡¯s something I haven¡¯t had in a long, long time.¡± I rested my forehead against hers. ¡°And I have no ns to give that up again.¡± She pushed forward enough to press her lips to mine. It was a slow kiss, but a desperate one. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know some magic words that will make it easier, do you? Staying down here?¡± ¡°I can give it a shot.¡± ¡°Please?¡± I kissed her again. ¡°I need you.¡± Her brow furrowed, but her lips quirked upward. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been in ces like this before, and those weren¡¯t happy times.¡± Her smile faded, but I gave her another quick peck. ¡°I¡¯ll live one way or the other, but if I had to choose I¡¯d rather have you at my side. Things always feel a bit easier then.¡± Her fingers traced my scars even over my clothes. ¡°Okay,¡± she said softly. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go kill some not-at-all-terrifying spiders.¡± I let her kiss me a bit longer, then we went back to where Rhani was cleaning herself off. ¡°The small ones, too?¡± ¡°Nah. Any smaller than those,¡± I pointed to the bigger four, ¡°won¡¯t have silk worth spinning.¡± She nodded. ¡°Noelle found this,¡± she tossed a bag to me. ¡°Set off my skill, too.¡± Noelle shrugged. ¡°Smelled like the shoe.¡± I ruffled her hair and she hummed. ¡°One of these day¡¯s we¡¯ll need to see just how strong that nose of yours is.¡±The bag was full of odds and ends. Tools for fine metal work, small bags of springs and gears and other tiny pieces of shaped copper and iron and a dozen other metals I couldn¡¯t name. There were also dozens of small, metal balls that weren¡¯t muchrger than the silk sac I¡¯d pulled out of the spider. What their purpose was, I had no idea. When I shook one, I heard liquid sloshing around inside. Deciding it was probably best not to mess with the strange items, I banished the back into my storage. ¡°If this is Elisa¡¯s, then it would fulfill Cynthia¡¯s request. I think I¡¯d still like to find the girl.¡± I received nods all around and we started back down the tunnel. asionally Rhani would point out another patch of magic webbing and I¡¯d chuck a knife. I¡¯d bought fifty, so I wasn¡¯t too worried about sacrificing a few to the dark. I caught the asional Vx, none much bigger than a house cat. Hardly worth the dagger we spent on skewering them. After two or three skittered off into the dark, I started to get worried. ¡°Why do they keep running?¡± Noelle asked uneasily. ¡°Probably because they know they can¡¯t take us. They¡¯re running for big brother, if I had to guess.¡± Serena made an uneasy sound, but when I nced back at her she offered me a brave smile. We passed three burned out holes that used to be nests, and I knew we were still on the trail Elisa¡¯s party had zed. Then we made it to arger room and Noelle made a noise that wasn¡¯t far off from a growl. ¡°I smell blood. A few days old, maybe. Below the webs.¡± I took a look around the room. Round, low rocks prime for sitting, only two entrances visible to the eye, all in all it was a perfect spot for a rest. Or an ambush. ¡°This is where things went wrong for them,¡± I said. I took a slow stroll around the room. I could spot at least four patches of web that could hide decently sized spiders, but the one at the center of the room was massive once I realized what I was looking at. It was in the center of the ceiling. ¡°Any active webs, Rhani?¡± She was already peering around the room when I asked. ¡°Nope. No magic at all, actually. Not even residual.¡± I frowned. Even dayster, there should still be traces of the Vx¡¯s traps. Then [Horde yer] activated. I nced up at the hole above, but I saw no movement. ¡°Rhani, back the way we came. Quickly.¡± She started to, but the webs under the tunnel we¡¯d walked in through shifted. The cry was barely past my lips before Noelle was there, sinking her axe into the Vx that lunged out of the trapdoor. The golem moved towards a second so fast it was a blur, but I had bigger problems. Three spiders, each one standing nearly as tall as me, erupted from the webbing. Their forelimbs were somewhere between spider legs and biological des, and they whipped out at me in a frenzy as the spiders reared back with hisses. I rolled, trusting my shadows to keep me safe, and came up in a spot where two would have to go around the other to get to me. I attacked, trying to even the odds before they overwhelmed me, but one of the other two skittered up the nearest wall. Just before it got to me, Serena arrived in a crash of gold and red. She hit it with an [Exalted Rush] dead center of the thorax, the crossguard on her spear caving the thing¡¯s body in like it was made of ceramic. I slipped past the forelimbs of one Vx while she spun away from the one she¡¯d impaled and engaged the other. Her spear kept it at bay while my shadows hacked away at the eyes of the Vx in front of me. Once they¡¯d damaged enough to open a blind spot, I dodged in and mmed a de into the joint where its limb met its bulbous body. It shrieked in pain and lunged to the side. I ducked under it and came up behind, mming a de into its abdomen, then I ripped it out and stabbed again. The spider¡¯s lifeblood spewed out like a fountain and it stumbled away before copsing. I turned to help Serena, who had her spider impaled on the end of her spear and was holding it back. It iled angrily, but it couldn¡¯t dislodge itself or get past the crossguard on her weapon. That also meant it couldn¡¯t turn away from her, which made it easy for me to m two des into its abdomen and rip backwards, nearly tearing it in half as it was ripped off Serena¡¯s spear. We were both sprayed in green, but I saw her eyes widen at something over my shoulder. Her mouth opened in a wordless cry and I threw myself to the side. I felt my shadows whip behind me in my defense just in time to intercept a heavy blow. Just like I¡¯d figured, the false ceiling was a tunnel meant for a spider muchrger than the ones we¡¯d seen. It¡¯s body was the size of mine, which meant its long legs put it taller than me. ¡°nk it, make it choose!¡± I called. I hurled my shorter des at it and summoned something longer. It¡¯s forelimbs, ded legs that were longer than I was tall, mmed down at me in a flurry. I had to summon another tendril just to keep from getting made into mincemeat. It hissed, and I twisted just enough for one of my shadows to knock aside the stream of steaming web aimed for my face. Ished out, but killing the other spiders had ended [Horde yer]¡¯s effects. I couldn¡¯t get close, but Serena could. It jerked to the side, trying to shy away from her spear, but I circled around and made it choose. I was the one in its face, so it chose me. It smashed its way towards me, and it was only my tendrilsshing behind me once again that warned me it was pushing me towards another murder hole. I summoned a fourth tendril as one of my original two withered away, but not before I felt fangs sink into my calf. My Resilience pushed back against the Vx venom, but that didn¡¯t stop it from hurting like a motherfucker. Ished out behind me with my foot, but thepse gave the giant in front of me the opening to open a long cut down my chest. It was shallow, but enough to slow me down. I stepped closer to the spider, my de shing out behind me and catching something solid. The giant Vx wasn¡¯t anticipating me to move closer, so its strikes missed me. I was trapped between a rock and a hard ce, but Rhani came to my rescue. I heard her shout, even if the blood roaring in my ears muddled the words, and I felt the thumping gait of the golem grow closer. I willed my shadows tosh out and I twisted beneath the legs of the giant, putting all three of my attackers in front of me. One giant spider and two that stood as high as my waist. The golem caught one of the giant¡¯s legs with its charge and the limb snapped like a twig. The beast hissed in rage and pain, and Serena darted forward and hit it with a [Flurry Strike] that left spouts of green blood spraying from its thorax. I brought my de down on one of the smaller two before it could scuttle away and cleaved its head in two, then I swung for the other. Its forelegs stopped my de, but the blow had enough force to tie them up long enough for my shadows to leave long, deep cuts on its body. It limped away, and I whirled back towards therger spider. It was down two legs now, and Serena had left a dozen wounds along its abdomen. I used my de to sweep another leg aside, mming the edge right into the spider¡¯s upper joint. With its back three legs on one side down, its body pitched to the side. I plunged the de tip-first into its head. It shrieked, its limbs iling, then it went still. [Level up!] I stepped back, wiping some of the grime off me. Fucking spiders. I took a quick stock of the room. Serena¡¯s spear had kept her out of range of the spiders, so she was fine. Noelle had blood dripping down her arm, but she seemed otherwise unfazed. Rhani had already started cutting into one of the spiders on her side of the room with an expression that was equal parts determination and disgust, so I figured she was fine. ¡°That wasn¡¯t so bad, was it?¡± I asked Serena. She shot me a re, then nted her spear firmly in the ground. She walked up to me and slipped her hands in through the hole the spider had sliced in my shirt. The moment her hands brushed over my skin I felt the warmth of her skill soothing the pain of the injury. Her eyes flicked up to mine and she pressed into me. ¡°And if you even think about demanding I heal Noelle first, I¡¯ll let her yell at you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Now that¡¯s something I¡¯d like to see.¡± Her re returned, but I could feel her fingers trembling against my chest. ¡°You did good,¡± I told her. ¡°That was the second scariest fight of my life,¡± she breathed. ¡°So far,¡± I added. The flesh on my upper chest was already knitting closed, so she slid her hands downward and stepped close enough to rest her forehead on my shoulder. ¡°I hate you.¡± I wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. ¡°No you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± she agreed. ¡°Any levels yet?¡± ¡°Two. Priestess level three already.¡± ¡°Not bad for a four way split. I leveled too.¡± ¡°Good. I need you stronger. I don¡¯t mind healing your wounds, but I¡¯d rather you not get injured in the first ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± And I was in agreement. My tendrils were rapidly bing a lifeline, so I pumped both points into my Primal bringing it up to twenty-two. It was likely my mind ying tricks on me, but I thought I saw my tendrils pulse slightly. ¡°Any interesting skills?¡± She reluctantly withdrew from me and I pulled my shirt closed. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± I saw her eyes moving and knew she was reading her interface. She bit the inside of her cheek. ¡°Another healing skill, some stat boost skills, a distraction spell, and¡ªoh!¡± Her eyes widened. I used Rhani¡¯s spell to clean the goop off both of us. ¡°Something good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ªwell, it¡¯s got an epigraph.¡± I raised a brow and turned back to where Rhani was finishing up with another of the smaller spiders. ¡°Rhani! Epigraph skill over here.¡± Rhani shot across the room like a bolt of lightning. ¡°Tellmetellmetellmetell¡ª¡± Serenaughed, and I was d to see some of the tension leave her shoulders. Before she did, though, she started healing Noelle who had followed Rhani at a much more reasonable pace. ¡°It¡¯s called [Aura of Reinforcement]. It boosts either Resilience or Fortitude for my allies, based off my Divine stat.¡± I let out a low whistle. ¡°That¡¯s pretty fucking good.¡± ¡°So I should take it?¡± I mped my hand over Rhani¡¯s mouth just before she could offer input. ¡°They¡¯re your skills, you take the one you feel is best.¡± She chewed the inside of her cheek some more, then nodded. I felt a ripple across my flesh and knew my Resilience had just been boosted. She looked at me. ¡°I want to protect the people I care about, same as you.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°A good instinct.¡± Rhani was buzzing with excitement. ¡°What¡¯s the epigraph say?¡± Serena¡¯s eyes unfocused. ¡°Your presence alone inspires strength.¡± She checked her stats and her eyes widened. ¡°I¡¯ve got ten more Resilience! That¡¯s a massive boost for multiple targets!¡± It sure was. Serena was just as surprised. ¡°That¡¯s half my Divine stat.¡± ¡°Could be as simple as half, could be a base plus a percentage. No way to tell unless we start putting points into Divine and see how the buff changes.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯d like to get my mana pool bigger first. As it is I can only manage two [Exalted Rush] uses before I have too little mana to heal.¡± I handed her a mana potion, and she drank it gratefully. I didn¡¯t want her to break into her pouch just yet. ¡°I put a point into Will and another into Focus, and next level I can take a skill that will boost both even further.¡± I nodded. ¡°That sounds like a good n.¡± I conjured the bucket of sacs for Rhani and another knife, then I started cutting into the big bastard that had tried to surprise us. I heard the sound of metal on metal and looked over to see Serena tapping the head of her spear against the forelegs of the beast. ¡°Should I switch to Fortitude?¡± ¡°Resilience is probably better for now,¡± I told her, elbow deep in abdomen. ¡°Vx venom is magical in nature. I can handle the des, and even if I can¡¯t an emergency use of [Shadow Stitching] can hold me off ¡®till you get there. The venom is the real threat, and Resilience should help against their traps, too. Might make the difference between getting snared up or not.¡± She nodded, then smiled softly to herself. ¡°It is a pretty good skill. Especially for a frontliner since it affects me too.¡± I finally managed to cut out the silk sac¡ªit was three times the size of the others¡ªand tossed it into the bucket with the rest. We cleaned up a little, I banished the bucket back into storage, then we continued down the path. Silence fell on our group after we left the ambush sitebehind. All of us watched the walls carefully, searching for any signs of movement. We passed our first intact nest and I knew I¡¯d been right about Elisa¡¯s group. They hadn¡¯t made it this far, which could be a problem. We reached a fork and I addressed the map I¡¯d put together in my head. I led us down the path I hoped would bring us to the cavern I¡¯d detected underneath the pitfall trap. If Elisa was alive, she would have been taken to the feeding grounds. A chamberrge enough for even the bigger Vx to get into. ¡°So, I¡¯ll juste right out and say it,¡± Rhani said. ¡°That was a really big spider.¡± ¡°Sure was,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°And a spider that size could cover a lot of ground.¡± ¡°Sure could.¡± ¡°And the trail¡¯s gone cold.¡± ¡°More or less.¡± Her and Serena exchanged a nce. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking we find another ambush site and hope the big hole isn¡¯t in the fucking ceiling.¡± # # # Xara was exhausted. Every muscle she possessed hurt, but it was a good pain. The kind that came from pushing her body to its limits. It wasn¡¯t every day she got to spar with foreigners, and the soldiers from Caywick had been a more than interesting challenge. They had an even worse opinion of demi-humans than those in the Elion Kingdom did, and they¡¯dughed when she¡¯d been assigned to be their training partner. They hadn¡¯t beenughing when she put a few of them in the dirt. They built them small in the desert nation of Larisea, but they made them quick topensate. They fought like vipers, and testing herself against them had been one of the best days she¡¯d had in a while. Even if they were trying their damndest to kill the ¡°big Arelim bitch¡± that had embarrassed them. Didn¡¯t bother her none. The harder they came at her, the better fight she got. ¡°You were in rare form today,¡± Darcy, one of the other soldiers in her unit, said. An adorable little Lycanine with mottled ears and a tail to match. She eyed Xara, still covered in sweat and grime, and grinned at her. ¡°Want someone to help you de-stress?¡± Tempting, and not the first time Darcy had offered. Unfortunately for the wolf-like girl, it would be the first time Xara turned her down. ¡°Sorry Darce, I¡¯ve got other ns.¡± She didn¡¯t but it was the only way she knew of to turn the girl down without arising suspicion. Darcy was hardly short, though she stood nearly a foot shorter than Xara. Once upon a time, Xara had considered her the perfect size. She just shrugged. ¡°Suit yourself. Maybe next time.¡± Xara almost felt regret watching Darcy walk away, purposefully swaying her ass and ncing at Xara over her shoulder with a wink. Xara just shook her head and headed for the showers. Most of the others were women, but a few men shot appreciative nces her way. She was taller than pretty much all of them, too. She grinned back at them, even after she¡¯d ditched her dirty training gear and thrown a towel over her shoulder. She¡¯d been a part of this unit for long enough that nudity barely even fazed her. ¡°Via, d I caught you.¡± And just like that, her nudity fazed her very much. She turned to see their new captain, Sylvenna Pryce. Tall but slim, lean muscles and curves in all the right ces, intense gray eyes and short cropped brown hair tied in a short tail. A scar on her chin and a slightly crooked nose. Captain Pryce¡¯s eyes flicked down to Xara¡¯s sizable bust, no doubt noting how her nipples had grown very hard. ¡°Captain. I was just heading to clean up.¡± The Captain¡¯s face gave nothing away. ¡°You can do thatter. Find some clothes and meet me at the officer¡¯s ring for extra training.¡± ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am.¡± She looked Xara up and down one more time, then took her leave. Xara rushed to throw clothes on, trying to move as quickly as she could without it being too obvious. She grabbed an extra set of clothes and tucked them under her shirt, then scooped up her practice sword for show. She received some sympathetic nces from the others and forced herself to shrug them off. No doubt it had gotten around that she¡¯d practically embarrassed the delegation¡¯s soldiers, and they thought she was being punished for that. Fine by her. She managed to wait until after she¡¯d left the demi-human barracks behind before the grin split across her face. It was a good thing she¡¯d turned down Darcy. She went towards the officer¡¯s ring, but rather than the training area she headed towards the personal quarters. She made sure nobody was watching when she knocked on one of the doors. It opened, and Captain Pryce quickly ushered her inside. ¡°You picked quite the time to show up,¡± Xara said while Sylvie shut the door and locked it. She leaned her sword against the wall and tossed her clothes on a nearby chair. ¡°We¡¯d better hope none of the ones with super sniffers picked up how wet I got when you started staring at my¡ª¡± Sylvie rolled her eyes, then sunk her hands in Xara¡¯s hair and pulled her down for a kiss. Xaraughed into her mouth, sliding her hands down to cup Sylvie¡¯s perfect ass and lifting her up to get a better angle. Sylvie groaned, wrapping her legs around Xara¡¯s waist. ¡°You smell awful. You need a shower.¡± Xara dug her fingers into Sylvie¡¯s cheeks. ¡°And what exactly do you think I was doing when you found me buck naked in the barracks?¡± Sylvie smiled. A smile that never failed to make Xara feel weak in the knees. ¡°Not a demi-human shower. One with actual hot water.¡± That made Xara pause. ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡± Something flitted in Sylvie¡¯s eyes, and Xara set her down. ¡°Sylvie?¡± Sylvie looked away. ¡°Shower first, then we¡¯ll talk. Go on, you¡¯ve earned it.¡± Xara stepped back, suddenly uncertain. ¡°Will you be joining me?¡± Sylvie hesitated just a second too long. ¡°Ah, I think I get it.¡± She took another step away from Sylvie. ¡°If you want to stop, then all you have to do is say so. I understand not wanting to get caught with an Arelim.¡± ¡°No!¡± Sylvie¡¯s eyes widened in panic. She grabbed Xara¡¯s hands before she could put any more space between them. ¡°Gods, Xara, not that! I just¡­¡± She kissed Xara¡¯s knuckles. ¡°Go get in the shower, I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± Something was bothering her. Something bad. ¡°The others might notice if I take too long.¡± Sylvie just shook her head. ¡°I pulled a few favors. You¡¯ve got the night off. Tomorrow, too.¡± What the shit? ¡°Fuck, Syl, who died?¡± Her nostrils red. ¡°Nobody died, but I¡¯d really rather have this conversation after you¡¯ve had a nice, hot shower. Please? For me?¡± Xara hooked a finger under her chin and kissed her despite the tight feeling in her gut. ¡°Fine. For you. But for the record, you¡¯re kinda scaring the shit out of me.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but notice that Sylvie didn¡¯t try very hard to reassure her, but she stripped down and headed for the private shower anyways. She cranked the heat up as far as it would go and groaned at the feeling of the near-boiling water on her aching muscles and bruises. She hadn¡¯t been in for long before she felt Sylvie¡¯s soapy handsthering her up. She turned the heat down a little, aware that her secret girlfriend didn¡¯t like her showers quite as boiling as Xara did. They took their time cleaning every inch of one another. Xara in spite of whatever news Sylvie had, and Sylvie because of it. Xara went to turn the water off, but Sylvie just stepped between her and the faucet and spun her around. Before Xara couldin, Sylvie¡¯s fingers started working into Xara¡¯s sore muscles. Her protests ended in a moan while Sylvie hunted down and worked out every knot on Xara¡¯s body. Only after Xara was practically begging for mercy did Sylvie finally turn off the water and grab towels for them both. Once they were dry, Sylvie led Xara by the hand to her bed. ¡°Sit,¡± shemanded. Xara did so, but when Sylvie tried to sit next to her, Xara pulled her onto herp so that they were face to face, Sylvie¡¯s wonderful legs straddling Xara¡¯s. With their height difference, it put them perfectly face to face, which was always something Xara appreciated very much. Xara ran her hands up and down Sylvie¡¯s sides. ¡°Now will you tell me what the big deal is?¡± Sylvenna rested her arms on Xara¡¯s shoulders, linking her hands behind the taller woman¡¯s head. ¡°Before I say anything, I need you to know that I¡¯m here for you. Fuck the ords, fuck convention, and fuck the rules.¡± In spite of herself, Xara¡¯s grip tightened on Silvie¡¯s hips. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Rhani left the capital.¡± Ice cold fear ran up Xara¡¯s spine. ¡°She what?¡± Sylvie ran her hands through Xara¡¯s hair. ¡°She found something she thought was important, but your dad didn¡¯t want to look into it. She slipped out when he wasn¡¯t looking, hired a group to take her north. She¡¯s been gone for almost two months now.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± ¡°Your father received a notice from the Pens in Listone,¡± Sylvie continued. Xara¡¯s arms went limp. She swayed, but Sylvie just pulled her in tight. ¡°She was charged with assaulting a lord. Rhani¡¯s been indebted, Xara.¡± ¡°No. No!¡± She tried to stand, but Sylvie had wrapped herself tightly around therger Arelim. There were tears in Xara¡¯s eyes. All she¡¯d done, everything she¡¯d taught Rhani, and the first time she¡¯d left the capital this happened? ¡°She can¡¯t be. I¡¯ll go up there. I¡¯ll talk to dad, I¡¯ll get him to¡ª¡± Sylvie trailed her hand down Xara¡¯s spine. ¡°The lord imed her. This went down a little over two weeks ago.¡± ¡°Fuck. Fuck, Sylvie! And I¡¯m just now hearing about this?¡± ¡°I found outst week. I was going to tell you, but I knew how you¡¯d be. I knew you¡¯d want to run off and help her, and I also knew you¡¯d need information.¡± Sylvie pulled back so she could wipe the tears running down Xara¡¯s face. ¡°His name is Zaren Nocht, and until he showed up in Listone there¡¯s nothing on him. Some kid who apparently owns a shitload ofnd in the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill him. If he puts a fucking hand on her, I¡¯ll put him in the ground.¡± ¡°I know, baby,¡± Sylvie brushed Xara¡¯s hair back with her fingers. ¡°He popped up in Anford the day before yesterday.¡± A faint hope flickered in Xara¡¯s chest. ¡°He¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Headed south. Here, to Amesseria.¡± Xara didn¡¯t know what to do with her hands, but Sylvie just guided them to her rear. ¡°I know, Xara. I know.¡± She reached up and trailed her fingers along the metal cor Xara wore. The one that marked her as little more than property of the military. She¡¯d chosen it, but it had never felt as stifling as it did now. ¡°It isn¡¯t fair. None of is. Tell me what you need.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know what to do, Sylvie. How can I help her? It wasn¡¯t¡ªit wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this.¡± Xara was always supposed to do her time in the military, earn some coin, then be able to take care of her and Rhani both. Now Rhani was owned by some stranger, and there wasn¡¯t a fucking thing she could do. She tried to fight them, but the sobs came anyways. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± ¡°Shh, baby, it¡¯s okay.¡± Sylvie guided Xara¡¯s face to the crook of her neck and stroked her back calmingly. ¡°Rhani sounds like a smart girl. She¡¯ll be okay.¡± Through her anger and her rage, Xara clung desperately to Sylvenna. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to be demi-human. Do you know how few people are like you? How many humans have look at me like I¡¯m little more than an animal? What do I do if he¡¯s one?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to figure out!¡± Xara¡¯s grip had tightened to the point where it must be painful, but Sylvie didn¡¯tin. ¡°I¡¯m powerless! There isn¡¯t shit I can do!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I can do, though,¡± Sylvie whispered. Xara froze. She pulled back, not sure she¡¯d heard right. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My sister. She¡¯s an adventurer. S rank. We¡¯re close, and I could probably convince her to buy out Rhani¡¯s bid.¡± Xara felt like she¡¯d been punched in the gut, but that flicker of hope still remained. ¡°You never told me that.¡± Sylvie looked away, then forced herself to meet Xara¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, I was working up the courage to.¡± ¡°The courage? Why?¡± ¡°Because I nned to ask if she could buy out your bid, not Rhani¡¯s. I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d say yes.¡± For a full ten count, Xara forgot how to breathe. ¡°I thought the n was for you to get promoted high enough that I could be assigned directly to you.¡± Sylvie was currently hermanding officer, but then Xara would essentially be on loan to her. She¡¯d have much more power in what Xara did and was given. ¡°That was before.¡± ¡°Before what?¡± Sylvie stared into her eyes unblinkingly. ¡°Before I got an idea of what it was like to be demi-human in the military. I can¡¯t stand the thought of how you have to live, and I know you¡¯re considered too strong to be without a Patron.¡± ¡°Things have always been this bad, Syl.¡± ¡°Maybe, but before I wasn¡¯t in love with a demi-human.¡± If she hadn¡¯t been literally wrapped up in Sylvie, Xara might have fainted. ¡°You love me?¡± Sylvie kissed her. ¡°Of course I love you, you muscle-headed idiot. And it¡¯s going to kill me to not be able to be there for you like I want to in theing weeks, so for tonight and tomorrow, I¡¯m yours. All yours.¡± Despite the anger and pain rolling around in Xara¡¯s gut, she couldn¡¯t help but smile like a fool. ¡°You really love me? An Arelim?¡± That earned her an eye roll, but it also earned her another kiss so it was well worth it. ¡°Yes. I, Captain Sylvenna Pryce, the human, am hopelessly in love with you, Xara Via, the Arelim.¡± Xara¡¯s hands began questing. Exploring every inch of the woman she¡¯de to know. That she¡¯de to know and love. She knew she needed to say as much. ¡°Well I¡¯m just as in love with you.¡± Sylvie¡¯s hands started moving as well. Xara wanted nothing more than to let the touch of her lover distract her, but she couldn¡¯t let her mind wander. Not yet. ¡°You¡¯d really ask your sister to help save mine?¡± Sylvie pushed herself up on her knees and gently shoved Xara onto her back, crawling so that when sheid down her breasts pressed into the taller woman¡¯s sizable bust. ¡°I already did. I figured I¡¯d rather you be mad at me but have your sister safe than the opposite.¡± Xara pushed Silvie¡¯s hair back and pulled her down for a kiss, then groaned when she felt Sylvie¡¯s hand between her legs. She spread them open, and she felt fingers slip inside. ¡°And before you go getting in your own head,¡± Sylvie said between kisses, ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to get you to love me or indebt you to me or any of the other worst-cases you¡¯re already contemting. I¡¯m doing it because I love you, and your happiness is my happiness.¡± Xara bit back a moan and tried to put her own hands to work, but Sylvie just snatched her by the wrists and pinned her arms above her head before resuming her ministrations. ¡°Oh gods,¡± Xara breathed. ¡°What did I ever do to deserve you?¡± Sylvie leaned down and nipped at her neck. ¡°You endured. Now that they¡¯ve been kind enough to lead me to you, you¡¯ll never be rid of me.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± Xara closed her eyes and let Sylvie have her way with her. She did her best to let every touch, every kiss, every lick, every bite chase away the fear of what her sister was going through. For the rest of the night, Sylvie did everything in her power to make Xara forget. It worked for a time, but by the time they fell asleep wrapped up in one another Xara¡¯s mind had wandered to every horror story she¡¯d ever heard of demi-human¡¯s and cruel Patrons. If she¡¯d assaulted him, then surely he¡¯d want revenge over her. Why else im her? But Rhani was strong. Stronger than anyone gave her credit for. Xara would put her trust in Sylvenna, and not just because it was the only option avable to her. She just had to hope that when she was reunited with her sister, the damage wouldn¡¯t be too much toe back from. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Spelunking Chapter Twenty-Seven: Spelunking ¡°Zaren, I swear to the gods,¡± Rhani said, elbow deep in another spider, ¡°that after this, you are going to pound me until I can¡¯t remember my own name.¡± I was cutting into one a little bigger than hers, but I chuckled. ¡°I told you I can handle the harvesting.¡± She pulled out another sac and tossed it into the nearly-full bucket with a grimace. ¡°Nope. Not a chance. I¡¯m going to keep cutting these disgusting sacs out, you¡¯re going to find someone who can make the sexiest underwear known to demi-humankind, and then you¡¯re going to fuck me in it until neither of us can move anymore.¡± Serena pouted at me. ¡°I want sexy underwear, too! And I think I deserve a reward for facing my fears!¡± I shook my head incredulously at Noelle. ¡°Can you believe these two?¡± She cocked her head at me, her expression as unchanged as usual. ¡°No. They spend so much time outside of their underwear I¡¯m unsure as to how that¡¯s a reward.¡± I barked out augh and Serena had the grace to blush. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that Ren¡¯s armor skill is so pervy!¡± she protested. One of Noelle¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°Then why was it normal on me?¡± Serena¡¯s jaw dropped, and Iughed harder. ¡°She¡¯s got you there.¡± But Noelle¡¯s eyes drifted to me. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t wish to see me that way. I suppose that¡¯s a possibility. I¡¯m hardly as appealing to the eye as Serena.¡± Now it was my turn to sputter while Serenaughed triumphantly. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short,¡± Serena said. ¡°You¡¯re plenty beautiful, Noelle.¡± Noelle¡¯s cheeks darkened, though whether because of thepliment or Serena using her name, I couldn¡¯t tell. She still hadn¡¯t gotten used to us using it, but I was pretty sure she enjoyed it. ¡°She¡¯s right, Noelle. And if it is affected by my subconscious, then maybe it¡¯s because I view my rtionship with Serena a bit differently than I do ours.¡± Noelle¡¯s head cocked again, and I couldn¡¯t help but notice Rhani shoot me a dirty re. ¡°I see. Ren does not like me the way he likes Serena. I understand now.¡± The hint of disappointment in her normally even voice was unmistakable. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡ª¡± I sighed. ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad thing, Noelle. I view my rtionship with Serena differently than the one with Rhani, but I care about them both very much. I care about you, too.¡± Her head straightened, and she clutched her axe. ¡°But if it¡¯s all the same to you, this is a discussion I¡¯d much rather have when we aren¡¯t all covered in spider guts.¡± Noelle looked down at theyer of green blood and guts that coated her nearly from head to toe. One of the spiders in thest bout had leapt at Rhani from above, and she¡¯d cut it neatly in half. She tried to wipe some off, but only seeded in smearing it around. She frowned, which was a lot of emotion for her. ¡°Very well. We can discuss our rtionshipter, then.¡± I shook my head and stood. We¡¯d encountered two more groups of spiders, but there hadn¡¯t been any murder holes for spiders taller than my chest. None the size of the one that had attacked us before. Serena had gained another level, though, and so had Rhani. Both had taken attribute improving skills, Serena because the massive eight point boost to her Focus and five points to her Will were simply too good to pass up. Rhani because she apparently didn¡¯t have any other interesting skills avable and wanted the smaller boost to her Resilience and Vitality. I was never going toin about her being safer, so both made me happy. Serena and I both suffered some minor injuries, but her Resilience boost and the armor I¡¯d given her made them minimal at best. She¡¯d still taken a mana potion, though, which meant we were down to the four on our persons and six more in reserve. Our bucket of silk sacs had also reached fullness, but empty buckets were easy enough to stack in my storage so I had plenty more. It wasn¡¯t long after we left the second ambush behind that our tunnel bisected another, creating a nice wide space with four entrances. Rhani pointed out several spots with active magic, one of them being big enough for me toy down on and have room to spare. I raised two swords and conjured a few tendrils, this time making sure Noelle and Rhani both received one as well. ¡°Same as before. Piss ¡®em off, let ¡®eme to us.¡± They nodded, and I stepped into the room. The reaction was immediate. Vx ranging from dog-sized to standing just shorter than my chin flowed out of the other tunnels and hidden holes in the stone around us. Serena let out a small whimper, but she held her ground with her spear raised. She stood just behind me and the golem, and I got ready for the wave to hit us. The golem still smashed them with ease, and my tendrils made short work of the small ones while I hacked at therger ones. Serena, now that she had enough mana to safely use [Step of the Skydancer], danced above the spiders and stabbed down at them. Her spear, thanks to her other skill that helped her thrusts find weak spots, was devastating. She also darted around, keeping them from using the walls to get behind us. Noelle swung her axe in a blur, her shorter stature putting her at the perfect height to sweep aside any spiders that slipped past. Then the webs split and another of the giants erupted from the ground. I cursed when it was followed closely by another. Rhani sent the golem to intercept the smaller of the two while Serena and I moved to intercept the other. She used her [Step of the Skydancer] tond on its back and plunge her spear into its thorax while I lunged past its churning legs to strike at its belly. I took a few hits, but nothing serious. It bucked and heaved, but it could do nothing to dislodge Serena. I hacked a couple of its back legs off, stabbed a few holes in its fuzzy carapace, then left Serena to finish it off while I helped the golem deal with the other one. It hadtched onto the golems arm, but its fangs found nothing but stone and metal. The golem had wrapped its arm around the spider¡¯s front limb, holding it in ce long enough for me to m my de into the weakspot just where its thorax and abdomen met. Blood sprayed in a deluge of sickly green and the beast screeched once before copsing. [Level Up!] It was hard to resist the urge to wipe off the blood on my face, but doing so would just smear the blood on my arms around. I really hated spiders. I¡¯d yet to meet creatures that bled so spectacrly when you stabbed them. ¡°Everyone alright?¡± I called. Noelle was hacking apart thest of the small ones while Rhani stomped one until it stopped squirming. ¡°Fine. Just a few scratches,¡± she said breathlessly. Noelle nodded in agreement. Serena slid off the other spider as gracefully as she could manage. A good amount of her hair had escaped her braid, and there were smears of green where she¡¯d had to push it back. ¡°Rhani can have her week long sex binge, I just want to bathe for a about a month.¡± She wiped her hand on one of the few patches of my coat that wasn¡¯t covered in grime. I pulled out the paring knife and started to work on the biggest one. ¡°At least the spider goop really brings out the green in your eyes,¡± I offered. She stuck her tongue out at me, then immediately regretted it as she got spider blood on it. ¡°Okay, this is officially the most disgusting day of my life.¡± ¡°So far,¡± I said, pointing the de at her. She made a rather udylike gesture at me and walked to the hole therger two came out of. ¡°We¡¯re really going down this thing? That seems¡­ ill advised.¡± ¡°Story of my life,¡± I mumbled. Then, louder, ¡°These guys need more food than the smaller ones, so hopefully their trap routes will have the fastest path to their feeding grounds.¡± We were getting faster, because this time it only took Rhani and I a few minutes to part therger spiders from their silk sacs. We had enough now that we could ignore all the smaller ones, but the ones that were bigger than both my fists together were too valuable to pass up. After, I took a second to look at my skill options. As always, [Cursed Existence] leapt out at me. As always, I set it aside. One of my more interesting options was [Shadowbound Weapon], but it would tie me down to a single weapon until I could change which one was bound to me. I was still juggling basic weapons, and that versatility was more important than what this skill offered me currently. Another one caught my eye, though. [Release the Darkness].
Release the Darkness (p) - No light is permanent. The dark will always return. Inplete darkness, gain 12 Primal. As you are subjected to more light, that Primal is transferred into Strength.
Stronger in the daylight, more powerful shadows in the darkness. It was conditional, which was the only reason the stat boost was sorge. Either way, I¡¯d be a fool to turn town a twelve point swing. I took the skill, hoping it had an evolution that would make it worthy when my stats were a little more bloated further down the road. A quick check revealed that, even in themplight, my points were split with eight in Strength and four in Primal. I was guessing only true daylight would shift me fully into Strength. Rhani and I used some simple magic to try and fight the losing battle that was clearing the green off us for no other reason than to at least feel a little cleaner. Then I peeked down the murder hole big enough for me to stand in. ¡°Too steep for the golem, so I¡¯ll banish it for now.¡± I did so, then pulled out a few hundred feet of rope. ¡°No telling how these wall crawlers tunnel, so better safe than sorry.¡± I hoped they wouldn¡¯t be smart enough to cut the rope, but there wouldn¡¯t be much we could do if they did. I found a reasonably heavy boulder and tied the rope around it, then tossed it down the hole. ¡°Me first, Serena, Rhani, then Noelle. Just like normal.¡± Noelle¡¯s hum appeared at my elbow. She peered down into the dark, then turned her crimson eyes up at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Next time I¡¯ll lead and you can bring up the rear so you can look at their butts as much as you want.¡± I was stunned into silence, but Rhani and Serena both burst intoughter. It wasn¡¯t long before I joined in, then I ruffled her hair. ¡°Noelle, you continue to amaze. After all this, I¡¯ll give you a nice long massage. Work out the knots around those wings.¡± Her pupils quivered, and her fingers tightened on her axe. ¡°Yes. Please.¡± I squeezed her shoulder, then stepped down into the hole. ¡°I can use my shadows to catch us if we fall, but try not to anyways.¡± They all grabbed the rope in one hand and their weapons in the other, and we all descended into the creepy giant murder hole. It was tough going. As I¡¯d expected, the spiders didn¡¯t much care how horizontal their tunnels were. Not to mention the webbing was thick and sticky in ces, but slick in others, and there was no way to tell which was which until it nearly sent us all tumbling. We ran into asional patrols, but the spiders must have never considered their enemy would be crazy enough to use their tunnels like this. Thanks to the spectacles, Rhani was the one to discover the mana vein. It led us through the tunnel, eventually linking up with a thicker vein that went deeper into the ground. asionally other lines would meet up with the one we traveled on, but ording to Rhani we seemed to be on the main one. Not long after we found what I hoped to be the main path, we started running into therger guardians. The close quarters, however, worked against them. Only one coulde at a time, which meant it was rtively easy for Serena to hold it at bay with her spear. Especially after I recreated my trick with the blightwovles and wrapped a tendril around the haft and de, striking out when the spear buried itself in the spider¡¯s body. We killed three more that way, earning Serena yet another level. She put her two points from level five in Focus and Will, and we continued on. I had to tie a second rope to the first after an hour, and then another hourter we reached our destination. The good news was that we¡¯d reached what I hoped was the feeding chamber. The bad news was that our tunnel let out on the ceiling nearly forty feet in the air. Too far to jump. I lit a length of wood on fire and dropped it along the rope to get a feel for where the floor was. The rope hung about halfway down, far enough for us to drop but not quite far enough for us to get back up easily. ¡°If Elisa¡¯s alive, this is where she¡¯ll be,¡± I told them. ¡°But getting back out might prove difficult. We either try to find another way down or we risk it.¡± Noelle crouched by the edge, peering down into the room. She sniffed. ¡°Risk,¡± she said simply. Rhani bit her lip, but nodded. ¡°We can always find another big trap tunnel and follow it to the main one.¡± I looked at Serena, who had seemingly conquered the worst of her fears by this point. ¡°Saving them has to have priority. I say we risk it.¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go first, then. I can use my shadows to cushion my fall, then I¡¯ll try and catch each of you.¡± I wrapped my hand in shadow then gripped the rope. I slid down, my darkness protecting me from rope burn, until I reached the end of the rope. I conjured two more tendrils, bringing my total to three, and let go. I fell for a few mildly terrifying seconds, but as the light above me faded my senses enhanced. So did my Primal stat. Ished out at the ground with my tendrils and the strike cushioned the fall enough that I didn¡¯t break my legs. I stayed where I was for a ten count, making sure no spiders were waiting to jump me. Then I called up softly that it was alright and I saw Serena descending with herntern on her hip. She hit the end of the rope, swaying slightly in the cavern, then let go. She fell soundlessly, and I reached up with my tendrils to catch her. It worked better than I thought, all three responding to my orders perfectly. I held her in my arms with a grin for a few seconds while Rhani started shimmying down and Serena leaned forward and kissed my cheek. I set her down and repeated the move with Rhani, who threw her arms around my neck and kissed me before I got the chance. Then Noelle started down. She hadn¡¯t made it far when the rope snapped. One moment she was sliding down carefully, the next she was iling, the rope falling alongside her. She iled, and I heard a startled cry escape from her as she suddenly found herself plummeting. Like most winged races, she was light, which meant I could catch her easily. We all jumped back while the rope tumbled to the ground. Judging by how much of it was coiling on the ground, it was most of the rope we¡¯d left behind. Then the end finally came, and I could tell by the neat cut that something had sliced it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a pain,¡± I said. I banished it to my storage and looked at Noelle, who was still in my arms. Her face showed no fear, but she clung to me tightly and trembled for several minutes. I set her down once she¡¯d calmed and nodded to me, and we took a look around the room. ¡°I¡¯m guessing not all of those are people,¡± Rhani breathed. Cocoons dotted the walls, but many of them were the wrong size. I saw some as big as horses, others small as house cats. ¡°It¡¯s why we haven¡¯t heard anything about a massive Vx infestation. They must be feeding off the subterranean fauna or whatever they can find in the forests around the mountain nearby,¡± I told them. ¡°Should we split up to search faster?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Fuck no,¡± I told her. ¡°We stay together. If there are Vx lurking, they¡¯ll take out anyone who strays too far from the group.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all magical,¡± Rhani noted. ¡°Vx cocoons can keep their prey alive for long periods while suppressing their magic. Look for any human-shaped ones that glow brighter than the others. Maybe repressing ss magics costs more mana.¡± She nodded and we started looking cocoon by cocoon. The room stretched much further than we could see, but I hoped that as a recent capture Elisa would be closer to the beginning of the room. We found a few hopeful bundles of web, but I stabbed through theyers with my shadow and felt around enough to know that the upants weren¡¯t humanoid. I felt bad for the poor creatures, but releasing wild animals in the dark wouldn¡¯t do any of us any good. It took us nearly forty-five minutes of searching before we finally found a person. The cocoon was halfway up the wall, so I wrapped my hands and feet in shadows and climbed the webs. I felt tugs every so often from something moving along thework, but outside the light of thenterns on the floor I knew that the nearest spider was much further down the cavern. I got to the cocoon and stabbed a shadow through. On the other side I felt warm, soft flesh, and a brief foray through the inside of the pod had me reasonably sure it was a woman. I conjured the rope, wrapped the cocoon, then looped it over a nearby cocoon that was three times my size. Then I used my shadows to cut it free from the wall and lower it down. Once I¡¯d joined it, I used my shadows to carefully cut it open. My brows rose when I peeled the cocoon back, and Serena gasped. Rhani even let out a ¡°holy shit¡± that I had to agree with. The woman inside was tall and curvaceous. Something that was hard not to notice thanks to her attire, which seemed to be little more than two sashes that went over her shoulder and met at her hips. Her breasts, which wererger than even Serena¡¯s, were barely contained by her top. How they hadn¡¯t spilled out of either the low cut in the center or the open sides of the robe I had no idea. Where they met they merged into a single strip of cloth that showed off every inch of her long, tanned legs that ended in knee-high boots. Her hair was a sea of long, dark auburn hair that spilled around her. Her tanned skin was pallid, but when I gently touched a finger to her forearm it was at least warm. ¡°This is Elisa?¡± Rhani breathed. Now that I thought about it, I realized I had no idea what Elisa actually looked like. ¡°Not sure, I¡¯ll check her pulse. See if she¡¯s got venom keeping her down or if she¡¯s just unconscious.¡± Rhani scoffed. ¡°If you don¡¯t, I will.¡± I used one of my tendrils to flick her nose without taking my eyes off the woman in the cocoon, then I carefully reached for her neck. She let out a soft breath when I tilted her head to press my fingers to her throat. The pulse was slow, but steady. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Should I try to heal her?¡± ¡°Maybe, but if she¡¯s got a hanger keeping her down it could do more harm than good.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand slipped around my waist and stroked my length through my pants. While not fully erect, I was hard enough to be embarrassed about it. ¡°Sure you aren¡¯t just looking for an excuse to feel up the gorgeous, scantily d girl?¡± she asked. I arched a brow at her. ¡°I¡¯d offer to let you do it, but you¡¯d enjoy it way too much.¡± She batted her eyshes at me, but made no argument. I shook my head and repositioned. ¡°Serena can watch and make sure I don¡¯t do anything¡­ untoward.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± Serena agreed in a tone that wasn¡¯t all that reassuring. I shook my head. ¡°Only you two could be this horny in a spider nest.¡± Serena flinched. ¡°Why¡¯d you have to remind me about the spiders? I¡¯d forgotten for a minute.¡± It was difficult, but I resisted the urge to flick her nose as well. I started with the easy checks. There were dozens of bite marks up and down her arms and the exposed skin on her legs, but none had the coloring that might suggest they¡¯d been particrly venomous, and I didn¡¯t feel the thrum of any magic that might being from the Vx venom. After that I carefully slid my hands behind her neck, then when I was sure she didn¡¯t have any severe injuries I lifted her head and ran my hand along her back. More bites, but not the marks I was looking for. No spiders hanging around either. ¡°Alright, maybe it would be better if one of you did the rest.¡± I¡¯d been hoping to find the bite that put her under already, but no luck. Serena bit her lip. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see what I can find. Help me lift her, though?¡± Trying to keep my hands to her respectful areas, I slid my palms under her armpits and lifted her up carefully. Her head lolled, and she started to move. I quickly set her back down, but not before her arms sluggishly knocked mine away. We all froze. ¡°Don¡¯t toush me,¡± She slurred. ¡°Fucking pigsh, all of you.¡± Her eyes blinked open, revealing a rather alluring shade of turquoise. They looked around blearily until they fell on Serena, then me. They widened, then her hands reached up and grabbed my wrists. ¡°Never mind. Keep going.¡± She pulled them down and ced my palms right on her breasts. ¡°You can feel me up all you want, hot stuff.¡± I let out a long breath. ¡°I give up. I absolutely give up.¡± Rhani was doing her best to hold back herughter, but it was a losing battle. The woman pushed one of my hands deeper into her breast and put the other on my chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯m not dead, but I¡¯m very happy about it. Care to help me sshelebrate?¡± she slurred. I was doing my best not to focus on the soft flesh just under the thin cloth of her robe, but the hard nub poking into my palm was making that difficult. ¡°Do I have your permission to check you for bites?¡± Her hand slid up my chest and she trailed a finger along my jaw. ¡°Only if you promise to be very thorough. I want those hands of yours to rece the feeling of a million fucking spiders all over me.¡± I tried to make my examination quick, but the way she squirmed under my touch made things difficult. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked her. ¡°Mmmh, Tiana. Yours?¡± ¡°Call me Ren.¡± I looked at Rhani. ¡°Take the others, keep looking for Elisa.¡± She nodded and took Serena and Noelle while leaving antern for me. At the same time, Tiana lurched forward. ¡°Elisa? I know her! She was with me. Cool girl.¡± She tried to push herself up, but only seeded in falling back into the cocoon. A breast fell out, and the way her legs syed showed me in great detail that she was not wearing underwear of any kind under her robe. ¡°She was so scared. I was, too. I hope she¡¯s okay. I¡¯d feel like real shit if we got her killed.¡± I took a moment to readjust myself, then I gently pulled her robe back in ce. She pouted. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna feel me up even a little? You¡¯re the big brave hero saving me, you know. You could at least cop a feel or two.¡± For fuck¡¯s sake, this girl was worse than Rhani! If I were anywhere other than in a dank, disgusting spider¡¯s nest I might take her up on it, but I was also unsure of whether she was just heavily concussed. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of that cocoon, shall we?¡± She fell back and pressed her palms into her eyes. ¡°That sounds fucking great. I was really afraid thest thing I¡¯d see was giant fucking spider eating me. You¡¯re a way nicer sight.¡± I didn¡¯t see much way around it, so I slid an arm under her and lifted. She giggled, rubbing against me, but I managed to at least get her standing. For about two seconds, she stood maybe a little more than an inch shorter than than me. Then she swayed and practically fell into my chest. ¡°Ohhh shit,¡± she said. She pressed her front into me and jammed her eyes shut, her hands gripping tightly onto my shirt. ¡°I¡¯m not trying toe onto you right now, I¡¯m just waiting for the room to stop spinning.¡± While she hung off me I took a look down her back. It was difficult to think pure thoughts as her back looked as good as her front, but theyers of spider bites helped. I didn¡¯t find the one thing I¡¯d been looking for, though. There was no sign she¡¯d been fed on. Not by a Vx, at least. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re warm,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Smell like shit, though. Sorry.¡± Maybe I¡¯d missed some head trauma. It was almost like she was¡ª Oh shit. Oh shit. ¡°Tiana, mind if I check your neck real quick?¡± ¡°Baby, you can do whatever you want to me right now as long as I can keep leaning on you.¡± I took that as a yes and moved her hair aside. She groaned and nuzzled into my chest, but any and all horny thoughts were very gone. I bundled up her hair and, sure enough, I found a small violet and silver spider about the size of my fingertiptched firmly onto the back of her neck. I pried it from her skin and squished it between my fingers. Under where it had bit were rings of bruising around the bite; blue, then purple, then yellow fading to green. But no magic. She wasn¡¯t just a horny mess, she was a drunk horny mess. Or, at least, that¡¯s what this bite had done to her. And that was bad. Very, very bad. ¡°Tiana?¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to go find my friends. Think you can walk?¡± ¡°Mmm, don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re willing to carry me¡ªeep!¡± The time for propriety was past. If I was right, it had passed long before we¡¯d set foot in here. Her squeal turned into a giggle and she nuzzled into my neck. I felt her lips brushing against the bottom of my jaw, but I was already jogging for the others. Rhani grinned at me. ¡°You two seem close already. I like her.¡± I didn¡¯t grace that with a response. ¡°Serena, can you switch your skill to Fortitude?¡± She closed her eyes for a moment, and I felt a ripple travel through my flesh. ¡°Done. I thought Vx venom was magical?¡± ¡°Just give it a minute.¡± We all turned our gazes to Tiana, still in my arms. Her dreamy expression faded, quickly reced with a look of abject horror. Her face turned crimson. ¡°Please put me down,¡± she said in a soft voice. I did, and she tried to put distance between us. She only made it half a step before she swayed again, and I reached out and caught her. ¡°You can go. Leave me here. I think I¡¯d like to die now.¡± Serena frowned. ¡°I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t Vx venom in her¡ªin you,¡± I said to Tiana. ¡°It was magisbane venom. A natural poison, not a magical one. It fucks with the nervous system, lowering inhibitions, impairing motor function, and making it impossible to ess ss abilities. It messes with your head so bad your brain can¡¯t find your skills, and it essentially makes you act very drunk in the process.¡± Tiana buried her face in her hands. ¡°Oh gods. Please don¡¯t look at me.¡± I put a tentative arm around her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you weren¡¯t yourself. Let¡¯s start over. I¡¯m Ren, this is Serena, Noelle, and Rhani.¡± She peeked at me over her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m Tiana, and I¡¯m so sorry for acting like such aplete slut.¡± Not exactly starting over, but whatever. ¡°We can worry about thatter. You said you knew Elisa?¡± Her eyes widened and her back straightened, which had an unfortunate (and captivating) effect on her bust. ¡°Elisa! She was hurt! She got caught in some webbing, that asshole Camden abandoned us, then we were running and we¡ª¡± She turned a shade of green and gripped my sleeve. ¡°We have to run. There are spiders down here. Really fucking big ones. Bigger than you or me.¡± ¡°We know,¡± Rhani said proudly. ¡°We¡¯ve killed like six now.¡± I didn¡¯t have the heart to burst her bubble and tell her they were no longer the biggest problem down here. I turned the gaping Tiana towards me. ¡°Was she alive thest time you saw her?¡± She nodded, and I turned to Serena. ¡°Your skill worked on Tiana the moment you knew she was an ally, do you think you could consider Elisa one withoutying eyes on her?¡± Serena¡¯s brow furrowed, and I knew she was thinking over the intuitive aspect of her skill. ¡°I think so. Let me try.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°I think¡­because she and Tiana were partied up¡­¡± I had Rhani lead her while we continued checking for person-sized cocoons. We searched for another five minutes before I felt a sharp spike of fear from somewhere above me. ¡°Wait here,¡± I told them. I left myntern behind and scaled the wall as fast as I could, using my shadows to grip handholds when my arms weren¡¯t long enough. I mbered up until I was just next to the cocoon radiating the fear. It trembled like whoever was inside was struggling, and I could hear faint screams. I plunged a shadow inside and felt its upant thrashing about. I wrapped it around her and pushed her to one side so I could safely stab the empty space I¡¯d created and rip a hole in the cocoon. She cried out, in both fear and pain. It was pitch dark this far from the faint light of thenterns, so my senses were boosted to the max. I could hear her heart hammering in her chest while she fought against the cocoon just as I could hear bone scraping on bone. Her leg was broken, and every move threatened to make it worse. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said in as calm a tone as I could manage. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you.¡± Her breaths came in gasps, but she reached out blindly. I leaned into her hand, still using mine to hold the cocoon open, and she grabbed hold of my shirt. She let out a sob and yanked herself forward into me, wrapping trembling arms around my back. ¡°Oh gods! I woke up and I couldn¡¯t move and I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay, but I need you to take a breath. We¡¯re high off the ground, and I¡¯d rather not have you go tumbling.¡± Her frantic embrace turned into a death grip. ¡°Are you Elisa?¡± She stiffened. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°Cynthia sent us, but we can talk about that on the ground, alright? Now I need you to stop moving, your leg is broken.¡± She nodded into my chest and I used my shadows to cut a big enough hole in the cocoon that I could lift her out. I wrapped one of them around her leg to keep it steady and she whimpered. I reached for the base of her neck and felt another of the small violet spiders, so I killed it, too. ¡°Hold on to me tightly, we¡¯re going to fall for a moment.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to wha¡ªaah!¡± To her credit, other than her initial squeak of surprise when I let go of the wall, she made no sound as we fell back to the floor. Like before, I used the shadows to cushion the fall. Inded just at the edge of thentern light, causing all four girls standing there to jump. ¡°Holy fuck you¡¯re terrifying,¡± Tiana said. ¡°In a good way, of cour¡ªElisa!¡± Elisa uncurled from where she¡¯d buried her face in my neck long enough to reach out. ¡°Tiana! You¡¯re alright!¡± Tiana grabbed the girl¡¯s hand and I gently set her down. In the light, I saw that she had chin-length brown hair and eyes that were a few shades lighter than that. She was pale, though how much was from herplexion and how much was from her situation I couldn¡¯t tell. She had a slim build and was probably around Rhani¡¯s height. I nearly did a double take when I saw Tiana. It seemed Serena had healed her wounds and bites, because her skin was wless and unblemished. I forced myself to look away from her and at Elisa¡¯s leg and sucked in my breath. I knew it was bad when I tasted bone on the air, but her leg was well and truly fucked. It had snapped at the shin, which meant she probably needed care I couldn¡¯t give her. ¡°Elisa,¡± I said, and her teary eyes turned to me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve got some bad news.¡± ¡°My leg,¡± she guessed in a wobbly voice. I nodded and Tiana wrapped her arms around Elisa¡¯s shoulders protectively. ¡°We are not leaving her behind,¡± she snarled. I held up a hand. ¡°Of course not, but we need to do something about it. We¡¯ve got a few options, and all of them hurt very, very bad.¡± Elisa gulped, what little color she had fading. ¡°You can¡¯t just heal me?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Healing you now would fuse the bones back together wrong. You¡¯d either have a nasty limp the rest of your life or have to have it rebroken, an expensive and very unfun experience. We can¡¯t leave it unhealed or we¡¯re practically inviting infection, so I need to set it.¡± She still had one hand wrapped in my shirt, and it gripped me even tighter. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die down here,¡± she whispered. ¡°Do what you have to do. I can take it.¡± She was a tough girl, I¡¯d give her that. I summoned an extra belt from my storage, folded it, then held it in front of her face. ¡°Bite down on this. That way you don¡¯t crack any teeth or scream too loudly.¡± Then I looked at the others. ¡°Hold her down, she¡¯s going to thrash.¡± A whimper escaped Elisa¡¯s lips, but she didn¡¯t object when Tiana leaned her back and pushed down on her shoulders. I moved down to the leg and Serena straddled Elisa¡¯s waist facing me, using her weight to hold down her torso. Rhani moved next to me to hold her other leg down. I conjured some medical supplies, slid thentern closer, and took a breath. ¡°Brace yourself.¡± ¡°Just focus on me, sweetie,¡± Tiana said, ¡°and breathe.¡± She tensed, and I grabbed her foot and pulled. She screamed into her gag and bucked, but I quickly twisted her foot so that it was facing the correct direction and used my shadows to nudge the bones back into their proper positions. Elisa screamed and thrashed the whole time, but Serena made sure the leg I was working on didn¡¯t move. Once I was sure it was as close to correct as I could manage, I summoned a healing potion. I dribbled it along the injury, dripping some straight onto the exposed bone, then I cast [Shadow Stitching]. Her muffled screams hit a new pitch, then she went limp. She¡¯d passed out. A mercy. I¡¯d learned a long time ago that my [Shadow Stitching] was more than capable of piercing bone, and it was an incredibly painful experience. Better than spending your lifeme, though. My skill knitted it closed, but I dribbled more health potion over the gash anyways. Better safe than sorry. Then I wrapped it and splinted it as tightly as I could. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done.¡± Serena got off Elisa¡¯s waist. ¡°Should I¡ª¡± ¡°No. She needs more healing than you¡¯re capable of right now, and we should save your mana forbat injuries. She won¡¯t be fighting one way or another, and we need to prioritize getting out alive beforefort.¡± She wasn¡¯t happy about it, but she nodded. Tiana helped me get Elisa up and Rhani stepped forward to take one arm. Her head lolled, but when I checked her pulse it was strong. ¡°We need to get moving. Things are worse down here than I realized.¡± Nobody argued, but Rhani looked uncertainly at the ceiling. ¡°Our rope was cut, so we¡¯ve gotta find a different way back.¡± ¡°Any route that gets us aboveground is fine,¡± I told her. I looked at Tiana. ¡°Can you fight?¡± She nodded. ¡°Force magic. Good against groups, and I¡¯ve got some high damaging single target spells and a versatile defense spell.¡± I inclined my head. Magic artillery was just what we needed right now. ¡°You can cast while holding Elisa?¡± ¡°Not my big spell, but yeah.¡± ¡°Good. Until she wakes up, you and Rhani carry her. Noelle, you¡¯ve got their backs, Serena you lead them with the golem.¡± I dropped the golem from my storage and Tiana¡¯s brows shot up. Serena frowned. ¡°What about you?¡± I handed myntern to Tiana. ¡°I¡¯ll scout ahead, leave marks for you to follow. I¡¯ll be just out of the light, so I won¡¯t be far.¡± ¡°H-hang on,¡± Tiana protested. ¡°That sounds incredibly dangerous. Spiders have advantage in the dark.¡± I smiled grimly. ¡°Nothing has an advantage in the dark stronger than mine, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Chapter Twenty-Eight: Royally Screwed Chapter Twenty-Eight: Royally Screwed We hadn¡¯t even made it out of the feeding room before Tiana proved her worth. The spiders sprung their trap at one of the few entrances we could reach. A wave of skittering horrors ranging from a few dozen of the dog-sized to four more of the giants to most things in between. Tiana raised a hand and threw two translucent blue disks into the wave that shredded many of the smaller ones like they were made of paper. Once they¡¯d run out of steam, she dispelled them and shot six simultaneous bolts of force out that had enough power behind them to punch through two or three spiders each before hitting a final one and exploding, each curving and twisting in a different direction. In the span of a few seconds, she¡¯d taken out at least thirty of the smaller bastards. ¡°The big ones are a bit out of my league,¡± she said, fear in her voice. I summoned a greatsword. ¡°We¡¯ve got those.¡± The golem bowled through the waves, swinging its sword in wide arcs, tangling up two of therge spiders. Serena took one of the remaining giants while I threw myself at the other. Tiana kept casting the whole time, throwing out more of those disks and using strings of manaing from her hands to guide them through the throng of spiders. The Vx I foughtnded a few blows, but the boost to my Fortitude thanks to Serena¡¯s skill kept them shallow. I disabled enough of its legs to hack deep into the point between its thorax and abdomen and the beast went down. Then I helped Serena finish hers off, and with the help of the golem and a few spells from Tiana we took care of the other two with some ease. [Level Up!] I¡¯d gained as many levels against the spiders as I had in the two weeks prior. As much as I hated them, they made a good experience farm. I sunk both points into my Primal, bringing it up to 24. A delighted sound from Serena indicated she¡¯d leveled up as well. That put her Priestess ss at six already, which was fantastic for a single day¡¯s work. Tiana looked over the corpses with a dazed expression. ¡°You guys are something else.¡± Her eyes fell on me, and her cheeks darkened. ¡°Especially you. I¡¯ve never seen anyone fight quite like that.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got a thing against spiders.¡± Rhani pulled her paring knife out, headed for a medium sized one, but I held a hand up to stop her. ¡°Big ones only. We¡¯re in a rush now.¡± She frowned. ¡°Why?¡± I debated telling her my theory, but if I was wrong it would just scare them for no reason. If I was right then there wasn¡¯t much we could do about it anyways. ¡°This is one of those times I¡¯ll need you to trust me.¡± Her brow furrowed, but she just nodded. I looked at Serena. ¡°I hope you got a good skill, something tells me we¡¯ll need it.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I can take another healing skill. It¡¯s ranged but that means it¡¯s probably weaker, right?¡± she asked. ¡°That tends to be how it goes, yes,¡± I agreed. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a distraction spell, too, but it makes the target glow. I¡¯m guessing that isn¡¯t a great match for your skills.¡± ¡°Not really, no.¡± She chewed her lip harder and rubbed her thighs together. She was very pointedly avoiding looking in my direction. ¡°Um, there are some attribute boost skills, too, but none that are as strong as [Font of Magic].¡± Tiana was trying to look like she wasn¡¯t listening, but I could tell she was hanging off every word. Luckily for us, Elisa picked that exact moment to drift back into consciousness. Her eyes grazed over the corpses for a few seconds, then she shrieked. Tiana jumped, turning to calm her friend down. I took advantage of her distraction and stepped closer so that Serena could whisper to me. I put my hand at the small of her back. ¡°And the one you¡¯re embarrassed to tell me about?¡± She turned an alluring shade of scarlet. ¡°It¡¯s¡ªah, um¡ªI don¡¯t know if¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it if you don¡¯t want to,¡± I promised. A heated look shed in her eyes and I realized she did want to take it, she was just too ashamed to admit it. ¡°W-w-well, it¡¯s called [Shrouded in Faith]. It¡¯s, um, another epigraph skill, but¡­¡± I stepped closer, and she put a hand on my chest and closed her eyes. She told me the details of the skill, and I had to use every trick I¡¯d ever learned to tamp down theugh.
Shrouded in Faith (p) - Your faith is the only armor you need. Gain an increase to your Divine stat that scales with how little you are wearing.
¡°Vague, but that means the boosts might just scale. Hard to know without trying it,¡± I admitted, trying as hard as I could to keep my voice level. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red, and her voice rose. ¡°You aren¡¯t seriously suggesting¡ª¡± I rubbed my hand in slow circles. Rhani heard and looked at us with a raised brow, but I just waved her back to her sac looting with an I¡¯ll tell youter look. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should take it, I¡¯m saying we should at least talk about it. You don¡¯t want it, you don¡¯t take it. It¡¯s that simple. But,¡± I pulled her into me and she let out a soft gasp, ¡°something tells me you like the skill a little more than you want to admit.¡± Her lips became a thin line. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ it¡¯s such a perverted skill. And it seems counterintuitive for my ss synergy.¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± I started trailing my fingers along all the exposed skin I could reach. ¡°Your current outfit is pretty revealing, but thanks to my magic you¡¯re still protected. Not to mention it does synergize well with your other skill. A boost to your Divine stat means a boost to [Aura of Reinforcement], which affects you, too. If we get to a point where your Divine is high enough, then you¡¯d be better protected going naked than wearing any armor.¡± She opened her mouth to protest and I put a finger to her lips. ¡°Hypothetically, of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not just saying that because you want me to start dressing like a s-slut, are you?¡± I grinned at her. ¡°Serena, you¡¯re beautiful no matter what you¡¯re wearing. If I didn¡¯t think you wanted the skill, I wouldn¡¯t bother arguing.¡± I wasn¡¯t trying to convince her to take it, I was giving her the arguments she needed to do what she clearly wanted to do. I leaned down so I could whisper directly into her ear. ¡°Though I¡¯d never object to getting to see more of you.¡± She shivered. ¡°It¡ªit would make everyone else safer, too.¡± ¡°That it would,¡± I agreed. ¡°Okay, I¡ªI¡¯ll take it, then.¡± I gave her a pointed look. ¡°You¡¯ll take it because it¡¯s something you want. Not something you think I want.¡± She rubbed her body against mine. ¡°Fine,¡± she whispered, ¡°I like the way it makes me feel just thinking about it, but please don¡¯t tell anybody.¡± I grinned, then pulled her chin up to give her a kiss. ¡°Our secret. Now grab it, we should get moving.¡± I knew the moment she did, since I felt the change in my Fortitude. I checked. Four more points on top of the ten I already had. I gave her a questioning nce. ¡°E-eight. I get eight extra points from this getup,¡± she admitted. Damn. That wasn¡¯t bad at all. I wondered how much of a boost she got when she was fully nude, but now wasn¡¯t the time to bring that up. I kissed her again. ¡°Come on.¡± Rhani was cleaning up, and Elisa was looking at us with wide eyes. I conjured the bucket long enough for Rhani to deposit therge sacs, then banished it again. ¡°I¡¯d like Tiana to have her hands free, do you think Rhani¡¯s support will be enough for you to get by?¡± She nodded at me wordlessly. Then, after clearing her throat, she said, ¡°are we really going to make it?¡± I offered her the most confident smile I could manage. ¡°If I¡¯ve got anything to say about it, but we¡¯ve got a lot of ground to cover and not a lot of time to do it. I want to try to get out before nightfall hits and some of the nastier breedse out to y.¡± Tiana¡¯s brows drew close. ¡°We saw some other types of spider when we wereing down. I got bit by a red recluse. I thought Vx didn¡¯t y well with other species.¡± Damn. I was hoping none of them knew that particr tidbit. ¡°There are certain cases where there are exceptions, but none of them are good. We should get out of here while we can.¡± I could tell she wanted to ask more, but she cut a nce at Elisa, who was trembling and decided not to. ¡°I¡¯ll help Elisa walk for now, then ifbat starts I¡¯ll leave her to Rhani. That way we can move faster.¡± ¡°Good idea. Now let¡¯s get the fuck out of here.¡± The others apparently agreed, because we set off at a rather quick pace. I set off ahead with a stick of chalk so I could mark the walls and the others grouped up about fifty feet behind me. I had faith that if they were attacked, Noelle, Serena, and the golem could protect them long enough for me to get back. Once I¡¯d left thentern light behind and my senses boosted, I reached out. Old memories kept trying to surface, but any time they did I nced back at the women behind me. They were my anchor. As long as they were around, I was grounded. I periodically marked the wall with the chalk so they knew I was okay and stretched my senses out. In the pitch ck, I could sense the spidersing from a mile away. I could feel the vibrations on the webs around us. I could hear the pockets of air behind the false spots in the walls where the spiders woulde out. I conjured Serena¡¯s normal spear and used it to clear out the murder holes we passed. Most of the spiders were small enough that I dispatched them easily, and only once did I encounter enough that I had to fall back into the light and allow the others to help. Anytime we reached a fork I smacked my spear against the wall and listened to the echoes. I used my best judgment to keep us headed for the surface, and I made sure to leave nice big chalk marks at any forks to show them which way I¡¯d went. They started off in silence, but it wasn¡¯t long before conversation started. I bit back the impulse to tell them to stay quiet. The spiders already knew where we were, and I more than anyone else understood the need to break the silence when you were in dark, scary, underground tunnels filled with things that wanted to kill you. I also knew it wasn¡¯t nearly as loud as it felt to my boosted senses. Elisa was the one to break that silence first. She started asking about the others, their names, where they were from, harmless things like that. Tiana stayed quiet, but she listened closely to every word. I tried to ignore how she perked up when Elisa asked if Serena and I were dating. She¡¯d seen how close we were standing before, and naturally made the assumption. I also tried to ignore her stumble when Rhani proudly announced they were both in a rtionship with me. Then Noelle made a hum and Rhani quickly amended that all three of them were close to me, and I did my best to tune them out. I knew that she knew I could hear her every word, but I still felt like I was spying on them. Whatever came next in the conversation I missed when two of the giant spiders lurched out at me from magically concealed trapdoors. In the light I might have been in danger, but I had no blindspots in the dark. With the boost to my Fortitude from Serena¡¯s skill, they barely even touched my health before I¡¯d slipped their attacks and used my boosted shadows to take them apart. In this level of darkness, all twelve points of [Release the Darkness] were in my Primal stat. I¡¯de down with twenty, but right now I was wielding thirty-six. They were faster, stronger, and longer, and they carved into the carapace with ease. I hardly even used my actual weapons. I¡¯d dispatched them before the others even caught up to me, then used my shadows to cut them open and pull out their silk sacs. I¡¯d made it maybe thirty feet past them when I heard gasps, then Rhani his ¡°Zaren! I swear, if you¡¯ve been making me carve into these things this whole time when you could do it this quick I¡¯m going to kick your ass.¡± I chuckled, but I didn¡¯t answer. Tiana gave one of the corpses a kick. ¡°Okay, your boyfriend is both fucking terrifying and kinda awesome.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he?¡± Rhani replied dreamily. I shook my head. Here we go. I could hear Tiana¡¯s hesitance. ¡°If I¡¯m alive tomorrow it¡¯s because of him, so thest thing I want to do is pry, but I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t curious. Tall, dark, and brooding, crazy strong yet alluringly mysterious¡­¡± ¡°You can mention he¡¯s crazy hot, too,¡± Rhani said with augh. ¡°We won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Alright, fine, he¡¯s definitely easy on the eyes. And he isn¡¯t a pervert, otherwise I doubt he¡¯d have been so hesitant to cop a feel when he found me.¡± Rhani cackled softly. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a pervert alright. Just a really repressed one. I¡¯m working on it, though.¡± I was dispatching another group of spiders, so it took me a second to find a suitable rock and use my strengthened shadows to hurl it back towards them. It caught her on the shoulder, just where I¡¯d been aiming. ¡°Ow!¡± she said. Tiana froze. ¡°The fuck was that?¡± Rhani rubbed where the rock had hit her. It had been little more than a pebble, and with her new Fortitude it wouldn¡¯t do much more than sting. ¡°Hm? Oh, that was Ren¡¯s way of yelling at me.¡± ¡°He can hear us?¡± Tiana hissed. ¡°Definitely. He can also hear spidersing from like, a mile away, but only when he¡¯s in the dark.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­equal parts worrying and reassuring.¡± Then she cleared her throat. ¡°Um,¡± she said loudly, ¡°sorry if I¡¯m prying, Ren. I don¡¯t mean to ask about you behind your back or anything.¡± Rhani just waved her arm. ¡°Nah, he doesn¡¯t mind that much. If he was here he¡¯d probably say something like ¡®it¡¯s better to know each others¡¯ skills when in a situation like this,¡¯¡± her imitation of me involved dropping her voice low and talking in grunts, so I chucked another rock, ¡°Ow! Oh,e on, that was spot on!¡± Serena giggled. ¡°She¡¯s right, though. I use spears and my secondary ss is a support healing ss, so please be sure to tell me if you get hurt.¡± I missed the next part of the conversation when another giant leapt out at me, but one on one I dispatched it with ease. By the time I tuned back in, Tiana was asking, ¡°¡­skills seem kind of¡­¡± ¡°Off putting?¡± Rhani offered. ¡°That¡¯s a better word than viinous, to be sure.¡± Rhani made her thinking noise. ¡°Well, without giving too much away, he ended up with a bad guy ss because it¡¯s coincidentally really good at hunting bad guys. He¡¯s a good guy, trust me.¡± ¡°A really good guy,¡± Serena added. Not really how I would have phrased it, but not entirely incorrect either. It did make some heat rise in my cheeks, and I was d I was in the dark. ¡°In that case,¡± Tiana said quietly, ¡°even if he can hear me, I have to ask. What¡¯s his deal? Nobody is that strong and that good without some kind of deal breaker. Not in my experience.¡± ¡°Boatloads of unresolved trauma,¡± Rhani said immediately. I chucked a third rock at her, but she must have known it wasing because she managed to sidestep it even while holding up Elisa. Tiana leaned close to Serena and whispered, ¡°is it bad that I find that attractive?¡± Serena hummed. ¡°I sure hope not.¡± I tossed a rock at her, too, but it just bounced off her pauldron. ¡°Fortuna¡¯s tits!¡± Tiana eximed. ¡°How fucking good is his hearing?¡± Rhani blew a raspberry into the darkness. ¡°When it¡¯s pitch ck, really fucking good. When it¡¯s dark out, if he isn¡¯t worried, then I¡¯m not worried.¡± Tiana huffed. Then, so quietly that even I could barely hear her, I heard, ¡°why are all the good guys always taken?¡± Then she sucked in her breath and said, ¡°fuck, please tell me you didn¡¯t hear that.¡± I chuckled, then was promptly distracted by the next ambush. It took me about a minute to take them all out, and by the time I was done the others were under attack from behind. I could hardly start in their direction before they finished off the attack, but it still made me uneasy. If the spiders wanted to take us out, then they¡¯d throw everything at us all at once. What they were doing now wasn¡¯t enough to do much more than slow us down, and I didn¡¯t think that was just a coincidence. Either the Vx weren¡¯t as smart as I feared or smarter than I¡¯d given them credit for. Either way, while the others took out thest of their ambush without suffering more than a scratch or two, I pulled out a mana potion. I was under half, and it was always better to be safe than sorry when in enemy territory. It was just after I¡¯d drained the final drop that it happened. The ice-cold rush of energy spread all the way through my body, making my fingertips and my toes tingle, then I was weightless. The ground under me fell, and I fell along with it. Then it fell faster. No, it wasn¡¯t falling, it was being pulled down. Giving me nothing to push off of. Leaving me free-falling into pitch ck open air. A trap, but one that involved the entire floor underneath me being ripped away. Enough rock being moved at once that I hadn¡¯t even considered it as a possibility. Thest dregs of light that bounced from the girls¡¯ntern vanished and I fell into open air. I could tell by the way the air around me moved that I¡¯d fallen into a massive cavern. I didn¡¯t scream, but the sound of stone grinding and the way none of it bounced back told me that I was far from any walls. Then I heard whistling. The faint sound of something sharp cutting through the air, moving towards me. Fast. I conjured tendrils andshed out at whatever it was. I¡¯d been expecting the fangs or ws of Vx, but what my shadows found instead was threads so thin they¡¯d be all but invisible to the naked eye. Without my senses boosted to the max, I¡¯d have never even noticed them. Magic radiated through them, making them incredibly strong despite their width, and they cut right through the tendrils I¡¯d sent at them. I wrapped myself in what shadow I had left, and it saved my life. Instead of being cut in half, I merely received several deep gashes on my arm and torso and was ripped out of the air, flung across the space. I managed to soften thending with my tendrils and conjured a few more just in case, which turned out to be a good instinct as the threads chased me. This time I managed to use my senses and shadows to avoid thempletely, but they sheared through the solid stone where I¡¯d been standing as easily as if it had been paper. I reached out with my senses looking for the owner of the threads. They moved too fluidly to be a trap, they were being manipted by something sentient. Something powerful considering the mana I¡¯d sensed when they¡¯d connected with my shadows. I¡¯d just tracked the general direction they wereing from when I heard movement. Heavy movement. Something that soundedrger than¡ª Fuck. Me. The spider that emerged from the deepest corner of the cave made even thergest spiders we¡¯d seen so far seem small inparison. It¡¯s abdomen alone would be big enough for all six of us to stand on. Each segment of its limbs was longer than I was tall. It must¡¯ve stood nearly twenty feet tall, and I could probably run underneath it and not have to duck. A royal Vx. I was so screwed. It let out a rumbling screech, as if furious that I¡¯d had the nerve to survive it¡¯s initial attack, and charged me. I felt the thundering of each step through the stone underneath me. No sooner had I set my feet to try and dodge than I felt the whistling again. I narrowly avoided the first three of the threads, but the fourth cut deep into my thigh. Pain exploded from the wound. The threads were infused with the Vx¡¯s magical venom. By the time I recovered the spider was on me. ded limbs as thick as my torso mmed down, missing me by inches. It pounded the ground around me in a flurry of blows that I only dodged thanks to my shadows, but I wasn¡¯t quick enough to dodge the next wave of threads it flung at me. This time I felt the hairs on its back twisting and pulling them, twisting them with magic to cut deep into my back. I threw myself forward to escape,nding under its body. I tried to sh upward, but I had to leap to the side to avoid its massive carapace that mmed down to try and crush me. More threads bit into my neck, narrowly missing my arteries but pumping more venom into my blood. I got away without losing my head, but I still had to drop a [Shadow Stitching] as the blood started to pour from my injuries. My Resilience kept the venom from doing any real damage to me, but it did little to dampen the feeling of fire in my veins. Already the pain had spread enough that I hardly noticed the stitches pulling the cuts closed. My enhanced senses boosted that pain to unimaginable levels, and it was already starting to take its toll. The spider¡¯s body was too far for me to hit still, so I threw some knives at it. They bounced harmlessly off its carapace, and I had to back away to dodge the next wave of threads. No sooner had I avoided them than its ded forelegs were trying to eviscerate me again. The threads took on a new tactic, this timeing at me from different directions. They left no window for me to avoid, so I was forced to use my shadows to block two of them. They wrapped around my leg, cutting deep into the flesh of my calf, and pulling me to a stop long enough for the spider to catch me with its leg. Sharp-edged limb ripped my front open, cutting deep into the flesh of me left pectoral and tearing all the way down my abdomen and through my thigh. Blood sprayed from the massive attack and I knew I had to cast [Shadow Stitching] immediately or risk bleeding out in seconds. I did so, feeling a chunk of mana fade away while I expanded the shadows under the thread wrapped around my leg enough to slip free. I staggered forward, stumbling over the uneven ground that was the remains of the tunnel I¡¯d been walking in a minute ago. I only made it a few feet before I hit a web and fell. It had beenid in advance and stationary so I hadn¡¯t been able to hear it, and it sliced my leg open just under the knee. I¡¯d barely hit the ground before I felt the Vx thundering behind me. I rolled in time to keep from getting impaled, but not fast enough to get out of the way of its next attack. Itshed out and flung me across the space. It¡¯s leg shredded my shirt and cut deep into my chest just above my sr plexus, crossing the sewn shut gash from a moment ago like a cross. I mmed into the wall and heard something in me crack. The spider lunged at me with more threads, and I ended up with two cuts on my side and even more venom in me. There was so much pain rushing through my veins it was getting hard to tell where my limbs ended. But the spider knocking me away gave me the half-second I needed to search the room for anything that could help me turn the tide. Nothing jumped out at me, but I sensed a smaller hole nearby that could at least allow me to catch my breath. I lunged forward and conjured a sword, wrapping two tendrils around it. When the threads came back I swung the de at them. It slowed them down for maybe half a second before snapping into pieces, but it opened a window I could slip through and hurl myself towards the hole. I felt the spider rushing after me. Each one of its steps reverberated through the stone under me and rattled the rubble from the trap. Pain exploded in my back when more threads tore into me. Reality faded, and for a moment I was on my knees, a barbed whip biting into my back. I shook the memory away in time to narrowly avoid the next thread. I stumbled, but stayed on my feet. I cast another [Shadow Stitching] and threw myself into the hole. I made it, mercifully, and dragged myself as deep in as I could. I didn¡¯t get far before it dead ended, but I was at least out of range of the royal for a few seconds. Already I could hear and feel it using its armored front legs to carve into the stone to reach me and knew I didn¡¯t have long. [Health: 27/220] [Mana: 15/120] I had enough Vx venom in me to kill a small vige, and I was being held together by my shadow stitches and spite. I pulled out a health and mana potion and downed them both with fumbling fingers I could hardly feel. It was generally a bad idea to ingest so many potions back to back, and I could already feel the cold burn in my gut that was magic poisoning. I pulled out an antidote and drank it, but it only added to the roiling waves of pain in my veins. The cold burn grew worse. Each potion I drank from this point forward would have reduced effects until they started to do more harm than good. I wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on them for a few days, likely. If I wasn¡¯t careful, the next health potion could kill me. I needed to get back to Serena, but there was a multiple-ton spider currently in my path. One I didn¡¯t know how to deal with. Guardian Vx¡ªthe ones that ranged from dog-sized to person-sized¡ªwere clever. Capable of putting together ambushes and traps. Royal Vx were intelligent. Smarter than most people. A trap like this was meant to take out an entirepany of soldiers¡ªpreparation for when the Vx became enough of a threat that the city above was forced to send men down to contain the threat. I should have been honored that the creature had used it on only me. The ambushes hadn¡¯t been to slow us down, it had been to learn. Somehow it had figured out that I grew stronger the more enemies I faced, so it was facing me down alone. I was still weak at range, which meant its long legs and threads were my worst enemy. By extension, my senses were one of the very few counters to it¡¯s attacks, but that advantage wasn¡¯t nearly enough to make up for the gap in raw strength between me and the monster. It was getting closer and closer. Just in thest few seconds it had covered nearly half the distance between us. From the distance I¡¯d fallen, I knew scaling the wall was out of the question. It could climb faster than I could on my best day. If this was the kill pit I knew it to be, then there wouldn¡¯t be any other person-sized tunnels nearby. Even this one was little more than a crag in the rocks I¡¯d slipped into, and I couldn¡¯t count on finding another one. I¡¯d never outrun it. Not in a million years. This trap was designed to take out entirepanies of armed and armored soldiers, and after seeing the destructive power of those magical threads I understood why. Anyone without my senses would already be meat chunks on the floor, and even with them I¡¯d only earned a stay of execution. I tried to make a fist only to realize my hands were already clenched. Everything below my neck was just an ocean of dull pain. I could move, but I couldn¡¯t feel myself moving. I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle this thing when I was in good shape, let alone when I was carved up and full of venom. I took a risk and drank another mana potion. The burn grew worse, but the potion still worked at half efficiency. I could handle maybe one more, but now wasn¡¯t the time to risk it. Escape was out of the question, especially in my current state. If I died here, there was nothing stopping the Vx from hunting down my friends. The thought of them falling into the trap, sliced apart before they hit the ground, was unthinkable. Even if I couldn¡¯t win, I could at least make sure the bastard couldn¡¯t hurt them. My hands went ck. I reached in and unlocked a door I¡¯d closed long ago. I didn¡¯t bother with the Zaren Nocht who¡¯d fought against Grimsbane. He¡¯d been trained and determined, but he wasn¡¯t the one I needed right now. I was trapped in a hole, thousands of tons of earth and stone between me and the sun, alone and in pain, with no hope of seeing tomorrow. I¡¯d been there before. I lived it. Thrived in it. When I stood, it wasn¡¯t as Ren or Zaren. I was ve Thirteen. I was little more than an animal that was too stupid to realize it was already dead. There was no making it out alive, there was just buying myself a little more time. This monster might kill me, but not without a cost. I left enough mana for a single cast of [Shadow Stitching] and dumped the rest into conjuring tendrils. The royal was only a few feet away. I took most of the tendrils and wrapped them around my body. They merged and twisted together until I could feel and control them all. They had no veins for the venom to affect, and though I couldn¡¯t feel my body I could feel the shadows. They could tell me where my flesh ended and my enemy began. Even if I couldn¡¯t move my muscles fast enough, I could use my shadows to pull myself around like the Vx manipted its threads. The rest of the tendrils I thinned, making them not much wider than the threads. If there was nothing I could do to block them, I could at least see theming. I twisted them around myself like a cloud. Wisps of darkness that would at least tell me from which direction death came even before my ears detected it. I could feel the winding from the royal¡¯s limbs. If I was going to do anything to it, I needed to get to its body. I considered using the cursed de, but with how much damage the venom had done and the magic poisoning there was no guarantee my body would be able to handle it. It would likely kill me the moment I undid the sp. I couldn¡¯t wait for it toe to me. I would have to throw everything I had at it. I¡¯d never known any other way. There was a rhythm to the ms, and I picked the perfect gap to hurl myself out. Immediately I felt the threads close, but I was ready. The shadows told me where they wereing from, and I hurled weapons from my storage in either direction. The threads carved through them effortlessly, but their direction was changed just enough for me to slip past andsh out at one of the spider¡¯s back legs with a shadow-wrapped fist. It¡¯s outer shell cracked under the force, and the spider whirled on me. It brought its forelimbs down in another barrage and I danced to the best of my ability. It was like I was watching someone else be attacked, pulling their body out of the way of each strike. On the fifth, I reached out with my shadows and wrapped around the limb just before the spider ripped it up to strike again. It tore me into the air, but my body just added the pain onto the pile. I let go at the peak of its pull and was weightless for a second, then Ished out and caught the top of one of its other legs and used it to swing myself onto its back. I twisted multiple shadows together and plunged them into the carapace, spreading them out and digging into the spider¡¯s innards underneath. It screeched and pitched underneath me, but I used my other tendrils to carve deep gashes into the spider¡¯s shell-like flesh until I could rip away a chunk of it. I reared back to strike directly into the exposed flesh beneath, but I wasn¡¯t quick enough. A wall of threads flew at me and I was forced to relinquish my grip or be ripped to shreds. I pushed myself into the air, but several still caught my leg. I spun in the air from the force of it, but my shadowsshed out towards the spider like they had a mind of their own. I dug into the spider with hooks of darkness and collected tendrils around my fingers like ws. It pitched under me and the hooks mmed me down onto its abdomen. I felt something else in me crack, but at this point what was a little more pain? I mmed my ws into its abdomen in a simr fashion to how it had been burrowing into the wall. Green blood poured out, but I was wrapped from head to toe in the shifting dark of my shadows. I ripped into it until it went sideways underneath me, climbing up onto the wall, then the threads returned. I was too slow this time and they caught me on the side, hurling me to the ground and damn-near cutting through my arm in the process. It hung limply, connected to my body by only flesh and muscle, but I just wrapped it in shadows and shoved it back in ce. I mmed into stone and bounced into a chunk of rock that I managed to roll up. I could taste blood¡ªa coppery taste that was magnified a thousand times by my senses¡ªand my body was begging me to stop. If I wasn¡¯t pulling myself around with shadows, I¡¯d bepletely immobile. The Vx hurled itself off the wall at me, mming into the ground hard enough to make the walls rattle, and lunged towards me. I was on my back, but I knew I wasn¡¯t going to be able to move in time to avoid the fangs lunging for me. I held my hand out, and the cursed de sprung to existence. The fangs would have cleaved me in two, but they weren¡¯t strong enough to damage the magic in the scabbard. One of the fangs snapped entirely, spinning off into the darkness. I lined my near-severed arm up and used [Shadow Stitching] and felt something shifting inside me¡ªbones and muscle being pulled together¡ªthen I swung the sheathed cursed de with my one working arm and smashed it into the royal¡¯s head. It jerked back and I rolled forward, mming the de into the spider¡¯s leg. I¡¯d pulled out my trump card, now I had to use it before the royal adapted. Carapace split under the first strike, then snapped under the second. It twisted, trying to get its armored legs between us, but I lunged forward and caught the leg I¡¯d hit earlier. It snapped too. More threads than ever before came rushing at me. Two cut through my shadows and left deep gashes in my side. I swung the de down on them and they wrapped around the scabbard instinctively, but they couldn¡¯t snap this steel. I ran between the legs with the threads trailing behind and the spider tried to follow in its six remaining limbs. More threads cut into me, but they were quickly tangling with one another. I felt the de tug, and I tugged back. My shadows dug into the ground and pulled me along. The threads I¡¯d hooked around one of the legs had pulled taut when the spider tried to step and the leg had paid the price. Four feet of the limb were sheared off and the beast roared again. It sagged to the side and more threads cut into me, but each thread that drew close was caught and twisted by the sword. I crossed under to its other side and pulled the de with me, the strength of my shadows fighting against the spider¡¯s armor. It struggled while lines of blood started to seep from the cuts where the threads were starting to bite through. I pulled the de around the limb and mmed it back into the threads I¡¯d pulled across, twisting it so that it knotted. The spider started to thrash, but that only caused it to fall on its side. Iunched myself at the spider and mmed my shadowed ws into the bottom of the thorax, digging until I found something that felt important. The spider rolled, trying to get its wrecked underbelly away from me, but it only made it as far as its back before I yanked. Something tore out and the spider¡¯s thrashing intensified before going still. The limbs curled in, letting the sword hang lower until it was nearly touching the bottom of the upside-down body. I slumped down and sat heavily on its stomach, leaning against its abdomen that had curled up behind me. [Level Up!] I bit back augh. I¡¯d leveled up, but a quick look at my health and mana meant there was a good chance I wouldn¡¯t get to enjoy it. [Health: 23/220] [Mana: 9/120] The cuts were deep. Too deep for bandages to be of any use. I still used what little shadows I had left to try and staunch what bleeding I could, but it woulde down to which came first. Either I¡¯d regenerate thatst point of mana and be able to cast [Shadow Stitching] or I¡¯d bleed out. I conjured a mana potion. A healing pot wouldn¡¯t do much and I¡¯d still be bleeding to death, but a mana potion could kill me outright. With how little of my body I could actually feel now, I had no real way to gauge how much magic poisoning I¡¯d umted. I swirled the mana potion around. I¡¯d wait until I had three health left, and if I hadn¡¯t ticked up a mana by then I¡¯d drink the potion and hope for the best. Odds were it would be thest thing I did, but I was also sitting on the corpse of a beast I shouldn¡¯t have been able to kill in a hundred years. I kicked the underside of the carapace I was sitting on. ¡°Damned idiot. You still haven¡¯t figured out how to die,¡± I said to myself. Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Salacious Sorcerer Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Scious Sorcerer I had four health left when my mana ticked up to ten. I cast [Shadow Stitching] the moment it did, but the sound of my shadows piercing my flesh was the only sign of the skill activating. My body had reached its limit for pain, it seemed. I patted the spider underneath me. ¡°Sorry, buddy, looks like one of us walks away after all.¡± The spider didn¡¯t reply. Now that I knew I wasn¡¯t going to die, I should probablye up with a n. I searched out for my senses, and it wasn¡¯t long before I heard the echoes ofbat. My friends were fighting spiders, but from theck of earth-trembling crashes I knew they weren¡¯t fighting anything like a royal. In my state there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to help them, so I had to have faith that they could handle themselves. First things first, I should see if the new skill I¡¯d unlocked could help me out. I looked at what I had avable andughed. ¡°Well, shit! Thanks for the level,¡± I said to the spider¡¯s corpse. I took the skill without hesitating. It would make me a very dangerous person.
Giant Killer (p) - The bigger they are, the more they¡¯ll bleed. When facing an enemy stronger than you, gain Primal. Therger the gap, the more Primal you gain.
Assuming we made it out alive, that skill would be a massive boon. If someone was out here hunting the de, I knew they¡¯d be strong, This would be just the equalizer I needed to skate past such an encounter. I dismissed my interface. The fighting had ended, and I hoped that meant my friends hade out on top. I tried to stand and head for them, but my body simply wouldn¡¯t respond. My shirt hung in tatters and my pants weren¡¯t much better. The jacket I¡¯d worn wasn¡¯t much more than a few strips of fabric at this point. I could have conjured antern, but right now I didn¡¯t want to see how bad my body looked. I could smell the blood drying on my chest. I¡¯d probably picked up a few new scars today. I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. I was pretty sure a few of my ribs were broken along with my left corbone, and my left arm was currently held together by muscle and stitches. One of the threads had cut through the bone just above my elbow. I¡¯d be limited to one-armed weapons for a few days at least until Serena¡¯s skill could patch me up. Serena. Rhani. Noelle. I tried my hardest to picture them in my mind. To remember how they sounded. The feel of their embraces. Their smells. Their tastes. If I held onto those memories hard enough, I could keep the ones at the edge of recollection at bay. The ones that came when I pulled the Zaren who¡¯d been ve Thirteen out of his box. I should have brought antern out. Lit up the area. It would have helped remind my brain that I wasn¡¯t in the catbs any longer. That I¡¯d escaped. That I¡¯d survived. I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to. The other reason I didn¡¯t bring out any light was because being in the dark helped me keep an ear out for my friends. The intensified pain also helped keep me from passing out, though already my eyelids were starting to droop. I¡¯d pushed myself too far, then I¡¯d pushed even harder. I hadn¡¯t felt this battered and bruised and defeated since¡ª Don¡¯t think about it. I shoved the memories away. I couldn¡¯t afford to spiral. Not right now. I needed to find a way to keep busy. I couldn¡¯t stand, but my right arm was mostly functioning. Ibed through my storage looking for anything that might help. I pulled out a splint and some bandages and started tying them around my severed arm. Hopefully the bone was lined up right, but I didn¡¯t really have the time or ability to make sure at the moment. It would be just a tad ridiculous to survive the royal only to die from poking and prodding my injury. It was around then that they finally got close enough that I could just barely hear their voices. They wereing from a tunnel maybe thirty feet above where the spider¡¯s body leaned against the wall with me on top of it. I strained my senses to catch their words. ¡°¡ªjust saying that it¡¯s been nearly an hour now since we¡¯ve heard whatever the fuck he was fighting,¡± Tiana was saying. ¡°He¡¯s alive,¡± Serena insisted. ¡°I know he is. His armor hasn¡¯t faded.¡± The tremor in her voice made my gut twist with guilt. I¡¯d been so quick to simply ept that I wasn¡¯t getting out alive. That my only course of action was to take the royal out with me. Had I really progressed so little from the Zaren who didn¡¯t care if he lived or died? Was it that easy for me to just give in? Had I grown so little? I would do better. I had to do better next time. For them. For the people who¡¯d suddenly made my life worth living. Then I heard Rhani¡¯s voice. ¡°He¡¯ll be okay, we just need to find him soon. We¡¯re almost out of mana potions.¡± I heard Noelle sniff. ¡°I smell him. His blood. A lot of it.¡± Her tone trembled, and I could hear a low huming from her. They were close enough that I could hear the uneven gait of Elisa being carried, which meant all five of them were at least alive. Relief floored me, and I let out a tension I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding. That was a mistake, because I almost passed out the second I did. By the time my ears stopped ringing they were running. I could see the light of theirntern flickering against the walls above. They hit the edge and stopped. I took as good a look from them as I could manage, but my left eye didn¡¯t seem to be working all that great. A quick wipe revealed my face was covered in blood. They were a little worse for wear, but I didn¡¯t see any severe injuries on them. At a guess, the royal had sent its underlings to keep them busy while it dealt with me. The light around them wasn¡¯t antern, but something else. Brighter, constant, hanging from Serena¡¯s hip. I couldn¡¯t make it out from here, but already I could feel it dampening my senses. I conjured up antern before I could pass out. Elisa saw me first and shrieked, pointing. The rest looked down and there were cries of surprise and rm all around. I raised my good hand in greeting. ¡°Everyone alright up there?¡± I winced at how hoarse my voice sounded, then Serena cried out. I looked down and realized I looked so much worse than I thought I would. The spider had split me open from corbone to kneecap on my right side and ripped a jagged line across my chest just above my nipples. It had taken most of my clothing with it, leaving the puffy torn flesh straining against thick ck stitches on full disy. I wasn¡¯t even sure if she could see it under the blood that caked me either. When I looked back down she was falling towards me. Her feet pushed off the air, [Step of the Skydancer] allowing her to control her descent. Her feet had barely touched the carapace of the spider before she lunged for me. Her arms wrapped around me and I felt the warmth of her healing spread through me. The room swam when she jostled my arm. ¡°Careful, there!¡± I groaned. ¡°My bicep isn¡¯t really attached that great right now.¡± She pulled back with tears in her eyes and I felt the warmth lessen. ¡°Goddess, Zaren! Are you alright? How bad is your health?¡± I brushed my hand through her hair, then winced as I unintentionally smeared blood through it. Red blood, not green. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to answer that. I¡¯m alive, and that¡¯s what¡¯s important.¡± She looked down and turned a shade of green. She ran her glowing hands along the long vertical gash. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡± She choked back a sob, then looked up to where the others were all looking down at us with different levels of concern. ¡°He¡¯s alright!¡± I conjured some of the rope we¡¯d used earlier and a weighted hook. ¡°Here, toss this up to them so they can tie it off. We can climb out after you put a little more health in me.¡± She didn¡¯t take the rope right away. She studied my face closely, and whatever she saw made her bottom lip tremble and tears collect in the corners of her eyes. She cupped my cheek, then softly kissed me. ¡°You¡¯re alright, now,¡± she said for me just as much as she did for her. Only then did she take the rope and stand. She managed to get it up on her first swing, then she returned and sat in myp. ¡°Mana potion, please,¡± she said. I raised a brow, and she set her jaw. ¡°We climb back up when I say you¡¯re sufficiently healed. Now give me a mana pot.¡± I did and she downed it, then she leaned into me and pressed her face into my neck. Her hands slid under my ruined shirt to touch my back, and I felt her tense up when they trailed the wounds there. ¡°We heard the fighting. Felt the tunnels shaking. Then it all just went quiet. I was so scared. I didn¡¯t know where you were. If you were¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future.¡± I frowned. The warmth wasn¡¯t justing from her hands. It came from her forearms that pressed into me. The flesh above her breasts that pressed into my exposed chest. Her face against my neck. The warmth grew more intense, and I could feel my wounds closing faster. ¡°Serena, did you just start using more mana?¡± ¡°I would if I could!¡± she said angrily. ¡°It seems my stupid skill only has one level of healing!¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure. I pulled up my health. ¡°Dismiss your arm guards.¡± She screwed up her face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your bracers. Dismiss them.¡± ¡°How?¡± Ah, right. That was probably useful information. I knew she could, which meant if I focused on the skill¡­ ¡°Touch the gem at your neck. The one on your cor. Then focus on dismissing them.¡± She did, and immediately I felt the warmthing from where they¡¯d been. She put her arm back and I watched my health closely. After a few seconds, I was sure. ¡°Serena, read me the exact wording of your skill, please.¡± ¡°¡®When touching a creature, expend mana to restore their wounds.¡¯ Why?¡± Well that was interesting. For one, most healing spells specified that they restored or regenerated health, but that was something to deal withter. It was the first half that was interesting to me, especially after the skill she¡¯d obtained earlier. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that no warmth wasing from where she sat on myp or anywhere else clothes or armor separated us. ¡°Try not to freak out, but I think we might have misunderstood your skill slightly.¡± Her eyes shot up to mine, which had the unintended effect of pulling her away from me. Now the only part of her touching me was her hands. Sure enough, the speed of my healing tanked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she demanded. I put my palm to her cheek and felt the warmthing from it again. ¡°If I¡¯m right, the strength of your healing might be directly tied to how much you¡¯re touching your target when you activate your skill.¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°How much¡ªah, skin-to-skin contact you¡¯ve got with them.¡± It took her a second, then her eyes went wide. Another secondter, her face waspletely red. Then, wordlessly, she touched the gem at her neck. All the armor on her torso melted into thin air, leaving only the cor on her neck. Then she quickly stripped what was left of my shirt away. She looked up and down my now-uncovered body with tears in her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take potions?¡± I winced. ¡°I did. I took enough that another might kill me.¡± Her bottom lip trembled, but she just nodded. Then she pushed herself into my chest and wrapped her arms around me, making sure there was as much contact between us as possible. I let out a sigh at the wave of warmth that flowed through me. I¡¯d been right, her skill was much stronger now. Especially since baring her breasts had surely boosted her Divine. I wrapped my arm around her as well and pressed my cheek to the side of her head to further increase the contact. I hadn¡¯t even realized I¡¯d passed out until I felt feet hit the carapace nearby. I cracked open the eye that wasn¡¯t nearly crusted shut with blood. Rhani looked down at me with worry clear in her eyes, but she put on a brave smile. ¡°I guess she missed you a lot.¡± She tried to be upbeat, but she was as near to panic as Serena. I chuckled, then I exined what we¡¯d learned. Already I was feeling much better than I had just a few minutes ago. Once I was done, she knelt down and ran a hand through Serena¡¯s hair before leaning in to kiss me softly. ¡°It is totally not fair that she¡¯s getting all the pervy skills. Doesn¡¯t your goddess know I found you first?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to bring it up with her next time I see her.¡± Rhani pulled out her paring knife. ¡°You¡¯d better.¡± Then she left us behind to start cutting into the abdomen to the side of where we sat. ¡°Noelle wasn¡¯t happy about it, but she stayed up top to watch over Tiana and Elisa. We need to take a break soon or Elisa¡¯s going to pass out. She¡¯s a trooper, but she can¡¯t keep going for much longer with that leg.¡± I slowly stroked Serena¡¯s back and she started to rx. ¡°Noted. I need a minute to catch my breath, too.¡± Rhani nced to me with wide eyes as if surprised I¡¯d made such an admission, but now that my injuries and the venom were fading I could tell how close I¡¯de to developing full on magic poisoning. I needed to let my mana regen. In an hour or two I might be able to stomach a mana potion. I looked back at her. ¡°How are you?¡± She bit her lip and turned back to cutting into the carapace. Luckily for her, it seems most of the blood had drained out of the holes I¡¯d left on the top of the creature before it had flipped. ¡°I¡¯m terrified. I¡¯m scared I¡¯m going to have to watch someone I care about get hurt. I¡¯m scared that something will slip past you ande at me and there¡¯ll be nothing I can do about it. I¡¯m scared that one of you will get injured trying to save me because I can¡¯t protect myself.¡± I couldn¡¯t me her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. If it¡¯s any constion, I regret dragging you down here. The Vx colony is muchrger than I thought it could possibly be.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m d I¡¯m here. Every kill brings me a little closer to being able to protect myself, and if you¡¯d left me behind then I¡¯d be going mad with worry. I¡¯m scared out of my mind, but there¡¯s nowhere I¡¯d rather be than right here with you.¡± Serena¡¯s arms tightened. ¡°The same goes for me.¡± I ran my hand through her hair and kissed the top of her head. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have anyone else at my back. Nowe on, we should go back to the others.¡± Her head jerked up. ¡°No! Not till I¡¯m done!¡± I chuckled. ¡°Serena, I¡¯m healed. You¡¯ve gotten me up to full.¡± Numbers-wise, at least. It would still be a few days before my body fully recovered from the extensive damage, and my natural health regeneration was probably gutted. She opened her mouth, then closed. Rhani paused where she was trying to pry out a silk sac half as big as she was. ¡°No fucking way.¡± Serena searched my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not lying, are you?¡± I caressed her cheek. ¡°I have never and will never lie to you.¡± I trailed my hand down her body, running a thumb along her breasts before I even knew what I was doing. ¡°Your skill and our new discovery patched me right up.¡± It had also had another effect on me. The heat that had filled my wounds had collected in another ce, and I could tell she realized as much when she leaned back in myp and sat on my erection. She smiled softly at me, then her smile fell. ¡°Oh no. You don¡¯t think my skill¡ª¡± I touched the crystal at her neck and her armor reappeared. ¡°Let¡¯s figure that out when we aren¡¯t sitting on the corpse of a giant spider that nearly killed me.¡± Serena very quickly stood and pulled me to my feet. Once we were both standing, she pulled me closer for a kiss. ¡°No more almost dying.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± Hopefully it would be that easy, but I wasn¡¯t going to hold my breath. She went to help Rhani with the silk sac. Once they had it separated I banished it to my storage. Then Serena climbed up the rope with ease, followed by Rhani who struggled a little. I could move my left arm again, but I didn¡¯t trust it to hold my weight. I tied the rope around my waist and let them pull me up, using my arm and my legs to help as much as I could. When I got to the top, everyone but Elisa was helping pull. Once I was safely up the ledge, both she and Tiana took a look at my chest and their jaws dropped. A part of me hoped it was mostly because of my physique, but I figured the angry red lines and stitches that would likely remain for a few hours were the real draw of their attention. Elisa blushed and looked away, but Tiana drank in my every detail hungrily. I couldn¡¯t help but notice she was red in the face, and I thought I saw her lick her lips. Then she shook herself. ¡°So what¡¯s a powerhouse like you doing down here? You a family friend of her girlfriend¡¯s or something?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nope. Just passing through. Cynthia saw me and pegged me as someone a lot stronger than their rank and offered to hire me to bring back Elisa¡¯s body.¡± Elisa, who was sitting on a rock, straightened. ¡°Body?!¡± I nodded to Rhani. Her and Tiana helped Elisa up while I talked. ¡°Your former party member told everyone you were dead, so yes. Body.¡± I started walking and everyone fell into step behind me, though Serena stayed at my shoulder this time. ¡°She¡ª¡± her breath caught. ¡°She thinks I¡¯m dead? What money did she offer you we¡¯re¡ª¡± she gasped. ¡°She offered you our stash. Everything she had. Otherwise someone as strong as you never would have cared enough toe.¡± I looked at her over my shoulder and arched a brow. ¡°Actually I told her she didn¡¯t have enough to hire me, so I didn¡¯t take a copper off her.¡± She practically snarled at me. ¡°You asshole! Why did you¡ª¡± her words died when she realized that I was in fact the one who¡¯d saved her life anyways. ¡°I¡ªI mean¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. And to answer your next question, no I didn¡¯t tell her you might be alive. I wasn¡¯t sure at the time, so I didn¡¯t want to get her hopes up just to crush them.¡± Tiana grimaced. ¡°Damn. That means my parents back home probably got a death notification already. I bet my sister is all kinds of fucked up right now. We need to get back soon.¡± I nodded. ¡°I agree. The sooner we get out of here the better. Unless we¡¯re supremely unlucky, that royal Vx was the biggest thing down here, but it might not have been the only one.¡± Nobody looked particrly thrilled by that. I took another nce at Elisa. Rhani was right. She was panting already, and there was a thick sheen of sweat on her pallid forehead. There were dark bags under her eyes, and I could see her trembling from here. I kept my eyes out for any alcoves that could make defensible spots to rest. ¡°That doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± Tiana said. ¡°No offense, but people with your levels don¡¯t usually give a shit about people like me and her. You can¡¯t really expect me to believe you came down here out of the goodness of your heart.¡± I shrugged, and it didn¡¯t escape my notice that her eyes raked down my bare back when I did. I should probably put a shirt on, but it would do little against Vx ws so I hadn¡¯t bothered. ¡°Whether you believe it or not, the main reason we came down was because I assumed there was a chance you were still alive. The levels and Vx silk were nice bonuses, but I made a promise to myself a long time ago that I wouldn¡¯t ever let someone die a horrible death if I could stop it.¡± She chewed the inside of her cheek and looked away, readjusting her grip on Elisa. We¡¯d just found a crag that opened into a small space when she said, ¡°I¡¯d really like to clear something up.¡± I took Elisa from them since it would be easier for one person to carry her through the gap. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I acted horrifically when we first met, and I wanted to exin.¡± Elisa cried out softly when her leg was jostled, but other than that made no sound until the sigh of relief when I set her on the floor inside the room. ¡°You were under the influence of magisbane venom. Nothing to be embarrassed about.¡± She slipped in as well, followed by the others. Noelle still brought up the rear. Then Tiana shook her head adamantly. ¡°That¡¯s like saying it¡¯s okay to cheat because you¡¯re drunk.¡± It was big enough for all of us to sit, so we sat in a circle. The golem was too big to fit in the crag, so we left it outside. I¡¯d set Elisa on one side of the small little room, now lit by ournterns and the light at Serena¡¯s hip, and Serena sat next to her to look at her leg. Rhani pulled Noelle into herp and sat on one side of me, which left an embarrassed looking Tiana to sit on my right. ¡°The fact is that when you woke me up I was really horny, but it wasn¡¯t venom that did it.¡± She took a deep breath. ¡°I have a detriment ss.¡± Rhani¡¯s hands shot up to her mouth, but Serena and Elisa both looked confused. I raised a brow at Tiana. Suddenly I understood why her magic was so strong. ¡°A detriment ss,¡± I exined to the others, ¡°is a ss that has some kind of drawback in exchange for more powerful than normal skills.¡± ¡°Like mine,¡± Noelle offered quietly. Tiana¡¯s eyes shot to her, but I merely said, ¡°that¡¯s right.¡± I got Tiana¡¯s attention. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to tell us?¡± She swallowed, not meeting my eyes, but she nodded curtly. ¡°I¡¯d really like to live to see the sun again, and after seeing the thing you killed I know you¡¯re my best chance at that. You need to understand all the tools at your disposal.¡± I urged her to go on and she shifted, rubbing her thighs together. ¡°It¡¯s called Scious Sorceress. Horrible name, I know. It¡¯s my secondary ss, my primary being Arcanist. A more run of the mill mage ss.¡± It was hardly one I¡¯d heard of, but I didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°I was in amitted rtionship at the time, and I really liked the guy. I liked the sex just as much, so when I got the option to take a ss that said it would strengthen my magic through intimacy I took it. Later on, after my boyfriend of the time turned out to not be the man I¡¯d hoped he was, I learned he wasn¡¯t quite as good at it as I¡¯d thought. I hope the girl I found him with figured that out too.¡± She added thest part under her breath. ¡°Its core skill strengthens my magic based on how¡­aroused I am.¡± She fixed her eyes on the floor, her face turning crimson. ¡°What I didn¡¯t know at the time was that I would always be horny because of it.¡± Noelle was starting to turn purple again from how hard Rhani was squeezing her. ¡°Ren, is it toote to shoot for a different ss?¡± I threw a small rock at her, but she dodged it easily. ¡°Yes, though knowing you anything is possible. We can always shoot for a pervy ss in your third slot, and you¡¯ll have an evolution sometimein theing months as well.¡± I turned back to Tiana. ¡°Cards on the table, no judgment. Like you said, we need to work together to make it out, and your ss is hardly the most ridiculous I¡¯ve dealt with. Are you telling us this because you want me to¡­help you power up?¡± She shifted, her thighs rubbing together again. She nodded without looking up. ¡°In the months since I unlocked it, I¡¯ve been offering that to adventurers. If they let me join, they could feel me up all they wanted. It boosted my strength and it made it possible for a nobody like me to actually find decently strong groups, even if they were full of pervs and assholes.¡± Her hands clenched around her robes. ¡°I never fucked any of them, though. That¡¯s what I wanted to say, at least. That despite how I acted when I woke up, I¡¯m no slut. I¡¯m just¡­¡± Elisa looked shocked, Rhani looked intensely jealous, and Serena had pity in her eyes. Noelle seemed as impassive as usual, though she was the only one watching me. I silently got Rhani and Serena¡¯s attention and sent them both a questioning look. Rhani rolled her eyes as if to say, do you really have to ask? Serena gasped softly, blushed, then nodded a little too quickly. I raised a brow at Noelle, and her pupils narrowed to slits. She nced at Rhani then Serena, who had also looked to her, then back to me. Then she tilted her head in an almost imperceptible nod. ¡°I see,¡± I said finally. My voice made Tiana jump. ¡°And is that offer only open to me? Or would you be willing to let my household here assist as well?¡± Her fingers curled into her robes. ¡°O-of course. If that¡¯s what you think is best.¡± Rhani, despite her excitement, poked me in my still-tender ribs. She¡¯d heard the same note of disappointment as I did. ¡°I only ask because once we¡¯re back in the tunnels it would be easier for Rhani since you¡¯re both backliners. When we¡¯re resting, like now, I¡¯ve got no problem helping you.¡± Her head snapped up, her turquoise eyes locking on mine, and I lifted my arm towards her. ¡°I¡¯d like to know a little more about how it works, though.¡± I thought she was hardly breathing when she scooted over next to me. She was stiff as a board until I slowly slid a hand behind her back, around her waist, then up the side of her body until I slid it forward to cup her breast. I barely squeezed it and she let out a throaty breath and practically melted into me. She leaned her head on my shoulder and looked up at me through eyes half-lidded in clear pleasure. ¡°Mmff, wh-what do you want to know?¡± I gently started kneading her breast, capturing her nipple between my two forefingers. All eyes were on us, though Serena was at least still healing Elisa¡¯s leg a bit. ¡°As much as you¡¯re willing to tell me, in all honesty, but let¡¯s start with limits. What you¡¯refortable with.¡± She put her hand over mine and rubbed her body against my side. ¡°I¡ªah¡ªI¡¯m okay with what you¡¯re okay with, sir.¡± I chuckled. ¡°First off, no titles. I¡¯m just Ren. Second off, if you knew my household, you probably wouldn¡¯t be so quick to say that. For now I think it best if you set the limits.¡± Her hand started to caress my thigh and I kneaded a little harder. ¡°Nng¡ªno sex.¡± ¡°Sex as in¡­?¡± ¡°Your cock in my pussy,¡± she gasped. ¡°I don¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t want to fuck someone just because of a skill. If we fuck, I want it to be because we both want it.¡± Rhani prodded my leg, clearly wanting me to explore thatst sentence, but I gently shoved her with my injured arm. Then I slid it out of its sling and twisted so I could pull Tiana back into my chest. She lifted herself up and onto my leg. She was barely shorter than me standing, but her legs seemed to go on forever. It put her at just the perfect height that I could rest my chin on her shoulder when she was in myp. I ran a hand along her thigh, starting on the outside and sliding over to caress the tender flesh between her legs. She moaned, and I slid under her robes where her uncovered slit sat waiting. When I ran a finger up her lower lips, she arched her back and her grip on my own thigh tightened. ¡°Oh fuck. I knew you¡¯d be good with your hands. Of fucking course you are,¡± she breathed. She spread her legs wide enough so they were outside of mine. One of her hands covered my own between her legs and the other went lower to caress my own inner thigh. I blew air across her throat and she leaned her head back on my shoulder, already starting to gyrate her hips on my very-stiff member. I started slowly fingering the outside of her core while my other hand continued to work her breast with ever so slightly increasing fervor. ¡°No vaginal sex. Understood. What else?¡± She bucked her hips trying do slip me inside her, but I just kept caressing the outer folds. ¡°What else? What do you mean what else? I¡¯m not¡ªfuck¡ªI don¡¯t even know what else there is to take off the table. What exactly do you want to do to me?¡± Feeling her squirm in my grasp, there were a great many things I wanted to do to her. That couldeter, though. After we were no longer in a spider kingdom. ¡°Is there anywhere you don¡¯t want me to touch? Do you want me to use my mouth?¡± Her hand had started stroking my length through my tattered trousers. ¡°Do you want me to use my other equipment at all?¡± She seemed to only just realize where her hand was. ¡°Shit, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean¡ª¡± I left her breast long enough to guide her hand back to my length. She seemed to have been enjoying it. She hesitated for a second, then went back to stroking it. ¡°Turnabout is always fair y. I¡¯m not going to sit here and explore your body then tell you that you can¡¯t do the same.¡± She looked at me with heat in her eyes and bit her lip, then she ran her hand the entire length. ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± she breathed. Then her eyes widened. ¡°An exmation, not an invitation!¡± she said quickly. I chuckled throatily. ¡°Duly noted. My question?¡± Her brows came together while she tried to recall it. ¡°Um, I don¡¯t¡ªah, I mean, whatever you think is best, I¡¯m okay with it. You can put whatever you want wherever you want except for that one thing.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say your mouth?¡± There was a hint of desperation in her tone, so I leaned my head down and trailed my lips across the top of her shoulder. Thanks to her being a far away from the spider-blood fountains and Rhani¡¯s cleaning spell, she didn¡¯t smell or taste bad in the slightest. She shuddered, and the hand on mine reached up and sunk into my hair. ¡°I did,¡± I told her. Then I finally slid a finger inside her and she clenched around it. Her fingers tightened in my hair and she came with a gasp, throwing her head back. I traced my lips up her neck and kissed the bottom of her jaw. ¡°I suppose that brings me to my next question, how exactly does it work? Your skill, I mean. Is it just arousal that it¡¯s based off of? Pleasure? If you orgasm, does that reset it?¡± The entire time I started working my finger in and out of her with increasing speed. Her breathing was already starting to quicken. ¡°I¡ªoh¡ªI don¡¯t know! I¡¯ve never had someone¡ª¡± She spasmed and clenched my hair again. Her head turned towards me and her eyes flicked down to my lips with her own slightly parted. I leaned forward slightly and that was all she needed to close the gap. She tasted sweet, faintly enough of strawberries that I figured she must have been wearing lip balm at some point in thest day or so. She pulled back with her eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯ve never had someone I trusted enough to test it out on.¡± You can trust me, if you want. The words died in my throat. I couldn¡¯t say them out loud. Not now. Not down here. Not again. A cold shudder tore through me that had nothing to do with pleasure, but I hid it as well as I could. Instead I slid my fingers out and started rubbing circles around the nub at the hood of her lips while I pinched her nipple between two fingers and gently rolled it between them. ¡°So what should we do then?¡± I asked her. Her breaths wereing quicker. Her chest heaved. ¡°Should I leave you at the edge? I imagine you¡¯d be pretty aroused then. Or I could finish you off and promise that the next one will be even stronger. I¡¯m guessing spending the moments we aren¡¯t fighting thinking of what I might do to you would be pretty arousing too.¡± ¡°Th-that one!¡± she gasped. ¡°Thest one! Gods, I¡¯m so close. Please. Promise me. Promise me that if we survive you¡¯ll make me cum again.¡± I smiled. ¡°Very well.¡± I picked up the speed on her clit and grabbed her massive breast in one hand that was nowhere near big enough to contain all its flesh, then I squeezed while I pulled it and pressed my lips to her earlobe, then whispered, ¡°When we get out of here, I¡¯ll make you cum however you want. With whatever you want.¡± That was enough. She went over the edge and clung to me, her hand pping over her mouth to muffle her moans. She came with her entire body arched against mine and squirted into the center of the room. I kept fingering her clit through the climax until she went limp in my arms, then I switched to gently running my fingers up and down her outer lips. ¡°So the arrangement is agreeable then?¡± I asked her. She let out a throatyugh and pushed herself up. ¡°Fucking hells. You are dangerous.¡± She looked back at me and I thought she looked much more rxed than I¡¯d ever seen her. ¡°But I¡¯m going to hold you to that.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°You should probably set some ground rules with Rhani as well.¡± She frowned, and Rhani pinched my side. Tiana looked to my little Arelim uncertainly. ¡°Well, she can¡¯t exactly fuck me since she doesn¡¯t have a cock, so why bother?¡± I ced a kiss to Rhani¡¯s temple. She was drooling slightly. ¡°Because this one is more creative when ites to perversion than I¡¯ll ever be.¡± I looked over to where Serena and Elisa were. Elisa had fallen asleep, but Serena was looking at me with a neutral expression. Her eyes were fixed on mine, and there was a question in them that I couldn¡¯t decipher. Had I taken things too far? Was she upset with how I¡¯d handled Tiana somehow? She noticed me looking and stood. ¡°Ren, can I have a word with you outside for a moment?¡± she asked in a carefully controlled tone. Warning bells went off in my head. In my admittedly limited experience, those words with that tone were rarely a good thing. But I had no reason to deny her, so I stood. I looked to where Tiana, Rhani, and Noelle sat. ¡°You two talk it out, I¡¯ll be just outside. Noelle, would you keep an eye on Elisa?¡± She nodded, and I followed Serena back through the crag. The golem didn¡¯t acknowledge us, but the tunnels had been dangerously quiet since I¡¯d killed the royal. She walked a few feet away and stopped with her arms crossed over her stomach. I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around her. She was upset, and I wasn¡¯t entirely sure it wasn¡¯t my fault. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She turned to look at me. She didn¡¯t answer, but her emerald eyes were dark with emotion. Finally, she said, ¡°before I ask you if you¡¯re alright, I¡¯m going to remind you that you promised not to lie to me.¡± Damn. I understood why she was upset now. Of course when I had a beautiful, half-naked girl cumming in myp, Serena¡¯s eyes had been on me. She¡¯d seen that moment of hesitation. That sh of pain that came from within. I let out a long breath, then I sat down on the ground with my back to the tunnel wall. I patted the ground next to me, and she sat, then leaned against me after a second¡¯s hesitation. ¡°No, I¡¯m not alright. And it doesn¡¯t have much to do with the giant spider.¡± She sniffled. ¡°When I found you I thought you were just upset about almost dying. I can¡¯t help but feel like a fool, now. I doubt you¡¯ve ever been overly concerned with close calls.¡± I winced. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She wrapped her arms around my good one and shook her head. ¡°No. No more apologies. Not from you, and not from me. We do it too often. We stop saying sorry and start fixing the actual problem. Both of us.¡± I pressed my cheek to her temple. ¡°Alright. I guess I¡¯ll start. I was upset when you found me, but not because I almost died. Honestly, I was upset by how little almost dying had bothered me in the moment.¡± Her lips became a thin line. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s progress, at least.¡± She looked up at me. ¡°And back there? I wasn¡¯t sure when I found you, but I am now. I see that same darkness in your eyes as that day in the woods.¡± I didn¡¯t need to ask which day she meant. The day we¡¯d met Kat, pdin of Tydarr. I hadn¡¯t thought about it at the time, but it had been Thirteen that had reared his ugly head at her words. ¡°Coming down here might have been a mistake,¡± I admitted. She didn¡¯t react, but her eyes searched every corner of my face for what felt like forever. Then she reached up and touched the gem at her neck, then pushed up enough to throw a leg over myp so we were chest to chest. She ran her hands up my chest, then caressed my face. ¡°Why?¡± I closed my eyes, letting my hands roam around her hips and lower back. When she leaned forward I felt a distinctck of armored panties against my erection, which meant she felt just how hard I was after her healing and my time with Tiana. ¡°Being down here threatens to drag me back to times best left forgotten.¡± She ced a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth then, with a slightly bashful look towards the golem, reached under her armor¡¯s skirt and fished my member out of my pants. She lined me up without fanfare and sheathed me inside her, letting out a satisfied breath at the sensation of being filled. Despite her reservations, it seemed our disy had gotten her plenty wet. I groaned as her heat enveloped me, then gave her a pointed look. ¡°I can¡¯t take away your pain, but I can at least give you a little pleasure,¡± she said, her cheeks rosy. I slid my hand along her cheek and into her hair, cupping the back of her head so I could pull her in for a real kiss. She started slowly sliding up and down my length while her tongue gently probed its way past my lips. But she wanted answers, so I pulled back. ¡°I spent some time in pitch ck catbs when I was younger,¡± I said while she rode me. She put both hands on my shoulders and used the leverage to speed up, her eyes never leaving mine. ¡°They weren¡¯t good times. I spent most of them injured, afraid, and expecting to die at any moment. I buried a number of friends in them, too. I went through things nobody should ever have to, all before I even turned sixteen.¡± She shifted her hips to get a better angle and gasped softly, then kept riding. Her walls wrung a soft moan out of me and her lips quirked upward. The slow, peaceful movements spread the pleasure out wonderfully. I ran a hand along her thigh and she smiled at me in full. It was a reassuring smile, and it worked wonders on the aching pit in my gut. ¡°I survived, and I thought those times were past me. You and Rhani and Noelle, you¡¯ve been like anchors. Without meaning to, you¡¯ve all helped me stay tethered to the present. You¡¯ve helped me keep the darkest parts of myself locked away where they can¡¯t hurt anyone, not even me.¡± I started trying to thrust back into her and she stopped, holding me down with a pointed look. Only when I went still did she continue. I understood. She was the one pleasuring me this time. ¡°I thought you three would be enough, even in a ce so like the one I¡¯d been in before. I was wrong.¡± I trailed my thumb along her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯ve never had the luxury of choosing my trials, so I thought I¡¯d be able to manage. But as soon as we were separated, I fell apart. I started losing the fight and I regressed. I¡¯m¡­ashamed.¡± That caused a hitch in her rhythm. ¡°Why would you be ashamed?¡± ¡°Because of how quickly I gave up. As soon as it looked like I wasn¡¯t walking out of there, I stopped thinking about how to survive. The only thing that mattered was making sure my enemy couldn¡¯t hurt the people I cared about. Living or dying simply didn¡¯t factor in anymore.¡± She slowed to a stop, sitting with me still buried in her. There were tears in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. ¡°But you survived. You made it back to us. To me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to say what I knew I had to say next, but I¡¯d said I wouldn¡¯t lie to her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a long history at throwing myself into fights I had no business winning and walking away. In spite of my best efforts to the contrary.¡± She leaned back, suppressing a moan when I shifted inside her because of the movement, and trailed her fingers down the long vertical scar on my chest. It had closed, but a long angry red line still remained. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d say you wanted to die.¡± She hid it as best she could, but I could still detect the faintest of usations in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I reassured her. ¡°I swear to you, I don¡¯t. But,¡± her eyes flicked up to mine, shrouded in the silver of held-back tears, ¡°I did. For a long time, I did. I kept throwing myself into those fights hoping I wouldn¡¯t walk out again, and I guess that part of me wasn¡¯t as dead as I thought.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Will you at least tell me why? Why you would choose such a horrible form of taking your own life?¡± I couldn¡¯t meet her gaze after a question like that. ¡°Because then I could at least convince myself it wasn¡¯t suicide. It would have been a fight gone bad. One I¡¯d tried and failed to win. Then, at least, it wouldn¡¯t feel so much like giving up. Like¡ª¡± a lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it, ¡°like breaking.¡± My voice broke on thest word and she heard it. Her hand on my cheek guided my eyes back to hers. I could see the question in her eyes. The one she had no idea how to ever ask. I took mercy on her. ¡°Eliya was thest of Karn¡¯s experiments to survive. Other than me. Every time Karn took someone from me and I shattered, she was the one to put the pieces back together. But then Karn took her, too.¡± I gripped her hips and leaned my forehead on hers, closing my eyes. ¡°She died in my arms. She knew she was dying, and she knew what that meant. That there wouldn¡¯t be anyone left to pick up the pieces once she was gone. With herst breath, she begged me not to let her death break me. Then she was gone. I couldn¡¯t¡ªI didn¡¯t want her final act in this world to be driving me over the edge, so I held it together. No matter how bad it hurt, I didn¡¯t let myself fall apart. Notpletely, at least.¡± Serena¡¯s hands slid slowly up and down my back. I kept going. ¡°After that, no matter how bad things got, giving up wasn¡¯t an option. If I let something push me over that edge, it would be like admitting what happened was worse than when she was taken from me. It would have been a betrayal. I was the only thing left in this world that had her mark on it, so I wanted to do good. It was as if everything I did had a little bit of her in it, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to snuff thatst ember out.¡± She sniffled, but she still didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°We didn¡¯t have names. We had numbers. We chose our names in the dark where Karn couldn¡¯t hear us and whispered them to one another in the only act of rebellion we could manage. She was the one who chose Zaren for me after I failed toe up with anything good. I was thest one who knew her name. Herugh. The sound of her voice. I couldn¡¯t take that from the world, but I couldn¡¯t keep going with it either.¡± ¡°So I kept fighting. Kept winning, even though every time I came out alive disappointed me to some extent. Then, after I killed Grimsbane and saved everyone under his thumb, I finally figured I¡¯d done enough. I¡¯d taken the gift she gave me as far as I could. I could rest. It wasn¡¯t giving up, it was¡­finishing things.¡± She brushed her lips against mine. ¡°But you¡¯re here now.¡± The corner of my mouth lifted in something that was almost a smile. ¡°Yes. Allura convinced me to hang around a little bit longer,¡± I slid my hand to cup the back of her neck, ¡°and I¡¯m d she did.¡± She started riding me again, slowly and deliberately. She kept our heads pressed together, even when her breathing started to quicken. ¡°I can¡¯t take away your past, but I can do everything in my power to promise you a future.¡± It was a foolish thing to ask, yet I felt myself asking it anyways. ¡°If you want to promise me anything, promise me you won¡¯t die. Give me someone toe back to, and I¡¯ll find my way back to you every time.¡± Her movements started to pick up speed. I could feel her twitching around me. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll live, Zaren, so you have to live, too.¡± I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her down onto me onest time and came. From her shuttered gasp, I knew she was cumming too. I filled her up, and we sat there for a while just holding one another. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said finally. Sheughed softly. ¡°See? Doesn¡¯t that sound so much better than ¡®I¡¯m sorry?¡¯¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree. While I held her I did everything in my power to lock ve Thirteen as far in me as possible, but I knew it was futile. I¡¯d broken the seal, and I¡¯d have to deal with the consequences. Chapter Thirty: Traps and Trades Chapter Thirty: Traps and Trades CW: Spoiler Heavy implications of nonconsensual sex in the final section of this chapter. [copse] We stayed like that for as long as we dared, but we needed to get moving. I felt lighter than I had before, and I knew it was because of what I¡¯d told her. I¡¯d never voiced any of that aloud, not even to my allies before Allura. Hells, most of it I¡¯d never really put together until the words wereing out of my mouth. Telling Serena helped me make sense of it, and it helped me remind why I¡¯d decided to do this in the first ce. If I did as Allura asked, Eliya would get another chance. She¡¯d get to live a real life, not the hellish existence Karn had forced on her. So would Hannah. So would the sisters Siri and Sora. So would Ina. So would all the others I¡¯d failed. I¡¯d just finished tucking myself away and finally throwing a shirt on when Noelle stuck her head out of the crag uncertainly. Serena squeaked and her hand shot up to her neck, no doubt covering her privates back up. Noelle saw us and her eyes flicked to mine, then the corners of her mouth twitched downward. ¡°Noelle?¡± I asked. Rather than answering, she walked straight up to me and threw her arms around my torso. I wrapped my arms around her with a surprised look to Serena, but she was as shocked as I was. Noelle buried her face in my chest, and I ran my hand through her short hair. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s alright now, you¡¯re alive.¡± She sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re alive.¡± An unexpected wave of emotion welled in my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I worried you.¡± She squeezed me once, then pulled away and wiped her nose. ¡°I will lead now.¡± Serena¡¯s brows rose, but I just smiled. ¡°Is that so?¡± She nodded curtly. ¡°You are hurt and low on mana, so we can¡¯t risk you going off on your own again to use your enhanced senses. My sense of smell can help us find the surface, so it would be better if you were in the back for protection.¡± Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides, and her jaw was set. She was waiting for me to argue, I realized. ¡°That sounds like a good n to me,¡± I said instead. ¡°But we should stay closer together than we have been, alright?¡± Her pupils widened, then she gave me another curt nod. ¡°You will want to move soon?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve sat still for too long as it is.¡± ¡°I will get the others.¡± I followed her into the crag with Serena behind me. I raised a brow at Rhani and Tiana. The former¡¯s hair was messy and her cheeks were rosy while thetter was still panting and flushed. Tiana, leaning on Rhani with neither of Rhani¡¯s hands visible, looked up at me. ¡°You were right. She¡¯s very creative.¡± Rhani looked at me triumphantly and Iughed. The sound roused Elisa, who looked around wildly for a moment before wincing and reaching for her leg. ¡°It feels better,¡± she said. Then she sat up and hugged herself. ¡°I was really hoping this had all been a really bad nightmare.¡± ¡°I know the feeling.¡± I crouched down next to her, addressing the others. ¡°We¡¯re changing up our formation. Noelle is in front, I¡¯ll bring up the rear. Are you okay to walk?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll manage. I just wish I wasn¡¯t such dead weight. All of you are so amazing and I¡¯m just a liability. If I had my gear, then maybe¡­¡± I mentally smacked myself. ¡°Right. In all the excitement, itpletely slipped my mind.¡± I conjured up the bag with all the tools and metal balls and held it out to her. Her eyes went wide. ¡°My stuff!¡± She snatched it from me and started rifling through. I noticed Tiana lean away slightly when she did. ¡°You got my stuff! You¡¯re amazing!¡± She pulled out a few of the balls. ¡°Oh it¡¯s good to see all of you again.¡± I chuckled, then put a hand under her arm. She held onto me and easily lifted her up and helped her out of the small alcove. The others filed out as well, and I handed her off to Rhani. She was already steadier, and she could move much easier now. She still couldn¡¯t put much weight on her leg, but she could at least move in an emergency. Noelle made sure we were all out, then nodded once and headed off with the golem in tow. I trailed a hand along the curve of Tiana¡¯s rear and she shot me an appreciative look, then stepped closer to me. I started to softly caress her while we walked and her mouth curled up in a half smile. ¡°The spiders have already isted me once, and it nearly cost us everything,¡± I said. I received worried looks, but nobody argued. I conjured a bag and slipped our remaining potions, some rations, and two water canteens in it. I held it out to Tiana, and she took it with a nod. ¡°The tactic was as close to sessful as they¡¯ve managed so far, so expect them to repeat it. If we do get separated again, I want to make sure I¡¯m not the one with all the resources.¡± I had enough mana for at least a few tendrils, so I conjured one on myself and one on Noelle just to be safe. We were vanguard and rearguard, so it made the most sense. We moved through the tunnels as quickly as we dared, but we walked for nearly an hour withouting across any resistance. I didn¡¯t like that one bit, especially not with my internal clock telling me nightfall wasn¡¯t far off. Many of the more dangerous breeds of spider would be nocturnal, and I wanted to get out of these caverns before they became a problem. My left arm would still be little to no good in a fight, but it was great for asional touches on Tiana¡¯s body. If arousal is what made her stronger, then not knowing exactly when or where I¡¯d touch next would keep her on a nice edge. From the heated looks she kept giving me, I figured I was doing a pretty good job. When I used an incline we were walking up to slide a hand along the inside of her leg and over her rear entrance, she gave me a look that said she nned to make very good use of that promise I¡¯d made her. They finallyunched an ambush, and Tiana proved just how good a job I was doing. The spiders had barely emerged from their murder holes before she shot four bolts of arcane energy out that eviscerated anything and everything they touched. Just four killed three times as many spiders as six had earlier, and it was child¡¯s y for Noelle and Serena to clean up what was left. ¡°See?¡± she asked, breathing heavily, ¡°not a slut. Just someone who was an idiot when they were choosing their ss.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Hardly. That was quite the disy. I gripped her bountiful ass cheek in one hand and when she gasped I pressed my lips to hers. She kissed me back greedily, then a shudder ran through her body and she jerked away with her eyes rolled back into her head. She would have fallen if I hadn¡¯t pulled her to my chest. ¡°Fuck!¡± She took a second to right herself, but she didn¡¯t distance herself from me. ¡°Fuck you¡¯re good with those hands. I¡¯ve been on edge this whole fucking time, but I wasn¡¯t ready for that kiss.¡± I tried not to feel too much pride that the kiss was what pushed her over the edge. Instead I gave her ass another squeeze. ¡°Keep vaporizing spiders and I¡¯ll give you much more than that measly peck.¡± I leaned in close and whispered in her ear, ¡°imagine how good my lips might feel in other ces.¡± A moan slipped through her lips and she mped her hand over her mouth with rosy cheeks. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever had a party member capable of keeping me this worked up.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Almost makes me d those spiders caught me.¡± I gave her ass a smack, then was promptly mesmerized by the shockwaves that traveled across her ample and poorly concealed rear. ¡°Just imagine what I¡¯ll be able to aplish when we¡¯re somewhere warm, soft, and I¡¯m at your mercy.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Where the fuck have you been all my life?¡± she mumbled. Oh, you know, stuck in a thirty yeara imposed by a goddess. The usual. The answer was so ridiculous I almostughed. In all honesty I¡¯d been thinking along the same lines. Keeping her aroused was not only fun, but it was a great way to keep my mind off where we were. The amused nces from Serena and openly jealous looks from Rhani helped too. I was sure Rhani was alreadying up with a n to have me feel her up on a regr basis like this too. We walked for nearly two hours before everything went wrong. The Vx had been suspiciously quiet for far too long, and as a result I was starting to think Tiana might jump me soon. It seemed I¡¯d been doing a little too well when it came to turning her on, and from the way her nipples were trying their best to cut through the fabric and the faint wetness I could see on the insides of her thighs I was starting to get a little worried. Then the ambush came, and she seemed content to unleash her frustration on the hordes in front of her. More bolts went flying and spiders were obliterated by the dozens. Then the other half of the ambush came from behind. I spun and conjured a second tendril, hoping my one handed de would be enough to hold them back, when even more bolts arced around me. I threw myself into the fray and my tendrils whipped around me like a whirlwind, slicing any Vx that got within reach. I took a page out of the royal¡¯s book and thinned them, making them much longer. They were less destructive, but against numerous small enemies like the Vx that hardly mattered. [Horde yer] ensured I could handle any spiders that somehow managed to avoid Tiana¡¯s bolts or my shadows. It was right after I¡¯d dispatched thest of my side of the ambush that I realized the trap. There were twice as many spiders on the front end, and they were allrger. It was among the sea of yellow and ck that I saw a color that didn¡¯t belong sh in the light of themp that hung from Serena¡¯s hip. A color that no Vx bore on their carapace. An electric, glowing blue. I cursed and sprinted past Tiana, Rhani, and Elisa, who was in the process of throwing two of the metal spheres towards the spiders. There was a brief pause, then the spheres began billowing mes that stuck to any of the spiders it caught. As impressive as it was, I had eyes for only one thing. The sh of blue headed straight for Serena. I conjured a tendril through her armor, and it formed at the base of her spine as usual. Instead of lurching towards the spiders, though, Imanded it to shoot towards me. I met it with a tendril of my own and they intertwined. I yanked, hauling Serena back towards me. I spun around her, cutting the first of the spiders with electric blue markings in half with a spinning strike. They were three feet tall with long fangs and longer limbs. The second I stabbed right in the center of its many eyes, killing it instantly. The third saw my strikeing and skittered just enough to the side that my blow didn¡¯t kill it instantly, and my de stuck in its tough carapace. Before I could pull the de free, the phase spider teleported us both. The light and my friends vanished in a violent blue sh, reced by darkness and the skittering of hundreds of legs. I ripped my sword free and finished the phase spider while my tendrilsshed out at anything and everything around me. [Horde yer] went into overdrive. My agility went so high it felt like time itself was slowing down. My strength surged enough that I could hardly tell the difference between cutting through air or carapace. The boost to my dexterity meant that I had no sooner thought of how I wanted my de to move before it did so. My senses stopped differentiating between individual spiders. There were only masses of carapace that made perfect targets for my sword. I swung it until the de hit stone and shattered, and in the moment before I could summon another weapon they surged forward. I felt bites and venom, and not all of them were of the magical variety. I drew a de that would have taken two hands to swing but felt light as a feather in my strengthened grip andshed out. I drew a shorter sword in my injured arm, in too dire of a situation to leave my hand empty. I conjured more shadows and hurled myself through the dark in a whirlwind of spider guts. I managed to get my back to a wall and keep the horde ahead of me, though not without suffering more bites. The greatsword snapped too, so I hurled it into the fray and relied on my shadows to keep enough distance between me and the enemy to down an antidote. Whatever recovery my body had managed since thest of the mana potions was just enough to fight any of the more lethal venoms in my body, and from the way the world was beginning to speed up I knew I¡¯d cut through arge number of the spiders. I drew a hand-and-a-half sword, ignoring the burning pain in my bicep, and kept hacking. I was too slow to react to the spider that fell from the ceiling. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a foot long, but it was heavy. It mmed into my back and, in the second before my shadows wiped it away, sunk its fangs into the flesh below my neck. I screamed when the venom raced through me likeva in my veins. The room pitched and I fell to a knee. The moment it ripped through me I knew it was not a magical poison, which meant my only protection was my fifteen Fortitude. My shadows bought me time to get my weapons back up, but the tunnel around me started to pitch and roll. Not a lethal venom, but one that was attacking my senses. Them being enhanced only intensified the sensation. I kept fighting, but the sounds from the spiders were starting to blur together. More slipped through, and I ended up having to use [Shadow Stitching] when the injuries piled up a little high. Then I swung at where I thought a spider to be only to hit air. Immediately I felt fangs bite me from where there was nothing. Ished out and felt my de bite into something even though my ears were convinced there was nothing there. A spider lunged at me, but my de passed through nothing and snapped against the stone that was a foot higher than it should have been. It wasn¡¯t just attacking my senses, it was deceiving them entirely. The tunnel seemed to tilt again, but my shadows were seemingly unaffected. I conjured more, relying on them to do what my senses apparently couldn¡¯t. I lost feeling in my fingers, then my arms, then my legs. I tried to stay standing but the ground rushed up to meet me. I felt legs on my back just before something heavy and long pressed into my back. Metal. A sheathe. The cursed de, strapped to me without me having summoned it. Fangs and ws bounced off it while my shadows picked off the other spiders. I hadn¡¯t drawn it out this time, but when I tried to reach for my storage to banish it I couldn¡¯t find my magic. My skills. They were there, but just out of reach. My eyes only saw darkness, but my other senses were convinced the tunnel was rolling around me. I tried to stand, then to crawl, but my limbs wouldn¡¯t listen. My smell and taste faded first, then the sounds around me faded to nothingness. I clung to the cold stone floor until that faded too, and I entered oblivion. # # # Allie couldn¡¯t suppress her shivering no matter how hard she tried. The thin, ratty clothes did little to nothing to trap any heat against her body, and the stone under her bare feet sapped any semnce of warmth from her. It didn¡¯t help that the strip of metal around her neck chafed and pressed into her. It¡¯s cold edges were unrelenting, no matter how she tried to position it. She avoided looking at the others as best she could. They were as scared as she was, but she knew she couldn¡¯t show it. She wasn¡¯t sure when it had happened, but at some point they¡¯d started to look to her. When they panicked, her presence calmed them. Made the punishments more bearable. She¡¯d hide her panic, for their sake. But she was scared. Panic drew closer by the minute while everyone looked at him. The man who owned them. He stood there with a girl at his side. Small, pale, dark hair and darker eyes that belonged one of the smartest girls Allie had ever met. She couldn¡¯t have been more than fourteen, maybe a little older than Allie, and she was dressed in the same awful rags that they all wore. The man next to her was tall and gaunt. It was hard to tell if he was fifty or five hundred, but his long, cruel fingers held a strength that he was never hesitant to use. Eyes that looked like they might have been gold before they soured to an ugly yellow scanned across them. The girl next to him shivered not unlike Allie, and she doubted it had anything to do with the cold either. ¡°Listen up,¡± hemanded. The cold metal around her throat grew hot, and she knew her cor was awaiting amand. ¡°Stay where you are, and stay silent.¡± Allie¡¯s throat closed and her feet would no longer respond. She knew everyone around her was in the same situation, the girl next to the tall man included. His gaze raked over them again, and she forced herself not to flinch when it reached her. ¡°You¡¯re all here today to learn a very valuable lesson. Four, here,¡± he stroked the girl¡¯s dark hair, ¡°has been going where she doesn¡¯t belong. Not only that, but it seems she¡¯s taken it upon herself to start teaching some of you things you have no need to learn.¡± His eyes fell on the boy on Allie¡¯s other side, the same age as her. He had dark hair and blue eyes that stared far too intently for a boy his age. There was a thirteen on his cor. Thirteen flinched, but he could make no noise. Raise no defense. The man continued. ¡°You are here to learn what I teach you and nothing else. You are here to do as I tell you and nothing else. You are not here to make friends or form rtionships. You will do as Imand, or you will be punished. Is that clear, Thirteen?¡± The boy next to her just red back with his jaw set. She knew the look. He was tough. Tougher than anyone she¡¯d met so far. He was someone who¡¯d already been through hell and thought there wasn¡¯t much worse that could be done to him. She could see the challenge in his eyes. The man hadn¡¯t broken him yet. He didn¡¯t think he could be broken. She wished she could shake him and try to tell him just how wrong he was. The man looked down at Four. ¡°Look at me, girl.¡± She did. ¡°You¡¯ve be a tainted experiment now. You should have left well enough alone. You¡¯re lucky you haven¡¯t ruined any of my other experiments. Now, look at Thirteen.¡± She did, a film of tears in her eyes. The man looked to Thirteen as well. ¡°I certainly hope the lesson sticks, Thirteen. I do hate repeating myself, but I¡¯m not above it.¡± Then, in front of all of them, he drew a knife. Four whimpered once just before he pulled it across her throat. Allie looked away, but Thirteen didn¡¯t. He watched Four die with horror on his face. His fists were clenched and his muscles spasmed while he tore and fought against the cor, but themand held him in ce. Allie wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to at least watch him. She couldn¡¯t look at Four, but she could hear the desperate gasping and gurgling as the poor girl died. She was trying to say something, but either themand or the cut kept her silent. The tears were running down Thirteen¡¯s face, and he was hardly the only one. ¡°The rest of the day is yours,¡± the man said, as if he hadn¡¯t just murdered an innocent child. ¡°But if I were you, I would keep what happened here today fresh in your minds. We move on to the next phase in three months. You¡¯ll be split into groups of six, and only those of you who show promise will move on.¡± He nced down at Four¡¯s body. ¡°I suggest you endeavor to be one of those who do.¡± He turned and stalked away, and Thirteen fell to his knees. ¡°Hannah¡­¡± he whispered. Allie closed her eyes. She knew some of the other kids had chosen names. Either the ones they remembered or one they wanted to use. Hannah was a nice name. One that Allie wouldn¡¯t forget any time soon. Thirteen wept without taking his eyes off her, silent sobs wracking his body. The others all took one look at him and backed away quickly. Nobody was eager to be the next example. Allie forced herself to look at Four. No, at Hannah. She was face down, the red pooling around her. One of her hands was outstretched, like she¡¯d been reaching for Thirteen in her final moments. Everyone else filed away, but Allie stepped in front of him. ¡°Stop looking at her,¡± she told him. ¡°You¡¯re only hurting yourself.¡± She held a hand out. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go back to our cells.¡± He didn¡¯t respond. His sapphire blue eyes continued to stare straight ahead in pain and disbelief. Her chest clenched. The man had broken him sopletely in a single move. It shattered her heart. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet, then started dragging him away from Hannah¡¯s body. He let himself be led away without saying a word, as if he hadn¡¯t realized themand was no longer active. He¡¯d been broken, and Allie had three months to put him back together again. She¡¯d paid close attention to the other kids, and most of them simply weren¡¯t that strong. Emotionally, mentally, or physically. If what they¡¯d been through so far was only the first phase, she was under no illusions that many of them wouldn¡¯t make it past the second one. Thirteen had a strength in him that made her think of her dad before he¡¯d died. The kind that came from surviving. The kind you weren¡¯t born with, but that you earned with blood and tears. Allie wasn¡¯t strong, but she could pretend to be. Fake it till you make it. That had been what her dad had taught her. He¡¯d also taught her to recognize strength. The kind that Thirteen had. If she could figure out how to help him, then maybe he could help her escape this ce. If she could help him recover from this, then he might just be strong enough to make it to the end of whatever horror show they¡¯d all found themselves in. It was a faint hope, maybe even a foolish one, but it was the enough to keep her from losing her mind entirely. # # # There were still tears on Allie¡¯s face when she woke from her nightmare. The tiny room that was her entire living space threatened to close around her, but jamming her eyes shut just made things worse. Another incredibly vivid scene from a life that wasn¡¯t hers. She¡¯d had one every time she¡¯d closed her eyes ever since the man had cut her with that knife, and she had no idea what to do about them. Sometimes the visions even came for her when she was awake, and those were really taking their toll. They¡¯d calmed over thest few days at least, and that was the only reason she hadn¡¯t asked to be moved to an asylum. She was getting better, which meant there was a chance she wouldn¡¯t bepletely crazy forever. She could still barely remember that first day. Vague shes of Nora carrying her to safety. Ending up in an infirmary that she¡¯d never be able to afford long enough for a healer to im there was nothing wrong with her. She¡¯d been too busy trying to stay conscious through the feeling of being ripped apart over and over again to argue. It had to have been some kind of torture. Maybe the person whose memories she was seeing had been a victim of that green knife, and it had somehow transferred her pain to Allie. It was the only exnation she coulde up with other than her going insane, so she clung to it desperately. Every memory had been horrific. Even the one where she¡¯d watched a poor girl murdered had been one of the better ones. At least Allie hadn¡¯t been beaten in that one. She got beat in a lot of her dreams, and the pain lingered when she woke without leaving a mark on her body. She closed her eyes and centered herself, just as Nora had suggested. She wasn¡¯t some thirteen-year-old ve girl enduring hell. She was Allisandre Luce. She was a neen-year-old ss C adventurer struggling to get by ever since her parents had died to the sickness that had swept through the southern cities. She was suffering from the effects of some skill. She wasn¡¯t going crazy. She wasn¡¯t losing her mind. The door to her tiny apartment opened and closed, and she heard the sounds of Nora¡¯s heavy footfalls. Her friend¡ªher savior¡ªmoved slowly, asionally sucking in her breath from pain. Allie remained facing the wall, not ready to look at Nora so soon after her nightmare. She tried to wipe her face clean without moving too much. Nora would only worry, and she was already doing too much as it was. She listened to the sound of Nora depositing her equipment in the ratty wardrobe jammed into the corner of the room. Then the sound of bare feet drew closer until her weight sank onto the bed behind Allie. She smelled food, but despite her hunger she wasn¡¯t sure she could stomach it. She could still smell Hannah¡¯s blood. Allie couldn¡¯t stop herself from flinching when Nora gently ced her hand on Allie¡¯s shoulder. No pretending she was still asleep now. She rolled over enough that she could look up at herrge, muscr friend. Her normally bright red hair was still damp from bathing, and half of her face was bruised. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Nora just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a frontline. Job was pretty shit, but we¡¯ll make rent for the month at least. We got lucky though. We should start saving for next month as quick as we can.¡± Allie¡¯s gut twisted. Nora was out there risking her life while Allie was stuck in bed. They were growing less frequent, but she still had episodes where memories imed her and she lost time. They couldn¡¯t afford to risk it happening in battle, so Nora had insisted that Allie rest for a little while longer. ¡°I¡¯ll help on the next job.¡± Nora took one look at Allie¡¯s face and her gaze softened. Hesitantly, as if afraid Allie might stop her, she reached out and gently brushed back Allie¡¯s long ck hair. ¡°Another nightmare?¡± Allie could only nod and draw her knees to her chest. Nora was the only one who believed her, and they didn¡¯t have near enough money for any kind of specialist. It frustrated Nora almost as much as it frustrated Allie, and that only made Allie feel like more of a burden. Nora tucked some of Allie¡¯s hair behind her ear. ¡°Can¡ªcan I hold you?¡± Heat pricked the backs of Allie¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t fair to Nora, but words couldn¡¯t express how badly she needed just that. She nodded once, and she felt Nora¡¯s weight shifting until she was spooning Allie from behind. She slid an arm under Allie¡¯s head and wrapped it over the top of her chest, grabbing her shoulder, and Allie grabbed her hand gratefully. Theyid like that for a while. It only increased the guilt, but Nora¡¯s warmth made her feel much better. The simple feeling that she wasn¡¯tpletely alone was just about the only thing that had gotten her through thest week. Nora ran her fingers through Allie¡¯s hair, collecting it and pushing it out of the way so she could brush her lips against the nape of Allie¡¯s neck. ¡°Nora¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Nora whispered, wrapping her arm over Allie¡¯s stomach and giving it a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just want to make you feel better, and it kills me that I don¡¯t know how.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying, and that¡¯s more than can be said for anyone else.¡± ¡°All the same, you¡¯ve made it clear you just want to be friends. I can respect that.¡± Allie tucked her chin into Nora¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­quite how I¡¯d put it.¡± Nora tensed, then said in a carefully easy tone, ¡°then how would you put it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s half the problem.¡± Nora¡¯s thumb started to rub slow circles on her shoulder. ¡°The thing all of your boyfriends was missing¡­ it wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t girls, was it?¡± The barely restrained hope in her voice made Allieugh. It was the first time she¡¯d done so since the attack, and she felt the tension drain from Nora. ¡°If only it were that simple. No, I¡¯m definitely attracted to guys.¡± Nora grunted in a way that said she wasn¡¯t so sure. Allie twisted in her grip until they were face to face, Allie¡¯s head still resting on Nora¡¯s arm, and arched a brow. Nora had the decency to look abashed, then she doubled down. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, no you¡¯re not.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re the expert now?¡± Nora used the hand not under Allie to brush a knuckle along her chin. The movement sent chills through Allie in a way none of her boyfriends had ever done. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re attracted to men. I think you¡¯re attracted to a man. A specific one. No other will do.¡± Allie opened her mouth to deliver her rebuttal but found that she had none. ¡°It¡¯s not that. I¡¯m notparing them to anyone or anything, I just¡­¡± she trailed off, not sure where she was even trying to go. ¡°My brain recognized that they¡¯d be good partners, but my heart just won¡¯t get on board. Nora smirked. ¡°Do you feel that way about me?¡± Allie felt heat rising in her cheeks. ¡°Well, not exactly.¡± Nora pulled Allie in closer with an ease that made heat start collecting in Allie¡¯s core. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m very bad when ites to people, so you¡¯ll need to spell it out for me.¡± Oh, Allie was very aware. It was frustratingly endearing. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re missing whatever it is they were missing because I¡­¡± Oh gods. There was no good way to say what she wanted to say. The hand Nora ced on Allie¡¯s hip was not helping either. ¡°You¡­?¡± Nora prompted. Up close Allie couldn¡¯t look away from the deep blue of Nora¡¯s eyes. The blue that was so eerily simr to Thirteen¡¯s eyes from her dream. Allie cleared her throat. She either said it aloud or let it drop, and she was tired of being alone all the time. ¡°I want you in a different way.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes went wide, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°Not in the same way I want¡­whatever it is I want. It''s less like I''m looking for a boyfriend and more like I''m trying to find a piece of myself that''s been ripped away. Being around you doesn¡¯t do anything to fill that aching hole in me that¡¯s always been there, but it makes it easier to bear it.¡± Nora¡¯s jaw clenched and unclenched, but she didn¡¯t ask the question Allie knew was burning at her. ¡°I want you around, and¡­¡± She put her hand on Nora¡¯s where it was still on her hip. ¡°And I want you around as more than a friend, I think.¡± Nora pulled them even closer together until Allie¡¯s breasts were pressed into Nora¡¯s slightlyrger set. ¡°You sound so reluctant to admit that.¡± ¡°It feels unfair to you,¡± Allie admitted. As soon as she said it a weight lifted off her. ¡°Asking to be in a rtionship while pining for someone else the entire time.¡± ¡°Feels more unfair to you. Not allowing yourself even a chance at happiness because you might someday meet your dream guy.¡± Allie blinked at the bluntness, but it was hard toe up with an argument. ¡°And if we take things further and I meet that dream guy? If I fall in love at first sight and have to choose between you and him?¡± Nora just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t mind sharing, my dad had four wives. Maybe your man will be interested in big strong girls, too.¡± She slid a hand down Allie¡¯s thigh and lifted her leg to drape it over her own. ¡°I just want to find some way to get rid of that sadness in you. If you¡¯re happy, any way I can be in your life is fine by me.¡± With trembling fingers, Allie reached up and put her hand to Nora¡¯s cheek. She gently ran a thumb across the barely-healed scar that had nearly taken her eye. It went from just above the inner edge of her brow, down her nose, all the way over her mouth and chin. Any deeper and it would have killed her. At first every time she¡¯d seen it just hit home how close she¡¯de to losing her friend. Now that it was healing, Allie couldn¡¯t help but find it slightly alluring. Fitting on her broad, muscr yet feminine frame. Nora watched her unblinking, waiting for her reply. Not moving a muscle. Not for the first time, Allie wondered what Nora had been through in her past. If it was as lonely as Allie¡¯s. She¡¯d asked once while they were on mission, and all Nora had divulged was that there wasn¡¯t anyone waiting for her toe home. It was the first thing that had brought them closer together. That shared sense of loneliness. ¡°If¡ªif you¡¯re sure,¡± Allie said, hesitantly pulling her face closer to Nora¡¯s ¡°I am.¡± Nora went the rest of the way and their lips met. Nora crushed Allie into her front, her other hand rubbing up and down her thigh perilously close to where Allie really wanted to be touched right now. Allie¡¯s hands weren¡¯t idle either, one sinking into Nora¡¯s fiery mane while the other traced over her iron-hard muscles. Allie was by no means a small girl, but Nora still dwarfed her in every aspect. Something Allie had never quite appreciated as much as she did right now. Nora had just cupped Allie¡¯s rear, bringing her own leg forward and between hers, when someone knocked on the door. Nora pulled away with a growl. ¡°I say we ignore them.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Allie said breathlessly. She chased Nora¡¯s lips with her own, a desperation she¡¯d never quite known the depth of driving her forward. Then whoever it was banged even harder on the door. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them, then we can get back to it.¡± She rolled away, and Allie immediately missed the intense heat that radiated from her. Nora stomped to the door and ripped it open. From where Allie sat on the bed, panting, she couldn¡¯t see who it was. She could hear her though. ¡°You Nora?¡± a gruff, angry sounding woman demanded. Allie sat up, scooting closer to where her sword leaned against the wall just in case. Nora crossed her arms. ¡°I doubt I¡¯m the only one, but that is my name.¡± ¡°You know a couple of pricks who got their shit rocked on theirst job? Alenden Joss and Roarke¡­¡± she paused, and Allie heard crinkling paper. ¡°Roarke something-or-other. I don¡¯t know.¡± Nora grimaced. ¡°If they want to pin the mission going bad on me, then they¡¯d better¡ª¡± ¡°Oh no, I took one look at Roarke and figured out exactly what the fuck went wrong. He spent half the time bitching about how his arm still hurt. No, I¡¯m here looking for information.¡± ¡°Come backter, then. I¡¯m busy.¡± Nora tried to shut the door, but whoever it was stopped it. I saw Nora¡¯s muscles flex, but whoever was on the other side of the doorway was just as strong as she was it seemed. ¡°Fuck that, I¡¯ve got other shit to do. Just tell me everything you remember about the thing that fucked you up.¡± Nora unconsciously ran a thumb over her scar. ¡°I was down for most of the fight. I probably can¡¯t tell you anything they already haven¡¯t.¡± The woman cursed so foully Allie couldn¡¯t stop herself from grabbing her sword. ¡°And yourst party member? Allisandre Luce? They were extra dodgy when I asked about her. Where can I find her?¡± Allie could see the muscles in Nora¡¯s back tense through her shirt. ¡°Allie is still recovering. Give me your information and I¡¯ll pass it along. She cane see you when she¡¯s better.¡± ¡°Again, fuck that. Look, I¡¯m a pdin. Let me talk to her, and I¡¯ll heal her up as payment. That sound fair?¡± Nora wentpletely still, and a thrill raced through Allie. ¡°You can help her?¡± Nora asked. ¡°I¡¯m out of miracles for the month, but as long as I don¡¯t have to undo any major curses or regrow any limbs then yeah, I¡¯ll fix her shit.¡± ¡°You heal her first, then we talk. I don¡¯t want you backing out if you don¡¯t like what she has to say.¡± ¡°Yeah, fine sure. Shit, just take me to her already.¡± ¡°Wait here.¡± Nora mmed the door shut before the woman could respond, then turned to look at Allie. ¡°I¡¯m not sure we can afford to pass this up.¡± Her heart hammering in her chest, Allie nodded. ¡°I agree.¡± She took a breath, then opened the door again. ¡°We¡¯ve only got one chair, so we¡¯ll take the bed.¡± ¡°Wait, fuck, she¡¯s here? Finally some good fucking news.¡± Nora walked over to grab the single wooden chair that was normally tucked against the desk next to the wardrobe and hauled it over to the bed. Behind her walked a girl who stood as tall as Allie. She had short cropped dark hair and eyes nearly the same shade of brown, and she wore clothes that were in, yet clearly high quality. Her pants alone might have cost as much as their apartment did for a month. Her eyes shot immediately to where Allie sat, then to the sword in her hand, and she grinned. A shit-eating grin that said she wouldn¡¯t mind too much if Allie wanted to go a few rounds. She took the chair from Nora, who sat down on the bed and wrapped her arm protectively around Allie. ¡°Allie fought the beast longer than any of us. If you want to know about it, she¡¯s the one to ask. But healing first.¡± The woman waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m Kat, now show me the injury so we can get on with this.¡± Trying not to feel ridiculous, Allie pulled her cor down far enough to show the thin white scar just above her breast. Kat¡¯s brows rose. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°He used some kind of cursed dagger,¡± Allie said defensively. Kat¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°The monster?¡± ¡°No, not the monster! The man controlling it!¡± Her eyes widened a fraction, and Allie winced. She¡¯d given that away for free, it seemed. ¡°Fair enough, I guess. Let¡¯s see what we¡¯re working with.¡± She put her palm to the injury and Allie felt magic flowing from Kat into her. It was warm for a second, then her gut clenched. Painfully. The rest of her body followed suit. She cried out and doubled over as memories assailed her. Her head exploding in agony as she was backhanded. Hands roughly mauling her breast with no regard to her pain. Arge, iron grip on the back of her neck, shoving her face against the wall while she cried and begged him to stop. Allie lunged for the bucket she kept near the bed and vomited into it, suddenly d she¡¯d never gotten the chance to eat the food Nora had brought her. She jammed her eyes shut and heaved with her whole body, fighting to stay in the present. Fighting to push back the memories worse than anything she¡¯d experienced so far. She clutched the bucket so tightly it started to bend. She felt Nora¡¯s arms wrap around her and realized she was trembling from the pain of the memories. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Kat demanded from the floor. Allie hadn¡¯t touched her, so Nora must have shoved her back when Allie cried out. Allie clutched the bucket with one hand while she wiped her mouth with her other. ¡°You¡¯re a Chosen.¡± The usation slipped out with more vitriol than Allie had ever felt in her life. She felt a hatred that made no sense to her. The memory had been too painful¡ªtoo fragmented¡ªfor her to understand it fully, but she¡¯d gotten the gist. Kat frowned. ¡°That¡¯s the second time someone¡¯s reacted like that this week.¡± She shook her head and stood, then crouched in front of Allie, who clutched the bucket to her chest if only to fight against the sudden instinct to strike the woman. Nora pulled Allie closer, protectively putting herself between them. ¡°Calm your tits, big girl. I¡¯m not gonna hurt your girlfriend.¡± Kat¡¯s eyes glowed gold, and she widened. ¡°What the fuck? Who the shit are you?¡± Allie shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re asking.¡± Kat stood and crossed her arms, her hand on her chin. ¡°You¡¯re leaking divinity. Not enough to be a Chosen or godspawn or anything like that, but a god¡¯s magic touched you at some point in your life.¡± She straightened, thumbing her chin in thought. ¡°The knife you got stabbed with. Describe it to me.¡± Allie fought down her revulsion. Whatever the memories that had attacked her were, they had nothing to do with the woman in front of her. If she could help stop these episodes, then Allie could bear it. She racked her brain and recalled it aloud. While she did, Kat pulled a notebook and a charcoal pencil out and started scribbling. ¡°This the fucker?¡± she asked, flipping her notebook around. Allie¡¯s gut twisted. It was a perfect rendition of the slim crystal dagger. The only thing it needed was the sickly green color. She nodded, and Kat cursed. ¡°That¡¯s bad. It got stolen a couple months ago along with some other artifacts. Me and some of the other Chosen got put on the case, but we only managed to recover about half of them.¡± She stood. ¡°It¡¯s a knife capable of cutting into your soul. ording to the scribes in charge of the vault in question, its owner can read the damage and learn things about you if they know how.¡± ¡°He knew my ss after he cut me. Not just what its type, but its name. From the way he talked, it sounded like that wasn¡¯t all.¡± Kat started pacing. ¡°I don¡¯t know dick about soul damage. It¡¯s really fucking rare, and skills to heal it even more so. I¡¯ll ask around, but it might take some time. I know it can heal over time, but there¡¯s all kinds of shit that can affect if it does and how fast it happens.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Your god. Who is he?¡± Allie forced herself to ask. Kat eyed her with a caution Allie didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Tydarr.¡± She racked her brain. War and honor, right? ¡°If you give me your word you¡¯ll help me, I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know.¡± Kat rxed. ¡°Then fuck yeah. You help me with this shit and I¡¯ll be your best goddamn friend. I¡¯m tired of running around doing research. I want to get back to the others and do some actual fucking fighting.¡± A part of Allie rejected the idea of befriending a Chosen violently, but she shoved it down and forced herself to stand. She¡¯d barely started before Nora wrapped around her and lifted her to her feet, then helped her sit down on the bed. If her legs weren¡¯t so wobbly underneath her, Allie might have been annoyed. As it was, Nora¡¯s presence was the only thing keeping her from breaking down. ¡°Why are you here? Searching for information, I mean. A pdin of a war god seems like an odd choice for that.¡± Kat scoffed. ¡°[Divine Sense] and a skill that makes me hard to lie to. Now,¡± she flipped to a different page and turned her book around, ¡°is this the thing that you fought?¡± Allie¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Whoever Kat was, she was a good artist. She¡¯d drawn a damn close rendition of the thing that had attacked her party. There were some ring issues. ¡°The face and body are right, but the legs aren¡¯t. The one that got away from us had wings, not this second set of arms here. And it had a tail. One that could shoot spikes.¡± Kat cursed again. ¡°It¡¯s not wrong. I drew this firsthand. There must be different types. What a pain in my ass. Tell me everything about the fight from start to finish. Every little detail you remember.¡± Allie did. Kat didn¡¯t interrupt, but her charcoal pencil never stopped furiously scribbling. Once Allie finished, Kat started with the questions. What color the wings were. How long was the tail? Was Allie absolutely sure the thing had been intelligent? Every so often she flipped it around and Allie had her make adjustments. By the time they were done, Kat had made a near perfect image of the Malek that had attacked her. That¡¯s what the man had called it, and she told Kat as much. She was particrly interested in the man. She asked multiple times and in different ways about the whistles and how many he used. She had Allie describe the man as well, and before long she had a rough sketch of his face. Only after she¡¯dmitted it to paper did Allie realize the man¡¯s features were simr to the one¡¯s from her dream. The tall scary one who¡¯d killed Hannah. That realization also made her gut twist. By the time Kat seemed satisfied, Allie felt nauseous. ¡°Right,¡± Kat said, snapping her book shut and closing it. ¡°That should get me a little ck, so I¡¯ll have time to look into your soul shit. Onest thing, show me that skill of yours? The one that made the Malek retreat.¡± Nora growled, but Allie just patted her arm. She drew her de and cast [Sword of Night]. The shadows wrapped around her de and she twirled it around, enjoying the afterimages it left behind. ¡°Yeah, okay, that shit is trippy. It also looks like¡ª¡± She paled, then shook her head. ¡°Never mind. Once I get your shit fixed, I want to see that in action. Might give us an edge if we understand why it fucked with the Malek. Till then, don¡¯t go anywhere. I don¡¯t want to have to go traipsing through the countryside looking for you.¡± Nora crossed her arms. She¡¯d been silent for most of the interrogation, but her hand constantly massaging Allie¡¯s back had been the only thing to make it bearable. ¡°Some of us don¡¯t have the luxury of getting to take time off. We don¡¯t get to have all our things paid for. We need to do jobs if we want to afford things like food and a roof over our head.¡± Kat looked away. ¡°Fuck. Why is it that everyone either scrapes and bows before us Chosen or hates our guts for it?¡± She sighed, then fished a sack of coin out of her pocket and tossed it on the bed. ¡°There. Consider it a down payment. Till I get you squared away and learn more about your skill, you¡¯re contracted by me. Fair?¡± Allie picked the coin up and her eyes bulged. She took a peek to confirm and realized that it was full of gold coins, not silver. ¡°Now I¡¯m worried what you expect us to do for all this.¡± Kat just shrugged. ¡°Fuck if I know, it isn¡¯t my money. This is what they get for sending me to do fucking busy work. Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I¡¯ve got a nice boring report to write up that I¡¯m not looking forward to. I¡¯ll let you to get back to whatever frisky shit I interrupted.¡± She turned and let herself out with a brusque farewell, and Nora made sure to lock the door behind her. Once that was done she immediately swept Allie up in her arms and kissed her forehead. ¡°You experienced another memory, didn¡¯t you?¡± she said after. Allie just nodded and rested her head on Nora¡¯s shoulder, which was at the perfect height to do so. ¡°Yeah. It was bad, too. More than one, I think. It was hard to tell.¡± Nora cradled her gently. ¡°I¡¯d like to know about them. Your visions. Maybe an outside perspective can help you make sense of them.¡± That sounded heavenly. Trying to figure them all out on her own had Allie at her wit¡¯s end. ¡°Alright, but not tonight please. Thatst one¡­ It was the worst one so far. I think I was older. Old enough to¡ª¡± she didn¡¯t finish the thought. Nora just tilted her back and scooped her up in her arms. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say any more.¡± Allie clutched her neck while the bigger woman carried her easily. She looked down at Allie, suddenly uncertain. ¡°This is okay, right? You want this?¡± Allie nuzzled into her neck. ¡°I want this more than I realized, though I¡¯m sorry to say I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in the mood to do much more than some cuddling right now.¡± Nora set Allie on the bed and slid in behind her. The room was already darkening as the sun set outside, but Nora made no move to light any candles. ¡°A night spent cuddling with you is still in line to be one of the best nights of my life.¡± Allie wrapped herself in Nora and buried her face in the fighter¡¯s amble bosom. It made her feel slightly like a child, but after the week she¡¯d had she simply did not care. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get on changing that starting tomorrow.¡± Chapter Thirty-One: Slave Thirteen Chapter Thirty-One: ve Thirteen My body ached all over. I woke up on the cold hard ground with no memory of how I¡¯d ended up there. Everything hurt like I¡¯d been fighting, but who had been the one to kick my ass this time? Eve would never, and Ina and I were currently on good terms. Louis or Jon maybe? I couldn¡¯t remember past the pounding in my head. It was nearly ten minutes before I managed to push myself to my feet. My body felt heavy, like I¡¯d picked up a sack of rocks at some point. I stretched, then winced. My left arm was fucked, and I had no clue how or why. I reached out for the wall I sensed nearby and took a step, only for something to crunch underneath my foot. I frowned, then kicked around a bit. Bugs. Dozens of them. Hundreds. The ground was sticky with their innards and I couldn¡¯t take a step without stepping on their crunchy carapaces. Spiders, all dead. Spiders? That jogged something in my memory. I remember killing them, but it was fuzzy. I shook my head, which was a mistake. My senses grew fuzzy and I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from falling. ¡°Ina? Maris? Jon? Any of you there?¡± I called softly. My voice sounded hoarse, like I¡¯d been screaming. I needed to get back so I could find something to drink. I tried to remember how long it had been since thest supply drop off, but my head was so damned fuzzy. I must have hit it on something. Hadn¡¯t Louis used to say that head injuries could cause memory loss? I forced myself to start walking, fighting down the bile that rose in my throat. Whatever had happened to me, I had to hope that the others were alright. I needed to take care of myself first. I didn¡¯t know where I was, so I picked a direction and started walking. Uphill seemed as good a choice as any. I wasn¡¯t sure how much time passed before I heard crying. I froze, listening as closely as I could. Faint sobsing from somewhere up ahead. I couldn¡¯t ce them. They were too high pitched to be one of the guys, but not high enough for the girls. ¡°Hello?¡± I called softly. The crying stopped. ¡°I-is someone there?¡± A kid. He must¡¯ve been a few years younger than me. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here. Where are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s dark. Where are all the lights?¡± I bit back augh. ¡°Sorry, buddy, there¡¯s no lights down here. Haven¡¯t been for a long time. Come towards the sound of my voice.¡± I heard shuffling. He was shorter than me by a significant margin, definitely not one of the other five. ¡°Are you gonna hurt me?¡± ¡°No, kid. I won¡¯t.¡± He got close enough that I could feel him in front of me and I reached out to where I thought his shoulder was. I touched something and he gasped, then he felt around blindly until he found my hand and grabbed it. ¡°I want to go home,¡± he said miserably. Poor kid. Had the Vx trapped him? Had he wandered down here by mistake? He was lucky the bastards were so fixated on me and my friends, otherwise he¡¯d have¡ª Wait, no, that wasn¡¯t right. There weren¡¯t Vx down here, were there? The kid must¡¯ve been another one of Karn¡¯s tests. I shook my head, but the confusion wouldn¡¯t leave. I squeezed the kid¡¯s hand. ¡°We all do, kid, but I¡¯m afraid that isn¡¯t possible.¡± He sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m scared of the dark.¡± I winced in sympathy. I had been too, once. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ve got you now. You shoulde with me, I can take you to my friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°Sure, you¡¯ll love them. Come on.¡± I started walking in the direction that felt most like up. The Door was at the top of the catbs, and we¡¯d set up our little base just a level down. ¡°Eve is the biggest sweetheart there is. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll take good care of you. Watch out for Louis, though. His dad was a soldier who didn¡¯te back from the war in too good a shape, so he¡¯s a bit mean. He won¡¯t¡ª¡± My voice died in my throat. That wasn¡¯t right either. Louis wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. He¡¯d died not long after we really started exploring down here. He¡¯d put his foot on some unsteady ground and fallen. When we¡¯d finally managed to find his body, his neck was broken. He¡¯d died instantly. ¡°Never mind about him. Let¡¯s just get moving, alright? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re hungry.¡± I was fucking starving. Myst meal was among the many memories that I just couldn¡¯t quite grab hold of. ¡°I miss my mom,¡± the kid whimpered. ¡°Was she nice?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said, surprising me. ¡°She was mean all the time, and she hit me a lot, but at least it wasn¡¯t dark.¡± I squeezed his hand again. ¡°I¡¯m sure she misses you.¡± ¡°Not likely. She died.¡± He sniffled. ¡°Owed money to bad men. They came to collect and she tried to run. I saw it happen. I¡¯ve never seen someone die before. They shot her in the back with a crossbow. Then they sold me to the scary man and said it would pay my mom¡¯s debts off.¡± Damn. He stated it so matter-of-factly. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t have any parents either. That¡¯s okay, though. You know why?¡± I felt a faint shift in the air and instinctively knew he was shaking his head. ¡°Because you get two families. One you¡¯re born with. Some people get lucky with that one, people like you and me don¡¯t.¡± ¡°And the other?¡± ¡°The other you get to choose. I chose mine. There are six¡ª¡± were six, ¡°¡ªfive of us. When we get back, you can join us.¡± He squeezed my hand as hard as he could. ¡°I¡¯d like that. I miss having family.¡± I was about to answer when I heard the sound of something scraping on stone. I rapped my knuckle on the wall and listened to the echoes. There was a gap just behind me, so I pushed the kid down. ¡°Stay here, don¡¯t move, don¡¯t make a sound till Ie get you.¡± I stood up. ¡°Jon? Maris? That you? Ina?¡± No response, then I heard something snarl. Ished out on instinct and my fist hit something hard. Hot liquid sprayed from the other direction, confusing me. There was an animal down here! I threw myself at the next noise I heard. I couldn¡¯t let it get to the kid. Something cut into my leg and I swung at it. I hit something else and it fell back. Then I kicked out towards the next sound and something hard gave way under my heel. An impact on my back, but it was dull. Like the blow had been spread out along my entire backside. I spun and grabbed something hard and thin that cut into my palm, then yanked and mmed it into the wall. There was a hideous crack and another spray of disgustingly thick liquid, and whatever it was went limp. I tossed it aside, straining my ears for anything else. Silence. I took a step and found more chunks of spider underfoot. I kicked around a bit. I¡¯d only killed a handful of things, yet there were dozens strewn about me. My shadows must have taken care of them, but I couldn¡¯t have much mana left. I needed to get back to Serena and the others before I bit off more than I could¡ª More than I could¡­More than¡­My¡­my what? The thought withered and died, lost to oblivion. I pressed my palm to the side of my head and kicked another spider corpse. What the fuck was happening? I hoped the others weren¡¯t dealing with these things. Eve hated spiders. Thest time she¡¯d been bit by one¡ªa tiny wolf spider barely bigger than a copper piece¡ªshe¡¯d had Ina check her bedroll every night for months. Ina still checks them even though Eve¡ª Even though Eve died. That¡¯s right. How could I have forgotten? A tunnel had copsed on her. I¡¯d sat with her for hours, half of her stuck under rubble too heavy for us to ever move. I could still feel her hand in mine. Her sobs. They¡¯d crushed everything below her waist, and there was nothing to be done. She¡¯d been so scared, but I¡¯d refused to let her die scared and alone. I¡¯d stayed until her sobs had stopped and her hand had gone limp in mine, then I¡¯d stayed for hours longer. How could I have possibly forgotten that? My head must¡¯ve been more fucked than I realized. ¡°Kid, you there?¡± I called. I heard him scampering towards me. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± I reached out and grabbed him as soon as he was close enough, which made him cry out beforetching onto my arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get moving. Karn must¡¯ve released a shitload of spiders down here. Sadistic fuck.¡± ¡°The scary man?¡± I snorted. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good way of putting it. He likes releasing things down here to test us. It¡¯s why you need to stick close.¡± He clutched me tighter. ¡°When¡¯s the sun gonnae up?¡± I patted his hair. It was short and uneven. ¡°Never, kid. Not down here. We gave up trying to count the days a long, long time ago.¡± He sniffled again and we set off at a quicker pace. ¡°Will you tell me about your friends? The one you mentioned before sounds nice. I¡¯ve always wanted a big sister.¡± ¡°Yeah, Serena is amazing. One of the most caring people I¡¯ve ever met.¡± ¡°You said her name was Eve.¡± ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t¡ª¡± I slowed again. I had said that, hadn¡¯t I? But Eve was dead. I must¡¯ve meant¡­what name had I just said? Now I couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Marion is sort of like the group mom,¡± I said instead. ¡°She¡¯s tough as nails and always fussing over everyone. She¡¯ll be a better mom than yours ever was, promise.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He didn¡¯t sound convinced. ¡°Then there¡¯s Ina. If we get through this, it¡¯s because of her. She¡¯s our unofficial leader down here, so make sure you listen to whatever she says. Jon doesn¡¯t talk all that much, but he¡¯s reliable. He¡¯s in rough shape right now, though. He got bit by something and it got infected, but we¡¯ve gotta wait for the monthly supply and hope Karn was nice enough to leave us some medicine.¡± The moment the words were out of my mouth I knew they weren¡¯t quite right. There had been medicine outside the Door that morning, but when we¡¯d rushed it back to Jon he¡¯d already been gone. Faded away silently in the middle of the night without any of us realizing. Disturbed, I tried to change the subject. ¡°Was your mom the only family you had?¡± Another air movement, but I couldn¡¯t tell if he was nodding or shaking his head. ¡°My dad was a bad man. My mom said she didn¡¯t want him, but he forced her. Then he left before I was born. Grandma and grandpa didn¡¯t believe her when she said she never wanted to have a baby, so they kicked her out. It was always just me and ma, but she was always drinking. She¡¯d hit me and say things like I ruined her life.¡± I shook my head. The kid must¡¯ve been twelve or thirteen years old and it sounded like his life had been rough from start to finish. I only hoped he wouldn¡¯t meet his end down here like the rest of us. More movement. I used the same trick as before, but there was nowhere to hide the kid. ¡°I know you¡¯re there,¡± I called, pushing the kid behind me. ¡°Fucking rats,¡± a man¡¯s voice spat. I knew the voice, but I couldn¡¯t ce it. ¡°Scurrying around in the dark. But the fucker who locked me down said I can leave if I bring one of your corpses. Unlucky for you.¡± On the contrary. Of any of the kids for him to run into, I was the worst one. Nobody had adapted to moving in the dark quite like me, but there was no way for the man to know that. A criminal or bandit, probably. Karn liked to throw men like that down here to test us, but they were usually carrying some kind of weapon. A blessing in disguise if we were going to keep getting assailed by spiders. He sucked in a breath to say something else but I threw myself at him. I hit him in the chest, but he must¡¯ve been wearing armor. Cold and hairy and hard, it damn near broke my fist, but it still gave. I hit again where I thought his head would be and pain ripped up my forearm. I felt the warmness of blood pouring down, but there was no room to back off if I wanted to survive. I mmed my fists into the man until I found the unmistakable hilt of a weapon and ripped it out of his scabbard. ¡°Wait! Wait, don¡¯t¡ª¡± I cut his head off with a single strike. It was his begging that jogged my memory. I knew this man. He¡¯d been the first man I¡¯d ever killed. The first of the criminals to be sent into the catbs with a cor that suppressed their ss. He¡¯d found Maris all by herself and decided he¡¯d kill her slow, but when Jon and I had heard the screams we¡¯de running. He panicked when we attacked and killed her before we could get to him. He¡¯d hurt Jon in the process, but I hadn¡¯t stopped until he was a bloody corpse beneath me. I leaned over and retched. Whatever myst meal had been, it ended up sttered across the floor. Maris was gone, too, and she hadn¡¯t died well. Maris, Eve, Louis, Jon. They were gone. Over the years they¡¯d all died until it was just me and Ina. Ina. She was alright. She had to be. She was the smart one. The leader. The one who¡¯d kept us all together every time someone else had fallen. The one who was seemingly unshaken by every new horrible development. I had to find her. If Karn was up to something, she needed to know. I just had to remember where I was and how to get back to her. ¡°Coast is clear,¡± I called once I¡¯d wiped my mouth off. My vomit hadn¡¯t tasted right. I couldn¡¯t remember what I¡¯d eaten, but it came out¡­rotten. I didn¡¯t understand how the bandit that had killed Maris could be alive, but if he had anything on him then we needed it. I felt around for the corpse, prepared for the soft flesh slowly losing its heat to the cold stone ground. Instead I found the hard shell of a spider as big as I was. Bigger. I¡¯d cleaved it in two, right where the thorax and abdomen met. I bit back a growl. More Vx. They wereing at me in droves now. The colony wanted me dead. They were clearly pissed I¡¯d killed their royal, but they were still organized. That meant another royal Vx was still around. Had it meant to iste me from the others or had I thrown myself into a trap meant for someone else? Were they fighting a royal without me? Were they searching for me? I needed to find them in case it wasn¡¯t just royals that lurked¡ª ¡°Is he dead?¡± the kid asked, shattering my line of thought. As quickly as it hade, the thought faded away. It had felt so important at the time that I tried to recall it, but to no avail. I reached back for him and guided his hand to my shirt so he had something to hold onto. I remembered how long it took me to stop trying to search the darkness with my eyes. It was months before I¡¯d developed the general sense of my surroundings. I stood from the man¡¯s corpse, d the kid couldn¡¯t see it. We needed to hurry back before¡­before¡­ Before what? I could still feel that sense of urgency, but I had no clue what the cause of it was. ¡°Come on, kid.¡± I started back down the hall, more dead spiders crunching underfoot. Who¡¯d killed them? Was there someone down here with a ss? That could be dangerous. Something was done to the criminals sent down here, which actually gave us a fighting chance against them. One day I¡¯d have a ss, though, and I¡¯d make Karn pay. ¡°They¡¯re dead, aren¡¯t they? Your friends.¡± ¡°Yes. Just Ina is left. Ina and me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I wish I knew.¡± We walked in silence for a while, then I stumbled. The ground pitched. I heard skittering The Vx were back, and they¡¯d brought more guardians. I reached for my enhanced senses, but they weren¡¯t there. I¡¯d been poisoned. Magisbane. It was the only exnation. Magisbane and something else more potent. I lifted my sword and threw myself at the spiders before they could attack. My tendrils were still up, so I must have conjured them before I¡¯d been poisoned. I had to get back to the others before they ran out of the mana I¡¯d used to conjure them. Carapace split under my sword and spiders died to my shadows. Something heavy mmed me into the wall, but I still managed to get my de into its thorax. It went limp, and I kicked it away. My arm was on fire. I could still move my fingers, but if I wasn¡¯t careful I¡¯d snap the still-healing bone. Serena could fill my health pool, but it would take time for an injury like that to heal fully. ¡°I¡¯ve watched people die, too.¡± I shoved away the corpse of the animal before the kid could stumble over it. I remembered something attacking me, but my head was swimming again so I couldn¡¯t quite think of what it was. It took way too much effort just to stand. Gods I was tired. ¡°Your mom, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. She was the first. I didn¡¯t understand, but the bad men made sure I understood. Then the scary man took me, and I saw more people die. Other kids. He killed my friend.¡± He sniffled. ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything wrong! Why did he kill her?¡± I reached out and patted his head. ¡°Sometimes bad people do awful things for reasons only they understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fair! Why her? It was my fault! He should have hurt me!¡± the kid wailed. I knew the feeling well. Better than he could ever know. ¡°Karn understands that sometimes, hurting someone isn¡¯t the best way to control them. Hurting the people they care about is.¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t want to care about anyone!¡± It was hard to argue. I felt like that most days. If you didn¡¯t let anyone in, they couldn¡¯t be ripped away from you. ¡°Some people go that route, but it rarely ends well. Caring for people is a weakness, but it can be a strength, too.¡± ¡°It hurts. It hurts so much worse than anything else ever has. I can¡¯t stop thinking about her. How do I make it stop hurting?¡± If I knew that, then things would be so very different. ¡°It never does, you just learn to carry the pain. Eventually, it bes a part of you. Enough that you don¡¯t even remember what it¡¯s like to live without it.¡± He was crying again, and I didn¡¯t have the words tofort him. I stumbled again. It was getting harder and harder to keep my feet from catching on the ground. Every step took just a little more effort than thest, and they were starting to add up. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could keep going. ¡°I¡¯m tired. Can we rest?¡± the kid asked. ¡°We have to get to my friends. They¡¯re probably worried about me.¡± I exhaled. ¡°Rhani is going to be furious, and Serena¡¯s definitely not going to be happy with me.¡± ¡°I thought you said your friend¡¯s name was Ina? That she was thest one alive?¡± ¡°She is. The others¡­the others died. That¡¯s not¡­¡± I was forgetting something. Something important. My thoughts were a jumbled mess. I shook my head, but that only made me dizzier. It was starting to pound. There was a spot on my back, just above my right shoulder de, that burned like it was on fire. My stomach heaved again, but I fought it down. I wiped my forehead, surprised at how mmy it was. Was I sick? Is that why I felt so fucked up? ¡°Maybe¡­¡± I stopped and leaned against the wall. My body was starting to feel so heavy. So very heavy. My eyes were so tired. I didn¡¯t need to see, so I closed them. Even after all this time I still felt odd not having them open, even if they couldn¡¯t make anything out in the pitch dark of Karn¡¯s catbs. ¡°Maybe we take a breather. Rest for a bit. Let my head stop pounding.¡± He made an uncertain sound. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just hide? We¡¯d be fine, just us. At least then the scary man can¡¯t hurt other people to hurt us.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s easy to think like that, but trust me when I say that isn¡¯t the answer. When you¡¯re alone, it feels like nothing can hurt you, sure. But sometimes it gets hard to remember why you¡¯re fighting. Why you bother waking up each morning.¡± I cupped the kids head and pulled him into my side. ¡°The pain of losing someone you care about is awful, but the pain of having nothing left to lose¡­¡± I was tired. So tired. I had to get to Ina. I couldn¡¯t lose her, too. Not after Hannah. Ina needed to meet Eliya. They¡¯d be best of friends. Besides, I¡¯d promised Eliya I¡¯d survive phase two. It had been years since I¡¯d seen her. Was she in another catb somewhere else? Was she fighting to survive just on the other side of one of these walls? I remembered the first year I¡¯d been down here. I¡¯d been secretly searching for any sign of the other groups. I¡¯d eventually given up, but me and Eliya had made a promise. The night before Karn had me and the other five in our group, we¡¯d sworn we¡¯d survive and see each other again. That had been the night she¡¯d given me my name. Zaren. I needed to tell her that I liked it. That I owned it now. That it had be such a part of me that I didn¡¯t even remember what my name had been before. But I was so tired. So heavy. I couldn¡¯t quite manage to take in a full breath. I felt a stabbing pain anytime I tried. My left hand was also getting harder and harder to close. Whatever I¡¯d done to it, it was getting worse. And the weight at my back¡­ I let my back hit the wall of the tunnel and heard the sound of metal on stone. It didn¡¯t make sense to me, but I was too tired to figure out why. I needed to catch my breath. To close my eyes and recover, then I could go find Ina. I was no good to her this exhausted. I started to slide down the wall, my legs all but giving out underneath me. Then I felt stabbing pain explode from a point on the left side of my neck. Like someone was stabbing me with a hot poker. I cried out and the heat spread, driving painful energy back into my body. My eyes flew open, searching the dark for anything and everything. My senses exploded, and somehow the darkness seemed to turn red. Skittering. The Vx. Another wave. I shouted for the kid to hide and lifted my sword. Dozens of the smaller ones, and more than a few big ones. Rushing at me from both sides. I threw myself to one side before I could get trapped in the middle. Sword and shadow kept them at bay, but I still felt dozens of bites on my legs. Cuts on my arms. Something sliced into my cheek. I roared and my shadows exploded outward. I tried to conjure more, but my skills were still denied to me. Something bowled into me and my head bounced off the floor. Ished out on instinct and my de found something. All the while I felt the impacts reverberating down my shadows. I needed to get up before I was swarmed. Where was the kid? Was he alright? Mypse cost me and something sliced into my leg. I went down again and my sword skittered away. Ished out and my fist hit something solid. The impact was muted, as if I was wearing padded cloth around my hand, but whatever I hit still caved. I swung again and again, then my hand wrapped around something. I thought it might be my sword, but when I swung I realized I¡¯d grabbed the leg of arge spider. It felt like it weighed nothing though when I hurled it into the hoard and heard the sound of carapace cracking carapace. My foot hit a patch of blood¡ªmine or the spiders¡¯, I had no idea¡ªand I slipped. Fangs sunk into my bad arm and pain red through me, then it ripped me to the side and I mmed into the wall. My ears rang and I tasted blood, but I never stopped swinging. I didn¡¯t stop until I was sure the men that ambushed me were dead. They¡¯d hurt Ina, but she¡¯d gotten away. She was great at everything, just not fighting. She hated the idea of hurting people, even people that wanted to kill her. Now that thest of the men had fallen, I needed to find out which way she went. I took a step and my knee copsed under me. I cursed and used the nearby wall to push myself up, nearly slipping and falling due to the slime that coated the walls. She could be injured, and she might need my help to get back to camp. She couldn¡¯t die now. Not when we were so close to our sixteenth birthday. Not when we were so close to seeing the sun again. ¡°Are you alright?¡± the kid asked. I was d he was alright. I was even more d he couldn¡¯t see me right now. I was in bad shape, but I could move. That was all that mattered. ¡°Not really,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked fearfully. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s lost friends, kid. I¡¯ve only got two left, and one of them is probably dead. I haven¡¯t seen her in almost three years now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡± His hand found mine and tugged. I limped after him, d to have a direction to go. My head was still spinning, and I didn¡¯t recognize these walls. I didn¡¯t know which way base camp was. I didn¡¯t know a lot of things. ¡°Do you miss her?¡± the kid asked. ¡°Every damn day,¡± I admitted. She¡¯d been afraid. She was only one number under me, so she¡¯d thought we¡¯d get to go to phase two together. Twelve and Thirteen. Eliya and Zaren against the world. Of course Karn had split the groups right between us. She¡¯d cried the whole night when she¡¯d found out. Only by promising we¡¯d see each other in phase three had I been able to get her to stop. She hadn¡¯t just been afraid for herself, either. She¡¯d only just finished pulling me out of the darkness I¡¯d fallen into after Hannah¡¯s death. I spent the first month down here contemting the irony of Eliya dragging me out of a metaphorical darkness only for Karn to plunge me into a literal one. I needed to see her again. To show her that I hadn¡¯t fallen apart. That all the work she¡¯d put in to saving me from myself hadn¡¯t been for nothing. ¡°I miss my friends too. I miss my mom. Is that stupid?¡± I chuckled, then winced when pain red up my side. ¡°No, kid. It¡¯s not stupid. Even a shit mom is better than this hell.¡± He squeezed my hand and I smiled even though my second wind was fading fast. We were walking uphill, though, which could only be a good thing. I just had to hope there weren¡¯t anymore killers around. I was dead on my feet, and I didn¡¯t know how many more I¡¯d be able to take. Hurry. I blinked and searched the room with my senses. Who¡¯d said that? The only ones around were me and the kid, and I rapped a knuckle on the wall again to make sure. Nothing fleshy or cloth covered absorbed the echo, which meant we were alone. I shrugged. Hurry! The voice was more insistent. It definitely wasn¡¯t the kid, it sounded too feminine. I was starting to hear things in my exhaustion. My subconscious really wanted me to get into a shitty bedroll, apparently. I chuckled to myself just before I heard the scream. ¡°Zaren!¡± It was high pitched, like a screech. It seemed to echo off the walls, changing pitch every time. It was Ina¡¯s voice. And it was Hannah¡¯s. Eliya¡¯s. Serena¡¯s and Rhani¡¯s and Scarlet¡¯s and Tiana¡¯s and half a dozen others that I knew but didn¡¯t know allyered over one another. Calling to me. A desperate plea for help. Adrenaline surged. ¡°Come on, hurry!¡± I started running and the pain in my neck worsened. It had spread across the entire left side of my body, like half of me had been dipped in scalding hot water. It burned, but I didn¡¯t have time to think about it. Someone needed my help, and I wasn¡¯t going to be toote. Not this time. Not again. I rounded a corner, the kid in tow, and stumbled to a stop in confusion. Light. I saw light. Dim, but flickering off the walls. Shadows danced and twirled violently as hundreds of somethings moved in front of its source, but it had been so long since I¡¯d seen light of any kind none of it made any sense. Colors swirled and shapes flickered and twisted. I didn¡¯t know what I was looking at. ¡°Wait here, at the edge of the light,¡± I told the kid. I didn¡¯t wait for an answer. I ran for it. It had been almost three years since I¡¯d seen light. Three years of living in total darkness, relying on everything but my sight to survive. Then I saw who stood in the light and I skidded to a stop. My senses told me that my eyes had to be wrong. They imed that there was movement all around me, but I only saw two things in the center of the light that illuminated the small cavern in front of me. On the ground was a body. Bruised and bloody and unmoving. It was Ina. Then it was Eliya. Then Hannah. My vision swam and I saw the people I cared about lying there dead. Rhani. Serena. Noelle. Above them stood a tall, thin man I¡¯d spent my entire life hating. Valethar Karn looked at me with a cruel smile. The blood still dripped off his knuckles from where he¡¯d hurt my friend. He¡¯d taken them from me. He¡¯d taken them all from me. Fiery heat exploded through my body. My fists clenched and my chest felt like it was caving in. My gut roiled, and a scream ripped itself from my throat. A feral sound that could onlye from a wild animal. ¡°KAAAAAAARN!¡± # # # This was officially the worst day of Rhani¡¯s life. She fought back the tears. The panic. Spiders surrounded them on all sides, and she wasn¡¯t sure they were going to make it out of this one. Serena and Noelle protected them as best they could, but their injuries were building fast. Tiana had already taken as many mana potions as she dared, leaving them with perilous few, and from the pallid color of her flesh Rhani knew she was running out of steam fast. Her golem had disappeared under the onught some time ago, and she hadn¡¯t seen it since. It was somewhere under the wriggling mass of spiders across the room. It moved every once and a while, jerking like the golem was still fighting underneath, but the it was as good as lost to them. She clutched the de in her shaking hands, thest line of defense between the spiders and Elisa. Elisa hurled her amazing spheres into the masses, and they erupted into mes or wires that tangled the spiders or glowing goop that seemed to slow them down or minty smelling mist that confused them, but her bag was getting lighter with each throw. And while the five of them fought off the horde of spiders in the two to six foot range, the two giant ones hung back. Waiting for them to fall. Watching. They must have been ten feet tall, and Rhani wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d be able to take them on even if they managed to survive the horde. Elisa threw more wire-wrap spheres. They exploded, wrapping dozens of spiders in their tough threads, and Rhani ran forward to stab as many of them as she could before she had to jump back. A Vx lunged out and sunk its fangs into her arm and she screamed. She staggered back, holding the bleeding wound. If this was only half the pain from its venom, she didn¡¯t want to know what the full blow would feel like. They¡¯d onlysted this long because of Noelle¡¯s skill, [Sacrificial Lamb]. Any time one of them were injured, she took half the damage. Rhani had figured it out, but since Noelle had more health than the rest of them put together they hadn¡¯t been able to dissuade her from using it. But even she was starting to g. Her injuries were numerous, though her expression didn¡¯t falter. She just kept hacking away at the waves of spiders with determination, even if there were tears on her cheeks. She wasn¡¯t sure if anyone else had noticed, but Rhani thought Noelle was taking Zaren¡¯s disappearance harder than any of them. Zaren. I¡¯m sorry. She picked up her sword and swung at another of the spiders nearby, but she didn¡¯t have the strength to do much more than make it flinch back. As soon as he¡¯d disappeared, they¡¯d set off after him. The only problem was that the phase spider could have taken him anywhere at all in the tunnels. He could be in an adjacent tunnel they¡¯d have to backtrack for miles to get to. They all knew it, even if none of them wanted to say it. The odds of finding him were¡ª ¡°KAAAAAAARN!¡± It was a guttural scream that made her hair stand on end, but it was him. She looked for its source, a smile on her lips. When she saw him, her blood ran cold. He was covered in blood. Red and green. His shoulders were uneven, like half his body was sagging, but she couldn¡¯t make out most of his left side. Shadows wrapped around him, enveloping his left arm below the neck and most of his side. They whipped around him angrily with dark crimson undertones in the undting ck. His left hand was more of a giant w, wrapped in so many shadows it was double its normal size and triple its length. The shadows that trailed from his back arced out to the side like a giant skeletal wing, and the shadows were even creeping up over his face. Across his back, still in its scabbard, was the cursed de that he¡¯d said would kill him if he used it too long. Then she saw his eyes. They were a furious red, but even from this distance she could see faint golden rings in his irises. Rings not unlike the ones in her own eyes. It made his re look almost like a sunset. But his expression was the opposite of that. Twisted in rage while he snarled. She saw next to nothing of the man she loved in his face, and that terrified her. He roared again and the spiders all surged towards him. The big ones, too. They were the first to reach him, but he attacked before they could. He didn¡¯t move like a person. He lunged, low to the ground, and ripped into the nearest spider violently. There was no skill or precision. No nimbly avoiding the blows like she¡¯d seen him do so many times now. He threw himself at the spider with raw aggression, ripping through its body in seconds like it was nothing. Then the horde washed over him, and his shadows exploded outward. They were like a tempest of ck and crimson tendrils that turned the spiders to mist. Bits of carapace exploded in all directions, scattering far enough that even Rhani had to shield her eyes from the debris. He screamed again. ¡°I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!¡± He hurled himself at therger spiders, and for the first time in her life Rhani understood what it meant to say that someone fought like a cornered animal. Every motion was violent and sudden with no regard for his own safety. He ripped spiders apart with his bare hand and that terrifying w. He didn¡¯t bother dodging attacks, ignoring every spray of blood in favor of tearing through the next enemy. At one point he ended up with the long ded forelimb of one of therger spiders and he swung it like a sword, cleaving through the spiders he could reach. The other of the ten foot tall spidersunched at him from behind, but the shadows lurched at it like they had a mind of their own. Theyunched out and wrapped around its forelimbs, pulling it in close and skewering it with spikes as thick around as Zaren¡¯s arms. It screeched once, then went limp. The shadows hurled it aside and Zaren kept tearing through the other spiders like he hadn¡¯t even realized it had been there. Just when Rhani thought the rest would be fairly easy for them to clean up, the ground exploded. A giant Vx, one asrge as the one they¡¯d found Zaren sitting on, emerged from a fresh hole in the ground. It let out a hiss that sounded more like a roar andunched at Zaren. ¡°COME AND FUCKING GET ME!¡± he roared. His shadowsshed out, but this time at them. One hit Serena in the chest, then more red-tinged tendrils exploded from her back. Each one hit a different person, throwing them to the ground. Rhani¡¯s sword went flying, but before it couldnd something hit it. One second it was spinning through the air, the next it had been cut neatly into four pieces. Something had sliced through the air. Something that would have killed all five of them. Panic filled her chest, but she needn¡¯t have bothered. What must have been razor-thin threads wrapped around Zaren, but his shadows surged. Dark red mes erupted from him in lines, tracing the threads back to the giant Vx and burning them away. The mes spread across the back of the Vx¡¯s abdomen where the threads must have connected, and it screeched. Itunched at Zaren, but heunched right back at it. It mmed its giant forelimbs down in a barrage, but Zaren met it blow for blow. The des that had evolved to cut through solid stone were repelled by his shadow-wrapped strikes until he finally ducked one, then spun and mmed the back of his fist against it. The limb shot forward, past him, and the spider staggered. It fell low enough that Zaren¡¯s shadows could wrap around and haul it down. It reared back, but the shadows just carried Zaren with it. It tried to lurch to the side, but Zaren sunk his wed hand into the joint where one of its forelimbs met the body. There was a sickening crunch and the limb sprang free, crashing to the ground. Zaren reared back and sunk his fist into the hole, then started ripping out chunks of spider innards. The royal bucked and twisted, rolling trying to dislodge him, but Zaren just stared mming his fist into its eyes. Finally, the spider lurched one final time and fell to the ground, still. Zaren staggered back, his shadows whipping around him once more, but the rest of the spiders turned and fled into the darkness. He roared at their backs, then fell to one knee. Elisa slid to the ground with a whimper and Tiana fell to her knees, panting. Noelle looked to Zaren with a fearful expression, but Serena just sprinted at him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Zaren!¡± she called. Rhani didn¡¯t even have time to warn her. One moment Zaren had been kneeling, swaying slightly, staring at the corpse of the Vx without seeing it. Then, as soon as Serena was only a few feet away, he moved in a blur. Her spear went spinning away and he swept her feet out from under her. She mmed into the ground and he was on top of her, his normal arm around her throat while his other hung limply at his side. ¡°Zaren, stop!¡± Rhani cried. There were teartracks in the blood on his face, but he made no sign he¡¯d heard. ¡°You aren¡¯t real,¡± he said, his voice haggard. ¡°You¡¯re dead. I saw you die.¡± ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Serena said carefully. His hand was around her throat, but he wasn¡¯t squeezing. That was good, at least. She put one hand on his wrist and reached up with her other to caress his face. Rhani saw the golden glow of her skill activate, but with the extent of Zaren¡¯s injuries she¡¯d need more skin contact to save him. ¡°Zaren, listen to me. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I know that!?¡± he cried. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything! I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch when he killed you!¡± ¡°Zaren?¡± Serena asked, fear in her voice. Rhani crouched down to look into his face. His pupils were dting. One wasrger than the other. ¡°He¡¯s hallucinating! Serena, your skill!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not working!¡± she cried. ¡°It¡¯s like it doesn¡¯t recognize him as an ally!¡± Shit shit shit shit. Think, Rhani, think! The shadows were red. They¡¯d turned red when he¡¯d used the sword at Karn¡¯s tower, hadn¡¯t they? ¡°Noelle!¡± She reached out without taking her eyes off Zaren and felt Noelle grab her hand. She ran around him, keeping out of reach from his shadows. Sure enough, when she got behind him, she saw the sword. The sp was undone, and the sword was an inch out of the scabbard. Crimson tendrils poured out of it, meshing with his shadows. ¡°Noelle, can you get to the sword? We need to redo the sp before it kills him.¡± She nodded once, her panicked look shifting to one of determination. ¡°Serena!¡± Rhani called, ¡°Keep his attention!¡± ¡°Zaren, look at me.¡± ¡°I know,¡± he all but whimpered. ¡°I know what I promised, Ina. I failed you.¡± The raw pain in his voice ripped at Rhani¡¯s heart, but she steeled herself and nodded at Noelle. ¡°Go!¡± Noelle darted forward, making no noise while she shot across the floor. Zaren didn¡¯t move, even when she reached him. Rhani worried the shadows might try to hurt her, but they parted as if weing Noelle in. She wrapped her hand around the hilt to shove it down, then the crimson tendrils shot up and wrapped around her wrist. She cried out, more in surprise than pain, then jammed the sword into its scabbard. The tendrils suddenly surged towards her and her body clenched. Unable to stand by any longer, Rhani leapt forward. Noelle groaned through clenched teeth while Rhani fumbled with thetch, but she managed to lock it closed. All of the shadows copsed and dissolved, dropping Noelle. Rhani caught her before she hit the ground,nding next to Zaren. Noelle clung to her, her entire body trembling. ¡°I¡¯m going to fix this, Ina,¡± Zaren said. ¡°I made a deal. I¡¯m going to do what I couldn¡¯t before.¡± Rhani¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Zaren had still never mentioned exactly what Allura had promised him, and she hadn¡¯t asked. She wasn¡¯t sure she wanted him to reveal it while he was being influenced by something. Serena must have felt the same. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Zaren. We¡¯re alright.¡± She let go of his wrist and pulled his injured arm to her breast. ¡°You know me, Zaren. Let me help you.¡± ¡°Ina? You don¡¯t¡­¡± He looked around the room, and his eyes passed right over where Rhani held Noelle. ¡°I¡­this isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m¡­not right. I¡¯m¡­¡± he closed his eyes and shook his head. He swayed slightly, then his off hand started trailing the edge of Serena¡¯s armor. Tracing its edges. ¡°Ina died. You aren¡¯t her. I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯m not back in the catbs. Karn is dead, too. I killed him. I killed him, Ina. I¡­¡± His hand didn¡¯t leave her throat, but it slid over enough for him to run his thumb over the gem in the hollow of her neck. ¡°Serena?¡± A terrified sob wracked Serena¡¯s body. Not scared of him, but of what he must be seeing right now. ¡°That¡¯s right, baby. It¡¯s me. Come back to me, Zaren. You promised you would.¡± He swayed, but he didn¡¯t fight when she pulled him down on top of her. ¡°I know, Ina. I know it was my fault, but I¡¯m going to make up for it. I avenged you, now I can save you. I just need to get back to them first. To my friends.¡± He caressed Serena¡¯s face, leaving behind a trail of blood. ¡°I think you¡¯d like them. I wish you could have met. I¡¯m sorry. Sorry you never got to see the sun again.¡± Serena slid her arms into his second shredded shirt of the day and held him close, activating her skill in full. She looked at Rhani over Zaren¡¯s shoulder with tear filled eyes. ¡°Noelle?¡± Rhani looked down to where Noelle was shivering. She shook her head. ¡°The sword did something. Like it¡¯s magic was inside me. Rearranging my insides. It didn¡¯t hurt, but it felt¡­strange.¡± Rhani helped her sit up. ¡°Can you walk? We need to get Zaren out of here.¡± She nodded. Tiana finally managed to stand, though unsteadily. ¡°I can take Elisa, you two carry Zaren.¡± Rhani nodded, then moved to try and help Serena extricate herself from underneath him. He jerked, then looked around blearily. ¡°Serena? Rhani? Noelle? Where¡­¡± He tried to move and sucked in his breath. ¡°The kid. Where¡­where¡¯s the kid?¡± His gaze searched the room then stopped at a point in the direction he¡¯de from. ¡°What kid, Zaren?¡± He slumped. ¡°Hallucinating,¡± he slurred. ¡°I was hallucinating.¡± He slumped, and Serena only just managed to keep him from falling back to the ground. When Rhani reached for his face, he waspletely unconscious. ¡°We need water. Lots of it. He¡¯s covered in injuries and caked in blood and dirt and who knows what else,¡± Serena said. ¡°There was a cave we passed a bit ago. One that had an underwater stream cutting through it. I can purify the water with a simple spell,¡± Rhani said quickly. ¡°I can lead us back.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Both she and Rhani took an arm while an exhausted Tiana carried a terrified Elisa. As the only one not carrying someone else, an unsteady Noelle took the lead. Tiana nced at Zaren out the corner of her eye. ¡°Once we¡¯ve rested, we¡¯re going to have to talk about whatever the fuck that was.¡± Rhani agreed, but she didn¡¯t have an answer that wouldn¡¯t reveal she knew almost as little about what had happened back there than Tiana did. That scared her more than anything else. Chapter Thirty-Two: A Healing Embrace Chapter Thirty-Two: A Healing Embrace [Primary ss Selection Avable!] I couldn¡¯t help but smile when I read it. Not even when my cor heated up andpelled me to rise. Ina had turned sixteen just two days ago, and now it was my turn. I wanted to look at the options for my ss, but I had a strict order that I wasn¡¯t to do so until Karn allowed it. He couldn¡¯t risk me taking one that didn¡¯t fit into his experiments, after all. ¡°Dude, happy fucking birthday!¡± Ina called. My smile widened, though I knew she couldn¡¯t see it. She fell into step beside me, and we headed up the incline away from our base camp. Hopefully for thest time. ¡°Thanks. Excited?¡± ¡°Excited and terrified,¡± she admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get out of this darkness, but what if whates next is worse?¡± I tapped her shoulder twice with the backs of two fingers. The signal we¡¯de up with for shrug since we couldn¡¯t see one another. ¡°As long as I can see, who cares?¡± She elbowed me. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Zaren!¡± ¡°Thirteen,¡± I corrected her. ¡°Ah, shoot. That¡¯s right.¡± Karn would punish anyone who used a name other than the numbers we were assigned. ¡°Dang, that¡¯s going to take some getting used to.¡± ¡°Tell me about it. You look way more like a ten than a Fourteen.¡± She elbowed me again. ¡°Thirteen! Did you just hit on me?¡± Iughed. It felt good tough, even if we were probably heading into an all new hell. ¡°Louis used that line on Maris. When she was done giggling about it, he admitted he didn¡¯t actually know what it meant.¡± ¡°Neither did you, or you wouldn¡¯t be talking about my appearance. Need I remind you that you have no idea what I look like? A lot of growing happens in three years.¡± I tried not to think about the fact that I was about to find out. I was already feeling giddy enough that our three years in the dark were done. I felt her hand slip into mine. She was shaking, though from fear or anticipation I had no clue. Probably both. I felt the need to reassure her despite the uncertainty gnawing a hole in my gut. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fine. Look, whatever happens next, we stick together, alright?¡± I told her. ¡°We¡¯ll have sses now. Actual sses! We¡¯ve watched each other¡¯s backs for three years, I don¡¯t n to stop just because I¡¯ll finally have to look at your ugly mug.¡± She squeezed my hand so hard I thought it might break. ¡°You promise? Because if I¡¯m being honest, the idea of being alone after this is¡­kinda terrifying.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± I felt the heating from her body. She¡¯d moved close enough that we were almost touching. Our orders forced us to approach the door, but there was the slightest wiggle room in those orders. As long as we followed them, we had the smallest of freedoms. ¡°Whatever Karn throws at us, if we¡¯ve got each other, we¡¯ll endure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d it was you, Thirteen. The one to make it to the end with me,¡± she said softly. A part of me didn¡¯t feel the same. I felt like any of the others deserved to be here more than I did, but there was no use thinking about that. Not now. ¡°I¡¯m d you made it, too.¡± We¡¯d almost reached the Door. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get to see the sun again.¡± ¡°You will, too.¡± Silence fell between us until we reached the Door. I knew if I reached out, I¡¯d feel the rough wood. I regained control of my legs as ourmand released us for the moment. Her hand tightened around mine, and I felt her moving. I was just about to ask what she was up to when I felt lips brush against mine. It was quick and hesitant, little more than a peck, but it made my heart hammer in my chest. I¡¯d never kissed a girl before, but I very badly wanted to do it again. But she pulled away before I could even piece my thoughts together. ¡°There. Now, no matter what happens, I can say I fell for your personality and not your looks.¡± A wide smile split my face. I was d she couldn¡¯t see me grinning like an idiot, though she certainly heard it in my voice. ¡°And just what do you n to do when I turn out to have buck teeth and a unibrow?¡± Two taps. ¡°At least I won¡¯t have to worry aboutpetition,¡± she teased. That pulled anotherugh out of me. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. Too bad the same isn¡¯t true in reverse. If I was hot and you weren¡¯t, I¡¯m not sure I could make such a sacrifice.¡± My tone made it clear that I didn¡¯t mean a word of it. You didn¡¯t fight for survival for three years with someone and not develop some kind of feelings for them. Especially when you spent thest six months of those three years just you and her. My feelings for her had grown deep, but not knowing if either of us would make it to the end had always stayed my hand. Hers too, I¡¯d wager. The lock to the Door clicked, and she quickly pulled her hand from mine. She knew about Hanna. They all did. She didn¡¯t want to be used against me, so I knew she¡¯d distance herself when Karn was around. If there are any gods listening, I prayed silently, please protect her. Please keep my friend safe. I missed her warmth immediately, especially when the door swung open and the anticipation hit me in full. The room on the other side was dimly lit, but it was the most light I¡¯d seen in three years. A tall man with a sword at his hip and a crossbow slung over his back stood on the other side. Not Karn, but one of Karn¡¯s servants. He looked us up and down. ¡°Just you two?¡± My mouth dry, I looked at Ina. The light from the room was enough to let us see one another. She was looking back at me. She had curly brown hair and light hazel eyes, and her faint smile filled me with warmth. A small nose, round lips, and pointed chin. She was beautiful. From the way her eyes sparkled, I had to hope I looked half as good to her as she did to me. ¡°Yes,¡± I told the man. I tore my gaze from Ina and looked at him. ¡°Just the two of us. The others all died.¡± He just grunted, then turned and walked into the room. The light came from under the door on the other side. A line of white that was so bright it must have been sunlight. It hurt to look at, but I couldn¡¯t make my self stop. Not until I felt movemente from my right. Karn was sitting in a chair, and just the sight of him made fear race through me. All I could see when I looked at him was the man who¡¯d cut Hannah¡¯s throat. Hatred and revulsion bubbled in my gut, but I fought them down. I didn¡¯t want to give him any reason to hurt Ina. We both came to a stop and he stood. His gaze raked over us with faint interest. ¡°Listen up.¡± My cor heated up, waiting for hismand. ¡°Stay and be silent until spoken to.¡± My feet locked in ce and my jaw went numb. I knew Ina was going through the same thing next to me. Another wave of fear ran through me when he turned towards her first. ¡°Fourteen.¡± Her cor would be heating up. ¡°Without making a selection, read me your ss options.¡± I couldn¡¯t move my feet, but I could look at her. Watching her lips move while she talked was mesmerizing. The same lips that had pressed against mine just a few minutes ago. ¡°Dancer, shadow, and quartermaster, master.¡± Karn¡¯s lips pursed. ¡°The description for Shadow. Read it to me.¡± She swallowed audibly. ¡°Move unseen in the night. Specialize in covert actions and ambush attacks.¡± Her voice was suddenly uncertain. He made a disappointed sound. ¡°Unfortunate. Another failure.¡± He waved a hand, and there was a sharp twang! Ina gasped, and my head whipped around to see her stagger back with a crossbow bolt sticking from her chest. She looked down at it in confusion, then looked to me and fell back onto the ground. I watched in horror, unable to scream for her the same way I hadn¡¯t even been able to scream for Hannah. She looked at the bolt and wrapped a hand around it, then whimpered. She reached towards the line of light under the door, then fell back. Her eyes found me. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªI¡¯m d,¡± she choked, ¡°that it was you.¡± Then she was gone. The tears were streaming down my face. No. No. This couldn¡¯t be happening. Not after everything we¡¯d survived. It had to be a nightmare. A cruel trick. Another test. She was okay. She had to be. I couldn¡¯t move, but my legs wouldn¡¯t support me either. I fell to my knees. I dimly heard the sound of the crossbow being reloaded, but I couldn¡¯t look away from her ssy eyes, still fixed on where I¡¯d been standing. ¡°Thirteen,¡± Karn said. My cor heated up, and I was forced to tear my gaze from her and meet his. He looked down without a shred of emotion, like he hadn¡¯t just taken the person I cared about most. Again. I wanted to scream. To throw myself at him and gouge his eyes out. To hurt him like he¡¯d hurt me over and over and over again, but I couldn¡¯t. The cor wouldn¡¯t let me move, much less cause him any injury. ¡°Without making a selection,¡± he said again, ¡°read me your ss options.¡± It took me a moment to see through the tears in my eyes, but I managed to pull up my System interface for the very first time. This moment was one of the most exciting moments for everyone else in the world, and it was the worst day of my life. Maybe even thest one if he didn¡¯t like what he heard. I looked at the options.
Swordsman Specialize in one and two handed swords.
Reaper You have always known death. Now you will bring it to your enemies with unstoppable force
Shadowborn You are shaped by the night and molded from darkness itself. Shadows themselves will be at your beck and call.
I read the titles out for Karn and he straightened. His nostrils red. Three sses, and all of them sounded like they belonged to killers. If I got to start with Karn, then any of them were fine by me. I wanted the Reaper skill most of all. I wanted to kill him. I would kill him. ¡°Read the Shadowborn description to me,¡± he demanded with force. I did, then I closed my eyes. I waited for the crossbow bolt to hit me. Maybe Ina was waiting for me just on the other side. I decided if that was the case, then I¡¯d rather die here and now. But the bolt never came. When I finally opened my eyes, he was smiling. ¡°Finally.¡± He looked at the man behind him. ¡°As agreed, your family will be well taken care of. Once you¡¯ve disposed of the girl, drink the poison.¡± The man nodded once, then he walked past me and threw Ina¡¯s thin frame over his shoulder. She looked so smallpared to him. I wanted to scream at him for treating her like she was nothing more than a sack of feed, but my voice was still locked away by Karn¡¯smand. I red at Karn, hoping my anger and my hatred shone through. He just smiled cruelly down at me. ¡°Thirteen, select Shadowborn as your ss.¡± The cor heated up. I tried to resist, but a sharp pain exploded in my skull. The room swam, and when it finally came back into focus the Shadowborn ss had been selected. ¡°Thirteen,¡± my cor heated again. ¡°Nobody is ever to know what happened to you thesest three years. You will not speak a word of it aloud, and you will never tell a soul how you obtained your ss.¡± I wanted to scream. It wasn¡¯t bad enough that he¡¯d taken Ina from me, but he¡¯d just made it so that I could never even talk about her. Never tell anyone what had happened to the very first girl I¡¯d fallen for. Hells, I¡¯d never even get to tell anyone I¡¯d fallen for Ina. I could feel myself slipping. Retreating back into myself. Falling into that pit where I¡¯d ended up after Hannah. My strength left me. So did my rage and my anger and my hate. My arms went limp, and all that was left in me was emptiness. Karn¡¯s smile only widened. ¡°You¡¯ll stay in this room for the next month to relimate your eyes to light. After that, you will begin phase three with the other sesses. Well done, boy. You¡¯ve just be one of the most valuable ves in this world.¡± With a wolfish grin, he turned and swept from the room, leaving me alone. The tears kept pouring, and once he was gone the first sob slipped out. A part of me wanted to scream and rage and destroy everything left behind in the room, but my body refused to cooperate. I didn¡¯t have anything left. Then pain erupted in my chest. It was as if an iron hand had suddenly mped around my heart. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. The pain was horrendous. Like I was being ripped apart from the inside. It burned worse than any physical pain I¡¯d ever been subjected to. Far worse. I felt like I was going to die. I wanted to die, just to make it stop. Then I was back in the cavern. Back where I¡¯d hallucinated Karn standing over the corpses of the ones I cared about. I knew it was a hallucination, but that didn¡¯t stop the pain as Ina appeared before me. Her eyes were still ssy. The bolt still protruded from her chest, a thin trail of blood disappearing between her breasts. Over and over she asked me why. Why did she have to die? How could I break my promise to her? How could I fail her so horribly? She raged and railed that I walked away from that room and she didn¡¯t. That she died like an animal without ever even reaching the sun. I tried to speak, but there were no words that I could possibly say to her. No answers to the questions I¡¯d asked myself over and over for years. I reached for her, but she just recoiled from me. The pain in my chest burned worse and worse and worse until I thought It¡¯d kill me for sure then¡ª Then it was gone. It vanished, Ina along with it. In its ce was a familiar warmth. Like a gentle caress, softly promising me that everything was going to be alright. I let it chase away the pain until there was only a soft golden light at the edges of my vision remaining. Serena¡¯s skill, reaching me even through my nightmare. ¡°You were right, I do like your friends.¡± It was the voice of the kid,ing from behind me. I didn¡¯t rise from where I knelt, but I turned. Before I looked at him, I knew what I¡¯d find. In the light of my dream, I saw him. Thirteen years old, dark shaggy hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. Gangly and uncertain with thick bags under his eyes and a cor around his neck that faintly bore the number thirteen on it. ¡°You¡¯re me,¡± I said. Young me crossed his arms. ¡°No shit.¡± I forced myself to stand, wobbling under the echoes of whatever pain had nearly taken me out. ¡°How?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Hell if I know. I know I¡¯m not fully you. Not really, at least.¡± I looked at him closer. He seemed frayed at the edges. His figure was blurred slightly, and it was getting worse by the second. ¡°You¡¯re a fragment, then. The part of me that was first sent down into the catbs.¡± ¡°Whatever I was, I won¡¯t be for much longer.¡± ¡°You guided me. Helped me keep moving.¡± He shrugged, seemingly unbothered that he was fading from existence. ¡°Seemed like the thing to do.¡± I tried my best to recall everything that had happened, but hallucinogens often made things like that difficult. In the end, only one thing made any real sense. ¡°Are you the cursed de?¡± He gave me a droll look that almost made meugh in its familiarity. ¡°No, dumbass. I¡¯m not a sword. I¡¯m you, remember? We just went over this.¡± I felt a little foolish, but the de had done stranger things. ¡°But the de conjured you somehow. It was aiding me, wasn¡¯t it?¡± That was the only exnation as to how I¡¯d survived the spiders¡¯ trap. Once again, I¡¯d made it through on sheer luck. He shrugged again, half his form gone. ¡°Makes sense to me. Whatever happened, I wouldn¡¯t expect it to happen again.¡± No, I definitely wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯d gotten out by the skin of my teeth, and there would certainly be a cost. If I was lucky, then that cost would just mean the sword couldn¡¯t pull such a trick out of its proverbial ass again. I doubted I was lucky. ¡°In any case, thank you,¡± I told him. He inclined his head. ¡°Don¡¯t let it go to waste. We¡¯ve already had more chances than we deserve.¡± He finished fading away, and the room followed after him. As it disappeared, I couldn¡¯t help but agree. # # # My own young face was still firmly in my mind when I woke from my nightmare of a memory. It happened in stages while my body worked through all the many sensations I was feeling. My body ached, but that was no surprise. Something warm and soft was pressed against my side, and magical warmth spread from every part of it that touched me. Serena, fully naked, using her healing skill on me, also fully naked. Much of that warmth seeped into my aching muscles and the dull pain in my left arm, but more than a little traveled south. That wasn¡¯t much of an issue, though, because they¡¯d clearly taken that into consideration. A set of warm, soft lips slid up and down over my length, taking me all the way to the base with slow, deliberate motions. The tongue working the underside of my shaft send soft waves of pleasure that battled away the pain in the rest of me. I focused on the feeling for a while, letting the rest of me catch up. I could feel a thin nket stretched over us, though where it hade from I had no idea. I heard the faint sound of moving water nearby, but I could also tell by the way the air moved that we were still underground. My brain was stillgging behind. Where was I? How did I get here? Light seeped through my eyelids, though, so I finally lifted them and took a look around. The room was decently sized, but a quick nce showed only a two entrances, both of which were too small for anything bigger than me to slip through. There were no webs, either, which meant no spiders. Vx weren¡¯t fond of running water, so that was no surprise. A small underground creek ran through the center of the room, which is probably the reason I felt clean. I held a hand up in front of me. The one on my injured arm, since my good one had beenmandeered by Serena. Thicker than it had been at sixteen, and with many more calluses. It had just been a dream. I wasn¡¯t back in the catbs. Ina was gone, but so was Karn. So was the hallucination of my younger self. I looked down at Serena and contemted waking her up. ¡°I¡¯d let her sleep,¡± a voice said softly to my side. I looked over to see Elisa with her knees drawn to her chest, writing in a leather-bound booklet. Every so often her eyes flicked up to where the nket thrown over us bobbed up and down. ¡°She only just nodded off a little while ago. She¡¯s been up for most of the night.¡± ¡°How long¡ª¡± the mouth around my shaft¡ªRhani¡¯s, I was guessing¡ªfroze. Then I felt fingers on my sac and I felt her speed up. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± I continued. She fished a pocket watch out of her bag and checked it. ¡°Nine hours, give or take.¡± She closed the watch and reced it. ¡°You were in bad shape, and you¡¯d toss and turn and get feverish whenever she wasn¡¯t healing you, so she kept it up as long as she had mana. That finally relented about an hour ago, hence her actually resting. We¡¯re down to a single mana potion, but we all agreed keeping you alive was well worth it.¡± I trailed a hand softly across her hair. She didn¡¯t even stir. ¡°Well, I appreciate that, at least. Is everyone alright?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah. Noelle¡¯s been asleep pretty much the whole time, though. Rhani seemed worried, but she¡¯s fine physically.¡± I lifted my head enough to see that Noelle was indeed curled up into a ball on Serena¡¯s other side with her back pressed against the taller girl. She was also naked. I looked to Elisa with a raised brow. She blushed furiously. ¡°Serena¡¯s skill evolved. She can heal multiple targets as long as she¡¯s touching them, so while she was wrapped around you we took turns wrapping around her. Noelle has the most health, so we moved her to be pressed into Serena while she slept.¡± I nodded. ¡°A good idea.¡± ¡°Rhani¡¯s. She¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°That she is,¡± I agreed. The mouth on my cock was rapidly bringing me to climax. ¡°And insatiable, apparently.¡± Her blush darkened. ¡°Well, Serena¡¯s skill has that¡­side effect. You got¡ªum, aroused, and it started¡­well, throbbing, so they took turns helping you out.¡± A likely excuse. I¡¯d have to thank Rhani when she was done. ¡°And Tiana?¡± ¡°W-well, she has her reasons. She should probably tell you those herself when she gets done, though.¡± Her eyes flicked towards the head that had picked up speed as my cock started twitching. ¡°Done with¡ª¡± Oh. Oh. I slid my hands down and sunk into hair that was fluffier and longer than Rhani¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t my little Arelim at all that was currently sucking me off, it was Tiana. That knowledge was more than enough to push me over the edge and I came with a surprised grunt. Her lips went all the way to my base and I could feel her throat working to swallow every drop of my load. Only after she¡¯d drank it all down and licked me clean did she crawl up my body. She smiled bashfully when her head emerged from under the nket andid down on top of me with her head resting just under mine. She was as naked as Serena and I. Then she froze. ¡°Ah, um, is this alright?¡± I raised my brows at her. ¡°Considering where my dick just was, I think it¡¯s a littlete to ask that.¡± She paled. ¡°Shit. You¡¯re angry.¡± Tiana tried to push herself off me, but I pulled her back down by reaching around her and grabbing a handful of ass. ¡°Not angry, just a little surprised.¡± She moaned and practically copsed into me, rubbing her very hard nipples against my chest. ¡°S-sorry. I have a skill, see. An active.¡± She slipped her leg between mine so that my thigh was between hers and started grinding against me. ¡°I can increase my mana regeneration at the cost of getting really fucking horny, and I didn¡¯t want to waste the mana potions.¡± I took pity on her and slid two fingers into her slit from behind and she practically melted into me. I started finger fucking her and she came in seconds. ¡°And sucking dick helps?¡± ¡°It¡ªoh, yes¡ªit takes the edge off while Rhani¡¯s on guard duty. Another skill. Giving p-pleasure to others reduces the effects other skills have on me. She¡¯s been helping me otherwise. We still haven¡¯t¡­I mean, I wasn¡¯t going to go that far while you were asleep.¡± I nced back to Elisa who was trying very hard to hide that she was watching us over the edge of her notebook. ¡°And you? How are you doing?¡± It took her a moment to realize I¡¯d been talking about her. ¡°Oh! Um, I¡¯m not dead, so as good as I can be all things considered. I¡¯m sorry you guys got in so much trouble for me, though.¡± My only response was a grunt. In all honesty, assuming we made it out alive, it was a small miracle that we¡¯d found our way down here when we did. That was a conversation I wanted to have while everyone was awake and present, though. Tiana came on my fingers again and I slipped them out long enough to sit up, conjuring a pack behind me to sit against. Serena made a small noise and nestled deeper into my chest, but she didn¡¯t wake. From this perspective, I could see a little more of Noelle. She had faded wounds on her, but nothing serious. What drew my eye, since her back was to me, was her wings. They were longer than they had been before, and I could see small ck feathers already growing at their bases. I tore my gaze from her when Tiana snuggled back into me, her breasts on full disy now. She rested her head on my shoulder with flushed cheeks and looked at me pleadingly, then spread one of her legs slightly. I couldn¡¯t help but smile, then I leaned down and kissed her while my fingers went to work on her clit. She moaned into my mouth and I felt her hand wrap around my length and start delivering slow, deliberate strokes. ¡°It¡¯s a useful skill,¡± she panted, ¡°but it leaves me so fucking pent up and sensitive.¡± She arched her back into me and closed her eyes. ¡°But you relieve tension soooo well.¡± I chuckled. ¡°d I could be of service.¡± She opened her mouth to say something else, but mped it shut and shuddered her way through another climax. I flicked my eyes over to Elisa who was still holding her notebook up, but her other hand had disappeared beneath the waistband of her pants. I didn¡¯t say anything though, like with Noelle, having an audience made things different in a way I wasn¡¯t too ready to think about just yet. I slowed my ministrations but didn¡¯t stop, and Tiana seemed content to justy there against me. I slowly dragged my fingers across Serena¡¯s back, but she kept snoring away happily. I stopped long enough to reach out and touch Noelle¡¯s back, feeling her slow, constant heartbeat. She seemed as out of it as Serena. Tiana¡¯s eyes started to close, and before long she was also dozing lightly. She was smiling and her body was still very reactive, so I kept working my fingers. They¡¯d been getting me off in my sleep, so I could at least return the favor. It was hard to think with her stilled hand still wrapped around my member, but I had notifications to deal with. [Level Up!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Level Up!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] My brows shot up. Aside from the two extra levels¡ªthat meant I¡¯d shot up six in the time we¡¯d been down here, which was a little insane¡ªtwo skills had evolved. I tried to remember what had happened before I¡¯d passed out, but it was a jumbled mess. I¡¯d been hallucinating my balls off, I was sure of that, which meant I¡¯d need to wait until Rhani or Serena could tell me what had happened from their perspective. For now, I needed to know what skills had changed. Gone was [Control Darkness], which was what let me manually control my shadows at times. In it¡¯s ce was [Shadows of Self].
Shadows of Self (a) - You are your shadows. Your shadows are you. You are able to control shadows you conjure by focusing your will through them. Additionally, you can expend mana to give them a specificmand that they will follow to the best of their ability. Size and strength of your shadows increases the less light it is subjected to.
It was more or less the same skill, but with the added addition of being able to givemands. That meant I wouldn¡¯t have to focus on my shadows directly as much, which was good. [Control Darkness] had also mentioned my shadows only being able to perform simple actions and losing power with distance, but this skillcked those restrictions. I¡¯d have to test it out as soon as we were aboveground. Then I looked at the other evolved skill and a hint of panic red in my chest. [Armor of Shadows] was no more, but a quick nce at Serena revealed the strip of ck still around her neck. Frowning, I checked the new skill.
Dark Armorer (p) - The darkness protects its allies. Gain a gem that is capable of conjuring armor made from your shadows. For every ten base Primal you have, gain an additional set of armor. The armor¡¯s ability to reduce physical and magical damage is based on your total Primal level, and you can use skills through the armor as if you were touching its wearer.
Okay, not having to expend mana on the armor was a massive boon. Not only that, but if I was reading the skill correctly I had not one, but three sets I could give out with another only six Primal away. I was d the evolution of the skill hadn¡¯t stripped Serena of hers, and now I could protect Rhani as well. Noelle, too, but I had a feeling she might turn it down in favor of giving it to Tiana or Elisa. The idea of Rhani in anything even close to what Serena was wearing made me grin. I wasn¡¯t sure who¡¯d be more excited, me or her. But I wasn¡¯t done with my ss just yet. Seventeen meant more attribute points, and eighteen meant a new skill. I checked the avable skills first in case they might change where I put my points. [Shadowbound Weapon] would be useful, but I wasn¡¯t married to it. There were two new options, though, that both sounded interesting. One was [Umbral Regeneration], which would increase both my health and mana regeneration in the dark. It would be helpful at night, but the skill would still be useless for nearly half the day unless I was somewhere the sun couldn¡¯t reach. And it was another skill that would make things more difficult for mypanions in order for me to take full advantage. The other simrly named skill felt like an answer to my prayers.
Umbral Barrage (a) - Nothing can ever truly escape the dark. Expend mana to hurl projectiles of shadow at a target. Number of projectiles and damage caused are determined by Primal stat. Projectiles can be edged, barbed, or dulled.
One of my greatest weaknesses was that I had to close the gap between me and my enemy before I could deal any real damage. I had skills to facilitate that, but being able to strike from afar was too great a boon to pass up. Another active meant more mana usage, though, and not having to expend some to keep the armor up only mitigated so much. As badly as I wanted more Primal, [Giant Killer] was enough to bridge the gap between me and any dangerous foes. I sunk my points into my Focus and looked over my stats in full.
Strength [15] Arcane [0] Vitality [22] Focus [14]
Dexterity [15] Divine [0] Fortitude [15] Resilience [70]
Agility [10] Primal [24] Endurance [10] Will [11]
My agility was still pretty sad, which meant I was heavily reliant on [Horde yer] and [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] to move quickly. Hopefully I got a good option for a support ss as my secondary in two levels that could help with that. Mythic sses were great, but they often left a bit of a gap in statspared to other sses. Right now my worst case scenario was a single enemy right at my level. As if she knew I¡¯d finished, Rhani walked into the room. ¡°Still quiet as a graveyard, which is creepy as¡ª¡± She mmed to a stop when she saw me sitting up. Then tears built in her eyes and she ran at me. Tiana, who had woken at the sound of Rhani¡¯s voice, gave me a quick peck on the cheek before rolling away just in time for Rhani to throw her arms around me and bury her face in my neck. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± she cried into me. I wrapped my free arm around her, but the sudden jostle had woken Serena. She looked around with bleary eyes until she realized where she was, then she gasped and imed my other side with a tight embrace. ¡°Easy, easy!¡± Iughed, clutching both of them as tightly as they clutched me anyways. ¡°Pretty sure my ribs are still not doing great.¡± They both pulled back. Rhani¡¯s hands found my face and she nted her lips on mine while Serena¡¯s hands frantically roamed my sides, checking for any tender areas she could work her magic on. ¡°I¡¯m alright, I¡¯m alright,¡± I assured them. They both looked up at me with expressions torn between worry, fear, and anger. Rhani smacked my shoulder, though not hard enough to hurt. ¡°You jerk! Do you have any idea how worried we were?¡± I caressed both of their cheeks. ¡°Believe it or not, I just might. I was worried about you, too.¡± Serena¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t slowed down. ¡°Are you in pain anywhere? Do you have any lingering injuries? Is all the venom gone?¡± I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into my side, trapping her arms between us. ¡°One question at a time. No, no, and it feels that way. I feel fine, so take a breath.¡± She bit her lip, then nodded. I released her, but she grabbed my arm and tucked it under her breasts with her fingers entwined with mine and pressed her back to my side. Rhani finally sat back, and when I felt her on the top of my thigh I realized she was wearing nothing under her skirt. My cock twitched in spite of everything, and I knew it hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. Rhani nced at it, then back at me. ¡°I know you probably want to get moving, but not before we talk.¡± She threw the nket aside and raised up with one leg locked, then lined me up and sheathed me inside her with one fluid movement. She let out a satisfied sigh when our hips met. I groaned at her wet heat enveloping me. ¡°You girls are going to be the death of me.¡± Rhani leaned back and started slowly moving up and down, biting her lip. ¡°Better us than these fucking spiders.¡± Serena rested her head on my chest, and Tiana sidled back up into the spot Rhani had vacated with her hips tilted enough to give me ess. ¡°It¡¯d be best if we got everyone on the same page,¡± Tiana said. I slipped my hand down her back and started fingering her while Rhani rode me. She lifted her hips a little more to give me a better angle, leaning on me, but her expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°I¡¯m still very grateful that you¡¯ve saved my life and you¡¯ve made me cum more in thest day than I have in thest month, but watching you rip apart those spiders with your bare hands was still fucking terrifying and I¡¯d feel a lot better with at least a little context.¡± Damn. What the hell happened before I passed out? I looked down at Serena, whose wide eyes were fixed on my face. ¡°I got poisoned. Altaxian Recluse venom. Not my first time, either. In some ces, it¡¯s used as an interrogation tool. It can trap its victims in memories and, with the right outside stimuli, you can lead them through those memories to get information. Unfortunately for the spiders, I got trapped in a memory where I was fighting for my life on a pretty much daily basis.¡± Tiana started running her hand over my groin just above where Rhani and I were connected. ¡°Whatever you were seeing, I know it was bad enough that I won¡¯t ask. What about those red shadows? The ones that ripped apart that giant spider like it was nothing.¡± Oh shit. Evolved skills. Red shadows. I reached for the cursed sword in my storage and was rmed to find it wasn¡¯t there. Panic red through me, but Rhani pushed down on my chest. ¡°It¡¯s with the golem,¡± she said quickly, stopping her movement. ¡°I know you said it wasn¡¯t a good idea to touch it, so I had the golem carry it while we brought you here. It makes a good spider crusher and doesn¡¯t seem to harm the golem, so we let it keep the sword for now.¡± That calmed me slightly. ¡°Tell me what happened. I can¡¯t trust my own recollection.¡± Rhani returned to riding me while she exined their side of things. The phase spider vanished with me, and the spiders had retreated for a time. They¡¯d gone searching for me, but then the spiders had starteding at them in waves. It was only Tiana¡¯s magic and Elisa¡¯s contraptions that had kept them from being overrun, but they had no idea where I¡¯d gone. In the end, they decided that heading for the exit was their only real option. They¡¯d hoped I¡¯d do the same thing and we¡¯d meet up closer to the surface. But then the spiders had cornered them. They¡¯d been low on mana and health and at the end of their rope when I¡¯d shown up. Feral and unhinged. The spiders had left them alone entirely toe after me, but the crimson tinged shadows surrounding me made quick work of them. She told me how I¡¯d fought like an animal, and I could tell from the way she jammed her eyes shut and picked up speed that it wasn¡¯t a pleasant memory for her. Even recounting it she was trying her best to distract herself with the pleasure of me inside her. She¡¯d been scared for me. Of me. I reached out and pulled her to my chest, then sunk a hand into the flesh of her ass and used it as leverage to start slowly fucking her. She moaned, then nestled into my neck and continued. I hadn¡¯t been in my right mind and attacked Serena, though she was quick to assure me I hadn¡¯t done any actual damage to her. I still felt likeplete shit knowing I¡¯d struck out at someone I cared about, but all I could do was promise to make things up to herter. She wrapped her arms around me, bucking her hips to meet mine as both of our climaxes raced closer. She told me I¡¯d been talking to someone who wasn¡¯t there, but she was reluctant to tell me exactly what I¡¯d said. Then Noelle had managed to get the sword in its scabbard and Rhani had closed the sp, and I¡¯d practically passed out on the spot. The sword really had protected me. More than that, it had managed to slip out of my storage without me summoning it. I couldn¡¯t be sure considering I was poisoned out of my mind, but I wasn¡¯t entirely certain I¡¯d been the one to undo the sp either. I racked my brain to try and make sense of the hallucination and connected some of the dots. The pain in my neck would have been exactly where the crimson shadows had covered my flesh, ording to Rhani. I should have been killed while I was hallucinating, but the sword had somehow taken control of my shadows and defended me. More than that, my hallucinations had led me right back to the others. A part of that could have been my subconscious, but it could have just as easily been the sword. But my train of thought was getting harder to keep on the rails the closer I grew to climax. I leaned forward and Tiana and Serena gave me space to set Rhani down on her back so I could fuck her for real. She cried out, her fingernails dragging across my back while I pounded her hard enough to send her into one climax, then almost immediately a second one. Her walls clenching around me was enough to push me over the edge, so I buried my length in her and let go, filling her to the brim. I gave her a kiss, then pulled back. I shifted around to lean against the pack and Serena lowered her head to suck me clean. Tiana had a simr idea, though her tongue went straight into Rhani to clean up the mess I¡¯d left inside her. Judging from Rhani¡¯s whine, I was pretty sure her still-sensitive pussy came onest time wrapped around Tiana¡¯s tongue. ¡°Gods help me, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do with two perverts,¡± I said with augh, very much enjoying the view I got of Tiana¡¯s rear while she ate Rhani out. Unable to resist, I reached out and ran a hand over it. ¡°One pervert, one nympho,¡± Elisa said from the side of the room. I¡¯d almost forgotten she was there, and when I looked at her questioningly she fixed her gaze on the floor with a heavy flush. ¡°Rhani thinks about sex, but Tiana¡¯s body craves it. Rhani¡¯s a perv, Tiana is a nympho.¡± She shrugged. ¡°We had a lot of time to talk while you recovered.¡± I could only shake my head and continue to run my hand over Tiana¡¯s plump rear. She groaned appreciatively into Rhani, who let out a moan of her own. ¡°Is every girl I meet secretly horny all the time?¡± I asked Serena. She just wiped her lip off andid back down on my chest. ¡°Lucky you.¡± I was inclined to agree. But that wasn¡¯t the topic that needed discussing. In fact, their story had raised another very important issue. ¡°Serena, your skill evolved, right? Can you tell me the new text?¡± ¡°[Healing Embrace]. ¡®Expend mana to restore damage to any friendly targets in direct contact with you.¡¯ Like before, that only seems to include skin-to-skin contact.¡± Rhani finally managed to free herself from Tiana¡¯s mouth and sat up, straightening out her skirt. Tiana sat back against me and I slid my hand around her to slowly y with her breast. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that much stronger than its predecessor other than being able to affect multiple targets.¡± Oh boy. I had to phrase this carefully, otherwise Rhani might have a meltdown. ¡°Actually, I think there¡¯s one other important change.¡± All three women looked at me. ¡°Before it healed wounds, now it heals damage.¡± I trailed my hand along Serena¡¯s spine. ¡°Don¡¯t freak out, but I think you just got a very important skill.¡± Elisa limped over to us and sat down, unable to fully tear her gaze away from Tiana and Serena¡¯s naked bodies. ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it in front of us if you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said nervously. I looked to Serena, and she nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can worry about that kind of thingter. Right now, like Tiana said, we need to understand each other if we want to survive.¡± I looked back to Serena. ¡°The fact that I feel as good as I do right now means your skill doesn¡¯t just heal physical damage.¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Ren, if you¡¯re telling me I have the magical ability to heal mental trauma now, then I¡ª¡± ¡°No, no,¡± I said with augh, ¡°though that would certainly solve a number of problems.¡± If I hadn¡¯t been sure Allura had sent Serena to me before, I was now. ¡°My ss is only one of the reasons I can wield the de. The other is my soul. Gaining levels in your ss grows your soul as well as your body, but it¡¯s not the only way. Pain¡ªthe kind of pain that rips you apart inside, not just physical pain¡ªtears at your soul. Over time, if you can manage to heal the damage through growth and recovery, your soul grows back stronger.¡± I could tell that I had all their attention now. ¡°My soul was ripped to shreds over and over, which left it much sturdier than your average soul. The sword is insanely powerful, but wielding it literally destroys your essence as parts of you are torn away and devoured by its magic. Not only is my soul sturdy enough to resist that to an extent, but it¡¯s also learned to repair itself in a fraction of the time it takes other souls to. That means I can wield the de longer and more often than just about anyone else, but it still damages me.¡± Rhani gasped, and I knew she understood. I continued. ¡°If the sword was utched and its magic was coursing through me, then it was surely ripping at my essence. I would probably beatose right now, but I¡¯m thinking your skill sped my recovery up. It¡¯s why I stopped thrashing while you healed me. You were literally repairing my soul.¡± I grinned at her. ¡°That night, you said you felt that your duty was to heal my body, mind, and soul. Turns out you were more right than either of us realized.¡± A slow smile spread across her face and she leaned into me. ¡°That¡¯s a relief, though if you think for a second you can use that as an excuse to use that sword too much then you¡¯ve got another thinging.¡± Rhani¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Oh thank the gods. That means Noelle is probably fine.¡± Then she sucked in her breath and her eyes shot to mine, as if she¡¯d let something slip she hadn¡¯t meant to. Every muscle in my body went taut. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Bashfully, she told me what Noelle had done. How she¡¯d pushed the de back into its scabbard and it had grabbed hold of her. She¡¯dsted long enough to make it to this little cavern, then she¡¯d been asleep since. My blood ran cold. If the sword had hurt her, I was never going to forgive it. I pulled the nket so it was at least covering my lower half and gently shook Noelle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Noelle?¡± She mumbled something unintelligible and curled up tighter. I shook her again, and she jerked upright. She looked around wildly until she saw me and she froze. Then her lips curved downward and tears welled in her eyes. She frantically started to crawl over Serena, who hadn¡¯t managed to get out of the way quick enough, and I hooked an arm around her torso to pull her to my chest. To my surprise, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed the side of her face into mine, trembling. She sucked in air through her nose, and a shudder passed through her. I felt her naked front pressing into mine, but her lower half remained in Serena¡¯sp. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked her, gently digging the pads of my fingers into her back. She shuddered and gripped me tighter, tucking her chin into my shoulder. ¡°I am now,¡± she whispered. I started to put a little more force into my fingers, massaging the tender muscle around her wings. She gasped and her grip tightened further. ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°I am. Alive and well. Noelle, I need you to tell me what happened when you grabbed the sword. In as much detail as you can.¡± ¡°Its tendrils dug into my arm, but there wasn¡¯t any real pain. Just pressure. I felt its magic. It felt desperate,¡± she breathed, then her breath hitched when I moved my hand to massage the ck-feathered stump. ¡°I-it pulled me in. Wrapped my hand around its hilt and shoved.¡± ¡°It tried to make you draw it?¡± I hit a sensitive spot and she whimpered. ¡°N-no, it helped me push it down. Into the scabbard. It felt afraid. Then it shifted. Like it was curious. Um, can¡ªcan you go lower?¡± I did and she writhed against me. One of her hands slid upward and sunk into my hair while her other lowered to wrap around my back with her fingers gripping into me like she was afraid I might push her away. ¡°It¡ªit¡¯s magic started pushing and pulling on mine, like something was squirming around inside me. It felt¡­angry. Upset. It¡ªnng¡ªthen it melted away when Rhani closed thetch.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re okay now? You feel fine?¡± She nodded vigorously. Her body was starting to rub against mine in a way that was getting very hard to ignore. Rhani, grinning that mischievous grin that always both worried and excited me, sidled up behind her while Tiana and Serena watched from the side. Rhani pressed her hands into Noelle¡¯s back, causing the smaller girl to cry out into my shoulder. Then, with a pointed look, she pushed my hand down. ¡°Noelle was just as worried about you as the rest of us,¡± she said softly, taking over at massaging Noelle¡¯s upper back. I slid my hand to Noelle¡¯s lower back, then as Rhani urged me to keep going, I went lower. And lower. Noelle whimpered when I cupped her rear, her small cheekpletely epassed by my hand. I gave it a tentative squeeze and she went crazy, writhing and rubbing herself into me. Her fingers wrapped into my hair and I felt her nails digging even deeper. I brought my other hand up to cup the back of her head while I kneaded the flesh of her rear, then I slid my hand down and brushed a single finger across her lower lips with a feather light touch. Her fingernails dug into my back hard enough to break skin and she convulsed. She bit down on my shoulder, my flesh the only thing muffling her cry while she came in my arms. Her whole body clenched, then trembled. I held her through her intense climax, only loosening my grip when I felt her teeth¡ªtwo of which were sharp enough to puncture skin¡ªrelease my shoulder. Rhani¡¯s eyes were so wide I thought they might pop out, and Serena had a wide smile on her face. Tiana¡¯s hand had traveled back between her legs, and if Elisa bit her lip any harder it might bleed. Noelle breathed heavily, but she made no move to pull away. There was a hint of panic in her eyes. ¡°I¡ªI''m sorry, sir, I didn¡¯t mean¡ªI hurt you, I¡ª¡± ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright,¡± I told her, stroking her hair. She shifted so she was sitting up a little more, though her front was still pressed into mine. Rhani¡¯s hands were still on Noelle¡¯s back, but their touch was much softer. ¡°Did it feel good?¡± Her tonguepped up a drop of blood that was on her lip. She nodded hesitantly. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯ve never felt that good before. Not even when Rhani¡­¡± she trailed off, and I raised my brows at the Arelim. She was pointedly not looking at me, though she had a smug smile on her face. ¡°If you felt good, then I¡¯m happy.¡± I ran a hand along her side and up to her ribcage. It was already much less prominent than when we¡¯d met. Her chest was still heaving, and I could feel her heart hammering from where our chests were pressed together. She drew back enough so that her face was below mine. Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks were as dark as I¡¯d ever seen them. ¡°You¡¯d have to try very hard to actually hurt me. That was nothing.¡± She finally started to rx. ¡°O-okay.¡± She leaned back a little more and her hands trailed over my shoulders and down my chest. She seemed fine, but contact with the sword still worried me. Then a new possibility popped into my head. ¡°Noelle, did any of your skills evolve?¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was never allowed to check my status before without permission.¡± Right. I should have known. It had been the same for me. ¡°Your sses are your own, you never have to ask permission to check your status or select the skills you want again, alright?¡± She nodded once, then I saw her eyes unfocus. ¡°I leveled up. Twice for my secondary ss and¡ª¡± her breath caught. ¡°And once for my primary ss.¡± Oh shit. That meant she had a ss evolution. Serena and Rhani had both froze, looking at me. Noelle had gone pale, her normally expressionless face now twisted with fear. I put a hand to her cheek. ¡°Remember what I said. Even if we have to get you to fifty.¡± She nodded, then her breathing stopped. Her nails dug into my chest, and tears filled her eyes. Then, before I could ask her about the result, she threw herself at me. Scorching hot lips mashed into mine in an inexperienced but desperate kiss and I felt her legs wrap around my torso. I had to wrap an arm around her and put my other behind me to brace myself against the ground to keep us from falling over at the intensity of the assault. When she pulled back, for the first time since I¡¯d met her, she was smiling. A wide, flushed smile that showed off her long canines. ¡°I got it!¡± she eximed. ¡°I got the ss!¡± Chapter Thirty-Three: Evolutions Chapter Thirty-Three: Evolutions Rhani let out a happy squeal and threw her arms around Noelle. Serena wasn¡¯t far behind her. Before I could even recover from the sudden and frantic kiss, Noelle was sandwiched between a teary-eyed Rhani and Serena. Tears flowed down her own cheeks, but she was still smiling. She had an adorable smile. In their rush to wrap Noelle up, they pulled her from myp. That was probably for the best considering Noelle¡¯s orgasm and the kiss after, followed by seeing her devoured by Serena and Rhani¡¯s busts, were already waking my member up for another round. I slipped away and stood, pulling a set of pants out and donning them before any of them could see my growing erection and get any ideas. Tiana stood as well, wrapping the nket around her shoulders with a bewildered expression on her face. ¡°What did I miss?¡± she asked me out the side of her mouth, still looking at the pile that was my three girls. I was thankful she¡¯d covered up. As much as I appreciated looking at her, if we didn¡¯t get moving soon we¡¯d never leave this cave. ¡°Noelle had a bad ss. We managed to evolve her out of it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°Yes and no.¡± She shot me a questioning look. ¡°She didn¡¯t have much say in her ss.¡± I debated for a moment on how much to tell her, but I figured I at least owed her the basics. ¡°Herst Patron forced her to take a ss that made her stronger the more pain she was in, then tortured her. I told her I¡¯d help her switch ss trees, and it looks like I was sessful.¡± Her look shifted to one of horror. ¡°You can¡¯t just force someone to take a ss!¡± I wished that were true. ¡°You can when you¡¯ve got a ve cor.¡± She put a hand over her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s¡­awful.¡± Then her brows knit together and looked at me. ¡°You can change people¡¯s sses?¡± I pulled out a shirt to avoid answering immediately and thought while I slid it on. ¡°I can¡¯t change them, but I know enough about them to help guide them towards more¡­preferable evolutions and options." She bit her lip and I could practically see what was going on in her head. ¡°It¡¯s possible you could move away from your secondary ss, but it would be difficult.¡± An unreadable look flitted over her face. ¡°How difficult?¡± ¡°Not utilizing your passive difficult.¡± I could tell by her grimace that she understood. Dealing with the arousal and not being able to get herself off. Detriment sses like hers were so often a trap there was simply no escaping from. ¡°Fuck.¡± She pulled the nket tighter, her expression turning miserable. ¡°I really fucked up, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°You hate your ss that much?¡± She pointedly avoided my gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it, I hate¡­¡± ¡°You hate that it relies on someone else so much when you don¡¯t have anyone in your life worth relying on?¡± I guessed. I¡¯d bet my left nut that the effects of her ss were pitiful if she tried to take advantage of them herself. The fact that she reacted so much more to my fingers than her own was enough to tell me that much. She gave me a curt nod. ¡°And, to make matters worse,¡± she shifted from foot to foot, clearly hesitant to say, ¡°girls don¡¯t help as much either. Only guys really take the edge off. I tried going with an all girls group, but I could barely make it through the first mission. I couldn¡¯t sleep, could barely eat, and my dreams¡­¡± Tiana looked to be on the verge of tears, so I put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me immediately, resting her head on my shoulder. ¡°I thought I¡¯d lucked out with Finnegan. He was an asshole, but he was just enough of a perv to keep the heat in me down while not forcing me to do anythingpletely horrible. Though he was starting to get worse and worse by the end.¡± Rhani and Serena were both excitedly asking Noelle questions while Elisa sat nearby, listening with great interest. That left me and Tiana standing off to the side. I gently rubbed her shoulder with my thumb. ¡°You¡¯re powerful, Tiana.¡± She went still, then looked up at me with a carefully guarded expression. I continued. ¡°It may be because of a detriment ss, but your long range spells are deadly. It¡¯s in no small part thanks to you that the people I care most about are alive.¡± She swallowed, but didn¡¯t dare take her eyes from mine. I slid my hand across her back to her near shoulder so I could step back and face her fully. ¡°That¡¯s not a debt I intend to forget. I¡¯m headed to the capital, and when I get there I¡¯ll need to build a strong household. One that could use a mage like you in it. If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll find you a ce.¡± Her cheeks took on a rosy hue. Her eyes left mine long enough to flick to where the other three were still celebrating. ¡°What kind of ce did you have in mind?¡± I smiled. ¡°I figure we can party up for now and see how things look when we get to Amesseria. I¡¯m sure we¡¯lle up with something between here and there. That sound like something you¡¯re interested in?¡± She nodded vigorously. ¡°Very much so. As long as you promise not to send me after any more godsdamned spiders.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Not if I can help it. I¡¯ve had enough to do with spiders for several lifetimes.¡± Literally. A small smile fought its way onto her face, then it widened. She stepped forward and pressed her forehead into my shoulder, and I felt her hands snake around my midriff. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± she said. I ran my fingers through her full, auburn hair just when Rhani stood up and walked over to me with a smile that hid the worry I could see in her eyes. ¡°Ren, got a minute?¡± Her eyes flicked to Tiana, who straightened hastily with some color in her cheeks, but I nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Noelle wasn¡¯t kidding. She really got the ss.¡± ¡°I heard. A guardian ss will be a much better¡ª¡± ¡°Not a guardian ss,¡± she cut in. ¡°The guardian ss. Spirit Guardian. Ren, she jumped from her ss to a mythic in a single evolution. In a single level. I¡¯m no expert, but¡ª¡± ¡°But that shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± It was just as I¡¯d feared. Or hoped, maybe. Either way, there was no keeping it from Rhani any longer. ¡°Wait here.¡± My bare feet were silent on the cold stone, bringing up the memories of what I¡¯d seen. Of what I¡¯d relived. Normally I¡¯d have pushed them down, but this time I didn¡¯t. They still hurt, like an open wound, but they felt¡­lighter than before. More bearable. I felt like something had changed in me. I¡¯d realized something when I was back there, talking to young me, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure how to put it into words just yet. The golem was outside standing sentry, the cursed de in its hands. The scabbard was on and the sp was done. I looked the golem over while my mind wandered, trying to see if I could see any interruptions in the magic that might suggest the de had affected it. Now that I was fully awake and the girls had helped clear my head of any residual arousal that came from Serena¡¯s skill, more and more of yesterday¡¯s events wereing back to me. I should have died in that ambush, and only the interference of the cursed de saved me. It had managed to slip back into my storage before, but this was the first time it had ever slipped from it. It had protected me when I couldn¡¯t protect myself. Strapped its sheath to my back and fused with my shadows to keep them powered while I slipped in and out of the past. Rhani wasn¡¯t around to give the golem orders, so my n had been to simply banish the sword into my storage straight from the golem¡¯s grasp, but that went out the window when the golem flipped the sword over in its hand and held it out to me. What the fuck? I took the sword¡¯s hilt in my hand and the golem¡¯s grasp released. It held its hand open until I summoned a greatsword and ced its pommel against its palm, then its fingers curled around it and resumed a ready stance. I moved to stand before the golem, once again raking my eyes over the bits of magic etched into the stone beneath the armor. ¡°We knew you were no ordinary golem, but we didn¡¯t know how right we were, did we?¡± I asked it. It brooked no response, but I knew I was right. It was getting smarter. Smart enough to intuit our needs without us voicing them and with enough autonomy to act on them. I rapped my finger on the golem¡¯s chest. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to add you to the list of mysteries I need to figure out when I get to the capital. It¡¯s a long list, though, so you might have to be patient. Sorry.¡± I tried not to feel too foolish talking to a construct. After all, I was beginning to doubt it was just a construct. Still, wild theories were no good to me right now. I left the golem to its vigil and returned to the others. Rhani¡¯s gaze flicked to the sword uncertainly, and I knew she¡¯d already begun to make the connections I had. I sighed. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m starting to think the sword is capable of influencing sses.¡± Tiana¡¯s eyes bulged, and Rhani sucked in her breath. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±I held it up, scabbard and all. With the sp done, any emotion I felting from the de was muted. Not only that, but the sword itself felt¡­tired. Like forcing its sp open had exhausted it. ¡°Two more of my skills evolved. That makes three evolutions and one skill I¡¯d never seen before, all able to be used on allies to defend them, and each one of them after I wielded the sword. Once is an urrence, two a coincidence. Three is a pattern.¡± Tiana took a step back. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. You didn¡¯t see what you looked like back there. That thing is bad news.¡± I lifted it. It was heavy, as usual, but not as heavy as a de its size or the corresponding metal scabbard should be. ¡°It is, but it¡¯s also near indestructible. And, from what little research I¡¯ve been able to manage, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s ever swung this de and not died or tried to take over the world.¡± Tiana¡¯s brows shot up, and I wondered if she was rethinking joining my household already. She took another step away from me, a look of pain flitting across her features. ¡°What makes you different?¡± I turned the de so it was point down and set it on the ground, leaning on it. I shook my head. ¡°Honestly? No clue. But I¡¯ve got a bad guy ss and a potentially evil sword, yet no inclination to use either. Not for my own gain, at least.¡± Tiana seemed to shrink, then she took a breath and stood up straight and met my gaze, a challenge in her eyes. She was tall for a girl, maybe a hair over six feet. That put her just below me, and when she rose up she felt even taller. ¡°It¡¯s enough to make me wonder what it is you do want. What the deal you made is.¡± My blood ran cold. The room had gone silent, and I knew the others were listening for my answer as well. Keeping my emotions under careful control, I looked at Rhani. She flinched. ¡°You mentioned it when you were hallucinating. Among¡­other things.¡± My jaw clenched and unclenched. Tiana¡¯s nostrils red, but she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°You were reliving something horrible. Even I could tell that much. Whoever you were seeing, you cared for her before she died, and you said you could help her.¡± She pulled the nket so tightly around her I wondered if it would tear. ¡°Your ss is terrifying. You use shadows and violence like an extension of yourself, and you¡¯re strong. You saved us. Protected us. I didn¡¯t want to judge a book by its cover after all that. Then you mentioned you could fix the death of your friend. Now you tell me you¡¯ve got an incredibly powerful artifact that has been used to do evil in the past. Like you said yourself, three is a pattern.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but respect how she didn¡¯t so much as flinch while she held my gaze. There weren¡¯t many who could when I was struggling with my emotions as I was now. Years of living like an animal meant I had a tendency to re like one on asion. ¡°I¡¯d think getting out of here alive would be a little more important than this conversation.¡± Her chin lifted higher. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, but I¡¯ve got family out there in the world. I¡¯m no fool. I know a Chosen conflict is brewing, and you fit a lot of the descriptions for an evil one. I want to survive, but not if it means helping someone who could hurt a lot of innocent people.¡± I felt Serena rise somewhere off to my side. She touched her fingers to the gem at her neck and her armor materialized, but Tiana never took her eyes from me. Her expression was intense, but I noted the slightest of tremors that shook her. She was scared of me, but she was still willing to put the world first. I knew in that moment I wanted her around for more than just this ill-fated expedition. ¡°You don¡¯t know much about me,¡± I said carefully, ¡°so I won¡¯t hold it against you that you assumed I was a Chosen. I get your logic, but I would respectfully ask that you not make that mistake again.¡± I pushed the sword forward, drawing her gaze to it. ¡°This sword was the property of a man whomitted atrocities you can¡¯t even imagine. He forced me to take my ss for the sole reason of wielding it for him, but I managed to escape from under his thumb. Now I have the sword because I don¡¯t trust anyone else not to use it.¡± Her gaze quivered, and I saw some of the intensity drain from her eyes, but she still wasn¡¯t ready to back down. I felt a hand slip into mine. Small and callused and warm. Noelle¡¯s. I didn¡¯t look away from Tiana, though, and she didn¡¯t look away from me. ¡°And the deal?¡± ¡°Between me and a goddess and nobody else,¡± I said in a tone that invited no argument. Her eyes widened a fraction. She looked at Rhani, who was standing next to me holding her breath. ¡°Not even you?¡± Rhani shook her head. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with that?¡± Rhani wrapped around the arm holding the de and pulled it into the valley between her breasts. ¡°I am. Ren¡¯s a good man, and one that I love very much. Whatever deal he made, I know he didn¡¯t do it for himself. He can¡¯t stop himself from helping anyone hees across that needs it, and that¡¯s good enough for me.¡± She nced at Elisa, who¡¯d been watching the exchange with wide eyes. ¡°He took one look at how much pain your friend was in and dropped everything toe save you, after all.¡± Tiana seemed to dete. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had to know.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°I can¡¯t me you. I¡¯d probably have done the same in your position.¡± That didn¡¯t make her seem any less miserable. ¡°No, I imagine you wouldn¡¯t have. Still, if you¡¯re reconsidering your offer, then I¡¯d understand.¡± I snorted. ¡°Hardly. I, more than anyone, understand the importance of keeping someone around who isn¡¯t afraid to call me out on my shit.¡± She blinked in surprise, but Rhani¡¯s grip tightened around my arm. ¡°Offer? What offer?¡± she demanded. I grinned at her in an attempt to diffuse the tension that remained in the room. ¡°I might have offered her a yet-undetermined spot in the household.¡± I looked back at Serena and squeezed Noelle¡¯s hand. ¡°Pending approval, of course.¡± ¡°Fuck yes!¡± Rhani said immediately. ¡°Strong, hot, and horny? She¡¯ll fit in perfectly!¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°Color me shocked.¡± Serena hid a giggle behind her hand. ¡°I approve as well. She¡¯s not just powerful, she has very good battle sense and performs well under pressure. She¡¯ll be an invaluable asset.¡± She tilted her head at Tiana with a soft smile. ¡°She has a good sense of right and wrong too, it seems.¡± Noelle squeezed my hand and simply gave me a nod. I looked at Tiana. ¡°Well, sounds like the job¡¯s yours if you want it. Take some time to think on it, though. We¡¯ll hardly be going our separate ways any time soon.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Rhani let me go to throw her arms around Tiana. ¡°You should definitely say yes!¡± Then she pulled Tiana down and whispered something in her ear that I couldn¡¯t hear and Tiana turned a shade of crimson. Before I could even ask, though, Rhani whirled on me. ¡°Now that¡¯s all out of the way, spill! You said two skills evolved?¡± I nodded. ¡°Two evolutions, two levels.¡± Rhani squealed. ¡°A new skill, too? Oh, Ren, you spoil me so! Way to upstage my level, I just got two more measly points in Arcane that don¡¯t help me at all.¡± I crossed my arms with a raised brow. ¡°No, but it¡¯s one level away from twenty. That¡¯s kind of a big deal. I nced at Serena. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°A level in both, but odd numbers. Just more points into Divine.¡± Tiana frowned. ¡°Wait, hang on a damn minute. Didn¡¯t you all already level?¡± She looked at Rhani. ¡°You¡¯re only level neen?¡± She beamed proudly. ¡°Yep. A Schr, so my only real offense is my golem.¡± Tiana shook her head, then gestured at Serena. ¡°And I¡¯m gathering you¡¯re power leveling a second ss right now.¡± Serena inclined her head. ¡°My primary hit twenty-one, and my secondary is now seven. My primary is an offense ss, my secondary is a support healing ss.¡± ¡°Twenty-five Spirit Guardian,¡± Noelle said softly, a hint of her smile still tugging at her lips. ¡°My other ss is fifteen.¡± Almost fearfully, Tiana turned her gaze to me. I scratched the back of my neck. ¡°Eighteen, now.¡± She chewed her words for a moment. ¡°And your primary ss?¡± she asked hopefully. ¡°That is my primary ss.¡± She had to sit down. ¡°Un-fucking-believable. You¡¯re a monster.¡± Then she winced. ¡°Power-wise! Monstrously strong, not an actual monster!¡± I chuckled. ¡°I get it.¡± I held my hand out to pull her and she grabbed it. Her hands were warm and soft and, I couldn¡¯t help but notice, still a little damp. I pulled her to her feet and she stayed standing next to me. ¡°Mythic sses are something else.¡± ¡°But as for my new skill¡­¡± I focused on [Umbral Barrage]. I felt a shadow trickle down my arm and I flicked my wrist, sending three spikes about three inches long flying out hard enough to impale the stone across the room.¡± Rhani squealed. ¡°A ranged skill! Finally! That¡¯s so fucking cool! Do it again!¡± Iughed. ¡°When we aren¡¯t under threat of death, I¡¯ll be happy to explore it with you. Until then, I think you¡¯ll like the first of my evolved skills even better.¡± She stopped breathing entirely, her eyes wide. ¡°[Armor of Shadows] turned into [Dark Armorer].¡± She was starting to vibrate again. ¡°Ren, please tell me that means what I think it means. Don¡¯t tease me, for the love of the gods. Please, Ren. Please please please.¡± With augh, I pulled out one of the red gems that had been deposited in my storage by my skill. I¡¯d barely held it up before she started abandoning clothes. When I raised a brow, she shrugged. ¡°What? Serena had the right of things. Now gimme!¡± I held it out to her with a chuckle and she snatched it hard enough to send her breasts bouncing. She held it up, then frowned. She put a hand to the cor she already wore. ¡°I¡¯m not sure a double cor will look too good,¡± she admitted. It was just a gem, no band, so I grabbed her hand and pushed the gem to the inside of her wrist. The same ck fabric that made up the cor currently around Serena¡¯s neck wrapped around her thin wrist and she grinned. ¡°It¡¯ll be useful not needing you to cast it all the time. Moment of truth. Please be something sexy.¡± She touched two fingers to the gem and shadows flowed across her skin. It first formed a glove that wrapped over her thumb and went the length of her forearm, stopping halfway up her bicep. Then another identical one on the other arm. Her shoulders were bare, and only a tight ck cloth top hugged her chest. It was low cut, though it extended all the way down to just past the tops of her thighs far enough to barely cover her modesty. A corset that looked like it had sheets of ck metal along the sides extended to her waist, stopping at a belt that hung loosely on her hips. From the front her thighs were bare, but her top flowed to her knees in the back, meaning she¡¯d show off plenty of leg any time she moved. Her ck leather boots stopped above her knees, and they had heels that must have been at least two inches tall. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s so cute!¡± She did a spin, which caused the tail of her top to re out. Like Serena¡¯s, it had red ents and at least one gem in each of the different pieces. Then she grabbed her breasts and gave them a squeeze. ¡°And warm. Serena wasn¡¯t kidding, it¡¯s probably the mostfortable thing I¡¯ve ever worn.¡± She ran her hand along the corset then, Rhani being Rhani, lifted the front of her top to reveal a set of ckce panties underneath with the hand that bore the main gem. She grinned at me, then touched her fingers to the gem and her panties dissolved. ¡°What do you think?¡± In answer, I pulled her into me and shoved my tongue down her throat. She returned the kiss with just as much eagerness and caressed my erection with a happy groan. She made a disappointed sound when I pulled away. ¡°I¡¯ll fuck you in it after we get out of the spider kingdom,¡± I said pointedly. She pouted. ¡°Fine. You¡¯d better, cause we both know I¡¯m hot as hell in this.¡± Elisa was ring at Rhani like she agreed very much, and Tiana¡¯s jaw was on the floor. ¡°How the hell does that count as armor?¡± Tiana demanded. Rhani fished her dagger out from the belt she¡¯d tossed aside and stabbed herself in the leg. The same barrier of red energy deflected the de. ¡°Magic. What, you think Serena¡¯s outfit would be practical otherwise?¡± Tiana just shook her head. ¡°And I thought my ss was pervy.¡± Rhani¡¯s breath caught. I could see the wheels turning in her head, but I stopped her. ¡°Hang on a second.¡± She looked at me pleadingly right up until I conjured another gem, then she beamed. ¡°Oh hells yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got one more, the only question is who it would be best on.¡± I looked to Noelle. ¡°You¡¯d be in the frontline, so it might make sense to give it to you.¡± She shook her head adamantly. ¡°I have all seven hundred of my health.¡± She looked at Tiana. ¡°How much do you have?¡± Tiana nched. ¡°Not seven hundred, that¡¯s for fucking sure.¡± I held the gem out to her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it, but something tells me it¡¯ll serve the same purpose as your normal outfit while being a lot more protecting.¡± I now understood that her normal outfit was designed to give her party members easy ess, and I had a feeling my skill would take that into ount. She just sighed and let the nket finally fall to the ground. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off her swaying bust while she took the gem from me. ¡°Honestly, what even is my life?¡± But she pressed the gem to her throat anyways and a cor sprang to life around it. Then she summoned her armor and whatever thoughts Rhani¡¯s new outfit had left behind disappeared. Like Rhani¡¯s, the ¡°armor¡± was made entirely of fabric. Long silken sleeves that covered the backs of her hands, connected by a loop that went around her middle fingers, stretched nearly to her elbows. Like Rhani¡¯s, her shoulders were left bare. Unlike Rhani, there was nothing that could be considered tight about her top. Long swathes of smooth ck fabric started at the cor around her neck, splitting into two trails of cloth. Each one went over a different breast, leaving the cleavage in the center and on the sides exposed, then they reconnected just below her navel and wrapped around her midriff. She had a simr belt that hung a little off kilter at her wide hips, and the cloth went underneath it to fall between her legs trailing all the way to her ankles. An identical strip of cloth fell behind her, covering her modesty, but the sides of her robe were cut all the way up past her belt, showing off long stretches of skin from above her hips all the way to the boots that she wore. They went even higher than Rhani¡¯s, though her heels were slightly longer. If I hadn¡¯t been straining against my pants before, I was now. I didn¡¯t know if I should thank the sword, Allura, my desires, or the clear perversion that seemed to lurk in each girl¡¯s mind. I thanked all of them just to be sure. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Tiana said, raising her arms to get a good look at herself. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if this is the best thing to ever happen to me or the worst. At least it¡¯sfortable, even if I¡¯ll be shing every other person I see.¡± There wasn¡¯t a set of eyes that weren¡¯t on her when she walked to the end of the cavern and back, her breasts bouncing and her ass jiggling in a way that was very difficult to ignore. But her nipples never slipped out of the confines of her shirt. In fact, wherever her breasts went, the fabric stuck with them. She shook her head. ¡°Fucking magic. At least I won¡¯t get arrested for indecency.¡± I tried to covertly adjust myself, something that I might have actually gotten away with from the way Rhani was drooling over Tiana. ¡°Ren?¡± she said. ¡°I know I¡¯ve said this before, but you stumbling on me in that tower was officially the best day of my life. I fucking love you right now.¡± I pulled her into me with augh. ¡°You think that¡¯s hot, wait ¡®till you see what else I can do.¡± Her head jerked up at me and her eyes glowed. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± I looked to Tiana, who put her hands on her hips. ¡°Something tells me this day is about to get weirder.¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± I cast [Conjure Shadow], summoning a tendril on Tiana. It snaked out from under her belt, waving in front of her, and she jumped. It was a spectacr jerk that sent all her assets bouncing beautifully. ¡°I can do that from range, and my tendrils will both defend you further from attacks and attack anything nasty that gets too close. My other skill involving my shadows evolved too, which means I can do this now.¡± Operating on instinct, I focused on the tendril sprouting from her. I flexed my will into it, and suddenly I could feel what it felt. I wrapped it around Tiana, reveling in the soft warmth of her body, and curled it up between her breasts. ¡°Oh what the fuck!¡± she eximed with augh. I used it to slip a breast free, then wrap around it and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh shit.¡± Rhani clutched me. ¡°Ren¡­¡± ¡°Easy, I do need to conserve mana.¡± She pouted and I released the tendril. Tiana slid her breast back into the confines of her outfit hurriedly. ¡°I can control them manually, but I can also give them amand.¡± Her eyes shot to me. ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t tell me¡ª¡± I focused on the tendril again and felt the connection between me and it. I charged some mana into it, along with a singlemand. Edge. The tendril whipped around her waist, then her thigh. Still momentarily connected to it, I could feel it slide up the outside of her thigh, over her asshole with enough force to make her squeak, then up her front. It wedged itself between her lower lips and reached up to prod at the nub at the hood of her core and her knees buckled, and I let the connection go. ¡°Fuck!¡± She ripped the front of her outfit aside to show that she wore nothing underneath it. My tendril was slowly sliding back and forth, twisting around her clit and prodding it every so often. ¡°You can just do that whenever you feel like it?¡± she asked, her voice shaking. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not even connected to it right now. It¡¯ll keep going until it runs out of mana, and they don¡¯t do that very quickly unless they¡¯re attacking or defending.¡± Rhani¡¯s fingers dug into my arm. ¡°Ren¡­¡± Iughed. ¡°Unfortunately,mands also costs mana. I can afford to demonstrate on Tiana here because it¡¯ll help keep her boosted and my hands free. If it works like I think it does, I can also do this.¡± I walked over to Elisa. ¡°May I?¡± She shot a fearful nce at a wriggling Tiana, then nodded. I touched her hip and conjured a tendril, then sent another simplemand. Assist. She squeaked when it wrapped its way down her leg, then it collected around the break and reinforced it. Her eyes widened, then she pushed herself uneasily to her feet. I offered my arm to help her bnce and she took it gratefully, then tentatively tested her bad leg. ¡°It still hurts, but I can handle it,¡± she said. ¡°At least this way I won¡¯t be slowing us down.¡± I nodded, then turned to a pouting Rhani. ¡°Mana rationing is in effect when we¡¯re trapped in hostile territory,¡± I told her. Her shoulders slumped. ¡°Ugh, why can¡¯t you be one of those perverts with no regard to their surroundings for like, five minutes?¡± I understood her reluctance. The longer we stayed in here doing indecent thing the longer before we had to return to the reality that we were in a really bad position. We were deep beneath the earth surrounded by intelligent spiders more than capable of setting traps and they¡¯d had nearly ten hours to prepare for our attempted escape. Not to mention there was every chance there was something down here that we wouldn¡¯t be able to take on. I lifted the cursed sword behind me and pressed the scabbard to my back. It headed up and I felt a leather strap manifest over my shoulder, attaching it to me. When I did, I felt a pulse of gratitude. The sword didn¡¯t want to go back into storage, and it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have an indestructible scabbard watching my back. I turned to Noelle. ¡°You¡¯ve got a new core skill?¡± She nodded, humming happily. ¡°[Tormented Rage] was reced by [Summon Basic Guardians]." She briefly exined the skill in full, epigraph and all.
Summon Basic Guardians (a) - Your desire to protect transcends this ne. Summon a flock of spiritual ravens to protect you and your allies. Guardians are invisible until they make their presence known. They can move in the area around you to reduce damage taken from hostile attacks directed at you and your allies. Strength of the guardians is determined by the Primal stat.
It was a powerful skill for a core skill. I wasn¡¯t sure, but it sounded unevolved. That meant it would only grow stronger in time, just like mine had. It was also a powerfulpliment to mine. A wider defense skill to bnce my own, much more targeted, skills. ¡°Feel it out, it¡¯ll take time to get used to a new core skill. It¡¯ll take time for your body to get used to it, too.¡± She nodded, her focus entirely on me. I gave her head a pat. ¡°You¡¯ll want to spend tonight in a bed. There¡¯s a good chance you get an evolution or two tonight, which means you¡¯ll need sleep.¡± Noelle walked to the corner of the room and started pulling on the leather armor she¡¯d stacked there. ¡°Then we should move so we get to the inn with time to spare.¡± I barked out augh. ¡°And your other skill? The one from your secondary hitting fourteen?¡± She paused, halfway through buckling her pants. ¡°Should I tell you my options?¡± she asked hesitantly. I grabbed her chest guard while the others packed away the rest of our things. ¡°If you¡¯d like, but I think it would be best for you to get used to choosing your own skills. Take the one you think fits you the most.¡± Her eyes unfocused while I slipped the chest guard over her head and started buckling the straps in ce. Then I heard her gasp. ¡°I think this one is good. Um, very good.¡± I finished with her chest guard and slipped a bracer on her. ¡°Alright,y it on me.¡± ¡°[Vital Attribute] will raise another of my stats to the same as my Vitality. I could double my strength with it and be free to spend my attribute points on my Primal since my ss skills will scale with it. Then, at sixteen, I can take another Sacrier skill to give me even more vitality.¡± I raised a brow, slipping her other bracer on. It was an impressive analysis, and probably the most words I¡¯d seen her speak in one go. I finished strapping it on and stood, then pulled her to my chest. She leaned into me eagerly. ¡°That sounds like a good n, but you don¡¯t have to convince me. This is your ss now. These are your skills. I want you to take the ones you think you can live with.¡± She nodded against me, and I felt her shudder. She pulled away and hefted her axe, then frowned. She gave it a few test swings and it cut through the air with an ease that seemed to surprise her. She looked at me. ¡°Do you have anything¡­heavier?¡± Chapter Thirty-Four: Bluffing with the Best Chapter Thirty-Four: Bluffing with the Best The others had seemed a tad skeptical when Noelle returned to them holding a two-handed axe over her shoulder that was as tall as she was. They were no longer skeptical after she cleaved two guardian Vx in half with a single swing. She was unused to both the reach of the weapon and her intensely boosted strength, but she had lightning fast reflexes and sharp instincts. The Vx didn¡¯te at us in any real numbers, which worried me. I had no doubt they were setting up some kind of trap for uster down the road, I just had to hope it wasn¡¯t another toon killer. If we found ourselves face to face with another Royal, I had no illusions I¡¯d need to draw the cursed de. I seriously doubted I¡¯d killed the only two that were down here. And where there were royals¡­ Well, I really hoped I wouldn¡¯t have to draw the de until we were a lot closer to the surface. The good news was that we were cutting through Vx easier than we ever had before. After summoning a tendril for defense on Rhani, all three of our most vulnerable members were protected. Since I always had a sense of what my tendrils were up to, I could afford to let loose without constantly checking to make sure we weren¡¯t getting ambushed from behind. Noelle was still insistent that I watch the back, and now she had extra ammunition to use against me with my newest ranged skill. Something had shifted in her with the evolution of her ss, and I liked what I saw. She was clever and hard headed, and I hoped I¡¯d only seen the beginnings of the woman she might be now that she was well and truly leaving her past behind her. Her new skill was something else, too. Spectral ravens that shifted in and out of this realm. They swooped in to intercept any attacks in her range, throwing themselves at fangs and ws to give the others time to dodge or defend. The golem was getting more and more lethal by the encounter, and it was difficult to say whether it was the golem¡¯s strange properties or Rhani¡¯smands. I could see her lips moving while she whisperedmands, the bracer at her wrist emitting a constant, soft glow. She was more focused now than I¡¯d ever seen her. I could see the fear that aways apanied fighting for your life, but she had a better handle on it than ever before. Something had changed in Serena, too. There was a new look in her eyes. A darker one. She put on a brave face any time she caught me looking, but I knew a forced smile when I saw one. There was something that was bothering the hell out of her, but now wasn¡¯t the time to have that conversation. Whatever was bouncing around in that head of hers, it had her moving with a precision and relentlessness I hadn¡¯t seen in her either. It was like she¡¯d decided if she could kill enough of the spiders, she could kill whatever had forced the change. Tiana was another matter altogether. Since we¡¯d started our trek back to the surface, she¡¯d been a force of nature. Whatever my tendril was doing to her, it was clearly working. She had a constant flush and stumbled every so often, but the one time I¡¯d tried to help her she¡¯d smacked my arm hard enough to tell me not to do it again. When the first real ambush had happened, she¡¯d obliterated it with a single cast of her [Force Bolts]. Even she¡¯d been caught off guard by the destructive power she¡¯d unleashed. ¡°What the f¡ªfffff¡ªfuck did you tell your tendril to do?¡± she demanded. I slipped a hand into the high cut on her side and grabbed a handful of her rear. Arousal was key, and over thest hour we¡¯d been slowly making our way to the surface a n had started to form in my mind. She¡¯d had me make that promise before because the mere thought of its payoff kept her running hot. ¡°I could tell you, but I¡¯ve got another idea.¡± Her nostrils red, then I felt the tendril shift underneath her clothes and she let out a soft gasp. ¡°It keeps fucking changing things up. Every time I think I¡¯ve got a handle on what it¡¯s up to, it switches tactics.¡± I slid my hand closer to where I knew she wanted me to touch. ¡°Have you cum?¡± She pushed her ass into my hand. ¡°No, it won¡¯t fucking let me! It pulls back as soon as I get close.¡± I raised my brows. The tendril was scarily good at keeping her on edge, it seemed, and I wasn¡¯t quite sure I was ready to deal with what that might say about me. ¡°Then I¡¯ll make you a deal. If you can figure out themand I gave it, I¡¯ll make you cum so hard we have to take a break while you remember how to walk.¡± She groaned through clenched teeth. ¡°And here I was thinking you weren¡¯t an asshole.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely an asshole. But don¡¯t forget, I¡¯ll make it all up to you when we get out.¡± Her breath caught. ¡°Are we?¡± I hesitated just a second too long. ¡°Of course.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Look, I get it. Whatever you¡¯re holding back, there probably isn¡¯t anything we can do about it. You don¡¯t want to psych them out. Serena might be able to handle it, but Elisa and Rhani both are nonbat types and Noelle seems¡­fragile. If I¡¯m going to die tonight, I think I¡¯d rather know.¡± My hand left her ass and slid up to the small of her back. ¡°There¡¯s a chance we don¡¯t,¡± I admitted. ¡°There¡¯s a muchrger chance that not all of us survive. I give you my word here and now, though, that I¡¯m not leaving anyone behind. I¡¯ll do everything in my power to get us out of this.¡± She looked at me for a long time, then nodded curtly. Then she jumped. ¡°Magic, behind us.¡± I turned to see a wave of skittering spiders rolling towards us. Small ones. Hundreds of them. Thousands. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got more area of effect spells?¡± I asked, pushing her behind me. ¡°A couple, but this many¡ª¡± A sh of silver, and mes erupted in the tunnel between us and the spiders. A metal sphere shooting out two jets of mes that propelled it into the wave and bathed them in fire. Tiana threw her hands out and two blue disks shot from her palms. They were both nearly two feet in diameter and carved through the spiders that weren¡¯t immted. She twisted and pulled as if directing the disks with invisible strings and they turned, heading for therger masses of spiders. The smell of burning insect hit us like a wave, but the spiders turned back down the hall and retreated. I shook my head, then turned to Elisa. ¡°You didn¡¯t mention you had fire skills.¡± She blushed. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± She held up one of the spheres I¡¯d seen in her pack. ¡°Spitter Spheres. One of my first inventions.¡± The others had stopped, weapons raised, but I nodded to Noelle and she started forward once more. I gave Tiana onest brush along her breast, gently flicking the hard nub poking through the fabric of her new outfit, and sped up enough that I was walking next to a still-limping Elisa. ¡°May I?¡± She hesitated, then dropped one into my palm. I rolled it around, feeling something liquid moving around inside. I saw the button on the side, between the two grooves where I knew fire woulde out, and figured that was the activation mechanism. Making sure not to go anywhere near that, I put it back in her palm. ¡°Ingenious. The ignited fire propels it further, then?¡± Her eyes widened, and she nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, exactly! It works really well with liquids andpressed gasses, too. I¡¯ve got a bunch.¡± She pulled out a number of them that looked identical to me. ¡°This one has peppermint and vinegar because of the spiders. This one is a light-spitter. It¡¯ll spraympflier excretion around, which glows when it hits the air for about an hour. This one sprays drake smander gas, which is¡ª¡± ¡°Highly explosive,¡± I said with a little worry. She lit up. ¡°Exactly! I call it boom-gas. The fire spitters are great for setting things on fire, of course, but these babies can spread gas over a twenty foot area. You can detonate it with a single spark and cause massive damage!¡± I gingerly ced that one back in her bag. ¡°You could also cause the tunnel to cave in on us, so maybe leave those aside for now.¡± She was crestfallen, but not for long. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve also got some of these! Wire-webs. They shoot out a mana-steel thread¡ªanother invention of mine¡ªthat¡¯s thin and sharp and really strong. Great for tangling enemies up. And this one I call a false daylight. It doesn¡¯t spit so much as it does immte itself, but it burns so bright it can light up an entire cavern and burn your eyes if you¡¯re looking right at it.¡± I looked at the girl in a whole new light. ¡°These spitters, they can be modified to shoot any kind of gas?¡± She bit the end of her thumb. ¡°Should be able to, yeah. I¡¯d probably have to modify it a little depending on the gas. Why?¡± ¡°Just curious. After we get out of here, I think you and me need to have a sitdown.¡± I picked up one of the wire-webs. ¡°I¡¯m curious just what else you¡¯re capable of.¡± She grinned from ear to ear, then her expression fell. ¡°Well, I can domissions, but you should know that I¡¯ve got a lot of debts to take care of. This stuff isn¡¯t cheap, after all.¡± I could imagine, but if she was down here scraping for levels with a group like Camden¡¯s, then that meant whoever she owed money to had no idea just how valuable a mind like hers could be. Paying those debts off would be a small price to pay if she was half the gem I thought she might be. I was very interested to see what she and Ryoko could get up to once the Kitsune had a bit more alchemy experience under her belt. I squeezed Elisa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s survive today, first, then we can worry about all that.¡± I could tell from the way she sobered further that she¡¯d allowed the talk of her inventions to distract her from our situation. She nodded, and I let her go to fall back into step with Tiana. ¡°So you can sense magic?¡± I asked her. She nodded curtly. ¡°I have a skill. I¡¯m not sure why it activated, though.¡± I had a few theories, but if she had a skill then I needed to at least warn her what to look out for. ¡°Don¡¯t react to what I¡¯m about to say,¡± I said softly, ¡°but there¡¯s a possibility there¡¯s something down here capable of using real magic, not just the mana-infused venoms and webs the Vx are so fond of. Let¡¯s just say you¡¯ll know it when you see it. Sense it, more likely.¡± ¡°And if it shows up, we¡¯re fucked?¡± she guessed in an equally quiet tone. ¡°Probably, but I thrive when facing certain death.¡± I gave her a wink, and her cheeks darkened. ¡°If we end up dealing with anything like that, I need you to trust me.¡± ¡°I do trust you,¡± she said so quietly I nearly missed it. When I arched a brow, she blushed even more. ¡°A lot. Like, a weird amount. Does that make me a fool?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Maybe, maybe not. I¡¯ll certainly do everything in my power to keep from breaking that trust, but I know that there¡¯s no way for you to know that just yet.¡± She made a growling noise in her throat and looked away pointedly. ¡°Why is it that every other thing you say makes me want to jump your bones so damn bad?¡± Then the words that had escaped her mouth caught up to her brain and she mped a hand over her mouth. Iughed softly, which made Noelle peek over her shoulder with a questioning look before turning her eyes back to the tunnels ahead. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d say this in my life, but I seem to have that effect on women.¡± Now it was her turn to arch a brow at me. ¡°Fending them off with a stick, are you?¡± ¡°It certainly feels that way.¡± It was difficult to keep my eyes from lingering on the backsides of the three girls I¡¯d be so close to. It was a good thing Tiana was next to me, not in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s all very new to me. I¡¯m not usually so good with¡ª¡± ¡°Women?¡± I barked out anotherugh. ¡°I was going to say people. My life has been a solitary one, often by choice. Not mine, mind you, but what can you do?¡± Tiana bit her lip. ¡°What changed?¡± A deal with a goddess and a chance to save everyone I¡¯d ever failed. Something that had taken away the guilt I hadn¡¯t even realized weighed down on me that I could have the nerve to be happy when so many had never got the chance. I couldn¡¯t say that, so instead I said, ¡°I wanted to save Rhani, and she ended up saving me instead. Same with Serena. I¡¯m starting to think Noelle is trying to do the same.¡± Her turquoise eyes searched mine warmly. ¡°What did they save you from?¡± A smile tugged at my lips. ¡°Myself, mostly. They reminded me what it felt like to protect the people I cared about, not just avenge them.¡± She opened her mouth, then jumped with a groan. ¡°Fucking tendril, ruining the damn mood,¡± she grumbled. Then she shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve got a thing for saving people, that¡¯s for sure. Sorry again that you got dragged down here by my stupidity.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Honestly, you might have done the world a service by being captured.¡± She leaned away from me, aghast, and Iughed. ¡°Alright, that didn¡¯te out quite right, but if we get out of here then you¡¯re capture might save a few hundred lives.¡± That sobered her up. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Those royal Vx are a bad sign. The trap I fell into is a worse one. They¡¯re preparing to defend against a siege. That means that not only are they smart enough to n that far ahead, but they¡¯re also nning to grow into a big enough problem they know the people in the city above will have no choice but to exterminate them. They¡¯re still in the early stages, though, and if Anford can get a big enough host together they can take the spiders out before they get too entrenched.¡± She didn¡¯t look away from me for a while. Then, finally, she said, ¡°you sure know a lot about Vx. I thought I was the expert, but I don¡¯t know any of this.¡± ¡°Most of it we learned in the war thirty years ago.¡± Her brows knit together, and I struggled toe up with a way to exin it without revealing that I was actually there. ¡°Grimsbane surrounded the capital with his armies, so the Seven had two options. Cut their way through tens of thousands of innocents enved to him or take a more direct route. They chose thetter, but that meant cutting through the Altain Mountains that run from the coast to the north of the capital nearly to the other end of the continent. Through the very pass Anford is settled in now. Only problem was, for thest two centuries or so, the entire mountain range had been inhabited by a Vx queen and her brood.¡± ¡°The Seven killed the queen and their armies snuck through the mountains tond on Grimsbane¡¯s doorstep before he even knew what happened.¡± The caves in the Altain had imed hundreds of thousands of lives over the years. Armies and hosts had marched in to exterminate the spiders never to walk back out again. The seven of us had gone in alone, posing as agents of Grimsbane, and in the queen ourselves. She paled. ¡°You think there¡¯s a queen down here.¡± ¡°The odds are slim. The seven destroyed the eggs they found, after all. But, if we do run into one, I need you to do something for me.¡± ¡°Trust you?¡± I nodded. ¡°And get the others out. If worstes to worst, then I can get the queen focused on me. Hopefully long enough for you all to slip away.¡± She stiffened. ¡°If you think I¡¯m just going to leave you down here¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯ve walked away from fights that should have imed me for as long as I¡¯ve been alive,¡± I said tly. ¡°And most of those were when I didn¡¯t have a reason toe out the other side. Now I do. I¡¯ll be fine, but I can¡¯t fight the way I¡¯ll need to and worry about the others. Can I count on you?¡± I saw her jaw clench and unclench. ¡°Why me and not Serena?¡± ¡°Serena is amazing,¡± I said, ¡°but she¡¯s also the type who¡¯d stay by my side no matter what, even if it costs her life. If I even suggested to her what I¡¯m asking of you now, she¡¯d be furious.¡± Her back went stiff and I could see fire in her eyes. ¡°And what? I look like the type of girl who¡¯s willing to abandon someone they care about?¡± I met her gaze unflinchingly. ¡°No, but you do strike me as someone who understands the difference between leaving someone behind and getting out of their way. It¡¯s a matter of experience, not character.¡± She recoiled slightly, but then she turned her gaze away. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you ask, but just remember. I can¡¯t rightly cash in that promise with a corpse, so you aren¡¯t allowed to die.¡± I ran my hand up her bare back and she shivered. ¡°Same goes to you.¡± She opened her mouth to respond, but then Noelle came to a stop at a crossroads. She smelled the air, then looked back at me. ¡°Metal. Rusty. That way.¡± She pointed. I¡¯d long given up trying to guess what was above us, but metal could mean signs of civilization. I nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go see what we¡¯ve got.¡± When we started back up, the pace had quickened. Anticipation spurred us on, and it wasn¡¯t long before we reached a point where our tunnel intersected with another that was visibly different. Older, but more neatly carved. Likely by human hands. Then, after we¡¯d all jumped down into the tunnel that was slightly lower than the one we¡¯d left, we found what Noelle had smelled. Tracks. Mine cart tracks. We were under the mountains outside of Anford, which meant there was every possibility that the Vx hunting us were direct descendants of the one¡¯s I¡¯d fought thirty years ago. It was long abandoned judging by the rust, but at least we could follow the tracks to the surface. ¡°This is good,¡± I told the others, and there were smiles all around. ¡°Come on.¡± We moved in a tight group. The others knew as well as I did that an ambush was most likely toe when we were least expecting it, but it never did. We followed the track up for another hour before the shaft we were walking through ended. We stood at its exit where it let out into a massive cavern. One sorge I couldn¡¯t make out the walls on the other side, and with a chasm that stretched onto infinity below us. A ridge led up the wall to our right, the track going up its length until we could no longer see it. ¡°This ledge will wrap around the edge of the wall all the way until the top. Hopefully it isn¡¯t much further from its end to the entrance to the mine. Stay away from the edge, and¡ª¡± I felt the chill travel up my spine right before Tiana gripped my arm with vice-like fingers. Noelle dropped into a crouch, both hands on her axe, her eyes darting around wildly. Then I heard it. The soft padding of the massive hairy legs belonging to the giant spider that was somewhere below us. The others heard it, too, but before I could so much as shout a warning I heard a voice. ¡°So it was you.¡± It was decidedly feminine, but low and warbling. Words spoken from a mouth never intended for human speech. ¡°You who have ughtered my children. You who have murdered my honor guard. You will go no further, vermin.¡± Fear radiated from mypanions, then it spiked when the first hairy leg crested the edge further along the path in front of us and the spider pulled itself up the wall and into view. It was slightly smaller than the royals, but the softly pulsing yellow marks left no question as to what beast stood in front of us. Then I heard more padding behind and turned to see a royal pull itself out of a hole in the wall somewhere above us. It looked down at us, its fangs twisting agianst one another in anticipation. Another set of padding told me there was a second royal somewhere below us, and the fear I felting from mypanions reached a new high. They weren¡¯t the real threat, though. Not by far. The Vx queen took a threatening step towards us, and I felt the pull of dark magicsing from her. [Giant Killer] made my Primal shoot through the roof. In a straight out fight, I didn¡¯t think we could take her. Especially not this deep in her domain. Though I couldn¡¯t see them, I knew there would be hundreds of guardians waiting for her order to strike. There was only one thing to do. Bluff the shit out of this. ¡°About damn time you showed up!¡± I called at the spider, stalking through my fear-stricken friends towards her with an angry expression. She hesitated, and I walked until I was within reach. ¡°Is this how you honor your agreements, majesty?¡± I¡¯d never seen a spider hesitant, and from the way the others gaped at me, neither had they. ¡°You¡­serve them?¡± Okay, guess one was right on the money. Time to really pull some shit out of my ass. ¡°Of course I do! You really think anyone else woulde all this way? I made my way down here to collect on our end of the deal, and what do I get? Attacked! Honestly, you¡¯re lucky we didn¡¯t send someone weaker!¡± The queen took another step back. Her fangs rubbed against one another agitatedly. ¡°I was not informed you would being so soon.¡± ¡°Oh, so now it¡¯s our fault?¡± I demanded. This was good. We were lucky she was a fledgling queen still growing mature, otherwise we¡¯d be truly fucked. She was only half-grown, which meant she¡¯d be uncertain and unskilled. ¡°Lovely. I¡¯ll be sure to pass that along to my master. He¡¯ll be thrilled, I¡¯m sure, that you¡¯reying the me at his feet.¡± ¡°No!¡± Her feet started stepping in ce, and I started walking forward. ¡°Yourck of control over your brood has already cost me too much time, I¡¯m certain to be in for punishment thanks to you,¡± I warned her. She stepped backward at my approach, then backed up and onto the wall. I heard footfalls behind me and knew that my friends were following me. They were probably as terrified as I was, but I couldn¡¯t risk looking back at them like I had doubts. ¡°And after all this time, you really only had two candidates for me? My master won¡¯t be pleased. Not at all.¡± The queen backed further up the wall, walking along it to keep up with me while I strode as fast as I could without running. I had to get as close to the exit as possible before my deception was revealed. It was our only chance. ¡°They are all that we have found!¡± she warbled. ¡°Your master was very clear. Females with powerful abilities. None of the vermin in the city above have delved far enough into my kingdom for my guardians to make an urate assessment of them, lord.¡± Now I knew why there had been no signs the Vx had fed on Elisa or Tiana. They weren¡¯t food, they were captives. At least now I knew we hadn¡¯t left anyone behind in their nest. ¡°That¡¯s hardly an excuse. Still, two is better than none I suppose. Not that getting them to the surface was made easy by your brood.¡± She paused and examined us with her many eyes, then hurried to catch up with us. ¡°You did not restrain them. My guardians assumed you were attempting to steal them, and you had females that fit your master¡¯s requirements.¡± Shit. Time for another shot in the dark. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t restrain them, they couldn¡¯t disobey me if they tried.¡± The queen warbled. ¡°I see. They are your¡­thralls. Like the others.¡± Thralls. Whoever was working with the Vx had a way to make their captives obey. That didn¡¯t bode well. ¡°You did not use the agreed upon entrance!¡± she whined. ¡°ns change. The entrance was being watched, we had to take an alternative route.¡± My legs were starting to burn from such a forced march up the steep incline, but we were making good time. Already I could feel the pressure in the air lessening. We were getting closer and closer to the surface. ¡°A messenger was sent, but he was either detained or eaten by your overexcited brood.¡± She warbled again and dropped to the pathway behind us. ¡°Yet you are alive, and you have the sacrifices you came for. Is that not enough? Will you not tell your master I have done as asked?¡± ¡°I suppose I can pass that along,¡± I said begrudgingly. Her feet stamped excitedly. ¡°Will this be enough? Will you hold up your end of the bargain?¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. I paused just long enough to buy us time but not long enough to draw suspicion. ¡°That won¡¯t be up to me.¡± Her feet stamped again, this time with more agitation in the movements. The ground under us trembled, and I hoped the overexcitable fledgling queen wasn¡¯t about to send us all tumbling to our deaths. ¡°Just one, then! Give me one of the vermin who slew my mothers! My grandmothers! They are your enemies as much as mine, allow me to inflict endless torment upon just one of them!¡± Fuck. Me. Sideways. She wanted the seven. She wanted me. I had to get out and warn the others. I had to make sure she didn¡¯t discover what I was. I knew Vx inherited memories, but this one hadn¡¯t recognized me yet. If I started using my skills or drew my sword, that might change. ¡°I will pass along your wishes, but I am not foolish enough to speak for my master. Surely you must understand that.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, I understand. But when you see your master, tell him that I can inflict agonies with my children that even he could never dream of. My control is growing. Even the other bloodlines follow me now.¡± Only a Vx queen or her royals were capable of controlling the spiders enough for Vx to coexist with other species. It sounded like she¡¯d only recently gained the ability to do that, though. She couldn¡¯t be more than a few years old. If that. ¡°I will pass your offer along.¡± I wished I coulde up with some way of asking who this supposed master was, but that was a quick road to being outed. The incline was starting to level out, and my senses told me that we were nearing the surface. The cavern stretched up endlessly, though, which meant it was likely a massive hole in the mountain itself. She scurried back up the wall and over us,ing to a stop about fifty feet ahead. As the light of ourmps reached it, I saw that she stood over a gaping hole in the wall where our path ended. ¡°And pass along to your master that we need more sustenance. If we are not allowed to prey on the vermin in full yet, then he must deliver an eptable substitute! My brood are difficult to control because they hunger, and you were such an appetizing meal.¡± She moved to the side so we could pass and I saw numerous other tracks. The entrance was in sight. ¡°I will pass it along. Any other messages you would like me to take since our messenger was so apparently deposed?¡± Her front feet stamped. ¡°I will need royals to rece the ones you have in. If we are to control this mountain range again and draw the vermin armies, then I will need the necessary soldiers.¡± I kept my face neutral of any emotion, but I felt spikes of fear behind me. Things were far, far worse than I¡¯d imagined, which meant it was even luckier that we¡¯d fallen into this situation. I was poised to throw a wrench into the ns of our enemies before they were even set in motion, it seemed. ¡°I will pass that along as well. And you have my apologies for ying your kin. I could not risk death, so I hope you understand.¡± Her fangs rubbed against one another. ¡°If your master sees fit to send me more as rpense, then bygones shall be bygones. I am surprised, though. I did not expect the deathblood of my honor guard to be so simr to that of my mothers. It seems my memories undersold the scent.¡± My mouth was suddenly very, very dry, but I managed to keep my fear hidden. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± Then I took a step towards where I hoped the entrance to be and froze. A cold draft rushed through the tunnel. An impossibility this far below ground. On the wind I heard whispers. Words in a tongue no human could hope to understand. The queen froze, and I took control of the tendril wrapped around Elisa¡¯s leg. I slipped it into her pouch and used it to send a number of her boom-gas spitters into my storage, then pulled them out into my hand. I activated and dropped them around us, letting them roll away from us and towards the spiders that were suddenly at the edge of our light. Guardians of all sizes waiting for their queen¡¯s order to strike. Thick green mist sprayed from them, spreading and hovering around chest height while they rolled further into the mass of Vx. I used the same trick to grab a fire spitter just as the queen howled in rage. She began stomping back and forth. ¡°GODSLAYER! MURDERER! EGG SMASHER! MATRIARCH KILLER! SHADOW OF THE SEVEN!¡± She screamed, and the shriek echoed through the halls. I looked at the others, who were all looking back at me in fear. ¡°Run.¡± They needed no further encouragement. Tiana grabbed Elisa in one hand and Serena in the other and broke into a sprint. The golem scooped up Rhani and Noelle in the same breath and careened after them. The queen continued raging, stomping and cursing in anguage native to the Vx that no human had ever cracked. ¡°What the hell was that!?¡± Tiana shouted at me. ¡°A godwind,¡± I called back, reaching over my shoulder and undoing the sp on the cursed de. I didn¡¯t draw it though. Not yet. ¡°Seems an angry goddess decided she¡¯d had enough of my deception.¡± ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡± She demanded. I nced behind me where the queen was seemingly looking around for us. ¡°I may have killed her Chosen, which means she probably holds a bit of a grudge.¡± ¡°KILL HIM!¡± the queen howled. I threw the fire spitter and the result was immediate. The gas ignited violently just as the spiders stepped forward. They were blown to pieces and I felt the force of the explosion in my bones. The tunnel around us crackled and groaned, then a secondter there was another explosion. This one deeper and further away, but followed by a third. And a fourth. ¡°I think the miners left behind some dynamite!¡± Rhani screamed from her spot in the golem¡¯s grasp. The cavern shuddered and pitched, then a low rumbling started. ¡°And that sounds like a natural gas vein,¡± I called back. ¡°We need to get out of here now.¡± Serena and Tiana both threw one of Elisa¡¯s arms around them. Good, I needed Serena focused on Elisa so she didn¡¯t realize what I was about to do. Tiana nced at me over her shoulder, eyes wide, and nodded once. We were too far from the entrance, and there was no outrunning a Vx of that size. I nodded back and slowed to a stop. Noelle saw and cried out, but I gave her a soft smile and a slight shake of the head. She reached back towards me, but the golem had a firm grip on her waist. I put my hand on the hilt of the cursed sword and turned. Immediately I felt its power race through me, but it felt different. Not weaker, necessarily, but more¡­tired. It pulled at me, but not as strong as before. I could pull back without too much issue. I felt the hammering of the queen and her honor guard racing after us even while the cavern rumbled and copsed around us. I heard her howl, and I drew my sword. Not a sacrifice, I told myself. I¡¯m just buying them time. It had nothing to do with the fact that the queen had told her brood to go after me, not my friends. Though, as the crimson energy wrapped around me and melded with my shadows, even I had to admit that my argument was flimsy at best. Chapter Thirty-Five: Last Resort Chapter Thirty-Five: Last Resort ¡°Keep running, don¡¯t look back!¡± Tiana shouted. There were tears in her eyes, but she fought them. She¡¯d never been so scared. Never been so frustrated. Never been so confused. Not by what she¡¯d seen and heard, but what she¡¯d felt. Zaren was gone. He¡¯d banished hisntern and disappeared into the darkness. He was back there, somewhere, fighting to give them a chance to escape. He¡¯d assured her he¡¯d survive, but against two royals? And the queen? She hadn¡¯t even been channeling and her skill had told her how powerful that thing was. Every instinct told her that he didn¡¯t stand a chance. On the other hand, how could she possibly be of any help? She was strong, but against something like that?¡± Her legs and lungs burned, but she pushed on. Elisa was limping, her breathsing in ragged gasps already, but she made no move to slow down. The mine was copsing around them¡ªsomething else she had no clue how Zaren nned to survive¡ªand they couldn¡¯t afford to stop if they wanted to. ¡°Zaren!¡± Serena shouted. Tiana risked a nce to see Serena looking behind them. ¡°Where¡¯s Ren?¡± ¡°Keep running!¡± Tianamanded. Serena started to slow, but Tiana dragged Elisa even faster. ¡°We can¡¯t leave him!¡± ¡°He knows what he¡¯s doing,¡± she panted. ¡°If we go back, we die. If we get in his way, he dies too. You know it¡¯s true.¡± Serena choked back a sob, but she didn¡¯t try to turn back again. They kept running, and Tiana saw something in the distance. Light. ¡°There, look!¡± Seeing what must have been the entrance spurred them on. But when they reached it, Tiana¡¯s stomach plummeted. The faint light of early morning seeped in through boards that had been ced over them. ¡°Rhani,¡± she said. ¡°Put us down,¡± Rhanimanded. ¡°Then break us out of here.¡± The second the golem released them, Noelle hurled herself back into the dark. Tiana only just managed to lunge and grab her arm. ¡°Let me go!¡± Noelle demanded, yanking so hard she nearly ripped Tiana¡¯s arm from its socket. ¡°I won¡¯t leave him!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t leaving him,¡± Tiana told her desperately while the golem started hacking into the thick wood. Noelle was far too strong, there was no way she¡¯d hold her back for longer than a few seconds. ¡°Zaren¡¯s fine. He¡¯s holding them off long enough for us to get out, then he¡¯ll join us. He has that scary sword, remember?¡± Tears brimmed in her vibrant, crimson eyes. ¡°They¡¯ll kill him. They¡¯re too strong.¡± Tiana let her arm go and put a hand on either side of her face. ¡°Zaren¡¯s strong, too. And clever. He won¡¯t let something like a couple measly spiders take him out, but we need to get out. Zaren can¡¯t fight with everything he¡¯s got as long as we¡¯re in danger, and this golem can¡¯t get through this barricade alone. Not quickly.¡± Noelle took one final teary look into the dark, then set her jaw and hefted her axe. Tiana felt the surge of a skill activate and she hurled her axe into the boards. Tiana considered using magic to help, but there was every chance she¡¯d need all the mana she had avable to her. ¡°Zaren.¡± Tiana looked to see Rhani staring at her with a guarded expression. ¡°You called him Zaren.¡± Shit. That¡¯s right, they all called him Ren. Now she understood why. ¡°Serena called him that,¡± she said defensively. Rhani shot her a look that said she wasn¡¯t convinced but with the situation they were in she didn¡¯t push the issue further. They¡¯d have to address the fact that Tiana now knew Zaren was somehow the same one who¡¯d apparently killed a Vx queen thirty years ago, but survival came first. It felt like an eternity, but Noelle and the golem finally hacked through enough of the barricade that they could slip through. They squeezed through, leaving the golem forst, and sprinted up the incline and out of the mine. Tiana almost cried when she felt the open air hit her face. The wind. The fresh air. The stars above, just beginning to disappear as the sun began to lighten the sky. But they couldn¡¯t stop. The howls of the queen and the rumblings still carried out of the hole. She looked around desperately, but the mine was long abandoned. Aged buildings, rusted carts, and abandoned piles of stone were all she saw. Behind them a mountain stretched up into the sky, but cracks had formed in the side of it. Smoke was beginning to billow out of them, and she could see the remnants of an avnche rolling down the side of the mountain from its snow-capped peak. It would fall down the side that the mine wasn¡¯t on, but she wasn¡¯t willing to risk that it was the only one. ¡°We need to keep moving,¡± Tiana said, trying and failing to keep her voice level. ¡°We have to put distance between us and the foot of the mountain.¡± ¡°We need to go back for Ren!¡± Serena insisted. As badly as Tiana wanted to agree, that was a bad idea. She settled forpromise. ¡°Help me get Rhani and Elisa out of danger. They¡¯re notbat sses and Ren would want them safe. Have faith that he¡¯ll be alright at least that long.¡± And if he didn¡¯t make it out, they needed to make his sacrifice worth it. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to say that aloud, though. Serena grimaced, but she nodded. Rhani looked like she wanted to protest, but when Tiana looked into her eyes she came to a startling realization. Rhani knew exactly what was at stake. What had to be done. There were no good options, but she had enough trust in Zaren not to argue. They made it halfway across the entry area of the mine when the mountain above them exploded. Tiana looked up to see one of the royal Vx halfway out of a hole, lunging at a red and ck projectile that hurled itself from the breach. What could only have been Zaren twisted in midair, jerked to the side like he¡¯d been hit by something she couldn¡¯t see, then hurtled towards the ground. Crimson tinged tendrilsshed out at the ground just before impact and he hit once, bounced, then managed tond on his feet. He¡¯d barely recovered his bnce when the air behind him shimmered. He hurled himself to the side just before the queen emerged from the tear and lunged at him, shrieking with rage. He rolled away, just barely getting his de up in time to parry her furious barrage. Her front legs carved grooves in the ground around him and the markings on her body lit up before her abdomen throbbed. She lurched and a wave of smoking bile erupted from her mouth. His shadows knocked most away, but she saw some of itnd. He didn¡¯t so much as flinch even as patches of his flesh burned and boiled. ¡°Keep going!¡± she called behind her, turning back. Close quarters were one thing, out here in the open Tiana could be of help without getting trampled underfoot. She shot a barrage of [Force Bolts]. She¡¯d spent the first six months with her ss mastering her skills until she could hardly feel her arms from mana burn, so at this point it was second nature to send the four projectiles twisting through the air. She picked out their paths, spacing them out just enough that they would m into the same spot one after another and activate [Create Weakpoint]. The queen¡¯s armor was something else, though, because she knew from experience that even her barrage had barely weakened the carapace. She was just preparing for a second cast¡ªone to try and weaken a leg and slow the bitch down, when the ground under Zaren erupted. The other royal¡¯s forelegsshed out of the newly made breach, sending him sprawling. With a curse, Tiana directed her next barrage at the royal. It did more visible damage than herst attack, but all she wanted was to catch its attention. She seeded. It whirled, looked at her, then screeched. Waves of ck and yellow poured out of the hole in the ground it had created. Hundreds of Vx swarming towards them. Another screech and she looked to the mountain to see the other royal hurtling down at a speed that left no illusion that escaping it would be at all usible. More Vx swarmed down behind it, struggling to keep pace. The royals both swerved towards Zaren while the brood headed towards the five of them. ¡°Keep running!¡± she shouted at Rhani and Elisa. Elisa lobbed as many spitter spheres as she could at the oing horde. They erupted in various mes, smokes, and webs, decimating scores of the smaller Vx but barely hindering therger ones. Tiana threw out two [Ripper Disks] and felt the tug from the mana strings on her middle fingers. She twisted and pulled, sending them crashing through even more spiders. Her disks were powerful mainly in that they were the capable of the most damage-per-mana of her skills, but even they could only dy the inevitable. Then Noelle, Serena, and the golem went crashing past her. ¡°We need to get to Zaren, take one of the royals off him!¡± Serena called. Her spear was a blur, carving into Vx with a speed that kept them at bay. Spectral ravens flitted around them, hindering and blocking the Vx enough for them to hold their ground. Noelle charged headfirst into a group of them, her axe a green whirlwind that painted the area with the blood of any spider caught in its path. Tiana kept working her disks, trying to think. ¡°We need to survive, first!¡± She nced behind her, but Rhani and Elisa were out of sight. She¡¯d have to hope they were either hidden somewhere safe or hauling ass out of the mine. ¡°Options?¡± ¡°A rush skill,¡± Serena called, ¡°but it needs distance!¡± ¡°I might be able to get one¡¯s attention, but you¡¯ll have to keep them back.¡± ¡°Do it!¡± Tiana activated [Overburn]. Triple the strength of her next spell in exchange for a hit to her regen over the next twelve hours. If they didn¡¯t win this fight, then regen wouldn¡¯t matter. Zaren was holding his own, but he waspletely on the defensive. He didn¡¯t move with the same feral violence as when he¡¯d arrived in the tunnel, poisoned out of his mind, but he still moved like nobody Tiana had ever seen before. His shadows moved around him like a storm. They struck out at his enemies with enough force to turn their attacks aside, but he couldn¡¯t quite make enough space to attack back. He kept jerking and dodging, like he was avoiding some attack she couldn¡¯t see, and she knew it had to be some kind of magic. Whatever attack his shadows had saved them fromst night that had cut through rock and metal like it was paper. The tendril still wrapped around her waist uncoiled andshed out at a spider that had gotten too close. She started running parallel to the Zaren¡¯s fight. The evolved form of [Force Bolts] meant she could cast multiple bolts at once, and they¡¯d all benefit from [Overburn]. She shot another six overcharged bolts at the queen, still hammering the point she¡¯d already started to weaken. She howled again and Tiana thought she could see the faintest cracks in her carapace. One of the royals whirled and started thundering her way. She pushed down the visceral panic that made bile rise in her throat and kept moving. She threw more, this time at the royal to keep him upied. She backed away, now moving parallel to the mountain. She hit it again, weakening a spot on the back left of its abdomen, but it barely even slowed down. Then her tendrilshed out to her side. On instinct, she threw up a [Wall of Force]. It was just in time, as something invisible mmed into it hard enough to knock her into the dirt. Something bit into her leg and she cried out, but all she could see was a line in the crimson energy of Zaren¡¯s skill that protected her flesh fighting to keep her limb from being severed. She mmed two [Ripper Disks] down on either side of her leg. They hit something that resisted their cutting power, but Zaren keeping her on edge for thest few hours meant they could cut through just about anything given time. They crashed into the dirt and the pressure on her leg disappeared, but the royal was nearly on her. It reared up at her, both arms raised to deliver what would certainly be a finishing blow. She knew her [Wall of Force] wouldn¡¯t do much but stter her rather than slice her, but she threw one up anyways. Then there was a burst of red and gold and Serena was mming into it, her spear puncturing its carapace and erupting out the other side, crossguard and all. It tottered to the side from the impact of the blow and screeched. Then a flurry of spectral birds were twisting around her. They rose and pitched in intricate patterns, and Tiana realized they were diverting the threads that the royal had sent to slice up Serena. Not blocking them, but redirecting them enough to keep her from being sliced to ribbons. Noelle was only a half step behind. She hurled herself at the royal and mmed her axe down with enough force to cleave through one of its front limbs, then she turned and sank her axe into the point where Tiana had weakened. Carapace crumbled under the empowered strike and knocked the spider hard enough to rip Serena¡¯s spear free. Tiana activated [All In]. It¡¯d leave her horny and sensitive until she could orgasm enough to work the effects of the skill from her body, but it would double the damage of her next cast. She upcast [Force Bolts] until seven shots erupted from her hand, each bolt costing less mana than thest because of the evolved form of the skill she¡¯d worked her ass off to get. Using the years of experience casting her main ss¡¯s core skill and the added fine tuning from [Heightened Control], she curved each of the seven bolts with a slightly wider arc, each and every one of them slipping perfectly into the hole Serena had ripped into the carapace. As soon as they were past its armor, she let them run free inside the beast¡¯s body. She could see the impacts jerking in its thorax before its face exploded outward, showering the area in green blood and organs, and the royal went limp. The royal¡¯s body was still sliding to the ground when the wave of spiders that Serena and Noelle had been keeping at bay caught up to them. Tiana threw out a [Hammering st] and sent the first wave hurtling back in a wall of paste. She followed with more [Ripper Disks], but her mana was starting to run dangerously low. The tendril at her waistshed out and she yanked a disk back just in time to catch arge Vx who managed to sneak up on her. It went down, but not before itshed out and cut deep into her hip. Thanks to the protection of her armor, the blow only went deep enough to cause heavy bleeding instead of crippling her, but it still hurt like hell. She fell to one knee, then a second shadow tendril erupted from her shoulder to catch another Vx. A quick nce at Serena and she knew Zaren had cast another round for them. Fighting for your life and still worried about us. Another [Hammering st] bought her room and she started sprinting back towards the mine. Towards where the royal hade from the ground. She limped with every step, but the magic cloth that wrapped her and the power that permeated it thrummed through her. Supporting her every step. Zaren was faring better now that it was only two on one, but his time was running out. From the way he moved, he was relying on the enhanced senses afforded to him by the dark. The moment the rising sun crested the mountain range, that advantage vanished. Whether by ident or design, the side of the queen she¡¯d struck was facing her. If she was going to do something to turn the tide, it was now or never. She raised her hands, palms outward, their heels pressed together. She cast both [Overburn] and [All In], then started charging her most powerful skill. [Lancing Beam]. She thought of him. Not just of his hands and the way they so expertly squeezed every ounce of pleasure out of her they could. Not of what he had between his legs and the way it had tasted. Not even the surprised, yet satisfied sound that had slipped through his clenched teeth when he¡¯d finished in her throat. She thought of how his hands felt when they weren¡¯t fondling her. When they caressed her for the sole purpose of just touching her, and not because of her skills or some perverse attraction. The taste of his lips on hers. The way he¡¯d held her, even for that little bit, despite them having just met. She thought of how badly she wanted to be with him, and not just physically. The way he held Rhani and Serena and even Noelle and what it must be like to be held like that. The thought of him like that made a heat bloom inside her like nothing any hands could ever manage. She felt her magic pulse in her veins, and she knew her next attack would be the most powerful she¡¯d ever managed. And that was before [Overburn] and [All In] stacked together to boost it sixfold. She took aim, and got ready to release the attack. Then her tendrilsshed out to her side. A Vx as tall as she was erupted out of the hole the royal had left. She had enough time to turn her attack towards it, but that would mean leaving Zaren all on his own. Stuck in a fight that, despite his assurances, she wasn¡¯t confident he¡¯d walk out of. It wasn¡¯t even a choice. The second she released her skill, she knew it was a perfect shot. Raw, arcane energy erupted from her with enough force that it shoved her back nearly a foot. A beam of blue so bright it burned itself into her eyes. It hit the queen exactly where she¡¯d been aiming, right down to the inch. It punctured the side of her thorax and cut right through, breaking out the other side and blowing off a chunk of carapace along with it. The queen shrieked in pain at the same time the Vx mmed into Tiana. A w hit her in the side, sliding off her armor and cutting deep into her stomach rather than skewering her through the midriff like the Vx intended. Her tendrilsshed out, but they grew weaker and weaker with every strike. She tried to get her hand between her and the spider but its limbs curled around her, cutting into her back and pinning her body to its. It lunged and she felt fangs wrap around her throat, fighting against the magic of Zaren¡¯s armor. She didn¡¯t feel the bite, but the pressure grew and grew until she couldn¡¯t breathe any longer. Her tendrils withered and died, and the fangs closed in. She could feel the venom soaked tips fighting against the magic of Zaren¡¯s armor, getting closer and closer to breaking through and ripping her throat out. She hammered her hand against it, but it was no good. The spider must have weighed twice what she did, and there wasn¡¯t a skill she had that would be able to get it off her without crushing her in the process. She was just about to give it a shot anyways when the weight of the Vx disappeared. The golem and the Vx crashed to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Tiana rolled to her hands and knees, gasping for breath, and realized there was much more shouting than there was a moment ago. She looked up and saw that the area was filled with fighters on horseback. Men and women wearing the colors of the city guard. On the back of one of the horses, with Elisa clinging to her, was Rhani, looking right at her with a wild expression on her face and hair tousled from wind. Rhani with the reinforcements. Holy shit, we might actually make it. The golem finished with its spider and moved on to the next. A good fifty feet away, Noelle and Serena were slowly making headway towards where Zaren fought for his life, now joined by more of the guards. The spiders just kept pouring out, though, and his strength was fading fast. The queen shed, spat, and hurled waves of noxious magics at him while the remaining royal kept Zaren from reaching her with ws and threads. Tiana checked her mana. Enough for two or three more attacks depending on how many bolts she was willing to use. She looked over the soldiers fighting the Vx. They were winning against the small ones, but she¡¯d seen what those threads were capable of. They might be able to kill it, but not before it killed a lot of them. Likely not before it killed Zaren, too. Then a cold, musty wind washed over her. She looked to the side to see a crack in the hard earth just a short ways away. A window into the dark cavern that must be under her feet. The one that the spiders had been pouring out of. A n started to form in her head. A foolish, risky one that would certainly end in her death, but also the only route out of this that didn¡¯t involve dozens of other deaths. That didn¡¯t involve Zaren¡¯s death. She¡¯d made the choice to save him over herself once already, and it was somehow easier the second time. She cast [Force Bolts] onest time, sending a barrage careening towards the limping, bleeding queen. They mmed into her and she recoiled, shrieking, but she still didn¡¯t go down. That hadn¡¯t been the point, though. Thest remaining royal turned towards her. She raised her hands as if preparing for another spell, and it roared. Then it was hurtling towards her. She heard shouts as the guards backed away in fear. She backed away, too, but not because she was afraid. No, she felt no fear in that moment. The only thing she felt was a tinge of sadness. Her leg buckled underneath her, and she fell to her knees. She was too tired to get back to her feet. It would do her no good anyways. The royal closed the gap in a terrifyingly short time. It was only seconds before it was barreling down on top of her on six legs, its front two raised both to strike and to keep her from throwing any more attacks at its queen. It had no way of knowing she didn¡¯t have any more attacks in her. No more than one, final skill, at least. There was a sense of irony in where she sat now. The second time she¡¯d been on her knees staring down a giant spider, certain her life was done. She might haveughed. She didn¡¯t look at it, though. Instead she looked at Zaren, running after the royal but hopelessly outpaced. It brought a smile to her face. Then she activated [Overburn] and [All In] onest time and cast a [Hammering st] at her feet. The skill exploded from her palms and the ground shattered. Cracks split and the piece of earth pitched underneath her. Then, its weight carrying it forward too fast to stop, the royal hit the patch of ground she¡¯d weakened. There was a resounding crack and the ground gave way. She fell, keeping her eyes open just long enough to see the royal falling alongside her, screeching angrily while it iled. Then she managed to find Zaren¡¯s eyes onest time before the ground separated them. She wondered if the fall would kill the spider. If it would kill her. She¡¯d been terrified of being buried alive her entire life, and a part of her wished it would do both. # # # I wasn¡¯t fast enough. Tiana was looking right at me when she fell, yet I didn¡¯t feel an ounce of fear from her. Not until after she was gone from view, and even then it was only a trickle. I¡¯d only closed half the distance when something mmed into me from the side. I flew through the air and hit the ground hard. I wasn¡¯t sure what might have hit me that didn¡¯t cut through me entirely, but feeling anything was getting a little difficult. I was, once again, filled to bursting with Vx venom. Add that to the constant tug of war between my soul and the sword¡¯s magic, and it was getting hard to see straight. I picked myself up while my shadows eviscerated a few spiders that had drawn too close. The queen had hit me with another burst of that raw magic she was slinging around. The good news was that she was still to young to shape it in any effective way. The bad news was that it was the magical equivalent of swinging around a giant club, and my bones were not appreciative. I could still feel my magic wrapped around Tiana. She was alive, and I conjured more tendrils on her to keep her that way. I cast [Shadow Stitching] on her too, just for good measure. She was alive, and I¡¯d dig her out after I killed this queen even if I had to do it with my bare fucking hands. I brushed my fingers against my newest injury, ready to cast [Shadow Stitching] on myself too if need be, but I was confused by what I felt. When I looked down, peeking through the gaps in the crimson tinged shadows that were wrapped around me, was armor. Old, sturdy scale armor that felt like it weighed nothing. It was iplete, like a drawing someone had burned holes into. It stretched up my chest and over the arm holding the sword. Well that was fucking new, and something I had no idea what to do with right now. Especially when my train of thought was interrupted by the giant queen spider trying to hack me to pieces. Bits of her hung out from the holes Tiana had sted in her carapace. That damage was the only reason I was still alive. She was having to use a sizable portion of her magic just to keep herself glued together. ¡°MURDERER! I WILL STRING YOU UP AND FORCE YOU TO WATCH AS MY CHILDREN DEVOUR YOUR ENTRAILS!¡± she screamed. I blew out a tired breath. I¡¯d only heard that one about six times now. I¡¯d known she was a fledgling the moment I saw her and she wasn¡¯t the size of a building, but she was even younger than I¡¯d realized. To say she had a poor handle on her emotions would be an understatement, but that did nothing to temper the pure magical power she wielded. Power like the charge I could feel building in her abdomen. I threw myself to the side just in time to avoid the wave of magic that would have ripped me to shreds, but she¡¯d seen that trick one too many times. More rips opened in the air and Vx leapt out of them at me. She¡¯d mastered short range teleporting magic, it seemed. I managed to take out the two Vx without much issue, but the markings on the queen were already beginning to shift and twist to a new set that would shape her magic in different ways. I¡¯d spent six months studying every possible pattern on the old queen and I¡¯d still nearly died to her. We all had. Having to learn the patterns and spells of a new queen Vx while also trying not to get eviscerated by her was proving¡­challenging. She shrieked and webs of magic erupted from her abdomen. I dodged most, but one just hooked the end of my boot and lifted me from the ground before I could manage to sever it with the cursed de. I hit the ground hard, but she¡¯d chucked me into more Vx. Each of which were nearly as tall as I was. I didn¡¯t have time for this. Tiana was still alive, but there was no guarantee for how long. I needed to get to her, and that meant I needed to do something about the queen. But I didn¡¯t even know if I could win, let alone quickly. My strength was gging. Already I could barely feel anything past my wrists, and that numbness was spreading. The de¡¯s pull was getting harder and harder to resist with every swing, but without it I was toast. Levels weren¡¯t everything, but they were important. I¡¯d made it this far on my journey using a mixture of luck, skill, and an incredibly cursed sword to bridge that gap, but there came a time when the gap was simply toorge. A queen Vx¡ªeven a fledgling one¡ªwas one of those times. I had another problem, too. The queen¡¯s attacks were getting more tactical. Better timed. Every time I tried to circle back towards my friends, she managed to maneuver me back in the other direction. Her magic was getting more controlled. She was reigning in her rage, which meant she was thinking. That could only be bad for me. I needed her unhinged if I was going to stand a chance. Noelle and Serena fought like demons trying to get to me, but the spiders just kept pouring out of the ground and the mine. If the queen was on the surface, I had no doubt she¡¯d called every member of her brood to her aid. There were no more coordinated attacks and clever ambushes, just raw numbers. The city guard that Rhani had manifested from thin air helped still the tide, but if I didn¡¯t do something about this queen then we were all dead anyways. The patterns shifted again. Magic cutting deep grooves in the ground was the only warning I had. I caught one st on my sword, deflecting it, then sidestepped the second, but the third hit me hard enough to decimate what was left of my shadows. The sword still felt weakened from earlier, and that drop in power was making this fight impossible. I fired another [Umbral Barrage] at her face and she flinched, but the attack didn¡¯t do enough damage to do much other than buy me time. Not worth the mana it had cost. All I could do was conjure a tendril and raise my de. I couldn¡¯t keep this up, I had toe up with some way to turn the tide. She hurled more threats while she sted me with magic, and somehow I came out with no more injuries than I¡¯d gone in with. Then there were more rips in the air and more spiders were hurling themselves at me. A single swipe with my de turned Vx to husks, withering them from within by unraveling the magic in their veins, but the queen had learned. The de cut into thest of the spiders she threw at me and stuck. It jerked me off bnce, and I realized it wasn¡¯t a Vx. A Nakkian cave tarant, the biggest I¡¯d ever seen, covered in thick, hard hairs that twisted and stuck to my de. There was no magic in this breed of spider, which meant there was nothing for the de to unravel. The spider still died, but my de getting caught was enough to damn me. Thest of my shadows tried valiantly to stop the wall of magic that mmed into me, but I was hurled into the air once more anyways. I was weightless for half a second, the air knocked out of me and pain exploding in my side, then another st crashed into me from above. It mmed me face first into the earth and I felt my nose break on impact, spattering blood down my front and making the world spin. I was aware of an impact next to me and realized it was the scabbard spinning away, the strap connecting it to me severed by the magic. I tried to push myself up, to the side, anywhere that was away from the queen, but she¡¯d rung my bell good with that attack. Then something impacted my back and fiery hot pain erupted in my stomach. I looked down in confusion at the w underneath me. At first I thought it hade from below, but then I realized it was drenched in crimson. The ground disappeared and I had just enough time to realize the queen had impaled me on her foreleg before she hurled me aside. More pain made the world dissolve into bleeding colors as the limb ripped free from my body, then I hit something that shattered under me. Bones gave and blood sprayed, then all was still. For a moment I was looking at the sky. Blood bubbled from my mouth, and my nose was still too broken to breathe through. I couldn¡¯t manage to fill my lungs, and everything below my chest was nothing but a sea of burning pain. I didn¡¯t look down. I knew that would be a mistake. Instead I lowered my gaze enough to see the queen stalking towards me. At first I thought the battlefield had gone silent, but I still saw movement in my peripheral. My ears were ringing, I realized as I coughed up a glob of bile and blood. It was dark, nearly ck. My thoughts weren¡¯t exactly coherent, but I vaguely remembered that being a bad thing. The queen seemed to know that I was done for, because she was suddenly in no hurry to finish me off. That or the world was suddenly moving in slow motion. I felt like my brain was full of mud, so that was entirely possible. I had to get up. I had to find a way to keep moving. I needed to make sure the important bits of my insides were in fact still inside and get to my feet. I could do what I did before; wrap myself in shadows and use them to marite myself. Then maybe I could lead her away. Buy the others time to get to Tiana while the queen finished¡ª No. No, I wouldn¡¯t think like that. I couldn¡¯t. This wasn¡¯t the end. There was a way out, I just had to find it. I wouldn¡¯t sacrifice myself here. That wouldn¡¯t be fair to the others. To Rhani and Serena and Noelle. Tiana, too. I was still connected to her via magic, and without me there was every chance they¡¯d never be able to find her. She¡¯d die down there, buried under tons of rubble. Alone in the dark. I tried to push myself up and off the remains of the wooden shack I¡¯d been thrown into and my body screamed in protest. Imanded my tendrils to wrap around me, but it didn¡¯t work. It took me far too long to realize I had no tendrils. Even longer to understand that it was because I had nothing left in the tank. No mana. I was all out of tricks. Out of time. Out of luck. That didn¡¯t stop me from lifting the de and pointing it at the queen. It felt like my hand was fused to the hilt. I could smell burning flesh, though whether that was from the sword or the queen¡¯s attacks I had no idea. Her patterns started to glow, and I roared my challenge at her. Then there was a sh of light. A wall of ice, followed by ming projectiles. Guards running out with tower shields and spears. Men on horseback charging the queen while others hung back and peppered her with arrows and spells. She swept them aside with contempt, but there were at least enough to push her back. More guards had streamed into the clearing. They must have sent word ahead. Brought everyone. If I made it out of this, I¡¯d have to find someone to thank. Then faces appeared in my swimming vision. An armored woman with short brown hair. Her face was coated in grime and blood and she was shouting, her eyes wide and face pale, but she put her palms over me and started to glow gold. She was saying something, but it was like I was underwater. Then Serena was there, too. Tears ran down her face and I could see her lips moving. Saying something. All I could do was look at her nkly and cough up some more blood. She looked from my stomach to my face and wrapped her arms around me. I felt her lips keep moving, but the sounds of the battlefield got further and further away. I felt her warmth seeping into my body, but it was entirely possible it would be too little toote. ¡°What do you look so scared for?¡± I asked, my voice impossibly loud in my ears. ¡°We¡¯ve got her right where we want her.¡± I thought I could feel her body shaking, but it was hard to tell. I had a lot going on, after all. They¡¯d bought me time, I just had to find a way to make things worth it. The pain was fading, but so was everything else. That could be good or bad. The only thing that wasn¡¯t fading was the pull. The feeling that there was a tether linking a weight in my chest to the hilt of the sword in my hand. The tug of war between whatever magic lurked in the de and my soul. Well, if there was ever a time forst resorts, it was now. ¡°Serena,¡± I said. I saw her face along the edges of my blurred vision. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try something, so don¡¯t freak out. Just be ready to get out of the way if it works. And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got this.¡± She put her hands on my face, her tears falling onto me, and I closed my eyes. My next words weren¡¯t for her, but the de. ¡°If you hurt my friends,¡± I said, sure that I was confusing the two women trying to put me back together, ¡°then I swear to the gods I despise I will bury you so deep you¡¯ll never see the light again. But if you help me save them, then I¡¯ll do everything in my power to understand you.¡± Then, for the second time in my life, I stopped resisting the pull of the sword. Chapter Thirty-Six: The Cursed Blade Chapter Thirty-Six: The Cursed de The battlefield fell away, and then I was falling. Falling for what felt like an eternity and only a few seconds all at once. Then I wasn¡¯t falling anymore. The pain was gone, along with any weight. I was floating. Peaceful. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was how different things looked from thest time I¡¯d been here. I knew that the space around me wasn¡¯t real, but rather a manifestation of my mind to try and make sense of the magics affecting me. Whatever semnce of a realm existed in the sword. When I¡¯d been here before¡ªunder the influence of [Cursed Existence]¡ªthe little pocket realm had seemed to be out of focus. Like I was viewing everything through a distorted window. A sea of darkness with a pool of raw power in the center that I¡¯d dipped my hands into. It had filled me with enough power to kill Valethar Karn, even if it had taken me months to fully recover. But things were different this time. The darkness was there, but it was sharper. An inky void that stretched on further than the eye could see, yet pressed in on me and made me feel like I was about to be crushed by its magnitude. Though my eyes could make nothing out, I felt like there was something lurking there, waiting to strike. And in the center was a sphere. It was a deep, glowing green that slowly spun. Something tethered me to it. A line that went from the sphere to a spot at my side. The connection between me and the de. When I approached the sphere it wasn¡¯t solid at all. It was made up of hundreds of green ribbons of varying lengths and shades, each of them torn and frayed at the ends. When I reached out towards it, I realized my body was gone. Reced by an outline made from the very same material as the sphere. ¡°Not energy or magic,¡± I mused, my voice devoured by infinity, ¡°but souls.¡± Pieces of them. Scraps that had been torn away every time someone had used it. Some wererger than others by a significant margin. Big enough that I instinctively knew their owners hadn¡¯t survived. Others were smaller, and from the pull I felt from the majority of them I knew a number of the strips were pieces of my soul. Shards ripped away and sucked into the de. I brushed my hand through the mass of ribbons and felt shes of every soul I touched. The soul was a fluid thing, ever changing and in constant flux. A representation of its owner. These scraps were forever locked into the state when they¡¯d been ripped away from the whole. Mine were drawn to me, but when I touched them they recoiled. I was familiar to them, but I wasn¡¯t the same person as when they¡¯d been taken from me. I also knew that the fragment that had saved me from the spiders when I was hallucinating had been one of those very ribbons. A shred of me that was simr enough to the Zaren I¡¯d been during the time I was in those catbs that¡ªthanks to the hallucinations¡ªI¡¯d been simr enough for the soul to mesh for me, even for a while. I looked down at my body and started to understand. Tears and cuts and rips covered me in head to toe. My body carried the scars I could bare, but my soul was covered in the ones I couldn¡¯t. I could see the ces where it had been severed and healed back over and over, every time I¡¯d lost someone I¡¯d loved. Just looking at them my brain filled in the gaps. Hannah. Ina. Eliya. The ones I might have loved given the chance, but were taken from me too soon. The sisters Siri and Sora. Eve and Maris. Louis and Jon. A soldier teaching me to fight because she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of me going to war with so little training. An artificer willing to give me somewhere I felt safe, even if only for a short time. As long as the will to live remained, a soul could heal. Mine healed faster than others. I¡¯d been told that once, but I hadn¡¯t really understood until I was looking at my own. I lifted the tether that connected me to the sphere. It was linked to a patch that I knew would rip away the moment I tried to pull out of the sword. It would hurt, and it would take time to recover, but I¡¯d survive. It wasn¡¯t just my ss that made it possible for me to wield the sword, it was my tattered soul that was so used to being abused and recovering from the damage that getting ripped apart by some ancient sword was just another day. But my soul was dull. Dim. The tether had sucked out too much of the energy in me. I was out of mana and out of time. There were strips in the sphere that still burned bright, though. That was where the power hade fromst time, when I¡¯d given myself to the de before. I hadn¡¯t understood it then because my skill had protected me, but there was no buffer now. No veil to hide behind. Nothing to obscure my understanding. I reached towards one of the brightest strips. One that called to me. It would never slot back into the soul I now carried, but it could be converted into raw power. I hoped it could, at least. My fingers closed around it and fire raced through my veins, but when I tried to pull it away something shot out of the sphere and grabbed my wrist. If I¡¯d had lungs, I¡¯d have screamed. My brain told me a hand was grabbing my wrist, trying to pull me into the sphere, but whatever imitation of eyes I had struggled to make sense of it. I tried to break the grip at first, but then I paused. Intent was everything here, and I could feel the presence of whatever had grabbed me like its mind was pressing against my own. It wasn¡¯t malicious. It wasn¡¯t trying to draw me in to kill me. From where me and the entity touched, I felt¡­fear. Sadness. A crippling loneliness that was deeper than I could ever fathom. And beneath all of that, the faintest spark of hope. A begrudging hope that refused to be stamped out. The grip was weak, and I knew I could break it if I wanted to, but did I want to? ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± My voice was swallowed by the ck again, but the entity shifted. A response that was more like a sensation than anything resembling words. ¡°You¡¯re the source of these emotions I¡¯ve been feeling. The skills. The evolutions. You¡¯re the sword.¡± A pulse of emotion. Anger. Frustration. Indignation. I flinched, but I didn¡¯t break the contact. ¡°No, not the sword then. But you¡¯re inside of it.¡± It calmed. Confusion, but mixed with agreement. Relief. And fear, but fear directed towards the scrap of soul in my hand. ¡°You¡¯re lonely. Surrounding yourself with the scraps of the ones who wield you. Or, the sword you¡¯re in, at least. The closest thing you¡¯ve had topanionship for however long you¡¯ve been trapped here.¡± Sadness. Deep, unending despair that told me that I was right. It was why it tried to stop me from taking the scrap of soul. These ribbons of identity were all the entity had. It tried to pull on me again, but I resisted. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I need this. I have to save my friends, and the only way I can do that is with the power these scraps will give me.¡± Hesitation. Desire. Need. It was conflicted. It wanted to help, but it didn¡¯t want to lose the scrap. It¡¯s grip lessened, and the fear returned. It understood it couldn¡¯t stop me. ¡°I¡¯ll figure you out,¡± I promised. ¡°With Rhani¡¯s help, once we get to the capital, I¡¯ll find a way to understand you. To help you if I can. But I need to survive today first. I need the people I care about to survive, too.¡± Hope. Hesitating, burning hope. A question. ¡°Yes, I promise. I give you my word.¡± The hand squeezed me once, then let me go. I pulled the scrap out, but then I was bombarded with other scraps. They shot out of the sphere andtched onto me, each one sending burning power surging through me. They started pulling me back, away from the sphere. The hand reached for me onest time, then withdrew. The tether suddenly pulled taut and the darkness closed in all at once, attacking and shredding and refusing to allow me to leave. Then the tether ripped away, taking a chunk of my soul with it. The darkness abandoned me, ripping into the chunk until it was just another frayed ribbon circling around whatever shape was hidden in the now-smaller sphere. Then the void disappeared, and the pain returned. # # # The good news was that I could feel my toes again. The bad news was that I could feel everything between my chest and my toes. Then the power surged out of the de and the world exploded. Like [Dark Sense] multiplied by about a thousand, only it included my sight. A roar sounded and it wasn¡¯t until Serena and the healer were holding me down that I realized it wasing from my throat. I checked my stats. [Health: 77/220] [Mana: 2/140] [Soul Essence: 734/100] What in the actual fuck? It felt like there was a raging inferno in my chest. I¡¯d never heard of Soul Essence before, and I had no idea how it functioned, but damn it if I wasn¡¯t going to find out. I reached for the fire and found power that was overflowing. A cup spilling over violently. I watched it start to trickle down and knew I was very suddenly on a timer. Whatever the fuck it was, I needed to either use it or lose it. Instinct took over. Instinct guided by something that I didn¡¯t have time to think about. Whatever its uses, I knew the moment I drew upon the new resource that Soul Essence could at least be used as a substitute for mana. That¡¯d have to do. First things first, I cast three uses of [Shadow Stitching] on myself. A scream fought its way through clenched teeth, and Serena turned a shade of green before turning around and vomiting. Then I closed my eyes and reached out for my connection to Tiana. I conjured a dozen tendrils and took control of one, wrapping it around her body. It was warm still, butpletely enclosed. Dirt and rock pressed in on her, but when I slithered up her body and reached her neck I felt a pulse. Keep her alive, Imanded. They all flexed outward, pushing against the tons of rock above her and the ground beneath, buying her just enough room to not be crushed. That was all I had time for. I wrapped my body in more tendrils, conjuring more than I ever had before. I lurched forward and I heard voices cry out. ¡°I¡¯ve got this now,¡± I told Serena. She just looked at me nkly and shook her head, but I didn¡¯t hang around to chat. I surged forward with more strength in my limbs than ever before. With how much strength surged in my legs, my run was closer to a series of controlled leaps. I hurtled to the side of the queen and sted her with a Soul Essence powered [Umbral Barrage], which sent a veritable wall of crimson tinged spikes hurtling towards the queen. They wererger and more numerous than usual, which meant skills powered by Soul Essence must have a little extra kick. Many of them bounced off her carapace harmlessly, but enough found purchase to get her attention. Most of the guards that had intercepted her were on the ground, unmoving, but not as many as I¡¯d feared. Wherever I¡¯d gone, time hadn¡¯t moved the same there as it did here. They threw more spells, spears, and arrows at her, but I was up and moving. She had eyes only for me. She shrieked gibberish and hurled magic at me, but I could see iting. Ripples in the air so vibrant I knew exactly how they¡¯d attack even before they began moving. I dodged the first few attacks and twisted half my tendrils together into a single mass to swat aside the final two. She charged me, and I raced to meet her. I hurled another [Umbral Barrage], and the dozens of impacts made her gait stutter. I wrapped my legs in shadow and leapt. More magic, but I could see iting in a way I never had before. I cut through it andshed out with my super tendril. It hooked around her foreleg and pulled me in. She tried to swing at me, but it was as if she moved in slow motion. Tendrils attacked her w, pushing me down just enough to slip below the strike without interrupting my momentum. I wrapped the de in shadows and cut right at the joint. It didn¡¯t sever it, but it did enough damage to make the limb go limp. She howled and hurled me away, but my shadows struck the ground while I flew and righted me. I hit the ground sliding, then rushed her again. She backed away and two Vx ran to her. They got within a few feet, then they withered and keeled over. Her patterns glowed and her limb started moving again. She was healing herself from their essence, so I¡¯d have to damage her faster than she could regenerate. She sent out more attacks, but I was still thrumming with strength and Soul Essence. I dodged nimbly, my shadows projecting me forward without any input from me. She opened tears to try and summon more foot soldiers, but I could see where they were about to appear before they did. I cut through them before a single Vx could get between us and slid underneath her. I struck up at her underbelly before she could drop and crush me. Deep gouges that spewed more bile-green blood opened up and I used my shadows to hook myself around her back leg and yank myself into the air behind her. She whirled, but not fast enough to avoid the shadows that out to grab a second leg, pulling me onto her. I tore into her with crimson tinged tendril and sword, then shot a point nk [Umbral Barrage] into the exposed flesh. She howled and bucked, but I wrapped my shadows tighter. I slid off her now-bloodsoaked back, but I was still tethered to her. Her violent lurch just put me in range of the hole Tiana had made. She¡¯d repaired the innards, but the carapace was something that would take time to grow back. Like I had with the blightwolves, I wrapped the sword in whatever tendrils weren¡¯t holding me in ce. Then I mmed the de into the hole and the tendrils all lurched outward in different directions, tearing into the weak flesh and organs around them. The pull on my soul lessened as the de¡¯s magic found a more potent source of energy to feed upon. The queen howled and tried to roll over me, but I just let go and pushed off. The tendrils pulled out chunks of something that looked important, and I narrowly managed getting crushed. She roared more of what had to be obscenities, but the words made no sense to me. I checked the Soul Essence. Less than half of what I¡¯d started with. I conjured more tendrils, and in the process found an additional purpose. I¡¯d condensed and controlled the raw mana in my body, and the way the extra Essence moved in me made me try the same. I forced it into my limbs and immediately felt light. Lighter than I¡¯d ever felt before. I shot forward in a blur, letting the de pull me along as if it already knew exactly where it needed to go. I moved with the speed and strength of a much higher level. The queenshed out at me, and I met her w with my de. It glowed a bright, warm red and her w severed. The strike cut straight through it and into her thorax, then kept going. I pushed until I was met with open air. A deep gouge that nearly cut her in half. Then I whirled and lopped off both back legs a few feet from the ground with a single swipe. She pitched backward and I mmed the de to the hilt in her abdomen, then ripped it to the side. A deluge of green blood erupted from the side and she tried to turn weakly towards me, her patterns pulsing, but I mmed the de into one of thergest of her eyes and let my tendrils run amok until they ran out of mana¡ªor Soul Essence or whatever the fuck was keeping them swinging¡ªand the queen finally went limp. I ripped the sword out, breathing hard. I tottered, but managed to stay standing. All around me the spiders were in chaos. Vx and non-Vx breeds turned on one another. Many fled back into the holes where they came from. A not small number of therger ones simply keeled over and died. My body throbbed with pain and I knew the reckoning for what I¡¯d just done was nearly upon me. I had to save Tiana before that happened. Guards were cheering and yelling and shouting words my addled ears could make no sense of, but the world was starting to warble and pitch around me. Serena took some hesitant steps towards me, but I shook my head. ¡°Find the scabbard!¡± I said, raising the sword that felt fused to my hand still. Her brow furrowed, but I¡¯d already moved on. Rhani was already at the top of the hole with a rope, but I grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. ¡°Send the golem, but stay up here.¡± Then I stepped past her and threw myself into the darkness where Tiana had disappeared. I fell for a few seconds, then mmed into the ground. My knees protested, but they could get in line with all the other body parts that had issue with me. I reached out for the connection between me and Tiana until I had a general idea of her location, then I climbed the pile to get as close as I could. I was dimly aware of the royal Vx corpse¡¯s legs jutting out from the pile, but I dismissed it as soon as I was sure it was dead. Tiana was still breathing, but my tendrils wouldn¡¯tst much longer. I conjured another tendril on Rhani above, then grabbed a chunk of stone. One small enough to fit in my storage that I was reasonably certain wouldn¡¯t cause an avnche if I moved it. I banished it, then used Rhani¡¯s tendril to pull it back out in a reverse of what I did with Elisa¡¯s spheres back in the mine. I felt it leave my storage and heard the faint thump of it impacting the ground above and couldn¡¯t resist a grim smile. I could do it. I could get to her. I started moving debris in earnest, throwing aside whatever I could grab in my offhand while using the shadows to move anything I couldn¡¯t. I heard Rhani¡¯s voice from above and reached out with my tendril until I could find the golem, then I transferred it down to help. It fell to its knees immediately and started digging, and it was only another minute before a rope fell from above and Noelle and some others climbed down to help. It was now a race to see which would happen first. Either we¡¯d reach her, or the blowback from the sword would put me in the dirt. # # # Tiana bit back a sob. She wasn¡¯t sure which was worse: the throbbing pain in her arm or the horrible nothingness below her waist. She was scared. More scared than she¡¯d ever been. She didn¡¯t want to die. She really didn¡¯t want to die down here, afraid and in the dark. With a thousand tons of rock crushing her like an insect. But she was dying. There was nothing she could do about it. Nothing anyone could do. Even if they could somehow get the rock off her, she¡¯d be a cripple. That was if she even survived her injuries. Something she doubted very much. One thing scared her most of all. As selfish as it might be, she didn¡¯t want to die alone. ¡°Zaren?¡± It came out choked, a shattered plea with no hope left in it. But then a hand slid into hers. The one not crushed. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he said softly. ¡°And I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Another sob. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She felt his hand on her hair. It was a mess of tangles she¡¯d never been able to get under control, but he didn¡¯t mention anything about that. ¡°Why are you apologizing? You¡¯re the one who saved me. It should be me under those rocks, Eve. Not you.¡± She sucked in a shuddering breath. She didn¡¯t want the tears to start again. She didn¡¯t want to spend whatever time she had left crying. ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°No, that would be truly cruel.¡± Zaren was different than the other kids. They all knew it. Even before Hannah, he¡¯d been different. There was a depth to his eyes. A hardness that only a few of the others carried. A darkness that made her think he might actually make it through Karn¡¯s twisted experiments. No, it was better this way. If any of them could survive, it would be Zaren. How many times had he stuck up for the little kids? Stood taller when Karn was doing his experiments so he¡¯d get chosen and not the others? Karn had gone further to break him than anyone else, and for a time she¡¯d thought he¡¯d seeded. Then they¡¯d been sent down here and she¡¯d realized she was wrong. So very wrong. He¡¯d survive. She didn¡¯t know how she knew, but she did. She never would have. She didn¡¯t have that hardness in her. She never had and never would. But she¡¯d at least hoped she¡¯d live long enough to see him thrive. To at least get a look at the man he¡¯d be. It was so cruel to die down here in the dark. She could barely even remember the sun. The wind. Warmth. Safety. Happiness. The tears started again. Zaren just sat there, softly stroking her hair, holding her hand. It was cruel to him too, forcing him to listen to her death. She wanted to tell him to leave. To nevere back to this dead end hallway. To forget about her. She wasn¡¯t strong enough. She wanted to have him there until the end. The end that wasing sooner and sooner. She cried harder. She wasn¡¯t ready. She didn¡¯t want to die. Not yet. She wanted to live. She wanted to¡ª Light. She could see light against the backs of her eyelids. She drew in a breath and coughed. She shifted and realized she could feel her legs. Her arm was intact. She¡¯d been dreaming, and already the events of the dream were beginning to fade. She remembered being buried. Remembered Zaren. But so many of the details were fuzzy. Fuzzy like the light filtering through her eyelids. Light! She forced her eyes open and immediately regretted it. She couldn¡¯t see anything. There was so much dirt and dust on her, but when she tried to wipe it away with crusty fingers it only made things worse. There was a wetness on her face. Thick and sticky. An ache that throbbed through her head. Blood, gluing dirt and gravel to her. Then the rocks on her back were shifting, crushing down on her. She cried out, blind and afraid and confused. She heard shouting, more rocks shifting, then whatever weight that was digging into her back disappeared. Hands grabbed her under the arms and she flinched, then realized what was happening. Then she practically threw herself at them, desperate to be out from under whatever had just been threatening to crush her. Tiana tried to pull, but her back half was lodged. Not for the first time, she cursed her curves. Then she felt Zaren¡¯s shadows cascading over her body, finding the points where the rock and dirt dug into her and pushing it away. Compressing the softer parts of her and shifting her body enough that she could slip out. She let out a happy sob when she crashed into an all-too-familiar chest and he fell back with an arm around her. ¡°Tsefi ba¡¯ar? Kallk nesier?¡± It was his voice but it sounded like gibberish. ¡°What? I can¡¯t see, what¡¯s happening? Zaren?¡± Then she recoiled when water sshed against her face. She reached out blindly for the canteen and poured more on her, then someone else was there with a rag to wipe her eyes clean. She looked up at him and he was the most beautiful thing she¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Did we win?¡± she asked. He grinned, but his eyes were dted and unfocused, He was sitting with her pulled into hisp, one hand still clenched around a glowing sword with an eerily crimson de. ¡°Su leganyi niin. Maw ba¡¯ar.¡± He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. She was tired of holding back, especially after thinking she was going to die. Again. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, then she heard boots hit the ground somewhere nearby. ¡°Out of the way!¡± Serena yelled. She sprinted up with the big metal scabbard Zaren had been toting around. He saw hering and lifted the sword like it took every ounce of effort he had left just to do so. Serena slid it on and mmed the sp shut, then he went limp in her arms. His head lolled and the breath rushed out of him all at once. Both her and Serena reached out to steady him, but he just grinned. ¡°Could¡¯ve gone better,¡± he admitted. ¡°Could¡¯ve gone worse, though.¡± Serena let out a cry and threw her arms around him, glowing softly. Tiana ached too badly to do anything but press as much of herself into the exposed skin around Serena¡¯s midriff to soak up some of that sweet, sweet healing. Then there was an impact and she looked up to see Noelle with her arms around Zaren¡¯s neck. He smiled and leaned into her, but his good arm was underneath Tiana still. His other arm¡­ It a nce, it looked charred. A mottling of reds and purples so dark they were nearly ck. It wasn¡¯t until nearly to his shoulder that some of his normal skin tone started to peek through. The burn split into curling and curving strands of dark flesh until it disappeared under what was left of his shirt. ¡°Guys?¡± Rhani called from above. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Then Zaren started tough. # # # I couldn¡¯t help it. It started in my stomach and just wouldn¡¯t let up until I let it out. Then I looked at the incredulous faces of the women around me and that just made meugh harder. It was only when Serena, wearing a worried expression, turned my face towards her that I managed to get it under control. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± I chuckled, ¡°I just¡­the reality of thest two days is starting to set in. When I put it in perspective, it¡¯s all a little ridiculous.¡± Serena still searched my eyes. ¡°How bad is the pain? Did you hit your head? Can you move your arm? Is your stomach¡ª¡± I tried to put my hand to her cheek and was a little nonplussed when my right arm didn¡¯t respond, but I was too thrilled that they were alive to care about that right now. ¡°I¡¯m better than I deserve to be, all things considered. I¡¯m sorry you had to see that.¡± She looked away. ¡°We should get that healer down here.¡± ¡°Fuck that,¡± I snorted. She looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t bleed out and die at least. You can both take a look at me after we get out of this fucking cave.¡± She bit her lip, but she nodded. I looked at Noelle. ¡°Go up and tell Rhani we¡¯re all fine, please? We¡¯ll be up right after.¡± Noelle¡¯s grip tightened, and I was really starting to wish I had more than one working arm. There was no way for me to extract mine from where it was pinned under Tiana, so I pressed my temple into Noelle¡¯s. ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± She did. ¡°I¡¯m alive. So are you. Focus on that, and we can deal with the rest when we¡¯re topside. Alright?¡± She gave me a curt nod, then she tightened her arms around me onest time before she retreated and headed towards the rope. She started hauling herself up with ease, and I realized the other guards must have already done so. I turned to Serena. ¡°Help Tiana up, I¡¯ll wait here for you.¡± Tiana started pushing herself out of myp. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can get up by my¡ª¡± she made it about halfway to her feet before she swayed and reached for the wall. Serena only barely kept her from careening to the ground. From the blood on her head, I figured she¡¯d taken a knock. ¡°Nope, never mind. Definitely going to need a hand.¡± Serena nced at me, her brows creased. I waved my good hand at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Serena. Well, maybe not fine, but I¡¯m not in danger of keeling over. Go on, I¡¯ll be here when you get back. Promise.¡± I couldn¡¯t really feel my legs right now, so that was an easy enough deal to make. She hesitated for a second longer, then half-helped-half-carried Tiana towards the rope. When they were out of earshot, I reached for the de at my side. ¡°Thank you,¡± I told it. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep my promise, but you¡¯ll need to stay out of sight a little longer. I¡¯ll figure you out if it¡¯s thest thing I do.¡± I smiled at the sword. ¡°Luckily for you, I¡¯ve got a cute little Arelim who¡¯ll never let a mystery go unsolved once she¡¯s sunk her teeth in it.¡± I thought I felt a faint pulse of warmth from the de, and I hoped that meant it understood. I could still feel the echoes of the loneliness I¡¯d felt in that strange void, but at the end of the day someone was hunting this de. The only safe ce for it was my storage, and considering I still couldn¡¯t so much as twitch the fingers in my dominant hand I needed to avoid conflict for a few days. I banished the de, then I looked at the golem. ¡°You too. You¡¯ve saved our asses a couple times now, so whatever your deal is, I¡¯ll sic her on it once I¡¯m done with the sword. Maybe sooner, depending on how things go. Who knows?¡± I lobbed a ball of shadow at the golem, banishing it as well, just as Serena¡¯s boots touched back down to the ground. She walked over to me with an uncertain look. She crouched down and threw my good arm over her shoulder without a word, then grunted a bit as she heaved me to my feet. Luckily, though I couldn¡¯t feel them, my legs still worked. Mostly. Somewhat. They held me, at least. It was slow going since she had to carry a good bit of my weight, but she brooked noint. She didn¡¯t say anything at all, actually, which didn¡¯t sit well with me. We were halfway to the rope when I decided the silence wouldn¡¯t do. ¡°I didn¡¯t make the same mistake this time,¡± I said softly. She jumped, then looked at me with wide, red-rimmed eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I gave up before. I decided that dying was fine as long as I took my enemy with me. That didn¡¯t happen this time.¡± She stopped, and I held her gaze to try and convey how serious I was. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sacrificing myself. Not at any point. I nearly did,¡± I admitted, ¡°but every decision I made today was the one I thought would get all of us out alive. Myself included.¡± Her eyes searched mine with a hint of desperation. ¡°Do you mean that? You¡¯re not just saying what you think I want to hear, are you?¡± I stepped back, swaying slightly, and grabbed her hand so I could ce it on my chest. ¡°I give you my word. I fought to protect you all, but I fought to get back to you just as hard. I just¡ªI just wanted to make sure you knew that.¡± She stared me down for what felt like an eternity, then she leaned forward and pressed her lips into mine. ¡°I know I¡¯m your priestess,¡± she said softly, ¡°but I would very much appreciate never seeing your insides again.¡± I chuckled, then winced as my gut reminded me that it had not had a good day. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best. Would it make you feel better or worse if I told you that isn¡¯t even in the top five worst injuries I¡¯ve survived?¡± She grimaced, then smacked me softly on the shoulder. ¡°You ass.¡± But she smiled when she said it, then threw my arm back over her shoulder. There were a million other things I wanted to say, but just walking took every bit of focus I had left. Serena tied the rope around my waist, then she climbed up ahead of me. I got an eyeful of everything under her skirt, and that made all the pain almost worth it. Then she got to the top and they started lifting me out. Once I got to the top, strong hands reached down and hauled me the rest of the way out. I was too grateful to see sunlight toin, even when they let me go and I damn near toppled back into the hole. They pulled me away from the precipice and Serena slid back under me, then Rhani wastched onto my other side. I gave her as many reassurances as I could, though both her and Serena both looked very worried about both my ckened arm and the puckered scar that took up most of my midriff. Considering the odds we¡¯d faced, I was still feeling pretty good about how things went. ¡°You!¡± a voice called out. I turned wearily to see the leader of the guards stalking towards me. The same captain from when I¡¯d killed Vald. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we can do this sitting down, can we?¡± I asked her. Her eyes flicked from my stomach to my arm, then she nodded. We went over to one of the mining sheds I hadn¡¯t been thrown through and I ended up sitting down with Serena, Rhani, and Noelle all fussing over me. Tiana looked like she would be if she had it in her. She was content to simply sink to the ground next to me and lean her head on my thigh. ¡°How many did you lose?¡± I asked the captain before she could so much as open her mouth. She looked to where the short-haired healer was flitting between groaning men and women a ways away. There was another healer helping her, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice his arm ended in a stump. I doubted he¡¯d started the day that way. ¡°Four dead, eleven wounded. A minor fucking miracle all things considered.¡± I let out a breath that turned into a hiss when Rhani lifted my bad arm to slip it into a sling she¡¯d tied around my neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to get involved.¡± She gave me an odd look. ¡°Sorry? You aren¡¯t concussed, are you? If you hadn¡¯t drawn that Vx out and killed her then we¡¯d have lost ten times that many hunting her down.¡± I inclined my head, ceding the point without pointing out that even that estimation was likely very conservative. ¡°All the same. I¡¯m sure a queen Vx will fetch a hefty sum, and I¡¯d like a cut of that to go to the families of the fallen. The care of the injured, too.¡± Her brows drew close and she slowly shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not how this works. A monster like that is a threat to the city, we guard the city. Their families will bepensated, and we¡¯ve got healers.¡± ¡°But the queen and that royal will a fortune, and even a fraction of that dwarfs whatever they¡¯ll get.¡± I knew from the way she averted her eyes that I was right. I sighed. ¡°Look, if you and yours don¡¯t show up, we die. If your healer didn¡¯t get me back on my feet, we die. If your guys don¡¯t jump down in the hole to help my friend here, she dies.¡± I rested my hand on Tiana¡¯s head and I felt her clutch my pant leg. ¡°I¡¯d like to repay that, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± She seemed hesitant, but I knew from the way she looked at the injured that she¡¯d cave. She cared about those under her. ¡°It¡¯s not the way things are done,¡± she protested weakly. I chuckled. ¡°I get the feeling that¡¯s not thest time I¡¯ll hear that. Tell you what, if it assuages your worries, then arrange some transport for the corpse and give us a ride into town.¡± That seemed to rx her a fraction. ¡°I can do that.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you. And you¡¯ll want to get a party together soon. There¡¯s a chance there are more captives down there, and I¡¯m sure if you follow the trail of spider corpses and chalk marks from the mine you¡¯ll be able to find your way to their nest.¡± She scowled. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll definitely pass that along.¡± She looked out over the sea of spider corpses. ¡°When I saw you in that tavern, I figured you for just another asshole. But you¡¯re not just any asshole, are you?¡± I smirked. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m the asshole.¡± She shook her head again, this time in amusement. She pushed herself to her feet with a grunt. ¡°Your fifth is over there,¡± she jerked her head towards where Elisa was helping tie bandages and splints. ¡°I¡¯ll go see about that transport. In the meantime, on the behalf of the city of Anford, you have my thanks.¡± I watched her leave, then leaned my head back against the wooden wall. Tiana was already snoring softly against my leg. ¡°Wake me when the carriage gets here. I¡¯m fucking exhausted.¡± Serena scooped up the stool the captain had been using and set it down next to me, then sat and leaned into my side. Everything not covering something important vanished and I felt her flesh against the parts of mine that could still feel. Her hand wrapped around my waist and she pulled Noelle into herp. ¡°Until I¡¯m out of mana, you¡¯re not going anywhere. Neither of you.¡± I reached around her back and found Noelle¡¯s hand, then Rhani sat in myp and leaned her head on my shoulder, being careful not to wake Tiana. ¡°No arguments here,¡± I mumbled. Less than a minuteter, I was out. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Triumphant Return Chapter Thirty-Seven: Triumphant Return I had a vague recollection of waking up long enough for them to load me onto the back of a wagon. Other than that, one second I was passing out on a stool and the next I was jerking awake when the wagon bounced suddenly. The buildings of Anford were around us, and the sun was already dipping towards the horizon. Blearily, I took in our surroundings. Serena was wrapped around me, but considering her skill and my state that was hardly a surprise. Someone had thrown a nket over us though, which allowed her to dismiss all of her armor. A fact that made a part of me rather excited despite how battered the rest of me felt. Good gods, I don¡¯t remember being this horny all the damn time before. Oh how things changed when you had a beautiful girl or two in your life. Tiana was on my other side with her head leaning on my shoulder, but a quick nce through lidded eyes from her told me that she wasn¡¯t fully asleep either. She held my gaze for a moment, then when I said nothing she just closed her eyes and settled back into me. Elisa was on the opposite side of the wagon curled up around her bag, snoring away, while Rhani sat next to her writing furiously in her notebook. It took me a minute to track down Noelle. She was sitting on the edge of the wagon, her axe bnced over her thighs, scanning the buildings around us. I smiled at the sight. It seemed she was taking her job as guardian seriously. As if she could feel my eyes, her head flicked towards me. I saw her shoulders rx when she realized I was awake, but she still went back to scanning the buildings once again. I looked to Rhani and cleared my throat. Her head jerked up. ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡± I winced. My head was already pounding, and her exmation hadn¡¯t done much to help. ¡°I am. Seems like I¡¯ve been out most of the day.¡± And I was still exhausted. She nodded gravely. ¡°It took them a while to get some transport arranged, then it took them longer to get the carcasses loaded up.¡± ¡°Carcasses?¡± A proud smile spread across her face. ¡°I negotiated. The guild can send some people to confirm all our other kills, but I convinced the guards to help us load the queen and the royal Tiana exploded to take straight to the guild. I didn¡¯t want scavengers to mess with the really big payday.¡± I nodded and leaned my head back against the bouncing carriage. I knew from the way her breath tickled my neck that Serena wasn¡¯t really asleep, but if she wanted to pretend then I wasn¡¯t going to stop her. ¡°What else did I miss?¡± Rhani closed her notebook. ¡°Well, there were levels all around, but we agreed we¡¯d worry about that after we got some sleep. They brought some healers and one took a look at you. They put everything back where it¡¯s supposed to be, but none of them have ever seen a burn like the one on your arm.¡± None of them had ever seen anything like my sword either. ¡°Not surprising. How is everyone else?¡± ¡°Well, scrapes and bruises mostly.¡± She risked a nce up to where Noelle sat above me. ¡°Noelle took some licks, but with her health she¡¯s doing fine. At least that¡¯s what she keeps insisting.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll bet.¡± She smiled. ¡°Serena being a beacon of healing means she¡¯s fine, if a little shaken up. I could only see from a distance, but I know you got¡­hurt.¡± Didn¡¯t I know it. I could still feel the stiffness in my stomach from the injury. Even with magic something like that was going to take time to heal. I didn¡¯t want to think about how close Serena and that healer had cut it pumping health into my destroyed body long enough for the worst of the damage to heal. I moved my ruined arm to Tiana¡¯s knee. Or, at least, I got as close as I could manage. Feeling was still a little iffy. ¡°And you?¡± I asked her. She blew air out of her nose. ¡°Rekindled my old phobia of getting buried alive, but other than that I¡¯m okay. Just don¡¯t expect me to be of any use for the next few days. My skill gives me a big damage boost, but it costs mana regen. My pool won¡¯t fill up anytime soon.¡± Her cheeks were also rather rosy, but with how tired she looked I didn¡¯t point that out. I did my best to give what I hoped was her knee a reassuring squeeze. ¡°I can hardly hold a sword right now, so I n to spend the next few days getting some much needed rest.¡± I felt Serena rx a fraction next to me, and I turned a raised brow to Rhani. ¡°If my math is correct, then someone hit level twenty.¡± She beamed, then hid behind her notebook. ¡°After we get some sleep.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve looked at the choices. Give me something.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± She reached across the wagon with her foot and gave my leg a nudge. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for scaring us so damn bad. You can wait.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I could think of a few ways to wring the answer out of you.¡± Her cheeks darkened, and Tiana chuckled next to me. But there was still one member I hadn¡¯t asked about. ¡°And Elisa?¡± Rhani sobered, then brushed a lock of Elisa¡¯s hair out of her face. ¡°She saved the day. She started chucking those false daylight spheres into the air until the guards sent to see why the mine was exploding saw them. If it weren¡¯t for her, reinforcements wouldn¡¯t have arrived in time.¡± I let out a whistle. Smart and resourceful. ¡°We¡¯ll have to find a way to properly thank her, then.¡± Rhani bit her lip, and I gave her a chiding re. ¡°A non-sexual way, Rhani. She¡¯s got a girlfriend. I think.¡± Rhani pouted, but I could tell her heart wasn¡¯t in it. I looked around at all of them. Noelle was clearly listening, so I said, ¡°you all did amazing. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better group to call family.¡± I gave both Tiana and Serena a squeeze since they¡¯d both saved my life a few times. Tiana¡¯s lips quirked upward, and Serena made a soft noise between a hum and a gasp. Her brows furrowed, but she didn¡¯t stop feigning sleep. That made me frown. My paranoid mind suggested she was pretending to be out so that she didn¡¯t have to participate in the conversation, and it was hard toe up with an alternative reason for her to be avoiding me. I wished I knew what was bothering her, but the list of possibilities was so long it was hard to pick one out. Noelle hopped off the side of the wagon. ¡°We¡¯re here. They must¡¯ve sent someone ahead, because there are people waiting.¡± I ced a kiss on Serena¡¯s temple and said loud enough for the others to hear, ¡°time to wake up.¡± She waited a beat, then opened her eyes. There was a hint of gratitude on her face that I hadn¡¯t outed her, but it was nearly hidden by worry and guilt. She definitely had something she wanted to talk about. Whatever it was, she must want to do it in private. She summoned her armor and I tossed the nket into the corner. The wagon came to a stop and we all climbed out¡ªsome a little more unsteadily than others, though Serena was quick to catch me¡ªand turned to where men and women in robes were already heading towards the bulky bundle under arge tan tarp that upied the wagon in front of us. One reached out and grabbed the corner. ¡°Oh, no, I wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± I tried to say. Toote. They threw the tarp aside and someone screamed. The queen¡¯s face stared out the side of the wagon with dead eyes around the gash I¡¯d left in her head. One of the scribes fainted on the spot, and two more went running inside. Another, in a much more tactful manner, took a peak under the other tarp at the royal. They paled and quickly reced it, then the scribes were all talking hurriedly among themselves. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Serena asked in a strained voice. I grinned at her. ¡°Better than I should, that¡¯s for sure.¡± She red at me, but the skin around her mouth had loosened. Whatever was bothering her was separate from my health, it seemed. ¡°Your arm?¡± I lifted it, then opened and closed the fingers a few times. ¡°Hurts like a bitch, but I¡¯ll get over it. It¡¯ll heal. Probably. A small price to pay, all things considered.¡± Though when I checked my status, I winced. [Health: 93/220] [Mana: 102/140] [Soul Essence: 43/100] Whatever kind of injury I bore, it was seriously fucking with my health regen. Serena¡¯s healing should have me much closer to cap, but it seemed it was all going to my arm. The Soul Essence remained though, which was interesting. Maybe it acted like Stamina, always there as an invisible resource, and I¡¯d just been affected in a way that caused it to show up in my status menu. Questions for after I¡¯d gotten some sleep. The scribes were still running around and I wasn¡¯t quite ready to try and fight my way through the crowd that had gathered. Tiana mentioned something about checking in, then she was gone. I followed her with my eyes, trying to keep my gaze from drifting towards her hips that were definitely swaying more than normal, when my eye was drawn to where several people were being pushed aside, and Cynthia walked out. Her eyes were still red-rimmed and there were bags under them. Her long, dark blond hair was messy and dull, only tied back as an afterthought. I wasn¡¯t sure, but it looked like she was wearing the same clothes as when we¡¯d talked early yesterday morning. Someone tried to grab her arm, but they weren¡¯t willing to get close enough to the giant spider to do it. She headed straight for me, only stopping long enough to look at the queen¡¯s face and turn a shade of green. She clenched her fists, then walked up to me with her eyes fixed on a point in front of her. ¡°I¡ªI know you didn¡¯t officially take the job, but you didn¡¯t find any trace of her, did you? Maybe something to suggest that it was¡­quick?¡± She nearly choked on thest word, but she forced it out. Serena looked up at me with a poorly concealed smile. I didn¡¯t bother hiding mine. ¡°I found a couple things, but nothing really struck me as a decent memento. Instead, I found something better.¡± Her eyes rose slowly to mine uprehendingly. Her brows drew close enough together that they were touching, and tears started to build in the corners of her eyes. Then her gaze flicked to something behind me and she swayed on her feet. I nced to where Rhani was helping Elisa out of the wagon. It seemed her leg was still bothering her. ¡°She¡¯s a little worse for wear, but I figured¡ª¡± Cynthia sprinted past me with a sharp cry. Elisa had just enough time to widen her eyes before Cynthia practically bowled over her. They would have ended up in the dirt if Rhani hadn¡¯t caught them. Cynthia clutched her friend with trembling arms, her face buried in Elisa¡¯s shoulder. Elisa looked at me in surprise, then a smile crept across her face. I inclined my head and she wasted no time in embracing Cynthia right back. Cynthia let out a sob, then pulled back. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªCamden said¡ª¡± Elisa, it seemed, was done wasting time. She pressed her lips to Cynthia¡¯s and that was all it took. There were smiles all around as the two melted into one another, and I squeezed Serena¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯d like you to go collect the twins,¡± I told her. Her gaze snapped up to mine, a frown on her beautiful face. ¡°They trust you, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯re worried that we didn¡¯te backst night. Besides, it looks like you could use some time to think.¡± She paled. ¡°Zaren¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I put a hand to her cheek. ¡°I know the feeling. Whatever it is, we can talk about itter, okay? You¡¯ll have my full and undivided attention. I¡¯d just feel a lot better with everyone under the same roof as soon as possible, and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m up for the journey to Korey¡¯s warehouse.¡± She bit her lip, then nodded. She stepped out from under my arm and Noelle took her spot. It was a little awkward since she was much further from my height than Serena was, but she now had as much strength as the two of us put together, so she was more than sturdy enough to lean on. Rhani took my other side and we made our way into the room. People inside were running around in a near-panic, and I saw at least six different adventurers grilling the captain. Likely trying to see what kind of loot they could get their hands on. We picked our way to a flustered looking receptionist who turned the color of parchment when we told her who we were. She disappeared and returned with an older woman who got our information and started the process of calcting the reward. She told us that it would probably take a day or two to calcte¡ªespecially since most of the corpses we¡¯d left underground¡ªbut she anticipated a ratherrge payday and an elevation to at least C-rank. That was as high as we could get without jumping through a number of hoops that went straight in one ear and out the other. I wanted to split the funds between all of us, but Rhani jumped in and saved me from making a fool of myself. In the eyes of the guild, Noelle and Rhani were simply extensions of me. She manged to convince the receptionist I meant the human members of my group, and I agreed with her. As much as it irked me, this wasn¡¯t the time or ce to make a stink. She did give me an odd look when I mentioned sending a part of the payout to the guards who¡¯d been injured. She all but t out refused me, citing that it simply wasn¡¯t done. The guards had been doing their job, no less, no more. I could tell arguing would get me nowhere, so I thanked her and pulled Rhani aside. ¡°Alright, talk to me. How do we get those guards paid? I¡¯m not leaving the people who saved my ass out to dry.¡± But she just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m an Arelim, remember? I know as much about the inner workings of the guild as you do.¡± Right. Spending a day in the bowels of a Vx nest had been shitty enough to make me forget that the world was still currently awful. I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Then I realized I did know someone who was familiar with the guild. ¡°Come on, we¡¯ve got a debt to collect on.¡± They followed me back out to where Elisa and Cynthia were sitting on the back of the wagon we¡¯d rode in on. Elisa¡¯s head was resting on Cynthia¡¯s shoulder while the blond ran her fingers through Elisa¡¯s hair. Both were teary eyed and smiling from ear to ear. Cynthia lit up when she saw me. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I can ever thank you.¡± I crossed my arms, which sent pain shooting up the burned one. I resisted the urge to wince. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got an idea for how you can do just that.¡± I briefly told her what I wanted to do, and she frowned. She opened her mouth to say something, paused, then said, ¡°Normally, it doesn¡¯t work like that.¡± I quashed the heavy sigh that was fighting its way out. Still, I got the feeling she was holding something back. ¡°Forget conventions, can it be done?¡± She leaned her cheek on Elisa¡¯s head, twirling her finger in Elisa¡¯s hair. ¡°Well, I suppose you could make it a conditional donation. You¡¯d have to have someone on the guard to make sure the funds went where they were supposed to, though.¡± The captain had already said she¡¯d do that, even if she¡¯d been clearly skeptical I could pull it off. ¡°Think you could get it done?¡± She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then she looked away. ¡°I could have, but I don¡¯t work for the guild anymore.¡± Elisa shot up. ¡°What!?¡± Cynthia flinched. ¡°Well, I might have maybe attacked Camden a bit when he mentioned he¡¯d abandoned you down there. His uncle is a count in the capital, so the guild basically had no choice but to fire me.¡± Elisa¡¯s face fell. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit! You loved your job! How can you transfer to the capital now?¡± Cynthia¡¯s shoulders slumped, but I smelled opportunity. ¡°Cynthia,¡± she looked up at me, ¡°what would it take for you to be able to get money to those guards¡¯ families?¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t work for the guild anymore. I¡¯m pretty sure the only reason they haven¡¯t kicked me outpletely is because they knew I was¡ª¡± she cut off, ncing at Elisa. ¡°Grieving,¡± she finished. Elisa¡¯s bottom lip trembled, and she wrapped her arms even tighter around Cynthia. ¡°You¡¯d have to hire me for something like that and give me ess to your funds.¡± Her tone suggested she didn¡¯t believe I¡¯d do something like that, but I smirked. ¡°What exactly did you do as a guild receptionist?¡± ¡°Dealt with adventurers, mainly. Handled payouts, cuts for guilds andpanies, dealt with insurance policies, calcted payouts for impromptu jobs, handled postings and mediating deals and grievances between adventurers,¡± she rattled off. I whistled. ¡°That¡¯s quite a bit. You¡¯re good with numbers, then?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the best!¡± Elisa jumped in. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her, I¡¯d have never been able to scrape together the money for my gadgets. She also helped me negotiate the loans I took.¡± ¡°Ever do any work in the Pens?¡± She grimaced. ¡°Of course not!¡± Then her gaze flicked to where Rhani and Noelle stood behind me and she paled. ¡°Um, I mean, I never had the opportunity,¡± she amended in a forced tone. I took a good look at her. At the person behind her steel gray eyes. I decided I liked what I saw. ¡°Two more questions. First, your opinion on demi-humans. And I¡¯d like the truth, please. I won¡¯t be angry with whatever you¡¯ve got to say.¡± Her gaze flicked to mypanions again and she swallowed. ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t dealt with many personally, but I¡¯ve never had a problem with the few I¡¯ve met. I think this world can be unnecessarily cruel to them, but it can be pretty shitty to just about anyone.¡± I nodded. ¡°You¡¯d have no issue working with them, then?¡± ¡°No, of course I wouldn¡¯t¡ª¡± then she processed what I¡¯d said. ¡°Wait, are you offering me a job right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely considering it. I¡¯ve got no head for finances, so I¡¯m going to need someone who does.¡± Elisa straightened, then leaned in close and started whispering rapidly in Cynthia¡¯s ear. Her brows rose with every word, but she just looked at me and adopted a businesslike manner. ¡°Cards on the table, I suppose. I remember you from when you brought in those Maleks.¡± ¡°Maleks?¡± Rhani burst out. ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯s what we¡¯re calling them. Someone in the capital passed along the information.¡± I heard the sound of frantic scribbling and smiled, then gestured for her to continue. ¡°You were only E rank. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get bumped up to C rank for this, but that¡¯s hardly something you need a bookkeeper for.¡± ¡°No, but as a lord I¡¯d be a fool not to find one.¡± Elisa¡¯s jaw dropped and Cynthia¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°A lord?¡± ¡°I own somend in the capital,¡± I said offhandedly. She stood abruptly with her hands sped in front of her. ¡°A lord,¡± she repeated. ¡°And you¡¯d just¡­hire me? You don¡¯t even know me,¡± she pointed out. Her hesitance only made me feel like I was doing the right thing. Someone untrustworthy would have leapt at the chance. ¡°I know you were willing to spend your life¡¯s savings just to get something to remember the person you care about.¡± Elisa started at that. ¡°I also know you¡¯re plenty intelligent just by talking with you, and you were clearly good enough to get a job at the guild.¡± I shrugged. ¡°If it helps, consider this situation with the guards an interview.¡± She folded one arm across her stomach and brought the other to her face, biting down on one crooked finger. ¡°You¡¯ll be heading to the capital, then?¡± ¡°I will, but it sounds like that was already your n.¡± She nced back at her friend. ¡°I won¡¯t leave Elisa, and we don¡¯t have enough to pay off her debts. Not yet, anyways.¡± Her eyes flicked back to mine, almost daring me to offer. But I didn¡¯t need to. ¡°Actually, I had her listed as part of the group that killed the queen. Her gadgets were invaluable, so she¡¯ll get a sizable cut.¡± Cynthia looked like the wind had been knocked out of her. She sat back down hard, reaching out blindly for Elisa. Elisa just looked up at me. ¡°Wait, am I rich?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about rich, but you¡¯ve definitely got money now.¡± She gripped Cynthia¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°And if it isn¡¯t enough, then I¡¯d be happy to employ you, too. I¡¯ve got some ideas formissions I¡¯d like you to make, and if they work half as well as I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ll keep you on as a member of my household, too.¡± Cynthia took a breath. ¡°Then it sounds like I¡¯d better get started. Wait here, I¡¯ll run and get the necessary paperwork.¡± She gave Elisa onest squeeze and strode off towards the guild with a renewed sense of purpose. We left a slightly shell-shocked Elisa on the wagon after she¡¯d assured us she¡¯d be fine there until Cynthia returned and started back towards the guild. Once we were inside, though, my gaze was drawn to a certain someone in alluring ck and red robes. Tiana sat on a bench with her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. I exchanged a nce with Rhani and Noelle, then immediately headed for her. I sat on the bench close enough that our legs were touching, but she didn¡¯t react until I¡¯d put a hand on her back. Rhani plopped down on her other side and Noelle sidled up to me. ¡°You alright?¡± I asked. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but it was hard to tell if it was from fear, sadness, or anger. ¡°What? Oh, yeah, I¡¯m fine. Just dealing with shit.¡± I didn¡¯t remove my hand from her back, and she made no move to pull away. ¡°Anything I can help with?¡± She let out a long breath. ¡°That asshole Camden told everyone I was dead. They sent death notifications to my family. I¡¯ve already sent out letters to correct them, but I don¡¯t have the luxury of being able to afford the same speed ofmunication as the guild.¡± She sniffled. I slid my hand to her shoulder and pulled her to me. She let her head fall onto my shoulder and sniffled again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Shit happens. I still remember the day I got my ss. My mom cried her eyes out. My dad was an adventurer who never came home, and her biggest fear was that I¡¯d do the same.¡± ¡°Not if I can help it.¡± That brought out a small smile, but it didn¡¯tst long. ¡°That isn¡¯t even all of it. Since I¡¯m legally dead until the guild can correct the mistake¡ªsomething that won¡¯t happen quickly, let me tell you¡ªmy funds are all locked up, my rank is suspended, and they¡¯ve even canceled the room I booked. It¡¯s all a fucking mess.¡± Rhani grabbed Tiana¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s alright, you can just stay with us!¡± I was under no illusions as to what she hoped would happen, so I shot her a re. ¡°Tiana, you literally sacrificed yourself for me. Making sure you have somewhere to sleep tonight is the absolute least I can do.¡± She sat up and looked from me to Rhani. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Her thighs rubbed together when she said it, so I raised a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to share a room with me. We¡¯ve got two, and I can easily afford another one if you¡¯d like one to yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± she said. ¡°I just¡­oh, fuck it. You remember the skill I mentioned that boosts my power but guts my regen?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got another one. One from my other ss.¡± I leaned away. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± She followed, barely letting any space grow between us, then practically growled before pushing away from me. ¡°See? This is why I can¡¯t stay with you, no matter how much I want to! It makes me so godsdamned¡ª¡± She took a breath. ¡°It bes difficult to make rational choices, and I¡¯m not sure if I couldst the night without doing something we¡¯d both regret.¡± Rhani scoffed. ¡°The only thing he¡¯d regret is not getting into bed with you.¡± ¡°Rhani, not helping,¡± I scolded. I put my hand on Tiana¡¯s thigh, and she had to stifle a moan. ¡°If you need relief, I¡¯m more than happy to help. We don¡¯t have to go all the way.¡± Tiana covered my hand with her own and slid my hand towards her inner thigh. She was starting to breathe a little heavier now. ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t¡ªyou don¡¯t understand, I¡ª¡± She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fuck you just because of a skill, okay? But in my current state, it¡¯s getting harder and harder to remember why that is.¡± She grit her teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll start justifying things, making concessions, and the next thing I know I¡¯m waking up in the morning walking bowlegged because I couldn¡¯t handle my own fucking skill and I¡¯ve ruined whatever chance we might have had at¡ª¡± she mped a hand over her mouth. Rhani¡¯s eyes had gone dangerously wide, so I cleared my throat. ¡°I think I¡¯m beginning to see the problem.¡± I tried to remove my hand from her thigh to give her some breathing room but she just pushed it closer to her core. I ran my thumb over the sensitive flesh and she sucked in air. ¡°This debuff, is it time based?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll go away eventually,¡± she panted, ¡°but orgasms help. A lot. Unfortunately, dealing with it myself is basically impossible.¡± ¡°Rhani is good with her tongue.¡± We all looked at Noelle in shock, who just shrugged. ¡°Serena seems to enjoy it.¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong, though she was thest person I¡¯d have expected to say as much. I patted her head and turned my attention back to Tiana, who was biting down hard on her lip. ¡°If I may make a suggestion¡ª¡± ¡°Please do, because It¡¯s getting hard to remember why jumping you in public is a no-no.¡± ¡°Go back to the inn with Rhani,¡± I said. Rhani beamed at me. ¡°Let her help you get to a point where you can think straight, then you can make a decision. Worstes to worst, we can always get you something to help you sleep off the strongest of the effects.¡± Her lips were slightly parted, and from the way her gaze kept flicking between my eyes and my lips I worried she might actually pounce on me in the middle of the guild. ¡°Rhani. Yes. That¡¯s a good idea. I can¡ªI should see if the guild still has my things. But I should do it soon, because having you nearby is really making it tough to think.¡± I extracted my hand. She whimpered, but she let me go. ¡°That¡¯s probably smart. I¡¯ve still got some things to take care of. Rhani, will you go with her?¡± Rhani wrapped her arms around Tiana¡¯s waist, and the taller girl shuddered. ¡°Damn right I will! At this rate, we might have to stop at an alleyway on the way home or something.¡± ¡°Or a bathroom,¡± Tiana breathed. ¡°I could use a bathroom right now.¡± Rhani¡¯s grin widened. She mouthed I love you so much at me, then she stood. She leaned down and whispered something else in Tiana¡¯s ear, and Tiana shot to her feet. ¡°See you at the inn,¡± she said hastily, then she dragged a beaming Rhani off and out of sight. I shook my head. ¡°I worry we¡¯ve created a monster,¡± I told Noelle. When I nced at her, she was looking at the ground. ¡°Should I go to the inn as well, then?¡± ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m crippled right now, remember?¡± I held up my damaged arm. ¡°I need my fierce protector for when I inevitably find trouble.¡± The corners of her mouth curled upwards ever so slightly but her face remained angled downwards. A happy hum started in her chest. ¡°I suppose you are pretty helpless when you don¡¯t have Rhani and Serena babysitting you.¡± My brows rose. ¡°Is that so?¡± Her lips kept creeping upward. ¡°Yes. Without us, you can¡¯t help but get into bad situations. You are a ma for misfortune. Just look at me, for instance.¡± Iughed. ¡°You certainly are trouble, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± I wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tight. ¡°Luckily for you, trouble is the closest thing to a home I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Her hum rose in volume and we sat there until Cynthia came and found us. She gave me a stack of papers and had me fill them out while she went to retrieve Elisa. By the time we were done, the sun had nearly set. She gave them a professional once-over, then nodded and confirmed she¡¯d now have temporary power over the money granted to me by the guild and nothing else. If I wanted to give her more ess after she¡¯d proved herself, she¡¯d take care of it. Elisa was more than happy to stay with Cynthia, so I told them to meet me tomorrow afternoon at the Swallow¡¯s Tail to discuss next steps and we bid them farewell. On the way to the inn we passed the store where I¡¯d bought the potions that had gotten us through the caves and an idea urred to me. Something I remembered seeing and mentally marking for a future asion. ¡°You know,¡± I said to Noelle, cing my hand at the nape of her neck, ¡°we¡¯re going to have to celebrate.¡± Noelle¡¯s pupils expanded. ¡°Celebrate what?¡± A gentle tug was all it took to pull her into my side. ¡°Take your pick. Rhani¡¯s got a new ss, you¡¯ve got a ss that fits you, Tiana will be joining the household in some capacity, we survived an angry Vx queen.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Either way, I know something that¡¯ll make Rhani happy. If there¡¯s anything you want, be sure to tell me.¡± I kept my hand on her shoulder and guided her into the store. Noelle didn¡¯t say anything while I went and bought the item in question, but I could tell that she was thinking hard. Once we were done, we headed straight for the inn. There was a hot bath that was calling my name. # # # Despite how long it took us to finish with Cynthia¡¯s paperwork, we still got back to the inn at the same time as Rhani and Tiana. Thetter looked like she was in better control of herself already with a frayed canvas bag over her shoulder and the former was grinning so widely it left no question as to what had taken them so long. We all went up to the rooms where Serena was waiting with the twins. Ryokounched herself at me with a barrage of hugs and ted thank you¡¯s. The others watched with plenty of amusement while she gave me a rushed and frantic rundown of the many things Garm had shown her over thest day and how much she liked the alchemist¡¯s kit I¡¯d bought for her to use. Even Tsuki couldn¡¯t hide her smile while she watched her sister gush. But once the excitement died down I saw her nose wrinkle. Iughed and told them we could talk more after those of us that had spent thest day underground had some nice long baths, which earned me more than a few appreciative nces. I summoned our packs and everyone got spare changes of clothes and started towards the Swallow¡¯s Tail¡¯s extensive baths. On the way, Rhani pulled me aside. She gave me a quick hushed rundown of her discussion with Noelle yesterday morning. My brows rose drastically when she told me about the deal she¡¯d worked out with Noelle. That Noelle was willing to be the one to push the boundaries, and that whatever she did to me she wasfortable with me doing to her. Suddenly her actions in the cave made a little more sense. I had more than a few questions, but she just gave me a peck on the cheek and hurried off towards the womens¡¯ side of the baths. I shook my head and made my lonely way to the men¡¯s side. Next time we stayed at an inn, I was going to find one with mixed bathing. I was pretty sure the others would enjoy that even more than I would, but bathing alone left me entirely too much time with my thoughts. Just the thought of a nice hot soak made me want to cry a little, but I knew better than to climb into themunal bath while covered in so much dirt, grime, and spider guts. That was a quick way to get banned from the baths, so I stripped down and found my way to the washing area. There were a few other men around, but they paid me no heed past some curious nces at my messed up arm while I found a stool, a bar of soap, and a container of washing powder and got to work cleaning. It wasn¡¯t long before I ran into a problem. While I could move it with rtive uracy and my feeling was starting toe back in full, my injured hand was in no shape to keep hold of a bar of soap. That meant cleaning anywhere my left hand couldn¡¯t reach was going to be a serious pain. After I¡¯d nearly dropped it a third time, I simply let my hands rest on my thighs and closed my eyes with a tired sigh. I was just beginning to build up the energy to start again when I felt a presence behind me. Small, warm hands touched my shoulder, then slid down my arm until they were gently prying the soap from my hand. I opened my eyes, rather surprised that the hand wasn¡¯t the light gray of my Arelim. Rather, it was a dark bluish gray, belonging to apletely naked Noelle, already starting tother up my back. ¡°You know this is the men¡¯s side, right?¡± I asked her. Her hands paused. ¡°You do not want me to help?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Her expression rxed and she continued cleaning my injured side, slowly and hesitantly. ¡°You are injured. I am simply a servant ensuring her Patron is properly taken care of. It is well within the rules of the establishment so long as there is no prative sex. ording to Rhani, at least.¡± She moved around my back to start on my left side, the one I¡¯d struggled to reach. ¡°I can only wonder how long she¡¯s been wanting to use that excuse. Did she tell you toe?¡± Noelle didn¡¯t answer right away, and I closed my eyes to simply enjoy the feeling of her soapy hands sliding along my aching muscles. ¡°She suggested it.¡± She thoroughly cleaned my arm, then my shoulder, then started working on my back and side. Going lower and lower. ¡°After I asked her, at least.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I see. Well in that case, I can hardly tell you to leave now. Especially not when you¡¯re doing such a good job.¡± Her hum returned and her hands picked up their pace. She kept going lower until she was thoroughly cleaning my backside, which earned more than one surprised grunt from me. It was hardly ufortable, and I was more interested in seeing how far she was willing to go without any prompting from me one way or the other, so I didn¡¯t tell her to stop. That meant when she finally finished behind me and started around towards my front, a certain part of me was standing at attention. ¡°You don¡¯t have to clean anywhere that makes you ufortable,¡± I said softly. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten all the parts I can¡¯t reach. I can take it from here. If you want.¡± She just knelt wordlessly between my legs and started at my calves, working her way up. I reached down into a container that had powder for hair and put some in my hand, then I started to gently massage it into her scalp while she worked higher and higher up my legs. Her hands came to a stop and I worried I might have caught her off guard, but then I saw how her eyes were rolled into the back of her head and smiled. I kept massaging, being careful to keep the soap from her face, and she let out a soft gasp. She slowly came back to herself and continued her work. I washed her while she washed me, working around my groin and up my stomach. She slid her hands up my chest then paused, looking up at me with wide, uncertain eyes. I slid my own hands up her sides and gently cupped her breasts, working the soap trailing from her scalp into her chest with gentle, but firm movements. A soft sound of encouragement slipped past her lips and her hands continued moving over my body. I could tell anytime I hit a sensitive spot from how her fingers would dig into me and took note. I washed her front, myrge hands on her tiny frame covering ground much quicker than hers, and slid my hands down her body. I avoided herhers, just as she had mine, but I washed everywhere else I could reach from where I sat. Her narrow frame and my longer arms meant there wasn¡¯t much that was out of reach, especially when she pushed in closer as I got lower. Even though I was sitting, her face wasn¡¯t much further up than mine. I¡¯d thought we¡¯d gone as far as we would until I looked up at her and realized just how close she was to me. Her hands slid back up my chest, then over my shoulders, then around the back of my neck. Her lips parted slightly, and her alluringly crimson eyes stared into mine unblinkingly. Slowly, giving her plenty of time to react, I leaned in. It was all she needed to hesitantly press her lips to mine. It was brief and soft, hesitant and chastepared to many of the other kisses I¡¯d shared in thest three weeks, but it was a massive step forward for her. Almost as massive as her hand wrapping around my still-hard length and giving it a single, slow stroke. ¡°I¡ªit seems I missed a spot,¡± she breathed. I chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ve been spending too much time with Rhani.¡± But I knew what her action meant. I slipped a hand over her thin belly and slowly lowered it until I could gently press a finger against her lower lips. She gasped and her hand tightened around my member to the point where it was almost painful, but her hips bucked towards me ever so slightly. I began to gently rub circles around her outer lips with two fingers and she leaned into me, burying her face in my neck. Her hand started stroking faster and faster, and when I shifted my fingers to touch the nub at the hood of her sex I felt her sharp canines rake against my flesh. Her hand froze, and I put my other hand on her upper back, massaging the tender muscles around her regrowing wings. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can take it. Promise.¡± She resumed, pumping even harder than before, and her teeth pressed into me. Her other hand sunk into my hair and she used to to pull her body into mine with as much force as her newly enhanced strength could manage. I rubbed faster and faster and she bit down as hard as she could without breaking skin. It wasn¡¯t long before I felt release wash through her body, and her hand around my length gripped me so tightly I feared she might rip my member off. But my discussion with Tiana earlier and the thought of what she and Rhani had been up to had me more than a little pent up before I¡¯d even reached the bathhouse. Noelle¡¯s presence and ministrations had built me up further, and feeling her climaxing while pressed against me, her hand wrapped around the base of my cock, was enough to push me over the edge. I pressed her into me and came with a grunt, shooting ropes of seed onto the bathhouse floor. Once I caught my breath I threw a pail of water over the pools, washing them away before anyone saw them and got upset. Noelle stayed pressed into me, her face buried into the crook of my neck and her chest heaving, so I grabbed more pails and began to rinse us off. She reluctantly withdrew from my embrace when I had nearly all the soap gone, then she went to stand behind me and started working the washing powder into my hair. Her fingers on my scalp felt nearly as good as her hand had around my cock, so I closed my eyes and just enjoyed it. ¡°I was very upset earlier,¡± she said finally. ¡°When you went off alone to fight. It made me¡­it made the ache in my chest hurt very badly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her. ¡°If I¡¯d have been able to think of any other way, I wouldn¡¯t have.¡± She grunted. ¡°I know. I thought about it the whole way back. What I could have done differently. What any of us could have done differently. I could think of nothing.¡± Her hum had lowered. She was more upset than I¡¯d ever seen her. ¡°Sometimes the only way to make it through the day is to find the least shitty option,¡± I said. Water rushed over me while she rinsed the soap from my hair, then her front pushed against my back. Her arms snaked over my shoulders and wrapped around me while she pressed her forehead into the nape of my neck. ¡°I know.¡± Her voice trembled with emotion. ¡°I know that, but it just makes the ache hurt worse. I know you did the best you could, but I¡¯m still angry. Angry at you, but also happy you¡¯re okay, and other things I don¡¯t know how to make sense of.¡± I put my good hand on her arm and ran my thumb along it. ¡°Emotions are rarely logical. You feel the way that you feel, and understanding why is only a part in dealing with those emotions. You spent so long too afraid to feel anything it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re a little confused now. That¡¯s okay. Good, even. It means you¡¯re growing. Healing. You¡¯re frustrated by events that were out of your control, and that¡¯s apletely natural reaction. All we can do is look at what we did and how we can do better next time.¡± I gently pulled her arms apart enough that I could turn and look up at her. She was angrily blinking back tears, and her lips fought to curve downward despite her best efforts. I gently caressed her cheek and leaned in to give her another soft kiss. When I pulled away, her lips were much closer to neutral than before. ¡°And that¡¯s my promise to you. To all of you. I¡¯ll do better next time. And I¡¯ll do better than that the time after.¡± ¡°The best version of ourself is a goal we¡¯ll probably never reach, but as long as we¡¯re better than we were yesterday, we¡¯re doing pretty damn good. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± She gave me a curt nod and I stood. ¡°Good. Now, would you like to join me in the bath? I don¡¯t know about you, but I could really use a good soak after all that.¡± She nodded again, this time a little more eagerly, and we made our way to therge tub that had a few other guys in it. I couldn¡¯t help but pull her close while the others stared daggers at her body, but she seemed unbothered. She had eyes only for me. There was plenty of space for us to im a corner to ourselves, and soon I was climbing in with my back to the wall. Noelle wasted no time in sliding onto myp andying her head just underneath my chin. I let out a breath and just rxed into the water. It was scalding hot and felt fucking wonderful against my skin, especially the parts of me that were a little worse for wear. I used my good hand to rub slow circles on Noelle¡¯s back and she hummed sleepily into my chest. It was wonderfully peaceful and perfectly serene, so naturally it couldn¡¯tst. We were hit by a wave of water as someonerge slid into the bath just next to us. Noelle¡¯s fingers curled against me, but when I opened my eyes I found Pierce sitting next to me, eyes forward. ¡°You know,¡± he said after letting the water settle, ¡°if you¡¯re trying to keep a low profile, you¡¯re not doing so good a job at it.¡± Noelle nestled deeper into me with what could only be described as a growl that I couldn¡¯t help but agree with. I sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea to get attacked by a Vx queen, but getting eaten was out of the question.¡± Heughed humorlessly. ¡°Korey is going to be worried. Someone who can survive a tangle with a beast like that isn¡¯t someone he could usually afford.¡± ¡°Well you can tell him not to. I care more about thepany than the money. I¡¯d rather travel with those I trust.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll pass it along.¡± I readjusted so that I could throw my injured arm over the side of the tub while holding Noelle with the other. His eye was drawn to it, but he nced away quickly. ¡°Pierce, tell me you didn¡¯t ambush me in the bath just for that.¡± He didn¡¯t answer right away. He just leaned his head back and sighed, giving me a good look at an old puckered scar that took up most of his chest. ¡°I hate adventuring. If my sister hadn¡¯t asked me to look out for Yen, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± He scratched absentmindedly at the scar. ¡°Rhani was lucky you stumbled across her in that tower. The caravan is lucky you were around to deal with those blightwolves. Now this kingdom is incredibly lucky you were around to deal with that queen before she was well and truly entrenched.¡± I didn¡¯t like where this conversation was headed. ¡°And?¡± ¡°And a wise man once told me that three times is a pattern.¡± The fact that he only felt the need to say thest part spoke volumes. He was guessing I already knew the first half. ¡°Patterns rarely stop at three. If we¡¯ve got more queen-sized problems on the horizon, I¡¯d like to know.¡± ¡°The world is a cruel ce, Pierce. I can hardly tell you the future, but I can tell you that bad shit happens every day. I just tend to be a ma for it.¡± He grunted. ¡°Maybe. But then so were the Seven. Every trial they persevered through prepared them for their fight with Grimsbane. If they hadn¡¯t fought their way to his doorstep, he¡¯d have swatted them down like flies.¡± His eyes drifted towards me. ¡°Makes me wonder just what the gods are preparing you for.¡± I snorted. ¡°I think you¡¯re putting a bit too much faith in the gods.¡± He shrugged, disturbing the water that had finally started to still around him. ¡°Perhaps. And yet, here you are. Barely more than a kid, but you know shit that suggests you probably never were one. Things that nobody talks about since the war ended.¡± His expression sobered. ¡°The ones doing the Neko-baiting, they¡¯re rted to you, aren¡¯t they?¡± Noelle tensed against my chest. I nced down at her. She was ring daggers at Pierce, no doubt ready to jump to my defense if the need arose. ¡°If you think I¡¯m affiliated with someone capable of that, then we might have to rethink our tentative partnership.¡± He didn¡¯t so much as flinch, though that was hardly surprising. ¡°Then you¡¯re telling me they¡¯ve got nothing to do with you? I¡¯ve seen how you are with your women, so I doubt they¡¯re friends of yours, but in my experience when too many things happen that are out of the ordinary, they¡¯re connected somehow.¡± I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. The blightwolves. The Neko-baiting. The thugs hunting for the sword. Noelle¡¯s ss. A fucking Vx queen. All independent threads, yet my instincts were screaming at me that all of it was connected. I just couldn¡¯t see how. ¡°There¡¯s a pretty good chance we run into them before all is said and done.¡± He exhaled through his nose. ¡°I thought as much. Any other dangers I should be aware of?¡± ¡°Apparently there¡¯s a gnoll problem between us and the capital.¡± He barked out augh. ¡°Isn¡¯t there always?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not toote, you know,¡± I told him. I lifted my head enough to search his expression. ¡°Get you and yours as far from me as possible while you still can.¡± He shook his head and stood. The scar on his chest wasn¡¯t the only one he bore. Pierce had seen more than his fair share ofbat. ¡°People are always so quick to me the heroes for the times those heroes are born into. In my experience,¡± he tapped his thumb to the scar, ¡°dark times wille whether we want them to or not. Best to be at the side of the ones who can actually do something about it.¡± He scooped up a towel and headed off. As soon as he¡¯d left the water I turned my attention back to the girl half-asleep in my arms. Once Pierce had left, the tension had fled her body. The moment she started to rx, her eyes drooped. I brushed a thumb against her cheek, and she mumbled something unintelligible. ¡°What do you say we get some real food in us?¡± I asked her. She blinked away the sleep tugging at her, then put a hand on either of my shoulders and pulled her face up to mine. I met her halfway and pressed my lips to hers. A soft, sleepy kiss that carried more affection than anything resembling lust, but it was still enough to make a shadow of a smile pull at her mouth. I could already tell she wasn''t going to get tired of tasting my lips anytime soon. ¡°Yes,¡± she said simply. Despite our rumbling stomachs, it was still a good while before we finally climbed out of the bath. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Guilt and Wants Chapter Thirty-Eight: Guilt and Wants Dinner was a quick affair. By the time me and Noelle had dried and dressed, the others were already sitting around the table with tes of food dressed in normal clothes. Everyone but Tiana and Rhani, at least. A quick inquiry and Tsuki told me with a wide grin that they¡¯d taken their meals in our room. Just like every meal after a close battle, it wasn¡¯t until I¡¯d swallowed the first bite that I realized how hungry I was. I let the others talk while I inhaled my food. The twins had been worried about our dyed return, but it seemed Serena had already put their fears at ease. They were both in higher spirits than I¡¯d seen so far from them, which was good. Noelle¡¯s exhaustion was starting to be even more apparent. She¡¯d only made it halfway through her te before her head was starting to droop. Serena did her best to keep the conversation going, but I could tell that whatever had been bothering her was still weighing heavily on her mind. Then Ryoko¡¯s energy seemed to run out all at once. She went from talking excitedly about how Garm had taught her to make simple energy drafts to needing one herself. Tsukiughed softly, then stood and pulled her sister to her feet, then bade us all goodnight. I looked down at Noelle and ran my fingers through her short hair. She swayed in her chair, blinking sleepily. ¡°Why don¡¯t you head up to the room.¡± Noelle nuzzled into my arm, then shook her head. ¡°No. I will stay with Tsuki and Ryoko tonight. I want to sleep as much as possible.¡± She tilted her head down, but her lips were curved up ever so slightly. ¡°Then we will know how much to celebrate.¡± With augh, I gave her one final kiss on the head and she went off after the twins. Then it was just Serena and I. ¡°Is it time to have that talk?¡± I asked her. She looked away, her gaze scanning over the other customers in the room. ¡°Not here,¡± she said softly, without meeting my eyes. Then she stood and strode for the door. Trying to ignore the growing pit in my stomach, I followed. Head down, she turned and strode down the road until she reached an alley between the inn and the next building over. She looked into it, then back over her shoulder at me with uncertain eyes, then she strode into the alley. ¡°Whatever is weighing so heavily on you,¡± I said after she finally came to a stop, ¡°I¡¯d like to hear it if you¡¯re willing to share. All of it. No need to hold back.¡± She wrapped one arm around herself and began chewing on the thumbnail of the other. ¡°I thought I was going to lose you today,¡± she said finally. The words felt like a punch to the gut. ¡°I know. I wish there had been another way, but even in retrospect I wouldn¡¯t have done anything differently.¡± She turned away from me, leaning her shoulder on the wall. ¡°How far down did we go before you guessed there was a queen?¡± she asked. ¡°My first inkling was when we pulled Tiana out of that cocoon, but I wasn¡¯t certain until muchter.¡± ¡°And the moment you even realized it was a possibility, you knew you¡¯d take her on alone to buy us time to escape.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. I let out a long breath. ¡°Half the reason I took the job was because I know how to fight Vx. My skills, my insane Resilience, and my past mean I¡¯m specially suited for it, just like with the blightwolves. It was never about throwing my life away to save yours, it was about minimizing damage. Holding out long enough to find a way through.¡± She nced at me over her shoulder, but made no move to turn towards me. I said, ¡°I meant what I said after. I wasn¡¯t giving up on you or trying to go out in some ze of glory, I¡¯m just the only one of the party built to survive against enemies stronger than me. The n was always to lead her away and find my way back to you.¡± She didn¡¯t refute me, but the tension between us didn¡¯t fade in the slightest. Whatever her point was, she was still working her way to it. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us that, though.¡± I jammed my hands in my pockets. ¡°No. It was one of those situations where if you were still alive at the end of the day to be mad at me, then it was well worth it.¡± Her bottom lip trembled slightly, but she clenched her jaw. ¡°You told Tiana, though. She knew you weren¡¯t behind us even without looking back.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a trust issue if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about.¡± From the look she gave me, I knew my guess was wrong. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell Noelle. She¡¯s still in a precarious ce, and there was no way to guess how she¡¯d react to me needing to stay behind.¡± She nodded curtly like that had already urred to her. I frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to tell Rhani, but she¡¯s in a different position than you.¡± She looked away again. ¡°I know. You two love each other. You don¡¯t need to say it for me to be able to tell.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± I said immediately. ¡°Rhani doesn¡¯t have abat ss. From the moment we met, she¡¯s been well aware of the fact that she¡¯s a liability as soon as the fight goes sideways. Even when we aren¡¯t facing down legendary monsters, she has no way to defend herself against monsters withoutbat skills. Not with her stats. Even the golem can only do so much. The second the queen showed herself, she knew the best thing she could possibly do was find a way to get out of danger entirely.¡± That seemed to finally rx her a fraction, and I took a chance and stepped closer. I gently took her arm at the elbow. ¡°And yes, I do love Rhani. But in terms of rtionship and how it started, she¡¯s in a different position too.¡± Her brows furrowed, but in confusion instead of whatever anger she was feeling. I squeezed her arm and said, ¡°Rhani is an Arelim. A demi-human. More than that, she¡¯s legally tied to me for another five months and some change. She¡¯s quite literally stuck with me, for better or worse. At times I worry she¡¯s put me on a pedestal, but even if I¡¯m half the man she hopes I am I can offer her a better life than she could have on her own thanks to the ords. Because of the world we live in, she was left with no other option than to give every part of her to me and hope I wouldn¡¯t betray her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a demi-human though,¡± I rubbed my thumb along her arm. ¡°If, gods forbid, things don¡¯t work out for us, you¡¯ve still got your freedom. It might be difficult, but you can still forge your own path in this world. In the eyes of society, we¡¯re on much more equal footing. And,¡± I tucked her hair over her shoulder so I could see more of her face, ¡°Rhani doesn¡¯t have a bad rtionship in her past to hold her back.¡± She tensed. ¡°How did¡ª¡± I shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t till just now, but I¡¯ve suspected. You mention you¡¯ve fooled around with guys before, but you still get so flustered by the smallest things sometimes. Intimacy especially. Makes me think mypetition isn¡¯t exactly steep, but it does exist.¡± She flushed and looked away again. ¡°My mom always said you shouldn¡¯t talk about past rtionships when you¡¯re in one, so I never brought it up. But yes, myst rtionship didn¡¯t end well.¡± I smirked. ¡°I won¡¯t push, but you don¡¯t have to worry about stuff like that with me. Fuck knows you¡¯ve all heard enough about my shitty past. Whatever you want to tell me, I¡¯m happy to hear it as long as it¡¯sing from you. But that isn¡¯t why we¡¯re here, is it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°The others make sense, and there¡¯s no real reason you would have told Elisa.¡± Then she took a deep breath and pushed off the wall. With clenched fists, she turned towards me. Whatever she was about to say was interrupted by someone staggering around the corner behind us. In instinctively put an arm on her shoulder to push her behind me if the need arose, but it was just a very drunk customer nursing about half a bottle of hard liquor. They stumbled in, mumbling under their breath, then staggered over to a nearby wall where they slid to the ground and wrapped around their bottle. In no time, they were snoring softly. I was still looking at the man, a bushy beard sticking out from under their hood, when Serena said softly, ¡°you didn¡¯t tell me because you didn¡¯t think I¡¯d believe you.¡± I didn¡¯t turn around. ¡°Not sure what you want me to say to that,¡± I said just as softly. ¡°I either hurt your feelings or I lie, and I¡¯d rather not do either.¡± When I looked back at her over my shoulder her fists were clenched so hard they were shaking. ¡°I was reasonably certain you¡¯d believe me, but after our discussion yesterday, I was just unsure enough to not want to risk it.¡± There were angry tears in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back. ¡°Do you know what the worst part is?¡± I shook my head once. ¡°The worst part¡ªthe part that makes me so angry I can hardly think straight¡ªis that you were right not to tell me. Even now, I¡¯m not sure I would have believed you, and I can¡¯t help but hate myself for it.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back after that. I stepped in close and put my palm to her cheek. I drew her in close, but not all the way. Not yet. ¡°Please don¡¯t hate yourself, Serena. Not on my ount. Never that.¡± She grabbed a handful of my shirt and a single tear tracked its way down her cheek. ¡°What changed? I¡¯m not upset that you doubted me, but I¡¯d at least like to know why you¡¯re beating yourself up so badly.¡± She closed her eyes and leaned in close, sucking air in through her nose. ¡°How much do you remember? About when you were poisoned?¡± My body tried to recoil against my will. Put distance between me and her. I fought the impulse, though only barely. ¡°Not much. Not towards the end, at least. I remember seeing people from my past. Times from my past. Times best left in the past.¡± Another tear slid down her face. ¡°I tried to go to you. When I saw you, alive, my body just moved on its own. I was so scared I¡¯d just never see you again. That you or I would die deep in the tunnels and the other would never know how. I didn¡¯t know you weren¡¯t yourself until it was toote. Until you had me pinned on the ground.¡± This time I did draw back. I took two steps away. She followed me for one, then paused uncertainly. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± I demanded. She shook her head adamantly. ¡°No! You thought I was someone from your past, but you knew it wasn¡¯t possible. That the person you were seeing was dead. You thought I was¡­¡± Her breath caught in her throat. This close I could see the redness in her eyes. That she was on the verge of tears. But I remembered. ¡°I thought you were Ina.¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes. You held me down, afraid I was an enemy, but even drugged out of your mind you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to hurt me. To hurt her.¡± I drew back another step. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A sound somewhere between augh and a sob broke free from her throat. ¡°I thought we were done apologizing.¡± Her words felt likeshings. Emotions roiled in me, and what came up was a sh of anger I knew was irrational. ¡°So is that what this is about? You catching another glimpse into my past? You knew it was bad. You¡¯re smart enough to know that what I¡¯ve shared isn¡¯t even close to the worst of it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that simple, I knew, but my heart was starting to hammer in my chest. I clenched my sweaty palms. Whatever wasing next, I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be pleasant. ¡°I didn¡¯t know¡­¡± she breathed. I opened my mouth to tell her she could hardly me herself for my inability to talk about the past, but her next words robbed me of my ability to speak. ¡°I didn¡¯t know until I saw the way you looked at me. The way you thought you were looking at her. Not just the pain, but the guilt.¡± More tears rolled down her face. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been through so many horrible things, but I had no idea you med yourself for so many of them.¡± I felt like she¡¯d taken a cudgel to my chest. ¡°Serena¡­¡± I managed. ¡°That¡¯s why I wouldn¡¯t have believed you,¡± she barreled on, casting her face down and clenching her fists at her side. ¡°I finally understood. You told me once that you kept throwing yourself into fights not expecting to see the other side. I thought it was because you didn¡¯t want to live. That the world had simply taken too much from you. I didn¡¯t realize it was because you wanted to die as penance for all the things in your life that you me yourself for, even when you had no right to. Especially then.¡± Every word felt like a whip slicing into my flesh. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She threw her hands up. ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯m just a nobody girl who lived a sheltered life in the middle of nowhere. My worst dayse nothing close to being as bad as some of your better ones, and I know there¡¯s nothing I could ever truly do to bridge that gap. I know you¡¯d never want me to be able to, and that drives me crazy!¡± She took a breath to center herself. ¡°But I know this. All those deaths had nothing to do with you. You ming yourself is just self-imposed penance for things you had no control over!¡± I couldn¡¯t look at her right now. My eyes found the drunk who had stopped snoring. ¡°You weren¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± she said, stepping in front of my line of sight, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that the only one to me for every single one of them is Karn. Not you. Never you.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, then Hannah¡ª¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask Karn to slit her throat!¡± she shouted, and I recoiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t hand him the knife! You didn¡¯t rat her out! She died because she cared, and you know as well as I do that even if he hadn¡¯t killed her then he¡¯d have killed her at some point during his twisted experiments!¡± I took two more steps backwards. ¡°I never told you how she died.¡± She flinched, but she didn¡¯t let her gaze drop from mine. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. I knew you never would just like I knew I¡¯d never ask, so I prayed for guidance. I asked Allura to help me understand, and she did.¡± She closed the distance I¡¯d made, her chin held high. ¡°I saw it happen, Zaren. I watched the memory from outside of it like a ghost. Karn did it just as much to keep the others in line as he did to punish you. It was his fault, not yours.¡± My back hit the wall opposite the tavern and she kepting, cing her hand on my chest. Just above where my heart was trying to smash through my sternum. ¡°And do you know what I saw? In herst moments? I saw hope. She cared about you, Zaren. And that affection didn¡¯t get her killed, it kept her alive. In here.¡± She prodded my chest with her finger. ¡°She was a kid, and so were you. She died, but she spent herst days knowing that at least someone in the world gave a shit about her.¡± She reached up with her other hand and wiped a tear off my cheek that I hadn¡¯t even realized had fallen. ¡°Whatever me you could possible have in her death is far overshadowed by what you gave her. Ina, too. Nobody was meant to leave those experiments alive. Not if I understand even a little of it. You did, and you brought the memory of every person you lost with you.¡± She put a hand on either side of my face and pulled my head down so she could press her forehead against mine. ¡°I don¡¯t know what deal you made with Allura, but I know it involves them somehow. I won¡¯t ask what or how, and I¡¯ll never push you to tell me more about your past than you¡¯re ready to, but I won¡¯t let you keep carrying this guilt. I won¡¯t.¡± I felt like the alley was spinning, so I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her into me as much to anchor myself as anything else. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know how to not carry it. It¡¯s as much a part of me as anything else.¡± The admission seemed to surprise her as much as it surprised me. ¡°Then let me ask you this,¡± she said softly. She was so close I could feel her breath on my lips. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s fair to them that you carry around so much me? You said to Rhani that you felt destroying their book was an insult to what they went through. If you ask me, then ming yourself for their deaths is an insult to the love they felt for you.¡± I sucked in my breath. Another blow, but one that felt like it had taken some of the weight from my chest. ¡°You really don¡¯t pull any punches, do you?¡± She shook her head as much as she was able without breaking the contact between us. ¡°Not when you make me this angry. Consider this my revenge for scaring the shit out of me back at the mine.¡± A smirk, against all odds, found its way to my face. ¡°Which time?¡± Her jaw dropped. She pinched my side with a surprisedugh, ¡°you asshole.¡± Then she nestled into me, resting her head sideways on my shoulder with her face pointed away from mine. ¡°I want to hear you say it.¡± I took a moment to breathe. ¡°Say what?¡± I asked. ¡°You know what.¡± I did. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t mean it?¡± Her hand slid up between us until she could put it back to my face. ¡°Especially then. I want to hear you say it over and over until you start to believe yourself.¡± I put my hand over hers. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. Any of it.¡± The words were hollow. A perfect stranger wouldn¡¯t have believed them for a second. She practically melted in my arms. ¡°Again.¡± I repeated the words. Then again. Then once more. Each time, in spite of myself, they sounded a little less like a lie. Then, when she demanded it a fifth time, I buried my face in her neck and said it into her. She giggled, then wrapped her arms around my neck. We stood like that with her running her fingers through my hair until my heart had calmed down to reasonable levels. ¡°See?¡± she said, ¡°Tiana isn¡¯t the only one who can ¡®call you out on your shit.¡¯¡± Her tone was yful, but there was a trembling undertone that told me she was testing the waters. I stroked her back. ¡°Serena,¡± I chided, ¡°you aren¡¯t jealous, are you?¡± She pulled back just enough that she could look me in the eye and no more. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to. I mean, have you seen her body? And that ss? Talk about toughpetition.¡± I quirked a brow. ¡°She does have a nice chest, but you¡¯ve got her beat back here.¡± I grabbed two handfuls of her ass and she gasped, pushing herself into me. ¡°And with your most recent ss skill, I¡¯m wondering if you aren¡¯t headed in a simr direction.¡± Her eyes widened a fraction. ¡°Oh no. I hadn¡¯t thought of that.¡± Iughed, then leaned in and pressed my lips to hers. We explored each other slowly at first, then with more and more need as the tension from our previous conversation started to fade in full and our bodies caught up with our mouths. Reluctantly, she pulled away. ¡°I¡¯d understand if you¡¯d rather I bunk with Noelle and the twins.¡± ¡°Not on your life.¡± I pulled her back in, and she giggled into my mouth. I finally let her up for air and pressed my lips to her temple. ¡°Never hold back if you think I¡¯m drowning. I need you more than I¡¯m willing to admit most of the time.¡± ¡°Mmh,¡± she moaned, leaning into me, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. Now we should probably stop making out in an alleyway. Apparently Tiana brought some toys for Rhani.¡± I sucked in a hiss. ¡°That poor girl has no idea what she¡¯s in for.¡± Rhani was enough of a menace with only her hands and body. I couldn¡¯t imagine arming her with more weapons. ¡°Nope,¡± Serena agreed. She slipped her hand in mine. ¡°We¡¯re okay, then?¡± ¡°Better than okay.¡± I gave her another quick peck. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s leave the man to his alley.¡± From the blush that spread across her face she forgot we weren¡¯t entirely alone. Iughed, then let her pull me back towards the front door of the inn. I still felt emotionally battered and bruised from our conversation, and I didn¡¯t think I was ready to put aside that me any time soon, but I could at least try. For her. But right now I had a horny Arelim and a somehow hornier mage to worry about. # # # I really thought Rhani had run out of ways to send my jaw crashing to the floor. How foolish of me. The sound of wet ps and moansing through the door confused and slightly worried me at first, but the moment I opened it and walked into the room all the blood I needed for rational thought went southward. Tiana was bent over the bed, covered in a sheen of sweat, crying out in ecstasy while Rhani stood behind her, pounding her with a strap-on. My little Arelim mmed away with a frankly shocking amount of strength, sending recoils of tantalizing flesh through Tiana¡¯s body and making her own breasts bounce magnificently. From the way her face was contorted in pleasure, I figured the strap wasn¡¯t one-sided. The door shut behind us and Serena gasped, which caught the attention of both girls. Rhani¡¯s head shot towards us first, an ted grin on her face, and Tiana looked up at us with bleary eyes less than a secondter. Rhani started hammering even faster, her fingers digging into Tiana¡¯s hips hard enough to make her knuckles go white, and Tiana¡¯s eyes rolled back. The busty mage screamed while she came. Her body went limp in Rhani¡¯s grasp, and the Arelim¡¯s climax was only a step behind. Rhani managed to stay standing through her orgasm, only sliding her fake dick out of Tiana after she¡¯d caught her breath. Tiana groaned, a wave of wetness sloshing out of her puffy lower lips as they were vacated, and sunk into the bed. Rhani ran at me on shaky legs. ¡°Zaren!¡± She leapt into my arms threw her own around me and the strap bounced off my thigh. I staggered back under the unexpected attack, but sheughed jubntly. ¡°Tiana has a magic strap-on! Can I have one? Please please please please? I¡¯ll do whatever you want! If you really love me you¡¯ll get me one! It¡¯s amazing!¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh myself while I held her up. I set her down and nted a kiss on her lips to stop the barrage of begging. I tasted what I could only assume to be Tiana on her lips, then pulled back. With a raised brow, I grabbed the fake cock and ran my hand down it. It was made from a soft, pliable material that was still slick with juices and was probably an inch or two smaller than me, but I could indeed feel magic thrumming through the material and its base that was strapped around her thighs. A slight tug confirmed that there was indeed another half to the strap currently buried in her. Her knees nearly buckled, and she grabbed onto me. I chuckled. ¡°If you enjoy it that much, how could I possibly say no?¡± She leapt at me again, peppering me with kisses and wordless noises of joy. By the time I managed to pry her off again, this time with the help of a snickering Serena, Tiana had managed to find her feet. A dark red flush had spread over her face and she found herself unable to meet my eyes. It gave me a good chance to give her a quick once over, and what I saw made sure that I was at full mast for whatever was about toe. Naked as the day she was born, fully bathed, and standing next to an actual fucking bed, I felt my length throbbing painfully in my pants. I stuck my hands in my pockets while Serena went to her bag in the corner and started stripping off clothes. ¡°Feeling better after a couple releases?¡± Tiana let out a small squeak, but it was Rhani who answered while slowly stroking her fake cock. ¡°A couple is right, that was only her second orgasm.¡± Tiana shot her a dirty look and Rhani grinned. ¡°Turns out ¡®increased sensitivity¡¯ does not mean it¡¯s easier for her to cum.¡± ¡°Thank you for that, Rhani,¡± Tiana said, somewhat hoarsely. Then she looked back down at the ground. ¡°Though she isn¡¯t wrong. It¡¯s at least easier to think, now.¡± I crossed the room and put a hand on her shoulder. Her skin was hot to the touch, and her chest heaved in a way that made it very hard to look away. I managed to, though. I slid a knuckle under her chin and tilted her head up, only an inch or so lower than mine, and looked into her eyes. ¡°Would you be morefortable with some clothes on?¡± I asked her. Rhani made a displeased noise, but Tiana just bit her lip. ¡°Um, maybe. Or you could lose some. One or the other.¡± Before I could so much as move, I felt Rhani¡¯s hands undoing the ties on my shirt so she could pull it over my head. She went for my belt, but I caught her hand. Tiana stared at my chest, running her hand along it with a hungry expression. Unable to strip me further, Rhani simply pushed into my back, then reached around and started slowly stroking me through my pants. ¡°Feel good enough to make a decision? Or should I tell the innkeeper we need another room?¡± She swallowed. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll be necessary,¡± she said just a hair too quickly. Her already deep blush darkened. ¡°I just¡­I mean, I definitely¡­¡± The words died in her throat and her fingers curled against my chest. I stepped closer so that our bodies were only separated by the smallest of distances. This time I grabbed her chin between my thumb and crooked forefinger. ¡°You should know that I don¡¯t really give a shit about conventions or anything like that, and I¡¯m not going to judge you for saying whatever it is you need to say.¡± My eyes flicked to where Serena had sat on the bed,pletely naked, leaning against the headboard with her legs spread just enough to show me how wet she was. Rhani slipped around us to embrace Tiana from behind. ¡°You can tell him, you know. If you want, I can start spouting out fantasies so that whatever it is you¡¯re embarrassed about sounds tame inparison.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary! I just¡ª¡± Rhani¡¯s hands started sliding over Tiana¡¯s front, and she closed her eyes with a shudder. ¡°Oh, fuck it.¡± She pressed herself against me with her hands on my chest, then slid them up to my shoulders and looked up at me with hooded eyes. ¡°I want you. And I want more than just¡­¡± she rubbed her body slightly against mine, her rock-hard nipples trailing fiery trials on my chest, ¡°¡­than just this. Just sex. I just don¡¯t know how to draw the line between my skills and¡­and the other stuff.¡± I took that as my queue to slip a hand to her waist. A soft moan slipped through her slightly parted lips just at my touch, and I grinned. I used my other hand to push Rhani¡¯s head downward. She resisted, then her eyes went wide and she dropped to her knees. Tiana was nearly as tall as I was, so I couldn¡¯t quite see what Rhani was up to back there. From the way Tiana¡¯s eyes shot open and she pressed her body into mine with a sharp cry, I could only assume it involved tongue. ¡°Here¡¯s the way I see it,¡± I said, sliding a hand up to cup her mountainous breast while the other slid up her back to push her into me. ¡°From what I know about your skills, nearly all of it can be fully utilized by a tendril or two. And even if you wanted nothing to do with me, Rhani here,¡± I lowered my hand to push Rhani¡¯s face deeper into Tiana¡¯s rear, ¡°can take care of the repercussions of your overcharge skill.¡± Tiana let out a breathy moan and I lowered my lips to hers, pausing just a hair¡¯s breadth away. ¡°Anything past that, I do because I want to do it. And hopefully because you want it, too. How does that sound to you?¡± Her answer was to do her best to reach my tonsils with her tongue. One hand grabbed a fistful of my hair while the other dug its fingers into my ass, pulling me into her so she could grind against me. She cried out again from whatever Rhani was up to and pulled back just enough to talk. ¡°Is this really okay, though? We¡¯ve known each other for less than two days.¡± ¡°Certain death builds bonds faster than months of being together. I¡¯ve seen who you are under pressure, I¡¯m willing to take it on faith that you¡¯re pretty amazing during the day-to-day, too.¡± She moaned again, bucking against me then pushing back towards Rhani with her hips. ¡°Fuck! How is she so good with her tongue? Are you sure she¡¯s straight?¡± Iughed, then ran a hand through Rhani¡¯s hair. From where her head was positioned, I was pretty sure her tongue was buried in Tiana¡¯s asshole. ¡°I¡¯m thinking she¡¯s bi at best. Not that I¡¯mining.¡± ¡°Mmmfuck! Me niether,¡± Tiana breathed. Then heat shed in her eyes. ¡°But I meant what I said. I want you, Zaren.¡± I heard a slight pop from behind Tiana. ¡°Mm,¡± Rhani smacked her lips, ¡°forgot to mention, she knows shit. Like, lots of shit. Put the pieces together after the queen started screaming. I vote we deal with thatter, though.¡± Then she was diving back in with enough vigor to lift Tiana up slightly. I took advantage of the lift and grabbed one of her long, tender legs and lifted it up. She threw both arms around my neck to keep from toppling over backwards while I brought the leg high enough for her to be nearly doing the splits, her knee folded over my elbow while I pinned her thigh to her side. Her breath was hot on my face while she looked into my eyes with unbridled lust. ¡°I-I seem to remember you still owing me,¡± she said quickly. I grinned, and she rxed in my arms. ¡°I sure do. You¡¯re wee to cash that promise in now, or you can wait the night out and see just how far I¡¯m willing to go without it.¡± Without needing any instruction, Rhani¡¯s hands found their way to my pants. In record time¡ªand without leaving Tiana unattended for even a second, by the look on her face¡ªmy pants were falling ot the ground. I stepped out of them while Rhani lined me up. Her entire body jerked when my head pressed against her. She was soaking wet and fiery hot, and I could feel her hips shifting, trying to slip me inside. I said, ¡°I¡¯d hate for you to waste such a boon on something I¡¯d happily give you. All you have to do is ask.¡± She rubbed her outer lips up and down my head while she leaned in and kissed me, her tongue tracing my lower lip with a throaty moan. She pulled away and whispered, ¡°fuck me, Zaren.¡± I slid into Tiana¡¯s dripping core, my head parting her already swollen lips with little resistance. Her silken walls were fiery hot wrapped around my member. I hilted myself with one swift motion and she cried out again, her walls clenching around my shaft sporadically. ¡°So¡­big!¡± she gasped, her nails digging into my skin hard enough to draw blood. I thrust once, sending spasms through her body, and we all nearly went tumbling. Then Serena was there, giving me something to thrust against while she fondled the mage¡¯srge bust. Tiana buried her face in my shoulder with a muffled whimper, one arm wrapped around my neck and the other cupping my head with her fingers sunk into my hair like she was holding on for dear life. I started fucking her for real now that Serena was there, and she moaned into me. ¡°Mmm,¡± Serena said, running her hands all over Tiana¡¯s body, ¡°she¡¯s so soft! Plush and cushy everywhere I go. I can definitely see the appeal.¡± I leaned forward enough to kiss her over Tiana¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can, though toned and muscr certainly has its own ce in my heart.¡± She shed a dazzling smile at me. Then she started trailing kisses along the nape of Tiana¡¯s neck, her hand sliding around the mage¡¯s stomach to slip between us so she could start rubbing her fingers over Tiana¡¯s clit. I buried my own face in Tiana¡¯s mane of dark red hair and nibbled at her ear, and she went crazy. She mped down on my cock with a shriek that was muffled by my shoulder, and I felt Serena¡¯s hand going into a frenzy between us. From the slurping sounds I could just barely hear over Tiana¡¯s screams, I knew Rhani was showing her asshole no mercy either. Tiana¡¯s toes curled and she just kept cumming, crushing herself into me with all the strength she possessed while I kept steadily sliding my length in and out of her. Her screams died down to a low whine, then her head jerked back and she started spasming again. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her mouth stretched open in a soundless scream. I trailed kisses along the underside of her jaw and down her neck and Serena kept nibbling on her other side. I felt Rhani¡¯s nimble hand on my sac, fondling and massaging me while I kept fucking Tiana. I could feel my first orgasm rapidly approaching and picked up speed. Tiana¡ªthough she looked like she was barely clinging to reality¡ªwrapped the leg I held up around me and gave me no choice on where I was to finish. I left her leg wrapped around me and grabbed a handful of her ass and mmed myself into her all the way to the hilt and unleashed my load inside her depths. The seal broke. A scream that threatened to shred my eardrums ripped itself from her throat and she came so hard it made her previous climaxes look tame inparison. I fired rope after rope into her, my face still buried into her neck, while Serena and Rhani coaxed every bit of pleasure from Tiana and I that they could. Tiana¡¯s entire body was rigid and trembling for several seconds, then she sucked in a huge breath and her bones turned to liquid in my grasp. If I hadn¡¯t still been buried in her, I might not have been able to stop her from flopping to the ground. I slid out of her carefully and another tremor wracked her body. My head had barely cleared her folds before Rhani plunged her tongue into Tiana¡¯s core, scooping out my seed with her tongue and reducing what was left of Tiana into a moaning puddle. Serena helped me gentlyy Tiana back onto the bed, resting her head on the pillows, with Rhani impressively eating her out the whole way down. I brushed the hair from her face and she arched her back with a wordless whimper, and I finally took mercy on her and gently pushed Rhani¡¯s head away from her lower lips. ¡°Easy, Angel. Let¡¯s not break her on our first night, alright?¡± Rhani froze in the middle of wiping her mouth with a feral grin stered on her face. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± I paused. ¡°No good?¡± ¡°Say it again.¡± I cupped her cheek. ¡°Angel.¡± She shuddered and closed her eyes. Then she nodded vigorously. I kissed the top of her head, thenughed when she immediately dove to start cleaning my member off with her mouth. I groaned as her tongue trailed circles around my sensitive head, then turned back to Tiana, whose eyes were still rolled firmly back into her head. Now I cupped her cheek, turning her face towards me while remaining at an angle that gave Rhani plenty of ess to me. ¡°Tiana? You still in there?¡± Her only response was a wordless babble. I tucked a lock of hair out of her face. ¡°We didn¡¯t go too far, did we?¡± I asked with a hint of worry. Things had happened a little quicker than I¡¯d expected, but at no point did she seem to want it any other way. A trembling hand reached blindly for me. I guided it to my face and she pulled me down to lock her lips to mine, giving me a sloppy, tired kiss. When she let her head fall back to the bed, she had a wide smile stered on her face. ¡°Good. Very good. I¡¯ll be okay in a minute, just need toe down¡­¡± I pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Take your time. I¡¯ve got two other girls to take care of, so you can have a bit to recover.¡± She ran her hand through my hair with a happy hum, then let me go. I looked from Serena, who once again had her back to the headboard beside Tiana and was slowly working two fingers in and out of her sex, to Rhani who was slowly and dutifully cleaning every part of my cock her lips could reach with stars in her eyes. ¡°Now, if memory serves, I owe the both of you some orgasms. The only question is, who should I fuck into a stupor first?¡± Rhani let my once-again hard cock slip free of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve already cum a handful of times just ying with Tiana. It¡¯s Serena¡¯s turn.¡± She rose, running her hands all the way from my thighs up my body, only stopping when she could wrap her hands around my head to pull me in for a kiss. I felt the strap pressing against my thigh, still wet, and she gasped softly at the sensation, then grinned. ¡°You still haven¡¯t fucked her silly, which isn¡¯t fair at all if you ask me.¡± I turned to Serena, whose hand had paused. She flushed, her expression torn between lust and apprehension. ¡°Now wait just a second¡­¡± she warned. I just grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her towards me. She shrieked, then giggled when I crawled up so that I was straddling one of her legs while holding the other up to spread her wide. ¡°Tell me to stop, and I will,¡± I said, lining my member up with her entrance. I slid the underside of my shaft against her lips and she arched her back against the bed. One hand went to her breast while the other twisted itself into the covers. ¡°Now why would I ever do that?¡± she said, her voice sultry. With a grin, I hilted myself in her. Her head fell to the pillows and her back arched off the couch, but I didn¡¯t give her the luxury of limating to being so suddenly filled. She was plenty drenched, so I started mming in full right out the gate. I used the leg not between my legs for leverage to m my hips into hers and she cried out in pleasure. ¡°Ah-ah-ah-oh-fuck-ah-ah-Zaren-fuck!¡± she moaned. I kept one arm wrapped around her leg and used the other to start fingering her nub. Her walls instantly clenched down on me, but I only started moving faster. Fucking her with everything I had while I assaulted her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her beautiful body with every thrust. Her first orgasm finally started to die down, so I pushed her leg up until her shin was even with her face. I leaned over her, pressing my lips to hers, while I kept fucking. I¡¯d thrust for nearly half a minute before she managed to start kissing me back, then her hand found its way to my rear to pull me in deeper. Rhani¡¯s hands and lips trailed across my back, then my backside, then she moved around us so that she wasying with Tiana. She watched us with hooded eyes while she leaned down and started whispering something in Tiana¡¯s ear. Serena came again, arching and making it impossible to keep kissing her. I pulled back just far enough for my head to remain in her folds, then I grabbed her leg and flipped her over. The feeling of her folds twisting around my cock was nearly enough to push me past the point of no return, but there was still light in her eyes for me to fuck out of her. She nced at me over her shoulder, daring me to do more. I grabbed by both elbows and mmed my hips into her and she screamed through the wide smile on her face. I used my hold to fuck her even harder and her head dipped, gutteral moans slipping through clenched teeth every time our hips met, and Tiana¡¯s hand drifted over to finger Serena¡¯s clit while I pounded her from behind. With Serena unable and unwilling to do anything but get fucked by me, I nced towards the mage. She seemed to have recovered and smiled shyly at me while she helped me bring Serena to another body-racking orgasm. Then Tiana gasped, and we both looked down to see Rhani sliding the strap up her legs, sliding the backside into Tiana¡¯s folds. She moaned while Rhani fastened the strap in ce with lightning fast fingers, then her eyes went wide as Rhani crawled her way up her, trailing kisses and nibbles from her navel, between her breasts, up her neck then to her full lips. Then Rhani was lowering herself onto the fake phallus, mming down to the hip in one go. ¡°There,¡± she said with a satisfied breath, ¡°this should be easier on you until it¡¯s time for Zaren to wreck you again.¡± I shook my head in exasperation and returned my attention to Serena while my Arelim started to slowly ride Tiana¡¯s strap. I pulled Serena into my chest, wrapping one hand around her waist to rece Tiana¡¯s fingers at her clit, then I wrapped the other around her throat. Her moans reached a new pitch while I sawed in and out of her, and the moment I pressed down on the sides of her throat release imed her violently. Her hands shot back and grabbed me wherever they could reach, locking me in her grasp. Once again I fucked her through her orgasm and she practically sang her way through it. I made sure not to press on her throat enough to make her pass out, and by the time she was finished with her climax her hips were mming back into mine hard enough that I hardly had to move at all. I shifted the hand around her throat up enough to turn her chin towards me and imed her lips while she impaled herself on my length. The pleasure was beginning to build and I knew my limit was close. She whimpered when I pulled out of her, but her disappointment was short lived. I flipped her around once more and guided her down onto her back. I slid back into her silken embrace and she wrapped her thighs around me hungrily, her long toned legs wrapping around my rear and hooking together behind me. I got the message. I resumed mming into her just as hard as before and her head shot back. I buried my face in the crook of her neck, kissing and nibbling the sensitive flesh there, while I held my release off as long as I could. She writhed underneath me, begging me to finish inside her, while her hands grabbed whatever they could to pull me in deeper. Finally, just when her slick walls started to twitch around me, I let go. Her nails dragged down my back and she cried out louder than ever before while I filled her with a load just asrge as the one I¡¯d deposited in Tiana just a short while ago. She came with me, and I kept kissing her until her orgasm gave up its hold on her. Then I turned her chin towards mine and took her mouth until she finally unhooked her legs and let me slide out. She stared at the ceiling with ssy eyes and a heaving chest that I took a second to give a quick lick to. A shudder ran down her face, and she smiled at me. ¡°Mmmh, perfect¡­¡± she breathed. ¡°Thats¡ªhah¡ªwhat I¡¯m talking about,¡± Rhani said from where she still rode Tiana. I gave Serena a peck and slid over so that I was behind Rhani. I slid my hand down her back and trailed my thumb in slow circles around her backdoor. ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s your turn, but you seem to be doing just fine all on your own.¡± She bucked her hips towards my hand, which caused her to hilt herself on Tiana¡¯s strap. She groaned. ¡°Zaren! You can¡¯t just keep teasing me like that, you¡¯ll drive me mad!¡± There were more than enough juices to go around, so I coated my finger and slid it into her rear entrance. She clenched around me like a vice, and her groan turned very quickly into a moan. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to tease you for long,¡± I promised. Heat flitted across her face, but she bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You¡¯re pretty big, and without¡­preparation¡­¡± She cut off with wide eyes when she saw what I held in my hand. The object Noelle and I had stopped to pick up. A canister of lube. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Her tone was equal parts warning and longing. I pulled my finger out of her long enough to scoop up a more than reasonable dollop of lube and started working it into her, Tiana scooped a good amount out as well and startedthering it on my rehardening cock, still slick with Serena¡¯s juices. ¡°Tell me what you want, Rhani, and I¡¯ll deliver.¡± She gasped, then started sliding up and down the strap while I fingered her ass. ¡°I want it all!¡± she said quickly. She jammed her eyes shut and picked up speed while I slipped a third finger in. ¡°I want to do everything! Try everything! How can I know what I like if I don¡¯t try!¡± I pulled them out quickly, got more lube, then jammed them back in. Her head shot back, and I pressed my lips to her jaw just below her ear. ¡°I can work with that, but I meant here and now.¡± Her lips found mine for a frantic second, then she pulled away. ¡°I want you to fuck my ass. Pin me down and use me until you blow your load as deep in me as you can reach, no matter what happens,¡± she breathed. I chuckled. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t have to worry about beating around the bush with you, do I?¡± Then I wrapped my non-lubed hand around her waist and lifted her off Tiana. She voiced aint, but I silenced her with my lips. ¡°Baby steps. Let¡¯s see how you like just anal, then we can move on to more.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± she breathed. In answer, I shoved her down face first onto the bed. She giggled, then lifted her ass up and pressed her front into the bed. She grabbed a cheek in either hand and spread them, giving me a perfect view of everything. ¡°Use my ass, Zaren,¡± she breathed. I pressed the tip of my cock to her entrance and she shuddered. Now that it was the moment of truth, the difference in size worried me. She wasn¡¯t willing to wait, though. She put one hand on the headboard and pressed backward. She suppressed a cry at the pressure, and even I had to grip both her hips to steady myself. Then, just when I was starting to think it simply wouldn¡¯t fit, the head slid past her rim with a pop. She made a guttural sound with her face pressed into the bed and I groaned. Rhani¡¯s virgin asshole was by far the tightest ce I¡¯d ever stuck my dick, and the pressure was intense. Thest thing I wanted to do was hurt her, so I waited until she started to rx around me. Then I started to push my hips forward. Her arm shot out, grabbing desperately for a pillow, ripping it over so she could sink her teeth into it, and I started sawing in and out an inch at a time. She made pained sounds into the pillow, but anytime I stopped moving my hips she started moving hers. The hand not clenched into the sheets reached back to start fingering her core with vigor. I knew she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied until it was all in, so I grabbed her hips and thrust myself all the way to the hilt with one final move. She screamed into the pillow and her body clenched around me in one of the more powerful orgasms I¡¯d seen from her. I stayed buried in her, unmoving, both to let her adjust and to make sure I didn¡¯t finish too quickly. I¡¯d never been inside an ass before, and it was more different than I¡¯d expected it to be. Much tighter in a different way, but not unpleasant in the slightest. For me, anyways. I knew she¡¯d feel more pain than pleasure the first time, but that moment of stillness didn¡¯tst long. Serena pushed herself up and ran her hand along Rhani¡¯s back. Then I saw the golden glow and felt a soft warmth seeping into my length from the walls that were still contracting around my cock. Rhani let out a moan into the pillow still clenched in her teeth and started shifting her hips. I shot Serena a grateful nce, then raised a brow at her pointed look. She shifted back to the headboard and spread her legs, and I shook my head. I started to slowly slide in and out of Rhani, only an inch at a time at first until the pain started to fade. Then I reached forward and grabbed her arms, lifting her enough so that Serena could slide in. I¡¯d barely released her before she dove into Serena¡¯s sex, causing the blond to arch and moan while Rhani enthusiastically ate yet another of my loads straight out of the pussy I¡¯d deposited it into. I returned my hands to Rhani¡¯s waist and slowly started to pick up speed. I could tell Serena was still using [Healing Embrace], so it wasn¡¯t long before I was hilting myself in Rhani hard enough for the ps of wet flesh to fill the room. Serena¡¯s eyes closed, then her head leaned back against the headboard with her lips slightly parted. By the time Serena came, I was fucking Rhani¡¯s ass as hard as I¡¯d ever fucked her pussy. She was practically screaming into Serena¡¯s core, which was having quite an effect on the priestess. But all good things muste to an end, and when I felt Rhani clenching around me so tightly I could hardly move mine came sooner than expected. I mmed my hips into her plump rear a few more times and then buried myself in her ass, unleashing my third load as deep in her as I could manage, just as requested. Breathing hard, I carefully slid my sensitive member out of her now-painfully tight rear. When I finally slipped out, a deluge of cum followed. I gently guided her quivering hips down to the bed so that she wasying sideways with my cum dribbling out of her. Then I crawled up to where sheid with her head in Serena¡¯sp, a happy grin on her face. I stroked her hair softly. ¡°As good as you thought it¡¯s be?¡± Her eyes drifted slowly up to me and her grin widened. Then she opened her mouth wide and stuck her tongue out. Shaking my head, I positioned myself so she could wrap her lips around my very sensitive length, slowly and sensually twirling her tongue around the head. I was hardly surprised. I¡¯d grabbed the safe-to-ingest lubricant on purpose, after all. Serena ran a hand down my chest and came close enough to kiss me. ¡°As hot as that was, I¡¯m not sure I want anything this big,¡± she trailed a finger down my shaft, stopping when she got to Rhani¡¯s lips, ¡°back there.¡± I kissed her back. ¡°If you don¡¯t, you don¡¯t. That doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t start testing the waters a little and seeing how you like smaller things, though.¡± She chuckled into me, then I heard shifting from behind me. I turned to see Tiana in a simr position that Rhani was just in, her chest and shoulders pressed into the bed and her ass presented to me. She was reaching between her legs to spread her pink lips wide with two fingers. ¡°Rennn¡­¡± she moaned. Rhani had once again ¡°cleaned¡± me to hardness. I ran another hand through her hair, and she smiled up at me. ¡°Go on,¡± she said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯ll join you once I can feel below my hips again.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°Now that there are three of us, I wonder if we can find an end to that stamina of yours.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if I should be excited or afraid of herment, so I settled on both while I crawled over and slid my length into Tiana¡¯s wet embrace with a single, fluid motion. She let out a throaty moan into the bed her face was pressed into and started thrusting her hips back into me. I had a feeling I was going to sleep very good tonight. # # # Jack wasn¡¯t sure which feeling was stronger. The bile rising in her throat or the deep-seated need to sink her fist into that pretty face she saw through the window. Well, that her falcon saw, at least. She was still sitting in the alley below, her back to the inn her quarry was staying at, looking through its eyes. That did little to quell her rage. There were too many damn windows in this inn, and her falcon¡¯s wingspan was just a bit toorge to be able to maneuver around them well. If it hadn¡¯t been for the ecstatic screams of the blond, she¡¯d have never found them. Her falcon hadnded on the windowsill just in time to see him mercilessly pounding away at poor Rhani¡¯s rear. At least, Jack was rtively certain it was Rhani. She was an Arelim and she fit the description, even if Jack wished she was mistaken. She so rarely was, though. No, it was definitely Rhani that he¡¯d fucked in the ass until he filled her up. Then he¡¯d made her clean him off like a real bastard. The ss of the window wasn¡¯t particrly well made, so the image was a little warped, but he certainly looked like he¡¯d enjoyed it. He¡¯d gone back to fucking the voluptuous redhead for now. With a body like hers Jack had figured she might be a whore, but she dispelled that idea quickly. She doubted he¡¯d shell out for a girl of her caliber, especially when he could just do whatever he wanted to Rhani. Besides, the way he handled her was far to intimate to just be a prostitute. No, they were close. Maybe not as close as he and the blond, but close nheless. Shemanded her falcon to shift to try and get a better look at Rhani. First and foremost, she needed to get an idea of the poor girl¡¯s mental condition. She didn¡¯t look too injured, but she¡¯d seen a healing skill from the blond, so that meant nothing. In fact, it could very well mean that he was doing even worse things to Rhani than what Jack had seen so far since he could just heal her right up. Rhani¡¯s back was to the window, so all Jack could currently make out was the unreasonable amount of cum still dribbling from her well-fucked ass. Each drop was another nail in the bastard¡¯s coffin. Then she saw something that made her pause, if only slightly. He¡¯d flipped the redhead over and started mming his sizable manhood into her. She ate up every thrust, but then there was a flicker. So quick Jack might have missed it if she hadn¡¯t been staring at the massive bouncing bust just below her face. A sh of difort and pain that she tried to hide, but Jack wasn¡¯t the only one who saw it. The bastard came to an abrupt stop. Whatever words they exchanged weren¡¯t near loud enough to carry through the window, but he slid out of her slowly and gently. Then heid down next to her and they started making out while he slowly fingered her. There was no more insertion, and they kept it up until the redhead clenched in obvious orgasm. Then he cradled her in his arms and slid her to the corner of the bed where he wrapped her in covers and kissed her on the forehead. They exchanged more words. Slight disappointment mixed with obvious relief and gratitude on her face. He straightened up, his manhood still rock hard. It took Jack far too long to tear her eyes away from it. It¡¯d been a long while since she¡¯d had anything resembling action, but she was not interested in someone like him. Someone that took advantage of demi-humans. So what if he was incredibly caring and gentle with his human lover the moment she¡¯d shown soreness? If he couldn¡¯t extend that courtesy to Rhani, then he was as good as dead. The blond wrapped her fingers around his length and shoved her tongue down his throat. Oh yeah, those two were definitely into one another. She must be as bad as he was to have Rhani eating her out while her boyfriend reamed her asshole. In the alley below, Jack threw her half-full bottle of shitty liquor at the wall opposite her. Why were people so fucked up? Then Rhani shifted. She wasn¡¯t unconscious, at least. Her arm went to her rear, sliding over her cheek. Jack had experimented a little, but she¡¯d never taken anything like the bastard¡¯s monster back there before. She couldn¡¯t me Rhani for trying to massage what had to be a burning asshole a little¡ª Wait, what? Not massaging, slipping a finger in! Her back arched, and the finger came away with white on it. Rhani sat up and licked the finger clean with clear relish. He was still upied with the blond, but Rhani still looked at him with¡­ With love. Clear adoration. She sat there for a moment, suckling on her finger, just watching him with the blond. Watching them sensually make out while she stroked his member and he kneaded her ass, one finger on her rear entrance. Suddenly doubt filled Jack. She kept watching. Not as a voyeur, she told herself, but as a spy. Gathering important intelligence. But she was in no way prepared for when Rhani finally started towards the bast¡ªtowards the man. Her target. The man she¡¯d already figured she¡¯d beat the shit out of at best. She hadn¡¯t made it far before he broke the kiss with the blond and looked at her, and the moment he did Jack¡¯s gut twisted in knots. He practically fucking glowed when his eyes fell on her. He¡¯d already been smiling at the blond, but from the dopey look on his face when he wrapped an arm around Rhani¡¯s back and pulled her into the embrace with the blond, Jack knew she¡¯d been very, very wrong. The kiss he shared with Rhani wasn¡¯t a master forcing himself on a ve. It was deep. Sensual. Loving. If anything, she was more eager than he was. And then, to make matters worse, Rhani reached behind her and slid his hand lower. He cupped her rear and she pressed herself into him, his body shaking with what she realized was softughter. The blond pulled him down so that he was on his back, then Rhani was straddling him. Sliding his length past her lower lips with a look ofplete and utter bliss. She sank all the way down and gyrated her hips a few times, then the blond whispered something in her ear. She grinned, then twisted her hand in a strange motion around the blond¡¯s crotch while whispering something. All the juices on the blond¡¯s crotch vanished and then she was swinging her leg over hisughing face. When Rhani started bouncing up and down Jack realized there was nothing further to be gained by spying on them tonight. She pulled her sight back from her falcon and sent it off into the night. She slipped the bracelet that connected them off and pocketed it, then sat in silence for a good hour. She¡¯d misjudged him. Badly, it seemed. Rhani wore nothing on her but the bog standard guild cor, and though it was possible he had a skill that affected her mind, Jack¡¯s instincts suggested otherwise. She couldn¡¯t even be sure that the im on her was fabricated, either. He was covered in scars, the worst of which was that nasty soulburn that covered nearly his entire right arm. How the fuck he¡¯d gotten that was shockingly low on the list of questions now rattling around in her brain. Finally she stood. She peeled off the itchy fake beard and tossed it in a nearby trash pile, then took off the bulky coat that made her look like a man and tossed it over her shoulder while she made her way through the dark streets of Anford. Now that she had no other choice, she forced herself tob through every word she¡¯d overheard between the man and the blond. Serena, he¡¯d called her, right? Jack hadn¡¯t filed the name away at the time. Not with the content of the conversation. The man¡ªshe supposed she¡¯d have to start using his name if he wasn¡¯t the creep she¡¯d thought¡ªZaren had some kind of dark past. She¡¯d heard their little tiff and assumed he took his trauma out on helpless like Rhani, but that seemed to not be the case. But the more she recalled, the more excited she became. He carried some kind of immense guilt, she now knew. He¡¯d lost people and med himself, but ording to Serena that was foolish. She¡¯d apparently asked a goddess¡ªa fucking goddess¡ªto show her his past and the goddess had actuallye through. One that he¡¯d apparently struck a deal with. Allura. It rang a bell, but she was hardly an expert on gods. They hadn¡¯t done jack shit when she¡¯d needed them most. And the names she¡¯d said¡­Hannah and Ina¡­ Jack felt like she should know those names. They were familiar, but they weren¡¯t. Like someone had mentioned them to her in passing once, only she couldn''t remember who or when. Karn, too. Though that name made rage rise in her throat. Whoever he was, she wanted to rip his head off, and she had no idea why. That just made her even more interested. She¡¯d walked several blocks, lost in her own thoughts, when she realized she was smiling. No, she was grinning. Ferally. This was just supposed to be a quick in and out job. Beat the shit out of some entitled rich prick, ¡°convince¡± him to turn his im on Rhani over to her, and get back to trying to find something interesting to do. That was all out the window, now. Because this job just got very interesting. Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Spirit Guardian Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Spirit Guardian Rr had always considered himself a patient man, but days like this really tested his resolve. Every council meeting in thest few months had felt just like this one. Thest few years, if he was being entirely honest. A bunch of self-serving sycophants bickering about the best way to run the city, each one trying to further their own wealth or status in some form or fashion while iming to be looking out for those they represented. It was a struggle forcing himself to listen to them arguing over tax rates, whether to send more guards to patrol the ¡°unruly¡± lower quarters, how much the next expansion on the Pens was going to cost, what additions should be proposed to the ords and if they stood a chance of being ratified. All of it made Rr¡¯s skin crawl. He wasn¡¯t sure which group was the worse one. The men that were even older than his nearly sixty years or those who could barely grow a full beard in their youth. There were perilously few in between. One side still bore the scars of the war, refusing to see how the world has changed or how much pain their prejudices cause. The other knew nothing of war and had no idea how bad things could get, but they were cunning and ruthless when they felt the need to be. ¡°I want to know what we¡¯re nning to do about the impending Chosen conflict,¡± he interjected, once the inane arguments finally became too much. Half the nces shot his way were surprised, as if many of them had forgotten he was there. The others seemed amused that he¡¯d decided to speak at all. They never cared too much what he said, and he knew this time wasn¡¯t going to be any different. That didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t try. ¡°What about it?¡± Nairn asked smugly. One of the young bastards. A ringleader if Rr had ever seen once. ¡°It¡¯s happening in a different country. It¡¯s not our problem to worry about.¡± Rr would very much like to give him a problem to worry about. A thought that surprised him. A very Zaren-like thought. They had been growing more and more frequent as he found himself missing the man more and more while he watched the kingdom he¡¯d fought so hard to liberate be worse and worse with each passing year. He pushed his thoughts of Zaren aside for now. ¡°And how many other countries said the same when it was our turn on the chopping block?¡± he asked the table. ¡°How might things have turned out differently if anyone else had been willing to help back then?¡± The older men all looked away, but made no answer. The younger ones all exchanged knowing nces, as if he were a senile old man babbling about war stories. ¡°We¡¯ve already given them plenty of arms,¡± Bryce pointed out. Another youngster. Rr pinned him with a re, and Bryce flinched. The boy knew exactly what wasing. ¡°And how much did your family profit off the sale? How much did the rest of you? Sure, we¡¯re offering aid, and we¡¯re making sure to squeeze everyst copper out of their kingdom we can while we¡¯re doing so.¡± Galloway, a man nearly to his eighth decade, cleared his throat. ¡°We¡¯ve discussed this already, Rr. We can¡¯t aid another kingdom to the point where it harms those within our borders.¡± Rr stood. His knee wasn¡¯t appreciative of the movement, not with the impending storm, but he weathered the ache. ¡°And if they fall? If we¡¯re next?¡± He looked at each of them in turn. ¡°If we failed to stop Grimsbane when we did, then he bes the world¡¯s problem. That was when it was a three-Chosen conflict. This is at least a four. How long before it bes our problem?¡± The senior members had the grace to look away, and even the new generation looked ufortable. They could try to pretend he¡¯s nothing more than an old relic, but none of them were former Chosen. None of them knew the things he knew. None of them suffered through the nightmares he did, both of the past and the future. ¡°We sit here pretending it doesn¡¯t affect us while we inhabit a city I won with the blood of those that believed in me.¡± There were shes of anger and resentment around the table. He continued. ¡°What about refugees? What about the people who end up fleeing whatever is about to happen? Will we shove them in the lower quarters with the demi-humans you all are so keen to take advantage of? Will we let them camp outside our walls? Will we deny them any help at all because it¡¯s not our problem and leave them to starve in our countryside?¡± He leaned on the table. ¡°Or should we keep talking more about how we should take more money from those who can¡¯t afford to live as it is? How to keep more than half this city¡¯s poption beaten and downtrodden so they don¡¯t threaten whatever power you pretend to have?¡± They exchanged looks. Finally, Cecil, the youngest of the old generation, leaned forward. ¡°Draft some proposals, Rr. We¡¯ll at least consider them.¡± From his tone, Rr knew that was as far as they¡¯d get. Everyone else leaned back in their chairs and dismissed him, moving on to the next topic. It¡¯s amazing how simr ipetence and malice look from the outside. Words Zaren had spoken to him nearly thirty years ago popped into his mind unbidden, and it was difficult to dismiss them. Zaren would eat everyone at this table alive. Hells, he¡¯d probably tear this city down to the ground, and Rr couldn¡¯t me him. Rr fumed. He was mere moments away from grabbing Nairn by the neck and wringing it when the door exploded inward. Most of the upants cowered in their seats as those nearest to the entrance were showered in chunks of wood. Three of the upants shot to their feet, hands on their weapons, but they froze when they saw who stood in the doorway. Rr raised his brow at Be. ¡°Feeling a bit dramatic today, are we?¡± he asked calmly. Be¡¯s eyes glowed and arcs of raw magical power leapt around him as they did whenever he was particrly agitated. ¡°Everybody out. Now.¡± Be specialized in sweeping, powerful magics capable of taking out scores of enemies. By the end of the war, he¡¯d amassed more levels than any of the Seven, Zaren included. Then, after Grimsbane had fallen, he¡¯d devoted his life to study. Nobody knew how many, but he¡¯d gained even more levels since then. He was easily one of the highest levels in the kingdom, perhaps even the world. When he said things like that, people tended to listen. Rr stood with his hands sped behind his back while the others scurried past Be. Thest one¡ªold Galloway¡ªhad barely cleared the threshold before Be used his magics to m what was left of the door shut behind him. Magics reinforced the cracked wood, and sigils that would ensure they weren¡¯t overheard appeared along the walls with a flick of his hand. ¡°We have a problem,¡± Be said, sweeping into the room. ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Rr said with a sniff. ¡°Pretty sure you made poor Cecil shit himself. I¡¯m going to have to rece the upholstery.¡± Be was wound tight as a bowstring, so Rr went over to the corner of the room and poured them both a hefty drink. He handed his to Be, who downed it in one go. Rr topped him off, then said, ¡°so what¡¯s got your panties in a twist, Ben?¡± He knocked back his second round. ¡°Zaren fucking Nocht, that¡¯s what.¡± Rr¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I was just thinking about him, actually.¡± Be snorted. ¡°Thinking? I was investigating.¡± Rr froze, unable to believe his ears. ¡°He¡¯s back?¡± Be mmed the ss down and scooped up the bottle, then plopped in one of the unsoiled chairs and took a long draft. Years of ingesting far too many homemade potions had given him quite the alcohol tolerance. ¡°Remains to be seen. Some little shit popped up in Listone¡ªsome podunk town in the middle of bumfuck nowhere¡ªwith Zaren¡¯s ims. Deed matched up and everything. The magical one you gave him. Tied to his magic, authentic.¡± ¡°Little shit?¡± Rr took a chair opposite and sipped the bourbon in his cup. ¡°How old?¡± ¡°Twenty-ish, ording to the idiots running the guild.¡± He took another swig. Rr hadn¡¯t seen him this angry since¡­well, since thest time he and Zaren had gone at it. The two were a match made in hell. ¡°A son, then?¡± Be threw a hand up. ¡°That¡¯s what I figured. It¡¯s the only thing that made sense. The real Zaren would only be a few years younger than you and me, after all.¡± ¡°Figured? Past tense?¡± Rr nudged. ¡°Yes, Rr, past tense. I started to change my mind when the fucker showed up in Anford towing a mostly-intact Malek.¡± Rr leaned forward. The beast bore a striking resemnce to the creature they¡¯d fought on the day they¡¯d felled Grimsbane. Zaren¡¯s terrifying de had been the only reason they walked away. Thirty years, and that specimen was the first time anyone hade across anything like it. But Be was always one to took far too long to get to the point. ¡°Started to? What else, Ben?¡± Be took another long drink. ¡°A Vx queen, Rr. One building a kingdom under Anford. Six months or a year and we¡¯d have had to send a damn army north to take care of it, and he showed up with its corpse on a godsdamned wagon.¡± Rr let out a long breath. ¡°You think it might be him, then?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how.¡± But Rr did. ¡°Twenty-something would put him at about the same age as when he disappeared off the face of Kasidiel. Could be a god¡¯s doing.¡± That earned a snort from Be. ¡°Yes. Because Zaren mixes so well with the divine.¡± A fair point. But Rr took a moment to think. A Vx queen. A Malek. A Malek? That tickled something in his memory. He set his ss aside and stuck his head out of the room. As always, Karina stood dutifully outside. Her long, vibrant, gold and blue hair was tied in an intricate braid and her light pink skin looked like it was glowing. Her silver eyes flicked to him expectantly, and as always his chest bloomed with warmth. Beautiful even for a Seelie, She was the spitting image of her mother, and he loved her with everything he had. Even if she could never know she was his daughter. ¡°Karina, is the pdin of Tydarr still in the library?¡± Her head tilted. ¡°I believe so, majesty. Shall I fetch her?¡± He inclined his head. ¡°Please.¡± She gave him a bow, then strode off with that ethereal stride only Seelie seemed capable of. He¡¯d always found them the most captivating of the fae races, much to his detriment more often than not. Once she was gone, he returned to Be, who was no longer alone. Sandrel, who still carried himself with the grace of a man half his age, was sitting a few seats from Be with his feet up on the table. ¡°Evening, Rr.¡± ¡°Sandrel. What a surprise,¡± Rr said in a tone that said the opposite. ¡°And here I thought I¡¯d found all of your little listeners.¡± Sandrel just shrugged. ¡°Gotta be clever to catch mecking, old man. Besides, my ¡®listeners¡¯ have found no less than forty-three spying wards over thest few decades, so you¡¯re wee.¡± He sipped from the ss Rr had set down. ¡°I heard some interesting conversation for once, so I figured I¡¯d drop by.¡± Be grumbled. ¡°Three of us in one ce. When¡¯s thest time that happened?¡± Sandrel swished the contents of his ss around. ¡°So Zaren, huh? I can have spies in Anford by sunup if we need them.¡± Rr took his ce at the head of the table. ¡°Probably smart, though we should wait and have a conversation first.¡± Sandrel donned a grin that had made Rr¡¯s sphincter clench on more than one asion. ¡°I¡¯ll start first. Hypothetically speaking, if it is the real Zaren, how fucked are we on a scale of one to ten?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re going to need a bigger scale,¡± Be offered. ¡°You remember what he was like. How he thought. He¡¯s going to take one look at what this shit hole has be and burn it to the ground.¡± ¡°I certainly hope so,¡± Rr admitted. They both looked to him in surprise. He just shrugged. ¡°Nobody could cause chaos and destruction when it was needed most quite like Zaren could. If it is him, then you¡¯re right. He¡¯s going to hit this city like a hurricane. The way I see it is we can try and stop him, or we can slip into his wake and put the pieces back together better. Now that we aren¡¯t children any longer, at least.¡± A dagger practically appeared in Sandrel¡¯s hands. He started cleaning the dirt from under his nails. ¡°Counter proposal, instead of getting out of his way, what if we instead provide a bit of¡­direction.¡± ¡°Sandrel¡­¡± Rr warned. ¡°No, no,¡± Be said, ¡°let¡¯s hear him out.¡± Rr shot him a whithering re and he shrugged. ¡°You know my opinions on the brat. If single-minded determination had a face, it¡¯s Zaren. I¡¯ve never met someone who had such a natural grasp on how to break things apart quite like him. And, with how everything shook out, he¡¯d be considerably less¡­restrained in what he can and can¡¯t do than us.¡± Sandrel inclined his head. ¡°Just so. And Rr¡¯s speech here during that meeting was plenty rousing. If we can get Zaren on board without him taking any of our heads off, then maybe we can get this city ready for what the three of us know ising. He¡¯s going to seriously fuck shit up, but maybe we can have a say in whether he¡¯s hammer or scalpel.¡± Rr grunted. It wasn¡¯t a bad idea, all things considered. Before he could answer, the doors opened. Karina led the pdin through the doors with a bow, then retreated from the room. Sandrel shot him a knowing re, which earned him a scowl in return. Rr stood. ¡°Lady Katerina,¡± he said. She grimaced. ¡°Just Kat. Please.¡± ¡°Just as well. Please, take a seat.¡± She did, looking worriedly from one man to the next. She¡¯d realized just how many levels sat across from her, and that was enough to make anyone nervous. ¡°What can I help you with, majesty?¡± Rr leaned forward on the table andced his fingers. ¡°I wanted to ask you about that Malek you brought in. Who you got it from.¡± She grimaced. ¡°That asshole? What about him?¡± The three old men exchanged nces. They both understood what he was doing now. ¡°We¡¯d like you to tell us about him. Anything and everything you can remember.¡± She opened her mouth, then closed it. Then started drumming her fingers on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but I have a condition.¡± Be scowled, but Sandrel looked impressed. Rr inclined his head. ¡°If I can grant it, then I will.¡± She looked at Be. ¡°I need to know about souls. I¡¯ve been all over the city and I can¡¯t find shit.¡± His scowl deepened. ¡°Souls? Soul magic is big in the east, across the seas, but it¡¯s incredibly rare in this hemisphere.¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s what happens when you hunt and kill the only demi-human race that specializes in them. I could probably find you an expert in a month or two.¡± She leaned back with a growl that made Rr¡¯s brows rise. She was an angry woman. One who reminded him enough of Zaren when they¡¯d first met he found it hard to keep from smiling. She said, ¡°I need something sooner than that. Made a promise to someone and I can¡¯t exactly go around breaking promises, can I?¡± She shot a pointed look at Rr. No, as a pdin to an honor god, she definitely could not. He frowned, but it was Sandrel who piped up. ¡°What about Zaren¡¯s journal? Didn¡¯t he leave that behind? He was looking into soul shit for a while. He spent a good while with that smokin¡¯ Siren.¡± That got Kat¡¯s attention. Siren¡¯s were one of the siphon races, but rather than blood or sexual energy they fed off souls. The very race that had been hunted nearly to extinction that Be had mentioned. ¡°You know where she is?¡± Sandrel shook his head. ¡°Sorry, but he was the only one she¡¯d let near her. Sirens have a thing for tortured souls. Easier to feed off without causing permanent damage or some such. She had an odd fascination with his, apparently.¡± Be sighed. ¡°Give me a moment.¡± He waved a hand and arge spectral owl appeared on his shoulder. He whispered a few arcane words and his eyes glowed white. The owl shot through the nearest wall. He turned his head towards Sandrel. ¡°How do you know about the Siren?¡± Sandrel snorted. ¡°How do you think? I figured we were going to die, and that Siren was nice to look at. Never been shot down so hard in my life.¡± ¡°Zaren?¡± Rr asked curiously. He was only aware of two women that had nearly be a part of Zaren''s life after they''d met, and they''d both been human. And after what had happened with the artificer¡­ But Sandrel just shook his head. ¡°Yvonne, actually. She was pretty pissed when she learned that Yvonne hated Zaren almost as much as Benny, here.¡± Be made a rude gesture towards the rogue without looking. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve got it. Bringing it now.¡± Kat let out a breath. ¡°Thank fuck. If I have to leaf through another godsdamned romance book with a soul rted title I might start burning things.¡± Rr chuckled. ¡°Understandable. Now, about the man who gave you the Malek.¡± Her relief turned to a grimace. ¡°Right. Said his name was Ren.¡± Sandrel chuckled. Zaren was legendarily bad ating up with names whenever they were running scams. It had led to him donning more than one ridiculous moniker that Sandrel hade up with over the years. ¡°Basically told me to fuck off right out the gate. I had to waste a miracle on that weird Seraphim of his.¡± Be raised a hand. ¡°Stop. Weird Seraphim?¡± Kat looked briefly annoyed at being interrupted, then shrugged. She gave them a brief rundown on the girl she¡¯d healed. By the time she was done, Be was on his feet and pacing madly. ¡°Care to share, Benny?¡± Sandrel asked. He waved a hand. ¡°Continue, I¡¯m thinking.¡± So she did. She gave them the brief rundown right up until it got to the part where he relinquished the Malek. Then she hesitated. ¡°I might have let my mouth get the better of me,¡± she admitted. ¡°Said something I shouldn¡¯t. Next thing I know, he¡¯sing at me with these creepy ck and red tentacle things all whipping around angrily, radiating some kind of divine magic my sense couldn¡¯t make heads nor tails of.¡± Be paused his pacing to exchange a look with the other two. ¡°It was different than the divinity he¡¯d been exuding before?¡± She wobbled a hand uncertainly. ¡°Exude is a strong word. He reeked of Allura¡¯s magic¡ªat least the magic Tydarr exposed me to during our oracle¡¯s conversation¡ªand that¡¯s how I found him. That magic felt normal. Whatever the red shit was¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never had my skill tell me to cut and run like that before.¡± She looked at Rr. ¡°I can understand why you¡¯re worried about him.¡± That gave Rr pause. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Well, he hates Chosen.¡± Sandrel sat up. ¡°borate.¡± ¡°He knew I was one the second heid eyes on me. Whoever he is, he does not like gods or their champions. Makes me wonder exactly what kind of deal he made with a sex goddess.¡± Silence fell across the room. Be looked at Rr with wide eyes, and Sandrel gently set his dagger down. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± he said softly. ¡°Gods help us all, it¡¯s him.¡± Rr shook his head. ¡°If he¡¯s really back, then I¡¯m not sure we want the gods on our side. A deal with Allura, though? He hasn¡¯t had much to do with love, bonds, or family in his life.¡± Be grumbled. ¡°Can your spies find him?¡± Kat cleared her throat, watching the conversation with great interest. ¡°He said that if I needed to, I¡¯d find him here in the city. Pretty sure he¡¯s already on his way.¡± Well that was either really bad or really good. Rr exchange a nce with the other two that suggested they felt the same. Still, her words gave Rr pause. ¡°You said he was antagonistic towards you.¡± ¡°Oh, he definitely was,¡± she said with a shudder. ¡°But after he calmed down, he said if I ever needed somewhere to go he¡¯d help me.¡± Be scowled. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like him in the slightest.¡± Kat winced. ¡°Well, his exact words were along the lines of ¡®if you ever get tired of being a puppet,e find me.¡¯ He also warned not to let the gods wring me dry.¡± ¡°There it is,¡± Sandrel said. Indeed. Rr rose. ¡°Well, Kat, I must thank you. If there¡¯s anything further you need during your stay, then I¡¯d be happy to¡ª¡± ¡°Hold a moment, Rr,¡± Be said. He turned to the pdin. ¡°Your job is investigating the Maleks. Do you have your research on them handy?¡± She pulled out a notebook and tossed it to him. The book stopped in midair before it had a chance to hit the table and floated up to hover in front of him. The pages flipped themselves and he looked through the pages, biting his thumb. ¡°That Seraphim isn¡¯t a Seraphim,¡± he concluded. Kat frowned. ¡°She had wings. Or, at least, the stumps of them. I¡¯ve got a skill that can assess damage, and I know they¡¯ll grow out to be feathered when they heal.¡± Be merely tapped on his chin. ¡°The feathers, do you know of their pigment?¡± Her frown deepened. ¡°ck.¡± ¡°ck like the wings on this Malek,¡± he noted. Kat rose to her feet. ¡°Hang on, what are you saying? That she¡¯s some kind of Malek?¡± But Be was back to pacing. ¡°Drakes and wyverns are essentially watered down versions of true dragons, which Drakkens, Dragonlings, and Half-dragons are descendants of. All across Kasidiel you¡¯ll find simr examples for each of the primogenitor races. They either mixed with humans to create the demi-human races or monsters to create the stronger creatures that inhabit this world. It¡¯s possible that these Maleks are the same to some more powerful species in the same family. A species like the one we fought that day.¡± Sandrel stood. ¡°You think that thing was a primogenitor?¡± Kat was looking between them all with wide eyes. Be thrust his hand out and the owl shot through the window left open by Sandrel''s sudden appearance, depositing a tattered leather-bound booklet and a set of papers wrapped in twine on the table. He slid the booklet across to Kat. ¡°Our previous deal isplete. How would you like to make another?¡± Kat scooped the booklet up and thumbed through it. ¡°Depends on the deal.¡± Sandrel raised the paper. ¡°I keep an eye out for odd happenings. Old habit. I received a very interesting report of a unique demi-human discovered in the west. te gray skin, crimson eyes, and four arms.¡± He set her book on the table, flipped open to the drawing of the six-legged beast and tapped it. ¡°Retrieve this demi-human for me, and I¡¯ll give you ess to anything I learn from it.¡± She looked at the papers in his hand with a level of eagerness. ¡°I¡¯m not usually one for fetch quests,¡± she said slowly. But Sandrel shook his head. ¡°Your report suggests someone controlling these Maleks. If they¡¯ve kept a lid on not just one, but two new races of demi-humans, odds are they¡¯ll want to keep their secrets secret for as long as possible. There¡¯s a chance you run into more of the beasts. Maybe even stumble upon whatever it is they¡¯re after.¡± Her fingers drummed thoughtfully. ¡°Alright, but I get to choose my party.¡± Sandrel chucked a hefty bag of gold at her. ¡°Do what you have to, but keep the details of the job on the down low. For now, consider yourself employed by the Seven. Make sure you find people you can trust.¡± She scooped up the bag, shaking her head at its heft. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve already got a bead on two.¡± # # # Despite how badly Noelle wanted to spend the night with Zaren, going straight to sleep had been the right choice. Last night in the baths had been utterly amazing, but it had also left her body tired in the best way possible. She hadn¡¯t even stopped to throw a nket over herself before she¡¯d curled up and gone to sleep. When she awoke, the twins were wrapped around her. Exhaustion still held her in an iron grip, and she wanted nothing more than to sink back into their embrace and sleep for longer, but her full dder demanded she get up and deal with it. It took some doing, but she managed to slip out of the bed without waking either of them. She stopped long enough to drink another wellness potion and look at her back in the mirror before leaving. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought her wings might be even longer than they had been yesterday. She tried to flex them, but without any visible result. Still, progress was progress. But her dder wasn¡¯t willing to wait for her to look closer, so she hurried to take care of her needs. Her n was to simplye back after, so she wore nothing other than the oversized shirt Serena had given her. It was huge and soft and still carried the faintest traces of her scent deep in the threads, so she nearly always wore it to sleep. It was nearly midday, which meant she¡¯d slept much longer than usual. Since the twins were still cuddled up in bed when she left, she figured everyone else had, too. It wasn¡¯t until after she¡¯d finished that she remembered the reason she¡¯d spent the night away from Zaren in the first ce. A thrill of fear went through her, and she forced herself to bring up her status. [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] [Skill Evolution Detected!] Her knees threatened to buckle underneath her. She dismissed her interface immediately, before she could read even a single word. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and it was suddenly impossible to get her lungs to fillpletely. All thoughts of sleep vanished, and before she knew it she was heading for her room as fast as she could. Her bare feet were silent on the inn¡¯s wooden floor. She ducked into the room and made a beeline for the table to the side of the bed. She tried to pick up the extra key to Zaren¡¯s room, but her fingers trembled so badly she dropped it. ¡°Noelle?¡± Tsuki asked groggily. She looked around, blinking the sleep from her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to Zaren,¡± Noelle said quickly. She didn¡¯t know what else to do. Where else to go. She felt on the verge of panic, and she couldn¡¯t think past wanting to be near him. ¡°Please keep sleeping.¡± Tsuki just shrugged and nuzzled back into her sister. Noelle scooped the key off the ground and nearly ran to Zaren¡¯s room. She slipped inside quietly and made for the bed. She only paused for a second when she saw the state of its upants. Zareny on his back in the center, almostpletely uncovered. That he didn¡¯t wake the moment she touched the door was a testament to how exhausted he¡¯d been. Serena, whoy curled up with her back pressed to his side, had pulled the nket around her tight enough to reveal most of his body. Afterst night, her eye was drawn to his half-hard member thaty against his thigh. She felt warmth below her stomach, but it was overshadowed by the angry uncertainty that roiled within her. Rhani was on his other side, though there was some space between them. She was currently wrapped in Tiana¡¯s long, graceful limbs, snoring soundly. None of them wore clothes, and from the state of their hair and the soft red hand marks on Rhani¡¯s waist Noelle knew they¡¯d had a busy night before they went to sleep. None of them stirred while Noelle crept into the bed. Right now, all she wanted was Zaren. To be wrapped in his warmth. Surrounded by his scent. She¡¯d doubted him once, what felt like years ago when they¡¯d first met, but now his was the face that appeared when she thought of safety. She lifted his arm and he stirred, but did not wake. It was his injured arm. The one that was covered in the burn that wasn¡¯t a burn. If touching it pained him, he made no sign. She slid in between him and Rhani, then wrapped his arm over her shoulder so she could nestle into him. Her heart beat started to slow, but she knew the only way to get rid of the knots in her gut was to see just how much he¡¯d once again changed her life. She closed her eyes and pressed her face against the inside of his arm, breathing him in. Even in the worst of her nightmares and the most alluring of her dreams, the smells were always wrong. It was his scent that had first started to draw her out. The one thing that had always told her if she was awake or asleep. But it was him. She was awake. She could put this off no longer. Drawing up her courage, she opened her status and began to go through her skills. Before she was even halfway through, tears had started to well in her eyes. Six of her skills were gone. Six awful, Tortured Berserker skills that had each killed a part of her when she¡¯d been forced to take them. In their ce were skills better than any she could have dreamed of. [Penitence], which was the main skill that boosted her strength when she was in pain, had be:
Fierce Defender (p) - You will not stand by and watch your allies hurt. Gain brief boosts to Agility anytime an ally within range of one of your guardians takes damage.
Her suffering would no longer strengthen her, and she¡¯d be able to move towards her allies faster now in the heat of battle. [Bloody Recovery], which reduced her health regeneration to boost her stamina was gone as well, and in its ce was:
Cloak of Fireflies (a) - Use mana to summon a swarm of spiritual fireflies that surround your group and provide them with enhanced Stamina recovery. Buff scales with Primal stat.
Enhanced stamina would be good for both Zaren and Serena, and it was something that could help on long marches or if a good deal of distance needed to be covered in a short time. Then there was [Suffering Blow], an active skill that empowered a strike based off the pain she was in. It was now:
Bestial Strike (a) - Expend mana to call upon a guardian to empower your next strike. Damage scales with Primal.
A straight damaging attack based off her primal excited her. [Crushing Blow] was good against armor, and hopefully this one would be good against softer targets. The next skill change made sense, since [Tortured Soul] only boosted her Dexterity and Agility while she was raging, and its recement was just as good of a skill if not better.
Ferocity of the Ursa (p) - When channeling any guardians, you gain a bonus to your Strength. As your health lowers, that bonus transfers into Fortitude.
She knew Zaren would like that skill. It would make her stronger, but safer as well. It was the next skill change that made the tears begin to fall in earnest. She¡¯d sent a prayer to Allura¡ªthe deity that had guided Zaren to save her¡ªbegging to at least have this skill taken from her. [Naked Defense] was strong from an objective standpoint, reducing the damage she took whenever she wasn¡¯t wearing armor, but the increase to the pain she felt¡­ Unless she was armored, everything activated her skill. A sharp rock digging into her foot. Her toe if she identally stubbed it. Her tongue if she bit it by mistake. Every small bump and bruise was nearly doubled, and it would only get worse the more Primal she had. And now it was gone, and its recement was more than she could have ever hoped for.
Armor of the Ancients (a) - To defend others, you must be able to defend yourself. Use mana to conjure a set of spectral armor capable of reducing the damage from physical and magical attacks. Strength of the armor is determined Primal stat
There was an odd pang of disappointment that she wouldn¡¯t get one of Zaren¡¯s sets of magical armor, but she dismissed that thought easily. This meant he¡¯d have one more set that could go to someone who needed it more than her. Besides, there was no guarantee it was one or the other. If he had the suits to spare, perhaps she could benefit from both his skill and hers. And then there was her final evolution, which stripped her of thest of her detriment skills. [Sharpened by Pain] increased her Dexterity the more injuries she bore, and she liked its recement much, much more.
Eager Guardians (p) - Your guardians¡¯ desire to protect mirrors your own. Gain a buff to your Dexterity for every ally affected by one of your guardians.
In an odd way, her new ss was almost a detriment ss as well. It relied on her being around allies for many of her benefits, but after thest few weeks that thought made her feel warm inside. Her cheeks were aching, and it took a moment to understand that it was because she was smiling. She buried her face in the crook of Zaren¡¯s elbow, still smiling. He¡¯d done it. He¡¯d taken away her ss and given her a new one. A powerful one. She¡¯d be more than useful to him now. She had a real ce among them. A protector in more than just name. She¡¯d spend the rest of her life repaying him if she had to. She owed him everything. She felt giddy. She wanted to get up and move, but she also wanted to just sink into him. She wanted to go out and test all her new skills, but leaving the bed and it¡¯s main upant behind was unthinkable to her. A sharp heat was beginning to build in her legs, growing to match the one in her chest. Her arms tightened around his as the same impulse that had gripped her in those tunnels gripped her now. A need to be with him physically. Last time it had practicallyunched her at him before she¡¯d even understood what was happening. Now¡­ Now it was much stronger. Need came from where his arm pressed into her chest. Where his bicep pressed into the bumps there. She pulled her face from his arm and looked towards his length. Hesitantly, she reached out and trailed a finger along his length. The night before shed through her mind vividly. It was hard to decide which had been her favorite part. Being held in the bath had been wonderful, but that sharp, body-wracking pleasure when he¡¯d touched her had been so much more intense. And then there was the look on his face when he¡¯d had his own orgasm. The one she¡¯d provided him. Seeing the pleasure that hade from her own hand disyed on his face and in his soft, throaty groans had made her heart race. And as she wrapped her small hand around his intimidating girth, she realized she could recreate two of the three feelings fromst night at once. He must have had a good night¡¯s sleep, because his member hardened quickly under her uncertain ministrations. With some reluctance, she let his arm fall back to the bed and slid into hisp. She took off her shirt and tossed it onto the corner of the bed, then lifted his length and pressed it to her stomach. It had felt absolutely massivest night in her hand, and seeing it up against her small body was only a little terrifying. But despite the small tremor of fear that raced through her, the moment she wrapped her hands around him the need in her intensified. As daunting as it might be, she wanted this. From the way he¡¯d touched herst night, she hoped he did too. Before she could let her fears or doubts stop her, she lifted herself up and pressed the head of his cock to her core. Fast as lightning, his hands shot out and gripped her waist tightly. A startled gasp escaped her, then she looked up to see his eyes staring into hers with some surprise in them. ¡°You are¡ªwere awake,¡± she said, still being held above his member. She wanted it in her now more than ever before, but with how light she was and how little leverage she had currently there was nothing she could do but silently hope he¡¯d lower her down onto him. ¡°For a few minutes,¡± he admitted, ¡°but I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡± She put a hand on his stomach to bnce herself, but his grip didn¡¯t waver. It wasn¡¯t hard enough to hurt, but it kept her locked firmly in ce. She had no doubt she could break his hold if she wanted, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t want this,¡± she guessed. His eyes softened. He pulled her hips forward enough so that when he lowered her down his length slid up between her cheeks and poked at her back. ¡°That definitely isn¡¯t it.¡± As if in agreement, his member throbbed behind her. Heat rose to her face, but she felt a swell of pride that she actually had enough of a rear for his length to press against. ¡°You aren¡¯t¡­uh, ready.¡± Her gut clenched. She looked down at her naked body and suddenly felt very embarrassed. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re probably right.¡± She tried to climb off him, but he continued to hold her in ce. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I meant, Noelle.¡± She shivered. ¡°I meant literally. Here and now. You aren¡¯t, well, lubricated yet. Trying to force it would only cause you pain.¡± She bit her lip. Now that he mentioned it, the others were always considerably wetter down there during sex than she was now. Nobody had ever cared to prepare her in the past, so she wasn¡¯t sure what to do now. But she¡¯d seen Rhani in action enough to know she couldn¡¯t simply sit there and mope. She pressed her rear into his length and his brows twitched a fraction. She said, ¡°will you help me, then?¡± If the ache in her chest grew any stronger, she might try to mount him regardless of how much it hurt her. He gingerly disentangled himself from Serena and slid towards the headboard so he could put his back against it. He took her with him, and she soon found herself trapped between his broad chest and his throbbing member. Only then did his scorching hands start to roam her body. Massive, callused, and strong. Everywhere he touched left fire burning underneath her skin. She writhed, trying to get him to touch as many parts of her as she could, but she couldn¡¯t suppress a whimper as memories of thest man to touch her surfaced unbidden. ¡°It¡¯s okay to be afraid after everything you¡¯ve been through,¡± he said softly, as if he knew exactly what was going through her mind. He ran his hands over her breasts, and she thought there might have been more of those than there had been yesterday as well. ¡°But as long as you¡¯re scared of what¡¯s next, then your body won¡¯t properly prepare for it.¡± She nodded, and tried to focus on quelling her fears. Then his hand started to go lower and her heart threatened to burst through her sternum. He ran a finger along her lower lips and heat exploded through her core. She moaned and curled her fingers against his chest. She started to rock her hips against his hand and more heat bloomed. Pleasure tore through her in waves and she closed her eyes, then she felt a finger slip inside her. She buried her face in his chest to muffle the cry that slipped from her. More. She wanted more. His finger went as deep as it could, but she needed it deeper. He started slowly sliding his finger in and out and she felt release building inside her already. ¡°Try to rx,¡± he said softly, wrapping his other arm around her. ¡°You¡¯re so tight I can barely get a finger in you, much less my dick.¡± He slid a second one in and she whimpered, throwing her arms around his neck and riding his hand frantically. Rx. She needed to rx. Breathe. shes of her past made her body clench, but she focused on him. On his smell. On how good it felt every time he moved his fingers around in her. She breathed him in as much as she could. Letting the feel of his hands rece the ghosts of the hands that had touched her in the past. In no time, she was drenched. It was an odd feeling, and one she¡¯d only really experienced recently while watching himy with the others. Seeing the pleasure he brought them and wondering what it might feel like to be in their ce. She pulled back enough to turn her face up at him and he wasted no time in leaning down and capturing her lips. One hand on her lower back, pressing her against him, while the other kept working slowly in and out of her. She was uncertain at first, fully aware of how amateurish her attempts must be. She pressed her closed lips to his clumsily, but she wanted to taste him. Needed to. Her mouth parted as if it had a mind of their own and her tongue traced his bottom lip. She felt his mouth curve into a smile against hers and he returned the motion. His tongue,rge and hot and strong, pushed against hers. The seal broken, she pushed herself as deep into him as she could. Twisting and pushing back however the heat in her body demanded it. Then his tongue flicked against one of her canines and it drove her crazy. She pressed into him more and more, her hips lifting away while she pursued the lips she couldn¡¯t get enough of. By the time she regained control of herself, she was nearly upright on her knees. She looked back at his length, then at him. ¡°Am I ready now?¡± He smiled, cupping her cheek. ¡°As far as I can tell, but you¡¯re the only one who can really answer that.¡± She nodded vigorously, and he chuckled. Then she felt pressure at her entrance. The difference this time was immediate. The head slipped against her folds and a moan slipped from her, The hum she hadn¡¯t even realized she was making had reached a throaty, needy pitch. She tried to push down, but it slipped up and across the nub at the hood of her core. If he hadn¡¯t had an arm wrapped around her, she might have copsed on the spot from the raw pleasure that exploded from the little bump. But she regained her wits and lined up to try again, this time keeping herself under control long enough to make sure it was fully in before she started pushing in earnest. Then the head slipped past her lips and the pressure turned into an orgasm. She cried out, holding onto him while spasms wracked her, and he held her tight during it all. He never let himself slip any further into her, but he didn¡¯t pull out either. When she¡¯d recovered, she realized she¡¯d left long red tracks where her fingernails had dug into his flesh. He didn¡¯tin, though. He just looked into her eyes and, once he was certain she was ready to continue, let her slide further and further onto him. He let out a long, controlled breath and she struggled to breathe at all from the sheer size of him spreading her apart. If she¡¯d had any wind in her lungs she might have screamed, but as it was she could do naught but focus on him while she took inch after inch inside of her. Constantly she thought she must have been close to taking all of him, and each time there was more to go. Finally, mercifully, her hips met his. She¡¯d never felt so full in her life. She¡¯d known before she¡¯d taken him that he¡¯d be the biggest she¡¯d ever had, but feeling it was so very different. He stretched her walls in a way she¡¯d never experienced. Hit sensitive spots she didn¡¯t know she had. Drowned her in pleasure she never knew existed. His breathing had quickened, but he remained carefully still. She took a shaky breath, something that made her body shudder, and he throbbed inside her in response. Even that small movement wiped every thought from her mind. He¡¯d been right. A finger was nothingpared to this. It was several seconds before she realized he was talking. He felt the timbre of his voice through the part of him buried inside her and where she was touching his chest, but the words were lost on her. Then she felt cool, thin fingers brushing against her stomach. Trailing lower until they touched above her womb. She felt a slight tug of magic and tore her eyes away from his to look at Rhani, who was sleepily settling back into Tiana¡¯s embrace. She was smiling wide, and she took the hand that had activated the simple contraception spell and slid it between her own legs. She nodded encouragingly, and Noelle turned back to Zaren. She tried to lift her hips and ride him like Rhani and Serena had, but the slightest shift of his length inside her stole all the strength from her legs. A second release surged, and she had to stop moving entirely to keep it at bay. Another whimpers slipped out of her, and her tone shifted to frustration. Then she felt his thumb sliding down her cheek. She managed to find his gaze and his wonderful, deep blue eyes seemed to see her in a way nobody ever had before. She could see the lust in his eyes, but she could also see the worry, The hesitance. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you aren¡¯t enjoying it. We can stop at any time,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t be upset.¡± She tried to shake head, then gasped when that small motion shifted him enough to bring her right back to the edge. ¡°I-I am, I can¡¯t¡ªI¡¯m going to¡ª¡± she panted. He ran a hand along her side and brushed the pad of his thumb against her nipple. ¡°In that case, you don¡¯t have to hold back. You can cum whenever you want, Noelle.¡± Oh gods she wasn¡¯t going to make it .¡±I want¡ªI want to make you feel good.¡± He throbbed inside her again and she buried her face in his chest. He stroked her hair, and said, ¡°trust me, I¡¯m feeling plenty good right now.¡± He trailed his fingers along her spine. ¡°And I can promise you that as good as you want to make me feel, I want to make you feel the same.¡± He cradled her head in one hand while the other wrapped around her thigh. He exerted just enough pressure to help her raise but not enough to lift her himself. His wide head dragged along her inner walls and she let out a muffled cry into his shoulder. A primal part of herself¡ªthe same one that reared its head whenever she found herself wanting him the most¡ªreared its head and she found herself scraping her teeth along his flesh. The raw need that ripped through her was far stronger than when he¡¯d flicked his tongue across her canines. As her sharp teeth pressed into his skin and she felt the blood pulsing just below it, as his scent and taste filled her mouth, the pressure in her core peaked. Two parts of her warred. One part surged forward in a near-feral need to im him. To puncture his smooth flesh and taste his lifeblood on her tongue. The other was the need in her core. It whispered to her. Told her not to break that final barrier. A submissive desire to prove to him that she was his that frightened and excited her in equal amounts. His hand cradled the back of her head, pressing her into him. Her tongue flicked out, dragging along the skin wet with her saliva. The strong, salty taste of him was too much. Her teeth pressed down, but his flesh didn¡¯t give. The pressure grew more than ever before. They only made it about an inch and a half up his length before she pushed herself back down with all the force she could. He mmed into her depths, bottoming out and sending near-painful torrents of pleasure racing through her body. She whimpered and came harder than every other orgasm in her lifebined. Light exploded in her skull. The world was obliterated in the pleasure that tore through her, leaving only shreds of the girl she¡¯d been behind. There was nothing but him and her. Where his fingers dug into her flesh. Where she curled against his chest. His thighs under hers. His length deeper inside her than she ever thought possible. She wasn¡¯t even aware she was crying out his name until the sound hit her ears. She held him with every ounce of strength she could muster, afraid he¡¯d fade away too. She slumped against his chest when her climax was finally finished with her. He tried to lift her off his length, but she hooked her legs around his thighs and kept herself pulled down. He hadn¡¯t felt release, and she wasn¡¯t ready to let him out just yet. Even with the shudders of pleasure that were still wracking her, they weren¡¯t done. Not until he¡¯d finished. But she did need to catch her breath, so she nestled into his chest while she recovered and closed her eyes. The others started talking, but she didn¡¯t listen. She had him, and he had her. Right now, that was all that mattered. Chapter Forty: Planning a Harem (Updated) Chapter Forty: nning a Harem (Updated) Announcement If this is your first time reading this chapter, feel free to ignore this announcement. If thest time you read this chapter therewas no announcement, see the spoiler box below. Spoiler After a lot of consideration, I decided I wanted to rewrite a part of this chapter involving the ns for the future of Zaren''s harem. This is partly because I felt the way the conversation ended up going wasn''t fully indicative of the dynamic I''m shooting for and partly because my end goals have shifted slightly as I''ve written more of the story and its characters. Either way, while I made some very minor alterations to wording here and there throughout the chapter, if you''re here for the main change you''re wee to start at "I was a part of a harem for a very short, rather disappointing minute" and stop reading at "either inside or outside of your household." In retrospect I agree that before the way I had things stated felt a little too close to NTR, a trope I am very much not a fan of, and hopefully this new direction puts many of your worries at ease. Either way, thanks for giving this a look, and I hope you enjoy! [copse] It was more than a little difficult to focus with Noelle still impaled on me. She was impossibly tight, and if her climax hadn¡¯t nearly knocked her out I¡¯m not sure how much longer I would havested. Her chest heaved against mine, but I¡¯d already learned that she wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Her boosted strength meant removing her from myp without quite the struggle was basically impossible. She curled up into the crook of my neck, taking in deep breaths through her nose with her eyes closed. Her chest heaved, and she clenched around me every so often, but the intense huming from her throat and the soft smile on her face was more than enough for me to simply sit there and gently stroke her back while she recovered. Her cries hadn¡¯t exactly been quiet, so the others had woken up. Serena stretchednguidly next to me, showing off her nudity with a demure smile while she did. Rhani was still pressed into Tiana¡¯s front, but with one hand between her legs, the other wrapped into a fist and jammed into her mouth, and her eyes shut tightly while she trembled. It didn¡¯t take a veryrge leap in knowledge to guess she was riding out her own climax right now. With only slight worry, I looked to Tiana. She looked from me to Noelle to Serena, then her gaze flicked down to Rhani. She looked back at me onest time and blushed, so I turned my gaze to the gorgeous blond who had reached up to gently stroke Noelle¡¯s thigh. By the time I turned back to Tiana, she¡¯d wrapped a nket around her shoulders and pulled it closed to protect her modesty. She¡¯d left Rhani curled up, reveling in the aftershocks of her apparent orgasm. She seemed unable to meet my eyes, so I reached out and lifted her chin. ¡°How are you?¡± Her blush deepened. ¡°My health is full, but It¡¯ll still be a few days before my mana regen is back. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be much use until then.¡± I raised a brow at her. ¡°That isn¡¯t what I asked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡ªum, a little sore. After almost getting buried alive, I may have gotten a little carried away.¡± Rhani sat up and shot me an amused nce. She¡¯d said something rather simr the morning after we¡¯d had sex the first time. She touched Tiana¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°This is Zaren¡¯s way of asking if he pushed you too farst night and if you regret it at all.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± She turned a delicate shade of crimson. ¡°Um, no. To both.¡± I nodded, relieved. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t regret anything other than causing you some difort.¡± I turned to Serena and ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Will you help her?¡± Serena sat up and leaned close enough for me to kiss her over Noelle¡¯s head. Her tongue shot out and trailed my lower lip. I must have twitched inside Noelle, because she jerked with a moan. Serena held a hand out to Tiana. ¡°Come here.¡± Uncertainly, Tiana crawled across the bed. When she came close to me, I felt Noelle tense up and grip me tighter. Then, as the mage carefully made her way over my legs, she came close enough that I could have leaned forward and kissed her if I wanted to. But Noelle had other ideas. She whipped her head around with her teeth bared and hissed. Tiana stumbled back, and Noelle froze. Her smile was long gone, reced by a frown. Everyone watched her with a mix of shock and confusion, but she just turned back to me. ¡°I do not know why I did that,¡± she said softly. She turned halfway towards Tiana while her hand made its way to my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tiana.¡± Tiana gulped. ¡°I-it¡¯s alright!¡± she said, her voice slightly higher than normal. But Noelle was still troubled by it. I stroked her back while Tiana sat uncertainly beside Serena. Serena lifted the nket and slipped underneath to press her naked body against Tiana¡¯s. Tiana might be taller, but she was all legs, which meant sitting down she was the shorter of the two by a small margin. Serena wrapped around her, glowing slightly gold, and Tiana gasped, her back arching. ¡°What¡ª?¡± Serena smiled sweetly. ¡°My skill works best the closer to the damage I touch.¡± Judging from the movements I could just make out below the nket, I had a feeling I knew where she¡¯d just stuck her fingers. I wasn¡¯t sure that was quite how it worked, but who was I to argue? Tiana let out a soft gasp and leaned back into Serena, who shot me a wink. I raised my brows, but that just let me turn my attention back to Noelle. Rhani sidled up carefully to me, but Noelle didn¡¯t react to her like she did Tiana. I cupped Noelle¡¯s face. ¡°No need to be upset,¡± I told her, ¡°but let¡¯s try and understand what just happened, alright?¡± She nodded somberly, a strange demeanor for someone to have while I was still inside them. ¡°I cannot exin it. When I felt her drawing near, I just felt very¡­protective. Despite knowing she means you no harm.¡± Rhani leaned against my side. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s rted to her race? I know some of the Beastial and Draconic races can be very territorial.¡± It was certainly a theory worth considering. Then I trailed my thumb across her mouth and her lips parted. Wanting to test a theory, I gently slid my thumb up her lower lip. Her mouth opened wider, giving me plenty of ess to press the pad of my thumb to her long, sharp canine. The result was immediate. She shuddered and one arm went up to grab my wrist while her tongue shot out and wrapped around my thumb. I¡¯d never noticed how long and flexible it was, but then again she vary rarely opened her mouth enough for me to see it. Even when talking. She pulled my thumb up more, pressing into her fang, and her hips started shifting on my member. I groaned at the sudden movement and the pulse of heat that washed through where we were connected. ¡°That exins the biting, I suppose,¡± I said. With visible effort, Noelle pulled back from my thumb, though her hips kept rocking slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I try to curb the impulse, but it is not always easy. You make it difficult to remain in control of myself sometimes.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. I¡¯ve never been into that kind of thing, but I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t enjoy it in the moment.¡± I trailed my hands up her sides, brushing my thumbs against both nipples at once. She gasped and started bouncing on my length slowly and carefully. ¡°But this is good. We¡¯re learning a bit more about you. A slightly more animalistic nature isn¡¯t something to be ashamed of, and if you¡¯re first generation then your instincts might be stronger than usual.¡± Serena made an uncertain noise, still gently fingering Tiana. ¡°You don¡¯t think she needs blood like a vampire, do you?¡± Rhani made a thinking noise, then reached up and lifted Noelle¡¯s front lip. Noelle looked at me with wide eyes, but made no movement to stop her. Then Rhani dragged her own thumbs across the incisors and Noelle clenched like a vice around me. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Rhani mused. ¡°Otherwise we¡¯d have seen a sign of her needing it. You¡¯ve never drunk blood before, have you Noelle?¡± Noelle lifted herself higher off me than ever before and slowly lowered herself down before answering. ¡°No. Except for when I swallowed some of Zaren¡¯s by ident, at least.¡± I wrapped a hand around her rear to help her keep sliding up and down my length. ¡°Nekos, Drakkens, and even Erinyes are known to im mates by biting,¡± I suggested. Then I thought back to when I¡¯d first met Noelle. The bite marks that had covered her. Rage rose up in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I didn¡¯t want to risk her misinterpreting the emotion. A shared bite during intimacy among some races of demi-humans was sometimes a kind of mating bond or territorial im. To sink their teeth into an unwilling partner was a show of dominance. If the people who¡¯d hurt Noelle knew the details of her race, it was entirely possible they used the knowledge to keep her obedient. I brought my free hand back to her cheek. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re doing, Noelle? iming me?¡± Her eyes went wide and her hips locked in ce, but I gently exerted enough pressure to get her moving again, if only to reassure her that she wasn¡¯t in any kind of trouble. How fucking good she felt sliding up and down my cock was only a bonus. ¡°I won¡¯t be upset if that¡¯s the case. Especially not if you¡¯re doing it out of instinct.¡± She bit her lip and put her hands on my chest, her nails digging into me. ¡°I do not know, but that does not sound¡­wrong¡­¡± I shifted my hips enough that she gasped and fell into me. She looked up, her face just inches from mine, then moved her legs so she could keep thrusting herself down onto me while she stared into my eyes. ¡°Do you want me to im you?¡± I asked, the wordsing out a throaty whisper. She mped down like a vice and her pupils quivered. Her breath shortened, and she nodded once. I shifted my hand to her back and she leaned into it, baring her neck to me. I leaned down and pressed my lips to the scorching hot skin there and she let out a low keen. I nipped at her flesh and she started riding me faster and faster, pressing herself into me frantically. But I knew that wasn¡¯t enough. I trailed my lips down and to the patch of flesh between her neck and shoulder. Just like she had, I scraped my teeth along her skin until I could bite down on her. An exotic taste not quite like anything I¡¯d ever experienced filled my mouth and she went crazy. She cried out and began mming her hips into mine with as much force as she could muster. The bed creaked and groaned while she took my entire length over and over as hard as she could. Her legs hooked under mine and her grip on me became unbreakable. Her cry rose in pitch, and her hum intensified to match it. I could feel the vibration like a purr through where I bit down on her. I reached up and guided her head to my own shoulder and she sunk her fangs into me. Still not hard enough to break skin, but only barely. Her thrusting reached a new peak and it was all I could do to hold on. Her walls fluttered around me then clenched down, but her climax only seemed to spur her on. I met her thrust for thrust if only to keep me from being fucked right through the bed below us. My release was growing closer by the second, and almost against my will I bit down harder. She screamed into my shoulder, bucking and twisting as another orgasm ripped through her, but never trying to get my length anything but deeper inside her. I closed my eyes and let the clenching of her scorching, silken walls push me over the edge. I grabbed her hips and release tore through me. I matched her thrusts through the first few torrents of my orgasm, filling her with rope after rope of hot sticky seed until she mmed down onto me one final time, her entire body locked in orgasm. She clenched her body around mine almost painfully thorough my release then, all at once, the strength fled from her petite frame. She went boneless in my arms and slumped against me, panting with her tongue hanging from her mouth and her eyespletely unfocused. She had no fight left in her while I gently lifted her off my length and let her slide to the side of me, nestled in the crook of my arm. I leaned my head back against the headboard and closed my eyes to catch my breath. That had been one of the more intense orgasms I¡¯d had to date. It seemed Noelle¡¯s respec had paid off in dividends with how much strength she¡¯d used to fuck me just now. I¡¯d barely managed to get my heart rate down before I felt eager lips close over the head of my cock. Jerking at the sudden stimtion of my sensitive cock, I cracked an eye at Rhani, who was already cleaning me off with a twinkling smile. ¡°You really enjoy the taste of other women on me, don¡¯t you?¡± I asked her. ¡°Mmh, I really do. It¡¯s almost as good as getting fucked by you,¡± she purred. I shook my head and looked to Tiana, who seemed to be fighting off her own orgasm under Serena¡¯s fingers. ¡°You see what I have to deal with?¡± I asked, gesturing to Rhani who had taken to running her tongue up and down my shaft. ¡°You p-poor, abused man,¡± Tiana said sarcastically, though there was a little jealousy on her face while she watched Rhani. I leaned down to kiss Noelle on the forehead and she smiled up in my direction, but her eyes remained closed. ¡°I¡¯m still not quite sure how I managed to be so lucky.¡± Rhani and Serena both shed smiles at me, and even Tiana smiled a bit. Then her smile fell. ¡°So, ah, now that I can actually think straight¡­¡± she shifted, her thighs rubbing together, but Serena¡¯s hand never left from between her legs, ¡°we should probably talk about¡­this. About how this is going to work, I mean.¡± I justughed. ¡°When you figure it out, be sure to key me in. I¡¯m just trying to keep up.¡± Serena gave me a questioning look, and I nodded. She retracted her hand and slid out from under Tiana¡¯s nket. ¡°You¡¯ve put together that Zaren is the same one from the war against Grimsbane, yes?¡± Tiana pulled the nket tight. ¡°Yes. Though, now that you mention it, the fact that someone I literally studied in history books was fucking me into this very bed twelve hours ago is boggling my mind just a bit.¡± Rhani shed a smile at me. ¡°I¡¯d say you get used to it, but I haven¡¯t yet. It makes it so much hotter.¡± I thumped her forehead and she went back to suckling on my balls. She¡¯d gone well past the point where I waspletely clean. Anything she was doing now was solely for pleasure, and I was hardly going to stop her. Serena continued. ¡°Well, you¡¯re wondering how that¡¯s possible. Long story short, a goddess put him to sleep for thirty years, so this world is pretty new to him. Thirty years ago, things like harems and polygamous rtionships weren¡¯t the norm.¡± Tiana looked from Serena to me as if waiting for us to tell her we¡¯re joking. She shook her head. ¡°Un-fucking-believable. The best cock of my life, and he¡¯s either crazy or working for a goddess.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m into it.¡± She looked at Noelle with some longing in her eyes. ¡°But I¡¯m guessing that, untilst night, Serena and Rhani were the only two fully in the harem, right?¡± The fact that we were actually using the word harem in normal conversation still felt ridiculous, but I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± She nodded, biting her lip. ¡°I was a part of a harem for a very short, rather disappointing minute, so I have a little experience, but not much. It didn¡¯t end well for a number of us.¡± She curled up with her knees to her chest. ¡°You¡¯ll want to decide what kind of harem you want before you go much further.¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose. ¡°What kind of harem? There are kinds now?¡± She blushed and looked away. ¡°I¡¯ve had some friends and acquaintances who were in them, and like I said I was in one once. All of them have hierarchies to some extent, though some are stricter and some are more natural. Whether a top down hierarchy or a more role based one, making sure everyone has a good idea of one another¡¯s ce in it can help defuse a lot of issues before they begin. Then there¡¯sing up with the rules of the harem itself.¡± I chuckled dryly. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I find it hard to believe I¡¯ve got to impose restrictions on the women willing to let me be with other women.¡± It was Rhani who answered this time. ¡°Don¡¯t think of them as restrictions, think of them more like guidelines to make sure everyone is on the same page. Agreements of expectations on both sides, yours and theirs. Juggling multiple rtionships isn¡¯t exactly easy, after all.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if her going right back to suckling on my sac made the whole situation more or less ridiculous. I lifted a leg to give her better ess and she shifted happily, resting her head on my thigh. ¡°Alright, fine. What kind of guidelines?¡± ¡°Well, for starters, rtionships. Not just yours, but ours,¡± Tiana said. ¡°As well as whether you¡¯re allowed to add or remove members with impunity.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Serena chimed in, ¡°we already talked about that one. Full consensus is required.¡± She leaned in closer. ¡°And you¡¯re already approved,¡± she said with a smile. Tiana blushed, but kept herposure. ¡°Then we should talk about our side of things. Whether we¡¯re expected to only spend time with you, or if the rtionship is going to be more open. If you prefer one-on-one time, if you want to be present for any or all intimacy between your lovers, if you¡¯re alright or against intimacy within the harem, things like that.¡± My member twitched a bit at thest point, something that Rhani clearly noticed from the wink she shot at me. ¡°Well, though I feel like a bit of an ass saying it, I think I might rip the balls off any man who touched a single one of you.¡± That earned me smiles all around. Serena grabbed my hand immediately. ¡°And you¡¯re the only man I¡¯ll ever want,¡± she promised. Then my eyes fell to Rhani. ¡°Girls, on the other hand¡­¡± Rhani clearly had more than a little bisexuality running through her, and Serena was hardly unwilling to go along with her advances. Once again, Tiana came to my rescue. ¡°Since you¡¯re new to this decade, you should probably know that because of the overabundance of women¡ªespecially among adventurers¡ªthe number of more casual rtionships has grown greatly. Sometimes even between three or four women. Almost like a harem without a master.¡± My gut twisted, but Serena spoke before I could. ¡°There will be no master of this harem, and nobody will refer to him as such.¡± Her tone was kind, but firm enough that Tiana¡¯s eyes widened. She nodded. ¡°Right. Of course.¡± I ran a hand through Rhani¡¯s hair and her eyes closed while she bobbed up and down on my length. ¡°If we¡¯re doing this, we do it as equals. Nobody is subservient to me, and I¡¯m not anyone¡¯s superior. Er, unless they¡¯re into that kind of thing in the bedroom, at least.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°And at least among other members of the harem, I think it¡¯s only fair you have full autonomy. I¡¯d hate for Rhani to only be able to use that strap when I¡¯m around.¡± Rhani beamed as much as she could with her lips wrapped around my shaft, but Serena just snickered behind her hand. Looking down at her, I remembered what she¡¯d said once about having someone to upy her time with since she didn¡¯t want to monopolize me. ¡°And I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t enjoy seeing all of you be close, intimate or otherwise. It makes me feel a little less¡­¡± ¡°Like everything is resting on your shoulders?¡± Tiana offered with a knowing smile. ¡°Something like that.¡± Tiana nodded, and I could tell she was happy to have somewhere to start. ¡°Well, if you¡¯ve got no issues with dalliances within your harem, then we can definitely work with that. Though we should also probably talk about how big you want your harem getting.¡± I ran my hands through Rhani¡¯s hair, causing her eyes to roll back into her head slightly as my nails scraped along her scalp while I thought of my answer. ¡°You realize that, for my entire life up until about two weeks ago, the thought of having more than one significant other was frowned upon, right?¡± Rhani just waved a hand at me. ¡°Please, harems have been around for a long, long time. Especially in the western countries among royals and nobility.¡± I arched a brow. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that she knew that off the top of her head. ¡°All the same, it wasn¡¯t too long ago that the idea of two women at once was little more than fantasy, much less four.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Care to borate on those fantasies, sir?¡± The titlebined with her still slowly working my cock sent heat racing through me, but I just thumped her forehead again. ¡°Later,¡± I told her, which only seemed to make her more excited. Chuckling, Tiana reached out to run a hand down Rhani¡¯s bare spine. ¡°Are you against adding more?¡± ¡°Not¡­really,¡± I admitted. ¡°But if I did, I¡¯d want it to be for more than just sex.¡± That made something warm sh in Tiana¡¯s eyes, but she just looked away with a smile. ¡°Well, for a more one-on-one style of harem, it usually doesn¡¯t go more than three or four deep. Juggling that many rtionships, like Rhani said, can be difficult. But, if you¡¯re talking about a much closer knit harem like you¡¯ve already started building,¡± I didn¡¯t miss the wistful note in her tone, ¡°then they can get evenrger. You also start getting into upper and lower harem distinctions then, too.¡± ¡°Upper and lower?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I was a fan of how that sounded. ¡°It isn¡¯t how it sounds. Well, not if you don¡¯t want it to be, at least. In some instances I¡¯ve seen the upper harem being human and the lower demi-human¡ª¡± ¡°Not happening,¡± I cut her off. She nodded like she expected nothing less. ¡°I¡¯ve also seen harem mast¡ªer, leaders put new girls into the outer harem and they move to the inner harem when they reach a certain level of intimacy. Your inner harem are essentially your wives and your outer harem are those whose attraction is either more physical or simply not quite there yet.¡± I frowned thoughtfully, leaning my head back against the headboard. ¡°So, hypothetically, if there was a girl who was as interested in one of you as much as they were me¡­¡± Tiana smiled approvingly. ¡°It would be a good ce for girls who are intimate with you¡ªand, by your rules, your other girls¡ªbut who aren¡¯t so close as to be either in your inner circle or to be solely there for you.¡± ¡°So if, for instance, a very horny Arelim found a girl who was willing to be with both of us, but wasn¡¯t necessarily interested in me alone¡­¡± ¡°Then an outer harem dynamic would be perfect for them,¡± Tiana agreed. Rhani straightened. ¡°Wait, really?¡± I pulled her up my chest and pressed my lips to hers. ¡°It still feels a bit narcissistic to say, but I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be overly willing to simply share you with someone else. Sharing them with you, though? I could work with that.¡± A slow smile spread across her face. ¡°I fucking love you so much.¡± Then I was having to fight her tongue off with my own while one of her hands sunk into the hair at the nape of my neck. It wasn¡¯t long before I found out where the other went as it lined me up, then I was sliding inside her. She moaned, relishing each inch until our hips met. ¡°I love you too, bookworm. But approval rules still apply.¡± She nodded eagerly, her eyes closed and her hips starting to gyrate, and I looked to the others. ¡°If that¡¯s alright with you all, of course.¡± Noelle snuggled into me, her teeth scraping against my chest. ¡°As long as I can always have a part of you, then I am happy. Even if my instincts demand I have to im any women whoe near you.¡± Rhani let out a small moan as I hit a sensitive spot inside her. ¡°You already know I¡¯m down for this.¡± She lifted up and sank down on my length, slowly picking up speed. Serena nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks. ¡°It certainly sounds like a good starting point to me, and I¡¯m sure this will hardly be the final version of our harem, either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fantastic ce to start,¡± Tiana said. She smiled softly, turning her face away. ¡°And it sounds like a much better dynamic than anything I¡¯ve ever had the chance to be a part of.¡± Tension I hadn¡¯t even realized was there started to release in my chest, helped a bit by Rhani riding me. ¡°Good. We can use that as a base and go from there, but please tell me if any of you have any reservations. I can promise that I¡¯m not done struggling toe to terms with the fact that this is all okay, but as long as you¡¯re all willing to be honest with me I¡¯m willing to do everything I can to make this work.¡± They all made varying noises of agreement, but Tiana still looked a little uncertain. ¡°You should probably know that treating demi-humans so equally within your harem is bound to lead to some issues, either inside or outside of your household.¡± Smiling, Serena crawled over so that she could take the side that wasn¡¯t still cradling Noelle. ¡°Zaren here is going to change a lot of things. If that¡¯s a problem for you, then you might want to mention that now.¡± Tiana bit her lip, then looked to me. ¡°You really think you can do it? Get rid of the ords and reform the adventurer system?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be tough, but then so was killing a tyrant calling upon an outer god,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Saving the world makes changing it seem a little less daunting.¡± Then Serena pressed her lips to the underside of my jaw and reached out to start fingering Rhani¡¯s clit, causing me to struggle to keep my focus for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll make do, but expect there to be plenty of opposition. I¡¯ll need you at your strongest so you can protect yourself when I¡¯m not around.¡± Tiana let out a long breath, her eyes glued to where my cock was repeatedly vanishing into Rhani. ¡°Then fuck it, I¡¯m in. I hope you¡¯ve at least got a n.¡± Serena had started going lower to trail kisses along the newest scars on my chest, causing me to gasp a little when her teeth closed over my nipple. Rhani noticed and started riding harder, throwing her head back and ying with one breast while holding herself up with her other hand on my thigh. I tore my attention from the building pleasure to focus on Tiana. ¡°I¡¯ve got the makings of a n, but how things go with Cynthia will affect those.¡± She nodded. ¡°Right. That makes sense. And thest thing I mentioned? The hierarchy? I understand if I¡¯m at the bottom, being the newest and all.¡± Rhani just rolled her eyes. ¡°Fuck that. Come over here.¡± After a second of consideration, Tiana abandoned the nket and crawled over. While she did, I said, ¡°my rtionship with each of you and what we both get out of it is different, and that¡¯s never going to change. But if we¡¯re in a rtionship like this, we¡¯re all equal. I won¡¯t pretend to be some kind of savant capable of keeping the four of you¡ªand anyone else we add¡ªperfectly satisfied. All I ask is that if you have problems, whether it¡¯s problems with another girl or with me, that youe and tell me so we can work it out.¡± Rhani slowed and Serena rose back up to suckle on my neck. Rhani looked at Tiana and asked, ¡°so, how do you want him? I¡¯m always happy to share.¡± When Tiana didn¡¯t answer right away, Rhani jabbed her yfully. ¡°Come on, I can see you feeling left out. That won¡¯t do.¡± Tiana squirmed, then looked at me with hooded eyes. ¡°Well, if memory serves, you did tell me to imagine how good your mouth would feel in¡­other ces.¡± Rhani grinned, and while I was more than happy toply I felt just a little buried under bodies at the moment. My horny little Arelim already had that well in mind, though. ¡°Stand up and straddle him,¡± she said immediately. Tiana¡¯s eyes widened. She looked from me to Rhani, then her blush increased. She stood on the bed, though, and braced her hands against the wall behind me while she carefully stepped in between me and Rhani, who was still impaled on my length. Then she paused. ¡°Wait, on second thought, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡± I silenced her by grabbing her hips and pulling her close enough to run my tongue up her slit. Her legs buckled, and she nearly fell onto my face. She¡¯d barely regained her bnce before Rhani leaned forward to im her asshole. Rhani and I both went to work with our tongues while Rhani rode me and Serena¡¯s mouth explored everywhere she could reach. Noelle rolled enough to wrap her arms around me and seemed more than content, but I was more than a little busy trying to wring out every drop of pleasure from Tiana while also staving off my impending orgasm. I leaned forward enough to throw one of Tiana¡¯s legs over me and she let some of her weight rest on my shoulder while I reached as deep into her with my tongue as I could. Rhani¡¯s hand snaked around to finger her clit, and it was only a secondter when Tiana¡¯s first release hit her. She cried out, clenching around both mine and Rhani¡¯s tongue, but she managed to stay standing. I slid up to suckle on her nub at the same time I shot a load into Rhani with a grunt. Tiana¡¯s hand not on the wall sunk into my hair and I felt Rhani slide off my length. Serena¡¯s warmth left me, and not long after, I felt another set of lips wrapped around me. I could still feel Rhani buried in Tiana¡¯s rear entrance, so I knew it had to be Serena working my sensitive cock back to hardness. How they¡¯d all squeezed together to manage it was beyond me. I licked every part of Tiana while Serena did the same for me. Her hot tongue worked over every inch of my shaft, then she suckled my sac, cleaning it of any juices that had spilled out, then she went lower. And lower. I felt her tongue rake across my own rear entrance and bucked, nearly sending Tiana tumbling. Serena traced a few slow circles around the rim, but by then I was back to full hardness. Her tongue disappeared, quickly reced by the unmistakable warmth of her pussy walls wrapping around my shaft, sheathing me in her in a single go. Rhani was pressed into me, but she still never relinquished her ce between Tiana¡¯s cheeks. I felt hands wrapping around the breasts pressing into my chest and new Serena was fondling Rhani now. Tiana¡¯s moans turned into loud cries and her fingers dug into my hair while I searched her insides with my tongue for every sensitive spot I could reach. By the time I felt Serena cumming on my cock with a throaty moan I¡¯d pushed Tiana to yet another climax. Serena paused, then slid off my length. Then I felt Rhani¡¯s weight disappear from my stomach, and the next thing I knew Tiana was being guided back down. Serena helped lower her while Rhani lined me up, and in a single motion they¡¯d sat Tiana down so that I was buried to the hilt inside her. ¡°Oh fuck!¡± she cried, leaning forward to lean her forehead on my shoulder with her breasts in Noelle¡¯s face. Only then did I realize there were two new additions to the room. Ryoko and Tsuki both sat at the foot of the bed with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, watching every part of what was happening with rapt attention. They¡¯d already seen quite a bit and I was halfway to another orgasm, so I slid my hand down Tiana¡¯s back and slipped two fingers into her ass, still slick from Rhani¡¯s spit, and used it to start guiding her up and down my length. She groaned into me for a moment before she started working herself up and down on her own, then cried out again. I craned my neck to see that Noelle had sunk her teeth into the flesh of her shoulder while kneading her breasts. Her crimson eyes flicked to mine with a triumphant light in them. Tiana voiced noint, instead gyrating her hips and trying to squeeze me dry. ¡°When did you two get in here?¡± I asked, breathing hard. Tsuki licked her lips. ¡°Around the time you pumped Rhani full of about a gallon of cum.¡± Only then did I realize that Ryoko had something clutched in her hands. ¡°Um, we went downstairs to get some food, and the innkeeper said you had some deliveries. The door was unlocked, so we let ourselves in.¡± Tsuki¡¯s eyes flicked back down to where I was sliding in and out of Tiana. ¡°Rhani wasn¡¯t kidding. You really do have some kind of magic cock.¡± I shot Rhani a re, which earned me a sheepish smile in return, just as Tiana¡¯s head shot back and she started to impale herself on me hard enough to send her breasts bouncing. ¡°Yes he¡ªnng¡ªfucking¡ªoh, shit¡ªDOES!!!¡± Then she came, and I let her climax push me over the edge to deposit a third and final load deep into her depths. She pressed her lips to mine fervently while she twitched and spasmed, and I returned the kiss with equal fervor. When she was done, she scooped up Noelle¡ªwho let out a surprised grunt¡ªand curled around her, then nestled into my side. ¡°Fucking fuck you feel good inside me,¡± she panted, squeezing Noelle between her breasts and nuzzling into my neck. I wrapped my arms around them both, her happy hum harmonizing with Noelle¡¯s. ¡°You feel good like this, too,¡± she said softly. Rhani slid over and took the notes from Ryoko. ¡°Cynthia stopped by, but we were all still out. She wants to meet at a restaurant in town for dinner, Jezal finished your secret project, and the first payment for the spiders went through,¡± she rattled off. ¡°Jezal!¡± Ryoko perked up. ¡°Can I go learn from Garm again, then?¡± I chuckled, running my hand through Tiana¡¯s thick, auburn hair. ¡°If he and Vaze have no issue with it, then yes. In fact, we should probablye up with a gamen for the rest of the day.¡± Rhani perked up. ¡°Oooh! If we have money, I want to buy books!¡± That made me smile. I looked at Serena. ¡°Will you go with her? Until further notice, I don¡¯t want any demi-humans to be without a human to make sure nobody tries anything.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°Of course. I¡¯d like to see if I can find some things anyways. We can drop the twins off along the way.¡± Ryoko squealed in delight and bounded over to throw her arms around my neck, unbothered by my nude state. ¡°Thank you! You¡¯re the best Patron ever!¡± I hugged her back, trying to ignore her leg pressing against my length. ¡°Sounds like a pretty low bar. I haven¡¯t even gotten started yet.¡± Her tail swished and she hugged me tighter, then she let me go and ran nimbly back to her sister. ¡°I¡¯ll work on that recipe you gave me. I think I¡¯m getting close to seeding!¡± I looked to Tiana and Noelle. Tiana, though she was still basking in afterglow, still looked utterly exhausted. ¡°You¡¯re wee to stay here and rest if you¡¯d like. Saving my life earns you more than a little rest and rxation.¡± She smiled. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I think I¡¯ll go with them. If I¡¯m leaving the city, I want to have plenty of supplies. And I can keep an eye on the twins as well.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± I gave her another kiss. ¡°But check with Serena before buying things. There¡¯s a good chance we already have a lot of the stuff you need, and what¡¯s mine is yours.¡± Her smile widened and she looked away, blushing. Noelle looked up at me expectantly and with a little hesitation. ¡°You¡¯ll be with me today.¡± She rxed visibly and settled into Tiana¡¯s bust with her arms still as wrapped around me as she could manage. ¡°Though before we go anywhere, I think I¡¯d like to know how your evolution went. Considering where we all ended up,¡± I gestured towards the sweating bodies of the women I¡¯d just fucked, Noelle included, ¡°I take it things went well?¡± She looked at me for a while, then she reached out for my hand. I met her halfway, and she guided it to her face and pressed it into her cheek, taking a long breath in through her nose. Then she said, ¡°six skill evolutions.¡± Pandemonium ensued. My jaw dropped. Ryoko¡¯s surprise was the most tame of us all, but Tsuki eximed something about Noelle getting more evolutions than she had skills. Serena let out a soft cry, then hid her mouth behind her hands while tears built in the corners of her eyes. Tiana made a few surprisedments of utter disbelief, trying and failing to dislodge Noelle¡¯s iron grip on me while she hid from Rhani. Rhani looked like she was about to erupt. She vibrated so hard the bed shook and her eyes glowed intensely while guesses barreled out of her a mile a minute. Then she practically tripped over her own feet in an excited scramble to find her book to take notes, and by the time she¡¯de back I¡¯d managed to calm the others. ¡°Now,¡± I told them, ¡°let¡¯s all remain calm and quiet for a moment.¡± I turned to Noelle, who hesitantly emerged from Tiana¡¯s chest totch onto me, hiding behind me from everyone else. ¡°Now, Noelle, if you don¡¯t want to tell us the details, you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I will,¡± she said with determination. ¡°I want you all to know what you¡¯ve done for me.¡± And so she told us. Not just her new skills, but the ones that had been reced. Halfway through I¡¯d wrapped my arms around her, and by the time she was done I¡¯d pulled her into a crushing embrace that she happily returned. It wasn¡¯t long before Serena joined in, followed closely by Rhani and Tiana, and then even Ryoko and Tsuki, despite the two of them being the only ones clothed. We hadn¡¯t been like that for long before I felt someone¡¯s hand on my cock, slowly stroking me to hardness, but I was wrapped up in enough people that I couldn¡¯t tell who it was. My arms were wrapped around Noelle, and everyone else was wrapped around me, so I was firmly pinned in ce. It was Rhani who finally broke the silence. ¡°We can¡¯t use her as a control, can we?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± I told her. Tiana shot me a knowing look. A sudden evolution on this scale was unheard of. There was no other exnation for it than the sword interfering with Noelle¡¯s ss. I could only guess as to its motives, but one thing was for sure. I owed the sword even more now. Serena sniffled. ¡°It truly is a miracle.¡± It was difficult to argue, and her words made an rm bell ring in my head. It was a miracle. For generations, it had been agreed upon that sses were the domain of the gods. To try and manipte them through any means other than hard work was said to earn you their ire. For the sword to be able to affect and change sses¡­ No, not the sword. Whatever was inside the sword. I¡¯d entered the space, and there had been two distinct entities. Whatever existed in the center of the soul scraps was one, that unending and encroaching darkness that ripped apart the shred of soul I¡¯d left behind was another. The missing piece that had been bothering me so long seemed to fit into ce. The sword¡¯s frustration suddenly made sense. The sword wasn¡¯t alive at all. Or, if it was, it was separate to whatever mind had been brushing up against mine recently. The crimson energy that boosted my strength and seemed to be able to affect my skills was separate from the burning pull that tried to rip my soul from my body. It wasn¡¯t just a sword, it was a container. A trap, maybe. Something built to draw in and hold power. A jailer and its prisoner, wrapped up in one and sealed further by the scabbard. And Allura told me she suspected it was from another realm. That it had caught the attention of this outer god. Was it the sword that the god was after? Or was it whatever was in the sword? Had it been brought to our ne empty and filled by some powerful entity here? Or did it arrive already bearing its prisoner? Was I running around with another outer god trapped in my storage? If I was, were they friend or foe to the outer god Allura feared? Did Allura even know the answers? I was snapped from my thoughts by a second hand finding its way to my member. Then a third that, seemingly surprised two others had beaten it to the punch, went to fondling my sac. Then a fourth slid over all of them and wormed its way between me and whoever was pressed into my back to dig its fingers into my ass cheek. I sighed. ¡°You know, we do have to get going eventually.¡± There were some giggles, then I felt the unmistakable fluffy tail of a Kitsune tickle against my taint, making me jerk into the hands stroking me. Which sister it had been, I had no idea. Then more hands joined in, and soon anyone who wasn¡¯t working to keep me trapped in the pile was actively stroking, squeezing, or kneading something below my belt. I thought about trying to break free, but only briefly. After all, who was I toin? I leaned my head on the top of Noelle¡¯s and closed my eyes, giving myself to the hands and tails caressing me. It wasn¡¯t long before I finished, my seed spraying into the throng of bodies. A cheer went up, and I shook my head with a smile. ¡°As much as I appreciate the attention,¡± I told them, ¡°I¡¯ll bete meeting Cynthia if we take too much longer. And if I miss that dinner? Well, I might just be so inconsble that I take a room to myself tonight.¡± They all released me pretty quick after that. Chapter Forty-One: Job Interview Chapter Forty-One: Job Interview Not for the first time and certainly not for thest, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how my life had taken such a sharp turn so quickly. A month ago (or thirty years, depending on how you saw things) I would have never thought I¡¯d be in a situation like this. I¡¯d gotten as far as donning pants when I grew¡­distracted. If watching four beautiful women pulling their clothes on wasn¡¯t enough to grab my attention, the fact that they¡¯d seemingly made apetition out of it was. It was difficult whether Rhani or Tiana had been the first to notice my stare, but soon they were making quite the show of getting dressed. I never thought watching someone putting on clothes could be so arousing, yet here I was with yet another erection starting to strain my pants. I did my best to hide it before any of them got any ideas, but if they were going to go to such great lengths then not watching would just be disrespectful. All of them wore standard traveling clothes, so I didn¡¯t get to enjoy any of my girls in their wonderful shadow armor. Tiana looked almost strange in an outfit that didn¡¯t show off so much skin they hardly counted as clothes, though her tunic was definitely of a lower cut than the standard. Still, even in a standard tunic and pants, she cut a stunning figure. Not that Serena was any less striking in her tighter fitting clothes. Or Rhani in her downright skimpy top and skirt. Or Noelle in her tight-fitting but long tunic with holes cut for her wings. Yeah, keeping focused might be an issue in the future. I wore a standard shirt and trousers, though I threw on a long sleeve coat to hide my still-ckened arm. Feeling had mostly returned to it, which was unfortunate. From the tips of my fingers nearly to my shoulder burned, though not with heat. It was an ice-cold burn that was constant and unrelenting. Hardly the worst pain I¡¯d experienced, but it was consistent enough to be annoying and distracting. Worse, it seemed to have nothing to do with anything touching my flesh. No amount of positioning or wrapping seemed to have any effect on the pain. I¡¯d hardly noticed itst night, though whether that was because I¡¯d actually done something to reduce the pain or I¡¯d been distracted by the pleasure of three women, I had no idea. Either way, I hoped it healed either on its own or with Serena¡¯s skills. Having to seek out a specialist would be yet another annoying task heaped onto the pile. Even more unfortunate was its effect on my finer motor skills. I realized very quickly thatcing either my trousers or my boots was going to prove difficult. I¡¯d just resolved to tie a simple square knot and cut them offter when small, nimble fingers took over. Tsuki, suddenly very close with her tail swishing behind her, tied my trousers shut with deft movements. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said simply. She nodded curtly, her expression carefully neutral. ¡°You seemed to be having trouble.¡± Her eyes flicked to my injured hand. ¡°The spider queen did that?¡± ¡°The sword I used to kill her, actually.¡± Her lips pursed, then she nodded. ¡°Sit. I¡¯ll take care of your boots.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Her golden eyes flicked up to mine, carefully concealed emotion shimmering in them. Like she was weighing each word I said individually. ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll do it.¡± I sat, and she grabbed my boots and tugged one on. While she did, I checked my status. [Health: 194/220] [Mana: 140/140] [Soul Essence: 47/100] I frowned. My health not being at full was no surprise. Until this arm had healed, full recovery wasn¡¯t possible. Mana was full, which was good, but the Soul Essence intrigued me as much as it bothered me. That it still remained on my status sheet was odd to say the least. I¡¯d heard of rare sses adding additional resources to your pools, but the Essence had nothing to do with my ss and everything to do with the de itself. And its recovery was also worth noting. It had gone up, but only by four. That meant it was either a time based regeneration or action based, as some additional pools could be. The problem was that there was no way to tell without plenty of experimentation, and there was every possibility that my arm was hampering its regeneration as well. I knew much more than the average person about souls thanks to an old friend that had helped me learn a bit more about the cursed de¡¯s effect on me, but this was still something I¡¯d never heard of. ¡°Rhani,¡± I said as Tsuki finished with my second boot, ¡°ever heard of Soul Essence?¡± She frowned. ¡°Nope. Is it some kind of potion?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a resource pool, apparently. One that helped me kill the queen.¡± Her eyes widened, then she turned into a Rhani colored blur and raced over to me. Shetched onto my good arm with glowing irises and I quickly described how I thought the Soul Essence worked. ¡°It was simr to mana, but the skills it powered were much stronger.¡± Then, to save time, I told them everything I could remember from my time in the sword and the moments after. The twins listened with wide, disbelieving eyes, but Rhani made sure to write down my every word. She was scribbling furiously in her book with her tongue between her teeth by the time I was done. The others had all finished and were looking at us expectantly. ¡°I¡¯ll look around for anything rting to souls while I¡¯m out, then,¡± she said quickly. ¡°Should I use my question on it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, go back to what it was before. I want to know who¡¯s hunting me.¡± She nodded. ¡°Right, of course. Done. Check the pool regrly and note down exactly when it ticks up again and what you were doing just before, alright?¡± ¡°Will do.¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°And in return, maybe you could tell me about that second ss you¡¯ve been keeping under wraps.¡± She grinned, then she opened her hand and a book bound in dark leather with runes on the cover appeared in her hands. There was a soft sh, then a small sliver dragon appeared on her shoulders, wrapped around the back of her neck. It was maybe four feet long, though a third of its length came from its tail. It had two wings tucked against its back, and its neck was half as long as its body. It lifted its head and regarded me with soft golden eyes. ¡°Greetings, mate of my summoner,¡± it said in a surprisingly deep voice. I returned her grin. ¡°So you¡¯re a summoner, then?¡± Rhani threw herself at me, causing the dragon to take flight with an indignant squawk. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re amazing!¡± I wrapped my good arm around her, letting the relief sink in. Her first levels woulde quickly, which meant it wouldn¡¯t be long before she could protect herself. Her arms wrapped around my chest with as much strength as she could muster, and the dragonnded heavily on my own shoulders. It sniffed at me, then said, ¡°I have your scent now, sire,¡± it said. ¡°Should the need arise, I will be able to seek you out within a reasonable radius.¡± Everyone crowded around, trying to get a better look at him. To my surprise, it was Tiana who let out a squeal of delight and scooped the dragon up, squishing him into her chest. ¡°He¡¯s so cute! What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Festus,¡± Rhani said happily, still clinging to me. ¡°Let the record reflect that I was given no chance to voice an opinion on the matter,¡± Festus said dryly. I chuckled, then ruffled Rhani¡¯s hair. ¡°The golem worked out, then.¡± She beamed up at me. ¡°I can still use her though, right?¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Well it feels wrong to keep calling her an ¡®it¡¯ with how many times she¡¯s saved our lives, so yes. Her. It feels right.¡± I shook my head with amusement. ¡°Yes, you can still keep her close in battle, though she¡¯s in rough shape after the spiders.¡± That didn¡¯t deter her in the slightest. ¡°I want to find some books on constructs and see if I can learn to repair her. If that¡¯s alright.¡± It was more than alright. That kind of research could have a more than positive affect on her uing ss evolution. ¡°Of course.¡± Then, to Festus, I said, ¡°what sort of skillset to you have?¡± Festus had given up escaping Tiana¡¯s clutches and puffed smoke unhappily. ¡°Reconnaissance is my main strength as my summoner can see through my eyes at the expense of her mana. I suppose carrying messages is something I can do as well. I have very minorbat capabilities, but not so much that I should be relied upon as anything more than ast minute distraction during an emergency.¡± Being long winded, it seemed, was another skill of his. I stood. ¡°Good. Watch over her well, Festus.¡± I¡¯d never seen a dragon look offended until now. ¡°I am her summon. That is quite literally my purpose.¡± ¡°And your other skill? The one for hitting Schr level twenty?¡± ¡°A copy skill,¡± she said proudly. ¡°I can copy with greater uracy, which will help with this.¡± She held up the book she¡¯d summoned. ¡°My grimoire will hold my summons, and it seems like I can change their shape as long as I know the creature well.¡± Her eyes sparkled. ¡°A good thing someone has had me researching beasts.¡± ¡°A good thing indeed. A standard core skill then, one that allows you to summon a basic familiar?¡± She nodded. ¡°I could change his shape if I wanted, but why would I need anything other than a dragon? How freaking awesome is that?¡± As she spoke, Serena managed to wrestle poor Festus from Tiana¡¯s embrace and give him her own hug. The dragon had seemingly epted his fate, though he shot an usatory re towards me. ¡°I¡¯d get some other options in the grimoire just in case. Never know when we might need something more inconspicuous like a crow or a cat or something to scout popted areas.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought of that. I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I leaned down and she captured my lips greedily. When I pulled away there was heat in her eyes, but she just called, ¡°Festus.¡± There was a sh and her dragon was back across her shoulders. She scratched him under the chin with a wide grin on her face. I held my good arm¡ªwell, the less fucked up arm, at least¡ªout to Noelle. She took it immediately and pulled herself close. ¡°Well, time to get on with the day, I suppose.¡± Not long after, we were finally out of the room and heading towards our destinations. Rhani was practically bouncing while an amused Tiana and Serena led her and the twins in the opposite direction from me and Noelle. The two of us headed for the restaurant Cynthia had mentioned in her note. I couldn¡¯t help but watch Noelle while we walked. She kept her hand firmly wrapped around mine, and her eyes were brighter than I¡¯d ever seen. She was still the same height as always, but I thought she carried herself taller than normal. It felt like her movements were more animated, too. Her expression was as neutral as always, though when she caught me looking I saw the corners of her mouth curl upwards slightly. Now that we¡¯d taken things to the next level, I could acknowledge how adorable she looked without feeling guilty. It helped that she was recovering from her past in more ways than one. Whether it was the wellness potions, her shift in ss, her race, Serena¡¯s healing, or abination of them all, she hardly resembled the skinny, beaten down girl I¡¯d first met. Her hair, though still short, had started to shine. Her wings were now at least an inch longer than before I¡¯d cut them away to save her from the pain of the Penitence Cut, and small ck feathers were already starting to grow on the stumps. Her body was filling out, too. Her thighs now touched when she stood straight, her arms were growing definition, her stomach was no longer concave, and her tunic looked to be tighter in the chest than it had been before we¡¯d descended into the sewers. But there was something on her mind. She kept sneaking nces at me, sucking in a breath as if to say something then deciding not to, and squeezing my hand at random intervals. She remained silent while we made our way through the town to the restaurant, and it wasn¡¯t until we¡¯d sat in the private booth in the back that Cynthia had reserved for us that she finally spoke. She sat next to me, but with enough space between us that we weren¡¯t quite touching her hands were sped firmly in herp, and one of her sharp canines dug into her lower lip. ¡°Zaren?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± She cut off again and squirmed. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me. More than I could have ever dreamed. You¡¯ve made things better when I thought they never would be, and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever be able to repay you.¡± I took her hand and she jumped. ¡°You don¡¯t have to repay me for anything. I did it at first because it was the right thing to do, and then because I cared about you. I do care about you.¡± Her grip tightened and I felt the bones of my hand crushing together. ¡°I care about you, too,¡± she said in a whisper. ¡°And I want¡­¡± she trailed off. Without letting go of her hand, I looped my arm over her and pulled her in close. ¡°Tell me what you want, Noelle. You¡¯re a part of my family now, which means your wants are my wants.¡± She melted into me and inhaled deeply. ¡°I want three things.¡± ¡°Name them.¡± ¡°I want to help the others,¡± she said finally. In spite of myself, my stomach did a backflip. ¡°The others? Like Ryoko and Tsuki?¡± She shook her head, still pressed into my side. ¡°The others from before. The ones who wore cors like me. They¡¯re still out there, and I want to help them. I don¡¯t know how, though, but I thought you might. It feels¡­bad that I¡¯m free and they aren¡¯t.¡± I hugged her tight while I ran my other hand through her hair. ¡°Consider it done. I already intended to, so that¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll find the rest, destroy their cors, and make sure they¡¯re taken care of.¡± She turned her big crimson eyes up to me. ¡°Will you take them in like you took me in?¡± I cupped her cheek. ¡°If you want me to, and they¡¯re willing, then yes. I will. I¡¯ll help anyone who asks it of me.¡± She pressed into me, holding my gaze. ¡°The second thing¡­I want to stay. I want to be a part of this family forever. Whatever happens.¡± I trailed my thumb over her cheek and smiled. ¡°Easier than the first one. ¡°I¡¯ll have you so long as you¡¯ll have me.¡± She smiled this time. It was soft and hesitant, as if she still wasn¡¯t quite sure how, but it was a smile nheless. ¡°The third thing is foolish. Impossible, even.¡± ¡°If I had a copper for every time I heard that¡­¡± This time she did look away. She buried her face in the crook of my arm, then said in a rush, ¡°I want to find my mother.¡± Her voice trembled, and she clutched me tightly as if afraid of my reaction. ¡°That might be difficult,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I¡¯d never call it foolish. You remember her?¡± A slow, fearful nod. ¡°Not much, but I do. She loved me, even when others didn¡¯t. Because of how I looked. We were poor, but she took care of me. Made me feel warm and happy.¡± Her grip tightened more and she sunk into me. ¡°Like you. I remember her crying when they took me. If she¡¯s alive, I want to see her again.¡± Before answering, I scooped up her tiny form and pulled her into myp. She didn¡¯t hesitate before pressing her face into the crook of my neck and curling up against me. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that we¡¯ll find her, but I can promise that I¡¯ll try.¡± A tremble passed through her. ¡°Thank you.¡± We stayed like that until a serving girl came by to take our orders. I said we¡¯d wait, but got us some drinks. After she left, pointedly not looking at the girl in myp, Noelle climbed back down onto the booth seat. She stayed pressed against me, though. ¡°Mchai,¡± she said softly. I frowned. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°My race.¡± My heart skipped a beat. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been wondering, and you¡¯ve been kind enough not to pry, but you deserve to know. It¡¯s the least I could do.¡± She fell silent again while the serving girl set drinks on our table, then left. ¡°On my status sheet, that¡¯s what it says. Mchai.¡± I ran a hand along her back. ¡°That¡¯s good to know, thank you.¡± She nodded once. ¡°I am yours.¡± She nced at me from the corner of her eye. ¡°As long as you¡¯ll have me.¡± I chuckled and ced a kiss to the top of her head. She hummed happily, leaning into me with one hand resting on my thigh. Then she sat up and sniffed. ¡°Elisa.¡± Sure enough, less than a minuteter, the thick curtains to the booth parted and Elisa and Cynthia both stuck their heads in. Elisa looked leagues better than she had yesterday, if still a little tired, and Cynthia carried a ck case likely full of papers. Cynthia gave us a curt yet professional greeting while Elisa slid in long enough to give Noelle a hug before retreating to sit across from us with Cynthia. I noted with a smile that the two of them sat as close to one another as Noelle and I did. ¡°First things first,¡± Cynthia said, pulling out a stack of papers and sliding them to me, ¡°you¡¯ll be d to know things went well. The money from the queen should reach the injured guards and the families of the deceased by the end of the week. The rest has been split among the four humans in the group. It will take them a few days to tally the reward for the rest of the spiders in the caverns, but a mission is already underway to make sure there are no more captives held down below.¡± I inclined my head in thanks. ¡°You do good work, it seems.¡± Her expression remained all business, though I thought I saw a flicker of color in her cheeks. ¡°You were serious about hiring me? About hiring us?¡± Cutting straight to the chase, then. I leaned back with an arm around Noelle. The serving girl picked that moment to return and we ordered some food, then once she¡¯d retreated I said, ¡°I was. Still am, though we should probably talk things through first. What I¡¯d expect and what you¡¯d expect.¡± She nodded curtly. ¡°Do I have your permission to be blunt?¡± A half-smirk pulled at my lips. ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer it.¡± She crossed one leg over the other, one finger tapping on the table. Elisa looked between us with some worry, but she remained quiet. At a guess, they¡¯d decided Cynthia would do most of the talking. Finally, just as I¡¯d taken a sip of the ale the serving girl brought, Cynthia asked, ¡°do you intend to take advantage of us? Sexually or otherwise.¡± Elisa looked at herp while I sprayed ale onto the table. ¡°What?¡± I choked. ¡°No, of course not! What the fuck is with this world?¡± I worked to clear my airways while Noelle used a napkin to clean some of the ale off the table. ¡°Trust me when I say I¡¯ve got my hands full on that front.¡± I patted my own shirt dry. ¡°Why?¡± Her finger kept tapping. ¡°You¡¯re a lord. A powerful one from what little I saw while I had control over your finances. And ording to Elisa, you¡¯re plenty strong when ites to fighting, as well. A man like you could have his pick of the academies. It¡¯s a little hard to believe you¡¯d want a couple of nobodies like us.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Well, you certainly weren¡¯t lying about bluntness. Elisa is easy. I¡¯ve seen her creations, and I¡¯m interested in what else she can do. I¡¯ve already got some ideas on how to apply her Spitter Spheres to my own fighting style that would be more than beneficial.¡± Cynthia inclined her head, but her face showed about as much emotion as Noelle usually did. ¡°And me? I¡¯m nothing more than the seventh daughter of a cart driver with no money or acim to my name. I have no connections or skills other than a penchant for numbers you could easily find anywhere else. If something is too good to be true, then it usually is.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°You weren¡¯t this hesitant back at the guild.¡± ¡°I was riding the high of seeing the girl I love alive and well.¡± Elisa tensed, her face going crimson, but Cynthia barreled on. ¡°And then I saw just what I was working with. Got an idea of just how muchnd you own. I mean no offense, but nobody gains that muchnd without stepping on others. It made me¡­rethink things.¡± If only you knew. Still, I could understand her reservations, even if I felt like she was blowing it just a tad out of proportion. I didn¡¯t own that muchnd, after all. ¡°It was inherited. I can tell you the full story if you decide to take the job.¡± She remained unconvinced. ¡°What¡¯s the catch? There¡¯s always one, and I¡¯d rather you be up front about it. If you¡¯re just offering me the job to stay in Elisa¡¯s good graces, then that¡¯s fine. Preferablepared to most of the alternatives, and I think I¡¯d rather know if that was the case. Whatever the other shoe is, I think I¡¯d rather let it drop now thanter.¡± I chuckled. I was beginning to like Cynthia more and more. She was my kind of paranoid. ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong, there will be one drawback.¡± She opened her mouth and I raised a finger to silence her. ¡°One that I intended to inform you of before we left this table.¡± She sat back, her eyes narrowed. ¡°If I don¡¯t already, I¡¯m going to have quite a target on my back. I¡¯ll do what I can to protect you, but I¡¯d be lying if I said the job was going to bepletely without danger.¡± Elisa gulped, but Cynthia hardly missed a beat. ¡°And you¡¯re collecting enemies because¡­?¡± Well, there was no reward without a little risk. ¡°Because, for a number of reasons, I n to get rid of the ords.¡± They both sat straight up, their backs ramrod straight. Then, almost as if in after thought, I threw out, ¡°I¡¯d also like topletely reform the adventurer¡¯s guild while I¡¯m at it.¡± Elisa looked to her friend with some rm while Cynthia gaped. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°As a heart attack,¡± I confirmed. Cynthia¡¯s facade had finally cracked. ¡°That¡¯s insane! Do you have any idea how many powerful people benefit from those systems? People who will do literally anything to make sure you don¡¯t take their power away from them? You¡¯d be fighting the mother of all uphill battles!¡± ¡°Hence the danger.¡± Cynthia took a moment to collect herself, and Elisa leaned forward and asked, ¡°Do you at least have a n on how to do that?¡± ¡°I do, actually.¡± My time with Sandrel hadn¡¯t been for naught, after all. ¡°The broad strokes, at least. I¡¯ll need someone with know-how and familiarity of the system to take care of the finer details, though.¡± ¡°The adventuring guild aside¡ª¡± Cynthia began. ¡°Actually,¡± I interrupted, ¡°the guild might prove to be the easier of the two.¡± She blinked, then forged on. ¡°Many have tried to oppose the ords. It¡¯s be too integral a part of the system to even try dismantling. You¡¯d beughed out of the room anytime you suggested it.¡± ¡°Which is why we won¡¯t be opposing it. Not openly, at least.¡± Her mouth hung open for a moment, then she sat back to wait for exnation. ¡°We don¡¯t fight the system, we take advantage of it. Use it to protect demi-humans instead of exploiting them, at the cost of the system itself if we can manage it. Expose its weaknesses in such a way that others take notice and do the same. Force them to change it.¡± ¡°And if they make things worse for the demi-humans?¡± she demanded. ¡°Oh, they undoubtedly will. They¡¯ve been walking a line so far. Oppression, but none so bad that it invokes open revolt. The ords never should have existed in the first ce, so all we have to do is poke at its foundation until it copses or bes horrible enough that those who have been looking the other way all this time won¡¯t have a choice any longer. I¡¯ll need someone extremely clever for that, though.¡± I gave her a pointed look, and her finger resumed tapping. ¡°Many will get caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to minimize coteral damage, but if we¡¯re smart about it the ones who will suffer the most will be those who benefit now.¡± ¡°And the guild?¡± ¡°Like I said, that¡¯ll be the easier of the two. In that instance, we work within the structure of the guild to offer an alternative, slowly gaining power until we¡¯rerge enough that they can¡¯t simply cut us off. If we do it right, we can raise an entire generation of powerful adventurers capable of handling the tougher jobs and giving those that abuse the system enoughpetition that they¡¯re forced to change and adapt as well.¡± Her expression became thoughtful. ¡°You sound like you¡¯ve done this kind of thing before.¡± On a smaller scale, I had. I¡¯d helped Sandrel take apart a number of small governments and systems spread across Grimsbane¡¯s empire. I understood the basics, but I needed someone with a mind like Cynthia¡¯s to have a chance. ¡°You navigated guild rules to get money to those families. Of all the people I asked, you were the only one to even try. It¡¯ll be dangerous, but if we seed it will make life a lot better for a lot of people.¡± Elisa reached for Cynthia¡¯s hand and gave it a squeeze, then shot her a meaningful look. Cynthia returned it, then sighed and nodded. Elisa beamed, then ced a chaste kiss on Cynthia¡¯s cheek. Blushing slightly, Cynthia started pulling out more stacks of papers and a pen. ¡°Right,¡± she said, her voice slightly higher than it had been a moment ago. ¡°I wanted to be prepared, so I took the liberty of drafting up some preliminary contracts. This one is for Elisa. It will officially put her under your employ and ensure she not only gets a cut of any profits from her creations, but it will make sure those inventions stay in her name. You¡¯ll still have to pay for the materials that go into anymissions for yourself, but she¡¯ll get a weekly stipend.¡± She slid the sheet across for me to read it. ¡°I used the average for metalworkers since her profession is unique. It will also allow her to takemissions from those outside of your household, though in that case you would receive a cut of the profits. The amounts can be negotiated, but I think this is a fair starting¡ª¡± I cut her off by signing Elisa¡¯s contract. ¡°Fine by me. We¡¯ll see how she does for a month or two and decide if I should pay her more or not.¡± Cynthia gaped. ¡°You don¡¯t want to get a scribe to look it over?¡± she demanded. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± With a delighted cry, Elisa wrapped her arms around Cynthia, tears in her eyes. The serving girl appeared with food and we all paused long enough to let her set it down. I took a bite of my cut ofmb and pointed my fork at Cynthia while Noelle chowed down next to me one handed, the other never leaving myp. ¡°Now, onto yours.¡± She blinked several times, then slid two more stacks over. ¡°Right. I figured we had two basic options. The first is for me to simply be your ountant and handling your finances.¡± She tapped one stack. ¡°The other sounds like more of what you¡¯re envisioning, but it would give me more power and cost you more money.¡± She tapped the other stack. ¡°Door number two sounds enticing. What¡¯s behind it?¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°Well, I¡¯d be your general bookkeeper. I¡¯d handle your finances, but I¡¯d also handle properties and acquisitions. Obtaining and managing servants would fall under my purview as well. Any other official appointments would be something I could handle, though you could take care of that just as easily.¡± She chewed on something for a moment, then added, ¡°if you wished, you could decide what role you wanted someone to have and I could trante that into official jargon to make the appointment a matter ofw.¡± I signed the second stack without even bothering to look at the money. Her eyes bulged. ¡°Well, if I¡¯d have known you were so eager I¡¯d have asked for more,¡± she said. Iughed. ¡°Impress me and you¡¯ll get it. Now, currently I¡¯ve got four demi-humans. Noelle will be more of a physical protector, and Rhani will have a role more akin to a researcher, though her new ss will surely havebat potential. They¡¯ll both be powerful.¡± She nodded, then pulled out a bound booklet and began writing. ¡°The other two?¡± ¡°Ryoko and Tsuki. Ryoko is an alchemist, we haven¡¯t found a role for Tsuki just yet.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll have her as a general servant for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Oh, and there are two humans you should find a ce for. Tiana and Serena.¡± Elisa gasped. ¡°Tiana¡¯sing? Yes!¡± I thought Cynthia might have blushed slightly, but I ignored it. ¡°Yes, she is. For now, she¡¯ll be my party member until we reach the capital. Serena as well, though eventually we might have to officially make her my priestess.¡± Cynthia choked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, priestess?¡± ¡°Ah, apologies. I got ahead of myself. Now that you¡¯re a part of the household, you should probably know that I made a deal with the goddess Allura, and Serena is her priestess. The goals I told you of are in rtion to that deal.¡± Her face pale, Cynthia eyed the stacks of signed papers. ¡°I realize now I should have asked this before, but you aren¡¯t insane, are you?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Might be, in all honesty. Doesn¡¯t change what I have to do, though. I assume you worked in some clever emergency exit uses to those contracts?¡± she paled further. ¡°Good. Hopefully you won¡¯t need them, but I feel better knowing you¡¯ve got a way out if you decide you don¡¯t want to be a part of this.¡± ¡°R-right. I¡¯ll see what I can do,¡± Cynthia said uncertainly. ¡°Anything else?¡± I nodded. ¡°By the time we reach Amesseria, I¡¯d like for you to be an expert in both the ords and the workings of the guild. I figure you¡¯ve already got thetter taken care of, but I¡¯ll need you to start brainstorming some ideas to get the ball rolling. Oh, and I¡¯ll also need you to familiarize yourself with my holdings, properties, and finances. Any knowledge I have of it is about thirty years old, after all.¡± Cynthia steepled her fingers. ¡°I see. And, just out of curiosity, should I assume your knowledge of anything rting to the capital, its government, and itsws to be of the same age?¡± ¡°Other than what I¡¯ve learned in the past¡­¡± I did a quick mental count, ¡°three weeks or so. And while you have ess to my funds, take a chunk out for the two of you. Consider it a hiring bonus and use it to make sure you¡¯re well equipped for the ride south.¡± She let out a long breath. ¡°I see you n to put me to work.¡± I grinned. ¡°Yep. You¡¯ll keep busy, but if it¡¯s too much let me know and I¡¯ll bump your pay ordingly. Once we get to the capital, we¡¯ll see about getting you any help you might need.¡± Her finger tapped away, but at a slower pace. ¡°You aren¡¯t worried I¡¯ll take advantage of you? Take all your money and run?¡± ¡°You owe me for saving Elisa,¡± I pointed out. ¡°And you strike me as someone who cares very much about that kind of thing. And if you¡¯re half as smart as I think you are, you¡¯ll recognize this as an opportunity to make some money and not piss off someone like me.¡± Her lip quirked upward. ¡°Elisa tells me you have a rtionship with two of them?¡± Noelle¡¯s hand twitched on my thigh. I cleared my throat. ¡°Actually, four.¡± Cynthia¡¯s brows rose. ¡°I was in a full rtionship with Rhani and Serena both before we went down, and since then we¡¯ve included Noelle and Tiana in our¡­harem.¡± I still felt more than a little ridiculous saying the word, but it was what it was. Elisa¡¯s jaw dropped, and even Cynthia was taken aback. Both of them looked to Noelle as if just now realizing how close to me she sat. Cynthia recovered first. ¡°R-right. Well, demi-humans might propose an issue and draw a little too much attention to you, so perhaps keep those rtions behind closed doors. That¡¯s my advice as your manager of household, at least. I take it that means we can expect to be working closely with other demi-humans in the future?¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Giving demi-humans a chance to prove themselves will be a cornerstone of our strategy. Finding others who treat their servants well will be important once we reach the capital.¡± She nodded. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll do all you ask to the best of my ability under one condition.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°Elisa stays safe,¡± she said firmly. ¡°No forcing her on any more dangerous missions, and if she¡¯s ever in danger you protect her as if she were a member of your harem.¡± ¡°Cynthia!¡± Elisa eximed. ¡°Easy enough,¡± I told her. ¡°I take care of my own.¡± Cynthia seemed to sag with relief, then nodded. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she meant until Elisa practically exploded with questions. ¡°Will you fund more Spitter Spheres? Do you want me to make more of thenterns, too? What kinds ofmissions did you have in mind? Am I gonna get my own workshop? Are we walking all the way to the capital? Have you really talked to a goddess? Are you a Chosen? Can I meet your alchemist? Do you think¡ª¡± Cynthia pped a hand over her mouth, which only turned her rapidfire questions into muffled ones. ¡°Easy, girl. One at a time.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yes, yes, not sure yet, definitely, we¡¯ll have wagons, yes, definitely not, and yes.¡± She gasped, then threw her arms around Cynthia. ¡°Did you hear? My own workshop!¡± Even Cynthia couldn¡¯t suppress the smile then. ¡°Do you have someone to drive the wagon?¡± she asked. ¡°I know enough to teach one of mine to take care of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it. My dad made sure we all knew how in case we needed to take over the family business, but I was always better with numbers.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Elisa shifted in her seat, and her excitement reminded me so much of Rhani that I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°When can I meet your alchemist? I have so many ideas that need an alchemist.¡± ¡°As soon as you¡¯d like.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Cynthia will have her nose buried in a book all day now, can I meet her today?¡± ¡°I was nning to head to them after this, so sure.¡± Elisa turned pleading eyes towards Cynthia, who just sighed and said with a smile, ¡°of course you can. I¡¯ll see you tonight?¡± Elisa dashed in to kiss her on the cheek. ¡°You know it.¡± By then, we¡¯d all more or less finished our food. Noelle had picked her te clean minus the peas that had been shoved in the corner untouched. I filed that information away forter. ¡°That works doubly well. I¡¯ll talk to Korey¡ªthe head of our caravan¡ªand find out exactly when he wants to leave. I¡¯ll let Elisa know so she can let you know.¡± Cynthia inclined her head. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll make sure we¡¯re ready to leave by morning since I doubt you¡¯ll be headed out thiste in the afternoon.¡± She tapped Elisa, who slid out of the booth first. Cynthia followed while Noelle and I filed out, then she turned and held out her hand. ¡°Thank you for saving my girlfriend.¡± Elisa made a small squeak, but Cynthia paid her no mind. ¡°And thank you for this opportunity, sir.¡± I took the hand. ¡°Just Zaren is fine.¡± I got the feeling they wanted a moment to themselves, so Noelle and I went out front to wait for them. A familiar face was waiting for us outside. S, Fel¡¯s ranger, leaned on the wall of the establishment with her arms crossed. ¡°Ren,¡± she said when she saw us, ¡°a word.¡± Noelle took a step closer to me with a soft growl, but I put a hand on her shoulder. I gestured to a spot out of the way and she nodded curtly. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± I asked her in as civil a tone as I could manage. She wouldn¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°Rastra said you agreed to help her?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Her jaw clenched and unclenched a few times. ¡°That was kind of you.¡± ¡°It was the least I could do.¡± That seemed to make her features tighten more. ¡°Look, if anyone asks, we never had this conversation. What you did, Fel took personally. He doesn¡¯t take losing well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m shocked,¡± I said dryly. She shot a re at me. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke. Fel has money, and the rumors around his family¡­Look, Rastra is a good person. I just don¡¯t want her getting caught in the crossfire, alright?¡± ¡°Better men than Fel have tried to put me in the ground,¡± I told her. Then, when she went to snarl something else at me, I held up a hand. ¡°But I¡¯ll be on the lookout.¡± S red at me for a few more seconds to drive her point home, then turned on her heel and stalked off. Before she was out of sight, I said, ¡°I owe you for the head¡¯s up. When Fel inevitably throws you aside like the bastard he is, don¡¯t hesitate to collect.¡± She paused, the muscles in her back tight as a bowstring, then kept walking without another word. Noelle made another growling sound in her throat. ¡°I do not like Fel,¡± she said. I patted her shoulder. ¡°Neither do I.¡± Elisa and Cynthia picked that moment to walk out. They said a final goodbye, and Elisa walked up to us. ¡°So, where to?¡± I smiled at her despite the growing worry in my gut. ¡°Now I¡¯ll take you to meet our alchemist. But we¡¯ll need to make a stop along the way, first.¡± Chapter Forty-Two: Meetings of Minds Chapter Forty-Two: Meetings of Minds As it turned out, we made a few stops on our way to Korey¡¯s warehouse. The first was to stop by Elisa¡¯s to grab what few tools she owned. Since most of what she worked with had been owned by her now-former employer, it wasn¡¯t much. After that, we swung by a few stores to get her properly stocked up. Along the way, I made a number of purchases that my instincts told me to get. Namely plenty of extra tents, bedrolls, and supplies that would either provide for a small group for a long time or arge group for the time it would take us to finish our journey to the capital. After my ill-advised expedition into the caverns, I had to assume that every nasty thing within a hundred miles was out to get me. I¡¯d be wrong more often than not, but those times where I was right would pay off. Only after that did we head to the warehouse. Noelle stuck happily by my side with a spring in her step, though she remained quiet for the journey. Elisa bombarded me with questions about the group and what things were going to be like in the capital. I answered the former while I managed to deflect most of thetter questions back at her, whichted me more than a little interesting information. I learned she was an only child who had no idea who her father was. Her mother built up more than a few debts before disappearing into the night, leaving Elisa behind to pick up the pieces. She¡¯d shown herself more than capable with her mind, but the one who she owed debts to clearly had no intention of letting her go. He gave her near free reign to invent, though not without deepening her debt with every purchase of materials. She¡¯d gone by the guild to try and sell her inventions, but her inventions were more mechanical than magical. That led to many being unable to grasp the intent or usefulness of her gadgets. During her attempts, though, she¡¯d met Cynthia. The guild receptionist had been curious about the gadgets and from the way Elisa talked about her I gathered she¡¯d been a bit more interested in the girl talking about them. Not that Elisa had realized, naturally. By the time we finally made it to our destination, I was even more confident in my decision to recruit her. As long as I provided ie, housing, and a safe environment for her and Cynthia, I knew she¡¯d be an incredible asset to me. Not in the least because my enemies would underestimate her inventions just as those adventurers had. It was a nice bonus to helping someone who clearly deserved the break. I knew we were in for it when we arrived. Our wagon had been moved outside along with one of Korey¡¯s, though they stood apart. An awning had been attached to the side of Korey¡¯s wagon where Tiana, Garm, and Vaze sat in folding chairs watching our wagon with drinks in hand. Tsukiy on top of Korey¡¯s wagon facing the sky with one knee crooked, her ck tail hanging off the side, swishingzily. Our wagon was the one that caught my attention. Mainly because it was almost entirely ck. I had a feeling I knew why, and my suspicions were confirmed when I heard a startled squeak, followed by an explosion of thick ck smoke that I knew carried no heat. It burst outward, then hung into the air. With a sigh, Tsuki nimbly hopped off the wagon and picked up a ck-stained bucket and started lugging it over towards the slowly settling cloud. Ryoko came stumbling out of the smoke, covered in nearly as much ck as the wagon, coughing to clear her lungs. Tsuki trudged over and plopped the bucket down next to her sister, already starting to wipe the thick powder off with a wet rag. She only got about halfway before Ryoko pulled off a pair of stained goggles to dunk them in the bucket. She was halfway before she spotted me and froze. ¡°Ren!¡± Tsuki made an annoyed sound when her sister bounded off towards me. She hit me at a sprint, nearly bowling me over. ¡°I love alchemy so much! Even when I fail, it¡¯s amazing! It¡¯s so much fun! So far, I¡¯vee up with nearly a dozen ways not to make your darkpowder bombs.¡± Tsuki had lugged the bucket about halfway before Noelle took it from her, hefting it as if it weighed nothing and carrying it the rest of the way. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re enjoying yourself,¡± I told her, patting a part of her head that Tsuki had managed to clean off. Noelle and Tsuki both grabbed a rag and continued wiping her down. ¡°And I like the new paint job.¡± She beamed at me, and I realized her incisors were nearly as long as Noelle¡¯s. Then she gasped. ¡°Oh! Wait here!¡± ¡°No, wait¡ª¡± Tsuki tried to say, but it was toote. Ryoko was bounding off again. She shook her head, though she was smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her this happy,¡± she said. She turned her gaze to from her sister to meet mine, and her golden eyes felt like they were burning a hole in me. Her expression became guarded, but not quite as suspicious as normal. ¡°If this is some trick and you hurt her now, then I won¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve killed you.¡± Elisa gasped next to me, but I just grinned. ¡°Duly noted.¡± Ryoko came bouncing back with Tiana in tow. It seemed they¡¯d been storing the sesses out of the st zone, because she held out two vials to me that weren¡¯t coated in ck. ¡°Look!¡± I took them. One was mostly clear with a reddish tint, the other was the same solid obsidian ck that covered the wagon. ¡°Well done,¡± I told her. She smiled wide. ¡°That one is a health potion, but it¡¯s weak unless you¡¯re asleep. It¡¯ll make you drowsy, though, so I figured it could be good to drink at night after a battle or something. And the other¡ª¡± ¡°Darkpowder. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Tiana made her way to my side somewhat hesitantly, and I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. She let out a small surprised breath, then smiled demurely and wrapped her own arm around me. My eyes drew towards the wagon and I arched a questioning brow. Ryoko¡¯s smile faltered, then she puffed out her chest. ¡°I¡¯ve got a basic version down, but I have a skill that allows me to impart mana into my brews to make the effects more potent or to add additional ones. I¡¯ve been trying to improve your recipe, but I keep running into the same problem. Either the ss is too thick to shatter uniformly or the pressure makes the vial explode.¡± A sharp mind willing to take initiative. Ryoko would fit in well. ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve got other ideas on a container.¡± I held the vial out to Elisa, who clutched her tools with wide eyes. ¡°What do you think? Can you make a spitter out of this?¡± She took it hesitantly, then reached for the cork. ¡°NO!¡± Tiana, Tsuki, and Ryoko all shouted at once. She froze, wide-eyed, and I chuckled. ¡°Once bottled, darkpowder will explode upon being released. It covers the area in a cloud that absorbs and blocks all light, and its light enough that it hangs in ce for a while. Better than any smokescreen I¡¯ve evere across.¡± She gulped, nced at the wagon, then nodded. ¡°Oh, I can make one. Don¡¯t know how, but I can¡¯t wait to figure it out.¡± The twins both nced at her as if just now noticing she was there. They leaned forward and sniffed, then exchanged a brief nod. I put my free hand on Elisa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Elisa, this is Ryoko and Tsuki. Ryoko here is our alchemist, if you haven¡¯t already figured that out.¡± I turned to the twins. ¡°Ryoko, Tsuki, Elisa here is our new¡­¡± I trailed off, realizing I didn¡¯t know exactly how to quantify her role. ¡°Tinkerer,¡± Elisa provided. ¡°That¡¯s my ss, at least.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Tinkerer, then. A dark-spitter is the first project I¡¯d like the two of you to coborate on, though I figure you cane up with plenty of things working together.¡± ¡°Dark-spitter?¡± Ryoko asked. I looked to Elisa. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got a non-lethal one on you?¡± She frowned, then handed the vial back to Ryoko and started rummaging around in her bag. ¡°Oh! How about this one?¡± She tossed it towards the wagon and it started spinning,unching a spray that glowed bright green wherever it stuck. It looked ratherical sshing against the night-ck stained wagon. ¡°It¡¯ll wash off after it stops glowing.¡± Ryoko was immediately enthralled. ¡°You have to tell me how that works!¡± She grabbed Elisa¡¯s arm and took a step towards the wagon where the dust was finally starting to clear, then they both paused and looked up at me. I grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t stop on my ount, or have you forgotten that I put you up to this? Go on! Have some fun! Blow some stuff up!¡± I told them. They grinned at one another, then made a beeline for Ryoko¡¯s temporaryb. Tsuki blew out a breath, then shot me a dirty look. ¡°I¡¯m going to go make sure they don¡¯t take your words too literally.¡± Noelle made a humming noise in the back of her throat. ¡°I would like to go to. I want to see if she can make¡ª¡± she paused, shifting from foot to foot. ¡°Something.¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t let me stop you. Tell me if she needs money for supplies. And tell her that I¡¯ve already approved whatever it is.¡± She bit her lip, her long canine digging into the soft gray flesh. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but I also trust you. You¡¯ll tell me when you want, and that¡¯s fine by me.¡± She smiled softly, then took a step and paused. She turned back towards me, the question in her eyes, and I dly leaned down so she could quickly press her lips to mine. Then she turned and walked briskly towards the wagon with a spring in her step. ¡°She¡¯s absolutely adorable,¡± Tiana said, still pressing into me. I turned and gave Tiana her own deep kiss before responding. ¡°She¡¯se a long way since I first found her. That¡¯s for certain.¡± She looked away. ¡°The others told me. I know you told me the basics back in the tunnels, but it sounds like it was much worse than I imagined.¡± ¡°It was,¡± I confirmed. ¡°But she¡¯se a long way and she¡¯s getting better every day.¡± She turned so she could throw her other arm over my shoulder and face me. ¡°Seems like you¡¯ve got a thing for damsels in distress,¡± she noted. ¡°Better than having a thing for girls fated to die horribly.¡± She flinched. ¡°Yeah, they told me that, too. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I slid my other hand to her waist. ¡°The past is the past. Noelle isn¡¯t the only one healing. Besides, when I¡¯m done with you lot, you won¡¯t need anyone toe save you.¡± She raised both arms over my shoulders so she could interlink her fingers behind my head. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what you¡¯ll do then. I meet so many guys who can¡¯t stand it when their girl is stronger than them.¡± I snorted. ¡°Fuck that. I could definitely go for a girl who could kick my ass.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± This close, we barely had to move to lock our lips together. She kissed me softly and slowly, enjoying every second of the embrace. After, she rested her head on my shoulder, one hand gently ying with the hair at the nape of my neck. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Alive? Or just¡­¡± I lowered my hand to cup her ass, ¡°here.¡± She chuckled, nuzzling into me. ¡°Both, I suppose. The fact that I spent the night getting railed by a literal legend is a bit much to wrap my brain around.¡± That made meugh. ¡°I keep forgetting that I¡¯m anything other than just Zaren. It wasn¡¯t like I fought Grimsbane for money or fame. I just did it because it was the only move that made sense at the time.¡± ¡°Hmm, keep telling yourself that.¡± I pulled back with a raised brow. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± She met my gaze with a smile and her chin held high. ¡°I¡¯ve met a lot of people who went to great lengths to justify doing bad things, but you¡¯re the first to go just as far to justify good ones.¡± She brought her hands down to trail over my chest. ¡°You are allowed to think of yourself as a good guy, you know.¡± After all this time, I wasn¡¯t sure it was that easy. Still, she wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± I told her. She smiled brilliantly and my heart damn near skipped a beat. Then her smile faltered. ¡°Zaren, if I ask you something, promise you won¡¯t get mad?¡± Oh boy, those words were rarely followed by anything good. ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything, but I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Her hands lowered until they could wrap around my lower back. ¡°Be honest with me. Please. This¡­what we have. What we¡¯re building. Do you see it going long term?¡± I was very suddenly aware of how dry my mouth was. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever been able to n long term. I¡¯m also not entirely sure what you¡¯re asking.¡± She tried to withdraw, but I held her close. Her turquoise eyes flicked up to mine. ¡°I just¡ªI want us to be on the same page, I guess. We¡¯ve known each other for a whopping three days, so to say we¡¯re moving fast is a bit of an understatement.¡± I took a moment to pick my words carefully. ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± ¡°No!¡± she said immediately, her eyes going wide. ¡°Gods, no! It¡¯s just a lot, okay? Last week I thought I was doomed to be known as the camp whore, getting felt up by whatever pervy adventurer is in charge of whatever seedy group is willing to take in a slut like me. Then I thought I was going to die a horrible death alone in the dark. Now I¡¯ve got an amazing guy who says he¡¯s willing to not only make me feel good physically, but he¡¯s willing to make me feel like something other than some cheap toy.¡± I pulled her in close with one hand while the other cupped her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re none of those things, and if you ever feel like that then please tell me so I can do something to fix it.¡± She blinked away a film of wetness in her eyes. ¡°See? That right there. It feels way too good to be true. I guess I just can¡¯t stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.¡± I ran my thumb across her cheekbone and she closed her eyes. ¡°We can take this slower if you want. Just say the word.¡± She pressed into me. ¡°I definitely don¡¯t want that. After what you¡¯ve shown me¡­what you¡¯ve made me feel¡­going backwards would kill me. I think that¡¯s the other part that¡¯s frightening. It¡¯s like sometimes I forget we haven¡¯t known each other for a long time. As ridiculously cliche as it sounds, I feel like I¡¯ve known you for much longer.¡± I slid my hand to the back of her head and she leaned into me gratefully. With the other I started rubbing her back. ¡°I don¡¯t think its ridiculous at all. I¡¯ve only been in this time for less than a month and already I can¡¯t imagine life without Rhani or Serena or Noelle.¡± I hugged her tight. ¡°Or you.¡± She buried her chin in my shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around me. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Unless you want me gone, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Her arms tightened further. ¡°So¡­hypothetically¡­I could take you into consideration with future skills?¡± I felt a twitch down south in spite of myself. ¡°If you¡¯d like,¡± I said as evenly as I could manage. ¡°Then¡­if I were to say, take a skill that requires someone else to make me climax, you wouldn¡¯t leave me high and dry?¡± With how tightly she was pressed into my front, I knew she felt my growing erection. I pulled back enough to look her in the eye. ¡°Serena took a ss for me. Rhani definitely has skills she wouldn¡¯t havee across naturally if it hadn¡¯t been for Allura¡¯s intervention. If you want to take sses with me in mind, I won¡¯t stop you. Though I would ask that you take skills because it¡¯s what you want, not because you think I¡¯d want you to.¡± Once again, I lowered my hand to cup her rear. ¡°If you do, though, then you¡¯d better be prepared. Like the others, if you make decisions like this that could affect your life because of me, then you¡¯d better believe I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to make sure you don¡¯t regret it. Even if we end up hating each other.¡± She started grinding against my hardening length. ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t see that ever happening. But that¡¯s good to know.¡± Her eyes unfocused, then she smiled. ¡°I took the skill.¡± I tutted. ¡°Guess you¡¯re stuck with me, then. Poor you.¡± Her smile widened, and she leaned in close. ¡°Poor me indeed.¡± We hadn¡¯t been kissing for long before the wagon exploded again. They emerged, blindly feeling their way out with ckened goggles and cloths tied around their mouths. They went to chatting excitedly while the smoke slowly cleared. Noelle and Tsuki had managed to avoid getting coated and were apparently on bucket duty. Tiana turned to lean into my side and we watched them for a while. Then, my earlier encounter with S still on my mind, I asked, ¡°how¡¯s your mana looking?¡± She frowned. ¡°Still pretty much empty, and that won¡¯t change for another day or two. Not with my regen gutted.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something you should know.¡± Without going into too much detail, I told her the basics of what had happened between me and Fel. When I was done, she grimaced. ¡°I¡¯ve met men like him. They¡¯re rarely good losers.¡± I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I want you to have at least a little mana in the tank in case of emergency. Think you could handle a few mana pots?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I probably could, but¡­¡± Her gaze slid away, and her cheeks darkened. ¡°There¡¯s a¡­cheaper option.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Won¡¯t that make you insatiable?¡± Her thighs rubbed together, and suddenly her cheeks were flushed. ¡°Maybe. I¡¯ve never tried using it while I¡¯m getting fucked. Might as well experiment while we¡¯ve got the chance, right?¡± I massaged the plump flesh of her rear through her pants. ¡°Here? Now?¡± She groaned. ¡°Fuck yes here and now. There¡¯s a room in the back full of boxes,¡± she breathed. ¡°Lead the way, then.¡± She shot me a heated look, then grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the warehouse. She stopped long enough to ask Noelle to watch the twins, to which the Mchai agreed with a silent nod and an arched brow, then Tiana nearly ran inside with me in tow. Garm shot us an amused look and a wave, and I felt some heat rise in my neck. For the first time, I realized it might be tricky to take full advantage of Tiana¡¯s skills while in a crowded caravan. Then she yanked me into a small cluttered room and I lost all train of thought. ¡°Fuck, I knew I shouldn¡¯t have worn pants today!¡± she hissed. ¡°They look fucking amazing on you, though,¡± I said, grabbing two handfuls of her curvaceous rear. ¡°Oh, fuck it.¡± She undid her belt with fumbling hands and pulled her pants down almost to her knees, then bent over one of the boxes and looked at me over her shoulder. She grabbed one tan cheek in hand and spread it, giving me a view that ensured I was at full mast. ¡°Fuck me.¡± I needed no further invitation. It took me a second to undo my trousers and another second to fish myself out and line up, then I was sliding into her soaked depths. Skills or no, she needed no preparation. She moaned happily and pushed back against me. Her heat enveloped me, and her silken walls instantly clenched around my member. I shuddered in pleasure. ¡°Have you started using the skill yet?¡± I knew the second she did. Suddenly her insides heated until they were scorchingly hot and a shiver rippled through her body. She moaned throatily and started thrusting her hips back to meet mine. ¡°Oh fuck, Zaren, that feels good.¡± I ran my hands over her ass, then gripped her hips and started thrusting back. Her longer legs meant she had to lower a little to give me the best angle, which she did happily. I started thrusting, and then I felt another tremor rip through her. She groaned, gripping the box so hard her knuckles turned white. ¡°Tiana?¡± ¡°Crank¡ªnng!¡ªcranked the skill up a n¡ªnnnnnotch! Fuck! Harder! There, right there!¡± Her head fell forward and she came. I knew what her skill entailed, so I didn¡¯t even slow down. ¡°How high does it go?¡± ¡°W-w-w-what?¡± She tried to lift up onto her forearms, but I started thrusting even harder. ¡°It go-o-o-oes higher, but I¡¯ve never gone further than thi-i-i-iiiiiis!¡± I gave her a smack and she cried out, convulsing on my cock again. Then I slid my hand so I could gently tease her rear hole with my thumb. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re experimenting, we might as well test your limits.¡± She pressed her forehead into the wood of the crate and cried out through clenched teeth, already reaching a third climax. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªcan¡¯t¡ªahhh shit!¡ªcan¡¯t even think. I wouldn¡¯t¡ªI couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± Her words devolved into wordless moans while she held on for dear life. I kept mming my hips forward, pulling hers to me with every thrust to make sure I was hitting that spot that drove her crazy. She climaxed again, then on the fifth one her legs gave out underneath her. I caught her, but the sudden lunge plunged me deeper in her than before. Release mmed into me like a hammer, and I found myself filling her up with shot after shot. She came through the entire load, her fiery walls mping down on me with enough tightness to nearly be painful. Once I was done, I slid out. A trail of cum dribbled from her lower lips, and shey there panting. I turned her over. She had no strength left to resist. I put a hand on either side of her and leaned over to give her a kiss, rubbing my half-hard length against her rear and folding her legs against her stomach in the process. ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing all the work this time. Coulde in handy in the future, after all.¡± She whimpered, then I slid my length against her core again. It wasn¡¯t fully hard, but it was close enough. Her eyes managed to find me, then she nodded eagerly. She wrapped her arms under her knees and pulled tightly enough to put her holes on full disy. I slid myself back in with a single motion and her eyes practically rolled back into her head. ¡°Be sure to let me know when your mana hits full,¡± I told her, knowing the odds of that were highly unlikely. Then round two began. # # # Allie¡¯s feet drug against the unrelenting stone. Putting one foot in front of the other had grown more difficult with each passing day. She¡¯d seen everyone. Gone through all the little rooms that were far too small for the number of teens crammed into them. It was official. Zaren was gone. He hadn¡¯t made it. Whatever his phase two had involved she would never know. Worst of all, because so many of them had been ordered to keep their trials a secret like her, there was every possibility one of the others knew how he¡¯d died and simply couldn¡¯t tell her. She¡¯d cried a few times over thest several days, but she was out of tears at this point. It was over. Without Zaren, she wasn¡¯t going to make it. She ran her hand along the bumpy flesh at the side of her head. Hair would never grow there again. Then she thumbed the numerous lines and ridges from her own trial. She was coated in so many scars now that she wondered if he¡¯d even recognize her. So much of her ¡°trial¡± had been little more than torture, but her promise to him had managed to get her through it. Now he was¡ª He was here. The way he walked caught her gaze. His eyes were ssy and unseeing, but he moved with confidence. He didn¡¯t so much as look around, but his movements were unimpeded. He¡¯d shot up like a weed, now several inches taller than her, but he was still as gangly as she remembered. Skinny and long. His dark hair was long, messy, and tangled. His eyes were bluer than she could ever recall them being. She lost herselfpletely. Allie rushed towards Zaren and threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. He was so warm. He didn¡¯t react at first, then he put a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Not quite the tearful reunion she¡¯d imagined, but he was alive. A sob broke through her defenses. Maybe, just maybe she stood a chance of surviving after all. But he remained stiff and silent. When she pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes she understood why. One look in his eyes was all it took. He¡¯d fallen back into the darkness. ¡°Oh, Zaren,¡± she breathed. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to one of the sleeping rooms that now sat empty. Then she put a hand on his cheek. ¡°Come back to me, Zaren. Is it Hannah?¡± His eyes took an age to find hers, then he shook his head. A lump formed in her throat. ¡°Someone else?¡± A nod. ¡°They died?¡± No answer, which meant yes. He couldn¡¯t tell her. How was she supposed to help him if she didn¡¯t know what had happened? The tears were starting to build again. This was almost worse than if he simply hadn¡¯t made it to phase three. Almost. Then he seemed toe back to himself, if only slightly. His brow furrowed and his lips turned into a thin line. He reached up and she felt his fingers against the scarred flesh on her head. She turned away in shame. She hadn¡¯t found a mirror, but if her face looked as bad as the rest of her, then surely she was hideous. But he just used a single finger to turn her chin back to him. The motion made gooseflesh erupt across her scarred skin. ¡°What happened?¡± he demanded. A thrill raced through her. His voice was much deeper than she remembered. Where he still touched her face burned with desire. ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you,¡± she said miserably. His lips curved into a frown. She saw something return to his eyes, though what she couldn¡¯t be certain. Then he stepped back and his other hand ran along hers, trailing the bumps and lines where des had parted flesh over and over until they¡¯d refused to heal. The light in his eyes turned dark. Dark enough to scare her. Rage built in his expression, then it faded just as quick. His eyes returned to hers, and in them she saw the Zaren she¡¯d let go of three years ago. ¡°You¡¯re alive.¡± The tremor in his voice broke her heart. ¡°You made it. You¡ªyou''re¡ª¡± Then he yanked her into his chest with a strength that seemed to surprise them both. She wasted no time in burying her face in the ratty shirt that stretched over him poorly and he wrapped his arms around her with a crushing strength that still didn¡¯t seem like enough to her. Another sob forced its way out, and she didn¡¯t fight this one. She held him as tightly as she could, and he made no indication he was ready to let go anytime soon. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can do this, Eliya,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can handle much more.¡± She clung to him tighter. ¡°You can. If anyone can, it¡¯s you.¡± He made a noise in the back of his throat like he wasn¡¯t sure if he agreed, but now she knew. She knew. The rage in his eyes was something she could work with. What had been done to her would haunt her for the rest of her life, however short it might be, but if the sight of her scars kept a fire stoked in him then it would be worth it. In her, Valethar Karn had sown the seeds of his own demise. She¡¯d make sure of it. # # # The first thing Allie felt when she woke were the tears on her face. The second was the set of lips that brushed those tears away. Literally. She opened her eyes to see Nora¡¯s face just above her own, her blue eyes shining with worry. As soon as she saw that Allie was awake, her massive hand slid up to cup Allie¡¯s face. ¡°Another nightmare?¡± she asked. Allie pulled Nora down on top of her, wrapping her arms around the girl like she¡¯d done with Zaren in her dream. ¡°Yes, but this one wasn¡¯t as bad as the others. It was almost happy.¡± Nora rolled so that they were side by side, but didn¡¯t release her grip on Allie. ¡°Zaren survived, then?¡± In spite of everything, Allie smiled. Telling Nora about the contents of her nightmares had been one of the better ones she¡¯d made. Having someone else to help make sense of all this made her feel considerably less insane. ¡°Yes. He survived, but something happened during his phase.¡± She told Nora all she could remember about her dream, and at some point Nora had gone to stroking her hair. A low rumble started deep in Nora¡¯s chest. Her thinking noise, Allie hade to understand. She let her think. While distressing, this dream had been leagues better than the others she¡¯d been having ofte. Of being cut. Of being forced to cut herself. Of using ss des filled with her own blood to fight others in her phase. The cor forcing her to kill them. Their cors forcing them to try and kill her. She¡¯d take dreams like this over those any day. ¡°It¡¯s him, then?¡± Nora asked finally. Allie frowned. ¡°Him? What do you mean?¡± When Nora didn¡¯t answer right away, she pulled back. Nora was pointedly not meeting her eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before. Probably because you were so young in those memories. But the way you talked about Zaren¡­¡± She brushed Allie¡¯s hair back. ¡°You cared for him. Your words of him are softer than those of any of the boys you¡¯ve told me about dating.¡± For a moment, Allie could only blink. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. I didn¡¯t start having these dreams until that creep cut me with the magic knife, so how could I have been in love with Zaren if I didn¡¯t even know who he was?¡± But despite her protests, something about Nora¡¯s words picked at her. Allie¡¯s¡ªno, Eliya¡¯s emotions regarding Zaren had been all mixed up, but strong. At times, it felt like she¡¯d been putting him on a pedestal, but it had been the thing she¡¯d needed to survive her trials. Seeing him again¡­ Eliya had cared for him, but whether that care had been because she¡¯d loved him, because she¡¯d seen him as her only way out, or something in between, she wasn¡¯t sure. She wasn¡¯t sure if Eliya knew either. All she could really do was hope more dreams might shed some light on the matter. More dreams. She was actually hoping for more dreams. Unbelievable. Nora looked at her with some concern as Allie extracted herself from the bed. She picked up the tattered journal Kat had left the day before and returned to bed with it in hand. She paused when she looked out the window. It was already well into the evening, but that wasn¡¯t umon for them these days. With Kat¡¯s funds, she could afford toy in bed longer in the hopes that it would speed up her recovery. Since her nightmares had taken a turn for the more violent, Nora had wanted to be there when she woke as often as possible. She¡¯d woken up on more than one asion with adrenaline pumping in her veins and the line between Allie and Eliya painfully blurred, and Nora had been the one to calm her. It was a good thing Nora¡¯s ss made her adept at shrugging off damage, because Allie rarely woke peacefully. She slid back into Nora¡¯s weing arms with her back to the wall of muscle that was now her girlfriend and opened the journal. It was written in two distinct sets of handwriting. One was messy and cramped, the other much neater. More flowing, loopy letters. ¡°Anything of interest?¡± Nora asked. She¡¯d sometimes read over Allie¡¯s shoulder, but she struggled with the cramped writing and didn¡¯t want to slow Allie down. Allie wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°What I¡¯ve read so far seems focused on how souls get damaged. Intense physical pain can cause soul scarring, but emotional pain is apparently much more effective.¡± She grimaced at the choice of the word. It was the cramped handwriting that had used it. Nora hummed, pressing her lips to Allie¡¯s shoulder and hugging her tight. ¡°Seems Eliya had plenty of that.¡± But Allie wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the dreams I¡¯ve had seem more about the former than thetter. If anything, Zaren had been the one undergoing the emotional torture. First with Hannah, then with whoever he lost during phase two. You don¡¯t think this is what Karn was trying to aplish, do you? Damaging souls?¡± ¡°Why would he do that?¡± Allie flipped a few pages ahead. ¡°It says here that when a soul is damaged, it can heal back stronger. If the owner of the soul has the will for it, at least.¡± ¡°Will like the attribute?¡± Allie examined the page closer. ¡°It¡¯s not emphasized, so I think it might just be referring to willpower or will to live.¡± Nora didn¡¯t answer, so Allie kept reading through. It wasn¡¯t long before she felt Nora dozing off behind her, and she let her girlfriend sleep. If anyone deserved the rest, it was Nora. Allie wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without her. She kept skimming through the journal, clinging to the faint hope that the answers to her affliction were somewhere inside. The more she read, the more it started to feel like a dialogue. The messy writing¡ªwriting she¡¯d decided could only belong to a boy¡ªwas mostly about trying to understand souls as a whole. The other writing¡ªscript she¡¯de to associate with a woman¡ªtalked about a specific soul. One she was starting to think belonged to the boy. There were numerous passages about extensive damage and impressive healing, as well as chunks being ripped away in a manner she¡¯d never seen before. The woman seemed enamored by the state of his soul. Nearly obsessed by how a soul could be so damaged, yet still whole. The more she read, the more the picture started to form in her mind. The woman was the expert, it seemed. The boy¡ªwho¡¯d had some level of issue with his own soul, she guessed¡ªhad gone to her for help. This journal was the result of their study. It was all very interesting, but none of it suggested how she might be seeing someone else¡¯s memories. But it was around the halfway point, in one of the sidenotes the woman had made about one of the boy¡¯s passages, that drew out a startled gasp from her. Nora was awake in an instant. ¡°Allie?¡± ¡°Read this,¡± she said breathlessly, ¡°and tell me if I¡¯m seeing things.¡± Nora¡¯s arm reached around her to hold the book steady as Allie had begun trembling. The passage in question was a rather self-deprecating passage where the boymented about his greatest strength being really good at getting kicked while he was down. The note read simply: ¡°You¡¯re being much too hard on yourself, Zaren. Your strength lies not in getting hurt, but in picking yourself up after.¡± Nora lowered the book. ¡°That feels¡­¡± ¡°Like an absolutely insane coincidence?¡± Allie asked, a cold feeling settling in her gut. It was hardly amon name, and this book was old. Older than her. Kat hadn¡¯t mentioned where she got the journal, and suddenly Allie wished she had. Before she knew what was happening, Allie was on her feet. She paced, wishing she had something to do with her hands. Maybe Nora would be willing to train with her for a while. It had been too long since she¡¯d seriously swung her de, and she could already feel her skills growing rusty. ¡°Hey, hey stop,¡± Nora said. She stood and grabbed Allie¡¯s hands. ¡°Talk to me. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve read the dates,¡± Allie said miserably. ¡°Those entries are from thirty years ago. That book belonged to Zaren. The Zaren. One of the Seven.¡± Nora looked more than a little confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not very familiar with this kingdom¡¯s history.¡± Allie just shook her head and tried to pull away, but Nora held firm. ¡°What if it¡¯s him? What if the Zaren I¡¯m seeing in my dreams is the Zaren who saved the world thirty years ago? He¡¯d be in his fifties by now. He¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯d be much too old to court, that¡¯s for certain,¡± Nora said knowingly. ¡°Nora! That is not the issue at hand here!¡± She frowned. ¡°Then why are you panicking?¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Allie didn¡¯t have a good answer for that. She pulled away and crossed her arms. Nora looked at her for a bit, then nodded to herself. She sat on the bed and started pulling her boots on. ¡°Get dressed.¡± Allie frowned, her thoughts going first to training. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re freaking out about what might be, not what is,¡± Nora said simply. ¡°These Seven, they¡¯re historical figures?¡± Allie nodded. ¡°Then there¡¯ll be some level of record on them. Perhaps we can find a portrait or any information on where they might live so we could ask them ourselves.¡± The knot in Allie¡¯s gut started to lessen, but only slightly. It was a course of action. Something to do other than pace and spiral. She got dressed, strapping her sword belt on out of habit. She paused after she did, but Nora was just smiling. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s see what we can learn.¡± We. That, more than anything, calmed Allie down. Whatever the case, she wasn¡¯t alone in this. Nora had her back. She took a breath to stabilize, then nodded. ¡°Right. I think I know where we can start.¡± While they walked, Allie tried to recall what she knew about the Seven after Grimsbane had fallen. She knew Rr and Be were important figures in the city, but they¡¯d never spare time for a nobody like her. Sandrel might be an option for no other reason that if she started asking around too much he¡¯d no doubt find her, but whether he¡¯d help her or not was a mystery. Iliri was another option, as she headed the temple district and spent her time helping the less fortunate, but she knew that Iliri was another Chosen, even if a former one. That alone made her loathe to seek the cleric¡¯s help. She didn¡¯t know where Torren or Yvonne were other than they¡¯d left the city years ago. Finding them wouldn¡¯t be a simple matter, she assumed. But nothing came up about Zaren. Every story of the Seven seemed to gloss over him, and she couldn¡¯t remember a single thing about what might have happened to him after. Had he fallen in the war? No, that didn¡¯t feel right. She ryed her thoughts to Nora, who grunted. ¡°You seem to know much about them.¡± Allie shrugged. ¡°I was a little obsessed when I was a girl. Before I wanted to be an adventurer, I wanted to be a hero. I was absolutely enamored with the Seven.¡± Then Nora¡¯s words from earlier made doubt bloom inside her. Why had she been obsessed? Was it because, on some deep subconscious level, she recognized Zaren¡¯s name even then? It was ridiculous, surely. Yet here she was. Researching the Seven could take days or weeks, but there was one simple way to tell if her Zaren was the same as the one from the Seven. A monument had been erected to them at the ce where Grimsbane had fallen. Statues for each of them on a raised dais that held a strip of metal with hundreds upon hundreds of names engraved in it. All those who had fallen in the war. Just like history, even the monument seemed determined to make people forget about Zaren. Rr, Iliri, and Be were tall and shining. Considered the main three of the Seven, they had no shortage of fans and hopefuls that hoped simply touching the statue would bring them luck or power. Sandrel, Torren, and Yvonne were a bit smaller, but still well kept. They weren¡¯t quite as shiny, as they didn¡¯t have scores of people touching their boots or their weapons like the first three, but they were nearly as dominant and eye catching. And then there he was. Still a part of the monument, but separate. His hand was curled like he¡¯d been holding a weapon, but there was nothing in it. As if whatever had been shaped there had been stolen a long time ago. And theyer of grime that coated him filled her with a near-irrational anger. It was clear nobody had taken the time to care for his statue in years. They made a quick stop at a store for some cleaning supplies, then she had Nora help her up onto the monument. The statues were allrger than life, so it took some doing before she could get close enough to clean the mess from Zaren¡¯s statue. It involved sitting on Nora¡¯s shoulders, but any passerby¡¯s simply ignored them. She hadn¡¯t gotten far before she knew, but she kept cleaning anyways. She wanted to be certain. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± she said softly, after she¡¯d cleaned his face off as best she could. Older, thicker in both body and face, but definitely him. She could see it in his face. In his cheekbones. In his sharp jaw. In how, even as a statue, his brow furrowed. Whoever had made this statue had done an excellent job. Nora let her down, but Allie¡¯s legs wouldn¡¯t support her. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± she repeated thickly. Tears were starting to build in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s really him.¡± Her shoulders began to shake, and she felt Nora¡¯s arms wrap around her. Nora cradled her head while Allie wept. ¡°He made it. He survived. Just like I knew he would.¡± ¡°Like Eliya knew he would,¡± Nora corrected softly. But Allie didn¡¯t care. That distinction seemed pointless in that moment. He¡¯d lived. Not only had he escaped Karn, but he¡¯d gone on to save the world. He¡¯d been a hero. Whatever he had left to endure in her memories, it hadn¡¯t broken him. Hadn¡¯t made him into a monster. She cried harder into Nora¡¯s chest. The relief she felt couldn¡¯t have belonged to her, yet it did. It was a while before she calmed, and Nora held her through the whole episode without anyint. But that knot remained. She pulled away and wiped her eyes, then stood. While arge que wrapped around the entire base of the monument with most of the names, there was one under each of the heroes that held those most personal to each of them, along with some kind of epitaph. She retrieved her supplies and wiped the que at Zaren¡¯s feet off. With each name, she thought she could feel her soul ripping. Hannah. Eve. Maris. Ina. Ria. Esther. Eliya. All the others Zaren never confided in me. Rest knowing your friend made this world a better ce. Allie couldn¡¯t stop it if she tried. She turned and vomited. It was a pitiful amount since she hadn¡¯t eaten anything in far too long, but the que only confirmed what she¡¯d begun to suspect for a while. Zaren might have made it out of Karn¡¯s grasp, but Eliya hadn¡¯t. Wherever these memories were taking her, it was nowhere good. At some point Nora had rushed to her side, but her body refused to stop heaving for some time. When she finally made herself stand, Nora was there for her to lean on. ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± she repeated weakly. Nora just nodded. ¡°What next?¡± Talking to the other Seven still felt out of the question, but she did have the next best thing. She didn¡¯t answer until she¡¯d cleaned up her vomit. She wasn¡¯t going to leave it for someone else to find. No sooner had she finished than someone approached the monument. ¡°Been a long time since anyone¡¯s cared for that one,¡± a t voice said. Allie sunk back on her knees to see a girl around her age. Tall, but thin as a rail, with tinum blond hair and pale skin nearly the same color. Her eyes were a blue so light they were nearly white as well, as if someone had left the girl out in the sun for far too long and it had bleached the color from her. Her simple, yet fine, tunic clung to her tightly, and she stood with her hands sped behind her back. Her eyes were on Zaren¡¯s statue, and there was a wistful look to them. Her features might have been made of porcin. Everything about the girl gave Allie a distinct impression that if she was pushed too hard she might shatter. ¡°Why?¡± Allie asked, pushing herself to her feet. The girl shrugged. ¡°My mom used to say he¡¯d have preferred it that way..¡± Allie turned back towards the statue. All the others held triumphant expressions, but not Zaren. His expression was intense byparison. But then the girl¡¯s words registered. ¡°Your mom knew him?¡± The girl shrugged. ¡°Eh, knew of him, at least. They met once. He saved her life, but he saved a lot of lives in those days.¡± Her mouth suddenly felt dry. Here was an actual connection to Zaren, in the flesh. Once again, it felt like far too much of a coincidence. ¡°I¡¯m Allie, this is my girlfriend Nora.¡± Nora¡¯s hand tightened on her shoulder, and a smile tugged at Allie¡¯s lips. ¡°Do you have a minute to talk?¡± The girl turned her pale eyes on her. ¡°Sure. I¡¯m Therese.¡± She gestured to a bench nearby, then walked to it with practiced, straight motions and sank down in a manner that could only be described as regal. After Allie had sat down next to her, she asked, ¡°You want to talk about Zaren? Why?¡± The truth was far tooplicated to get into, so Allie simply said, ¡°I knew someone who knew him, but I didn¡¯t learn that until recently.¡± Nora sat close enough that their legs were touching. She didn¡¯t say a word, though, content to let Allie handle the new person. Therese¡¯s eyes flicked from the face Allie had cleaned to the que, and widened a fraction. ¡°I see. What do you want to know, then?¡± ¡°Is he still alive?¡± Allie blurted before she could stop herself. The faintest smile touched her porcin features. ¡°Depends on who you ask.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Therese crossed one dainty leg over the other. ¡°He disappeared after the war. His followers tracked him north a ways, but then he simply vanished into thin air. There are always rumors, of course, but nobody has seen or heard of him since.¡± That made Allie frown. ¡°Zaren had followers?¡± She didn¡¯t remember hearing about that. A small, primugh escaped Therese. ¡°Oh yes, though I doubt he had any idea. My mother was one of them for a time. The other of the Seven would, at times, bask in the fame they were awarded, but praise only ever served to make Zaren ufortable or annoyed. He had a way on the battlefield, I¡¯m told. The strongest of the enemy would flock to him, and he¡¯de out victorious every time. But he never took rewards or gifts outside of whatever was strictly necessary to win.¡± Her head tilted and that smile pulled at her lips. ¡°My mother said that the day he saved her city from Grimsbane¡¯s forces, their mayor tried to offer him gold, magic armor, weapons, and even women. He only took a simple, silver ring and said they were even. He was a force of nature that asked for nothing in return, and there were those that loved him all the more for it.¡± The knot started to ease ever so slightly. ¡°So nobody knows where he is? Truly?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nope. Otherwise Zaren would have burned this damned city to the ground.¡± Then she looked away. ¡°That¡¯s what my mother used to say, at least.¡± That made Allie smile. That sounded like the Zaren she wasing to know. Then an unbidden thought struck her. ¡°Your mother and Zaren, the weren¡¯t¡ª¡± This time, Thereseughed in full. It was a soft, melodic sound that seemed almost too perfect for human vocal chords to make. She waved a hand. ¡°No, no, nothing like that. She was still a kid when he saved her. Her own father had sacrificed himself to buy her time, but Grimsbane¡¯s monsters were still after her. Then he appeared out of the darkness and ripped them to shreds. ¡°She said she¡¯d never been so terrified, but he simply picked her up, promised that everything was going to be alright, and hand delivered her to a family he trusted that had lost their own child. They were wonderful to my mother and gave her a loving home, all thanks to him.¡± Nora¡¯s hand found Allie¡¯s knee and squeezed. Allie had a feeling she knew exactly why a helpless little girl who¡¯d lost her family might tug at his heartstrings, but that was something to reflect onter. Right now, Allie was swarmed by questions she wanted to ask. All the things she wanted¡ªno that she needed to know about Zaren. About the strange boy in her dreams that left her heart hammering and hurt. Therese seemedpletely willing to wait while Allie collected her thoughts, but the universe had other ideas. ¡°There you are. Thought I asked all polite like for you to not go running off,¡± the familiar voice of Kat said. Nora made an annoyed sound in her throat. She was willing to put her differences aside for Allie¡¯s sake, but she still wasn¡¯t a fan of the pdin. Therese frowned primly in Kat¡¯s direction, but Kat¡¯s eyes and shit-eating grin were locked firmly on Allie. ¡°How did you find us?¡± Allie asked. Kat shrugged. ¡°Leaking divinity, remember? Like a trail of fuckin¡¯ breadcrumbs to my skills.¡± She looked up at the monument, her eyes lingering on Zaren¡¯s statue just a hair longer than the others. ¡°Something we can help you with?¡± Therese asked coolly. Kat frowned as if she¡¯d only just realized Therese was sitting to Allie¡¯s side. ¡°Not you, her.¡± She jerked a thumb at Allie. ¡°Any more episodes?¡± Therese crossed one leg over the other with a soft exhale, but only shot a curious look at Allie. Allie cleared her throat. ¡°No. Not while I¡¯m awake, at least.¡± Kat¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Good. Turns out a couple rolls in the hay was all you needed, I guess.¡± Allie felt some heat rising in her cheeks. From what she¡¯d learned from the journal, it was likely a bit moreplicated than that. ¡°In any case, we¡¯ve got a job.¡± ¡°We?¡± Nora asked, her hand tightening on Allie¡¯s thigh. Kat crossed her arms, nonplussed by Nora¡¯s tone. ¡°Yes, we, hammer girl. But first, I want to see the two of you in action. Try and figure out more about why that skill of yours works on the Maleks. There are sightings to the west a few days of something Malek sounding, so we¡¯re going hunting.¡± Allie opened her mouth but Kat silenced her with a wave. ¡°You¡¯ll be well ovepensated, don¡¯t worry. If we can do the big job, then you¡¯ll be helping me pay off a debt to people I¡¯d rather not owe one to.¡± Nora shot Allie a questioning nce. It was odd to be able to read her so easily, but Allie knew she was saying I¡¯m okay with it only if you are. Allie swallowed at the thought of facing another of those monsters. ¡°Just the three of us?¡± Kat snorted. ¡°Fat chance. Me and Hammer Girl¡ª¡± ¡°Nora,¡± Allie said with more force than she meant to. Something her tone made Kat pause. ¡°Fine, me and Nora are frontline tanks, and you¡¯re a closebat damage dealer. We¡¯ll need some range and magic if we want to not do this like idiots.¡± Therese cleared her throat, crossing one dainty leg over the other. ¡°I¡¯lle along, if you¡¯ll have me. B rank, ss five, damage mage.¡± Allie started while Kat¡¯s brow raised. ss five was the lowest of the B ranks, but to break the barrier from C to B meant she had either connections or strength. Kat rolled her shoulders. ¡°Hit me with your best shot, I want to see your magic in action.¡± One of Therese¡¯s own brows raised. Then, without her moving a muscle, a crystal seemed to twist itself from out of the air. It had barely formed¡ªa double sided pyramid made of a dark violet material that was sleek and translucent¡ªbefore it illuminated and shot a beam of bright violet energy that curved and mmed into Kat. The pdin barley managed to throw up a shield made of golden light before it mmed into her, but she was still knocked back several feet. ¡°Oof!¡± she grunted. The shield disappeared and she rubbed the spot where it had connected to her forearm. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ll do.¡± Nora leaned in and whispered in Allie¡¯s ear, ¡°I like her.¡± The crystal dissolved, and Therese nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve got a servant that will apany us. She has ranged support and healing magics. A dryad.¡± Then she paused and nced at Allie and Nora. ¡°As long as neither of you have issue with that.¡± Allie frowned. ¡°Why would I? A healer sounds amazing.¡± That smile pulled at Therese¡¯s lips again. ¡°Good.¡± Then, quietly, she added, ¡°On the way, we can talk more about Zaren.¡± Equal parts panic and anticipation bloomed in Allie¡¯s gut. Her desire to know more about Zaren warring with her fear of where Eliya¡¯s memories were taking her. ¡°That sounds wonderful.¡± Then she looked at Nora. She already knew the answer, but she asked anyways. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Nora gave her an odd look. ¡°You¡¯re certainly not going without me,¡± she said simply. Allie couldn¡¯t stop herself from leaning up to give her girlfriend a peck on the cheek. Then she stood and held a hand out to Therese. ¡°Wee to the party, Therese.¡± For the first time, as she took Allie¡¯s hand, Therese smiled in full. ¡°Something tells me it¡¯ll be an interesting one. When do we leave?¡± Chapter Forty-Three: Insecurities Chapter Forty-Three: Insecurities Over two hours and countless orgasmster, Tiana¡¯s mana was two-thirds full. I judged that good enough, if only because I wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d be able to handle much more than that. As it was, shey limply in myp, her head resting on my shoulder and her arms limply draped over me, for another fifteen minutes before she was coherent enough to let me help her redress. Turns out her skill was capable of making her sensitive enough to experience consecutive orgasms rather easily. Getting her shaking legs into her pants proved tricky, but working together we eventually managed it. She sat on a box not covered in her juices while I used towels and the cleaning spell to clean up as best I could. When she tried to get to her feet, she was able to do little more than fall in my direction. I caught her with augh and she buried her blushing face in the crook of my neck. ¡°Next time I vote we do that where there¡¯s a bed nearby,¡± she groaned. I kissed the side of her head, using my fingers to try and get her hair as presentable as I could manage. She made a very pleased sound in her throat at the feeling. There would be no hiding what we¡¯d been up to, but we didn¡¯t have to broadcast it so fully. ¡°Next time, huh?¡± She swatted my chest, though there was no force behind it. ¡°Yes, next time. You can¡¯t just fuck me like that and not expect me to want more. Although,¡± she added uncertainly. She pulled away so she could look me in the eye. ¡°I hope we can find time for things other than sex. I want us to be more than pleasure.¡± I put a hand under her chin and pulled her in for a slow, deep kiss. ¡°Absolutely. You¡¯re the only one in my group who has experience with the guild, and that¡¯ll be invaluable. Besides, once we fully catch you up on things, something tells me I¡¯m going to need your input greatly. And¡­¡± I brushed the hair from her face, ¡°I want us to be more than just pleasure, too. Whatever that is exactly, we¡¯ll find out at a pacefortable to us. Both of us. Sound good?¡± The relief was evident on her face. She leaned her head against mine and closed her eyes, sighing contentedly. We stayed like that for several minutes before she cleared her throat. ¡°Um, you won¡¯tugh if I tell you I¡¯m not sure I can walk right now, will you?¡± It was difficult, but I managed to restrain myself. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me such a short session was too much for you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What will Rhani say?¡± She arched an amused brow. ¡°Short? That was more action I¡¯ve seen down there than thest six monthsbined.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Last night notwithstanding, of course.¡± I hooked an arm around her back and she did the same in return. I half-carried-half-walked her back to where the wagons were parked. I didn¡¯t see Garm under the awning, but a quick look around showed him, Vaze, Jezal, and Mai all locked in a very enthusiastic conversation with Elisa and the twins. The ones who were under the awning made a warmth bloom in me that I was starting to very much appreciate. Serena, Noelle, and Rhani had apparently finished their shopping. Serena sat on the ground with Noelle snoozing in herp, focused intently on a book I couldn¡¯t make out from this distance. Rhani was reading a book as well, but she seemed distracted. Even while I watched, she nced at the group all talking excitedly, then out of the corner of her eye to where Noelle and Serena sat. She frowned, then went back to reading her book. Or she would have, if she hadn¡¯t caught sight of me practically carrying Tiana towards them. Her face lit up with a wide grin. ¡°There you are! Garm said not to worry, and now I understand why,¡± she said, her eyes flicking towards Tiana. Her features tightened so quickly I¡¯d have missed it when if I¡¯d blinked. I worried it might be jealousy, but my instincts told me my guess was off the mark. Tiana sank gratefully down in one of the folding chairs and leaned back with her eyes closed. I looked over Rhani, who had apparently made a new addition to her wardrobe. A sleeveless coat with a hood currently holding the bulk of a napping Festus. A single tie kept it almost closed, and underneath she wore little more than a strip of fabric that showed off plenty of cleavage and ended just under her breasts. ¡°What¡¯s all the hubbub?¡± I asked, pointing a thumb at the group behind me. A carefully neutral expression shed across her face. ¡°Vaze and Jezal saw Elisa experimenting with her spinners. Jezal and Mai want to know everything about them, Vaze wants to know if Elisa would be willing to let her sell them. Garm and Tsuki are mediating.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll let those two handle things.¡± Her gaze flicked down to my arm. ¡°How¡¯s the Essence looking?¡± [Soul Essence: 50/100] I frowned. ¡°Still not sure what the regen is, but at least it¡¯s healing.¡± Already, I could see her mind churning over the puzzle. I assumed she¡¯de up with at least a dozen possibilities, but it was still far too early to find any kind of pattern. We¡¯d certainly have to keep an eye on it and see, but she didn¡¯t react how I thought she might. There was no vibrating Arelim, and the gold in her eyes looked darker than it normally did. I took a step closer and brushed a strand of loose hair out of her face. She smiled warmly at me, and something in my gut twisted. I¡¯d seen a lot of people in a lot of bad situations. There were certain thresholds of panic that I¡¯de to consider proper in given situations, and I knew from experience that I had to be on the lookout for the ones not freaking out enough just as the ones freaking out too much. Rhani was handling all this incredibly well, which meant she was even better adjusted than I could have ever anticipated or she was bottling everything up. The former would suggest something in her past she hadn¡¯t told me of yet, which I felt unlikely. Thetter¡­ As the king of bottling everything up until it all came up in a single violent burst, I knew I had to do something. I¡¯d had some one-on-one time with everyone else in the harem, it seemed it was Rhani¡¯s turn. I held a hand out. ¡°Come on.¡± She frowned. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°The guild. I¡¯ll exin on the way.¡± That only served to make her more confused, but she took my hand and allowed me to pull her to her feet. She didn¡¯t stop there, though. She kept going until she was pushing into my front with her forehead on my shoulder. I put a hand at the small of her back and she wrapped her arms around me. I felt her tremble once, then she sniffled and pulled away. Oh yeah. She was definitely trying to push everything down. ¡°We should get going then. Serena, will you and Tiana take care of things here?¡± Serena jerked. ¡°Hm? Oh, Zaren! Where did youe from?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Good book?¡± She blushed, which made me want to know exactly what she was reading, but I¡¯d pester herter. ¡°You¡¯re going somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes, me and Rhani.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She moved to stand, then seemed to remember Noelle snoring softly in herp. ¡°Right. Ryoko made something for Noelle and she passed out minutes after she drank it.¡± She saw the rm on my face, because she quickly added, ¡°on purpose! It was meant to make her sleep. Ryoko added some effect to the draft that neither would tell us, but Ryoko said she¡¯d only sleep for a few hours and be fine.¡± If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think she was purposely hiding the spine of the book from me. Now I had to know what she was reading. Had Rhani infected her with the erotica bug? Or was it something else? Curiosity burned at me, but I had an Arelim to squeeze first. In more ways than one, if I knew Rhani. ¡°Right. Well, as frightening as that is, I¡¯ll put my trust in them. You¡¯re alright with hanging here until we get back?¡± She waved a hand at us a little too quickly. ¡°Go, go. We won¡¯t be here for much longer, so we¡¯ll meet you back at the inn.¡± I held a hand out to Rhani and she took it with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. She inteced her fingers with mine, then wrapped her other arm around my own and held it to her chest. Once again, itcked the Rhani enthusiasm I¡¯de to know and love. But before we fully left, I took onest look at Tiana, who looked like she was on the brink of falling asleep herself. ¡°You¡¯re alright to stay, Tiana?¡± Her lips curved in a very satisfied smile. ¡°I¡¯m wonderfully alright, thank you for asking. Go on, I¡¯ve monopolized you enough for today.¡± I thought Rhani¡¯s grip might have tightened for half a second. I jerked my head in the vague direction of the guild and she nodded. ¡°How are things with Festus?¡± I asked her after we¡¯d left the warehouse behind. This time her expression softened. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t feel real. And knowing he won¡¯t be the only thing I can summon¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°You picked well. I can¡¯t wait to see where the ss goes.¡± I resisted the urge to sigh. A painfully tame reaction as far as Rhani¡¯s usually went. ¡°When we start traveling, we¡¯ll want to have him scouting ahead at all times. Does he have to report in person?¡± ¡°No. We canmunicate telepathically, but it does cost mana. He has his own pool.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± The closer we got to the guild, the tighter she held onto my arm. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to try and powerlevel me or anything, right? You¡¯re still healing.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯d at least bring Serena if that were the case.¡± She rxed a fraction, but still looked up at me questioningly. ¡°Something Tiana said yesterday got me thinking.¡± I paused, seeing if she¡¯d take the bait. She didn¡¯t. Instead of throwing a pervy jab, she just looked away. ¡°It was what she said about the death notification, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Sometimes she was a little too smart. I couldn¡¯t tell if she¡¯d reached that conclusion because she¡¯d thought her way to it or because it had already been on her mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize the guild had instantmunications.¡± She sucked in her breath. ¡°Yes. Communication crystals. They became popr in thest decade or so.¡± ¡°So your family has known about you being indebted since it happened, then?¡± Her face turned away from me. ¡°My father would have received the notification, yes. Whether Xara did, I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s every possibility she¡¯s on duty or otherwise indisposed. She might not know.¡± ¡°Do you want to contact them? Tell them you¡¯re alright?¡± Her fingers dug into my arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been thinking about it nonstop since we got to Anford.¡± I made a gesture for her to go on. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it in Listone because we didn¡¯t have the money for anything that would get to the capital before we did.¡± ¡°We have the money now,¡± I told her softly. ¡°I know, but¡­¡± I recognized this particr vor of hesitance. She was afraid whatever she had to say was going to upset me. ¡°Go on,¡± I urged. Rhani took a breath. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for Patrons to force their servants to write letters back to the family iming they¡¯re nice or kind or otherwise. I knew a girl¡ªa Nereid¡ªone of her sisters got indebted. Then her Patron forced her to write letters talking about how wonderful he was, and he ended up luring another of the sisters into his household. My father was able to pull some strings and get it resolved, but not before they went through awful things.¡± I patted her hand with the one she wasn¡¯t wrapped around. ¡°We¡¯re going to change all that if it¡¯s thest thing we do.¡± She shot me a grateful look, but I got the sense that she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°What else?¡± Her expression twisted into a scowl. ¡°You turned in monsters that nobody¡¯s ever seen before. Now you¡¯ve killed a Vx queen. If and when people start to realize your stance on demi-humans¡­¡± I felt like a moron for not putting it together sooner. ¡°You¡¯re afraid someone might go after your sister to get to me through you.¡± She looked like she was about to vomit, but she nodded. ¡°Not all families are as close as mine. There¡¯s no way for them to know just how much me and Xara mean to one another, but if I send her a letter through you reassuring her about how much you care about me¡­¡± I pulled her into a gap between buildings where nobody was watching and wrapped my arms around her. She tried to protest, but I just shushed her and cupped the back of her head, pressing her face into my shoulder. She gave up quickly, sliding her arms around my waist and holding me with an iron grip. Not long after, quite sobs started to shake her body. I stroked her hair and held her against me until she got it all out of her system. Once she¡¯d started to calm down, picking my words carefully, I said, ¡°if you¡¯d like, I have a suggestion.¡± She pulled back, wiping her red-rimmed eyes. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to send a message, but I could.¡± ¡°That would look even worse. Xara would never believe anything you had to say.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t necessarily true. For instance, if I said something she¡¯d expect a Patron to say, she wouldn¡¯t doubt it.¡± Her eyes went wide, and her lips turned to a thin line. ¡°I could send a letter that says I want to meet, and that I won¡¯t force you to do anything you don¡¯t want until after we¡¯ve had a sitdown.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t! That makes it sound like¡ª¡± she cut off. ¡°Like I n to offer her a deal? Let her serve out your sentence?¡± She nodded. I trailed a thumb down her cheek. ¡°I know. That¡¯s the point. She won¡¯t be spending her time worrying about what I¡¯m doing to you.¡± ¡°She still might not believe you, though. And even if she did¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°If the situation were flipped, which would you prefer? Besides, unless you¡¯ve been less than truthful during our intimate times, it won¡¯t even be a lie.¡± Her bottom lip trembled. ¡°She¡¯ll hate you for it.¡± ¡°For now, sure, but I can¡¯t imagine she doesn¡¯t already hate me. If she knows, of course. Then, when we get to the capital, you can sit with her one on one and exin things. This way she gets at least a little peace of mind and anyone reading my mail won¡¯t see anything other than another Patron trying to abuse the system.¡± I pressed my lips to her forehead. ¡°Only if you want me to, though.¡± She pressed her forehead against my chest. ¡°Getting stuck in that tower really was the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to do my utmost to change that.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Her tone was the one she used whenever she told me she loved me, but the words died in her throat. ¡°After the guild, can we talk?¡± ¡°Of course. We can always talk, Angel.¡± A breath escaped her. ¡°I want to know what¡¯s going on in that big brain of yours, especially when it¡¯s bothering you like now. You never have to hold anything back from me. Never.¡± She shot me a tearful smirk. ¡°Even if what I have to say is stupid and insecure and makes me look like aplete lovestruck idiot?¡± I cupped her cheek and gave her a deep kiss. ¡°Especially then.¡± We hadn¡¯t stopped far from the guild. Once it came in view, she took up her standard servant persona. I still was hardly a fan, but I understood necessity. Compared to the concessions I¡¯d had to make in the past, this one was a small price to pay to keep the people I cared about even a little safer. I had Rhani help me write the message to make it vague enough to recover from but worded just right to make the implications we were looking for. After, I spent a bit of extra coin to expedite Tiana¡¯s message to her own family. It felt the least I could do. Once the messages were taken care of, I enlisted Rhani¡¯s help looking through missing persons postings going back about twenty years. When I told her about Noelle¡¯s request to find her mother, she was more than happy to help. Nothing popped out at either of us, and with Noelle¡¯s unique appearance we figured it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to recognize it. It had been a long shot anyways. Once that was finished, it was a quick jaunt back to the Swallow¡¯s Tail. Thanks to ourte start, the sun was getting low by the time we got back. But the universe was nothing if not consistent. Rather than being able to simply go up to the room and talk about whatever Rhani wanted to talk about, we ran into a familiar face. Korey was just turning away from the innkeeper when he spotted us. ¡°Ren. Just who I wanted to see.¡± He did a double take when he noticed the snoring silver dragon draped over Rhani¡¯s shoulder, but he didn¡¯tment. I put on my most professional smile. ¡°Korey. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± He gestured to a nearby empty table and we all took a seat. Rhani kept a polite distance, but I just pulled her chair closer to mine, then put my hand on her thigh. She smiled at me softly and put her hand on mine, entwining our fingers. Korey raised a brow, but didn¡¯tment. ¡°I wanted to see how things stood with all of you. I understand if you might need a few extra days to recover.¡± ¡°I was thinking the opposite, actually.¡± His brow furrowed, so I told him the basics of what S told me. ¡°Not sure hanging around town too long is a good idea.¡± He grimaced. ¡°I regret hiring him. He¡¯s not a good enemy to have.¡± He held a hand up to forestall my next words. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to cancel our contract. But you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve done some digging after how we parted and I¡¯ve heard some¡­unsettling rumors about his family. Getting out of town is probably the best move. When can you be ready to leave?¡± ¡°First light would be best. If Fel¡¯s after me, he¡¯ll be expecting me to rest and recover as well. The sooner we leave, the better.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s¡­¡± his eyes drifted to my injured arm, ¡°doable for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve traveled with worse, trust me.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand tightened on mine, but her face didn¡¯t change. I was beginning to realize just how good she was at containingplete control over her expression. He nodded. ¡°First light it is, then.¡± ¡°See you at the south gate.¡± He rapped his knuckles twice on the table and stood. He said a brief goodbye and left to tell the rest of the caravan the new n. I slid a hand across Rhani¡¯s shoulders and rubbed her opposite arm. ¡°Is Festus ready for a mission?¡± She perked up, and Festus raised his headzily. I told him to find Elisa and wait with her until she went back to Cynthia. He agreed to tell them both the new n, and that if the two of them weren¡¯t ready to leave town just yet then I¡¯d pay for them to follow us at ater date. He took the message and flew out the door, drawing more than a few stares. ¡°That will never get old,¡± Rhani said, a hint of her normal self showing through whatever gued her. ¡°I agree. Now, why don¡¯t we go upstairs?¡± Her expression sobered, but she let me lead her to our room by the hand. We¡¯d beaten the others back, so it was just us. I closed the door and turned to her. She stood in the middle of the room with her arms folded over her stomach, uncertainty sprawled across her face. I walked close enough that we were only inches apart, but I didn¡¯t touch her. ¡°Talk to me, Angel. Tell me what¡¯s bothering you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°All the same. Was it something that happened in the caverns?¡± She shuddered, then shook her head. ¡°No. Well, yes, but no.¡± I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s a supremely unhelpful answer.¡± ¡°All the same,¡± She parroted with a small smile. ¡°I¡¯ve just¡­I¡¯ve been thinking. A lot. About you and Serena and Tiana and¡­and me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I slid my hands to her hips and pulled her into me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her face just below mine. ¡°It¡¯s alright to have doubts. All I ask is that youe to me when you do so we can talk things out.¡± Her cobalt blue eyes were striking as usual. The gold circle wrapped around her pupil still looked dimmer than normal, though. ¡°I¡¯ve lost too much in my life to lose what I¡¯ve got now to ack ofmunication.¡± ¡°Well, as you know, I don¡¯t exactly have a lot of experience with rtionships.¡± Her cheeks darkened a little, but she just cleared her throat and forged on. ¡°Pretty much everything I know, especially when ites to humans,es from¡­y¡¯know¡­¡± ¡°Erotica?¡± Her blush deepened, but she nodded. ¡°Yes. But when I see the others¡­Serena still hasn¡¯t said¡­the L word¡­and she¡¯s been with you longer than I was when I said it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still been less than a week since we became anything official,¡± I pointed out.¡± She screwed her face up. ¡°Really? It feels like so much longer.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± An uncertain sound came from her throat. ¡°Even still, my point stands. And Tiana is all worried about moving too fast, and I just can¡¯t help but wonder¡­¡± I pressed my palm to the side of her face and ran a thumb over her cheek. ¡°You¡¯re worried that because you¡¯ve lived a life rather deprived of affection, you jumped at the first person to show you any,¡± I guessed. I¡¯d have been lying if I said I hadn¡¯t wondered the same thing once or twice. Her head thumped forward onto my shoulder. ¡°Got it in one. And, the more I learn about you, the more I wonder if it wasn¡¯t a little mutual. You lived a life in wartime full of pain and suffering and loss and the first girl youe across is basically throwing herself at you.¡± I got the feeling she wasn¡¯t done, so I let her continue. ¡°And now you¡¯ve got so much more than just me. Serena and Tiana and now even Noelle. Serena is so good for being there for you when you need her most. It¡¯s like she¡¯s got this sixth sense for when you¡¯re struggling but hiding it from the rest of us. It feels like she always knows exactly what to say to make things better.¡± I started stroking her hair. ¡°She doesn¡¯t, trust me. She¡¯s just as uncertain as you, but she¡¯s got great instincts when ites to that kind of thing.¡± Her grip tightened for a second, then she continued. ¡°Then there¡¯s Tiana. She¡¯s got more boobs, more butt, legs for days, that ridiculously full hair¡­¡± she sniffled. ¡°She¡¯s even got a ss built around sex. There¡¯s nothing I could ever offer in the bedroom that she couldn¡¯t.¡± I pressed her into me. ¡°You really think something like that matters so much? Rhani, Tiana might be more well endowed, but that brilliant mind of yours isn¡¯t just good at researching.¡± She tensed, and her fingers curled into my shirt. ¡°If you really put your mind to it, when ites to the bedroom, I¡¯m fairly certain the other threebined couldn¡¯t keep up with you.¡± She rxed, and I pressed my cheek to her forehead. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I¡ªwell, you like¡ª¡± She nuzzled deeper into me. ¡°You like helping people. You can¡¯t stop yourself. I understand why, and I love that about you. I just¡ª¡± She gulped. ¡°Noelle¡¯s life has been so much worse than mine in every way. I wish to the gods it hadn¡¯t been, and seeing how happy she is nowpared to when we first found her is just¡­amazing.¡± ¡°But?¡± Her grip tightened again. ¡°It¡¯s going to sound horrible.¡± ¡°So say it anyways.¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s stupid, and I know it isn¡¯t true,¡± she said in a rush, as if afraid I might stop her, ¡°but there¡¯s a voice in my head that keeps suggesting you¡¯re with me to¡­fix me. That your need to help people is the reason you¡¯re with me. That, since Noelle¡¯s been through so much more, that she sort of¡­fills that role for you.¡± She buried her face in my chest. ¡°See? Horrible. I¡¯m a horrible, terrible, awful person.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°You¡¯re half right, and half wrong,¡± I said finally. She drew back with red-rimmed eyes to look at me. ¡°Yes, your past and me wanting to give you a better future is a part of why we got together in the first ce. But,¡± I wiped the wetness from her cheeks, ¡°I didn¡¯t do everything I¡¯ve done for you just because I was trying to ¡®fix¡¯ you. I did it because the world wronged someone I care about very deeply, and I learned long ago that I can¡¯t rely on the gods to fix such injustices.¡± ¡°And now,¡± I continued, ¡°I¡¯m not keeping you around as some kind of project or to fill some role. I want you in my life because you make me happy. I don¡¯t just want to give you the life you deserve, I want to be there to watch you living it. To be a part of it.¡± She sniffled. ¡°And what if it isn¡¯t love? What if it¡¯s just the first affection I¡¯ve ever really felt and I¡¯mtching onto it like it is?¡± I let out a breath. ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°With me. With the others. Are. You. Happy?¡± She withdrew one hand to press it into my cheek, and I put one of mine on top of it. ¡°Deliriously happy. To the point where I¡¯m terrified of losing you. All of you. I¡ªI have nightmares sometimes. Of waking up all alone. Of knowing you were gone forever. That I was going to be all alone again. I don¡¯t want to go back to that. I can¡¯t. Not knowing what it¡¯s like to have you in my life.¡± ¡°Rhani,¡± I said slowly, ¡°the only reason under the sun I¡¯d ever leave your life is if I was absolutely certain it was what you wanted. Unless that dayes to pass, you aren¡¯t getting rid of me that easily.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°And if something happens to you? What then?¡± I wanted so badly to promise her that nothing would, but I knew better than that. ¡°If that came to pass, do you really think the others would just leave you? The only reason I agreed to this whole harem business is because you all seem to care about one another as much as you care about me.¡± A ghost of a smile touched her lips. ¡°Well, almost as much.¡± I smiled. ¡°Almost, then.¡± I slid my hand to cup the back of her head and angled her face upwards towards mine. Her lips parted with a soft gasp, her eyes locked on mine. ¡°And when we get to the city, I¡¯m going to sit down with Cynthia and have a will put together to make sure all of you are taken care of in the highly unlikely event that I go and get myself killed.¡± Her eyes widened, but before she could protest I said, ¡°Then that will is going to sit on a shelf, untouched and unread, for decades. How does that sound?¡± I felt her fingers on the nape of my neck, pressing into my flesh and pulling me down towards her. ¡°Good. That sounds good.¡± The pressure increased, and I finally relented and lowered my lips to hers. It was far from the scorching, needy kisses I¡¯de to expect from Rhani. It was slow. Hungry. She pulled herself into me, and I did the same in return. Her feet left the ground from how tightly we held one another, her lips devouring mine. Her hand twisted in my hair while the other pulled against my shirt so tight I could hear the seams straining. We finally broke the kiss, both of us breathing hard. She looked up at me, the glow back in her eyes. ¡°Can we have sex now please?¡± she asked breathlessly. I chuckled and crushed her against me, brushing my lips against her ear, and whispering, ¡°tell me what you want, Angel.¡± She writhed in my grip. ¡°You. I just want you.¡± I slid my hands down her back and hooked a hand around the inside of either thigh. She leapt eagerly, wrapping her legs around my waist, and I walked her to the desk in the corner. ¡°And you¡¯ll have me.¡± I set her down, capturing her lips again. Then I trailed my fingertips along her arm until I got to the gem at the inside of her wrist. I touched it, summoning the armor underneath the clothes she wore. She gasped, then shot me a heated look when I summoned a tendril to banish the clothes she¡¯d been wearing a moment ago one article at a time. The only part of her outfit I didn¡¯t manifest were the panties. ¡°You could do that all this time?¡± she demanded, a smile on her face. I silenced her with another kiss and used the tendril to banish my own clothes. Her hands roamed every inch of me she could reach, but her ankles locked behind me pushed my hips ever closer to hers. ¡°Please, Zaren,¡± she whimpered. I slid a hand between us and found herpletely soaked under the skirt of her ¡°armor.¡± I guided myself to her core and slid in. She groaned into my mouth while I kissed her, then I mmed our hips together and her head shot back. My lips found her neck, trailing kisses up the underside of her jaw until they were pressed just under her ear. ¡°I love you, Rhani,¡± I said. Her silken walls clenched around me. She pressed the side of her head into mine with her eyes closed and whispered, ¡°more.¡± I started thrusting. The fingernails of one of her hands dragged across my back while the fingers of the other twisted in my hair, pushing me deeper into her neck. ¡°I love you,¡± I said again. She moaned, rocking her hips to meet mine as much as she could. ¡°I love seeing you light up the second you smell a mystery. I love the way your eyes glow when you put the pieces of a puzzle together.¡± I wrapped one hand around the nape of her neck while the other dug into the soft flesh of her thigh. I kept talking, my lips pressed to her ear, my hips working my cock in and out of her. ¡°I love watching you enjoy yourself when we share the others. I love seeing how excited you get when something really catches your interest. I love listening to you gush over those things just as much.¡± ¡°Zaren,¡± she gasped. ¡°Harder. Right there.¡± I angled her hips up a little so I could thrust deeper into her and she cried out. Her lips sucked on mine greedily. Her tongue traced the outline of my mouth before sliding past my lips, writhing against mine. I relished in her taste, cool and sweet and perfect, while climax overtook her. She whimpered, tucking her chin and pressing her cheek to mine. ¡°Keep¡ªkeep going!¡± she cried, her lips attacking my neck. I had to put my hand out to the wall behind her to keep us upright. ¡°Seeing you happy is one of the greatest feelings in my life. Having you in my arms, warm and content, is something I will never get tired of. The only thing thates close is seeing you with the others. Seeing how happy they make you. How happy you make them. Seeing you thrive in our little family.¡± I was getting close, and I could tell she was, too. She¡¯d gone silent, her mouth open in a silent cry of pleasure, and her legs pressed against my backside with all the strength she could muster. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Rhani, and I¡¯m yours. For a long, long time. As long as I draw breath, you¡¯ll never feel alone.¡± Release ripped through her. She buried her face in my neck and I did the same in hers as I followed her lead, unleashing myself inside her. Somehow she clung to me even tighter through my orgasm, her limbs trembling and her breathsing in ragged gasps. She didn¡¯t let me go, even long after we¡¯d both finished cumming. ¡°Feel better?¡± I asked once she¡¯d started to rx in my arms. She giggled into my shoulder, her hands running along my back. ¡°Very much so. Zaren¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I love sex with you, especially now that we¡¯re getting into the kinky stuff, but¡­I still want this sometimes. No crazy stuff, just you and me, face to face.¡± She was still buried in my shoulder, so I gave her neck a kiss. ¡°Done.¡± Then I chuckled. ¡°Rhani asking me for vani sex? Next thing I know she¡¯ll be wanting to do missionary.¡± With augh, she finally released her legs and let me slide out of her. We kissed some more, this time a much more tame affair. When she pulled back, she trailed her hand down my cheek. ¡°Soul Essence?¡± she asked. I shook my head. ¡°You are a dog with a bone sometimes, you know that?¡± Her fingers wrapped around my softening length, still soaked in her juices. ¡°I sure do.¡± I chuckled, then checked my status. Theugh died in my throat when I saw the numbers. [Soul Essence: 57/100] ¡°You have got to be fucking kidding me,¡± I said. Her eyes went wide. The glow had returned in force. ¡°Tell me.¡± I told her how the Essence had risen seven points since the warehouse. ¡°I swear, if this is some kind of ¡®recovers through sex¡¯ resource, I¡¯m going to have to have a long word with Allura on exactly why everyone thinks she¡¯s a sex goddess.¡± Rhani¡¯s face lit up with clear excitement, then died down just as fast. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be.¡± I raised a brow at the disappointment in her tone. ¡°Care to share?¡± She bit her lip, then swatted my chest. ¡°Back up and let me down.¡± I did and she darted to her bag, fishing out her notebook. She set it down on the desk (next to where her juices were still pooled, of course) and got out a charcoal pencil. She nced back at me with a feral grin. ¡°Tell me everything you and Tiana did.¡± I sputtered. ¡°Everything?¡± ¡°Everything. What you did, what you said, what you thought. As much of the same about her as you can remember, too.¡± She brandished the pencil at me. ¡°For science, Zaren!¡± I shook my head and leaned against the desk next to her. For the next thirty minutes, I told her in as much detail as I could muster about my time with Tiana. I glossed over some of the more intimate things she¡¯d said, but I gave Rhani an idea of their nature. About fifteen minutes in, I heard the sound of something dripping onto the floor. When I leaned forward and saw the puddle growing between Rhani¡¯s legs, I realized it was a mixture of her juices and my cum dribbling out of her. When I looked up and saw how flushed her face was, still focused intensely on her notes, I stood. I kept talking while I stepped behind her, then I slid the tail of her coat aside to reveal her perfect, peach shaped ass. She gasped when I ran a hand over the light gray flesh, looking back at me with heated eyes. She arched her back and spread her legs, and I stepped forward and slid my length in with a single motion. Considering what we were talking about, I was more than ready. I started slowly sliding fucking her, then went back to telling her what I¡¯d been doing with Tiana. Her eyes shed, and she went back to writing in her book. We kept going, her asking questions and me answering while I slowly and carefully fucked her softly enough to make sure she could keep writing. Any worry I¡¯d had about distracting her went right out the window. If anything, she was more focused with me inside of her than normal. I finally finished, but her pencil kept scribbling furiously. I let her work through the problem and closed my eyes, just enjoying the feeling of being inside her. Of her fluttering walls gripping me and pulling me back in every time I dragged my length out. How her hips were slowly pushing back against me with each thrust, but in a way that made me think she wasn¡¯t doing it at all consciously. She finally finished what she was doing and closed the book, then slid off my length and turned to pull me down into a fiery kiss. This was the scorching, devouring, aggressive embrace I¡¯de to expect from her. ¡°I fucking love you.¡± ¡°Figure out anything interesting?¡± I asked her. ¡°I¡¯ve got some ideas, but first things first¡­¡± She slipped around me, trailing a finger along my shaft, and backed towards the bed. She touched the gem at her wrist and her clothes melted away, leaving her in only the cor and the band at her wrist. She slid onto the bed, crawling backwards with her legs spread wide and her pussy on full disy. ¡°You¡¯ve got to finish what you started.¡± I followed, falling over her on hands and knees. She kept wiggling back with a giggle and led me back until she ran out of bed, then she pulled me down and our lips met. She deftly lined me up and I sank into her again. With how long we¡¯d been slowly fucking a moment ago, it wasn¡¯t long before I was burying myself in her a final time and shooting my second load deep inside her. After, Iid down and she nestled happily into my side. ¡°So, my adorable little schr, spill.¡± She looked up at me with her lips pursed. ¡°Well, for starters, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as simple as sex. You and Tiana did way more for way longer than we did, but we had the bigger gains. I¡¯ve got a number of ideas as to why, but I¡¯m not going to tell you any of them, and you aren¡¯t allowed to guess.¡± I raised a brow, trailing my fingertips along her stomach. ¡°And why is that?¡± She hummed. ¡°Because if you know what I¡¯m trying to test, then you might skew the results.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m your experiment now?¡± Her expression faltered, and I saw panic in her eyes. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡± I kissed her forehead. ¡°I trust you implicitly. Just try not to take things too far. And,¡± I tapped her nose, ¡°the experiments had better actually pertain to what you¡¯re trying to test. No kinky stuff just to scratch those itches of yours.¡± She blew a raspberry at me. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked, sliding my finger inside her, drawing a surprised moan from her, anding out with a dollop of cum. ¡°This begs to differ.¡± With a re, she grabbed my hand and pulled it close enough to lick the cum off, then she nestled into my side. ¡°Can we stay like this till the others get back?¡± she asked softly. I wrapped my arms around her. ¡°Of course we can.¡± She made a happy sound and closed her eyes. ¡°And Rhani?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If you have any more of those nightmares, I want you to tell me, alright?¡± She looked up at me for a long time, then trailed a hand along my chest. ¡°Alright, but one of these days you¡¯re going to have to return the favor.¡± Before I could answer, she was buried in the crook of my arm with her eyes closed. It wasn¡¯t long before she was snoring softly. I let her words ruminate for a bit. I¡¯d practically spent the day running around trying to take care of the women I¡¯de to care about. I¡¯d pushed them all to share what was bothering them, yet I was still being rtively close lipped on my own issues. Even what I¡¯d told them was only scratching the surface. I brushed Rhani¡¯s hair from her forehead and ced a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Alright, Angel. You win.¡± Chapter Forty-Four: Ria and Esther Chapter Forty-Four: Ria and Esther I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d drifted off until I was awakened by Rhani¡¯s fingers trailing along my chest. Judging by the color of the lighting through the window, the sun was close to setting. I met Rhani¡¯s eyes, which gazed up at me lovingly while she rested her cheek on my shoulder. ¡°I guess we both nodded off,¡± she said. ¡°That we did.¡± I ran a hand through her hair and she hummed happily. ¡°Zaren, I know we joked about it before, but¡­¡± She chewed her lip hesitantly. ¡°I want a ss like Tiana¡¯s.¡± I arched a brow at her and she blushed. ¡°It isn¡¯t because of the sex stuff!¡± My brow arched higher, and her blush grew deeper. ¡°Okay, it isn¡¯t just because of the sex stuff.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± I said,zily trailing my fingertips up and down her back. She shivered, then pressed her lips to my chest. ¡°Well, I was thinking about Tiana again.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to have another ¡®talk¡¯ do we?¡± She groaned, her fingers digging into my chest. ¡°Tempting, but no. I was thinking about how strong she is.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a powerhouse, that¡¯s for certain.¡± I brushed the hair from her face, then returned to stroking her back. ¡°But it isn¡¯t just her ss. I know a little about the Arcanist ss. Even with her other ss supporting it, much of her strengthes from how hard she¡¯s worked to train her magic.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡± She slid her body up so she couldy fully on me, her chin resting on crossed arms. I put both hands on her hips and ran my thumbs along her skin and gooseflesh erupted from where I touched her. ¡°The gods are big on bnce, which is why detriment sses are often stronger than their normal counterparts. By paying some kind of cosmic toll, you get stronger. Noelle¡¯s sses both fit that requirement. Her old one required pain, her new one needs allies. Because of that, she¡¯s stronger.¡± ¡°Mmhmm,¡± I encouraged. ¡°And, the more I think about it, the more I¡¯m starting to think Serena¡¯s ss might be one, too.¡± I gave her a look of confusion, and she exined. ¡°Her healing skill is incredibly strong when she can fully utilize it, but it¡¯s a skill that requires specific circumstances. Not to mention,¡± she grinned at me, ¡°it makes both her and whoever she¡¯s healing horny.¡± That was news to me. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware she was affected as well.¡± She lifted an arm to trail my corbone. ¡°Oh, trust me. She is. She¡¯s just terrified you¡¯ll think she¡¯s a slut or something, so she¡¯s afraid to tell you. She had more of an old school upbringing this far from the capital. Combined with how some of her other skills are shaping up? Detriment ss. Partially, at least.¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°You know, it¡¯s almost like¡ª¡± she cut off and her eyes went wide. Her body went tense and she hid her face in my chest. ¡°Oh no.¡± ¡°Rhani?¡± I asked, worried. I put a hand to her cheek, pulling her eyes to mine. ¡°What happened?¡± She gulped. ¡°Well, as you know, my primary ss is Schr.¡± ¡°I do recall something to that affect.¡± ¡°And I get experience for putting together correct conclusions based on information. The bigger the epiphany, the more experience.¡± My brows rose. All sses gained experience when you did things rted to the ss. Smiths got experience for smithing, bakers for baking, so on. Combat always yielded experience, but it yielded more tobat sses. Hence why I¡¯d nearly caught up to her in levels. ¡°You leveled up?¡± I guessed. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°Depends on your perspective.¡± ¡°Well, the pieces I just put together¡­¡± She slid up and put her arms on either side of my head. ¡°Promise you won¡¯t freak out?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± She bit her lip, but I ran my hands along her sides. Finally, she said, ¡°I was just thinking about how lucky it was that Serena¡¯s detriment involved being horny with your¡­improvements.¡± Her leg slid against my member. ¡°Tiana said that your cock was way better at relieving her ss effects than anything she¡¯d ever experienced, and I figured it might be the same for Serena¡¯s skills. Naturally, that led me to¡ª¡± Immediately I knew where she was heading. ¡°You think Allura improved my dick specifically so she could surround me with sex-based detriment sses.¡± She bit her lip and nodded. ¡°And that¡¯s how I got the level.¡± I looked past her, staring at the ceiling without seeing anything. The wheels in my mind were starting to churn already. If she was right¡ªand since it was Rhani, I was certain she was¡ªthen I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel. On one hand, there were definitely worse detriment sses to get saddled with, and on some level I was rapidly learning that I hardly minded ¡°assisting¡± with them, but there was a not small part of me that was more than a little angry that the girls themselves didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter. Or did they? You had three choices when you took a ss. This strange version of Priestess had been one for Serena, but her other two were hardly anything to shake a stick at. She could have chosen either one and been more than fine, even if she wanted to stay by my side. And even with her priestess ss, she had plenty of choice in the skills she chose and how she implemented them. Skill descriptions were vague for a reason. How the owner of the skill interpreted and implemented it would shape how the skill strengthened and, in many cases, evolve. Even skills offered on level ups were affected by how you used your ss abilities between levels. There was every chance that, if Serena hadn¡¯t started to use her healing skill the way she had, then it wouldn¡¯t have evolved the way it did. But it still felt like Allura was meddling. Manipting. I knew exactly what I might be stepping into, making a deal with a goddess, but seeing it in action? Sure, there was a chance that she¡¯d sought out those who would have been willing to take those kinds of sses without any provocation. But it was impossible to know just how deep her maniptions ran. No way to know for certain that she hadn¡¯t condemned these girls to a life saddled with a ss that would affect them for the rest of their lives. And then there was Tiana¡­ ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Rhani said, shifting up so she could put a hand on either cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Don¡¯t go.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, forcing myself to focus on her. ¡°You were retreating. Falling into your thoughts. Thinking your way back into the hole you were in when I first found you.¡± Her fingertips trailed along my face. ¡°Stay here. Stay with me and lets talk it out. That¡¯s what you always say, right? Talk things through?¡± I ran my hands up and down her sides. She was right. If I was asking them toe to me when they were struggling, then I could do the same. ¡°Since you¡¯re you, we¡¯ll assume you¡¯re right. In that case, what do you think the odds are that we stumble upon Tiana by ident?¡± From the way she frowned, that hadn¡¯t urred to her. ¡°You think you were supposed to find her?¡± ¡°She has a heavy detriment ss based on sex and I¡¯ve got a magic dick. I can¡¯t imagine that¡¯s a coincidence. If Allura got her caught by the Vx just so I¡¯d find her¡ª¡± Rhani sat up and put her hands on my chest. ¡°Hang on a minute, let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves.¡± I gave her a hard look. ¡°You¡¯ve got another exnation?¡± She didn¡¯t so much as flinch. ¡°I do, actually. It¡¯s called ¡®not jumping to the worst case scenario.¡¯¡± After a long breath, I nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°What if its the other way around? What if she led you to the queen because Tiana had been captured?¡± That gave me pause, and she barreled on. ¡°I picked up some books about gods and Chosen while I was out. I haven¡¯t looked much, but I can tell that the gods have a lot of limitations on what they can and can¡¯t do. What¡¯s more likely? That Allura is manipting a bunch of lives at once and putting them in these situations? Or is she guiding you as best she can because they got into the situations themselves?¡± She ran her hands up my chest. ¡°I got stuck in the tower by nobody¡¯s fault but my own. She might have helped me find the information that led me there, but I was the one who acted on it. Then she put you close enough to save me. Unless I¡¯m mistaken, she can guide you to an extent because you tied yourself to her with that deal. She can¡¯t do much to guide the rest of us without something simr, right?¡± I forced myself to take a breath. ¡°Maybe. From what I understand, yes, but this is different. I haven¡¯t heard of a deal like this happening in¡­well, ever.¡± She frowned. ¡°Promise me something, then.¡± She ran her hands through my hair. ¡°Don¡¯t go assuming worst case. If you¡¯re right about what she¡¯s doing, then we can deal with thatter. If you¡¯re not, then there¡¯s no point in getting worked up.¡± She had a point. Until I could find a way tomunicate with Allura directly, all I could do was guess at her real intentions. ¡°Alright, Angel, you win. I can¡¯t promise I won¡¯t jump to worst case again, but I¡¯ll at least consider any other theories you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°And no brooding,¡± she said gently, brushing my lower lip with her thumb. ¡°And no brooding,¡± I agreed with augh. I felt a little better, but I could still see the worry in her eyes. It was time to shift the conversation back a bit. I slid my hands up to her breasts, giving them a squeeze. ¡°So back to you wanting a ss¡­¡± She grinned. ¡°Yes. I do. Very much.¡± ¡°Sounds like we should get to work on it, then. Maybe we can get you some pervy skills.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She leaned back down to kiss me. ¡°What do you think? You tell one of your tendrils to just fuck me all day?¡± I barked out augh. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m disappointed. Here I was thinking you¡¯d want to go for a more specialized ss.¡± Her eyes glowed. ¡°Specialized?¡± ¡°Sure. Tiana¡¯s is great, but right now it involves more edging than cumming. Plus, it¡¯s a broad power booster. I figured you might want to try for one a bit more specific.¡± Her fingers dug into the skin of my shoulders. ¡°Yes. That. Let¡¯s do that. How do we do that?¡± Iughed at her enthusiasm. ¡°Depends on what you¡¯re going for. Tiana and Serena are a good example. For Tiana, arousal increases her strength, but for Serena her abilities are stronger with the added detriment of causing arousal with just a ssh of exhibitionism thrown in.¡± ¡°So,¡± I said, sliding my hands down to cup her rear, ¡°we¡¯ll have to nail down the specifics. Serena has a skill that makes her stronger when she wears less. Tiana has one that makes her stronger when she orgasms, but only when someone else causes it. We¡¯ll want to find out what it is you like the most and try and get your ss to revolve around it.¡± If her eyes went any wider they might fall out of her skull. ¡°I have so many things to think about right now.¡± She smiled, touching two fingers to her lips. ¡°And I¡¯ve still got to figure out your Soul Essence stuff.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°You sure know how to keep a girl busy.¡± Iughed. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta keep you distracted somehow, or poor little Zaren will never get a break¡± She shifted her hips back to grind against my length. ¡°Not if I can help it. Speaking of,¡± her hips stilled, ¡°what are my limitations?¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For figuring out how this Essence stuff works. I have a bunch of ideas, but I need to know what you¡¯re okay with.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Just how far are you nning to go?¡± Only after she drug her hands all the way down my chest and stomach did she say, ¡°well, there¡¯s definitely going to be sex. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the main way you¡¯re regaining essence, but it could still be a part of it. I¡¯ve got some ideas. And, if I¡¯m on the right track, then that sex might not be with just the four of us. Is that something you¡¯re for or against?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to add anyone to the harem just yet,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯d like to make sure I can handle the four of you, first.¡± ¡°Of course, but I mean just for sex. As a sort of¡­control.¡± I could only shake my head. ¡°If it¡¯s someone all four of you¡ªand the person in question, of course¡ªagreed on, and it was someone I actually wanted to sleep with, then I suppose I wouldn¡¯t have any objections. No prostitutes, though. And, for the record, this might be the strangest conversation we¡¯ve had to date, and that¡¯s a high bar.¡± She giggled, then wrapped her arms around my neck and nuzzled into me. ¡°I love you.¡± I crushed her into my chest and I heard the air being squeezed out of her, but it came out alongside a happy grunt. ¡°I love you, too, Angel.¡± I was more than content to justy there with my little Schr safe and warm in my arms for as long as I could get away with. It wasn¡¯t long after that there was a knock on the door, followed by a key sliding into the lock. The others all filed in, the twins included, many of them giving me appraising looks as I was stillpletely naked. When Noelle walked in, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I could tell immediately that her hair was slightly longer than it had been when I¡¯d left them earlier. ¡°Ryoko¡¯s work?¡± I asked, gesturing to it. She nodded, a faint smile curling her lips. I held my hand out and she sped over and crawled onto the bed to sit in myp. Serena was right behind Noelle, and leaned over to give me a quick peck. ¡°Everything alright?¡± she asked softly, her eyes flicking towards Rhani. ¡°It is now.¡± She handed me a small parcel. ¡°Jezal wanted me to pass that along to you. Said you¡¯d know what it was.¡± I certainly did. I unwrapped it to show a small metal tablet with what looked like an ink swirl on it. Once a day, you could give it a drop of blood and it would tell you the ss and abilities of the person who the blood belonged to. When I told the others as much, their jaws dropped. ¡°Those cost a fortune!¡± ¡°It¡¯s limited,¡± I exined, ¡°and it takes a full twenty-four hours to reset and recharge. It¡¯s a much flimsier version of the ss tablets you probably know. A friend of mine¡ª¡± my words caught in my throat unexpectedly, ¡°she was an artificer. She figured out how to make them with much cheaper materials.¡± I felt Serena¡¯s hand on my arm. I knew from the look in her eye that she¡¯d noticed my tone when I mentioned my friend. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t have anyone before,¡± she said softly. I ran my fingers through Noelle¡¯s hair. It was nearly twice as long as before, which meant it was longer than it had been even before Rhani had cut it. ¡°I didn¡¯t by the time the war ended.¡± Serena slid an arm around my shoulders and Tiana sat on the bed next to us and put a hand on my knee. ¡°You were close, though?¡± Tiana asked. I didn¡¯t answer right away. I leaned against the headboard of the bed, pulling Noelle up higher in myp. Serena took one side, pulling my head down to rest on her breasts and stroking my hair, and Tiana crawled over to sit on my other side after losing all but her smallclothes. Rhani scooted until she was in Tiana¡¯sp and could rest her hand on my thigh. ¡°She was one of two women I got close to after¡­after Eliya.¡± I could tell from their expressions that all involved knew enough to not need any rification. Seems Serena and Rhani had gotten everyone up to speed at some point, and I was oddly okay with that. Tiana put her hand on mine andced our fingers. ¡°Will you tell us about them?¡± After a minute to think, I nodded. I figured I¡¯d need to revisit it eventually, and why not when I was buried under my harem? The thought was almost ridiculous enough to make me smile. Then, surprising me, Serena captured my chin and tipped it so that I was looking up at her. ¡°And Zaren? I¡¯d like it if you told us as much of the good as you can remember, not just the bad.¡± My brow furrowed, but I saw no need to say no. ¡°The first was Ria. She was a Betian. She came from a long line of warriors that were considered some of the best fighters in history, even after the ss system equalized things.¡± To make sense of things, I needed to go back a bit. ¡°I was seventeen when Rr found me, and though I was still gangly and thin, I had the tall, dark, and brooding vibe that really seemed to do it for a lot of women. Before therger fights, it wasn¡¯t umon for one to seek me out and invite me to spend the night in their bedroll. I turned them down more often than not, but I soon found it was the closest I got to sleeping through the night before big battles. I never spent the night with the same woman more than once or twice, though. Not until Ria.¡± ¡°When Rr found me, I was far from skilled. I was strong, butpletely self taught. In terms of form, I was aplete nightmare who got by on raw instinct, speed, and the power of my ss. After a few battles, she took note. She gave me no end of shit for it, and one day she finally pushed too hard. Ished out, and promptly ended up on my ass.¡± I smiled at the memory. ¡°I kept going back for more, and before I knew it she was teaching me how to actually swing a sword. Any skill with a weapon I have now is thanks to her. She was loud and brash and wasn¡¯t afraid to get in anyone¡¯s face. She was also one of the best fighters I¡¯ve ever met, even to this day. She took only support skills, relying on her hard earned skill with a de to carry her, and it was more than enough.¡± ¡°More than anything, she could handle my shit better than anyone else. Even Rr. She had a way of telling at a nce when I was too deep in my head and specialized in making me mad enough topletely forget whatever was dragging me down. She was a beast on the battlefield and absolutely fearless, and until the day I cut off Grimsbane¡¯s head there was nobody I trusted more at my back.¡± ¡°At first, she was just teaching me to fight. To handle myself. Then one day, before we picked a fight that we had no business actually winning, another fighter sought me out. She promptly told them to fuck off and dragged me back to her tent.¡± The memory was enough to bring a smile to my face. Serena ran her hand along my chest, her head leaning on my shoulder. ¡°You were together, then?¡± My smile faded. ¡°Yes and no. I shared a bedroll with her more than I did anyone else, but¡­I don¡¯t think I was ready for much more than that. Eve was the first person I ever connected emotionally with, and she ended up buried in a rockslide. Ina was my first kiss, and I watched Karn¡¯s man put a crossbow bolt in her chest. Eliya was the first person I ever fell in love with, but with her scars¡­¡± ¡°Scars?¡± Rhani asked. I nodded. ¡°Her trials left her body covered in them. Far worse than mine, and more than a few on her head and face. I always told her I didn¡¯t care, but she did. By the time she died¡­¡± I trailed off. It seemed, despite everything, I still wasn¡¯t ready to revisit that. Noelle¡¯s arms snaked around my torso and she nuzzled into me. ¡°After her, I just wasn¡¯t ready for anything resembling romantic. Ria liked me that way, and she made it clear she was willing to wait until I was ready to take us past just the physical. But I waited too long.¡± Serena started running her fingers through my hair, but she didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°One of Grimsbane¡¯s greatest generals was a man named Ilthiard. He had a ssbination that let him see entire battlefields at once and order his men around in ways that were nearly impossible to counter. We cornered him, but Grimsbane¡¯s armies cornered us. I knew that a force had stayed behind to hold off the main army long enough for me and the rest of the Seven to take Ilthiard down, but I didn¡¯t know that Ria was leading them.¡± ¡°They were wiped out to a man, her and the rest of the Betians, but they did their job. They held back a host more than ten times their size and turned the tide of the war. It was after she didn¡¯te to our tent that night I realized what must have happened. I spent the next three days with the others, going through the dead, until I found her.¡± Four women were holding me in some form or fashion, and it was only because of them that I could keep going. ¡°She had a note on her. She¡¯d written it when she realized what she had to do. She said she was happy to make the sacrifice because she knew we¡ªthe Seven¡ªwere the real hope. She felt lucky for the time we got to share, and that she got to go out on her own terms. She also said she wasn¡¯t afraid to die because she knew I¡¯d be alright on my own. That I didn¡¯t need her any longer.¡± I felt the tear slide down my cheek before I¡¯d even realized it had escaped me. ¡°I wish I could have told her how wrong she was.¡± Serena¡¯s hands snaked around my neck and down my chest while Tianaid down on my chest, sliding one of her long legs between mine and gently ying with the hairs on my chest. ¡°And the artificer?¡± Serena prompted after a while. ¡°Esther.¡± I hadn¡¯t said her name in years, but it brought a smile to my face even as pain stabbed into my chest. ¡°She was brilliant. Kind of like someone else I know.¡± I gave Rhani a nudge, and she beamed. ¡°But her specialty wasn¡¯t the uncovering of knowledge. She was a genius when it came to understanding how tobine magical and nonmagical materials in ways nobody ever considered. She could take far inferior materials and use them to make weapons that actually gave us a chance against Grimsbane¡¯s seemingly limitless resources.¡± ¡°We met when Rr asked me to escort her to Haven¡ªthe closest thing we had to a home base¡ªnot long after Ria died. Esther had a habit of muttering aloud under her breath when she was working, and she was always working. I found it oddly endearing. I used to fall asleep just listening to her talk. It was some of the best sleep I got in those days.¡± I realized I was smiling again, and from the way Serena traced my smile with a fingertip I knew that hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed. ¡°I must have learned via osmosis, because I started to understand what she was saying. The things she was doing. I started asking questions, and I guess they were the right ones. Soon I was privy to all her creations and strategies. Apparently I had a habit of asking just what she needed me to for her to have the big breakthrough she was looking for.¡± ¡°I got her to Haven and we settled her in, then went back to the front. Our victory against Ilthiard kept us in the fight, but things weren¡¯t going well. My nightmares were at their worst, and I hadn¡¯t shared a bed with anyone since Ria. Without even meaning to, I found my way to Esther. She worked, I listened and asked questions, and the next thing I knew I was dozing in her workshop. Best sleep I¡¯d had in a long, long time.¡± ¡°We went back to the front until things went sideways again and we had to retreat and regroup. Torren had been nearly ripped in two and Iliri ended up cursed for a time. As soon as we got back, I sought out Esther. She had a cot in her workshop as if she knew I wasing. Rr found me there, sleeping while she worked, and I think he understood what her shop hade to mean to me.¡± ¡°It was the first ce in my entire life that I felt wee. Safe. I¡¯d never had someone who was always excited to see me. Just to have me around. Who¡¯d worry every time I left and made me promise I¡¯d be careful. Eliya, Ina, Eve, even Ria to an extent all cared for me, but there was that undercurrent of reliance. That a part of why they did what they did was because they were relying on me to save them.¡± ¡°Esther wasn¡¯t like that. It was¡­alien to me that there was someone who just seemed to enjoy having me around. I liked listening to her talk about her creations almost as much as she enjoyed telling me about them. But despite how happy she always was to see me and how sad it seemed to make her when I left, we never took thatst step. Whether it was me or her who was reluctant to be something more, I couldn¡¯t tell you. With the war looming over us, we just¡­¡± They let me think for a minute before Serena¡¯s thumb started working along my jaw. I took it as a gentle sign to keep going. ¡°It happened while we were underground, hunting the Vx queen,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°We¡¯d moved our army into position to take the pass, and Grimsbane found out. He moved on Haven before we could so much as react.¡± They knew what wasing, because I felt all of them tighten their grips on me. ¡°The city didn¡¯tst long, but itsted long enough to get the majority of the people out. It was where we¡¯d sent most of the families of the people that fought with us. Still, without Esther, they wouldn¡¯t have made it far.¡± ¡°She¡¯d rigged the city to blow using a deadlybination of magical and physical explosives. A concoction she created that she swore to take to her grave because of how destructive it was. Her and those we left behind to protect Haven held out as long as they could, made sure as many of Grimsbane¡¯s forces were in the walls as possible, then they activated her devices. She died in an instant, and she took more of Grimsbane¡¯s soldiers with her than anybody but maybe Be.¡± Serena¡¯s fingers never stopped ying with my hair, and I kept going. ¡°Without their sacrifice, we don¡¯t win the war. I know that, and I know they both went out on their own terms, so it¡¯s nothing like what happened with the others, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to hurt,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°You made their sacrifices worth it in the end. You stopped him, Zaren. You freed tens of thousands of people. The world may be shitty, but all the good that exists in this country doesn¡¯t happen without them. Or you.¡± I nodded mutely, heat pricking the backs of my eyes. I wondered if Allura¡¯s deal included them or if she was only bringing back the ones who¡¯d died in Karn¡¯s experiments. I didn¡¯t know, and I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to. Not if the answer was thetter. Of all the people I wished I could talk to just one more time, both Ria and Esther both nearly topped the list. It seemed they all realized I was at the end of the story I was willing to tell, because they all nestled deeper into me. I was d it was still cold in Anford, because being buried under four girls was warmer than any nket. I closed my eyes, caressing who I could reach. At some point, I realized I felt better. Not just the weight in my gut¡ªthough that felt lighter now than it ever had¡ªbut my arm as well. I lifted it and was surprised to see that the burn had receded noticeably from earlier in the day, now ending just above my elbow. Frowning, I checked my status. [Soul Essence: 61/100] I sighed. ¡°It¡¯s gone up another four,¡± I said. They all looked at me uprehendingly, then Rhani¡¯s eyes went wide. She made a mad dash for her book, still on the desk from when I¡¯d been fucking her, and started scribbling madly. I held my arm up. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say this is rted, too.¡± Rhani stood, chewing frantically on her pencil. Then she looked around the room and scooped up what I realized were my pants. She threw them at me. ¡°Go get the twins, then run down and grab us dinner. Please,¡± she added, almost as an afterthought. Then she grinned. ¡°And take your time. Your harem needs to have a discussion.¡± I exchanged a nce with Serena. ¡°I¡¯d say try to keep her at least a little reigned in, but¡­¡± She smiled sweetly, then ced a kiss on my forehead. ¡°Thank you for sharing. It means the world to me, and I know it means a lot to the others as well.¡± ¡°Thanks for pushing me to. It feels good to talk about them,¡± I admitted, extracting myself from under a Noelle who seemed to be pouting. I gave her a forehead kiss as well. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit, don¡¯t you worry.¡± She nodded once, then crawled into Serena¡¯sp and pulled the blond¡¯s arms around her. I shook my head and stood, looking to Tiana. ¡°Good luck. Something tells me you¡¯ll need it.¡± The mist in her eyes was unmistakable, but she just smiled at me. ¡°Maybe between me and Serena we can keep your little mad Schr from going on too much of a power trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be the day.¡± I found a shirt as well and headed for the door. I was almost out of it when the open window caught my eye. It was only cracked a little, but I saw a falcon perched on a tree just outside it. I didn¡¯t exactly know a lot about birds, but it felt rather out of ce. Then, as if it noticed me looking at it, the falcon took flight and disappeared. Something about the moment stuck with me while I asked the twins to join the other girls in my room, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on what. When I made it back to the room a whileter, I made sure the window was closed andtched, but it did little to settle the unease in my gut. # # # I had no idea what the girls ended up talking about while I was gone. Whatever it was, I received a barrage of knowing, amused looks that worried me greatly, but they all refused to give me even a hint. I¡¯d spent the journey downstairs as well as the walk back with a box of food preparing myself for the worst Rhani had to offer, but once again I was caughtpletely by surprise. Because of the early morning we had, the girls were all in agreement that we¡¯d spend ourst night in Anford simply rxing. We ate a cheerful meal, and for once I got to sit back and not be the topic of conversation. For the most part, it was spent catching up the new additions to the family on Rhani¡¯s family and Serena¡¯s life in Listone. After that, Tiana told us about her family. She was the youngest of five sisters, and the only one to get abat ss. Her father had been an adventurer, and her mother a jeweler. He¡¯d left one day and never came home, and his mother had been a wreck after. She¡¯d begged Tiana not to try and be an adventurer, but Tiana wouldn¡¯t have it. Her father had been her hero, and she was determined to follow in his footsteps. She met a guy during her early years and they¡¯d gotten together, but it hadn¡¯t ended well. He apparently hadn¡¯t been super into how dominant Tiana could be in the bedroom and started going behind her back to visit a demi-human brothel and spending their money to do it. When she¡¯d found out, she dumped him on the spot and left the capital toe to Anford. She¡¯d hopped parties there ever since until we¡¯d found her. When I told her I¡¯d shelled out the money to expedite her letter home, she¡¯d ended up a teary mess for a good bit, and by the time we all piled into the bed to sleep she ended up with her back nestled into my front while wrapped around a very pleased Noelle. Serena wound up holding me from behind, and Rhani found herself wrapped up with the twins. It wasn¡¯t long at all before I was out like a light. One moment I was pressing my lips to the nape of Tiana¡¯s neck, settling into Serena¡¯s warmth behind me, drifting to sleep, the next I was very suddenly awake. I didn¡¯t move, reaching out with boosted senses to try and find what had snapped me from my slumber, but I could find nothing. The faint fluttering of wings retreating into the early morning was the only sound that registered as out of the ordinary. My thoughts shifted immediately to the falcon I¡¯d seen yesterday. There were thousands of sses under the sun, and it wasn¡¯t a stretch of the imagination that there was one that could utilize a bird such as that one. Beast tamer sses, summoner sses, even just magic items and trained beasts. Whatever the case, I couldn¡¯t shake the thought that something or someone had been watching me. Tiana twisted, still pressed into my front. ¡°Zaren?¡± she mumbled sleepily. She reached back and I slid my hand into hers. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, probably.¡± I could feel her trying to fight the grogginess. ¡°Probably?¡± I gave her a squeeze. ¡°Nothing to worry about.¡± At some point, Noelle had managed to insert herself in the pile that was Rhani and the twins, so Tiana was free to turn over and nestle into my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and she folded her own arms between us. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± I pressed my lips to her forehead. ¡°Get some more sleep while you can.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± Her breathing started to even out, but I could feel her fighting off the sleep trying to reim her. ¡°Will we get to be like this more on the journey?¡± she asked. I smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out. There are a few more of you than when we were on the road before, but we¡¯ve got better gear this time.¡± ¡°I was having a nightmare just now,¡± she said quietly. Her fingers clutched my shirt. ¡°I was back down there, buried and waiting to die.¡± I rubbed her back. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now. No more underground adventures for a long while, alright?¡± She nodded. ¡°Please. And¡­¡± She hooked one of her legs around mine to pull her body even closer. ¡°You were there. In the dream. Then when I woke up, you were still here. It made me feel better.¡± She made a soft sound. ¡°I¡¯m still half asleep, so I probably sound like an idiot.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± I ran my fingers through her hair, dragging them along her scalp. She let out a long, satisfied sigh and rxed in my arms. ¡°After what you went through, nightmares are perfectly normal. My bed¡ªor bedroll, I suppose¡ªis open to you as long as you¡¯re having them.¡± ¡°Mmmmm.¡± She all but went limp in my arms. ¡°And after?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯lle up with another excuse by then.¡± Whether she heard me or not before she nodded off, I couldn¡¯t be sure. I felt sleep tugging at me, but I resisted its pull. If someone was watching us, then I wasn¡¯t going back to sleep until we¡¯d left Anford well behind. At one point, Tiana started to curl up in my arms. She whimpered once, so I started gently running my fingertips down her spine. She started to rx after a few minutes, and by the time the sky started to lighten outside she was calm. I gently ced my palm to the side of her face and turned her face up, pressing my lips to her cheek. ¡°Time to get up.¡± She sucked in a breath and her eyes shot open, but they found mine quickly and she melted into my embrace with a soft smile. ¡°I could get used to waking up like this.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. Start getting ready, I¡¯ll wake the others.¡± It was only after she pressed her temple to my jaw for a few moments that she finally let go of me and twisted towards the side of the bed. I turned over to wake Serena, but she seemed to be having stressful dreams of her own. I tried to coax her awake in much the same way as Tiana, though she woke a little more violently than the mage. Her whole body jerked and her eyes searching the room frantically. They locked on me and she practically dove for my chest. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Serena. You¡¯re alright,¡± I said softly. She clutched me with trembling arms. ¡°I saw it. I saw Ria¡¯sst stand. Gods, Zaren, there were so many¡­¡± The tranquil moment was shattered. My stomach heaved, but I kept my hold on her. ¡°It¡¯s over now.¡± I reassured her. ¡°It was the past. It can¡¯t hurt you.¡± But she shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡ªI don¡¯t¡ª¡± She took a shuddering breath. ¡°She fought so many of them. Killed so many of them. She was one of thest to fall, and she died with a smile on her face. But it didn¡¯t stop there. The dream.¡± It felt like every muscle in my body locked up at once. My mind shot off in a dozen different directions, but I shut it down. I forced my voice to remain calm and even when I asked, ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°She died from her injuries, but they¡¯d killed too many. Grimsbane¡¯s army turned back. I watched them go, and I wanted to get onest look at her. She¡ªshe was beautiful, Zaren. And amazing. But then I heard voices. Her voice. The dream tried to pull me away, but I had to¡ªI wanted to¡ª¡± ¡°Breathe, Serena. Breathe. Take a second, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± She buried her face in my neck and took several deep breaths. When she pulled away, she looked a little steadier. ¡°I fought against the dream, even though it felt like it was ripping me in half. I heard Ria, and I heard someone else. When I looked closely, I could see them, but only fuzzy outlines. The one I¡¯m pretty sure was Ria was answering questions.¡± With every word, her voice grew a little stronger. Noelle and Rhani were awake by now and listening intently. Serena continued, her eyes jammed shut. ¡°She wasughing. Something about not being surprised that ¡®he¡¯d¡¯ need her help again. That she was willing to take ¡®her¡¯ up on her offer.¡± My blood ran cold. If Serena was saying what I think she was saying, then Allura had been nning her deal with me long before she¡¯d sought me out. I stroked her hair. ¡°What else did you hear? You mentioned a deal?¡± ¡°She said¡ª¡± Serena gulped. ¡°She said she had no interest in an easy life. That if ¡®he¡¯ was really going to need help, she¡¯d need the strength to help him. The other person¡ªa woman, I think¡ªshe seemed amused. That was as far as I got before it felt like someone grabbed my shoulder and ripped me out of the dream. I can¡ª¡± she cut off with a whimper. ¡°I can still feel it. The hand that grabbed me.¡± ¡°Where?¡± I demanded. She pointed to her left shoulder. She was wearing one of my shirts, and with my broad shoulders there was plenty of room to slide the cor aside. I sucked a breath in when I saw the dark handprint still there. It was a burn identical to the one on my arm. ¡°No more asking for dreams for a while,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Souls can¡¯t handle divinity for long, and my guess is you overstayed your wee.¡± I put a hand to her cheek to stop her objection. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. I need to do some thinking, but what you figured out is important. At the same time, you¡¯re still only a level seven priestess. Your soul is going to be more resistant than most when ites to divinity, but there are still limits.¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡ªthat makes sense. I hope I didn¡¯t anger her by overstepping. I just¡ªI had to know.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I pulled her to my chest and cradled her head. ¡°I know.¡± She saw a chance to help me and she took it. I knew realistically I couldn¡¯t be mad, but she didn¡¯t have a shredded soul like mine. Messing around with divinity was much more dangerous for her. And then there was what she¡¯d uncovered. I didn¡¯t even know where to begin. I¡¯d been wondering only yesterday if Ria and Esther had been a part of the deal I struck, and now I had my answer. Not only that, but Allura had been nning it before I¡¯d even killed Grimsbane. That she¡¯d been so confident I¡¯d agree, even then, made me angrier than I¡¯d care to admit. Because I knew gods. If it wasn¡¯t the carrot, it was the stick. If she was collecting the souls of my friends that long ago, then I could only assume she nned to offer them up as a reward first, then hold them hostage if that didn¡¯t pan out. And I didn¡¯t even want to begin thinking about just what Allura¡¯s deal with her could have meant. The implications of me needing Ria¡¯s help. Had Allura been stretching the truth? Saying whatever she needed to so Ria would agree to whatever her ¡°deal¡± was? Or was it something more? ¡°I¡¯ll get stronger,¡± Serena said suddenly, as if she could read my thoughts, ¡°I¡¯ll get levels and get my hands on amunion skill. I¡¯ll find a way to talk to her so we can get to the bottom of this, Zaren. I promise.¡± I crushed her against me harder than I meant to, but she voiced no objection. ¡°We do what we can, where we can. Let¡¯s worry about getting to the capital safely first. I won¡¯t sacrifice what I do have for something Allura might have done.¡± She nodded against my chest and finally started to rx. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for. No more apologies, remember?¡± She let out a chokedugh, and I rxed my arms. We were already going to bete, but I would worry about Koreyter. ¡°We should get moving. I¡¯m ready to be out of Anford.¡± Rhani wrapped around Serena¡¯s arm, helping her up. ¡°I¡¯m going to miss the bed,¡± she said sadly. I ruffled her hair, then grabbed my boots and sat on the bed to slip them on. ¡°Me too, but when we get to the capital we can buy one that¡¯s actually big enough for us all.¡± Things had been a little tightst night, not that I wasining. After spending time in war, I was the first dressed by a mile. Rhani, opting to simply summon her armor, was the only one who came close to beating me. I noted her armor had the new addition of a hood, which Festus appeared in with his head restingzily on her shoulder. ¡°Speaking of beds, what is the sleeping situation going to look like when we get¡­wherever it is we¡¯re going?¡± Rhani asked. More than one girl perked up to hear my response. ¡°Haven¡¯t gotten that far yet,¡± I admitted. ¡°I was hardly factoring a harem into my ns, after all.¡± Rhani pouted, and I smirked at her. ¡°But for now I was thinking that everyone would get their own room and the master bedroom would have an open door policy.¡± That made her perk up. Then her eyes widened and she skipped over to clutch my shirt. ¡°Ren, if you don¡¯t have any hard ns, can I design the master bedroom? Please please please please?¡± I chuckled, banishing anything that wasn¡¯t being carried into storage. ¡°It¡¯s only fair I let the others have some input, but sure. Whatever youe up with is fine by me. The closest thing I¡¯ve ever had to a bedroom was Esther¡¯s workshop.¡± I felt a hand slip into mine and looked to see Serena just behind me. She smiled softly. ¡°Once we get to the capital, we can work on all your firsts.¡± She gave my hand a squeeze, then said, with some hesitation, ¡°Wherever we¡¯re going, we¡¯ll make it into a home, right?¡± I squeezed her hand. ¡°Right.¡± When we finally made it out of the room, Noelle taking the lead with her new, massive axe strapped to her back, nobody was more excited than the twins. ¡°We¡¯re really going to the capital?¡± Ryoko asked, her eyes wide. ¡°We are,¡± I told her. Her and Tsuki walked hand in hand. Tsuki¡¯s face was as guarded as always, but both their tails swished excitedly. Tsuki asked, ¡°what kind of house do you have? Will it really be big enough for us?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± I said uncertainly. ¡°Well, technically, but I¡¯ve only ever set foot in it once, and it wasn¡¯t in the best shape then. In fact, there¡¯s a good chance it¡¯s been uninhabited for a long, long time, but it should have more than enough space once it¡¯s all fixed up.¡± Tiana made a thinking noise. I nced at her, noting with amusement that she wore a skirt that went down to her knees today. ¡°So there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll be holed up in another inn until the house can be repaired, then?¡± ¡°Possibly. And I should probably mention that ¡®house¡¯ isn¡¯t the best description of the property I own.¡± I paid the innkeeper the rest of our bnce, then followed Noelle out the door. Everyone spread out while we headed towards the southern gate where hopefully Korey waited with the wagons. ¡°I only saw it the once, but it¡¯s more akin to a manor than a house.¡± The twins lit up, and the others all looked at me with shock. ¡°Okay,¡± Rhani said, holding her hands out, ¡°I¡¯ve let the question go unasked for far too long. Exactly how muchnd do you own?¡± ¡°Rol¡ªer, the man I inherited it from,¡± I corrected with a nce at the twins, ¡°wanted to give me more, but I talked him down to a pretty sizable estate in the Onyx district.¡± Tiana frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar.¡± But Rhani paled. ¡°That¡¯s the old name for the lower quarter,¡± she said softly. ¡°It isn¡¯t a very good ce. It¡¯s where all the demi-humans and the poorest of the humans end up, which means it has the highest crime rates. There are nearly a dozen mansions abandoned down there owned by people who don¡¯t live in the capital. Because the people in charge can¡¯t make any money off thend, they just let most of that section of the city fall into disrepair.¡± The others looked a little crestfallen, but I just snorted. ¡°Then it¡¯s really going to fuck shit up when I start dumping money into it. Especially if nobody touched my vault. There¡¯s a pretty solid chance a small fortune is still stashed underneath the house they gave me. I¡¯ll dump it all into the lower quarter until it¡¯s the nicest fucking ce in the city.¡± That seemed to make them all feel better. Rhani, however, had a hungry look in her eye. ¡°A vault? Is it just gold, or¡­¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± I admitted. ¡°I wasn¡¯t big on trophies or loot, but my friend wanted to make sure I got my due. I wasn¡¯t exactly nning on spending it, so I left it all behind.¡± She pouted, then perked up. ¡°Your manor is gonna have a library, right? All good manors have a library.¡± Iughed. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t, then I¡¯ll have to leave it up to you to fill one up.¡± With a squeal, shetched onto my side. ¡°Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!¡± Festus made a disgruntled sound and she pulled away, grinning from ear to ear. ¡°I can fill it with all the books I¡¯ll have to hunt down to figure out your¡ªuh, weapon.¡± I saw Tsuki¡¯s eyes narrow, though she tried to hide it. I put a hand on her shoulder and she tensed. ¡°I have my secrets. For now, there are things I¡¯ll need to y close to the chest. When we get settled in, we can discuss how involved you want to be with the things I need to do.¡± She nodded curtly. ¡°Of course. I¡¯m aware I still don¡¯t have much of a role in your household, it makes sense not to tell me sensitive information.¡± I winced at how mechanical her words sounded, but right now there wasn¡¯t much I could do to dispel them. Too many reassurances would only raise her suspicions. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± I promised her. When I turned back to Rhani, she had her notebook out. She smiled at me expectantly, pencil raised. I shook my head, then checked my status. [Soul Essence; 64/100] ¡°Well, it went up again,¡± I told her. She scribbled furiously in her notes. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to understand, and no I¡¯m not telling you. Not yet.¡± ¡°My health is even closer to max as well,¡± I noted. The tightness in my abdomen had lessened, too, which meant that injury was closer to healed than before. By then, Korey¡¯s caravan was within view. When he saw me, he seemed relieved. ¡°I was just about to send Pierce looking for you after our conversation yesterday.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but I don¡¯t n on going out without at least a little property damage. Trust me, if I¡¯m in a bind, you¡¯ll know.¡± He actually seemed reassured by that. He looked to where my wagon was bringing up the rear. I was pleased to see Elisa sitting at the reins with Cynthia curled up next to her, asleep. She waved excitedly when she saw us. Korey followed my gaze, then he looked to Tiana and the twins. ¡°You¡¯ve picked up a few more bodies, I see.¡± ¡°Tiana is a very powerful mage, she¡¯s with me now. Er, with me, I should probably rify.¡± Korey¡¯s brows rose, and Tiana blushed, but neithermented. Instead, he nced at Noelle. ¡°And you¡¯re looking much better, miss Scarlet.¡± She frowned, then looked to me. I nodded encouragingly, and she timidly said, ¡°my name is Noelle. I am stronger now, and will help defend your people.¡± He hid his surprise well. ¡°Noelle, then. I¡¯ll be sure to tell the others.¡± He turned back to me. ¡°Cilrien left us. He said he¡¯d prefer to stay in the outer territories, so we¡¯re down a driver. Sorry we won¡¯t have anyone to spare.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Cynthia offered to drive mine.¡± Tsuki cleared her throat. ¡°If you need an extra pair of hands, I can drive. I¡¯ll just need someone to show me how.¡± Korey nodded thoughtfully. ¡°If you¡¯ve got no issues with it, I can have Mihrel teach her today. Not much to it. I can put her on thest cart before yours.¡± ¡°Works for me. That alright with you, Tsuki?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to contribute when I can.¡± I could hear the undertone in her voice. The worry that I might cast her aside if she didn¡¯t prove herself useful. It was simr to how Noelle had been in the beginning. It was a mindset I was starting to realize I hadn¡¯t seen thest of. It shouldn¡¯t surprise me that demi-humans would be almost as afraid of losing a kind Patron as they were getting stuck with a cruel one. ¡°How long before the caravan is ready to leave?¡± ¡°We were just waiting on you. I think the others are as ready as I am to be safe in the capital.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel relieved. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this show on the road.¡± Chapter Forty-Five: On the Road Again Chapter Forty-Five: On the Road Again From Korey¡¯s demeanor, we must have made it out of town in record time. It was an overcast day, but at least it wasn¡¯t quite as cold as when we¡¯d arrived. And as we headed south, it would hopefully continue to grow warmer. The weather was kind enough to wait for the town to bepletely out of view before the torrential downpour started. Korey, still determined to put distance between us and whatever Fel might be nning, pushed on through the rain. I was starting to worry about how much he was worrying, but at the end of the day all we could really do was keep our eyes peeled. Around the time it started pouring, Cynthia took over for Elisa on our wagon. Elisa disappeared under the canvas with a promise not to work on anything potentially explosive while we were on the move, and after some urging from her sister and reassurances from me Ryoko joined her. Partly because the two were already bing fast friends, and partly because the rain seemed to make her more miserable than anyone else in the caravan. If she¡¯d spent most of her life on the streets without shelter, I could imagine why. I tried offering to take the reins from Tsuki since she seemed to like the rain about as much, but she staunchly refused. She¡¯d taken the job and she wasmitted to following it through, rain or shine. At the very least, I made sure all the members of my household wore a hooded, water-proofed cloak to keep them as dry as possible. I¡¯d never minded the rain, so I walked with my hood down. I¡¯d spent three years in the underground separated from any kind of weather, and the rest of my time in Karn¡¯s clutches locked away from the outside world, only able to see sun through windows and hear the rain through the walls. Inclement weather always calmed me, especially thunder and lightning. But, even as eager as Korey was to get home, the mud and darkness together eventually became too much. They parked their four wagons in two pairs, parallel, and stretched canvas across them to make a covered area where we could sit and not get soaked while the horses were taken nearby to graze. We parked ours close enough by that we could take advantage of the cover as well. A couple of fires were started and everyone huddled close in an attempt to get warm while dinner was being cooked. I tried to insist that I was fine to take a watch, but Tiana and Serena both adamantly shot me down. Already the two of them had foundmon ground in bullying me into taking care of myself, which was both infuriating and wonderful all at once. They made me take a seat by the fire while Ryoko helped Garm cook a meal for everyone. Around the time thest light of the sun disappeared, Elisa proudly announced she had already finished an invention she figured we¡¯d like. She enlisted the help of some me, Tiana, and Serena, the tallest three of the household so far, and had us install some strangely shaped rods to the side of our wagon. Once she was certain they were properly attached, she instructed us on how to unfold them and slide canvas over them to make tents that wererger and more structurally sound than the ones we¡¯d been nning to use in a fraction of the time it took to erect a normal tent. Not only that, but because we could just roll them up and pin them to the side of the wagon, we could use the heavier fabric she¡¯d brought. It would keep the warmth in better than the normal canvas. I assured her that she¡¯d outdone herself and immediately Vaze was there to inquire about procuring more for the rest of the caravan. I left them to their discussion and went back to where dinner was being handed out. I made to sit with the girls¡ªmy four and the twins¡ªwho had all congregated away from the fire, but Rhani stopped me. ¡°Sorry, this is a girls only conversation. We need to n,¡± she said with a grin. ¡°Go warm up by the fire.¡± That could only mean trouble. ¡°Fine, I suppose I¡¯ll eat all by my lonesome.¡± ¡°Cynthia was looking for you, actually,¡± Tiana chimed in, having the grace to at least look a little guilty. I gave her a nod, then Rhani a warning look and a peck on the forehead, and sought out my newest hire. Her nose was buried in papers she was painstakingly trying to keep dry, so she didn¡¯t notice my approach until I sat down next to her. She started a bit, then blinked some tiredness out of her eyes. ¡°Ah, Zaren. Good. I wanted to speak with you.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°Do you prefer Zaren or Ren?¡± ¡°Ren for now, at least until we¡¯re situated in the capital,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly hiding my identity, but until we¡¯re set up there¡¯s no need to call attention to it.¡± She nodded. ¡°Right. Ren, then.¡± She shuffled through some papers. ¡°I suppose that brings me to my next question. Which property will we be settling in?¡± ¡°Which?¡± I was confused. ¡°I should only have the one.¡± She frowned at me. ¡°No, you¡¯ve got a number. It¡¯s clear you haven¡¯t had any kind of bookkeeper in¡­well, ever, but I¡¯ve started to get it all somewhat organized.¡± More shuffling until she found what she was looking for. ¡°Over thest thirty years, it seems you¡¯ve been named in a number of wills.¡± I choked on the bite of soup in my mouth. ¡°Wills? What do you mean, wills?¡± Her frown deepened. ¡°You weren¡¯t aware, then?¡± ¡°Like I mentioned before, any knowledge of my holdings is thirty years old.¡± ¡°Right.¡± She looked through several more sheafs of paper. ¡°After the war, when property became tied to the ords, property taxes in the capital started to rise. Those that inherited property in the war suddenly couldn¡¯t afford it. Leaving the property to your children was just as costly, and someone at some point decided to leave the property to you instead.¡± People were leaving me properties? ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°Unsure. I¡¯ll have to do some digging when we arrive to find out for sure, but for now my best guess is that you were gone. You might have owned the property, but you weren¡¯t there to kick them out. Their families could keep living there without paying exorbitant taxes.¡± I let out a whistle. ¡°How much property do I own, then?¡± More ruffling, a frown, consulting a map covered in red circles and cramped notes, then, ¡°most of the lower quarter, it would seem, as well as some smatterings of property scattered through the Eastern and Western quarters.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± She made a thoughtful noise. ¡°I suppose it makes sense. They would have stopped investing in the Lower Quarter once they could no longer control thend or make money off it. That must be why the demi-humans and the lower ss were all shoved into that part of the city.¡± It took me a minute to remember how to speak. ¡°How am I affording the taxes?¡± ¡°For a while you could afford themfortably just off what you earned during the war.¡± She fished out a page covered in numbers. ¡°Seems that, despite you not wanting it, Rr made sure you were wellpensated. Then, after¡­¡± she flipped the page. ¡°Ah, here. People started donating to your household, it seems. At a nce, based on the regrity and amounts, my first guess is its the families who left you the properties paying their version of rent. Then¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Someone has been making yearly,rge deposits into your finances. I¡¯d have to sit down and math it out, but I think it¡¯s the exact amount you¡¯d owe in taxes each year, just before they would have been due.¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s been paying my taxes?¡± She nodded. ¡°Different person each time, ording to these records, but always on the same day. Strange.¡± Yet another puzzle to try and figure out. Then another thought struck me. ¡°Cynthia, the number of servants I can employ is based on my holdings, correct?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°And how many servants could I have currently?¡± ¡°Well, like I said, I¡¯m still trying to piece it all together, but if I had to guess then at least forty, and that¡¯s being conservative. Very conservative.¡± I let out a low whistle. Seems I wouldn¡¯t have to be as careful as I¡¯d originally worried when it came to taking in demi-humans who needed it. That gave me pause. When I¡¯d first indebted Rhani, I¡¯d been more than reluctant. Here I was worried I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it enough. Things had changed so drastically for me in just a matter of weeks, and I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about that. I did know that if I came across anybody else who needed a home, I wouldn¡¯t have to hesitate so much in offering them a cor. What a fucked up train of thought. ¡°I took the liberty of procuring another twenty cors just in case,¡± she continued. ¡°I assumed it would be better to be safe than sorry.¡± ¡°A good instinct.¡± Added to the two dozen me and Rhani had bought what felt like ages ago, that would hopefully be more than enough. I only hoped I could fill those cors with those seeking a better life, not those who I¡¯m saving from a horrible one. ¡°I¡¯ll keep putting it all together,¡± she said, rubbing her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a mess, but that¡¯s what you pay me for.¡± ¡°Just make sure you¡¯re getting plenty of rest while you¡¯re at it. We have time yet before we get to the capital, and I¡¯d rather you do good work over a longer period rather than killing yourself trying to rush things.¡± She nodded. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± I fought the urge to tell her to simply call me by name. If I was going to be her boss, then I should probably get used to her at least deferring to me. ¡°To answer your question, we¡¯ll start with the main manor I originally inherited unless you can find a better option. See what you can learn about that property and the ones nearest to it, we can go from there.¡± She nodded. ¡°I suppose I should have asked this earlier, but what will sleeping arrangements look like while on the road?¡± ¡°I was going to let you and Elisa have the wagon, if there¡¯s room in it. I figure the girls will take my tent and I can give the twins the extra Elisa helped us install.¡± Her lips pursed. ¡°Very well. Thank you.¡± I inclined my head, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the council of girls convening. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it,¡± I told her, standing. She made a noise that sounded briefly like confirmation and I left her to her papers. Rhani was going to lose her mind when I told her just how many servants I could have, and with Noelle¡¯s request I imagined she¡¯d be pleased as well. Speaking of Rhani, my little ringleader of an Arelim saw meing. She left the group behind and approached, hands on hips. ¡°Alright, time for our first experiment. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s as simple as sex, but I want to be sure. Are you willing to give it a shot? Just sex?¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°I can give it a shot, though I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d consider it ¡®just sex¡¯ with any of you at this point.¡± She smiled wide, mischief in her eyes. ¡°I agree, which is why it won¡¯t be one of us you¡¯re sleeping with.¡± I blinked. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°Not tonight,¡± she said sadly. ¡°You know what I meant.¡± She batted her eyshes at me, and I crossed my arms. She huffed. ¡°Fine, fine. Buzzkill. After a long conversation¡ªone between all of us, the twins included¡ªTsuki has agreed to help.¡± ¡°Tsuki?¡± ¡°Yes, Tsuki. You know, cute little Kitsune?¡± It took me a minute to recover. Said cute little Kitsune seemed like she was hardly my biggest fan even on a good day, and that was only because of what I was offering for her sister. ¡°Dare I ask how you managed to convince her of that?¡± ¡°You may not,¡± she said pointedly. ¡°Rule number one, you can¡¯t ask questions. She has her reasons, and she isn¡¯t being coerced in any way. You can ask her all you want after, but until you do the deed just pretend it¡¯s a one night stand. Just two people seeking pleasure.¡± I took a breath, one of my fingers tapping against my bicep as if it had a mind of its own. This felt a little too simr to before Ria. To when I¡¯d end up in another soldier¡¯s bed without even knowing her name. It hadn¡¯t been so bad when that had been my only experience when it came to sex, but a lot of things had changed since then. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this,¡± I admitted. She put a hand on my chest, her expression turning immediately to one of worry. ¡°If you¡¯re not sure, then we don¡¯t do it. I just thought¡ª¡± she bit her lip, no doubt trying to decide what she could give away or not. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I uncrossed my arms, cing one of my hands over hers. ¡°You know I do.¡± ¡°Then know that I think you should do this. Not just for what we could learn, either. But don¡¯t think about it too much, alright? Not until after, at least.¡± I squeezed her hand. ¡°And everyone is on board? Completely?¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes. I promise. Ryoko¡¯s a little unsure, but Tsuki¡ª¡± She cut off. ¡°Um, Tsuki reassured her. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Alright, Angel. I¡¯ll trust you, then.¡± Relieved, she stepped back. ¡°Good. Then hurry up and get in there. After, we can all cuddle up and talk about it.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then checked my status. [Soul Essence: 64/100] ¡°Well, we can officially rule out time. My Essence is still at the same number as when we left Anford.¡± I left her scribbling in her notebook and headed for our tent. Large and square now that it was attached to the carriage, and mercifully dry inside. Tsuki paced inside, her tail swishing agitatedly behind her, with her crooked finger between her teeth. She froze when I entered, turning her golden eyes up at me more than a little nervously. ¡°So we¡¯re doing this, then?¡± she asked. I approached her, and she sped her hands behind her back. Her tail still twitched behind her, but it had stilled greatly. ¡°Seems to be the case. As long as¡ª¡± Her hand shot up and covered my mouth. ¡°No questions, just sex. That¡¯s what Rhani said.¡± Then, hesitantly, her hands went towards my pants. I caught her wrists, and her gaze shot up to mine. ¡°Just one, then. I need to know that you want to be here. Whatever the reason. I need to know you aren¡¯t just here because you¡¯re worried about your ce. I need you to know that I don¡¯t need you to be useful, and that no matter what I won¡¯t separate you and your sister. That said, do you still want this?¡± She looked up at me for a long time, and her tail slowly calmed down. Then she nodded once. I released her hands, and she deftly undid my belt. I took care of my shirt while my pants fell to the ground, and she slid her hands into my undergarments to wrap around my length. She pulled them down with one hand while the other started stroking me. I pulled her tunic up and over her head, revealing her small, yet curvy body. I palmed her breasts and she let out a soft gasp, pressing into my hands. She let me fondle her while she dropped her own pants to the ground, revealing nothing underneath. Then she sank down to her knees and took me into her mouth. Her long tongue trailed circles around the crown before sliding her lips down the shaft, drawing a low groan from me. She took me all the way in, only slowing down slightly when I hit her throat, her eyes locked onto mine the entire time. She went until her nose was buried in my pelvis, then held it until her eyes started to water. Only then did she back away until only a trail of saliva connected my cock to her lips. ¡°You¡¯rerge,¡± she panted. She returned to sucking, her eyes sliding closed after a few slow trips down the length of my cock. Her hand wrapped around the base while the other braced against my thigh, digging into the flesh there. She sucked me off silently until a moan slipped out of her throat, reverberating down my cock and causing her eyes to shoot wide in surprise. Her cheeks coloring, she drew back slowly until I slipped outpletely. She gave my head onest lick, then turned around sank to her hands and knees atop one of therger bedrolls we¡¯d brought. She crawled away from me on all fours, then looked at me over her shoulder. Her tail raised into the air and she arched her back, giving me a good look of her dripping slit. Just sex. Trying not to overthink things, I knelt down behind her. Her breathing hitched, then she sucked in her breath when I pressed the head of my cock against her lower folds. I paused, giving her plenty of time to tell me to stop, but her eyes never left mine. Not until I pushed forward and slid inside her. She bit her lip to hold in a moan, then hung her head and pushed back onto me until I was fully inside her. ¡°Veryrge¡­¡± she panted. Her tail flicked up, caressing my chest, and I grabbed her shapely hips to give myself leverage. I gave her a moment to get used to me, then I pulled almost all the way out before pushing back in. She was incredibly tight, and the muscles in her core clenched and fluttered like she was trying to pull me in deeper with every inch that she took. The only sound she made was a slight whimper when I bottomed out, and I paused. Her tail flicked again, and I heard her say, ¡°m-more¡­¡± I obliged, starting to pump my hips in earnest. She let out a small sound every time our hips met, but other than that she remainedpletely quiet. But with every thrust, she pushed her hips back to meet mine. If I tried to slow down, she sped up. If I tried to slip out, her hips chased me backwards. Then her tail swished to one side, wrapping once around my uninjured arm. It felt like her tail was pulling me, so I let go of her left hip and wrapped my hand around the base of her tail. She cried out and mmed back into me even harder. She clenched around me like a vice, climax driving her hips into mine with as much force as her small, curvaceous frame could muster. ¡°Harder!¡± she demanded. This time I used her tail to fuck her and she buried her face in the bedroll, moaning loudly. I mmed into her even harder until she came again, bringing me right up to the edge. She moaned into the bedroll and her hands clenched the fabric so hard her knuckles turned white. With a start, I realized I¡¯d never checked to see if Rhani had given her the contraception crest. I imagined she had, but in that blinding moment before release a primal part of my brain demanded I not take the chance. I pulled out, mming my hips back forward so that my shaft rested between her cheeks, pointed just to the side of her tail, and shot rope after rope up her back. She panted into the bedroll for a few moments before she looked over her shoulder at me with a furrowed brow, her chest heaving. ¡°You didn¡¯t finish inside?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if it was confusion or disappointment I heard in her voice. I sank back. ¡°Not usually something I do without discussing it first,¡± I told her, breathing hard. She frowned and looked down at my chest, avoiding my eyes. She let her hips fall to the side and I reached out to perform a simple cleaning spell and take care of the mess on her back. ¡°I should¡ªI should go now,¡± she said between breaths. ¡°If you want to I won¡¯t stop you, but I¡¯d like to talk.¡± She shook her head. She looked to the entrance to the tent, but she gripped the bedroll even tighter. ¡°Rhani said¡ª¡± ¡°Sixty-five,¡± I said. Iid down next to her, leaning on a single elbow, keeping a foot of space between us. I summoned a nket from storage and draped it over her, covering up her nakedness. ¡°Thatted me a single Soul Essence. Experiment over.¡± ¡°I¡ªI suppose we could¡ª¡± She looked away, then nestled into the bedroll and pulled a pillow under her head. ¡°I could stay for at least a few minutes.¡± I did the same,ying down on my side so that we were looking eye to eye. ¡°Rhani said you had your reasons for doing this, and I¡¯d like to know them if you¡¯re willing to share.¡± She made an uncertain noise, then pulled the nket tighter around her. ¡°I do¡­like sex,¡± she admitted finally. ¡°I just rarely get to have much choice in my partner. This was a choice. I¡¯ve seen how you are with your partners and I wanted to experience it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± she looked down at my chest again. ¡°I have been¡­unsessful trying to find any reasons to dislike you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you were looking.¡± ¡°I have been. I have to. I can¡¯t afford to be fooled. Not when Ryoko could pay so easily for my mistakes.¡± Now it was my turn to frown. ¡°Tsuki, I will never punish Ryoko for anything you do. Even if you ever did something that would require some kind of¡­repercussions, then it would never be abuse or anything sexual.¡± ¡°I know,¡± she said softly. ¡°But I had to be sure. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I slowly reached out and patted her head between her two foxlike ears. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry for.¡± Her lids lowered, but she just forced her eyes back up to mine. ¡°Were those the only reasons?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Have you ever been with a beastkin race?¡± ¡°Twice,¡± I admitted. ¡°Have you ever been with one when they¡¯re in heat?¡± ¡°I have not.¡± ¡°Right. Well, if you¡¯re with a preferred partner, it can be amazing. So I¡¯m told, at least. Heightened arousal, sensitivity, and a near-unstoppable desire to¡­be bred. Unfortunately, our mating seasons don¡¯t often care if we actually have a mate or not. Especially if we¡¯re promiscuous.¡± And she had been, even if against her will. ¡°Are you in heat right now?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when I¡¯m in heat. Trust me.¡± She put on a brave front, but I could tell the words tasted like ash in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ve always done what I had to for Ryoko. For us both. Sometimes, that involved sacrificing my body. I hated it, but it was better than starving.¡± I didn¡¯t interrupt. I had a feeling she had more to say. ¡°But, because I¡¯ve been active since a rtively young age, my heats are often on the stronger side. Normally, they¡¯re at least manageable. Sometimes¡­not so much. If I go through a cycle without finding relief, then the next one is often worse.¡± She pulled the nket tighter around her, curling into herself. ¡°I wanted to do it with you so that if I lose myself the next time I go in heat, maybe I¡¯ll seek you out instead of the nearest male. Now that my body knows yours and I know your taste.¡± I¡¯d heard that beastkin could be insatiable when in heat, but I didn¡¯t know it was that bad. ¡°Are your urges really that strong?¡± She looked away again. At first I didn¡¯t think she was going to respond, then she blurted, ¡°yes. I¡ªit was the reason we were captured.¡± I opened my mouth to respond, but she barreled on. ¡°I was caught off guard. My heat came early, while I was out trying to find us food. It was difficult to think straight, and a Lycanine male smelled that it was my time.¡± She opened her mouth to continue, but it was a few second before she could manage to force the words out. ¡°I remember wanting to run away, but my body wouldn¡¯t.¡± The words began to tumble out, and I could see ayer of wetness in her eyes. ¡°His smell hit me and I just couldn¡¯t move. Then he was there. I remember his tongue in my mouth, him pressing me against the wall, then¡ª¡± She clutched the nket tighter and jammed her eyes shut. ¡°I barely even remember what happened after that. Just shes. Pleasure and pain. Need. Waking up bruised and fucked dayster in his bed.¡± I struggled to find a response, but she wasn¡¯t done. ¡°It was my fault!¡± she cried suddenly, curling into a ball. ¡°I ran back to her, but it was toote! We were out of food, and she came looking for me. Someone saw her, drawn by her white fur like always, and tried to take her. She ran, fought back, and ended up in the Pens. I didn¡¯t know what to do! I didn¡¯t have anyone I could go to! I did the only thing I could think of and got myself arrested too, then bribed the guard to protect her!¡± The tears were falling fully now, so I reached out and pulled her into my chest. She shed the nket and wrapped her arms around my waist. ¡°I was so scared! I was sure it was over. That someone would take one of us and not the other and we¡¯d never see each other again, and it¡¯d be all my fault!¡± I pressed her into me, rubbing her back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°And then you came! When I saw you I was so afraid of what someone who looked like you might do to her, and now¡­and now¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not!¡± she cried into my chest, her entire body trembling. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like! To wake up not knowing where you were. What had been done to you. Hurting in ces that should never hurt like that. Feeling so used. Having no choice in the matter.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure,¡± I said softly. That brought her to a jarring halt. Suddenly tense, she pushed against my chest and I let her put enough space between us to look up at me with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°You?¡± ¡°A long time ago, yes.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re strong!¡± I wiped the wetness from her cheeks. ¡°I wasn¡¯t always.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re human.¡± ¡°Some people live to cause pain, regardless of race.¡± She sniffled. ¡°I never would have¡­¡± ¡°I was lucky,¡± I told her. ¡°I had people that were willing to help put me back together. I was also unlucky in that those times weren¡¯t even the most horrible things to happen to me. The man I am now is built atop so manyyers of trauma I couldn¡¯t even tell you how to go about finding your way back from the hell you¡¯ve been forced to live.¡± She looked back to my chest once again and her dainty fingers traced one of the scars there. Then, after a brief hesitation, she sidled back into my embrace so I could rest my chin on her crown. ¡°Do you think I could be strong like you?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you wanted, we could certainly try.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± Her fingers curled against my chest. ¡°I want to protect Ryoko, but I don¡¯t want to have to use my body to do it. I don¡¯t want to do that anymore. Not ever again.¡± ¡°And as long as I¡¯m alive, you¡¯ll never have to.¡± I kept rubbing her back, and she pressed her body into mine as if trying to burrow into my skin. ¡°And, at the risk of sounding like a lecherous pervert, if you¡¯re ever in heat and you need release, then I¡¯d be happy to help you so you don¡¯t end up doing anything against your will.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her voice wavering. ¡°And Zaren?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°If¡ªif it everes to that, will you do something for me?¡± ¡°Name it.¡± ¡°After, will you¡­will you hold me like this? I don¡¯t¡ªthe part that¡¯s the worst is waking up all alone, knowing what happened even if I don¡¯t remember it. Waking up like this¡­that wouldn¡¯t be so bad, I think.¡± ¡°Done and done,¡± I promised. She rxed against me and I kept rubbing her back until she pulled away. She rolled to a seated position and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make me a part of your harem,¡± Her tone was somewhat usatory, though she smirked slightly when she said it. ¡°Of course not. My selection process is much more rigorous than a single fuck.¡± She smiled, then stood. I followed suit, retrieving my pants. I went to look for my shirt only to realize that Tsuki had already donned it with some color on her cheeks, pointedly avoiding my eyes. Her tail was back to swishing energetically, though, so it seemed her mood had improved. ¡°And Zaren, it goes without saying but¡­please don¡¯t tell my sister the things I¡¯ve told you. She suspects much of what I¡¯ve had to do, but she doesn¡¯t know all of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my story to tell.¡± But that brought another question to mind. ¡°Does Ryoko also¡­?¡± She shot a re at me. ¡°No. Not like me, anyways. She¡¯ll get really horny, but she¡¯s still a virgin, so her heats aren¡¯t nearly as aggressive. I had my first time at a young age, before I knew what the full repercussions would be. I¡¯ve spent a long time making sure Ko doesn¡¯t make the same mistake I did. Not until we found somewhere we could call home, at least.¡± ¡°I see. Well I hope I can offer you both that someday. Whether it¡¯s with me or otherwise.¡± She nodded, though it was much less curt than normal. ¡°I¡¯ll get the others. I¡¯m sure Rhani is wondering what¡¯s taking so long. It¡¯ste, so you might as well wait here.¡± Her eyes flicked towards my chest onest time, though this was less avoiding my eyes and more appreciating what she saw. Her tail swished widely, and she said so softly I barely heard her, ¡°next time you can finish inside.¡± Then she ducked out before I could even process what she¡¯d said. Next time, huh? It seemed I was only just beginning to see through the armor Tsuki wore. I didn¡¯t bother putting my pants back on, instead unrolling the massive bedroll andying down with the nket over my waist. I took a peek at my Essence once again and my brows rose. [Soul Essence: 67/100] Our little heart to heart had generated twice as much as the sex, though a part of me wasn¡¯t surprised. Rhani had already guessed that sex wasn¡¯t the answer. Tonight had mainly been about proving her theory correct, and it seemed we had. Rhani was the first one in, and I could see the worry on her face. I gave her a reassuring smile, and she rxed on the spot. ¡°So it went alright, then?¡± I quickly told her the results, both of the sex and the talk after. I gave her the broad strokes on what we talked about while everyone but Tiana and the twins filed in and started stripping into their smallclothes. I didn¡¯t tell them the specifics of Tsuki¡¯s confession; that wasn¡¯t my information to give. I raised a brow when Serena was the first to get undressed and dive in to im a spot next to me. I didn¡¯t even have a chance toment before she was trailing kisses up the underside of my jaw, her hand sliding up my chest until she could cup the cheek opposite her. I had to fight back a groan at how good her lips felt, covering as much area as she could. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I might think someone is jealous,¡± I said with a chuckle. She pressed her body into mine while Rhaniid on my other side just before Noelle flopped face first into myp. Serena pulled my face down so she could press her lips to mine, then pulled away and looked up at me with big, emerald eyes. ¡°Not jealous. I just wanted to make sure you knew that this isn¡¯t like back then.¡± I stilled, then I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into my chest, pressing my cheek to her temple. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered. If my conversation with Tsuki hadn¡¯t gone the way it did, there was every possibility I¡¯d feel like I was spending my nights with nameless soldiers once again. While I held Serena, Noelle took the chance to steal my lips. I barely got my mouth open before her tongue went hunting for mine. I chuckled when she pulled back. ¡°Ladies, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. ¡°I promise.¡± Iid back and they all snuggled into me. Rhani leaned up to give me a peck on the cheek before she did. ¡°And I promise that you¡¯ll like tomorrow¡¯s experiment.¡± ¡°I have no doubt.¡± I looked at the p. ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Serena said slowly, ¡°it was obvious that Tsuki had been crying, and Ryoko¡­got upset.¡± I winced. ¡°Our talk got a little heavy,¡± I admitted. ¡°We know,¡± Rhani assured me quickly. ¡°She told us, and we know you¡¯d never hurt her. Ryoko was a little harder to convince, so Tsuki told us to go ahead while they talked it out.¡± ¡°Tiana?¡± ¡°Volunteered for first watch,¡± Rhani said. ¡°Serena has second watch, and now that I have Festus I¡¯ll start taking them as well.¡± ¡°I will also watch,¡± Noelle said solemnly. It was at that point that Tsuki and Ryoko finally returned. Tsuki came in first with Ryoko just behind her. They were holding hands, and it looked like both of them had been crying. Ryoko¡¯s eyes were fixed on the floor of the tent, but Tsuki asked, ¡°may we stay in here tonight?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I told her. Her response was a curt nod, her colder demeanor having returned. They both managed to squeeze inside the bedroll, though with so many of us Tiana might have a time slipping in. Noelle looked at them with a frown, then leaned up and kissed me one more time before crawling over Rhani so she could lie next to the twins. Tsuki¡¯s eyes widened when Noelle wrapped around her, pushing the Kitsune¡¯s head into her chest, and it was only a second longer before she was sandwiched between Noelle and her sister. Tsuki¡¯s eyes found mine, and I nodded encouragingly. Her gaze turned watery before she settled in and wrapped her arms around Noelle. Serena left my side long enough to turn out thentern that lit the tent before she glued herself back to me. We talked a bit longer about nothing at all before eyelids started growing heavy. As always, with the dark came enhanced senses. I could tell exactly when each person in the tent nodded off just based on their breathing. I also discovered a w in Elisa¡¯s tent creation. Between my senses and our proximity to the wagon, I¡¯d probably have to suggest some soundproofing. I just had to figure out a way to do so without revealing I could hear most of what her and Cynthia were up to just a few feet away. I tried to get some rest, but sleep eluded me. My thoughts kept drifting back to my conversation with Tsuki, which inevitably led me to other ces. She wanted to be strong, which meant I¡¯d teach her how to fight. That would lead tobat sses. I had no problem with that, but what if she was someone else Allura was manipting? Would she get a strong ss just because she¡¯s bing important to me? Or was she put in my path because Allura was already nning to give her one? Because of my cycling thoughts, I was still awake when Tiana finally finished her watch. She slipped in silently, disrobed, then tapped Serena on the shoulder. With a grumble, Serena slid out and got dressed for her watch while Tiana slid into the warmth she left behind and snuggled into my side. I doubted I¡¯d get any sleep until I asked the question that had been nagging at me. ¡°Tiana?¡± I said softly. She tensed. ¡°I didn¡¯t wake you, did I?¡± ¡°No, I was awake. Can I ask you something?¡± In almost the exact motion Serena had made earlier, her hand trailed up my chest to cup my cheek. ¡°You can ask me anything.¡± ¡°Do you remember the options for your second ss?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Humor me.¡± She made an uncertain sound. I knew by the shift in breathing that Rhani was awake, though she was trying her best to feign sleep. Leave it to my adorable Arelim to wake up the moment sses were mentioned. Tiana¡¯s fingertips traced my jaw. ¡°Promise you won¡¯t make fun of me?¡± I put my hand over hers. ¡°Why would I make fun of you?¡± She rested her head on my chest and let out a long sigh,cing her fingers with mine. ¡°Because only an idiot passes up sses like Pyromancer or Spellweaver for my pervy ss.¡± Rhani couldn¡¯t suppress a small gasp and I had to agree. Pyromancer was a powerful, ifmon, fire based ss, while Spellweaver would have made her Arcanist spells a force to be reckoned with. Just like Serena, she¡¯d been given the option between a ss that synergized with my¡­equipment and two very powerful sses. I didn¡¯t answer, and that seemed to bother her. She propped herself up on an elbow, reaching for my face in the dark. ¡°I told you, I was an idiot.¡± I pulled her up my body so that when she rested her head on my shoulder I could feel her breath on my cheek. ¡°Would you hate me if I said I thought Allura gave you your ss? Because of me?¡± ¡°What?¡± I could hear the frown in her voice. ¡°But I didn¡¯t even know you¡ªoh.¡± Her fingers clenched and unclenched a few times, then she tentatively threw a leg over me and pressed her forehead into my temple. ¡°Do you think she sent me down to the spiders?¡± she asked hesitantly. I wasn¡¯t surprised that she¡¯d made the same connection I had. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I answered truthfully. ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s just as possible that she didn¡¯t. That she sent me down after you. Until we find a way to ask her, there¡¯s no way to tell. Even then, there¡¯s no guarantee she¡¯ll answer us truthfully.¡± She put her palm to my face, stroking her thumb across my cheekbone. ¡°If you¡¯re right,¡± she said slowly, ¡°either way, you had no part in it. I won¡¯t hold you responsible for the actions of a goddess. Not after all you¡¯ve done for me, and all you¡¯ve promised to do. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± I asked when she didn¡¯t finish the thought. ¡°And,¡± this time I could hear a faint smile in her tone, ¡°knowing everything I know now, I wouldn¡¯t do anything differently.¡± She hooked one leg around mine and kissed my cheek, practically melting into me. ¡°Except maybe making such a fool of myself when you first found me.¡± Iughed softly. ¡°After Rhani and Serena, you made me worry that every woman I¡¯d meet was a horny mess.¡± Sheughed too. ¡°You do seem to have that effect on women.¡± ¡°Not going to deny it then?¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± I pressed my cheek to her forehead. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure I could put it into words. ¡°Being you, I suppose.¡± A shiver rippled through her, and her fingers found my face in the darkness so she could kiss me deeply, then sheid back down. ¡°Well, thank you, too. For everything.¡± From her tone, I suspected she was struggling to find the words just as much as I was. She must have gotten the sense that the conversation was over, because she nuzzled into my neck and rxed, still half draped over me. It wasn¡¯t long before she was snoring softly, and despite the busty mageying on top of me I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. It was a long time before i eve got close to galling asleepI was just nodding off when Rhani suddenly rolled away, snuggling up to Noelle from behind. Less than a minuteter, Serena was fighting Tiana for real estate on my chest and I found myself buried under the two. Serena nuzzled into my neck with her nose still cold from her watch and buried her frozen fingers and toes in any warm part of me she could find with a smile on her face. After a small amount if halfhearted grumbling, I pressed a kiss to her head and closed my eyes once more. With the four people i cared about most safe and sound in the tent with me, it wasn¡¯t long before sleep finally came for me as well. Chapter Forty-Six: Intimacy Chapter Forty-Six: Intimacy I woke to the sound of a whimper at my side. Adrenaline surged and I waspletely awake in an instant. Rain still fell outside, but it was bright enough to be early morning. I took quick stock and found that everyone was in the tent, looking for who had caused me to wake. Serena whimpered again. Her eyes were jammed shut, her fists clenched into her chest, and her body curled into a ball. Her teeth clenched so tightly I could hear her teeth grinding, and as I watched her hands started opening and closing. ¡°Serena,¡± I whispered, taking her in my arms. ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± I cradled her face, running my thumb over her cheekbone. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream.¡± Her eyes flew open with a cry, bloodshot and teary. She blinked at me,pletely confused, then a sob slipped past her lips. She threw herself at me, her hands running over my body in a way that told me exactly what her nightmare had been about. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± I told her. I guided her hand to where the Vx queen had impaled my abdomen. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Serena. The fight¡¯s over. We¡¯re safe.¡± It took her a moment to rein in her short, gasping breaths. I held her tightly the entire time, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances. It would seem there was one benefit to her reliving my memories, and it was staving off the eventual fallout from what she¡¯d seen during the fight. The others had woken as well. Rhani immediately wrapped her arms around Serena from behind, sandwiching the blond between us. Tiana hesitantlyy at my side with her hand on my upper arm, her face pinched with worry. Noelle took Serena¡¯s hand in both of hers with a distressed look on her face as well. ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± I said again, pressing my cheek to her temple. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she mumbled into my chest. ¡°No apologies, remember?¡± She nodded, staying buried. ¡°I was back there, in the fight, trying to heal you, only¡­I was too slow. Toote. I watched you die,¡± she whispered. ¡°I know.¡± I couldn¡¯t count the number of simr dreams I¡¯d had, before and after Allura¡¯s deal. ¡°Believe me, Serena. I know.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to wake everyone.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about it for a second,¡± Rhani said, brushing Serena¡¯s hair out of her face. Noelle made a sound of agreement. ¡°You have no control over your dreams. It helps if you can find something to ground you after waking. I use Zaren¡¯s scent.¡± I raised a brow at that bit of information, releasing my grip on Serena just long enough to brush my knuckles along Noelle¡¯s jaw. She leaned into the touch with lidded eyes, then pushed my arm back to Serena. She stopped shaking and tried to sit up, but I didn¡¯t relinquish my grip just yet. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she promised. ¡°And?¡± A smile tugged at her lips and she snuggled back into me. ¡°Seems we¡¯re all having bad dreams these days,¡± she said. Tsuki stood, still wearing my shirt and only my shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll go find some breakfast for us.¡± She left with Ryoko and Noelle both volunteering to help. After she left, Rhani gave me a pointed look. I checked my status to find my Essence had risen yet again to seventy. Three more Essence at some point in the night, which seemed to make her excited. I took a chance to slide the cor of Serena¡¯s shirt aside to look at the handprint on her shoulder. It was better, and it seemed to be healing faster than my own burn, but its existence still worried me. She shivered when I brushed my thumb across it, but then I trailed some kisses along her corbone and she sighed happily. I rubbed her back and she trailed her fingers along my chest, asionally going low enough to brush against the puckered white scar where I¡¯d been skewered, trying to reassure herself that I really was okay. Breakfast was a quiet affair, and I kept Serena within arm¡¯s reach until I was sure she was fully calm. After, while we were all getting ready, I noticed that Tiana, Serena, and Rhani were all donning my armor instead of traveling clothes. They were hidden under the thick cloaks that would keep the rain off them, but it did make me feel better knowing they were at least protected. From the way Serena immediately rxed when hers wrapped around her, I figured she felt the same. Banishing the bedroll and packing up the tent proved to be a breeze with Elisa¡¯s new contraptions, which earned us more than one soggy, envious re from the other members of the caravan while they packed up in the morning rain. The weather took no mercy on us. Our entire day was spent trudging along in rain cold enough to make me miss the snow. Serena was in no mood to talk, but we spent most of the day walking together anyways. She stayed close enough that we were nearly touching, asionally shooting me grateful nces. At around midday we finally entered the valley proper that separated Anford from the rest of the kingdom. During the parts of the day where the rain was lighter, I could see the outlines of mountains running parallel to the road. On our right was empty space with a line of trees just visible through the downpour. It wasn¡¯t quite the thick woods we¡¯d traveled through before, but it was more than enough foliage to hide any manner of enemies close enough to present a problem. By the time the time evening rolled around, pretty much everybody was tired and cranky from a particrly soggy day. Especially after those with higher Strength had to unstick a wagon from a particrly stubborn patch of mud. Realizing everyone needed it, Korey called another early stop. The horses were taken care of, the wagons set up, and canvas thrown across them to give us some reprieve from the constant rain that had be ourpanion. Ryoko and Garm got to work making another hefty stew for the caravan, and Korey gave her permission to infuse it with a little mana to give everyone a pick-me-up. While she cooked, I was sent to wait by the fire while the others started setting up the tents. This time the girls all sat down to eat with me. The stew was easily some of the best I¡¯d had on the road, and I could tell the difference from the first bite. By the end of the bowl, I felt warm and invigorated, and I could tell by the expressions around the camp that more than a few of the others felt the same. We all heaped plenty of praise on a radiant Ryoko, who imed her spot quickly at my side grinning ear to ear. After a surprisingly enjoyable dinner, the council of Rhani reconvened and I was once again left to my own devices. I¡¯d just leaned my head back to close my eyes before whatever Rhani had nned for me when I felt someone sit down next to me. I cracked an eye to see the long blond curls of Yen, swept over her near shoulder so she could look at me. ¡°I¡¯d like to talk, Ren.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away, regarding her carefully. I knew little about Yen other than her rtionship to Pierce and her propensity for close quartersbat. Other than that, she was a mystery to me. ¡°Sure,¡± I said. ¡°About Rastra.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She took a breath. ¡°What does she owe you?¡± I blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°She said you were paying her way to Amesseria, and that she¡¯d agreed to work it off after we arrived. I want to know how much she owes.¡± After everything that had happened in Anford, it took me a minute to remember thest time I¡¯d talked to the fire mage. ¡°Ah, right. About that.¡± Yen bristled. If I didn¡¯t already know she was Pierce¡¯s niece, I would have guessed it based on the look in her light blue eyes. ¡°I want to pay it off. She¡¯s been through enough, she shouldn¡¯t have to worry about debts after what happened.¡± I could see her already working herself up and figured it best to get ahead of things. ¡°I agree,¡± I said, taking the wind out of her sails. ¡°She doesn¡¯t owe me anything.¡± That made her frown. ¡°How are you paying Korey, then?¡± ¡°Called in a favor with Pierce. Korey was still paying for Dern, so I suggested he have Rastra fill that slot. All it¡¯s costing me is a few perceived favors, and I¡¯m not really worried about those.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± She shook her head, her curls bouncing. ¡°That¡¯s not how you made it sound to her,¡± she said usingly. ¡°She was with Fel,¡± I said with a snort. ¡°If I¡¯d said I wanted to help her out of the kindness of my heart, do you really think she¡¯d have believed me?¡± That was enough to give her pause. ¡°Then you¡¯re not trying to¡­entrap her?¡± I made an aggravated noise and leaned my head back. ¡°Gods no! And I am so tired of everyone I meet asking me that question!¡± I looked back at her. ¡°Look, Rastra seems like a nice girl, but I¡¯ve got my hands full at the moment. If she feels at home in your party, then that¡¯s fantastic. She doesn¡¯t owe me anything, and I hope she¡¯s a good fit for your group.¡± She gaped at me. ¡°You¡­aren¡¯t anything like what I was expecting.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment,¡± I grumbled. That earned a smirk out of her. ¡°My uncle says you¡¯re a lord. I¡¯d be a poor excuse for a future party leader if I didn¡¯t at least suggest to keep us in mind if you ever need to hire a party.¡± ¡°I think I can do that.¡± Her shoulders rxed, and she looked me up and down. Right when I thought she was about to leave, she said, ¡°thank you. For saving her. Her and Lana.¡± She shifted in her seat. ¡°They¡¯ve both be¡­important to me, and neither of them would be here if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± I raised a brow at that. I vaguely remembered Pierce mentioning Yen pestering him to take in Rastra before I¡¯d even suggested it. ¡°Whatever your party ends up looking like, I¡¯ll keep it in mind under one condition.¡± She looked at me cautiously. ¡°If any of you get into trouble, you keep me in mind, too. I¡¯m going to need allies I can count on in the future, and I take care of my allies.¡± She gave me a strange look, then shook her head with a small smile. ¡°I already owe you way too much, but fine. I guess you¡¯ve earned the benefit of the doubt at this point.¡± I inclined my head at her and she took her leave. I watched her while she left, heading back towards her party. Lana looked up at her with a wide smile, grabbing Yen¡¯s hand and pulling her down to sit around their fire. Rastra, whose injury had almostpletely healed to three long lines that marred half her face, looked at her with a much more hesitant expression. The fire mage¡¯s eyes went wide when Yen reached out and pulled Rastra nearly into herp, wrapping an arm around her and whispering into her ear. Rastra sat up straight and looked over her shoulder, her eyes searching me out. I nodded, and she smiled at me. Then Yen pulled her even closer, wrapping her other arm around Lana, and I turned my attention away from the trio. ¡°So,¡± Rhani asked from behind me, mischief dancing in her eyes, ¡°Yen, huh?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Something tells me I don¡¯t exactly appeal to her tastes.¡± She looked towards where the three sat and shrugged. ¡°More for us, then. Come on, it¡¯s time.¡± I pushed down the apprehension her words stirred in me. Whatever happened tonight, I hoped it didn¡¯t involve any more tears. But a quick headcount revealed everyone but Serena still outside the tent, and I shot a questioning look at my Arelim. ¡°The only rule for tonight,¡± she said, ¡°is that you aren¡¯t allowed to talk.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She smiled, then raised on her tip toes to kiss my cheek. ¡°Essence?¡± I checked. ¡°Still seventy.¡± ¡°Good. Now get in there,¡± she said, smacking me on the ass with a grin that suggested she enjoyed doing so way too much. It was only then I realized that one of the tents looked strange. Rather than the tarp being set up to cover just the entrance, it was draped over the entirety of the tent itself. Not exactly the most efficient method of using it, but it would certainly block out all light inside. I took onest look at my girls, who were all watching me expectantly. ¡°Rhani,¡± I said after a moment¡¯s thought. She turned back with a questioning look. ¡°While I¡¯m doing this, will you bring the twins into the fold? Tsuki knows enough by now that filling her in can¡¯t hurt, and they deserve to know.¡± I wasn¡¯t entirely sure why, but it felt like the right decision to make. She looked relieved. ¡°I can definitely do that. Is anything¡­off limits?¡± I thought about what I¡¯d shared with Tsukist night. While I hadn¡¯t exactly hidden that part of my past, I hadn¡¯t stated it so clearly to the others yet. ¡°No. Whatever they want to know, if you can, tell them.¡± She nodded and I entered the pitch ck darkness of the tent. The second the p closed behind me, my senses bloomed. I could feel the heating from Serena, who stoodpletely naked in the center of the tent. ¡°Zaren?¡± she called. She held a hand out, stepping forward uncertainly. I heard her heart rate pick up for a moment, letting her stand in the darkness for a few seconds before I reached out and took the outstretched hand. She gasped softly, then pulled me to her. I opened my mouth to say something snarky but she immediately stepped forward and started trailing kisses along the underside of my jaw. My words died in my throat. I was starting to like it very much when she did this, and it seemed that wasn¡¯t lost on her. Her lips seemed determined to cover every inch of my neck while her hands went straight to my waist. I stepped away from her long enough to pull my shirt over my head, earning a disappointed sound from her just before she let my pants drop. I silenced her by stepping forward and iming her lips with a smile. She might have had to feel around a bit in the dark, but I knew exactly where she was at all times. I had a feeling that was the point of the tarp, and I was nning to take full advantage of it. I palmed her breast with one hand while the other reached around to the small of her back, pushing her into me. She grinded against my length through my underwear. Already her wetness seeped into the cloth. Her hands traveled over my chest before one sunk into my hair, pulling me down so that she could kiss me back, while the other slipped under my waistband and wrapped around my length. I groaned as her fingers wrapped around me, earning a breathless chuckle from her. She spun me around and pushed me back onto the bedroll. I let myself fall and she wasted no time in relieving me of myst article of clothing. My underwear had barely cleared my ankles before her lips wrapped around the head of my cock, earning a hiss from me. In the dark like this, I felt the heat of her mouth tenfold. Her tongue worked the underside of my shaft while she slid all the way to my pelvis in a single go, her throat working to send waves of pleasure rolling through me. I sunk my hands into her hair while she bobbed up and down. She took a slow, leisurely pace, bringing me ever closer to the edge until she suddenly stopped and let my length slip from her mouth. She started kissing around the base of my cock, slowly working her way up my body until she was straddling me with her lower lips raking across my shaft. She returned to my neck, kissing and nibbling everywhere she could reach. Unable to talk per Rhani¡¯s rules, all I could do was grunt my approval while her hands sunk into my own hair, tipping my head away from her so she could have better ess to my neck. My eyes rolled into the back of my head at how fucking amazing it felt with my senses boosted while she kissed, nibbled, and licked mercilessly. It took me far too long to regain any sort of control of the situation. I cupped the back of her head and turned her face towards me a little more aggressive than I intended, pressing my lips forcefully to hers. Sheughed softly into my mouth, then gasped when I grabbed a handful of ass and used it to grind my length into her core. ¡°Impatient, are we?¡± she purred, her tone sultry. So she was allowed to talk, and I wasn¡¯t? Fine, I could work with that. I slid a hand between us and plunged two fingers into her core and she let out a moan. I took advantage of herpse to dive in and return the favor, raking my teeth across her neck and trailing kisses along her corbone while I fingered her. ¡°I¡¯m starting to see why you like this so much,¡± she breathed, her body writhing against mine. It was my turn to chuckle while I plied her neck and jaw with kisses. I let my fingers slide out and lined myself up. The second she felt my head pressing against her lower lips, she pushed her hips down, sighing happily as I filled her. She started gyrating her hips, then squeaked when I brushed a finger still soaked in her juices against her rear entrance. ¡°Oh! You jerk!¡± She said with augh, finding my face in the dark so she could lock our lips again. Even after our lips parted, she stayed close, pressing her forehead to mine. ¡°Fine, I suppose I can¡¯t say no to you. Especially not tonight.¡± She dove back in to taste me and I slipped a single finger past her rim. She bucked with a gasp and I slid in deeper before she clenched around me so tightly I could go no further. She groaned, working her hips even faster than she had a moment ago, and found her way to my throat once more while one arm wrapped around my head and her fingers twisted into my hair. Her muscles started to rx, and I slid the finger in deeper. She moaned and started riding me even faster. ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t hate it,¡± she panted. ¡°I don¡¯t hate it at all. Oh Zaren!¡± I slid my free hand to the nape of her neck, brushing my lips against her ear while she continued to rain kisses down on any part of me she could get to. ¡°Another,¡± she panted, ¡°just one more.¡± I obliged, sliding a second finger into her ass, and she cried out into my neck. She clenched on my length and around my fingers, release tearing through her, but she just mmed her hips into mine even harder. I moved my free hand down to her muscr thighs. I knew my Lancer could keep riding me all night long, but with thest few days she¡¯d had I was hardly content to let her do all the work. I let my fingers slip free and she whimpered at the sudden emptiness, then gasped when I rolled us over so that I was above her. I picked one leg up and draped it over me, pumping my hips in almost the exact rhythm she¡¯d been riding me so that there was never a break in the wonderful friction between us. Sheughed again when her back hit the bedroll and she wrapped her limbs around me. ¡°You just¡ªah¡ªcan¡¯t let me have any f-fun, can you?¡± I hummed in agreement, pressing my lips gently to her injured shoulder. I held myself up with one hand while the other explored her body. Her full breasts, her toned midriff, her muscr arms wrapped around me, her iron thighs pulling me in deeper every time our hips met, everything I could touch I did. Her hands roamed my body just as much, touching every part of me, tracing my scars even in the dark. Every scar except my newest one. I could feel my limit approaching, so I slowed down. I wanted to enjoy this. For this moment to be about more than just pleasure. I wanted it to be about me and her. From the way her hands explored me and her mouth attacked mine, she must have felt the same. Every part of her felt so different in the dark. I felt every bump and clench every time I slid in or out of her. She pulled me down so that my weight was fully on her and grabbed a handful of my own ass, using it to try and set the pace. We both pressed together, more worried about feeling every part of each other than we were about our own climaxes. Her head fell back, her mouth open in a silent cry, and I nipped the underside of her jaw. She crushed me into her until she shuddered, release ripping through her. Once she came down from cumming, she pushed gently on my chest. I went where she guided until I was sitting back with her in myp. I used one hand behind me to thrust up into her while she rode me, and this time we worked together to bring me closer and closer to the end. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere I¡¯d rather be,¡± she panted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders so that we were cheek to cheek, ¡°than right here, in your arms. Nowhere.¡± I wrapped the arm not supporting me around her waist, pulling her into me and using it for leverage all at once. She kept talking, mming her hips down every other word. ¡°My worst days since I¡¯ve met you are better than my best days before. I feel like I¡¯ve grown so much just in thesest few weeks¡ªnot just in level¡ªand it¡¯s thanks to you.¡± Her walls fluttered around my length, and a soft cry slipped past her lips. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade my time with you for anything.¡± She rubbed her cheek against mine, her hips moving even faster than before. ¡°Whateveres next, whatever happens, I want to face it with you.¡± I could feel her climax begin almost the moment thest word slipped from her mouth, and I let both her words and her silken walls clenching around me send me over the edge. We both clung to each other as if we were holding on for dear life while I unleashed myself inside her. Neither of us made any move to get up. She rested her head on my shoulder while I trailed slow,zy circles on her back with my fingertips. ¡°Am I allowed to talk now?¡± I asked finally. Sheughed, and her arms tightened around my neck. ¡°Yes, you can talk. After you check on your essence.¡± [Soul Essence; 76/100] I whistled. ¡°As far as single orgasms go, that was the biggest gain.¡± She made a pleased sound, content to simplyy against me with my cock still buried inside her. ¡°I suppose we should get the others,¡± she said unhappily. ¡°Nonsense.¡± I managed toy us down so that we were facing each other, on our sides, without removing myself from her. ¡°Tsuki got some aftercare, you deserve no less.¡± She hooked one of her legs around mine to keep our bodies pressed together and slowly,zily kissed the skin in front of her. ¡°I won¡¯t turn that down. There is no better ce to be than wrapped in your arms,¡± she said softly. I chuckled, brushing the hair away from her face and running my fingers through her long, golden locks. ¡°I think some of the others might agree. Makes me wish I had more arms.¡± ¡°Mmmh, I could get behind that,¡± she purred. With her breasts pressing into me and her hot, slick walls still wrapped around my shaft, I was already hardening again. She started slowly rocking her hips just enough to cause friction. ¡°Have you figured it out yet? Your Essence?¡± I sighed at how fucking good she felt. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas, but I don¡¯t want to steal Rhani¡¯s thunder.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I won¡¯t tell if you don¡¯t.¡± I pressed my lips to her forehead. ¡°Intimacy. It¡¯s not just the sex, it¡¯s the connection between us during the sex. Even without doing anything sexual, I get Essence.¡± She pulled back just enough so she could move her hips with longer motions, drawing a low groan out of me. ¡°A Siren once told me that a soul in a void can¡¯t heal. I didn¡¯t understand then, but I did now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why she started with Tsuki,¡± I continued. ¡°There¡¯s enough of a bond between us for some recovery, but for the most part we¡¯re still strangers. But there isn¡¯t anyone I¡¯m closer to than you except maybe Rhani, and even then it¡¯d be tough topare.¡± I felt her walls clench when I said that, but she didn¡¯t stop her slow thrusts. I remembered my thoughts about when I¡¯d been worried it was rted only to sex and what it said about Allura and smiled. ¡°Bonds. Part of Allura¡¯s domain. I care deeply for you, and you for me, and the bond that creates is what¡¯s slowly healing my soul.¡± I cupped her cheek, bringing her lips to mine, punctuating each sentence with a kiss. ¡°With you, it¡¯s not just sex. I want to make you feel good, but more than that I want you. To be with you. You love being in my arms, and I love having you there.¡± Then another thought urs to me. I summon antern and lit it, immediately missing the enhanced feel of her body pressed into mine. She blinks in the sudden light, and I notice that there are tears in the corners of her eyes, though her face is flushed and her lips are curled in a wide smile. ¡°And, if I¡¯m right¡­¡± I run a hand over where her burn is. Immediately I can tell it¡¯s faded noticeably. ¡°That healing isn¡¯t one way. The bond between us is healing both our souls.¡± She beamed at me. ¡°You were right, Rhani is going to be furious. Her theories only go about half as far as all that.¡± I pulled her by the chin until we were making out, slowly and deliberately. Then she made a frustrated noise. ¡°I should get the others, but I don¡¯t want to move. Well, anymore than this,¡± she took my entire length inside her again, ¡°at least.¡± I tightened my arms around her. ¡°Then don¡¯t. I¡¯ve got an idea on how to let Rhani know we¡¯re all finished.¡± I leaned in close and whispered my n in her ear. Her eyes went wide, then she grinned. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s going to love that.¡± I rested my forehead against hers and closed my eyes, then reached out with the sixth sense that came with my skills. I could tell immediately that Rhani didn¡¯t have my armor manifested, but she wore the gem at her wrist and that was all I needed. I conjured a tendril from the gem and took direct control of it. The sensation was strange at this distance, but when I wrapped around her arm I could feel her soft skin as if it were pressed into me. I couldn¡¯t hear, but I could feel the gasp travel through her. I started trailing the tendril around her body and chuckled. ¡°What?¡± Serena asked, her tone giddy. ¡°Seems Rhani is stark naked.¡± I continued questing southward with the tendril until I got to her hips where I felt the unmistakable bands of the strap-on she¡¯d borrowed from Tiana. I followed along the fake appendage and very quickly ran into someone¡¯shers. Whoever it was, I gave their clit a soft flick and wrapped around Rhani¡¯s leg before pushing against her rear opening, only giving her a second¡¯s warning before I slipped past the rim and into her tight depths. We heard a familiar squeak from the tent next door and Serena copsed into a fit of giggles against my chest. Stifling my ownughter, I felt Rhani¡¯s armor appear on her body. Imanded the tendril to slowly fuck her ass and withdrew, this time reaching out for the gem around Tiana¡¯s throat. I conjured another tendril there and took control of it. I writhed through the valley between her breasts, looping around them both and squeezing them together, then wrapping the end of the tendril around her nipple and giving it a tug. We heard another muffled cry from next door and Serenaughed harder. I could tell that Tiana was up and moving as well, so I left the tendril with themand to y with her clit and withdrew from it just as Rhani barged into our tent. ¡°Zaren, you motherfu¡ªuucker!¡± She wobbled on her feet, only saved from tumbling by Noelle¡¯s sudden appearance. Her cloak was pulled tightly around her, but from the protrusion at her crotch I guessed she didn¡¯t stop to disarm before storming over. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± I asked innocently as Tiana stumbled in, red-faced with a fist between her teeth. Rather than answering, Rhaniunched herself at me. Serena, who was onlyughing harder, managed to stay impaled on my cock as the Arelim crashed into me, her lips mashing into mine with an aggression that caught me off guard. She pulled away with glowing, heated eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking proud of you right now,¡± she panted. Iughed, then looked at Tiana to gauge her reaction. The second her eyes met mine they rolled up and she bit down on her fist as orgasm wracked her. Once again, Noelle found herself the only reason one of my harem didn¡¯t end up on the ground. Tiana managed to collect herself, breathing hard, and stalked across the tent. She threw her cloak ot the ground, revealing that she hadn¡¯t even bothered to summon her own armor, and flopped down on her back behind me. She gripped my by the chin and practically yanked my lips to hers, her tongue seeking mine out aggressively, then she pulled away. She made a desperate sound and practically yanked Rhani off me, fishing her fake cock out from under her cloak and guiding it to her core. Rhani plunged into Tiana¡¯s depths with a groan and came on the spot. Noelle, who was making an amused hum, walked over and took Rhani¡¯s cloak off for her. She folded it up and set it on the ground, then did the same for the cloak Tiana had discarded. I looked down at Serena, who had just managed to collect herself. She took one look at my expression and immediately copsed into more giggles. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± I muttered. Noelle¡¯s hum shifted, and I looked up to see her staring at where Serena and I were still connected, one of her fangs digging into her lower lip. Before I could even react, Serena stifled herughter long enough to pull me into a kiss, then slid off my length and pushed my shoulder away so I wasying on my back. Noelle made a happy sound and shed her clothes quickly. Before I knew it, she was lowering herself down on my length. She paused long enough to nce up and say, ¡°I am prepared, don¡¯t worry,¡± before she sank slowly down my cock with a high pitched keen. Just likest time, she was impossibly tight, scorchingly hot, and appropriately drenched. By the time our hips met, after spending so much time in Serena, I was already on the verge of erupting. Thankfully, Noelle seemed more than happy to just lean against my chest and rake her incisors along the flesh at my throat. I rubbed her back while the twins cautiously stuck their heads in. They looked from where Rhani was back to frantically fucking Tiana, who had her long legs wrapped tightly around the Arelim, to where Noelle sat on my chest with my length buried inside her and Serena cuddled up against my side, still giggling to herself. ¡°You¡¯ve seen it all at this point,¡± I said with augh. ¡°Might as welle in.¡± They both came in, but didn¡¯t sit. ¡°What did you do to them?¡± Ryoko asked. Rhani was the first to answer, mming her hips into Tiana¡¯s with every word. ¡°Fucking¡ªnng¡ªtendril¡ªshit¡ªin my aaass!¡± Tiana reached out for me and I slid my hand into hers. ¡°And one for me¡ªeee¡ªthat knows exa-actly how to y with my clit.¡± ¡°I was going to stop when they got in here, but¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± both girls yelled at once. I looked at them both in surprise. Rhani slowed down long enough to tap the gem at her wrist and dismiss her armor, giving me a great view of the tendril snaking around her body and slipping in and out of her ass. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect size,¡± she panted. ¡°Not as big as Zaren¡¯s perfect cock, so I can still think straight, but just big enough to stretch me out just. Fucking. Right!¡± Tsuki looked around until she found what she was looking for. She disrobedpletely and fished my shirt out from where I¡¯d dropped it, then slipped it on. Ryoko shot her a look I couldn¡¯t quite decipher, as Noelle chose that moment to start sliding up and down my length, but the white haired Kitsune just scooped what I figured to be Serena¡¯s shirt up and did the same, though she turned her body away from us while she changed. I averted my eyes to give her as much privacy as I could in a tent this size and Tsuki sat at my legs between Tiana and I. Her gaze alternated between me, Tiana and Rhani, andwhere I was buried in Noelle. Noelle, now that she was limated to my size, had already started to slowly ride me. Tsuki managed to snap herself out of it, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice she had one hand between her legs. ¡°They told me about your past. A Patron who knows what it is to be powerless.¡± She forced her intense golden eyes to mine. ¡°I¡¯m very interested to see what you do in the future, Zaren.¡± ¡°I hope I don¡¯t disappoint,¡± I said evenly, my breath catching as Noelle started to pick up speed. She started nibbling on what I was quickly beginning to understand as my weakpoint and my time with Serena finally caught up with me. I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down, shooting load after load into her core until I was spent. She looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°Sorry,¡± I managed after a moment to catch my breath. ¡°Serena left me ready to blow.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t all me,¡± Serena chimed in. Se leaned forward so she could reach down and rub circles around the nub at the hood of Noelle¡¯s core, drawing a hiss from the Mchai. ¡°Zaren really likes it when you kiss and bite the underside of his jaw.¡± ¡°Now hang on¡ª¡± I started, but Noelle was quicker. She darted under my chin and my words died in my throat when I felt her incisors nibbling at the hollow of my neck. Serena looked very proud of herself when four sets of eyes and one set of teeth all fixated on my neck. ¡°After everything I¡¯ve done for you, you betray me?¡± I asked, smiling. She smiled right back, batting her eyshes. ¡°I thought everyone already knew,¡± she said far too innocently. I wanted to reprimand her, but it was difficult to think with Noelle ravishing everything from my corbone to my jaw. She didn¡¯t slow down until I was once again hard inside her. When she pulled back, smiling, I couldn¡¯t help but think she looked far too proud of herself. She started rocking her hips against mine eagerly, her hands linking behind my neck. Ryoko had turned a shade of crimson, but Tsuki looked rather amused. She nced to where Rhani and Tiana were still fucking, though they¡¯d slowed to a much more reasonable pace. ¡°Tiana was feeling horny, and Rhani offered to help. They were trying to be quiet so as not to disturb the rest, but then they both seemed to lose their minds.¡± She turned her gaze back to me. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Allura blessed your cock, otherwise I¡¯m not sure you¡¯d be able to keep up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I grunted. ¡°And they want to add more to the harem. It¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°They do?¡± both sisters asked in unison. Then Ryoko¡¯s eyes fell to the ground and Tsuki¡¯s nose turned up, both of them blushing. Noelleced her hands through my hair and started riding me, her head resting on my shoulder. I put a hand on her lower back to push her thin body into mine and returned my attention to Rhani. I didn¡¯t take the tendril away, but Imanded it to take a slower pace. She moaned appreciatively. ¡°I guess you want to know about the experiments now.¡± ¡°Sorry, Rhani,¡± Serena said, pressing her lips to my corbone, ¡°but Zaren figured it out and then some.¡± Rhani shot me a look of dismay and I briefly repeated what I¡¯d told Serena a short time ago. Rhani became pensive once I finished, lowering her head and focusing on sawing in and out of Tiana until both of them clenched in orgasm nearly at the same time. Then she pulled out and flipped over with a sigh, using Tiana¡¯s sizable bust as a pillow. Tiana wrapped her arms around Rhani with a smile, trailing her fingertips over the Arelim¡¯s light gray skin. ¡°I doubt I¡¯d have figured it out if it weren¡¯t for your tests,¡± I told her. She smiled tiredly at me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have solved it eventually. You seem to already know a lot about souls.¡± ¡°How do you know so much?¡± Serena asked, trailing her fingers around where Noelle was still steadily riding me. I yed with her hair using the hand not pressed into Noelle. ¡°I ran into a Siren. They feed off souls, which means they can sense them. She took one look at me and saw the damage Karn had inflicted on mine and became obsessed,¡± I exined. ¡°She traveled with us, monitoring my soul and helping me understand the effects the cursed de had on it. At first I just didn¡¯t care enough to tell her to go away, but then she started poking and prodding at my soul.¡± Serena looked up at me cautiously. ¡°Another woman you were close to?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the thought. ¡°No, Esadora was not a fan of men, much to Sandrel¡¯s dismay. I doubt she¡¯d have given me the time of day if I didn¡¯t have such an utterly fucked soul. Probably why she actually survived the war.¡± I hadn¡¯t meant for the bitter note to slip into my voice, but it didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the girls around me. Tiana¡¯s hand found the crook of my arm and both Serena and Noelle chose a different side of my neck to attack while Noelle¡¯s hips picked up speed. She moaned into my neck and the muscles in her core started fluttering, massaging me in a way I hadn¡¯t yet experienced. I groaned in surprise, both from the feeling of her wrapped around me and from her and Serena¡¯s deliberate, forceful kisses and nibbles. Noelle¡¯s hum raised in pitch and I felt Serena¡¯s hand snake between us to rub circles around her nub. It wasn¡¯t long before the deliberate clenches turned into the intense mping down of Noelle¡¯s orgasm, and I let the both of them push me over the edge and shot my second load into Noelle¡¯s depths. ¡°You know,¡± I panted, not bothering to try and pry Noelle¡¯s fangs from my shoulder, ¡°you don¡¯t have to drive me to orgasm every time I share something sad. I might start to think you¡¯re trying to condition me.¡± Serena just beamed up at me. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± she said in a very unconvincing tone. After cumming twice and never leaving Noelle¡¯s tight folds, I was starting to get a bit sensitive. I gently lifted her off me, and I felt two loads worth of cum start to dribble out of her onto my thighs. I felt cloth starting to clean it off, and was surprised when I looked over Noelle and found Tsuki to be the one cleaning us both off with a carefully neutral expression. Noelle hummed happily and curled into my chest while Tiana took the chance to sidle close enough to link her arm with mine before returning to caressing Rhani. It looked like they were both well and satisfied, so I dismissed the tendrils. Rhani made a disappointed sound, but Tiana just hummed with pleasure. ¡°If this is what it¡¯s like to be on the road with you,¡± she said, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get to the capital.¡± Rhani made a happy, if tired, sound in her throat. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve more or less got the Soul Essence figured out, we can move on to nning our manor.¡± She shifted in Tiana¡¯s arms, then groaned and pouted at me. ¡°I can¡¯t even lift my legs right now.¡± I gave her a stern look, then reached out and banished her strap straight to my storage. She beamed at me, pulling herself close enough to kiss me, then settled back into Tiana¡¯s arms. The twins both piled in, though this time they were less hesitant to snuggle up to Serena¡¯s side while Tsuki pulled the bedroll over all of us. Tiana and Serena won the nightly battle to im one of my sides, though Noelle came in close second by simplyying on top of me andtching onto my chest. Tiana made sure to put her back to me so she could spoon Rhani though, and the twins curled up with one another while pressed into Serena¡¯s back. It quickly got warm, but after the cold of the north it was a wee change. Though, as I eventually drifted off, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like we were experiencing the calm before the storm. Chapter Forty-Seven: Lady Vivian Cross Chapter Forty-Seven: Lady Vivian Cross The sense of foreboding was only worse when I woke. Serena was having another nightmare, so I held her, rubbing her back until she started to calm down. She didn¡¯t wake violently this time, but I could see in her eyes that she wasn¡¯t as okay as she was pretending to be. Calling her out on it would be the pot calling the kettle ck, so I just whispered in her ear that I was here if she needed me and didn¡¯t press her on it. Once she was feeling better, it took me far too long to drag myself out of bed. I¡¯d slept well, but I still felt exhausted. The kind of tired that had nothing to do with a good night¡¯s sleep. I ended upying with my nose buried in Serena¡¯s hair, pressing her into my chest, for far too long. It was only after Tiana¡¯s hand started rubbing my back and I heard her voice telling me it was time to get up that I forced myself to start getting ready for the day. The rain was still our constantpanion as we ate a quick breakfast and packed up camp, but it was at least starting to lighten up. I was d I didn¡¯t even have to ask for Rhani, Tiana, and Serena to all don my shadow armors, and Noelle assured me she could summon her own in an instant if the need arose. It made some of the weight lift off my chest, but I could still offer little more than grateful smiles to each of them. Whatever funk I was in, I couldn¡¯t let it affect the safety of the caravan. It was time to utilize Festus, so I pulled Rhani aside and had her send the silver dragon into the sky to keep an eye out for anyone on the road ahead or hiding out of sight. So far we¡¯d still been too close to Anford for anyone with a semnce of sense to make a move, but now we were officially in the wilds between cities. The most dangerous point would be the halfway point between the two, and every day we got closer to it we¡¯d need to be even more on alert. We finally resumed our trudge through the mud farter than usual. Mercifully, a bit before noon, the rain finally decided to give us a reprieve. My mood lifted a little when the sun started to peek out, but not by much. With evening fast approaching, I was hoping that would be the highlight of the day. Then Rhani ran over and grabbed my arm. ¡°Festus sees someone on the road ahead,¡± she said quickly and quietly. Something told me this was going to be a pain. ¡°What does he see?¡± ¡°Single carriage, three people. Pretty sure they¡¯re all human, looks like one of their wheels is busted.¡± ¡°What can you see about the people?¡± ¡°Two look like fighters, the third is in fine clothes. The carriage is nice, too. Really nice.¡± I responded with a nod. ¡°Stick close to Noelle.¡± I started forward, jerking my head at Noelle, Serena, and Tiana in turn. Rhani gave them a brief rundown of what she¡¯d seen. ¡°Noelle, you and Rhani will stick with the Caravan. Serena, you¡¯re with me, Tiana you stay far enough back to help if we need it.¡± ¡°It sounds like they might just be travelers in need of a hand,¡± Serena pointed out. ¡°Maybe, or maybe it¡¯s a trap. I¡¯m not taking chances,¡± I responded. I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked to see Tiana biting her lip. ¡°Um, if you think they might be dangerous, then¡­¡± I arched a brow and conjured a tendril from her armor. I gave it a quickmand to pleasure her while staying out of sight and her eyes practically rolled into the back of her head. She grabbed the front of my cloak and pulled me in for a rough kiss, then pushed away. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for an excuse,¡± she admitted, her voice sultry. I chuckled in spite of myself. ¡°You never need one with me.¡± I set off towards the front, gging down Pierce and Korey. I gave them the same rundown as the others and they both agreed to let me take the lead. Pierce called his crew together and had them set up on either side of the caravan in case this was an ambush. I hid my relieved breath, almost hoping for some kind of altercation. I tended to get nervous when nothing bad happened to me for too long, and I wanted to get my quota of bullshit out of the way early for this trip. It felt good to have something in front of me to take care of, though, and it did wonders alleviating the heaviness that had gued me all morning. No shortage of curious res were shot at us when Korey told everyone to slow, but it seemed we¡¯d earned enough trust that they were willing to leave whatever was happening up to us. Sure enough, just as Rhani had reported, the carriage came into view. I could tell even from a distance that the carriage was probably worth as much as the five wagons we had put together. My eyes were first drawn to the two that must have been hired muscle. Both were women, one who stood taller than me with biceps the size of my head and a four foot sword on her back, the other of a slighter build with thin des at her waist and a bow over her shoulder. The former leaned against the side of the carriage with her arms crossed while thetter sat in the driver¡¯s spot. Both had hoods raised to hide their features, but I could tell from their bodynguage that they were eyeing us as we approached. The third woman screamed nobility. She had long, fiery red hair hanging nearly to her waist that shone even from a distance. Her tunic, red with gold trim, was made from fine materials and the skirt dropped nearly to the ground. The cloth covered nearly her whole body, and what the tunic didn¡¯t hide was wrapped in red silk gloves and tall leather boots. She even wore a scarf that covered thest bit of skin avable below her chin. She had the prominent cheekbones, narrow chin, and sharp jaw toplete the outfit, though I was willing to bet she wore makeup to so perfectly achieve the look. She sat in the open door of the carriage, one leg crossed over the other, with her hand on her chin and an extremely bored expression, right until she saw us. Her amber eyes shot wide and a brilliant smile broke out on her face. ¡°Oh, wonderful!¡± she eximed, leaping to her feet with a bouncing energy that made me want to take a nap. Immediately, what I could see of the tall woman¡¯s face broke into a scowl. Oblivious to herpanion¡¯s expression, the redhead barreled on. ¡°I was certain it¡¯d be days before someone else came along!¡± ¡°Mydy¡­¡± tall girl grumbled. ¡°Oh, hush, Zoey. There¡¯s only two of them, I¡¯m sure you can handle them if there¡¯s trouble,¡± she said. ¡°Three. I spy a mage in the back,¡± the girl on the carriage said, her voice light and airy. ¡°All the same,¡± the redhead said with a dismissive wave. She strode towards me, her back high and her hair flowing out around her in a practiced manner. She thrust her hand out at me, palm down, knuckles pointed at me. ¡°Lady Vivian Cross. A pleasure.¡± I exchanged a nce with Serena, who looked at bbergasted as I felt, then I took her hand. I didn¡¯t lift it enough to bring my lips to it, but she seemed pleased nheless. ¡°Ren.¡± I fought to keep my reaction off my face as I felt magic under my fingers. Whether it was the gloves on her hands or her hands themselves, there was a lot of it. ¡°This is Serena, Tiana back there is my mage.¡± If she was bothered at all by my less than warm wee, she didn¡¯t show it. If anything, her smile widened. Already I could tell that she was charming and charismatic, which would have helped her get into the good graces of anyone other than me, more antisocial than just about anyone I¡¯d ever met. ¡°That cursed storm left us broken down,¡± she said with a pout. ¡°And because itsted so terribly long, nobody hase by! It¡¯s been absolutely atrocious. I was another day from having to send poor Reese back to town all by her lonesome.¡± Reese, who I assumed to be the girl on the carriage, scoffed lightly and resumed scanning the area around us. Zoey moved to stand behind Vivian with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. Up close I saw that she had ck hair shaved on one side and eyes so dark they were nearly the same color. A scar marred her face, going from the corner of her mouth across her cheekbone and into the shaved area of her head where no hair grew around it. ¡°Right. Well, I¡¯m sure someone in my caravan could help,¡± I said carefully. She sped both hands around mine and pulled it to her chest. ¡°Oh that would be wonderful! I¡¯m more than happy to pay, of course. Money I have, tools for carriage repair, not so much.¡± When she practically shoved my hand between her breasts, I realized her gloves weren¡¯t the only thing magical about her. I was fairly certain her tunic had some kind of magical threat woven into it, and up close I felt the pull of magic grow stronger. If she was loaded, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she simply wore all kinds of magical clothings. Hells, this far north it was entirely possible it was simply enchanted to keep her warm. I¡¯d have to see if Tiana could get a more specific read from her. I carefully extracted my hand from hers and waved it above my head. Reese and Zoey both drew their weapons in a blur as Festus swooped down andnded heavily on my shoulder. Reese¡¯s bow had hardly found her hand before she had an arrow nocked and drawn, and Zoey¡¯s de was halfway out of the scabbard on her back. Vivian, however, reacted in theplete opposite way. She let loose a squeal that nearly burst my eardrums. ¡°Oh my gods, he¡¯s adorable!¡± she said. Festus seemed unbothered by the three of them. ¡°No other souls within a mile radius, sir. If it¡¯s a trap, it¡¯s an extremely well hidden one.¡± No sooner had he spoken that Tiana joined us, her eyes locked on Reese. She walked up to stand right behind me, and from the way her hand curled into the back of my cloak I figured my tendril was doing a good job. Zoey mmed her de into her scabbard with a snort and Reese let some of the tension out of her bow, but Vivian just cocked her head to the side. ¡°Trap? Why would this¡ªOh!¡± Her hand shot to her mouth. ¡°Of course this would look suspicious! I¡¯ve read a dozen novels where highwaymen used this exact trap!¡± Serena suppressed a giggle next to me. She leaned close to me and whispered, ¡°reminds me of someone else we know.¡± I shot her a smirk, then said to Festus, ¡°have Rhani tell Korey that Lady Vivian here has met some misfortune on the road and would like his help in repairing her carriage. She¡¯s willing to pay.¡± Festus blinked, and I knew he was rying the message. Instantmunication was going toe in handy. We stood in an awkward silence¡ªwell, everyone but Vivian, who retained her bright and chippy demeanor¡ªwhile we awaited Festus¡¯s response. ¡°Master Korey will bring the caravan forward if you deem it safe, sir,¡± Festus said finally, and I nodded in return. ¡°We¡¯ll park here for the night while Jn and Garm repair the Lady¡¯s carriage.¡± Vivian made a delighted sound. ¡°Wonderful! Zoey, Reese, please start setting up camp then.¡± ¡°Hang on,¡± Zoey said, raising a hand. ¡°How big of a caravan are we talking?¡± She asked me. ¡°Five wagons, ten guards, eleven civilians.¡± They¡¯d see soon enough, so no harm telling them. Zoey looked me up and down skeptically. ¡°And you¡¯re in charge?¡± I barked a humorlessugh. ¡°Hardly, I¡¯ve just proven the hardest to kill.¡± Something in the general vicinity of humor shed behind her eyes. She shot a questioning look at Vivian, who was locked on Festus still. ¡°What? Oh, no, it¡¯s fine Zoey. I¡¯m sure that if they were hostile they wouldn¡¯t have been so careful!¡± Sheughed softly to herself. ¡°A trap indeed!¡± Reese hopped nimbly down off the carriage and lowered her hood. Her brown hair was tied in a tight braid, and as she drew it over her shoulder I saw that it faded to white at the ends. She looked from me to Tiana to Serena with a frown, then disappeared into the carriage. With Vivian still locked firmly on Festus, I took a moment to look over the carriage itself. Fancy wasn¡¯t nearly strong enough of a word to describe it. The wood was thick and treated, the finish looked hand crafted, and I could see signs of enchantment to trap the heat in and protect against the weather. Through the open door I saw a grate that no doubt held fire crystals that would warm the cabin. When I looked at the wheels, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Like the rest of the carriage, they were exorbitantly expensive. The fact that one of the front axles had apparently broken, leaving the wheel at an angle that was undrivable, shouldn¡¯t have happened. These carriages cost as much as houses for a reason. ¡°How¡¯d you break down?¡± I asked, my question aimed more at Zoey than Vivian. She eyed me carefully. ¡°Not sure. We tried to drive through the storm to find some kind of shelter and it just copsed.¡± I nodded, not pushing further. It could be just as they say. A freak urrence in a storm. A more paranoid part of my brain had alreadye up with a number of alternatives. It could have been sabotage; Vivian was the kind of noble that screamed easy mark. If someone had damaged the axle before they¡¯d even left, then perhaps they were lying in wait for it to copse. Maybe the storm had copsed it early. Or, if I really wanted to be paranoid, then Vivian could have damaged the carriage herself and the airhead noble demeanor was a front. Thest one wasn¡¯t likely, namely because I couldn¡¯t for the life of me think of a reason why they¡¯d do something like that. That didn¡¯t mean I was going topletely ignore the possibility, of course. I¡¯d talk to the others about my suspicionster. All I knew for right now was that I didn¡¯t feel threatened by them. Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. From the way they moved and the gear they wore, I was sure Zoey and Reese were more than capable fighters, but I didn¡¯t get the sense that they were enemies. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time my instincts had failed me, but I was willing to trust them for now. Festus returned to the air and Vivian made a disappointed noise as he went. She followed him with her eyes until he swooped down towards the caravan justing into view, and she made another delighted sound. ¡°I love meeting new friends!¡± I let out a breath. Whether she was deceiving us or not, I got a feeling she was going to be a handful. # # # One thing was certain. I had severely underestimated Vivian¡¯s charisma. I introduced her to Pierce and Korey and she immediately got to work. She was bubbly and warm, and after two days of being wet and miserable the entire caravan took to her like fish to water. I¡¯d been around just enough nobility to recognize someone who¡¯s been trained in the art of conversation, and Vivian was a master. By the time Garm and Ryoko were handing out dinner, nearly everyone in the camp were on team Vivian. There were only three noticeable holdouts. One was Pierce, which was unsurprising. He hadn¡¯t started to warm up to me until I¡¯d soloed three blightwolves. The second was Tsuki, which I also expected. She didn¡¯t trust any humans, after all. The only reason she¡¯d started to warm up for me was because of what I¡¯d done for her and Ryoko. And then there was Al. He¡¯d kept to himself so aggressively since we¡¯d joined the caravan that I often forgot he was a part of the caravan. He must have had skills that assisted with that, because most of the time he was nearly invisible unless he made his presence known. Where Pierce was cautious of everyone and Tsuki was openly mistrustful to those who hadn¡¯t proved themselves, Al nursed a healthy dislike for anybody and everybody. I wasn¡¯t even sure if he liked Pierce all that much. True to form, he vehemently disliked Vivian and her guards from the word go. Though she was supremely unbothered by the sneer he threw in her face, she gave him a wide berth after that. While she floated through camp, her two guards watching her like hawks, I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes from drifting back to her. I didn¡¯t know what it was that made it so hard to look away. I was more than willing to admit that she was extremely attractive, but I was still struggling with the romantic rtionships I was already in. I had no desire to add her to the harem. No, it was something about the way she moved. How she carried herself. She was confident andfortable, to be sure, but it wasn¡¯t quite that either. We were halfway through the night before I realized she didn¡¯t touch anyone. She held her hand out for Korey and Pierce, as she had me, but she withdrew it quickly without seeming rude. She flowed around people like she was walking on air, but she never got quite close enough to so much as bump elbows. She was a master at getting very close to people in apletely friendly and nonthreatening manner while still managing to keep thatst barrier between them. It was sometime after dinner that I realized who she reminded me of. She¡¯d taken quite a shine to Rhani and Noelle both, which gave them all plenty to talk about while we ate. That was good since I was so distracted I hardly said a word when it hit me. She socialized just like Rr. Rr had been raised a noble and the heir to his family fortune. His parents had trained him from a young age to navigate social situations of every level, and he¡¯d learned well. He did it so naturally you didn¡¯t even realize you were being maneuvered until it was far toote. He used those skills to drum up no shortage of allies during the war. And every time, I¡¯d watched from the sidelines. He¡¯d tried coaching me on etiquette more than once, but it was one of the many things that I simply had no patience for. Back then I¡¯d been so alone¡ªso used to being alone¡ªthat I hadn¡¯t even thought toin as I ended up on the outskirts of every party, every gathering, and every meeting. The scowling dangerous presence that implicated a threat whenever Rr needed to. I¡¯d been more than happy to let him handle people so I could simply focus on doing what I knew best: fighting. Now, watching her do just as he did, tearing through camp and wiggling her way into everyone¡¯s trust without them realizing it, I found myself wondering if things had changed much at all. Sure, the caravan hade to trust me, but only because of my strength. Just like before, I was proving myself by finding the biggest, baddest thing I could find and showing everyone how dangerous I was, whether by intention or otherwise. I felt something in my chest the more I thought about it. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was some level of jealousy that she seemed so able to put people at ease or me missing one of the few people I¡¯d ever called friend before Allura. All I did know was that watching her do what she did made me feel¡­tired. Not for the first time, I wondered why Allura had chosen me for this job. I wasn¡¯t Rr. I couldn¡¯t sway an entire room to my side with a few well ced words. I was what Karn had made me into. I was a weapon. He¡¯d sharpened me like a de with pain and loss and even after I¡¯d escaped him I¡¯d done exactly nothing to stray from that path, I¡¯d just found someone with a moralpass I trusted to point me. Hunting monsters like the queen I could do, but preparing the world? I didn¡¯t realize I was squeezing Noelle to my chest until she let out a grunt. The sound snapped me out of my thoughts and met her wide, crimson eyes that held a question in them. I offered her as good a smile as I could manage, but her lips just curved downwards and her brow furrowed. Against my better judgment, my gaze sought out Serena next. She was frowning at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but look away. I mumbled something about calling it an early night and gently shifted Noelle out of myp and into Serena¡¯s. When I took my bowl back to Garm and Ryoko, I realized I¡¯d barely even touched it. The idea of eating anything else right now made me mildly nauseous, so I returned the near-full bowl with a sigh and threaded my way back to the tent. I got as far as ditching my boots and my shirt before I justid down with my forearm over my eyes. I cursed when I remembered I wanted to get in on the watches for tonight, but with how tired I still felt I resolved to take one tomorrow. I¡¯d get some extra sleep tonight and I¡¯d take the second watch tomorrow since that was the worst one. Only the moment I closed my eyes I knew it was a moot point. My body may have felt like lead, but my mind was racing. I had a feeling there would be no turning it off, either. When I heard the p open twenty or so minutester I was no closer to falling asleep. I lifted my arm enough to peek at Tiana who quickly stripped to her smallclothes, then slowly slid into the bedroll. As if afraid of startling me, she maneuvered carefully into my side, her hand caressing my chest, and looked at me with concern in her eyes. ¡°Everything alright?¡± she asked softly. I gave her as reassuring a smile as I could manage and shifted my hand to her hip. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just one of those days.¡± She pursed her lips, thenid down so her cheek was on my shoulder so she could look up at me. She trailed her fingertips gently down my jaw. ¡°I¡¯m here if you want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Not sure there¡¯s much to talk about,¡± I said a hair too quickly. But she just nodded, settling into me and dragging her nails lightly across my chest. Just when I was sure she¡¯d press me further, she said, ¡°Tsuki wants to learn to fight, and Noelle¡¯s never had any proper teaching, so Serena is showing them some basic moves. I know it would mean a lot to both of them if you were to work with them.¡± That was good to hear. I wanted the people close to me to be able to handle themselves in an emergency. It was also a wonderful topic to switch to that wasn¡¯t the mncholy creeping at the edges of my brain. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Serena about it tomorrow,¡± I promised. ¡°Mmm,¡± was her only response. It wasn¡¯t a tired sound, as her eyes were still flicking up to mine every so often, but rather a thoughtful one. ¡°I know you and Rhani have backline sses, but I¡¯d like you to at least know some self defense,¡± I said eventually. ¡°Okay,¡± she said easily. She didn¡¯t make any further attempts to push me into talking, and I appreciated that greatly. Her breathing started to slow, but her fingers never stopped tracing shapes into my chest. Eventually, I rolled into her and pulled her into my chest with my arm under her head. She let out a soft gasp, then wrapped her own arms around my middle and pulled herself close, pressing her forehead into my shoulder. Now she was lightly dragging her nails up and down my back, but that only made me wrap her up tighter. She pressed a kiss to my chest, then said, ¡°I know what it¡¯s like. To have those days.¡± I smile tugged at my lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she said. ¡°Everything I¡¯ve ever been through brought me to you. Even if we went our separate ways tomorrow, it would have been worth it.¡± That did make me smile, even if it was a small one. ¡°Let¡¯s not, though. I¡¯m looking forward to keeping you around for a long while.¡± Sheughed softly into my chest, reaching up with one of the arms still wrapped around me to y with the hair at the nape of my neck. It was starting to get long. ¡°You know,¡± she said finally, ¡°with all the legends and trauma and the way you carry yourself, I keep forgetting you¡¯re the same age as me. You feel so much older.¡± ¡°I had to grow up fast,¡± I said simply. I ran my fingers through her hair, massaging her scalp, and she melted into my chest with a shiver. ¡°Fuck I love it when you y with my hair,¡± she breathed. ¡°Noted,¡± I said with a chuckle. The moment I did I felt her lips curl into a smile against my skin. I kept ying with her hair until the p opened again. Rhani stuck her head in with a grin that quickly faded when she realized we were both still wearing far to many clothes to have gotten up to anything. Her brows furrowed, and she quickly stripped down to nothing but a set of panties and slid in behind me. ¡°Zaren?¡± She pressed into my back, her fingers running through my own hair so she could turn my face towards her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing, Angel,¡± I said reflexively. ¡°Just a little tired is all.¡± I felt Tiana tense up in my arms, but she made no move to correct me. She rose high enough that my head was resting against her breasts and kept running her fingers over my scalp while I did the same to Tiana. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping well?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never slept better then when I¡¯m with all of you.¡± A painfully low bar, but not a lie. I uncurled one of the arms still wrapped around Tiana and reached up to grab one of Rhani¡¯s hands, bringing it close enough that I could brush my lips to her knuckles. ¡°I¡¯m probably still not fully recovered from the Vx.¡± Rhani made an uncertain noise, but she didn¡¯t argue and Tiana didn¡¯t call me out. Rhani wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her chin on my head for a change. ¡°So¡­Vivian¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you even start,¡± I warned, trying to keep my voice as light as I could. ¡°I saw how you couldn¡¯t keep your eyes off her,¡± she protested, and even Tiana looked up at me with raised brows. ¡°I¡¯m just keeping an eye on her. I¡¯m not looking for another harem member right now.¡± Tiana frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t trust her?¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone but the four of you. I don¡¯t mistrust her, I just¡­I think it might be a good idea to keep an eye on her is all.¡± Neither of them answered, and a small part of me very much hoped that was the end of the conversation. Of course I was wrong. ¡°Vivian offered to buy me,¡± Rhani blurted out. I was careful not to react, which I quickly realized was a mistake. Rhani pulled away, and when I looked back at her I had a hard time reading her expression. ¡°You know I said no, right?¡± she demanded. ¡°I assumed,¡± I said slowly. ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Zaren,¡± she cut me off, ¡°if you¡¯re even thinking of saying I could ept her offer if I wanted to, then I might just sleep in the other tent tonight.¡± I nodded once. ¡°That would be a stupid thing to say, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yes. It would.¡± I rolled so that I was on my back once more and ran my hand over my face. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Rhani said in a clipped tone, ¡°she said that she was always very fond of Arelims, and that if I ever wanted a change in Patron she had the money to pay you more than enough to get my contract moved over to her name. She gently implied that most Patrons who own Arelims aren¡¯t overly kind to them, and she also offered to pay for any of my friends if I wanted to bring them along.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She bristled. ¡°That¡¯s all? ¡®You see?¡¯¡± ¡°It sounds like apletely reasonable thing to offer, and you¡¯ve made it clear you had no intention of epting.¡± Internally I winced at how mechanical my response sounded, but it was the best I could manage under current circumstances. At some point during the day I¡¯d locked my emotions firmly away. Rhani went rigid. ¡°I see,¡± she said icily. ¡°Rhani¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she cut me off. She pulled the bedroll up to her shoulder and slid down so that we were even, then rolled away from me. ¡°When you feel like sharing whatever¡¯s got you all pissed off, I¡¯ll be here.¡± Tiana was biting her lip as if she wanted to say something, but I just shook my head softly. I knew I¡¯d fucked up, and it wasn¡¯t on her to fix that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For the record, no amount of money she could offer me would be enough to let you go.¡± She didn¡¯t answer, but she slid a little closer so that her bare back pressed into my side. I didn¡¯t exactly trust myself not to make things worse, so I figured that was as good as it was going to get tonight. I didn¡¯t handle emotions well, and I knew better than anybody I had a tendency to shut down as soon as they got out of control, but it had been a long time since I¡¯d dealt with any emotion other than anger. I was still facing the ceiling of the tent when Tiana crawled up my body to practicallyy on top of me, pressing her lips to the corner of my mouth. ¡°Get some sleep, Zaren. Hopefully you feel better tomorrow,¡± she said softly. Then, after she¡¯d nuzzled close enough that her lips were practically next to my ear, she whispered, ¡°And if you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll be here then, too.¡± # # # The second I opened my eyes the next morning¡ªor at least, the second I tried to¡ªI knew it wasn¡¯t just going to be a single day of feeling like shit. I hadn¡¯t slept muchst night. I never really got to that deep sleep that was actually restful, waking periodically through the night with a different set of arms draped over me or wrapped around me. The more I thought about it, the less certain I was that it had anything to do with Vivian. She hadn¡¯t helped by any means, but whatever mood I was in had started before her. No, whatever had me feeling like I just wanted to lie down for a few more decades continued to elude me. But this time I forced myself to be the first one up. I wasn¡¯t going to let my shit hurt anyone else, and they had other things to worry about that were much more important than me waking up on the wrong side of the bedroll. I got dressed and gave out as many kisses and smiles as I could manage, and I¡¯d hoped that would be the end of it, at least for today. Then I met Tiana¡¯s eyes, and I knew she wasn¡¯t buying it for a moment. But, once again, she didn¡¯t call me out. She just pulled me in for a much deeper kiss than the soft pecks I¡¯d been doling out and left after giving me a meaningful look. I forced down some breakfast before giving the rest to Noelle and found myself outside. We¡¯d just finished tying the tent to the wagon when I felt a presence behind me. I turned to find Vivian, wearing a tunic nearly identical to yesterday¡¯s but with a slightly darker shade, smiling expectantly at me. ¡°Good morning, Ren!¡± she said happily. ¡°I didn¡¯t see you turn inst night.¡± Oh boy. I was not in a good headspace to deal with Vivian right now. I cleared my throat, looking for assistance, but Serena and Tiana were helping hitch the horses to the wagon, Tsuki was leading Ryoko away with a mistrustful nce at Vivian, and Noelle was following Rhani who was very pointedly not looking in our direction, throwing an uncertain nce at us over her shoulder. ¡°Vivian. I didn¡¯t realize you were looking for me. I wasn¡¯t feeling well yesterday.¡± Her expression shifted to something between a pout and a look of concern. ¡°Oh, is it your injury?¡± My brows rose. ¡°My injury?¡± She looked around, then leaned in with a grin. ¡°The others said you got it fighting a monster spider.¡± I¡¯d have to find out which ¡°others¡± were giving aplete stranger that kind of information. ¡°Right. I can¡¯t say for sure it¡¯s rted, but who knows?¡± ¡°Well I hope you slept well,¡± she said, pulling her long red hair over her shoulder. I definitely hadn¡¯t. ¡°Well enough.¡± I tried to figure out what I was supposed to say next. Should I inquire how she slept? Or maybe I should ask why she¡¯d been looking for me. I needn¡¯t have bothered. She filled the lull in the conversation expertly. ¡°I was wondering if you might ride with me today? With your injury, I figured you might enjoy not walking, and I¡¯d love thepany from someone so interesting as you.¡± Was she¡­flirting with me? I didn¡¯t think so, but I was about as far from an expert as you could get. There was definitely an energy in her eyes while she waited on my answer, but one look at the carriage and I shook my head. ¡°Sorry, injured or not I¡¯d prefer to stay outside and walk. I want to be able to see threatsing.¡± I also did not like tight spaces. I¡¯d made the mistake of going underground before, and with how thest day had gone for me I didn¡¯t trust myself in the confines of the carriage. Especially with a stranger I still wasn¡¯t sure I could trust. This time, however, she definitely pouted. ¡°Oh, boo. Alright then, I suppose I can¡¯t fault you for being an attentive escort. I would, however, love to learn more about you when we stop tonight.¡± I opened my mouth, then froze. ¡°Wait, we?¡± She lit up and sped her hands in front of her. ¡°Oh, yes! I forgot to mention that, didn¡¯t I? I spoke to Korey, and after my mishap I feel much safer traveling as part of your group. He¡¯ll bepensated, of course, which means all of you in turn will. Isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± Wonderful. Not quite what I would have used, but we¡¯ll go with it. Unfortunately, I could see no way out of her second invitation. ¡°I¡¯ll seek you out if I have the time tonight, then.¡± ¡°Good!¡± She pped her hands together. ¡°If your injury pains you at all, please let me know. I¡¯m more than happy to offer you reprieve during the journey. All it would cost is a little conversation.¡± She smiled brilliantly, eyes twinkling. ¡°I¡¯ve got a nose for people, Ren, and it¡¯s telling me you¡¯re easily the most interesting person here.¡± She turned and strode away, stiff-backed and practically floating, towards her carriage. She swung up into it with onest look over her shoulder. She looked directly at me and smiled, waving with her fingers before ducking inside and closing the door behind her while Reese and Zoey sat on the driver¡¯s bench. I was still blinking in her general direction, trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened, when a hand pped me on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve gotta give me some tips, Ren,¡± Yen said, grinning at me. ¡°That Vivian is fucking gorgeous, but both her guards are lookers, too.¡± I raised a brow at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you already have your hands full?¡± Her grin widened. ¡°Rastra and Lana are wonderful, but right now we¡¯re two mages and a tank. We could use an archer or a swordswoman, and no offense to Al but I think we¡¯d all feel better with someone a little less¡­Al.¡± Her gaze fixed on where Zoey and Reese sat. ¡°You see the size of that sword? Shit, she could swing me around any time.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Trying to shove down the feeling that I¡¯d woken in some kind of alternate universe, I patted her hand still resting on my shoulder. This was apletely different Yen than the one I¡¯d talked to just a day ago. ¡°Well, if my experience is worth anything, then apparently the key is to have no fucking clue what¡¯s going on. Ever.¡± She barked out augh, then punched my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll have to remember that.¡± She strode off towards where her two mages were waiting and all I could do grind the heels of my palms into my eyes. I was just beginning to massage the bridge of my nose in the hopes I might stave off the headache I was already feeling, when a hand slid into mine. I met Tiana¡¯s eyes and saw concern, but she just smiled. ¡°Walk with me today?¡± she asked. ¡°Alright.¡± Her smile widened and she leaned forward to brush her lips against mine. ¡°No heavy stuff, I promise. Not unless you want to talk about it.¡± That made me rx a little. ¡°Thanks.¡± She just wrapped her arm around mine and pulled me to where the caravan was already starting to move. ¡°So,¡± she said, the amusement clear in her voice, ¡°Vivian¡­?¡± Well, it seemed someone had been paying attention to our conversation. I tipped my head back to the sky. ¡°Not you, too.¡± ¡°The others are a little enamored,¡± she admitted. ¡°We talked a bit after you nodded off. Ryoko loves her, much to Tsuki¡¯s chagrin. Vivian is quite the master when ites to slipping the perfectpliment in there. Serena is drawn to her as well, and Vivian seems eager to kindle some level of friendship. Cynthia was a little shy, but she showed interest in Elisa¡¯s inventions, which means she¡¯s as good as in as far as those two are concerned. Her and Rhani apparently got a long swimmingly right up until Vivian made her offer, which made Rhani head straight for you.¡± I sighed. ¡°I really botched that, huh?¡± ¡°You sure did,¡± she said with a pat. ¡°I think she was wanting you to be just a little bit outraged.¡± She leaned in close. ¡°Rhani really likes overprotective Zaren, though she¡¯ll never admit it.¡± I snorted. ¡°Overprotective I can do.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Oh, trust me. You haven¡¯t seen anything yet.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to keep my eyes open, then.¡± ¡°Speaking of, I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve happened to notice anything odd about Vivian¡¯s¡­attire?¡± ¡°You mean other than the fact that her ass looks immacte with those boots and that tunic?¡± I gave her a droll look, and sheughed again. ¡°Yes, I did happen to notice theyers andyers of magic she¡¯s wearing.¡± She sobered. ¡°Vivian is wearing more gold than my family has seen during my entire lifetime. I¡¯m not sure I could befriend someone like that easily.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but agree. I also wasn¡¯t a fan of how quickly she¡¯d ingratiated herself into the group, but it was hard to deny that jealousy might have yed a factor in that particr line of thinking. ¡°She seems very¡­forward.¡± Now it was Tiana¡¯s turn to shoot me a droll look. ¡°Zaren, you¡¯re hot as fuck, you¡¯ve got two beautiful girls on your arm and another two beautiful demi-humans that don¡¯t hate you, you killed a stupidly powerful monster thought to be extinct, and you¡¯ve got that whole ¡®brooding bad boy¡¯ thing down that every girl just eats up when they¡¯re a teenager. There¡¯s a reason the dark and mysterious adventurer is featured in about half the books Rhani reads in her spare time.¡± When she put it like that, I had to grimace. ¡°The idea that I¡¯m anyone¡¯s fantasy kinda makes me want to throw up.¡± She swatted my chest. ¡°Oh, shut up. If I showed you to teenage me, then she¡¯d cream her pants on the spot.¡± I raised a brow and trailed my hand up to her wonderfully shaped ass and gave it a squeeze. ¡°So not much has changed, then?¡± I challenged. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Not much at all,¡± she agreed. Chapter Forty-Eight: Plan Z Chapter Forty-Eight: n Z Tiana¡¯s decision to keep mepany on today¡¯s march likely saved her life. I was more thankful for her presence than I could put into words, though from the look in her eyes I caught every so often something told me she knew it. It wasn''t enough to snap me out of whatever pit I felt like I was sinking into, but that wasn''t her intention. She kept me talking. Thinking. Helped keep my mind from spiraling down whatever rabbit hole was trying to suck me down. Rhani shot me a nce every so often, but the looks were more worried than angry. I kept trying to think of what to say that might help her understand why I''d reacted the way I had, but it was difficult to do without straying far too close to topics that would weigh me down too much to be useful if something happened. I knew she would want to know what was bothering me, just as Serena and Noelle would, but in order to have that conversation I needed to figure it out myself, and by the time noon rolled around I was no closer. It started with a tremor. A shake I barely felt through the soles of my boots. Then a stronger one. I saw a couple of the other caravan guards exchanging nces, and I knew they''d felt it too. Then, almost in unison, every horse pulling a wagon grew skittish. The caravan came to a stop when the two lead horses started freaking out and Korey had to jump down¡ªPierce shadowing him so closely I''d have known something was up if I wasn''t already on edge¡ªto calm them. Then another tremor started. It began to grow stronger, and then [Horde yer]''s stats mmed into me. I didn''t stop to think. I conjured a tendril on me and each of my girls, then I threw myself in front of Tiana. She yelped when my chest mmed into her, one arm wrapping around her shoulder and the other conjuring a sword. Then the ground a few feet awayexploded. Whatever it was moved almost too fast for me to make out. It had a long, gray body about the size of a dog with leathery skin stretched tight over what looked like armor tes made of bone. I saw no eyes, but its mouth was open while it flew right towards where Tiana had been standing a moment ago. It had four massive teeth up front that I instantly knew were more than strong enough to snap bone, maybe even steel, with hundreds of smaller teeth in rows behind them. It''s jaws snapped shut with a jarring ckjust before it twisted, already readjusting in midair. I pushed Tiana behind me and struck, but my de bounced off the bony tes without even breaking the skin. Both of our tendrils shot out, but Tiana''s met the same unrelenting armor built into the creature. Mine found a spot behind its shoulder where there was a gap, and dark purple blood spurted out. The thing shrieked, then curved in midair. It twisted away from us, then mmed into the ground and burrowed into the dirt like it was water and vanished. Shouts along the caravan told me that the one that had attacked us wasn''t alone. Everyone seemed to be dealing with one or two. Pierce had thrown one to the ground and was stomping on it, Lana was clutching her shoulder while Yen stood over her with a shield in one hand and a mace in the other, already mming a second one out of the way. mes billowed from Rastra''s palms to give them space, thankfully pointedaway from the wagons. I snuck a nce behind to see Zoey fighting off two more with her greatsword while Reese peppered them with arrows. They both burrowed into the ground and she whirled around, ripping the carriage door open and yanking Vivian out before pushing her up onto the roof. Another rumble and I spun to catch the same creature. Its jaws snapped shut over my sword, snapping the steel like it was a toothpick, and I had to m my tendril into its side to knock it away. But, once again, it wasn''t aiming for me. It was after Tiana. Why that was, I didn''t have enough information to be certain of. What Iwas certain of, was that I needed to make sure the rest of my household was safe. "Stay close," Imanded Tiana. She nodded once and I ran towards where I''dst seen Rhani. Serena and Noelle I trusted enough to handle themselves, but Rhani still hadn''t gotten any offensive or defensive skills, and without formal training she''d be in the most danger if one of these things tried to go after her. When I found her, she''d hopped up on top of our wagon. My tendril was whipping around her angrily while Serena, Noelle, and the golem faced off against more of the little monsters. Several of them stood on short, thick legs while they tried to get to the wagon, but they found no opening. Serena''s skill to aide her in hitting weakpoints already had a dozen of them bleeding, the dark purple blood standing out against the pale gray skin. Then, as I watched, one of themunched at Noelle. Spectral ravens dove to slow it before she steppedinto the attack. She swung her axe, and when it made contact a lion''s head the same color as her ravens erupted from the de and sent the thing sprawling. She was on it a momentter, sinking her axe into a gap between tes around its neck, and the thing went still. Her armor was up, but I didn''t take the time to admire it. It was the same spectral material as her guardians, and its shape was of a lighter steel armor with fur lining the pieces. They covered most of her, leaving her upper back unobstructed, but weren''t asrge or thick as te armor might be. That was about all I saw before I turned towards the poor golem. It fought valiantly, but the creatures were already swarming it. Six of them weretched on, their powerful teeth ripping chunks out of the stone and steel wherever they found purchase. I ran towards it, but before I could get there one ripped the golems arm off and threw it aside. It had barely touched the ground before two of the monsters were on it, fighting between themselves to rip the arm to pieces. Anothercrunch sounded and the golem fell to one knee, its leg bent at an angle. It never stopped fighting, and it never stopped trying to put distance between itself and the wagon. Rhani was shouting something, but I was already moving towards the golem. I conjured more tendrils and a warhammer, then started trying to knock the beasts off what was left of the golem that had done so much to protect us. They were ripping it apart, so as soon as I cleared enough of them away I pped a hand onto the golem and banished it to my storage. I was expecting the beasts to then turn on me, but the moment the golem was gone they all turned and disappeared into the dirt. No sooner had they all vanished than I felt asharp spike of feare from behind me. Even without looking, something about the way it felt in my gut told me that Rhani was the source. Then an ear-splitting shriek pierced my eardrums. My stomach plummeted. I was already sprinting back towards the wagon, wrapping my tendrils around my legs to give me a boost on top of the sharp spike in Agility from [Predator''s Pursuit], and hurled myself towards where one of the creatures had managed to scale the side of the wagon and sink its jaws into Rhani''s forearm. She fell back, off the wagon, and hit the ground hard with the thing on top of her. The scream cut off, which made every muscle in my body clench. The color seemed to fade away from the world and my vision blurred at the edges. Time slipped away, and then I was standing over Rhani. I felt a dull stabbing in my chest when, without even stopping to think, I used Soul Essence to conjure up five tendrils. Two on me and one each for Rhani, Tiana, and Serena. Like I was watching it happen from outside my body, Rhani''s tendril hurled the creature away with a force that was far beyond what my normal tendrils were capable of. Noelle was on it in an instant, her tendriltching out and wrapping around the things neck, giving her an opening to strike it over and over until she''d shattered one of the tes at its shoulder. Then I was there. My tendrils skewered the thing, somehow finding a way deep into its body, then they yanked apart. The beast was ripped in half, purple blood flying, and its partsnded a good twenty feet from one another. Its front half twitched and writhed a moment before going still, but I was already running for Rhani with Serena on my heels. I scooped her up to check the damage, but thankfully her scream had only been cut short because the fall had knocked the wind from her lungs. Her breath came in short, guttural gasps while she tried to refill them while she cradled her mangled arm to her chest. The creature had snapped its jaws shut over the control bracer she never went without, and the resilient, magical metal it was made from was probably the only reason she still had a hand. It was dented and crushed, and under it her forearm was torn and twisted, the bones visible in more than one spot. Before I could even call for Serena her hands were in my vision, wrapping around Rhani''s arm on either side of the injury. I touched the bracer, banishing it to my storage so it wouldn''t restrict the healing. My ears were ringing with rage so badly it took a moment for me to realize that Rhani was trying to say something, her wide, tear-filled eyes locked on mine. "E-e-etherwyrms,'' she gasped, "blind, b-but can sen-sense magic." She groaned through clenched teeth, pointedly keeping her eyes trained on the sky and away from her arm. "They-they eat mana, they''re drawn to it. Artifacts. Mages. O-other than that they''re¡ª" she cut off with a groan of pain, "stupid, really stupid." I nodded, then I was moving again. "Stay with her!" Imanded whoever was behind me, not checking to see if they were listening. Magic. Mana. That''s why they were after mages. I''d covered Tiana, and Yen was shielding Rastra and Lana. Serena was still more fighter than mage, but she was quick enough and smart enough to take care of herself, plus she had Noelle to back her up. I already knew Vaze and Jezal had storage that would suppress the magic of their goods and materials, so I wasn''t worried about that. Our wagon was now the most protected thanks to the collection of fighters around it, so they didn''t need me as well. I had to think of where else they''d be attacking. Vivian. My feet were already carrying me towards the back of the caravan before my brain had even made the connection. These etherwyrms ate magic, and she was wrapped in the stuff. I expected to feel the pull of fear at any moment from her, a peppy noble that had likely never been in a life or death situation like this, but it never came. Not even when I rounded thest of the wagons towards her carriage and saw Zoey and Reese holding off nearly a dozen of the etherwyrms. Then the ground rumbled again, harder this time. I stumbled, then felt my Primalsurge. Alone the etherwyrms wouldn''t have been strong enough to trigger [Giant Killer], which meant there was something else here. The rumbling stopped, then a single sharp tremor shook the earth underneath me. The ground under the carriage cracked and both Reese and Vivian had to grip the roof to keep from tumbling off. Fire crystals. There was a box filled to the brim with magic built into the floor of the carriage, and something had taken notice. I didn''t so much as break stride, using my tendrils to push off the ground. I hit the front of the carriage and scampered up it. Vivian''s eyes widened when she saw me, but I still didn''t feel a trickle of feare from her. Reese, on the other hand, was pulsing with the low, steady fear of someone who was aware they were in a bad situation but had the training to work through that fear. I scooped an arm around them both, throwing them over my shoulders, and used my tendrils to hurl myself clear of the carriage. Only then did I feel the smallest pulse of fear from Vivian, but it was gone just as fast. I hit the ground hard but kept my feet, taking a few steps before reaching out for both of my passengers with a tendril each. I felt over their bodies as respectfully as I could manage when faced with certain peril, searching for magic. Reese was simple. Twenty arrowheads that radiated magic in one of the two quivers on her back, an enchanted dagger sitting across the back of her waist, and an enchanted set of bracers. I used my tendril to scoop them all up, ignoring the angered cry that came from her when I did. I used my empowered tendril to toss her away from me, giving her more than enough hang time to orient herself in the air andnd nimbly on her feet. Then I tried to do the same to Vivian. Fucking Vivian. At first I was relegated to stripping her to her smallclothes and dealing with the fallout after. Better to be embarrassed than chewed on by monsters with teeth that can cut through steel. But a quick pass over with a tendril and I realized that wasn''t going to be an option. Everything she was was magical. Everything. Her tunic, her boots, her pants, the belt that held her pants up, the studs in her ear, the piercings in...other ces that I was trying very hard to pretend I hadn''t noticed, and even her underwear. Rhani was going to be incredibly jealous. But, more than that, when a tendril brushed against the skin of her neck that had been revealed as her¡ªyou guessed it, magical¡ªscarf went flying, she had magic roiling beneath her skin. The angry, hard to control kind that I''m sure smelled like a fucking buffet to the etherwyrms. She writhed in my grip, yelling something, but my brain filtered it out. I was already sprinting towards Zoey. If Reese had been equipped, then she would be too. She saw meing, her look of surprise turning into one of anger when she saw her charge iling on my shoulder, but I didn''t even give her a chance to ask. I mmed my empty shoulder into her. She was strong, but the extra Strength and Agility from [Horde yer] coupled with my momentum meant I won the collision. She fell back with a grunt, and I came away with her massive de that must have carried a dozen enchantments and a faintly glowing metal bracelet. I dropped a non-magical sword from my storage next to her so she wouldn''t be defenseless, but I barely slowed down as I sprinted away. I didn''t banish the borrowed items, though. I swapped Vivian to my off shoulder and held Zoey''s sword in my good hand while one of my tendrils carried everything else like the world''s strangest bandolier. I felt Vivian''s fist hitting my back with asurprising amount of force, but I ignored the pain and took off parallel to the caravan. When the first etherwyrm erupted out of the ground, lunging for us, I used a tendril to swat it away and kept moving. After the second, third, fifth, and seventh all lunged at us, Vivian stopped struggling so much and held on tight. There were more shouts, but they were lost to the intense rumbling as whatever had decided to snack on the carriage started gaining on us. [Horde yer] and [Giant Killer] both peaked. Reasonably certain I''d drawn off the bulk of the wyrms, I cut away from the caravan. Just in time, too, as the ground behind us erupted just when I changed direction. The sun was blocked out when an etherwyrm ten times the size of the rest shot out of the ground like a breaching whale, jaws big enough to swallow me whole snapping closed less than a foot behind my head while it twisted and writhed in the air, trying to maneuver back towards me. Vivian screamed shrilly, but I couldn''t help but notice that her scream wasn''t apanied by any fear that my ability could sense. Already my legs were starting to burn from all the extra weight I was hauling and the speed I was hauling them at. My feet kept mming into the ground, each step putting more distance between us and the caravan. Between the big fucker and the people I cared about. But as fast as I might be with [Horde yer], the giant burrowing wyrm was faster. The ground cracked, and I knew I''d run out of road. I used the empowered tendril to throw Vivian away as the giant etherwyrm erupted underneath me. I managed to hook a tendril around either of its massive jaws, using them to hurl myself back just before they snapped shut with enough force that I felt it in my bones. My other tendrilsshed out at its face, but it had no eyes for me to aim for. It wrenched its head and yanked on the tendrils, sending me hurtling towards the ground. I impacted hard and was immediately fighting off a swarm of the smaller ones. I swung Zoey''s sword and runes on the side lit up. I felt a drain on my mana, but they cut through the armor with ease and I killed two of the wyrms with a single strike. Thankfully, with the sun at its peak, [Release the Darkness] had boosted my Strength enough for me to swing it easily. My empowered tendril was strong enough to wrap around one and m it down hard enough to break its neck, especially with the boost to my Primal from [Giant yer]. I killed six in rapid session, but I''d only split the group. Vivian was still radiating magic, so more than a few went for her. I cut my way through the onesing at me, managing to reach her just before the first of the wyrms. I cut it down, too, reaching out with a tendril and pulling her close enough to wrap an arm around just in time to dive to the side and avoid the big one lunging for us both once again. Consequences were only something I''d have to worry about if I survived, and I wasn''t going to be able to protect Vivian and fight the big bastard at the same time. Throwing caution to the wind, I conjured two more Soul empowered tendrils, this time at Vivian''s waist. I gave them themand to shield her and shoved her away at the same time jaws closed around my shoulder. My tendrils kept the thick teeth from snapping anything, but it still hurt like a bitch. My empowered tendril stabbed through its core and hurled it away, but it hadn''t evennded before another was on me. I killed two more with Zoey''s sword, feeling my empowered tendrils whipping violently behind me. The jarring vibrations that traveled up them told me they were making contact. Then the big bastard was back. I managed to escape its jaws, but it didn''t dive back down. It hit the ground and twisted, and a gray ted tail as thick as my waist mmed into my side. The empowered tendrils were busy ripping apart the smaller wyrms, so only my normal tendrils were there to cushion the blow that knocked me off my feet. I felt ribs crack and the world spun, but my tendrils never stopped striking out. One of the empowered tendrils hit something that had no give, and I realized it was pushing against the oing ground to slow my hurtle towards the earth into more or a crashnding. A down Zaren was a dead Zaren, so I scrambled to my feet before my breath had evene back from the blow. The big one was lumbering at me with quick, if clumsy, movements while the others all crawled over each other to get to me. Over the beast''s shoulder I saw Vivian watching me with wide eyes while the empowered tendrils I''d given her twisted in the air, making a dead zone that not even the wyrms could cross. I had to think. Rhani had given me what I needed, I just had to put it together. They were blind, they ate magic, and they were stupid. They clearly had some kind of blind sense, and if they ate magic they must be able to sense it. But if that were the case, then why didn''t they turn on one another when they fed? Maybe something about their physiology hid the magic in their gut while they broke it down. I desperate n formed, and I didn''t hesitate to put it into action. I banished Reese''s quiver and Zoey''s sword into my storage and charged the wyrm. In my storage, I suddenly had a decent idea of what her arrows did. Many of them carried standard enchantments to improve sharpness and durability of the arrowhead, more than a few of them with barbed or serrated tips that would serve my purposes perfectly. A handful had more powerful enchantments, two of which I was fairly certain meant the arrowhead would catch fire when shot from a bow. I factored that away, too. The big one snapped at me, but I used my empowered tendrils to keep from bing a tasty snack and spun to the side of its jaws. I drew out several of the barbed arrows and mmed them into the giant''s body. With how massive its armor tes were, finding the gaps was much easier than its little brethren. I mmed three of the barbed arrows into the gaps, causing it to roar in pain and indignation, each arrow a few feet apart. That was about as far as I got before I had to dive away to keep from getting mmed by that damn tail again. When I got to my feet, I saw that my n was already working better than I could have hoped. One of the smaller etherwyrms had sensed the arrowheads I''d left behind and decided they were a tasty enough constion prize. Itunched at the giant, its teeth snapping and front legs digging while it tried to burrow its way to the tasty magic beneath the armor. The beast howled and twisted, mming the smaller wyrm down and crushing it underneath one of its tree trunk sized legs. And they always said Be was the smart one. I took a breath, ignoring the feeling of grinding bones in my ribcage, and hurled myself back into the fray. I''d dance close enough to stab another two or three arrows into its hide. The serrated ones didn''t stick quite as well as the barbed heads, but they did what I needed to. Before long, the smaller wyrms started providing me the perfect distraction to dash in and leave another arrow behind. But I could feel my tendrils thinning, even the empowered ones. I conjured a few more regr tendrils to help protect me and what I hoped to be a final empowered tendril, once again feeling the pain as the Soul Essence was pulled out of me and shaped into my magic. After I''d sunk nearly ten arrows into its hide, it finally realized that standing on the ground probably wasn''t the best idea. it disappeared, burrowing into the ground and snapping the shafts off the arrows protruding from its hide. One or two of the smaller wyrms dove after it, but the rest turned back towards me. I couldn''t banish all the magic items I was carrying just yet, so I resummoned Zoey''s sword and dove back into the small horde of etherwyrms. I took out another handful before the rumbling announced the giant''s return. I tried to move, but two of the wyrms chose that moment to throw themselves out of the ground just where I''d tried to dash to. I tried to reorient and dodge them while still getting out of the big one''s way, but I was too slow. Jaws erupted out of the ground and closed around me, catching one of the smaller ones in the process. I tried to push out of its mouth, but I only got half way before they snapped shut. All my tendrils wrapped around my midriff to keep me from getting cut in half, but the force of it still drove all the breath from me. A pained grunt was the only sound I could manage to get out while I pushed back against the jaws that were crushing and grinding me. Blinding pain ripped through my torso, but my tendrils were still able to keep me in one piece. This wasn''t exactly how I saw my n going, but I could work with this. Assuming it didn''t manage to snap my spine, of course, but I could still feel my legs so I knew it was intact. For now. I summoned all of the boom-gas spitters Elisa had left with me and threw them into the beast''s gullet, activating each one. I tossed two of the arrows down for good measure, banishing all the other magic items I had on me, and the wyrm''s throat started to constrict. It swallowed the spheres just as they started to spray along with the arrows and I shoved against the jaws again. The throat started working, trying to draw me in, but the jaws still held me firmly in ce. I conjured another empowered tendril on one of my legs andmanded it to attack. It startedshing out inside the etherwyrm''s mouth, and in seconds my lower half was drenched in the thick purple blood. The beast howled and spat me out, my tendrils the only reason I didn''t break my neck uponnding. I tried to stand, but while it hadn''t severed my spine it had done plenty of damage. My legs refused to cooperate, which meant all I could do was crawl away while it bellowed and roared, mming its feet on the ground. But however my shadows appeared to their senses, the arrowheads were the more tantalizing snack. Most of the smaller wyrmstched onto the giant one''s side, trying to get to the tantalizing treats I''d jammed below the surface. It slowed the monster down, but it still only had eyes¡ªsenses?¡ªfor me. It lumbered through the wyrms gouging into its armor, thrashing and throwing them around hard enough to injure most and kill the rest, but its momentum never stoppeding at me. I kept pulling myself away just before an arm looped under mine, dragging me to my feet. Vivian looked up at me with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, her normally perfect hair now a tangled mess. "You''re insane!" she said, though sheughed when she did. I didn''t really have the air to spare for a witty retort, so I just gave her as eloquent of a grunt as I could manage while she hauled me away. I was under no illusions that the little wyrms would be able to kill the big one, but the more damage they could do to it the easier it would be for me to finish it off once my legs started cooperating again. But she could only drag my ass so far before I felt the heavy footfalls behind me. They suddenly picked up speed, and with a resigned breath I pushed Vivian away from me once again and turned to face the giant wyrm barreling down on me. It tried to turn towards the beacon of magic that was Vivian, but momentum was not its friend. Most of its hide was drenched in thick purple blood, which meant it probably wasn''t as nimble as it was used to. All it really managed to do was angle its maw towards her while it dove at me, which meant when it snapped its jaws back towards me the side of its head smashed into my side and once again sent me sprawling ass over teakettle. The tendrils tried their best to protect me from the blow, which meant they weren''t quite fast enough to keep me from mming into the ground hard enough to rip my shoulder from its socket. A pained grunt slipped past clenched teeth, and it was all I could to to roll over and look at the wyrm. It turned away from me, towards Vivian, and in my state there wasn''t a damn thing I could do to get to her. What Icould do, though, was get its attention. I drew the cursed de from my storage. It felt happy to see me, but it still seemed tired. An all too familiar bone deep exhaustion radiated from it. The second I pulled it from my storage, the wyrm froze. Then, when I clicked open thetch, its head whipped towards me. Along with the heads of every other wyrm in the vicinity. Oops. I knew I was in no state to draw it, so I waited until the beast had taken a few more steps before closing thetch once more. Some of them seemed to pause, but they all kepting at me. When I once again banished the sword to my storage with a mumbled apology, several of them paused, but not the big one. The big one waspissed. It resumed its limping charge, and I knew I only had a few more seconds to figure outsomething to keep me from bing kibble. But I''d forgotten that I wasn''t the only one who could strategize. Seven blue bolts arced from somewhere out of my vision and mmed into the beast, each one hitting the same spot one after the other in rapid session. The first one cracked the armor, and each one after that widened that crack further. Then, in a golden blur, Serena mmed her spear into the exact spot with an [Exalted Rush]. The armor caved like ceramic and her spear punched into its side, sending out a spray of purple. The wyrms around her all turned to sink their teeth into the shiny new magic source that had appeared, but Noelle was only a half second behind her. The Mchai''s axe was a blur of silver steel and spectral blue energy while as she cut her way through the wyrms to protect Serena while my priestess wrenched her spear free from the beast''s side. When I tore my vision away from them I saw Tiana and Reese both standing a good fifty feet away. Reese was loosing arrows faster than anyone I''d ever seen while Tiana shot more spells that were eviscerating the wyrms that were so nicely grouped up for her. Zoey was cutting her way towards Serena and Noelle with half a sword, the other half likely having snapped from the natural armor of the etherwyrms. Another of the de chipped off, and she shot a dirty look towards me. Giving up on trying to stand, I tapped into the tendril at Serena''s waist. I used it to summon Zoey''s sword and chuck it towards her, and she caught it with a surprised look that melted quickly into a grin. Then she was tearing through the etherwyrms with augh that could only be described as maniacal. I turned my attention to the big wyrm, trying to find the air to tell them what I''d done, but I still couldn''t get my lungs to cooperate. Not even when I saw the green gas leaking out of the hole Serena had punched in its side. I used the same trick to send Reese''s quiver and its remaining arrows back through Tiana''s tendril, then I took direct control and tapped Tiana''s side right where the gas was leaking out of the giant wyrm. She looked to where I wasying, cradling my once-again-fucked arm, with worry in her eyes, but I shook my head and jerked my chin towards the giant etherwyrm. Bless her cleverness, it only took her a second to put it all together. She pointed, saying something to Reese, and the archer nodded. She drew her arrow and released it in a single fluid motion, and the arrowhead sparked on its way to its target. I took control of one of Serena''s tendrils, using it to pull both Noelle and Zoey to her, then yanked all of them to the ground just before the arrow hit. Reese''s arrow exploded with a smallpop, followed by a violentWHOOOM when the gas in the etherwyrm''s stomach all ignited at once. The explosion ripped it in half, sending chunks raining down on the battlefield. A chunk of armor embedded itself into the ground next to me with enough force that it probably would have killed me if it hadn''t missed, but I didn''t have it in me to react. I took a peek at the others, but if any chunks hade close to hurting them then my tendrils took care of things. With the giant wyrm dead, all that was left was cleaning up the smaller ones. I took a few deep breaths¡ªwell, as deep as Icould, at least¡ªand used the support of my shadows to push myself to my feet. They had things handled, so I simply walked to what was left of the giant wyrm doing my best not to pass out. Something during the fight earlier had caught my eye, but I hadn''t had the time to think about it until now. The tes around its neck were scratched and worn, and when I looked at the bodies of the smaller wyrms around us it was the same. All of the sudden, standing was far too much effort. The world pitched and swayed under my feet, and it was all I could do to make it to the beast''s head and sink down on it like a chair before I passed out. I used one of my tendrils to reset my arm, using the pain to sharpen my mind enough to keep unconsciousness from washing over me, then I leaned forward with my elbows on my thighs and just listened to the fighting going on around me. With my tendrils helping them, it was easy enough to take care of the rest of our attackers. Eventually [Horde yer]''s effects vanished. The fighting didn''tst much longer, and I took a moment to look over my status. [Health: 123/210] [Mana: 61/140] [Soul Essence: 51/100] Shit. If me running off to go solo wasn''t bad enough to put me in the dog house, then me undoing pretty much all the recovery we''d managed so far would. Suddenly, the weight that seemed to sit on my shoulders felt that much heavier. A small part of me wished I''d pass out from my injuries just so I wouldn''t have to have the conversation I knew wasing, but no such luck. I''d barely had the thought before I heard heavy footfallsing closer. I could feel a set of my armor growing close, and something about her gait told me it was Serena that was practically storming towards me. "What was that?" she demanded. I didn''t answer. I didn''thave an answer. Not one that wouldn''t make her angrier, at least. All I did was force my eyes open, my eyelids feeling like sandpaper against them, and look at her. A film of wetness covered her eyes, her brow was furrowed, her fists were clenched, and the skin around her slightly downturned mouth was tight. She wasnot happy with me. Whatever she saw in my eyes seemed to take a little of the wind from her sails, but not much. "Why are you so determined to throw yourself into the most danger every time we get into a fight?" I was sure I''d like the answer to that question even less than she would, so I elected to ask a question of my own. "How is Rhani?" Her jaw set. "Rhani''s fine. It''ll be a few days before her arm is healed, and she''s more than a little perturbed by what happened, but she''ll be okay. She''s as angry as I am that you ran off again, all by yourself." Then, quiet enough that only I could hear her, she said, "without us. Why, Zaren? Do you not trust us to fight by your side? Are you so determined to protect us that you forget we can protect you, too?" I couldn''t hold her gaze. My eyes fell, and when I saw Tiana walk up to put a hand on Serena''s shoulder with a concerned Noelle in tow, I turned to fix my gaze on the ground in front of me. My ribs ached, and where the wyrm had chewed on me throbbed painfully. It felt like an eternity before I found my voice, and when I spoke it was rough and scratchy. "n Z." There was a beat of silence. "What?" Tiana asked. I sighed, which quickly proved to me a mistake when pain shot through me. I didn''t so much as flinch from it, so I doubted any of them noticed. "n Z. Be invented it, though Sandrel came up with the name." I waited for their response when I realized what I said did very little to actually exin what I was babbling on about. "When shit hit the fan, we always fell back on n Z." I heard them moving and Serena dropped to her knee in front of me. She grabbed my hand and a skill coursed through where we were touching. A different skill than her [Healing Embrace], but I felt my health ticking up regardless. A hand gently touched my shoulder, slipping across to the nape of my neck to sink into the hair there. I knew it was Tiana''s, especially when Noelle''s hands wrapped around one of my own. "What''s n Z, Zaren?" Tiana asked softly from behind me. Already, I regretted bringing it up. "When things went sideways and it looked like we were going to lose, I was to find the biggest, meanest motherfucker on the field and cause chaos. Draw as much attention as I could. Do as much damage as I could. Cause chaos. Lure the worst of the threat away from our troops and survive until the others coulde up with something to turn the tide and win the fight. Pretty sure Be was just joking when he first mentioned it because he thought the idea was funny, but when we almost died a few times and n Z helped us survive each time we finally adopted it as a strategy." "Rr hated it," I continued, "but at the end of the day I was just too damned hard to kill. Being the bait never bothered me much since I was just d to feel useful for once, but we used that strategy time and time again right up until the war was over. Either they focused on me and the others were able to move and n, or they tried to ignore me and go after our people, which gave me nice juicy targets to rip apart. It was the default for so long, that when it popped out of the ground I just..." I trailed off with a shrug, not really sure where the sentence was going and far too tired to try and figure it out. Serena turned her glossy emerald eyes up to mine with. "You aren''t in a war anymore, Zaren." My gut twisted. "No? You sure about that?" When she frowned, I pulled my hand from her grasp. Noelle''s, too. A brief hurt flickered across Serena''s expression, but I just pushed myself to my feet, ignoring the way the world pitched for a moment when I did. Tiana''s arm fell from my shoulder and I missed their touch desperately, but I just turned and walked towards what I''d seen earlier. I gave the beast''s head a swift kick right where I''d seen the worn and scraped armor on either side of its neck. "Look there, tell me what you see." My tone came out angrier than I meant, which surprised me. I hadn''t even realized I was angry until that moment. Serena''s frown just deepened, but Tiana crouched down to look closer. "It''s weathered. Scraped away, almost as if¡ª" "A cor sat there," I said. "Look around at the others, and you''ll find the same. I''ve never heard of these things, which means I doubt they''re native. Someone cored them, brought them here, and let them loose." Tiana stood slowly. "Why would someone do that?" "Why would someone lure blightwolves so far north?" I countered. "Why would someone hatch a Vx queen and broker a deal with her to make sure she remains unnoticed long enough to be a real threat? They''re causing chaos. Strife. Killing innocents until the capital is forced to send forces north, away from whatever I''m sure they''ve got brewing in the south or let things up here fester until they''re too out of control to rein in." Tiana paled, and Serena was looking back and forth between the wyrm and I. "You think someone else is doing what you did? Sending all this north as misdirection?" That was exactly what I thought, but it wasn''t what had me so angry. Not by a long shot. This was a standard tactic that we''d adopted to fit my unique skillset of simply refusing to die. No, I was angry about something else. Something I couldn''t put into words. But Tiana could. "You think Allura is using you in the same way, don''t you?" she asked, her voice painfully quiet. I didn''t answer, but that in of itself was more than enough. "You''re wondering if she didn''t bring you back to cause so much chaos that your enemy is forced to waste resources on taking you out while she works against them somewhere else." That wasexactly what I thought. Once upon a time, I wouldn''t have had any issue with that. But if that was the case, then today Rhani had gotten caught in the crossfire. We were working on a muchrger scale than back in the day, and if I was the bait then that meant everyone around me was in danger. Could I afford to keep them nearby if I was going to be constantly stumbling from one deadly fight to the next? I knew caring for them put a target on their back, but this was a whole different level. But all I could do was shake my head. "There''s no way to know for certain, so there''s no point worrying," I lied. I was sure I''d spend the next few nights thinking myself in circles about just that. I turned from them towards where Vivian and her guards were conversing quietly out of earshot, and a part of me wondered if I''d said something I shouldn''t have and she might have overheard it. The rest of me was simply too tired to care right now. Dimly, while I walked towards them, I was aware I hadn''t mentioned my newly dismal Soul Essence pool, but from the weight of their stares on my back I selfishly decided I''d keep it to myself for a little longer. I had no desire to sit through the tongueshing I no doubt deserved just yet. Instead I made my way to Vivian''s group hiding my limp knowing full well that Serena would be looking for any kind of injury and not wanting to worry her any more than I already was. "Sorry, I didn''t really have a chance to exin," I said, returning their items to them. Zoey didn''t work very hard to hide her re, but Reese took her equipment back gracefully. "Lady Vivian told us what happened. Clever. You owe me some arrowheads, though," she said, the amusement in her eyes telling me she wasn''t serious. But I nodded all the same. "Send me the bill, I''llpensate you for it." Then, to Vivian, "sorry about manhandling you back there." It was hard to tell since she was still flushed from the whole situation, but I thought she might have blushed. "Oh, not at all. You certainly saved my life, and I''m hardly going to be upset for that! Now Ireally hope you take me up on my offerter." I inclined my head, ignoring the raised brows from herpanions. "Seems the least I can do. Let''s head back before the others start to worry." I started first and the others fell into step beside me. Tiana wrapped her arm around one of mine and Noelle took my other hand in her own, but Serena walked with stiff shoulders ahead of us. Was I shamelessly using Vivian''s presence to keep them from asking the questions I knew were burning at them? Yes. Yes I was. Did I feel guilty about that? Abso-fucking-lutely. Toss it up on the pile of all the other shitty feelings I''ve got rolling around inside me today. What''s one more, right? I was sure I''d have a very fun conversation when we allid down to sleep tonight, but maybe I''d be able to put some of these frantic thoughts bouncing around in my skull into a light that actually made sense. Wouldn''t that be nice. Chapter Forty-Nine: Secondary Class Selection Chapter Forty-Nine: Secondary ss Selection The first thing I did when we made it back to the caravan was track down Rhani. I needed to know she was alright. Needed to see her with my own eyes. Hold her with my own arms. Seeing the aftermath of the attack and the injuries spread out amongst all the guards just made my stomach clench. I¡¯d lured away the majority of the wyrms with my n, but not all of them. Pierce¡¯s crew had all banded together near the front of the caravan to talk and wrap their wounds, but it was my own wagon that I headed straight for. I saw Festus circling in the air, which both relieved me and made me proud. If something had happened to Rhani, then Festus would be gone. Plus, even injured, she had the wherewithal to keep Festus circling for anyone looking to take advantage of the ambush. She sat on the back of the wagon with Mihrel looking over her arm. Cynthia and Elisa both sat on the driver¡¯s bench. Cynthia held the reins tightly while Elisa rubbed her back and spoke quietly in her ear. Seems her experience with the spiders had at least a few benefits. Tsuki sat inside the wagon wrapped around Ryoko, but they both looked uninjured from what I saw. Satisfied that my household hadn¡¯t suffered any casualties, I returned my attention to my Arelim. The second she saw meing, she sagged with the same relief I felt. ¡°Ren, thank goodness. I saw you run off and¡ªeep!¡± She cut off when I scooped her up in my arms, being careful of her injured arm while I crushed her to my chest. It looked better, though it was so heavily wrapped I couldn¡¯t be certain. ¡°You scared the shit out of me, angel,¡± I breathed. ¡°Please tell me you got some good skills from that fight at least.¡± A silent sob wracked her body as she melted into my embrace. ¡°I did, but I can only have one summon out and I thought that Festus would be the smart move right now.¡± I nodded, resting my chin against the top of her head. ¡°Good. We¡¯ll figure out the restter.¡± ¡°The golem?¡± She asked, her voice trembling. I gently set her back down and summoned the golem straight onto the wagon. One of its arms waspletely gone, and the opposite leg was only barely attached. Both the armor and the stone beneath it was covered in gouges that shredded the runesyered all over the construct. A soft cry slipped from Rhani¡¯s lips. ¡°No¡­¡± I pulled her head into my chest. ¡°It¡¯s alright. They didn¡¯t fuck with the core, so we can still fix her.¡± She nodded, sniffling. I turned to Serena when I felt her hand on my shoulder. ¡°Do you need healing?¡± she asked. I looked at my stats. My health hadn¡¯t gone down at all, which meant there was no internal bleeding. Nothing that I couldn¡¯t deal with for a while. ¡°I¡¯m fine for now. Check with the others and see if anyone else needs any, then see what you can do about Rhani¡¯s arm. If you¡¯ve got mana to spare after, then you can heal me. Was that a new skill?¡± Her lips thinned, and I knew she wanted to press the healing issue. ¡°Yes. I took a standard healing skill since mine needs to be a bit more¡­intimate. It¡¯s stronger than [Healing Embrace] when I¡¯m just using my hands, but not as strong as when there¡¯s a lot more contact. I figured it was smart to take it so I could heal strangers without getting naked.¡± ¡°Good thinking. You both got levels, then?¡± ¡°I got one,¡± Serena confirmed. ¡°Two for me,¡± Rhani said with a weak smile. ¡°More Arcane and an attack familiar. You?¡± I hadn¡¯t even checked. When I did¡­ [Level up!] [Secondary ss Selection Avable!] I cleared my throat. ¡°Yeah, looks like I got a level from all that, too.¡± There was a pause, then Rhani¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°That means you get a second ss!¡± ¡°That it does,¡± I said. I could tell she was put off by myck of excitement, but there was a part of me that was afraid of what my options might be. ¡°We can go over them when we stop tonight, I don¡¯t want to have to worry about new skills right now.¡± Not to mention that just the thought ofbing through skills for my main ss was simply too much to deal with currently. I looked at each of them in turn. ¡°You all did amazing today. I¡¯m sorry I went rogue.¡± Noelle had been standing so quietly I¡¯d nearly forgotten she was there, so I ced a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. ¡°Will you stay with our wagon for a bit? I should go check in with Korey and I¡¯d feel a lot better with you watching over them.¡± Her cheeks darkened, then she nodded eagerly. I wanted to pull her into a hug, but considering she was on the side where I¡¯m pretty sure my ribs were broken that was probably a bad idea. Serena would insist on healing, but she¡¯d need to deplete her mana to make any significant progress, and there were likely others that weren¡¯t nearly as used to fighting through pain like I was. Serena shot me a look that said she wasn¡¯t happy about not giving me anymore healing, but she went off towards where Rastra and Lana were nearly holding Yen up anyways. I found my way to the front where Korey, Pierce, and Vivian were all talking with one another. Pierce saw me first, cutting off mid-sentence and giving me a nod. Korey saw and turned with a smile. ¡°Ren, Vivian here was just bringing us up to date on what happened. Seems we¡¯ve got you to thank once again.¡± I did my best to shrug without passing out on the spot. ¡°Make sure you thank Rhani. If she hadn¡¯t recognized what they were, I wouldn¡¯t have known how to lure them away.¡± It wasn¡¯t lost on me that Vivian had understood exactly what I was doing, either. Nor did I miss how her amber eyes almost seemed to twinkle when I said that. Korey just inclined his head. ¡°Either way, for about the hundredth time I¡¯m thrilled Pierce talked me into bringing you along. We were just discussing what Vivian¡¯s situation is now that her carriage is¡­¡± ¡°Kindling?¡± Vivian offered. Korey chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s one word for it.¡± I looked back over the caravan and let out a sigh. Korey¡¯s wagons were cargo wagons, not passenger wagons. Though mine was half kitted to be a rolling alchemyb, it was the only other option. ¡°She¡¯s wee to ride along in mine if she doesn¡¯t walk. She can use the second tent Elisa attached to it as well since we¡¯ve really been using the one. We¡¯ve got some extra tents and such for Zoey and Reese, too.¡± Vivian sped both hands to her chest. ¡°Oh that would be wonderful! You are simply too kind, Ren.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but think she was taking the loss of her carriage far too well. ¡°We brought plenty of extra gear, so if you guys need any rations or other equipment just let us know. We can hash out paymentter.¡± She smiled so widely my face started to ache. ¡°That is much appreciated. Zoey and Reese arebing through what¡¯s left of the carriage as we speak, so I¡¯ll be sure to seek you out when I know for sure.¡± I was certain she would since it was just another reason to initiate conversation, and she seemed rather eager for those. Korey cleared his throat. ¡°Well, that takes care of that, I suppose. Pierce wants to put some distance between us and the ambush site in case anyone nefarious is lurking about as long as your people are good to keep moving.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good n, we¡¯re ready to move when you are.¡± I didn¡¯t want to bring up that these wyrms had likely been nted here just yet. Pierce would probably handle it fine, but I didn¡¯t want to freak out any of the caravaneers that weren¡¯t used to being under threat. I nodded to them both, then turned to head back and ry the ns to the others. I resisted the urge to sigh when I felt Vivian fall into step behind me. She closed the gap so we were walking side by side and I could feel her smiling at me. ¡°I wanted to thank you again, Ren,¡± she said. ¡°Seems I owe my life to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± I mumbled. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had fully left my system, my head was really starting to pound. But she waspletely oblivious to the fact that I really didn¡¯t want to have a conversation at the moment. ¡°I was terrified! But you never seemed worried in the slightest. You¡¯re quite the impressive man.¡± Her tone became almost sultry near the end, but her attempt was thwarted by the bald faced lie she started with. I¡¯d felt her fear for the briefest of moments, so she wasn¡¯tpletely immune to my skill. Her im that she was terrified felt more like she was trying to convince me than anything else. I wish I¡¯d have been able to see her face during more of the fight, but how I¡¯d carried her meant that wasn¡¯t really possible. But I¡¯d keep up the charade until I got a better idea of why she was lying. ¡°I¡¯m not so impressive. I¡¯ve just been in life or death situations far too often to freak out anymore.¡± Sheughed like I¡¯d made a joke. ¡°I see. Well I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind, then. Too bad you never got the chance to take me up on my offer for a carriage ride, though.¡± Yes. Too bad. That¡¯s the phrase I¡¯d use. ¡°Probably for the best,¡± I said under my breath. If she heard me, she didn¡¯t react. By then we¡¯d reached my wagon. Serena was still off with the others who¡¯d been injured, but the rest of my girls were still hanging around the back of the cabin. I very pointedly ignored the mischievous glint in Rhani''s eyes as they flicked back and forth between me and Vivian. ¡°We¡¯ll keep moving for a while, so anyone who needs to, hop on the wagon.¡± Rhani started to shift so I pointed a threatening finger. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. You¡¯re riding the rest of the day. Maybe tomorrow, too. If Festus sees something else, send Noelle to find me.¡± She pouted at me, but I saw the barely concealed relief when she sagged back against the wall. I hopped up to banish the golem back to storage, but Rhani stopped me with a touch to my forearm. ¡°Don¡¯t. She can¡¯t even walk anymore, and I don¡¯t want her to spend the rest of her time in the dark of your storage. It isn¡¯t fair to her after all she¡¯s done for us.¡± I sat back on my haunches and nodded. ¡°Alright then, Angel.¡± I repositioned the golem so that she wasn¡¯t taking up quite so much space and was looking out the back of the wagon, then I pulled out some nkets. I made a small nest in the crook of the arm and Rhani slid into it with a smile. ¡°Thanks, Ren,¡± she said softly. ¡°And sorry. For¡­you know¡­¡± I cupped her cheek and she leaned into my palm. ¡°Nothing to be sorry for. I reacted poorly, that¡¯s on me. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re alright. Get some rest and we¡¯ll see what we can do about that armter, alright?¡± She nodded and nestled into the nkets I¡¯d put out. When I turned to help Vivian up into the wagon she had a serious look on her face that felt out of character, but it was gone in an instant. I held a hand up and pulled her onto the carriage, and she shed me another smile. I returned it, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and she primly took a seat on the edge. ¡°Thank you again for the ride,¡± she said while I hopped down. ¡°Zoey and Reese are no strangers to walking, but I¡¯m afraid these boots simply aren¡¯t made for long treks.¡± ¡°Happy to help,¡± I said in a tone that likely suggested otherwise. Tsuki gave her sister onest squeeze, then hopped out of the carriage after me. ¡°I should get back to my wagon if we¡¯re moving again.¡± I nodded. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Ryoko was safe during the fight thanks to Noelle and Serena, and that¡¯s what I care about.¡± I reached out and scratched behind her foxlike ears and she went stiff, though her tail started swishing. ¡°Well I¡¯m d you¡¯re alright, too.¡± She didn¡¯t move until I¡¯d pulled my hand away, and her face was rather pointedly directed away from me so I couldn¡¯t see what her expression looked like. I stopped by the front of our wagon to check in with Cynthia and Elisa. Elisa was handling things better than I could have hoped, but there was a wildness in Cynthia¡¯s eyes that told me she¡¯d never been in a situation like that. I assured them that they¡¯d done exactly what they should have by hunkering down in the wagon and told them to do the exact same thing if something else happened, then I headed off to signal Korey that we were all good to go. The rest of the day¡¯s journey went by slowly but uneventfully, which my aching ribcage appreciated greatly. The weather seemed to think we¡¯d dealt with enough for the day, which meant we didn¡¯t need to worry about setting up for the rain like before. Another small mercy. Garm and Ryoko wasted no time in preparing the nightly meal. Whether Serena or Vivian, I still wasn¡¯t quite ready to have any long conversations, so I started working with Noelle and Tsuki on learning to fight. Tsuki was the easier of the two since she simplycked any kind of form. I spent my time with her working on basics like stance and how to swing a de or throw a punch without breaking her wrist. Noelle was going to be the tricky one. Herst ss strengthened her when she took damage, so the style of fighting that she¡¯d been ¡°taught¡± was all offense and no defense. It relied too much on raw strength and constantly left her open to counterattacks, so I¡¯d need to help her unlearn all her bad habits before I could start helping her form good ones. That was going to take considerably longer, but she seemed thrilled that I was working with her at all. Well, as outwardly thrilled as Noelle got, at least. Rhani watched raptly, and I knew that after she¡¯d been attacked she¡¯d be eager to learn how to defend herself. Once her arm was healed, I¡¯d be just as eager to teach her. Watching that etherwyrm take her to the ground while I was too far to help ranked up there in scariest moments of my life. During the dinner, we talked over Serena and Rhani¡¯s new skills. Serena¡¯s, [Prayer of Healing], was the standard healing skill most priestesses used. I agreed that it was a good idea to take a skill that could be used without needing to strip down and cozy up to take full advantage of. Rhani¡¯s, though, was the real talk of the team. [Summon Attack Familiar] was exactly the kind of skill I¡¯d been hoping she¡¯d get. I¡¯d have felt better about her getting a defensive summon, but I knew she wanted to feel useful and hiding behind a shield wasn¡¯t going to achieve that for her. The familiar¡¯s base form was a wolf, but she was already working on adding a panther and a hawk to her grimoire to give her some versatility. Different forms would have different stats, but they¡¯d grow stronger the more Arcane she had. My appetite was still nonexistent, though whether that was from what had happened with Rhani, my injuries, or the mncholy that still dragged me down I had no idea. I knew I needed fuel, though, so I forced myself to finish the bowl even if I barely tasted it. Apparently leading the big scary magic-eatingnd whale earned you a night off watches, but if I had to sit around and do nothing again tonight I might lose my mind. I was just heading to try and talk my way onto one of the watches when Vivian decided to make another surprise appearance. By tripping and literally falling into me. Which wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if her elbow didn¡¯t manage to find the exact spot where my ribs were the most damaged. She stammered out an apology, but I wasn¡¯t able to pay any attention to her words since I was trying so hard to not pass out on the spot. I was pretty sure she¡¯d finished the job the giant etherwyrm had started and fully broken one of my already cracked ribs, but the sharp pain that burned through my entire side made it hard to say for sure. I was just trying to decide whether or not a rib had punctured a lung when I looked up and met Serena¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d seen the whole thing, and from the way her jaw was currently set she was not happy. I clenched my own jaw to try and keep the pained groan inside and cut a re at Vivian, who looked rather startled by the whole thing with her eyes wide and a hand over her mouth. But something about her reaction felt too carefully crafted. I¡¯d never seen her so much as stumble, yet she¡¯d tripped and falled into me. If I were a paranoid man¡ªwhich, let¡¯s face it, I definitely am¡ªI might wonder if she hadn¡¯t waited until Serena was looking at me to throw an elbow into my injury. How she knew exactly where I was hurt I wasn¡¯t sure, but her eyes were just a little too observant for me to think otherwise. But I didn¡¯t get a chance to say a word before Serena stormed over. I just sighed, preparing myself for the lecture toe. But she just stopped short with clenched fists, then jerked her chin towards our tent. With a sigh, I nodded and followed her inside it. I¡¯d barely cleared the p before she whirled around and grabbed the hem of my shirt, ripping it up so she could look underneath. She sucked in her breath sharply, and when I looked down I winced. My entire side was ck and blue, and there was a thick line of bruising across my stomach where the wyrm had tried to bite me in half. I was sure my back didn¡¯t look much better. When I met her gaze finally, her eyes were lined with the silver of unshed tears. ¡°Why?¡± she asked, her features tight. ¡°Others needed your mana more,¡± I said simply. ¡°And if we¡¯d been attacked again?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have dealt with it. Not the worst injury I¡¯ve had to fight with. Not even close.¡± ¡°Vivian nearly took you out by tripping over a branch!¡± A solid point. ¡°In an actual fight, I¡¯d be wrapped in enough shadows that it wouldn¡¯t be an issue. I can move myself if the need arises.¡± Her fists clenched. ¡°That isn¡¯t the point, Zaren!¡± I looked away. ¡°I know. I should have told you.¡± ¡°Yes, you should have.¡± She stepped into my line of sight. ¡°How do you think it makes me feel that you¡¯ve been walking around in pain all day when I could have healed you? Helped you? I know you¡¯ve been through worse, Zaren, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want you to go through it again.¡± If I hadn¡¯t already been feeling guilty, I was now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She blew out a breath. ¡°Lose the clothes. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± After she¡¯d ducked out I started stripping down. I¡¯d just got down to wearing nothing but pants when I heard the p, but when I turned it was thest person I expected to see standing in the tent with me. Vivian¡¯s eyes were saucers as she took in my bare chest and the injuries and scars that covered it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said slowly, ¡°this seems to be a bad time.¡± ¡°Vivian,¡± I said, somehow not as surprised as I should have been. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°Well,¡± she breathed, shamelessly drinking in every inch of me she could, ¡°I just wanted to apologize again. You went and saved me and I went and jammed an elbow into your, um, injury.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Hardly the worst off I¡¯ve been, as you can see,¡± I said with a gesture to my scars. She nodded, still not blinking. ¡°I came to see if you wanted to have that chat, but it seems we¡¯ll need to take another rain check.¡± ¡°Seems that way,¡± I agreed. Her eyes raked over my chest onest time before finally rising to meet mine. Her expression wilted, and she said in a low tone that was very un-Vivian like, ¡°you really are an impressive man, Ren.¡± But before I could respond, she was gone. Less than a minuteter, Serena pushed into the tent with an expression that bordered between confused and concerned. ¡°Why did we just pass by Vivian practically running away from the tent? Did something happen?¡± ¡®We¡¯ turned out to be everyone from my harem as Rhani, Tiana, and Noelle all filed in. Rhani, who was still looking over her shoulder, said, ¡°you know, for how often you keep saying you¡¯re not into Vivian, you two certainly seem to be¡ªgood gods, Zaren!¡± she eximed when she finally turned and saw the damage. ¡°It looks worse than it is,¡± I said unconvincingly. Rhani rushed to my side, her fingers dancing over the bruising with feather light touches, while Tiana strode over and pulled my chin to the side so she could press her lips to mine. ¡°Vivian?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°Wanted to apologize. Or talk. Or¡­something, I don¡¯t know. Got distracted by the¡­¡± I gestured vaguely towards the injuries. Serena started peeling off clothes. ¡°Pants off, Zaren. We can talk about your new friend once I¡¯ve started healing you. Rhani, you too. We should make sure we¡¯re maximizing the use of my skill whenever we can.¡± Any other day and I¡¯d have liked bossy Serena a lot. Today all I could do was ditch my pants like she asked andy down. In no time, she was carefully setting herself down next to me. ¡°You hold me, I¡¯ll hold Rhani,¡± she said over her shoulder. I did as she asked, pressing my front into her back and wrapping my arms around her stomach just under her breasts. Noelle helped Rhani with thest of her clothes since Rhani¡¯s arm was still in a sling while Tiana slid in behind me and tucked one arm under my head while the other hand started ying with my hair. Once Rhani tucked herself into Serena¡¯s arms with Noelle in tow, I felt Serena¡¯s skill activate. Breathing slowly became easier, and I pulled Serena tighter against my chest to show that her healing was working. She let out a soft sigh, but she kept her eyes forward so I couldn¡¯t see her face. With Tiana¡¯s breasts pushing into my back and Serena¡¯s butt pushing against my groin, it wasn¡¯t long before I had to adjust so I wasn¡¯t stabbing Serena in the back with my erection. ¡°I really wish you¡¯d talk to us, Zaren,¡± Serena said softly. I closed my eyes, resting my cheek against the top of her head. ¡°I know. I wish I knew what to say.¡± ¡°Anything would be better than nothing,¡± she shot back. I rubbed small circles on her stomach with my thumb. ¡°You don¡¯t go through what I went through withouting out a little¡­fucked up,¡± I said finally. I felt Serena and Tiana both tense up on either side of me, but neither interrupted. ¡°Most of the time I¡¯m okay. Well, okay enough to keep moving, at least. Sometimes though, it just feels like¡­¡± ¡°Like it¡¯s all suddenly too much?¡± Tiana offered. I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good way to phrase it. It¡¯s like the weight of everything is just catching up all at once. I know I¡¯lle out the other side of it eventually, it¡¯s just hard to remember that in the moment sometimes. Rr was always good about keeping me focused when it happened, but he isn¡¯t around to call the shots anymore.¡± ¡°You can rely on us,¡± Serena insisted. ¡°You know that, right?¡± ¡°I do,¡± I promised, ¡°I just¡­¡± As usual, the words simply weren¡¯t there. I decided to change gears. ¡°During the fight, when I saw the wyrm attacking Rhani, I slipped.¡± ¡°Slipped?¡± Rhani asked, lifting her head to look at me. ¡°Not physically, mentally. During the war, when I fought, it wasn¡¯t always something I did consciously. Especially in bigger battles, I just sort of¡­let instinct take over. It was like I was riding passenger in my own head. When Rhani went down and I wasn¡¯t sure if she was alive or not, I let those instincts take over again. The world outside the fight disappeared. Consequences were something I¡¯d only have to deal with if I actually lived, so I just¡­did what I do.¡± I let out a long breath and pressed my face into Serena¡¯s hair. ¡°The world has done nothing but take from me for my entire life, and I¡¯ve never had more to lose than I do right now. I¡¯m trying to figure it out, I¡¯m just not doing it very fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Tiana said, pressing a kiss to my temple. ¡°We don¡¯t expect you to heal from a life of trauma overnight. We just want to know what¡¯s going on in that pretty head of yours. You¡¯ve been alone long enough, Zaren. You don¡¯t have to be alone anymore.¡± I didn¡¯t answer, but I didn¡¯t need to. I just held Serena tight with one arm while I pulled the other back to pull Tiana¡¯s face close enough to kiss her. She made a pleased sound in her throat before she drew back and pushed my chin forward, where Serena was finally looking back at me. I leaned down and kissed her, too, before leaning past her to make sure Rhani and Noelle weren¡¯t left out. Once we were all settled again, Rhani shot me a look. ¡°So¡­level twenty¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tiana said, running her hand down my chest. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding out on us.¡± Her hand went lower and lower until it wrapped around the base of my erection. She gave it a long, slow stroke that drew a soft hiss out of me. ¡°Spill, mister.¡± I buried my face in the back of Serena¡¯s neck, sliding my own hand up to cup one of Serena¡¯s breasts while the other went lower. A quick trail down her slit told me she was wet despite the seriousness of the conversation. ¡°I haven¡¯t even looked yet,¡± I told them. ¡°Give me a second.¡± I pulled up my ss options, unsurprised by the first one. It was the ss I¡¯d taken at twentyst time, and it had served me well before.
Reaper You have always known death. Now you will bring it to your enemies with unstoppable force
It would make me nearly unstoppable on the battlefield, but is that really what I wanted? I didn¡¯t want to be the old Zaren, so should I really take the same sses I hadst time? It would make me deadly, but it was another ss that didn¡¯t y well with others. Taking it would just make things harder on my friends and lovers. When I told them the ss and how I felt about it, they all seemed to agree. None of them told me outright not to take it, but I could see it in Rhani and Serena¡¯s eyes that they would prefer I didn¡¯t. I looked at the next one and barked out augh that caught them all off guard.
Death Cheat You have slipped through Death¡¯s fingers time and time again and developed quite the knack for it.
When I told them about it, they seemed as amused as I was. ¡°While I like the idea of you not dying,¡± Tiana said with a chuckle, ¡°the idea of you almost dying over and over again sounds like it¡¯ll take years off my life. I hope door number three is much more enticing.¡± Her hand, still wrapped around my erection, gave me a squeeze. I agreed. One was a ss I¡¯d had in the past, the other was one I¡¯d earned though constantly surviving situations I probably shouldn¡¯t have. Time to see what the third option was. I must have reacted when I read it, because suddenly everyone was looking at me. Even Tiana¡¯s hand paused.
Soul Smith Your soul has been forged in the hottest of mes, and it has given you the strengthand power to do the same to others..
Rhani was the first to break the silence after I told them. ¡°It¡¯s not even an option, right? I mean, you¡¯ve literally got a whole new resource pool already.¡± She had a solid point, but that wasn¡¯t what drew me to the ss. ¡°It¡¯s the first nonbat ss I¡¯ve ever gotten,¡± I told them in a soft voice that halted all conversation. ¡°It says in the description that I can make others stronger. It¡¯s a support ss, and one I¡¯ve never heard of. I¡­¡± ¡°You want it, right?¡± Serena asked with a smile. She leaned up and pressed her lips to mine. ¡°Then take it, Zaren. You don¡¯t need our permission, though it sounds like we all like that ss the best anyways.¡± Still, I hesitated. Soul Essence was powerful, but it was still a very limited resource. Hopefully this ss would do something to change that, since my Essence pool didn¡¯t seem tied to any stats, but there was no way to know until it was toote. Still, the option called to me. The more I thought about it, the less it seemed like a choice. With a nod, I selected the ss. I looked over the ss¡¯s core skill and my brows drew together.
Forge Soul Link (a) - One soul tempers another. Use Soul Essence to forge a link between you and a willing individual. The link always starts at level one and grows as your souls grow closer. Each level gives different benefits.
I read the skill aloud, and Rhani was already writing it in one of her books that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere. ¡°Epitaph, which is unsurprising because you¡¯re¡­well¡­you,¡± she said with a wave in my direction. ¡°Tempering one another could mean both people get some kind of boon, but there¡¯s no way to tell. Vague like most skills, so we¡¯ll have to y around with it to understand what it actually does. So, who are we linking first? My vote¡¯s for Serena.¡± We all exchanged amused looks, but I cleared my throat. ¡°Actually, we might want to hold off. It says it costs Soul Essence to activate, but without knowing how much it could be risky.¡± Tiana frowned. ¡°We¡¯ve made so much progress already, though. Aren¡¯t you getting close to cap?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Well, I was¡­¡± Rhani and Serena both shot up and fixed me with res. ¡°How much did you use?¡± Serena demanded. I checked my pool and winced. [Soul Essence: 54/100] When I told them as much, Rhani paled and Serena crossed her arms with a huff. Tiana just put her hand on my shoulder. ¡°You used it to fight?¡± ¡°Somewhat. After Rhani went down¡­well I summoned a tendril on all of you before I even realized what I was doing. Then I put two on Vivian because all the fucking wyrms were trying to eat her.¡± Rhani made an angry noise. ¡°Fuck! I knew that tendril looked red, but I was all fucked up at the time!¡± She started scribbling even more furiously in her book. Serena just grabbed my wrist. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us sooner? We could have spent the afternoon in the tent regenerating you.¡± The most obvious answer was that I was avoiding them all to keep from having the very conversation we¡¯d just had, but I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to say that out loud. ¡°Between everything else, it just sorta slipped to the back of my mind.¡± Tiana¡¯s hand pulled on my shoulder, then she pushed me down so that I was on my back. She straddled me, sliding my cock into her core with a single fluid movement that sent her head back. ¡°Fuck, I swear you feel even better than I remember!¡± She ran her hands up my chest until she found two spots that hadn¡¯t been injured and used them as leverage to start riding me. ¡°We¡¯ll fill you up as much as we can tonight and we can try to forge a link in the morning.¡± Before I could even answer, two small hands found either side of my face. Noelle pulled my lips to hers, her lips pressing to mine for only a moment before I felt her tongue probing. I let her in and she happily devoured me while Rhani crawled into Serena¡¯sp. ¡°Sounds like a n to me,¡± Rhani said, wrapping Serena¡¯s arms around her midriff. Serena, not needing to be told what the little Arelim was up to, started to glow as she activated her skill. ¡°You two can get things started while Serena finishes getting my arm squared away. I think it¡¯s time to see just how much Soul Essence we can recover in a night,¡± she finished with a grin that made my toes curl. Noelle finally pulled back so both of us could breathe once more. ¡°And with Vivian next door, we can remind her who Zaren belongs to.¡± Tiana picked up speed, her head tipping forward and her hair falling to caress my chest. ¡°Fuck! That sounds like a good idea to me. I don¡¯t like her fascination with my Zaren.¡± ¡°Your Zaren, huh?¡± I teased, reaching up to squeeze her breast before tugging her nipple. She clenched around me, but her bouncing only sped up. With my other arm I scooped Noelle up and pulled her back into me so I could reach down and retake her lips. She melted into me, sinking both hands into my hair and pushing back against the kiss with a very happy hum. ¡°Yes!¡± Tiana cried, mming her hips down one final time and cumming hard. ¡°My Zaren. Our Zaren. I love sharing you like this, but she hasn¡¯t earned that same level of trust.¡± She pushed herself up, letting me slide free, but my cock had barely fallen back to my stomach before Noelle was lining herself up, pulling away from my lips with a regretful noise. Tiana took her ce, both at my side and on my lips, while she did her best to explore every corner of my mouth with her tongue. ¡°I know better than anyone that saying you aren¡¯t alone will never be enough, so we¡¯ll just have to show you.¡± And I was more than willing to let them do just that. I might still be miserable, but it was a whole lot better to be miserable when surrounded by the women I loved. Chapter Fifty: Link Forged Chapter Fifty: Link Forged It had been a long time since I¡¯d felt so sore from anything other than fighting for my life. I¡¯d somehow managed to oust my womenst night, but it had been a close run thing. It didn¡¯t help that we were at least trying not to keep the camp up all night, so all of us had been holding back. Well, all of us minus Rhani. She¡¯d seen Noelle sinking her teeth in me and wanted to give it a try, and since I had at least three dark rings where her teeth had dug into my shoulders hard enough to leave bruises in an attempt to orgasm as quietly as possible. Pretty sure she¡¯d cost me a health point or two during the night, though I was up to full now. I definitely wasn¡¯tining though, even if I felt stiff from head to toe. There was another part of me that was stiff, and I¡¯d barely started to wake up before I realized that the warmth I felt around my cock was a set of lips and a tongue. Almost as if she¡¯d realized I¡¯d woken, whoever was pleasuring me took me all the way to the base, and I groaned as the tightness of a throat wrapped around me while a long tonguepped towards my sac. I cracked bleary eyes trying to figure out where everyone was. The softness I wasying on was much too fleshy to be a pillow, and I realized I¡¯d fallen asleep with my head in Tiana¡¯s chest. Her arms were entwined around my neck, and as I shifted slightly she murmured and wrapped them around me even tighter. So not Tiana. Serena was to my side, one of her legs wrapped around mine and her head resting on my bicep. Not her either. Then I saw Rhani on the other side, curled up with her back pressed against me and wrapped tightly around my arm pressed between her breasts. That left one. Noelle paused when I lifted my head enough to look down at her, bobbing up and down on my shaft with no sign of a gag reflex whatsoever. Her eyes watered slightly, but overall she seemed rtively unbothered by taking my entire length despite our difference in size. ¡°Good morning,¡± I rasped, my voice hoarse from how dry my throat was. She let my cock pop free of her mouth so she could catch her breath. ¡°I was the only one who had not gotten to taste you yet,¡± she said, her eyes lowered, ¡°but Rhani said you would not mind.¡± ¡°She did, did she?¡± I felt Rhani curl tighter around my arm. She made an upset noise when I extracted my arm from her grip and palmed Noelle¡¯s cheek. The Mchai closed her eyes and leaned into my touch with a hum before lowering her head to take me in her mouth again. The second the head touched her tongue she let out a low moan. I slid my fingers into her hair, dragging my nails along her scalp, and her eyes rolled back into her head. She bobbed her head faster, her lips sliding along my entire length, until I could feel release approaching. ¡°Noelle,¡± I said, my voice strained. She wrapped one hand around my shaft and the other around my thigh just when I started to pulse in her mouth. She pulled back just enough that I was unleashing rope after rope right onto her tongue, her eyes locked on mine while she swallowed every drop. She sat back, her tongue shooting out to make sure nothing remained on her lips, and smiled. ¡°I very much like your taste.¡± I guided her up so she couldy on my chest and pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Well the feeling is mutual.¡± On some level I¡¯d always known Noelle had never had a partner that cared at all for her pleasure, but I hadn¡¯t really processed it until I¡¯d gone down on her and she¡¯d had orgasm after orgasm. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to get a good taste again soon.¡± ¡°Mmm, yes,¡± she said happily, curling into me. Rhani stretched out like a cat, letting out a high pitched sound that caused Tsuki to raise her head blearily where her and Ryoko were curled up a few feet away. She saw that we were all still piled together, though, so she nestled back into her sister. ¡°Essence?¡± Rhani inquired. I checked. ¡°Sixty-eight. Biggest jump we¡¯ve ever had in a single day,¡± I noted. She made her thinking noise before hunting down her journal. ¡°Probably because we were all more interested in being with you than just fucking you. So more people means more Essence, but it looks like there are diminishing returns. Maybe connecting to multiple others at once is less efficient than a one on one connection?¡± she mused. I sat up, gently sliding my arm out from underneath Serena¡¯s head and untangling Tiana¡¯s arms from around me. ¡°That sounds reasonable.¡± I ran a hand up Noelle¡¯s back while she explored Rhani¡¯s bite marks with wide eyes. She shuddered when I got to the base of her wings, so I took a moment to massage her a little. ¡°Should be enough to safely attempt a Link.¡± Tiana groaned, sitting up and once again wrapping her arms around me from behind. ¡°Can¡¯t we go back to bed for a few more hours? I was having the best dream¡­¡± I lifted her palm so I could press my lips to it and sheid a trail of slow kisses down my shoulder. ¡°If we want to deal with this Soul Link business before everyone else wakes up then we can¡¯t.¡± From the way Serena sat up I figured she¡¯d been awake since before Noelle had started blowing me. She looked at me with some hesitance. ¡°Are you really sure I should be the first one we try this on? Rhani was the first to find you, after all.¡± Giving me a peck on the cheek on the way, Rhani mbered over us so she could throw her arms around Serena. ¡°You¡¯re his priestess, babe. There¡¯s no telling what kind of perks are going toe from this link, but if we pro-con it out then tying him to the healer is the most logical choice. Plus,¡± she pressed her cheek to Serena¡¯s, ¡°you care about Zaren just as much as I do, and only one of us has the training to stay with him in a fight.¡± Rhani shed a smile at me. ¡°I can wait as long as I need to. Neither of us is going anywhere, right?¡± ¡°Right,¡± I responded, trying to ignore the uneasiness in my gut. The one that was always so convinced everything was about to go to shit. Serena took a breath. ¡°Alright, what do you need from me?¡± I mentally pulled on [Forge Soul Link]. Every active skill came with the inherent knowledge of how to activate it, and this one was thankfully no different. ¡°Move over, Angel,¡± I said. Rhani slipped to Serena¡¯s side and I ced my hand over her heart. I could feel it hammering in her chest underneath my palm and gave her a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll offer my side of the Link. You should feel something when I do, and you¡¯ll have to focus on that feeling and willingly ept the other side.¡± She nodded once, then ced her hand over mine. ¡°Okay. And Zaren?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Thank you. I know you said I wouldn¡¯t be getting rid of you if I took my ss, but this feels so much more¡­¡± ¡°Permanent?¡± She smiled softly. ¡°In a good way. Even if it can never be undone, I want this.¡± That was good enough for me. Rhani was right about not having any idea what effects a Link might have, but I had a dozen ideas that made me eager to forge one with each of the girls that had all wormed their way into my heart. I closed my eyes and reached out with a sense I felt like I¡¯d always had but never known about. The same sense that told my gut who was and wasn¡¯t trustworthy. The part of me that seemed attuned to finding the monsters who wore the skins of men so well. With it, just like I would with my [Dark Sense], I directed this new sense towards Serena. I knew the moment my soul brushed up against hers, and it seemed she did as well. A soft gasp slipped out of us both at the touch, and I smiled. She was so warm. Strong. Her soul was a little battered around the edges, but otherwise it was perfectly whole. Not only that, but glowed with the golden light of divinity, and I knew that was Allura¡¯s influence from her priestess ss. I was dimly aware of the other souls in the room, but hers shone so brightly that they were eclipsed. I could also tell that her soul was slightly depleted, and I knew it had to be from the dream/memory she¡¯d been forcefully yanked from. She was almost fully recovered, but notpletely. Then she let out a shuddering gasp and I opened my eyes. Tears were streaming down her face, though her own eyes were closed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I had no idea.¡± My gut clenched. If I could see and sense her soul, then it only made sense that the reverse would be true. ¡°Didn¡¯t know what, Serena?¡± I asked softly. She just shook her head. ¡°I can feel it. Like I¡¯m running my hands over your scars, but in my head. It feels¡­¡± She took another long breath. ¡°I¡¯m okay, I just wasn¡¯t expecting¡­¡± I managed to swallow past the lump in my throat. ¡°Do you still want this?¡± Her hand tightened on mine. ¡°Of course I do. If what I¡¯m feeling now is just echoes of what you¡¯ve been through, then I can¡¯t even imagine how strong you had to be to make it this far.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so I activated my skill. I felt my soul reaching out to hers again, but this time there was a question that couldn¡¯t be asked in words. An offer and a plea. A secondter, I felt her soul shift in response. An eager eptance. A desire tofort. To soothe. She let out another shuttered breath, but I barely heard it. Pain exploded in my chest, like someone was trying to dig my heart out with a rusty spoon. A grunt escaped me before my body locked up, then the pain grew. I could feel the bond being seared into me. Like a ming poker was being shoved under my ribs. The tent and its upants fell away, leaving me with nothing left but agony. I couldn¡¯t tell if itsted a second or an hour, only that in that moment I was certain it would never end. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the pain receded. It left behind echoes, as if my body was suddenly uncertain of what to do now that I was no longer being burned from the inside out, and I managed to open my eyes. I was on my side, curled up with all six women who¡¯d been in the room leaning over me with expressions ranging from terror to intense concern. Serena still had tears running down her cheeks, but she didn¡¯t seem nearly as affected as me. ¡°Ow,¡± I said through clenched teeth, and they all rxed. I took a peek at Serena¡¯s soul once more to see how it had changed. The only notable difference was a thread that connected her soul to mine, so thin I could barely see it. I groaned while they helped me into a sitting position. Every muscle in my body had been clenched tight and they were not happy about it. ¡°How long did thatst?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes, give or take,¡± Rhani said, her hands searching my body for anything wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± Serena asked. I shook my head. ¡°Seems forging a Link between two souls isn¡¯t a painless process. It¡¯s like the pain thates with expending Soul Essence but amplified.¡± I rolled my neck and felt Tiana¡¯s hands on my shoulders, her fingers digging into my knotted muscles and drawing out a groan that was decidedly sexual sounding. Serena took my hand in both of hers. ¡°You just went down, and we could tell you were in pain. I thought¡­I was scared that¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I assured her. ¡°And if the Link ends up being half as useful as I hope it is, then a little pain is more than worth it.¡± She nodded, and Noelle buried her face in my chest and wrapped her arms around me. Her hands trembled slightly, so I ran my fingers through her hair. It was finally getting long enough for me to do so, and I think we both enjoyed that quite a bit. ¡°Well,¡± Rhani asked excitedly, once she was sure I was alright, ¡°what does the Link do? How much Essence did it use?¡± I could hear the unasked question of whether we could forge another, but when I looked at my pool I knew that wasn¡¯t going to be on the table. [Soul Essence: 38/110] ¡°So,¡± I asked, ¡°do you want the good news or the bad news?¡± ¡°Good,¡± Serena said. ¡°Bad,¡± Tiana said at the same time. I chuckled. ¡°Well, my pool is ten higher, but it cost thirty to forge the bond.¡± There were sharp intakes of breath all around. ¡°Nearly a third of your soul expended at once,¡± Rhani breathed, ¡°no wonder it hurt so bad.¡± Tiana rested her chin on my shoulder. ¡°But if the hundred is the normal capacity for your soul, does that mean it won¡¯t hurt if you use the excess?¡± ¡°That¡¯d be nice,¡± I grumbled, rubbing my chest over where the worst of the burning had been. I pulled up my interface and found a new section that listed my Links. Serena¡¯s was the only one listed, and unsurprisingly it was at level one. When I examined the link closer, I got:
Serena Ravin Link Level: 1 Improved Soul Essence pool and regeneration.
I shared the information with the others and Rhani beamed. ¡°That means, once we¡¯ve got everyone linked up, you¡¯ll regen even faster!¡± Then her face fell, but only a little. ¡°You know, in a couple of days. Once you¡¯re closer to max, of course. Assuming you¡¯re okay with, you know, intense pain.¡± I nodded, then looked to where Tsuki and Ryoko had been observing silently. ¡°You won¡¯t be expected to form a Link if you don¡¯t want to.¡± It was hard to tell if she was relieved or not, but Tsuki just nodded. ¡°From the sounds of it, you don¡¯t know much about the Links. Perhaps when more bes clear we can revisit it.¡± I gave her a small smile. ¡°Sounds like a good n.¡± She stood and Ryoko followed. ¡°We¡¯ll start helping pack up.¡± Serena stood as well, and Rhani followed. Noelle gave me onest squeeze and I kissed her head before she did the same. ¡°You stay here and catch your breath for a moment,¡± Serena said, her expression still worried. ¡°We¡¯ll go take care of things and find you some food.¡± I nodded. Tiana kissed my cheek, then stood as well. ¡°Rhani next, then Noelle, then me. Can¡¯t wait,¡± she said with a wink. They quickly got dressed¡ªthree of them merely summoning armor¡ªand left me to dress myself at a considerably slower pace. I¡¯d definitely be stiff for the rest of the day, but it was worth it. Even now I could feel the connection between me and Serena. The slightest of tugs between our souls. I wondered how it would change as the Link grew stronger. If I¡¯d be more aware of her, or if she¡¯d be more aware of me. Once I¡¯d dressed and banished what I could to our storage, I left the tent and started to secure it back to the side of our wagon. I¡¯d just started rolling it up when Vivian emerged from her tent next door, as immacte looking as always. She¡¯d either recovered her old scarf or found a new one, so once again only the skin above her chin was showing. She set a poorly packed bedroll on the ground when she saw me, smiling wide as always. ¡°Oh, Ren!¡± she said, far too cheerily. ¡°Good morning!¡± ¡°Vivian,¡± I greeted her with a nod. She watched me for a moment before she started packing up her own tent. ¡°I hope you got plenty of rest after yesterday¡¯s excitement,¡± she said. I paused and raised a brow at her. There was an unmistakable twinkle in her eye. ¡°I thought your skill on the battlefield wasmendable. I had no idea you possessed such¡­stamina.¡± I coughed, feeling some heat rise to my face. ¡°Yes, well¡­it¡¯s uh¡­¡± She giggled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m hardly going to fault you or your harem for celebrating surviving a fight like that.¡± Yeah, I had no idea how to respond to that, so I chose not to. ¡°Need help?¡± I asked instead, making sure to gesture at the tent she was trying unsessfully to pack up so she didn¡¯t get the wrong idea. Something about her gaze told me she knew exactly what was going through my head, but she didn¡¯t press the issue. ¡°I would love some help. It¡¯s a very impressive design, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m not so used to packing my own tent.¡± In my opinion, she was leaning into the helpless noble act a little too hard, but I still didn¡¯t call her out on it. After all, I was hardly what I seemed on the surface. Someone traveling between cities could have had any number of reasons for keeping things close to the chest, and no matter what she did or said I couldn¡¯t shake that part of me that was certain she wasn¡¯t my enemy. That still wasn¡¯t enough to blindly trust her, though, so while I reached over to help her with the tent I called on what I was going to dub my Soul Sense. The moment I did, I fumbled the canvas with a curse. She gave me an odd look, but I was too busy staring (mentally) at her soul. It was bright and powerful, just like Serena¡¯s, though without the glow of divinity. However, where Serena¡¯s soul glowed with warmth, Vivian¡¯s felt more like a furious inferno. Still unused to the sense, it took a moment for my proverbial eyes to adjust, but once they did I had to fight to keep my face expressionless as my new abilities filled me in on what I was looking at. Her soul was undoubtedly scarred, but not like mine. Whereas I carriedyers of scars from years of torment and war, her soul had suffered from a single horrific event. Something bad had happened to her, and I instinctively knew she had barely survived it. Physically or mentally I wasn¡¯t sure, but my senses told me I was looking at the soul of someone who had fought their way back from the edge of oblivion. That wasn¡¯t all, either. Looking at Vivian¡¯s soul, I immediately knew she was a force to be reckoned with. A conclusion immediately reinforced by the surge in my Primal that was gone almost as soon as I felt it. She must have realized I¡¯d observed her in some capacity and treated me as an enemy for a brief moment, but no longer than that. I cleared my throat again, giving her as much of a smile as I could. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still waking up.¡± Her expression didn¡¯t so much as flicker. ¡°No worries! After yesterday¡ªandst night,¡± she added with a wink, ¡°I can hardly me you for being a little out of it.¡± She stepped back to allow me to finish securing the tent. ¡°I wanted to apologize, by the way. I made an offer to Rhani, not fully understanding the¡­dynamic between you and your servants.¡± ¡°No harm done,¡± I said lightly. ¡°I understand most Patrons are pretty shit, so I can¡¯t really me you.¡± She giggled again. ¡°Yes, I suppose they can be. Still, it¡¯s rare to see a Patron so protective of their charges. I saw you on the battlefield when she was injured. I¡¯m d I¡¯m on your side.¡± I felt the same, but I wasn¡¯t going to say that aloud. Something about her soul convinced me that she wasn¡¯t the enemy I¡¯d feared, so I¡¯d keep her confidence for a little longer. I did have to wonder just how much she heard bothst night and this morning. The tents were made of a thick canvas that would muffle a good amount of the sound, but not all of it. And if she had a skill to boost her hearing¡­ But after seeing her soul, I was even more convinced she wasn¡¯t a threat to me, which made absolutely no sense. My senses, both old and new, told me that this woman was dangerous, but my gut was adamant that she wasn¡¯t a threat to me or mine. ¡°Well, if you need anything else, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. Something tells me the rest of the journey isn¡¯t going to be any less hectic than what we¡¯ve already dealt with.¡± Her brows drew together. ¡°Well, that¡¯s ominous. Either way, between you and my lovely guards, I trust that we¡¯ll make it to the capital just fine. I look forward to seeing just what else you¡¯re capable of, on the battlefield or otherwise.¡± She turned and strode towards her guards with a wave of her fingers and a sultry smile. I watched her go with a frown, wishing I was as confident as she was. # # # We didn¡¯t even make it to noon before something else interrupted our journey. We got the caravan moving no problem. Vivian hopped up on our wagon and immediately struck up a conversation with Cynthia and Elisa, so I took the chance to track down each of my girls and quickly bring them up to speed on what I¡¯d learned about Vivian. I hadn¡¯t realized just how much I would be able to learn about a person so it was hard not to feel like I¡¯d vited her privacy on some level, but she was clearly hiding something so I wasn¡¯t too torn up about it. The others agreed to keep an eye out, but I could tell some of them were a little let down. They¡¯d all grown to like Vivian in the few days since she¡¯d shown up on the caravan, and Rhani and Noelle both seemed a little hurt at the deception, but agreed with one another that they never once got any bad vibes from the strange noble. Rhani insisted she was fine, but I was adamant about her spending the day riding. She only argued a little, so I figured her arm was still bothering her a little. Every time she shot a sad look at the golem my heart broke a little. I hoped I could find some way to fix the poor construct, but considering where we found it I wasn¡¯t too hopeful. It would probably be easier just to build a new golem than to try and repair whatever method Karn had used to make such a unique golem, and I knew Rhani wouldn¡¯t want that. Serena, though she didn¡¯t say much, spent most of the day walking at my shoulder. I could feel her sneaking nces at me, something always on the tip of her tongue, but she always stopped short. Whatever was going through her head, I was willing to let her take as long as she needed to figure things out. Whether it had to do with the Link, whatever she¡¯d sensed when our souls touched, or the mood I¡¯d been in, I had no idea. A part of me was more than a little nervous to find out. Thankfully, Rhani¡¯s new ss once again proved to be an incredible boon. Festus swooped down once again, but this time with much more somber news. A wagon was pulled off the road ahead, but the corpses of its owners were clearly visible from the sky. After a brief conversation, it was decided that Serena, Lana, Yen and I would take a closer look. The rest would be on alert for any ambushes. It was pretty clear what had happened, even from a distance. I could see arrows sticking out of the wagon and deep gashes in the corpses of the three people and two horsesying dead on the ground. Festus assured us that nobody was around, and from the look of the ambush I wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°They were attacked in the middle of the night, looks like,¡± Yen noted. I yanked one of the arrows out of the wagon. It was poorly made, but the rusty head would more than do its job. A closer look at the injuries that had killed the people¡ªthree humans who seemed to be on the upper side of the middle ss¡ªand I could tell that they were killed with weapons that weren¡¯t of much better make than the arrows. Some of them looked like they could have been made of ws, too. Then, when I rolled a middle aged woman over and saw that her throat had been ripped out by something¡¯s jaws, I knew. ¡°Gnolls.¡± I¡¯d seen a notice about them at the guild. Seems this poor family had run afoul of them. ¡°Are we in danger?¡± Serena asked, looking green. I shook my head. ¡°I doubt it. Gnolls prey on smaller groups, usually at night, and our caravan is too big for them to worry about. As long as we don¡¯t get split up or go off on our own at night, they won¡¯te near us.¡± Lana and Yen rxed, but Serena¡¯s brows drew together. She started going through the campsite. ¡°Zaren, there are five bedrolls. Not three.¡± I grimaced. ¡°The gnolls have them, then. Gnolls aren¡¯t exactly known for mercy, so there¡¯s a good chance they¡¯re already dead¡± The tracks led off the road and into the nearby woods. ¡°We¡¯ll want to make sure we camp on the other side of the road from the trees, too. They¡¯ll be looking for easy prey, not well guarded caravans like ours.¡± Serena just shook her head. ¡°They took those people! We have to help them.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± I told her, holding up a hand to calm her, ¡°but we have to be careful about it. From the information I found in the guild, the gnoll problem is getting a bit out of hand. A few parties have already left to deal with it and never returned. There¡¯s no telling how far into the woods they are, and if they¡¯ve got enough gnolls to be killing and taking travelers then we¡¯d need most if not all of our guards to deal with them.¡± I stood and looked around the camp, but I could already tell most everything of value was long gone. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Pierce and Korey, see if they¡¯d be willing to spare Al to try and find their nest. I¡¯ll see what I can do when night falls, but for now¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°We¡¯ll do what we can, when we can. Sometimes that¡¯s all you can do.¡± She looked sick to her stomach, but thankfully she nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll trust you, but¡­¡± I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°If we have to, we can get Korey and the others close enough to be safe and double back. From the direction of the tracks, we¡¯ll be heading closer to their camp anyways.¡± What I didn¡¯t say, because Yen and Lana both were listening intently, was that we still hadn¡¯t run into the group that was hunting us. Hunting me. I couldn¡¯t split our guard without opening us up to whoever I knew to be waiting for an opening. If they eyes on us, then we¡¯d be up shit creek without a paddle. But I¡¯d no sooner thought the reasons than she rxed. She gave me a nod and a brave smile. I turned back to the other two. ¡°Let¡¯s get back and tell the others.¡± ¡°Are we going to¡­leave them like this?¡± Yen asked. ¡°We can give them a burial,¡± I told them, ¡°but we¡¯ll wait until the caravan is closer. Gnolls rarely attack in broad daylight, but I¡¯d feel a lot better if the others were nearby. Plus, we can use the extra hands to dig them faster.¡± I got nods all around and we turned and headed back to the caravan. Reactions when we told everyone what we¡¯d found were pretty simr to Yen and Serena¡¯s, but Pierce agreed with me about proceeding with caution. It made my gut twist painfully to know that somewhere out in the forest innocents could be at the mercy of gnolls, but there was no guarantee they were still alive. It wasn¡¯t outside the realm of possibility that the gnolls had taken the two missing people for food, and that they were already dead. I was pleasantly surprised, however, that when I pitched trying to find signs of their nest that Vivian volunteered Reese¡¯s expertise in tracking. Something told me she¡¯d be much more pleasant to work with than Al, and I¡¯d seen how handy she was with a bow. The girl rarely said much, but she moved with a quiet confidence that told me she knew what she was doing. The mood was somber as we got going again. Like I¡¯d promised Yen, we stopped to give the poor souls a proper burial. It was sped up when Rhani summoned a wolf that came up to my chest¡ªstartling the shit out of half the caravan¡ªthat helped us dig. She was quite proud of herself for that. After we finished the burial, she had her wolf run around and visit everyone while we got moving again. When it wasn¡¯t in attack mode, it was actually pretty cute. To me, at least. Not many of the others agreed, since it outweighed most of them. Mai understandably hated it, and Rhani learned very quickly not to let her wolf go anywhere near her unless she wanted to witness a Nekomata panic attack. I asked her what his name was, but she said she was still trying to think of the perfect one. It hadn¡¯te to her like Festus had, so she¡¯d elected to wait. Her summon did a lot to lighten the mood, though, and I think we were all pretty appreciative of that. Still, after a while, we had to return to Festus. His scouting abilities were just too good to be without for too long. We found other signs of attacks throughout the day. In one instance nothing remained but some blood and remnants of a fight, another we found two dead horses, and the third there was a pile of dead, naked gnolls. Hunchbacked bipeds with long, hyena-like snouts and pelts. Looks like whoever they picked a fight with knew how to handle themselves, and we had six less gnolls to worry about. We didn¡¯t bother with a burial for the creatures, electing to put some more distance between us and them before we set up camp for the night. Unfortunately, where we eventually ran out of sunlight and were forced to stop for the day, the road curved towards the wooded area we knew the gnolls were hiding in. We put a good distance between us and the road, making sure that if the gnolls wanted toe at us they¡¯d have to cross a good amount of open ground to do it. Once we were settled safely, the usual members of the caravan went to their usual ces. Ryoko and Garm cooking, first watch getting settled, and me in the impromptu training pit that always ended up being the entertainment for the night. I worked with Noelle and Tsuki for a bit, but we didn¡¯t go for long before Serena rather suddenly asked for a spar. It had been a while, and while I was still a bit sore from this morning¡¯s events I wasn¡¯t in pain from my injuries, so I saw no reason to turn her down. She seemed flustered when she asked, though I wasn¡¯t sure why. Her relief when I agreed was visible, and so we took our spots while everyone settled in for the show. Her with her spear, me with a hand-and-a-half sword that would give me both the mobility and reach to keep up with her. This time, I summoned a tendril for us both andmanded them to wrap and dull our des so we could go full speed without worrying about hacking each other¡¯s limbs off. What little warming up we needed was done when we were working with Noelle and Tsuki, so we started hot right out of the gate. She opened with a rush that I barely deflected, and everything after was a blur. She was sopletely different than the headstrong girl who¡¯d barely known the right way to hold a spear. Now she moved so fast I could barely keep up. Not only that, but as we started to dance back and forth, faster and faster, the two of us fell into a dance. I knew what she was going to do before she did it, and it felt like the same was true for her as well. As the fight progressed, we both stopped holding back almost in unison. She showed every lesson I¡¯d ever taught her and then some. She worked her skills into herbos so smoothly I probably missed most of them, and she moved like the wind. And as we fought, adrenaline pumping, weapons shing, our feet kicking up a storm of dust that was blown away by the force and speed of our movements, I felt her. I felt her frustration. Her worry. The helplessness she¡¯d felt watching me retreat into myself and not knowing how she could help no matter how badly she wanted to. And, without saying a word aloud, I answered back. My own frustration at not knowing how to let others help me. The guilt I felt knowing I was hurting them and feeling unable to stop myself from doing it. The fear that I wasn¡¯t strong enough to deal with whatever storm was surely cresting the horizon. Each cross of our weapons felt like a dialog. Every strike a question, every block a response. I felt her love for me, and I hoped she could feel mine for her. How important she was to me. How badly I needed her, even if I could never quite put it into words. Though it couldn¡¯t havested more than a few minutes, the fight felt like it went on for an eternity. The end came abruptly and dangerously when I felt both tendrils run out of mana at the same time. The shadows dissipated, and suddenly our strikes were no longer blunted. Acting on instinct, I banished my sword and deflected the tip of her spear with an open hand. The de sliced my palm open, but it was better than getting skewered by the strike she¡¯d put her body behind. The tip of the spear shot past me and I grabbed the haft with the injured hand. Her momentum carried her into me, so I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into my chest, bracing with my back foot to keep us both from crashing to the ground. We stood nose to nose, both of us panting heavily. Her emerald eyes were wide in surprise and confusion. Her face, already flush with exertion turned redder as she realized the position she was in. Chest to chest in my grasp while the entire caravan looked on. ¡°What do you say we call it a draw?¡± I said, still breathing hard. Her eyes flicked down to my lips, her own mouth parted slightly. ¡°I think that¡¯s fair,¡± she breathed. ¡°Did you feel what I felt?¡± She nodded once, her eyes still on my lips. The only reason she didn¡¯t im them was that she picked that moment to notice the blood dripping down the haft of her spear. Her eyes widened and she pulled away, her hands searching me for injury. ¡°Shit, Zaren! I didn¡¯t¡ªthe shadows¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I told her, holding out my cut palm. She immediately grabbed it and started healing while I took a peek at the faces that were all still staring at us. A good portion of them were hanging open in shock or awe, though I noticed Tiana and Rhani both were grinning ear to ear. Noelle watched with wide eyes, no doubt absorbing every move we made in the hopes of improving her own technique, and Tsuki sat next to her with a very neutral expression on her strangely red face. But the one that caught my eye immediately was Vivian. Her expression had shifted so drastically from the one I was familiar with that I almost didn¡¯t recognize her. It was like the glimpse I¡¯d seen in my tentst night when she¡¯d taken in all my scars. A peek behind the curtain at whoever Vivian really was under her carefully crafted noblewoman facade. She stared at me with an intensity that made my heart race, almost as if I was gearing up for another round in the ring with Serena. There was a question in her eyes¡ªa furious demand¡ªthat I didn¡¯t understand, but I found that I wanted to. She noticed my gaze lingering on her and schooled her features immediately. She shifted back into her persona with impressive speed and shot to her feet, pping enthusiastically. It was only a moment before half the others were joining along, albeit some of them with some confusion. ¡°That was amazing! I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever seen a match quite like that, I thought you two were going to kill each other about a dozen times!¡± she eximed. ¡°Where in Kasidiel did you two learn to fight like that?¡± Beside me, Serena¡¯s head ducked, her face crimson. She¡¯d finished with my hand already, so sheced her fingers with mine. ¡°Actually, Ren taught me. You should have seen me when we met. I could barely keep my feet when we first started sparring.¡± Vivian¡¯s eyes shot to mine. The fire reflected in them so intensely it looked like the amber had brightened to a molten gold. ¡°And who taught you? I need to have them train my guards if he can make such a fantastic fighter of you.¡± Serena¡¯s hand tightened, but I shot her a soft smile. ¡°Someone who is no longer with us, unfortunately.¡± Something flitted across her face. An emotion that was gone so quick I couldn¡¯t puzzle out what it might have been, but it felt like a crack in her mask. A stutter that tripped her up for the briefest of moments. A pause so small I was probably the only one who noticed it, but it was definitely there. But she recovered like a professional and sped her hands in front of her. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shame.¡± Her tone was more serious than I was used to, which meant she¡¯d picked up on something between my exchange with Serena and my tone. ¡°Either way, since we¡¯ve got a while yet before we get back to the capital, I think Zoey would love to test out your skills herself.¡± Zoey¡ªwho was one of those who had watched our fight with her jaw hanging low¡ªwent stiff. ¡°Um, yes. I would like that. To spar with you, I mean.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find time,¡± I promised her, shooting a re at Vivian. She just fired back with a impish smile that all but told me she¡¯d shared some of the things she¡¯d heardst night with her guards. ¡°But for now, I think I¡¯ll get some shut eye before my watch.¡± I wanted to go out into the dark and see if I could pick up anything moving during the middle of the night. But it seemed Serena was finished being the center of attention. She practically dragged me away, past the girls and straight to our tent. I barely managed to get past the p before she turned and grabbed me by the front of my coat and yanked, mashing her lips to mine forcefully. I wasted no time in returning the favor, and before I even knew what was happening we were shedding clothes. We separated only long enough to ditch our shirts before we were back to trying to devour one another. She pulled me down on top of her and I was inside of her before we¡¯d even settled. She threw her head back, her mouth open in a silent scream, her lips tugging upwards on the sides, and I rained down kisses and nibbles on her exposed throat. Her hips rose to meet my very first thrust. Then the second. Then the third. She wrapped one leg around me, sinking one hand into my hair while the other dragged her nails down my back hard enough to break skin as I thrust into her. She twisted her fingers into my hair and yanked my head back so she could press her mouth back to mine, her tongue seeking mine out fervently. A desperate moan slipped past her lips and mine, and I grabbed a handful of her ass to angle her hips upward so I could hit the spot I knew she loved most. Just like when we were sparring, our movements were perfectly in sync. Every thrust, every shift, every kiss, every bite, every nibble. Every motion I made, she moved to match. Every time she bucked her hips, I was ready for it. Neither of us had to hold back when orgasm mmed into us both. She buried herself in the crook of my neck while I emptied my load into her in one of the strongest orgasms I¡¯d ever had. Spots danced in my eyes when I finally lowered myself over her, gently pressing kisses to her mouth while she came down from her own release. ¡°Goddess, Zaren,¡± she panted, her eyes still staring at the roof of the tent. ¡°That was¡­goddess¡­¡± Iughed into her shoulder, letting my body fall next to hers. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how I feel about you involving Allura in my sex life.¡± Then I realized we weren¡¯t alone. I looked up to see Rhani grinning like the cat who¡¯d caught the canary with Tiana wearing a simr expression while peeking over her shoulder. ¡°Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Rhani said, already starting to strip. Iughed again and Serena joined me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, ¡°I just¡ªafter we were done, all I could think about¡ªI just remembered how we only started because you goaded me into sparring with you, and then once I was sure you were okay I just realized how bad I needed you inside of me.¡± Rhani barked out augh and Serena mped a hand over her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just said that out loud.¡± ¡°I can, you closet perv!¡± Rhani said. She took a step towards me, but Tiana¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Ah ah, hold your horses,¡± she said. She smiled at me, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Soul Essence?¡± I checked, then raised a brow. ¡°Forty-four. The Link really did boost my regen.¡± The look in Rhani¡¯s eyes was as terrifying as it was arousing. ¡°It sure did. Now we need to see if it¡¯s only improved when ites to Serena, or if it¡¯s all of us.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°I can think of a few ways to test it if you¡¯re game.¡± Serena leaned up to kiss me, then stood and summoned her armor. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Noelle and get us some food. Guess you aren¡¯t going to get much sleep after all, huh Zaren?¡± Chapter Fifty-One: Calm before the Storm Chapter Fifty-One: Calm before the Storm Serena was right about me not getting much sleep. We stopped long enough to eat, but other than that I was at the mercy of Rhani¡¯s whims. It was a good ce to be, even if I went to my watch feeling a little drained. They kept me busy right up until it was time for me to go on watch. By the time I staggered out of my tent in desperate need of some water, we came to the conclusion that Serena¡¯s boost to my regen did in fact only refer to regen she was a part of. We got me back up to fifty-two before I managed to escape their clutches. A good portion of the time wasn¡¯t even spent having sex, either. There was plenty of cuddling involved. My watch passed by without any incident, which only made my nerves feel more frayed. I hated waiting more than anything. As badly as I wanted to have as many Links up as possible before we fought, a part of me just wanted to be done with whatever the universe had in store for us. I spent most of my watch canvasing the area with my senses, but rain picked up around midnight that really took a shit on that n. I ended up having to move closer to the camp because my heightened senses quickly became overrun by the barrage of a million raindropsnding. By the time our relief arrived, I had a splitting headache. I¡¯d barely slid into bed before Serena, still asleep, reached out and pulled me into her arms. She murmured something unintelligible andtched onto me with enough force to make me chuckle. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she sighed happily. When I checked on our link before I passed out, I couldn¡¯t help but think it looked just a bit thicker than when we¡¯d first forged it. One thing I did notice with my enhanced senses, while I drifted off to sleep, was the tossing and turning taking ce in the tent next door. There was a small period where I thought Vivian must have fallen asleep, but she woke with a start not muchter. It wasn¡¯t long after that I passed out myself, so I never got to see if she ever fully nodded off. My dreams that night weren¡¯t pleasant. I was back on the battlefield, searching corpse after corpse desperately hoping with every face I looked at I wasn¡¯t going to see Ria. But when I got to a single body surrounded by piles of enemies, I knew. Feeling like the world had fallen out from underneath me, I gently turned her over. Only it wasn¡¯t Ria I held in my arms, but Serena. Her eyes staring sightlessly into nothingness. A pained cry ripped itself from my throat and I held her to my chest, feeling like my heart had been ripped from my chest. Despair and rage ripped through me, both emotions fighting for dominance. Then my eyes fell on another corpse nearby, her hair long and silver with gold threaded in. The pain became unbearable. I felt like I was being torn in two. I felt another bellow building in my gut. I could taste blood, though I wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°Zaren, wake up!¡± I shot awake in a panic, narrowly avoiding taking Tiana out with a stray elbow. Serena held my face in her hands while Tiana held me. The moment I was even half awake, experience took over. I clenched every muscle to keep from moving so I didn¡¯t hurt anyone while I surveyed the room. Once I realized where I was and who surrounded me, I got my breathing and erratic heartbeat under control. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I said finally, though it came out hoarse. Serena brushed my hair from my face. It hadn¡¯t exactly been short when I¡¯d taken my nap, and I¡¯d officially been in this world for a month now, so it was starting to get long. ¡°Where were you, Zaren?¡± she asked softly. I looked around the room before answering. The twins were still asleep, but Rhani had pushed herself up into a sitting position to look at me with bleary eyes. Noelle gripped my hand in both of hers, concern evident on her face. ¡°Old scars mixed with new fears,¡± I told them. ¡°Happens from time to time. I¡¯m fine,¡± I assured them. It was still dark out, but I could feel morning approaching. With how vivid the dream had been, I knew sleep wouldn¡¯t being back for me today. ¡°Go back to sleep for a bit, I¡¯m gonna go stretch my legs.¡± They were all still bleary eyed and I felt like shit for waking them. Tiana pressed her lips to the back of my neck beforeying back down and Noelle embraced me tightly before joining her. I gave Rhani a kiss of her own to the forehead and gently pushed her back down, and she went with only minimal protest, her eyes already drooping. Only Serena looked like she wanted to argue. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I told her again. ¡°Get some more sleep.¡± She still clearly wasn¡¯t convinced, but she eventuallyid back down and snuggled into the warmth I¡¯d left behind. By the time I pulled some clothes on and slipped out the door, most of them had already drifted back off to sleep. When I slipped out of the tent, I saw that I wasn¡¯t the only early riser in camp. Reese was sitting by the remains of the fire, her elbows on her knees while she stared into the smoldering embers. I¡¯d barely cleared the p when she tensed and her eyes cut towards me. She regarded me with a cautious curiosity. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep either?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Not usually.¡± I rolled my neck. ¡°Can¡¯t wait till we get back to town, huh?¡± Her eyes turned back to the fire. ¡°I sleep worse in a bed,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I know the feeling.¡± Her eyes returned to me, one of her brows quirked. ¡°You¡¯re really willing to help us root out these gnolls?¡± A dip of her chin was the only sigh she¡¯d heard me, then, ¡°I won¡¯t leave people at the mercy of monsters. Not if I can help it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be d to have you along, then. You¡¯re quite the shot.¡± The icy blue of her eyes was cutting. ¡°Why help? Why risk your neck?¡± I stuck my hands in my pockets. ¡°Because it¡¯s the right thing to do?¡± She gave me a droll look, and I chuckled. ¡°Because I know what it¡¯s like to be having the worst day of my life with nobody to even ask for help. The people who were taken might not have anyone, so they might as well have me.¡± She raked a calcting look over for me for a few more seconds before nodding curtly and returning her gaze to the embers. I knew the value of a good brooding session better than anyone, so I left her to it and did ap around the camp to stretch my legs. While the sky started to slowly lighten, I started experimenting with my new ability to sense souls. I knew that if I focused intently on a single person near me I could get a glimpse at their soul, and after Vivian I realized just how much I could tell about a person if I did. And as I learned more about this sense, I was sure I would start to understand more and more as time went on. But closely examining a soul like that took focus, and it nearly blocked out my other senses. I wanted to see if I could find a much lighter use for it. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon when I finally started to figure it out. I still didn¡¯t know exactly what I was sensing, but something clicked into ce and I was very suddenly aware of¡­impressions. Like the feeling that someone was standing behind me, but much more muted. I was more aware of some than others, and after I¡¯dpleted a second circuit I started to have some guesses as to why. It seemed the people I was closer to or more familiar with, like Jezal, Korey, or even Mai, were more visible to whatever third eye I¡¯d awakened. And the more I flexed the awareness, the more I started to understand it. It wasn¡¯t so simple as being able to sense the emotions of those around me, but when I found the line between the light awareness I had and the intense focus I¡¯d used on Vivian, I felt the faintest whispers of the states of those around me. The closest analogy I could think of was standing in a room where the tension was high. It was like walking into a group and knowing just by bodynguage the general mood. The caravan as a whole was nervous and worried. The gnoll victims had left everyone on edge, and being exposed and between cities weren¡¯t making anything better. By the time people were starting to get up and move around, my head was starting to pound. I let go of the sense and the headache dropped to manageable levels. Seems I¡¯d have to work it like a muscle if I wanted to be able to use it for long stretches, and if I was going to be in a city surrounded by vipers then I wanted every tool in my arsenal ready to go. I weaved my way through the camp and back to our tent just as Serena walked out, pulling her cloak over her armor. She smiled as soon as she saw me, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. I wrapped my arms around her waist and she linked hers behind my neck. We shared a brief, deep kiss, then she rested her head on my shoulder. ¡°You didn¡¯te back to bed,¡± she said eventually. ¡°My walk went long.¡± I rubbed circles over the gap between her chestte and the armored skirt. ¡°I got plenty of sleep, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Feeling any better?¡± ¡°In a ¡®less bad¡¯ kinda way, sure.¡± I didn¡¯t think my mood would fully improve until we¡¯d confronted whoever was hunting us or made it to the capital. Rhani exited next with a stretch and a yawn. ¡°Morning. Essence?¡± ¡°Fifty-seven.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Probably best not to blow half your remaining pool on another Link, huh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always tomorrow,¡± I agreed. With a noise of agreement, she walked over and rose up on her tip toes to give me a peck on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check in with Cynthia. Last night she said she¡¯d finally nailed down all your properties and was close to figuring out just how many servants you can have.¡± She practically skipped off towards the back of the wagon. Tiana and Noelle came next, both heading straight for me. Tiana took my back, wrapping her arms around both of us and resting her chin on my other shoulder. Serena pulled back just enough for Noelle to slip between us and both of us wrapped an arm around her small frame to pull her in tight. Behind me, Tiana let out a content sigh. ¡°As nice as our bedroll is, I already miss having a bed. Even the shitty ones I usually slept on.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, once we get to the capital your days of shitty beds are over. Big plush beds with plenty of upants are sure to fill your future.¡± She groaned. ¡°You know just what to say to get a girl going, you know that?¡± She leaned over to kiss my cheek while one hand stroked Serena¡¯s long locks. ¡°When we get settled, we¡¯re taking a whole day and not leaving our room.¡± ¡°I can get behind that,¡± Serena grumbled. ¡°Or in front, I¡¯m not picky,¡± Tiana added with a chuckle. Serena blushed, so I pressed a quick kiss to her forehead to keep her from seeing the amusement on my face. It didn¡¯t work, as she shot me a re as soon as I pulled back. ¡°It¡¯s a date.¡± Noelle sniffed between us. ¡°Vivianes.¡± A secondter, Vivian pushed her way out of her tent. She looked as chipper as usual, but I could see the signs. The makeup under her eyes was thicker, likely hiding the bags under them, and there was a slight hunch to her shoulders that I caught before she assumed her visage. Then she looked over at us, still embracing, and emotion flitted briefly across her features. But she schooled her face and took a breath, then smiled. ¡°Morning, all! I hope everyone slept well,¡± she said. ¡°As well as can be expected,¡± Tiana offered, stepping back and arranging her cloak to cover up her slightly scandalous outfit. Serena did the same, pulling her hair over her shoulder and beginning to braid it. ¡°How did you sleep, Vivian?¡± ¡°Like a baby.¡± She turned to start packing up her tent, realizing a second toote that she was moving far too efficiently. In the blink of an eye, her movements shifted from clear muscle memory to a much clumsier attempt. ¡°Though, as much as I appreciate you offering me a tent and supplies, I must say I really do miss my carriage.¡± Tiana rubbed her lower back with a grimace. ¡°I feel you.¡± She walked over to help Vivian pack up, earning a grateful smile from the noble. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve got a real nice warm bed waiting for you back at the capital.¡± I was certain I didn¡¯t imagine the pause in Vivian¡¯s movements. ¡°Only the best money can buy. You?¡± With a smile at me over her shoulder, Tiana said, ¡°for the first time in a long time, I just might.¡± # # # From the way everyone else had been moving that morning, I was guessing not many slept well. Finding out that other travelers had been attacked and killed on the same road we were taking was bound to have that effect. That didn¡¯t mean we set off anyter than usual, though. If anything, we set a new record for how fast we got the horses hitched and the wagons rolling. It never quite rained, but it misted just enough that there was no escape from the cold, thinyers of water sticking to every part of us. Serena remained glued to my side, but she seemed much more rxed than usual. I noticed Tiana walking in stride with the wagon, engaged in conversation with Vivien for nearly the entire march. A small part of me worried, but I¡¯d told Tiana my suspicions and I trusted her judgment. Noelle spent the day riding with Tsuki, and though the two didn¡¯t exchange many words they sat close enough together that their shoulders nearly touched. Since it was misting, Ryoko was loathe to leave the rtive dryness of our covered wagon, so Elisa kept herpany. Rhani took her ce riding by Cynthia¡¯s side, and the conversation they spent most of the day on in low tones¡ªcoupled with the nces and impish smiles Rhani asionally threw my way¡ªhad me a little worried. We only found evidence of one more attack, but the rain made it impossible to tell exactly what had happened. All we knew for sure was that the gnolls had killed two more humans and a male dwarf. It was only after we finished burying them that I realized we hadn¡¯t seen any female demi-humans. No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than a theory settled in my gut like a stone. As soon as we got the caravan moving again, I waved the girls over. I told them of my observation, and of course Rhani was the first one toe to the same conclusion as me. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s like the spiders, do you?¡± she asked in a frightened whisper. ¡°Like the spiders?¡± Serena asked, looking to me. ¡°Before I was outed by an asshole goddess, the Vx queen mentioned working with someone. She was collecting females with powerful sses, remember?¡± I said. Tiana mped a hand over her mouth, so I put my own on the small of her back. ¡°You think the gnolls might be working with someone? Do gnolls do that?¡± ¡°If they¡¯ve got a smart enough chieftain, it¡¯s possible,¡± Rhani said. When I arched a brow, she shrugged. ¡°I read up on them as soon as we knew what we were up against. A chieftain is smart enough and strong enough to keep a pack in line, but it¡¯s very rare they work with people. If we could find and kill it, though, then the rest of the gnolls might scatter.¡± Serena¡¯s jaw set, and I put my other hand on her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll find it and kill it,¡± I promised. She gave me a grateful nod. ¡°I just wish we knew why. Why kidnap and kill people like this?¡± ¡°Once we get to the city, we can sic this one on it and maybe get some answers,¡± I said, putting my hand on Rhani¡¯s head. She smiled at me, nudging me with her shoulder. ¡°So, we should operate under the impression that these gnolls are after powerful females? Because we¡¯ve seen a handful of dead women so far,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Maybe. Seems a safe assumption, but it might be safer to assume that they¡¯ll snatch any of the women given the chance. I¡¯ll let Korey and Pierce know to pass it along.¡± ¡°I can tell Vivian,¡± Tiana offered. When I arched a brow, her cheeks darkened. ¡°I know you¡¯re suspicious of her, but I like her. I¡¯m keeping a close eye out for anything strange, but so far¡­well¡­¡± She suddenly looked away. ¡°Well¡­?¡± Serena prompted, poking Tiana in the ribs. Tiana turned her turquoise eyes on me. ¡°She reminds me of you sometimes,¡± she said softly, as if afraid she might upset me. My hand was still on her back, so I pulled her a half step closer so I could shift it to her hip. ¡°How so?¡± She bit her lip. ¡°I can see what you¡¯re seeing if I look close enough. That she¡¯s hiding things. And if she is, she¡¯s really, really good at faking nobility. But after this morning, and after riding with her all day, I just can¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯s lonely. That maybe she has a good reason to keep parts of her hidden. And, after spending so much time with you, a part of me can¡¯t help but wonder if she isn¡¯t hiding behind her mask to survive.¡± I nodded slowly. I could see the logic behind her words. ¡°I trust you, just be careful, alright?¡± She leaned over to kiss my cheek. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll let you know what I find out. If I think she really just needs a friend. Or more,¡± she added with a twinkle in her eye. I scoffed. ¡°You four are something else. You know, back in my day, there was this thing called jealousy.¡± Serena elbowed me. ¡°Yeah, we know gramps. Back in the olden days.¡± Rhani just shrugged. ¡°I like sharing as long as we¡¯re all on the same page. Now, you start going behind our backs and hiding girls from us? Then you¡¯ll learn what jealousy looks like in the modern day, old man.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Fair enough. Though, unless I get a glimpse at who Vivian is under the cleverly constructed persona, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s a nonstarter. She¡¯s much more than she seems.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can worm my way past her defenses,¡± Tiana said. I nodded. ¡°Just be careful. She isn¡¯t our enemy yet, and I¡¯d like to keep it that way. I¡¯ve got enough people gunning for me.¡± Rhani grimaced. ¡°Maybe I should change my question. I¡¯m thinking: ¡®who was the Vx queen working for?¡¯ If you¡¯re right, and it¡¯s all rted, then that might be a better use of [Arcane Intuition].¡± ¡°It¡¯s your skill,¡± I told her. ¡°You¡¯re the brains of the operation, if you think that¡¯s the best use for it, then you have my support.¡± She beamed at me, then her eyes unfocused. Then she bit her lip, and looked over her shoulder at where Vivian sat, talking with Cynthia on the driver¡¯s bench of our carriage. She let out a relieved breath. ¡°Nothing from her. Whoever she really is, she isn¡¯t working for whoever is trying to collect powerful women.¡± ¡°Thank goodness,¡± Tiana said. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t think she was, but it¡¯s nice to have the confirmation.¡± I looked to Noelle, who seemed content to merely look and listen as usual. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked her. She frowned, looking ahead. ¡°I do not trust her,¡± she admitted finally, ¡°but I do not mistrust her either. She makes me feel warm whenever she talks with me, but her smell is¡­off putting. Ryoko and Tsuki agree. She smells of wood smoke under the perfume she wears, but even their senses can¡¯t seem to make much sense of her.¡± I frowned. I hadn¡¯t even thought to ask Ryoko and Tsuki what their Kitsune noses picked up from Vivian. ¡°I see. Do you like her?¡± Noelle thought my question over for a few minutes, the others all waiting on her answer eagerly, before she finally nodded. ¡°She is very good at knowing what to say. Even if it is to deceive, she is always aware of everyone around her and seems to pick up on their emotions quickly. She lightens the mood but does not make herself the center of attention.¡± Her chin dipped. ¡°Bad people aren¡¯t so good at making others feel better like that.¡± Serena made a noise in the back of her throat before stepping forward to sweep Noelle up in a hug that left her small feet dangling in the air. She let out a surprised squeak, then looked at me with a wide smile that showed off her sharp canines. I cupped her cheek and she leaned into my hand even while Serena squeezed her with both arms. ¡°You are just the cutest,¡± Serena said, pressing her face into Noelle¡¯s hair. Noelle let out a happy hum. ¡°Yes, I am.¡± I¡¯m pretty sure all of us stumbled a step, then burst outughing. I couldn¡¯t help but scoop Noelle out of Serena¡¯s arms so I could crush her to my own chest. She nuzzled into my neck happily, and Iughed again. ¡°We¡¯ve created a little monster, haven¡¯t we?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Noelle agreed. When I finally set Noelle down on her feet, Tiana had a conflicted expression on her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked her. She jumped. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± Then she nced back towards our wagon. ¡°When we wereughing just now, I looked back at Vivian. She was smiling at us, but she seemed so¡­sad.¡± She resumed chewing her lip. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna go give her somepany. Even if we aren¡¯t adding her to the harem, I think I¡¯d like to at least be friends.¡± ¡°Then by all means,¡± I told her. ¡°Just be careful. I don¡¯t like watching the people I care about get hurt.¡± She nodded, then gave me another peck and Noelle a quick hug before she went back towards our wagon. Rhani leapt up on her tip toes to do the same. ¡°Sixty,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°You can have sixty servants if you wanted to.¡± My brows rose. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of people.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Patrons with as many properties as you usually rent spaces out to businesses or craftsmen and staff them with servants. When we get back, I¡¯m sure we could find a good number of skilled demi-humans and get some ie going while giving them good lives.¡± ¡°Sounds like a n.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna go back to Cynthia. There¡¯s a lot to discuss between nning and such.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and she skipped off after Tiana. Noelle watched them go, her smile faltering slightly. ¡°I wish to go keep Tsukipany. She hates the rain as much as her sister, even if she¡¯ll never admit it.¡± ¡°Go on then,¡± I said, pulling her into another hug. ¡°Always take time to care for friends, especially ones like Tsuki who need it most.¡± She nuzzled into me again, taking in a deep breath through her nose. ¡°Thank you for saving me,¡± she said softly. Then she slipped away and jogged to the wagon Tsuki was driving before I could respond. I just shook my head with a smile, turning to Serena with a questioning look. She just wrapped her arms around my bicep. ¡°I¡¯m good right where I am,¡± she said. I chuckled. ¡°You certainly are.¡± The rest of the day was spent just like that. Whether it was the Link or something else, I felt closer to Serena than ever before, and it was a feeling I enjoyed greatly. I was almost disappointed when we finally called a stop for the day and set up camp. Everything was business as usual. We ate, trained, and me and Serena got in a few sparring matches. Nothing on the level of whatever connection had happenedst night, but now that we were once again on the same page I didn¡¯t think it needed to. After that, with some prodding from Vivian, Zoey stepped in the ring. The tall, muscr woman looked a little nervous standing across from me. She stood even taller than I did, and her sword was a bit bigger than anything I had in my arsenal. I summoned my biggest greatsword anyways and wrapped our des in shadow. Zoey was undoubtedly a talented fighter, but she wasn¡¯t a natural like Serena. Her fighting style was one of constant practice and determination. After crossing swords with her a few times, I knew her to be someone who picked up a sword because they felt it was their only option, not because it called to them. She¡¯d reached her level of skill through sheer hard work, which meant she had impressive resolve. But, in her case, her reliance on training worked against her. She had well sharpened reflexes and enough strength to knock me around when shended a solid blow, but she was too reliant on predeterminedbos. When she was using her preferred fighting style she excelled, but if I flipped the scripts on her and forced her outside of herfort zone she struggled. She pushed me hard, but her training wasn¡¯t quite enough to make up for the clear difference in experience between the two of us. By the end we were both panting, but she could hardly hold her de up any longer. I was careful to cut us off before my tendrils ran out of mana this time, so I didn¡¯t even get maimed. I gave my best appraisal of her skills¡ªwith Vivian practically hanging on my every word¡ªand gave her some tips on how to break out of the rigidity she¡¯d developed by relying too heavily on specificbinations. She seemed surprised by my feedback, but grateful for it nheless. I promised her a few more sessions in the future and found a spot to sit between Tiana and Serena. Thetter snuggled into my side while the former threw her arm over my shoulder and leaned her head against mine. Noelle had just crept over to sit in myp when Cynthia approached with a stool and took up residence next to us. She nced questioningly at my girls, so I gave her a nod. Whatever she had to say to me could be said in front of them. ¡°I just thought you should be made aware,¡± she started, speaking softly, ¡°that Vivian seems rather interested in your holdings. She¡¯s very clever about her inquiries, but I¡¯ve spent years dealing with adventurers trying to weasel any information out of me that they can.¡± I nodded, running my fingers through Noelle¡¯s hair. ¡°I see. Do you think we should be worried?¡± She frowned, ncing over her shoulder at where Vivian sat. She was talking to Zoey in hushed tones with a forced smile on her face. ¡°No more than usual,¡± Cynthia said eventually. ¡°You¡¯re a new entity in the capital, and she¡¯s no more curious than any other noble or noblewoman would be.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ve managed to avoid sharing anything with her?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said, almost sounding offended. ¡°She¡¯s good, but I¡¯m better. I¡¯ve got to earn my pay somehow, after all.¡± She certainly seemed more interested in me than anyone else in the caravan, but that wasn¡¯t really surprising. Unfortunately for me, I was probably the most interesting one of the bunch outside of Noelle¡¯s unique race. It only made sense that I¡¯d pique her interest more than anyone else. ¡°Give her some pieces,¡± I said eventually. ¡°Things that will bemon knowledge eventually anyways. Nothing specific, and nothing that can be used against us, but enough to sate her curiosity. If she backs off, then we know it¡¯s just standard snooping. If she pushes for more, then we can start to worry.¡± The corner of her mouth quirked up. ¡°Precisely what I was going to suggest. I¡¯ll get it done, sir.¡± She stood and headed over to where Elisa and Ryoko were talking, both bent over the journal that held all of Elisa¡¯s notes. She sat down next to her girlfriend and pulled Elisa into herp so she could look over her shoulder. Elisa hardly reacted beyond giving Cynthia a quick peck before returning to whatever creation her and the white furred Kitsune were nning. ¡°Cynthia is right, Vivian is good at this,¡± Tiana said eventually, ying with the hair at the nape of my neck. ¡°I agree.¡± When Serena shot us a questioning look, Tiana borated. ¡°She¡¯s riding the line almost perfectly between innocent and suspicious. If she was the picture of innocence and seemedpletely uninterested in us, then we¡¯d know for certain something was amiss. We¡¯re quite an interesting group, after all. But she¡¯s keeping her inquiries at just the right level that they don¡¯t raise any rms, which means that if it weren¡¯t for Zaren¡¯s naturally suspicious nature,¡± she winked at me, ¡°then we probably wouldn¡¯t be looking out for her like we are.¡± That seemed to make sense. She let out a breath. ¡°Am I a fool for hoping we¡¯re just being overly cautious? There¡¯s a part of me that really wants to be friends with her.¡± I frowned. ¡°borate.¡± She tucked her chin, hiding her face. ¡°What? I never had many friends growing up, and she seems cool is all.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± I prodded. ¡°Or is there something else.¡± ¡°Nothing I can put into words,¡± she scoffed. Then she shot up, her back stiff. ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling. Like a pull towards her.¡± She looked to me with wide eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t think¡ª¡± ¡°I think,¡± I said, pulling her back into me, ¡°that it¡¯s too early to make any assumptions. If it is some kind of divine intuition, then moving cautiously won¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°But what if it is? What if she¡¯s like us? What if Allura sent her?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get to it. It¡¯s not impossible that she has some kind of skill that makes people want to befriend her, after all.¡± ¡°Like Valg,¡± Noelle said softly, ¡°and his skill that makes people fear him.¡± I squeezed her to my chest. ¡°Exactly like that.¡± I pressed my lips to the top of her head. ¡°We definitely have to take Serena¡¯s gut feeling into ount, but we can¡¯t act on that alone. Not when there are so many questions surrounding Vivian still.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep working on her,¡± Tiana promised. ¡°I think she might be starting to warm up to me. The warmth she radiates was starting to feel a little less¡­forced.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head as well. ¡°Sounds like a n. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a watch to take care of.¡± Noelle made an unhappy noise as she shifted from myp into Serena¡¯s, allowing me to stand. Before I could leave, Serena grabbed my hand. ¡°Wake me when you finish? We still need to get you some more Soul Essence,¡± she said with pink cheeks. ¡°I will. Promise.¡± She squeezed my hand once and I said my goodbyes before heading towards were Al and Rastra were waiting for relief. The moon was peeking through the clouds, so there wouldn¡¯t be any rain to block my senses tonight. I sent them back to camp to get some grub and left Reese, who had volunteered to start taking watches along with Zoey, in the spot they¡¯d been sitting at. A high area that gave her a good view of the whole camp and thend surrounding it. I gave her a brief exnation of how I did my watches then went to find a nice dark corner to spread my senses out from. I hadn¡¯t had the chance to work on my Soul Sense anymore, but I didn¡¯t think that would help me much right now anyways. I settled in and got ready for my shift, hoping both for something and nothing to happen. It was about halfway through my watch when I felt the sharp spike of fear, just on the edge of my skill¡¯s range. Chapter Fifty-Two: A Lucky Meeting Chapter Fifty-Two: A Lucky Meeting The pull was gone almost as soon as I felt it, but I knew its direction. Naturally, my first instinct was to rush in alone, but I was trying to be better. I took off towards the camp, letting the others on watch know that I¡¯d heard something, but nothing close enough to threaten the caravan. After that, I went straight to my tent. Noelle was still awake when I slipped in, and she took one look at my face and started dressing. I woke Serena first, and she reached for me with a sleepy smile. I gave her a kiss, then said, ¡°wake up, priestess, we¡¯ve got work to do.¡± She quickly blinked the sleep out of her eyes while her fingers trailed up to the gem at her throat. When I helped her to her feet, I saw that Tiana was already robed up and Rhani wasn¡¯t far behind. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°I sensed fear further down the road. It was faint, but strong,¡± I said, handing Serena her spear and Noelle her axe. ¡°Could be someone under attack.¡± Serena nodded, then smiled wide. ¡°And you came to get us.¡± She gave me a peck on the cheek, then we ducked out. Rhani was hot on our heels, and when I met her eyes I could see the challenge in her gaze. She had an offensive skill now, though, so I wasn¡¯t going to tell her to stay behind. Between the spiders and the etherwyrms, she knew what it was to have her life in danger. If she was willing to follow me back into the fire, then I¡¯d wee her presence. She beamed when I gave her a quick nod. When I got to where I¡¯d left Reese, Zoey was sitting in her ce still rubbing sleep out of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ming with you,¡± the archer said, her tone leaving no room for argument. If she was half as good as I expected, her skills would be more than wee. ¡°Sounds good.¡± She fell into step with the rest of us as we hurried down the road. ¡°Do you prefer bow or de?¡± I asked, nodding towards the des at her hips. ¡°I¡¯m better with the bow, but I can handle myself if need be.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like you to hang back with Rhani and Tiana. That way you can watch their backs if someone tries to ambush us.¡± My next words were addressed to Rhani. ¡°Send Festus to get they of thend, but once we¡¯ve got some idea of what¡¯s happening keep your wolf close. Same rules as the golem.¡± Neither argued, and I appreciated Reese¡¯s willingness to cede temporary leadership to me without a fuss. If anything, she seemed relieved to receive orders. We stayed close together while we moved towards the disturbance, Noelle and me in the front, followed by Serena, Rhani, and Tiana, with Reese bringing up the rear. We hadn¡¯t gone far before I felt the fear return. It wasn¡¯t the intense, biting fear of someone in a fight for their life, but it was intense enough to make me pick up speed. I only felt the one source, but at least that meant there was someone still alive to be afraid. ¡°Two wagons,¡± Rhani said suddenly, ¡°one ckened like it was on fire. They picked the wrong side of the road to camp on, they aren¡¯t that far from the woods. Four bodies, no signs of gnolls. Whatever happened, looks like it happened a while ago since the wagon isn¡¯t burning anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why so many have been taken so close together,¡± Reese said. ¡°Or why all of them seem to have been heading the same way. Towards the capital.¡± ¡°Storm came from that direction,¡± I guessed. ¡°People heading that way got caught in it, had to hunker down for a few days. Gnolls aren¡¯t as bothered by the rain. As for the direction everyone¡¯s going¡­¡± I didn¡¯t have an answer for that one. She was right. Every sign of people we¡¯d seen so far had been going the same direction as us. ¡°Maybe nobody¡¯s made it this far,¡± Tiana supplied grimly. None of us were particrly thrilled by that guess. We crested the next hill and the wagons in question came into sight. ¡°I¡¯ll lead since I¡¯ve got my senses.¡± I banished thentern at my waist and stepped into the edge of the light cast by Serena. The first scent I was bombarded with was the smoke from the charred wagon. It was far enough from the knocked over fire pit that I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how it had been set alight. Perhaps a skill from one of the victims when they tried to defend themselves. Like the others, the campsite was ransacked and pretty much everything of value was gone. I pushed past the smell of smoke and searched for the source of the fear I could still feel. I could smell blood¡ªfresh, not old¡ªas well as the salt of tears. There was someone on top of the wagon, though I couldn¡¯t make them out in the darkness. I thought I heard a sniffle, but it was muffled. I resummoned myntern to get a closer look. At first I thought they were hiding under a length of leather, so ck that it blended in with the charred wagon, then it shifted. Not leather, but a wing. It lifted just enough for me to get a glimpse of a pale face and a soft red-rimmed, rose colored eye. An Erinyes. The infernal counterpart to the Seraphim. If I wanted answers, I needed to be careful. If I spooked them and they flew off into the night, then there¡¯d be no finding them. The fear spiked, so I put both hands up and mypanions froze. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I called softly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± ¡°Who¡ªwho are you?¡± a soft, trembling voice asked. A girl. ¡°My name is Ren. Mypanions are Serena and Noelle,¡± I pointed to them both in turn without taking my eyes off the Erinyes. ¡°Will youe down so we can talk? I can help you.¡± She shifted, then whimpered. Her wing unfolded a little and I got a better look at her. Her skin would have been fair on a good day, but she was pale as parchment right now. She had soft, thin features and eyes that were a softer red than Noelle¡¯s. Tousled, jet ck hair spilled over her shoulders, windblown and unkempt. Her eyes flicked to Noelle, then down to her cor. ¡°You¡¯re a Patron,¡± she said, fearcing her voice. Then her eyes flicked towards the body of a middle aged, overweight man. ¡°Are you going to im me?¡± ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± I took a careful step forward and she flinched back, eliciting another pain whimper. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. Serena here is a healer, she can take care of whatever it is.¡± She tried to sit up, only to fall back forward with a cry. A sob slipped out of her throat, and her wings began to tremble. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear it. ¡°I¡¯m going toe up there so I can help you down.¡± I approached slowly, holding her terrified gaze the entire time. The closer I got the more I figured she couldn¡¯t fly off even if she wanted to, but I didn¡¯t want to scare her anymore than whatever she¡¯d already been through. I waved a hand forward for Noelle to join me. Another demi-human might put the girl at ease. She followed close by, leaving her axe on her back. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked the Erinyes. ¡°K-Kili.¡± ¡°Kili. That¡¯s a nice name.¡± I climbed up the front of the wagon since the back didn¡¯t look all that structurally sound. When I peeked over the wagon¡¯s roof, she shifted her wings to let me look at her leg. I forced myself not to react when I saw the arrow sticking through the meat of her thigh. From the dried blood around the injury, it was an injury she¡¯d carried for at least a few hours. I held a hand out, and she hesitantly reached for me. She groaned through clenched teeth when I pulled her into my arms to lift her. She was a tiny thing, likely no taller than Noelle. Not umon for the winged races. Also like Noelle, she was lighter than the other races, so I lifted her easily and climbed back down. Serena approached with a warm smile as I set Kili on the ground. ¡°Hello, Kili. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get you fixed up in no time.¡± She looked over Serena¡¯s shoulder and gasped, curling into herself. I followed her gaze to see the other half of our part. ¡°They¡¯re friends, too. I¡¯m going to call them a little closer in case the things that did this,¡± I gestured towards the camp, e back, alright?¡± She nodded, and I waved over Reese, Rhani, and Tiana. They all came over, close enough to talk without shouting but not so close as to crowd the poor girl Serena was looking over. She pulled out some first aid supplies from the pouch on her waist and started cutting away Kili¡¯s pants around the arrow, then looked up to me. ¡°Getting the arrow out of her is going to hurt,¡± she said softly, drawing another whimper out of Kili. ¡°The dried blood isn¡¯t going to help.¡± I pulled out a canteen and summoned a cloth. ¡°Noelle, hold her upper body?¡± Noelle slid in behind Kili and wrapped her arms around the small girl. Kili responded by wrapping her trembling fingers around Noelle¡¯s forearm and jamming her eyes shut. I poured some water around the arrow to wash some of the blood away. ¡°Let me try something. Be ready with the healing.¡± Serena nodded, cing her hands on either side of the injury. I touched the arrow, then willed my shadows to banish it to my storage. ckness washed over the shaft, then it disappeared. Kili let out a wail, but golden light was already starting to flow from the injury. I held her leg still while she clung tightly to Noelle until Serena¡¯s magic stopped. The spot was still an angry red, but there was no more open wound. ¡°Kili,¡± she asked, ¡°how does that feel?¡± ¡°Better,¡± the girl said quietly, still holding on to Noelle while her eyes flicked from me to Serena. Serena shed her a glowing smile. ¡°Can you answer some questions for me? Then we can get you back to our camp so we can get some food in you.¡± She hesitated, her eyes flicking towards my canteen. I offered it and she drank greedily, some water spilling around the edges. When she finished, she clung almost as tightly to the canteen as she did Noelle. ¡°O-okay.¡± ¡°Was it gnolls?¡± she asked first. Kili nodded, her wings folding in even tighter than they had been a moment ago. ¡°How long ago did it happen?¡± ¡°Last night.¡± She started to shift, and Noelle helped her into more of a sitting position. She rubbed her leg where the arrow had been. ¡°We were setting up camp and they came out of nowhere. My sister told me to fly, so I did. She tried to fight them, but they got a over her. I think they hurt her wing.¡± She sniffled, then the words started tumbling out. ¡°When I heard her cry out, I turned back. She screamed for me to run away, and there were still so many of them, and they¡¯d already killed master Victor and his wife.¡± Tears started to fall from her eyes. ¡°Anri was the fighter, and I didn¡¯t know what to do. I flew for the trees, but they were already shooting at me with bows. One arrow hit me, and I nearly crashed. I managed to glide to a tree, then another, then another while they¡ªwhile they took¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetie,¡± Serena said, brushing Kili¡¯s hair out of her face. ¡°You did good. Your sister would be happy you made it out, so don¡¯t you worry about feeling guilty, alright?¡± She nodded, though the tears showed no signs of slowing. ¡°My sister is strong, so I thought she might have escaped. I wanted her to be able to find me, so I came back. But she never did.¡± Serena pulled out her own cloth, then gently took the canteen from Kili¡¯s hand and wet it. She started wiping the dirt from Kili¡¯s face while she spoke. ¡°That arrow was in your leg for a full day, so you¡¯re going to be stiff and sore for a little bit. It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any infection, so you should be good as new in a day or two, but for tonight you should stay off it, alright?¡± Kili nodded again. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Rhani¡¯s shout of, ¡°iing!¡± Kili made a terrified nose, turning and clinging to Noelle, while Serena and I shot to our feet. Sure enough, racing towards us out of the trees, were a half dozen gnolls. I drew weapons to step forward, but I needn¡¯t have bothered. There was a roar, and a white jaguar erupted from the space in front of Rhani and hurled itself towards the gnolls at a breakneck pace. Reese¡¯s arms turned into a blur, and one of the gnolls dropped a secondter. Tiana fired a barrage of bolts, taking out one and tripping another. Rhani¡¯s jaguar pounced on the fallen gnoll, ripping its throat out beforeunching at the next nearest one. The gnolls tried to run, but between Reese¡¯s arrows and Tiana¡¯s magic, they didn¡¯t make it far. Rhani¡¯s summon finished off the rest before we could even make it to them, and I grinned at Serena. ¡°Seems the gnolls aren¡¯t so used to opposition. They were probably still trying to find Kili.¡± I turned back to the Erinyes, kneeling down next to her. ¡°They¡¯re gone, Kili. You¡¯re safe now.¡± I gently ran a hand down her back to coax her out of Noelle¡¯s chest. She was trembling violently, and my Mchai had her in a death grip. Finally, Kili looked up. ¡°You killed them?¡± ¡°We did. I¡¯ve fought much scarier things than gnolls, so I promise that as long as you¡¯re a part of my caravan nobody is going to hurt you. Would you like toe with me? We can get you fed, then find you somewhere warm to sleep.¡± Some of the terror was starting to fade from her face. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± I felt Serena¡¯s hand on my shoulder at the same time Noelle looked up at me with a question in her gaze. ¡°And, once we¡¯ve got you squared away, we can see about rescuing your sister.¡± Kili¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°She¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if she is we¡¯ll find her.¡± Kili looked up at Noelle, who smiled back at her and inclined her head. ¡°Ren is a kind man and a good Patron. He will help.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Kili said finally. Noelle stood, taking Kili with her. The Erinyes stood unsteadily, keeping her weight on her good leg. She still clung to Noelle, so I had Noelle carry Kili on her back for the trip to camp. While Serena did onest once over to check for injuries, I headed towards the others. Reese was going through the Gnolls, retrieving her arrows, while Rhani and Tiana watched the trees. ¡°Well done,¡± I told them. ¡°Those gnolls had no clue what they were in for.¡± ¡°It was a small party,¡± Reese said, waving off the praise. ¡°They weren¡¯t ready for us is all.¡± I knelt down next to one and rolled it over. Four arrows were sticking out of its chest, ced so closely together I couldn¡¯t even get my fingers between them. I banished them to my storage and pulled them back out, handing them to Reese. ¡°You¡¯re a damn good shot,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± she said, her ears turning slightly pink. I¡¯d met a lot of archers, and I knew she was a far cry from ¡®alright.¡¯ This was a level of skill that didn¡¯t juste from ss abilities. ¡°Either way, I¡¯m d you came along.¡± She looked past me to where Noelle carried Kili. ¡°I heard bits and pieces. You really think the sister¡¯s alive? Even after a full day?¡± Rhani answered before I could. ¡°She¡¯s alive,¡± she said with certainty. When I nced over my shoulder to look at her, she gave me a meaningful nod. Her skill had activated. These gnolls were connected on some level to the ones who¡¯d been working with the Vx queen, which meant it was a reasonable assumption that they were also collecting powerful females. ¡°Are we going after them tonight?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°No,¡± Reese and I both said at the same time. I gestured for her to go ahead, and she said, ¡°these gnolls probably didn¡¯te straight from camp. If they¡¯re still hanging around here, they¡¯ve either been patrolling or searching. Following their tracks back would be a nightmare, and I don¡¯t see any signs of the ones that kidnapped the sister. They¡¯re probably covering their tracks.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get back to camp and talk with the others. Maybe tonight we¡¯ll go out on a search,¡± I told her. I saw the look on Serena¡¯s face and said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of leaving anyone to the gnolls any longer than absolutely necessary either, but we can¡¯t just stumble around in the dark and hope to stumble on their camp. We¡¯ll figure it out.¡± I was worried about Kili¡¯s reaction to my words, but it turned out she was already asleep on Noelle¡¯s back. A long, thin, ck tail that I¡¯d missed previously had wrapped around Noelle¡¯s waist and she snored softly with her cheek resting on Noelle¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s get Kili back and fill the others in.¡± The trek back took a little longer since we wanted Kili to get some rest, but we made it back without incident. Whether we¡¯d killed the only gnolls in the area or they decide we weren¡¯t worth the effort, there was no way to tell. Zoey was still there, but her relief had joined her. Lana and Pierce both stood as soon as they saw our light, heading our way. There was more than one double take as it was the first time they¡¯d seen Tiana without a cloak to hide my armor, and my mage¡¯s cheeks turned pink. ¡°Find anything?¡± Pierce asked me once he managed to tear his eyes from Tiana. ¡°Another group got hit,¡± I told him. ¡°Gnolls took the demis, killed the rest. We found this one, though.¡± I gestured towards Kili, who had woken at the sound of Pierce¡¯s voice. She shrank, hiding most of her face in Noelle¡¯s hair and peeking out at them with a single eye while her wings pulled in tight, wrapping around them both. ¡°She¡¯s just a kid,¡± Zoey observed. ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Kili said. ¡°I¡¯m eighteen now.¡± Tiana suppressed a chuckle. ¡°She sounds just like some of my sisters,¡± she whispered to me. Zoey grinned. ¡°Either way, I¡¯ll go rustle up some food for you. Come on.¡± Serena, Rhani, and Noelle still carrying Kili all filed off towards the fire. Pierce turned his gaze on me once again. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re going to take it upon yourself to deal with the gnolls?¡± I pped his shoulder. ¡°You have to ask?¡± He snorted, and I sobered. ¡°They¡¯ve got prisoners, Pierce. I¡¯m not just going to leave them behind. Besides, something tells me I¡¯m not going to have much choice in the matter. Like you so astutely observed, shit kinda seems to just follow me.¡± He grunted. ¡°You aren¡¯t kidding. Go on, we¡¯ve got watch now. See any gnolls?¡± ¡°Yeah. Taken care of, but with how many ambush sites we¡¯ve found I¡¯m guessing we haven¡¯t so much as made a dent in the gnoll poption yet.¡± He nodded. ¡°Well, when ites time, you¡¯ll have what help we can give.¡± ¡°I appreciate it.¡± I was certain we were going to need it. # # # Thanks to our little escapade, I didn¡¯t get much sleep that night. We erected a tent for a very exhausted Kili, and Noelle and the twins all elected to bunk with her to keep herpany. Serena, Rhani, and Tiana took the chance to try and get me some extra Soul Essence as well, which left me with a healthy seventy-one when I woke in the morning. Rhani was oddly quiet. She slipped out to get Noelle with barely a word while we all got dressed, and when she got back I sat down to prepare to forge another Link. I gestured for Rhani to sit next to me, but she bit her lip and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I should go next,¡± she said without meeting my eye. Everyone paused. ¡°Rhani,¡± I said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± she cut me off. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that. I want this more than I can put into words, I promise. I just¡­¡± She chewed her lip, crossing her arms over her stomach. ¡°When you and Serena were sparring, you werepletely in sync. Even thest couple of days, you¡¯ve been more¡­connected. It¡¯s like you two know what the other is going to do before they do it.¡± Serena and I exchanged frowns. ¡°That¡¯s true, I suppose,¡± Serena said. ¡°I have been feeling¡­different thest two days. Like I¡¯m¡­¡± her cheeks turned pink, ¡°drawn to you, I suppose. And when you woke me up, I knew you needed something before I was even fully awake.¡± Rhani nodded. ¡°Exactly. I¡¯ve still only barely got abat ss, and since we¡¯re probably going to be fighting again soon, I just think it might be more beneficial to the group for Noelle or Tiana to go next. That way you have that same connection during a fight.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I love Zaren, and he loves me. I¡¯m willing to wait as long as it takes, but I¡¯d just feel better if we focused on survival before anything else right now.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s the only reason?¡± I prompted. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, Zaren. It might not seem like much, I know, but wanting you to not die is a pretty strong motivator in a lot of my decisions these days.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I had to ask.¡± I turned my gaze to Noelle and Tiana. Tiana just smiled and gently pushed Noelle towards me. Noelle¡¯s eyes went wide, and she looked around the tent somewhat frantically. ¡°Me?¡± Tiana nodded. ¡°Yes, you. If anyone deserves it, you do. Plus, you¡¯ll be in the thick of things with Zaren, so using Rhani¡¯s logic you make the most sense.¡± Rhani gave her a hug. ¡°I agree wholeheartedly.¡± She pulled back. ¡°You want this, right?¡± Noelle nodded slowly, a look of awe on her face. ¡°But¡­me?¡± I chuckled, holding a hand out. She took it, and I pulled her onto myp so she was straddling me. ¡°Yes, you. You¡¯re an important part of my family, remember?¡± Tears started to build in her eyes. ¡°Okay,¡± she said simply. ¡°Are you ready?¡± A single tear slid down her face and she nodded once. I put my hand on her chest and reached out towards her soul. What I found didn¡¯t surprise me, but it still felt like a kick to the gut. Her soul was riddled with scars. Many of them were shallow, and I knew those were from the repeated physical abuse she¡¯d suffered. There was one that looked like it had been opened again and again and I knew it was from what they¡¯d done to her wings. Deep inside I could sense the damage from the years she¡¯d been forced to endure it all, alone and unable to so much as show emotion for fear of the repercussions. Not for the first time, and certainly not for thest, I promised myself that I¡¯d find whoever had put her through so much pain and hunt them down. I slid my hand around to her back where I could still feel her soul and pulled her to my chest. She buried her nose in my neck and drew in a long, shuddering breath. Whatever she felt made her wrap her arms around me, her fingers digging into the material of my shirt. I activated [Forge Soul Link]. I felt my soul reaching towards hers, and no sooner had the connection been made than Noelle epted it eagerly. The pain ripped through me, but I was prepared for it. Not only that, but it felt lesser this time. Whether that was because I already had one link active or because I had more Essence in my pool when I cast the skill, I had no idea. I didn¡¯t ck out this time either, which was both a blessing and a curse. I managed to keep my muscles from trying to rip themselves apart, but that meant this time I felt every second of the searing pain as my soul forged its Link with another. After what felt like an eternity, the pain faded. I checked my status to see Noelle¡¯s name underneath Serena¡¯s on the list of Links. When I opened it, she had the same text as Serena¡¯s. My pool had gone up by another ten and I¡¯d spent thirty of it. I told the others as much, and Rhani nodded. ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we forge more, but it sounds like that¡¯s going to be the standard. Maybe higher levels will have different effects, or maybe it¡¯ll be the same across the board.¡± She scribbled away in her notebook all the same. Noelle clung to me tighter, and I stroked her back. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re stuck with me, huh?¡± ¡°Good,¡± She said into my chest. ¡°Because you are stuck with me, too.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± As badly as I wanted to stay there all day, holding my newest Link, we had to get moving. Noelle reluctantly stood and I followed. We quickly packed our things, and I was surprised when I stepped out to see that Vivian¡¯s tent was already secured. What I wasn¡¯t surprised by was where I found her. She was already with Kili, chatting away with the girl while they both ate their breakfast. Kili already looked leagues better thanst night. Her face had some color to it, and she wasn¡¯t trembling any longer. Someone had taken a brush to her hair and tied it back in a low tail. Her actual tail was wrapped tightly around her waist, though, which I knew to be a sign that she was anxious. ¡°Good morning, Kili,¡± I told her. She jumped slightly at the sound of my voice, but she calmed when she saw it was me. Noelle strode over and sat next to her, and the Erinyes¡¯s tail started to uncoil. ¡°Good morning, Mr. Ren,¡± she said politely. ¡°Sleep well?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. Thank you for giving me a tent. And for letting Noelle, Ryoko, and Tsuki stay with me. They¡¯re really nice.¡± ¡°Any time. Serena wants you off that leg, so I figured you could ride on my wagon today. Ryoko will be there as well.¡± ¡°And me!¡± Vivian supplied. A small smile pulled at Kili¡¯s lips. ¡°Okay. Um, can Noellee too?¡± Noelle turned her big eyes on me. ¡°Of course,¡± I told her. ¡°As long as she¡¯s somewhere she can keep an eye out. She¡¯s one of our valued guards, after all,¡± I said with a wink at Noelle. The Mchai smiled wide, showing off her canines. ¡°Thank you.¡± I nodded, then left them to their breakfast to help pack up camp. In no time, we were rolling again. Kili seemed to feel better on the move, sitting perched behind Cynthia and Noelle on the driver¡¯s bench while Vivian, Ryoko, and Elisa sat in the back of the wagon keeping her engaged. I didn¡¯t miss her constant, fearful nces towards the forest, though. Not that I could me her. Unsurprisingly, the day went by without incident. I found myself walking next to my wagon all day with Serena at my side. I didn¡¯t participate much in the conversation, but I listened to it. Kili had a lot of questions about me, my servants, and how they liked me as a Patron. Vivian listened as raptly as Kili did, and I made a note to mention it to the otherster. The longer the day went on, the morefortable the little Erinyes seemed to get. By the time we stopped to set up camp, her tail had uncoiledpletely and was hanging behind her. She followed Noelle around, watching with wide eyes while Serena and I walked Noelle and Tsuki through some more practice. After, we decided we¡¯d take a break from sparring since we both felt a fight was on the horizon. Since it was Kili¡¯s first full day with us, Garm and Ryoko made a big stew for everyone. My appetite was finally starting to return, so I managed to finish the bowl without having to force myself to eat. Something about a tangible threat in front of me calmed the angry butterflies in my gut. I ended up sitting on the ground with Serena on a stool behind me, her fingers running absently through my hair while we listened to Vivian tell a rather engaging story about Zoey and a bear she mistook for a dog. I chuckled, closing my eyes as Vivian got to the part where Zoey tried to go pet the creature, much to the woman¡¯s embarrassment. She was sitting with rosy cheeks, though she wasughing good naturedly along with the rest. Everyoneughed even harder when Rhani offered to try summoning a bear so Zoey could pet it and follow her dreams. I was starting to nod off from Serena¡¯s fingers rubbing along my scalp. All the talking andughter died away, and even the sounds of the forest fadedpletely. I figured I was asleep until I heard Serena¡¯s fearful voice. ¡°Zaren?¡± she breathed. My eyes snapped open, immediately on alert. The entire camp was frozen in time. The others were stoppedpletely. Their mouths, their clothes, their hair. Nothing moved. Even the fire was still, as was the forest around us. The only ones unaffected were Serena and I. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t panic,¡± I told her, though my own heart rate had spiked. I stood, and Serena did the same, pressing her back to mine. ¡°Are you going to show yourself?¡± I called out, ¡°or is this just some kind of intimidation tactic?¡± ¡°So dramatic,¡± a voice said to my left. Serena and I both whirled towards it. A tall, curvaceous woman wearing a very form-fitting tunic and sporting one of the most intricate braids I¡¯d ever seen in my life stood a few feet away, gently brushing a strand of hair from Vivian¡¯s frozen face. ¡°You know, Zaren, not every god is out to get you.¡± I heard a sharp intake of breath from Serena, but my hand found hers. ¡°You aren¡¯t Allura,¡± I said, more for Serena¡¯s sake than anything else. The goddess shot me a droll look. ¡°Your powers of observation are unparalleled. No, Zaren, I¡¯m Fortuna. And I¡¯ve got a deal for you.¡± The goddess of luck. My past experiences suggested that me and her should be mortal enemies. She walked around the campfire in a circle, examining each person in turn. She stopped again in front of Noelle, trailing her fingers along her jawline.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± I snarled. Fortuna just grinned at me. ¡°So testy. And here I am trying to help you.¡± She looked back at Noelle. ¡°You did good with this one. I had to pull some serious strings to lead Rhani her way.¡± So it hadn¡¯t been Allura? She must have seen the look on my face, which made herugh. ¡°No, Allura didn¡¯t bring this one to you. This one had no bonds remaining, so shey outside of my sister¡¯s domain. She has, however, endured far too much bad luck in her life. It took most of her Luck for me to bring the two of you together. Now she¡¯s bnced once more.¡± Serena took a step closer to me, her touchforting. I took a breath. ¡°As you surely know, I¡¯ve already struck up a deal with Allura. Not sure how good an idea it is for me to go making more.¡± She smiled at me, sping her hands behind her back. ¡°It¡¯s a very good idea, trust me. After all, Zaren, I¡¯m here to help.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Sorry, but gods and I don¡¯t exactly have the best of track records. You¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m a little skeptical.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°You are such an interesting find. I¡¯m jealous my sister was the first to get to you.¡± She sighed. ¡°But s, Allura was always the clever one. Are you sure you won¡¯t at least hear what the deal is?¡± she asked, sticking out her bottom lip. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Serena said in my ear. ¡°Come, Zaren, listen to your priestess. She¡¯s got good intuition.¡± She smiled at Serena. ¡°And, since you¡¯ve gone and linked your souls together, we can have this little chat without destroying you. How¡¯s that for lucky?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± I asked begrudgingly. Her smile turned triumphant. ¡°Take a walk with me, and I can help you understand what Allura is up to.¡± Chapter Fifty-Three: A Lucky Break Chapter Fifty-Three: A Lucky Break I could feel Serena¡¯s uncertainty radiating from her while we followed the god away from the camp and towards the woods on the other side of the road.. Whether it was through our Link or just my intuition having spent enough time around her, I wasn¡¯t sure. I knew she had faith in Allura, and she was undoubtedly worried about taking a deal that seemed to undercut her patron goddess. I wished I could reassure her without ying my hand, but¡ª ¡°Oh, unclench your ass, priestess,¡± Fortuna threw over her shoulder. ¡°Your lover doesn¡¯t actually trust me, he¡¯s just trying to puzzle out my game by seeing exactly how I n to reveal my sister¡¯s dirty secrets.¡± Well. That¡¯s just rude. ¡°So brevity is the game, then?¡± I asked. She chuckled. ¡°I expect nothing less from you, Godyer.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t my ss any longer,¡± I practically growled. Serena gasped beside me, then her hand slipped into mine. Fortuna nced back without breaking stride, then rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve killed four Chosen. You¡¯ve more than earned the title.¡± Serena¡¯s hand tightened in mine, but I kept my face neutral. ¡°We¡¯re walking, so why don¡¯t you tell me whatever it is you n to tell me.¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. It wasn¡¯t until we¡¯d entered the trees and the glow of the fire behind us faded from sight that she finally broke the silence. ¡°I knew you hated us, but seeing it is something else.¡± Her voice was softer than it had been a moment ago. ¡°You¡¯re surprised?¡± I asked, slightly incredulous. ¡°No. In fact, that¡¯s the part that angers me most. Being hated pisses me off, but being hated for valid reasons?¡± She shook her head. ¡°That makes me fucking furious.¡± ¡°Oh, well that makes it all better,¡± I shot back sarcastically. Serena¡¯s hand tightened again, but this time felt a bit more like a warning. One I ignored. Fortuna was a goddess, and while I might not like them they aren¡¯t fools. She wouldn¡¯t have approached me without knowing exactly how I¡¯d respond. But her only reaction was to smirk at me over her shoulder. ¡°You hate us because you feel we abandoned you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question, so I saw no need to respond. ¡°What would you say if I told you that wasn¡¯t the case?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say you were full of shit,¡± I responded truthfully. ¡°Zaren!¡± Serena hissed. But Fortunaughed. ¡°Outstanding. There¡¯s something to be said for mortals that don¡¯t grovel.¡± Then her expression sobered and her eyes returned forward, though her voice carried back to us just fine. ¡°We didn¡¯t ignore you and the others, Zaren. If we¡¯d known what Karn was doing, then we¡¯d have put a stop to it.¡± ¡°You really expect me to believe you didn¡¯t know?¡± I demanded. Another silence. Fortuna kept us walking in a straight line, never having to step around a tree. I knew some goddess bullshit was to me, but I wasn¡¯t really in the mood to care about that. ¡°Everyone in this ne is born with a set amount of Luck. That luck is neither good nor bad, but it is the force with which I interact with mortals. Good and bad happen, but without outside intervention it will always return to a zero eventually.¡± I frowned. While interesting, a lesson wasn¡¯t really why I was here. She barreled on before I could interject, though. ¡°Every god has some kind of connection to you mortals, but that one is mine. When a mortal dies, their Luck returns to the pool, so to speak, so that Luck can be passed on to the next mortal born. When the children Karn experimented on died, their Luck never returned to me. When someone dies with unbnced Luck, I always know, yet with them I had no idea. When you strangled Karn, you want to guess how much Luck re-entered the pool?¡± My frown deepened. ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°A lot,¡± she agreed. ¡°The Luck that should have belonged to you and every one of those souls that Allura collected over the years.¡± Serena¡¯s step faltered, but she remained silent. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be possible. Luck is one of the many things that only the divine should be able to affect, yet Karn managed it.¡± When she spoke again, it was in a low growl that made my hair stand on end. ¡°Karn, using methods that none of us have been able to discern, interrupted the cosmic bnce of this ne. He stole your fates, and in doing so he removed you from that bnce. He made you, and all the atrocities hemitted,pletely undetectable to the rest of us. I¡¯ve been a goddess for thousands of years, and nothing like that has ever happened before.¡± My mouth suddenly felt very dry. ¡°Then how did Allura find us? How did she know if we were so invisible?¡± ¡°You,¡± she said simply. ¡°Karn reset you all to zero, but you somehow found it in yourself to reforge bonds. Those bonds you created between yourself and the other children, when broken so violently, caught Allura¡¯s attention. Because of those, she was able to hear your prayers, but she was unable to intervene. The world was ramping up for another Chosen conflict, so most of the other gods were preupied while she struggled to find a way to help all of you.¡± ¡°And now? Am I still all fucked up by whatever Karn did?¡± She looked back at me again, her eyes raking up and down critically. ¡°Yes. You are the only one who survived Karn¡¯s experiments. Because of that, you exist outside of fate. It¡¯s the reason you were able to kill Chosen and not face retaliation from their gods, despite not having a god that protects you. You exist outside the Divine Treatise. That means the gods can¡¯t directly help you, but they can¡¯t hinder you either. Not without facing cosmic retribution.¡± ¡°But Allura made a deal with me,¡± I argued. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that put me back on the board?¡± Something in her eyes sparkled. Something that made me realize I needed to pay very close attention to her words. ¡°No. Do you know what the Divine Treatise is?¡± It was Serena who answered that. ¡°A set of divinews that the gods are beholden to. It¡¯s what defines and dictates Chosen conflicts, the only way for gods to influence the mortal world past miracles and answering prayers.¡± ¡°Gold star to the priestess. Someone¡¯s been doing some light reading,¡± Fortuna said, pping. ¡°But you¡¯re wrong about one thing. It¡¯s not the only way, it¡¯s the only epted way. By making her deal with Zaren, here, Allura broke the Treatise.¡± ¡°That sounds ominous,¡± I noted. She shrugged. ¡°The Treatise was made by gods a long, long time ago. Before I rose to divinity, certainly. It isn¡¯t actually the end-all-be-all, more a set of guidelines some immortal braniacs came up with to keep everyone from identally pissing off the cosmos. No, the actual rules are a bit¡­looser. And, thanks to your situation, Allura has been pushing those boundaries. The Divine Treatise has been around for so damn long that gods these days don¡¯t actually remember the specifics of what exactly will bring down cosmic rebncing, so they rely heavily on the clearly outlined rules in the Treatise.¡± Her eyes returned forward again. ¡°Allura couldn¡¯t help you within the Treatise, but she unwittingly found a way around it. She made a deal on even terms with a mortal¡ªsomething long ouwed among divinity¡ªand that deal allowed her to intervene directly without the cosmos bitch pping her and every one involved.¡± That caused me to stumble. ¡°Allura made a deal before me?¡± ¡°She did,¡± Fortuna said. ¡°She never told me what or with who, but when she came to me for protection against the rest of the family, she told me that was where it all started. Give and take. A mortal gave her something, and she did something else in return. An even exchange that didn¡¯t disrupt the bnce.¡± That made my head spin. Someone else had made a deal with Allura? One that somehow saved me from Karn? I wanted to dwell a bit more on that fucking insane bit of information, but Fortuna had other ideas. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic, though. At first, this was just an idental urrence. Something she did in a moment of weakness that would have gone overlooked if she¡¯d kept it to herself. But when Grimsbane started that fucked up spell¡ªanother instance of a mortal doing things they should never have the ability or knowledge to do¡ªshe quickly realized that her ident could be one of our saving graces.¡± ¡°And the other is me?¡± I guessed. She shot a demure smile at me. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t we full of ourselves.¡± She winked. ¡°But yes, you. Karn was careful, but nobody could have ounted for Allura¡¯s idental interference. You walked out of there, still cut off from all the forces that tie you mortals to fate. You¡¯re a fate breaker. All those people back there? The ones who you¡¯ve surrounded yourself? They were all fated for death.¡± My gut clenched. ¡°Come again?¡± ¡°Rhani was supposed to die in that tower. Noelle would have been used and abused by our enemies until there was nothing left of her. Tiana would have been¡ªwell, we actually don¡¯t know the specifics of her fate because of our adversaries, but she wasn¡¯t supposed toe out of that spider¡¯s nest with her sanity. Even this one,¡± she jabbed a thumb at Serena, ¡°would have ended up alone in the capital after Fel used her up and cast her aside, stabbed by a thief and left to die for the coppers in her pocket.¡± Serena looked green, but I clung onto the fact that she used past tense. ¡°And now?¡± She flipped around so that she was walking backwards. ¡°And now you¡¯ve sent their fates spinning into uncertainty. Not even Auntie Murie knows what their future holds, but if you ask me that¡¯s for the best. But we¡¯re getting off topic again. My point is that Karn did something that should be impossible, and we ended up with something else impossible. You. We also have to assume that we don¡¯t know the full extent or repercussions of his actions.¡± ¡°Our enemies aren¡¯t ying by the rules,¡± she continued, ¡°but those rules still restrict us. I don¡¯t have high hopes for the Chosen conflict brewing at the moment, though that¡¯s where most of the other gods have thrown their attentions. They think they can just keep doing the same old thing and expect there to still be a ne left afterwards, but I¡¯m not convinced.¡± ¡°Which is where Ie in,¡± I guessed. ¡°If they aren¡¯t ying by the rules, you need a piece that isn¡¯t restricted by the board.¡± She shed a toothy grin at me. ¡°And they told me you weren¡¯t a smart one.¡± I scowled at her. Sheughed, the pure sound of it doing its best to drag the edges of my lips upward against my will, but I resisted. ¡°So Allura is ying around with cosmicws to try and do¡­what?¡± Fortuna turned her eyes to the sky. ¡°Really, Zaren? You think a stroll through the woods is enough to earn straight answers?¡± Fuck. I should have guessed she was up to something. I ran over everything she¡¯d said so far. Every word. The exact phrasing of the deal. She said she¡¯d help me understand, not that she¡¯d tell me Allura¡¯s n. From what she was saying, the two sides of the deal had to be bnced. Telling me Allura¡¯s ns would have cost more than I was willing to pay a goddess I didn¡¯t trust, but giving me the pieces and letting me put them together on my own? That was something we could apparently both afford. I understood the game now, and it really made me wish Rhani was here. I had to assume that she¡¯d already given me a number of the pieces, and I needed to take careful note of the parts she¡¯d subtly told me weren¡¯t important. Not only that, but I had to take the deal itself into ount. The deal, its phrasing, and how she was fulfilling her end were probably their own pieces. Her grin turned predatory. She knew now that I understood. That I was paying close attention. ¡°My sister chose her champion well. I admit, I had my doubts, but you continually impress.¡± she shook her head. ¡°And now that I¡¯ve ¡®broken¡¯ the fates of those I care about, are they like me? Are they¡­unrestricted?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Who knows? Time will tell, I¡¯m sure, but it¡¯s tough to say for certain. Maybe they are, or maybe they¡¯re just operating in the wake you create. Maybe they''re inherently freed from fate, or maybe you tethering your soul to them offers the same protections that you carry. You¡¯re an anomaly, Zaren. An unknown, and one that makes a lot of gods and goddesses very nervous.¡± ¡°Not you?¡± Her look became dangerous. ¡°I¡¯ve always been a fan of a good gamble myself.¡± I snorted. ¡°Shocking.¡± She spun back around with a flourish. ¡°The natural order of things is still fucked. Whether it¡¯s the after effects of whatever the fuck Karn did or whether someone else is still meddling, we have no idea. The birth rate, new monsters appearing, new breeds of demi-humans, all things that we don¡¯t know why or how they¡¯re happening. And those tears are sending out ripples, fucking with everything.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s normal that all your women were fated for such ends?¡± she snapped, a hint of vitriol in her voice. She collected herself. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Now, don¡¯t get me wrong, strings of bad luck happen, but not on this scale. There¡¯s so much suffering all over, and it makes me itch. There¡¯s something off about it all, and I don¡¯t like it. Neither does Allura. Thest time we spoke she mentioned something about more bonds being severed than ever before. People¡¯s Luck is being fucked with on a scale that I¡¯ve never seen.¡± Her eyes found mine, holding my gaze. ¡°The world has never been fair, but it¡¯s never beenpletely unfair. Not until now. Already you¡¯re starting to make waves, but you aren¡¯t a big enough rock to divert the stream just yet. You¡¯re growing, though, which is good. I¡¯m not a fan of where this particr river meets the cosmic sea.¡± She came to a stop and looked around. ¡°This is far enough, I think.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s it. Deal¡¯s over.¡± She winked again. ¡°Thanks for ying. Was it as good for you as it was for me?¡± Serena looked from me to her. ¡°Um, I¡¯m a little lost.¡± Fortuna¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Your boy toy isn¡¯t. Now, before I go, how about another deal?¡± ¡°Two in a night? Must be my birthday.¡± ¡°Mm, not quite. That¡¯s in about a month, actually.¡± Well shit. I didn¡¯t actually know when my birthday was, so that was something to note forter. From the way Serena¡¯s eyes widened, I was sure she already had. ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, then,¡± I said, crossing my arms. ¡°There¡¯s a woman about a mile¡­¡± she pointed, ¡°that way. She¡¯s one of many who have lived nothing but bad luck for far too long, and I¡¯d really like to know where all her good luck has gone.¡± ¡°You want me to find out?¡± I guessed. ¡°Oh, no. Not at all. I figure your own curiosity is more than enough to set you on that path. No, the deal is that if you save her life, then I¡¯ll reward you with a boon.¡± I held a hand up. Time was still frozen, so we weren¡¯t on the clock. Yet. ¡°A boon?¡± ¡°A favor to be repaid at a time of my choosing,¡± she said with a nod. A chance for her to interfere without retribution, she means. But that was fine. A boon, by definition, had to be helpful for me, so I¡¯d take it. ¡°Alright, but save her from what?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out. She¡¯s about to die a rather awful death, though, so I¡¯d hurry if I were you.¡± Then she vanished. Serena and I had just enough time to exchanged a panicked nce before the forest around us returned to life and we started running. # # # Nariko was having what was quickly turning out to be the worst day of her life, and that was saying a lot. It had been a long, long time since she¡¯d had anything other than a bad day, and a small part of her almost weed the fact that she was probably about to die. Almost. It was another shit day in a long line of really shit days. She could pick the exact moment her life had gone from not great to absolute shit. She¡¯d had to leave her crap life behind because her good-for-nothing mother was too weak to tell the owner of the local brothel no when she¡¯d demanded Nariko¡¯s virginity be used to pay off her mothers gambling debts. She¡¯d been fifteen at the time. Fifteen. She¡¯d slipped out the window that night and never looked back. But things only got worse from there. A lone Nekomata on the streets, and a kid at that, was damn near a death sentence. She¡¯d gotten by long enough to earn her ss, Thief, and that had helped, but only for so long. Eventually she¡¯d gotten cornered by someone she couldn¡¯t get away from. He¡¯d taken her first time, and she¡¯d taken his life while he did it. Gutted the fucker before he even finished with his own knife he¡¯d been too stupid to realize she could reach. Not that the authorities cared all that much about what he¡¯d been doing to her. Two years she¡¯d spent running. Apparently the man she¡¯d killed was important to someone with money. He wasn¡¯t thest to hurt her, but she always managed to get away. Living on the streets, forced to hide in ces that even thew was hesitant to go into left her with plenty of scars, but it had also made her tough. Everything seemed to go wrong again and again and again, but she just let every experience temper her. Every bit of suffering made her stronger. Then she¡¯d made the mistake of trusting someone a single time, and it had cost her everything. Just when she¡¯d thought she might have found a home, an end to the running and hiding, she¡¯d woken up drugged, beaten, and abused in the Pens of the capital. An attractive Nekomata with a price from her ¡°crimes¡± just high enough that nobody wanted to buy her, but the Pens held other hells. She¡¯d thought that would surely be rock bottom. She¡¯d been wrong. A demented part of her had been excited when she¡¯d finally been indebted to a Patron. Then she¡¯d been passed off, stripped, given rags, and thrown into a too-small cage with a handful of other Nekomata and taken out into the wilderness. They¡¯d been at the mercy of a monster of a man and the cruel men who worked for him. They¡¯d cut her and taken her blood for reasons she couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom. Then, when a Neko got to the point where they were on death¡¯s door, they were taken out of the cage and never seen again. asionally a new one would be thrown in, but Nariko learned early not to make friends. Now it was her turn. She¡¯d spent weeks in that cage, barely getting enough food to survive. Biding her time. Enduring. She felt like shit, barely able to put one foot in front of the other while someone dragged her through the trees. She tripped on roots and branches, and each time her captor yanked her up with enough force to make her shoulder scream in pain. She wished she could see, but the dirty cloth around her eyes made that difficult. They talked while they dragged her through the forest as if they weren¡¯t marching her to her death. They barely acknowledged her past the man who gave her a solid yank every time she tripped or slowed. After the tenth time he¡¯d hauled her up, his hand no doubt leaving bruises on her arm, she was thankful for the gag that muffled her pained whimpers. She didn¡¯t want to give him the satisfaction of hearing her cry. They were taking her far, but that was fine. The further they went, the better. She wanted to be as far as possible from their horrible camp before she made her move. She might look small and frail from how long it had been since she¡¯d had a decent meal, but she had Stamina and Mana and skills that they didn¡¯t know about. She¡¯d endured no end of beatings for it, but she¡¯d never once told them her ss. They¡¯d written her off long ago, and she was going to make them regret it. There were four of them, she was sure. She¡¯d gone from four to five to four again, but she¡¯d counted four distinct voices. Four sets of footprints. One ahead, two behind, and the one who once again yanked her forward, even though she hadn¡¯t even stumbled this time. If she could manage it, she was going to enjoy killing him. ¡°Think this is far enough?¡± the one in front asked finally, making her heart race. It was almost time. ¡°Yeah, should be,¡± the one holding her shot back, making bile rise in her throat when she recognized the voice. ¡°Should make sure nothing gets too close to camp. That caravan should be passing somewhat close soon, so this is as good a spot as any. Wind¡¯s blowing away from us, too.¡± She heard the sound of a de being drawn behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with, then.¡± ¡°Now, hold on Dodd,¡± the one holding her said. The man in front scoffed. ¡°Really, Ev?¡± ¡°Yes, really.¡± A thick hand caressed her face, making her flinch away from the touch. ¡°This one was my favorite, can¡¯t just leave her without onest goodbye.¡± ¡°You are twisted,¡± One of the men behind said, though he sounded more amused than anything. The man holding her yanked her close, and she felt his hand go questing. She bit back her revulsion when the evidence of his arousal pressed into her, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing. She felt the distinct outline of a de¡¯s handle sticking into her ribs, and that was what she needed. ¡°Now, be a good girl, and I¡¯ll make you feel good before what has to happen next,¡± he said, his rancid breath hot on her cheek. His hand mauled one of her breasts, and Nariko knew it was now or never. She cast [Unlock] and her shackles came undone. They would have fallen if she hadn¡¯t grabbed them in one hand and swung with everything she had. He cursed when they mmed into his face, but she¡¯d already ripped the short de from his belt and jammed it right into his groin and expended some Stamina on [Strike Weakpoint] for good measure. He howled when she ripped it upward, ripping her blindfold off and threw herself away from the one man she knew had already drawn his de. She was too slow. She screamed into her gag when cold steel bit deep into the outside of her thigh. She swung as she fell to the ground, her leg refusing to support her, and hit something fleshy. ¡°Stupid bitch!¡± someone cursed. She stumbled away from the man bleeding out, holding crimson coated hands to his shredded manhood. One was staggering back, holding a cut on his arm, but the other two were running at her with looks of rage. She swung at the first, making him leap back, but the other bowled into her. He grabbed her wrist, twisting to make her drop the de, and she mmed her head into his cheek. He cursed, and when she mmed her head forward again she felt his cheekbone give. His grip faltered and she mmed the de into his neck. She ripped it out and blood drenched her. He struggled for a moment, trying to staunch the flow, but eventually he fell limp. She managed to wiggle out from under him, but her leg still wouldn¡¯t support her weight. The cut was bleeding far too much for her liking, and she was already beginning to feel lightheaded. The other grabbed her hair, but sheshed out with jagged nails that hadn¡¯t been trimmed in far too long. He reeled back with four long bloody lines over an eye that would never see again and she lunged for the de she¡¯d dropped. She felt steel cut into her arm, but it wasn¡¯t deep enough to do anything other than hurt like a motherfucker. Pain she could handle, but no sooner had her fingers wrapped around the hilt than someone¡¯s weight crashed down on her back, driving the air from her lungs. Something struck her in the back of the head, causing her to see stars, and she was roughly flipped over. The fourth man was above her, his face twisted in rage. His hands closed over her throat, cutting off her air supply. He struck her face twice, then ripped the de from her hand. ¡°You¡¯re gonna pay for that,¡± he warned, pressing the de to her cheek. She screamed curses into her gag, iling underneath him, but he was too heavy and she was too weak from imprisonment. He dragged the de across her cheek and she reached up to try and gouge his eyes out, but his arms were too long. ¡°You just had to go and make this harder on yourself, didn¡¯t you? Couldn¡¯t die like the trash you are.¡± Her vision was beginning to dim. He dragged the de further, no doubt leaving a cut that would have scarred if she¡¯d managed to survive. She struggled to the end, just wishing that she could have taken one or two more of them with her. Her vision blurred, and her arms suddenly felt far too heavy to move, when he released her. ¡°Can¡¯t have you die just yet. Boss says it works best when you¡¯re still breathing,¡± He told her. ¡°Just gotta make sure you don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± He raised enough to hover over her legs. She tried to kick at him with her good leg, but he just grabbed her foot and twisted, raising his de topletely cripple her. Then he was staggering away, the shaft of an arrow sticking from his shoulder. She pulled herself away from him, looking for her savior. When she found them, her heart sank. You have to be fucking with me right now. She was dimly aware of the cursesing from behind her, but she was more preupied with the gnoll stalking towards her. It was still holding its bow, another gnoll on either side of it creeping through the trees with short, rusty weapons. They all sniffed the air, the lead gnoll licking its chops. They wore mismatched armor, two of with little more than loincloths protecting their modesty. Strips of dirty leather or fabric that did little to hide their growing erections while they stalked towards her, drawn by the blood pouring out of her injuries. A part of her wanted to justy down and die. The part of her that was so damn tired of fighting over and over just for things to get worse. But she wasn¡¯t dead yet. She¡¯d made it this far, and she wasn¡¯t going to just give up. Not yet. The gnolls could be a blessing in disguise. Praying it would work, she cast [Vanish] and rolled as fast as she could out of their path, biting down on her gag to keep from screaming as pain wracked her. She wasn¡¯t invisible necessarily, but the skill would hide any trace of her now. Alone they would have probably found her, but there were two other men in the clearing still. Just as she¡¯d hoped, the gnolls pounced on the men who¡¯d been about to kill her. Dragging herself to her feet, she hobbled as fast as she could manage away from the direction they¡¯d been taking her in. Her injuries were bleeding bad, but even bleeding out in the woods would be a better fate than being caught and eaten by gnolls. She pulled the gag from her mouth while she dragged herself from tree to tree, her ragged sobs drowned out by the fighting and screaming behind her. She looked behind her to see that the man who¡¯d pinned her down was being torn apart. They ripped into the parts of him covered in her blood with their teeth, and he screamed for far too long before falling silent. The man she¡¯d castrated was long dead, and thest man was still fighting, but he was covered in injuries and fighting four gnolls. She moved as fast as she could, but her mana was running out fast. [Vanish] was strong, but costly. It wouldn¡¯tst much longer. It wouldn¡¯tst nearly long enough. Her mana ran dry about the same time the begging of thest man went silent. She felt no sympathy in their deaths, but she really wished they¡¯dsted longer. Nariko forced herself not to look back at the gnolls she knew would be pursuing her now. She was out of mana, and rapidly running out of blood. Her leg barely worked, and her half-limp-half-hop wasn¡¯t getting her anywhere fast. She heard their grunts and yips getting closer and choked out a sob. She didn¡¯t bother praying. She¡¯d given up on that long ago. She only wished she had something to defend herself with. She¡¯d tried so fucking hard, but it was all for nothing. She stumbled and fell in an incredibly rare stroke of luck just when the gnoll closest to her lunged. Its ws went over her, and she managed to twist enough that she didn¡¯t fall directly underneath it. She lunged for one of the weapons jammed haphazardly into the waistband of its ill-fitting loincloth. It lunged at her, so she sacrificed her already injured arm to its jaws while she ripped the de free. She screamed in pain as its teeth ripped into her forearm, but she still managed to jam the de into the gnoll¡¯s neck. [Strike Weakpoint] used Stamina, not mana, so she used the skill to rip the gnoll¡¯s throat open like she had the man. She yanked it free and stabbed again. The gnoll¡¯s jaws went limp and she shoved it away, cradling her mangled arm to her chest. The gnolls fanned out, approaching her in a half circle. There were eight of them, far too many for her to even dream of killing. She used thest of her strength to lift the stolen de, her arm trembling so badly she was shocked she could still hold it. She couldn¡¯t stand, still on the ground where she¡¯d fallen. They woulde for her, and she¡¯d force them to kill her. She wasn¡¯t going to be a captive. Never again. They all inched closer, yipping and snarling to one another, all of them sniffing the air and licking their chops excitedly. She was tired of it. She knew she was going to die, so she just wanted it to be over. She looked at the closest one and pointed her de at it. ¡°COME ON!¡± she screamed, ready to fight to the bitter end. The end never came. The gnolls lunged, but they never reached her. There was a sh of red and a brilliant gold light that illuminated the area. One moment, two gnolls were nearly on top of her. The next, they were both pinned to a tree by the spear of the woman¡ªno, the goddess¡ªwho had appeared from nowhere. She glowed with light. Her long golden hair was tied in a simple braid that whipped from the force of her violent appearance. She wore ck armor like nothing that Nariko had ever seen. Sleek metal that left far too much skin exposed to be practical, yet her body didn¡¯t have a scar on it. A cylinder at her hip lit the area up, casting the horrible creatures in its soft light. She held a spear in each hand, one embedded in the torsos of two gnolls, the other held to her side. The woman¡¯s eyes found her and widened. Then the glow that was around her spear faded, reced by a simr glow that collected around her feet. She spun like a dancer, releasing the spear still nailing the two struggling gnolls to the tree, and swung her other spear at the nearest creature. She attacked in a blur with wide sweeping strikes, driving the gnolls back and away from where Nariko sagged to the ground. But it was still six on one, and the gnolls pressed that advantage. They all surged forward at once, the ones on the edges nking to surround her. Just when Nariko was certain she¡¯d be surrounded, something came out of the darkness. One of the gnolls to the woman¡¯s left fell back with a howl, dozens of ck shards sticking out of its body. Then someone else crashed into the clearing. If the woman was light, the man was dark. Literally. He held a de in each hand, but living darkness whipped around him angrily. Thick tendrils made of shadows whipped around him in a frenzy, driving the other gnolls back while he took on the one in the lead with his des. ¡°Take care of her, I¡¯ve got this!¡± he called. The woman didn¡¯t hesitate to step back with onest jab to give her space. She spun, her feet not touching the ground as she cleared the distance between her and Nariko in two long, graceful strides. She leaned down, one of her hands sliding under Nariko¡¯s back to support her while the other checked her for injuries. Her eyes, bright like emeralds, held so much concern while they took in Nariko¡¯s blood-covered form. ¡°Are you a goddess?¡± Nariko slurred, blood loss making it hard to think straight. The woman smiled, which made Nariko feel foolish for asking. This woman had to be a goddess. Her smile was so warm, soforting. She started to glow again, and warmth chased away the pain that filled Nariko¡¯s body. The kindness radiating from the woman made tears prick the corners of Nariko¡¯s eyes. Even bloody and dying, she¡¯d never in her life felt so safe as she did in this woman¡¯s arms. This woman was surely here to guide her into the afterlife, and Nariko was more than happy to drift off into oblivion in herforting embrace. ¡°Close,¡± the woman said, ¡°I¡¯m a priestess.¡± She reached up and touched the ruby red gem at her throat and Nariko was dimly aware of the woman¡¯s vambraces that dug into her back vanishing. The woman slipped the hand supporting Nariko underneath the rags she wore and the warmthing from where the woman¡¯s skin touched her own made Nariko sag into her arms. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± the goddess said. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. We¡¯ve got you.¡± Was Nariko dead? Was this what it was like to die? If so, maybe she¡¯d been fighting death for nothing all along. If she hadn¡¯t spent so many years afraid to fall asleep unless she was certain she was safe, she¡¯d have nodded off then and there. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt anymore,¡± Nariko said, shamed by the weakness in her own voice. The woman ced her hand to Nariko¡¯s cheek, wiping away the tears that Nariko hadn¡¯t even realized had been falling. Without meaning to, Nariko leaned into the touch. It was as soft and warm as the rest of the woman. She was aplete stranger, yet Nariko had never felt so loved as she did in that moment. ¡°I¡¯m Serena,¡± she said, ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Nariko.¡± ¡°Well, Nariko, if you¡¯ll let us, we¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± If it meant she got to feel like this again, even once, then Nariko was more than happy to let them do whatever they wanted. Even when she looked over Serena¡¯s shoulder and saw the intense sapphire eyes of herpanion, looking at her with rage in his eyes. Fear gripped her, and she grabbed for Serena with a whimper, but the man¡¯s eyes softened. He wasn¡¯t angry at her, she realized, but at what had happened to her. What had almost happened to her. His eyes raked over her, but not in the same way as all the men in camp. They lingered on her injuries, the state of her clothes, but not her figure. There was somethingforting in that. ¡°How is she?¡± he asked, his voice deep and ragged. Serena looked at him, and immediately Nariko missed theforting green in them. ¡°She¡¯s lost a lot of blood, but I got to her in time. Zaren, her leg¡ª¡± ¡°I know. I found the ones who did it to her. Gnolls fucked them up pretty good. Not just the gnolls, either,¡± he added, an impressed note in his voice while he met Nariko¡¯s eyes again. He looked at something behind him, then he yanked a cloak out of thin air with a flourish. He approached, but stayed out of reach while he handed the cloak to Serena. ¡°Two gnolls ran away. I can feel their fear.¡± ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Serena said, a warning in her voice while she wrapped the thick, warm cloak around Nariko¡¯s shivering form. ¡°They¡¯ll be running back to the pack. If I follow, I can see where their den is.¡± His eyes flicked back to Nariko, but she was too tired to be afraid of him any longer. As long as she was in Serena¡¯s arms, she knew she was safe. It made little sense, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡°I won¡¯t engage, I¡¯ll scout and report back. This was one of my specialties once, you know.¡± Nariko felt the irritated noise Serena made, and it made her smile for some reason. ¡°Fine, but be careful, please?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t I always?¡± Then he was gone. Serena turned her eyes back to Nariko. ¡°That isn¡¯t nearly as reassuring as he thinks he is,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve healed you a lot, do you think you can walk?¡± Nariko couldn¡¯t even sit up, so she shook her head. ¡°Sorry.¡± Long fingers pushed the hair out of Nariko¡¯s face, sliding past a spot around her ears that made her whole body shiver. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry for. I¡¯m more than capable of carrying you. First let me just make sure you won¡¯t get any infections.¡± Serena let Nariko drink her fill from a water skin before using it to clean out Nariko¡¯s injuries. Already her leg and her mangled arm looked much better, and Serena finished by rubbing a cool, soothing balm on the injuries before wrapping them carefully in bandages she pulled from a pouch at her waist. Once she was done, Nariko could do little more than simply allow Serena to slide her onto the blond¡¯s back. She was tall for a woman, several inches taller than Nariko at least. She hefted Nariko¡¯s emaciated frame with little difficulty and started off into the woods at a brisk pace. ¡°You¡¯re more than wee to sleep on the way back.¡± Then she chuckled. ¡°First Zaren carries me back like this, then Noelle with Kili, now me and you. We¡¯re starting to develop a pattern.¡± Serena¡¯s healing had done wonders, and stringing togetherplete thoughts was getting easier. With coherence came the paranoia that had kept Nariko alive thest few years. ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re part of a caravan,¡± Serena exined. ¡°We, um, ended up out here and we¡­heard the fighting. We¡¯re just d we made it in time.¡± ¡°A caravan?¡± Caravans meant people. A lot of people. Groups were always bad for someone like her. ¡°You¡¯ll like it, I think. We¡¯ll make sure you get plenty of food and water, somewhere warm to sleep, and some warmer clothes. Shoes, too. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± After the life Nariko had lived? She didn¡¯t trust any of that for a second. ¡°How many people?¡± ¡°Goodness, a lot now,¡± Serena admitted. ¡°Seven caravaneers, Pierce¡¯s group has five, and we¡¯ve got¡­nine? Yes, nine. Kili doesn¡¯t really count, I suppose.¡± ¡°Kili?¡± ¡°An Erinyes girl we rescuedst night. Her group was attacked by gnolls and she managed to get away.¡± Nariko clung tighter to Serena at the mention of the monsters. ¡°Twenty-two people?¡± ¡°Oh, twenty-five, actually. We ran into Lady Vivian and her guards on the way, and they¡¯ve basically joined us.¡± Lady Vivian? A noble? ¡°Are all of you human?¡± ¡°Not at all. Korey¡ªhe¡¯s in charge of the caravan, you¡¯ll meet him soon, I suppose¡ªhas three demi-humans. Mai is a Nekomata, too. Pierce¡¯s group is all human, but we¡¯ve got four demi-humans in our household. Kili is still separate, so I won¡¯t count her.¡± ¡°Household? Are you noble?¡± Sheughed. It was a very pretty sound that put Nariko at ease. ¡°No, not me. Zaren¡¯s a lord, though. He¡¯s my¡­um¡­partner. Romantically speaking.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Nariko wasn¡¯t sure exactly what to do with that information. Not with how exhausted and battered she felt. Her eyelids were so heavy, but she refused to sleep. Sleep meant she was vulnerable, so she forced herself to keep talking. ¡°What will you do with me?¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°That depends a lot on you, I think. What you want to do, I mean.¡± Then she said in a quieter, softer tone, ¡°I won¡¯t make you answer any other questions tonight, but will you tell me how long they had you?¡± ¡°Weeks? Months? It¡¯s hard to tell from inside a cage,¡± Nariko said bitterly. Serena nodded. ¡°They won¡¯t hurt you again,¡± she promised. ¡°I¡¯m sure Zaren will have other questionster, but I¡¯ll make sure he gives you space until you recover a little.¡± ¡°Is he going to force me into his service?¡± When Serena didn¡¯t answer right away, Nariko pressed on. ¡°Please just tell me if he is. Please don¡¯t lie to me. I need to know.¡± ¡°No. Zaren will never force you into anything you don¡¯t want. Anything.¡± The conviction in her voice almost made Nariko want to apologize. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll stay with us until we get to the capital if for no other reason than it¡¯s dangerous in this area right now and you¡¯ll be safer with us, but if you want to go your own way when we get back then that¡¯s a choice I know he¡¯ll respect.¡± Go her own way. She¡¯d been alone for three years now, and every day of it had been miserable. She was so tired of it. The thought of it made tears prick the backs of her eyes. It was almost enough to make her want to go back to her mom. ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± she said simply. ¡°It¡¯s a long walk back, though. Why don¡¯t you try to rest a little?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Nariko¡¯s head was already bobbing, her head far too heavy for her neck to support. ¡°I don¡¯t sleep around other people.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± There was far too much understanding in that single syble for Nariko¡¯s liking. ¡°I understand, but I give you my word that as long as you¡¯re with me, Zaren, or anyone in our household, then you never have to worry about anyone forcing themselves on you.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t use his servants?¡± Nariko asked. She tried to keep her voice free of judgment, but Serena didn¡¯t seem offended. ¡°No. Rhani and Noelle share his bed, but only because they want to. They¡¯re just as much his partners as I am.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re human.¡± ¡°Zaren is a bit¡­unorthodox. A bit old fashioned, you could say.¡± For some reason, that made her chuckle to herself. ¡°You won¡¯t be expected to do anything like that. You¡¯re wee to stay with us for the trip, no strings attached. We¡¯ll help you recover and keep you safe.¡± ¡°Why?¡± If a deal was too good to be true, it always was. ¡°You really expect me to believe you¡¯re willing to just help me for nothing?¡± ¡°Not nothing. We¡¯ll find a ce for you in the household, and we¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s something you enjoy or are good at. And¡­¡± ¡°And what?¡± Nariko challenged. ¡°The men that held you,¡± she said slowly, ¡°Zaren is going to want to know everything about them. Everything you¡¯re willing to tell us, at least.¡± Nariko¡¯s gut clenched painfully. ¡°Why?¡± she managed. ¡°Because he¡¯s going to kill everyst one of them,¡± she said so softly that Nariko barely heard it. A growl started low in Nariko¡¯s throat. ¡°I hope he makes them suffer.¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer, and before Nariko knew what was happening she¡¯d nodded off. She didn¡¯t even realize Serena¡¯s warm back and brisk, even gait had lulled her to sleep until she was jerked awake by the sound of wings. A small silver dart dropped from the sky,nding on the ground in front of Serena. Nariko, already angry that she¡¯d allowed herself to fall asleep, jumped at the sudden appearance of the small silver dragon. A squeak slipped out of her and she jerked so hard that Serena couldn¡¯t keep her from crashing to the ground,nding hard on her rear. The dragons golden eyes turned on her, and she leapt up and pressed into Serena¡¯s back, peeking at the strange creature from around her shoulder. Serena reached behind her, pressing Nariko into her back. ¡°Festus!¡± Serena chided. ¡°She was finally getting some rest, did you have to do that?¡± The dragon¡ªFestus, Nariko supposed¡ªhuffed. ¡°You and the master vanished into thin air. My mistress is understandably panicked,¡± he argued. Nariko¡¯s jaw dropped open. There was a tiny, talking dragon and Serena was treating it as if it were no big deal. Serena¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°Right, I guess that¡¯s fair. Tell her we¡¯re fine.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll want to know what happened,¡± Festus said. ¡°One moment you were there, the next you simply weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°There was¡­ah¡­¡± she nced back at Nariko, who was still hiding behind her, ¡°there was some divine intervention involved. Not our usual kind, either. Zaren is fine, I¡¯ll exin everything when I get back.¡± Festus paused for a moment, his pupils narrowing to slits, then they widened again. ¡°Very well. I shall follow your trail to the master¡¯s, then seek him out.¡± ¡°Good. And stop calling him master, you know he hates that.¡± Festus huffed again. ¡°I¡¯m not so foolish as to say the title when he¡¯s around, thank you very much, but it is the most fitting.¡± Then he took off into the night, leaving Nariko wondering just what the hell they were talking about. She shook her head. ¡°Only Rhani would have a summon with an attitude,¡± she said, amused. ¡°Rhani? Zaren¡¯s servant?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s an Arelim, and was Zaren¡¯s first partner. Zaren helped her to be a summoner so she¡¯d be able to protect herself.¡± With Festus gone, Nariko was suddenly very aware of how much she was pressing herself into Serena¡¯s back. She leapt back hastily, her high Agility allowing her to put a good amount of distance between them before Serena could so much as turn. Her bad leg threatened to buckle underneath her and trembled dangerously, but she managed to keep her feet. ¡°Please don¡¯t run,¡± Serena said softly, putting both her hands up. Nariko dimly realized her spears had disappeared at some point. ¡°You¡¯re hurt, and you¡¯re clearly malnourished. Come back with me and we can get you some food, alright? We can clean all that blood off you, too.¡± Nariko looked down at herself, lifting the cloak Serena had wrapped her in to see that she was indeed covered in blood that was and wasn¡¯t her own. With how filthy she was after weeks in a cage, she had no doubt she looked utterly feral. Despite that, Serena still looked at her with the same caring warmth as when she¡¯d first appeared. Nariko could run. Even without mana, she had the skill to disappear into the trees. Escaping people was much different than escaping gnolls. But even as she considered it, she knew she wouldn¡¯t. She was so hungry. So tired. So done spending every second of her life afraid and alone. Her shoulders slumped, and she swayed on her feet. ¡°Will any of your caravan take advantage of me? I¡¯ll still go, I just want to know. I want to be¡­ready if that¡¯s the case. You can tell me the truth.¡± ¡°No, Nariko,¡± she said softly. She approached slowly with a hand up, no doubt afraid of spooking the small, starved Nekomata in front of her, but Nariko didn¡¯t have it in her to run any longer. Nariko didn¡¯t move when Serena put a gentle hand on her shoulder. ¡°Nobody will touch you. If they even try, then I won¡¯t have to protect you. Zaren or Noelle will kill them before I even get the chance.¡± Nariko couldn¡¯t stop herself from stepping into the taller woman, resting her head on Serena¡¯s shoulder and closing her eyes. Serena wrapped her in a tight hug¡ªprobably the first hug Nariko had received since she was a little girl¡ªand gently stroked her back. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay,¡± she promised. Serena gave her some time before gently getting them moving again. She offered to carry her again, but Nariko was still angry with herself for falling asleep to begin with. She couldn¡¯t fall asleep if she was walking, so she elected to stay on her own two feet. Serena wasn¡¯t thrilled about it thanks to the state of Nariko¡¯s bare soles, but she didn¡¯t force the issue. Nariko silently told herself she was done clinging to Serena, but that changed quickly when they got to the camp. The tall, grizzled warrior, a bulky woman with the sword nearly as big as Nariko, and the two dozen other people that all crowded around Serena the moment she got close to the camp had Nariko hiding in Serena¡¯s back once again, clinging close to the only sense of safety Nariko had felt since long before she¡¯d run from home. Serena answered their barrage of questions¡ªmainly by saying Zaren would be back with more information¡ªbefore someone finally realized there was a frightened Nekomata hiding behind her. Therge, grizzled warrior whistled loudly and everyone went quiet. Nariko forced herself not to flinch when he took a step forward. ¡°Is she¡­¡± he started. ¡°Yeah,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°We can deal with thatter, though.¡± He nodded once, then started ushering people away until only a tall, curvy auburn haired woman, an Arelim, two Kitsune, an Erinyes, and a girl of a race Nariko had never encountered before remained. Serena took a breath. ¡°Noelle, will you grab a bucket of water and some rags so we can help Nariko here clean off?¡± The strange girl nodded and left in a hurry with the Erinyes in tow. ¡°Rhani, grab her some food please?¡± The Arelim went off in the opposite direction. ¡°Tsuki, Ryoko, will youe with me?¡± The two Kitsune¡ªso simr in every aspect other than color that they could only be twins¡ªboth fell into step while Serena wrapped an arm around Nariko¡¯s shoulders and led them all through the camp. The tall auburn haired woman came along as well, but she gave them a wide berth. ¡°Zaren¡¯s gnoll hunting?¡± she asked. Serena nodded. ¡°Yeah. Depending on what he says, sounds like we¡¯ll deal with the gnolls, then we¡¯ll deal with whatever group is hiding out here.¡± Tiana risked a nce at Nariko, offering her a small smile, then she left. Serena took her into a tall, square tent that was wonderfully warm on the inside. ¡°This is where Zaren sleeps, along with me, Tiana who you just met, Rhani and Noelle.¡± She unsped the cloak at the same time the strange girl, Noelle, entered the tent lugging arge bucket of water with one arm like it weighed nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to clean up, I suppose¡ª¡± Serena started. Nariko grabbed her arm before she could leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± she said softly. She tried to tell herself that this camp was different. There were no cages, nobody chained up, nobody leering at her like she was their next meal, but she couldn¡¯t help it. The tents and the campfires were close enough to make her start trembling. She didn¡¯t trust any of them, but Serena had been there when she¡¯d been most vulnerable and saved her life. She didn¡¯t know if she could afford to trust the beautiful blond, but she knew for certain she couldn¡¯t afford not to. ¡°Of course,¡± Serena said immediately, returning to Nariko¡¯s side. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Nariko nodded numbly. ¡°Is it alright if Noelle stays? The sisters and Rhani?¡± ¡°No humans,¡± she pleaded softly. ¡°Other than you.¡± ¡°We can do that.¡± Then she was gently peeling the bloodsoaked rags off Nariko and tossing them aside. She returned with a soft, wet rag and began to gently wipe the blood, dirt, and tears off Nariko¡¯s face. The ck furred Kitsune grabbed another rag and started working on cleaning the fur of Nariko¡¯s tail, and Noelle grabbed a rag to help out as well. They talked while they worked, but Nariko tuned most of it out. None of it made sense to her. A goddess? Deals? Cosmicws? All of it sounded so much like nonsense to her that she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to care. At some point a warm bowl was pressed into her hands and she ended up with a mouthful of the best stew she¡¯d ever tasted in her life. It was at that point that the tears started falling, but none of them mentioned it. Every so often Serena would wipe her tears away, but by the time they¡¯d cleared most of the grime off her she was already dead on her feet. She wanted to eat more of the stew, but her shrunken stomach was already starting to rebel against her. The bowl disappeared and she made a pathetic noise. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Serena said gently. ¡°There¡¯ll be plenty more for you to eat tomorrow. You won¡¯t go hungry here.¡± One of the Kitsune provided some clothes designed for someone with a tail. They were small since the two twins were so short, but they were so much better than the rags she¡¯d been wearing. The thing that shocked her the most was how good it felt to be wearing real underwear again. A cold vial was pressed into her hand, and she wiped the wetness from her eyes to find a shimmering green potion there. She looked up to find Noelle looking up at her. ¡°Drink this,¡± she said, ¡°it will help you recover from your imprisonment faster.¡± ¡°You just carry stuff like this around?¡± she asked, her voice thick. Noelle smiled. ¡°Zaren gave it to me to recover from my own imprisonment at the hands of bad men,¡± she said simply. She turned to Serena. ¡°I¡¯ll take her with me to Kili¡¯s tent for tonight so she can sleep away from any males.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°Now we just need to wait for Zaren to get back. If the gnolls are close enough, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll want to attack tonight.¡± Noelle took one of Nariko¡¯s hands in hers and the ck haired kitsune¡ªTsuki, Nariko thought¡ªtook the other and they pulled her from the tent. Nariko was so exhausted that she didn¡¯t even remember making it to their own tent before she was asleep. Chapter Fifty-Four: Planning and Execution Chapter Fifty-Four: nning and Execution It was well into the night before I finally made it back to camp. Just like I¡¯d promised, I¡¯d looked without engaging with any of the gnolls at their den. Even if it had killed me to leave the captives I¡¯d seen behind. Getting myself killed tonight would be of no use to them. When I finally entered the light of the fire¡ªcausing the current sentinels, Rastra and Reese, to both jump to their feet in surprise¡ªthe only one of my household still awake was Rhani. She shot up and practically ran to throw her arms around my waist. ¡°You scared the shit out of us,¡± she breathed. I hugged her back, then cupped the side of her head to turn her face up for a kiss. ¡°Sorry, wasn¡¯t my idea.¡± ¡°Serena told us. Another goddess? Seriously?¡± I nodded. ¡°They got back okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Serena wanted to wait for you, but I convinced her to get some sleep. Nariko barely even made it back to the tent with Noelle and Kili before she was out.¡± Her grip tightened. ¡°Zaren, Nariko set off my skill. Whoever was holding her captive¡­¡± ¡°I figured as much. Got your journal?¡± ¡°Always,¡± she answered with a frown. ¡°Good. I need you to write this down while it¡¯s all still fresh in my head.¡± She nodded, then pulled out her journal and began to write as I recounted every little detail I could remember from my talk with Fortuna. Other than the crackling of the mes in front of me and the beating of a heavy set of wings somewhere nearby, the night was eerily silent. I could see the thousand questions in her eyes when I finished, as well as the awe that I¡¯d had a conversation with yet another god. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss Fortuna and all her implications another day,¡± I said softly. "For now, I need you to tell me everything you know about gnolls since you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been reading up on them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to wait until you¡¯ve had some rest first?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t often sleep the night before big fights,¡± I admitted. Not since Ria. I could tell that she wanted to argue, but instead she sat and told me everything I wanted to know. After that, when I told her she should get some sleep of her own, she just climbed into myp and nestled into me. I absentmindedly stroked her back as she nodded off, snoring lightly in my arms. We were headed for a fight, which meant I couldn¡¯t put off selecting my newest skills any longer. One for either of my sses. Soul Smith I¡¯d leveled twice somewhere along the way, bringing me to three. It wasn¡¯t a dedicatedbat ss as far as I could tell, which meant that it was entirely possible I got some experience anytime I did things soul-rted, but that was something to monitor with Rhani¡¯s help on ater date. I sank the level three points into my primal. One more attribute increase and I¡¯d get another set of armor to dish out. When I looked at the skills avable to me, there were more than a few interesting choices. One jumped out at me far more than the others, and I¡¯d barely finished reading it before I¡¯d selected [Danger Sense]. It was a simple skill that would somehow alert me if one of my Links was in danger. The nuances of the skill were something I was certain I¡¯de to understand quickly with my track record, but the idea that I¡¯d at least know if my loved ones were in danger took a load off my shoulders I didn¡¯t even realize was there. Shadowborn was a bit more of a toss up. [Shadowbound weapon] was the most obvious choice. It didn¡¯t offer me much right now because of my ever revolving arsenal, but it had the potential to evolve into skills that would. Or, for the first time, I could take an attribute increase for the level. I had one that had been staring me in the face for some time now, and I was running out of excuses to take it.
Speed of Shadow (asi) - Increase Agility by 10, Endurance by 5
If I¡¯d had more agility during the fight against the etherwyrms, then maybe I wouldn¡¯t have been so severely injured. [Horde yer] was a great equalizer, but if I was going to be locked into any kind of one-on-onebat, then [Giant Killer] would only affect my Primal. I needed to be able to move faster in any situation, not just one where I was outnumbered. Which led me to the other reason I was considering taking this skill. [Horde yer] was another in a long line of skills that grew weaker when I had allies. If I wanted to be someone capable of fighting in a group, then I needed to rely less on those skills. And I really, really wanted to be that man. More than I could ever admit aloud. I¡¯d been a part of the Seven, sure, but I¡¯d never been one of them. Not truly. Rr and Be and Torren had all kinds of bads about the inspiring way they fought shoulder to shoulder, standing together against overwhelming odds. There were considerably fewer of the shadow that fought alone because nobody ever really trusted me to have their back, and I¡¯d never really trusted them to have mine. I just hadn¡¯t cared all that much if they¡¯d failed me. I selected [Speed of Shadow] and immediately felt good about my choice. Doubling my Agility was something that would only help me, and taking the skill made me feel like I was finally taking steps to be more than what I¡¯d once been. Real, tangible change. It brought a smile to my face. With all that out of the way, I sat back and started to n. By the time the sky started to lighten and the camp starteding alive around me, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do. I didn¡¯t move while breakfast was thrown together, not even when Tiana stumbled out with a yawn and draped herself over my back with her arms around my neck, careful not to disturb Rhani. ¡°Tell me you weren¡¯t out here all night,¡± she mumbled. ¡°No rest for the wicked, right?¡± I said back. She huffed, then stood. ¡°Today, then?¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything when everyone else is awake.¡± She nodded, then wandered off. Nobody asked me any questions, but every fighter in the camp slowly made their way over to sit nearby, shooting me expectant looks. Even Vivian was in attendance, though she was remarkably subdued today. The makeup under her eyes was thicker than normal, but I filed that away along with all the other things I¡¯d deal with once the gnolls were taken care of. Serena joined me without a word, though she took my hand when she sat down. Breakfast was pushed into my hands by Tiana, who shot me a warning re that said she wouldn¡¯t let me skip the meal, and I woke Rhani with a chuckle. She ruefully hopped off myp to sit next to me and we ate, and eventually Noelle¡¯s tent emptied out. Mostly. The twins led the way, both of their eyes finding me first. Ryoko beamed, waving energetically, but Tsuki just seemed to let out a breath like she was relieved and walked past me without another nce. Noelle followed next with Kili hot on her heels, but Nariko made no appearance. ¡°She is still sleeping,¡± Noelle exined, and I nodded. There was no telling when thest time the poor girl had been somewhere as warm and soft as a bedroll, which made my gut twist in anger. I¡¯d right that wrong soon enough, but the gnolls came first. They were today¡¯s focus. Finally, Pierce asked, ¡°so, Serena mentioned you went hunting.¡± I nodded. ¡°I know where their den is.¡± The caravan took a collective breath, many of them leaning towards me. ¡°I¡ª¡± I jumped, spinning on my feet. Nariko, who had been moving silently from her tent to the nearest one, froze in ce. She looked at me in fear, but not the kind of fear I¡¯d expected. It was the kind of fear that she was both afraid of having to take me on and willing to do so. I forced myself to calm. ¡°Sorry, you snuck up on me.¡± Not an easy thing to do. She straightened, her ears t against her head and her tail tucked tightly to her legs. Her hair, as well as the fur on her Neko parts, were rust colored, and her intelligent, calcting eyes were only a few shades darker than that. She would still certainly appreciate a real bath, but she was much cleaner than she had beenst night. Without the blood, dirt, and grime, and in clothes that were more than rags even if they fit her poorly, I almost didn¡¯t recognize her. ¡°I¡ª¡± she started, her voice hoarse from disuse, ¡°¡ªI smelled food.¡± There were some soft chuckles behind me, and I nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Here, I¡¯ll get you some,¡± Serena said, jumping up. She grabbed some more food and sat, holding it out to the skittish Nekomata. Nariko looked between all of us hesitantly, then made a beeline for where Serena sat. She snatched the food with a surprising deftness and curled up next to where Serena sat, not quite close enough to be touching my priestess but far closer to her than anyone else. She ate the food quickly, no doubt afraid of it being taken from her the second she let her guard down. It was a fear I knew all too well, and one that Rr had taken nearly a year to break me of. I took my seat once more. ¡°Where was I?¡± ¡°The den?¡± Reese prompted. I nodded. ¡°Right. I counted thirty, but it¡¯s possible a few were out and about.¡± There were sharp intakes of breath. ¡°Thirty is quite a few,¡± Pierce said. ¡°Better than the fifty they probably had once. Between the seven dead we found, the six Reese, Tiana, and Rhani took care of, and the six me and Serena killedst night, we¡¯ve at least hurt their numbers.¡± ¡°Prisoners?¡± Reese asked, her tone dark. ¡°I counted nine,¡± I said softly. My eyes went to Kili. ¡°One of them was an Erinyes woman who looks a lot like you.¡± Tears filled her eyes and she choked back a sob. Noelle threw an arm over her shoulders and Kili buried her face in Noelle¡¯s neck. Noelle nodded for me to continue, an intense look in her eyes. ¡°Demi-humans?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°All but one.¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°I saw S. They¡¯ve got her, and she¡¯s in rough shape.¡± ¡°S?¡± Rastra demanded. Yen put a hand on her arm, and she mped her own hand over it. ¡°We have to help her.¡± ¡°We will,¡± I promised. ¡°You¡¯ve got a n, then?¡± Pierce prompted. I didn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡°You¡¯re alright with me taking point on this?¡± He chuckled dryly. ¡°You walked into a nest of giant spiders and left with more people than you went in with. I think I¡¯m fine with you at the reins.¡± I inclined my head, trying to ignore the wide-eyed looks on Kili and Nariko¡¯s faces. ¡°Then yeah, I¡¯ve got a n. I need to know who¡¯sing and who¡¯s going, though. We can¡¯t take everyone and leave the caravan defenseless.¡± He nodded, then shot a nce at Yen. She shook her head. ¡°If Rastra is going, then so am I.¡± Lana sidled closer with a determined look on her face, and he turned back to me. ¡°Al can hang back.¡± ¡°Zoey can as well,¡± Vivian said, her voice void of her usual pep. She turned to Reese, gently touching the archer¡¯s arm. ¡°I already know you¡¯ll be going.¡± Reese nodded, but couldn¡¯t manage to speak past her tightly clenched jaw. I inclined my head gratefully. Reese¡¯s skill with a bow would be more than wee, and I trusted Zoey and Al enough to keep everyone here safe. ¡°Tsuki isn¡¯t exactly harmless either, and Elisa¡¯s inventions can be deadly in a pinch. We¡¯ll have Festus make some rounds just in case to make sure nobody is nearby.¡± I directed my next words at Korey. ¡°It¡¯s safest if the caravan stays hunkered down today. You alright with losing a day of travel?¡± This was his show still, after all. He scoffed. ¡°A day of travel versus nine souls. Not exactly a hard choice to make.¡± ¡°I had to ask.¡± He waved to show there were no hard feelings. Then, to Elisa, I said, ¡°How many of those spider repellent spitters do you still have?¡± ¡°Nine,¡± she answered without hesitation. That was good, but there was uncertainty on Yen¡¯s face. ¡°Lose a day. You¡¯re not nning to attack them at night?¡± ¡°No. Gnolls have good night sight and powerful noses. We¡¯d be at a severe disadvantage trying to take them on at night.¡± Well, I wouldn¡¯t be, but that was irrelevant when nning a fight on this scale. Yen nodded, satisfied with my answer. I mentally ran through who I would and wouldn¡¯t have. Al staying behind was initially an issue, but Reese¡¯s presence made up for that in spades. I trusted her at my back much more than the gruff, surly Al. ¡°We¡¯ll hit them at noon, when most of them are asleep,¡± I said to the group. ¡°They¡¯ve got a chieftain¡ªbigger and meaner than the rest, you won¡¯t miss him. If we kill him, the rest should scatter. He¡¯s the only one big enough to dominate a group this size.¡± Reese leaned forward. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of taking him out.¡± ¡°You and me will take to the woods,¡± I exined. I knew she could move covertly, and this was literally my specialty. ¡°Gnolls will respond to what they perceive to be the biggest threat. Rhani, what¡¯s the biggest, meanest thing you¡¯ve got so far?¡± She grinned and brought out her grimoire. ¡°Everyone, meet Fang.¡± With a flourish, she summoned her wolf again, but there were some differences this time. His fur was now a snow-white color with streaks of red running through it, and I thought he looked bigger. Ice blue eyes traveled between the other members of the party, and he licked his chops to show off canines that looked a bit longer than the normal wolf¡¯s. Kili squeaked, and Nariko turned into a blur. She was behind Serena, peeking over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, faster than I could blink. She was even quicker than she was quiet. The others, though, all made varying sounds of appreciation. ¡°I learned I could tweak their appearances a little and give them a bit of an edge,¡± Rhani exined proudly. ¡°This version of Fang is best in groups. He can take down the gnolls and put them in a position for others to finish them off.¡± I tossed a sausage and Fang snapped it out of the air, his eyes locking on mine while he licked his chops again, this time with more eagerness. ¡°That¡¯ll do. We send in Fang with Pierce and Noelle nking him. She¡¯s small, but her axe should draw more than enough attention. Serena, you¡¯ll support them, Yen, you¡¯re in charge of protecting the mages.¡± I received nods all around. ¡°Once you¡¯ve got their attention, start throwing the spider repellents. The vinegar and peppermint concoction¡ª¡± all of the beastkin in the camp shivered or made gagging noises, ¡°¡ªwill keep them from smelling me and Reese while we move in to take out the chieftain.¡± Pierce rubbed at his beard. ¡°Fight defensively, then? Draw them to us? Hammer and anvil style?¡± I nodded. ¡°Exactly that. If the chieftaines for you, then we¡¯ll deal with it, but I don¡¯t think he will. For reasons I can¡¯t go into right now, I¡¯m confident he and his guard will move to secure the prisoners first and foremost. Once we¡¯ve taken care of him, then it¡¯ll be hammer and anvil.¡± ¡°Any questions?¡± I asked. There were none, so everyone started getting ready to leave. I stood, rolling my shoulders, already feeling the anticipation of a fight in my fingertips. Before that, though, there was one thing I needed to do. I walked over to where Nariko was still staring down the giant wolf from over Serena¡¯s shoulder, and it was only when I got close that she shifted her focus to me. I was both impressed and saddened by the hard light I saw in her eyes. Fortuna hadn¡¯t been kidding when she said this girl had suffered far too much in her rtively short life, but I seemed to be a ma for that type. ¡°Nariko,¡± I said, hoping my voice wasn¡¯t too threatening, ¡°I¡¯d like a quick word.¡± Serena stood, ushering Nariko out from behind her but never stepping away from the girl. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said, her hands on Nariko¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You can trust Ren.¡± ¡°Nari,¡± she said in a quiet, steely voice. ¡°Just call me Nari. Nobody¡¯s called me by my full name in a long time.¡± ¡°Nari it is.¡± Up close, with Serena at her back, Nari widened her stance, her weight forward on the balls of her feet in case she needed to move quickly. I resisted the urge to smile. She might have been victimized, but she was far from a victim. ¡°I saw the bodies,¡± I said gently. ¡°They deserved that and more,¡± she said, her chin high. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that.¡± I summoned a dagger that would be the length of her forearm, still in its sheath. ¡°I¡¯ve always been of the mind that the best way to protect someone is to make sure they can protect themselves if the need arises.¡± Her eyes widened, and I didn¡¯t miss the hunger in them while she stared at the dagger I held out, but she didn¡¯t reach for it. ¡°You don¡¯t know me, but you¡¯d give me a weapon?¡± she asked, her tail flicking back and forth. She was angry. Angry at the world. At her life. At herself. I knew, because I¡¯d seen that look in her eyes many a time, usually in the mirror. Her ears were stillid back, and it wasn¡¯t hard to see that she was clearly ufortable around so many strangers. I shrugged. ¡°Stick the pointy end in anyone I care about and I¡¯ll hunt you to the ends of the earth, but I trust that you won¡¯t stab anyone who doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡± Her arm reached out, pausing in the air between us as if waiting for the trick, but I only held the dagger out further. She snatched it with such a speed and softness that I wouldn¡¯t have realized it was gone had I not seen her do it. She clutched the dagger to her chest, backing into Serena without taking her eyes off me. Once she was out of my reach, now armed, her ears lifted. Not fully, but it was a good sign. ¡°Not that you need it,¡± I said, ¡°but you have my full permission to protect yourself if anything happens while we¡¯re gone. Stick with the twins, and we can talk more when Ie back, okay?¡± She nodded once, her posture rxing a little with every word. I summoned a pack, then I summoned some clothes and put them inside. ¡°These won¡¯t be a perfect fit, but they¡¯ll probably fit better than Tsuki¡¯s clothes. They¡¯re yours now.¡± I offered the pack, and this time there was no hesitation before she snatched it from me. She clutched it to her much the same as the dagger, with the desperation of someone who had been taken from far too many times. ¡°There are some belts in there that your dagger should fit on.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, her eyes still not leaving mine. ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, but thank you.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± She frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t owe me anything.¡± ¡°No, maybe not,¡± I answered with a chuckle, ¡°but the universe surely does, and I very much doubt it¡¯s going to settle its debts anytime soon, so I might as well.¡± That only seemed to confuse her, but I backed away to give her the space I knew she needed. She seemed to trust Serena, which wasn¡¯t exactly unsurprising. Even if Serena hadn¡¯t been the one to heal her and carry her to safety, I¡¯d met few people who radiated the same kind of warmth as her. In no time, we were ready to head out. I could feel the nerves of those around me. After all, running into a nest of gnolls thirty-plus strong was no small endeavor, but I felt more at peace than I had in a while. Perhaps it spoke to my trauma, but there was something oddlyforting knowing we¡¯d eithere back with nine more people or not at all. # # # The group was silent while I led them through the woods. The only real noise was the nking of Pierce and Yen¡¯s armor, but it sounded loud as thunder in the quiet of the forest. I risked a nce back at them. My girls had walked with me into a literal spider¡¯s den, but Yen, Lana, and Rastra were clearly untested. I could see their nerves written inly on their faces, and I knew that this would be the moment where each of them realized whether they were actually cut out for adventuring or not. After far too long, we reached the point where Reese and I would split off. Any further and I would worry about the gnolls catching wind of us. After summoning a few tendrils on each of them to give them an edge, I gave the repellent spheres over to Pierce and Noelle, since they were the vanguard, and me and Reese stayed behind while they headed towards the den. I gave them a fifteen minute head start since I knew Reese and I would move through the brush much faster than the rest of them. Right at the fifteen minute mark, I nodded to Reese. Without saying a word, we started heading into the woods on a parallel path that I¡¯d sent the others on. I¡¯d take us to the side of the den where I knew the prisoners were being held. I felt a chill run down my spine about ten seconds before we heard the snarls and yips from the gnolls. Serena and Noelle were in danger, but I could tell from the intensity just how much that danger was. They were outnumbered, but by foes that were weaker than them. They weren¡¯t in immediate peril, but they were fighting for their life. I monitored the Links closely, even when the faint smell of peppermint wafted through the trees. I made a hand signal and started forward as quick and as low as I could manage. In seconds, the den came into view. The gnolls had found a fairly open space nestled into the side of one of the sheer foothills that marked the start of the mountain range in the distance. Most of the gnolls were swarming towards where our allies stood, but I had to trust that they could handle it until me and Reese could take care of our job. Reese let out a feral growl when she saw the captives. I could make out the ck of the Erinyes¡¯s wings and the matted brown hair of S, even from a distance, but they were only two of the nine. I counted three elves as well¡ªtwo that were either forest or high elves, though it was impossible to tell with how dirty they were and from a distance, and one who was definitely a dark elf. There were two Tieflings, one red and one blue, as well as a Lycanine and a dwarf. All seemingly adult, and all female. And arge, gray gnoll was heading straight for them with three more gnolls in tow. ¡°I¡¯ll keep their attention and draw them from the prisoners, watch my back.¡± I didn¡¯t stop to see if Reese heard before hurling myself towards the threat. There were innocents on the line, and we were outnumbered, so I felt no remorse when I conjured two tendrils using Soul Essence. I felt the painful tug, though it was lesser, and the tendrils erupted from my back. It was a sunny day for once, which meant all twelve points of [Release the Darkness] were firmly in Strength. The gnolls saw me first, the three smaller surging towards me with rusty swords while the chieftain kept moving towards the prisoners, who were looking around with wild eyes and fearful expressions. I couldn¡¯t focus on them, though. Couldn¡¯t let their states drive me into the rage I knew it would. I had to do better. Be better. I couldn¡¯t just let the rage take me and throw myself into the fight recklessly. Three arrows mmed into the lead gnoll before we even shed, one after the other and all mming into the same spot on its thigh. It went down hard, tripping up the gnoll behind it. I struck out with my sword, the tip catching the shoulder of the third one while my shadows whipped at them, but I only had eyes for the chief. It whirled on me with a snarl and swung its weapon at me. A long, barbed il that would hurt like hell and do a lot of damage if he managed to catch me with it. I sidestepped the strike, but the chieftain was quick on its feet. I barely managed a single swing of my sword¡ªcatching nothing but air¡ªbefore the il wasing around for the return trip. I danced back, but the other gnolls had regained their bearings. They bore down on me all at once, but that was fine. As long as they wereing at me and not the prisoners, I would figure something out. At least, that was the n until the chieftain howled and two more gnolls arrived to un-even the odds. I went on the defensive, trying to get to the chieftain, but it just snarled at me with fury in its beady little eyes from behind its other warriors. It wasn¡¯t fighting like a gnoll should, and I couldn¡¯t figure out why. Arrows weaved through the chaos for the first few beats, hard pressed to miss with how many gnolls were pushing me away from the chieftain, but then they stopped. When I took a moment to nce in Reese¡¯s direction¡ªearning myself a shallow cut on my ribs as one of the gnolls with a spear managed to get past my defenses¡ªI saw that she was engaged with two gnolls of her own. That was a problem, but not for long. A guttural roar echoed through the clearing, and suddenly I wasn¡¯t alone. A spear made of ck stone with veins of molten me running its length impaled the gnoll to my left, then a shadow descended from the sky. Wielding two des made of the same ck stone, the Erinyes fell and jammed both des into another of the gnolls. It howled, smokeing from where the des impaled it, and she kicked it away. In the back of my mind, I remembered Kili mentioning that her sister Anri was the fighter. She had not been kidding. ¡°Get the big fucker,¡± she snarled, ¡°these are mine!¡± I nodded, but before I tried to force my way through the recovering gnolls I said, ¡°your sister is alive and safe.¡± Her eyes widened, but I was already moving. She surged forward, swinging her ming weapons with deadly precision, giving me a window to slip through. I paused for a brief step when I realized that Nari was in the middle of the prisoners, already pulling the shackles off another of the captives, before running down the chieftain. I should have guessed she wasn¡¯t just going to stay behind. The chieftain tried to back away¡ªa very un-chieftain like thing to do for a gnoll¡ªbut thanks to my boosted agility I was much faster. I felt my Primal surge a bit and fired a barbed [Umbral Barrage] since it had worked so wellst time. It tried to dodge, but enough struck true that the chieftain howled in rage and pain. It came at me, il in one hand and a de in the other, but I was ready for it. I ducked the il, blocked the de, and used my shadows to score two deep hits on the gnoll¡¯s chest. Its armor blocked some of the damage, but not all of it. With no more gnolls to hide behind, it was forced to meet me in openbat. It was big and fast, and since Anri had pulled the other gnolls away from my duel I no longer had [Horde yer] boosting me. One of my tendrils focused on defense while the other snuck in hits wherever it could. Then, once again acting against the instincts Rhani had assured me gnolls possessed, it tried to ignore mepletely and run towards where Nari was now leading the captives into the woods. The two Tieflings were practically carrying S, but otherwise they were all alive and leaving the den behind. The gnoll seemed a ve to the need to chase after them, giving me an opening to cut a deep gash in its side. It whirled on me in a rage and we were once again locked in a deadly dance. Normally a sword was a poor weapon to fight a il with, but my shadows more than made up for the difference. Especially when I summoned two more standard tendrils purely for defense. After gifting so many tendrils to my allies I was running low on mana, but as Inded two more cuts on the chieftain¡¯s legs I knew I would win this fight without needing any more. The gnoll fought well, but it still fought like a feral animal. Its speed and strength would have given it the advantage over any normal human, but my shadows acted as the perfect equalizer. Even as one of my empowered tendrils finally faded away I managed to cut deep into the gnoll¡¯s forearm, causing it to drop its sword. It snarled, lunging, but I sidestepped and brought the de down on the back of its neck for the killing blow. I saw a sh of metal just before everything went sideways. My strikended just where I needed it to, but it wasn¡¯t fur or flesh that met the edge of my de. The jarring impact of steel against something stronger damn near broke my wrists, and it did break my sword. It bounced off, the top half of the de spinning off into the distance and throwing me off bnce. The gnoll recovered faster than I did, and pain erupted along my side when the il finally found purchase. It was a solid hit, mming into my abdomen and ripping across my body. While not the deadliest, it was by far the most painful hit I¡¯d endured since the war had ended. The raw, fiery agony ripped the air from my lugs as the gnoll ripped the barbs free from my flesh. Just as intended, the first blow made me too slow to respond to the second that left barbstched to my arm. Before it could rip them free, an arrow erupted from its wrist. The il went flying, ripping the barbs from me again butnding far enough away to no longer be a threat, and I summoned another one-handed de since I didn¡¯t trust my shredded arm any longer. By the time I¡¯d turned around, two more arrows sprouted from the gnoll, but they weren¡¯t able to prate very deep through the thick fur. The gnoll came at me with ws, leaving long, shallow cuts down the side of my face and neck, but my de cut deeper. I cut so deep into its shoulder that its arm went limp, and I followed immediately by stabbing the de as deep into its chest as I could. I left it there, stumbling away and summoning a third de. It clutched at the sword, whimpering in pain, and was too slow to stop me from plunging my final sword into its back. Crimson erupted from its front and it howled in agony before slumping forward. The two gnolls still engaged with the raging Erinyes took one look at the chieftain and tried to run, but she killed them before they could get too far. I panted, pain wracking my body. The il had ripped me open, so I cast [Shadow Stitching] to staunch the bleeding. The pain nearly drove me to my knees, but I remained standing. Reese ran up to me sporting a few injuries of her own, her face pale. ¡°Shit, you got fucked up.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live,¡± I said, my voice haggard. The Erinyes marched up to me, pausing when she saw the state I was in. ¡°Kili?¡± she asked, hope in her voice. ¡°Safe back at my camp. We¡¯ll take you there as soon as this is all over.¡± I turned to Reese. ¡°Go after Nari and the captives. The gnolls are going to try and split, and I don¡¯t want one stumbling on them by ident.¡± She nodded and took off, and I turned to Anri. ¡°Go with her?¡± Anri looked me over worriedly, then nodded and stepped back to take to the skies once more. I turned my attention back to the gnoll, trying to find the moment where it had all gone so wrong. I¡¯d had a clear kill shot, but I¡¯d fucked it up somehow. I reached out with my de and ran the tip through the fur of its neck until I hit something hard and unyielding. When I lifted the fur a little to get a better look, my stomach plummeted. I was dimly aware of my sword hitting the ground after slipping through my fingers, nowpletely robbed of their strength. Emotions raged through me, but I shoved them down as deep as they¡¯d go and donned the mask that had gotten me through the war. I summoned the biggest axe I could effectively wield with one arm and mmed it down on the gnoll¡¯s neck, just above the strip of metal I now knew was there. It took a few chops, leaving me spattered in blood, but eventually the chieftain¡¯s head rolled free. I kicked it away, no longer caring about it, and knelt down next to the now-headless corpse. I dropped the axe and pulled the cor off with trembling, numb fingers. It still glowed with the faintest of gold symbols that were etched across the entirety of the dark metal cor. I held it tightly in both hands, having to resist the urge to reach up and brush against my own neck just to reassure myself that no cor sat there. I could feel its phantom weight choking me, but I knew it was just my past trying to resurface. I looked the cor over closely, the sounds of the battle drowned out by my own heartbeat hammering in my ears. I ran a thumb over the symbols desperately, hoping to find a single sign that I was wrong. That my instincts were being deceived. But they weren¡¯t. I wasn¡¯t. I knew these symbols. I¡¯d worn them for nearly half my life. I¡¯d seen them on the necks of the people I cared about for all that time. Suddenly, the chieftain¡¯s actions all made sense. It hadn¡¯t made any deals with our mysterious adversary, it had been enved to them. The roaring in my ears grew and grew until it was all that remained. All I could focus on were the pinpricks of fear all running away from me. The gnolls fleeing now that their chieftain was dead. I gripped the cor in the hand that wasn¡¯t strong enough to do much else and grabbed the axe again, rising despite my body¡¯s protests against it. Everything after that was a blur. Chapter Fifty-Five: Malek Hunting Chapter Fifty-Five: Malek Hunting Allie¡¯s dreams were getting worse. Moremon. More vivid. And after she woke, they didn¡¯t feel like dreams. She didn¡¯t remember them as if they were dreams. They were no more or less solid than her own memories of her childhood, and that was beginning to terrify her. And that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it. Just that morning, she¡¯d nearly attacked Nora upon waking. Her dream that night had been a particrly heartrending one. She could still hear the sound of Zaren¡¯s sobs¡ªbody wracking sobs that tore through her and left her feeling physical pain¡ªover the twins. They¡¯d idolized him, and they¡¯d died at the hands of the big blond bastard that haunted so many of her nightmares. One of Karn¡¯s ¡®guests¡¯ who was given near free reign with the experiments whenever he visited. He was brutal and violent with whoever he chose. Zaren often goaded the man into choosing him because, of all of Karn¡¯s victims, only Zaren and Eliya had any kind of protection. They were Karn¡¯s most valuable experiments, and no matter how angry or physical the man got he wasn¡¯t allowed to kill them. Whatever else he did, they could endure. But not the twins. Whatever Karn needed from them, he had. They had no such safety, and the blond had taken it too far with one. He¡¯d shown up while Zaren was still unconscious and she was still recovering from the infrequent duels Karn forced them to have against one another. Zaren almost always won, but her ss let her recover faster. Either way, it meant neither of them were there to protect Siri or Sora, and they¡¯d both paid the price for it. And when Allie had woken, Eliya had still been there. Panic and rage had seized her. Waking up in a bed with a stranger¡¯s arms wrapped around her meant only one thing; another one of Karn¡¯s ¡®guests.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t recognized Nora. Nora. The woman Allie was rapidly falling further and further for. She¡¯d tried to run from her girlfriend until Nora managed to wrap her big strong arms around Allie and whisper calm reassurances until Eliya had faded back into wherever she was when Allie was awake. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d woken still thinking she was Eliya, but it was the first time it hadsted for several minutes. The first time it had taken so long for Allie toe back. It scared her far more than she could ever put into words. ¡°You are still thinking of this morning,¡± Nora said softly into her ear, ¡°aren¡¯t you?¡± Allie looked up from her untouched lunch. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered. Nora just nodded, taking a strip of the rabbit they¡¯d caught and holding it to Allie¡¯s lips. ¡°Eat. We¡¯ll figure this out, but we cannot do so on empty stomachs.¡± Her unsettled stomach begged to differ, but she parted her lips and allowed her girlfriend to push the strip of meat past them. vor exploded in her mouth thanks to their newpanion, but her stomach was still unappreciative. She really didn¡¯t want to throw up again, she felt bad every time she wasted some of Therese¡¯s fantastic cooking. That wasn¡¯t the main reason she wanted to avoid throwing up, either. Therese¡¯spanion, Rose, was a healer in every sense of the word. From her skills to her mentality to her uncanny ability to see when something was wrong with one of the party, the dryad would be all over her if she lost her lunch so soon after this morning. The bad rations excuse would only work so often, and Allie was confident that if Rose was more confident around her and Nora then she wouldn¡¯t have let the issue die so quickly. ¡°Alright, men!¡± Kat barked, taking her usual sardonic pleasure from referring to their party of women as such. ¡°Five minutes, and we¡¯re moving out.¡± Nora ran her hand down Allie¡¯s back with a sigh, then moved to take her food so she could covertly slip it into a pouch forter. Rose had already noticed Allie¡¯sck of appetite. Nora, being the wonderful, sweet woman she was, covered for Allie perfectly. Her issues right now weren¡¯t something the dryad healer could help with. As far as she could tell, she wasn¡¯t sure there was anybody who could. Allie stood, checking her equipment for the hundredth time today. Her sword and light leather armor. It was all in perfect condition, as always, but she needed to keep her hands moving. Rose¡¯s vibrant green eyes had already lingered on her for a second too long for her liking. Any other day and she¡¯d be thankful for such an attentive healer, but not today. Not when she was still reeling from this morning. Panicking from the thoughts she hadn¡¯t had the chance to clue Nora in on. ¡°I¡¯ve got a good feeling about today,¡± Kat said, throwing her pack over her shoulder. ¡°We should reach the area from the report in an hour or so. Rose, you¡¯ll search the area for anything out of the ordinary. Allie, Nora, you¡¯re the ones who¡¯ve seen these things before, so you¡¯re on lookout. Nora, you watch the trees, Allie the sky. I don¡¯t want to get jumped.¡± They all nodded in response. Allie had been pleasantly surprised at the change in Kat upon leaving the city behind. The pdin was a whole new woman when in charge of a task she actually feltpetent doing, and she¡¯d already shown signs that there was a good leader hiding under her crass and boisterous personality. But the thought of running across another Malek did nothing to settle her painfully raw nerves. The brief brush of Nora¡¯s lips to her temple helped settle her stomach slightly, but Allie was still afraid. Afraid of the Maleks. Afraid of her memories. Afraid of herself. Afraid of Eliya. She pushed the thought out of her situation out of her mind. Being distracted could get them all killed, so she¡¯d worry about her rapidly deteriorating mental state when there was less chance of mortal peril. This part of the world was ravines, craggy cliffs, andplex cave systems. There wasn¡¯t much foliage bigger than the scraggly bushes that dotted the area, but the rocks, crevices, and caves provided plenty of ces for a Malek to ambush unsuspecting prey from. ording to Kat, this area had been devastated by the skills of incredibly powerful fighters centuries ago, leaving the earth itself jagged and cracked. Maps of the area were hard to make because of the winding nature of the Crands, which made it a perfect ce to hide. Thanks to Rose¡¯s Dryad based nature ss, though, they had an edge when it came to navigating the wilds. But scanning while they walked could only upy her thoughts for so long. They kept pulling back to Eliya no matter how hard Allie tried to keep those memories from her mind. She¡¯d seen a number of Karn¡¯s experiments die horribly. She¡¯d been forced to kill one or two during duels by the awful cor that took away her will. Those haunted her worse than any of the glorified torture sessions that had apparently earned Eliya her ss. ¡°Is your head alright?¡± A soft voice asked from her side, startling her out of her reverie. Adrenaline surged through Allie as she looked down at the small Dryad at her side. Shorter than Allie¡¯s tall stature but much curvier with soft green skin and brown and gray hair that reminded Allie of tree bark, Rose should have been as unintimidating as they came. Her question, though, scared the shit out of Allie. Did Rose have some kind of mind reading ability? Did she know that Allie was barely holding on to sanity? Did she think that Allie was already insane? ¡°W-what?¡± Allie finally managed to get out. ¡°You keep touching that spot on your head,¡± Rose said, touching her own dainty finger to a spot just above her ear, ¡°like it¡¯s bothering you. I wanted to make sure you didn¡¯t hit it or something.¡± Nora¡¯s head whipped around to look at them both at the same time Allie¡¯s stomach twisted painfully. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Just a nervous tick is all. Thank you for checking, though. I appreciate it.¡± Rose nodded, apparently satisfied, but Allie¡¯s lungs felt like they struggled to take in air. She shed a smile and her best ¡°we¡¯ll talk about thister¡± look at Nora, who returned to watching the area around them with a worried expression. Allie didn¡¯t have to look far to find a reason, though. The spot Rose had touched was the very spot where Eliya carried a scar bad enough to keep the hair on the side of her head from growing. It was something she was constantly self-conscious about. She always tried to angle it away from Zaren when they were together, despite his reassurances that it didn¡¯t bother him. It bothered Eliya horribly. An ugly, physical reminder of what Karn had done to her. Eliya had never considered herself that attractive, but with a scar like that? Zaren would never want her the way she wanted him. Why would he? Allie had to shake herself out of the very Eliya-like train of thought and focus on the real issue here. Eliya had a habit of touching her fingers to that very scar when she was nervous or upset. Allie clenched her hand around her sword to keep from doing the same thing, but it was toote. She couldn¡¯t unlearn the knowledge Rose had just inadvertently given her. She was starting to pick up Eliya¡¯s ticks. Rose watched her for a bit longer before moving up to walk with Therese for a bit. They talked in tones quiet enough that Allie couldn¡¯t hear them until Therese suddenly dropped back to walk next to Allie. ¡°It¡¯s alright to be nervous,¡± Therese said suddenly. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how many times I was frightened to the point of nausea before a job. Willfully throwing yourself into danger goes against all the instincts that are there to keep us alive, after all.¡± Allie seized on that convenient excuse gratefully. ¡°I know. I just¡­¡± Therese nodded. ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve fought one of these before. Nearly died to it, ording to yours and Nora¡¯s ounts. Your party now is much stronger than yourst one, though.¡± Therese slipped one of her hands into Allie¡¯s. ¡°As long as we take care of one another, we¡¯ll be alright.¡± Thesest few days they¡¯d been traveling, Allie had started to wonder if Therese had been sent by the gods themselves. Her calm, collected presence set her at ease in a simr fashion to Nora¡¯s quiet strength, and over the course of the trip they¡¯d be friends. Therese was always happy to answer questions about Zaren, and she seemed to enjoy talking to Allie a lot. She was even good with Nora, which practically made Allie¡¯s heart sing. She had infinite patience, and was never bothered by Nora¡¯sck of experience with people. But right now, her growing closeness with Therese only made Allie feel guilty. How would Therese react if she knew Allie was losing her mind? She needed to change the topic before she lost it. ¡°You¡¯re B rank, right? How does that happen?¡± Therese shot her a small smile that said the shift in conversation wasn¡¯t going unnoticed, but she answered anyways. ¡°I¡¯ve known Rose since we were girls. She¡¯s one of my oldest friends, but the ss she took ended up being stronger than she anticipated. The wrong person saw her using the wrong skill and suddenly she was cored, but my family isn¡¯t wealthy enough to own property or servants.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Bing an adventurer was the only way I could protect my friend, so I dedicated myself to it. It was hell at times, especially thanks to the kind of adventurers I had to put up with to make it this far, but it was nothingpared to what my friend endured under her first Patron. It took me a few years, but I did it, and now we¡¯re together again and nobody can take her from me.¡± That exnation did little to settle the contents of Allie¡¯s stomach. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what Rose endured,¡± Therese admitted, ¡°but not for what I went through. It made me stronger. What about you?¡± Allie looked away. Her story seemed ratherme inparison. ¡°Parents died to illness and didn¡¯t have much to pass on, and my ss isn¡¯t good for much else. Plus¡­¡± ¡°You always dreamed of being an adventurer?¡± Therese guessed with a teasing smile. Allie felt heat rising to her cheeks. ¡°I may have always had a very¡­romanticized opinion on adventurers,¡± she admitted, suddenly very aware of Therese¡¯s hand still in hers, ¡°but that got knocked out of me pretty quickly.¡± Therese nodded. ¡°I understand that better than most,¡± she admitted. ¡°Rising through the ranks pretty much ruined men for me.¡± Okay, now Allies cheeks were on fire. She gently removed her hand from Therese¡¯s to adjust her armor. ¡°It led me to Nora, though, and she makes me happier than I¡¯ve been in a long time.¡± Therese¡¯s smile widened. ¡°You two are adorable together, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°I wish I¡¯d met you two a long time ago.¡± Me too, Allie thought sadly. But she shoved her rising mncholy down. She needed to focus on the situation at hand right now. She went back to scanning the featureless cliffsides and clear skies. ¡°Thank you for caring, though.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Theresa said, frowning in confusion. ¡°We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we? Rose can tell you¡¯re stressed about something, and I want to help you however I can.¡± Allie nodded. ¡°All the same, thank you. I haven¡¯t had many people who can say the same.¡± Really just the one since her parents had died, and her reliance on Nora was making her feel guiltier by the day. It can¡¯t be easy on the warrior woman to have to spend so much time caring for a lost, lonely girl deteriorating worse each day. But either her words or her tone brought a distressed frown to Therese¡¯s face. She reached out, touching her fingertips to Allie¡¯s arm, and opened her mouth to say something, but she was interrupted. ¡°I found something!¡± Rose called. They all ran to the Dryad, though Allie and Nora both made sure to watch their surroundings. Six long, gray spikes jutted out from a wall, two of them trailing arge amount of blood. There were tufts of fur sticking from two of them where they¡¯d impaled something low to the ground. Probably a mountain goat of some kind if Allie had to guess. Kat yanked one out with some difficulty and held it out to Allie and Nora. ¡°This one of the spikes it was throwing?¡± Allie rolled it across her palm. ¡°Hard to say for sure, since they were flying at me in the dark, but I think so. It¡¯s the same color as the rest of the thing, at least.¡± ¡°Rose?¡± Kat asked. ¡°Blood trail leads that way,¡± she said, pointing, ¡°and it¡¯s fresh.¡± ¡°Good shit,¡± Kat said with a grin. ¡°Alright, men, weapons out, heads on a swivel. Let¡¯s go fuck up a Malek.¡± Allie wished she had a slice of Kat¡¯s confidence, but she drew her sword as if she did anyways. As much as the thought of fighting another of those monsters scared her, at least it was a tangible threat she could swing a sword at. It was something she could fight, unlike the constant barrage of traumatic memories from the life of a girl who¡¯d seemed to be born to suffer. At least if the Malek killed her she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Eliya any longer. Kat led the group after the blood trail until it dried up, then Rose took over. Her ss, based entirely around nature magics, gave her an edge in many things. Tracking was one of them. Far too quickly, the ravine they walked through opened up into a wider area. And at the center was the Malek. Ity crouched over something that had once had four legs, ripping chunks of meat from the carcass and chewing them slowly. It was somehow more terrifying in the light of day than it had been at night. Gray leathery flesh stretched over thick, powerful muscle with a spine of blood red fur. Paws the size of Allie¡¯s head that held retractable ws that would shred her armor to ribbons. But something was wrong. This Malek had no wings. No tail. Instead, it carried an extra set of arms behind the first. The arms and the hands attached were almost human-like, though still tipped in lethal looking ws, and while one held the carcass close to the mouth the other remained curled to the Malek¡¯s chest. ¡°Easy shit,¡± Kat said with a grin. ¡°Nora, you and me will swing right while Allie goes left. We¡¯ll attack first so its back is to her for the kill. Therese, as soon as it notices us, let loose, Rose, stay back in case someone gets hurt. Ready¡ª¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Allie hissed. It wasn¡¯t until Kat turned an arched brow on her that she realized her hand had shot out and grabbed the pdin¡¯s wrist. ¡°It¡¯s an ambush.¡± They all stared at her as surprised as she was. She knew it was true, she just had to figure out why. Far too slowly, the pieces came to her. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a tail,¡± she said finally. Kat frowned and Nora¡¯s face remained passive, but Therese cursed. ¡°That¡¯s right, the one you fought had wings and a tail. The tail was how it shot the spikes, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Allie nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the other variant you showed me. No tail. The goat that its chewing on was killed by spikes. Plus, look at where it¡¯s sitting. We¡¯ve got the perfect angle of attack, room to pinch it, high ground for our ranged attackers¡­¡± Kat¡¯s frown deepened as she looked at the area. ¡°They¡¯re beasts,¡± she pointed out. ¡°And there are plenty of mythic creatures that have intelligence either on par or greater than humans and demi-humans,¡± Therese argued. Kat made an irritated noise, but she nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll defer to you, then.¡± A part of Allie was surprised by that, but she shoved it down. She suddenly felt more confident than she had in years. This was a trap, and they couldn¡¯t afford to simply spring it. She looked over the area again with a more critical eye. ¡°Your n is the most logical option,¡± she said slowly. High ground for ranged attackers. She looked around until she found an outcropping nearby that was angled enough so they couldn¡¯t see what was on the other side. Then she scanned the ground around the Malek they could see. One side was wider and more even, the clear path for heavier warriors to draw aggression, while the other was narrower and uneven, perfect for a single attacker to sneak through. ¡°As soon as we put your n into action, I¡¯m betting something is hidden in those crags,¡± she pointed to the wide side, ¡°to jump you two from behind. The second it does, the Malek down there turns on whoever is sneaking up on it while a third Malek jumps from there,¡± she gestured to the outcropping above, ¡°and catches our ranged fighters unawares.¡± They followed her gestures until Kat turned back to her with wide eyes. ¡°Shit, girlie, I didn¡¯t realize you were a tactician.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Allie rified quickly. ¡°I just know beasts, is all.¡± Nora sucked in a breath and Allie realized what she¡¯d said. She was far from an expert on beasts and monsters, but Karn had put Eliya through trial after trial against them. Zaren excelled in fighting people, but Eliya was a monster yer. Once again, Allie was channeling Eliya subconsciously. There was no time for panic. Not right now. She could have a breakdownter, when they weren¡¯t in danger. Kat looked around thoughtfully, then nodded. ¡°Right, then there won¡¯t be any ambushes. Assuming you¡¯re right, then we have to take the fuckers head on. Shit, what a pain.¡± The bloodthirsty grin she wore really undermined her words, but Allie didn¡¯t mention that. ¡°Remember,¡± Allie interjected, ¡°these things are smart.¡± The intelligence in the crimson eyes of that Malek still haunted her. ¡°If we disrupt the trap, they¡¯ll adapt. They¡¯ll either run, or try to kill us all. My gold is on thetter.¡± ¡°Fuck yeah,¡± Kat breathed, twirling her sword. ¡°New n, then. Therese, you¡¯re gonna open up with your biggest spell on the little shit down there baiting us and we¡¯ll draw it to us. This is a natural choke point, so me and Nora will keep those two back while Allie takes whatever fuck is waiting to jump our backline.¡± Therese nodded, taking a breath and dropping into a stance. Rose fell into step just behind her, soft green light trailing from her fingertips. ¡°Ready when you are,¡± she whispered into her Patron¡¯s ear. Kat and Nora took their ce in the front of the group and Allie stood behind them, gripping her de in hands that weren¡¯t nearly as sweaty as she¡¯d thought they¡¯d be. Then Kat hissed, ¡°now!¡± And everything went to shit. Two crystals appeared, one over either of Therese¡¯s shoulders. Beams of light shot across the small clearing and mmed into the Malek, sending it sprawling with a howl. Allie had seen a lot of different magics over her years, but she¡¯d never seen attacks that moved as fast as Therese¡¯s. Already another beam was on its way, hitting the Malek before it could recover. Rose¡¯s green light sank into the ground and moss spread from it to cover the earth around them. She waved a hand and vines erupted from the ground, forming a roof over her and Therese, just as a shadow shot from the exact outcropping Allie had pointed out. Thanks to Rose pointing the brunt of her vines at the outcropping, they were protected from the barrage of spikes that erupted from the winged shadow. ¡°Iing!¡± Kat yelled. A secondter, a gray blur was smashing into her shield. It had erupted from the crags faster than Allie could have ever expected, knocking Kat to the ground. Its smaller arms grabbed her shield and yanked it down while the othersshed out, but its ws bounced off her now-glowing armor. ¡°Shit!¡± Kat cursed. Nora was there a momentter, mming her hammer into its side. It reared back, but not beforeshing out at Nora and drawing blood from three long gashes on her bicep. It was fast. Allie wanted to help, but she was the only thing between the flying Malek and their mages. The only problem? It seemed to have no interest in flying low enough for her to reach it, and it nimbly dodged the [Wind de] she hurled at it. ¡°Go!¡± Theresemanded. ¡°Help them, Rose¡¯s defensive spells will keep me safe if it decides to attack!¡± That wasn¡¯t the n, but Allie¡¯s newfound instincts agreed. She activated [Conduit] and lightning crackled across her flesh. She shot forward just in time to intercept the original Malek before it crashed into Nora from behind, leaving the other two to deal with the first one. It snarled and attacked, but she was just quick enough tond a few shallow strikes. Its leathery skin was so tough it nearly ripped the de from her hands. She wasn¡¯t going to kill this thing without skills, so she activated [Sword of Night]. Shadows wrapped around her sword and the Malek hissed, trying to back away, but she threw herself at it. She danced, not risking herself to get in any heavy strikes in the hopes that Nora and Kat would take care of their Malek soon. Her mana wasn¡¯t infinite, but she had enough to at least keep this Malek busy. Both her and the Malek fought a defensive battle, which was fine by her. It managed tond shallow cuts on her outer thigh, opposite hip, and upper arm, but shended a dozen other strikes across its body. It was so fast, though, that she had no opportunity to so much as nce towards the others to see how they were faring. That was her undoing. It lunged to the side and she stepped out of the reach of its ws¡­right into the path of the spikes that the flying Malek had thrown. Two only left shallow cuts, but the third went through the meaty part of her calf. She cried out, falling to a knee, and the Malek pounced. She dropped both [Conduit] and [Sword of Night] to throw up a [Winter¡¯s Shield] between her and the Malek. It crashed into the shield, but its weight and the force of the attackunched her. The shield mmed into her nose, dazing her, a second before the back of her head bounced off hard stone. Spots danced in her vision. Her ears rang and her lungs refused to work, but she couldn¡¯t justy there. Fuck, she couldn¡¯t even remember thest time her bell had been rung that hard. She threw herself to the side, ignoring how the world spun, just in time to avoid the¡­whatever it was that mmed into the ground where she¡¯d beenying. She rolled to her feet, trying to get her bearings. The world pitched underneath her, but she remained standing. Her head pounded. Blood poured from her nose, and from the wetness on her back she was pretty sure it was dripping from the back of her head as well. She staggered away from the giant, hairless, six legged cat thing to buy herself a second to think. Bile rose, but she fought it back. Yeah, Eliya was definitely concussed, which was probably why she didn¡¯t know where the fuck she was or what the fuck was happening. A real pain in the ass, since it was one of the few injuries her skill could do nothing about. She lifted the sword in her hands, frowning. Usually she liked something a bit heavier than the long, one sided de she now held, but she¡¯d take speed over strength against a feline opponent. Judging from the burning on her leg, hip, thigh and calf, it had alreadynded a few blows. She shifted her weight, but she was just dizzy from the knock. She hadn¡¯t yet lost enough blood to be light headed, which meant she had plenty of time to kill this¡­thing. She grinned as the beast snarled at her. It was feral, but smart. Shorter snout, retractable ws, thick skin and powerful legs. It¡¯s bite was more for holding its prey in ce while its ws did the work. ws that were sheathed to keep them from being dulled by nature, which meant they¡¯d cut deep without ripping her up too much. The other two arms were really throwing her for a loop, but they seemed shorter. She¡¯d worry about them as they came. Her grin widened further at the look in its eyes. A clever creature, and a cruel one. This wasn¡¯t some poor animal Karn had captured and forced into an arena, this was a hunter. A killer. It wore no cor, which meant its malice was natural. She could kill it and sleep like a baby tonight. Her favorite kind of trial. She couldn¡¯t wait to tell Zaren about it. ¡°Alright, kitty cat, let¡¯s dance.¡± Her voice sounded all wrong, but she attributed that to the probable brain damage. She danced on the balls of her feet while the cat thing circled closer. Once it was within range, she cast [Quicken]. Strength filled her limbs, but it was all wrong. It wasn¡¯t the thickening of her blood vessels she was used to, but she still felt quicker. Even stranger was the arcs of blue lightning that danced across her skin without harming her. There must have been someone else in the trial helping her, then. Whatever, she¡¯d figure it outter. She had an evil cat to kill. She shot forward with more speed than [Quicken] should have given her, but she adapted quickly. The beast lunged, its powerful back legsunching it with as much speed as she had, but she expected that. Eliya dropped to a slide, letting the beast sail over her. It went just too high tond a solid blow on its hopefully weak underbelly, but she¡¯d expected that, too. She pushed off, shooting for the beast even as it whirled around to meet her. Painced up her side as ws found purchase, but her grin didn¡¯t falter. It hadnded a blow, but so had she. The tip of her de found the beast¡¯s eye and cut deep, earning her a pained roar as she created a nice fat blind spot to work in. It tried to back away, swiping at her, but she stepped further into its reach. One of its small arms shot out at her, but her de flicked up and knocked it away even as she twisted it to leave deep cuts on its neck. Too low to hit anything important, but enough to make it bleed. It tried to m its shoulder into her, spinning to try andpensate for its now-blinded side, but she spun low to the ground and came up on its non-blind side to leave it with four more cuts along its nk. More pain in her shoulder when it whirled back, but the cuts weren¡¯t deep enough for any real damage. Her de parted the flesh of its arm, sliding through the thick skin easily, and the beast finally managed to leap away. ¡°Where are you going, kitty? We aren¡¯t done yet,¡± she said, her voice still all kinds of weird. She went to flick the blood from her sword only to pause. The de was wrapped from hilt to tip in shimmering ck shadows that she knew all too well. Zaren. Warmth bloomed in her chest. He was here? Karn rarely let them fight together! She wanted to search him out, fight shoulder to shoulder with the boy she¡¯d fallen in love with while she could, but the cat was still too close for her to lose focus like that. She¡¯d have to take care of it, then look for him. He was probably off somewhere fighting like eight of these things. Idiot was a ma for things that wanted to kill him. Augh slipped out of her throat when she threw herself back at the beast. If Zaren was around, she wasn¡¯t going to y with her food any longer. She charged straight at it, her body low to the ground, then halted to a stop as soon as the muscles bunched for its leap. It jumped, underestimating where she was going to be, and she nimbly stepped around its lightning-fast ws. Her de was a sh of ck as she left a line of cuts up its arm, cutting deep enough to render it useless, while she spun towards its blind side again. It turned, slowed by its bad leg. She plunged the de into its neck and ripped downward, ripping it open and sending a deluge of blood spattering against the stone and dirt below. The beast staggered, but big fucks like this one always had too much blood to take chances. She made two long, horizontal cuts along its nk to bnce out the vertical ones she¡¯d left on its other side and stepped back. It snarled at her weakly, blood pouring from its many injuries, but it only made it a few steps before copsing underneath all the injuries she¡¯d left on it. Blood loss was the safest way to kill these things in the long run. Now, time to find Zaren. ¡°What the fuck was that, girlie!?¡± a voice called. Eliya frowned, looking for the owner of the voice. A ck haired girl in armor with a dozen des strapped to her and a tall, muscr redhead were fighting another of the cats while a tinum blond and a Dryad stood uphill, weathering attacks from another cat, but this one with fucking wings and a tail. Other subjects? She didn¡¯t recognize them, though Karn could have brought them from one of his otherbs. He¡¯d done it before. But a quick spin showed no sign of Zaren. Where was he? Her de was still covered in his shadows, so he had to be near. The armored girl and the redhead weren¡¯t having too much trouble, though they were fighting much more cautiously than she had. They¡¯d take a bit longer to kill their enemy. The two on the hill, though¡­ She watched the flying cat. The way it circled, adeptly dodging the beams of light that the blond girl was hurling. Where it was shooting spikes from its tail. Where it was aiming. In seconds she knew what it was going to do before it happened. Whether she knew them or not, Eliya wasn¡¯t going to let Karn kill anyone while she could help it. The armored girl was once again preupied with the cat she fought, so Eliya shot for her first. The lightning still crackled, which must have been a skill from one of them. She closed the distance between her and the armored girl in seconds, which made the girl curse foully in surprise, and deftly plucked arge, curved de from one of the many scabbards on her body. A de in each hand, she shot towards Blondie and the Dryad. She hadn¡¯t taken two steps before the flying cat dropped like a stone and mmed into the wall of vines the Dryad was using to shield the two of them. Its ws sunk into the vines, but the tail was long enough to curl around and take the Dryad¡¯s feet from under her. She went down, and so did the vines. Eliya had almost made it when it leapt from the Dryad to the blond girl, who was firing beams rapidly in the beasts face while circling away from the Dryad. She was trying to draw it away from herpanion, which was admirable but unnecessary. She¡¯d been the target from the beginning. Blondie screamed when the cat pounced on her. ws sunk into her body and its wings beat, but Eliya threw herself at it before it could take off. It howled when she sunk her des into its hide, but it didn¡¯t release the blond mage. Eliya held on tight, d she¡¯d gone for a curved de since its bite was the only reason she wasn¡¯t thrown off the beast when it took to the air. She heard screams behind her, but she had other things to worry about. Like finding a way back to the ground that didn¡¯t involve a st at the end. She mmed her longer de deeper into the beast¡ªt side down so gravity didn¡¯t simply rip it free¡ªand looked at the rippling muscles in the cat¡¯s back that twisted with each pump of its long, ck feathered wings. Trusting her instinct, she ripped the curved de free and plunged it into the muscle at just the right time in just the right ce. The de hit bone and stuck fast. The beast howled and its wing went stiff, stuck in a lowered position. They pitched, the wing just high enough to keep them gliding but not high enough to give the cat any altitude, and the ground raced up towards them. Totally nned out, the beast rolled just enough for Eliya to drop to the ground without shattering all the bones in her body, clutching her remaining de close to her body while she rolled. Not only that, but itnded on its side, not on the blond girl. Its body took the brunt of the impact, its wing crunching underneath it fairly horrifically, and the girl went tumbling. Shended hard, but she immediately started to drag herself away with one arm, so she was at least alive. The beast turned towards the blond girl, but Eliya was already up and moving. Its wing was in no shape to fly any time soon, but its tail was still a problem. It was covered in those gray spikes and looked plenty sharp enough to be used as a weapon. For the third time, she used [Quicken]. For the third time, lightning crackled across her skin. It must be the blond girl, then. It turned on her when she was close enough, but she wasn¡¯t so inexperienced to not recognize a bait when she saw one. She ducked its strike, dragging her once-again-shadow-wrapped-de along its side. Itshed out at her with its tail, the spikes along its ridge ripping into her ribs, but she cut so deep into its base that it went limp. It raked its ws across her back, but the pain barely slowed her down. Karn had done unspeakable things to her, but it had left her with a tolerance for pain second to none. She whirled, going for its eye again, but this one wasn¡¯t going to fall for the same trick. It ducked enough that she got its forehead, but its eyes remained open and unblinking. Sheunched herself at it with a flurry of strikes that mostly found purchase, but it nicked her just above the knee with a well ced strike that sent her to the ground. Her knee mmed into the hard ground painfully, but she didn¡¯t let that momentum stop. She rolled with the fall and ducked her head so that the strike that should have taken off her head only ripped into her offhand shoulder. She kept rolling and carved deep into its underbelly, but when she tried to stand her leg buckled underneath her. The cat tried to pounce, but beams of light mmed into it. Blondie couldn¡¯t even sit up fully, but that wasn¡¯t stopping her fromunching beam after beam from where shey, covered in blood, a determined look on her face. Eliya pushed of the ground, keeping her weight on her Un-fucked leg, and positioned herself so that the beast was between her and the mage. More beams mmed into it, covering it in burn marks. It turned towards the mage, but Eliya leapt forward and cut its tail offpletely. It howled, spinning around, but the mage never stopped. Eliya was slowed by her injuries, the blood loss finally catching up with her, but between her and the mage the beast finally fell into a pool of its own blood. She was beginning to feel woozy, but Eliya practically lived with the effects of blood loss. She needed to make sure the blond girl didn¡¯t bleed out before she worried about using [Bloodletting] on her own injuries. There was every chance that doing so would make her pass out, and she knew from experience that she still had at least a minute before blood loss made it too hard to stay standing. She limped as fast as she could towards the girl with the tinum blond hair, still lying on the ground in clear pain. One of her ankles was twisted, and her arm hung limp at her side, but it was her face that gave Eliya pause. She looked up to Eliya in a fear and confusion that was usually reserved for when people looked at Zaren. Zaren. She needed to find him and see if he needed help. Those cat things were much stronger than the beasts Karn usually sent them against, and she needed to make sure he hadn¡¯t underestimated¡ª ¡°Allie?¡± The blond asked, her voice trembling. ¡°Allie, what¡¯s going on?¡± Eliya frowned. Allie. She recognized the name. She knew the name. It was¡­ It was on the tip of her tongue along with something else. Something important she¡¯d forgotten. The redhead from earlier. The one with biceps the size of Eliya¡¯s head and a badass hammer. That wasn¡¯t Allie, though. She knew that much. The redhead¡¯s name was¡­she knew it¡­it was¡­ Nora. Something inside her shattered. For a brief moment, she wasn¡¯t Eliya or Allie, she was both. She was the scarred, tortured girl who knew that the only person she could count on in this world was Zaren. He was the strongest of them, and he was also the only one Karn would never kill. Karn¡¯s most important experiment, and the most important person in Eliya¡¯s life. The only one she could ever afford to love, even if he could never know it. And she was also the lonely woman who knew that, if Zaren was even alive, he was somewhere she couldn¡¯t reach. He was gone, and to Eliya that was far too much to handle. Pain racked her that had nothing to do with her injuries. She felt like a part of her had been ripped out, leaving a hole in its ce. Zaren was gone. Zaren was gone. Her de slipped through her fingers as Eliya faded away and Allie returned. The pain she felt inside was matched by the injuries she¡¯d sustained. It drove her to her knees and a sob slipped from her. There were shouts and the pounding of multiple sets of feet, but Allie couldn¡¯t see past the film of tears that obstructed everything. It was too much. It was all too much. From what she¡¯d felt in thosest moments of Eliya to what she now felt as Allie. Strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her from the ground gently and moving her closer to Therese. She felt a hand on her, then something warm andforting started to spread from the hand. Ropes of something with weight that snaked across her body and covered her injuries. Large, callused hands wiped the tears from her eyes and she looked down to see flower-covered vines wrapping around her. She traced them back to Rose, who had her other hand on Therese. The mage was covered in simr vines, and Allie knew Rose was healing the both of them. ¡°Allie, talk to me,¡± Nora pleaded, her arms still wrapped around Allie. ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Allie said, her voice weak and trembling. ¡°I¡¯m me again.¡± Her hands shook so violently she couldn¡¯t even clench them into fists. She felt so cold despite the warm vines pumping magic into her. Nora cradled Allie¡¯s head into her chest, but Allie couldn¡¯t tear her eyes from Therese¡¯s gaze. Pale blue eyes wide with worry for her. ¡°What¡ª¡± Allie cleared her throat. ¡°What happened?¡± It was Therese who answered. ¡°You went down hard, and when you got up¡­¡± She forced herself to sit up with a wince despite Rose¡¯s protests. ¡°You weren¡¯t you.¡± Allie closed her eyes, unable to look at any of them. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The way you fought waspletely different. You¡¯ve always been so precise and practiced, standing tall and proper, then suddenly you were¡­¡± ¡°Feral,¡± Nora offered softly. ¡°Yeah. You charged that Malek without an ounce of fear. You didn¡¯t so much as flinch when it wed you. You moved in a way I never thought you were capable of to kill it, and the look on your face was¡­¡± It hadn¡¯t been her. It had been Eliya. ¡°It was like I was enjoying myself.¡± ¡°Allie, what¡­¡± Therese trailed off. Allie¡¯s next words were directed at Nora. She was too tired and beaten to care that Therese and Rose heard them. ¡°I was her, Nora. I was Eliya.¡± Nora held her tighter. ¡°An episode, then.¡± ¡°No. Not like that.¡± How did she put it into words? How could she exin why she was so fucking scared of what had just happened. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a ckout or a shback. Nora, I was Eliya. I fought like her. I thought like her. I still remember all of it. Every second. Every line of reasoning behind every move. I was still in control, I just wasn¡¯t¡­me.¡± And it had felt so natural. For that brief moment, the line between her and Eliya had been painfully blurred. Like they were bleeding into each other. Even now, she felt like she had more parts of Eliya in her than before. She felt wrong now, but when she¡¯d been Eliya she¡¯d felt so¡­ ¡°Nora,¡± she whispered. ¡°What if one day, I wake up as Eliya and Allie neveres back?¡± It had started as an irrational fear the first time she¡¯d failed to break free of Eliya when the nightmares started and had slowly be more and more rational every day since. Nora pulled back to cup Allie¡¯s cheek. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just have to keep loving you until you do.¡± Her words cut through the hopelessness that Allie felt like she was drowning in. ¡°You¡­¡± Pressing her forehead to Allies, Nora said, ¡°I love you, Allie, and we are going to figure this out. I swear it. I¡¯m not going anywhere, no matter what.¡± The tears returned, but this time they weren¡¯t born of despair. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± she whispered, still uncaring that Therese and Rose could certainly hear every word. ¡°I am too,¡± Nora admitted, ¡°but that isn¡¯t going to stop me. That I care about you enough to be scared is a nice change of pace.¡± Allie nodded. ¡°I love you, too.¡± She pulled away, warmed by the smile Nora wore. She turned her attention back to Therese and Rose, who both very clearly had questions. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a lot of questions. I¡¯ll exin what I canter.¡± Therese nodded, her face bing a mask again. ¡°Alright then. Kat?¡± ¡°Securing the other two bodies,¡± Nora exined. ¡°She was using a keystone to transport them back ahead of us, she should be¡ª¡± ¡°Fuck me sideways, girlie!¡± Kat called, loud enough to make Allie wince. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you had that in you.¡± Allie leaned into Nora¡¯s chest and closed her eyes. ¡°Now seems a good time to mention that I¡¯m almost definitely concussed.¡± She felt Nora¡¯s hand gingerly touching the back of her head and Kat cursed. ¡°Sorry about that, I got hung up on the fact that you fucking annihted that Malek. Here.¡± Allie felt an armored hand on her shoulder and her headache started to clear. Every time Kat used her magic it was a little easier to fight down the revulsion she felt at the feel of it. The reaction wasn¡¯t Kat¡¯s fault, but rather the blond man who¡¯d abused Eliya, Zaren, and the other experiments so horrifically. The one who¡¯d killed the twins. He¡¯d been a Chosen, and whatever part of Eliya she carried remembered that. ¡°Concussions are considered status effects,¡± Kat exined, ¡°which is something I can take care of. I¡¯d offer to heal your other shit, but Rosie here is a much better healer than my ass is.¡± ¡°Rose,¡± Therese corrected softly, but firmly. Kat rolled her eyes. ¡°You four really are no fun, you know that?¡± Rose cleared her throat. ¡°Rosie is what myst Patron called me. He wasn¡¯t a good man.¡± Even Kat had the grace to look away at that. ¡°Shit, sorry. Fair enough. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± She rubbed the bridge of her nose. ¡°Fuck, how do I always find the worst shit possible to say?¡± She walked over to the Malek and gave it a good kick. ¡°Good shit, by the way, taking these fucks out with blood loss.¡± She walked a bit further and retrieved the tail. ¡°They¡¯re mostly intact, which¡¯ll make the scribes n¡¯ schrs cream their pants. Rose, they ready for travel yet?¡± Rose looked at them both. ¡°Keystone travel, sure, but it would be best for them to rest a few days before getting back. Therese especially, since she broke bones.¡± Kat pulled out her other keystone. ¡°You got it. Nora, help me move this fucking thing over here so we can get back. I can¡¯t wait to see the look on Be¡¯s fucking face when he sees these three.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Then we can take a few days off before we go on the real mission.¡± Chapter Fifty-Six: Riverside Chat Chapter Fifty-Six: Riverside Chat The rest of the day I felt like I was watching myself from afar. Like the events of the day were happening to someone else, and I was just an outside observer. Things were happening, just not to me. One moment, the world was falling out from underneath me. The next I was killing more gnolls with axe and shadow. I remember cutting through them without mercy. People called my name at one point. I think Serena tried to heal me, but she hadn¡¯t managed. Not after Noelle saw the cor still clutched in my hand and I felt more fear in her than ever before. The kind of fear that told me that she was all too familiar with this exact type of cor. That had broken me a second time. I¡¯d understood her situation had been simr to mine, but knowing that she¡¯d worn a cor like mine¡ªnot just in function, but in form¡ªhad well and truly sent me over the edge. I remember hurtling through the trees with shadows dancing at the edges of my vision. I remember hunting down each and every gnoll that tried to flee, too. I couldn¡¯t tell you why, exactly. A part of me wanted answers, but the gnolls left were too feral for speech and had none for me. Maybe I just needed an outlet for the rage in me that was rapidly spiraling out of control. Either way, my roundabout journey back to camp was punctuated by hunting thest of the gnolls like the animals they were and putting them all out of our misery before they could hurt anyone else. A dark part of me that I found terrifying took immense satisfaction at using their fear and truly living up to the name of my skill, [Predator¡¯s Pursuit]. Eventually, with the sun far too low in the sky, we were back at camp. There was a very tearful reunion between Anri and Kili, the other captives were given food, water, and clothes. Serena berated (not very effectively) Nariko for sneaking off and putting herself in danger. I couldn¡¯t be a part of it. I prowled the woods praying for something nasty to jump out at me so I could have something worth killing to have an outlet for all the shit going on in my head, but there was no such luck. A meal was eaten, though I didn¡¯t partake. The first time I felt like I was finallying back to myself was after the sun had set. One moment I was fighting. Killing. Raging. Running from myself. The next I was sitting just at the edge of the firelight, staring into the mes as if they might hold the answers I so desperately needed right now. For hours I could barely hear anything past the heartbeat raging in my ears, but it finally started to give way to the distant conversations of the camp. My breathing was uneven and I was hunched on a folding stool a good distance from everyone. I couldn¡¯t tear my gaze from the mes. Not until I felt a hand on mine. ¡°Zaren?¡± Tiana asked tentatively. I forced myself to find her beautiful eyes. Her brow was creased with worry, and she spoke softly as if afraid of spooking me. I knew what questions must hide behind that look, but I couldn¡¯t handle them yet. ¡°How are they?¡± I asked, my voice hoarse and my throat painfully dry. ¡°They¡¯re all fine,¡± Serena said from my other side. I hadn¡¯t even realized she was there. I found her in the dim light as well, though it took far too long to do so. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let us help you, Zaren?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I insisted weakly. Neither argued, but it was clear they didn¡¯t agree in the slightest. ¡°Then let go, Zaren.¡± Themand in Tiana¡¯s voice was clear, but I didn¡¯t understand what she meant. Not until her hands traveled down my arm to my fingers which were still wrapped around something that bit into my palm. It wasn¡¯t until that moment that I realized the dozens of dull pains that throbbed all over my body. I looked down at the cor, still clutched in my hand. Blood dripped down it, too fresh to be from the gnoll or two I very vaguely remembered using the cor as a bludgeon against. Turns out it was made of sterner stuff than gnoll skull. Tiana flipped my hand over and I didn¡¯t fight her as she pried my fingers off the cor one by one. It fell to the ground and I realized where the blood wasing from. I was clutching the cor so tightly that it had cut deep into my hand, leaving a long, crimson line going all the way across it. The blood ran through my fingers. Mine and hers. The pain from the cut on my palm was nothingpared to the lifeless body in my arms. Compared to¡ª Bile surged in my throat and I jammed my eyes shut to keep from vomiting as a memory that I would not entertain surged in the back of my mind. ¡°Zaren?¡± Tiana asked, fear in her voice. When I opened them again, only barely in control of my emotions, both women had gone stock still, their eyes wide in fear. I followed their gazes over my shoulder to see shadows whipping about angrily, cutting deep gouges into the ground behind and around me. Cuts in the dirt ringed the area, telling me that this wasn¡¯t a recent development. Very suddenly I understood why the rest of the caravan was giving me a wide berth. I also realized that the whole rest of the Caravan was sitting about as far from me as possible. I frowned and wrestled my emotions into submission. Hadn¡¯t I learned a long time ago that I wasn¡¯t someone who was allowed to have meltdowns? I finally managed to achieve a (very rtive) calm and the shadows stopped raging so violently. I dismissed them with a thought, but they pushed back. Refused to dissipate. My calm slipped back to rage again. Goddamn motherfucking shadows! I closed my eyes again when the furious thought ripped through me. I was out of control. Completely. This was probably the reason they¡¯d waited so long to try and break me out of my shit. I collected all the emotions bouncing around in my chest and bundled them all up, shoved them in a jar, and buried it as deep as it would go. It was a very temporary patch, but it was enough to allow me to dismiss the rebellious shadows and no longer be a danger to those in my immediate vicinity. Gods, I hadn¡¯t been this out of control since right after escaping Karn. I hadn¡¯t had so little control of my shadows since I¡¯d destroyed the cor that had kept me enved to him. But that train of thought came dangerously close to unearthing that jar of raw emotion that I couldn¡¯t afford to deal with right now, so I buried that shit too. ¡°Sorry,¡± I rasped finally. I felt a hand on my cheek, but left my eyes closed. ¡°No sorries, remember?¡± Serena said softly. Her other hand went to the cut and healed it. I fought the knee-jerk reaction to rip the hand away and let her do it. That was an issue I could deal with on ater date. Preferably in another thirty years or so. ¡°What happened, Zaren?¡± Tiana asked. I shook my head. Not yet. Not here. ¡°Okay,¡± Tiana promised, her hand going to my hair. She picked out gods knew what and tossed it to the ground. ¡°Okay, Zaren. Reese found a stream so everyone could get cleaned up. Why don¡¯t we go get some of that blood off you? Get you into some clean clothes?¡± I looked down at my self and grimaced. I was covered from head to toe in gnoll gore, and my clothes were¡ªsurprise surprise¡ªshredded. You need to get some fucking armor you moron. I shook off the thought. ¡°Can one of you bring me Cynthia?¡± They pursed their lips. ¡°I¡¯ll be back,¡± Tiana said finally. ¡°I¡¯ll get the others, too.¡± Serena¡¯s magic continued to course through me, healing wounds I didn¡¯t remember sustaining. ¡°We left Rhani and Noelle with the freed captives. We figured they might feel a little safer around other demi-humans until they¡¯ve gotten some much needed rest.¡± ¡°Good thinking. Injuries?¡± ¡°Scrapes and bruises, but your n went off without a hitch.¡± Until I¡¯d lost my shit, she meant. She knelt at my side until I heard approaching footsteps. ¡°You needed me, sir?¡± Cynthia asked, all business. ¡°Get with Vaze. You have a full inventory of our gear between our wagon and my storage, as well. Get with the women we rescued and make a list of anything and everything they need. If you¡¯ve got it on the wagon, give it to them. If you need it from me, write it down and give it to me after I¡¯ve cleaned up. Have Korey or Pierce expressed any interest in being responsible for them?¡± ¡°No, sir. I discussed it with them, and between your resources and rank we agreed that they would be best served to be in your care until we reach the capital.¡± Fuck, at this rate I¡¯d need to give her a raise sooner thanter. ¡°I agree. See to it that they get anything they need, and if you have to get it from Vaze feel free topensate her for it.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± she said in a tone that suggested she¡¯d already nned on it. That brought a half-smile out of me. Once again, we were on the same page. I dismissed her and she headed towards where the newest additions to our caravan were probably congregating. Normally I¡¯d have liked to have a more direct hand in helping, but in my current state it was best I had little to no interaction with people who were likely traumatized by forced captivity. Not until I had my head screwed on a little better. I took a breath and stood. ¡°So, river?¡± Some of the tension eased from Serena¡¯s shoulders. She grabbed my hand and led me around the edge of the camp, meeting up with Tiana, Rhani, and Noelle while we crossed over the road and into the forest. Noelle immediately grabbed my hand with slightly trembling fingers and Rhani slid an arm around my waist. ¡°Sorry for worrying all of you,¡± I mumbled. Serena shot me an exasperated look, but didn¡¯tment. Nobody said anything until we¡¯d gotten to the river and they all helped peel the clothes off me. Once they¡¯d stripped down and Serena had helped remove the gnoll fang embedded in my shoulder, I waded into the icy water. ¡°That¡¯s hardly fair,¡± Tiana noted, stripping down as well. ¡°He didn¡¯t even flinch from the cold.¡± I shot a smirk I didn¡¯t feel at her. ¡°I went from a captive that didn¡¯t get baths that weren¡¯t from a bucket to a soldier in a war.¡± I dunked myself into the water, letting the temperature shock me further out of my fugue state. ¡°I¡¯ve probably bathed in more rivers than bathtubs in my life.¡± She shot a look at Rhani, who waved her off. ¡°Giant bathing pool is already on the agenda, sister. It¡¯s my second priority after a giant fucking bed.¡± Noelle dropped into the water as well, wading towards me. ¡°Giant fucking bed or giant fucking bed?¡± she asked. Rhani snorted and Tiana giggled. I ruffled the hair of my far-too-proud-looking Mchai fondly. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked her. She looked away before stepping close enough to wrap her arms around me and rest her head on my chest. ¡°No. I can still feel the weight of my own cor sometimes, especially when I wake. That it¡¯s still out there somewhere haunts my dreams.¡± ¡°I know the feeling,¡± I promised, trailing my fingers down her spine. ¡°It was the cor, then?¡± Serena asked, slipping behind me and rubbing some washing powder into my shoulders. I didn¡¯t answer until after Noelle stepped aside to give Tiana ess to my front. ¡°I can wash myself, you know,¡± I said, but both of them shot me looks that said I would do no such thing. Tiana went high and Noelle low while Rhani sat on a rock still clothed. She saw me looking and smiled. ¡°I love you Zaren, but I¡¯m still shivering from earlier. I rarely get cold, which means I hate getting cold.¡± I nodded, letting the girls wash and scrape the blood and guts from me. Finally, after I felt like speaking wouldn¡¯t shatter me, I said, ¡°yes, it was the cor. I thought I¡¯d dealt with that particr issue years ago, but¡­¡± ¡°But,¡± Tiana supplied, ¡°rather than actually dealing with it, you just shoved it down until it couldn¡¯t hurt you, and now that it¡¯s been dragged up from the depths you¡¯re struggling with it?¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± She just shrugged. ¡°One day I¡¯m going to have toe to terms with everything I¡¯ve done to get by, but I figure that¡¯s a breakdown best had when I¡¯ve got four walls, a roof, and a bed of my own.¡± I tilted her chin up. ¡°When that timees, I hope you don¡¯t face it alone.¡± She met my gaze with a challenge in her eyes. ¡°Same goes to you.¡± The corners of my mouth twitched upwards. I released her and looked back towards Serena. ¡°The cor made me slip again. Back into the much more feral Zaren who¡¯d only just escaped Karn¡¯s clutches.¡± ¡°It reminded you of the one you wore?¡± Serena guessed. ¡°Yeah.¡± I saw Rhani¡¯s fingers go to her own ck leather cor and sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just that. The cor¡­¡± I ran my hands through Noelle¡¯s hair again and she leaned into my touch. ¡°Noelle, how simr was that cor to the one you wore?¡± Serena and Tiana both tensed, but Noelle made no sign that she¡¯d even heard me until she said, ¡°it is exactly the same.¡± The worst possible answer, yet the only one I expected. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the cor,¡± I exined, ¡°but the magic, too. Whoever made that cor made the one I wore for nearly half my life. I¡¯m guessing it set off your skill?¡± I asked Rhani. She refused to meet my eye. ¡°Painfully.¡± I swallowed, keeping everything I¡¯d buried under wraps. ¡°This cor was made with the same techniques as the one that I wore. That the people I cared about wore. Noelle, did the others you mentioned to me once wear them?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered. ¡°There are at least twenty of the cors. Probably more.¡± ¡°The same cors from your past?¡± Tiana suggested. I shook my head. ¡°Not possible. I destroyed them all, and I killed the man who made them. And holding that cor¡­it felt a little too close to the one I wore to just be someone using the same technique. He must have¡­had a protege or a student or something. Someone he passed the art on to.¡± ¡°You can destroy them?¡± Noelle asked, hope in her voice. ¡°The sword I used on the Vx queen can. It¡¯s how I freed myself in the first ce.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand more and more why Allura chose me.¡± Rhani pulled her book out. ¡°Care to borate?¡± ¡°You bring the others up to speed on our talk with the new goddess?¡± I asked her and Serena. Serena made a noise of affirmative, moving onto my hair. ¡°I did.¡± Good. We needed to discuss some things. ¡°Fortuna didn¡¯t bother telling me to look into the enemy because she knew as soon as I found that cor I wouldn¡¯t rest until I found its creator and put them in the fucking ground.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t lead us to the cor, though. She led us to Nari,¡± Serena argued. ¡°She led us to Nariko, which led us to the gnoll, which led us to the chieftain.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I can¡¯t bepletely certain, but I think I understand what she was trying to tell me.¡± Rhani¡¯s pencil was flying over the page again, which brought a smile to my face. ¡°She could have helped us to the gnoll camp directly, but that would have cost too much or upset the bnce.¡± Rhani gasped. ¡°She killed like, six birds with one stone! She told us to save Nariko, who was about to be the newest victim of the Neko-baiting. Her blood must have drawn the gnolls, which meant you could follow one back, but she was also held captive in the camp where the people who are hunting you are. If we can get her to open up to one of us, then we could get all kinds of information. Not only that, but the gnoll camp is definitely luring you down a rabbit hole that will lead Fortuna to the answers she apparently wants. And all that is stuff she definitely wants us to notice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s another thing we need to discuss sooner thanter,¡± I said grimly. I looked at Serena over my shoulder. ¡°You might not like the next part of this conversation.¡± She pursed her lips, but nodded. ¡°Rinse first so we can get out of this damnable water.¡± I smirked, but did as she asked. Once we were back in the grass, drying off with towels I conjured, I continued. ¡°Allura lied to me, but I was so caught up in what she was offering that I didn¡¯t catch it.¡± Serena¡¯s hands stilled. ¡°What?¡± I fought the urge to growl, looking at Rhani. My instinct was to rage about how untrustworthy the gods are, but I had to admit that there was a possibility that she had good reason to lie the way she did. ¡°I asked Allura why the gods never did anything to stop Karn. Her story at the time was that the gods refused to go anywhere near me because of my ss. That the gods that would have helped me always ended up on the opposite side of the fight as those that held the Shadowborn ss before me.¡± Rhani frowned. ¡°You were taken by Karn years before your ss came about, though.¡± Leave it to my little Schr to immediately catch what I should have thirty years ago. ¡°Not quite the same as Fortuna¡¯s exnation, is it?¡± Serena finished drying, but didn¡¯t get dressed yet. Her look was pensive while she made her way behind me again and pressed into my back. Her hands wrapped around me, her palms sending warmth into my abdomen. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to get upset if I try and defend her, are you?¡± I raised a brow, putting my hand over one of hers. ¡°If you¡¯ve got an idea for an exnation, I¡¯d love to hear it.¡± She tightened her grip on me. ¡°Thirty years ago, raw from the war, alone, and ready to¡ª¡± she stumbled over the words, ¡°¡ªready to take your own life, if she¡¯d have said they didn¡¯t help you because they couldn¡¯t see you, would you have believed her?¡± ¡°No, probably not,¡± I conceded. Her hands trailed up to my chest, one settling right over my heartbeat. She pressed her forehead to the nape of my neck and whispered, ¡°then I¡¯m d she lied, because otherwise I¡¯d have never met you.¡± Tiana approached from the front and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down enough that our lips met. ¡°She told you what you needed to hear. That the gods are shit and they abandoned you, but she was willing to help you now. She needed to get a foot in the door,¡± Tiana said. My hand trailed down her back,ing to a stop at her ass. All three of us were still very naked, and a part of me was desperately looking for a distraction. ¡°How dare you use logic to make her actions seem reasonable,¡± I said, my tone making it clear I wasn¡¯t serious. She looked at me with wide, overly innocent eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You can punish me if you¡¯d like.¡± Rhani¡¯s head shot up. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t realize fucking was on the table!¡± Serena¡¯s hand slid down between Tiana¡¯s body and mine, wrapping around my rapidly hardening base. She leaned so close I could feel her breath on my ear. ¡°You can punish me, too. I¡¯ll happily help you work out any anger you feel towards my goddess. It¡¯s the least I can do as your priestess.¡± My cock jerked in her hand and she must have taken that as a sign. She lifted it, pressing my shaft into Tiana¡¯s folds. She was already wet, and I growled when she rocked her hips enough to drag their heat along my length. ¡°I think,¡± she breathed, ¡°between the four of us, we can find a healthy outlet for all that pent up aggression.¡± I sunk my fingers into the flesh of her ass and her breath hitched. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve got it in me to be very gentle right now.¡± Heat shed in her eyes. ¡°Good.¡± Already the haze of lust was clouding my mind, but if things were about to get rough there was something I needed to do first. I sought out Noelle, trailing my fingers along her jaw and turning her face towards me. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you need to take part in if you don¡¯t want to.¡± She was still recovering from her past, and this was the kind of thing that could do more harm than good. Her brows furrowed, then she nodded. ¡°Okay. I will watch tonight, and decide if I want to try.¡± Leaning down to press my lips to hers while keeping contact between my hardness and Tiana¡¯s heat was a feat, but I managed it. After Noelle took a second to taste me, she backed away. I returned my attention to the busty mage who was quite literally asking for it and fisted a handful of her hair, pulling her head back. She moaned, very clearly appreciative of the tug, and I kissed my way up her throat and the lower side of her jaw. Behind her I saw Rhani swoop in and make a quick bed of towels, very suddenly devoid of clothes, and I pushed Tiana back onto it. She squeaked, then looked down in surprise when her rear hit cloth and not grass. By the time she returned her attention to me I was already on her. I knew exactly how ready she was, so I imed her with a single thrust that made her back arch and her head fall back. I pulled all the way out and mmed back in and she cried out in pleasure, then one of her long, slender legs wrapped around my waist. ¡°Yes Zaren!¡± she cried when I started hammering my hips into hers. I mmed one hand into the ground next to her head and used the other to angle her hips so I had a better angle. She writhed underneath me, biting back a cry when I took her breast in my mouth and bit down on the nipple. I felt her clenching around me already. Her fingernails dug into my back while her other hand tangled in my hair, holding me to her breast. She tried to rock her hips to meet mine, but I lifted her even higher so that she had no leverage and kept my rapid pace. I leaned up, pulling my upper body away from hers, and grabbed her hips tight enough that I figured I¡¯d leave some bruises, pulling her with me until only her shoulders and head were on the ground. Her legs wrapped around my waist and her eyes rolled back into her head. I fucked her through a second climax and her cries reached a higher pitch. Her hands fisted the towels beneath her, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes from her breasts. They bounced violently from the force of each thrust, and only my iron grip on her waist kept me from mauling them. She screamed my name and came a third time, though from how hard she clenched while I kept mming away I was fairly certain she¡¯d had another orgasm somewhere in the mix. Her cries died away into a silent scream while her body trembled underneath me, and hands wove under my arms from behind and trailed up my chest. ¡°If you¡¯re finished warming up,¡± Serena said tauntingly, ¡°I¡¯m ready for my punishment now.¡± I slowed my pace, still not feeling overly close, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes from Tiana¡¯s heaving chest. Not until another object entered my line of sight. A canister of the same lube I¡¯d used with Rhani. I tore my gaze away to look at her. ¡°Serena,¡± I warned. She went straight for my neck, kissing and biting her way from my corbone to my jaw. ¡°You got me curious,¡± she admitted, ¡°and I¡¯m all prepared now thanks to Rhani. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t hear us, but you were rather¡­¡± she reached around me and rubbed Tiana¡¯s clit, drawing a moan from the mage still impaled on my cock, ¡°¡­distracted.¡± I let Tiana slide off me and set her down gently where shey in a stupor with a wide smile on her face. Then I yanked Serena to my chest and kissed her forcefully. She broke away, her hands trailing down to my shaft. ¡°Fuck my ass, Zaren. Let me have all your anger. All your hatred of the gods. I¡¯ll take it all, and I¡¯ll love every second of it. I swear it.¡± I flipped her around to face away from me and tugged her arms behind her back, conjuring a shadow to keep them tied there. Her eyes went wide, but there was only excitement and anticipation in them. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you can handle all of my hate and anger,¡± I admitted. I had more than enough to go around some days. She bit her lip, taunting me with those endless emerald eyes of hers. ¡°I guess we won¡¯t know until we try.¡± I pushed her forward, guiding her enough that she didn¡¯t just fall on her face, and lined up. She took a heaving breath when I pressed my tip to her bud, spreading her toned cheeks with my other hand, but she rxed almost as quickly. I could see one of her eyes from where her face was pressed into the towels, and it looked up at me with a promise and a challenge. I thought about taking her in one single thrust, but that felt too far. I pushed into her ass and she groaned, then cried out when my head slipped past the rim. Her eyes jammed shut while I imed inch after inch of her ass, the healthy amount of lube assisting the process but by no means making it easy. Halfway she let out a low keen, but I kept pushing. By the time my hips met her ass, her breaths came in short gasps. ¡°I didn¡¯t think¡ªIt¡¯s so¡ªthere¡¯s so much,¡± she gasped. I grabbed her arms and yanked her up until her back was pressed to my chest and she moaned as I shifted inside her. ¡°Still want to be Allura¡¯s scapegoat?¡± I asked, my voice husky. Her eyes found mine. ¡°Yes.¡± I pulled my hips back and she whimpered, then she screamed my name when I mmed them back forward. I started with long, powerful thrusts, giving her a second to catch her breath with each thrust. Then I started giving her a little less time to recover between every thrust forward. By the time I was fucking her ass in full, her head had fallen forward and her face was hidden by a curtain of still-wet golden locks. She wailed through clenched teeth, but her hips kept pushing back to meet mine. Our pace stuttered long enough for me to shift one hand to her breasts, pinching and rolling a nipple, while the other went between her thighs. I plunged two fingers into her folds and her head shot back, resting on my shoulder. ¡°Fuck!¡± she cried, mping down on my fingers like a vice. The pping of flesh and her cries echoed around the forest, and I was suddenly very d we¡¯d walked a good distance to the river. I dropped my lips to her shoulder, trailing kisses and bites along it until I was suckling on her neck. Wordless cries of pleasure gushed from her and she mped down on both my cock and my fingers a second time. Breasts pushed into my back and I knew Tiana had recovered. Her arms snaked around me and turned Serena¡¯s chin towards me so I could capture her lips in a kiss. Her lips parted eagerly and I wasted no time in sending my tongue past them. Hers epted mine eagerly, and I felt her hands between us clenching at my stomach while another orgasm rolled through her. Tiana¡¯s lips found a sensitive spot behind my ear and between her and Serena clenching around me even tighter than before I let myself be pushed over the edge. I gave Serena a few final pumps before seating myself as deep in her as I could and unleashing my load. She moaned into my mouth, her entire body clenching, then went limp in my arms. I slid free of her ass and released her bonds. She turned into my chest without letting our lips part while Tiana kept peppering my back with kisses. I finally pulled away, looking for any sign that I¡¯d gone too hard, but Serena just smiled up at me blissfully. ¡°I¡¯m thinking I might not mind Allura pissing you off again,¡± she said. Tiana chuckled behind me. ¡°I can¡¯t help but agree, though it might be tough to get away with relieving our man¡¯s anger in camp.¡± Her hands trailed over my chest. ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ve managed to im a guy who can do sweet and gentle as well as he can do hard and fast.¡± Serena kissed the corner of my lips. ¡°He¡¯s one of a kind, that¡¯s for sure.¡± I looked to where Rhani sat with Noelle. ¡°I might need a minute to recover from that one.¡± Noelle looked thoughtful, but Rhani just smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to camp before they send a search party. Festus has been keeping an eye out the whole time, but I¡¯d still feel better in our tent.¡± I inclined my head. Even with the gnolls taken care of, she had a point. Me, Serena, and Tiana all untangled ourselves, and I checked my storage with a grimace. ¡°Fuck, at this rate I¡¯m going to run out of pants that haven¡¯t been fucked up by monsters.¡± Rhani grinned at me. ¡°Feel free to go without, big guy. I definitely won¡¯tin.¡± I thumped her head with a smile and we all headed back towards camp. I was still eight kinds of fucked up inside, but I felt lighter than I had in a few days. Chapter Fifty-Seven: New Faces Chapter Fifty-Seven: New Faces By the time we made it back, everyone but the guards had called it a night. We checked in with the current watch to make sure nobody sent any search parties after us before we headed back for our camp. Noelle still wanted to make sure Kili, Nariko, and whoever else was in their tent were taken care of, so she bade us goodnight with a tight hug and a promise that she¡¯d think on what she¡¯d seen tonight. It wasn¡¯t the roughest I¡¯d ever been in my life, but it was the roughest she¡¯d seen me be. We still hadn¡¯t done anything sexual where she wasn¡¯t on top and inplete control, and though I had an inkling she could handle more I wasn¡¯t going to push her until she thought she was ready for more. I made good on my promise with Rhani and went another round with both Serena and Tiana before we called it a night. Being intimate with them wasn¡¯t exactly a cure all for the shit going on in my head, but it certainly made it easier to bear the weight of it all knowing I wasn¡¯t alone. Being able to vent my emotions physically without fighting for my life was a nice change of pace as well, and they vehemently assured me they were more than happy to help me vent all I wanted. But, as usual, it felt like for every step forward I took I ended up falling back two. My nightmares that night were worse than they¡¯d ever been, trapping me in vivid visions of being cored and back in Karn¡¯s clutches. Even worse, it wasn¡¯t just the other experiments that were imprisoned with me. When I woke the next morning, covered in a sheen of sweat and clenching my entire body to the point of pain, I could still see the images of the people I¡¯de to care for wearing Karn¡¯s twisted cors every time I closed my eyes. It seemed that me being the first one awake and thest one to drag himself out of the tent was bing the new normal. The others knew I was struggling after my episode yesterday, but until we were in a position to do something about it I didn¡¯t want them to know exactly how much. Not only that, but it was best if the rest of the caravan didn¡¯t see me as one bad day away from bing unhinged. By the time I finished getting dressed and banished our gear into my storage, my mask was firmly in ce. I checked my Essence pool before I stepped out and sighed. [Soul Essence: 59/120] My regen was already better than it had been, but I¡¯d used some of my Essence yesterday without even meaning to. Now that I knew how to, dipping into the pool was so easy I barely even had to think about doing so before I¡¯d expended the points. I needed to get a handle on this new resource before I got myself into a situation I couldn¡¯t fight my way out of. I stepped out of the tent and was immediately surprised by how much movement was going on. The demi-humans we¡¯d saved already seemed to be hard at work helping pack up the caravan. I¡¯d only been standing there for less than a minute before breakfast was pushed into my hands by one of the elves¡ªa High Elf with flowing golden hair and eyes to match¡ªwho smiled brightly despite her sunken cheeks and thin frame. ¡°Thank you for saving us, sir. The others told us how it was your n and your household that did the brunt of the fighting. Let us know if there¡¯s any way we can repay you,¡± she said. She bowed gracefully, then was gone before I could so much as answer. I was in the process of finding somewhere to set the food so I could pack up my tent when the red Tiefling swooped in and started folding it up for me. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not necessary¡ª¡± I started. ¡°I already took care of Lady Vivian¡¯s,¡± the woman said, ¡°this is the least I can do.¡± Her long ck hair was tied back with a simple leather band. Her violet eyes seemed to look everywhere but at me. ¡°This design makes it much easier than the other tents anyways.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I said uncertainly. In the time it took me to try and think of a way to stop her from doing my work, she¡¯d finished. ¡°Well, thank you, then.¡± She smiled, her eyes on the ground in front of me, and bowed her head. ¡°My pleasure, sir.¡± Then she headed off as quickly as the Elf had. I cast my eyes around the camp to see that it was the same everywhere else. The dwarf woman and the Lycanine were both helping load everything back onto the wagons while the blue Tiefling and both the High Elves flitted about making sure everyone was fed. Chewing on the tough jerky that was my breakfast, I circled around to the back of my wagon. S was curled up near the edge, asleep and at peace despite the injuries still present on her face. Vivian was chatting amiably with Anri, who held Kili in herp so tightly the girl was starting to turn purple, though she voiced noint. One of the elder Erinyes¡¯s wings were bandaged, but she had a smile nted firmly on her face with Kili in her arms. ¡°Oh, Ren, there you are.¡± I turned to see Mihrel walking up to me, the Dark Elf woman at his side. ¡°We should probably chat before we get moving.¡± ¡°Mihrel,¡± I greeted him with a nod, then turned to the Elf. ¡°Sorry, but I haven¡¯t gotten any of your names yet.¡± She inclined her head, her expression carefully passive. ¡°I am Suriel, my lord. I was a midwife for one of my previous Patrons and his wife had poor health, so I received some basic training in the field. I was offering Mr. Mihrel my expertise, if it pleases you.¡± I cleared my throat, somewhat ufortable with the subservient nature she addressed me with. ¡°Just Ren is fine for now, no need for honorifics. And we¡¯re happy for any help you can offer, of course.¡± Some of the tension in her face rxed, but that was the extent of her reaction. ¡°Of course, Ren.¡± Then she went silent, clearly waiting for Mihrel to speak. He looked marginally morefortable than me, but he went on anyways. ¡°The demi-human captives are in rtively good health. Medically speaking, other than Anri, I have no real reason to keep them from walking today.¡± I nced to where Anri sat. She was still talking with Vivian, but I could tell she was listening to our conversation as well. ¡°And how is Anri?¡± He chuckled. ¡°She¡¯ll tell you she¡¯s fine, but her wing took some damage when the gnolls captured her and flying on it during the fight only made things worse. I¡¯d like her grounded for a week and off her feet for at least the next day if you want it to heal properly.¡± I wasn¡¯t a fan of how he talked about her as if she was mine, but he kept talking before I could interrupt. ¡°S was the only one really injured. ording to Suriel, she arrived already pretty badly beaten. The gnolls didn¡¯t exactly care for her, so a couple of her injuries are infected. Between Serena and some of Ryoko¡¯s potions she should make a full recovery, but we¡¯ve got her knocked out today to speed things along. You can wake her if you want, but my rmendation is to let her rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll defer to you, then,¡± I said slowly. He nodded, letting out a relieved breath that made my stomach twist a little. ¡°Right, I should get back to Korey. I¡¯ll leave Suriel with you.¡± He turned on his heel and sped off, and Suriel didn¡¯t move a muscle. She waited patiently, so I took a second to give her a once over. Mihrel said she was fine physically, but I wanted to know how she was handling everything else. She had silver hair that hung to her chin and eyes the color of obsidian. Her skin was a deep violet, several shades darker than Noelle¡¯s. Of the few rescued captives I¡¯d seen so far, she showed the most physical signs of captivity. Her cheeks were sunken and she had deep bags under her eyes, and her arms were thinner than they should have been. ¡°How are you faring, Suriel?¡± ¡°Fine, sir,¡± she answered automatically. ¡°I will recover in time. I am more than capable of performing any duties needed of me.¡± I crossed my arms and didn¡¯t miss the nearly imperceptible flinch on her face when I did. ¡°How long did the gnolls have you?¡± I asked. Her throat bobbed. ¡°I was captive the longest out of the ones you saved. There were signs that others had been in the den before me, but I never saw any. Three weeks. Perhaps more. It¡¯s difficult to say for sure.¡± ¡°Do you have a Patron still?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. The gnolls killed him, and he had no next of kin. There will be nobody looking for me.¡± ¡°No family?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I grew up in a demi-human orphanage and became a servant as soon as I was old enough. I¡¯ve had four Patrons in twenty years. The first Patron I served with my body, the next as a maid. The third I was midwife for and helped raise his children until they were old enough to take care of themselves. He had a gambling addiction and I was one of the many pieces of property he lost to his poor luck. I was only with myst Patron for a few months, but I very much doubt anyone will miss him.¡± The lifeless way she rattled her life story off made me realize that my only real experience with the Patron-servant rtionship was through Rhani¡¯s tales. She looked like she was in her early twenties, which for an Elf meant she could be as old as forty or fifty, which lined up with her story. A part of me was amused by the thought that she¡¯d been born around the same time as me, but that also meant she¡¯d been a victim of the ords for nearly as long as they¡¯d existed. I knew she¡¯d push herself until she dropped if I demanded it, and despite her reassurances I could already see the signs of fatigue from what little she¡¯d done today. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, I think I¡¯d feel best if you rode this wagon today so you can watch over S and Anri.¡± Her shoulders drooped slightly in what I hoped was relief, but she was practiced at schooling her emotions. ¡°If that pleases you, sir, then I am more than happy to assist.¡± I walked with her to the back of the wagon and held a hand out to help her up. She hesitated, but when she looked at the height of the wagon she took the hand and allowed me to help her up. I could feel the weakness in her fingers and the slight tremble that rocked her from the exertion of climbing up, and I didn¡¯t miss how heavily she sat down or the sigh that escaped her lips when she did. I realized then that I¡¯d have to watch all the rescued captives closely to make sure they weren¡¯t pushing themselves too hard. I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d tell us if they did. ¡°Oh, Ren!¡± Vivian eximed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you up and about. I was just talking with Anri and her adorable sister.¡± Anri gave me an appreciative nod while Kili looked at me like I¡¯d hung the moon. ¡°You saved my sister, then you saved me,¡± Anri said. ¡°I can never repay that debt.¡± I waved a hand. ¡°I did what was right, no more and no less. You don¡¯t owe me anything as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡± She frowned as if my words made no sense and Vivian pursed her lips. She folded her hands in herp and cocked her head at me. ¡°You should know that I¡¯ve already renounced any potential im.¡± Now I was the one frowning. ¡°im?¡± She giggled like I¡¯d told a joke. ¡°Yes, silly. im. We¡¯re both the highest ranking members of the caravan, which means the demi-humans could go into either of our custodies until we make it to the capital. I¡¯m not looking for any servants at the moment, so I assumed it would be simplest to leave them all to you. It¡¯s a far better alternative than treating them as escaped or runaway servants, after all.¡± Now Mihrel¡¯s words and the way the others were treating me made a little more sense. Now that all of them had been separated from their Patrons, I was some kind of interim Patron to them. I fought back the grimace I felt and kept my expression neutral as I nodded to Vivian¡¯s words. Reacting negatively could send the wrong impression to the captives, and at the very least I figured I could use this hopefully temporary status to protect them like I protected Rhani, Noelle, and the twins. ¡°Right. Thanks, then.¡± She beamed, but I didn¡¯t miss the slightly confused nce Suriel shot me before she returned her features to her passive expression. Vivian just reached out and touched Anri¡¯s upper arm¡ªsomething I noticed immediately since it was the first time I¡¯d seen her touch someone other than me¡ªand smiled wide. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep thempany. You go and do you things.¡± I inclined my head, not really sure how to respond to that, and took my leave. I looked around for any in my group and found Serena and Tiana both speaking with the other of the two High Elves. She had shoulder length brown hair and ethereal blue eyes that locked on me immediately before her shoulders stiffened and her gaze fell to the ground. I bit back a sigh and headed for them. ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Tiana teased, her eyes twinkling the moment theynded on me. ¡°We were just talking about you.¡± ¡°Only bad things I hope,¡± I shot back with a chuckle. I inclined my head to the elf. ¡°I¡¯m Ren. It¡¯s good to see all of you up and about.¡± The Elf took a breath then forced her eyes up to meet mine. ¡°My name is Liana, sir, if it pleases you.¡± I fought another grimace rather unsessfully. ¡°Your name is your name, I¡¯m not going to change that.¡± Her shoulders rxed a fraction, but she still held herself high. I took a closer look at her. She still showed some of the weakness expected from a freshly freed captive, but nowhere near the extent of Suriel. She sped her hands in front of her, which made her ill fitting shirt really start to struggle with her bust. ¡°We spoke at lengthst night, sir, and all came to an agreement, should it please you. I was head servant for my Patron, and as such have experience delegating and acting as a go between for the other servants and my Patron. Since you¡¯ve suddenly found yourself with eight new demi-humans in your care, I can do the same for you for as long as we remain in your custody.¡± I was still not a fan of the word ¡°custody,¡± but there was little I could do about that now. I nodded. ¡°I think that would be very helpful, but I do have a condition.¡± She managed to hide her sudden swallow well, but I was looking for it. ¡°Anything you ask. You saved us from a fate I can¡¯t even begin to imagine,¡± she said. I took a moment to choose my words carefully, painfully aware of Tiana and Serena¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Liana.¡± She flinched, and I hurried on in what I hoped was a calming tone. ¡°I¡¯m guessing several of you have had rather unsavory Patrons in the past, but I can assure you I have no ns to hurt or abuse any of you. You¡¯ve been through a horrific ordeal, and my main priority with the eight of you is making sure you recover from it as best as possible.¡± She held her gaze the entire time, and I continued. ¡°I¡¯m sure several of you are willing to push yourselves to exhaustion to avoid being a burden, but I don¡¯t care about that. If you¡¯re going to act as liaison between us, I need you to make sure the others are taking care of themselves and letting me know if there are any issues, no matter how small. Can you do that?¡± ¡°I can, sir,¡± she said with confidence. I inclined my head. ¡°Good. I¡¯ve got Suriel riding my wagon since I¡¯m not sure her body could handle a day of walking just yet. If you want to help, then please make sure the others ride when they need to. Send anyone who needs it to my wagon.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll get right on that.¡± ¡°That goes for you, too,¡± I said before she could escape. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Liana. And if there are any issues, please tell me immediately regardless of the time or ce.¡± She nodded once, and I stepped aside to let her go hunt the others down. When I turned back, Serena and Tiana were both smiling at me. Serena threw her arms around my neck first, pressing a kiss to my cheek. ¡°I was trying to figure out how to say just that.¡± Tiana¡¯s hand slid around my waist. ¡°I know how much you hate the ords, but you actually make a pretty good Patron. You looking to bring in any of the girls we saved?¡± I let out a breath, wrapping an arm around either of them. ¡°We just got them out of metal cors, I¡¯m not going to throw another at them so soon. Give them some time to recover, and I¡¯ll see if any jump out at me.¡± Already I was considering Suriel after hearing her story, but I wanted to feel them out before I made any hasty decisions. Speaking of Suriel. I pressed a quick kiss to Serena¡¯s lips. ¡°Suriel has some medical training. Might be somemon ground since you¡¯ve been spending all your time reading that healer¡¯s tometely.¡± That brought a blush to her cheeks that I didn¡¯t quite understand, but her brilliant smile made it hard to focus on that. ¡°I¡¯ll do just that, then.¡± There was little for us to do with all the extra hands, and we got on the road even faster than normal. I thought about seeking out Nariko, but I figured that was something that could wait untilter. I caught glimpses of her here and there¡ªtypically in the vicinity of Serena¡ªbut she flitted around the caravan like a ghost. She met my eyes often enough that I was starting to think I only saw her when she let me, which amused me more than anything else. Liana spent most of the day walking at my side, asionally darting off to look after the others. Of the captives, other than Suriel, she made Brinya the Hill Dwarf and Iris the Lycanine spend most of the day on the wagon. They were both naturally strong between whatever stats and skills they held, but their time in captivity had gutted any stamina they¡¯d had. After Suriel, they¡¯d been held captive the longest. Liana brought me up to speed on them all to the best of her ability. Iris and Brinya had both been the sole survivors of their caravan just like Suriel. Liana and Elena¡ªher half-sister younger than her by about a decade¡ªwere both captured at the same time. Her Patron had used them as a distraction to escape, leaving them at the mercy of the gnolls. The two Tieflings, the blue Friya and the red Zerali, weren¡¯t blood rted, but they¡¯d been together so long they considered themselves sisters. They refused to talk about exactly how they¡¯d been captured, but they¡¯d told Liana that anyone who mighte looking for them was long dead as well. S was dragged in the day before Anri, but she¡¯d been so beaten and bloody that she¡¯d gone from bruised and battered to delirious from fever caused by untreated injuries, so Liana didn¡¯t know much about her situation. Nearly two thirds through the day she darted off to send Friya to the wagon after she¡¯d all but copsed. By the time we stopped for the day, all the former captives looked more than a little exhausted. Once again, though, I barely had a chance to help as camp got set up. Those who rode took advantage of their rested states to get tents up and fires going, and by the time I¡¯d finished with Cynthia and retrieved everything she needed from storage there was nothing else to do. The demi-humans all stayed close together and slightly separated from the rest of us, but that was to be expected. They wore real clothes and ate real food, which in of itself was an improvement of their lives just a couple of days ago. The rest woulde in time, I hoped. They ate ravenously and watched everyone carefully, though I noticed that many of their nces were directed at me more than anyone else. After Vivian¡¯s words this morning, I couldn¡¯t me them. I had a level of control over them that I was more than a little ufortable with, but other than waiting to see how things yed out I wasn¡¯t sure what else there was to do. I was sitting with Noelle in myp, absentmindedly running my fingers down her back, when I felt the presence behind me and fought back a smile. ¡°You know, sneaking up on me is a dangerous pastime. I tend to swing first and ask questions second.¡± Nariko slid silently onto the ground next to me, pulling her knees to her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± she said in that same soft tone that told me she was coiled and ready to strike at a moment¡¯s notice. There was a beat of silence, then she said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen cors like the one you were holding before.¡± I forced myself not to react, but Noelle made a strangled sound and clutched my arm so tight it would leave bruises. ¡°Is that so?¡± I responded calmly, somehow hiding the surge of adrenaline her words sent through me. She stared at me from the side of her eye. ¡°A cor capable of magically overpowering one¡¯s will. Forcing them to followmands even to their detriment. You¡¯ve seen them before as well.¡± It was more of a statement than a question. ¡°Where?¡± I took a second to decide how I wanted to y this, then mentally shrugged. ¡°I wore one for a few years until I managed to kill the man who put it on me.¡± I heard a few sharp intakes of breath from around the fire, but I didn¡¯t take my eyes off Nariko. Her eyes widened a fraction. ¡°I¡¯d very much like to know where you¡¯ve seen them before.¡± Her tail flicked behind her, and she turned her head enough to face me. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but I have a condition.¡± I nodded for her to go ahead, and her ears flicked. ¡°I want a cor. Be my Patron, and I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know. About the cors, and about the people who held me. I know you want to know about them, too.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away, and she held my gaze without flinching. ¡°Why do you want a cor? It feels like the deal is a little stacked in my favor.¡± She scoffed and turned her gaze back to the fire. After a few more seconds, she said in a hard voice, ¡°freedom doesn¡¯t mean shit if you don¡¯t have the strength to enjoy it.¡± Then she took a breath. ¡°If I wear that cor, then I¡¯m yours. That means you own me, but it also means you can protect me. I¡¯ve gone it alone since I was fifteen, and there hasn¡¯t been a minute of that time that I ever felt anything close to free.¡± She hunched her shoulders, pulling her knees even tighter to her chest. ¡°I¡¯m a Thief, and a fucking good one. Give me a cor and I¡¯ll be your Thief. I can get in and out of ces nobody else can. I can get you items, money, information, whatever. I just¡­I¡¯m done being alone. Done fighting every second of every day just to keep living a miserable life.¡± Then, quieter, she added, ¡°not like you can do anything to me worse than what I¡¯ve already been through.¡± I thought it over for a minute, then sought out Serena and Tiana who were sitting nearby. Tiana smiled at me, and Serena nodded enthusiastically. It wasn¡¯t exactly a hard choice. I¡¯d seen her skills first hand, after all. I conjured a cor and held it out. ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal, then.¡± Her head whipped towards me, her eyes wide and something that looked dangerously like hope to me in them. ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yes, really,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°You drive a hard bargain, but if you¡¯re serious¡ª¡± The cor was gone from my hands before I even realized she¡¯d moved. ¡°I thought it would be harder to convince you.¡± She looked at the cor in her hands with wide eyes. ¡°I can take it back if you¡¯ve got more,¡± I offered. ¡°No!¡± she cradled the cor to her chest, then schooled her expression. ¡°I mean, that isn¡¯t necessary. Um, how do I¡­¡± ¡°You push your mana into one end, then I do the same with the other, then once I put it on you it¡¯s done.¡± She held it reverently for a moment before scooting just close enough that I could reach her without Noelle having to move from where she watched silently on myp. I let her hold the cor while I channeled my mana and she brought it to her neck so I could wrap it around her. The two ends met and it shrank to fit her slim neck, then I felt the magic seal. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to take it off,¡± I exined, ¡°but if for any reason you want to leave my service then tell me and I can remove it.¡± She touched her fingers to it with a soft smile in an expression I¡¯d only ever seen on Rhani¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said finally. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± I thought about postponing the conversation, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t sleep until I knew what she knew. ¡°Do you know where their camp is?¡± I asked first. She shook her head. ¡°No. They¡¯d blindfold us if they ever let us out of the cage, and they rode on horseback for a few hours before we went into the woods where you saved me.¡± That wasn¡¯t surprising. It was a long shot anyways. ¡°Then we¡¯ll skip to the cors.¡± She nodded, her tail swishing behind her. ¡°There were two demi-humans in the camp I was in that wore them. At first I thought they worked for the bandits, but from the way they were treated I realized they were as much captives as I was. Then when I saw the cors light up whenever they were givenmands I knew exactly what they were.¡± Noelle clutched me even tighter. ¡°Describe them,¡± shemanded. Nariko¡¯s brow furrowed, but when I nodded she said, ¡°a really tall blue half-dragon and a Dark Elf with silver hair and eyes.¡± Noelle gasped. ¡°Nine and Fourteen.¡± She turned her face up at me with a tormented expression. ¡°We have to¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll save them,¡± I promised her. ¡°I already promised to, remember?¡± Tears built in her eyes and she buried her face in my chest. I turned back to Nariko. ¡°I¡¯ll need everything you can remember. Numbers,youts, prisoners, any sses you might be able to guess. Anything the eyes of a fucking good Thief might have picked up,¡± I finished with a smile. The corners of her lips turned upwards, and her shoulders squared. ¡°dly.¡± I waved my girls over. Rhani plopped down next to me with one of her journals and Tiana sat on my other side and wrapped an arm around my waist, resting her chin on my shoulder. Serena took a seat next to Nariko and pulled her into a tight hug that the Nekomata practically melted into. ¡°Wee to the family,¡± she said. Nobody called any attention to the tears Nariko blinked away before she started talking, giving us everything she could remember. Already her skills as a Thief were paying off, because she could remember a hell of a lot. They had us beat in numbers, but they were undisciplined. She knew who theziest sentries were, where they kept the captives, the preferred fighting style of half the damn group, and more. I made a mental note to send a prayer of thanks to Fortunater. She¡¯d done me a great service in leading me to Nariko in more ways than one. For the next two hours we went over everything she could tell me. By the time we finished, she was already starting to nod off in Serena¡¯s arms. We moved on to strategizing and she curled up with her head on Serena¡¯s breasts and was snoring softly in seconds. The enemy was people, not gnolls. That made things easier in some respects, but harder in most. Not to mention the two ves we had to find a way to neutralize without causing them too much harm. I had no doubt they¡¯d be forced to fight back, and trying to remove their cors in the heat of battle was a good way to remove their heads by ident. I had Rhani start working on a non-lethal form for Fang and she told me she already had some ideas with a glow in her eye that made me worry just a little. There was also the issue of the prisoners that Nariko had seen. There were two cages: Nekomata and everyone else. She wasn¡¯t sure how many captives they had, but she knew there had only been a single Nekomata left when she¡¯d been taken. That put us on a bit of a time crunch, but until the bandits showed themselves there was little we could do outside of trying to search the entire forest. By the time we¡¯d finished, it was gettingte. Serena opted to stay behind with Nariko. Apparently she¡¯d hardly been sleeping and she was loathe to wake the poor girl now that she was finally getting some decent rest, and I had to resist the urge to tease Serena about how eager she was to be a pillow. I took ap through the camp to see how everyone was faring. The former captives seemed to be in high enough spirits, but I couldn¡¯t help but notice that all of them were working. Iris and Brinya were both helping Garm clean up the night¡¯s meal. Suriel was still hovering around S and Anri despite the exhaustion I could see in her limbs. The two High Elves were both chatting while they worked on what I realized to be a number of my ruined garments, patching up the many holes. I also saw Friya and Zeraliing back into camp with baskets of wet clothes being led by Zoey. Frowning, I sought out Cynthia. She was watching with amusement while Elisa and Ryoko were locked in discussion about whatever thing they were thinking of creating. ¡°Cynthia,¡± I called, causing her to jump, ¡°A word?¡± She nodded and we stepped away from the camp. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°The captives are all working,¡± I noted. Her brow furrowed. ¡°I made sure any jobs I gave them were low impact. I didn¡¯t realize Friya and Zerali were headed off to clean clothes until they¡¯d already left or I¡¯d have advised against it, but they at least took Zoey as protection.¡± ¡°Why are we giving them jobs in the first ce? They should be recovering,¡± I argued. She opened her mouth to answer, paused, closed it, looked ahead, then sighed. ¡°May I be blunt?¡± ¡°You know I prefer it that way.¡± ¡°You told me to give them anything they needed, and they need these tasks.¡± My first instinct was to disagree, but I usually found myself on the same page as Cynthia. I couldn¡¯t really argue until I at least heard her logic. ¡°Exin what you mean by that, please.¡± She nodded curtly. ¡°You¡¯re still unustomed to the standard servant-Patron dynamic. To put it simply, they need to feel useful. At the end of the day, all servants have at least one use. Especially women,¡± she added with a pointed look. ¡°Giving them not only the chance to be useful but to prove themselves useful in a way that doesn¡¯t involve their bodies puts them at ease.¡± A grimace flitted over her face briefly. ¡°If you have them stand around and doing nothing, there¡¯s going to be a part of them always looking over their shoulder at night wondering if it¡¯s the night you n to visit them in their beds. This way they can feel like they¡¯re earning their passage and your protection without having to worry about you taking payment from them down the road. Give them some time to gravitate to the tasks they enjoy and it will help them trust you in the long run.¡± After a brief pause, she said in a less businesslike tone, ¡°their lives have been turned upside down and any futures they might have had nned have been thrown into chaos. Simple jobs like repairing and washing clothes or cooking give them some level of returning to normalcy. Many of them have been servants for years or more, so this is the life that they know.¡± I looked over the camp again, seeking out those I could see from my spot. I could see the tension in the way that they moved. The fear that came naturally with being in an unfamiliar ce after going through something horrific. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I said finally, and she took a breath, ¡°but I¡¯ll put my trust in you for now. I can see your logic, at least.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s for the best in the long run,¡± she promised me. Then she smirked. ¡°This kind of thing is what you pay me for, after all.¡± I returned her smirk. It certainly was, and once again I felt like I wasn¡¯t paying her enough. Answering Your Questions Answering Your Questions World Mechanics: Q: Regarding the leveling and ss system, when do people unlock their third ss? A: Because of the nature of experience and sses, it''s not umon for the primary and secondary ss to grow at different rates depending on how you''re earning your experience, so it''s whenever the total of both sses hit 60. Q: Do all sses go through evolution? When do they go through evolutions? Since Zaren has a mythic ss already, does that ss not evolve? A: ss evolutions ur when the ss hits 25/50/75/100. Most often the evolutions are somewhat linear, and moremon sses can have evolutions as simple as Swordsman -> Swordsman II though the heroes of the story get the benefit of more interesting sses because plot. There are sses that can''t earned at level one, even for mythic sses, so Zaren will be facing a ss evolution of his own in the near future... Q: How do people determine the rarity of sses? A: There are certain artifacts out there capable of analyzing ss rarities, and while forcing sses is frowned upon there is documentation of most sses rare and below. It''s easier to spot mythic, unique, and legendary ss skills because they have epigraphs (the vor text in italics) and are more powerful, but artifacts are the only surefire way to know the rarity of a ss itself. Q: Paraphrased: questions about Noelle''s race, the Mchai and the demi-human races: A: Noelle is technically not a beastkin. Currently (I don''t n to add more, but who knows if inspiration will strike me) there are nine different divisions of demi-human, each with three races that share amon ancestor. I''ll put a list in a spoiler so it doesn''t take up too much space. Spoiler Celestial: Arelim, Seraphim, Nephilim Infernal: Tiefling, Erinyes, Oni Beastkin: Nekomata, Kitusne, Lycanine Elf: Dark, Wood, High Dwarf: Mountain, Hill, Deep Draconic: Dragonling, Drakken, Half-Dragon Fae: Nymph, Nereid, Seelie Siphon: Subus/Incubus, Vampire, Siren ???: Mchai, ???, ??? [copse] Misc. Questions: Q: How long do you envision this the series? A: It''s hard to say. I certainly didn''t think the journey to the capital was going to take as long as it has, but It''s the first of three major "arcs" that I have in my head, though a lot of the nuances of those arcs are still in the air. I don''t have a solid answer to your question other than to say where we are right now is probably somewhere between a quarter and a third of what I have nned overall, though that''s subject to change as I write. Q: Where are the characters rtive to one another? A: Zaren started in the north and is currently heading south towards the capital, which is about a week away as ofst chapter (assuming nothing else hampers their progress, of course). Allie''s first chapter, though unstated, took ce a couple days to the west of the capital, and herst mission took ce south of the capital by a few days, though she returned to the capital at the end of her chapter. Q: Will the plot transition to some kind of Kingdom Building once Zaren arrives at the Capital? A: It won''t quite be kingdom building, but there will definitely be some emphasis on Zaren building up his household and resources. It will definitely be a shift in tone from them being on the road up until this point. Once he gets things squared away, there''s every chance circumstance will draw him outside the walls of the capital here and there... Q: What were your inspirations for this novel? A: The ss/skill system is heavily inspired by the one inRebirth of the Nephilim on this site. I made some changes and took some liberties here and there, but I loved the whole system in that story a lot and based mine off it. If you like Futa and LitRPG, I do rmend that story. Other than that, the main inspiration for my story was wanting to have the sort of LitRPG world where everyone talks in terms of levels, sses, experience, etc. but I''ve never been the biggest fan of Isekai, so I wanted to write a story that uses the mechanics while being from the POV of people who are from the world. Additionally, I got the idea for the ords fromI own a Brothel in Another World, also on this site though, again, I did my best to change it up to not be simply copying from the other incredibly talented authors on this website. Those are the two main inspirations thate to mind, but I''m sure there are many, many others that influenced me subconsciously or otherwise. Q: Is there magic for making babies for same sex couples? A: I haven''t fully decided one way or another on this point if I''m being honest, but in a world where the majority of the poption is female and a not insignificant number of them are either lesbian or bisexual, I think it would only make sense that someone in the world would dedicate the time to finding such a magic. "Spoiler Questions": After some inner debate, I''ve decided I''ll answer some of the questions about the future of the story, but I''ll do so somewhat vaguely. I won''t give away my ns, but I''ll give some hints as to where I''m nning to go. Spoiler Q: How big will Zaren''s Harem be? A: Another question I don''t have a concrete answer for, but in terms of his inner circle he''s met/taken in about half of the girls I originally nned for when I started writing the story. Q: During the conversation with Fortuna, she talks about Noelle and mentions hercking any bonds for Allura to work with, does that mean she wasn''t one of those women? A: In short, yes. Allura had nothing to do with Zaren finding Noelle, which means Noelle was never tethered to Allura in any way such as being reincarnated. Q: There are varying questions about which girls might be reincarnations. A: I won''t give you the who''s who just yet, but I will say that not every girl Zaren gets intimate with is one of the reincarnated souls, and not every reincarnated soul will end up in the harem. Q: Will all reincarnated because of the deal remember their past lives (at least in part)? If they do, how will it be? (Slow or fast, takeover or inheritance?) A: Allie/Eliya is a special case because of outside interference. The other reincarnated will have an opportunity to regain their past selves if they so choose based on certain conditions. In the event of a reincarnated soul regaining their memories, it will be more of a merger than anything else, it won''t erase the person they are now. Q: Will there be more development with Rr and Karina? A: You will be seeing both characters again, have no fear. Both will be involved in the next major arc. [copse] Chapter Fifty-Eight: Changing Links Chapter Fifty-Eight: Changing Links It ended up being another sleepless night, though the calm, steady breathing of the girls around me eased my nerves considerably. Noelle was still staying in the other tent, so it was still just me, Rhani, Serena, and Tiana. All was well until early morning came around and my heightened senses picked up a hammering heartbeat at my side. Rhani was silent for the most part, and it was just as she started to whimper that I reached for her. She jerked away before I could try and rouse her from her nightmare, and before I could even ask if she was alright she was up and ducking out of the tent, throwing one of my shirts over her naked frame. After carefully disentangling myself from the other two, I followed. I found her sitting on the other side of the wagon with her knees tucked to her chest. She didn¡¯t so much as look up when I sank down next to her, but I could tell by her expression that she was distraught. I gave her some time to just sit and think before I felt she¡¯d had long enough. ¡°Talk to me, Rhani,¡± I said softly. ¡°No ¡®Angel¡¯ tonight?¡± she asked without looking at me. ¡°Not when you¡¯re clearly hurting. What¡¯s wrong?¡± She tightened her grip on her legs, pulling them in tighter. ¡°We can start with whatever your nightmare was about, if you want.¡± She let out a long breath. ¡°Remember the day after we left the tower? When we got ambushed?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had nightmares about that day since it happened, but they¡¯ve gotten worse thest few days,¡± she admitted. I put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me. ¡°The look on the man¡¯s face when the golem ran him through. Watching him bleed out and die. I can still picture it so vividly, even now. I killed him. I did that.¡± I understood all too well, unfortunately. ¡°And now that we¡¯re getting close to a fight with more bandits, your fears are resurging.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I thought I could handle it, but I just¡­I¡¯m afraid. What if I lock up? What if I hesitate and get someone killed? I know the man I killed was a bad person. I know that if I didn¡¯t kill him, he¡¯d have killed me. I know the men we¡¯re about to fight are just as bad, and they¡¯ve already done horrible things to innocent people. My stomach just doesn¡¯t care, and neither do my nightmares.¡± I pulled her in tighter. ¡°I¡¯m never going to hold it against you that you don¡¯t want to kill people. Bad or otherwise. Karn turned me into a killer when I was fourteen, and by then I¡¯d seen enough death that it didn¡¯t bother me.¡± I ran my fingers through her hair and she sighed. ¡°Rhani, me being able to kill people and not lose sleep at night isn¡¯t because I¡¯m strong, it¡¯s because I¡¯m broken.¡± She jerked up at that, turning to me with the words already on her lips, but I silenced her with a finger. ¡°I am. Karn left me a broken, shattered human kid, and though I¡¯vee a long way, I¡¯m still broken. I¡¯m getting better every day, in no small part thanks to you and the others, but I am broken inside.¡± She still looked like she wanted to argue, but she leaned her head back on my shoulder instead. ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I told her. ¡°Being brave isn¡¯t the same as being fearless, it¡¯s moving forward in spite of those fears. You¡¯re much too smart not to be scared with everything that¡¯s happening. I¡¯m terrified of something happening to one of you, but that just means I care enough about you all to be afraid. If you don¡¯t want to kill people, that¡¯s fine. Honestly, I think I prefer it that way. I can work with that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Remember how I wanted you to work on a non-lethal summon?¡± She nodded. ¡°When the fighting starts you¡¯ll have one job. I want you to incapacitate one of the two cored ves they¡¯ll be using and take them out of the equation. No killing.¡± She started to rx into me. ¡°I really do love you, you know,¡± she said finally. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°I love you too.¡± ¡°And I look forward to telling you that again someday when the ords are long gone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to that, too. For a number of reasons.¡± She made a contented sound and we just sat there for a while. Eventually, I checked my Essence pool. [Soul Essence: 79/120] ¡°Do you want to Forge your Link?¡± I asked softly. She went stiff in my arms. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to, you know,¡± I told her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tether us together just for the benefits.¡± Almost angrily, she shoved herself up to sit in myp, straddling me. ¡°No! That isn¡¯t it at all, I do want it! I want it more than I can put into words, I just¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re next up on the block,¡± I told her gently, running my hands up her arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then you don¡¯t want to. I won¡¯t be upset, but I¡¯d like to know. If you don¡¯t feel like you¡¯re ready¡ª¡± She put a hand on either of my cheeks, her face so close to mine that I could feel her breath on my lips. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Zaren. I do want it. I want you. More than I can put into words. If we somehow managed to get rid of the ords tomorrow and everyone suddenly epted demi-humans, I¡¯d still want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you.¡± ¡°Then tell me what¡¯s holding you back. Please.¡± She chewed her lip. ¡°Things are still dangerous. I don¡¯t want you to waste the essence on me if a link with someone else could help you in a fight.¡± I pressed my forehead to hers. ¡°First of all, no matter what, a Link with you would never be a waste, so I don¡¯t ever want to hear those wordse out of your mouth again.¡± She smiled softly, and I returned it. ¡°Second, do you know why I took this ss?¡± She shook her head without breaking contact between us, her eyes locked on mine. ¡°I took it because it¡¯s the first option I¡¯ve ever had that wasn¡¯t abat ss of the twelve choices I¡¯ve had in my life. Because it¡¯s the first time in my life that I¡¯ve even felt like it was a possibility that I could be something other than a weapon. I¡¯m not looking at Soul Smith as a ss to make me more lethal. I¡¯ve got that taken care of. My hope is that it might be able to undo the damage Valethar Karn did to me. That I might actually be good at something other than destruction. It isn¡¯t just a nonbat ss, it¡¯s a ss that revolves around creating something. I can¡¯t tell you how important that distinction is to me.¡± Her breath caught, and I slid my hands up her sides until my palms were resting on her ribs. ¡°I don¡¯t want to look at Soul Smith as a way to be more dangerous. I don¡¯t even want to think of it that way lest the gods decide to take the ss in that direction. I want to Forge a Link with you because creating that connection between us feels right, not because I want to make myself stronger. And I only want you to agree to the Link if you feel the same way.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said softly, her cheeks darker than I¡¯d ever seen them. ¡°Um, okay. Well, when you put it that way, I feel kinda dumb for pushing it off.¡± I sucked in my breath dramatically. ¡°You? Dumb? Never. Not my Schr.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Your Schr. You know, when I get my evolved ss at twenty-five, you¡¯re going to have toe up with a new nickname.¡± ¡°Is that a yes?¡± I asked. She buried her face in my shoulder. ¡°Yes please,¡± she said softly. I held her to my chest and closed my eyes, reaching out with my soul sense. She let out a shuddering breath when my soul brushed up against hers. It was just as bright and resilient as I knew her to be. It was a little bruised around the edges from years of only having her father and her sister to rely on and the near-constant struggle that came with being a demi-human, but it was whole and beautiful and¡­ And something else. Something I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on. Her soul had a shimmer to it that both caught my eye and slipped through my sense like sand in a sieve. Like a mirage, there one second then gone when I tried to really look at it. A familiarity that my brain just couldn¡¯t quite make sense of. I knew instinctively that it was important, but with my limited knowledge I had no idea why. But, as I activated [Forge Link], I knew one thing for certain. Rhani belonged with me just as much as I belonged with her. I¡¯d felt something simr with Serena, but it had been overshadowed by the divinity in her soul as a priestess. I¡¯d felt a closeness and kinship with Noelle as well, but nothing quite like the literal pull I felting from Rhani¡¯s soul. A pull I realized was being mirrored by my own soul. Like we were being drawn together in a sense that wasn¡¯t physical in the slightest. The second I activated the skill, I knew something was different. Not wrong, necessarily, but something unlike what I¡¯d felt with either Serena or Noelle. The pain from my Soul Essence being expended was there, but it was heavily muted. Beyond that¡­ Before, I could feel the Link being seared into my soul. The bridge between me and my target being forged into ce. Creating something from nothing. With Rhani, that didn¡¯t happen. The Link between us slid into ce with a sense of relief. It felt like I¡¯d regained a part of myself that I¡¯d been missing. That I¡¯dpleted something that had been left iplete. The Link between us built itself on top of something else that I didn¡¯t or couldn¡¯t understand, and it made all the difference. Rhani made a sound that was dangerously close to a moan. Her fingers twisted in my hair and she pressed herself against me tightly enough that I could feel every bit of the shiver that went through her body. ¡°Ohhhh,¡± she breathed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was going to feel like that.¡± I frowned, resisting the urge to crush her into my chest. Mostly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t. That felt¡­different than it did with the other two.¡± I checked my pool. [Soul Essence: 59/130] My frown deepened. ¡°It cost ten less Essence, too.¡± Rhani leaned back, a small whimper slipping past her lips at the loss of contact. ¡°What? What else was different?¡± While I ran her through my observations, my hands trailed up her thighs as if they had a mind of their own. Her skin was cool under my palms, and it felt like energy was sparking between our flesh in a way that was making it very difficult not to seek out as much skin to skin contact as I possibly could. By the time I finished, she was chewing on her lip again. This time, though, it wasn¡¯t because she was nervous. ¡°Shit, I need my journal.¡± From the way her hands traveled up my own shirtless chest, leaving fire in their wake wherever they touched, I knew she was as reluctant to separate as I was. I chuckled. ¡°Go on, I¡¯ll be right in.¡± She hesitated a bit longer, then leaned in for a quick peck. A peck that very quickly turned into our tongues fighting for dominance while she ground her core against my already hardening length through my pants. Her hands trailed up my chest to my neck, then to the back of my head so she could push herself into me even more. One of my own hands cupped her ass while the other slid beneath the shirt she wore to capture her breast. She moaned into me, deepening the kiss as much as she could, her wetness already starting to soak into my pants. Her nipples had hardened enough for me to feel them against my chest through her shirt. Her fists tightened in my hair and she finally forced herself back with a frustrated groan. ¡°Fuck. Journal. Need to get to the journal while it¡¯s fresh.¡± The words were directed more at herself than they were at me. A primal part of me disagreed heavily, but I wrangled it into submission before trailing a knuckle down her cheek. ¡°Get it all written down then and I¡¯ll have no choice but to reward you.¡± She grinned, her fingertips trailing down my cheek. ¡°There¡¯s my Zaren. I missed you.¡± I chuckled again, but didn¡¯t say anything while she forced herself to stand, her lower lip trapped firmly between her teeth. She shot me a smile, then darted off back towards our tent. I shook my head in amusement, once I¡¯d finished watching her ivory legs disappear of course, giving my erection a second to calm down before I tried to walk through camp at full mast. She was right. I did feel a bit more like myself, and it wasn¡¯t just the Link that caused it. My talk with Rhani made me realize exactly what was hanging over my head, and though it still scared the shit out of me, at least I had some idea of what the issue was. I¡¯d have to talk with the others about it at length, but first¡­ ¡°It¡¯s rude to eavesdrop,¡± I called. Nariko fell silently to the ground next to me, sitting on the ground and kicking her legs out, one over the other. ¡°Sorry. If it makes you feel better, I was already around and you two chose to have your talk right under me.¡± I hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d been around until I¡¯d reached out with my soul sense. I had a feeling it was more than just skills that made her so stealthy. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I never sleep much. Sleeping makes you vulnerable, and I¡¯ve never been able to afford that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re safe in this camp,¡± I told her. ¡°I know. Safer than I¡¯ve ever been, at least. Old habits and all.¡± Her eyes flicked to mine. ¡°You understand.¡± I raised a brow. I did, but her astute observation was one more thing I had to throw into my mental Nariko file. ¡°You spend a lot of nights prowling around the camp, then?¡± ¡°Sure. Noelle usually wakes when I slip out, but the others don¡¯t. She¡¯s got really sensitive ears, but she doesn¡¯t stop me as long as I give her a nod or something to tell her I¡¯m fine.¡± She stretched out, her tail flickingzily behind her. ¡°I like it at night. It¡¯s calm. Quiet. I can walk around without having to keep so many people in my sight.¡± I made a noise of agreement. I understood that perfectly. If I didn¡¯t have the girls in my bed each night I¡¯d probably spend a lot of time prowling myself. ¡°Still happy with our deal?¡± She fingered the cor at her neck and smirked. ¡°Thrilled. You arepletely unlike any Patron I¡¯ve ever met.¡± I tried not to get too choked up. ¡°That¡¯s more of apliment than I can put into words.¡± That earned a light scoff from her. ¡°I thought it was all some kind of act, but the more I watch everyone¡­¡± She shrugged,ying back. ¡°It¡¯s clear just from the way everyone treats you that you¡¯re something I haven¡¯t seen before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She smirked again. ¡°Fishing forpliments?¡± ¡°Information, more like. I¡¯m curious to get your read on things. You¡¯re my Thief, after all.¡± Her smirk turned into a grin. A day with the cor and she already seemed more at ease than I¡¯d seen her. ¡°Well, your harem all look at you like you hung the fucking moon, and from what I¡¯ve seen even all the noises you wring out of them at night aren¡¯t the only reason. You¡¯ve earned their loyalty alongside their love, and that isn¡¯t always something that¡¯s easy to do.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, makes me question their taste in men sometimes.¡± ¡°Pierce watches you like he expects you to burst into song,¡± she continued, ignoring my interruption. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for something, I just don¡¯t know what. Not in a bad way, but it makes me very curious. Yen has no idea what to do with you, and since she¡¯s a female adventurer that¡¯s probably a good thing. All the girls that share her bed are pretty much the same, and Al is¡­he¡¯s a right asshole. He always like that?¡± ¡°For as long as I¡¯ve known him, which is admittedly not long.¡± She grimaced. ¡°The caravaneers treat you with a sort of thankful reverence, but that isn¡¯t surprising. You¡¯re the lord, and you¡¯re clearly strong. You hold more than their lives in their hands. The shocking part is that the demi-humans look at you in almost the same way. Between them and the way your Kitsunes light up whenever they see you, I figured entering your service was a chance I couldn¡¯t pass up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit¡­old fashioned, I guess. I¡¯m still trying to wrap my head around how everyone treats demi-humans.¡± She fixed me with an odd look. ¡°You mean the whole ¡®thirty year nap¡¯ business?¡± I made a choking noise, and she shrugged. ¡°You guys are really not that good at keeping secrets. Hey, if you¡¯re some old hero chosen by the goddess, then I might as well lend a hand. Maybe then my shit luck will turn around.¡± I resisted the urge to tell her that divine intervention had already happened in her life. ¡°Anything else you want to share?¡± She blew a strand of hair away from her face. ¡°The new DHs are all both terrified and hopeful. Scared you¡¯re another shitty Patron and praying you aren¡¯t. Waiting for the other shoe to drop but willing to take even that over being shackled in a gnoll camp. Standard shit. It¡¯s Vivian¡¯s group that are the interesting ones.¡± I was sensing my new Thief had a ir for the dramatics and had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. ¡°Go on,¡± I prompted. ¡°Well, for starters, she¡¯s hardly a normal noble. You¡¯ve puzzled that out by now, I¡¯m sure. Herckeys look to her for orders like subordinates, not guards. They¡¯re loyal to her in the same way all your household is loyal to you. Not to mention there¡¯s always at least one of them watching your every move at all times. Now notwithstanding since Zoey dozed off. I wonder if Vivian will yell at her for it.¡± Well shit. Nariko was already earning her ce and then some, apparently. ¡°You think she¡¯s a threat?¡± I asked, curious about her answer. She lifted a hand and wobbled it side to side. ¡°Ehh, not really. Doesn¡¯t give me the vibe, and I¡¯ve had to be a good judge of that.¡± She grimaced as something shed through her head, but the expression disappeared just as quickly. ¡°She could be a problem if she chooses to be, but I don¡¯t see that happening. Not when you¡¯re all¡­¡± she waved a hand in my direction, ¡°you.¡± ¡°I appreciate the vote of confidence.¡± ¡°You trust her?¡± I sighed. I¡¯d been asking myself that question since we¡¯d met. ¡°She¡¯s stronger than me, I know that much. I have a skill,¡± I exined at her confused expression, ¡°and she¡¯s clearly hiding something. At the same time¡­I don¡¯t mistrust her.¡± Nariko rolled nimbly to her feet. ¡°Yeah, I get it. I¡¯ll keep an eye out, report back if she does anything else out of the ordinary.¡± She took a step away, then ducked her head and toed the ground. ¡°Zaren? About what you said to Rhani¡­the part where you said you were broken, but healing¡­¡± I stood as well. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to kill them, right? The men at the camp?¡± ¡°Most of them,¡± I admitted with a grimace. ¡°I won¡¯t execute anyone who surrenders, though.¡± She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I want to help Rhani with the cored ones. There¡¯s a part of me that wants vengeance for everything the men did to me, but¡­¡± She turned to me with a fierce look in her eyes. ¡°Fuck them. They don¡¯t deserve any part of me they haven¡¯t already taken, not even vengeance. I want to help the other girls that need help more than I want to see them in the ground.¡± I nodded. ¡°I can work with that. Try to get some sleep before we get into it.¡± She scoffed. ¡°nning on following your own advice?¡± It was my turn to shrug now. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± She shook her head, but her lips were turned up. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll see if I can get a nap in before we head out.¡± ¡°Good. Send Noelle to my tent when you get back?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s awake.¡± ¡°She¡¯s always awake when people are going in and out. Even someone as quiet as you.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± She faded away into the night and I picked my way back to my tent. Serena and Tiana were spooning in the bedroll and Rhani sat nearby scribbling away in her journal. She didn¡¯t look up, not even when I sat behind her and slid my hands down her waist. I trailed my fingers down her bare legs and she gasped softly when they reached her inner thighs, pushing just enough to tell her to part them. Her pencil didn¡¯t so much as stutter when she did as I silently asked, and I trailed my fingers higher and higher, my touch feather light. I bit back a groan when I reached her core. She was soaked through, and that drive from before to press my flesh into hers was back in full force. But her reaction wasn¡¯t so quiet. Her hips drove forward and a needy moan slipped from her lips. I leaned close enough that my lips brushed her ear and she pushed back into me, spreading her legs further. ¡°Better be quiet, Angel. Wouldn¡¯t want to wake the others.¡± I stroked her core with two fingers and she shuddered. ¡°I hardly think they¡¯d mind,¡± she breathed. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t, but then you¡¯d have to share me.¡± The possessive noise she made caused my cock to throb, and from the way her back arched into me I knew she felt it. Her pencil finally paused, which meant so did my fingers. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re done quite yet,¡± I pointed out. She nodded with a whimper and got back to writing, so I rewarded her by slipping a finger inside. She managed to muffle the moan, but only barely. I started slowly working my fingers in and out, grinding my palm over her clit, while my other hand snaked up her shirt to return to kneading her breasts. Her pencil jerked when I tugged at her nipple, which made me pause. ¡°Keep going,¡± she breathed. I smiled, then pressed my lips to the side of her neck at the same time I added a second finger. Her pencil jerked again, but I allowed it. I watched over her shoulder while she worked, amazed by how neat her handwriting was while release inched closer and closer. I read over what she¡¯d written and had her add anything I thought might be important. I knew her limit was growing near when she went from pausing between each sentence to pausing between each word to eventually pausing between each letter. When she stopped writing fully once more, I curled my fingers and pressed against her sweet spot while my thumb pressed down on her clit at the same time I pinched her nipple and nibbled the sensitive spot just behind her ear. Her pencil fell as she mped her hand over her mouth, falling apart in my arms as her orgasm ripped through her. I made long, slow strokes down her outer lips and trailed my fingers over her stomach while sheid back against me, panting. Without lifting her head from where it rested on my shoulder, she reached around blindly until I picked the pencil up and put it in her hand. She sat up long enough to finish the sentence she was working on before mming the journal shut and tossing it on her pack, then ripped the shirt off her body and whirled around. ¡°Naked. Now.¡± I barely had time toply before she was on me, grinding her core against my length, her lips locked to mine. One hand fisted my hair while the other roamed my body, trailing my muscles and scars like she was trying tomit me to memory by touch. Every where our bodies were connected felt like lightning was coursing through me. One of my hands ended up on her nape, my arm over her shoulder pressing her body into mine, while the other gripped her ass to lift her above me. She buried her face in my shoulder just before I set her down, sinking into her in a single thrust. I saw stars as the same energy from where our skin touched seemed to explode from where we were connected. She cried out into my shoulder, and I paused long enough to make sure Tiana and Serena hadn¡¯t stirred before I wrapped an arm around her waist and started thrusting into her from below. She was so tight I struggled not to blow after just the first few pumps, but I managed to get myself under control. Her legs hooked around me, her hips meeting me thrust for thrust. Her teeth sunk into my shoulder and I responded by trailing a line of kisses and bites down her neck. She clenched around me even tighter, and it wasn¡¯t much longer before release came for her again and I followed, only stilling after I¡¯d shot thest of my load in her. ¡°That was¡­¡± she panted, ¡°¡­fuck.¡± I couldn¡¯t agree more. ¡°The Link enhanced things with the others, but that was¡­¡± She pulled back with a grin, the energy between us finally starting to calm. ¡°Zaren, are you trying to say that I¡¯m special?¡± ¡°You are special, but that isn¡¯t what I meant. From the start, the Link has been different with you.¡± I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against hers for the second time tonight, and mentally sought out the Links between me and my girls. Rhani¡¯s was the same thickness as the others, but it felt stronger. It was wire thin, but I could feel more traveling across the bonds than I had with Serena or Noelle. And, when I felt the others, I realized they were stronger now too. Serena¡¯s had thickened considerably, already more the thickness of a string than a wire, and Noelle''s was half as thick. That wasn¡¯t all. On some level, I felt more aware of them, and I felt a tug yanking me towards them both. I told Rhani as much and she shot me an exasperated look before gingerly lifting herself out of myp, finally letting me slip free of her folds, and scooped up her journal. She sat down cross legged, my seed dribbling out from inside her, and started writing. ¡°Having fun?¡± Tiana asked sleepily. I winced. ¡°Sorry if we woke you.¡± She stretched her hands to the sky, her bared breasts already sending my blood back southward. Serena was still wrapped in a nket, but her eyes were open and a smile peeked out at me. Tiana made a small and satisfied squeak her back arched, then crawled across the tent to read over Rhani¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You guys formed the Link? Good.¡± She kissed Rhani¡¯s cheek, which made her pencil jerk as much as when I¡¯d been fingering her earlier. Maybe even more so. ¡°I have theories,¡± Rhani announced. ¡°From what Zaren said, it¡¯s clear something about our Link changed things. It could be as simple as more Links making Zaren stronger, or¡­¡± She trailed off, and when I peeked at her face I realized she was blushing. ¡°Or Linking with you specifically changed things,¡± Serena finished, sitting up. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we all know you and Zaren¡¯s rtionship is special, you can say the theory out loud.¡± I hoped I was imagining the wistfulness in her tone, but I didn¡¯t think I was. ¡°It¡¯s not that!¡± Rhani protested. ¡°At least¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that.¡± Rhani was still collecting her thoughts when Noelle slipped in. Her pupils dted when she saw me sitting naked and ready for another round. Her eyes seemed to ze over for a moment, then she closed the distance between us with purposeful strides, stripping with enough force that not all of the buttons survived. ¡°Noelle, are you¡ªoof.¡± She crashed into me hard enough to knock me into the ground, pressing her body into mine and nuzzling into my neck with a groan. Just like with Rhani, wherever we touched felt like it was on fire in the best way possible. ¡°Rhani,¡± I grunted, unable to stop my arms from wrapping around Noelle¡¯s frame even if I wanted to, ¡°happening again.¡± Rhani made a cooing noise, her scribbling increasing, while Noelle rubbed her body against mine desperately. On some level I knew exactly what she wanted, so I lifted her hips and lined myself up. She mmed down on my length with a satisfied growl, a very happy hum practically exploding from her chest. Her incisors raked across my chest while she mmed her hips into mine, her arms wrapped tightly around me. She adopted a breakneck pace right out of the gate, and all I could do was hold her tight enough that I didn¡¯t slip free. ¡°Serena,¡± Rhani asked, her tonepletely normal as if I wasn¡¯t being power fucked by a horny Mchai a few feet away, ¡°Are you feeling anything odd? A strong need to rub yourself all over Zaren¡¯s delicious body? A little voice in your head demanding you fuck him till you can¡¯t move?¡± Serena made a small squeak. ¡°A little. I thought it was¡­um¡­because of the dreams I was having¡­¡± Thest part came out as a squeak, and I would haveughed if I wasn¡¯t focused on keeping Noelle from hurting herself. Her peak was approaching, making her rhythm erratic. She let out a whimper, and a silent request seemed to slip straight from her soul to mine. An understanding. I didn¡¯t stop to question it, rolling until she was below me. I lifted her hips to give myself a better angle and took over, and her climax ripped through her violently. Her nails drew blood from my back and her legs wrapped around mine in an iron embrace, her folds gripping me so tightly I could barely move, but the new angle let me in deeper than I¡¯d gone before. Her teeth left my skin long enough for her to whisper, ¡°more,¡± before sinking into my shoulder. I slid an arm around her, just under her wings, and used the other to hold myself up while I pounded into her. Like with Rhani, I didn¡¯t hold back. Unlike with Rhani, there was a nagging sensation in the back of my head that said Noelle wanted more. I delivered, mming into her with as much force as I could manage in this position, her shoulders the only thing touching the ground. She clenched even tighter around me, already rolling into a second orgasm. When I raked my teeth across her neck, she surged into a third. Her hum had reached a low keen and she clutched me so tight I worried a bone might snap. Her fourth orgasm brought me to the edge, and I leapt over it willingly, spilling inside her until I felt like there was nothing left in me. I rolled to the side, taking her with me, but she didn¡¯t relinquish her grip on me despite her trembling limbs. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I panted, suddenly very aware that this had been her first time not being on top and in control. She nodded adamantly, her face still buried in her chest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure¡­I wanted to, but I was afraid¡­I would like to do that again very much, though maybe next time¡­¡± I felt like the Link between us was thrumming and it drew augh out of me. ¡°Next time we can enjoy ourselves a little more,¡± I promised. Humming, she nestled into me. I turned to the others, who were watching with varying levels of amusement. Well, Tiana and Rhani were, at least. Serena¡¯s eyes were wide and her lip was trapped firmly between her teeth. ¡°Um,¡± Serena said, ¡°are we¡ªI mean, should I¡ª¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we all take a second and talk first,¡± I said with a chuckle, pulling a nket over my crotch while my fingers trailed down a still trembling¡ªthough smiling¡ªNoelle. ¡°Rhani, would you catch them up?¡± Rhani snickered. ¡°I took care of that while you were fucking Noelle through half a dozen orgasms.¡± Noelle hummed happily, nestling into my arms. I cleared my throat. ¡°Right. I guess I was a little distracted.¡± Tiana chuckled, leaning back. ¡°You certainly were. Now I really can¡¯t wait for my turn.¡± I raised a brow. She blushed, but made no move to look away. Serena cleared her throat. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Noelle came at you like she was possessed and I just have really strong¡­urges.¡± Rhani tapped her pencil to her chin. ¡°Well, it could be a number of things. Could boil down to upbringing. You were raised to be a prude¡ªno offense, love, we¡¯re working on it¡ªwhile Noelle¡¯s past is much more¡­well, you know. Horrible. Or it could be her more animalistic nature as a first generation demi-human¡ªassuming we¡¯re right about that, of course¡ªwhere you have more of a human nature.¡± ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve already satisfied the bond somewhat,¡± I offered. ¡°There was that time after we sparred that felt much more intimate than usual.¡± Serena turned a very attractive shade of red. ¡°I-I suppose that could be a possibility.¡± Rhani hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Could be. Maybe your horniness right now is just your Link trying to make up the difference now that it¡¯s stronger, and the difference is just smaller for you than it was for Noelle.¡± Then she smiled. ¡°Or maybe Noelle was already feeling randy and the Link just pushed her over the edge.¡± I checked the Link between me and Noelle. While it hadn¡¯t grownrger, it certainly felt steadier. ¡°That sounds right. Noelle has been spending a lot of time in the other tent while Serena is wrapped around me most nights.¡± Noelle let out a distressed noise and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°That isn¡¯t a bad thing. It makes me very happy that you¡¯ve made a friend in Kili.¡± Noelle rxed. ¡°I like her a lot. She¡¯s so happy, and she says I make her feel safe. That makes me feel good.¡± I gave her a squeeze. ¡°If you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m hardly going to make you spend time away from your friend.¡± Tiana¡¯s head tilted to the side. ¡°You seem¡­more bnced than before.¡± Everyone sat up straighter when she said that. I sighed, though not because she was wrong. She was right, I just didn¡¯t want to have this conversation. I never would. I needed to, though. ¡°I¡¯ve realized what¡¯s been hanging over my head thisst week. A part of it, at least.¡± Tiana took a long look at my face, then nodded and reached for a shirt to slip on. Everyone else seemed to take this as a sign that intimate times were over for now and also got dressed with the exception of Noelle who refused to leave my side. I didn¡¯t grab pants, but I did keep the nket over myp. I didn¡¯t start talking until Serena came over to heal up some of the scratches Noelle had left on me. ¡°Before we forged the Link, Rhani and I had a chat.¡± I nced at Rhani, unsure if she wanted me to tell them what about. She took the decision out of my hands. ¡°Not long after Zaren and I met, we were attacked by some bandits. Bandits we think were rted the group we¡¯re chasing right now. They threatened to do some very unsavory things to me and we killed them. Well, Zaren killed most of them, but the golem killed one.¡± Then, quieter, she added, ¡°at my order.¡± Serena made a beeline for her, wrapping her in a warm hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rhani. I know you¡¯ve probably already heard it all by now, but if it was you or him then I¡¯m d you chose to survive. If you want to talk, I¡¯m always avable.¡± I raised a brow at the sudden reassurances, but didn¡¯tment. Especially when Rhani seemed to sink gratefully into the embrace. I looked at them. ¡°Tiana, Serena, have either of you ever killed a person before?¡± I didn¡¯t bother asking Noelle since she¡¯d told me that much about her past already. Serena paled, her expression a resounding no, but Tiana looked away. She cleared her throat. ¡°I took a job with a bad team. The leader was a temperamental bastard, but I didn¡¯t know that until it was toote. We met some not nice people and he picked a fight. We won. I didn¡¯t go on another job with them.¡± Serena pulled Tiana into the hug. ¡°Then the same goes for you. But no, I haven¡¯t killed anyone.¡± Then her eyes turned to me, understanding in her gaze. ¡°And¡­I know you¡¯ve killed before, Zaren. It didn¡¯t bother me then, and it won¡¯t now.¡± I gave her a sad smile. ¡°Knowing and seeing are two different things.¡± My eyes traveled to Rhani. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Rhani paled, but her jaw set. ¡°I¡¯m still here, aren¡¯t I?¡± Then she frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡¯s why¡­¡± I thought it over for a moment. ¡°No. It¡¯s a good theory, but I don¡¯t think that had any effect on the Link.¡± I took a long breath. ¡°You remember my other choices for my second ss?¡± ¡°Death Cheat and¡­Reaper,¡± Rhani rattled off automatically. I nodded. ¡°Reaper has been an option every time a ss selection hase up for me. I actually took itst time around as my tertiary ss.¡± I paused, uncertain how exactly to say this next part, until I felt Noelle¡¯s fingers wrap around my wrist and pulled them to her head. I smiled, running my hand through her hair, and she hummed. ¡°I¡¯m good at killing,¡± I said finally. ¡°Very good. Fighting monsters is something I¡¯ve gotten good at over the years, but people? I¡¯ve always been¡­uniquely suited to it from the start, and I only got better at it as time went on. It¡¯s one of the reasons so many feared me during the war. Watching me fight monsters can be as terrifying as it is awe inspiring, but watching me cut my way through people the way that I do? It can be unsettling.¡± I made a noise in the back of my throat. ¡°I¡¯ve known this wasing since we left Anford, and I think it¡¯s been weighing heavily on me. I guess I¡¯m worried¡ªno, scared that when you or the rest of the caravan see what I¡¯m capable of that things will end up just like before. That you¡¯ll see me as the weapon Karn turned me into, not¡­well, not who I¡¯m trying to be.¡± Wordlessly, Noelle twisted in my arms so she could wrap her arms around my neck. Before I knew it, all four of them were wrapped around me in some form or fashion. It was Serena who broke the silence first. ¡°A sword isn¡¯t evil just because it takes lives,¡± she said softly. ¡°You killed those men to protect yourself and Rhani. If you end up killing these bandits, then it¡¯ll be to save the innocent people they¡¯ve captured and to make sure they don¡¯t hurt anyone else who isn¡¯t strong enough to protect themselves. Karn may have tried to turn you into a weapon, and he may have seeded in some respects, but you are so much more than what he did to you.¡± I felt like a weight had lifted from my shoulders. I leaned into whoever was at my back, closing my eyes. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly. Tiana¡¯s fingers trailed through my hair. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some dark people during my time in the guild, Zaren. I know that where it counts, you¡¯re a good man. That¡¯s all I care about.¡± Rhani¡¯s hand found my cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve already seen that part of you, remember? I know I only saw a small amount of what you¡¯re capable of, but I won¡¯t let it scare me away. Not now.¡± Noelle nuzzled into my neck, inhaling deeply. ¡°You are like me. If you can be more than what was done to you, then so can I. Even if you cannot, I will follow you always.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said again. ¡°Thank you all. You¡¯re all amazing.¡± At some point we allid back, each of them finding some way to touch me, until sunlight started to lighten the canvas of the tent. Then, very suddenly, Rhani barked out augh. ¡°Wait, Serena, is that why you got that book?¡± I turned to Serena, who had turned a dark shade of crimson. ¡°W-w-w-what? What book? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Tiana frowned. ¡°That healer¡¯s book you¡¯ve been all secretive about? What does that have to do with anything?¡± Rhani grinned mischievously at Serena. ¡°Well? You want to tell them or do you want me to? You know, about the specific request you made at the book shop?¡± Serena sat up stiffly, her arms crossed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± she said, extremely unconvincingly. Rhani snickered. ¡°Go on, tell him. He¡¯ll love it.¡± I arched a brow at my priestess. I was rather curious at how secretive she seemed to be about the book, and I couldn¡¯t help but remember how she¡¯d seemed somewhat embarrassed when I brought it up before. ¡°Serena?¡± I prompted. If she blushed any harder, steam was going to starting out of her ears. ¡°W-well, since I¡¯m going to be a healer, I wanted to learn more about¡­y¡¯know¡­healing. My skills will be more effective if I know where to focus them. And¡­I may have¡­requested a tome specifically on battlefield healing¡­one that includes¡­¡± she got quieter and quieter with each pause until thest part was mumbled so softly I didn¡¯t catch it. But Tiana did. ¡°Aww, Serena! That¡¯s incredible! Why hide that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I missed it. Run that past me one more time?¡± I requested, brushing the golden locks she was currently trying to use as a curtain to hide her face from me. ¡°One that includes a section on helping soldiers recover from trauma after war,¡± she said all at once. I blinked. Rhani¡¯s eyes shined with triumph, which meant she¡¯d guessed as much. Suddenly a lot of Serena¡¯s reactions andments since Anford started to make more sense. A slow smile spread across my own face, and I pulled Serena into my arms. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered into her ear. She buried her face in my neck. ¡°I¡¯m your priestess,¡± she said simply. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to heal you, mind, body, and soul. I¡¯m just doing my job.¡± ¡°No. as usual, you¡¯re going above and beyond.¡± I pressed a kiss to her temple. ¡°And when we get to the city, I¡¯m going to have to make it up to you.¡± ¡°Well, when you put it that way¡­¡± she trailed off, the smile clear in her tone. I kissed the top of her head. ¡°All we have to do is get through a big camp of bandits who were sent to kill me and hope nothing elsees up.¡± Tianaughed. ¡°No big deal.¡± Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Collared Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Cored Two days. That was all the peace we got. The freed captives seemed to get a little morefortable with every mile. By the second day, they¡¯d broken down the camp and gotten us on the road so fast I thought Korey was going to cry. They were all painfully eager to help, but Liana made sure they weren¡¯t overdoing it so I never felt the need to put my foot down. The second day marked the halfway point between Anford and Amesseria, which in my mind marked the most dangerous part of the journey. The furthest point away from either city. If there was a sizable bandit camp hidden somewhere in the wilds, this is where they¡¯d be. Especially since the valley we¡¯d been traveling through finally opened up into wider hills that made it basically impossible to see very far in any one direction. The woods that had been ourpanion tapered off towards the mountains that curved away towards the center of the continent. My Essence had recovered to eighty-two by the morning of the second day thanks to the boosted recovery from Rhani, Serena, and Noelle. I offered to form the Link with Tiana, but she was on the same page as I was. If we were going to get attacked by anyrge groups, this would be the stretch for it to happen. While she understood I didn¡¯t want to use my secondary ss as abat ss, she made a very good point that as of right now the Links only affected my recovery and nothing else. We still didn¡¯t know why Rhani¡¯s Link had cost less than Serena or Noelle, and Tiana wasn¡¯t willing to take the chance and risk it. With bandits in the area and the safety of prisoners on the line, any amount of Soul Essence could make all the difference. The end of the second day came as it normally did. Liana and her girls (as I¡¯d taken to calling them in my head since ¡®rescued captives¡¯ was starting to get old) sprang into action to get camp set up and dinner started. As we had the night before, I had Nariko and Tsuki do some light sparring together. I had a feeling that if Tsuki¡¯s ss took a more offensive direction, Nariko¡¯s skills would help. At my request, I had Ryoko put a little extra into dinner just in case. A small boost that would either help everyone the following day or give the fighters an edge if it came to a fight. Something about the stillness of the world around me set my teeth on edge, and every instinct I had told me tonight was going to be the night. Everyone had just started to head to sleep when Rhani grabbed my arm, her face white as a sheet. ¡°At least a dozen men creeping along the road, using the hills as cover. Festus has eyes on them now. They¡¯ll be here in minutes.¡± Something in me settled. All my nerves and uncertainty fell away. We were about to be ambushed in the middle of the night by a presumablyrger force. That was familiar territory for me. Hells, I felt more in myfort zone now than I had in a week. I shot to my feet and started barking orders in a quiet tone I knew would carry through the darkness. I was pleased when everyone jumped into action immediately, doing exactly what I told them to as soon as the words had left my mouth. All the nobatants were huddled in the center of the camp in minutes using one of the wagons as cover with Fang prowling near them in wolf form, just in case. Those with range took residence on top of the wagons and I sent Rastra and Zoey to the rear in case of a secondary ambush. Zoey because I knew she could hold a line against multiple opponents and Rastra because as soon as she started casting we¡¯d all know it. Our attackers must have switched to using the road at some point, because that¡¯s where they appeared from. A handful of them lit torches in an obvious intimidation move. They knew we¡¯d seen theming, so now they were going to try and cow us into submission. I counted thirteen normal bandits, eight in armor of varying qualities with close range weapons, three behind them with bows or crossbows, and two that held no weapons. I assumed thest two were mages of a sort. None of them were what drew my attention, though. Standing a foot taller than even the tallest of the bandits¡ªwhich meant she was more than a foot taller than me¡ªwas a Half-dragon woman. Most of her was hidden under thick armor that probably weighed more than I did, but I saw sapphire blue scales spreading up her neck. She had horns a few shades darker that curled back along her head and hair a blue somewhere in between the two in a thick braid that went the length of her back. Even from this distance, though, I could see the hollow expression on her face and the iron cor at her neck. ¡°Greetings, travelers!¡± one of the lead bandits called, sying his hands dramatically. ¡°I¡¯ll make this simple. Hand over all your valuables and your demi-humans, and we¡¯ll let you walk away with your life!¡± Rhani gasped, grabbing my arm in a way that told me her [Arcane Intuition] had gone off. It wasn¡¯t a surprise, but it made something in me snap. A cold rage bloomed through me, spreading out until I could feel it in my fingertips. These men were responsible for the murdered Nekomatas. For killing and kidnapping who knows how many people. For abusing their captives. I stepped up until I was shoulder to shoulder with Pierce and stared down each bandit in turn. Every face I examined made me angrier and angrier. I didn¡¯t need Ryoko¡¯s nose to smell their malice. To feel their greed. But what really made me angry? I could kill them all on my own. I could tell from the way they stood. From the way they looked at the caravan like they were deciding what meat to choose at a buffet line. There wasn¡¯t a single one of them that looked with the calcting gaze I¡¯d be ustomed to. None of them that treated us like any kind of threat. They were bullies and cowards, used to fighting those weaker than them. Used to people submitting to the threat of force alone. They were undisciplined. Unorganized. A number of them weren¡¯t even wearing their armor properly. Their frontline was far too lumped together in a paltry show of force. Their backline was too close behind them for what I figured was the same reason. ¡°What¡¯s the y here, Ren?¡± Pierce asked out of the corner of his mouth. My gaze passed over them again. The lead bandit who spoke was getting impatient, clearly irritated by theck of begging for our lives. ¡°You all worry about defending the caravan. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± Pierce grimaced. ¡°Hang on, you can¡¯t really expect us to just¡ª¡± ¡°Pierce,¡± I said, something in my tone making the grizzled warrior stiffen, ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this one time: stay the fuck out of my way.¡± I started forward. ¡°Noelle, Serena,¡± I called. They were at my side in seconds. I reached out and summoned a tendril on either of them,manding them to defend. ¡°The Half-dragon¡ª¡± ¡°Nine,¡± Noelle offered. ¡°Nine,¡± I corrected with a nod, ¡°is the only real threat. I need you to keep her busy until I¡¯ve taken care of the rest.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Noelle agreed immediately. Serena looked less certain. ¡°Serena,¡± I said quietly, ¡°this is what I do. This is what I¡¯m best at. I need you to trust that.¡± She gave me a curt nod and I came to a stop a few feet away from the bandits with Serena and Noelle just behind me. The lead bandit looked at me expectantly, and my gut twisted. He might have been old enough to have been a kid during the war, and that¡¯s when it clicked into ce. This country had been at peace for thirty years. None of the men in front of me were Pierce¡¯s age, so none of them had fought during wartime. None of them knew what it was like to face overwhelming odds at every turn. These men had put their faith in numbers. More men. More weapons. More levels. If they had those, they were sure to win. I¡¯d never had either, and I preferred it that way. It just made it all the more satisfying when I defeated my enemy. Without saying a word, I summoned the cursed de from my storage and mmed it into the ground with enough force that it sunk a foot into the earth, scabbard and all. Immediately a ripple passed through the bandits. Not a single one of them was looking at anything other than the sword. They were practically drooling just imagining the riches they could gain by taking it. That answered my first question. These were part of the group searching for my weapon. ¡°I¡¯m only going to ask this once,¡± I called out. ¡°Which of you were involved in using Nekomata as bait?¡± Another ripple that told me everything I needed to know. Some of the bandits looked ufortable, but most were unbothered. Not unsurprised, though, which meant they knew exactly what I was referring to. Worse were the ones who grinned at the memory. I marked each and every one of them. They wouldn¡¯t be leaving this battlefield alive. The speaker didn¡¯t answer me. Instead, he barked, ¡°Nine!¡± The cor on the half-dragon illuminated. ¡°Bring me that sword.¡± A resigned look passed over her face and she started striding forward with the jerky mechanical movements I knew the cor was responsible for. I started forward as well, signaling with my hand for the other two to remain behind. Nine pulled a mace the size of my head from her belt and hefted it in one hand while hefting a massive kite shield in the other. We were only a few feet away when her mouth opened to say something, but I cut her off. ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from going to the sword.¡± Her expression turned to one of confusion, then understanding when her legs took her past mepletely. The cor would force her to bring the de back, and as long as I wasn¡¯t a threat to thatmand it wouldn¡¯t force her to deal with me. I had to leave her to Noelle and Serena for now. Us passing one another peacefully had the desired effect. The other bandits all rushed to ready their weapons, half of them fumbling in the process. These men weren¡¯t trained. Not like I was. There were shouts and curses, but I was already making my first move. I tossed out a half dozen darkness spitters, using conjured tendrils to space them out evenly. They did their jobs better than any sk, spewing clouds of inky darkness that hung in the air thanks to the stillness of the night. The startled curses turned to panic, then fear. [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] spiked from nearly every bandit as the entire frontline of the group ended up in the cloud. Between [Horde yer] and [Predator¡¯s Pursuit], my Agility shot through the roof. The world felt like it was slowing down as my reflexes heightened almost painfully. With Noelle and Serena engaging Nine separately and the others hanging back, it was just me against the thirteen. An auspicious number for me. I shot a barbed [Umbral Barrage] from either hand into the fray and shocked cries of pain joined the confusion I¡¯d thrown onto the battlefield. Then I hit the edge of the smoke. [Dark Sense] told me where every single one of the bandits were stumbling around, weapons raised in preparation, stances lowered to make themselves smaller targets. [Release the Darkness] made my Primal surge, and the tendrils I¡¯d already summoned grew stronger. I conjured up two empowered tendrils just as I mmed into the lead bandit with enough speed and force to knock him into two of the men behind him. Two short swords fell from my storage into my hands and I shed several times at the tangle of limbs that was the lead bandit and his two closest allies. In pain and panic, they did as much damage to one another in their blind attempts to raise as I did to them, but I didn¡¯t finish them off. I needed as much boost from [Horde yer] as I could get, and I needed to cause more chaos before I worried about ending any of them. I found myself in the middle of the clouds, tossing a few more spitters to extend the area the bandits were trapped in. The thick smoke smothered the light from their torches and gave me the ultimate advantage, and I intended to use it. I gave my tendrils themand tosh out indiscriminately at the men around me and got to work. I darted to the nearest soldier. I hit him with three strikes and learned everything I needed to. [Giant Killer] didn¡¯t trigger, which meant he was weaker than me. He flinched with a surprised cry, cringing away instead of trying to attack. Even his defense was poor, which meant he was exactly the kind of opponent left to the end of the fight when I wasn¡¯t benefiting from [Horde yer] as much. I did the same with two more, the third reacting sharply enough that I left him with a few extra cuts to slow him down. It was the fourth man I spun towards that really got the party started. When my de bit into his thigh, heshed out with a longsword towards where the strike came from. I was low to the ground, so the de passed harmlessly over my head¡­ ¡­and mmed into another of the bandits who¡¯d been standing too close. The man in question responded predictably, swinging his sword back towards where he assumed an enemy was. There were enough of them shouting over one another by this point that neither realized they were swinging on an ally until long after I¡¯d moved on to the next. I shot an edged [Umbral Barrage] into the fray and four more of the bandits either cringed away or swung towards the shards of darkness that shed through them. But when I turned my des on the next nearest bandit, I had to drop to the ground before I¡¯d finished my standard check. mes shot over my back as one of the mages fired towards the sound of the screams I¡¯d drawn from the scrawny man I¡¯d frightened. One zed across my upper arm, doing rtively little damage thanks to my insane Resilience, while another mmed into the chest of the man I¡¯d been attacking. By then several of the frontliners had fallen to the ground in the chaos, at least three were fighting thinking they knew where I was, and everyone was yelling. Deciding I¡¯d caused enough chaos for the moment, I chucked more darkness spitters towards the backline. The men cursed, backing away as the little silver spheres began to erupt with more of the thick, ck smoke, but I was far too fast. I erupted from the darkness, ducking one crossbow bolt and allowing my tendrils to knock aside a second. An arrow mmed into my shoulder, and I sliced the shaft off without slowing down. The crossbowmen didn¡¯t have time to reload, so they shucked their weapons and fumbled to draw their melee weapons. I shot past them, my tendrilsshing out as I passed, towards the third man. Another arrow was already notched and drawn. He shot, but one of my empowered tendrils batted the arrow aside easily. By the time he could get his hands on a third arrow, I¡¯d closed the distance. I caught the wood of the bow with a tendril and one of my swords shot out and caught the bowstring before he could back away. The string snapped, and my other sword sunk to the hilt in his stomach. I left the de there, summoning another on my way to the mages. One was running while the second shot more fire bolts at me. Between my tendrils and Resilience, his attacks did little to slow my approach. I mmed into him without slowing, mming the pommel of my de into his nose hard enough to shatter it. He went down with a cry, curling into a ball as my tendrils chose him as their next target. One of the empowered tendrils cut into a spot on his leg that sprayed enough blood I knew he was done for if he didn¡¯t have a healing potion on him. I shot an [Umbral Barrage] at the back of the second mage. The barbed shards mmed into his back, sending him to the ground. I rushed him, but not before a cry rose from the cloud of darkness behind me. ¡°He¡¯s after the mages!¡± one of the soldiers called. It was enough to give them direction, but they were still blind. A number of the bandits managed to run, limp, or crawl free of the dark, but not all of them managed it. I caught up to the running mage just as he¡¯d turned around and thrown both hands out. Some offensive arcane spell mmed into me, but with my shadows I managed to shrug it off. I brought my de down, meeting a magic shield he¡¯d thrown up at thest second, but a barrage of focused strikes from all my tendrils broke through and I plunged the de into the mage¡¯s chest. I dropped another spitter at my feet just before the first of the melee fighters reached me. He was one of the more skilled bandits, but once I¡¯d summoned three more tendrils he barely stood a chance. By the time it was three on one, the inky cloud of darkness had begun to rise again. I hurled myself at them, giving my opponents no room to catch their breath. I moved as a whirlwind of steel and shadow. They tried to rush me with sheer numbers, but my shadows kept me from taking any damage deeper than a scratch. I killed one and severely injured another before they began to overwhelm me, but I conjured two more tendrils and used my shadows to give me enough space to duck into the shadows. They cursed, hesitant to follow me into what was clearly my domain, which gave me ample opportunity to sink to one knee and down a mana potion followed by a health potion. I took quick stock of my surroundings with [Dark Sense] while the bravest of the bandits started to inch into the cloud. Three of the melee fighters were dead on the ground while a fourthy either unconscious or feigning death. One mage was dead and the other was still trying to staunch the heavy bleeding on his leg. The archer was alive, but with the de in his gut he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. One of the crossbowmen had disappeared while the other was struggling to reload his crossbow with one of his hands limp. A singleme crossbowman and four melee fighters in varying injured states. I dropped my shorter swords and summoned a hand-and-a-half de. The time for whittling down my opponents was over and done with. I needed to finish off the rest so I could help with Nine. And after, I¡¯d hope I could avoid dwelling on just how easy it had been to take these idiots apart. # # # Nine¡¯s body ached. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d been permitted to take her armor off and really rest, but her cor didn¡¯t care how badly it hurt every time she swung her mace. It didn¡¯t give a shit that the arm that held her shield was fractured in at least two ces from how fucking hard Seventeen could hit. The little redhead packed a mean punch, and the blond woman was too quick on her feet for Nine tond a strike on. Those strange ck tentacle-looking things softened what blows Nine did manage tond, which was really starting to irritate her in spite of herself. She¡¯d barely even recognized the girl. Her hair was longer, and she¡¯d filled out considerably since thest time Nine had seen her. Wearing real clothes and armor¡ªwith a strange, spectral armoryered on top of it¡ªmade her look even more different. If it hadn¡¯t been for those strange, crimson eyes, Nine wouldn¡¯t have made the connection. She tried not to be jealous, she really did, but seeing her fit and healthy without a cor on made angry tears burn in the back of Nine¡¯s eyes. She¡¯d given up on freedom a long time ago, for her or for anyone else, and seeing Seventeen free and well¡­ ¡°Seventeen,¡± she panted, ¡°how¡ª¡± ¡°Noelle,¡± she said sternly. There was more inflection in the single name than Nine had ever hearde from the tiny, battleaxe wielding girl. ¡°My name is Noelle.¡± Nine tried her best to stall, circling the sword that Noelle and the blond were keeping her from rather than charging again. ¡°You escaped.¡± Noelle nodded, her axe raised, her eyes watching Nine¡¯s every movement. ¡°I found a family. I was very lucky.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Nine said, ignoring the spike of pain she felt in her chest. ¡°If any of us deserved that, you did. Now stop fucking with me, please. Just put me down already.¡± Nine was more than ready to be done with her life of servitude, and her natural strength as a Half-dragon meant restraining her would be more trouble than it was worth. She didn¡¯t even know if it was possible to remove it. Noelle didn¡¯t answer, and the cor decided Nine wasn¡¯t doing enough toplete the task she¡¯d been given. Her feet surged forward and a [Storm Smite] was wrung out of her. Lightning wrapped her mace as she swung, ghostly ravens appearing to slow her strike down, but Noelle met it with a blow of her own. A spectral beast erupted from her axe and met the explosion of lighting head on, the force sending them both tumbling backwards. Nine didn¡¯t fight the st as hard as she could have, tumbling backwards until the cor forced her to catch herself. The blond darted in and jabbed with her spear, leaving some shallow cuts between the tes of Nine¡¯s armor, a guilty look on her face the entire time. Nine hissed in pain, wishing the attacks would do more to actually hinder her. With her Half-dragon blood, the wounds were already beginning to clot by the time Nine had closed the distance again. Nine ignored the sudden silence behind her as she cast [Shield re]. Blinding light erupted from the kite shield, causing both her opponents to flinch. She batted the blond away with the shield, sending her sprawling, but Noelle always did have sharp senses. She ducked the mace, swinging her axe and hitting the te on Nine¡¯s thigh hard enough to dent it and chip her de, but the cor spun Nine around. Her thick blue-scaled tail caught Noelle¡¯s legs and sent her to the ground, and the cor pulsed. Nine leapt over Noelle before she could stand, thankful the cor wouldn¡¯t make her hurt the small woman any further, and reached for the de. But before she could wrap her fingers around the hilt, the cor spun her around. She caught the dark-haired man¡¯s de on her shield just before it would have mmed into her spine. He was wrapped in a writhing cloak of shadows with a grim look on his face that sent chills racing down Nine¡¯s spine. She barely had time to react before one of the tendrils¡ªa red-tinged one thicker than the rest¡ªmmed the bottom of her shield upwards with enough force that it nearly mmed her in the face. By the time she recovered from the strike, he¡¯d spun around her and deftly pulled the de from the earth. He tossed it behind him and spun, his de raised. ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t let you get ahold of that,¡± he said calmly. He flicked his hand, and she realized Noelle and the blond held back. The cor gave her a second to assess this new threat. It was hard to tell anything past the thick shadows that clung to him, whipping with agitation and reaching for her like they ached tosh out. It was hard to tell with how much they were shifting around, but Nine could see spatters of blood soaking his clothes and dozens of rips and tears where des had managed to breach his defenses. More shadows twisted underneath his clothes though, so it was impossible to tell if he was injured or not. ¡°You killed them all?¡± she breathed. He shrugged. ¡°Most of them. Three ran off, but I¡¯ll be seeing them sooner thanter. I doubt one of them will make it a mile.¡± His tone was so casual he might as well have been talking about the weather. The criminals that dragged her to this shitty ambush were hardly aplished fighters, but there had been thirteen of them and one of him, yet here he stood. A calmness settled over her. If he was that strong, then surely she didn¡¯t stand a chance. Maybe this was the end of her servitude after all. But the cor forced her to heft her mace. ¡°The cor still owns me, which means Bertrand was one of the men who escaped. I¡¯m still bound by hisstmand.¡± He inclined his head. ¡°I know. It really made my skin crawl to let him crawl away into the dark, but it¡¯s better this way. At least right now I know whatmand you¡¯re enved to. I can work with that.¡± Nine frowned. A part of her wanted to dissect what he¡¯d said, but another part of her shoved that want deep down. The cor wasn¡¯t sentient, but if she figured out his ns the cor would force her to thwart them. She buried the tiny, dangerous flicker of hope alongside that want and simply gave into the cor¡¯smands. Another [Storm Smite] that he blocked with his shadows, hardly affected by the resulting explosion of lightning. He flicked the de up with surprising strength, and it was only then that she realized it was wrapped in shadows as well. They exchanged several blows¡ªhers catching air and his either being blocked by her shield or slipping between the gaps in her armor¡ªand she knew he was out of her league. Coming to the realization was a mistake, because the cor immediately forced her to adapt. [Shield re] activated, but he just closed his eyes without so much as flinching and closed the distance without hesitation. Even without his sight, he was a more than formidable opponent. She needed to even the ying field if she wanted a way out of her hell. She reasoned to herself that his ability to shrug off a [Storm Smite] meant another wasn¡¯t going to do much, so she¡¯d need somethingrger. She blew damn near the rest of her mana on a single cast of her strongest skill, [Lightning Surge]. She raised her mace to the sky and the head began to pull electricity from the air itself. She brought the mace down and a wall of lightning erupted from the weapon''s head, sweeping towards the man and devouring anything in its path. More tendrils sprouted from his chest and all his shadows curled in front of him. The wall surged over his form, obliterating most of the darkness in front of him and sending him sprawling. He somehow managed tond on his feet, his hair sticking up at odd angles and arcs of electricity sparking over his forearms. All but one of his shadows¡ªthe one wrapped around his sword¡ªwithered and faded away like sand in the wind. He shook himself. ¡°Well that was unpleasant.¡± Nine gave him an incredulous look. She¡¯d been hoping he¡¯d survive, but to call her strongest skill ¡®unpleasant¡¯ was a little insulting. ¡°That took all my mana,¡± she said before the cor could stop her. A dark grin spread over his face. ¡°Oh, good. You know how to y the game, then. That¡¯ll make this easier.¡± Nine found herself wondering just who the fuck this guy was even as the cor spurred her forward. Her long legs ate up the distance between them, the de behind him pulling her like she was tethered to it. He met her with an excited look in his eye, trading blow for blow despite being a foot shorter than her with nothing even resembling armor on his body. She clipped him with her shield, cutting a line across his cheekbone that bled heavily, but he barely flinched. His sword found a way through her armor and suddenly the cuisse on one of her thighs fell loose, causing her to stumble. She iled at him with her mace anyways and he deftly twisted the tip of his de around until it bit into her wrist. The second it made contact, the shadows wrapping around it shot down her arm and into her palm, prying her fingers apart. The cor forced her to resist, but Nine¡¯s body had simply been pushed too far for too long. She had no strength left, and when he twisted his de and caught the center of her mace¡¯s gravity just right it went spinning away. Nine looked to it briefly, but Noelle darted in and scooped it up, taking it far away from the sword that might as well have been her entire world. But the cor wasn¡¯t done. It might be meant for defense, but the twenty pound b of metal and wood was still quite the blunt instrument. She swung it at him, but he was quick on his feet. He managed to duck her swings once, twice, three times, then suddenly he was between her body and her shield as her exhausted body overextended. A dagger appeared in his hand and pain exploded in her arm. With a lightning-fast move, he raked the de down the inside of her forearm, severing the straps that held her shield to her arm. Between the cut and the fractures, a single kick was all it took to send the shield thudding to the earth. Once again, Noelle spirited the shield away before Nine could even hope to reach it. Nine choked out a relieved sob, but the cor refused to let her rest. Even though she waspletely unable to make a fist with her left arm, she still swung for the man. He dodged nimbly, his sword and dagger both vanishing into thin air. She swung twice more, and he just backed away from either strike. Leading her right to the edge of the de. ¡°For the record,¡± he said suddenly, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this.¡± Nine barely had time to register his words before he reached out and brushed the exposed, bleeding flesh of her forearm. Pain exploded through her once again, but not just where he touched. Every injury on her body screamed at her as night ck wires erupted from the wounds, pulling the jagged ends of her flesh closed and sewing them shut wherever they appeared. A surprised grunt was all the sound she could make as the sudden tugging of skin and muscles all over her staggered her for the briefest of moments. That was all he needed. By the time she recovered from the sudden onset of pain, he was behind her. A foot mmed into the bottom of her exposed thigh from behind and her knee hit the ground hard. She felt something¡ªthe shadow tendrils, she assumed¡ªwrap around her horns. A snarl escaped her lips when he yanked, pulling her head back. The bandits loved using her horns to yank her around. To feel big and in control by manhandling the giant half-dragon woman. Despite everything, she couldn¡¯t help but want the man dead for touching her horns. Then his arm snaked under her chin, just above the iron cor at her throat. His legs wrapped around her torso while she scrabbled uselessly at his arm with her one good hand, but his grip was like iron. She tried to buck, but only seeded in falling forward. Her vision began to dim and her eyes swam with tears. She wanted an end to this hell so badly, yet when the time came she found she was scared to die. Scared to leave Fourteen all alone in this world that had been so cruel to them from the start. She didn¡¯t want it all to end, just her envement. She tried to open her mouth, to say as much, but it was toote. There was no air, no blood making it to her brain. The world went ck. Then she wasying face down in the grass. Not dead, since her body hurt far too much for that, but not restrained either. The man¡¯s arm was gone, and she was only vaguely aware of someone panting off to her side and the sound of something metallictching into ce. Nine didn¡¯t move at first, happy to take this brief second of peace before her hell resumed. Why hadn¡¯t he killed her? Or at least restrained her? He seemed to know about the cor, but what if she¡¯d been wrong? What if he assumed she¡¯d be docile now that she¡¯d been bested? Indeed, a part of her dragon instincts acknowledged him as her better on some basic level, but the cor didn¡¯t give a shit about that. He¡¯d had her, and he¡¯d let her go. Now he was going to pay for it. But she wasn¡¯t going to move until the cor forced her to. She was so fucking tired the cor was going to have to puppet her every move. She wasn¡¯t going to do fuck all but breathe until she¡¯d slept. It always left her feeling like shit when themand was finally followed, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered. So shey there, cheek pressed into the grass, waiting for the cor¡¯smand. It never came. As if trying to rouse her, a soft breeze blew over her. It was cooling. Soothing. Especially underneath¡ª A soft gasp escaped her lips. Not daring to even form the hope, she reached up cautiously with her uninjured hand towards her neck. When she met with the soft flesh and rough scales instead of the iron she¡¯d worn for as long as she could remember, the tears started flowing. She pushed herself up slowly. The man was sitting a couple feet away. The sheathed de rested on his shoulder, and his thumb was still sitting on the sp that kept it locked in ce. Between them sat what remained of the cor that had dictated her every action. Only half the metal remained, and at the edges it was ckened and brittle. ¡°No hard feelings, right? I did apologize,¡± the man said with a lighthearted smirk. His face blurred from the tears in her eyes. Suddenly, small arms were wrapping around her. ¡°You¡¯re free now,¡± Noelle said, her voice quavering. Nine felt a hand on her upper neck and warmth spread through her body, soothing her aches and injuries and drawing a moan out of her at the utterly alien sensation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the blond said, standing behind Nine, ¡°I wish there had been another way, but you¡¯re very strong.¡± Free. Nine was free. She felt euphoric, but she refused to celebrate. She grabbed one of Noelle¡¯s arms, herrge hand wrapping all the way around the small girl¡¯s bicep and then some. ¡°Noelle, Fourteen¡ª¡± ¡°We know,¡± the man said, standing with a grunt. ¡°She¡¯s next on the list. I¡¯m Zaren, by the way.¡± Nine looked up at him, afraid to move in case the blond woman stopped her wonderful healing. ¡°I want to help.¡± He nodded. ¡°First things first, we¡¯re going to need to know everything you can tell us about Fourteen¡¯s ss and skills. The more I know, the better I can prepare, and the more likely I can take her down without injuring her quite as severely as I had to injure you.¡± Nine bit her lip, not sure if she was ready to give him so much information, but Noelle smiled. Smiled. Nine wasn¡¯t aware the poor, abused girl even knew how to do that. ¡°Do not worry,¡± she said earnestly, ¡°you can trust Zaren. He will save Fourteen. He will save all of them.¡± Nine only hesitated a little longer before she did as he asked. When she asked for her weapons back, he gave her a sad smile. ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ll be staying here. Even if you weren¡¯t beat to shit, we can¡¯t risk her seeing you without a cor. The self preservation instilled in the cors is strong as hell, and if she makes the connection that I can free her she might flee and we¡¯ll lose our shot. I¡¯ll need you to trust us. Can you do that?¡± Nine bit her lip, then stood unsteadily. The blond and an Arelim with wide eyes both helped support her. ¡°I don¡¯t see that I have much choice.¡± Her next words were directed at Noelle. ¡°Please, bring her back.¡± Noelle nodded, patting Nine¡¯s thigh. ¡°We will.¡± The man¡ªZaren¡ªcracked his neck. ¡°Reese!¡± he barked. He turned to the others in his caravan that were all looking at him with expressions ranging from fear to shock to something dangerously close to reverence. A girl with a bow in her hands and a hood pulled low over her head slid to the forefront, and he said, ¡°can you track them?¡± She scoffed, then set off at a run without gracing him with an answer. A burly, grizzled man stepped forward, his jaw ck and his eyes shining. ¡°You nning to take the camp solo, too?¡± Zaren shook his head with a rueful grin. ¡°Nah, not when there are prisoners to worry about.¡± ¡°What are you thinking, then?¡± the grizzled man asked. Zaren hefted the de, scabbard and all, and pressed it to his back. A strap seemed to burn itself into reality and settled across his chest. ¡°I¡¯m thinking we reverse the gnoll n, make them think I¡¯ming at them alone. Gonna doubt me again?¡± he asked, his tone almost yful. The other man shook his head all too seriously. ¡°No chance of that.¡± Chapter Sixty: Camp Busting Chapter Sixty: Camp Busting The tears burned at the backs of her eyes, but Fourteen refused to let even a single one fall. She hadn¡¯t shed a single one in years, and she didn¡¯t n to start now. Even if today was the worst day of her life so far. It was the closest she¡¯de since she¡¯d taken her first life¡ªanother Dark Elf girl her age who¡¯d begged while the cor forced the knife down¡ªwhen she¡¯d been just fifteen. Five years without a single tear shed, and the loss of her best friend damn near broke her. But she knew better than to show any vulnerability around men like this. That was a quick way to invite the horrors she¡¯d so far been rtively spared from thanks to a thin figure and a ss that made people forget she existed. Even now, relief and guilt tore at her in equal measures. Nine was gone. Only two of the grunts who¡¯d set out on thest mission returned alive. Whoever they¡¯d attacked had been a far bigger threat than Feng realized, and Fourteen¡¯s friend had paid the price. For thest hour, Fourteen had wondered if whoever had killed Nine woulde to finish off the scum that inhabited the camp around her. On one hand, she was d her friend wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. Of all the girls who¡¯d survived the trials, Nine had been both the strongest and the kindest. The things the cor had made her do¡­Fourteen was d Nine wouldn¡¯t have to do any more, wherever her soul was now. Maybe she¡¯d get some peace, even if a part of Fourteen wanted to be so fucking angry that she was alone now. She¡¯d been rtively forgotten in the chaos that had consumed the camp since Bertrand hade back with his tail between his legs, whimpering about some monster that had cleaved through the entire group single-handedly. Feng was preparing a group to go after them, and Fourteen knew it was only a matter of time before he remembered his favorite knife and came to collect her. [Sixth Sense] pinged, and she went stiff. A secondter, the camp seemed to grow still. Fourteen stood, scanning the treeline that marked the area Feng¡¯s ves had cleared out. When she saw him, chills raced through her. He wasn¡¯t as tall as Nine, but then again nobody ever was. He was still taller than most humans¡ªtaller than her by about half a foot¡ªbut his physique wasn¡¯t overly intimidating. The bloodsoaked clothes covered in cuts and the deathly calm expression on his face caused her skin to pebble, but that wasn¡¯t what had set off her skill. No, for some strange reason, she felt no threating from him. The evil fucking sword on his back? That was a different story. A two hander too long to carry at his waist, the crimson gem at the crossguard seemed to stare at her. Into her. The scabbard was metal, which meant it must have been heavy as shit, but he walked as lightly as if he wasn¡¯t wearing it. Then, looking over all the men in camp with a scarily passive expression, he reached behind him. With a flick of his thumb, he opened a metal sp that kept the sword in ce. He slid it out an inch, and [Sixth Sense] drove Fourteen to her knees. Waves of inky, crimson tinted darkness poured from the scabbard while he slid the blood red de free of its sheathe. The shadows fell around him like a cloak, writhing and twisting as if caressing him. Wrapping him in their embrace. The more shadow that pooled out, the harder it became to make out his form. Through the flickering shadows, Fourteen could just make out glimpses of some kind of ck and red armor, there one moment and gone the next. The camp exploded into action. More than one man turned and fled from the sight, even their basic instincts telling them that this fight was a fucking bad one to pick. Four grunts charged the neer¡ªfour of the dumber ones, admittedly¡ªbut he cut through them with a near-contemptuous ease. No fancy sword work, no flourish, just four killing strikes that left behind four corpses dead before they hit the ground. Fourteen¡¯s ears were ringing. Her heart pounded so loud she almost didn¡¯t notice [Sixth Sense] activate a second time, but she did her best to ignore it. This must have been the man who killedthe ambush team. The one who had killed Nine. She wanted to hate him, but after seeing what he was capable of? If anyone could have given her a quick death, it was this man. She focused every sense on him. He was the biggest threat in the forest, and if she thought it hard enough then the cor would agree. All Feng¡¯s men were rushing towards that side of the camp, hoping numbers would help them turn the tide even as another handful disappeared into the trees. Fourteen sat there, just waiting on themand toe. This man would surely kill her, so the cor hadn¡¯t made her move yet. It¡¯s self preservation was something she¡¯d tested well, and she knew it wouldn¡¯t force her into a fight she knew she couldn¡¯t win. A directmand was the only thing that could supersede that. She watched his every move. Tracked each tendril thatshed out from the cloak of shadows that surrounded him, the reddish ones cutting into Feng¡¯s men as easily as his sword, though without the same devastating effect. A cut from that crimson de left the men screaming in pain, angry red veins visible spreading from the wounds it left behind. She knew a lot of poisons, and that wasn¡¯t one. She watched his every move,mitting each one to memory, wondering which one took Nine from this world. She let everything else fade away, just staring at the way he fought. She¡¯d never seen someone fight quite like him, without any real form or visible technique. He was a force of nature, constantly in motion, every strike bleeding into the next. No two attacks were exactly the same. He dodged skills like he knew they wereing long before they were cast. She watched it all, because if she stayed focused on him, then¡ª The de was an inch from her ribs when the cor finally forced her into action. Mana was ripped from her pool and [Sublimate] was cast. She faded into smoke, twisting and reappearing a few feet away from the rusty haired Nekomata, already leaping back. She¡¯d been almostpletely undetectable in her approach, but Fourteen¡¯s skills were stronger than the girl¡¯s. Fourteen tried not to be disappointed that she was still breathing. The Neko girl had gotten closer than anyone had in a long time to sneaking up on her, even if she¡¯d been using the shadow-wrapped man to distract the cor as long as she could. Resigning herself to having to take another life before the shadowy man could kill her, she cast [Conjure Dagger] before the cor could force her to. It was inevitable now, and she hated the feeling of the cor ripping her mana out. Two long, curved daggers slid into her hands as if falling from her sleeves, though she knew they hadn¡¯t existed a moment ago. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Fourteen whispered. The Nekomata girl¡¯s ears twitched, but she didn¡¯t respond. Fourteen threw a dagger that the girl barely dodged, then the cor forced her to [Blink] and close the distance between them in a fraction of a second. Her de wasshing out towards the Nekomata¡¯s jugr when she was forced to twist, slicing an arrow out of the air that would have pierced the wrist of the arm still holding a dagger. In the time it took her to spot the human girl with a bow in hand and a cowl pulled low over her face, she¡¯d had to block or dodge four more arrows, shot so impossibly close together that Fourteen could only search for the second archer. But, toote for the cor to force her to redirect, she realized she¡¯d been baited. The five initial arrows hadn¡¯t been the attack, the sixth arrow shot in the space she¡¯d been forced to dodge to was. It sunk into her thigh, and she¡¯d barely even registered the pain before the cor had her shear the shaft off. The arrow hurt like a motherfucker, but the cor didn¡¯t give a shit about pain. Still, she could work with this. She assessed the fight and decided that the Neko was rtively harmless and the archer was the threat. Predictably, the cor forced her on the offensive, and her feet carried her towards the archer. She¡¯d only made it a few painful steps when she felt the presence behind her and the cor hurled her to the side. Whether she had a teleporting skill or a presence hiding skill, the Neko had gotten close enough to leave a shallow cut on her lower back. Fourteen rolled to her feet, still convinced the archer was the real threat. She loosed a barrage of arrows in the time it took Fourteen to close the rest of the distance, but Fourteen was too quick for any of them to find purchase. A [Blink] closed the distance and she lunged in, ready to take advantage of the small window where archers always tried to scramble for their des¡­ ¡­and waspletely caught off guard when the archer¡¯s bow cracked across her jaw. The second strike from the other end of the bow hit her nose, causing her head to jerk back. Pain erupted in her side, and she staggered back to see that the archer had plunged her next arrow into Fourteen¡¯s side. It was a spot that wouldn¡¯t kill her, but it hurt like hell. In the time it took Fourteen to stagger back a single step, the archer already had another arrow nocked and aimed. The cor forced her to [Sublimate] again just as the arrow began to pierce her chest. She reformed a few feet back, rubbing the fresh cut on her chest and snapping off the arrow at her side. ¡°That was fucking awesome,¡± Fourteen said. If she hadn¡¯t been wearing a ve cor, she¡¯d really want to be this girl¡¯s friend. The archer smirked, and the cor yanked Fourteen away from another perfectly executed sneak attack from the Neko. But when her legs moved a hair too slow and the Neko¡¯s de caught Fourteen¡¯s bicep, she realized what was happening. ¡°Don¡¯t rely on the poison on your weapons,¡± she said before the cor could stop her, ¡°I¡¯m trained to be resistant to¡ª¡± The words died in her throat, but it was enough. Neither of her opponents reacted, but she had to hope they would take what she¡¯d said into ount. She focused on the archer and the Neko faded away again. Her stealth skill was a powerful one, it seemed. Fourteen and the archer faced off, both waiting for the other to make the first move. Fourteen clocked the four arrows still in the woman¡¯s quiver. She hadn¡¯t drawn one, but she¡¯d more than proven she could draw, aim, and shoot in the time it took even a decently skilled archer to nock an arrow. Whatever was going to happen, it would be quick. The Neko¡¯s de passed so close to Fourteen¡¯s neck that it severed a few hairs at her nape and the archer unleashed her arrows. Fourteen rolled as soon as the fourth one had been loosed and was met with a sh of silver as soon as she¡¯d found her feet. The thick throwing knife would have caught her dead center in the chest, but [Sublimate] activated for a third and final time. She felt the cor¡¯s orders shift the second she reformed and knew she was about to flee. A part of her was d the archer and the Neko would live, though she wished they might have taken her down. Without Nine, she wasn¡¯t sure how much longer she wouldst in this life. But before she could take a single step, the archer shouted, ¡°Rhani, now!¡± Fourteen sought out the Neko at the same time [Sixth Sense] alerted her to a new threat from behind. She whirled, still off bnce from the weakened effects of the poisons, expecting a third attacker. She was right, in a way, but otherwisepletely unprepared for the sight flying at her. ¡°WHAT THE FUCK!?¡± she screamed, raw fear forcing her muscles to lock up in spite of the cor¡¯smands. A snake. A fucking snake wasunching at her. Not just any snake, either. One that was far longer than she was tall and as thick around as one of Nine¡¯s thighs. Fangs longer than some of the des she¡¯d used in her time sank into her shoulder and she screamed, partly in pain and partly in terror. She hit the ground and the weight of the snake rolled her. The next thing she knew, it was wrapped tightly around her body and squeezing so hard she could barely breathe. The cor made her fight, but her arms were pinned solidly to her side. Worse¡ªor better, depending on her point of view¡ªshe could feel the venom being injected into her. She expected pain or death, but what she got instead was¡­numbness. A warm, pleasant nothingness that started from the bite until the only thing she could feel was a pleasant buzz from her toes to her fingertips. Her head lolled as an Arelim stepped into view, sweat beading on her forehead. ¡°Hurry, it takes a lot of mana to use poison with my summons,¡± she said through grit teeth. The Nekomata held her head up while the archer fished in a pouch. Fourteen forced herself to focus on the archer¡¯s hard gaze. ¡°You knew¡­¡± she slurred. ¡°You knew I could only [Sublimate] three times. How did¡­how did you¡­¡± Had they taken Nine? Tortured her? Imprisoned her? Was she truly dead, or was she a captive? Was Nine still alive? Her opponents had seemed to know her fighting style already, and Nine was the only one who could have prepared them so thoroughly. Thinking back, she realized the only truly dangerous injuries had been to force her to sublimate. ¡°Nine¡­¡± Her lips mmed shut when the archer pulled a vial of something out of her pouch. ¡°No questions, we don¡¯t want the cor to panic,¡± she said shortly. Fourteen had about a thousand she wanted to ask, but so long as the archer held a vial of mystery liquid the cor wasn¡¯t going to let her so much as part her lips. The archer seemed to understand that, because her hand shot out and pinched Fourteen¡¯s nose shut. She tried to open her mouth, but it wasn¡¯t until her vision started to dim and her chest began to convulse that it relented. The archer was quick, gripping her jaw and pouring the foul tasting liquid down her gullet. With how concentrated it was, Fourteen knew her resistance wouldn¡¯t help her. She choked, the cor trying to force her to vomit, but it was toote. The venom from the giant fucking snake made her muscles too rxed, and already her vision was starting to dim. She looked to the archer, who seemed to be the one in charge of the trio, with a thousand questions in her eyes. Her hard expression softened, and she smiled. ¡°Try not toe up swinging, alright? Someone will be there to exin everything.¡± That did extremely little to answer the dozens of questions Fourteen had, but the potion was already starting to take effect. The battlefield started to dim, and she only then realized none of Feng¡¯s men had even tried to intervene. Had the shadow man killed them all? Were they still fighting him? Had they just abandoned her? When her eyelids finally became to heavy to hold up, she sent a prayer into the ether in the hopes that someone was listening. If Nine really was alive, then she¡¯d beg the gods not to let their next master be as bad as theirst. Then the cor¡¯smands finally seemed to give up, and Fourteen faded away into oblivion. # # # The n went off perfectly, which made me extremely suspicious. My ns never went well. They always started great, and the universe always decided to take a shit on them at some point or another. As I cut down another one of the bandits, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder when the cosmic dump was going to stter all over us. ¡°Zaren!¡± Rhani called. I raced for the sound of her voice and was filled with satisfaction to see Fourteen snoring, a line of drool trailing from her lips, wrapped up in Fang¡¯s massive, white scaled python form. It was a fucking terrifying sight when she summoned it, but it still carried Fang¡¯s cuddly personality. I leaned down, carefully guiding the de¡¯s hungry shadows to the iron cor at Fourteen¡¯s throat. A single touch, and it ripped the magic from the iron. It started to decay and rust until enough of it was gone, and Rhani gingerly pulled it from around the Dark Elf¡¯s throat to hurl it away. Reese appeared, sliding arrows back into her quiver. ¡°Went off without a hitch. You¡¯re pretty good at this shit,¡± she remarked. I nodded. ¡°Pierce and the others hit the opposite side of the camp hard. Go see if they need help with the prisoners.¡± She nodded and darted off. Just like I¡¯d hoped, my show earlier was enough to convince these bandits that I was crazy enough and strong enough to try and take on the camp solo, so when Pierce and the others rolled out of the trees nearest the cages where the prisoners were being kept there weren¡¯t any guards left to raise the rm. By the time the bandits even realized what was happening, Pierce and the others were already freeing captives. I looked to Rhani and Nariko. ¡°Get Fourteen out of here and to Elena.¡± The Elf was brave, I¡¯d give her that. Her, Iris, and the Tiefling sisters were nearby, ready to help freed captives back to camp while we finished with the bandits. ¡°Rhani, have Fang take a form that can protect you better while you do.¡± She let out a sigh of relief when Fang shifted to his wolf form. With Nariko¡¯s help, they draped Fourteen¡¯s lithe frame over the back of the wolf. ¡°I can take her, Nariko wants to help with the other captives.¡± ¡°Then go. I¡¯m going to go see if I can find the leader of this outfit before he skips off.¡± They both ran off in different directions. Nariko disappeared after Reese while Rhani ran next to Fang, making sure Fourteen didn¡¯t slide off his back. I headed towards the center of camp at a brisk jog, shadows shifting around me angrily. So far, most of the men I¡¯d killed had been little more than grunts. Small time criminals who¡¯d joined up with the outfit for money or because they were on the run. I was expecting there to be bigger fish around, and I was disappointed I hadn¡¯t found any yet. I checked my status. [Health: 178/220] [Mana: 96/140] [Soul Essence: 68/130] I¡¯d made a very valuable discovery. I¡¯d always known that the de was devouring my soul whenever I used it, but with my new ss I finally had a way to gage just how fast it was happening. Best guess, every minute I used the de cost me about two Essence. If I were full, I could wield it longer than I¡¯d ever been able to before. Not only that, but I¡¯d learned that with the additional control Soul Essence gave me, I could effectively throttle the connection between the sword and I. During moments like this where I was only holding the de and not actively wielding it, I could get as much as five minutes for an Essence. I could open that connection more and more as I took control of the de¡¯s power, burning Essence for strength or additional control. I passed two bandits who took one look at me and fell to the ground, cowering. I was never one to execute those without weapons, so I let them be. Well, I let the first one be. The second tried to strike me the second my back was turned, and my shadows made short work of him. I had to fight a smile at the emotions hummed from the de into me. If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think the de was offended on my behalf that I¡¯d shown the man mercy just for him to abuse it. The tent in the center of the camp was muchrger than the rest, so that was my destination. I was constantly monitoring my Links as well. I knew the others were in danger, but not any significant enough to warrant me rushing over. They were in a situation that could lead to injury, but [Danger Sense] would tell me if that danger rose to the point where their lives were at stake. There were three men standing guard at the tent, and I knew the second they turned their weapons on me that these were far better trained than the ones I¡¯d been fighting so far. I twirled my de once and their eyes all traced the sword hungrily. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you three would consider surrendering?¡± I asked. When they all started to fan out, I sighed. ¡°They never do.¡± I opened the connection and felt my Essence being pulled, thenunched myself at the nearest man. Our swords crossed once, twice, three times and he got a nick in. In an even fight, he might have been a problem. For once, thanks to the scary soul sucking sword, I had the upper hand. Tendrilsshed out and knocked his de skyward, giving me the opening I needed to cut deeply into his side. The tip of the de left a searing wound in its wake and the man screamed. The second bandit tried to attack from behind, but my shadows kept him back with barely any input from me. The third was preparing a spell to cast, but before he could release it four bolts of arcane energy sent him to the ground. He¡¯d barely tried to stand before Noelle mmed the side of her axe into his head, sending him slumping to the ground. I finished off the one I¡¯d injured and turned towards the third, who dropped his weapons immediately and fell to his knees with hands raised. I closed the connection to the sword, only swaying slightly, while Serena rushed forward to hogtie him with a surprising efficiency. She stood, then paused when she saw my raised brow while Tiana walked up next to me, her hand finding the small of my back as if she needed to reassure herself that I was fine. ¡°You know Rhani is going to be furious when she learns you know how to tie people up like that, right?¡± Serena flushed. ¡°Really? That¡¯s where your mind is going right now?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Fighting for my life is my happy ce. Sue me.¡± ¡°Oh Zaren,¡± Tiana said, patting my chest, ¡°we are so going to have to unpack thatter.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way the shadows parted to give her ess to me, nor did I miss the hum of satisfaction from the sword at the contact. Something else to unpackter. I scoffed, turning towards the tent. ¡°That sounds like something Later-Zaren is going to worry about. How did things go on your end?¡± ¡°The captives are all on the way back to camp,¡± Serena offered. ¡°Well,¡± Tiana interjected, ¡°with the exception of the Anford guards we freed. They were on patrol and got too close to the camp, apparently, but they were more than happy to grab a sword and help out.¡± I looked at Noelle. ¡°Fourteen is on her way back to camp as well.¡± She smiled, hefting her axe. ¡°I have not killed anyone today. They go down rather well when I hit them with the t of the de.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I like not killing.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s see if we can get some answers.¡± I pushed into the tent with my girls on my heels. There were four men inside, and all of their heads whipped up to look at me. One man was frantically shoving papers into sacks, a second scooping gold and valuables into a box. A third drew his weapon and pointed it at me, but it was the fourth that was the real pain. A mage of some sort who was currently holding up a blue dome that I knew to be a rather powerful shield spell that would protect its inhabitants. I walked right up to the edge, and the man who¡¯d been shoving papers into his back straightened. He had the air of a bandit leader, only cemented by his arrogant sneer. I smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve spent so long looking for me, surely you aren¡¯t going to go running off so soon,¡± I said, raising the sword. His sneer soured. ¡°They didn¡¯t say you¡¯d be able to use it. That might as well be a breach of contract in my books.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°This doesn¡¯t have to end in your death. Throw down your arms, answer some questions, and I¡¯ll hand you over to Anford¡¯s guard alive.¡± He scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m no fool. I do that and I¡¯ll hang.¡± He paused. ¡°I tell you everything you want to know, and you let us walk away.¡± A humorlessugh slipped from my throat. ¡°Not a chance. You aren¡¯t leaving the camp alive. You¡¯re either walking out in chains or not at all. Your choice.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can see why they¡¯d want the sword, but they cane get it their damn selves.¡± ¡°Who hired you?¡± ¡°Like I¡¯d tell you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Fucking kids sticking their noses where they don¡¯t belong. You¡¯ve stepped into something a lot bigger than your idiot brain canprehend.¡± I briefly wondered how his tune would change if he realized he was talking to the Zaren Nocht, yer of Zagrith Grimsbane. I sighed. ¡°So be it.¡± I raised the de and touched it to the edge of the barrier. The mage smirked, but his expression went ck quickly. The shadows burrowed into the perfect blue surface, unraveling the magic at a core level and ripping it apart before devouring it. The previously imprable shield crumbled, and the shadows raced across them and into the outstretched hand of the mage who¡¯d held the shield up until that point. They tore into him, searching for more magic to unravel, and he screamed. Angry red veins ripped through his flesh and an unexpected rush of pleasure came from the de while it quite literally ripped the magic from the man¡¯s blood. It took some effort, but I finally managed to rein them in before they fully killed the man. He fell to the ground with a pained whimper, cradling his damaged arm that hung limp. ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± I winced. ¡°Sorry, still getting used to certain aspects of this thing. You should probably know there¡¯s a small chance you¡¯ll never be able to channel mana through that arm again. I¡¯d feel bad if not for all the killing, kidnapping, and envement you¡¯ve been up to.¡± The men all shot me horrified looks. The man in the center took one look at the mage and dropped his weapon, raising his hands. Feng snarled at him beforeunching at me with a rapier drawn. I internally cursed since his lighter, smaller weapon would have the upper hand in such close quarters. The second our des crossed, I felt my Primal surge worryingly. This guy was of a considerably higher level than me. He was fast and skilled, and we¡¯d barely traded blows for more than a few seconds before he¡¯d slipped my guard and his de scraped along my ribcage. Rather than knocking him away, I curled my de around his and dragged it across my body, catching his grip in a bind and forcing him to choose between losing his sword or breaking his wrist. He chose to lose the sword, and I twisted my body to send it spinning away. Before I could press my advantage, he wasing at me with two thick daggers, staying inside the reach of my sword. My shadowsshed out at him, but an amulet at his neck red violet and the shadows bounced off. He struck out with the daggers, and to my eyes it was as if he¡¯d split into multiples, alling at me from different directions. My shadows only reacted to one, so I chose to strike at that one. My sword caught something solid and he jerked back with a surprised grunt, but that amulet glowed brighter and kept the magic of my sword from taking root. I might be able to defeat him, but not quickly. He was too skilled, and if he¡¯d been sent for the sword then I¡¯d bet money that the amulet he was wearing had been designed for that purpose. I felt a sense of frustrationing from the de alongside a sense of familiarity of the magic in that violet glow that only cemented my theory. My Soul Essence was dipping more than I wasfortable with, which meant it was time for me to enact myst ditch n that had gotten me out of more than a few sticky situations. I risked a nce to make sure I wasn¡¯t going to make things worse, but Serena had already tied up the mage and the man who¡¯d thrown his sword down while the fourth man was on the ground with Noelle¡¯s axe at his throat and Tiana rifling through his pockets, pulling more than a few des out and throwing them behind her. Sorry about this, I thought to the de, just before I flipped it over in my hand an tossed it to the man in front of me hilt first. Surprised, he did the only thing that came naturally. He dropped one of his daggers out of the air and snatched the de. Big mistake. The connection between me and the sword severed, but not before I felt a rush of emotion. Indignation. Fury. Rage. I got a glimpse into the man in front of me and felt the echoes of the pain he¡¯d caused. But what I felt was only a fraction of what the de seemed to feel, and it was not happy with the man who was holding it. He screamed shrilly as shadows erupted from the de and tore into his arm. The amulet at his neck glowed brighter and brighter until it cracked. The flesh began to shrivel, first darkening to the burn I¡¯d carried for over a week, then progressing until the flesh started to shrivel and crack. He screamed louder and louder until I took mercy and mmed my fist across his face and extracted the sword from his grip. His breath heaved and his body trembled. He tried to crawl away, but his arm was ckened and curled against his chest. The de did its equivalent of screaming at me in anger through whatever connection we had, and I winced. ¡°Sorry, I guess that¡¯s probably not so pleasant for you, huh?¡± When the man looked up at me incredulously, I waved a hand. ¡°Not you. Now, we¡¯ve got two options here. You tell me what I need to know and I give you over to those guards we just freed, or I see how much of the de¡¯s magic you can handle before you start to sing.¡± ¡°Fuck you,¡± he spat. I dug the tip of my de into the dirt and nced at the man under Noelle¡¯s axe whose eyes were fixed on me. ¡°The real question is how much your second inmand can answer.¡± I looked back to the leader. ¡°Might not need you alive after all if he knows enough.¡± There was hatred in the man¡¯s re, but I was rather unbothered by it. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± he seethed. I hovered the tip of my sword over his chest. ¡°Who hired you?¡± I could hear his teeth grinding, but it was the second who spoke up. ¡°Everard Bryce!¡± he barked. When I raised a brow, he couldn¡¯t talk fast enough. ¡°He¡¯s a councilman from Amesseria! He contracted us to find the sword and provided the amulet and thepass.¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± the leader screamed. ¡°He also hired us to cause chaos. Taught us how to use Nekomata blood to lure things like blighwolves and gnolls around. Provided that cored gnoll, too, to take over the pack.¡± ¡°Danik, if you say one more word¡ª¡± ¡°He also paid us to collect demi-human females! Young ones! We got a bonus for really low levels and an even bigger one for any rare sses we could find. He never told us why, and we didn¡¯t ask because that was the job, but he didn¡¯t pay us nearly enough to deal with whatever the fuck that sword just did to Feng.¡± I looked to the man I figured was Feng. ¡°Well, I like him. He¡¯s really making me question why I¡¯ve left you alive this long. Who hired you to attack our caravan? You didn¡¯t know I had the sword until I pulled it out, so I know that wasn¡¯t the reason.¡± Feng seethed. ¡°Fel Vossen hired me to teach you and the blond a lesson, but he neglected to mention the de to me.¡± Well, it was a damn good thing I hadn¡¯t told him about it then. Seemed S was right about him being more than a little upset by me pissing him off. ¡°How were you supposed to deliver the demi-humans?¡± ¡°Dead drop. Leave them at a location then walk away,¡± the second offered helpfully. ¡°They did something that drew a bunch of wealthy Patrons back towards the capital, so we were hired to be a and snag as many as we could.¡± I slid the sword back into its scabbard, doing my best to hide my relief as I clicked thetch back into ce. My head was starting to pound already, and standing here with the de out was going to do more harm than good. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you just a font of information.¡± I looked back to Serena. ¡°Tie them up, we¡¯ll hand them over.¡± Then to Tiana. ¡°Grab anything that looks important, guys like him usually have a little ck book full of dirt on the people they work for just in case. I¡¯d like to find that.¡± I turned my attention back to Feng and the oh-so-helpful-second. ¡°I¡¯ll turn you over, and if you want me to even suggest to the guards that you deserve anything other than the gallows, you might want to think up some more interesting information.¡± They¡¯d given me a fucking gold mine, but I wasn¡¯t about to let them know that. I looked around the room one final time before the hair on the back of my neck rose. Someone was outside, their shadow being cast against the canvas of the tent, and I couldn''t shake the feeling that the cosmic turd had finallynded. Chapter Sixty-One: The Jailer’s Blade Chapter Sixty-One: The Jailer¡¯s de ¡°Serena, Tiana,¡± I called. The warning in my voice was enough to get their attention. ¡°With me. Noelle, watch the prisoners.¡± Their concerned expressions hardened when I once again flicked the sp open and drew the sword, letting its shadows spill around me. There was someone waiting for us outside, and my gut told me they weren¡¯t friendly. I could only think of a few reasons someone might wait this long only to show their faces now, and none of them were good. I checked my Essence pool. [Soul Essence: 41/130] Much lower than I¡¯d like, and I was already starting to feel the sharp pain in my chest that told me I was going too far. I had a funny feeling I was about to take things even farther. I shot both women behind me a look that said I¡¯d take the lead here and walked out of the tent with the de held idly at my side. The man waiting for me was¡­not what I was expecting. Short, unevenly cut white hair that stuck up in every direction, a set of cracked sses that had been repaired so many times they were as much tape as they were frame, a face covered in scars from both cuts and burns, and wide crazed eyes that told me I was in for a headache. His clothes were wrinkled and covered in stains and patches. The buttons of his ill-fitting tunic were off and his cor stuck up on one side. Only most of his shirt was tucked in, and he wore two different shades of boots. When his eyes fell to the de in my hand, a crazed smile split his face. ¡°Atst! Ah, all my ns paying off in dividends! Fear not, wretched soul, for I am here to end your misery and send you off into the next ne!¡± Oh boy. I exchanged a nce with Serena, who wore a rather confused look on her face, and shrugged. ¡°Right,¡± I said to the man, ¡°maybe back up a bit, because I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He gasped. ¡°You¡¯re still lucid? Oh, you poor, poor man! Perhaps your soul was a bit tougher than I originally calcted.¡± He pulled out a very intricate looking timepiece. ¡°After using the Jailer¡¯s de so many times, there should be very little of you left. Wolves, spiders, and now bandits. Truly impressive fortitude, my man! But s, I¡¯m afraid your time is soon at an end.¡± He held up the time piece so he could look at us both, clearly waiting for something, but I¡¯d grown momentarily distracted. At the mention of the name ¡°Jailer¡¯s de,¡± a choking sense of revulsion had slithered beneath my skin. Fury and fear alike seeped into my veins, threatening to choke me out. It took me a terrifying moment to realize that the fear didn¡¯t belong to me, but the de. Or, rather, the entity in the de. The name invoked something primal in the entity and the emotions were more than strong enough to bleed over into mine. ¡°Er, I see,¡± I said slowly. Tiana shot me a look, but I made a hand motion to tell her to wait. I knew a fanatic when I saw one, and if I yed things right he¡¯d be a great source of information. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re telling the truth and my time is limited, then what exactly is this Jailer¡¯s de?¡± He lit up. ¡°Temptation and power! A parasite that gifts you strength unimaginable in exchange for the raw energy your soul is made of! It demands its wielders to find and y the most powerful of creatures, devouring their essence and yours to strengthen the metaphysical bars of the prison it is. A magic older than the gods themselves from a ne long destroyed, cast into the ether by forces unknown only tond in Kasidiel to disrupt the cosmic bnce so greatly that we feel the chaos caused by its existence millenniater! The time to serve its true purpose grows near, and every host it entraps merely takes it closer and closer to its time of reckoning!¡± Fuck. Why did I send Rhani back? Another pulse came from the sword that felt oddly like an amused chuckle, and I looked to Tiana again. ¡°You getting all this?¡± She winced. ¡°I¡¯ve got¡­the gist.¡± I looked back at the crazy guy. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to write this down, would you?¡± His look fell. ¡°Why have you not copsed yet? How can you stand there so easily? I don¡¯t understand, my calctions usually have a margin of error, but never to this extent!¡± Her frowned, then put the timepiece away before starting to rifle through pockets. ¡°How interesting. How interesting! Oh, I do love being wrong! It always leads to such interesting observations! Now, where did I¡­¡± ¡°What are the odds he¡¯s talking crazy and we can¡¯t trust a word he says?¡± Serena whispered. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s crazy alright,¡± I whispered back, ¡°but the de is reacting to what he¡¯s saying enough that there¡¯s truth in there somewhere.¡± ¡°Ah, here we are!¡± He pulled out a carefully cut gem with runes on every facet and I immediately dropped into a fighting stance. I recognized the receiving end of a keystone pair, but there was little I could do to stop whoever might be on the other end. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to force you to burn through the rest of your soul. We¡¯ll need the Jailer¡¯s de, after all, and I can¡¯t exactly let you keep living after you¡¯ve so cleverly extracted such valuable answers now, can I?¡± Right. Cleverly. He tossed the keystone into the dirt nearby and I was just contemting how dangerous it would be to try and destroy it with the sword¡¯s magic before he pulled out a second gem. This one was rounder and nearly clear except for a blue bead in the center. He squeezed it between two fingers and the gem shattered into dust with a dim blue glow. ¡°I¡¯ll just summon a little help, then once I¡¯ve got the de I can collect all those demi-humans you so annoyingly freed. Be a good chap and don¡¯t struggle to much, will you?¡± Before I could answer, a rift opened over where the keystone hadnded, and through it walked a nightmare. It was like the Maleks from before, only twice the size. Even standing on its four legs, its shoulder was taller than I was. Thick, ropy muscles shifted under its dark grey, nearly ck, flesh. It¡¯s crimson eyes,plete with vertical slit pupils, locked onto me immediately. Its paws were much longer than the Malek¡¯s, looking more like hands than feline paws,plete with an opposable thumb on each of its front legs. Its maw was still shorter like arge cats, but when it snarled it had a set of double fangs that looked like they¡¯d be more than up to par at shredding me. Two long, thick tails dragged on the ground behind it. ¡°That¡¯s a big fucking Malek,¡± Tiana breathed fearfully. Dr. Crazy grimaced. ¡°What? No it isn¡¯t. This is a Rathum,¡± he said slowly, as if talking to a child. ¡°The Maleks have wings, foolish girl.¡± Filing that away forter¡ªassuming there was one, since this bastard looked a lot closer to the giant bastard that had give me and the rest of the Seven a run for our money thirty years ago¡ªI cleared my throat, backing away from the beast. ¡°So, out of curiosity, what are the six-legged ones called.¡± He gasped dramatically. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who killed my Ashai! Seems my suspicions that the Jailer¡¯s de is drawn to Eldritch Beasts was urate!¡± he sounded more excited than anything else, once again fumbling through his apparently many pockets. ¡°My head is starting to hurt,¡± Serena mumbled. The beast still hadn¡¯t made a move. ¡°Zaren, what¡¯s the y here?¡± I hefted the de, shifting it from side to side. The Rathum¡¯s eyes tracked its every movement. ¡°I¡¯ll y bait, Serena and Noelle,¡± I knew her sensitive ears would be listening for my orders as well, even inside the tent, ¡°try to nk ande at it from the sides. Tiana, keep distance and hit it with everything you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Dr. Crazy eximed, ¡°I was worried I¡¯d lost it!¡± He pulled out a short wooden whistle and blew three notes out on it. ¡°Kill the swordbearer, if you would.¡± Then it was on. I shot away from the tent at the same time the Rathum surged forward. [Giant Killer] made my Primal boost to a rather unsettling level. It was risky, but I conjured an Empowered tendril alongside three more standard ones. I summoned another on each of my girls, wishing Noelle had a set of armor for me to give her. I put one on Rhani as well so she¡¯d know something was wrong. There was every chance we¡¯d need her and Fang, and if she was with the others then she could bring reinforcements. That was all the time I had to do before it was on me. Itshed out, long, sharp ws extending from its fingers in the second before impact. I caught most of them on the Jailer¡¯s de and my shadows blocked the rest, but the power behind the blow was still enough to knock me into the air. There was a sh of gold and the ethereal blue of Tiana¡¯s bolts and the creature snarled, but it never took its eyes off me. Instead, its tails thrashed out behind it, swinging towards Serena. [Danger Sense] practically exploded in my head. It told me that, while she wasn¡¯t mortally wounded yet, the entity she fought was much stronger than her. I surged towards the beast, hoping my skills and the de would be enough to keep me alive. Itshed again, but spectral ravens swarmed the Rathum¡¯s w, slowing it enough for me to duck it and get in a strike of my own. Its flesh was thick and tough, and the injury I inflicted was barely more than a scratchpared to its size. It got its attention, though. Thanks to [Danger Sense] I was vaguely aware of Noelle and Serena both locked in the fight, but that was all I could tell from my rather unenviable position underneath the Rathum¡¯s maw. ws shredded my shadows, but my darkness was enough to make sure I only received a few shallow slices. Ished out with tendril and de, trying to take one of the beast¡¯s eyes, but it was fast and smart. We exchanged blows, but I definitely ended up worse from the exchange. It tried to drag me in and sink its fangs into me, but I managed to duck and roll under its body. My empowered tendril cut deep into its belly. While it was softer than the rest of the beast, it was still hardier than some leather armors I¡¯de across. I got to my feet, backing away with the de raised, and the Rathum stalked me carefully. Just as its back legs tensed, arrows mmed into its side. They hit with orange bursts that told me they were magic, but they didn¡¯t pierce too deeply into its hide. It snarled, and I risked a nce to see Reese already shouldering a second quiver I knew to be packed with magical arrows. I shifted to keep its nk exposed to her, and its head followed me. Seems it was ready to follow orders even to its own detriment. I could use that. I backed up slowly, keeping just close enough to keep it from chasing after me. Tiana¡¯s [Lancing Beam] mmed into one of its side just as a spray of fire and shards of ice hit the other. Rastra and Lana were here as well, it seemed. With an enraged roar, the Rathum pounced. I rolled out of the way and came up swinging to deflect the strike I knew would being at my exposed back, but the second swipe caught my leg just above the knee. The shadows and ravens caught enough to keep the thing from ripping my damn leg off, but it still hurt like a motherfucker and made it difficult to stand, let alone move. I fell into a battle trance. Nothing existed except me, my sword, and my enemy. It was too fast for me to avoid all its strikes and way too fucking strong for me to block them all, but I¡¯d fought fights like this before. I took the strikes in areas that wouldn¡¯t kill me. Pain is temporary, death isn¡¯t. As long as there was enough of me for Serena to put back togetherter, I¡¯d take the win. I saw shes in my peripheral. The crimson of Rastra¡¯s me magic. The icy blue of Lana¡¯s ice magic. Tiana¡¯s bolts, mming into the same spot over and over again on its side, creating a weakpoint I knew I¡¯d have to find a way to exploit. Glints of silver as the other melee fighters in the caravan tried to take some of the pressure off me, but the Rathum¡¯s tails alone were enough to keep them upied. Another [Lancing Beam] mmed into its side, this one empowered by at least one of Tiana¡¯s skills. It hit the weakpoint, rupturing it, and causing the beast to stagger. I darted forward and finally managed to sink my de past the firstyer of the Rathum¡¯s hide. The magic of the Jailer¡¯s de tried to bite into the creature, but something was different. It ran into something that pushed back. A natural barrier. The same kind of resistance that normal magical creatures had to magical attacks. Ever since the monster Grimsbane had summoned, I¡¯d suspected that these so called Eldritch Beasts weren¡¯t of this world, but now I knew for sure. Whatever magic that flowed in the veins of the Rathum was built on the same magical foundation as the curse contained in my de. The devouring magic of the de spread out, but the Rathum¡¯s natural Resilience pushed it back. It was such an unexpected reaction that I wasn¡¯t ready for the beast¡¯s swipe to take me off my feet. ws bit deep into my wrist and my hand went ck, the tendons severed. The de went spinning away, and before I could try to get away I was pinned to the ground by one of its massive paws. My shadows pooled under it, trying to keep the ws from my flesh as best they can, but already they were beginning to wither and weaken. It looked down at me, far too much triumph in its eyes for it to be a simple beast. It loomed over me and its jaws parted, a low growl in its throat. I conjured a spear from my storage and jabbed towards its mouth, but it caught the haft in its teeth easily and snapped it off. It lunged at me, but I managed to conjure a shield between its fangs and my face. It snarled in frustration, and its paw left my chest long enough to rip into the shield and tear it away with so much force it nearly ripped my arm from its socket. It lunged a third time, but before I could try and conjure something else to stave off my death there was an explosion of gold and red. I thought it might have been Serena, but there was far too much me for that. The mes were too bright to be Rastra¡¯s, and they wereing from the opposite direction of where I knew the fire mage to be. Then there was a second explosion strong enough to make the Rathum stagger off me. I cast [Shadow Stitching] as I rolled away, ignoring the pain, and conjured up a sword I could wield in my off hand while putting as much distance between me and the beast as I could manage. Another bolt mmed into the Rathum¡¯s side¡ªexactly where Tiana had been weakening it¡ªand I searched frantically for whoever had shot it. It wasn¡¯t hard to find them. They glowed brilliantly in the dark thanks to the cloak of literal mes hanging off their shoulders. Gold and crimson fire hid most of their features, but even as I watched they raised a longbow as tall as they were made entirely of the same golden mes. While they drew it back, an arrow made of fire spun into existence. They released, and the arrow shot forward. The Rathum tried to dodge, but the arrow seemed to twist in midair to m into that same spot, now a charred hole in its hide. It howled, but it still had its orders. It charged me, ignoring the ming neer, and I backed away. I circled towards where I hoped the cursed sword hadnded, but I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the Rathum. It was moving decidedly slower than it had a moment ago, so I dumped nearly all the mana I had left into conjuring tendrils. I didn¡¯t know how much Essence I had remaining, so I wasn¡¯t about to risk any empowered skills. Noelle mmed into its side, knocking its charge off bnce, and Fangtched onto its back in jaguar form. It staggered, and when one of its tails mmed into Fang to send him flying Serena was there with a perfectly ced [Exalted Rush] to pin the tail to its side. Tiana¡¯s bolts mmed into one of its forelegs, forcing the limb to buckle. I chose that moment to rush the creature. I swung my de towards its face, causing it to flinch back, and rolled over its body while my tendrilsshed out. The de damn near bounced off its hide, but my shadows cut through it¡¯s nk with ease. I hit the ground on the other side running, and my tendrils all reached out on their own towards the Jailer¡¯s de where ity. A solid crimson tendril lifted from the de, reaching back at me, and as soon as ck met red they both yanked the sword towards me. I caught it in the hand that still worked, and relief from the de flooded through me. The pain in my chest was worse than ever, but I knew simple steel wasn¡¯t going to be enough to kill this thing. I turned just as the Rathum ripped Fang in half, either side of the jaguar fading away into nothingness. Before it could turn fully towards me, more bolts mmed into its side and Noelleunched forward with a ferocious snarl, her axe biting so deep into the Rathum¡¯s free tail that it hung limp. The Rathum kicked with one of its back legs and sent her flying, but my Link reassured me she was still alive. The Rathum¡¯s eyes hit mine, and the de hummed in my hand. I felt its fear and worry, its anger at the crazy guy¡¯s words, and something else. A desire. A need to help. A question. A hand outstretched. A mental image of the scraps of my soul the sword had ripped away, all being molded into¡­something. A request for me to put my trust in the entity inside the sword I wielded. Fuck it. I made a conscious decision to trust¡­whatever it was that existed on the other side of this strange bond. A mental handshake of sorts. The moment I did, something in me shifted. Like something settling into ce. A tremor passed through my shadows and my vision swam for half a second. Then I felt something. A hand on mine. My eyes saw nothing, but it felt like someone else¡¯s fingers wrapped around where I held onto the de, bearing some of its weight. The Rathum was almost on me, but I felt an unnatural calm settle over me. There was a pull, not unlike the feeling of the sword yanking on my soul, but softer. Tugging gently at my shadows. I rxed my grip on them, and I felt something else¡ªsomeone else¡ªtake control of them. My shadows surged forward, separating from me entirely. They shifted until they were a perfect mirror of me, copying my every feature in crimson-tinted ck, and hurtled towards the Rathum. I understood what they were trying to do, even if I wasn¡¯t the one telling them to do it, and sent a mental nudge. A suggestion. They reacted immediately. They threw themselves to the side¡ªthe side of the Rathum that wasn¡¯t sted open¡ªandshed out with a de made of shadows molded after the Jailer¡¯s de still clutched in my hand. The Rathum, apparently convinced the shadow was me, lunged at my dark doppelganger as it shot past, exposing its injured nk to me. I was never one to waste an opening. The Rathum¡¯s ws mmed into my double, shredding it and sending it to the ground. It snarled in anger at the deception, but its momentum was too great to course correct. I shot past its head and mmed the tip of my de into the charred hole oozing dark blue blood. I met nearly no resistance. The de sunk all the way to the hilt with ease, and this time the Rathum¡¯s natural Resilience wasn¡¯t enough. Especially not when I let go of the de, severing my connection to it. No longer able to draw on my soul, it reached out for the next best thing. The Rathum howled as dark ck veins spread from the de. It turned towards me, but it was already swaying on its feet. I fell back, narrowly avoiding a slow swipe, and put distance between me and the Rathum. It came after me, but every step was a struggle. It only made it halfway towards where Iy when it copsed. Its sides heaved a few more times, then it went still. I scampered to my feet, circling around it in a search for any deception, but its eyes were opened and zed. Its tongue lolled out of the side of its maw, its lips still half raised in a final snarl. Shadows were starting to spread from the de angrily, and with a start I realized something I was sure was important. My connection to the de was severed, but I could still feel that gentle pull. But if I let the de spread unchecked for much longer, I wouldn¡¯t have the strength to re-sheathe it. I could figure it out when I had the Essence to spare. I yanked it out of the corpse and mmed it into the scabbard, flicking the sp shut with trembling fingers. The relief that mmed into me the second the de was fully locked away nearly brought me to my knees, but I couldn¡¯t pass out just yet. The tug was still there. I mbered over the Rathum¡¯s corpse and fell to the ground on its other side clumsily. My doppelganger was still there, though there were chunks missing from its body. I knelt over it, trying to understand what the fuck I was looking at. I could feel them, but not like I normally felt my shadows. And when I looked closer at the doppelganger¡¯s face, the details difficult to make out thanks to the solid ck coloring of my shadows, I saw that it wasn¡¯t quite my face. It was close, but wrong. The features narrower. Softer. As I watched, they seemed to get further and further from mine. The doppelganger was looking at me, too. I wasn¡¯t sure how I knew, since its eyes were solid ck, but its attention was locked on my own face. It smiled at me, and a single tear of darkness fell from one of its eyes. I felt a pulse of emotion¡ªnot from the sword, but from the shadow copy of myself. Gratitude. tion. Happiness. Then the shadows started to wither and fade until there was nothing of the doppelganger left. What the fuck? The pull remained, though it fell to the back of my mind. Something I was only aware of if I really looked for it. This time it came from the de once more. The emotions were there, but heavily muted. The same way they had been after the fight with the Vx queen. ¡°Zaren!¡± Serena called, rushing to me before I could delve any deeper into wherever my mind was going. She practically mmed into me, her vambraces fading away while she slid her hands through some of the many holes in my shirt to get the skin-on-skin contact for [Healing Embrace]. ¡°Are you alright?¡± That was a good question. I checked my status, ignoring the multiple level ups staring me in the face. [Health: 43/220] [Mana: 11/140] [Soul Essence: 7/140] I very wisely decided not to share those numbers until I¡¯d recovered a little, so I merely told her, ¡°I¡¯m alive, but I vote we avoid any more fights for a few days.¡± She opened her mouth, but was interrupted with thest voice I wanted to hear right now. ¡°This is fantastic!¡± Dr. Crazy gushed. With a growl, I stood and faced where he circled the Rathum. I conjured a de, ready to beat some answers out of him, but he just kept talking. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it possible that another Shadowborn walked Kasidiel! And a second of the Primal sses to boot? Outstanding! Simply outstanding! So many of my theories proven!¡± I was not in any shape for another fight, but he didn¡¯t have to know that. I reluctantly left Serena¡¯s embrace and circled the man, tossing her an extra spear since hers was still nailing one of the Rathum¡¯s tails to its hide. ¡°Hi, yeah, remember me? I¡¯ve got a few questions.¡± He turned to me as if he¡¯d forgotten I existed. ¡°A few? My boy, I¡¯ve got an ocean of them! How are you alive? How are you lucid? Do you really have the soul and the will to force the de into submission? And those skills! Oh how I¡¯d love to strap you to a table and learn how you tick.¡± He cackled. ¡°Oh, if only I¡¯d set up a second gem. s, it seems I¡¯ve been bested. Fear not, wretched soul, we shall meet again!¡± ¡°Now hang on¡ª¡± But he barreled on. ¡°Oh, what a glorious day! Poor Rathum, your sacrifice will not be in vain! The things I¡¯ve learned¡­if there are two, then there have to be six! Oh, the master must learn of this!¡± He whirled, leveling a finger at me. ¡°You! You are my best friend and my worst enemy! A font of questions that will keep me busy in the weeks toe! You who have ruined my ns and made me realize how little I actually knew! I thank you, and I curse you! You have earned yourself a nemesis today, good sir!¡± I opened my mouth to tell the poor guy that he really was batshit crazy, but there was a sh of light and he was gone. Seems he had another Keystone, which was as annoying as it was disconcerting. Those were not cheap ormon, which meant our enemies had considerable resources. Hardly a surprise, all things considered, but not exactly something I wanted confirmed so soon. Tiana poked her head around a tent, making sure he was gone. Her face was flushed and her breathing was heavy. She walked towards me as fast as she could without running, throwing her arms around me and pressing her body against mine in a way that told me exactly which of her empowering spells she¡¯d used. ¡°Zaren, I¡¯m very, very happy you¡¯re alive, but I¡¯m going to need your help soon or I¡¯ll lose my mind.¡± I chuckled, conjuring a tendril on her andmanding it to pleasure her. She moaned, leaning into me with a shudder. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of you as soon as we wrap shit up here.¡± There was a squeal of excitement, and I searched it out to see my Arelim already scribbling in her journal, circling the Rathum¡¯s body. ¡°This thing is way too big to cart around and it¡¯ll be rotten by the time we get to town. Zaren, I need a paring knife please, I want to get every detail I can about this Malek.¡± Right. She hadn¡¯t been here for all theplicated stuff. My head was starting to pound just trying to recall all she said. I let out a breath, trying to think of where to start, when Noelle tugged on my shirt. ¡°I can tell her what the man said word for word. I have good memory.¡± I put my hand on her head and pulled her in for a hug. ¡°Noelle, you¡¯re a godsend.¡± I summoned a few paring knives and sent her off to help Rhani while everyone else started filing in. Most everyone was staring at the Rathum in disbelief, but Pierce headed straight for me with a chair in hand. He set it down and Serena guided me into it, Tiana settling in myp with her head resting on my shoulder. Before I could say anything, Pierce kneeled. ¡°I know who you are,¡± he said softly. I opened my mouth, but he held a hand up. ¡°I don¡¯t know how, and I don¡¯t really want to, but I do know. I¡¯ve seen you fight before, when I was just a boy fighting a war I didn¡¯t think we stood any chance of winning. Whatever the future holds, Zaren Nocht, my sword is yours.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°Right. That isn¡¯t necessary, but something tells me you won¡¯t be taking no for an answer.¡± I dragged a hand over my face. ¡°We can deal with that when I¡¯m not so tired. Just¡­keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing, I guess.¡± He nodded like he expected nothing less and stood. ¡°The bandits had a few carriages we think were for transporting captives. A group of guards from Anford are nning to take those who surrendered, as well as any of the captives who wish to go, back to the city, if it¡¯s eptable to you.¡± I wanted to argue that I didn¡¯t really have any say in what they did, but I realized that wasn¡¯t true. Rr had always handled shit like this, but thanks to the rank that asshole gave me now I was the one making those decisions. ¡°Uh, right. Sounds good to me. Extend the offer to Liana and her girls as well, they¡¯re free to go back if they have family in Anford or anything like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the prisoners you left in themand tent. Anything else?¡± I racked my brain. I felt like I was forgetting several things, and one sprang to mind almost immediately. ¡°The ming archer. That wasn¡¯t Reese.¡± ¡°No,¡± he agreed. ¡°Reese was with me at the time. I don¡¯t know who it was, but they vanished during the fight. Shall I send Al after them?¡± I thought it over. ¡°No. Whoever they were, they were powerful as shit. Not really a fight I want to pick right now.¡± My gaze traveled over where Rhani was elbow deep in the Rathum. ¡°Pretty sure we¡¯ll be staying here at least until sunrise. I¡¯ve got a tent and supplies in my storage, so I guess you¡¯re in charge of the caravan ¡®till we get back.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± I grimaced, but I didn¡¯t have it in me to argue about how he addressed me. Pierce paused, and I just knew he was debating whether or not to salute me, but thankfully he just left with a curt nod. Tiana¡¯s hands were already starting to quest southward, and Serena¡¯s healing was leaving me more than ready to help with her current situation, but something was still nagging at me. I really hoped it wasn¡¯t something Dr. Crazy had said. I really didn¡¯t have it in me to unpack all that shit right now. I reyed the night over again in my head, trying to find what it was. I was really stuck on the whole doppelganger situation, since I didn¡¯t have a skill even close to doing anything like that, but I was far too exhausted to figure that out either. Once everyone but my girls had left, I slid a hand under Tiana¡¯s robe and slid two fingers inside her. She came on the spot, but her grip on my wrist told me she wasn¡¯t nearly done. I smiled, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Noelle eventually came over and I gave her a tent to set up since I sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to be using one of the bandits¡¯ tents, and Serena and Tiana corralled me into it. I thought about banishing the de, but a weak pleading passed through the bond. Fear. Loneliness. It understood being sent to the dark before, but surely the threat had passed. Shrugging, I pulled the de and scabbard off and set it down next to where we¡¯d be sleeping. A tired happiness trilled between us, and I patted the de with a strange affection before turning my attention back to the girls. ¡°How¡¯s your health looking, Zaren?¡± Serena asked while Tiana peeled clothes off me. [Health: 120/220] [Mana: 17/140] [Soul Essence: 9/140] ¡°A lot better than it was before. If you¡¯re low on mana, you can take a break from¡ª¡± My words died in my throat. Suddenly I knew exactly what was bothering me. I stared at my status for a while longer while both Serena and Tiana waited patiently for whatever had interrupted me. My pool of Soul Essence had a maximum ten higher than when I¡¯d woken up that morning, and so far there was only one thing that increased the pool. With a painfully dry mouth, I navigated to my list of Soul Links, and when I got there I had to sit down. Serena¡¯s, Noelle¡¯s, and Rhani¡¯s were still there and still at level one, but my eyes were drawn to the fourth Link that had appeared.
Ash Link Level: 1 Improved Soul Essence pool and conversion rate.
What. The. Fuck? Chapter Sixty-Two: Newfound Freedoms Chapter Sixty-Two: Newfound Freedoms Fourteen felt like she was floating. At first, that was all she felt. Her eyelids were outweighed only by her limbs, but she felt so warm andfortable that she didn¡¯t bother trying to move them for long. Even as she ever so slowly slipped back into consciousness, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. To let the soft swaying she felt lull her back into oblivion. But hard won instincts wouldn¡¯t let that happen. She tried to force herself to wake, but she failed. That meant she was drugged. With her resistance to poison and ss skills, they must have had to use one hell of a concoction to put her down. A part of her was annoyed that she was at the mercy of whatever drug she¡¯d been given, but another part of her was relieved. The longer it took for her to be able to control her limbs, the longer before the cor took over once more. Bit by bit, feeling returned to her body. The first thing she noticed were the clothes. Baggy and much softer than anything she¡¯d ever worn. Cotton, she thought, marveling at how it felt rubbing against her skin. Far nicer than the rags she¡¯d grown up in and much morefortable than the armor she wasn¡¯t allowed to take off without permission. Then, on top of that, she realized she was wrapped in something thick. Woolen, maybe. Whatever it was, it was even softer against the parts of her skin that it touched, and it trapped the heat in perfectly. Fighting off sleep was harder than ever. The warmth was at odds with cold, though. It took her a few minutes to realize it was because her hair was wet. The day was crisp, and from the color bleeding through her eyelids she figured it was either early morning orte afternoon. And she wasn¡¯t floating, but rather being carried. One arm was under her shoulders, the other under her knees. Thick, muscr forearms pressed into her. Big hands with long, gentle fingers kept her secure. A slow smile spread over her face as she recognized the long, heavy gait of her best friend in the world. It took far too much effort, but Fourteen finally managed to crack her eyes open and look up at Nine. Her own hair was wet, and Fourteen was vaguely aware that she wore simr cotton traveling clothes as her, but what drew her eye immediately was Nine¡¯s expression. She was smiling. A soft, easy smile that made Fourteen think she was either dead or dreaming. There were people talking nearby while they walked through the forest, but Fourteen paid no attention to their words. Her entire focus was locked on her friend, her friend¡¯s smile, and the pale strip of skin at her throat. Even the line of scales she could see trailing up the side of her neck showed the signs of the cor¡¯s presence over the years. That was what made Fourteen finally fight to move her leaden limbs. Her fingers brushed against the exposed skin, jerking her from her thoughts. She looked down at Fourteen and her smile widened. ¡°Morning, sleepyhead.¡± It took Fourteen far too long to figure out how to speak. ¡°Nine?¡± she asked, her tone weak. ¡°Are we dead?¡± Nine¡¯s arms flexed underneath Fourteen, drawing her tighter into her chest. ¡°Nope. We¡¯re free, FT.¡± Fourteen¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Her fingers flew to her own neck and tears built in her eyes when there was no strip of iron. ¡°How?¡± she finally managed. ¡°You see the scary dark-haired guy with the shadows?¡± Fourteen nodded. ¡°Yeah, he took me down. Choked me out. When I woke up, the cor was gone. You?¡± It took a minute for the details of the fight toe back to her. She involuntarily flinched when the image of the giant snake flying at her came to mind. ¡°You told them how to fight me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her smile fell a little, but didn¡¯t fadepletely. ¡°The guy, Ren, he said it would help them incapacitate you. He saved me, so¡­¡± Fourteen just nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She closed her eyes and simply leaned her head on her friends shoulder. She¡¯d demand to walk on her own two feet eventually, but until then she was more than happy to let Nine carry her around. She knew her Half-dragon friend was hardly bothered by her weight. ¡°Any idea what he¡¯s going to want in return?¡± she asked finally. As much as she wanted to bask in the afterglow of her freedom, she was too realistic to pretend she was actually free. Not in this world. Nine made a nomittal sound. ¡°Not sure. Normally I¡¯d be thinking the same thing, but¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°F, Seventeen is here.¡± Fourteen¡¯s gut twisted. They¡¯d all been through hell, but Seventeen had been through the worst. ¡°Fuck. I¡¯d heard she was dead. Honestly, a part of me hoped she was. At least she wouldn¡¯t be suffering anymore.¡± When she opened her eyes, Nine was smiling again. ¡°Might as well be for how different this girl is. She doesn¡¯t go by Seventeen anymore. Told me her name was Noelle. Then, after, she smiled at me. Fucking smiled. She looked healthy, too. Her hair was grown out, she wasn¡¯t beat to shit, and her eyes¡­¡± Her wide smile was back. ¡°F, she smelled like the guy. She was the oneforting me. I figure anyone who can put together a girl as broken as she was can¡¯t be all bad.¡± They left the trees behind before Fourteen could even formte a response to that. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need to see that to believe it.¡± She tore her gaze away from Nine to look around. Even in Nine¡¯s arms, she was high up enough to be looking down at the others around them. They were surrounded by demi-human females, all of them with damp hair and most of them with clothes that didn¡¯t quite fit. She recognized a few from Feng¡¯s cages in the group that huddled together in the center of the procession. The others seemed more at ease, but there was still a skittishness to them. Her eyes nced over what she assumed were guards. She recognized the archer who¡¯d taken her down as well as a big woman with a sword, as well as two clear mages and a woman with a sword and shield. All human. She watched for a bit, but they only ever nced briefly at the demi-humans they were escorting. The way they watched the trees around them made Fourteen confident they really were here to protect, not to keep them in line. ¡°Where are we?¡± she asked. ¡°Headed back to camp. They¡¯ve got a caravan headed towards the capital, but they¡¯re parking for a day or two so the ones they rescued can have a chance to limate,¡± Nine exined. ¡°Apparently they freed a handful of demi-humans from a gnoll den the other day, and those freed captives were willing to take the newly freed captives from Feng¡¯s camp to bathe.¡± Fourteen nodded. It wasn¡¯t umon for one of them to be in bad shape after an assignment, so it would hardly be the first time Nine had bathed her. She wrapped her arms around Nine¡¯s neck and rested her head back on the Half-dragon¡¯s shoulder, if for no other reason than there wasn¡¯t a cor to stop her. A pleased growl rumbled in Nine¡¯s chest, making Fourteen tense. ¡°Nine?¡± ¡°Sorry, F,¡± she said, her cheeks darkening. ¡°Without the cor, there¡¯s nothing holding back all those pesky dragon instincts I never really learned how to deal with. Fair warning, I might be a little overprotective of you for a few days and I have no idea how to curb that impulse. One of the guards offered to carry you to give me a break and I had to fight the urge to take a bite out of her.¡± Fourteen couldn¡¯t help but stifle a giggle, which felt so out of character to her that it turned into augh. ¡°I¡¯ll try not to hold it against you.¡± They left the forest behind and she got her first real look at the caravan. She counted seven wagons and more than two dozen tents, and the smell of meat cooking made her mouth water. One of the wagons was the cage on wheels they¡¯d used to transport their captives, and the sight of it made her tense. Then she realized that the only people inside it were the very men who¡¯d held them captive in the first ce and she rxed. She tore her gaze away from the cage. The men inside weren¡¯t her problem any longer. ¡°You think we¡¯ll get to choose new names? Not sure I want to keep being called a number.¡± Nine grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve already got an idea for one, so I sure fucking hope so.¡± Then her stomach growled so loud Fourteen could feel it. ¡°Let¡¯s get some food, yeah? I smell fresh meat, and it¡¯s really threatening to send me over the edge right now.¡± Nine found them a spot and finally set Fourteen on her feet, but before she could go off in search for meat a dainty Elf woman appeared with a wide smile and two bowls of tantalizing stew. Nine immediately plopped down and pulled Fourteen into herp. ¡°Seriously?¡± Fourteen asked with augh while Nine settled the much smaller Dark Elf between her tree-trunk-sized thighs. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ instincts. Damn breeders said I¡¯d have really strong ones being purebred, but the cor always suppressed that shit. Hurry up and eat, I can¡¯t even think about eating till I see you¡¯re taken care of right now. My shit¡¯s nine kinds of fucked up since they carried you into the campst night.¡± Fourteen took mercy on her and dug into the stew. It tasted even better than it smelled, and she sensed the faintest traces of magic in it. She sniffed, but [Poison Detection] didn¡¯t pick anything up other than some general stamina boosts and some light recovery magic that wouldn¡¯t be strong enough for actual healing, but would probably do wonders for those recovering from imprisonment. They both annihted their meals, and Fourteen simply leaned back into Nine and watched the camp. There was a general sense of relief, not just from those freed from captivity but from the caravaneers as well. She also couldn¡¯t help but notice how intermingled demi-humans were everywhere in the camp. Other than the guards, at least. They all seemed human, but that wasn¡¯t umon. Her eye was caught by a ck-haired Kitsune walking around with extra bowls of the stew. She was just contemting risking Nine¡¯s rage by using [Blink] to slip from her grasp when the Kitsune turned golden eyes in their direction. She nodded once, and once she was down to two bowls she headed straight for them. ¡°Here,¡± she gave them the bowls and Nine wasted no time in tearing in. She looked them over curiously, and Fourteen¡¯s eyes were drawn to the simple ck leather cor at her throat. ¡°Who do you serve?¡± The Kitsune¡¯s tail flicked. ¡°Ren. My name is Tsuki.¡± ¡°Fourteen, Nine,¡± Fourteen said, pointing at herself then her friend. ¡°For now.¡± Tsuki nodded, hesitated for a moment longer, then sat where she¡¯d be just out of reach. ¡°You¡¯ll take new names like Noelle, then?¡± Fourteen perked up at that. ¡°You know Noelle?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a friend, yes. She¡¯s taken good care of me and my sister.¡± ¡°Noelle serves Ren, too?¡± The corner of Tsuki¡¯s mouth quirked up. ¡°She does, and she¡¯d have it no other way. Trust me. Especially not now that he¡¯s found and freed you two.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°She asked him to find and free all of you, and he agreed,¡± Tsuki exined. Nine¡¯s arms tightened. ¡°What did she offer in return.¡± Now Tsuki was definitely smiling, but she hid the expression quickly. ¡°Nothing. Ren isn¡¯t like that.¡± Their reactions seemed to amuse her. ¡°I know, I thought the same as you, once. I won¡¯t tell you that he¡¯s worthy of your trust, but I can promise you that if you give him the chance, he¡¯ll surprise you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he going to want from us?¡± Nine asked. ¡°He¡¯ll give you time to limate, I¡¯m sure, but eventually he¡¯ll want everything you know about the ones who put you in cors.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Fourteen demanded, her suspicion rising. Tsuki shrugged like her next words weren¡¯t a big deal. ¡°He wore a simr cor once, apparently. Killed everyone involved in making and using them, or so he thought. My guess is that he wants to do it again, but you¡¯d have to ask him to know for sure.¡± Nine growled loud enough that Tsuki¡¯s ears bothy t, but she didn¡¯t react otherwise. Her arms tightened around Fourteen¡¯s midsection again, and it took her a second to get under control. ¡°What do we have to do to get one of those cors?¡± she asked finally. ¡°Nine!¡± Fourteen hissed. Nine just looked down at her. ¡°I¡¯m a purebred Half-dragon, F, and my sses are strong as shit. I go anywhere with a bare neck and I¡¯ll be in a cage by sundown. You didn¡¯t see the way Noelle was around him. I know I¡¯m hardly a genius, but I¡¯m not stupid enough to ignore the chance in front of me.¡± ¡°Nariko leveraged information for a cor, but honestly if you ask him he¡¯ll probably say yes,¡± Tsuki said. Her eyes drifted to Fourteen. ¡°Nari said you¡¯re an assassin. Are you skilled at moving in urban areas?¡± Fourteen nodded. ¡°He¡¯ll need someone who can gather information unseen when we get to the capital.¡± ¡°And me?¡± Nine asked. Tsuki frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve got more of a ce than I do. You¡¯d make a good bodyguard, I suppose. You¡¯ve got intimidating down well, at least.¡± Nine snorted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really strike me as someone who needs a bodyguard, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°No, he isn¡¯t,¡± Tsuki admitted. ¡°He always finds a way to survive, but he doesn¡¯t care all that much about his own well-being. You protect the ones he cares about, though, and you¡¯ll earn his loyalty quickly.¡± ¡°I can work with that,¡± Nine said thoughtfully. ¡°Who are we talking?¡± Tsuki leaned back thoughtfully. ¡°Well, Serena and Noelle don¡¯t really need protecting,¡± she said slowly. Nine growled again. ¡°No shit. He doesn¡¯t hurt her to make her stronger, does he?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Tsuki gasped. ¡°Right, I¡¯d forgotten. Noelle¡¯s ss evolved, she¡¯s no longer a Tormented Berserker. I won¡¯t tell you what her new one is because it isn¡¯t my ce, but she no longer grows stronger from pain.¡± Relief hit Fourteen in the gut like a hammer, and from the way Nine sagged behind her she felt the same. ¡°Thank fuck,¡± Nine breathed. ¡°The shit they did to her?¡± She took a breath and simply shook her head. There were no words. ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°Tiana¡¯s a mage, but she¡¯s got some close range spells and the experience to use them, but Rhani¡¯s second ss is still in its infancy, and she grew up a wealthy demi-human in the capital so she has no real training other than what Ren¡¯s taught her so far. If you¡¯re wanting to protect one of his harem, she¡¯s the best choice.¡± Fourteen choked on her stew. ¡°Harem? Noelle¡¯s a part of his fucking harem?¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± Tsuki said very seriously. ¡°And she likes it there very much. She loves Serena and Rhani almost as much as she loves Ren.¡± Then, in a much softer voice, ¡°Ren brought her out of hell. Helped her heal both physically and emotionally, and even did everything in his power to help her change her ss. He¡¯s kind, patient, and knows a little too much about what she¡¯d been through. He hasn¡¯t forced her to do a single thing if that¡¯s what you¡¯re afraid of.¡± They chewed on that for a while. Finally, Nine huffed. ¡°So, Rhani, then. Which one is she?¡± ¡°The Arelim,¡± Tsuki supplied. ¡°Though, honestly, Noelle is probably going to ask him to take you both in and he¡¯ll cave because he can¡¯t bear to say no to her.¡± That triggered something in Fourteen¡¯s mind. ¡°Arelim? Not the one with the giant fucking snake, is it?¡± Tsuki chuckled behind her hand. ¡°Was that Fang¡¯s new form? She was being rather cagey about it. She usually prefers to keep him in wolf or jaguar form, but that¡¯s her summon from her secondary ss. Her primary ss is nonbat, and from what I understand if someone were to get past her summons she¡¯d be more or less defenseless.¡± Fourteen felt a ripple pass through the camp. The caravaneers all rxed visibly, and the non-imed demi-humans all began craning their necks, looking at something behind them. Fourteen and Nine both turned to see Ren walking out of the treeline with an athletic blond on one side and a tall, curvy redhead on the other. Noelle walked just in front of him with an axe as big as she was over her shoulder. He carried the Arelim girl on his back where she slept soundly. Even from a distance Fourteen could see the difference in Noelle. Her cheeks were full, her hair was shiny, and there was a spring to her step that Fourteen had never seen before. Then she said something over her shoulder that made them allugh and the blond scooped her up in her arms, axe and all. Noelle struggled, but Fourteen could tell she wasn¡¯t actually trying to get free. Especially considering the strength she must have had to swing around an axe that size. ¡°He¡¯s protective of all of them, but especially Rhani. They¡¯re all close, but his connections with Rhani and Serena have always been the strongest.¡± The edges of her lips began to curl. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if Rhani ends up in charge of the harem when they get to the capital and start to settle.¡± Fourteen felt her brows creeping up. ¡°He¡¯d put a demi-human in charge of something like that?¡± Tsuki only smirked. ¡°Told you he¡¯d surprise you.¡± She stood, then paused. ¡°My sister was the one to make the draft that put you under,¡± she said suddenly. ¡°No hard feelings?¡± ¡°Hard feelings?¡± Fourteen scoffed. ¡°You point your sister out and I¡¯ll be her best damned friend. Her pot put me under long enough to remove that cor, so as far as I¡¯m concerned I owe her.¡± Tsuki nodded, letting out a breath. ¡°Thanks. You¡¯ll know her when you see her. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love her, she¡¯s got one of those personalities that makes it hard not to.¡± Fourteen nodded, looking back towards where Ren and his harem walked. The blond carried the giant evil sword in her arms, wrapped in cloth, but it didn¡¯t frighten her quite as much as it hadst night. Nine was right. While Fourteen might be able to slip by unnoticed, Nine was bred to make someone a lot of money. From what she¡¯d seen, Ren was her best chance at any kind of peace, and she wasn¡¯t about to abandon her friend. She needed to find a way into his inner circle so she could make sure he wasn¡¯t the type to take advantage of someone like Nine. She looked around. ¡°A lot of new faces,¡± she said conversationally. Tsuki smiled knowingly. ¡°If you¡¯re wanting to collect some information, might want to get with Nari. She¡¯s the Nekomata who helped bring you in.¡± Fourteen nodded. ¡°Thanks.¡± Tsuki gave them onest nod, then scooped up all the empty bowls and started back through the camp. Nine¡¯s arms wrapped around Fourteen, boxing her inpletely, then leaning down so she could talk low enough that nobody else could hear. ¡°What are you thinking right now, FT?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking you¡¯re right, and we can¡¯t afford to pass up this opportunity if Ren¡¯s half the man Tsuki made him out to be.¡± She wrapped her arms around one of Nine¡¯s bulky arms. ¡°I also think going into this blind is a very, very bad idea.¡± ¡°Work, look, and listen?¡± ¡°Absorb everything you can,¡± Fourteen agreed. ¡°If he¡¯s really giving us a chance, we¡¯ll make sure he won¡¯t regret it. If he ns to use us¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish the thought. She knew that when it came to Nine, she didn¡¯t need to. # # # It seemed my adorable little schr got a little overzealous while I was upied with both Serena and Tiana. I¡¯d be more annoyed by the fact that she¡¯d studied the Rathum till the sun rose if I hadn¡¯t been so impressed by the detail of her notes. I knew she was good at what she did, but I¡¯d seen professional bestiaries with less detail than what she¡¯d made in a single night. She set aside what she thought would be the most valuable parts. Head, ws, one of the tails, and a couple strange organs she¡¯d never seen anything like. We stored them as best we could and I stuck them in my storage. That was about as far as she got before nearly passing out on the spot, which led to me carrying her back to camp. Not that I wasining. Noelle had stayed up to watch her back all night, but when I gently suggested she get some rest too she refused adamantly and headed straight for where Fourteen and Nine sat. Both Tiana and Serena seemed to be rather amused that my hands were upied with holding Rhani up, and they were quite happy to take the chance to kiss me deeply, their hands traveling ces that made me really want to wake Rhani up. But I knew more than anyone how badly Rhani needed the sleep. I was probably the only one who slept less than she did with all the time she¡¯d been spending in her journals. I took her to our tent and got her tucked in before I went searching for some food myself. I could smell it cooking, and there was nothing quite like a fight to the death with a horrifying eldritch monster to bring my appetite back. Man, I really did have issues. I¡¯d just made my way to the stew pot when Liana tracked me down with a soldier in tow. A human in his mid forties who looked like he was in desperate need for a shave. ¡°Ren, this is Corporal Laryn. He¡¯s been waiting on your return.¡± I resisted the urge to sigh. I¡¯d always been the guy who slipped away from Rr and snuck towards the food when it came time to talk details, d that I wasn¡¯t the guy in charge. Now I was. ¡°Corporal,¡± I held out a hand, ¡°d we could help.¡± The manughed sardonically. ¡°You and me both, kid. Your people said it¡¯d be no problem if we took custody of the prisoners, but I wanted to check with you personally first.¡± His eyes darted towards where the demi-humans all sat, talking in hushed tones and shooting concerned nces our way. ¡°I also wanted to offer to take any of the demi-humans off your hands as a courtesy.¡± Liana, to her credit, didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°I¡¯ve talked to all the girls, sir, and they would like to keep with the caravan if you¡¯d allow them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re wee to,¡± I told her. ¡°And thanks, Corporal, but I¡¯ll hold on to anyone who wants to stay. The bandits are all yours.¡± He looked a little too relieved that he wasn¡¯t going to be responsible for the demi-humans. ¡°Thank you, sir. Ah, also¡­¡± he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. ¡°Well, during the cleanup, we found some documents that suggest some things that¡­well¡­could cause some problems. Problems that a soldier like me can¡¯t really do anything about, but could get in a lot of trouble over.¡± Secrets that some might kill to keep secret, he meant. I just nodded. ¡°You saw the monster we fought? It destroyed quite a bit of the camp. It¡¯s quite a shame it destroyed so much of themand tent in its rampage, Corporal. We might never know what some of those documents held.¡± He sagged in relief. ¡°Yes sir, a real shame. We owe you for getting us out of there, don¡¯t think we¡¯ll forget it. We¡¯re long overdue back, though, so we n to head out by noon. I¡¯d ask if you wanted any additional escort towards the capital, but I get the feeling we¡¯d only get in your way.¡± ¡°Just so, Corporal. Safe travels.¡± He took his leave, and I turned to Liana. ¡°How is everyone?¡± She let out a breath. ¡°Not great. In some ways, the gnolls were worse than the men that held them captive. In others¡­¡± She let the thought trail off, and I nodded. ¡°I understand. Let me or Cynthia know if there¡¯s anything you need. Are you willing to be in charge of the neers as well?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, sir. Five of them, not counting the two who had cors. They seem to prefer to be separate for now, and because of the nature of their own captivity, the others don¡¯t trust them as much.¡± I eyed the stew longingly, but knew this was more important. ¡°Give me a brief rundown?¡± Liana¡¯s back straightened. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll go from least worrying to most. Sani is the Nekomata we recovered, and she¡¯s in pretty bad shape. Looks like she¡¯s been bled regrly for a while. Suriel said she¡¯d recover, but not to expect her to be up and moving around any time soon. There¡¯s a Drakken and Seraphim pair¡ªFeranica and Miril respectively¡ªwho seem close, but they haven¡¯t flown in so long that their muscles are deteriorated. Seems their previous Patrons kept them bound even before the bandits caged them.¡± ¡°Caliel is a Nereid, and so far she hasn¡¯t spoken a single word. We only know her name because Miril shared a Patron with her once. She¡¯s very skittish, and we know she has some kind of offensive water based ss because she used it to st a few of the bandits on the way out of camp.¡± I ran a hand over my face. ¡°Would it make me a terrible Patron if I admitted there¡¯s no way I¡¯m keeping all these names straight?¡± A small smile slipped through her professional mask. ¡°No, sir, I think that¡¯d make you human.¡± ¡°Not sure that¡¯s much better these days,¡± I grumbled. She looked away to hide her expression, but I saw her smile widen a little more before she did. ¡°Alice is thest, and she¡¯s the one I¡¯m most worried about. She¡¯s¡ª¡± She shifted from foot to foot nervously. ¡°Well, sir, thest thing I want is toe off as intolerant, but I¡¯ve never met one in person before and only know vague details and oundish tales. She¡¯s a Vampire, sir.¡± I winced. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing they weren¡¯t exactly quick to let her feed.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Alice is another loner in the group, but the other girls are still protective of her. She held off the bloodlust as long as she could, but she was forced to feed from the others a few times just to hold onto her sanity.¡± Vampires could live off normal foods just fine, though meat was always best. If she was locked in a cage and being underfed, her Vampire side would be making up the difference, and she¡¯d need blood to replenish her energy. If they were abusing her at all? That would only make the thirst worse. Like Sirens or Subi, the other of the two siphon races, they didn¡¯t need their power source to survive, but depriving them of it would slowly drive them feral. I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Right. First things first, go tell all that to Noelle. She¡¯s strong enough to keep an eye on them, and as a fellow demi-human hopefully she doesn¡¯t put them too much on edge. Maybe she can enlist Nine or Fourteen to help keep the peace if need be.¡± I looked over the demi-humans grouped together in the center of the camp. Nearly all of them were looking towards me, and most quickly nced down when they met my eyes. ¡°Have the two winged girls get with Anri and Kili, they¡¯ll have a better idea than me on how to start rehabilitating their wings. Have Tsuki keep an eye on Caliel, but have her be seen doing it. Having some of your braver girls keeping herpany might help as well. Keep the men away from her until we know a little more about what she¡¯s been through. I¡¯ll see if I can get a better read on Alice.¡± Liana¡¯s shoulders rxed visibly. ¡°Yes sir. I¡¯ll get right on it. Last I saw, Alice was as far from your wagon as she could manage while still being in camp.¡± I nodded. ¡°If she¡¯s fighting the thirst, then those that are injured will set off her hunter¡¯s instincts.¡± Liana paled, so I reassured her. ¡°That just means she¡¯s trying not to cause problems, but we can¡¯t help what we¡¯re born as. I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± Liana hurried to do as I asked and I finally got my hands on a bowl of stew. I scarfed it down as quick as I could manage before heading towards where I figured a lonely, scared Vampire might be hiding. It didn¡¯t take long to find her, which I thought was another good sign. She wasn¡¯t trying to hide, she just didn¡¯t trust herself around the others. Just in case, I conjured a couple of tendrils and had them wrap around my waist, hidden from view. She was sitting against the wheel of one of the wagons, a half-empty bowl of stew next to her. She had a cloak pulled tight around her with the hood up, dark violet eyes tracking my every move from underneath it. Long, night-ck hair peeked out from under the hood, but otherwise she sat so still she might have been a statue. ¡°Alice, right?¡± I called from a distance, making sure I didn¡¯t startle her. She didn¡¯t react except to nod, so I got a little closer. ¡°I¡¯m Ren. I¡¯m the resident lord of the caravan.¡± She tensed, and I stopped a few feet away and crouched. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯re not in any trouble.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be a first,¡± she said softly. Her voice was raspy, like her throat was parched. ¡°When¡¯s thest time you fed?¡± She swallowed audibly. ¡°Couple days. Woke up with my fangs in Miril¡¯s neck, pulled away as soon as I could.¡± ¡°When¡¯s thest time you fed fully?¡± I rified. She looked away. ¡°As long as you¡¯re traveling with us, I¡¯d like you to make sure you¡¯re not fighting the thirst all the time.¡± ¡°Who would you have me feed on?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°I won¡¯t force anyone into it. If you find someone willing, then that¡¯s fine. Until then, you wouldn¡¯t be the first Vampire I¡¯ve donated my blood to.¡± Her pupils became pinpricks, but she didn¡¯t so much as twitch a muscle otherwise. ¡°That your thing, then?¡± It took me a second to realize what she meant. With a chuckle, I said, ¡°a month ago I¡¯d have said it definitely wasn¡¯t, but one of my current partners is a bit bitey in bed and she¡¯s had quite the influence on another of my partners. That isn¡¯t why I¡¯m offering, though. I spent some time with a Vampire, so I have an idea of what you¡¯re going through. I¡¯m sleeping with a priestess and I¡¯ve got the blood to spare, soe on. Let¡¯s get you fed so you aren¡¯t miserable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be able to stop,¡± she warned. I waved her objections off. ¡°I¡¯ve got some tricks up my sleeve. I can at least fend you off long enough for you to get your head back.¡± I untied the top of my shirt and pulled my cor to the side. ¡°It¡¯s the best option for everyone, you included. I can handle it, I promise.¡± I¡¯d barely finished speaking before she was shooting at me. Vampires had naturally high agility, and I could tell hers was boosted even further from how quickly she closed the distance between us. She mmed into me hard enough to knock me onto my back just before I felt the sharp pain of her fangs sinking into my neck. She groaned, sinking into me the second my blood hit her tongue, and wrapped around me possessively. I felt magic seep into me from where she bit, which told me she had a Vampire specific ss. I immediately felt my mana lock up, which would have been a serious problem if I hadn¡¯t conjured some tendrils beforehand. While she gulped greedily, someone walked to stand over us. Nariko looked down with amusement, her tail flicking behind her. ¡°Not sure it was a good idea to let her feed while you¡¯re all alone.¡± At the sound of her voice, Alice¡¯s grip tightened. A low growl rumbled in her throat as her instincts demanded she protect her food source. ¡°I figured you weren¡¯t far off,¡± I said slowly, wrapping one hand around the back of Alice¡¯s neck. She rxed, though her fingers still gripped me tightly. An old trick I¡¯d learned from a Vampire soldier during the war. It would put her at ease, but give me a handhold to pull her away if I needed to. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, though. She¡¯s been starved for so long she¡¯s only a step above feral, and I¡¯d rather not have my throat torn out today.¡± The next sound out of Alice¡¯s throat was more of a moan than a groan, and Nariko¡¯s ears flicked in surprise. ¡°Are all feedings like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been told I have blood that tastes much sweeter than normal. Why, I have no idea.¡± Alice moaned again as if in agreement. I let her drink her fill, and when I started to feel the effects of the blood loss I started to creep my tendrils up to break her contact with my throat. Before I made it, she pulled back enough to give the spot where she¡¯d bit a slow lick. She swiped a finger to catch thest drop and I felt a painfully familiar magic tingling through my skin. My blood rose to the wound and sealed it closed, then she sat back and sucked the crimson off the finger. ¡°Fuck,¡± she breathed, swaying slightly as she straddled me. ¡°You aren¡¯t kidding.¡± Her pupils were wide now, and she had azy smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never tasted blood like that." She tried to stand and stumbled, catching herself with a hand on my chest. ¡°It¡¯s gotta be your bloodline. You¡¯re human, but different. It¡¯s so fucking sweet¡­¡± She finally managed to pull herself off me only to fall onto the ground. I raised a brow. I¡¯ve never had the pleasure of seeing a blood-drunk Vampire before. I stood and helped her up, but keeping her feet seemed to be a challenge. Nariko shot me an amused expression before throwing one of Alice¡¯s arms over her shoulder. ¡°You ssshouldnt¡¯ve done that,¡± Alice slurred. ¡°If my vamp shide takesh over, you¡¯re gonna be the firsht one I hunt now.¡± She blinked a few times. ¡°You did that on purposhe, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I did, little Vampire. Wouldn¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve been hunted by a feral vamp, either.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I thought I¡¯d had the besht blood on the ne when I got to drink Nephilim, but shit tashtes like dirtpared to yoursh. Mmm¡­¡± She closed her eyes and tottered enough that Nariko almost went down with her. There was a gasp and Liana practically ran over with the Lycanine, Iris, in tow. ¡°Is she alright? What happened?¡± I held a hand up. ¡°I just let her feed, and she got a little blood drunk is all. She¡¯ll be satisfied for a good while, so she won¡¯t be fighting the thirst.¡± I saw a few of the others rx, and Iris and Nariko helped Alice find a spot where she wasn¡¯t in danger of toppling into anything dangerous. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ve never¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since I got to feed just to feed.¡± I nodded. ¡°Get some rest and real food in you. We can talk once you¡¯ve dropped down to a buzz about making sure your Vampire side is taken care of.¡± I looked over the others who seemed to be hanging on my every word. ¡°Same goes for the rest of you. I¡¯m hardly an expert when ites to demi-humans, so if any of you need amodation just let me know.¡± They didn¡¯t answer, and I saw more than one cautiously confused look, so I gave them onest awkward nod and took my leave. After spending most ofst night tending to Tiana¡¯s needs and most of thest two weeks not sleeping for shit, I was ready for a nap. Especially after letting Alice feed. I waved to Noelle, who was currently enveloped in Nine¡¯sp while Fourteen watched with amusement. Serena was at our wagon, no doubt helping those that still needed medical attention, so I made my way into my tent. Tiana was wrapped around Rhani, and she shot me a sleepy smile when I walked in. She scooted over enough for me to join them, and we ended up with Rhani in the middle of both of us. She murmured something unintelligible, and I pressed a kiss to her temple. Her smile widened and she tucked into me. I threaded my fingers with Tiana¡¯s, our hands resting on Rhani¡¯s hip, and closed my eyes. I was just nodding off when Rhani shot up with a strangled gasp, wide-eyed and lunging for her pack. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! I know what the crazy guy was talking about!¡± Chapter Sixty-Three: Six Primal Paths Chapter Sixty-Three: Six Primal Paths Nearly an hourter, Tiana, Serena, and I all sat watching with different levels of amusement while Rhani frantically went from journal to journal, page to page. Most of her hair was haphazardly tied up, but much of it had fallen from the leather tie from how often she ran her hands through it. She was stillpletely naked, which had me readjusting myself as she made yet another frustrated noise. ¡°Where is it? I swear I¡ª¡± she trailed off with another frustrated growl. She¡¯d done that about ten times in thest fifteen minutes. She¡¯d shot up like she¡¯d been electrocuted and started tearing through her books, but whatever epiphany had struck her still eluded her. We¡¯d tried to help once or twice, but she could barely formte a single sentence much less tell us what it was she was looking for. We¡¯d told Noelle, but she was still taking her job as the protector of the demi-humans very seriously. She figured we¡¯d tell her the important parts and left us to it. Last I¡¯d seen her, she was sitting rather protectively over Alice, who¡¯d curled up and gone to sleep after feeding on me, while watching Kili and her sister work with the other winged demi-humans. ¡°I think she¡¯s getting worse,¡± Tiana noted, draping herself over my back from behind. She rested her cheek on my shoulder, leaning her head against me. Serena¡¯s hand slid up the inside of my thigh, trailing over my very hard length. When I raised a brow at her, she blushed. ¡°Maybe she needs some help?¡± she asked pointedly. Tiana¡¯s lips brushed the back of my neck. ¡°Mmm, I love my life,¡± she mumbled, then pushed me towards our Schr. I lost my pants on the way, and Rhani was so focused on her books that she didn¡¯t even see meing. Not until I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to me, pressing a kiss to her neck from behind. ¡°Zaren, please, I¡¯m almost there. I¡¯ve almost got it,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Rhani? Turning down sex? Who are you and what have you done with my Angel?¡± I said. She shuddered into my arms, grinding against my length in spite of her words. ¡°It¡¯s here somewhere. It¡¯s gotta be.¡± ¡°No,¡± I said, reaching up to cup one of her breasts. Her back arched, pushing her chest into my hand while her ass pressed against my groin. I kissed her temple. ¡°It¡¯s up here, and you need to take a step back if you want to see that.¡± ¡°I have to have it here. I have to have read it since we met, but I can¡¯t remember¡­¡± she groaned, writhing against me. I slid the arm around her waist down lower until I was teasing the sensitive flesh between her thighs without touching her where I knew she wanted it most. She bucked, trying to guide my fingers to the apex between her legs, but I denied her. ¡°Then stop thinking so damn hard. Start at the top, Angel. Dr. Crazy said a lot of thingsst night, which one set you off?¡± She shook her head with another whimper and I took mercy, sliding my fingers across her soaked outer lips. ¡°Forget about the big picture for a second and look at the pieces.¡± ¡°Primal sses¡­¡± The words practically fell from her lips mid-gasp. I nipped her earlobe. ¡°Good girl.¡± I conjured a tendril and used it to clear some space, then lowered her down so she was resting her weight on her forearms with her ass pointed at me. I rubbed the head of my cock against her outer lips and she tried to push herself back onto me. ¡°Keep going.¡± ¡°He¡ªhe mentioned a second one¡­¡± I slid in and she moaned. I pushed all the way in with a single thrust and held her hips to mine, keeping still and denying her the friction she craved. ¡°Two Primal sses. He said that like it was important.¡± I started rocking my hips achingly slow and her head fell forward. ¡°Shadowborn. He mentioned it right after he mentioned Shadowborn. He knew about your ss, and the thoughts were connected.¡± Her walls fluttered around my length, forcing me to suppress a groan of pleasure. She tried to pick up the pace herself, but I kept careful control of her. I ran a hand up her spine and brushed her hair over one shoulder. ¡°You know what to do if you want more.¡± She held back another desperate moan. ¡°If there are two, there have to be six¡­ A second Primal ss¡­¡± Soon the tent was filled with the sounds of my flesh pping against hers. I ran a thumb over the rim of her asshole and she clenched hard. ¡°Six Primal sses. Shadowborn is one.¡± ¡°My ss revolves around Primal, but so do plenty of others. Noelle¡¯s, for instance.¡± I reached between us to gather some of her wetness on my fingers and thumb. ¡°Who was the second one, Rhani?¡± Her body bucked again when I put more pressure on the bud staring up at me. ¡°Nnnng! The archer! The me archer!¡± I slid my thumb past the rim and she clenched around me with a gasp. ¡°Six Primal sses, born to defend Kasidiel.¡± The words tumbled out of her like a dam bursting. ¡°Fire, water, earth, air, shadow, and light. sses given in times of strife, connected by fate, drawn together to defend the ne. Fuck!¡± I wrapped a hand in her hair and pulled her back up so that her back was flush against my chest, letting my thumb slip free of her ass so I could reach around and massage her clit. She was on a roll now, and stopping her would be a mistake. ¡°Your shadows fucked the Rathum up!¡± she cried, her eyes jammed shut. My lips found her throat, and she reached behind her to sink her fingers into my hair and hold me there. ¡°The mes did, too! All the other magic and weapons didn¡¯t work. You felt the same magic in the beast as your sword. It¡¯s not from this ne, so it¡¯s resistant to our magic, but not yours. Not the me archer¡¯s.¡± Her words ended in a silent scream as orgasm overtook her. I kept mming into her, holding her up through her release. As soon as she was able, she started speaking again. ¡°They show up in history when the world bes unbnced, but only ever one at a time. Never together. Thest time they did life was nearly wiped out. War and gue and famine decimated everything. Six Primal warriors against a warlord who thought he was a god, wielding a sword that devoured life itself.¡± She somehow managed to lift herself off my length, lowering her hips just enough that I was pressed against her asshole, and then her ass hit my groin again and I had to mp a hand over her mouth to keep the entire camp from hearing the scream of pleasure that erupted from her. The sudden tightness of her ass wasn¡¯t something I was prepared for, and I could feel my end getting closer. It was harder and harder to focus on her words with each thrust, and with how hard she pushed back against me each time she must have felt the same. I uncovered her mouth, instead plunging two fingers inside her and curling them to hit her sweet spot. ¡°Fuck Zaren! The sses split, fighting one another, and nearly destroyed our ne!¡± she continued, her head resting back on my shoulder and her eyes jammed shut. ¡°The Eldritch Beasts. They were a part of it, but they were wiped out along with most everyone else. The Primal sses spawned lines and lines of other sses. The refugees helped the world recover after the war was won. The Primal sses are the closest to the source of all magic, and the most powerful. Other sses have evolved to be most effective in our world, but not those.¡± I¡¯d given up on listening, hoping that the other two were taking notes. One arm was tucked under her breasts to hold her against me while my other plunged my fingers inside her, my thumb mauling her clit. My release was fast approaching, and from how hard the rim of her ass clenched around my cock so was hers. ¡°They¡¯re important. There are five others out there with sses like yours. Mythic sses. The first of them. We have to find them before they do. If they aren¡¯t all on the same side, then we lose.¡± Those were thest words out of her mouth before her entire body clenched in release. Her sudden, near-painful tightness sent me over the edge and I spilled myself inside her. I sat back on my heels, holding her to me and panting. Her eyes were still closed, and she clung to my arms with trembling limbs. We sat there for a few moments, both of us trying to catch our breath, and she let out a groan that turned into augh. ¡°You just fucked a level into me.¡± Then she started tough harder, still impaled on my cock. ¡°Fuck, I love you. Getting fucked in the ass while having earth shattering revtions? Is there anything better?¡± That pulled augh out of me. ¡°I can think of a few things, but it¡¯s definitely up there.¡± Before she could manage to get me into a round two, I managed to lift her off my softening length. We both groaned when I slid free, and I turned her so that she was sitting sideways in myp with her head resting on my chest. ¡°So, it sounds like you remembered.¡± She made an irritated sound. ¡°I remembered the information, but not where I read it, which is really annoying. But yeah, it sounds like this whole Primal ss thing is important.¡± ¡°You kinda dropped a lot of shit in there, Angel,¡± I told her. I nced at the other two. Serena was writing and Tiana was watching with her legs spread and two fingers inside her. Both were blushing furiously. ¡°A war that nearly destroyed the world, huh? It sounds like it predates the war I fought in, and I¡¯m not exactly a history buff.¡± Her fingers traced the lines of my chest. ¡°Wars weren¡¯t necessarily something I focused on either, and this one happened a long fucking time ago. I think. It¡¯s weird. Nearly everything I know, I remember learning. This? I have no idea how I know about the stuff I just talked about.¡± Tiana¡¯s legs clenched as she found her own release, then she crawled over to take her favorite spot draped over my back. I leaned against her, and she reached over my shoulder to y with Rhani¡¯s hair. ¡°More goddess stuff, maybe?¡± ¡°Could be,¡± I said uncertainly, ¡°but this feels like a bit too direct of an intervention for them. Is this the first time you¡¯ve known something and not known how?¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°I think so? I mean, sometimes I¡¯ve had gut feelings or off-the-wall theories that I had no business actually putting together that ended up panning out a little too neatly, if that counts.¡± Tiana¡¯s head pressed against mine. ¡°Any particr fields?¡± ¡°sses,¡± Rhani said immediately. ¡°Almost always sses. I¡¯ve always had a bit of an obsession,¡± she admitted. ¡°Well, at least we¡¯ve got somewhere to start when we get to the capital,¡± I said with a chuckle. But she frowned. ¡°Your sword. You aren¡¯t hiding it, so does that mean I can start examining it?¡± I nced at where it was still sitting in the corner of the tent. I reached out and brushed my awareness against the link forged between me and ¡°Ash.¡± I still hadn¡¯t mentioned that part to them because I was still really struggling to wrap my head around it. ¡°I¡¯ll let you look over the scabbard, but I think it¡¯s best if the sword remains sheathed for now. I¡¯m low on Essence, and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Tiana prompted, trailing her fingers along the scruff building up along my jaw. I sighed. ¡°The¡­entity in the sword is tired. The one who I think has been helping. Influencing sses. Keeping the sword from eating my soulpletely. I want to give them a chance to rest a bit before we risk letting the de¡¯s twisted magic run rampant.¡± A blissful smile took over Rhani¡¯s face. ¡°So many questions to answer. The Jailer¡¯s de is what that guy called it. Does that mean this entity trapped in there is one of this Jailer¡¯s prisoners? And who is the Jailer? Is he from another ne, too?¡± ¡°That would make sense,¡± I admitted, reaching out to run a finger along the scabbard. I felt the faintest brush of acknowledgment, but that was it. I sighed. ¡°All of it feels connected. Eldritch Beasts. The Jailer¡¯s de. Primal sses. A whole bunch of capital letters, and twice as many questions.¡± Then I looked down at Rhani, who had a mischievous glint in her eyes. ¡°And you aren¡¯t allowed to act stumped just to trick me into fucking an epiphany into you again.¡± She gasped in mock indignation. ¡°I would never!¡± Tiana chuckled, tapping Rhani¡¯s nose. ¡°You absolutely would, you little minx. I may have the whole ¡®sultry seductress¡¯ act down after lots of practice, but you¡¯ve got that irresistible innocence thing going that drives Zaren wild despite being almost as far from innocent as possible.¡± As if to prove Tiana¡¯s point, Rhani pouted. ¡°Me? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± She trailed her hand up my chest to my neck with a heated look that sent my blood flowing in the wrong direction to have any kind of intelligent conversation. ¡°I¡¯m just a sweet little Arelim trying to do her best in such a cruel, cruel world, secretly pining away for the kind, strong Patron who saved her in more ways than one.¡± Iughed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Yeah, not that secret, Angel. You can examine the sword after you¡¯ve had a good night¡¯s sleep. I know you¡¯ve got a skill to protect you, but bad things have happened in the past when people tried to study the runes on the de.¡± She huffed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll sleep.¡± She snuggled against me, her eyes half-lidded. ¡°I always sleep amazingly after you fuck my brains out. Especially my ass. I won¡¯t be sitting right for a few days, and I love it that way.¡± That sounded like a great n to me. I set her on the bedroll andid down next to her, bringing Tiana with us. I could tell from the way her hand wrapped around the base of my cock, once again hard, that she was still suffering from the effects of [All In]. I rolled to my back and she waisted no time impaling herself on me with her hands on my chest. Rhani watched for a little while, but by the time I¡¯d shot my second load into Tiana she¡¯d nodded off. Serena came back after a while with dinner and we woke Rhani enough to eat, but she was back out after that. It wasn¡¯t long before I was following her, and it was some of the best sleep I¡¯d had in a long while. # # # I woke with Tiana¡¯s lips around my cock and onlysted a few more minutes before she was swallowing down yet another load. She assured me that it was because of a dream she¡¯d had, not because she was still suffering from [All In], so that was all the fun we had that morning. Rhani wanted to get started on the de, but I made her eat some breakfast first. The camp was bustling, and it made me wonder just how things were going to be once we¡¯d gotten on the road. While my girls went to find food, I tracked down Cynthia. My storage was much emptier after we made sure the demi-humans we¡¯d saved all had the clothes and supplies they¡¯d need for the remainder of the trip, and I had to hope we didn¡¯t stumble across any more groups that needed help since I was basically out of extra tents. I also checked with her to see exactly what kind of authority she had when it came to acquiring new servants. ording to her, as long as I charged them with my own mana beforehand, she could ce one of my cors on a demi-human and officially im them. A fact that still unsettled my gut greatly, but there were at least a few of the demi-humans we¡¯d saved that I wanted to keep close if they¡¯d let me. Nine and Fourteen for starters, since Noelle had already asked me about them, but also Alice the Vampire and Caliel the Nereid since they were the two I was most worried about Patrons trying to take advantage of. Alice because of her race, Caliel for her apparently powerful ss. At Cynthia¡¯s suggestion, I had breakfast with my girls (minus Noelle, who had spent nearly all her time with Nine and Fourteen) in in view of where the demi-humans had taken to grouping together, but far enough away that I couldn¡¯t overhear anything they might say. It seemed to be the right choice. From how often they nced in my direction, I knew I was the topic of many conversations. It seemed those we saved from the gnoll den had taken to integrating those we pulled from the bandit camp to help them along. Even Alice seemed to be doing much better, even if she did sit a little apart from the rest. She was still tense and wore her cloak with her hood pulled up, but she looked more at ease than she did the day before. Then a thought urred to me. I looked from Alice to Feranica, the Drakken, with her leathery wings and scaled tail, both a pure, bright crimson. Miril the Seraphim was fair inplexion and, now that she¡¯d had a chance to clean them, her feathery wings were pure white. When I looked at Caliel, her eyes were on me. She had light blue skin, a hair so dark a blue it was nearly ck, a lithe figure that was no doubt built to cut through the water, and eyes the color of the ocean on a sunny day. She held my nce for a moment, almost as a challenge, then her eyes widened and she quickly looked away. ¡°Fuck,¡± I mumbled. When Tiana shot me a questioning nce, I exined. ¡°I think we¡¯re going to need to get our hands on a demi-human expert. Other than the Nekomata¡ªwe already know why she was imprisoned¡ªthe women we freed from the bandit camp are all pure.¡± ¡°Pure?¡± Serena asked. I nodded. ¡°Look at their features. The more crossbreeding that happens, the more muted their characteristics be. It¡¯s hard to tell with Alice, but I¡¯d be willing to bet she¡¯s at the very least the daughter of two vampires.¡± Rhani paused mid-bite. ¡°You think it¡¯s important? I mean, if you¡¯re right, they¡¯d fetch really high prices for the bandits, but you think it¡¯s more than that?¡± I ignored the anger her casual statement stoked. ¡°They weren¡¯t for selling, though,¡± I pointed out. ¡°They were already paid for, and they were going to be given away.¡± My eyes fell on Nine, who had Noelle sitting on her shoulders while they talked. I¡¯d met very few Half-dragons in my time, but none of them had coloring as vivid as Nine. Then Caliel caught my eye again. A Nereid with a water ss was hardly umon, but Alice had also had some kind of ss rted to her race. Following that thought, my gaze fell on Nine once again. ording to legend, lightning dragons were the same blue as her scales. I doubted it was coincidence that her ss let her charge her weapons with lightning in return. Even Fourteen was considerably darker than the average Dark Elf. Suriel was practically pale inparison. And we¡¯d already seen just how strong Noelle¡¯s bestial instincts were. ¡°The purity is important,¡± I insisted. When I exined my train of thought to the others, Rhani¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°My skill fired off,¡± she said quickly. ¡°You¡¯re on to something.¡± ¡°Perhaps it has something to do with their sses?¡± an unexpected voice offered. We all turned to see Vivian looking from one of us to the next innocently. ¡°Sorry, was this a private conversation? I¡¯ve been here the whole time, so I assumed anyone could jump in.¡± I frowned, but if she had an idea then I would be a fool to ignore her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were saying?¡± She took that as an opportunity to slide closer to me. Close enough that I could smell the strong floral perfume she wore. ¡°Well, I¡¯m hardly an expert, but could purity increase the chances of them gaining a racial ss? I mean, look at Anri, for instance.¡± When we all stared at her uprehendingly, she giggled. ¡°A Hellion? It¡¯s a powerful ss, but only Erinyes can obtain it. She¡¯s a purebred Erinyes, like her sister, so perhaps there¡¯s a corrtion?¡± Rhani caught my eyes and nodded vigorously. Seems that was another step in the right direction. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right, Vivian. Thanks for the input.¡± She beamed. ¡°Just d to be of service. You all did so much helping these poor girls get free of those monsters while I sat back and did nothing, so offering ideas seems the least I can do.¡± I wasn¡¯t imagining the frustration in her voice, even if she tried to hide it. ¡°If we didn¡¯t have Reese, then taking down Fourteen without harming her too much would have been much more difficult,¡± I argued. ¡°Zoey has more than pulled her weight as well.¡± She hid her smile behind her hand. ¡°Yes, they are both very good at what they do, aren¡¯t they?¡± I nodded, standing. ¡°They are. I¡¯ll be back in a bit, I think I need to make a few rounds. Serena, I assume you¡¯ll be with Suriel?¡± She nodded. They¡¯d been spending some time together while Suriel taught her the basics of first aid. ¡°Good. Tiana, go with Rhani and make sure she doesn¡¯t overdo it?¡± Tiana wrapped an arm around the Arelim. ¡°You know it.¡± Vivian stood as well. ¡°Might I apany you? It¡¯s been some time since we¡¯ve had a chance to simply talk, after all.¡± I tried to think of a reason to say no, but came up empty. She took myck of answer as a yes and stepped close enough to hook one of her gloved arms in the crook of my elbow, earning me three sets of raised brows. ¡°Er, right. Sure.¡± She just smiled up at me through hershes. ¡°So, where to first?¡± ¡°I was thinking Anri, since you brought her up.¡± ¡°Lead the way then, good sir.¡± Trying not to show just how awkward I felt, I picked my way to where Anri, Miril, and Feranica were sitting. Anri saw using first and shot to her feet, standing at attention like a soldier. ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am,¡± she said automatically. I chuckled. ¡°At ease.¡± She rxed, then paused. She hit me with an appraising look. ¡°Military?¡± I winced. As part of the Seven, it wasmon for soldiers to act that way around me. As Ren the lord nobody knew¡­not so much. ¡°Of a sort,¡± I said eventually, overly aware of Vivian¡¯s eyes on me. ¡°Have a minute?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°No need for formalities,¡± I told her. ¡°Just Ren is fine.¡± That seemed to confuse her, but she nodded. ¡°Alright, what can I help you with, Ren?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a Hellion, right?¡± She tensed. ¡°Yes. I served in the Amesserian military for a few years, then switched to serving a Patron when my sister got her ss.¡± She swallowed. ¡°My former Patron had a¡­thing for wings, sir. I took care of him, he gave my sister a home.¡± I was sure I wasn¡¯t imagining Vivian¡¯s hands tightening around my arm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She just shrugged. ¡°He wasn¡¯t bad. He was fairly sweet as far as Patrons go, and a bit of a quick shot. Most of the time he was just happy to touch my wings and never even¡­ah¡­got inside. Small price to pay for Kili.¡± Her story reminded me a bit too much of Tsuki and Ryoko, so I forced myself to set it aside for now. ¡°And, if I¡¯m not overstepping, can I ask about your parents?¡± She swallowed again, but stood up straighter. ¡°Never really knew them. Mom died giving birth to Kili, dad got indebted a few yearster and never saw him again. He wasn¡¯t the same after mom died, I was already practically raising Kili on my own.¡± ¡°Both Erinyes?¡± She nodded, a slight sheen to her eyes. ¡°Yes, sir. The wings can causeplications during childbirth, and they weren¡¯t wealthy enough to afford a real doctor. My grandparents on both sides were Erinyes as well. Me and Kili both are pure Erinyes, at least three generations strong. There¡¯s a smallmunity of them in the capital, but I joined up as soon as I got my ss at sixteen. Made me invaluable on the battlefield.¡± With a start, I realized what this looked like. ¡°Sorry if this feels like an interrogation, that wasn¡¯t my intent,¡± I said a little too quickly. She nodded, though her brows drew together. ¡°Not at all. You should know as much as you can about your options, sir. I¡¯ll happily answer any questions you have.¡± ¡°Just one more. Will you tell me why your Patron was on the road?¡± Only after shifting her weight from side to side for a few moments did she answer. ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. My Patron was on vacation in Anford. He received an urgent letter, then he packed up with his wife, me, and Kili, then left the next morning.¡± ¡°Any idea what the letter said?¡± ¡°No, sir. He burned it immediately after reading. You know what happened after that.¡± ¡°I do. Thank you for your time, Anri. You¡¯ve been a big help.¡± She nodded, though seemed confused. ¡°I¡¯m at your disposal, sir.¡± I said a brief goodbye and left, so lost in thought I¡¯dpletely forgotten Vivian was still on my arm. ¡°Think they were lured to the capital?¡± she asked, her tone rather unlike the bubbly Vivian Cross I¡¯de to know. ¡°I¡¯m thinking so. If I¡¯m right, then the bandits were looking for purebred demi-humans. Anri fits the bill, so best guess is that the gnolls got ahold of her before the bandits could.¡± Then, with a start, I realized who I was talking to. I nced down at Vivian, but she was deep in thought. ¡°Sounds like we need to know if the others have simr stories.¡± I looked down at her in surprise. ¡°My thoughts exactly.¡± She looked up at me with a start, and for a second I looked into the eyes of someone very unlike Vivian Cross. She schooled her features expertly, and once again the mask slid into ce. ¡°How exciting! I always loved a mystery! It¡¯s just like the books I read growing up.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I said, unconvinced. ¡°Well, I need to talk to Liana next.¡± Her eyes glimmered in excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± I briefly considered trying to pry my arm free, but decided it wasn¡¯t worth the suspicion it might invoke. I was willing to y along for a bit longer. Liana was talking with her sister, Elena, and the Lycanine Iris. They all cut off as soon as one saw me, turning to me straight backed with expressions stuck somewhere between anticipation and worry. ¡°Liana, how are things?¡± ¡°Good, sir,¡± she said eagerly. ¡°Alice is doing much better since you helped her.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°Good. I told her that I¡¯d help again if needed, but in case she doesn¡¯t listen will you keep an eye out? If she starts showing signs of thirst, let me know and I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± She nodded. ¡°Of course. Caliel seems a bit calmer, but she still isn¡¯t speaking. Sani is awake, but it will be some time before she¡¯s recovered, I think. Right now she¡¯s just waiting to see what horrors she¡¯s in for next, and it¡¯ll be some time before she trusts that you aren¡¯t going to hurt her. What they were doing to those poor Nekomata is just¡­¡± she trailed off, misty-eyed. Iris cleared her throat. I looked over the Lycanine. Chestnut brown hair fell nearly to her waist, and the fur around her tall, doglike ears was the same color. Her eyes were a few shades lighter, and though her expression was carefully neutral bordering on submissive, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that her tail was wagging behind her. ¡°Um, I just wanted to say that it was a good idea to have Miril and Feranica working with Anri. Suriel thinks they¡¯ll be able to fly again in a month, sir.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Thanks. Not the first time dealing with this kind of bullshit, unfortunately.¡± Being imprisoned underground and keeping them from flying was a powerful form of psychological torture for the winged races, so naturally Grimsbane had employed it on the families of those that fought for him. Rehabilitating Seraphim, Drakkens, and Erinyes was something I¡¯d done before. Iris¡¯s face dipped, but her tail wagged harder. ¡°Thank you, by the way. I never had the chance to say it to you personally, but thank you for saving us.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I looked at the three of them. ¡°I was wondering if you¡¯d be able to help me?¡± I was met with a barrage of very eager agreements. ¡°You¡¯ve given me the basics on how you all were taken, and I¡¯d like to know the same about our new additions. How they were captured and, if you can manage it, why they were on the road in the first ce. They¡¯ll probably be quicker to talk to you than me right now.¡± All three of them nodded. Liana stepped up. ¡°We¡¯ll get right on it, sir. We won¡¯t let you down.¡± ¡°I appreciate it. Don¡¯t push too hard, though. Last thing I want to do is spook them.¡± Elena smiled brightly. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ve got a light touch, and I¡¯ll help. You can count on us.¡± They all took off, heads bent together, whispering frantically. ¡°That was easier than I expected,¡± I admitted. Vivian gave me an odd look. ¡°Why would have it been difficult? They¡¯re all tripping over one another to impress you. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t noticed.¡± ¡°Why would they want to impress me?¡± Then Vivian¡¯s look turned sympathetic as she patted me on the arm. ¡°You¡¯re a Patron who hasn¡¯t done a single thing to mistreat his servants since you all rescued them. Either you¡¯re a kind Patron and they want to impress you enough that you offer them a cor, or you¡¯re a Patron who has his servants very well trained and they¡¯re afraid of upsetting you. From an outside perspective, they have no way to tell which is which. Ingratiating themselves to you is the safest option. It¡¯s a matter of survival.¡± I sighed. ¡°Right. I keep forgetting how fucked this all is.¡± She cocked her head, but I didn¡¯t have any way to borate on what I¡¯d just said without also exining a lot of things I didn¡¯t really trust her with yet. ¡°Thanks, Viv. I¡¯ll keep that in mind. It¡¯s the former, by they way. I¡¯ve never mistreated anyone who works for me, and I don¡¯t ever n to.¡± She giggled behind her hand. ¡°Oh, I know. It¡¯s interesting how transparent you are in some respects, yet so utterly mysterious in others. You¡¯re a man of contradictions, Ren.¡± ¡°A blessing and a curse,¡± I grumbled. She smacked my arm yfully. ¡°I think it makes you very interesting.¡± I arched a brow in her direction. ¡°So I¡¯ve noticed,¡± I said pointedly. She looked up at me through hershes, her lips quirked upwards in amusement. ¡°Thank you for letting me tag along, but I¡¯d best leave you to it. I¡¯d hate to make all those girls of yours jealous, after all.¡± I barked out augh. ¡°Fat chance of that. More likely you¡¯d get dragged into the pile the moment you got too close.¡± That seemed to catch her off guard. For a moment, she was speechless. I even caught a glimpse of whoever was pretending to be Vivian Cross peeking through the cracked facade, but she eventually recovered. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just have to keep that in mind. Good day, Ren.¡± She turned and walked away with a bit of extra sway to her hips. She nced at me over her shoulder and smiled when she caught me looking, and I just shook my head. I wondered if she realized just how much of her I saw through. I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was going to be pissed when she found out I hadn¡¯t believed her for a second, nor could I ignore the amusement I felt at the thought of it. Now if I could just puzzle out the why. Chapter Sixty-Four: New Additions Chapter Sixty-Four: New Additions I couldn¡¯t quite pull my eyes away from Vivian, who made her way straight through camp towards the tent we¡¯d loaned her. It made exactly no sense to me, but watching her walk with her shoulders squared, her jaw set, and her face tilted towards the ground, all I could think was that she was irritated. Annoyed. Frustrated. It made even less sense how amused I was by it. I chalked it up to a sort of odd retribution for the whole ¡°deceiving the entire caravan¡± thing she¡¯d been doing. I wondered if she¡¯dst all the way to the capital, because I felt like her facade was cracking more and more often with each passing day. As she ducked into her tent, I was gripped with the urge to try and push her towards that point, but I pushed the impulse aside. For now. I had plenty of other things to worry about for now, and I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to think of her as an enemy. Even a potential one. But, with Vivian out of sight once again, my attention was caught by someone else. Noelle, once again sitting on what seems to be her new favorite perch, Nine¡¯s shoulders. She was grinning ear-to-ear while Fourteenughed at something someone said, and when she looked up and saw me watching I felt the faintest of tugs through our Link, so I headed over. Noelle hopped down nimbly. Both Nine and Fourteen¡¯s expressions turned more serious, though they looked at me with carefully hopeful expressions. Noelle just beamed. ¡°Ren, I would like to introduce you to my sisters, Safina and Valith.¡± I offered a smile to Safina, formerly known as Nine, and Valith, formerly known as Fourteen. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to officially meet the two of you. You can call me Ren.¡± I turned to Safina. ¡°Sorry about¡­y¡¯know¡­¡± She waved a hand. ¡°Water under the bridge. You freed me from the cor, I¡¯m not going toin about the how.¡± ¡°Me neither,¡± Valith added. ¡°Even if I¡¯ve developed a minor snake phobia.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Yeah, Fang¡¯s scaly form is definitely something. May I?¡± I asked, gesturing towards an empty camp stool. When they nodded, I took a seat. I couldn¡¯t help but notice Safina pull Valith closer to her, only to frown. ¡°You alright?¡± She opened her mouth only to close it. Her brow furrowed, and a growl started to grow in her throat. She seemed to fight with herself for a moment before she gave in and pulled Valith into herp, then wrapped her arms around her. Valith murmured something, patting her arm sympathetically. Only then did Safina start to rx. ¡°Fucking dragon instincts.¡± Well, if that wasn¡¯t a perfect way to ask the question that was burning at me, I didn¡¯t know what was. ¡°How pure are you? Half-dragon, I mean.¡± She hesitated to answer, and it wasn¡¯t until Valith waved her head lower and whispered something in her ear that she gave in with a sigh. ¡°As pure as it gets. There¡¯s a¡­facility up in the mountains to the far, far north. Someone paid a shit load of money for them to breed a Half-dragon with pure draconic ancestry at least three generations back.¡± At thest part, she jammed a thumb at her own chest with a grimace. My eyes fell on Valith. ¡°You¡¯re Dark Elf ancestry is simr, isn¡¯t it?¡± I asked. She just shrugged. ¡°Apparently. I met a woman once who said I was one of the most pure she¡¯d ever seen. She told me a lot about what it means to be Dark Elf. She was the first person not wearing a cor to show me kindness.¡± She shrugged like it was no big deal. ¡°She¡¯s where I got the name.¡± I nodded. ¡°Hard to say since Noelle¡¯s the only Mchai I¡¯ve ever heard of,¡± I ran a hand down her back and she hummed happily, ¡°but if my guess is right then she¡¯s as pure as it gets. Maybe even first generation. Are all of you pure demi-humans?¡± They both exchanged a nce, frowning. Then Valith said, ¡°hard to say since a lot of us were bought young or didn¡¯t know our parents, but everyone had pretty strong traits. Could be.¡± I nodded thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you relive what you¡¯ve been through until you¡¯re ready¡ª¡± But Safina shook her head. ¡°Noelle said you went through something simr. She also said you¡¯d be willing to save the rest of our sisters. Was she telling the truth?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Then I processed what she¡¯d said. ¡°Sisters? You¡¯re all women?¡± ¡°We are,¡± Valith acknowledged. ¡°There were twenty of us once, but we haven¡¯t heard from a handful of them in a while. With the exception of Noelle, we were always sent in groups of two or three. We were loaned out to mercenaries or for private security for nefarious individuals. Sent on missions, stuff like that.¡± I leaned forward, my foot tapping. ¡°Do you know who¡¯s in charge? Any names?¡± Safina shook her head. ¡°No, they were always careful not to use names around us.¡± ¡°I heard one of them refer to an ¡®Arthal¡¯ once like he was important,¡± Valith offered. Noelle looked up at me. ¡°I only knew Vald. You knew names though,¡± she observed. I let out a breath. ¡°Yeah, well they were a little more careless during my trials. Pretty sure none of us were supposed toe out of those experiments alive, but if they¡¯re sending you out on missions¡­Maybe they¡¯re trying to get you levels? If sending you out was part of the n, then it makes sense that they wouldn¡¯t want you having any information that could lead back to them. Especially not if they¡¯re rted to the experiments I survived.¡± ¡°How did you survive?¡± Valith asked. ¡°Slipped my cor,¡± I said automatically. ¡°Killed everyone involved I could get my hands on. Apparently didn¡¯t do a good enough job if those cors are still floating around.¡± The truth was much moreplicated, but it involved going near memories I definitely couldn¡¯t handle right now. ¡°Did anyone else survive?¡± Safina asked softly. ¡°No. By the time I managed to get free, I was the only one left.¡± I let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯m three for three so far, which means I¡¯m already doing better than I did the first time around. I don¡¯t n on stopping with just you three.¡± They exchanged another look, and one silent conversationter they both turned back to me in unison. ¡°What¡¯s next for us, then?¡± Valith asked. ¡°Whatever you want. I won¡¯t force you into anything.¡± I summoned two cors from my storage. ¡°Thest thing I want to do is exchange your iron cor for a leather one, but this world seems determined to only give us shit options. If you¡¯re anything like Noelle here, then I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll want to help, and if you want me to be your Patron then I¡¯ll make sure you have the freedom to help your sisters. If you want out at all, then all you have to do is say so.¡± Safina let out a low growl. ¡°Having a pure Half-dragon servant is going to earn you a lot of attention,¡± she warned. I barked out a humorlessugh and pulled Noelle into my side. ¡°So will my Mchai here. Besides, something tells me that when all is said and done the demi-humans working for me will be one of the lesser reasons I¡¯ve got everyone¡¯s attention.¡± Safina stood, taking Valith with her. After some difficulty, she managed to set the much smaller Dark Elf on her feet, managing to only let out a small growl when I approached. ¡°We¡¯re in, but if you hurt any of my sisters¡­¡± she let the though trail off. ¡°Yeah, I get it, trust me. Something tells me you¡¯d be much harder to take down fighting for them than fighting because the cor is forcing you.¡± It was slightly intimidating having to reach up to put Safina¡¯s cor on her, but in no time both of them wore the strip of ck leather around their necks. Both rubbed them thoughtfully, then Safina chuckled. ¡°At least this one won¡¯t chafe.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Hopefully in time it feels like more of a shield than a leash, but I know better than to make empty promises. You¡¯re both wee to take as much time as you need to get used to things, or if you¡¯re already going stir crazy then I¡¯m sure I can find something for you to help with.¡± That made Safina smile, showing off incisors that weren¡¯t unlike Noelle¡¯s. ¡°Actually, we¡¯ve already talked about that a little.¡± Valith nodded, crossing her arms. ¡°Word around camp is that everyone wants to know about that me archer. If you¡¯d permit it, I¡¯d like to head back and take a look around. I¡¯m a better tracker in urban environments, but I¡¯ve still got some skill with it.¡± ¡°I was going to ask Reese, but if you¡¯re willing¡ª¡± Valith waved a hand. ¡°Reese already took a look around and came up empty, apparently. I¡¯d prefer to see it with my own eyes and report back directly.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m basically built to be a bodyguard,¡± Safina added. ¡°I can take a hit, so I figure I can keep an eye on the other neers while we¡¯re stationary and help guard the caravan while we¡¯re not.¡± After seeing her swinging around that shield and mace, I had no doubt. A seven foot muscr Half-dragon had plenty of intimidation factor as well. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Pierce about getting you both into watch rotations if that¡¯s what you want.¡± Then, to Valith, ¡°And while I¡¯d love to see what youe up with, I don¡¯t want anyone going anywhere alone. Just because we¡¯ve taken care of the obvious threat doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re entirely safe.¡± She frowned. ¡°Got anyone who can keep up with me? Between Elven agility and stamina plus my ss, I¡¯ll be moving quick. I move quiet, too.¡± I thought initially of Nariko, but she was still recovering from her imprisonment. She could move as quietly as the best of them, but I¡¯d seen signs that her stamina still had a ways to go before she was back to full. Before I could get too far into my train of thought, though, someone behind me cleared their throat. I turned to see Alice wringing her hands. ¡°Um, I promise I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping, I was just¡­um¡­¡± I waved her over. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we weren¡¯t talking about anything overly sensitive. How can I help you, Alice?¡± She swallowed audibly. ¡°Well, first I wanted to thank you again for what you did for me, but I¡¯d be lying if I wasn¡¯t trying to find a way to be useful enough to earn more.¡± I turned towards her, which made Noelle press into my side. I raised a brow at her, but she had her eyes locked on Alice. ¡°You don¡¯t have to earn your feeds anymore, Alice. Are you already feeling the thirst again?¡± ¡°No!¡± she said quickly. ¡°I mean, ah, I don¡¯t need another feed just yet. I¡¯ll probably be fine for a couple more days, even though I¡¯ve been starved pretty bad thest few weeks. This is more of a¡­want¡­¡± She stood straighter and met my eyes. The violet in them seemed brighter than it had before by several shades. ¡°I can help. Fourteen¡ª¡± ¡°Valith,¡± Noelle corrected curtly in a voice only a step above a growl. Alice¡¯s eyes flicked to Noelle¡¯s and her pupils dted, but her body remained still. ¡°Sorry, Valith. She wants someone who can keep up with her. Vampires can, and I¡¯m a strong one. And¡­¡± She resumed wringing her hands. ¡°You can speak freely,¡± I promised her. ¡°You¡¯re safe here.¡± She nodded slightly at first, then the nods grew bigger and bigger, like she was trying to psych herself up. ¡°My ss is Blood Hunter. I, um, get boosts when I drink blood. The¡­higher quality the blood, the bigger the boosts. Your blood¡­¡± she trailed off with a smile that she tried to hide. Noelle wrapped her arms around mine protectively, so I patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Noelle. I let her feed so she wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone else.¡± Noelle growled low, holding me tighter, but didn¡¯t take her eyes off Alice. ¡°What kind of boosts?¡± Alice still couldn¡¯t manage to take her eyes off Noelle. ¡°The standard. Speed, strength, stamina. But I have another that enhances senses, and it tapers with time. I could use it to pick up scents. Help Four¡ªer, Valith find any extra signs. And I can definitely keep up with her. Quietly, too, thanks to the whole,¡± she waved vaguely at herself, ¡°hunter aspect.¡± I nced at Valith, who shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d like to be in charge, but if she can keep up then I¡¯ve got no issue with it. Noelle might take a bite out of her, looks like.¡± Noelle held even tighter. I ran a hand through her hair and she shivered. ¡°Noelle?¡± She loosened her grip, but only slightly. ¡°It feels¡­bad,¡± she admitted eventually. ¡°Like when I snarled at Tiana. I do not understand why, but my body reacts.¡± ¡°Instincts,¡± Safina offered. Alice had gone stock still. ¡°You¡¯ve imed him, and I threaten that im,¡± she exined. ¡°Vampires have something simr. Lord Ren gave me blood voluntarily, so my Vampire instincts demand that I protect him.¡± Ah. Now I understood all the biting a little better. Noelle had been better about Tiana the second she¡¯d bit her, but I wasn¡¯t sure how I was going to suggest that. Noelle seemed to be at a loss as well, because she went back to squeezing me tightly. ¡°Mine,¡± she growled. ¡°And nothing¡¯s going to change that,¡± I promised her. She rxed, but still couldn¡¯t manage to let gopletely. Not until Alice forced her eyes to the ground with her fists clenched. Only then did Noelle release me, heading straight for Alice before I could so much as get a word out. Alice didn¡¯t make a sound when Noelle sank a hand in her hair and pulled her head to the side and down, but she did let out a whimper when the shorter Mchai darted forward and sunk her teeth into Alice¡¯s neck. I tensed, unsure if I should intervene or not. Then I read Alice¡¯s lips as she whispered, ¡°I submit,¡± and they both rxed. Noelle¡¯s grip turned less fierce, melting into more of an embrace. Only then did Noelle step back, wiping her lower lip. ¡°You can be mine, too.¡± Alice nodded, reaching up to brush against the bloody spot between her neck and her shoulder where Noelle had bit. ¡°I, um, can help more if I feed first,¡± she said awkwardly. I exchanged a nce with Safina and Valith, who were both watching with varied levels of amusement. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Noelle practically skipped over, pulling Alice along by the hand with a small smile. ¡°The bad feeling is gone, Alice was right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Maybe we can use what she¡¯s told us to figure out more about your race down the road.¡± She nodded, pulling Alice to a stop next to me. The Vampire eyed my throat hungrily, but she forced herself to grab my arm and lift my wrist to her mouth. She hesitated a second longer, as if afraid someone would stop her, then sank her fangs into my skin. She moaned the second my blood hit her tongue, cradling my arm against her mouth and swaying slightly. Noelle reached out and ran her hand down Alice¡¯s backfortingly, and Alice let out another low groan. The pain from the bite began to fade almost immediately, and by the time she finished and released me it had shifted to pleasure that had me trying to covertly adjust myself. ¡°That felt¡­different.¡± Alice blushed, and I realized her eyes were now a light lc. ¡°Another skill, one my former Patron made me take. I figured it would be better than pain,¡± she exined. Then she brushed a thumb over the bite and I watched her heal me. I¡¯d suspected it when she¡¯d done it yesterday, but seeing it was apletely different matter. I fought back the surge of memories that tried to surface while I watched my blood weave across the bite and pull my skin closed. It was a skill eerily simr to my [Shadow Stitching], though considerably less painful. It all but told me what her second ss was. ¡°You¡¯re a Sanguithurge, then,¡± I observed. She jerked. ¡°How did you¡ª¡± ¡°I knew someone with the ss,¡± I said, looking away. ¡°Another Vampire?¡± ¡°No, human.¡± That made her frown. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a human getting the ss. Even among Vampires, it¡¯s rare.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not a skill meant for us. That¡¯s not important right now. You get the boosts?¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, sir. More than that. Your blood¡­I knew it was sweet, but it¡¯s powerful, too. There are so many different vors for a human. Are you royalty?¡± I barked out augh. ¡°I can promise you I¡¯m about as far from royal as it gets. My birth parents were as low ss as you can get.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know, then. I haven¡¯t exactly sampled a lot of blood before.¡± I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°A problem for a different day. Are you good to watch Valith¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll be damn hard to sneak up on for a few hours. Fuck, I feel like I¡¯m buzzing right now.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Good. Preferred weapon?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Um, I¡¯ve never really learned to use one. Just my hands and teeth.¡± I summoned a simple dagger from storage, not unlike the one I¡¯d given Rhani. ¡°Just in case.¡± Then I turned to Valith. ¡°What kind of gear do you need?¡± She raised a hand and conjured a long, curved dagger in her palm. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± I nodded. ¡°Go when you¡¯re ready, then.¡± Valith stood, rolling her neck, then jerked her head at Alice. ¡°Coming?¡± Alice bit her lip, holding the dagger reverently, then nodded. Valith grinned, then turned and vanished from sight only to reappear at the edge of camp. She looked back with a clear challenge on her face, and Alice looked up at me. ¡°I have permission to use my gifts?¡± When I nodded, she grinned. Then she was a blur, tearing through the camp so fast I could barely keep track of her. She shot past a surprised Valith, who¡¯s expression shifted to a grin of her own before she turned and followed as fast as she could. It didn¡¯t take long for them both to vanish into the treeline. Safina¡¯s fists clenched and unclenched until finally she stomped over and scooped Noelle up. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ dragon instinct bullshit¡­¡± she grumbled, squeezing Noelle tightly. The small Mchai¡¯s feet were nearly two feet off the ground, and she didn¡¯t look upset at all to have been snatched. Safina looked down at her. ¡°You¡¯re not going to chew on me, are you?¡± she teased. Noelle blinked up at her innocently. ¡°Only if you want me to. Ren seems to like it very much.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at how Safina¡¯s cheeks darkened. Apparently, blue Half-dragons blushed a simr color to their scales. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s introduce them to the others.¡± It was a short walk through camp, though there were more than a few amused nces thrown towards Safina while she carried Noelle through the tents. We hadn¡¯t made it far before Safina cleared her throat. ¡°By the way, I wanted to say¡­what you¡¯ve done for Noelle? Thank you. As someone who was forced to stand by and watch some of the things they did to her¡­¡± ¡°I understand,¡± I told her. But she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you do.¡± Noelle patted her arm. ¡°He does, Safina. He knows what it¡¯s like to be us. Both of us.¡± She scoffed. ¡°I doubt that.¡± But when Noelle held her gaze, she slowed to a stop. Then she looked at me. ¡°Shit, seriously?¡± I just shrugged, feigning nonchnce. ¡°It¡¯s part of how I was able to help her. I¡¯ve got the roadmap to recovery memorized.¡± Her sapphire eyes regarded me as if in a new light as she fell into step beside me once more. ¡°And? Did you reach the end of the road?¡± ¡°Not sure there is one,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯m farther along it than I ever thought I¡¯d be, so there¡¯s that at least. I figure if I¡¯m still finding my way, the least I can do is bring a few people along with me.¡± ¡°And her wings are really going to work again? Because that always felt like the worst part. I still remember when they took them. It was¡­I¡¯ve never been so fucking angry in my life.¡± With some effort, Noelle managed to wiggle enough to wrap her arms around one of Safina¡¯s thick biceps. ¡°They will, eventually. They¡¯ve already grown so much since Ren healed them.¡± Safina nodded, wiping tears from her eyes. ¡°Yeah. I really hope I¡¯m there to see you fly the first time, little raven. You deserve it.¡± Noelle started. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten you called me that.¡± ¡°Shit, I had too until I saw those ck feathers. Way less of a mouthful than ¡®Seventeen,¡¯ though Noelle is cute as shit.¡± Noelle made a noise of agreement, burying her face in Safina¡¯s arm. ¡°I like little raven, too,¡± she mumbled, just loud enough for us to hear. By then we¡¯d gotten to our wagon, which is where I¡¯dst seen Serena. She was currently sitting next to S, who was conscious and sitting up for the first time since we¡¯d rescued her. She had an empty look in her eyes that told me a lot about how she was doing. Rastra sat on her other side with her arm wrapped around S¡¯s shoulders. Serena saw me first and stood, making her way over carefully. ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly, touching her fingers to my chest. I leaned down to brush my lips against hers and she sighed happily. When she spoke the words were quiet enough for only me to hear. ¡°Finally got her talking. It¡¯s pretty bad, Zaren.¡± ¡°What can you tell me?¡± ¡°Well, she confirmed that Fel hired the bandits toe at us, but she didn¡¯t know that for sure until they¡¯d left the city. Apparently Fel skipped town with nothing but a couple of horses.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°Zaren, they got jumped by gnolls. Apparently Fel cut her saddle during the escape. He used her as bait to get away, and that¡¯s how she ended up in their den.¡± I cursed under my breath. ¡°Fucking Fel. He¡¯d better hope I never see him again.¡± She nodded. ¡°From what I¡¯ve been able to gather, the demi-humans were under some kind of protection from the gnoll pack. She wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Shit, did they¡ª¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Serena said quickly, ¡°but I think it was only because of how injured she was. They dragged her back and threw her in chains, and they weren¡¯t gentle about it. If we hadn¡¯t shown up, I¡¯m not sure she would have survived. She had bites taken out of her, Zaren. I healed her as best I could, but¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± I jerked my head towards our newest addition to the household, who was still holding Noelle somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Nine¡¯s name is now Safina. Her and Fourteen¡ªnow Valith¡ªare both officially my servants. Go introduce yourself, I¡¯ll see if S will talk to me.¡± She nodded, then headed towards the Half-dragon. I let her go, then approached S and crouched down. ¡°Serena told me. I¡¯m sorry, S.¡± Rastra shot me a look, but S¡¯s eyes just slowly drifted towards mine. ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t warn me. He screwed me over pretty much exactly like you told me he would.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t make it any easier.¡± She shook her head softly. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t. I knew what he was. Who he was. I¡¯d just convinced myself that¡­¡± ¡°That he¡¯d never treat you like he treated everyone else?¡± I guessed, my tone gentle to make sure she knew I wasn¡¯t trying to use her of anything. ¡°I loved him,¡± she breathed. ¡°And I was stupid enough to think¡­¡± she trailed off and a tear slipped down her cheek. She made no move to wipe it away, so Rastra did it for her. ¡°Back at Anford, you said you owed me.¡± ¡°I did, but you don¡¯t have to cash in that favor just yet. We aren¡¯t going to leave you behind, S. We¡¯ve got more than enough supplies to take care of you until we hit the capital, then you can decide what you want to do.¡± She nodded once. ¡°Thank you. Now go on. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got better things to do thanfort me for my own bad decisions.¡± I stood, but before I left, I couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°this wasn¡¯t your fault, S. If your weakness is that you see the good in too many people, then you¡¯re a better person than most. me Fel, but never yourself. He¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to him. If the universe doesn¡¯t beat me to it, then I¡¯ll take care of it myself.¡± Her only answer was to reach up andce her fingers through Rastra¡¯s, who shot me a thankful nce. I left the wagon and walked to where Serena was talking with Safina. Nariko had joined them, and she was currently standing in front of Serena, leaning back against her. Serena had an arm thrown casually over Nariko¡¯s shoulder, holding the Nekomata to her. Nariko¡¯s tail was wrapped around one of Serena¡¯s legs, and when I joined the group I swore I could see her blush. ¡°Oh good, Nariko¡¯s here as well,¡± I said. ¡°When Valith gets back, I figure you two should coordinate. A Thief and an Assassin could make a dangerousbination.¡± Nariko smirked, but her only answer was to lean more into Serena. Without even thinking about it, Serena slid her other arm over Nariko¡¯s other shoulder, effectively hugging her from behind. Nariko¡¯s smirk grew, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Safina¡¯s gaze traveled over Nariko to Serena, then to me. ¡°You¡¯ve got an interesting household, Ren.¡± Movement caught my eye, and I looked over to see Tiana headed for us with flushed cheeks. When she caught sight of me, her flush deepened. ¡°You have no idea,¡± I said to Safina. Tiana¡¯s smile widened, then she slung her arms around my neck and kissed me deeply. Her tongue slid past my teeth, seeking out mine, and she pulled herself tight against me. I momentarily forgot we had an audience until she pulled back, once again smiling. ¡°You have a very happy Arelim. Just thought you should know that.¡± I raised a brow, doing my best to ignore the expressions of everyone watching us. They ranged from Serena smiling with amusement while she rested her chin on Nariko¡¯s head to Safina, who looked both ufortable and enthralled. ¡°Any particr reason?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll let her tell you. I wouldn¡¯t dream of taking that conversation away from her. I¡¯m just here to get some of my¡­things.¡± Then she turned,pletely unbothered by the group that had just been watching us make out. Her eyes locked on Safina¡¯s cor immediately, and she beamed. ¡°Wee to the family!¡± she eximed, throwing her arms around Safina¡¯srge frame. ¡°Fourteen, too?¡± ¡°Uh, Valith, actually,¡± she stammered. It was clear she had no idea how to deal with a human hugging her, especially one like Tiana. ¡°And I¡¯m Safina now.¡± ¡°I think those names are lovely!¡± She reached up and cupped Safina¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m Tiana. If you ever need to talk about anything, I¡¯m always avable. I can promise you won¡¯t have to worry about being embarrassed, I can top just about anything you cane up with.¡± Safina stammered out a response that almost resembled words, then Tiana was off. She headed straight for the storagepartment at the front. I hoped I wasn¡¯t the only one unable to take my eye off her backside while she rummaged through it, and eventually she came out with her bag from Anford and a triumphant smile. ¡°Ah, got it! Festus!¡± she called. The silver dragon dropped from the sky. ¡°Tell Rhani I found it. I¡¯ll meet her at the tent, but she should stop by the wagon first.¡± Festus nodded, ryed the message, then took back to the sky. ¡°Do I want to know?¡± I asked. She shot me a grin that made my toes curl a little. ¡°Oh, you definitely do.¡± She strode past me, stopping long enough to give me another sensual kiss. She was in a mood today, and I couldn¡¯t quite find it in me toin. ¡°But it¡¯s not my story to tell.¡± She winked, then headed off towards our tent with a little extra sway in her step. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to meet you, Safina. I think you¡¯ll fit in perfectly around here.¡± ¡°Is she, um,¡± Safina struggled for a moment, ¡°always like that?¡± Serena and I both chuckled. Even Noelle smiled. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, ¡°she usually is. Which part caught you off guard the most?¡± ¡°The, ah¡­well, all of it, I guess.¡± Safina admitted. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯ve never had¡­¡± ¡°Someone that attractive be so physically friendly with you?¡± Noelle offered. ¡°Yeah. That.¡± Noelle hummed. ¡°It¡¯s a nice thing to have to get used to.¡± Then Rhani appeared out of nowhere, looking almost as flushed as Tiana had. I raised a brow, but she shook her head softly with a wide smile. ¡°Not here,¡± she whispered. Then she saw Safina and froze. She looked up at Safina with wide eyes filled with appreciation. Her eyes traveled up to Safina¡¯s impressive horns, then snapped down to her cor. She made a delighted noise. ¡°Yes! Oh, you won¡¯t regret taking the cor, I promise. I love Noelle, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine.¡± ¡°Sister,¡± Noelle corrected. ¡°Safina and Valith are sisters.¡± Rhani beamed. ¡°I love it! And if you¡¯re willing, I¡¯d love to pick your brain about your ss. I only saw you from a distance, but you were so freaking cool! I mean, a giant, badass, super attractive Half-dragon throwing around lightning bolts? If you¡¯re ever willing to give me an up close demonstration, I¡¯ll be your best friend! I mean, I¡¯ll be your best friend anyways, because you¡¯re awesome and Noelle¡¯s sister, but lightning sses are super rare and I just¡ª¡± Safina¡¯s expression had started carefully controlled, but with every word that practically spilled out of Rhani¡¯s mouth her brow furrowed a little more. Finally, with an irritated growl, she shifted Noelle to one arm and threw the other around Rhani, scooping my Arelim up and crushing her to Safina¡¯s chest. ¡°Sorry!¡± Safina said immediately. ¡°I¡¯m struggling with all these dragon instincts and, um, well they seem to have decided that I need to protect you or something.¡± Rhani didn¡¯t answer right away. In fact, if I was reading her awestruck expression correctly, I was pretty sure her brain had temporarily stopped working. If I had to guess, she was still trying to catch up with the reality that arge, muscr woman had just literally swept her off her feet and crushed her into a rather impressive set of breasts, even for Safina¡¯s seven-and-a-half foot tall frame. But eventually her brain did catch up, and the first thing she did was throw her arms around Safina¡¯s neck and hug her back with all the strength her adorable little noodle arms could manage. Safina grunted, but her shoulders seemed to rx. ¡°I don¡¯t really trust myself to put my feelings about that into words right now because of¡­um¡­reasons,¡± Rhani said, ¡°but trust me when I say I¡¯m not upset in the least. Wee to the family, Safina, but you don¡¯t have to worry about being protective. He won¡¯t admit it, but Ren is as protective as it gets. He won¡¯t let anything happen to anyone under his care.¡± Just like that, Safina¡¯s arms rxed and she was able to set Rhani and Noelle on her feet. ¡°Shit, thanks. I think I needed to hear that.¡± Rhani patted Safina¡¯s bicep appreciatively. ¡°Any time. And if you ever need anyone to squeeze to take the edge off, I¡¯m always avable.¡± Then, in a whisper clearly audible to everyone in the area, she said, ¡°and don¡¯t let her stoic demeanor fool you, there is nothing that makes Noelle happier than when someone she cares about just squeezes the shit out of her.¡± I was pretty sure Safina was reaching her blush limit, but she just put one massive hand on Noelle¡¯s head and ruffled her hair. ¡°I¡¯ll, um, keep that in mind. Both things, I mean.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Rhani said with a nod. ¡°First rule of the family, we¡¯ve all got each other¡¯s backs. That means we¡¯ve got yours, too. Now, as much as I want to know everything there is to know about you, I need to steal Ren for a bit if that¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Oh, um, yeah. That¡¯s fine.¡± Safina rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°I should get back to the others. The group you guys saved from Feng seem to feel morefortable when I¡¯m around.¡± Rhani just nodded. ¡°Big strong woman effect. You could probably fold most of the guys in camp up like a pretzel.¡± She gave Safina¡¯s bicep¡ªwhich might have been as big around as Rhani¡¯s head¡ªa squeeze. ¡°Like a really tall, really pretty safety nket.¡± I had to fight back augh, and next to me Serena was struggling to do the same. It seemed Tiana wasn¡¯t the only one in a mood today, and Safina was even less equipped to deal with Rhani than she had been for my Scious Sorceress. Failing to keep my amusementpletely hidden, I flipped Rhani around then threw her over my shoulder. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said over her indignant squeak, ¡°I made the mistake of teaching her she didn¡¯t have to be shy or submissive around me and she hasn¡¯t looked back since.¡± ¡°It¡¯s n-no problem,¡± Safina assured me. ¡°It¡¯s, um, a nice change of pace. I¡¯m not used to¡­well¡­ people not treating me like shit. Guys see a big strong Half-dragon and get off on the power trip of shoving me around, so this is all¡­a lot.¡± Rhani started to kick, trying to get me to at least spin her around, so Safina quickly added, ¡°in a good way! Like Noelle said, it¡¯s a good thing to have to get used to, I guess.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk more,ter,¡± I promised, ¡°but it seems I need to go give Rhani here an outlet first.¡± ¡°An¡­outlet¡­?¡± Safina asked uprehendingly. Then Noelle waved her down and whispered something in her ear, and her entire face and neck turned an adorable cobalt shade. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Noelle!¡± Rhani barked, once again struggling. ¡°What are you whispering about? Noelle? What are you telling her? Ren, put me down!¡± Noelle only grinned. ¡°You told Safina what I like, so I just returned the favor.¡± Rhani paused, then started wriggling even harder. ¡°Noelle! That¡¯s a really long list and doesn¡¯t make me feel any better!¡± That caused Serena to finally break down and let out herughter. ¡°Um, right. Well, I¡¯ll leave you two to it, then,¡± Safina said. Noelle grabbed her hand and started towing her back towards the center of camp, but not before she said over her shoulder, ¡°but I¡¯ll, uh, definitely take you up on your offer, Rhani. You¡¯re very¡­um¡­squeezable.¡± That made Rhani freeze, so I took the opportunity to start back towards our tent. I left behind Serena, who wasughing so hard tears were streaming down her face, and Nariko, who was looking all too happy to support Serena¡¯s weight while sheughed. About halfway, I figured I was safe to set Rhani down. She wore a stupid grin and grabbed a fistful of my shirt. ¡°Squeezable. She called me squeezable.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Sounds like someone¡¯s got a crush,¡± I noted. She bit her lip. ¡°I mean, she¡¯s super attractive, but when she picked me up? Fuck, it¡¯s a good thing I decided to wear panties today. If I hadn¡¯t already been dripping, she¡¯d have made a mess of me. I mean, did you see her? One arm, Zaren! Picked me up and crushed me right into that perfect rack. She was like iron in some ce and pillows in others. I mean, you make me feel small in the best way, but she made me feel tiny.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect to like it so much.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t make you jealous, did I? I was too forward, wasn¡¯t I? We didn¡¯t get a chance to talk about it at all! I fucked up!¡± I put a hand on either of her shoulders. ¡°Rhani, it¡¯s alright. I said it was okay, remember? I¡¯m not going to get pissy just because you got a little starry eyed. Let me ask you this, do you love me any less now that you¡¯re crushing on Safina?¡± ¡°No!¡± she said adamantly. ¡°In fact¡­I might have¡­¡± I stepped closer. ¡°Well, now I have to hear what kind of fantasy you¡¯ve got cooking up here,¡± I said, tapping her forehead. She bit her lip. ¡°Well, I may have wondered what it would be like if she held me like that while you were fucking me. I mean, she could hold me up in the air so easily, spreading me open and giving you easy ess to my¡ª¡± ¡°Okay!¡± I said quickly, cutting her off with a chuckle. ¡°I think I get the idea. Don¡¯t push her too hard, though. They haven¡¯t been through what Noelle went through, but that doesn¡¯t mean they haven¡¯t had to endure their own set of horrible things. I would be willing to wager they haven¡¯t had the luxury of choosing most of their partners, so make sure to feel her out before you try anything. There¡¯s no guarantee she feels the same, after all.¡± ¡°I know that! I¡¯m a horny pervert, not a monster.¡± I nodded sagely. ¡°d you¡¯re finally epting it.¡± She scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve always epted it, I just never thought anyone else would.¡± ¡°d I could prove you wrong.¡± I lifted her chin and covered her lips with mine and she leaned into the kiss with a throaty moan. ¡°Now, want to tell me what¡¯s got your switch flipped?¡± She blinked in confusion for a few seconds before her eyes went wide. Then she grinned and grabbed my hand, dragging me towards our tent as fast as she could. She barged into the tent with me in tow, drawing a surprised squeak from Tiana, its only upant. She threw a nket over the corner of the tent before she realized who it was, which made me raise a brow. Especially since she wasn¡¯t wearing pants. ¡°So,¡± Rhani said, her finger trailing down the center of my chest. ¡°Remember when you ass fucked a level into me this morning?¡± I stepped closer, sliding my arms low enough to grab a handful of ass in each palm, earning an appreciative gasp. ¡°Pretty sure there was a world-shattering revtion in there that earned you the experience, but sure.¡± She slid her fingers along my waistband. ¡°Well, it was an even number for my Schr ss. That means I got a new skill. And, between my nightly prayers and the¡­activity we were involved in when I got the level¡­¡± She trailed off, looking up at me through hershes. I paused. Surely she wasn¡¯t suggesting what I thought she was. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Her hands ran up my chest, just to meet behind my neck. ¡°All my Schr options were so boring. With one exception.¡± She nipped at the underside of my jaw. ¡°I can enter a focused state that costs stamina to hold. It¡¯s decently handy on its own, but it has a condition attached to how strong it is. Me and Tiana were just about to start testing it out.¡± ¡°The condition?¡± She ground her hips against my hardness and sunk one hand in my hair to pull my lips down to hers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tiana¡¯s hand slip towards her waistband, but I kept my attention on Rhani, both curious about and dreading the next words out of her mouth. ¡°The focused state,¡± she said, her lips nearly close enough to touch mine, ¡°is stronger when I have something in my ass.¡± I pressed my forehead to hers with a groan. ¡°That is not what it says.¡± She giggled. ¡°Thenguage is much more flowery, but yes, it is. And, since it¡¯s a detriment skill¡­¡± she trailed off, staring into my eyes, waiting for me to understand. No. Surely not. I lifted the back of her skirt and slid a hand into her soaked panties, brushing my middle finger against the bud of her asshole. She gasped, bucking into me. Her knees buckled, but unfortunately for her the only hand a position to catch her was the one on her ass. My finger slid past the lubed rim and her eyes rolled back into her head. She clung to me while a light orgasm rushed through her. ¡°Fuck,¡± she mumbled. ¡°All that stuff with Safina got me going, and that¡­¡± she rested her head on my shoulder. ¡°Yeah, my ass is more sensitive now, and I can¡¯t fucking wait to see what it feels like to have you fuck it again. That¡¯s actually on my list of things to test, butter,¡± she admitted. ¡°What kind of testing are we talking about?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Tiana answered, ¡°when she told me about the skill, I may have mentioned that my strap wasn¡¯t the only toy I owned.¡± She lifted the nket she¡¯d thrown over the corner of the tent, revealing a row of toys including more than one dildo and a set of butt plugs in varying sizes. ¡°They came in handy when I had a group that wasn¡¯t as interested in taking advantage of my ss,¡± she said defensively. I let go of Rhani and kneeled down to kiss her. ¡°You know I¡¯ll never judge you on what you did to survive before me.¡± She smiled. ¡°I do, but it¡¯s still nice to hear.¡± Rhani wrapped her arms around me from behind, already naked. ¡°I¡¯ve got a sword to study, and a new skill to test. Want to help?¡± Announcement Announcement Announcement Hello all! I regret to say I have been struggling just a bit to keep chapters hitting on time, so for the foreseeable future I will be dropping to 2 chapters a week. Until I find a bit more time to write, uploads will be Monday and Friday at 6pm CST. I appreciate everyone who has followed Zaren''s journey so far and all the feedback I have gotten along the way. This story has gotten muchrger than I ever anticipated, and I''m beyond thrilled that so many people seem to be enjoying it. Thanks to everyone who has given this amateur writer a shot, and I''ll see you Friday! -EApathy Chapter Sixty-Five: Harem Care Chapter Sixty-Five: Harem Care As always, when Rhani wants to ¡°test¡± something, she is extremely thorough. ording to her, the ¡°focused state¡± she enters is a form of altered perception where the world around her, her body included, slows down but her mind doesn¡¯t. She enters a near trance-like state where her eyes ze a bit before darting around so fast I could hardly keep track. And that was without the boost. I pulled a foldable camp table for her to rest her arms on while she sat on a short stool with her ass hanging off, giving me easy ess. We started with just a finger¡ªmine, naturally¡ªand it sent her beautiful brain into overdrive. A minute for us felt like five to her. Then we swapped to Tiana¡¯s toys. Naturally, Rhani was adamant one of us to be the one to handle them. Not that Tiana or I had anyints. That was when we found the second nifty quirk of her new skill. With her ass adequately filled, she gained the ability to write with both hands. At the same time. At some point one of them had relieved me of pants, which inevitably ended up with me watching Rhani while Tiana gave me a slow, sensuous blowjob. It was yet another in a long line of moments that made me really stop and appreciate the weirdness my life had be. By the time we¡¯d run out of Tiana¡¯s collection of plugs, Rhani had pages of theories on the nuances of her skill. She wrote down every second of her experience in one journal while writing out theory after theory in another. She tested each plug numerous times, iming it was to expand her sample pool, but I was pretty sure she just liked having me taking them out and recing them a little too much. She was having such a great time that I didn¡¯t call her out on it. The whole time Tiana dragged me closer and closer to the edge without ever letting me fall over the edge and into bliss. I knew it was payback from when I¡¯d done the same to her thanks to her skill, but it was only knowing what Rhani was building up to that kept me from taking matters into my own hands. Rhani was a quivering mess by the time we reached the finale, but she was as excited as I was to see what kind of effects my ¡°magic cock¡± might have on her skill. Tiana made out with her while she lubed me up thoroughly, which had both me and Rhani more than ready to go. In no time, I was lined up with Rhani¡¯s thoroughly prepared backdoor. I saw the slight ze in her eyes as she activated her skill, then I started to push. The second my head popped past the rim, she sucked in her breath and her eyes went wide. She whipped her head around to look at her journals and her hands started flying. I slid in, inch after inch, until I my pelvis was pressed against her ass. She let out a soft, pleased sound when I fully hilted myself and I gave her a chance to get used to my size inside her. Then I started moving. Every time our hips met she let out a soft gasp, but her expression didn¡¯t so much as twitch. Her eyes seemed to glow even brighter than ever before though, and her hands wrote about as fast as she was able. The more I picked up speed, the more illegible her writing became. It soon reached a point where I couldn¡¯t make out anything other than scribbles, but she didn¡¯t tell me to stop so I didn¡¯t. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen Rhani so unreactive,¡± Tianamented, trailing her fingernails down Rhani¡¯s jaw and towards her cleavage. ¡°I almost want to see if I can break her expression.¡± ¡°Maybe for round two,¡± I panted, not slowing my pace in the slightest. ¡°She said her ass felt much more sensitive since taking the skill, so let¡¯s wait for her feedback before we start throwing in any extra variables.¡± Tiana pouted, but her expression melted almost immediately into a sultry smile. She slipped around us until she was at my back once more, reaching over my shoulder to drag her nails down my chest while her other hand trailed down my stomach until her fingers were split by the base of my shaft. ¡°Guess I should get us to round two, then.¡± Before I could even think to protest, her mouth was on my neck. She hunted down and attacked every erogenous spot she could find while her hands did the same on my body. Rhani started clenching around me, driving me closer and closer to oblivion with each thrust. When Tiana slipped my earlobe past her teeth and bit down, the small spike of pain was enough to send me over the edge I¡¯d been chasing for over an hour now. With a barely restrained groan, I erupted in Rhani¡¯s ass. I could feel Tiana¡¯s smile pressed into my neck while she held me through my orgasm, but I was still surprised that Rhani hadn¡¯t orgasmed once. Then I grunted in surprise as Rhani mped down like a vice around me. It was then that we learned the next quirk of Rhani¡¯s skill. While focused, Rhani couldn¡¯t cum. I knew the second she released the skill, because her body locked up tight. I felt a sharp tug on the bond between us and somehow had the wherewithal to mp a hand over her mouth just before she started screaming. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body was racked by spasms. She flopped to the side while her limbs iled and I only barely managed to catch her in time. I slipped out of her in the process and she let out a guttural sound. I pulled her to my chest and her arms wrapped around me, fingernails dragging against my skin with enough force to leave crimson lines behind. I grinned and held her through one of the most intense climaxes I¡¯d ever seen. When her first orgasm rolled right into a second, I arched a brow at Tiana. When her fourth became a fifth, I started to get worried. Around the time we hit seven she had so little strength left in her limbs that it was hard to tell one climax from the next. Just when I was getting ready to send Tiana to find Serena, afraid I¡¯d finally broken my pervy little schr, when she started sucking in heavy breaths. ¡°Rhani?¡± I asked, brushing sweat-soaked hair from her face with worry. She made a sound that might have been an acknowledgeable. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Her eyes looked at me uprehendingly for far too long before a blissful smile spread across her face. ¡°Second¡­best¡­day¡­ever¡­¡± she panted. I let out a relieved breath. ¡°What¡¯s the first?¡± She tried to say something but it came out unintelligible. Eventually she just reached up and brushed two fingers along her cor, then her arm flopped back down like even that took too much effort. A lump of emotion welled in my throat and I pressed a kiss to her forehead, content to just hold her until she¡¯d recovered. ¡°Water?¡± she finally croaked. Tiana was quick with a skin and I held it to Rhani¡¯s mouth. She drank greedily while Tiana looked skeptically over the notes she¡¯d been writing. ¡°Rhani, sweetie, I¡¯m not so sure that method of study is¡­sustainable. I¡¯m not sure how much of this is actual words.¡± Rhani took another long drink, then spoke in short, choppy sentences like it was all her brain could handle right now. ¡°Not words. Time stretched too much. Needed shorthand.¡± I looked down at her, impressed. ¡°You know a shorthand?¡± She grinned. ¡°Nope. Had to invent one. Well, had to finish inventing the one I started making years ago for fun. Felt like you were fucking my ass for hours. The pleasure just kept building and building until I felt like I should cum any second, but I couldn¡¯t quite get thatst push. Not until I let the skill go.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°Each strokested for minutes. I could feel every second of you stretching me. Scraping my insides. Every inch of your fucking divine cock fucking my ass raw over and over again. I love you so fucking much right now.¡± I chuckled. ¡°So, it was a good test? You learned a lot?¡± She fixed her eyes on me with some difficulty. ¡°A lot? Zaren, I just went so deep into the zone I created my own shorthandnguage, then spent what felt like the next week locked in an orgasm so fucking strong I¡¯m still not sure if I¡¯ve died and gone to the afterlife or not. Yeah, it was a good test. A really good test. If my brain wasn¡¯t leaking out of my ears I¡¯d be cracking the secrets of your sword right now.¡± I kissed the top of her head again. ¡°Let¡¯s not push it. You can start on the sword tomorrow night, after you¡¯ve gotten some sleep and recovered a little.¡± She stuck her bottom lip out. ¡°Fine, but only if you promise to let Tiana loose on me next time. Pretty sure I vaguely recall her saying she wanted to join in at one point.¡± Tiana leaned over me to capture her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a deal.¡± Rhani just grinned while I carried her to the bedroll and tucked her in. It was only mid-afternoon, but her eyelids were already growing heavy. ¡°What a fucking great day. I learned I had a thing for big strong women, got crushed by a giant, hot, Half-dragon, then got ass fucked into oblivion. I can¡¯t wait to see what tomorrow brings.¡± ¡°Hot Half-dragon?¡± Tiana queried with a smile, leaning into my side. I ran my hand through Rhani¡¯s hair and wrapped an arm around Tiana. ¡°Seems our Arelim has developed a bit of a crush.¡± Rhani made a half-pleased-half-asleep noise. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see my sister¡¯s expression when I bring home a girl bigger than she is.¡± By the end of her sentence, her words were already beginning to slur with sleep. She nuzzled into my hand and her breathing began to slow. Tiana pressed into me, resting her head on my shoulder. We sat like that until Rhani was good and out before Tiana finally said, ¡°thank you, Zaren.¡± I smiled at her. ¡°For what?¡± She closed her eyes,cing her fingers through mine. ¡°Everything. Saving me. Choosing me. Letting me be a part of¡­this,¡± she gestured between Rhani and I. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve felt so¡­loved. I always thought being a part of a harem meant I¡¯d only ever get a part of the man I cared about, but it doesn¡¯t feel like that with you. Some days, I almost feel as close to the others as I do you.¡± I rubbed small circles on her back with my free hand. ¡°That makes me very happy to hear. And I promise, I¡¯m just as d you chose to be with me¡ªwith us¡ªas you are.¡± I pressed a kiss to her temple. ¡°Now, I can¡¯t help but notice you¡¯ve done a lot of helping today and haven¡¯t received all that much in return.¡± Her smile widened, but she shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m good, believe it or not. For now, at least.¡± She leaned up to press her lips to mine. It was the kind of slow, sensual kiss that I was learning she loved a lot. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Rhani and make sure her cute little butt remains empty until she¡¯s rested, and you can make it up to me tonight. Pretty sure Serena has ns for you today.¡± I arched a brow, but she mimicked zipping her lips shut before giving me another kiss, then sheid down next to Rhani. Even asleep, our little Arelim turned towards Tiana¡¯s warmth and was wrapped in the mage¡¯s long limbs. I pressed a kiss to the tops of their heads and she shooed me off with a softugh. I took onest look at half my harem, naked and cuddling, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that those words actually made sense in that order, then left. The sun was starting to get low in the sky when I pushed out of the tent. I didn¡¯t know what ns Serena might have for me, but I figured finding her was probably a good way to find out. I hadn¡¯t made it far though when I was interrupted by a timid voice. ¡°Um, Mr. Ren, sir?¡± I paused to find Kili wringing her hands. ¡°Just Ren is fine, Kili. How are you?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m doing good. Really good. Thank you again for everything you¡¯ve done for me and my sister,¡± she said quickly. I was briefly amused by her thanks. It wasn¡¯t so long ago¡ªfor me, at least¡ªthe the idea of being thanked for anything waspletely alien. Now it seemed like I couldn¡¯t go anywhere without running into someone trying to express gratitude. I¡¯d be lying if it didn¡¯t feel more than a little strange. ¡°What can I help you with?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± She trailed off, and her gaze fell towards her feet. ¡°You won¡¯t get in trouble, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about. You can ask me anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Noelle, sir.¡± I straightened. ¡°Is she alright?¡± Her wings pulled tight to her body. ¡°Oh, um, yes. Well, I think. I¡¯m not sure, honestly.¡± Well. That was about as clear as mud. ¡°Can you borate, please?¡± She worried her lip. ¡°Well, she¡¯s not hurt or anything, but something¡¯s bothering her. I think. I¡¯ve only known her for a week now, so I¡¯m hardly an expert, but¡­she¡¯s my friend. I just thought you might be able to help her.¡± I ced a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her, see what¡¯s what. Thanks for telling me. Noelle¡¯s got a pretty good friend, it seems.¡± She brightened considerably. ¡°Thank you.¡± I sent her on her way and went looking for Noelle. It took a bit, but eventually I figured out I could check the Link between us and get a vague direction to head in, which lead me to where she¡¯d apparently disappeared to. When I found her, she was sitting on arge t rock just inside the treeline with her knees tucked to her chest, staring into the forest. I sat next to her wordlessly, and her only reaction to my presence was to lean into me slightly. The only noise she made was a low, almost inaudible hum that I was reasonably certain meant she was feeling frustrated. I let the silence stretch until she let out a soft sigh and rxed. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Noelle?¡± I asked softly. ¡°I¡­¡± she trailed off, and the frustrated hum raised slightly in volume. ¡°I am not entirely sure. I think that is part of the problem.¡± I wrapped an arm around her. ¡°Then let¡¯s figure it out together. Pretty sure I promised I would, after all.¡± She nodded once, but didn¡¯t answer right away. Finally, she said, ¡°I have friends now.¡± I arched a brow at her. ¡°And that¡¯s a bad thing?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s¡­¡± She growled, more at herself than me. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­I¡¯ve never had friends before. I¡¯ve never had a¡­a mate, either. I¡¯ve always just been alone. Even when the others were paired or grouped, it was always just me. Me and Vald,¡± she amended with a grimace. ¡°But now, I¡¯ve got you and Rhani and Serena and Tiana. I¡¯ve also got Kili and Nariko and the twins and even Alice, and I don¡¯t¡­¡± She pulled her knees tighter to her chest. ¡°I miss spending nights with you, but I don¡¯t want to not spend nights with my friends. I feel like it hurts either way, and I don¡¯t know what to do about it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I rubbed her back, and she shivered whenever my hand got too close to her wings. ¡°Have you talked to them about it? Your friends?¡± She shook her head again. ¡°How do I choose who I want to spend time with more? How do I keep them from feeling neglected? They¡¯ve all suffered. Some of them even suffered like I did. Like we did,¡± she said, leaning her head on my arm. ¡°I want to be for them what you all were for me when I was broken, but I¡¯m still broken and I don¡¯t know how to fix both.¡± She wiped angrily at her eyes, then shifted her weight onto her feet so she could throw a leg over myp and straddle me, burying her head in the crook of my neck and pinning her arms between us. I dly wrapped my arms around her, rubbing continuing to rub her back with one hand while the other ran through her hair. ¡°I have so many good things now,¡± she continued, ¡°that I never even dreamed I¡¯d ever get to experience. Friends. Family. I should be happy. I am happy. I¡¯m just also frustrated. I feel like I am doing it all wrong, and it makes my stomach twist. I feel¡­¡± ¡°Guilty?¡± I offered. She nodded against me. ¡°Guilty. Yes. Inadequate, maybe.¡± I tightened my arms and she squeaked softly. ¡°You are not, and have never been, inadequate. All I ask from you is to be who you are. You¡¯ve blown away every expectation I could have had that day we first met. You¡¯vee so far from the small, malnourished, battered shadow of a girl you once were. It¡¯spletely normal to have struggles like this, but it¡¯s important to me that you never try to struggle alone.¡± I rested my chin on the top of her head. ¡°Like you said: we¡¯re family. That means you always have someone to go to if you¡¯re ever having a rough time. Whether it¡¯s me, one of the girls, or even your friends. Take it from someone who¡¯s tried to shoulder just about every burden in his life on his own, lean on us whenever you need to. We¡¯ll never think less of you for it.¡± I could feel the tension starting to leave her body. ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Well, first off, talk to your friends. Kili was worried enough she braved talking to me, which isn¡¯t something many of the demi-humans have managed so far.¡± Her hands gripped my shirt and she pulled herself into me. ¡°You know I¡¯m always happy to have you in our bed, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I hadn¡¯t missed you as well, but seeing you smiling with your friends makes it more than worth it.¡± ¡°Plus,¡± I added, ¡°I¡¯m sure Kili won¡¯t turn down the opportunity to spend time with her sister as well. And Nariko will most certainly do Nariko things. She¡¯s the type that likes being alone sometimes, so I can promise you won¡¯t be offending her. The twins won¡¯t mind. Hell, they¡¯d probablye with you if you asked. Alice is¡­well, I¡¯ll be honest, I¡¯m still trying to figure that one out. The few Vampires I¡¯d met were the loner type, but that could have easily been a product of the times.¡± I could feel her smile against my chest. ¡°I¡¯m sure Rhani would be happy if I just brought all of them.¡± I barked out augh. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t doubt it, but I¡¯m not so sure all of them would want toe.¡± She made a sound that was worryingly close to amusement for my tastes, but I figured that was a topic best visited another day. Today had already been rife with revtions, and the thought of the time I¡¯d spent with Rhani and Tiana gave me an idea. ¡°But I think you¡¯re forgetting something.¡± She pulled back to look up at me in confusion, the ghost of a smile still on her lips. ¡°What?¡± ¡°From my perspective, one of the reasons our rtionship works is how close all of you are with one another, not just how much you care about me or how much I care about each of you.¡± I tucked some hair behind her ear, feeling a pang of warmth that her hair was finally long enough to do so. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that as you¡¯re making friends with them, they¡¯re probably getting pretty friendly with one another. If you need a night away from them, they¡¯ll understand.¡± She leaned into my palm and I stroked her cheek with my thumb. Her eyes slid closed and her hum rose in pitch, but something was still bothering her. ¡°What else?¡± It wasn¡¯t until after she¡¯d tucked herself back into my chest that she answered. ¡°I feel like I do not fit sometimes.¡± That drew a frown from me. I put a hand below her wings and rubbed my thumb between them. ¡°How so? If it¡¯s about you being a Mchai, I can promise that doesn¡¯t bother me.¡± She made a sound of disagreement. ¡°No. It was for a time, but not anymore. I just¡­¡± Her hum lowered again. ¡°I do not know how to say it without it sounding¡­bad.¡± ¡°So just say it. I can promise you won¡¯t identally offend me. Word it as best you can, and we¡¯ll go from there.¡± ¡°I¡­the others all seem to want sex more than I do¡­¡± she said in a quiet voice. I had to fight the urge to chuckle since she¡¯d almost definitely take it the wrong way. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s as big a problem as you think. Especially with what you¡¯ve had to survive. Tell me one thing, though. You do like sex when we¡¯re having it, right?¡± She nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, very much so. And when we Linked was a very good night. I enjoy the sex a lot, and I love the way it feels, I just¡­¡± She nestled deeper into my embrace and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think about it like Rhani, nor do I crave sexual touch like Tiana. Even Serena wants to be with you like that all the time, even if she refuses to admit it. I like being intimate with you a lot, but it isn¡¯t the reason I want to be around you. When I¡¯m missing you most, I¡¯m missing¡­¡± her arms snaked around me and tightened, ¡°this. Just being held.¡± I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed about as hard as I could manage. She practically melted against me and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. And I don¡¯t need you to be an incorrigible pervert. Rhani¡¯s got that on lock if you ask me. I don¡¯t think I could handle four Rhanis. Or four Tianas. Four Serenas maybe, but I very much like the fact that you¡¯re all different.¡± Like I¡¯d said the magic words, she buried her face in my chest and sighed happily. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Any time.¡± I could practically feel the debate in her head before she finally pulled back enough to rise up towards my face. I met her halfway, cupping her chin and gently pressing my lips to hers. She took her time exploring me, and when I felt her tongue trail along my bottom lip I gave her ess happily. She moaned softly, then broke the kiss to lean against my chest again. ¡°Can Ie back to your tent tonight?¡± she asked softly. I pressed a final kiss to the top of her head. ¡°You never have to ask. My door¡ªer, p, I guess¡ªis always open to you. And whoever you rope intoing with you,¡± I added with a chuckle. She made a noise that sounded dangerously close to augh of her own. ¡°Be careful what you wish for,¡± she warned, the smile evident in her tone. She leaned her forehead against my jaw. ¡°I¡¯d keep you longer, but I think Serena was wanting you for tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the second person to say that. What did I miss?¡± She smiled wide, baring her incisors. ¡°She has been preparing since the fight, but I don¡¯t want to spoil the surprise.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ll go pester her, then.¡± I palmed her cheek once more. ¡°Better now?¡± ¡°Mmmm,¡± she hummed, ¡°much. Now go, Serena was very excited thest time we spoke.¡± I gave her onest kiss before she climbed off me, leaving me in a state I figured Serena would appreciate if I was reading the tone of everyone¡¯s warnings correctly. I reached out with my senses and felt for the strongest of my Links so far. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was imagining things, but I thought I felt the briefest echo of an excitement that didn¡¯t belong to me. # # # I found Serena in a fraction of the time it took me to find Noelle, though it helped that she was also looking at me. She was even cagier than everyone else about whatever she apparently had nned, and in no time I was following her through the trees. She kept ncing at me, trying to be discreet, but I could read the excitement warring with what I could only assume was nervousness. But any nerves on my part practically vanished when we arrived at our destination. She¡¯d found a very scenic clearing that overlooked the stream everyone had been using to bathe. There was arge enough gap in the trees that we could see plenty of the sky, which was already starting to shift from a vivid orange to the purple of night. But what made me grin was the nket spread out in the center of the clearing and the food spread out on it. ¡°Serena,¡± I said slowly, ¡°did you set up a pic?¡± She blushed furiously. ¡°D-don¡¯t worry, you can still take me out when we get to the city, I just figured I could do something for you first.¡± She let out a squeak when I suddenly pulled her to my chest, kissing her hard enough that her knees buckled and she nearly copsed before she could throw her arms around my neck. When I finally let her pull back, her lips were swollen and her eyes were a little zed. ¡°You approve, then?¡± she panted. ¡°I do,¡± I said with another kiss. Then I scooped her up and she squealed with delight while I carried her to the nket. I set her down and she leaned into me with a wide smile. We talked about everything and nothing at all while we ate, discussing her life, the things we wanted to do when we got to the capital, and how everyone in the caravan was doing. By the time we¡¯d eaten our fill, the sun had dipped below the horizon. It was a cloudless night, and from our vantage point there were stars as far as the eye could see. Just when I was about to pull her into myp, she shifted so that my back was pressed against her front. Before I could even think ofining, we were both leaning back with my head resting on her soft chest. ¡°This is a nice spot,¡± I observed when she startedzily running her fingers through my hair. Her other hand went over my shoulder, sliding under the cor of my shirt so she could touch my chest directly. She made a pleased noise. ¡°I may have enlisted Reese to help me find it, but I agree. When I was a girl, I used to love justying down and watching the stars. My mother would yell at me all the time for staying out toote.¡± Sheughed softly to herself. ¡°Apparently, telling her that it was hardly my fault the stars only came out at night was not a good excuse.¡± Iughed too. ¡°Not sure why she was upset, that¡¯s some irond logic.¡± ¡°I certainly thought so,¡± she agreed. ¡°I never cared much when I was a kid,¡± I admitted. ¡°All my problems were rooted firmly on the ground, so that¡¯s where my focus always was. I spent as much time watching out for my mother as I did dealing with the men she entertained, so I never really had the time to look up. Then Karn happened.¡± Her hand faltered, but that was her only reaction. ¡°I remember the first night after he let me out of the catbs. I¡¯d spent three years dreaming of the sky. I earned more than one beating trying to get just a small glimpse of the stars through the small, sad windows. When I finally escaped him, I remember spending the entire first night staring up at them, refusing to sleep. Eliya always talked about the night sky, so I figured I had to look hard enough for all of us.¡± Her fingers stilled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡ª¡± I put my hand over hers under my shirt. ¡°Don¡¯t be. This is nice. I love it, I promise.¡± She let out a relieved breath and went back to running her fingers through my hair. If she wasn¡¯t careful, I¡¯d nod off at this rate. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve taken a minute to just¡­stop and stargaze.¡± Her hand slid over until it was resting just above my heart. ¡°Me too,¡± she said softly. Weid there for what felt like an eternity, only the sound of our breath and the wind whispering through the trees interrupting the peace of the night. My eyelids were starting to droop when she spoke, and her words banished any tiredness I felt. ¡°I love you, Zaren,¡± she said quietly, but firmly. I leaned my head back to look at her, but her eyes were still fixed on the stars. I got the sense she wasn¡¯t done, so I didn¡¯t interrupt. ¡°I have for a while now, I think. I¡¯m honestly not sure when it happened. At some point, I just realized I couldn¡¯t even imagine life without you in it. That your pain had be my pain. Your happiness mine.¡± She let out a soft sigh like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to say that for days now. Since Anford, easily, but I waited. I wanted to know as much about you as I could before I said the words aloud. Not because I thought anything from your past would ever change my mind, but because I wanted you to have an easier time epting that I love you. All of you. The good and the bad. The light and the dark. The pain and the happiness. I love you more than I ever thought possible the day we first met and I yelled at you because I was stupid and rash.¡± She released a breath and I knew she¡¯d reached the end of her impressive speech. A burning heat had started in my chest and, for a moment, there was too much emotion clogging my throat for me to speak. Then she looked down at me with a small amount of worry, no doubt concerned I hadn¡¯t replied yet. ¡°I love you, too,¡± was the first thing I said, and she rxed instantly. A smile split her expression and she ced a palm to my cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t have a big, heartfelt speech prepared, and I definitely don¡¯t have the words to follow that up, but I love you, Serena.¡± I rolled until I was holding myself over her and she looked up at me with flushed cheeks from where shey t on her back. She moaned softly into my mouth when I leaned down and kissed her, but I wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°I never expected to feel this way for you, either. I never expected to feel this way about anyone ever again. The night those Maleks¡ªer, Ashai, I mean¡ªalmost killed you, I realized I didn¡¯t want to know what a world without you in it looked like. All my life, I¡¯d failed to save the people most important to me, but when I got to you in time? When you survived long enough for me to reach you? I felt like I¡¯d been reborn in that moment. That was the moment where I¡¯d really felt like this deal I made was truly a second chance.¡± Her hand shifted around to the back of my neck and she pulled me down to kiss me. I let some of my weight rest on her so I could sink my hand in her own hair and tilt her head back, giving me ess to her long, slender neck. I trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck and she let out a throaty gasp. ¡°I love you,¡± she said again, holding my head down. ¡°I love you, Zaren.¡± Her leg hooked around my waist and pulled me down, grinding my already hard length against her groin. ¡°I love you, Serena,¡± I said back, sliding my hand up her shirt towards her breast. She moaned, writhing underneath me, pulling me down even harder. ¡°Rhani mentioned a trick with a tendril,¡± she said breathlessly. I smiled against her neck, giving her a nip before I conjured a tendril and banished our clothes to my storage. ¡°Your wish is mymand,¡± I said, my mouth so close to her ear I knew she could feel my breath. ¡°I need you,¡± she moaned. I dismissed the tendril, wanting this moment to be just between the two of us, and positioned the head of my cock at her wet, ready entrance. Her back arched underneath me and fingernails dug into my back as I slowly slid into her folds. ¡°The feeling is entirely mutual,¡± I said once I¡¯d seated myself fully inside her. She pulled my lips back to hers and I started thrusting. Slowly at first, but when her hips started bucking up to meet mine I put a little more force into it. I reached between us and fingered her clit, causing her to clench around my length. I worked the sensitive nub while I fucked her, leaving a trail of love bites along her neck and shoulder. In no time, she was cumming underneath me. I slowed to a steady pace while she rode out her release, but the next thing I knew she¡¯d flipped us over. She set an even more brutal pace, mming herself down on my length with as much force as she could muster with her legs hooked under mine. I met her stroke for stroke, each meeting of our hips driving a pleasure filled cry from her lips. Her fingers sank into my hair and she pulled my mouth back to hers. While our tongues wrestled for dominance I slipped a hand around and probed at her ass with a finger. She moaned into my mouth, clenching hard around my cock, but held her orgasm off. She broke the kiss only to do exactly what I had done moments ago and pull my head to the side, lunging straight for the underside of my jaw. I felt lips then teeth and groaned her name, feeling the end approaching rapidly. I half-mumbled a warning before her lips were back on mine, her pace only increasing. As the pleasure built to the point I worried it might actually kill me, something in my chest shifted. I was always aware of my Links in the back of my mind, but in that moment the Link between us red. For a moment, I felt emotions that didn¡¯t belong to me. Like the echoes I felt from the de, only without the fog of whatever barrier existed between me and it. I felt Serena. I felt her love. Her happiness. Her pleasure. Her need to reach what was building to be one of the most powerful climaxes she¡¯d ever felt while at the same time never wanting the moment to end. From the startled gasp that slipped past her and the surprise I felt, I knew she felt my emotions as well. I palmed her neck, pressing my forehead to hers, and focused on my feelings for her. How much I loved her. How much I valued everything she was to me. How much I needed her. The lightness I felt anytime sheughed. The gratitude I could never put into words anytime she pushed me right when I needed it most. However it felt on her end, it was more than enough to push her over that edge. With a strangled cry, she fell apart. Her fingernails dug into my skin as she held on for dear life while release ripped through her, and I felt the world-shattering pleasure through whatever bond we¡¯d created. I grunted her name onest time before my own climax imed me, spilling myself inside her and pushing her even deeper into bliss. She went boneless against my chest, her trembling limbs still wrapped around me. Her head rested on my shoulder while she panted, trying to catch her breath, which gave me easy ess to pepper her neck with slow,zy kisses while I rubbed her back, still buried inside her. I could still feel her, but not nearly as clearly as I had a moment ago. When I closed my eyes and sought out the Link between us, I realized it had doubled in size and strength. I could feel her soul clearer than I ever had before. I figured that could only mean one thing, so I pulled up my list of Links. Sure enough, one had changed.
Serena Ravin Link Level: 2 Soul Tempered Skill Unlocked.
I let out augh and she pushed herself up enough to look at me, wringing a groan from both of us as she shifted my rather sensitive, half-hard length still inside her. ¡°Zaren?¡± ¡°Our Link just leveled up, it seems.¡± Her eyes went wide, and I felt her walls clench down on me, earning another groan. She made no move to dismount, though. ¡°Apparently, we¡¯ve unlocked a ¡®Soul Tempered Skill.¡¯ Not sure what that means.¡± Her brow furrowed and her eyes unfocused. I checked my own list of skills, ignoring the level ups I still hadn¡¯t dealt with, but I didn¡¯t see anything new. When I looked back at Serena though, she was smiling. ¡°Well? Care to share?¡± Her smile widened. ¡°Nope.¡± She leaned down and kissed me deeply, and I felt the unmistakable tingle of magic passing from her lips to mine. ¡°I¡¯ll tell all of you about itter. Right now, though,¡± she lifted herself halfway up my cock, which was damn near ready for another round, ¡°I don¡¯t want to worry about skills or sses. I¡¯ve still got a while before I have to get you back, after all.¡± I ran a hand over her ass, guiding her hips. She moaned, arching her back and giving me a great view of her perky breasts. I captured a nipple between my teeth and gave it a tug, earning another delicious moan. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Chapter Sixty-Six: Chance Encounters Chapter Sixty-Six: Chance Encounters Fel really wanted to kill something. Every step of this godforsaken job had been one pile of shit after another. It was just supposed to be an easy job he¡¯d managed to secure too much pay for. Throw around his lord status, spend a few weeks with some beautiful women warming his bedroll, and enjoy the little vacation from the city. See some sights. Fuck some girls. No. Instead, the first half of the trip had been mind numbingly boring. S had made up for a good chunk of it, but she¡¯d been following him around for far too long. Things had gotten stale, and while Rastra¡¯s inexperience had been novel at first, it had gotten old quick. Then she¡¯d gone and gotten her face six kinds of fucked up and scarred that body of hers to boot. Serena had been the silver lining of the whole fucking trip. An absolute gem hidden in the back ass end of Listone. Not only had the girl simply radiated the innocence only a virgin could have, but she¡¯d been so eager to prove herself he hadn¡¯t even had to work very hard to get her to sign such an obviously loaded contract. And then that dark haired, creepy ass, shadow-wielding fuck had ruined everything. He¡¯d managed to scoop that busty blonde right out from under Fel. She¡¯d gone from eager to please to downright hero worship, and everyone in the goddamn caravan jumped right on the wagon. When it came down to spending two more weeks chugging along with a bunch of idiots and fools with only S to keep him upied and cutting his losses and heading back alone, it wasn¡¯t exactly a hard choice. And if he could use his family¡¯s influence to get a little revenge, he wasn¡¯t going toin. And then the fucking gnolls happened. It must¡¯ve been damn near twenty of them, appearing out of thin air in the middle of the night. He¡¯d had to leave most of his supplies behind, barely even managing to get to his horse, but even that hadn¡¯t been enough. No, the furry little bastards had boxed them in, and since he¡¯d decided to camp a bit inside the forest, the horses didn¡¯t have the room to outrun them. Slipping a knife through one of the straps on S¡¯s saddle had been the only real option, and he¡¯d still barely escaped with his life. Now here he was. Alone in the middle of nowhere. Without even a tent. Horny enough that even Rastra seemed like a solid prospect. The night sky was cloudy, which meant anything not illuminated by his campfire might as well have been invisible. A part of him hoped Feng held up his end of the bargain, but another part of him almost wished he wouldn¡¯t. Fel shouldn¡¯t have contracted out his revenge. He wanted to wring Ren¡¯s neck with his own hands. A tingle at the back of his neck warned him he wasn¡¯t alone. He leapt to his feet, brandishing his rapier. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± he demanded. He heard the sound of rustling grass, and someone rose from the darkness. Fel spun towards the man as he stepped into the firelight. He had sandy blond hair that was greasy and matted and clothes that looked like they had seen some serious wear since thest time they¡¯d been cleaned. Fel¡¯s eyes skipped briefly over the man¡¯s crooked, slightly off grin, straight to his dark, beady eyes. Fel prided himself on his ability to read people, and he knew in an instant that this man was exactly the kind of unhinged that his family loved to work with. But that was when he wasn¡¯t alone and in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Fel demanded. Rather than answering, the man cocked his head with a curious expression. ¡°Hm, that¡¯s interesting.¡± He pulled out some kind ofpass and held it up, rattling it. ¡°I see.¡± Fel raised his weapon. ¡°I asked you a question, stranger.¡± ¡°Oh me?¡± the man asked, looking around as if there was anyone else Fel could have been talking to. ¡°Apologies, my friend.¡± He mimed lifting a hat. ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone, you see, and it seems they¡¯ve got some kind of protection. I seem to have found you by mistake.¡± Well, it was clear thepass was some kind of magical artifact. ¡°In that case, you can fuck right off.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Oh, no I can¡¯t. See, there¡¯s only a few reasons mypass would have led to you, and I¡¯ll need to investigate one way or the other.¡± He jiggled it again and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d be willing to tell me everything you know about one Zaren Nocht, would you?¡± Fel frowned, lowering his de. ¡°Tall, decently muscr, really dark hair, blue eyes? Couple small scars on his face?¡± He brightened. ¡°That¡¯s the one!¡± Then he frowned. ¡°I think. Anyways, what else?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter, I had a friend take care of him. He should be dead.¡± ¡°A friend?¡± ¡°Eike Feng,¡± Fel said before he could stop himself, then frowned. The man had some kind of skill to loosen his tongue, and he hadn¡¯t even realized it. That just made the manugh. ¡°No, unfortunately, our friend Zaren wiped out Feng¡¯s camp down to a man and then some. It¡¯s why I¡¯m here. Now, what else?¡± Fel¡¯s blood ran cold. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if the fuck had somehow slipped free, but killing them all? Who the fuck was this guy? ¡°Has some kind of darkness magic,¡± Fel said with a shrug. ¡°Good with most weapons, but seems partial to a sword. Quiet guy, but carries a real ¡®fuck you¡¯ air when he feels like it. Pretty sure his newest girlfriend is a priestess, and he always has an Arelim and some kind of gray-skinned Seraphim sharing his tent at night.¡± The man nodded, pulling out a strange pen and writing on his forearm. ¡°A priestess, you say? Yes, divinity could easily exin the interference keeping my tracking from working. And a gray-skinned Seraphim? ck feathered wings?¡± Fel nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s where our lost little Mchai ended up! Good to know, good to know. What else?¡± Fel didn¡¯t like how easily the words were being dragged out of him. He also didn¡¯t like how at ease the man was. There was no telling how strong the guy was, and suddenly Fel wasn¡¯t liking his odds so much. ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the gist of it. Barely more than a kid, but he¡¯s more capable than he seems.¡± That made him frown in clear disappointment. ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate. I was hoping to avoid this, since it¡¯s exhausting, but beggars can¡¯t be choosers.¡± He pulled out a knife with a green crystal de, and Fel reacted. He dashed forward before the knife was even fully drawn, his skills and agility more than enough to close the short distance in the blink of an eye. He swiped his rapier across the man¡¯s chest, leaving a long red gash, then plunged it through his torso before yanking it free and leaping back to watch the man bleed out. The man looked down at his bloody chest with clear confusion on his face. ¡°Well that was rude,¡± he remarked, unworried. Fel¡¯s triumphant smirk faded as he watched the blood slowly reverse direction, seeping back into the wounds beforetching onto the flesh and pulling the cuts closed until nothing but angry red lines remained. Then he flicked a hand out and three sickly golden bolts of energy shot out from his fingers. Fel dodged the first two, but the third caught his leg. When he went to take a step, he felt slower. No, not slower, heavier. Heavy enough that when the next bolts came, he was caught by two of them. Fel lunged again, and the man didn¡¯t even bother to dodge. Fel¡¯s rapier sunk all the way to the hilt in his gut, but he just winced and shook his head. ¡°Always the same with you fighter types.¡± Fel tried to pull his de free, but the blood from the wound had wrapped around the de to hold it in ce. He knew letting go was his only option, but his attempt to rip the de out cost him. The man put a hand on Fel¡¯s shoulder and there was another pulse of corrupted gold light. The bolts had made Fel feel like he was moving around with a pack of rocks on his back. The pulse made him feel like his entire body had turned to lead. The ground rushed up, and Fel ended up looking at the dark clouds above. The man stood over him, calmly pulling the de out just for his blood to seal the wound closed. Fel struggled against whatever magic was holding him down, but it was no use. ¡°Gravithurge and Sanguithurge,¡± the man said, brushing himself off and tossing Fel¡¯s rapier aside. ¡°A deadlybination if I do say so myself, but I always was partial to the corrupted magic trees.¡± He grinned, then kneeled over Fel and started cutting his shirt away. ¡°Stop!¡± Fel cried. ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything I know! Torture won¡¯t magically give you more information!¡± The man chuckled. ¡°Sure it will.¡± He dragged the crystal knife across Fel¡¯s chest and pain like nothing he¡¯d ever felt before erupted through his entire being. Like he was being burned from the inside out. He screamed and begged, but the man didn¡¯t react past a euphoric sigh. ¡°Did you know?¡± the man asked, dragging the de through flesh again while Fel screamed, just under the first cut, ¡°that souls are a malleable thing? They¡¯re heavily influenced by the souls around them. The more powerful the soul, the more it leaves its marks on others. Love is a good way for souls to rub off on one another, but so is hate.¡± He dug the de in deeper and Fel screamed. The man¡¯s dark eyes seemed to glow faintly and he smiled. ¡°As I thought, our friend Zaren has a powerful soul.¡± Then those eyes widened. ¡°A very powerful soul. And¡­oh¡­oh my.¡± He kept rooting around with the de a bit longer, the pain growing worse and worse until Fel could taste the blood from his throat torn from screaming. He sat back on his haunches, his face a little pale. ¡°The master is going to want to know this sooner thanter,¡± he said to himself while Fel begged wordlessly. ¡°This is going to change some things. Sorry, friend, but I¡¯m going to need every scrap of information I can. I¡¯d say this is going to hurt me more than it¡¯ll hurt you, but that would be a lie. Try to endure it as best you can, though.¡± Tears ran down Fel¡¯s face as the man lowered the knife again. This expedition really had been shit from the start. # # # When I woke the next morning, I had two problems. The first was my full dder, which was a prettymon thing when waking. The second was the real conundrum, and it was because of that second problem that the first problem was an issue. Noelle hadn¡¯t been kidding about bringing friends to the tent, and I was currently buried under bodies. I wasying on my back with both my arms pinned. Noelle had imed my chest with one leg hiked over my waist and her arms tucked adorably beneath her. On one side, Serena used my bicep as a pillow, and somehow Nariko had wiggled underneath Noelle and between Serena and I to curl into Serena¡¯s chest in a position that couldn¡¯t have possibly beenfortable, despite the contented snoresing from her. On the other, the twins had fallen asleep in their standard position: wrapped around one another. That wouldn¡¯t have been an issue if my arm wasn¡¯t trapped between them. Tsuki really seemed to be settling in, as she¡¯d decided to go to sleep as naked as my harem sans Serena. Ryoko wore nothing but one of my shirts, and I knew she really was wearing nothing else because the shirt had ridden up past her waist, leaving her lower half exposed. Tsuki was on the outside, which meant Ryoko was tucked into my side. That wouldn¡¯t have been something I minded normally, but thanks to her state of dress and the way she was wrapped around both her sister and my arm, my hand was in a¡­precarious position. As my brain woke up, it started to realize exactly what the warm, soft flesh surrounding my hand was. Thanks to the natural curve of my hand, my fingers were sandwiched between her plump thighs and dangerously close to the apex of her legs. It wasn¡¯t until that moment I really began to realize how much the twins had filled out since we¡¯d met them in Anford. Between the silky softness of her thighs, her breasts pushing against my arm through the shirt, and Tsuki¡¯s naked breasts practically enveloping my limb, alongside the nakedness of three of the other girls in the tent, blood was rapidly flowing southward at a rate I had little to no control over. I tried to extract the arm the twins had taken hostage as carefully as possible, but the moment I so much as twitched my fingers Ryoko moaned softly. It was a soft, barely noticeable sound, muffled by sleep, but it still made me freeze. Any chances of me not getting fully erect went out the window as she shifted, pulling my arm tighter to her and shifting my hand even closer to lower lips. Well, this certainly isn¡¯t a problem I ever thought I¡¯d have. Serena was sleeping so softly on my other side that I was loathe to wake her, but it might be my only option. I wasn¡¯t sure how intentionally Ryoko had ced my arm, and if it was something she¡¯d done in her sleep I didn¡¯t want her freaking out about it. I also wanted to avoid getting stabbed by Tsuki, but for now that was secondary. That thought went out the window too when Noelle shifted on my chest and her leg brushed against my cock. I fought a groan from the feeling of her skin on mine, and foolishly I figured that would be the end of it. Then her leg pushed against my cock a second time and she hummed. She pushed off my chest to sit up, sliding back until my length was sandwiched between her cheeks. She looked over her shoulder at it, then grinned at me. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said softly. ¡°Good morning to you, too,¡± I said, arching a brow. I¡¯d be lying if I wasn¡¯t a little entranced at the shadows that her breasts cast over her t stomach in the faint light of the early morning. The twins weren¡¯t the only ones who had filled out since we¡¯d met. Noelle looked like apletely different person. Her breasts had grown enough to fit snugly in my palms and her stomach was no longer concave. Her cheeks were fuller, and her thighs had enough definition that I could no longer see between them when she stood. She still had a petite build, but it was much more natural than her malnourished body had been. Her cheeks darkened under my inspection, but her back arched and her chest pushed out. There was pride in her eyes, and her happy hum never wavered. Then she looked over the bodies surrounding us, her smile never wavering. ¡°Family,¡± she whispered to herself, slowly dragging her palms down my chest. ¡°When we have a home, I want it to be like this. A ce where we can all just be.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. We¡¯ll have to tell Rhani.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± she hummed. She reached back to cup my shaft with her small, callused hands, rubbing it and pushing it against her ass at the same time. ¡°Your hands seem upied,¡± she noted. I nced at the twins with some worry, since she¡¯d be rather protective of them, but she smiled like the sight of them wrapped around my arm made her happy. She rubbed my length a bit longer, just looking from one person to the next, then she made a content sound in her throat. Then, to my shock, she shifted so her legs were spread and her pussy was bared to me. A quiet moan slipped past her lips when she took two fingers and slid them up and down her slit before stopping at the hood of her sex and rubbing the nub there. This time a whimper tumbled from her mouth and she shuddered, a sight that had me even harder than I had been a moment ago. Then her head fell back when she slid a single finger inside. ¡°You¡¯ve been spending time with Rhani, haven¡¯t you?¡± I asked, my voice low. Her head fell forward and she slid a second finger in, barely muffling the gasp of pleasure. ¡°I¡ªI asked her to teach me how to prepare myself.¡± A third finger joined and her hips bucked. ¡°She s-said that I should do it in front of you, because men like to watch us do it.¡± Another shudder passed through her, making her breasts jiggle in a mouth watering fashion. ¡°She was right about that,¡± I admitted. Noelle shed her incisors at me in a grin, then removed her hand. She lifted her fingers to her mouth, licking her juices off with her long tongue. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether to yell at Rhani or thank her.¡± Her grin widened and she shifted again, this time to give herself the leverage to lift up without disturbing the women on either side of me. ¡°You and Serena were out sote that Rhani and Tiana both taught me lots of things.¡± Then she lowered, sinking onto me inch by torturous inch. I wanted to buck my hips, but there was no real way to do so without waking Ryoko, Nariko, or both. She was still unbelievably tight, but she¡¯d done more than enough work to make the fit manageable. She bit her lip hard to stifle the long whine when our hips met, her tiny chest heaving and a blissful look in her eyes. I was left with no option but toy there and allow her to have her way with me. A situation that I was reasonably certain neither of us minded one bit from the expression on her face. She leaned back, supporting herself on my thighs, and started to rock and gyrate her hips in a way that was so radically different than the near-feral rutting our sex usually ended up in. ¡°You were right,¡± she gasped, struggling to keep her voice low. ¡°I confided in the others, and they helped me feel better.¡± She twisted her hips just right and my cock scraped against a spot that made her eyes go wide. She started gyrating so that I was hitting that spot over and over again and release ripped through her quickly. It was at that moment, while she orgasmed as quietly as she could, that Ryoko shifted. It was a slight shift that I might have missed had Noelle not been still for a moment, but then I felt the unmistakable wetness on my fingertips as I brushed against her slit. She whimpered, then her hips rocked a second time to rub against my hand. Then Noelle leaned forward, determination in her eyes, and kissed and bit my chest as she started riding me again. Ryoko grew bolder, pulling my arm tighter and rubbing herself against my hand as quickly as she dared. I was tempted to just let her continue unnoticed, but then she whimpered in frustration and all but forced my hand. No pun intended. I gently brushed against her pussy, dragging my middle finger up the length of her lips a single time to give her the opportunity to pull away. But when her body shuddered and she only pressed my hand to her pelvis harder, I got the gist. Noelle sunk her teeth into my shoulder hard enough to draw blood at the same time I caressed Ryoko¡¯s folds with my fingers while pressing my thumb to her clit. She gasped, her fingernails digging into my bicep, but she just rocked her hips against my hand even harder. Noelle¡¯s walls started to flutter around my shaft, but between her and Ryoko I was getting close. Likewise, Ryoko had buried her face in my bicep and begun to tremble from head to toe. I sped my fingers up, rubbing my thumb in circles around her clit, and her body clenched. The only question was who would finish first. It turned out to be Ryoko. With a cry muffled by my arm, she came. I felt the wave of wetness on my fingers, and her climax triggered my own. I grunted and exploded inside Noelle, filling her tunnel with my seed. Her teeth sunk into my neck to stifle her own cries as she came as well, leaving all three of us a panting mess. ¡°You four are going to be the death of me,¡± I said finally. Noelle just smiled. ¡°Just four?¡± Iughed softly. ¡°For now.¡± That was right around the time I remembered my full dder, and whether it was because of what I''d said or because everything was starting to catch up to her, Ryoko locked up. Slowly, she turned her head up to look at me with a pale expression on her face and fear in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said softly. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Far from it.¡± She rxed, and I leaned close enough to press a kiss between her ears. ¡°I will need my arm back though.¡± She nodded, smiling softly, then moved to extract herself. Not only that, but she gently pried Tsuki¡¯s arms from around mine as well. She crawled over Tsuki toy on her other side, the end of her tail flicking while she watched my every move. Noelle moaned softly when I used my newly freed arm to lift her off my length and set her to the side, but not before she grabbed the back of my hair and pulled my lips down to hers. I could taste faint traces of my own blood on her lips from where she¡¯d bit me, and something about that spurred her on even more. She trapped my bottom lip between her teeth, biting down with just enough force not to break the skin, then her tonguepped at the part she¡¯d bit and she hummed with satisfaction. After she released me I managed to free my arm from under Serena without waking her, though I did kiss her forehead before I left. She looked utterly adorable with Nariko napping happily in her arms, and just on the other side of her Tiana was wrapped around Rhani¡¯s sleeping form. My mage¡¯s gaze was locked on me with a heated promise in her eyes. I winked at her, and her lips spread in a smile. But, as badly as I wanted to sate that hunger I could see on her face, my dder was not happy about being ignored for so long. I managed to find some pants and slip them on before ducking out into the crisp morning air. I took off towards the treeline to find some privacy, shirtless and shoeless. I went just deep enough to be hidden from view. I finished relieving myself, but I hadn¡¯t even tucked my cock away when I heard the sound of someone approaching me. The promise in Tiana¡¯s gaze was the first thing to pop in my head, and the thought of what had preceded that look had me half-hard already. I turned, not bothering to finish putting myself away. ¡°You just couldn¡¯t wait until I got back to camp, could¡ª¡± I started. Then I froze as I met the eyes of a very surprised Vivian. It wasn¡¯t the Vivian I was used to, either. Her normally full, flowing hair was pulled into a haphazard tail with strands sticking out in all directions. Her sleeping clothes were wrinkled and carelessly thrown on, though they still covered nearly every inch of her, and there were clear bags under her eyes. Eyes that widened as they traveled from my face down my chest, stopping at the bite marks that were certainly still on disy, across my torso and the scars that peppered it, stopping at my half-erect dick still grasped in my hand. And they stayed there. Something about her demeanor told me that I wasn¡¯t looking at the mask Vivian had so carefully constructed, but at whoever existed below it. Something about the real Vivian staring at my cock,bined with how my morning had gone so far, meant that all the blood in my body was heading the wrong way. Away from my brain. Which is why I just stood there like a moron, hand on my hardening dick, waiting for the inevitable shouting that could onlye from a situation like this. Instead, as I reached full hardness, her only reaction was a slow raising of her brows. I was more than a little caught off guard, and my brain was not helping at all. I was afraid any move I made might set her off, so I stayed stock still and waited to see what her reaction was going to be. The silence seemed to stretch on for an eternity, neither of us willing to break whatever moment was currently happening. Then, just because the situation wasn¡¯t fucking weird enough, Tiana came strutting into the trees from behind Vivian without an ounce of surprise on her face. Not only that, but she was wearing my shadow armor, which meant her back and the sides of her legs all the way above her waist were bare, her breasts looked like they were about to pop out at any moment, and her gorgeous, long legs were on disy. I felt a little justified seeing as my instincts were right and Tiana had actually followed me out, but that still did nothing to change my current situation. Dick in hand. Vivian staring at my junk. Tiana, however, held no reservations whatsoever. ¡°And here I was thinking I was the only one to follow him out here,¡± she said, slinking to me and pressing a kiss to my cheek. Then, to both my horror and my pleasure, I felt her fingers wrap around the base of my cock. She pressed into my side, her fingers running through the back of my hair, while her other hand pumped me slowly, making it impossible for me to simply pull my pants up at this point. ¡°Well, Vivian? Care to join us?¡± she asked demurely. Vivian, whose eyebrows had all but disappeared into her hairline, had turned a distinct shade of crimson. Her sleeping clothes were thin enough that I could see exactly how hard her nipples were, and in a strange moment of rity I realized only one of her nipples had a piercing in it. Unfortunately, my observation of her very nice breasts made my cock jump. Then Tiana¡¯s words finally broke through the fog in Vivian¡¯s mind. She went ramrod stiff, finally tearing her gaze from where Tiana was still slowly stroking me, and flicked between us. ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ªI mean, I didn¡¯t¡ªyou weren¡¯t supposed to be¡ª¡± Then her mouth mped shut and she spun on a heel and stalked back towards camp. It was as far from the Vivian she¡¯d been showing everyone as I¡¯d seen so far, and I would have appreciated it much more if it weren¡¯t for the entire situation around it. I slid a hand under her armor, grabbing a handful of ass and pulling her into me, drawing a surprised but pleased gasp from her. ¡°Was that really necessary?¡± ¡°I wanted to see how she¡¯d react,¡± Tiana admitted shamelessly. ¡°She spends so much time watching you, I wanted to know if it was because she wants this,¡± she squeezed my cock, ¡°or if there¡¯s another reason. Judging by how she was drooling, I¡¯m thinking it was the former.¡± I just shook my head, kneading her ass. ¡°That could have gone so poorly.¡± ¡°Which is why I came out. I saw her headed this way, and I wanted to make sure you weren¡¯t out here all alone with her,¡± she said, sliding her hand deeper to cup my balls, earning a groan out of me. ¡°And because I¡¯m feeling neglected,¡± she finished with a pout. I pulled her around to face me, one hand on her ass and the other in her hair to tilt her head back. I kissed her, and her lips opened immediately to admit my tongue. ¡°Pretty sure I offered to take care of you yesterday, and you were asleep when I got back.¡± She bit my bottom lip exactly where Noelle had, mischief in her eyes. ¡°I know, but then you went and fucked Serena so hard she¡¯s walking around bowlegged and gave Noelle the most delicious sounding orgasms. Even Ryoko¡¯s gotten more than me.¡± ¡°If you think I believe for even one second that you and Rhani didn¡¯t have at least a few orgasms while you were ¡®teaching¡¯ Noelle then I might just go back to our tent and get some more sleep.¡± Her pout turned into a grin. ¡°I love how well you know me.¡± Then we were kissing again. Somehow she managed to get my cock between her thighs and was rocking back and forth, her wetness dripping down and making my length slick. ¡°Does that mean I can¡¯t convince you to throw me against a tree and fuck me so hard you have to help me back to camp?¡± My answer was to spin her around and push her towards the nearest tree. She squealed in delight, bending at the waist and bracing against the trunk and pushing her ass out at me. I flipped the trail of cloth on my armor aside, revealing she wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath as usual. I plunged my length into her in a single thrust and she cried out in both pleasure and pain. I set the pace fast right out the gate, grabbing her hip with one hand while I wrapped her hair around the other and pulled her head back enough to lean forward and kiss her. The sound that fell from her throat was somewhere between augh and a moan, hiking in pitch when I mmed into her even harder. I pulled on her hair even harder and she clenched around me, her walls clutching me and trying to pull me in deeper, but I didn¡¯t slow down. She took one hand off the tree to reach down and finger her clit, and in no time she was already cumming all over my cock. I didn¡¯t let up, reaching down to soak my thumb in her juices while I continued to ram into her depths. She moaned, clearly anticipating exactly what was about to happen. Not wanting to disappoint, I pressed my thumb past the rim of her ass. She clenched around the invading digit and I pulled her hair again, nibbling on her neck where it met her shoulder, and her walls started fluttering around me again. I traded my thumb out for two fingers, plunging them into her ass mercilessly, and she made a delightful sound. I slid in a third finger, pulling her head back so I could whisper in her ear. ¡°You wanted to have trouble walking?¡± ¡°Uh huh,¡± she moaned, trying to nod while I fucked her into the tree. I let go of her hair and her head fell forward. I slid out of her pussy, earning a disappointed whimper at her sudden emptiness, but that disappointment didn¡¯tst long. I pressed the tip of my cock to the bud of her asshole and she bucked, trying to sink down onto my length. Considering she owned buttplugs I had to assume she wasn¡¯tpletely inexperienced, but I didn¡¯t want to actually hurt her. I pressed my hips forward and felt her forcing her muscles to rx while a low, throaty moan slipped from her mouth. I pushed forward until I was fully seated in her tight hole. I pulled her body up so that it was flush against mine and wrapped my hand around her neck while I reached around to slowly finger her pussy. ¡°Do you want to Forge your Link now?¡± I whispered in her ear. She clenched around my shaft. ¡°Here? Now? With your cock in my ass?¡± she breathed. ¡°Seems fitting,¡± I said with a smile. Sheughed. ¡°Yes. Fuck yes. Gods you¡¯re fucking perfect, Zaren.¡± While her ass got used to my size, I checked my Essence pool. [Soul Essence: 70/140] Spending so much time with my harem now that three of them were boosting my regeneration heavily had my pool refilling quicker than ever. I wasn¡¯t certain, but I was pretty sure leveling Serena¡¯s link had given me some kind of boost as well. Whether the cost was twenty or thirty, I was more than willing to spend the points right now. Tiana was long overdue in my opinion. I closed my eyes and started dragging my hips back. I searched out her soul with mine, and it wasn¡¯t hard to find it. It was strong, like I knew it would be. I could see the frayed edges where she¡¯d done what she had to for survival, but was ashamed of it. I could read the marks where she¡¯d allowed adventurers to do as they pleased to her and how much she¡¯d hated every second, even when she asionally found physical pleasure in their touch. I could also see the old scars of loss from the disappearance of the father she¡¯d idolized. But I could also see the determination she held. The will. She didn¡¯t have quit in her. It was only matched by a battered kindness that had been nurtured as much as it had been knocked around, but she still cared so deeply about those around her it almost brought tears to my eyes. I was vaguely aware of my lips brushing against her throat while I slowly fucked her ass, but just before I activated my skill I saw it. The shimmer. The same one I¡¯d felt in Rhani¡¯s soul. One that was more difficult to see the harder I looked at it. I knew that the shimmer was important somehow, but until we got to the capital I had no clue how we¡¯d even go about understanding it. I activated [Forge Link] and Tiana shuddered, her ass clenching around my shaft. I kissed her neck again, conjuring a tendril in a spur-of-the-moment decision and sending it between her breasts to tease her slit. She moaned, and when she epted the Link I felt the happiness radiating from her soul as it slid into ce. I felt the pull again, just as I had with Rhani. There was hardly any pain this time, though with the pleasure I felt while her asshole squeezed my cock it was hard to tell. Especially when I felt that same relief as if something that had been previously missing slid into ce, making me feel moreplete than I had a moment ago. It fell into ce almost without any input from me, as if it had just been waiting for me to give the go ahead. Tiana cried out as orgasm crashed through her, and I was gripped by the need to feel as much of her as I could. I picked up the pace, grabbing her by the elbows and mming into her ass as hard as I could. Through the link, I knew she could handle it. Her cries turned to a scream when I directed my tendril to thicken and fuck her pussy. I could feel it shoving inside through her thin, inner walls and climax ripped through her again. Magical energy sparked between her bare back and my naked chest. I let go of one elbow to grab her leg behind the knee and lifted it up, forcing her back to fall against my chest fully. My lipstched onto her neck and her now freed arm reached back to wrap around my neck, pulling my head down. I knew exactly what she wanted and bit, sending another wave of release rushing through her. It was that final climax that pushed me over the edge. I gave her a few more thrusts before mming into her onest time and painting the inside of her ass white. She came again, clutching me tightly and crying out my name. She babbled something unintelligible and I realized I needed to give the tendril amand if I wanted it to stop fucking her. I let it go a little longer before I allowed it to dissipate, letting my cock slide free from her ass and holding her against my chest. ¡°Sweet fucking gods Zaren,¡± she panted. ¡°If we ever end up not working out, just kill me. I don¡¯t think I can live without this.¡± I chuckled, my lips still trailing kisses up her neck and behind her ear. She made a delighted sound and let her head loll back onto my shoulder. ¡°Sorry, but that link means you¡¯re stuck with me.¡± She groaned. ¡°Thank fuck.¡± I lifted her head enough to kiss her, only my arms keeping her standing. ¡°Why did the Link feel so¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± I offered. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It felt like that with Rhani, too. Hopefully, once my pool gets closer to full, we can do a little more experimenting.¡± ¡°Mmmm,¡± she hummed, letting her eyes fall closed. ¡°You know, I just wanted you to fuck me to the point I had to lean on you a little, but I¡¯m not sure I can walk at all right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you regret it?¡± I asked, smiling. ¡°Fuck no. You¡¯d best be careful, or I¡¯ll start expecting you to fuck me like that much more often.¡± I kissed her again. ¡°Anything to keep my sorceress happy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go making promises your cock can¡¯t keep, love,¡± she warned. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Damn right we will.¡± She kissed me again. ¡°But for now, carry me back. It¡¯s not often someone as gangly as me gets to feel like a princess.¡± ¡°Gangly definitely isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use,¡± I said, sliding my hands below her knees and lifting her long, lithe legs up off the ground while the other held up her shoulders, ¡°and we¡¯ll have to see what we can do about that.¡± She just threw her arms around my neck and smiled, kissing me before leaning her forehead against my cheek. With the Link in ce and Tiana in my arms, I felt like I was where I was supposed to be. Now I just had to hope Vivian didn¡¯t want to kill me. Chapter Sixty-Seven: Eruption Chapter Sixty-Seven: Eruption While I was as happy to have Tiana in my arms as she was to be carried like a princess, we both agreed walking through camp like we were probably wasn¡¯t a good idea. Her shadow armor had some kind of enchantment to keep her naughty bits covered while she moved, but we¡¯d learned the enchantment got a little more unreliable when someone else¡¯s hands were involved. Mine especially. I set her on her feet when the camp came into view and wrapped her up tightly in a cloak. The quick stop ended up not so quick when as soon as she was standing on her own two unsteady feet she found every excuse she could to run her hands across my chest and abdomen, and she all but refused to start walking again until I¡¯d given her a kiss that ended up with me having to adjust myself before I could do any more walking. Unfortunately for us, good ol¡¯ Al was on watch when we finally stumbled into camp. Tiana was still flushed, smiling as wide as I¡¯d ever seen her, and I wore a smile myself for once. Al, however, was his usual ornery self, though his gaze wasn¡¯t fixed on us. He practically sneered in the direction of the trees. ¡°You seem to be in a good mood, Al,¡± I noted. He shot me a re that could have curdled milk. ¡°You see Vivian out there?¡± Tiana giggled, burying her face in my bicep, but I kept as neutral of an expression as I could manage. ¡°We ran into her briefly. Why?¡± He grumbled under his breath, then said, ¡°she¡¯s been going out into the woods a lot since we¡¯ve stopped. No idea where she¡¯s going or what she¡¯s doing, but she¡¯s been hiding her tracks too damn well to be a noble. I don¡¯t trust her.¡± ¡°Al, you don¡¯t trust anybody,¡± I felt the need to point out. ¡°I trust you to keep getting into shit that should kill normal people,¡± he shot back with a shrug. ¡°Trust Yen to get into trouble the second I look away. Trusted Fel to be a right bastard at any given opportunity.¡± ¡°I stand corrected,¡± I said dryly. He snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t trust the bitch. She¡¯s up to something.¡± Something about his attitude towards Vivian annoyed me. Considering I also suspected her of being considerably more than just a ditzy-yet-charismatic noble, I wasn¡¯t sure why my hackles raised so aggressively. Maybe it had something to do with how I¡¯d just shed her in the forest or the image of her nipples poking through her sleepwear, one pierced and one not, that refused to leave my head. The way her expression had felt interested, frustrated, confused, and hopeless all at the same time. The odd, protective instinct that her expression had poked at. But none of that was any of Al¡¯s business. ¡°Zoey and Reese have been nothing but helpful this entire expedition, I think that alone earns her the benefit of the doubt.¡± He made a half-grumbling-half-growling noise that said he disagreed, but I¡¯d had a good morning so far and I wasn¡¯t about to let Angry Al shit all over it. ¡°We¡¯ll keep an eye out, Al,¡± I told him. He pointedly looked from me to Tiana. ¡°I¡¯ll bet.¡± Then he went back to scowling at the forest like it had offended him. Tiana and I exchanged a look, but she just shrugged. Unfortunately, the entire conversation wasn¡¯t exactly out of the ordinary when it came to Al. Still, if Vivian was half as powerful as I suspected she might be, keeping Al from pissing her off might be something I¡¯d end up having to do. With Tiana happily on my arm, we threaded back towards the camp. On the way, we ran into Korey and Liana, who greeted us warmly. ¡°Ren, just who I wanted to see,¡± Korey said. ¡°Liana seems confident everyone we¡¯ve rescued is ready to hit the road, and Pierce is as antsy to get moving as I am. Just wanted to get confirmation from you.¡± ¡°If Liana is confident, that¡¯s fine by me,¡± I told him. His shoulders rxed visibly. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll want to get on the road as quickly as possible?¡± He nodded. ¡°I think that¡¯d be best. We¡¯ve had more than our fair share of excitement for this trip, and I really miss my bed.¡± Tiana hummed. ¡°I understandpletely. I can¡¯t wait to get in a bed myself,¡± she practically purred, her arms tightening around mine. I was fairly certain both Korey and Liana¡¯s cheeks darkened slightly, but other than that neither of them reacted. I managed to resist the urge to roll my eyes, instead saying, ¡°I¡¯ll let my girls know, and we can get moving as soon as everyone¡¯s eaten breakfast.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Korey said with a p. Liana bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯ll have my girls get to packing as soon as they¡¯ve eaten. I can also pass along the message to Reese or Zoey so they can inform Vivian when she returns. We have a few girls capable of driving a carriage as well, so if you¡¯d like we can offer our assistance to give Miss Cynthia, Tsuki, or any of your drivers a break, Mr. Pravl. It took me a moment to realize she¡¯d been talking to Korey, and I silently kicked myself for not bothering to learn hisst name sooner. I¡¯de a long way, but it seemed my people skills still had a long ways to go. ¡°Sounds good. Same as before, make sure anybody who needs to ride does so. I don¡¯t need anyone straining themselves trying to prove anything.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. I¡¯ll enlist Iris, she¡¯s very perceptive and can help with the new additions as well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Liana. You¡¯re a godsend.¡± Her cheeks darkened further. ¡°Many of us would argue that is your role, sir.¡± But she bowed again and glided off before I could respond. Korey seemed amused. ¡°You¡¯re good with them,¡± he noted. ¡°Them?¡± I asked carefully, uncertain if he was referring to them being demi-humans or something else. He nodded. ¡°The people we¡¯ve saved. They¡¯ve been through something horrible, but they¡¯re already doing better than I would have thought.¡± Ah, that made more sense. ¡°Some of them might sense a kindred soul, but I suspect the truth is that many of them aren¡¯t nearly as okay as they¡¯re pretending.¡± When he shot me a curious look, I sighed. ¡°The more I learn about this whole system, the angrier I get. I¡¯d suspect many of them haven¡¯t had much of a chance to process trauma in their lives. Right now they¡¯re in survival mode, forced to focus on making it to the next step before they have the luxury of reacting to what they¡¯ve been through.¡± He grimace. ¡°You sound like you¡¯re speaking from experience, so I¡¯ll trust you on it. If there¡¯s anything you need from me, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I¡¯ll start everyone else moving.¡± He pped the shoulder Tiana wasn¡¯t hanging off of and headed off. We made it the rest of the way to our tent without being stopped. Inside, many of them were starting to get dressed for the day. Tiana gave me a kiss, then whispered something about helping Rhani choose her equipment for the day before heading over to wake the Arelim still snoring soundly. I earned a few amused smirks while she walked somewhat unsteadily across the tents, but I didn¡¯t acknowledge them. Instead, I told them that we¡¯d be moving out while I dressed. Nariko was nowhere to be seen, but Noelle and the twins remained. Tsuki was stillpletely naked, and I tried my best to keep my eyes on her own. It wasn¡¯t until my willpower crumbled and I raked a nce over her small, curvy body that she finally started to get dressed with the slightest quirk to her lips. I shook my head, still not sure what to do with either of the twins. Especially when I realized Ryoko was pointedly avoiding my gaze while her tail hung limply between her legs. I took a moment to rub her head between her ears and she froze, finally looking up at me. ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± I said softly, smiling. She rxed immediately and her tail perked up. She nodded once, her own lips curving in a small, soft smile, then headed to follow her sister. She risked a nce at me, her golden eyes brimming with uncertainty. Before I could look away she made a point of shedding the shirt she¡¯d slept in then bending over to pick her clothes up, her tail swishing with just enough force to give me a rather tantalizing view. I was caught off guard for the second time today, my brain simply unable to keep up with everything happening, so I didn¡¯t look away. Her cheeks flushed when she straightened and realized I was still watching, but she turned towards me to finish getting dressed. Tsuki noticed, but she simply pursed her lips and said nothing and started to pull her clothes on. Seeing them both naked next to one another I realized their hair wasn¡¯t the only thing that was different. While Tsuki had a lithe body, helped by the physical nature of her ss and skills as well as the training she¡¯d been doingtely, Ryoko was much softer. A bit thicker in the thighs, ass, and waist than her sister, but no less attractive for it. They both looked so much healthier than when I¡¯d pulled them from the Pens, and a primal part of me was very pleased by that fact. But as much as I¡¯d like to, I couldn¡¯t stand around and ogle the girls in my tent all day. Noelle had finished dressing already, and she walked over to help me. I raised a brow when she buckled on my sword belt, her hand brushing against my erection that was really struggling surrounded by all these beautiful girls, but she just shed a small smile at me. When I got to the parts she couldn¡¯t really help with, she just stood at my back and leaned into me. I¡¯d just finishedcing up my boots when I heard a dramatic gasp. ¡°Zaren!¡± Rhani called, storming over with a journal in hand and nothing on her lower body. ¡°Tell me everything!¡± For a second I wasn¡¯t sure what she was talking about. My paranoid brain went first to Ryoko¡¯s orgasm this morning, then to the moment that hadsted an eternity where Vivian¡¯s eyes had been glued to my junk. They my eyes drifted to Tiana, who was smirking. ¡°The Link?¡± I asked carefully. ¡°Of course the Link!¡± Rhani said sternly, dropping to sit with her legs crossed and her journal on herp. A brief sh of pleasure crossed her face with a light moan and she shook her head. ¡°Fuck, sat right on the plug.¡± She shifted, her hand disappearing beneath her, then sighed happily. ¡°Right, spill mister.¡± I told her everything I remembered while everyone else got dressed. Then, before she could yell at me for forgetting, I checked my Soul Essence. I was only seventeen short, which meant Tiana¡¯s Link had only cost twenty before whatever I¡¯d regenerated while fucking her ass into oblivion. When I told Rhani as much, she frowned. ¡°I wonder if twenty is the new normal or if it¡¯s something else. I wonder if this shimmer has anything to do with it. You¡¯ve still got no idea what it could mean?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± She nodded. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for more shimmers then.¡± I made an uncertain noise. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see unless I¡¯m focused on the soul for a period of time. It isn¡¯t really something I can just nce at a soul and see.¡± She nodded again, this time more emphatically. ¡°We can figure it out when we get to the capital, then. Until then, we can just be happy that you¡¯ve Linked your whole harem.¡± Then she shot a grin at the twins. ¡°Your current harem, at least.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure which sister blushed darker, but both of them very pointedly turned to start packing their things away. Neither of them showed any signs that they didn¡¯t want that though, which made my poor, tired cock stir a little in my pants. From the soft chuckle behind me, I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed. It was so rare to hear Noellee even close toughing that it took me a moment to ce the sound. But, for the twins¡¯ sake, I felt the need to redirect the conversation. I turned my gaze to Serena. She saw my look and paled. ¡°Hang on a second, Zaren,¡± she said quickly, holding her hands up. Toote. I grinned. ¡°Serena has a new skill, and not one from leveling up.¡± Rhani froze, her head turning slowly in Serena¡¯s direction. ¡°ording to the level two Link, it¡¯s a ¡®Soul Tempered Skill.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to tell me what it did, though.¡± A strangled noise fought its way from Rhani¡¯s throat. ¡°Serena! You¡¯ve been holding out on me?¡± Serena shot me a dirty look. ¡°I was going to tell everyone, I just haven¡¯t had the chance yet. It¡¯s called [Allura¡¯s Kiss]. I can create a bond with someone else and use it to sense their status. Health, mana, and in Zaren¡¯s case, Soul Essence.¡± She gave me a pointed look. ¡°That means no more hiding injuries from your priestess.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± I promised. She smiled. ¡°It also makes my healing more effective on you.¡± ¡°And the Link? How does it feel?¡± Serena blushed. ¡°I can feel him even more than before. I have to really focus to get anything of substance, but when I¡¯m around him I feel like I can more urately intuit how he¡¯s feeling. And when the Link leveled¡­¡± she trailed off with a blush, pressing her fingers to her mouth and smiling. Rhani turned to me and I chuckled. ¡°Same for me, actually. And yeah, considering what we were doing when the Link strengthened, it was quite the experience. I felt what she was feeling, and I tried to push some of my own feelings across the Link.¡± Serena¡¯s blush deepened and she strode across the tent, her head angled down, and right into my chest where she buried her face and wrapped her arms tightly around me. Noelle stepped back to let her, keeping a single hand on my back below where Serena¡¯s arms were. I returned Serena¡¯s embrace, running my fingers through her hair. ¡°It worked,¡± she said softly. The expressions of all my girls were wistful, and I felt the need to say, ¡°we still don¡¯t know a lot about how the Links work, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s solely based on how close we are. I think how long the Link has been active ys a role as well.¡± I checked across the Links. Sure enough, the newer the Link the weaker it felt. ¡°Serena¡¯s was always the thickest, but I¡¯m pretty sure it was just because hers was the first I forged. There isn¡¯t a doubt in my mind that all four of you will be level two before long.¡± That earned me a barrage of dazzling smiles. This time, my heart was the organ jumping a little. Rhani stood, then went to stow her journal once more. Her ass was pointed right at me, a bright blue gem winking at me from between her cheeks, and my blood was back to surging southward. She stood in a way that made me think she hadn¡¯t even done it on purpose, which made me chuckle. ¡°Alright, so we¡¯re heading out then?¡± she asked, hands on her hips. ¡°Rhani?¡± Noelle said, holding out one of Rhani¡¯s skirts pointedly. Rhani looked down like she honestly hadn¡¯t realized she¡¯d been walking around baring her lower half to the tent, then simply shrugged and donned the skirt. She pointedly didn¡¯t put on any underwear, winking in my direction to make sure I was aware of that fact. I adjusted myself in my pants for what must have been the hundredth time today. ¡°You all are killing me.¡± Rhani just grinned. ¡°What a way to go, though.¡± # # # I thought that we were breaking camp down fast before, but with all the extra hands we were on the road faster than ever before. By the time we were rolling, Vivian had returned from her trek in the woods and donned her standard attire, covering her body from the neck down with her hair cascading down her back. It still didn¡¯t have quite the shine it used to though, and theyer of makeup under her eyes was thicker than I¡¯d seen it. She was clearly avoiding me, and I couldn¡¯t exactly me her. I wasn¡¯t good with people on a normal day, so finding my way back from the ridiculous situation we¡¯d found ourselves in seemed an impassable hurdle. Whatever the case, I figured trying to push her right now was a bad idea, so I resolved to give her the space she needed for a day or two. We still had about a week to go before we reached the capital, so there was time. Serena remained by my side the entire day, a smile never far from her face. Rhani and Noelle had both decided to spend the day with Safina and Valith, while Tiana rode the wagon with Cynthia and the injured. They spent most of the day talking in hushed tones that had me curious, but I figured they¡¯d tell me what they were discussing when they were ready. Around noon, though, Valith and Alice hunted me down to tell me what they¡¯d found when they went searching for any sign of the me archer. The short version? Not fucking much. But¡ªand Valith made a point to say that they¡¯d never have found it without Alice¡¯s boosted sense of smell¡ªthey did find one thing. A small bit of metal that smelled like woodsmoke and honey, a strangebination that I found oddly alluring. The metal itself was no more than a few centimeters long, and on either end was a small red gem. The second Valith dropped it in my palm, I felt the faint hum of magic. She said she¡¯d shown it to Rhani already, and that my Schr seemed to think it was some kind of node in arger array. It wasn¡¯t inherently magical¡ªwhich meant we had no real way to discern what its purpose might have been¡ªit was a receiver for some other magical effect. Both girls admitted they had no idea what the metal might be, and Serena seemed equally as confused by it. Something about the piece was vaguely familiar to me, but I wasn¡¯t sure why. Not for most of the day, at least. Then a possibility urred to me that caused a myriad of emotions to smack me upside the head. The longer I looked at the bit of metal, the more I thought my idea was insane. Unfortunately, the harder I thought about it the more I was sure I was right. But it wasn¡¯t the kind of theory I could voice, especially since it was mostly based on guesswork and intuition, so I eventually banished the bit to my storage and thanked Valith and Alice both for their help. Valith nodded curtly, though I thought Alice might have brightened a bit when I thanked her. They took their leave and headed back to Rhani, Noelle, and Safina. Thanks to the clear weather, we made good time. Many of the captives from the gnoll camp were walking without any issue, though Suriel still spent the day on the wagon with S and the other injured. Many of the girls from Feng¡¯s camp spent the first part of the day walking, many of them clearly marveling in the knowledge that they weren¡¯t in a cage any longer, but many of them had to call it quits and hop on the wagon by the end of the day. When the day¡¯s journey finally came to an end, camp went up just as fast as it had been taken down. Left with nothing to do, my household ended up in the center of camp providing entertainment. Pierce joined me for once and together we worked with Zoey, Serena, Yen, and Safina on improving their technique. Yen was skilled at defense, but her offense was severelycking. Safina relied far too much on brute strength and raw power, so working on control was the main goal for her. While we worked on the martial aspects of our sses, Valith and Reese worked with Nariko, Tsuki, and Alice nearby. Nariko was a master at moving unseen, but when it came tobat she was almost entirely self-taught. Alice, like Safina, had skated by on natural ability and ss skills, but she was extremely eager to learn how to utilize her enhanced physical abilities to move stealthily. Tsuki, looking more determined than I¡¯d seen her so far, eagerly soaked up every lesson they gave. They weren¡¯t the only ones working their skills, either. Tiana, it seemed, was something of a natural born teacher. She¡¯d spent the first two years with her ss learning every single aspect of her spells and mastering their use, and she used that expertise to help both Rastra and Lana do the same. It helped that Lana¡¯s water and ice affinity helped anytime Rastra¡¯s unruly fire magic got out of hand, and by the time dinner was ready the me mage was already seeming more confident. Their training had an added effect. Watching out of the corner of my eye, I confirmed what I¡¯d suspected. Rastra¡¯s fire magic waspletely different than the me archer¡¯s in every way. The wildness in Rastra¡¯s magic came from the fact that as soon as she¡¯d cast the spell, she no longer had any attachment to it. She could create and initially direct the mes, but as soon as they¡¯d been cast they became nothing more than mana infused fire. The archer¡¯s mes had felt alive. I¡¯d seen the way they¡¯d curved in midair to hit the Rathum, and Rastra simply didn¡¯t have that level of control. The students copsed gratefully onto the ground or folding chairs when dinner was served, and the sea of spectators were quick to shower them withpliments and praise. It seemed a day of travel had improved the morale of the camp drastically. Laughter and light conversation dotted the entire caravan, and by the time three of my four paramours dragged me to bed there was a happy tiredness in the air. Though there were two notable exceptions. Al, as always, was still Al, though he was slowly getting more tant in his distrust of Vivian. The one time she showed her face tonight, he made sure she didn¡¯t leave his line of sight. Vivian, inparison, also seemed to be struggling. She showed up just long enough to down about half a bowl of food before she retired to her tent. She paused when her eyes met mine, and I was shocked by the tiredness I saw in them. I felt a rather sudden urge to find out what was wrong, to try and help with whatever issue seemed to be ailing her, but she was gone before I got the chance. Noelle had returned to bunking with her friends. Kili was ufortable sharing a tent with a man, and she and Noelle had already be fast friends. Noelle returned to her tent with the twins and Nariko in tow, though not before she slipped close enough to leave a dark bite mark on my shoulder with a grin. After that I made sure the other three members of my harem were well sated, but after they¡¯d all drifted off to sleep I couldn¡¯t help but summon the little piece of metal that Alice had found. The smell of smoke and honey still clung to it, but so much about the little thing eluded me. I thought I knew what it might be, but I had no idea how to confirm my theory without causing a number of other problems. Three more days passed in the exact same fashion. Wake up, usually to one of my girls ¡°enjoying themselves¡± using my body, which I never had anyints about, eat breakfast, travel for a day, stop, train, eat dinner, go to sleep wrapped in the two girls I knew I loved and one I was very quickly reaching the same point with. The attitude in the caravan was shifting as well, but I wasn¡¯t quite sure which direction it was leaning. On one hand, it certainly felt like the women we¡¯d saved were recovering from their ordeal, physically if not mentally. Fewer and fewer of them were having to use the wagon during the day, and even S had started walking. She still rarely spoke, but she stuck close to Rastra and Yen most of the time. But even as I felt the freed women growing morefortable, there was a rising tension that I couldn¡¯t quite figure out. A part of it was Al. The guy was really starting to wear on my nerves, and even Pierce had had to pull him aside to talk once or twice already. Al wasn¡¯t fond of strangers, and all the sudden over half the caravan was made up of just that. Plus, his animosity towards Vivian had only grown. It had spread to a severe mistrust of both Zoey and Reese as well, and Vivian¡¯s sharp tongue and intense (though usually rather entertaining) passive aggressive demeanor towards the man weren¡¯t helping in the slightest. That wasn¡¯t the only factor adding to the tension, though. The demi-humans had all been getting better in some ways, but worse in others. More than a few of them looked like they weren¡¯t sleeping well, and when I¡¯d inquired about it to Liana she¡¯d merely told me in a somber voice that many of the girls were suffering from some pretty bad nightmares. I could hardly me them, but I wished there was something I could do to help. But while I might have been powerless on the demi-human front, the Al and Vivian issue finally came to a head. It was Alice that came and sought me out, barging into my tent in a panic. ¡°Ren, you need toe quick, Al and Vivian¡ª¡± That was about as far as she got before she realized the position she¡¯d found me in. I was currently balls deep in Rhani¡¯s ass while Serena sat on her face in an attempt to keep her moans quiet. Tiana was behind me, one hand caressing my front while the other rubbed circles around Rhani¡¯s clit, her lips and teeth doing a number on my neck, jaw, and shoulder. No sooner had Alice barged in than Rhani came, clenching around me hard enough to draw out my own release. Alice watched with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open while I filled Rhani¡¯s ass to the brim with my seed, and it wasn¡¯t until my release had passed through that I found it in me to answer. ¡°Alice, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to give me a moment,¡± I panted. Extremely red-faced¡ªand rubbing her thighs together¡ªAlice nodded and slipped backwards out of the tent, her eyes never leaving where I was buried inside Rhani. I pulled out with a groan and gave Tiana a kiss. ¡°Better go make sure Vivian doesn¡¯t murder the shit out of Al.¡± Serena dismounted a blissful Rhani. ¡°You¡¯d better go ahead, we¡¯ll catch up,¡± she said. I sighed heavily. I¡¯d known this wasing, but did it have to happen while I was in the middle of something? ¡°No, you three keep going. I¡¯ll handle this.¡± I threw on some pants and was still pulling my shirt on when I walked out. I¡¯d expected Alice to be unable to meet my gaze, but instead she was eyeing me hungrily. I saw the way her eyes flicked down to my throat more than once and made a mental note to ensure she was fed after I dealt with whatever the hell was happening right now. ¡°Vivian was trying to leave the camp, but Al wouldn¡¯t let her until she told him where she was going,¡± Alice said quickly, heading towards the opposite end of the caravan. ¡°She refused, threw a couple of subtle insults at him, and then they started arguing. That¡¯s when I came to get you. Um, sorry for interrupting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I promised. ¡°Sorry if you got an eyeful back there.¡± While normally I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear it, it was dark enough that I caught her mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± that she said under her breath. When they came into view¡ªsurrounded by a few onlookers¡ªI came to a stop. I¡¯d expected two people shouting at one another, but when I got a good look at Vivian I realized things were a bit more dire than I¡¯d expected. Al was a step above his usual angry unpleasantness, but Vivian¡¯s sickly sweet smile was cold. I knew the look of someone dangerously close to snapping. I¡¯d worn the look more than once, and it had never ended well for its recipient. Vivian was on the verge of losing it, and instinct told me there weren¡¯t many in the camp who could take her on if things went poorly. It was time to defuse like a motherfucker. I patted Alice¡¯s shoulder to signal her to hang back and walked up to the couple. Reese and Zoey both nked their employer. Where Zoey was locked onto Al, her hand on her weapon, Reese was watching Vivian¡¯s every move with hawklike eyes that had me moving just a little quicker. I sighed loudly, announcing my presence. ¡°Al, what on earth are we shouting about right now? It¡¯s far toote for this.¡± He turned his body to me without taking his eyes off Vivian. ¡°This deceitful bitch is trying to sneak off to do who knows what, and I won¡¯t let her put the caravan in danger.¡± Well then. A part of me wanted to just let Vivian have him, but the rational part of my brain pointed out that, while he was being a supreme ass about it, Al was just doing his job. ¡°Al, hate to break it to you bud, but Vivian here doesn¡¯t have any contracts with me, Korey, or Pierce. She¡¯s apanion of convenience, which means she doesn¡¯t owe us her secrets.¡± He growled. ¡°She isn¡¯t what she seems.¡± Vivian¡¯s smile widened. ¡°And what exactly am I, Alrik?¡± Al stiffened, and his hand went to one of his des. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know I¡¯m not letting you creep off into the night anymore. Not without knowing what you¡¯re doing. A noble wouldn¡¯t know how to shake a ranger so easily.¡± It was Vivian¡¯s turn to stiffen, though I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what had set her off. ¡°As Zaren here so kindly pointed out,¡± she said through clenched teeth, ¡°I am under no obligations to you. I will go where I please you incredibly unpleasant man.¡± Something about the words didn¡¯t fit with the look in her eyes. For some reason, I expected a lot more vulgarity. The disparity was almost enough to make me miss her using my full name. Almost. Al took a threatening step forward and Zoey did the same. Vivian didn¡¯t so much as twitch, though. I sighed again, stepping close enough to put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Let it go, Al,¡± I told him. He shook off my hand. ¡°Why? Because she¡¯s spreading her legs for you, too? Or are you hoping to win her over by fighting her battles for her?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not doing this for her,¡± I said. Vivian¡¯s eyes flicked to me. ¡°I was just in the middle of something and really don¡¯t have the time or patience to clean up whatever¡¯s left of you when she¡¯s done.¡± I wish I could have bottled the moment up to enjoy itter. Zoey sucked in her breath and Reese balked. Al opened his mouth to say something else likely hateful, but then closed his mouth in confusion as my words finally registered. Then his gaze flicked back to Vivian and his eyes narrowed before he took a step back cautiously, but I wasn¡¯t looking away from Vivian. Her expression was still that sweet smile, but it felt more like she was frozen in time than anything else. Her eyes stared at me for a while, her gloved hands sped tightly in front of her, her jaw clenched so tight I worried Serena might have to work some magic on her poor teeth. Then she blinked. Then she blinked again. ¡°You¡­¡± she said finally, but the word trailed off. Before my very eyes, I watched the visage of Lady Vivian Cross shatter into a million pieces. Her smile fell first, then her brows came together. Her barely controlled expression melted into something much more akin to fury. The intensity and emotion in her eyes made my heart race. And not out of fear. ¡°You¡­¡± she said again. ¡°Lady Vivian¡­¡± Reese said, her tone dripping with caution. Then she took a step forward. ¡°You motherfucker!¡± Oh boy. She took another step and I was very suddenly aware that I was within arm¡¯s reach and I felt everyone but Reese and Zoey take at least two steps back. ¡°How fucking long have you known?¡± she demanded. I¡¯d known that the mask Vivian had worn wasn¡¯t anywhere close to who she really was, but I hadn¡¯t quite expected this fiery version of her. It took a second to find my tongue. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to be more specific.¡± Her hand shot out and grabbed the front of my shirt, yanking me in close with a surprising amount of strength. Reese and Zoey both took a step forward, but they froze when Vivian snarled. Snarled. A sound I found myself liking considerably more than the airy giggle she¡¯d seemed so partial to only a few days ago. ¡°Vivian!¡± Reese called again, her hands held out in front of her as if trying to calm a wild animal. ¡°How long have you suspected me, you slippery fuck!?¡± Vivian demanded. [Giant Killer] seemed to flicker, like Vivian was still trying to decide if I was an enemy or not. The surge in my primal wasn¡¯t as pronounced as it had been before, but logically I knew I should still be at least a little worried about the very angry Vivian in my face. I was not. Not in the slightest, and I had no clue why. I tried to fight it. I really did. Unfortunately, I failed. A grin slid onto my face, and I said, ¡°well, probably sometime around ¡®Lady Vivian Cross. A pleasure.¡¯¡± I should not have enjoyed the rage mottling her cheeks quite as much as I did. I shrugged. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a very paranoid person.¡± She growled, but my grin only widened. ¡°You fucking read me that day with the tents. Fuck I knew it!¡± Her grip tightened, and suddenly she was nose to nose with me. There was a fire in her eyes, and her face seemed to glow with rage. ¡°You godsdamned¡ª¡± ¡°Vivian!¡± Reese called again, but Vivian was on a roll. ¡°¡ªarrogant, reckless, bull headed¡ª¡± ¡°Lady Cross!¡± Zoey yelled, trying to break through to her. ¡°¡ªparanoid, clever, motherfucking¡ª¡± ¡°JACK!¡± Reese shouted. Vivian/Jack whirled towards her. ¡°WHAT!?¡± Reese just gestured towards where Vivian/Jack was gripping my shirt. Both of us looked down and I realized she wasn¡¯t glowing, but rather reflecting the light of the fire between us. The fire that coated her entire hand and arm down to her elbow. Fire that didn¡¯t frighten me nearly as much as it probably should have. Like water had been dumped over her, Vivian/Jack hissed and jerked back, putting space between us. She didn¡¯t look up at me, though. Instead, she stared at her hand in shock. I couldn¡¯t see any part of her flesh past the gold and crimson mes that danced and swirled in a mesmerizing fashion. The same gold and crimson mes that had eviscerated the Rathum. Her face twisted in concentration and I realized I¡¯d slightly misunderstood. Her hand wasn¡¯t wrapped in me, it was me. Before my very eyes, I watched as the mes slowed and condensed, dimming until they¡¯d settled back to the golden tan of her skin. Where the mes had been the glove had burned away, which was slightly insane considering I knew they were enchanted to be me resistant. She looked at her hand in shock, panting slightly, then her eyes shot open. She stepped back towards me, a panicked look on her face, and pressed her now-bare (and no longer made of fucking fire) hand to where she¡¯d gripped me a moment ago. Her touch sent fire racing through me (metaphorically speaking) but didn¡¯t hurt me at all. In fact, despite the annihtion of her glove, my shirt wasn¡¯t even singed. Vivian/Jack¡¯s look of panic was reced by one of pure confusion. Her brow furrowed, not in anger this time, and she ripped my shirt up to see the skin underneath. No burns there either. Only then did she seem to realize what she was doing and turned an alluring shade of scarlet thatplimented her fiery hair quite well. She released my shirt and took several steps back, shaking her head. ¡°I¡­I didn¡¯t¡­¡± She swallowed, then turned on her heel and strode back towards the center of camp, ducking into the tent I knew Zoey and Reese shared. When I turned back to the two owners of the tent, they were watching me intently. From the tightness of their bodies and their stances, I figured they were waiting one me to react poorly to whatever the fuck had just happened. I just jerked a thumb towards where Vivian had gone. ¡°Might want to go check on her. I don¡¯t know how her ss works, but I¡¯ve only got so many tents and I didn¡¯t think to invest in the fireproof ones.¡± They both gaped. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­¡± Zoey started. I shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with itter, preferably when she¡¯s had a minute to calm down.¡± Then I pointed at Al. ¡°And you¡¯re going to give her space. She already doesn¡¯t like you, and you don¡¯t seem very fireproof to me either.¡± Al paled, then stalked off to resume his watch while muttering to himself. It was about as good as I¡¯d get to an agreement from him. I looked back to the two of them. ¡°Well? Like I said, I¡¯m really not in the mood tonight. We can all talk more tomorrow.¡± They exchanged an incredulous look, but they didn¡¯t argue. They both sped off after Vivian and I just shook my head, running my hands through my hair. My reactions to literally everything she¡¯d done had been far from normal, which was something else I was going to have to deal with. For now, though, I was going to me it on still being incredibly horny and the knowledge that three very beautiful, very naked women were currently waiting on me to fix that. I could deal with the rest tomorrow. Chapter Sixty-Eight: Jacked Chapter Sixty-Eight: Jacked Well, I didn¡¯t get murdered in my sleep, so that was good. I¡¯d thought about going after Vivian/Jack, but I hadn¡¯t been back at my tent for long when a rather wary Reese came by to let us know that Vivian would be by in the morning to exin things. That was good enough for me, so I finished what I¡¯d started with my girls and called it a night. It was getting warmer already, so I wasn¡¯t surprised when I woke and only had one girl wrapped around me. Rhani was already awake, pouring over the Jailer¡¯s de with her magic detecting spectacles for the third day in a row with an expression that told me she¡¯d still made no progress on understanding how the scabbard worked. Serena was nestled with just enough space between us to stay cool, but as always she had her cold little feet tucked under my legs. Her extremities were perpetually cold at night, something she took great delight in alleviating at my expense. This particr morning, it was Tiana that was wrapped tightly around me. Her legs were tangled with mine, her head on my chest, and one arm tucked beneath her while the other rested on my chest. She was still asleep, but judging by the soft smile on her face she was having a good dream. I decided not to wake her. Unfortunately, that meant I was trapped beneath my beautiful mage and forced to stop and stew in my thoughts for a bit. I¡¯d been putting it off since I¡¯d nced at the avable skills but, with the possibility of a confrontation with Vivian on the horizon, I could hold out no longer. My instincts were adamant that Vivian wasn¡¯t a threat despite her deception and clear power, but I¡¯d been burned too many times and lost too much to take the risk. Even if I dreaded making a decision on which skill I¡¯d be selecting for my second ss. The Rathum had been a significant chunk of experience, but it had been split by nearly all of the fighters in our group. Shadowborn was now level twenty-one, which meant attribute points. Putting them both in Primal was a no-brainer, since that put me at thirty. That meant I now had an extra set of armor I could give to someone. Noelle was my first thought, but I¡¯d wait to discuss with the others. With her health and her own armored skill, she¡¯d surely decline in favor of giving the armor to someone else. Soul Smith had grown three more levels, making it level six. Two skills and one attribute increase. Once again, just to postpone as long as I could possibly manage, I went for the attributes first. Primal made the most sense seeing as my shadows were a more than integral part of my fighting style, but I couldn¡¯t discount finding an enemy or getting into a situation where my shadows were at a disadvantage. Right now, they were the crutch that had allowed me to make it this far. Strength wasn¡¯t something I was too worried about. Either I was in bright light and had a crazy bonus to it or I was in the dark and [Dark Sense] would more than give me the edge I needed to stay alive. Plus, even if I met an opponent who was resistant to my shadows, I could always wrap my limbs in darkness to give myself an artificial increase in my physical stats. I had enough health to not be too worried, and my Fortitude was at least above average. I still sometimes forgot about the fat seventy points in my Resilience stat, so that wasn¡¯t even on the table. I needed to be able to adapt on the fly. Versatility had always been my greatest weapon, and my Dexterity was only a little above average. Unless I was getting a boost from [Horde yer], fifteen just wasn¡¯t going to cut it. I sank the other two into Dexterity with the knowledge that Soul Smith would level pretty fast for a bit, so I had the points to spare. That left my stats looking like this:
Strength [15] Arcane [0] Vitality [22] Focus [14]
Dexterity [17] Divine [0] Fortitude [15] Resilience [70]
Agility [20] Primal [30] Endurance [15] Will [11]
With that done, it was finally time to move onto skills. Already I had a selection that I was rather excited by. [Empower] was the first one to catch my eye. I could expend [Soul Essence] to give my Linked allies a boost in their main stat, which sounded very promising. [Soul Transfer] was a skill that had me interested in where my ss was headed eventually, but it wasn¡¯t a skill that seemed very useful to me at current. I could transfer Soul Essence through my Links¡ªimplying that, as Rhani suspected, everyone had a pool of Soul Essence, I was just one of the few able to see or manipte it¡ªbut it was affected by the Link level. Sucking the soul out of my Links wasn¡¯t something that appealed to me, and as of yet those I¡¯m Linked to don¡¯t have any way of using the resource. It was interesting, but ultimately unhelpful for now. [Tandem Fighting] was another that had piqued my interest. If more than one individual in my Array of Links focused on a single enemy, their attacks would be more effective. Thanks to some interesting capitalization, I also learned that the system referred to the web of links as a whole as my Link Array, and its members it referred to as Linked. Good to know for future skills. There were also a few attribute increases avable, but this early in the ss I was leaning towards a skill that was more useful. That left the skill that had made me dismiss my System the moment I¡¯d read it. [Sever] Using Soul Essence, I could sever or destroy a magical connection. It didn¡¯t exactly take a leap in logic to assume my Links were included, and while a part of me was relieved that I could give one of my Linked a way to cut ties with me if the need ever arose, more than one of my girls had seemed rather appreciative of the permanence of our bond. I wasn¡¯t sure how they¡¯d react if I told them I¡¯d taken a skill that could remove those Links at will. I hadn¡¯t even realized I was dragging my fingertips along Tiana¡¯s back until she shifted, sighing softly through her nose, Her hand traveled up my chest to caress my face with a featherlight touch and her soft, sleepy smile widened. ¡°I can hear you thinking,¡± she mumbled into my chest. Rhani nced over at us, smiling at the sight of Tiana tangled with me, then went back to her sword. I put a little more pressure behind the fingers I was running up and down Tiana¡¯s spine and she made a sound of appreciation. I used my other hand to collect her auburn locks that had spread over her back in her sleep and tucked them over her shoulder so I had better ess to her soft, tanned skin. She pressed a kiss to my chest, leaving her eyes closed and putting her hand back over my heart. ¡°You alright?¡± I asked softly. ¡°Thest week or so you¡¯ve been rather¡ª¡± With how her naked body was pressed into mine, I could feel her tense. ¡°Clingy?¡± she asked, barely hidden worry in her voice. I lifted her chin and pressed my lips to hers. ¡°I was going to say affectionate. I¡¯m definitely not upset by it.¡± I held her gaze until her body started to rx into mine again then released her. Sheid her head back down, once again smiling. ¡°I have a bad habit of expecting the worst from any change in behavior. It¡¯s a w of mine.¡± She started tracing designs obvious only to her along my chest. ¡°We really jumped into this whole thing with both feet,¡± she said finally. ¡°I¡¯m notining, but I¡¯ve been¡­waiting. For things to go wrong.¡± My hand went on another journey down her back, this time going lower until my fingertips just brushed the top of her perfect ass. ¡°Waiting for what to go wrong?¡± ¡°You know¡­¡± She wouldn¡¯t meet my eyes. ¡°Us. Every good thing in my life has always gone to shit, and you¡¯re very quickly bing the best thing that¡¯s ever happened to me. For a while, I was afraid that if I let myself get too attached, it would kill me when the universe inevitably took away what we¡¯re building.¡± ¡°But¡­?¡± I prompted. She shed a smile at me. ¡°But every day I get to wake up next to you makes me feel more and more like this might be something thatsts. Every time you fuck me so hard my legs get all wobbly, I feel more and more willing to take the risk.¡± She yed with the hairs on my chest, still smiling wide. ¡°And now we¡¯re Linked. For a long time I gave up on finding someone capable of loving me after everything I¡¯d had to do to survive, but you¡­¡± I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her body up so that we were face to face. ¡°I can promise you none of that matters to me. You¡¯re mine now, and you never have to go through any of that again. Not as long as I¡¯m alive.¡± She shivered, and I felt her nipples tighten where they were pressed into my chest. She leaned her forehead against mine with her eyes closed. ¡°I¡¯ve done a lot, and I¡¯ve let a lot be done to me, but you¡¯re only one of three men I¡¯ve ever let have me fully. I just wanted you to know that.¡± I pressed my lips to hers, and her tongue invaded my mouth immediately. I sunk my hands into her hair, letting it run through my fingers while I dragged my nails down her back not quite hard enough to leave marks. She gasped her appreciation against my mouth and I pulled away. ¡°Duly noted, but if you¡¯re willing to overlook the scars of my past, then I¡¯ll never judge you on yours.¡± ¡°Not overlook,¡± she corrected. ¡°ept. Your past, as much as I wish I could undo it, is a part of you. I won¡¯t just pretend it doesn¡¯t exist. You deserve so much more than that.¡± A lump of emotion caught in my throat. ¡°And here I thought I was supposed to be the oneforting you.¡± She kissed me again. ¡°We can take turns. It¡¯s how a rtionship should be. Give and take in equal amounts.¡± She shifted so her head was on my shoulder and she was effectively wrapped around me again. It was an almost painfullyfortable position to be in, and I never wanted to move. ¡°Now, are you going to tell me what you were thinking so hard about a minute ago or do you need me to keep distracting you?¡± Oddly enough, our conversation had helped me make my mind up. [Sever] was one of my options, and it always would be. There would be plenty of levels in the future, so there was no need to stress about taking it now. Feeling good about the decision, I took [Empower] and [Tandem Fighting]. ¡°Just allocating levels,¡± I whispered in her ear, aware that saying those words too loudly would result in Rhani lunging for her journal. She hummed her understanding and weid there for a good while. Eventually the canvas was bright enough from the rising sun that I knew we had to get going soon, but I was loathe to move. Tiana, it seemed, felt the same. But the morning had ns for us, it seemed. My head jerked up when someone scratched at the entrance. ¡°If you¡¯d put some pants on,¡± Vivian/Jack called, ¡°I¡¯d like to talk.¡± Gone was the bubbly, higher pitch. In its ce was a lower, sharper tone that made me grin. ¡°Just a minute,¡± I called. I shared onest kiss with Tiana before releasing her. I went to wake Serena, but she was already sitting up and stretching. She smiled at me, then leaned over to whisper, ¡°I¡¯m d you and Tiana finally got to talk. I think all that¡¯s been bothering her a lot more than she¡¯s willing to admit.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right about that, but those kinds of scars take a lot of time to heal. Trust me.¡± We had barely managed to get ourselves somewhat decent before Vivian/Jack shouldered her way through the entrance. She still wore her standard long sleeved tunic, and she had a new pair of gloves covering her hands. Her normally wavy hair was tied in a high tail and she wore no makeup, not bothering to hide the deep bags under her eyes. ¡°Felt I should clear the air before we got moving,¡± she said, crossing her arms. I took a moment to marvel at the change. Vivian had been an energetic, bubbly, and often demure woman. She moved with a kind of carefully controlled submissiveness designed to allure and attract. That Vivian was long gone now. Now Jack stood before us. At least, that¡¯s what Reese had called her. She stood tall with her chin raised as if in challenge and her arms crossed. Her feet just wide enough and slightly staggered to give her a strong base in case she needed to move without appearing aggressive. She made no move to disguise the way her eyes flicked between us and our weapons scattered around the tent with a calcting gaze. ¡°Sure,¡± I said, waving for her to go ahead. She huffed. ¡°Jacqueline Pryce is my real name, but I just go by Jack. Call me Jacqueline or Jackie if you really feel like getting punched in the dick. I¡¯d offer to shake your hand, but as you witnessedst night that might not be the best of ideas.¡± I nodded. ¡°Seems like a tough skill to keep control of. Am I right in assuming your entire body does that?¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°More or less. It¡¯s an incredibly powerful skill, but the trade off is that holding a form that doesn¡¯t set everything I touch on fire can be¡­difficult.¡± ¡°Anything we can do to help?¡± Serena asked. ¡°I¡¯m handling it,¡± Jack said tly. ¡°Clearly,¡± I said under my breath, earning a re from Jack. Her ire amused me greatly though, so I couldn¡¯t find it in me to regret it. Rhani moved to stand just behind me, peeking around my arm. ¡°Isn¡¯t it illegal to impersonate nobility?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± Jack said with a wave of her hand. ¡°Viv gave me permission. Saved her from some assholes looking for some ransom money, so she owed me. We look simr enough to get by as long as I¡¯m not dealing with anyone who knows her directly.¡± ¡°And are we supposed to continue this ruse?¡± Tiana asked coolly, her brow arched. ¡°Fuck no.¡± Jack shuddered. ¡°If I have to spend another day acting like an airhead, I¡¯m going to lose my shit. Besides, this dickwaffle is the only one I really cared about deceiving anyways,¡± she said, gesturing at me. Dickwaffle? I resisted the urge tough, but not very well. She turned her amber eyes on me, then shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed it. I knew I fucked up a couple of times, which is supremely unlike me, but your behavior never changed. Should have guessed it was because you¡¯d been suspecting me from the start. Asshole.¡± The grin fought its way out despite my best efforts. ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I¡¯m not overly sympathetic.¡± She snorted, but the corners of her lips twitched upwards. ¡°Eat shit. I thought that fuckface Al was gonna out me from how much of a paranoid prick he was being. I¡¯d say I should apologize, but honestly? Fuck Al. Dude needs to getid something fierce.¡± This time a smirk did tug at her lips. ¡°Too bad some magic cocked stud is hoarding all the straight women.¡± Tiana wrapped her arms around my waist from behind, resting her chin on my shoulder. ¡°Not all of them,¡± she said pointedly. I was pretty sure I didn¡¯t imagine the slight darkening of Jack¡¯s cheeks, but whether that was from anger or something else remained to be seen. ¡°As tempting as that is after hearing all the pretty sounds you five make at night, probably not a great idea if you want your boyfriend to retain a working dick. My heart rate increases and I can melt metal, not really conducive to physical rtionships.¡± Rhani gasped as if that was the worst fate she could imagine. ¡°Oh you poor thing.¡± Jack just rolled her eyes. ¡°My sexual frustrations are not the point of this conversation.¡± ¡°Then what is the point?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°Unless you¡¯re here to tell us why you were spying on Ren.¡± Jack perked up a little, and I just knew it was because she was rising to the challenge in Tiana¡¯s voice. ¡°You gonna tell me why two gods wanted to have a chat with your boy toy?¡± My girls froze, but I justughed. From the sparkle in Jack¡¯s eyes, that was the right answer. ¡°That depends, I guess,¡± I told her. ¡°How much have you puzzled out?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away, but when I raised a brow she just grinned and rolled her shoulders. ¡°Zaren Nocht, heir to the Nocht fortune that¡¯s sat untouched since the Zaren Nocht vanished into thin air thirty years ago. Looks simr enough to be his kid, except for the fact that his scars, personality, ss, and fighting style are all identical to the admittedly shit records I could dig up on the shadow of the Seven. Clueless about anything recent, aggressively against modern day treatment of demi-humans, and traumatized as shit. You¡¯ve managed to stumble into at least four situations that should have required troops from the capital, which means you¡¯re either really lucky, really unlucky, or you¡¯ve got someone divine leading you by the nose.¡± She cocked one hip, her grin widening. ¡°You swing around a crazy powerful cursed weapon that fits all the legends of the original Zaren Nocht. You¡¯ve got the paranoia and hyper awareness of a veteran despite being even younger than me. The exact same age as when the original Zaren first disappeared, coincidentally. All in all, either you¡¯ve got some good ass contacts and are reallymitting to the role, or I¡¯ve been spending my nights listening to a living legend rail some of the hottest girls I¡¯ve seen in a while.¡± ¡°You think we¡¯re hot?¡± Rhani asked before I could so much as respond. Jack barked out augh. ¡°Yeah, bunny. When you spend seven years able to look not touch, you tend to notice things like that.¡± ¡°Bunny?¡± Rhani asked, her nose scrunching. Jack¡¯s grin only widened. ¡°You sure fuck like one.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes bulged, and I felt Tiana use my neck to smother herugh. Even Serena had to hide her smile behind her hand. Rhani was outraged for about three seconds before she lost the fight with her face and smiled. ¡°Fair enough. Guess we should thank you for making sure this one didn¡¯t end up as Rathum kibble,¡± she said, patting my chest. That made Jack¡¯s gaze slide away. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she said, rubbing the back of her neck. ¡°My cover wasn¡¯t worth anyone getting eaten. I figured I¡¯d have to step in way earlier with how much shit you get up to, but you handled everything up to that point spectacrly.¡± ¡°Ah, speaking of,¡± I summoned the small bit of metal from my storage, ¡°this belong to you?¡± Her eyes went wide. ¡°Where in the fuck did you find that!?¡± she demanded, her body going rigid. One of my hunches was right, then. Tiana and I had run into her that morning because she¡¯d gone out looking for the piece. I tossed it to her, and she caught it easily. ¡°Alice found it near where you took a shot at the Rathum. I was trying to figure out what¡ª¡± The words died in my throat as she ripped her tunic off, revealing a dark red bra with runes stitched into thece. Suddenly I was very understanding of why she kept so much of her body hidden. One look at what she¡¯d been keeping out of sight under her clothes and I¡¯d have found myself heavily doubting her noble story. Serena had an athletic build. Her muscles were well defined, but her build was still fairly slim outside of her powerful thighs. Jack was¡­well, jacked. I could see every muscle in her body outlined clearly against her wless skin. From a six pack that could grate cheese to arms that looked like they could give Safina a run for her money in an arm wrestling contest. As if they had a mind of their own, my eyes trailed up her body. They took in her abs, the piercing in her belly button, her muscr abs, then mmed to a stop. Not only were her tunics enchanted, but it seemed they were padded as well. They even hid the surprisingly generous chest that strained against the bra she wore. The bra that was currently tumbling to the ground, erasing every coherent thought I had left as those breasts came into view. Just like that, the theory I thought had certainly been too ridiculous to hold merit was proven true. Her right nipple waspletely naked, but her left was pierced by an identical bit to the one I¡¯d just tossed her. The thought that I¡¯d been carrying her nipple piercing around for thest few daysbined with her baring her chest to all of us without a care in the world was sending far too much blood southward to hold any kind of intelligent conversation. Things didn¡¯t get any better when she grabbed the naked nipple and tugged, pinching it with a wince until it hardened enough for her to push the piercing into the nub. Gold and crimson mes rose where she forced it into the skin and a groan slipped past her clenched teeth. As soon as it was in ce, a wave rippled across her flesh, changing the skin from fire then back again in the blink of an eye. Her eyes rolled back and she shuddered, then let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Thank fuck¡­¡± she breathed. ¡°You have no idea how much of a pain it is trying to keep my shit on lock for that long. Fucking godsdamned etherwyrms ate my backup set.¡± ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± Rhani asked, a little drooling out of her mouth, ¡°because that¡¯s the only exnation I cane up with to exin what just happened.¡± Jack just rubbed the nipple, which was smoking slightly, making no move to grab her discarded clothes. ¡°Sorry, got caught up in the moment there. When your main ss ability is turning into fire, you learn to get used to nudity. I had to do a lot of jobs before I could afford fireproof underwear.¡± I finally managed to break eye contact with Jack¡¯s tits to nce at Rhani, who I realized was still wearing those spectacles. I recognized the glint in her eyes, and despite the situation it wasn¡¯t because of Jack¡¯s bare state. Well, not entirely at least. ¡°I have questions,¡± Rhani said. Jack nodded, bending down to pick up her tunic. ¡°Sure, sure. You want to know how it works?¡± Rhani nodded, and Jack threw on the tunic without the bra. She hung the undergarment over her shoulder. ¡°The piercings are all part of a set,¡± she gestured to both tits and the belly button piercing. ¡°They all form parts of a rune array designed to suppress the nature of my skill so I can actually control it. They¡¯re even geared to draw on my mana while I¡¯m asleep to keep me from burning anything down while I¡¯m out. If a single node on the array gets destroyed or goes missing, the whole thing fails.¡± Rhani gasped slightly, then I saw her eyes ze over. She¡¯d realized something. Something important enough to go into her focused state. Stepping so that I was flush to her side, I slid my hand into the back of her skirt and pushed one finger against the plug I knew was there. I started pushing the end of the plug in circles to give her skill a boost and a soft moan slipped past barely parted lips. ¡°But if they¡¯re all nodes,¡± Rhani said breathlessly, ¡°then where is the¡­oh.¡± Jack blushed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. Amulets fall off, bracelets run the risk of getting damaged, and my extremities always ze first if I lose control anyways. I went through a couple of different possibilities, but this one was the only one that worked with the way I fight.¡± I wasn¡¯t quite sure what I was missing until Rhani grabbed a fistful of my shirt without looking away. ¡°Zaren, if you love me, you¡¯ll get me a magic butt plug too.¡± I nched, looking at Tiana. She scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, the strap was a gift. I couldn¡¯t afford things like that before.¡± Jack was grinning again, but Rhani cleared her throat. ¡°Jack? Thanks foring to clear the air, but after all that I really need Zaren to fuck the shit out of me and if we wait much longer we won¡¯t have time before the caravan gets moving.¡± Jack choked as Rhani knocked the smile right from her face. ¡°Uh, right. Yeah, no, that¡¯s fair. Guess I have a pretty nice body, huh?¡± Her cockiness had slipped a little though, and she suddenly seemed uncertain. ¡°Guess I should go tell Reese and Zoey they¡¯re off firewatch for now. You guys¡­uh¡­have a good fuck?¡± She coughed as if trying to clear her airway. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m gonna go now.¡± Her movements much more at ease than they had been previously, Jack spun and ducked out of the tent. The second the p closed behind her, Rhani was moving. I braced myself for an impact that never came when she dove, not for me, but for the Jailer¡¯s de sitting in the corner of the tent. She hefted it with a grunt, barely able to lift it with both arms, and pushed it into Serena¡¯s arms. ¡°Zaren!¡± she demanded, her eyes still a little zed. ¡°Flip thetch!¡± I knew better than to argue when her voice took that tone, and I had the Essence to spare after spending several nights with my girls. ¡°Alright, Serena hold her steady.¡± ¡°No, not like that!¡± Rhani barked. She reached out and turned the de so that the t was facing her, then pulled out a journal. ¡°Okay, now,¡± shemanded. Grinning at my feisty little schr, I put my hands around the hilt and flipped thetch with my thumb. Immediately I felt the connection open, but it was different than it had been before. Rather than feeling like someone was scooping my lungs out of my chest, there was a much smoother sensation of my soul feeding into the de. Like I was pushing as much as it was pulling, and because of that I had more control over the flow. The entity in the de¡ªAsh, I could only assume¡ªwoke more slowly than the power the de contained. They greeted me warmly with a sense of curiosity, clearly confused by theck of enemies in our vicinity. Like I had with Serena when our Link had deepened, I tried to push my own emotions through the Link between me and Ash. Sure enough, I felt a thrum in the bond between me and the de, confirming for a fact that Ash was indeed the entity inside. I sent a curiosity of my own. A desire to understand the de as well as the entity trapped inside. What I got in return was a wave of happiness and pleasure that made my still-hard cock throb. Ash was apparently very happy that I¡¯d made the distinction between the two, and just as happy that I was holding up my end of the bargain. Trying to understand Ash instead of locking the Jailer¡¯s de away in my storage until I needed its power. Crimson tendrils of smoke snaked up my arm, but it felt more like a caress than it did thetching on of a powerful being intent on sucking my very Essence from my body in an extremely unfun manner. Emotionally, it felt like Ash was running their fingertips along my arm, which was a very weird sensation. Not an unpleasant one, though. ¡°It¡¯s a fucking node!¡± Rhani eximed, adjusting her spectacles. ¡°As soon as you shifted thetch, it broke the array and nullified the web. It¡¯s a crazy intricate array, too. There are dozens of nodes embedded within the scabbard. It must be two pieces. An inner array that¡¯s designed to contain the de and its magic and an outer array to make the de indestructible, but¡­¡± she trailed off, and with some rm I saw blood dripping from her nose. Ash mirrored the panic that raced through my veins, and suddenly those crimson tendrils hadtched onto my arm with a force that made me wince. They yanked me forward, mming the de back into the scabbard fully, and I felt their need for me to close thetch. As soon as I did, Rhani swayed on her feet. Tiana lunged before she could fall and gently guided her down, but Rhani wasn¡¯t worried. Blood still ran from her nose and over the wide smile she wore. ¡°That¡¯s another level to me,¡± she said happily. ¡°Turns out studying runes that don¡¯t exist is a great way to earn experience.¡± I held her face between my hands and forced her to look at me. Her focused state was gone, and other than the blood that had finally stopped she seemed fine. ¡°Rhani, what was that?¡± She waved a hand. ¡°Cursed de, remember? You were the one who told me it would be dangerous, but I¡¯m being careful.¡± ¡°This has happened before?¡± I demanded. ¡°Zaren, I¡¯m fine,¡± she promised. ¡°I¡¯ve got a skill that protects me from anything permanent, which means I¡¯m literally the only one who can do this unless we can find someone else who happens to have been gifted to you by a goddess.¡± She pulled a cloth from her pocket and started wiping the blood away. ¡°What do you mean, the runes don¡¯t exist?¡± Tiana asked. Rhani grimaced at the amount of blood, but it seemed to be more of an inconvenience to her than anything else. ¡°It¡¯s why I¡¯ve made so little progress. Runes are all based on the samenguage, which is theorized to be the naturalnguage of magic. Since we¡¯re assuming this de was forged in an altogether different ne, my guess is that the magic there has a different dialect, if that makes sense. I¡¯m trying to puzzle out runes made in apletely differentnguage that doesn¡¯t resemble anything I¡¯ve ever seen, and my brain isn¡¯t very happy about it.¡± She tried to smile reassuringly, but the blood in her teeth really hurt her efforts. ¡°The magic that runs through all of us thanks to the System seems to be somewhat ipatible to this magic from the other ne, but I think I¡¯m slowly building up resistance. It¡¯s why your sword is so harmful to anyone that touches it. On a base level, we simply aren¡¯tpatible with it.¡± ¡°So why can Zaren wield it, then?¡± Serena asked. Rhani could only shrug. ¡°I wish I knew. I know he theorized it had something to do with the state of his soul¡ªand I do think that is a factor¡ªbut my gut is telling me there¡¯s something else we¡¯re missing, and I can¡¯t even begin to guess what that might be until I know more about the de.¡± I let out a breath. ¡°Every instinct I have wants me to make sure you never look to closely at the de again,¡± Rhani shot me a re, her mouth already opening to protest, ¡°but, as you¡¯ve pointed out, I can¡¯t expect you to watch me risk my life and keep you from doing the same. Just promise me you¡¯ll be careful?¡± She scoffed. ¡°I can hardly unravel the secrets of the universe if I¡¯m brain-dead, can I? Trust me, Zaren, my life is better now than I ever hoped it could be. I¡¯ve got no ns to throw that away.¡± She washed the blood from her mouth with her canteen. ¡°Now, lose the pants. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I told Jack I needed you to fuck me, and for some reason massive breakthroughs in my research have started making me insatiably horny.¡± She grinned at me towards the end of her sentence to show me she wasn¡¯t upset by that in the slightest. I rolled my eyes. ¡°And how exactly is that different from how you normally are?¡± I asked, undoing my belt. Rhani leaned back and spread her legs, reminding me that she wore nothing under her skirt. ¡°Normally I want you. Right now I need you.¡± She licked her lips, her eyes glittering. ¡°Get to fucking, mister, and I might let you have a turn with the others.¡± Well, when she puts it that way¡­ # # # Other than Jack, who walked with her shoulders rxed and a glow in her eyes, the day progressed much the same. I had a quick chat with Korey and Pierce to bring them up to date on her situation as I understood it. They were both a little concerned she¡¯d so effectively deceived most of the caravan, but in the end decided that if I wasn¡¯t worried then they weren¡¯t either. Clouds started to roll in, but no rain fell. The capital loomed ever closer, and we were starting to see signs of civilization again. We passed homesteads and small collections of buildings, but this close to our destination we all agreed to push through without losing half a day to the only inn we passed. By the time we came to a stop, Korey was positive we¡¯d be sleeping in real beds in two days. Three if the weather turned sour. Camp was set up and our impromptu training began. We hadn¡¯t gone long before we were interrupted, and the cause for the interruption once again had my brain short circuiting. Jack stormed into our little ring we¡¯d set up, and her attire was¡­ Well, it felt like it matched her personality better than the full body covering Vivian wore. Her hair was back in its high tail, and her neck and shoulders werepletely bare. Her top left little to the imagination. It was little more than a strip of cloth that started below her corbones and ended a bit below her breasts. It looked like it would hold her chest in ce and little else. Her pants were a set of tight shorts that didn¡¯t go far down the thigh and hugged her ass just as tightly as her top did her tits, which meant I got to see that her lower half matched her upper half in its level of fitness. Thighs that looked like they could crush my skull and an ass I could bounce a copper off of. She arrived in a set of uced boots that cut off just below her knee, but she kicked those off as soon as she saw me. ¡°You!¡± she barked, her finger leveling at my chest. ¡°We¡¯ve got business, you and I.¡± I somehow managed to keep my eyes above her neck after my initial surprised appraisal of her outfit. ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, acting far more unbothered than I felt. ¡°Yeah,¡± She rolled her neck. ¡°I want to see what you¡¯re made of, one on one.¡± Anticipation rushed through me. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen enough of me yet?¡± Her cheeks darkened slightly, but her grin widened. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you dancing around with your girlfriend the past few weeks. She¡¯s fucking excellent for a novice, but I want to see if you can handle me.¡± I wanted to know the answer just as much as she did, if not more, but I couldn¡¯t resist poking the smoking bear. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, I think I still might be recovering from the shock that sweet Lady Vivian ended up being such a brute,¡± I teased. A soft gasp came from somewhere, but Jack¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°A brute, huh? Cute. What do you say we make it interesting? A favor to the winner?¡± Now that was interesting. ¡°I win and you tell me all about why you¡¯re really here?¡± ¡°Sure, if that¡¯s what you want to waste it on,¡± she said, her feral grin never wavering. ¡°But it won¡¯te to that.¡± I looked to Serena and the others who were watching our interaction with rapt attention. I jerked my head, and they vacated the area. ¡°Terms of the challenge?¡± Her grin widened, making me think of a predator baring its fangs. ¡°All out. I know we can both take a beating, and your girlfriend can glue us back together.¡± She cracked her neck. ¡°I can take whatever you can dish out, big boy.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Weapons? Not sure if I¡¯ve got anything you won¡¯t melt.¡± ¡°Anri,¡± she said, turning to where the Erinyes was watching. ¡°May I borrow a sword?¡± Anri blinked. ¡°Um, my des aren¡¯t typically¡ª¡± She cut off when Jack let one of her hands turn to me. ¡°Oh. What kind of de?¡± Jack turned to me, brow raised. I summoned a hand-and-a-half de since it was my favorite. ¡°Just match that one.¡± Anri did, and watching her weapon form was a sight to see. Moltenva shot from her palm, twisting into the shape of a rod before condensing, turning into ck obsidian shards glued together by molten me in the exact shape of the sword in my hands. She flipped it and held it out to Jack hilt first, and the fiery redhead took it with an appreciative nod. She gave it a few test swings. ¡°Lana, if you¡¯d be so kind, make sure I don¡¯t set anyone important on fire,¡± she said, not taking her eyes off me. I heard a squeak from somewhere to my left, but the blood was already starting to pump in my veins. My fingertips tingled, and I didn¡¯t bother to fight the sense of excitement that was bubbling up in me. I stuck my de tip-first into the dirt and pulled off my coat, then my shirt. Jack watched my every move, twirling her de in anticipation. I heard more than a few gasps as many of the people in camp took in my scarred torso for the first time, but they barely even registered. I was finally getting a glimpse at the real Jack, and the part of me that was more beast than man was very excited by that. It was just as excited when her eyes flicked down to my chest and she wet her lips. I just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m running out of shirts, and I¡¯m still wearing more clothes than you,¡± I pointed out. She started bouncing on the balls of her feet, which had her generous chest straining against her top. ¡°Extremities go up first when I fight. I have to wear clothes that won¡¯t burn off, and these are the best option.¡± She shifted so her body was perpendicr to me, her de behind her and her knees bent slightly. ¡°Fair enough.¡± I touched my wrist and conjured a tendril, wrapping it around my de both to dull it and to protect it against the heat of Anri¡¯s sword. From the angle she stood, I could see every strand of muscle in her back shifting as tension rolled through her body. ¡°Call it, big guy.¡± ¡°Serena?¡± I said, not bothering with a stance. A secondter, I heard my priestess¡¯s voice say, y on!¡± She¡¯d barely finished the two short words before Jack and I were crashing against one another. I didn¡¯t start slow or test her defenses carefully. I went at her as hard as I could right out the gate, and she must have done the same. Jack was right when she called what Serena and I did ¡°dancing.¡± Moves and counter moves. Fancy footwork. Serena¡¯s biggest strength was her quickness, which meant technique was her best friend. Knowing when to avoid damage and when to push her advantage. Keeping her opponent at the right range for her spear to be used with maximum efficiency. Serena fought like water, fluid and graceful, able to shape to whatever situation that was in front of her. Appropriately, Jack fought like a wildfire. Her style was raw aggression, every move was either a kill move or setting up for one. Those muscles weren¡¯t for show, either. She was strong. I¡¯d only blocked a few strikes from her before my shoulders started to really feel it, so I had to shift to trying to deflect or redirect her blows rather than stopping them altogether. Her stance was ever shifting, too. She moved like the flickerings of a me, in my face one moment and gone the next. Always pressing me, never giving me any time to try and rally. I gave as good as I got though and pushed right back, much to her delight. Sheughed when my de caught her rib, mes trailing from the cut, and responded by locking our des in a bind and punching me in the face with her off hand. I shot her a bloody grin and it was on again. I¡¯d sweep her leg and she¡¯d kick my knee out. She¡¯d flick my de up to m me with the pommel and I¡¯d throw a knee into her side. She fought dirty, and so did I. It was less of a spar and more of a brawl, and I fucking loved it. I managed to knock her de from her hand and she responded by grappling me and throwing me to the ground. We wrestled for purchase, both of us managing to sneak in a few hits in the process, then we were springing away. Whether it was her or I that caused the separation I couldn¡¯t say, but it onlysted a moment. We came back together de-first and did our damndest to kill one another. After she¡¯dnded a few blows I was forced to summon more tendrils to shield my skin from the heat of her de. Anotherugh bubbled out of her and she came at me with renewed fury, her grin never wavering. She twirled the de one handed and her off hand shifted back to me. She flicked her wrist and birds of me leapt from the limb. I summoned tendrils of my own to knock them out of the sky, but not before she¡¯d closed the distance and mmed the t of her de across my shoulder des. I responded by stepping into her, using a tendril to hook her foot and mming my shoulder into her chest. She went down, but her ming hand shot out. Fire sted me in the chest, knocking me away and giving her a chance to roll to her feet. I shot a blunted [Umbral Barrage] and she grunted as the needle-shaped projectiles peppered her, but she responded with another wave of firebirds. For minutes or hours we went back and forth, using des and skills in tandem to try and gain the upper hand, but she was easily one of the best fighters I¡¯d ever met. She hadn¡¯t been kidding about her tolerance for pain, either. Nothing I did ever got more than a surprised grunt or gasp from her, and every blow Inded just made the fire in her amber eyes glow brighter. The end came swiftly. She came at me low before leaping anding at me with an overhead blow. I caught the heavy strike on my de, but let my wrist roll so that the downward cut slid along my de and away from my body. Her expression flickered as momentum carried her within striking range and Ished out, cutting into her sword-arm. She hissed and lost control of the arm. It shifted to fire and the de went spinning from her not-quite-corporeal fingers. I flipped the de, intending to press it to her chest and force a submission. Toote, I saw the triumph in her eyes. She surged forward as her torso shifted to me. Her top burned away and my de passed right through her chest. With a flourish, a whip of me shot out of her sword-hand and snatched Anri¡¯s de out of midair, yanking it back to her hand. Jack¡¯s torso reformed¡ªnow bare¡ªand she crashed into me. Her leg hooked behind mine and we both went down with her on top. Her off hand went for my neck while she flipped Anri¡¯s sword de-down and thrust it somewhere behind her. My shadows rushed to my throat as her ming fingers wrapped around it and I felt the heat of Anri¡¯s de through my pants, meaning its tip was likely between my legs, just blow my junk. We both panted while she straddled me, her chest heaving and her once-again exposed breasts doing things to me. Her cheeks were flushed red, and her grin was as wide as it had been so far. It only widened more when she felt the evidence of what her chest, position sitting on myp, and the spar preceding it was doing to me. She rolled her hips once, grinding her core along my length, and her flush deepened. ¡°Sorry, but this was one fight I wasn¡¯t losing,¡± she said breathlessly. ¡°I can see that,¡± I panted back. ¡°I yield, you win.¡± I felt the heat of the de disappear, but she didn¡¯t take her hand from around my neck. Nor did she make any move to dismount me. ¡°I haven¡¯t fought that hard in a long fucking time,¡± she said. Then her gaze slid from mine to the ming hand wrapped around my throat. She shifted it down, running it along my chest. I felt the pressure of my shadows following her touch, keeping the mes that should have been burning me from being anything more than a heat so intense it was just shy of painful. ¡°Oh fuck yes. I was right. Your shadows¡­¡± she nced to where my sword was. Despite having passed through where her mes were likely the hottest, it was unharmed. ¡°They¡¯re immune to my mes.¡± Then a flicker of uncertainty shed through her battle high and she stood abruptly. Her hands shifted from me to flesh so quickly even she was surprised, and she reached out to help me up. She hurriedly let go of my hand, but I felt the need to tap her chest just above her breasts and gift her a tendril. After a mentalmand, it wrapped around her chest a few times giving her about as much coverage as her poor, immted top had. She looked down in surprise. A wave of me passed through her chest and under the shadows, but they were rtively unbothered. She grabbed one in each hand and squeezed. ¡°Fuck that¡¯s cool. It always sucks having to sh the girls at everyone all the damn time when I fight.¡± This time her expression was less of a feral grin and more of a genuinely thankful smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± After weeks of Vivian being a constant source of deception, the rawness in her gaze had me looking away and over the wide eyes and gaping mouths of everyone in the caravan who were still watching. ¡°So,¡± I prompted, ¡°your favor?¡± Another sh and Jack was back. Her smile morphed into a cocky grin. ¡°First things first, put your shirt back on, stud.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but return the smile as I did as she asked, then she jerked her head back towards our tents. I saw Serena and Tiana both follow at a distance, an amused expression on both their faces. I arched a brow and Tiana shot me a challenging look. ¡°Tell your girlfriends to take a breath,¡± Jack said with a chuckle. ¡°I need your skills, not you.¡± She nced back at me over her shoulder. ¡°How much control do you have over those shadows?¡± ¡°Depends,¡± I told her. ¡°If I¡¯m touching it,plete control. If they¡¯re attached to one of the shadow armors I can create I can do the same. It takes focus though, so usually I give them amand to follow until they run out of mana.¡± She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Can youmand them to follow other people¡¯smand?¡± I opened my mouth and paused. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got no idea.¡± That pulled her to a stop. ¡°Seriously? I figured Rhani would have jumped on that already.¡± She turned and pushed her chest out towards me with a grin. ¡°Give it a shot.¡± And I thought my harem was bad. Jack was pushing buttons I didn¡¯t know I had. I touched two fingers towards the base of the tendril and gave it a silentmand to follow Jack¡¯s orders, mental or otherwise. ¡°Done.¡± She looked down at the tendril with a frown. A frown that turned into a delighted grin as the tendril unwrapped¡ªonce again freeing her damn tits¡ªthen split. Each side of the tendril wrapped around a different breast, spiraling inwards until it was wrapped around her hard, pierced nipples. ¡°Fucking wicked.¡± Jack seemed determined to put on a show, so I didn¡¯t bother even trying to look away as they squeezed and twisted against her breasts. ¡°You might be better at fine control than me,¡± I admitted. She waved a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, I¡¯ve spent thest six years learning how to handle my own mes, and your shadows aren¡¯t too different. How many of them can you have active?¡± ¡°As many as my mana allows.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Jack licked her lips. ¡°That¡¯s my favor then. As many as you can conjure, all set to follow my orders for the night.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Do I want to know?¡± ¡°Probably not, but I¡¯ve had to live next to you and your horny girlfriends for thest two weeks, so I¡¯ll tell you anyways.¡± Her torso shifted back into fire and the shadows sunk into them, drawing a happy gasp out of her. ¡°I was seventeen when this ss turned my body into something nobody could touch, and fireproof dildos aren¡¯t exactly something you can just pick up off a shelf, and all my funds have had to go towards the array that keeps me from turning into a natural disaster. I¡¯ve had nothing but my hands to get me off for seven years and I. Am. Horny.¡± She stepped close enough that our chests were nearly touching. ¡°So your shadows are going to give me every godsdamned orgasm I can wring out of them between now and sunrise, even if Zoey has to toss me over her shoulder and carry me tomorrow.¡± She grinned, leaning close enough that all I could smell was woodsmoke and honey. ¡°And if they do a really good job, maybe I¡¯ll be in a good enough mood to answer all your questions tomorrow.¡± Gods have mercy, Rhani was going to have a field day when I got back to my tent. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell them to do a good job. You¡¯ll have to tell me where you want me to ce them.¡± ¡°How long do theyst?¡± ¡°Until they run out of mana, which can take all day if they aren¡¯t attacking or blocking. I haven¡¯t exactly put them through such¡­rigorous tests yet though.¡± She shed her teeth at me. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be your test subject, then.¡± After that she walked me through where she wanted them. Her hips, the base of her spine, her shoulders, her sides, a few on the outsides of her thighs, and even one on the inside of her thigh. I was pretty sure thest one was just to put me through having to ce it, though. I gave each of them the samemand as the first one and she had them all coil around her for now. By the time I was finished, I could see the barely concealed excitement in her eyes. ¡°Great. Thanks. Good fucking fight, can¡¯t wait for the next one at all, but if it¡¯s all the same to you I need to go channel my inner Rhani for a while.¡± I opened my mouth to respond, but she was already gone. I shook my head. This day had been one sucker punch after another, and as much as my head was spinning I honestly couldn¡¯t wait to see what tomorrow would bring. For Jack, hopefully it would bring no small amount of orgasms. Chapter Sixty-Nine: Shifting Dynamics Chapter Sixty-Nine: Shifting Dynamics Announcement Hello all! Last night I did the first significant change to my story so far. I rewrote a section of chapter 40: nning a Harem, that will be important to the direction the story is going. If any of you are concerned with the direction the harem was heading, hopefully this rewrite puts some of those concerns at ease. More information on what the rewrite is and why I did it is in a spoiler at the top of the chapter. While Zaren held up his end of the deal, Rhani sat in their tent with Tiana, Serena, and Noelle. After what they¡¯d all witnessed, all four of them had agreed a meeting of the harem needed to happen. Right now she sat behind Noelle, brushing her gorgeous and shiny hair happily. ¡°So Jack is a definite yes now, right?¡± Rhani asked the others. Noelle made a sound of assent, and Tiana and Serena looked like they felt about the same. ¡°Assuming Zaren wants her, of course,¡± Serena said, her voice even, methodically cleaning her weapons in the corner of the tent. Rhani spared a cautious nce at the busty blonde. Sparring had always been their thing, so Rhani wasn¡¯t sure how Serena was dealing with the events of the night. Still, it was undeniable. Rhani had seen glimpses of the Zaren that had fought Jack, usually in the bedroom when he came closest to really letting himself go. She¡¯d never seen him so¡­alive. ¡°Jack definitely seems to bring something out in him,¡± Tiana said thoughtfully. Rhani scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ll say. For a minute there, I was sure someone was about to get stabbed. And not by a sword.¡± Serena hummed. ¡°It certainly was unlike any sparring match I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Rhani didn¡¯t think there was any jealousy in her voice, but it was hard to tell. Serena could be shockingly cagey when she wanted to be. ¡°Sparring?¡± Tiana chuckled. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a sparring match. I¡¯m pretty sure they were both trying to kill one another.¡± ¡°And he loved every second of it,¡± Serena said, not lifting her eyes from the spear she was polishing. ¡°I felt him through the Link. She pushed him hard enough that he stopped thinking. I¡¯ve never felt him so¡­light.¡± ¡°Serena¡­¡± Rhani said carefully. But Serena just shed a smile at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. What they had during the fight and what me and Zaren have aren¡¯t the same. With us, it¡¯s all about technique. He¡¯s teaching me. When we cross des, it brings out the part of Zaren from after Ria started teaching him how to really fight. It¡¯s more of a¡­sharpening of skills.¡± She held the spear up, rolling it in her hands. ¡°Jack seems to appeal to a different part of him. One that, so far, none of us have really been able to reach.¡± Rhani let out a relieved breath. ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°I do.¡± She strapped the leather guard back on the spear. ¡°We¡¯ve all said at one point or another that we want to ept every part of him, but it¡¯s going to be a long while before he really believes it. Hearing it and feeling it are two different things. Jack¡­she seems to get a rise out of that part of him. She challenges him in a way none of us do.¡± Rhani made an excited sound that caused Noelle to look back over her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s got a dominant personality. Serena and I both lean submissive, Tiana¡¯s a switch, and Noelle is still trying to find her footing. Jack? Fuck, I can¡¯t wait to watch them go head to head. She¡¯s such a fucking beast.¡± Noelle hummed. ¡°You are a very horny Arelim,¡± she said, amusement in her tone. ¡°Can you me me? I mean, did you see her body? And those tits? And she¡¯s casual about nudity?¡± A shudder ran down her spine. ¡°But even putting all that aside, I think she¡¯ll be good for Zaren. Even if she¡¯s not interested or able to share his bed, if tonight was any indication then she can help him in ways we haven¡¯t managed yet.¡± Tiana crossed her legs, leaning back on her hands. ¡°I just wish I understood why.¡± Serena had moved on to her backup spear. ¡°We¡¯ve all be a sort of safety for Zaren. When he¡¯s in the dark, we can help guide him back to the light. We support him. Even when Jack was still Vivian, she almost does the opposite. She pushes him. Challenges him. Even if he wouldn¡¯t admit it, he was slightly obsessed with understanding the woman under the Vivian mask. Now that he¡¯s truly seen her¡­¡± Her smile softened. ¡°Rhani¡¯s right. Jack would be good for him.¡± Tiana nodded. ¡°You two have known him for longer, so I¡¯ll defer to you.¡± She wobbled her head from side to side. ¡°So we¡¯ve still got the twins under the yes category if Zaren wants them, and now Jack. Safina¡¯s a maybe, considering Rhani¡¯s crush¡ª¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Rhani interjected. But Tiana ignored her. ¡°¡ªshould we mention anyone else while we¡¯re waiting on Zaren to fulfill whatever Jack¡¯s favor is?¡± ¡°Alice,¡± Noelle said, surprising them all. ¡°Really?¡± Rhani asked, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Noelle. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you two were so close.¡± But Noelle shook her head. ¡°She confided in me. Herst owner would only let her feed while he had sex with her, and her body has been trained as a result. She get¡¯s aroused when she feeds, and she isn¡¯t sure how much longer she canst without losing control.¡± Serena looked like she might be sick. ¡°That¡¯s horrible!¡± Noelle just nodded. ¡°Yes. She also likes him to an extent, but she fears her desire might be twisted thanks to her past. She¡¯s admitted she doesn¡¯t know him well enough to bepletely interested in him romantically, but she does find herself craving him physically.¡± Serena pursed her lips then nced at Tiana. ¡°Beastial rules?¡± Tiana just nodded. ¡°I think that would be smartest. Tsuki¡¯s worried she might go into heat any day now, but Ryoko should be good for a while longer yet. We¡¯ll let Zaren know that something might happen next time he lets Alice feed and that we don¡¯t mind it.¡± She huffed. ¡°Though, at this rate, there¡¯s no telling how much our list will grow before he ever tries to add someone.¡± Then, once again surprising everyone, Noelle said, ¡°he won¡¯t.¡± They all turned to her. ¡°Why not?¡± Serena asked softly. Noelle¡¯s face tipped towards the floor. ¡°He won¡¯t seek out other women. He still doesn¡¯t feel like he deserves us, and he¡¯s afraid that trying to change anything will ruin what he has.¡± She ran a hand through her hair, her lips pulling downward. ¡°Noelle,¡± Tiana asked, sitting forward, ¡°did he say something?¡± She shook her head. ¡°He does not need to. It is how I feel, and I recognize it in him.¡± Rhani immediately squeezed Noelle tighter. ¡°Noelle, if anyone deserves all this, it¡¯s you. Zaren, too.¡± Noelle just shrugged. ¡°Maybe, but it is like you said earlier. Hearing it and feeling it¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around one of Rhani¡¯s. ¡°If I lost all of you, I don¡¯t think I would want to live anymore. He lost his family, but he keeps going. He fought to find another, but¡­¡± ¡°But he probably still feels like he failed his first family. The people that Karn and Grimsbane killed,¡± Rhani finished. Noelle nodded. ¡°Noelle, you continue to amaze, you know that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said simply. Serena looked troubled, then smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll figure things out. And who knows? Maybe Jack will be the one to approach him if we can find a way around the issues caused by her ss.¡± ¡°Do you think we could change her ss like we did mine?¡± Noelle asked. ¡°Maybe,¡± Rhani said thoughtfully, ¡°though it would be reliant on if Jack wants to change her ss. It¡¯s undoubtedly strong.¡± It was then that Zaren finally arrived, pushing inside the p. Rhani¡¯s gaze went immediately to the bulge in the front of his pants and she licked her lips, heat throbbing between her legs. Whatever their deal, it seemed Jack had left him wanting. Rhani would have to thank her for that. But Rhani was still held in ce by Noelle, so it was Tiana who got to Zaren first. Like a goddess, she wrapped around him from behind and pressed her lips to his neck. He hissed as her hands slid under his clothes, one running up his abs towards his chest while the other snuck under his waistband to grip his magnificent cock. ¡°So¡­¡± Rhani prompted. ¡°Jack?¡± He grunted as Serena started undoing his pants with a smile. ¡°This is gonna be another one of those strange times where we talk about another woman while I¡¯m balls deep in one of you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Noelle let go of Rhani¡¯s arm and stood. ¡°Yes it is,¡± she said. She grabbed his arm and pulled him further into the tent while Serena stripped him and Tiana started to pleasure him. Then she dropped to her knees and took him into her mouth. He groaned. ¡°Fair enough. Never thought I¡¯d say it, but I think I¡¯m getting used to the idea.¡± Rhani smiled so wide her cheeks started to burn. ¡°In that case, we might have to start ramping things up soon.¡± They all shed their clothes while Noelle¡¯s head bobbed up and down, her long tongue swirling around the underside of his cock and sending shudders through him. Rhani wrapped a hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down so she could taste his lips and he groaned again as he released into Noelle¡¯s mouth. Jack had really gotten him going, apparently. While Noelle swallowed every drop, Rhani pulled back with a grin. She¡¯d wring every scrap of information out of him about whatever was between him and Jack, but she knew from experience that his tongue was always a little looser after they reminded him that he was loved. # # # Sleep came for me hard after Rhani¡¯s interrogation. Considering her methods involved shooting for a record number of orgasms with the help of the rest of my harem, there was a small part of me trying to figure out what other secrets might lead to another round. I could see the gears turning in Rhani¡¯s head just before I passed the fuck out and I wondered if Jack was prepared for whatever my clever, horny little Arelim had nned. I was extremely interested in how Jack got along with the rest of my household now thatdy Vivian had beenid to rest. I was hardly surprised that I didn¡¯t see her at all that morning until camp had been fully broken down. She came staggering out of her tent on unsteady legs, her shoulders more rxed than I¡¯d seen them and a wide grin on her face. She shot me a wink that promised there would be a next time and hefted herself up onto my wagon, leaning back against the side and closing her eyes. I let her have her day of rest, if only because she¡¯d helped me deepen my understanding of my skill. After we¡¯d all eaten and gotten the caravan moving, it was Tsuki who appeared by my side. I shot her a questioning look that she pointedly ignored, so we walked in silence for a good portion of the day. Finally, she asked, ¡°I would like to know more about this Soul Link.¡± Both of my brows rose. ¡°Well, like the name implies, I forge a connection between your soul and mine. At the first level, the main benefit is to me, but I¡¯ve got some other skills that revolve around the Links.¡± She chewed on that for a moment, then nodded, her ck-furred ears flicking. ¡°Skills like?¡± ¡°Well, forbat purposes, I can give those Linked to me a stat boost and an increase to their damage output when more than one of us is fighting an enemy. I also know when they¡¯re in danger as well as how much danger they¡¯re in. Those are the only two as of yet, but I¡¯m sure more levels will give me more skills.¡± She nodded curtly, returning to her thoughtful silence. Then, ¡°it sounds like the Link would be very useful for scouts or spies. You would know the moment they were in trouble.¡± ¡°True,¡± I admitted. ¡°But I¡¯ve already decided I don¡¯t want something so permanent to bepletely defined by its usefulness. I want to forge Links with people I want to be bonded to, not just forbat.¡± She seemed to rx slightly, her tail starting to swish as she walked. ¡°Is it? Permanent, I mean?¡± ¡°For now,¡± I said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s possible that, in the future, I could gain a way to remove them.¡± After chewing her lip thoughtfully, she finally nodded. ¡°When we stop for camp tonight, I¡¯d like to be Linked.¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away, choosing my words carefully. ¡°I¡¯d like that, but I want to make sure it¡¯s for the right reasons.¡± She shot me a confused nce. ¡°You being Linked has nothing to do with whether or not you¡¯re a part of my household. I simply don¡¯t want to form the Link just because you think you have to for you and Ryoko to have a ce here.¡± Her head jerked up, her cheeks flushed. ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± she practically shouted. Then her flush deepened. ¡°I mean¡ª I just¡ª¡± Her lips became a t line and she wrung her hands. ¡°I¡­I want it,¡± she said quietly. ¡°The Link. To be Linked to you.¡± I rubbed her head between her ears and her tail shot out in a straight line. ¡°Alright then, that¡¯s all I needed to know. We¡¯ll form the Link tonight, but first you should know that so far everyone I¡¯ve Linked has had a¡­reaction to it. Her golden eyes fixed on mine. ¡°A reaction?¡± ¡°Yeah. A need, forck of a better word. For¡­contact. Skin-to-skin contact.¡± Her ears quivered. ¡°So¡­if we were to forge the Link, then after we would¡­¡± ¡°Not necessarily. The only ones I¡¯ve forged a Link with so far have been those I¡¯m already intimate with, and I can¡¯t imagine I would be forced to fuck anyone I Link with. That would be a pretty restrictive skill if you ask me.¡± I¡¯d thought she¡¯d be reassured by my words, but she almost seemed disappointed. ¡°I see,¡± she said simply. ¡°Though,¡± I added, ¡°if you wanted to¡­¡± Her ears shot up again. ¡°Wha¡ª I don¡¯t¡ª I didn¡¯t¡ª Um, I need to go talk to my sister,¡± she stammered. Then she ducked her head and sped off. I just shook my head and watched her make a beeline for my wagon. At one point she looked back over her shoulder at me, but when she saw me looking back she jumped and scurried off even faster. I had yet to fully figure out Tsuki. Some days it felt like she barely tolerated breathing the same air as me, others I wondered if she didn¡¯t want a ce in my harem. Especially since we¡¯d fucked for Rhani¡¯s little experiment and had our heart to heart after. Perhaps forging the Link would make things clearer. But with Tsuki somewhat taken care of, there was someone else I needed to have a word with. I tracked down Alice, who was back to walking by herself it seemed. She tensed as soon as I got near, but that was her only reaction to me. ¡°Alice, I was wondering if I might have a word.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said a little too quickly. ¡°I haven¡¯t been using mana or losing health, so I can go at least another few days before I have to feed again.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d rather not wait until you have to,¡± I said gently. She chewed the inside of her cheek uncertainly, so I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Noelle told me about your situation.¡± Her head shot up. ¡°What? She wasn¡¯t supposed to¡ªI mean, it isn¡¯t like¡ª¡± I gave her shoulder a squeeze. ¡°I¡¯m not going to judge you on something you had no say in. You didn¡¯t ask for yourst Patron to do this to you, did you?¡± She shook her head. ¡°See? We¡¯ll figure it out. And if he trained you to be this way, we can always work to undo that training.¡± She swallowed. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. Just ask Noelle sometime what herst master was like. And the next time you feed from me, if something happens then something happens.¡± She paled and tried to pull away, but I kept my grip firm. ¡°We won¡¯t go all the way¡ªnot if you don¡¯t want to¡ªbut there are plenty of ways to sate any needs you have that don¡¯t involve pration.¡± At that, she started to rx. ¡°And your women? They¡¯d be alright with that?¡± I chuckled. ¡°They are shockingly open minded. If it would make you feel better, though, you¡¯re wee to talk with any of them about it. We already have a simr agreement in ce for Ryoko and Tsuki.¡± Her dark violet eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. If they go into heat, we¡¯d all rather they be taken care of by someone they trust than forced to go rely on a stranger or forced to suffer through it. And, like I said before, I won¡¯t go all the way unless you tell me you want it. I won¡¯t take advantage of you, Alice. You have my word.¡± Her shoulders slumped. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­I never thought¡­¡± With some hesitance, I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight to my side. She leaned into me happily. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Take things one step at a time.¡± She nodded and I let her go, though she remained close to me. ¡°In that case¡­do you think we could¡­tonight¡­?¡± ¡°Sure. And, if it makes you feel better, we could have one of my girls in the room with us. Maybe Noelle?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± When she looked up at me, I thought her eyes looked brighter than before. ¡°You¡¯re a good man, Ren. There aren¡¯t any left like you in this world.¡± I just shrugged, ufortable with the praise. ¡°You might be surprised. Unfortunately, it¡¯s the shitbags that are the loudest, so it certainly feels that way.¡± She smiled again. We talked a bit longer, but not about anything important. Eventually, after guiding her towards Noelle, Kili, and the twins, I left to go find the others. I brought them up to speed on my talks with Tsuki and Alice both. As the sun started to dip lower on the horizon, there was a buzz amongst the ranks of the caravan. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on the three shapes barely visible in the distance. The three towers that marked the center of Amesseria. The city was centered on the highest point for miles, which meant the towers were visible from a long distance away. One was a guard tower, equipped with gear that made it impossible for any forces to sneak up on the city. Another was the wizards tower, and I was sure Be was among its top floors still trying to devour any and all information he could get his hands on. The third tower was Grimsbane¡¯s. It was at its peak that we killed him, and with the curses and traps that polluted its every floor, we all unanimously agreed that the tower be closed off for good. I wondered if Rr or whoever was in charge still upheld that decision to this day. But, as we set up camp, the appearance of the towers on the horizon seemed to have caused a change. While the caravaneers and Pierce¡¯s group were eager and excited, the tension within the ranks of the demi-humans seemed to reach an all time high. The first thing I did once we were set up was grab Cynthia and seek out Korey. Now that our destination was only a day and a half away, there were things I needed to set in motion. We talked for a while, and by the end of things we not only had a rudimentary deal in ce to link Korey and his business to my household, but he¡¯d also given me a list of businesses in the lower quarter that were primarily staffed with demi-humans. By the time we¡¯d concluded, Cynthia and I already had a basic n for which businesses to approach and contract for the inevitable work that was going to be needed for both my properties and the lower quarter as a whole. Our conversation was cut short, however, by raised voices across the camp. I made my way over quickly to see the Tiefling sisters, Friya and Zerali, about ready toe to blows with Miril and Feranica, the Seraphim and Drakken. Iris, Brinya, and Elena were doing their best to keep the peace, though in this instance it seemed to involve physically holding the two pairs away from one another. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked, trying to keep the demand from my voice. Everyone froze. Faces paled and eyes found the floor. Nobody would look at me. Finally, Elena cleared her throat. ¡°Nothing, sir. Just a small disagreement, that¡¯s all.¡± That hardly seemed to be true, but with the quaver I heard in her voice I wasn¡¯t about to press. ¡°We¡¯re almost to the city,¡± I said, ¡°you won¡¯t have to sleep in tents for much longer.¡± If anything, my words seemed to make things worse. Shoulders stiffened and lips thinned, but all I got in response were curt nods as everyone faded away into the camp in different directions. I let out a breath and ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Man, you are really bad at this,¡± a highly amused voice said. I turned to see Jack sauntering over with a wide grin. I just shook my head. ¡°What am I missing? I¡¯m doing something wrong, clearly, I just don¡¯t know what.¡± ¡°Aww,¡± she pursed her lips and patted my chest, ¡°you poor thing. You really do have no idea what you¡¯re doing, do you?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± I said honestly, and her grin widened. Then her expression fell. She retracted her hand and crossed her arms under her bust. ¡°Well, all things considered, I guess I can¡¯t fault you for not understanding. They¡¯re scared, Zaren.¡± ¡°Of me?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Of what happens when we get to the city.¡± At my confusion, she continued. ¡°Zaren, standard practice when ites to demi-humans that are either runaways or separated from their Patrons is either returning them to said Patron or taking them to the Pens. If their Patron is still alive, they can collect their ¡®property¡¯ there. If not, they go back into the system.¡± I suddenly felt sick. ¡°They¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll just drop them off at the Pens when we get back.¡± She nodded. ¡°You¡¯d be well within your power to do just that, and you¡¯d probably receive a reward for it. It¡¯s what many would do in this day and age.¡± ¡°And the alternative?¡± She tapped her throat. ¡°Give them cors. It¡¯s why they¡¯ve all been so determined to prove themselves useful since you saved them. Each and every one of them is desperately hoping you choose them to join your household so they don¡¯t end up in the Pens, but they¡¯d never ask you for fear it would harm their chances.¡± I let out a long, tired breath. ¡°Right. I can see now how I might have been making things harder for them.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out. You¡¯re a smart boy,¡± she said with a yful grin, ¡°you¡¯re just a little behind the times.¡± She pped my arm, then started walking off. Suddenly, impulse grabbed me. ¡°Jack,¡± I called. Jack paused, looking over her shoulder curiously. ¡°Yeah?¡± I summoned a gem from my storage. ¡°I¡¯ve got a skill that lets me grant armor to people. Rhani, Tiana, and Serena all have one. It¡¯s magical in nature, and since it¡¯s tied to my magic and shadows I figured¡­¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°That it might not burn every time I me up?¡± ¡°Might be worth a shot if you¡¯re nning to stick around at all.¡± She chewed her lip, the hunger clearly visible in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Thanks for the offer.¡± She stared at the gem between my fingers for a bit longer before spinning on her heel and heading off into camp. Well, a maybe was better than a no. I was still surprised I¡¯d been the one to ask, but I knew my girls would have approved. I knew for certain that Noelle would rather Jack have the armor than her if Jack was nning to join us, even if she didn¡¯t end up in my harem. Gods, what was my train of thought right now? First my conversation with Tsuki, now this? I shook my head, fighting a smile. If the Zaren from before Allura saw me now, he¡¯d beughing his ass off. Oh how quickly things had changed. My first stop was to find my girls and exin to them what I wanted to do. Unsurprisingly, they were allpletely on board with what I had in mind. From a couple of their expressions, some of them assumed I was already nning as much and were surprised to realize I wasn¡¯t. After that I grabbed Cynthia and gave her a brief rundown of what I needed from her, then we were off to put things into motion. It didn¡¯t take long for me to find Liana, but now that I knew what I was looking for I realized it was because she was actively trying to make herself avable to me. I also didn¡¯t miss the hint of relief in her eyes when I asked for her help, nor her eagerness to do whatever I needed. There was a slight worry when I asked her to gather all the demi-humans we¡¯d saved, but she agreed to it quickly. In a surprisingly short time, she¡¯d managed to collect everyone who wasn¡¯t already wearing one of my cors. They all sat huddled together in groups, some on the folding camp chairs and many on the ground. When I arrived, they all looked to me expectantly with expressions ranging from worried to nervous to downright afraid. When I cleared my throat, more than one of them jumped. ¡°First off, I wanted to apologize. After what you¡¯ve all been through, I thought I was doing the right thing in waiting. Now I understand that my logic was a bit wed.¡± I looked them over one by one. This time, none of them dropped their eyes. They all hung on my every word. ¡°None of you are going to the Pens,¡± was the first thing I said. I saw more than one set of shoulders sag, and I saw Iris mp a hand over her mouth with watery eyes. ¡°If you have family in the city, then I¡¯ll help you get back to them. If you have a Patron to return to or know someone who serves a Patron who might have a ce for you, then we can figure that out as well.¡± ¡°If not, then you¡¯re wee to my household. There will be some adjustment, especially since my properties are likely not overly livable at the moment, but if you wish it, I¡¯ll find a ce for you. I expect everyone in my household to pull their weight in whatever fashion is most suitable for them, but rest assured you¡¯ll be more thanpensated with food, a home, and even pay once I¡¯ve got my finances worked out.¡± Many of them straightened at this, and there were more than a few disbelievingly hopeful gazes. It was Elena, wringing her hands, that stood first. ¡°Um, sir? How many of us are you willing to take into your household?¡± ¡°All of you.¡± A ripple passed through them as many started whispering to their neighbor. ¡°I¡¯ve got enough cors and then some. Like I said, nobody is going to the Pens. Not if I can help it.¡± The whispers started again, but they all silenced when I started speaking onest time. ¡°Don¡¯t decide right this moment. Talk amongst yourselves, consider your options. We¡¯ve still got one more night outside the walls, so you have until then to make your final decision. Once you¡¯re certain, talk to Cynthia. She¡¯ll take care of the official parts and get you your cor if that¡¯s the path you choose.¡± Elena bowed. ¡°Thank you, sir. For saving us, and for everything you¡¯ve done since. It sounds like we¡¯ve got a lot to think about.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Onest thing, if you choose me as your Patron and decide down the road that I¡¯m not a good fit, I¡¯m more than happy to help you find somewhere you do. You¡¯ve all been through hell, and helping you that much is the least I can do.¡± They all burst into conversation as I turned to leave and Cynthia gave me an approving nod. I knew I¡¯d given them until tomorrow, but I had a feeling more than a few would be falling asleep tonight with one of my cors around their throats. I could smell dinner approachingpletion, but my eye was caught by a nervous looking Tsuki fidgeting outside my tent. Her eyes jerked to me and she froze, her ears ttening. Then she ducked inside. I followed, pushing past the p to find it empty except for Tsuki. She paced nervously, wringing her hands. ¡°Having second thoughts?¡± I asked gently. ¡°No!¡± she said quickly, then collected herself. ¡°No, not at all. I just¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I understand. As long as you¡¯re sure, I¡¯m ready.¡± She nodded, swallowing audibly. ¡°How should I¡­?¡± ¡°Well, only a little skin contact is required to actually forge the bond. It¡¯s afterwards that I¡¯m unsure about.¡± She nodded, then pulled her tunic off and shimmied her pants down her legs. She discarded her bra, letting her full breasts bounce free, but left her panties on. ¡°Maybe you should, um, remove your shirt?¡± Fighting the urge to grin, I did as she asked, then sat down and beckoned her closer. I¡¯d expected her to sit in front of me, but she chose instead to plop down in myp, straddling me. She pressed her face to my neck and inhaled while the feeling of her breasts squished against my chest sent my blood southward. ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± she said finally. Gently, slowly, I pressed my hands to her back. She shuddered, pressing into me even more. Her hands explored my chest before linking behind my neck. I closed my eyes and sought out her soul. Its exterior was hard and scarred, and I could see theyers of self loathing and shame that had left their marks on her very core, but I also saw the bright, even if damaged, center. The love she had for her sister. The fierce hopefulness that she kept both hidden and protected by her thick walls. And, apanying all that¡­ The shimmer. Now that I¡¯d seen it a few times and my senses had evolved, I started to understand it just a bit better. It wasn¡¯t the shimmer itself that was important, it was whatever that shimmer was hiding. Something was being obscured. Protected from this sense I¡¯d developed. How, what, or by who were questions I didn¡¯t even know how to start answering, but some things started to fall into ce. So far, the ones I¡¯d seen the shimmer on were Rhani, Tiana, and Tsuki. Rhani I¡¯d been ced to find, Tiana I¡¯d been all but led to, and Tsuki we¡¯d found because of a nightmare Serena had had. I didn¡¯t think that was a coincidence. But that was something to discuss with Rhaniter. First things first, I checked my Essence pool. [Soul Essence: 122/150] I activated [Forge Link] and Tsuki let out a soft gasp. I felt a wave of eagerness as she epted, and the both of us sighed in unison as the Link settled into ce. There was no pain at all, and a part of me understood it was because of how much Essence I currently had. I watched the number drop by twenty points, leaving me just above the hundred I¡¯d started with. I¡¯d used only the excess gained from my Links, which meant I wasn¡¯t using my natural soul at all. Tsuki¡¯s gasp bled into a sigh of pleasure as the Link finished sliding into existence. She inhaled deeply and I felt the magic crackle wherever we were touching. She rubbed her body against me, her hard nipples dragging on my chest in a way that drew a whimper out of her. I felt the wetness between her legs begin to seep into my pants as she ground her slit against my length, only her panties and my clothes between us. She dragged her core along my length harder and harder, her nails digging into my back. Another whimper slipped past her lips and I couldn¡¯t stop myself from sliding a hand down and grabbing a handful of her plump rear. She moaned this time, arching into me and pressing her chest into mine. I slid my other hand between us and rubbed circles around her clit through her panties and she came undone in myp. The magic slowly started to settle between us while she caught her breath, still clinging tightly to me. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked softly, my mouth next to one of her foxlike ears. She shuddered, then nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± she said back, her voice barely audible. ¡°We don¡¯t have to go any further than this,¡± I told her. ¡°I¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but she slid back just enough that her fingers could trail along my erection. ¡°That hardly seems fair.¡± I let out a lowugh. ¡°Trust me, if my girls have any say about it, you don¡¯t have to worry about me getting mine.¡± I trailed a hand down her back, then ran it down the length of her tail. She gasped, leaning into me again and rubbing me through my pants. ¡°I love your scent. It¡¯s gotten strongertely. More confident.¡± She looked up at me, her bottom lip firmly between her teeth and heat in her eyes, but before she could say anything there was a scratch of fabric at the front of the tent. ¡°Um, Ren?¡± I heard Alice¡¯s voice call out. Tsuki backed away abruptly, her expression somewhere between relief and disappointment. ¡°Next time,¡± she said, though whether she was talking to herself or to me I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. ¡°You know where to find me.¡± She nodded, grabbing my shirt¡ªand only my shirt¡ªand throwing it on. She paused onest time to smile softly at me, then she ducked out. The p hadn¡¯t even closed all the way behind her when Alice and Noelle pushed inside. Alice looked flushed while Noelle wore a slightly triumphant expression. I was surprisingly thrilled to see my cor at Alice¡¯s throat already. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Alice cried. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I was interrupting something!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I promised. ¡°Now, how do you want to do this? You¡¯re in control here.¡± Her gaze raked over my bare chest,ing to a stop at my neck. It flicked to my wrist, then back to my neck. ¡°Um, do you think I could¡­¡± ¡°You can feed from my throat,¡± I told her. She licked her lips, then nced at Noelle uncertainly. Without reservation, my Mchai started stripping. A secondter, Alice followed suit. A few minutester, the both of them werepletely naked save the matching ck leather cors at their throat. Still a little pent up from my short time with Tsuki, I couldn¡¯t help but give her an appraising look. She was still thin from imprisonment, but Vampires recovered quickly from physical injuries and ailments. Her breasts weren¡¯trge, but they were rather perky. Her waist was thin and her hips red out wide, and even from the front I could tell she had a very nice ass. Her more physical nature and ss meant her arms and legs were firm, if not quite muscr. She chewed a nail. ¡°Will you¡­um¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I told her. ¡°Just tell me where you want me.¡± Noelle grabbed her hand and nodded. Alice took a breath, then said with surprising confidence, y back.¡± I did as she asked and she moved to stand over me, giving me a perfect view of the neatly trimmed patch of hair between her legs and the treasure nestled beneath it. Already I could see wetness dripping down her legs. She lowered herself down so that one of my legs was between hers, licking her lips, thenid her body over mine. Her hand traveled up my chest much like Tsuki¡¯s had¡ªsomething that made my cock jerk in my pants¡ªuntil it stopped at my neck. Her tongue trailed across my jugr, her breath hot against my skin, and Noelle took her spot behind Alice. Hands sunk into my hair and jerked my head back, giving Alice better ess. She shifted her body up enough that she was on all fours just before her fangs sunk into my neck. She moaned low in her throat as my blood hit her tongue, her grip tightening. Then she moaned and I risked a nce to see Noelle¡¯s face buried between her cheeks. Alice tried to lift up, but I cupped the back of her head and pressed her back down to me neck. She made an appreciative sound that turned into a delighted squeak when I reached down and pressed on her clit. Noelle¡¯s tongue swiped over my finger once as Alice bucked into my hand then returned to her opening. I felt hands at my pants as Noelle fished my throbbing erection out and started pumping it slowly, licking away at Alice all the while. Alice moaned and writhed against me, her peak getting closer and closer, until finally she released me with a cry and came apart. Climax ripped through her hard enough to send her eyes rolling back, then she was slumping down on my chest. She pushed herself up enough to lick thest of my blood from my neck before her skill knitted the bite closed. Then I grunted in surprise as Noelle¡¯s tight entrance slid over the head of my cock. Alice and I both looked to see Noelle lowering herself down until I was fully sheathed inside her, then she started bouncing on my cock while one hand kneaded her breast. She must have been as pent up as I was, because she reached her end just before I did. Then sheid herself across my chest with my cock still buried inside her, reaching out to run her fingers through Alice¡¯s dark hair. ¡°I liked this. If you want, I would like to be present at more feedings.¡± I looked from her to Alice, who was still breathing hard with flushed cheeks. ¡°I won¡¯t need that every time I feed, just every few times, but¡­I¡¯d like that too.¡± I pressed a kiss to both of their heads, then let my head fall to the pillow while I rubbed both of their backs with long, slow strokes. ¡°Works for me. Now, I don¡¯t know about the two of you, but I¡¯m fucking starving.¡± Noelle made a sound of agreement, but Alice¡¯s gaze just fell to my neck. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely got room for more,¡± she said with a smile. Noelle hummed. ¡°Letting you feed once tonight was enough. If you want more, you may have to fight me for it.¡± From her tone, I didn¡¯t think she was very against the idea. From Alice¡¯s warm smile, neither was she. ¡°Come on, you two. I need decent meals or my harem will leave me a withered husk.¡± Noelle stood, stretching. ¡°You¡¯d enjoy it.¡± Then she looked around with a frown. ¡°Tsuki¡­¡± she grumbled before snatching up her own shirt with vigor. I chuckled. ¡°Between you and the twins, I¡¯m thinking I¡¯m going to need more shirts.¡± She just fixed her crimson eyes on me, her lips lifted in a small smirk. ¡°Yes, you will.¡± Chapter Seventy: Homecoming Chapter Seventy: Homing By morning, half the demi-humans in camp had a cor around their throat and a spring in their step. By the time dinner was served that night, the other half had joined them. The camp had finally started to feel like it should have seeing as it was thest night we¡¯d be spending in the wild. In the end, there were only two who decided they didn¡¯t want to join my household. I was sitting on the ground facing the campfire, nursing a bowl of delicious stew, with Tiana curled up on one side, Noelle sitting on one of my legs, Serena on a camp stool behind me, and Rhani on Tiana¡¯s other side with her nose in her journals. I was enjoying the peace and quiet when Jack plopped down beside us, her gaze locked on the fire. ¡°Thought I¡¯d let you know Anri and Kili will be signing up with me.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what they want, I¡¯m hardly going to stand in their way.¡± She regarded me for several seconds. ¡°Kili has a powerful ss. Anri left the military to go to her previous Patron because he promised protection. I¡¯ve offered the same thing, just with less¡­¡± ¡°Awfulness?¡± She inclined her head. ¡°Though, since Hellions have built in fire resistance, having an ally I don¡¯t have to worry about burning coulde in handy.¡± ¡°Thought you weren¡¯t a noble,¡± Tiana pointed out, leaning into my side. Jack snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not. But I am an S rank adventurer. ss five. Lowest of the S ranks, but still high enough that I can contract up to five servants.¡± Tiana let out a whistle. ¡°S rank? Are the rumors true?¡± ¡°Gonna have to be more specific.¡± ¡°That S rank for women isn¡¯t often merit based.¡± ¡°Ah, that one.¡± Jack grimaced. ¡°Yeah. S rank means untouchable. In most cases because of connections, but mine is a little more¡­literal. I¡¯ve got the merit to back it up, though. I sure as shit haven¡¯t been idle since I¡¯ve joined the guild.¡± She just shrugged. ¡°With my skill set, I¡¯d have made it eventually.¡± Noelle made a low noise. ¡°What will you do when we get back to the city?¡± I rubbed her back, aware she was worried about Jack taking her friend somewhere far away, but Jack made a nomittal grunt. ¡°Not sure yet. Depends on a lot of stuff.¡± ¡°Like?¡± Serena prompted. Rather than answering, Jack turned the conversation back on us. ¡°What about you all? With an entire household¡¯s worth of demi-humans, I have to assume you¡¯ve got ns.¡± I nodded, willing to let her dodge the question for now. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot to get set up. Making our main house livable, seeing what states my other properties are in, figuring out how best to handle the inevitable host of squatters in a way that doesn¡¯t make me feel slimy, looking into why a councilman is trying to orchestrate the capture of demi-humans, and about a dozen other things.¡± Jack made a gagging sound. ¡°Booooring. Come on, Z, give me something interesting. Surely you¡¯ve got some fun nned.¡± She pointed at Rhani without looking. ¡°And no, a week long sex binge does not count.¡± Rhani pouted. ¡°We¡¯ve gotta break in the new bedroom somehow.¡± She grumbled. ¡°Once we get it built, of course.¡± Then she grinned. ¡°But, once we get the big stuff squared away, we need to find someone who can work spider silk.¡± That piqued Jack¡¯s interest. ¡°Oh?¡± Rhani grinned. ¡°Yep. Zaren has a storage packed full of Vx silk sacs. I¡¯ve always wanted magical underwear.¡± Jack shot her a droll look. ¡°You don¡¯t wear underwear. Trust me, I¡¯ve noticed.¡± Rhani just shrugged. ¡°I could go for some crotchless panties.¡± Serena choked on a mouthful of stew, and I couldn¡¯t help but bite back augh. ¡°And is that before or after you go questing for magic sex toys, Angel?¡± I asked. Rhani just shrugged. ¡°Gotta start outfitting a library at some point, too. And start researching. I¡¯ll have a packed schedule for a while. And¡­¡± She shot a guilty look at me. ¡°And we¡¯ve gotta sit down with my sister as soon as we can. I want her to know I¡¯m okay. And happy.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°What about you, T?¡± Tiana just shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ve got a whole host of girls now who own nothing more than the clothes we¡¯ve loaned them. I think a shopping trip is in order. I figure since my boyfriend is loaded, I can afford to splurge on some nice dresses.¡± Then she wrapped her arms around one of mine. ¡°Though spider silk panties are definitely a tantalizing prospect.¡± Jack¡¯s gaze returned to staring down the fire and I could see the gears turning in her head. I wondered if she was still thinking over my offer. ¡°What about you, pipsqueak?¡± she asked, nodding towards Noelle. ¡°I want to find my sisters,¡± Noelle said simply. ¡°Val thinks there might be some clues in the city. I also want to try and find my mother, but Zaren would know how to do that better than me.¡± ¡°What about for fun?¡± Jack prompted, her voice unusually soft. Noelle just shrugged. ¡°Fun is not something I have thought about for a decade. I¡¯d like to spend more time with my friends and spend more nights with Zaren. Other than that, I do not know where I would start.¡± Tiana wrapped her arms around Noelle, pulling the smaller girl into herp and nuzzling her face into the spot between Noelle¡¯s neck and shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, we¡¯re going to find all your favorite things and drown you in them.¡± That managed to draw a happy hum from Noelle, and Jack smiled. ¡°And you, blondie?¡± Serena¡¯s hand found my shoulder, gently kneading my muscles. ¡°I want to find one of Allura¡¯s temples. I¡¯ve never been in one, but I¡¯ve always wanted to go.¡± That made Jack¡¯s head snap up. ¡°Allura? What the fuck does she have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Serena said uncertainly, her hand pausing, ¡°Allura is my patron goddess. My worship of her is the reason for my priestess ss.¡± Jack leaned forward slowly, her amber eyes falling on me. ¡°Allura is the other goddess? How the fuck does she fit into all this?¡± I exchanged a nce over my shoulder with Serena. ¡°Remains to be seen,¡± I said evasively. ¡°Why?¡± She ground her teeth rather than answering before shooting to her feet with a curse and storming off. I shared a bewildered look with Serena, who only shrugged. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± she asked. But her answer came when Jack returned, arge bottle of dark liquor in hand. She plopped down again, kicking her feet up so they were in myp, then tore the cork of the bottle out with her teeth and spat it onto the ground. I raised a brow at the size of the bottle she apparently nned on finishing tonight. ¡°Is getting drunk a good idea with your¡­fiery situation?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she said, just before she took a long pull from the bottle. ¡°But it sounds like we need to have a conversation that I refuse to take part in sober, so here we are.¡± She took another long drink and grimaced. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose any of you would be willing to part with deep dark secrets to make me feel a little better about sharing my own, would you?¡± Tiana¡¯s hand found my thigh, rubbing dangerously close to my cock. ¡°Kinda hard to trust you with secrets when you still won¡¯t tell us why you were lying to the caravan,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Not gonna let that go, huh?¡± Jack asked. After another drink, she sighed. ¡°Got a message from my sister. Said she didn¡¯t want to go into all the nitty gritty in a letter, but that she needed to ask a favor. Syl doesn¡¯t ask for favors, and I owe her. She said that up north, an Arelim had been indebted to some asshole lord, and she wanted me to assume ownership of her and get her safely back to the capital.¡± I looked to Rhani, but she just shook her head. She was as confused as I was, it seemed. Jack continued. ¡°I figured it would be an easy enough job, but then I got an eyeful of your bedroom fun and started to think there might be a little more going on than we suspected, so I became Lady Vivian to see if you were really taking care of her or if she was yours against her will. You passed with flying colors, so here we are. Still trying to figure out what I¡¯m gonna tell my sister, though.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know any Syls, and I don¡¯t know anyone by thest name Pryce,¡± Rhani said, frowning. ¡°Why me?¡± Jack just shrugged. ¡°Like I said, she was light on details. I was just happy to get a chance to repay her somehow, but that¡¯s a question for,¡± she held up the bottle, which was already missing a decent amount of its contents, and pointed about two inches below where the liquid currently sat, ¡°around here.¡± She took another swig. ¡°How does someone be a priestess for a goddess she¡¯s never set foot in a temple for?¡± she asked. I looked back at Serena, who had suddenly blushed. I¡¯d be lying if I¡¯d never wondered the same thing. ¡°Well,¡± Serena said slowly, ¡°if you must know, there was a boy.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t there always?¡± Serena didn¡¯t answer. ¡°I thought he was the one,¡± she continued, not meeting anyone¡¯s eyes. ¡°We¡¯d been seeing one another for a while, but we hadn¡¯t gotten very far in the bedroom. We had a day nned, and I figured praying to the goddess of love for things to go well only made sense. I went to the general temple in town and said a few prayers, then suddenly my monthly flow was starting weeks ahead of schedule.¡± Jack winced, but Serena blushed even deeper. ¡°I was inconsble, naturally. Right up until I walked in to find him still inside my best friend at the time.¡± She said it so nonchntly I had to reach back and grasp her hand in mine. She offered me a smile, as if to say she¡¯d long sincee to terms with it. And, as bad as I wanted to find and castrate the guy, if he hadn¡¯t shit the bed then I wouldn¡¯t have Serena now. ¡°Now we¡¯re talkin¡¯!¡± Jack called. ¡°Tell me you fucked him up.¡± ¡°Well, I never exactly told anyone what I was doing, but before I left I made sure all his pants felt a little loose in the crotch,¡± Serena said with a small smile. "And his shirts a bit tight in the middle." Jack barked out augh. ¡°Nice. You ever want to go back and burn his house down, I¡¯m your girl.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°Wait, you got upset that your man was sleeping around, so you went and joined a harem?¡± Serena spluttered. ¡°There¡¯s a big difference between fucking my best friend because I wasn¡¯t putting out and the open trust and intimacy in Zaren¡¯s harem. I feel closer to Rhani, Tiana, and Noelle than I ever did any of my friends back in Listone.¡± Jack raised her bottle. ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that, sister.¡± And she did. Deeply. Then she held the bottle out to me, but I just shook my head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you drink?¡± she asked. My heart skipped a beat, but my girls all shared confused looks. ¡°Zaren drinks,¡± Serena protested. Jack just shook her head, swaying slightly. ¡°Sure, he might suck on an ale or two, but he never drinks. Guy his size? He wouldn¡¯t even be buzzed by the time he calls it. Avoids booze actively, which makes me curious.¡± Five sets of eyes all turned to me, curiosity burning in them, and I sighed. ¡°Got drunk once, not long after I joined the war effort. Did something stupid and vowed never to let it happen again.¡± ¡°And it was too tempting to let the booze drown away your tortured past?¡± Jack guessed. I didn¡¯t answer, but judging by the expressions around the campfire I didn¡¯t need to. ¡°Who¡¯d you fuck?¡± Air escaped my nose. ¡°Not that kind of mistake, unfortunately.¡± ¡°Now I gotta know. Come on, Z. Tell me and I¡¯ll bare my soul,¡± Jack prodded. I realized I was unconsciously rubbing my palm and looked down at the callused skin there. ¡°I paid a cleric to remove a scar. One that I should have kept.¡± I turned my gaze back to Jack, surprised when I saw a flicker of understanding in her eyes. ¡°And I won¡¯t be going into what scar or why I had it tonight. That¡¯s one burden that¡¯s mine and mine alone to bear, at least for now.¡± She looked at me, then nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡± She took one final pull from her bottle, stopping with her cheeks full of the dark liquid, then leaned back and spat a fireball into the air. ¡°When I was seventeen,¡± she said, her face still turned towards the sky, ¡°I almost died.¡± My thoughts turned immediately to the scar I¡¯d seen on her soul and I knew I was about to learn the story behind it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rhani flip to a fresh page in her journal. ¡°We were on a trip,¡± Jack continued. ¡°Me, my sister, and our dad. Pop was out in the city on business, so it was just me and Syl. She was just about to be fifteen, and we got along about as well as siblings usually do.¡± ¡°We got into a fight. Can¡¯t even remember what about. One minute we were yelling, then we were trying to avoid one another. Then I started smelling smoke.¡± She drank more. ¡°We were on the third story, and by the time I realized what was happening the stairs were unusable. The smoke was bad, and it was so fucking hot.¡± Her eyes had be zed, and she leaned forward to stare at the fire in front of her. ¡°The inn was going up in smoke, no two ways about it. Syl had inhaled too much smoke, couldn¡¯t see, so I dragged her to the window. Cut myself up pretty bad getting her through it, but I managed. Dropped her the safest way I could manage. Broke her leg in three ces, but she still got the better end of the deal.¡± She went silent for a beat. She lifted the bottle to her lips, only to lower it with a sigh. ¡°Floor fell out from under me before I could follow. After that, all I remember is the pain. I survived¡ªobviously¡ªbut the damage¡­¡± This time she did drink. ¡°Burns covering most of my body. Horrific scarring within and without. Our family wasn¡¯t wealthy enough to afford the level of healing that would have fixed me up. Even just keeping me alive threatened to put us in debt, but my dad did everything he could. Healers said there was a good chance I¡¯d be able to relearn things like feeding myself or wiping my own ass, but without a specialist even walking was a long shot. All the dreams I¡¯d had of bing a legendary adventurer went up in smoke.¡± She snorted softly at her own joke. ¡°I wanted to die,¡± she admitted, ¡°but my throat and lungs were so fucked I couldn¡¯t even tell them that much. Syl med herself and went down a dark road. Scared the shit out of me, but stuck in bed half-melted there wasn¡¯t jack shit I could do about it.¡± ¡°She hit sixteen and got a ss, then threw herself into trying to find a way to fix me. Took risks for levels or money that I still yell at her for today, but it always seemed so hopeless. She hit rock bottom and ended up in a temple. Figured she might as well ask some of them for some guidance, so she made her rounds. Naturally, none of them answered. Not ¡®till Allura.¡± Serena leaned into my back, and I saw Rhani pause. If Jack noticed, she didn¡¯t react. ¡°Syl took a knee in front of an alter for the goddess of family, love, and bonds, then promptly passed out. Caused a big stir when she slept for two days. I wouldn¡¯t know untilter that she woke up with a new tat on her hip.¡± ¡°It was like she¡¯de back to life,¡± Jack said, a small smile on her face. ¡°She never would tell me what exactly happened in that temple, but when she left she threw herself into gaining levels. Only she wasn¡¯t the one gaining them. I still rememberying in bed, pretending I couldn¡¯t hear my mom crying a room over, and suddenly I was a level higher.¡± ¡°Experience transfer?¡± Rhani demanded. Jack nodded. ¡°Yeah. She told me once a few yearster that Allura made it possible, but she always refused to tell me more than that. Whatever the mark was, it lost its power when I hit twenty. When my secondary ss options popped up, the one that said I¡¯d be ¡®made of fire¡¯ caught my eye. After what I¡¯d been through, I figured it was a strong ss.¡± She took another sip, thenughed. ¡°Took me three days to figure out how to turn my body back to normal. I was a little panicked, to say the least, but when I finally managed it my skin was¡­well¡­¡± She gestured to herself. ¡°Syl saved my life, and Allura made it possible. Hell, Allura saved her too, and I don¡¯t like leaving debts unpaid. So I¡¯ll ask again, how does Allura fit into this?¡± I exchanged a nce with Serena, then Rhani who tapped her chest. ¡°Jack,¡± I said carefully, ¡°can I see something?¡± She tore her gaze from the fire to look at me, then shrugged. I held a hand out and she took it tentatively. I closed my eyes and reached out towards her soul. Just like before, it burned so bright and so hot it was hard to look at. The massive scar nearly cleaved it in two, but it had healed back stronger than before. But, looking past the intensity of her soul, I saw it. The shimmer. I pulled back, then nodded to Rhani. She just shook her head. ¡°What are the odds?¡± she asked. Jack looked at me quizzically. ¡°Of?¡± ¡°The short version? I made a deal with Allura thirty years ago to prepare the world for some kind of threat. Since then, we¡¯re pretty sure she¡¯s been manipting events to send people my way that I can trust.¡± Jack¡¯s finger started tapping the bottle. She started smoking, and I saw ripples of me stuttering in and out on her arms and legs. I watched the fire returning to her eyes as she burned away the alcohol in her system. ¡°I want in. Five and a half years I¡¯ve felt like I¡¯ve done nothing but dick around and waste the gift Allura and Syl gave me.¡± ¡°I vote yes,¡± Tiana said immediately. ¡°I second that,¡± Serena said, ¡°but when we get back to the city I want to talk to your sister, Jack.¡± ¡°You already know it¡¯s a yes from me,¡± Rhani said, her pencil never slowing. Noelle hummed. ¡°I like Jack.¡± Then she turned her face up at me, shing her incisors. ¡°Zaren likes her, too. I also vote yes.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Well, you heard them, Jack. You¡¯re in if you want to be. You¡¯ve got a lot of catching up to do, though.¡± Jack cracked her neck. ¡°Better get started then, since we¡¯ll be in the city tomorrow.¡± # # # I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited as the outer walls of Amesseria loomed before us. The trip to the capital felt like it had taken far too long, but finally we¡¯d arrived. We¡¯d packed up camp in record time since everyone else was just as excited to no longer be on the road, and the difference in the demi-humans was palpable. Smiles andughter made the bright, sunny day feel all the brighter. In some ways, Amesseria looked the same as it did when I¡¯d walked away from itst. The seat of power was built on the highest ground with the three towers stretching towards the sky at the city¡¯s peak. The buildings surrounding the towers were massive and opulent, no doubt housing for the wealthiest among the city. A wall stretched around the lower quarter, though in the thirty years I¡¯d been gone the city had started to sprawl out past its confines. Each of the city''s four quarters were separated by wall, each taller than the one preceding it, with the royal quarter hidden behind the highest wall in the center of the city. It was hard to make out much past the wall that loomed before us, but the city overall felt lighter than it once had. Even with our early start, though, we ended up having to wait in line as the guards admitted various groups of travelers into the city. Since we were a caravan, they¡¯d have to check us over to make sure we weren¡¯t sneaking anything into the city we weren¡¯t supposed to. My storage would be exempt from that, so anything that might be suspicious got stuck in there. Jack was a woman remade. Between the long talk we¡¯d had the night before bringing her up to speed and her decision to finally ept my new set of shadow armor. She¡¯d taken the gem into her tentst night and emerged with a wide grin. Her outfit hadyers, and she swapped between them regrly. In its entirety, her outfit consisted of an armored corset, a very short sleeved jacket with built in shoulder pauldrons, a ck leather skirt that ended halfway down her thighs, and greaves that stopped just above her knees. If she wanted to, she could dismiss the corset and the skirt to show ck bands that wrapped around her chest (and apparently gave her more support than most bras) and tight shorts that cut off high on her thighs. Today she¡¯d elected to do just that, leaving nothing but the shorts and bands underneath the jacket. It showed off her toned body nicely, which she was fully aware of based on the grin she shot me. ¡°So, boss, what¡¯s the n?¡± I rolled my eyes. After talking with Cynthia, we figured having Jack take on a simr role to Tiana was the smartest move for now. ¡°Cynthia is taking Rhani to start contracting the businesses we¡¯ll need to get everything up and running.¡± ¡°Why Rhani?¡± Jack asked curiously. ¡°Because I¡¯ve given her free reign to design the master bedroom. I just hope Cynthia keeps her from draining the coffers.¡± Jack snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see what shees up with.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± She lightly punched my arm with a grin. ¡°Dream on, big man. I¡¯d hate to send all Rhani¡¯s hard work up in smoke. Just those two?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m sending Safina, too. She should discourage anyone from making trouble. They¡¯ll also make stops at the guild to send messages to any family members¡ªsuch as Rhani¡¯s sister¡ªand get updated documents on my properties in the city.¡± ¡°Tiana and the rest of the new servants are going with Korey for now since I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll have anywhere for most of them to sleep just yet. Her and Liana will watch over everyone until I¡¯ve got a house for them to move to.¡± ¡°Sticking with Liana as head servant, then?¡± I nodded. ¡°Good, she¡¯spetent as shit. You¡¯d have to be an idiot not to utilize her. Noelle and Serena?¡± ¡°Noelle is sticking with me until we have somewhere secure,¡± I told her. ¡°Her race ys into this somehow, and I don¡¯t want to risk the wrong person seeing what she is just yet.¡± ¡°You should start gathering information as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Already on it,¡± I told her. ¡°Once we¡¯ve got everyone settled for the day, Valith, Alice, Tsuki, and Nariko are headed out into the city to find out everything they can about the current yers in the lower city. I was originally just going to send Valith and Nariko, but they convinced me to let Tsuki and Alice help. I¡¯ll send them in pairs so they have someone to watch their backs.¡± That seemed to appease her. ¡°The cors should protect them from most. Nobody will want to risk pissing off the new guy in town until they know what kind of clout he¡¯s got.¡± My thoughts exactly, though I would have been lying if I¡¯d said I wasn¡¯t a little hesitant to send them off on their own. They seemed more than confident they¡¯d be able to get the job done, though, and the job definitely needed doing. I had so much shit to take care of it would be days or weeks before I could step out and do the information gathering myself, so I¡¯d have to trust they could handle it. She peered around the caravan. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re up soon, you should probably banish the golem unless you want to end up on Be¡¯s radar early.¡± I made a grunt of agreement and headed for my wagon. Jack had epted just about everything I¡¯d told her with surprising ease. She hung back while I hopped up and headed for the golem, prepared to banish it just as I had my sword this morning. Both were powerful magical artifacts that would bring undue attention to us before we were ready for it. The poor golem was still missing half its limbs, but I¡¯d already promised Rhani to help her figure out a way to restore it to its former glory. When I kneeled down and put my hand on its chest, though, I sucked in my breath sharply. ¡°No¡­¡± I muttered. Jack hopped up on the wagon. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Before I answered, I needed to be sure. I reached out with my senses and felt around where I thought the golem¡¯s chest would be. My fears turned out to be well founded when I found the soul there. It was mutted, cut and chained in ce with strands of magic that attached it to the golem¡¯s physical body. ¡°I always knew the golem was special, but I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡± I looked up at Jack, my expression grim. ¡°It¡¯s built around a soul. Someone killed to make this golem. They attached the soul to the rest of the body. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so efficient. Why it always felt smarter than a normal golem.¡± No, not someone. Karn. I banished the golem and stood. Jack looked like she might be sick. ¡°That¡¯s fucked.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± We both lurched as the wagon started moving again, leaving that particr revtion to be dealt withter. ¡°Come on, I should be at the front when we get to the gates.¡± Korey, Cynthia, and Pierce were all at the head of the caravan already when Jack and I joined them. We timed it perfectly, only having to wait a few minutes before the gate guards finished with the group in front of us. They turned to wave us through, and I saw whoever was in charge lock on to Korey immediately. ¡°Korey Pravl,¡± he said, his lip curling. ¡°Figured you¡¯d take longer to get back. Don¡¯t see Vossen with you.¡± He looked to the men performing the inspections. ¡°Make sure to be extra thorough with this one.¡± Before I could so much as speak, Cynthia stepped forward. ¡°Actually, an inspection won¡¯t be necessary.¡± The guy in charge paused, then turned back slowly. ¡°Is that so? And who the fuck are you?¡± Cynthia just smiled professionally. ¡°Who I am is unimportant, but who I work for isn¡¯t. You may want to read our paperwork before you go throwing your authority around.¡± She brandished the documents, far enough away that the man would have to approach her. He looked from me to Pierce to Jack, then to whoever hade to the front of the caravan to stand behind us. He stalked forward and snatched the documents from Cynthia, his brows slowly raising with each word. He paled, then his eyes shot to me. I arched a brow and he hurriedly shoved the papers back into Cynthia¡¯s hands before waving them through. ¡°Have a nice day, my lord,¡± he mumbled, stepping aside. Korey got the caravan moving again and we fell into step. Once we were through, we all turned to Cynthia. ¡°How did you manage that?¡± Korey demanded. ¡°Borrik fucking hates me.¡± Cynthia made a show of carefully putting the paperwork away. ¡°I merely worded the documents to point out that Zaren has the right to oversee the transport of potentially hazardous materials. There was an entire page dedicated to the proper handling of containment procedures that, if vited, could result in a horrible death. Not only that, but I made it clear that he has both the pull and the ability to handle materials that an average guard would never be able to discern from anything actually illegal, so unless he wanted to call his superiors and risk offending a powerful lord with the dy¡­¡± she trailed off with a shrug. Jack snickered. ¡°Where the fuck did you find her?¡± ¡°Ran into her in Anford. So far, she¡¯s been worth every copper promised and then some.¡± Cynthia¡¯s only reaction to my words was a slight darkening to her cheeks. I knew she prided herself in her work, but I wasn¡¯t kidding. As soon as I could, I was giving her a raise. Korey just shook his head. ¡°Whatever the case, I¡¯m continually d I agreed to take you on back in Listone. It really has been a gift that keeps on giving.¡± We carried on into the city. The houses we were surrounded by were hardly slums, but they weren¡¯t nearly as nice as the houses I knew were further in. But we didn¡¯t stay there for long. Eventually Korey took us off towards the southeast corner of the city where the quality and cleanliness of the buildings around us rapidly started to decline. Cynthia held up her map. ¡°This is where we¡¯ll split, it seems.¡± I nodded. ¡°Alright, everyone know their jobs?¡± I received nods all around, then turned to Korey, holding out a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch once I see what state my house is in. Might be a few days my people have to stay with you, but I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Korey waved my offer away. ¡°After all you¡¯ve done for me, it¡¯s the least I can do. I¡¯ll keep your people safe. I can do that much, at least.¡± I turned to Pierce, who had Yen standing behind him. ¡°Well, Zaren, it¡¯s been a pleasure.¡± It was still odd hearing my full nameing from them, but I¡¯de cleanst night. Not necessarily that I was one of the original members of the Seven, but that I was technically a part of the household Rr had created for me. ¡°My earlier offer still stands, and you know where to find us.¡± I shook both their hands. ¡°Once I start setting things in motion, I¡¯ll reach out.¡± Then I looked to Jack, who stood with a hand on her hip. ¡°I¡¯ll stick with you, for now,¡± she said. ¡°Zoey can roll with Cynthia and Rhani as a bit of extra human muscle, and I¡¯ve sent Reese off to see who all is still in town that I can lean on.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s move out, then.¡± I embraced Rhani, then Tiana, making them both promise me they¡¯d be careful. Splitting from them in such arge city made me nervous, but I knew I had to put my trust in them. As badly as I might have wanted to, I couldn¡¯t just hoard all the people I cared about behind thick walls and wait out the end of the world. Not when I still had souls counting on me. Serena and Noelle fell into step with us and we headed towards where Cynthia said my manor would be. I knew vaguely where it was, but the city looked a little different after thirty years. The longer we walked, the more concerned I got. Many of the people we saw were demi-humans, and there was definitely an element present that had me repositioning Noelle so that she was between the three of us. We were certainly going to have our work cut out for us, that was for sure. The few humans we did see wore rags and looked like they hadn¡¯t bathed in a while. I hadn¡¯t expected things to get any better when we got to the area where my manor was, and I wasn¡¯t disappointed. The buildings had once been grand, but decades of neglect and abandonment had left them decayed shells. Finally, we came to a stop at thergest, nicest manor at the end of the row. The main building was three stories sprawled out over the acre of deadnd locked behind a ck iron gate with a number of smaller buildings surrounding it. The walls were grimy and faded, many of the windows were cracked, broken, or too dirty to see into, and at the front was a broken fountain filled with disgusting, brown water. In the center of the closed gate was a wide, metal sigil. A ck dragon wrapped around a sword fashioned like the Jailer¡¯s de that sat in my storage. ¡°So this is home, then?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Seems like it,¡± I answered. ¡°What a shit hole,¡± Jack noted. ¡°It sure is,¡± I agreed. It was perfect. Announcement Finally, after far too long, we have made it to the capital! That isn''t the only development far too long in the making either. If you are curious about the various demi-humans and their moremon traits, then I added some entries in the glossary that will hopefully help readers keep them straight. I have some ideas for other entries (character sheets is on the list of things I''d like to do, I just haven''t had the time to sit down and do it) but for now I figure demi-humans were a good ce to start. Chapter Seventy-One: Vaults, Visitors, and Vows Chapter Seventy-One: Vaults, Visitors, and Vows I frowned as soon as my hand touched the front gate. Unsurprisingly, Jack didn¡¯t miss a thing. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, tearing her eyes from the sad facade of our new home. ¡°The fence and the gate are spelled,¡± I exined. ¡°It¡¯ll only open for the first time for my magical signature.¡± Serena¡¯s hand joined mine, a small smile on her face while she looked over my house sigil. ¡°The spell is intact, then?¡± ¡°More than that, it feels like it¡¯s been topped off. Recently.¡± Jack huffed. ¡°And you¡¯ve got no clue who might be keeping it topped?¡± She peered around at the grounds as much as she could through the gate. ¡°Think it¡¯s rmed?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t doubt it.¡± There was a pretty good chance someone would know the second I undid the seal, but there was little I could do about that right now. I pushed my magic into the gate and it clicked open. I raised a brow when it swung inward silently, its hinges freshly oiled. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I might think someone knew I wasing.¡± I walked onto the property with the others in tow. Jack fell into step beside me and shrugged. ¡°You used your name back in Listone when you indebted Rhani, then again when you turned in the Malek and the Vx queen. Odds are someone was paying attention.¡± I grunted. ¡°Maybe, but there aren¡¯t many people who¡¯d guess I¡¯d head here.¡± The front door had been grand once. Tworge onyx doors with gold iy. Ayer of dust and grime dulled any sheen it might have had, but up close it looked to be in surprisingly good shape. No doubt thanks to the magical nature of the material. I looked around the entryway until my eye was snagged by a small symbol cut into one of the stones. A crude sword with a dragon curled around it. An imitation of the symbol Rr hade up with for me when I¡¯d joined the Seven. I looked for the stone directly opposite the mark, smiling when it turned out to be loose. Jack snorted when I pried the stone out of the wall and reached into the hole left behind,ing out with a set of keys. ¡°Seriously?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t mess with the ssics.¡± ¡°And how exactly did you end up with such a nice ce?¡¯¡± she asked while I unlocked the door. ¡°Belonged to one of our contacts,¡± I exined. ¡°Old money family that managed to stay out from under Grimsbane¡¯s thumb. They were part of an undergroundwork we used to get spies in and prisoners out.¡± The entryway only looked moderately better than the front of the house since it was at least protected from the elements. That didn¡¯t stop the thickyer of dust that had settled over the everything in view. There was some furniture still underneath cloth tarps, but I wasn¡¯t overly hopeful it was still in good condition. Especially considering the state of the city thest time anyone had stepped inside. ¡°And they just gave you their house?¡± Serena asked. ¡°Actually they were brutally executed for treason.¡± There would normally be plenty of natural light inside, but most of the windows were still far from clear, so I pulled out one of Elisa¡¯snterns. ¡°His family was taken as punishment and tortured. The others in the Seven, minus Rr, agreed it was too risky to rescue them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Serena trailed off. ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, heading deeper into the decrepit manor. A double set of stairs split around either side of the main entrance hall and led up to the second story and hallways split off in both directions, but I headed towards a small door nestled behind the main staircase. ¡°I disagreed, though. I slipped in through one of the secret entrances we¡¯d been using and orchestrated a small jail break that ended up in some pretty nasty riots.¡± My gut twisted at the memory. ¡°A lot of people died on both sides, but the chaos I left behind forced Grimsbane to split his attention enough for us to get our first real foothold in the war.¡± Behind the door was a narrow staircase that went down into the darkness. I suppressed a shiver at the thought of going underground, but Serena¡¯s hand on my back calmed my nerves. ¡°The mother didn¡¯t survive long after we¡¯d freed her, but her kids worked with Rr to leave me the manor and went overseas to live with some extended family.¡± The staircase was only wide enough for a single person, so I led the way. Serena was immediately at my back, followed by Noelle, with Jack in the rear. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Serena said eventually, her voice soft. ¡°You don¡¯t think another war will happen, do you?¡± I didn¡¯t answer right away. That very question had been guing me for weeks now. ¡°Hard to say. I think that if things had been left to fester, one would have eventually happened sometime in the next decade. Shit like what we¡¯ve been dealing with? I have to assume those kinds of things happened during Grimsbane¡¯s rise to power.¡± ¡°And now?¡± ¡°Maybe Allura bringing me back changed things. There isn¡¯t anyone alive who wants to avoid another war as badly as me. Even for the ones who fought in thest one, it¡¯s been three decades. For me? It¡¯s been months.¡± Serena stiffened behind me and I fought the urge to try andfort her. There wasn¡¯t really anything I could say to ease her fears, so there was no point. ¡°We won¡¯t know for sure until we have more information on what¡¯s going on in the city, but trust me when I say I have no intention of letting things get that bad again.¡± ¡°Nobody ever does,¡± Jack grumbled. When the stairs ended, we found ourselves in a narrow hallway that stretched off in either direction. One way went towards the secret tunnels I¡¯d have to figure out mapping, but there was no telling how many of them remained after a war and three decades. I turned in the other direction, heading down a hall towards arge metal door with runes etched onto its surface. ¡°Is that a fucking vault?¡± Jack demanded, a hint of excitement in her voice. I chuckled, searching the keyring for a small silver rod. I pushed some mana into it and it formed into a three sided key. I used it to unlock the vault door and heaved, yanking the heavy metal towards us. The hinges were on the inside, so it creaked horrifically as it swung outward, letting out a gust of magically charged, very stale air that made all of us cough. The glow from myntern reflected back at me off hundreds of sources. I pulled three more out of storage and gave one to each of the women behind me. ¡°Careful not to touch anything, there are more than a few cursed objects locked away down here. Once we have time, I¡¯ll have to get Rhani to catalog everything down here.¡± Jack let out a low whistle at the swords, weapons, and piles of gold and jewels that filled the space. ¡°Shit, Z, you didn¡¯t tell me you were this fucking loaded.¡± I stopped by a pile of gold bigger than me and scooped it into my storage. ¡°Honestly? I forgot about it until I was looking over the blueprints with Cynthiast week. Even then I figured someone would have cleaned it out, but it looks like even Sandrel either couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t.¡± Jack rapped her knuckles on a set of faintly glowing te armor. ¡°Spoils of war?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± I paused at a weapon¡¯s rack. I recognized several of the arms on the rack, and pulled off an enchanted spear and a massive battleaxe, handing them to Serena and Noelle respectively. Then I sent a set of matching swords ranging from a shortsword to a two handed greatsword into my storage. ¡°A lot of it Rr was worried about falling into the wrong hands,¡± I exined, continuing deeper into the vault. There were busts coated in jewelry, paintings, and racks of gemstones as well. ¡°While the others in the Seven got all kinds of boons and power, I got this. It was more than I wanted, but¡ªand I¡¯m quoting him here¡ªhe wanted it in the hands of the one man he knew could never be bought or corrupted.¡± Jack, who was wearing about eight nes and a ring on each finger despite my earlier warning, frowned. ¡°It sounds like you and Rr were a lot closer than the history books say.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about close, but he always had a lot more faith in me than anyone else.¡± Myself included. ¡°Besides, who better to leave dangerous and powerful weapons than the guy who already has an incredibly dangerous and powerful weapon?¡± Speaking of which, now that we were safely in my manor and I was rtively sure we were safe, I summoned the Jailer¡¯s de from my storage. Its first reaction was a trill of happiness at being freed from the darkness of my pocket dimension, followed by an air of superiority tinged by slight jealousy at the other weapons in the room. That was quickly dispelled by the wave of fear as it realized we were in a magically sealed vault, and it wasn¡¯t until I reassured Ash that I had no intentions of locking the sword away that the bond between us began to settle. Jack scooped up a handful of gold, letting it fall through her fingers. ¡°Damn, you also neglected to mention that you¡¯re loaded loaded.¡± ¡°Again, I expected the vault to be practically licked clean when we arrived,¡± I pointed out. ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t go ordering any gold ted toilet seats just yet. Most of this is going straight to renovations and rebuilding the quarter.¡± It was around that time a shiver went down my spine. ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± I said. Rings ttered to the ground as Jack¡¯s hands turned to me and Serena whirled on the door to the vault. I chuckled. ¡°Sorry, not here here, but up top. The gate is spelled to tell me when strangers cross the threshold to the property, and since I haven¡¯t had the time to add any of you to the wards it sees everyone as a stranger. Come on.¡± I locked the vault up behind me and banished its key to my storage so not even the greatest thief could lift it off me and we headed for the top floor. Noelle pulled her hood back up to hide her features and loosened her new axe in its harness while Serena and Jack both started readying themselves for a fight. Serena somewhat nervously, but Jack with a grin that made me as nervous as it did excited. A trio waited for us just inside the gate. In the lead was a Dark Elf woman, her silvery hair tied into a tight bun and lines of age present on her face. At her shoulder stood a tall, red-skinned Oni man and on her other side was a hunched figure with a cloak that covered too much of him for me to see his features. The woman¡¯s gaze was hard as she appraised me, her lips bing a thin line. The Oni shifted in a way that told that, even unarmed, he was dangerous. The Dark Elf sped her hands in front of her, offering a slight bow. ¡°Greetings, sir,¡± she said stiffly. ¡°I am Alianna, a matron of sorts around here. We noticed your arrival and wanted to officially wee you into the area.¡± I gave her a slight bow in return. ¡°Thank you. I figured someone would have eyes on this manor, but you arrived quickly. You can call me Zaren.¡± The hooded one¡¯s head shifted slightly, but Alianna¡¯s posture stiffened. ¡°A bold name toy im to,¡± she noted. I shrugged. ¡°Unfortunately for many, it¡¯s the only one I¡¯ve got.¡± Her eyes traveled to the manor again. ¡°For thirty years this manor has sat untouched. I¡¯m curious as to why someone has finallye to im it.¡± ¡°A long story,¡± I told her carefully. A silence stretched between us, and I could feel the women at my back growing nervous. So far, it was hard to tell if Alianna was going to be a problem or an ally. She could be working with someone eager to get to the vault below, or she could be one of the unofficial leaders in the area. If she was the former, I needed to try and figure out who she worked for. If it was thetter, I¡¯d have to find a way to get her on my side of things. ¡°Your disguise is impable,¡± she said finally, ¡°but it¡¯s a little too good. You look just like the Godyer did when he left, just with longer hair and a bit of scruff.¡± I rubbed my chin, a little offended. It wasn¡¯t my fault I didn¡¯t have ess to a razor while on the road, but I felt like the hair on my jaw was a bit more than scruff. She had a point about the hair, though. If my girls didn¡¯t like grabbing it so much when we were intimate I would have cut it a while ago. ¡°If it was a disguise,¡± I said carefully, ¡°then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to unlock the gate. Not without destroying the ward, the gate, or both,¡± I pointed out. The hooded figure stepped forward and whispered something I couldn¡¯t make out in the daylight and I felt a trickle of feare from the woman. Not necessarily that she was afraid of me in that moment, but rather of the implications of what I¡¯d just said. ¡°You¡¯re the true property owner, then? Did you inherit from your father?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the owner, yes. Deed and all.¡± I ignored the second part of her question since the truth was still more than a little ridiculous. She swallowed, and that hint of fear twinged. ¡°Does that mean you own all of Zaren Nocht¡¯s other properties, then?¡± Now her fear was starting to make sense. If she was some kind of representative¡ªone that had an idea of which properties I owned¡ªthen it was no wonder she was keeping an eye out for me. If she was at all in charge of anyone living in a building I owned, then my presence meant they were in danger. ¡°It does,¡± I admitted, and all three of them stilled. I raised a hand. ¡°I understand the situation isplicated, and I don¡¯t n on making any decisions until I¡¯m a little better informed. But this isn¡¯t a conversation that should be had outside like this. I¡¯m afraid I still haven¡¯t had time to go furniture shopping, but I still have plenty of my camp gear from when I was on the road. Would you like toe in and talk?¡± Alianna hesitated, then [Danger Sense] pinged and [Giant Killer] had my Primal surging. I stepped in front of the knife hurtling at Serena and knocked it out of the air with a shadow I¡¯d conjured without even needing to think. Then the hooded figure was in my face. A de shot towards my throat, but it was a feint to distract from the other aimed at my groin. I caught both of the attackers wrists, but not before I recognized the opening. I raised a leg, mming my foot down on the scarred, scaled tail before its barbed metal tip could sink into my calf. ¡°You¡¯re pretty spry for an old man, Godyer,¡± a raspy voice said. Vertically slit poison-green eyes peered at me from under the hood with amusement in them. Dark green scales dulled with age covered most of his face, and his smile shed his long canines at me. ¡°And you¡¯re still an asshole, Lizard.¡± The flesh around his eyes crinkled. ¡°Almost had you there.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± He nced one way to see Serena¡¯s spear at his throat, then the other to see Noelle¡¯s battleaxe poised to lop off the tail still trapped under my foot. He barked out augh. ¡°Perhaps not.¡± He grinned and stepped back, holding his des up in a nonthreatening manner, revealing his appearance as an aged green Dragonling. ¡°Had to be sure. Zaren might have taught his kid all sorts of tricks, but I doubt he¡¯d have passed on the secret move of some poor, insignificant reptile.¡± I scoffed, crossing my arms. ¡°Insignificant? Sure, and the three generals you assassinated weren¡¯t important either.¡± Alianna sucked in her breath and the Oni¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°It¡¯s really you, then?¡± Alianna breathed. Lizard just chuckled. ¡°Oh yeah, it¡¯s him alright. This city is so fucked.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°Now can we take this inside?¡± ¡°Sure, sure, we can trust him,¡± Lizard said, waving his hand at Alianna. ¡°Torq, go get us some grub, yeah? I¡¯m guessing Zaren¡¯s pantry isn¡¯t exactly stocked to the gills.¡± When the Oni hesitated, Lizard spun him around and gave him a shove. ¡°Go on you big wall of meat, those fists won¡¯t do much against the Shadow of Death and I missed lunch to deal with this. Shoo.¡± Torq took off, but Alianna remained rooted in ce. ¡°Samsol, be honest, what will this mean for us?¡± she said so quietly I could barely hear her. But Lizard¡¯s grin only widened. ¡°It means things are about to change, and all the humans living in the upper quarter are in no way ready for it.¡± Only then did she start walking, following behind us with Lizard in tow. ¡°Friend of yours?¡± Jack whispered to me as we walked in. ¡°Something like that. He taught me how to move around unseen, helped me with a lot of covert missions against Grimsbane,¡± I exined. I summoned a folding table and several camp chairs, setting them up around the table, then sat at one end. ¡°I don¡¯t remember reading about a Dragonling assassin anywhere in the history books,¡± Serena said, sitting down at my right. ¡°Because he was very good at his job,¡± Lizard said with a toothy smile, sitting at the far end next to a still-stiff Alianna. Noelle dragged her chair closer to me and sat close enough that I could put an arm over her shoulders. Considering I was trying to win over demi-humans, I did just that. She hummed happily, and I didn¡¯t miss the slight surprise in Lizard¡¯s eyes or the slight softening of Alianna¡¯s expression. Jack plopped down as Jack did, kicking her feet up on the table. ¡°You think that¡¯s cute, you should see him with his Arelim. Gods, the two are so in love it makes me want to vomit.¡± Leave it to Jack to understand exactly what I was going for. Alianna, it seemed, would need a second, so I raised a brow at Lizard. ¡°Samsol?¡± He just shrugged. ¡°Hardly my fault my old moniker ended up as a slur.¡± ¡°But the name of your old cat?¡± ¡°Hey! He was a very loyal cat!¡± Then he grinned. ¡°Besides, I¡¯d much rather talk about the girls you¡¯ve got on your arm. Zaren Nocht with a harem. Never thought I¡¯d see the day. ¡®Bout time you found someone who could put a smile on that surly mug of yours.¡± Serena¡¯s hand found mine under the table. I shook my head at him. ¡°Enough about my love life. In case you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m a little behind on the times.¡± He snorted. ¡°I¡¯ll say. God bullshit?¡± ¡°Goddess bullshit,¡± I corrected. ¡°Naturally. n on burning down the town?¡± ¡°Strategically, of course.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± I couldn¡¯t fight back my grin. ¡°Know anyone who sells matches?¡± He grinned right back. ¡°Boy, do I.¡± Alianna finally sat forward. ¡°So, just for rity¡¯s sake, you really are the Zaren Nocht?¡± My grin faded. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re here to im your properties? Your ce in this city?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± She took a long breath, then let it out slowly. ¡°I see. Then I would like to ask that you at least give me time to try and find somewhere to relocate many of those who will be disced. I represent a number of families in the lower quarter, and I have been given permission to¡­negotiate.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure exactly why she¡¯d emphasized thest word until Lizard cleared his throat. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Alianna,¡± he said far too quickly. ¡°Zaren won¡¯t be interested in those kinds of deals.¡± My gut twisted as understanding tore through me. Serene must have understood as well, since she squeezed my hand. Alianna looked to be at a loss. ¡°We have nothing else to offer,¡± she said softly. I held both my hands up. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back a bit, I think we¡¯ve skipped ahead a little. First off, you don¡¯t have to worry about me kicking anyone out just yet. Not sure if you¡¯ve noticed, but I¡¯m going to have my hands full just getting this ce back to a livable state again.¡± That calmed her somewhat. ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll start on relocating immediately.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you, but I¡¯d like to offer an alternative.¡± Her gaze turned wary, but with a nce at Lizard she nodded. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°I just arrived in the city today, so forgive me for making any assumptions, but I¡¯m guessing the economy in the lower quarter isn¡¯t exactly booming.¡± ¡°Understatement of the century,¡± Lizard said under his breath. When Alianna shot him a re, he shrugged. ¡°No sense hiding it. Only people who buy from the lower quarter is people in the lower quarter, and we¡¯re all broke as shit.¡± ¡°I think I can help with that.¡± Both of their gazes snapped to me, Alianna with careful curiosity and Lizard with amusement. ¡°I happen to have a decently sized amount of money, and I¡¯d like to start injecting it into the lower quarter.¡± For the first time, I saw a spark of something in Alianna¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you aren¡¯t talking about handouts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll needbor of all kinds before long.¡± I raised a hand before she could protest. ¡°I¡¯ll only take people who want the work, and I¡¯ll make sure they¡¯re properlypensated. I¡¯m not looking to indebt anyone right now past any household needs thate up, and even then I¡¯d look to get people out of the Pens before I ever so much as thought about pulling people off the street.¡± ¡°What kind ofbor?¡± she asked carefully. ¡°I¡¯ll go out on a limb and assume many of my properties are in varying states of disrepair?¡± They nodded, Lizard a little more eagerly than I¡¯d like. ¡°So repairs will be a big one, both of my properties and the city around it. I can provide resources, but I¡¯d like to give your people the opportunity to earn a little money in a way nobody in the other parts of the city canin about.¡± Alianna¡¯s finger started tapping against the table. ¡°Alright, I can think of plenty that would jump at the opportunity if I vouched for you. What else?¡± ¡°Any of the people in my properties business owners?¡± ¡°A few,¡± she said after a brief pause. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to work out some official deals so they¡¯re legally renting the space. Whatever they canfortably afford, of course. I can run things at a loss for a while until we start to get things turned around.¡± Alianna¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°Why? I find it hard to believe you¡¯d go so far out of the goodness of your heart, and many others will feel the same.¡± Lizard chuckled to himself, and I knew he¡¯d already figured out a lot of what I had nned. I smiled as well. ¡°The system relies on dependency. The less dependent the upants of the lower quarter are, the more unstable that system gets. I didn¡¯t kill Grimsbane just so that this bullshit version of very could get put into ce, so you could say I have a bit of a vendetta.¡± Her eyebrows rose in surprise. ¡°You really are him, aren¡¯t you?¡± I looked down at Noelle, who hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off Lizard once, then to Serena, who was smiling at me like she already knew what was going through my head. ¡°I was him, once. Now I¡¯m something different. Something better, I hope, but only time will tell.¡± I looked up to Lizard. ¡°The old me would have burned the city down without a second thought and left everyone else to pick up the pieces, but apparently that didn¡¯t go so wellst time. This time, the other side won¡¯t know what¡¯s happening until long after they¡¯ve smelled the smoke.¡± # # # We talked until the sun started to sink in the sky. Torq eventually returned with bags of some greasy fried abomination that might have been the best thing I¡¯d ever eaten in my life. Noelle ate three helpings, which seemed to amuse our guests to no end. After I¡¯d started to work out the basic details with Alianna, we moved on to a less money-oriented discussion. I needed allies in the city, and I trusted Lizard. He and Alianna both promised to ask around and set up a meeting with important people in the quarter. Lizard¡ªas Samsol¡ªhad be quite a figure in the Amesserian underground, and he promised to get in touch with some of his less legal contacts. I didn¡¯t let them in on my full n, but I gave them enough to get the ball rolling. We were just saying our goodbyes when I heard a familiar squeal. Rhani came charging into the room, taking everything in with stars in her eyes. As soon as her eyes locked on me she became a blur, mming into me hard enough that I had to take a step back. ¡°I love it!¡± she said. ¡°This is gonna be so amazing when we¡¯re done!¡± Iughed and hugged her back. ¡°Of that, I have no doubt. Did you send your message?¡± She pulled back. ¡°Yup. Tomorrow night is when I told her we¡¯d meet.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Good. The sooner the better, for your sake and hers.¡± ¡°See?¡± Jack said. I looked over to see her standing next to Lizard with a shit eating grin. ¡°Disgusting, right?¡± Lizard chuckled. ¡°That they are. I didn¡¯t know his face could do that.¡± I ignored them, turning my attention to the people meandering in through the door. Tiana came first, appraising the house with a curious eye. Behind her were the twins, hand in hand as usual, looking as star struck as Rhani had. Then Nariko and Alice came in, followed by the High Elf sisters Elena and Liana, three humans I didn¡¯t recognize, then Valith and Safina. Ryoko came running for me, dragging a smiling Tsuki along with her. ¡°Ren, this ce is huge! There¡¯s really going to be room for all of us, isn¡¯t there?¡± she asked. ¡°There is,¡± I said, rubbing both of them between the ears. Ryoko beamed, and despite her carefully neutral expression I could feel Tsuki leaning into my hand. Rhani gripped my arm. ¡°Can we explore? im rooms? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I said with augh, ¡°just stay together. The manor has seen better days, and I don¡¯t want anyone falling through the floor or anything.¡± I summoned a fewnterns and handed them out. ¡°I will go with them,¡± Noelle said, wrapping one hand around Rhani¡¯s and the other around Ryoko¡¯s. ¡°I will keep them out of trouble.¡± Ryoko dragged them along and they disappeared deeper into the house. Hands snaked around my waist from behind and I leaned into Tiana¡¯s embrace. ¡°Everything go alright?¡± I asked her. ¡°Perfectly,¡± she said, leaning her head on my shoulder. ¡°Liana and Elena wanted to get ay of thend so they can start nning out tasks to bring the manor up to snuff.¡± I looked to where the two were standing somewhat uncertainly, then to the humans, who were all talking to Alianna. ¡°And them?¡± ¡°From left to right, you¡¯ve got Deetrik, Vanner, and Euribald. Deetrik is head of thepany set to do all our renovations. Vanner is his second, and he got put in charge of the master bedroom since you went and gave Rhani free reign.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to regret that, aren¡¯t I?¡± I felt her smile against my shoulder. ¡°Actually, her ns are quite ingenious. I have to say I¡¯m incredibly excited to see how it ends up.¡± ¡°And Euribald?¡± ¡°He¡¯s apparently the one who ends up with most of the magically gifted demi-humans. He runs an artifice engineeringpany. Korey figured we could have him bring our wards up to snuff and get the manor outfitted with magic befitting of this decade. You know, like lights?¡± She tapped thentern at my waist. ¡°Rhani also had some ideas for glyphs she¡¯s apparently gone and created, and she wants to have some put around the house if they end up working.¡± Alianna made her way over. ¡°I must say, I¡¯m impressed. Deetrik and Euribald say you¡¯ve ensured them weeks of work already. I half expected you to bring in human constructionpanies.¡± ¡°Like I said, the lower quarter¡¯s economy needs some help and I¡¯m more than happy to contribute.¡± Her lips twitched in an almost-smile. ¡°I see. Well, if that¡¯s the case, I can start having furniture delivered to you tomorrow.¡± Tiana groaned. ¡°That would be wonderful. I miss beds so badly.¡± Alianna inclined her head, much less stiffly than she had before. ¡°I¡¯ll get started on what we discussed, Zaren. If you¡¯re being truthful, then I can¡¯t wait to see what you¡¯ll aplish.¡± She said her goodbyes and took her leave with Lizard and Torq in tow. I exchanged some words with the humans¡ªDeetrik and Vanner both were understandably confused that I wasn¡¯t allowed to know what the ns for the master bedroom were, but I reassured them it was fine¡ªand I sent them with Safina and Elena to get an idea of what they were working with. I¡¯d expected Valith to go with her friend, but she hung back. ¡°Boss, a word?¡± Tiana said something about taking Liana to see the manor and I stepped aside with Valith. Jack was watching the room, but I knew she was listening to every word I said. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked. Valith crossed her arms. ¡°Been talking with Noelle a lot. She mentioned a bond between the two of you.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°Our Soul Link.¡± She nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the one, yeah. It¡¯s permanent?¡± I thought of [Sever]. ¡°For now.¡± ¡°I want a Link,¡± she said quickly, surprising me. ¡°I¡¯m not saying no, but¡­why?¡± She just shrugged. ¡°For starters, Noelle has one and I won¡¯t be separated from her again. Not now. Past that? It¡¯s a useful tool to have in your arsenal, no? If I¡¯m out spying for you and get into trouble, you¡¯ll know immediately. No waiting for check-ins or having to retrace my steps. Plus, it makes you stronger.¡± She looked somewhat hesitant. ¡°I don¡¯t have to fuck you to form one, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Then I want a Link. It only makes sense.¡± Now it was my turn to cross my arms. ¡°Is that the only reason? Because it¡¯s useful?¡± She red at me for a moment, the huffed. ¡°You¡¯ve made Noelle a part of your family. You¡¯re unlike any human I¡¯ve ever met, and you¡¯re the only real chance I have at finding and freeing the rest of my sisters. Being a part of this not-so-little family you¡¯re building¡­¡± She looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me, I¡¯m not looking to get into your bed or anything, but I¡¯d like to be a part of the rest of it.¡± I mulled over her words then held my hand out. ¡°Only if you¡¯re sure.¡± She took it without hesitation and nodded. My pool was nice and full for once, so it took barely a thought before [Forge Link] activated and I felt Valith¡¯s soul. It felt pretty much how I expected. Plenty of scars from the harsh life she¡¯d led, and I could see the damage done to her every time she¡¯d been forced to take a life. She wasn¡¯t someone who enjoyed killing, and being forced by the cor into the role of assassin had done damage to her soul that would never truly be undone. But I could also see the loneliness in her heart. How badly she wanted a group to be a part of. A family. I could feel the bond between her and Safina. A tether that had kept her firmly linked to sanity. The traces of hopelessness that were only just beginning to fade as her fate had started to be insurmountable. But the one thing I didn¡¯t see was the shimmer. There was no mirage hiding a part of her from me. No pull between our souls that acted as a framework between us. When my skill activated, it was with the burning sensation of a bridge being seared into existence between us. She gasped, and magic sparked where our palms met. It made both our muscles seize, nearly sending us to the ground as white hot magic poured between us, then it was over. There was nopulsion to strip my clothes and press my naked body to hers, thankfully, and it seemed the same was true for her as well. As soon as our muscles released, she let go and stepped back, shaking out her hand. ¡°Well that was something. It worked, then?¡± I checked my list of Links to see her name at the bottom and nodded. ¡°It did.¡± ¡°Good. I want to get a move on as quick as possible. Anything else you need before I take Alice and disappear for a few days?¡± ¡°I should probably feed her before you go. Are youfortable feeding her in case of an emergency?¡± ¡°Sure, can¡¯t be any worse than the shit I¡¯ve already been through, right? I¡¯ll go get her.¡± As soon as she¡¯d walked off, I checked my Essence. [Soul Essence: 130/170] My cap was up by ten once again, which meant it had cost the full thirty. The pattern was beginning to shape, and I wasn¡¯t sure what to do with the information. Everyone whose soul shimmered cost less than those whose souls didn¡¯t. I made a note to tell Rhaniter. While I was lost in my thoughts, Jack approached me with an unreadable expression on her face. ¡°I want a Link, too,¡± she said. Before I could say a word, she barreled on. ¡°Look, we¡¯re obviously connected somehow. My mes like you, and I don¡¯t know what that means. The shit you¡¯re doing, though? I want to be a part of it. Tearing down the ords, doing whatever the fuck Allura expects of you, all of it. I¡¯m not¡ª I haven¡¯t¡ª¡± She made an irritated sound in her throat. ¡°It¡¯s stupid, but all my life I¡¯ve felt like there was somewhere else I needed to be. Something else I needed to be doing. I don¡¯t feel like that anymore, and I just want a Link, alright?¡± I put a hand on her forearm. ¡°I was going to say yes, Jack.¡± Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she simply said, ¡°oh.¡± Then she flipped my grip and was suddenly dragging me down the hallway. She pulled me into a dusty room with just a few pieces of sagging, tarp covered furniture and turned. ¡°Alright, how do we do this?¡± I held a hand out and she grabbed it, her grip crushing. I opened my mouth and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, Zaren. I¡¯m sure. Get to it.¡± ¡°Bossy, bossy,¡± I chided. She just grinned, and I reached towards her soul. Just like before, her soul burned so brightly it was hard to look at. Now that I knew its cause, I could understand the massive scar that nearly ripped it in half. The scar had originally been made when she¡¯d fallen in the fire, seared into her soul by the pain and fear she must have felt. Then, trapped in bed unable to even care for herself or speak, faced with a hopeless future, that scar had festered. Seeped into the rest of her until it had nearly broken her. Only her iron will had kept her sane until her sister had saved her. I was so blinded by the brightness of her soul I nearly missed it. For the briefest of moments I saw through the shimmer, as if the heat of her soul threatened to burn it away. I saw the shes of¡­something. Something I didn¡¯t understand. An echo. An afterimage. Something within her soul that I didn¡¯t know enough to understand. When her soul pulsed with uncertainty, I realized I was metaphorically staring. I offered the Link, and there was no hesitation as it snapped into ce. Like it had with Rhani, Tiana, and Tsuki, the Link seemed to settle on top of something that was already there. I felt like a part of me finally settled into ce, only this time, something was different. Heat rushed through my body. Desire ripped through me, only exacerbated by the magic sparking along my skin. It wasn¡¯t like with Valith. It didn¡¯t all surge through our palms in one go. I struggled to stay standing as the magic sought an outlet, but my eyes remained closed, so I couldn¡¯t see how Jack reacted. A secondter, I didn¡¯t need to. I was unprepared for scorching hot lips to crash into mine, the rest of her body following. She came at me with enough force that my feet left the ground and I mmed into the wall behind me, but before I could even think of pulling away one hand was in my hair while the other fisted my coat. I ced my hands on her hips, intending to push her away, only to pull her body into mine. She moaned, making my cock throb in response. She felt my reaction to her and ground against it, drawing a groan from me this time. The second my lips parted, her tongue found its way past them. The heat in the room skyrocketed as she tasted me and suddenly I was flipping us around so that her back was to the wall. Some part of me tried to argue the move was to give me the leverage to pull away, but our kiss only became more forceful. My hand slid up her body, feeling every muscle and curve along the way, until it was cupping her cheek, tilting her head to give me better ess to her scorching mouth and the spicy taste of her lips and tongue, all the while magic sparked wherever our skin touched. Then the smell of smoke hit my nostrils. I was vaguely aware something was burning, but her entire body was so fucking hot I couldn¡¯t tell what was happening and didn¡¯t care. Then she cursed, pulling away and shoving me back. The second we separated the worst of the effects faded. An apology was on my lips, but her eyes widened in panic before I could say a word. ¡°Shit! Fuck! Shit!¡± she cursed, lunging forward and swatting at the mes licking up the front of my shirt. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± she said, helping me put out the mes. My shadows had kept me from getting burned, but she still made a furious sound and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°Gods-fucking-dammit!¡± Fire was starting to ripple across her skin under her flesh, so I held up a calming hand. ¡°Jack, take a breath. It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Yeah, well I¡¯m not! Shit!¡± She nced at me, her amber eyes smoldering. ¡°Shadows. I need shadows right now. Please. You can do that without touching, right? Now that I¡¯ve got your armor?¡± I nodded, summoning andmanding shadows just as I had before. ¡°We¡¯ll figure it out,¡± I told her. ¡°And once you¡¯ve calmed a bit, we can talk about what just happened.¡± Because holy shit what a kiss. If she hadn¡¯t literally set me on fire, I was sure there would be a lot less clothes involved right now, which worried me almost as much as it made my cock throb. She nodded, running her hands through her hair. ¡°Yeah. Yeah, let¡¯s do that. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me, I just¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, noints here,¡± I said, grinning. ¡°It was a pretty¡­hot kiss.¡± That was apparently dumb enough to bring her to a stop. She flicked a hand and one of my own shadowsshed out and whipped me dangerously close to my junk. ¡°That was horrible.¡± But she¡¯d calmed somewhat. ¡°Now, if it¡¯s all the same to you, I need your shadows to give me so many orgasms I can¡¯t remember what just happened. If you need me, I¡¯ll be in the least mmable room I can find.¡± She stared at me for a moment longer, something clearly on the tip of her tongue, before she turned on her heel and sped out of the room, leaving me to check the new holes that had been burned in my shirt. It seemed Tiana¡¯s shopping trip was going to have to happen sooner thanter. I ran a hand through my hair, trying not to think about the fact that I could still taste her on my lips. Feel her body pressed into mine. I hadn¡¯t been with anyone built like Jack since Ria, and while my head was still spinning with emotions after such an intense moment, none of them were bad. Well, except for the frustration that came from getting cock blocked by things getting a little too hot, but that was something I wasn¡¯t quite ready to deal with just yet. I tried to get my hair under control, but Jack had left it a bit of a mess. Any longer and I might have to start tying it back. The thought made me chuckle as I left the room she¡¯d yanked me into, but I froze when I came face to face with my harem. Rhani was the first to speak. ¡°What the hell happened that had Jack storming off like¡ª¡± She froze, and I watched as all four of them took in my singed and disheveled appearance in perfect unison. A slow grin spread over Rhani¡¯s face. Tiana hid her smile behind her hand and Serena blushed. Noelle tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, though the hum that came from her chest sounded satisfied. I had no idea where to even begin, so I just crossed my arms. ¡°Valith is Linked. Jack, too.¡± Smiles widened. ¡°Linked, huh?¡± Rhani teased. ¡°How Linked are we talking?¡± ¡°Well, there are no burn marks on my underwear, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± She actually pouted. ¡°Well that¡¯s a bit of a let down.¡± I sighed and figured I¡¯d throw her a bone. ¡°There was one hell of a kiss, though.¡± That made her light up, and instantly Tiana was wrapped around one of my arms, pulling me back towards the main entry hall. She brushed some soot off my ruined shirt with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell us everything. Rhani found us a nice room that isn¡¯t as dusty as the ones around it, we figure we can sleep there till the big bedroom is finished.¡± She ran her fingers through my hair, and from the amused look on her face I figured I hadn¡¯t done a very good job of getting it back under control. ¡°And she¡¯s found a bathing room. Deetrik thinks he can have it up and running by the end of the week, but until then there¡¯s an inn down the way that Korey rmended.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± I breathed, ¡°I¡¯d kill for a hot bath.¡± ¡°There¡¯s daylight left,¡± Serena said quickly, clearly just as desperate as me. ¡°And there really isn¡¯t much else we can do tonight.¡± ¡°Hells,¡± Rhani said, chewing her lip, ¡°you can definitely tell us all about getting hot and steamy with Jack while we¡¯re all hot and steamy.¡± Noelle hummed. ¡°I would like to bathe with Zaren again. Last time was very nice.¡± ¡°We could just get a giant tub of water and me and Jack could make out a bit. That¡¯d have it boiling in no time,¡± I muttered. Tiana and Serena both giggled, and Rhani was utterly delighted. I even heard a sound from Noelle that was almost augh, and all three of us reacted to it. She immediately looked down, her cheeks dark, but there was a smile on her face. But when I saw Cynthia and my impromptu team of scouts waiting for me, I knew I wasn¡¯t done just yet. I made a gesture to Cynthia to wait just a bit longer and she nodded, then I turned to my scouts. Tsuki looked excited to have a task ahead of her, even if she was nervous about it. Nariko¡¯s jaw was set determinedly, though I could feel her unease. I didn¡¯t know much about her, but from what little she¡¯d told me and Serena I knew she didn¡¯t have many good memories of Amesseria. Alice was clearly excited, though I didn¡¯t miss the glint of hunger in her eyes when they flicked to my neck. Valith was all business, ready and waiting for orders. ¡°Alice,¡± I started, ¡°are you alright to feed?¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes sir. I won¡¯t need any, um¡­ help untilthe next time. And Valith and I already talked things over. She¡¯s willing to let me feed if we get in a pinch.¡± Valith nodded. ¡°If that¡¯s the worst thing I¡¯ve gotta do under you, then my new life is gonna be a fucking dream,¡± she said with a grin. I held my wrist out and Alice grabbed it eagerly. I was still half hard from my moment with Jack and the subsequent teasing of my girls, and as soon as her magic seeped into my blood I hardened fully. She leaned into my chest and took greedy pulls of blood while I addressed the others. ¡°I need as much information as you can gather. Don¡¯t take any undue risks, and don¡¯t stay out for more than a few days. I need to know about any groups or gangs, who controls what streets, and what names are being spoken in hushed tones in alleyways. Dealers of all kinds; drugs, weapons, or flesh. I need to know which devils I want in my pocket and which ones need to be expunged.¡± Alice released my wrist, licking the wound clean while she knit it closed with her Sanguithurge skill. I could tell from the way she pressed into my front that she was a little blood drunk, so I let her hold onto my arm while I pulled out two pouches of coin. ¡°These are for greasing any palms you might need to or buying whatever information is avable. If you get in trouble, you do what you have to. Drop my name if you need, and make sure anywmen who give you any trouble know that I will personally deal with them if they so much asy a hand on you without damn good cause.¡± ¡°Not my first intel grab, boss,¡± Valith said with a smirk. ¡°No, but it is theirs, I¡¯m guessing.¡± At their nods, Valith shrugged. ¡°Be careful. I don¡¯t like sending you out into the ether when I don¡¯t know the yers in town, but this is the fastest way to get info. If you feel like you¡¯re drawing too much suspicion, youe straight back. Try not to do anything too illegal, either. If we¡¯re going to stand a chance at changing things, we¡¯ll need at least some reputation. And feel free to spend your money on food and clothes while you¡¯re out. I put plenty of silver and copper in there so you won¡¯t draw attention.¡± Alice finally pulled away, though her pupils were very dted. She took her spot next to Valith, only leaning slightly on her. They all gave me nods, and I rxed slightly when I saw their determination. I didn¡¯t like when my people were somewhere I couldn¡¯t protect them. I¡¯d hated the feeling ever since Esther. These four had survived their own hells already though, so I had to trust that they could do this as well. ¡°If you do get caught or in trouble, be it with thew or someone else, know that I wille for you. You¡¯re a part of my household, and that means something to me. Understand?¡± That made them rx more than anything else I¡¯d said, and I got four more nods. ¡°Good. I won¡¯t tell you not to take risks, but I will ask you to be as careful as you can until we¡¯re more set up. The information you four find could make or break us in the next few weeks, so I¡¯m counting on you.¡± They all stood a little straighter, so I sent them off to say some quick goodbyes. Alice and Tsuki both went to where Noelle and Ryoko stood, Valith went to Safina, and Nariko made a beeline for Serena. I let them have their moments and turned to Cynthia, who already had bags under her eyes. Despite that, there was a fiery determination in her gaze and a slight quirk to her lips that told me she was in her element. ¡°How did today go on your end?¡± ¡°Very good. I¡¯ve got deals worked out with Deetrik and hispany, the artificers guild, a plumber, and a line on some furniture. I also spoke to a grocer and worked out a rudimentary contract for her to deliver in bulk since you n to have a full household, but she said she¡¯ll need the money for the first shipment up front since it¡¯ll be considerablyrger than what she usually handles. She¡¯s local, though, which I thought you¡¯d approve of.¡± ¡°You thought correctly,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°I also worked with Liana to determine what roles would best suit the servants you currently have under your employ.¡± She handed me a list of roles I had and roles I needed. ¡°With the current size of your household, there¡¯s a lot we can get away with right now just using ovep. As your numbers and needs grow, you¡¯ll need more dedicated servants assigned to roles like cooking and cleaning.¡± I looked over the list and nodded. I was sure I could talk to Alianna tomorrow about anyone with more specialized skills, or I could save a few more souls from the hell that was the Pens. I still needed to visit Amesseria¡¯s, if only to see what it was like with my own eyes. From how different Listone¡¯s Pens were to Anford¡¯s, I was almost afraid of what I¡¯d find. But I pushed that thought aside for now. I said, ¡°we¡¯ll also need to get started on writing up contracts for any businesses operating on my properties. Ie would be helpful, especially when we have to start worrying about taxes, but I don¡¯t want to drive anyone out of business.¡± I saw her purse her lips. ¡°And, since I¡¯m absolutely heaping things onto your te, you¡¯ll need an assistant or two.¡± I could see the relief in how her shoulders rxed slightly. ¡°I think that would be for the best, though it could take time to find suitable matches without any kind of reputation or contacts in the city.¡± ¡°Are you alright with demi-humans?¡± ¡°I am.¡± I nodded. ¡°Alianna is bringing some people with her tomorrow, I¡¯m sure she knows someone who¡¯ll fit your needs. I¡¯d like you to be there for the meeting as well.¡± ¡°Happily, sir. I¡¯ll have a writeup for your finances now that I¡¯ve got more up to date information. Things are a little better than I anticipated.¡± I bit back augh. ¡°You have no idea. There¡¯s an overflowing vault in the basement that we¡¯ll need to catalog sometime this week. I¡¯ve got a few hundred gold in my storage right now, and that barely dented the pile downstairs. That isn¡¯t even including the magical artifacts. Once me and Rhani have a chance to go through them, we¡¯ll want to find buyers for the less dangerous or useful ones.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°I see. Then our finances are in a very good ce, but with how many properties you have and how much renovating you¡¯ll need to do to make many of them livable, not to mention expenses and acquisitions, we¡¯ll burn through it quickly. You¡¯re still intent on paying your servants and employees?¡± I tried not to get irritated that she even needed to ask the question. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Then finding some source of ie will be necessary before long. Tenants will be one good source, and I¡¯ll start working on fair contracts for any businesses already on your properties as well as any we might want to either purchase or move into your territory.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re definitely getting you an assistant. Maybe a handful to start, and you can keep your favorites once we¡¯re out of the shit.¡± She smirked at that. ¡°That sounds like a good n, sir. Is it alright if I join Elisa at the inn for tonight?¡± My mouth watered at the thought of the baths. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to wait a bit, I think a number of us are nning to go that way.¡± ¡°Sounds good to me. I¡¯ll finish up with Deetrik and Euribald while you rally the troops.¡± I chuckled and we went in separate directions. I looked around at the sad entry hall onest time, taking in the coating of dust and the shuttered windows and theck of any real furniture. The nicest thing in the building outside the vault were the camp supplies we¡¯d brought. A part of me considered just bunking in the inn tonight, but there was something immensely appealing about sleeping under a roof I owned. We were well on our way to getting set up in a permanent ce. Once that was done, we could focus on gaining information. As badly as I wanted to raze this city to the ground, I knew better than anyone that the innocent would be the first to suffer. No, I was going to rain hell, but only once I knew where to strike. Once upon a time, I¡¯d have struck first and worried about the consequences third. I couldn¡¯t afford to do that now. Not when I had the people I¡¯d failed counting on me. I needed to make sure that whatever world I left behind after my deal was done was the kind of world I¡¯d want them to live in, and the current state of the country was proof that I couldn¡¯t trust anyone else to do it. Though I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t looking forward to tipping the scales a bit. Chapter Seventy-Two: Building Relations Chapter Seventy-Two: Building Rtions I wish I could say that after the baths we all returned to the manor and christened our new home by fucking like rabbits till the sun came up. In reality, after nearly dozing off more than once while I soaked (it was, unfortunately, not a mixed bath, so I bathed alone), we all staggered home and I barely made it to the pallet of bedrolls someone had made while we were out before I passed. The fuck. Out. I genuinely couldn¡¯t remember thest time I¡¯d slept so hard. When I finally woke up, feeling like I had a mouthful of cotton, rocking a full-body ache, and struggling to remember how to operate my limbs, it took me a minute to realize I wasying on my front. To say I¡¯d always been a paranoid sleeper was an understatement, so being face down was always too vulnerable a position for me to ever befortable sleeping in. Yet, as I groggily managed to open one of my eyes, that was how I woke. I made a rather incoherent grunt of pleasure as fingernails dragged lightly down my back, which was answered by a soft giggle and words that could only be described as gibberish since my brain was still ying catch-up. Lips pressed to my shoulder, then long, slender fingers brushed my hair out of my face. My one open eye¡ªthe other was still a little gunked shut¡ªfixed on Tiana¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Good morning sleepyhead,¡± she said,ughter rife in her voice. I tried to formte a response, but my tongue felt too big for my mouth so all I managed was another grunt. She pressed her fingers more firmly into my muscles and I groaned. ¡°Good lord, Zaren, your knots have knots.¡± Words continued to fail me as she started massaging my back and shoulders. ¡°What year is it?¡± I mumbled, my head falling back down onto the pillow. She giggled again. ¡°Same year, just about fifteen hourster.¡± She brushed her lips to my back right between my shoulder des. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ve ever seen you sleep quite so hard.¡± ¡°Not sure I ever have,¡± I admitted. Then I did the math¡ªsomething that took entirely too long. ¡°I missed breakfast, then?¡± ¡°You missed lunch, love.¡± Her hands went lower and lower, working magic into my muscles. Every part of me ached like the day after a fight. I felt like I¡¯d pushed every muscle I had too far, and my body was voicing its many, many protests. ¡°We¡¯ve so rarely seen you sleep for more than a handful of hours we all decided to let you rest.¡± Fuck, I did not want to get up right now. Especially with Tiana¡¯s fingers undoing weeks of living in fight or flight mode. Unfortunately, I had so much to do and not much time to do it. ¡°Need to get working,¡± I said, despite my eyes sliding closed again. When Tiana spoke, I could hear theughter in her voice. ¡°I took half the girls shopping, then Serena took the other half when she got back. Picked you up some clothes, too. Deetrik¡¯s men have already started. He¡¯s got all hands on deck, and they¡¯ve already fixed up and furnished a dozen rooms with the furniture one of Arianna¡¯s contacts has been dropping off all day. Cynthia arranged for a delivery of food that should at leastst us a week until we can get more, and Friya, Zerali, Sani, and Brinya have been cooking for Deetrik¡¯s and Euribald¡¯s employees as well as the rest of us.¡± ¡°Deetrik anticipates the master bedroom being done by the end of the week,¡± she continued. ¡°Indoor plumbing should be up to snuff in a few days thanks to Caliel¡¯s affinity for water. Euribald brought the proximity wards up to snuff, and we had him transfer it to me and Serena so you could have a chance to sleep. I can loop you back in once you¡¯re up and moving.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ve just slept through all this?¡± I asked, finally regaining enough motor control to rub the gunk out of my eye. When she spoke next, her voice came from so close to my ear that I had to reposition to give my cock some room to stiffen without being pinned underneath me. ¡°Rhani designed some simple runes that cast a nice silence bubble when powered up. Apparently she¡¯s gotten another level.¡± I lifted my head, pinning her with a look. ¡°And why exactly is Rhani designing silencing charms?¡± She smiled wide. ¡°I can¡¯t go giving away the surprise now, can I? I can¡¯t wait for you to see it. Rhani¡¯s outdone herself this time.¡± ¡°She always seems to.¡± I rolled onto my side, getting a good look at her. She wore a figure hugging sundress with a low cut, her legs tucked underneath her, and her long waves of hair cascading over a single shoulder. I scooped up one of her hands and pulled her down so she wasying next to me, then grabbed her by the hips and pulled her body flush with mine. Her smile widened and her cheeks colored, moreso when she reached up to trail her fingers along my jaw. ¡°And how are you doing?¡± She pressed her forehead to mine and slid her hand around to y with the hair at the nape of my neck. ¡°I¡¯m doing good. For now, at least. Keeping busy certainly helps.¡± ¡°Buuut¡­¡± I prompted. Her sundress rode up when she hooked a leg over mine. ¡°But, once the shock of being here, with all of you, fades, then¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be here. So will everyone else,¡± I promised. She dipped her chin, a smile on her face, and nestled into me. ¡°I know I¡¯ve asked before, but¡­ You really aren¡¯t bothered? By how I made my way before?¡± ¡°Never.¡± I rubbed her back. ¡°And you never have to stop asking. I¡¯ll never stop telling you the same thing. If you¡¯re willing to take me after the things I¡¯ve done¡ªthe things done to me¡ªthen I¡¯ll never judge you on anything you did before me.¡± She took a long breath, then let it out slowly. ¡°I knew it was a good idea to wake you early.¡± My cock jerked, and considering she was pressed into my front I knew she felt it. ¡°Early, huh?¡± Laughing, she pulled back just far enough to lightly smack my chest. ¡°Not early enough to do half the things I want to do to you, so you¡¯d better go find some pants if you want to make it to your meeting with Alianna and her contacts.¡± I nodded, but I still kissed her before I pulled away and got to my feet. Her massage had done wonders, but I still winced as I rolled my neck from side to side. I pulled her to her feet and she gestured towards a stack of clothes. ¡°I love the dress,¡± I said, slipping on underwear, followed by some nicely cut ck pants. She did a little twirl that didn¡¯t make it any easier to tie my pants closed. ¡°I bought it with the spider money. It¡¯s wonderful not having to worry about my outfit making me look appealing to adventurers.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I said, grabbing her hips and pulling her in for a kiss, ¡°it¡¯s definitely appealing to me.¡± She beamed. ¡°I like in-town Zaren. He¡¯s much¡­lighter.¡± I chuckled, then went looking for a shirt. Everything fit surprisingly well, and they were of a nicer quality than I was used to. Nothing overly high end, but better than my traveling clothes. ¡°I do better when I¡¯ve got walls and buildings around me,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Open roads, ins, and forests make me think of battlefields. Ambushes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to know.¡± Once I¡¯d donned socks and boots and strapped the Jailer¡¯s de to my back, she linked her arm in mine and led me out of the room we¡¯d imed for the night. The difference was apparent immediately, especially when we made it into the main entry hall. Already much of the dust and grime had been taken care of. Most of the windows had been reced, and the few winged demi-humans under my employ were helping the workers get to the rest. There was much more natural light because of it, and made the room look much bigger. The floor in the entryway had been reced with marble and carpet. The old paintings that were either damaged or so faded they weren¡¯t discernible any longer were gone, and demi-humans in matching blue robes were installing what looked like sconces with gems where the torch would have been, carved to imitate me. A wide variety of burly demi-humans were carrying in a near steady stream of furniture while Elena directed, and when I nced at the main stairwell I had tough. The area was roped off with signs reading ¡®No Zaren¡¯s past this point!¡¯ ¡°Rhani¡¯s doing?¡± I guessed. ¡°Oh yes,¡± Tiana said, overly serious. ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to risk you getting even a peek, and since we haven¡¯t even started on the second story rooms yet she figures there¡¯s no reason for you to go up.¡± She guided me between the stairs and into arge dining room. The long tables there were only ceholders, but it was at least a ce where people could sit and eat. And eat they did. A half dozen demi-humans I didn¡¯t recognize chatted while they ate. Employees on some kind of break, I assumed. Iris, Friya, and Zerali were bringing out tes of food with wide smiles, making sure everyone seated got some. My eyes fell on Rhani, whose nose was buried in a book. While I watched, Safina rolled in with a heaping te, snagged Rhani¡¯s journal, held it up high enough that my little Arelim couldn¡¯t reach it, and set the te in front of Rhani. ¡°Safi,e on! I¡¯m close to something!¡± she protested. Safina, grinning, tucked the journal in the crook of one of her horns, then pushed down on both of Rhani¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s what you said at breakfast, and again at lunch. You can get back to runebreaking after you¡¯ve polished off the te.¡± Rhani looked like she wanted to argue, but with Safina looming over her she just suppressed a shiver and started digging in. Tiana just leaned into me. ¡°Safina is good with her. Granted, it helps that she¡¯s got a foot on her and Rhani¡¯s definitely got a bit of a crush, but she¡¯s a good fit for us.¡± ¡°Us, huh?¡± Tiana just shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t find her attractive at all?¡± While I watched, she snagged half an apple off a passing te and put it on top of Rhani¡¯s pile of food. Rhani shot her a re, but she just grinned wide enough to show off those dragon sized fangs of hers and Rhani folded like a cheap camp chair. Her eyes flicked up, catching me watching. Her grin softened and her eyes dropped to the ground, then she leaned against the table with her arms crossed and her tail swishing. I knew Rhani as attracted, and I could very much understand why. I¡¯d never been with anyone quite that muchrger than myself, but I didn¡¯t hate the idea. I also found her protective nature rather appealing, but at the same time she¡¯d only just earned her freedom. I didn¡¯t know her that well, and I was willing to bet that if she¡¯d spent most of her life in a cor she didn¡¯t know herself either. ¡°We¡¯ll see what the future holds,¡± I said evasively. Rhani saw us approaching and tried to stand, but Safina pushed her back down a second time. ¡°Zaren!¡± Rhani eximed. ¡°I found a shop nearby that sells the stuff I need to make a mold. When we get the chance, I want to see if I can get an imprint of the runes etched on the inside of your sword.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Then I looked at Safina. ¡°Thanks for taking care of her.¡± Safina just shrugged, though her cheeks darkened slightly. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do, honestly. And¡­¡± She rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°Still, uh, fighting those dragon instincts, you know? It likes ying caretaker, it seems.¡± I was fairly certain Rhani ate a little faster when she heard that. ¡°All the same.¡± I¡¯d barely taken a seat when Iris appeared with a te of food for both me and Tiana, her tail wagging so hard she could barely walk straight. She wore a simple tunic and pants that not only fit her, but were made for tailed demi-humans. She bowed, smiling wide the whole time, and vanished before I could so much as thank her. Amused, I turned back to Safina. ¡°I¡¯ll see if Alianna has anyone who can help you understand those instincts a little better.¡± She rxed visibly, though her hand remained on the back of Rhani¡¯s chair. ¡°That would be wonderful,¡± she said wistfully. ¡°I never know when I¡¯m gonna get blindsided with an impulse.¡± ¡°It¡¯s kinda great sometimes, though,¡± Rhani said around a mouthful of food. ¡°My stomach grumbled one too many times and all the sudden she was throwing me over her shoulder and stomping to the dining hall,¡± she said dreamily. ¡°I wasn¡¯t stomping,¡± Safina protested weakly. I had to stifle augh when she didn¡¯t refute any other part of Rhani¡¯s story. The second I swallowed my first bite my own hunger hit me. I was halfway through my te when Liana came gliding into the room. Like everyone else, she wore new clothes. A tunic and skirt meant to be easy to walk around in. ¡°Alianna and guests have arrived, sir.¡± I stood. ¡°See them in, please.¡± Alianna entered, her chin held high but a faint pulse of fear betrayed her nervousness. ¡°Lord Zaren. I see you¡¯ve already made quite a bit of progress in restoring your home.¡± ¡°I have.¡± I gestured to the table and her and her acquaintances all took seats. Liana stepped forward. ¡°Our cooks have been working all day to make sure those working on our home are fed. Would any of you like food or refreshments?¡± There were several nods. With a single gesture, Zerali and Friya were bringing in food and drink. While our guests were getting settled, Cynthia joined my side of the table. I sat as well, looking at the group that was a mix of humans and demi-humans. ¡°I¡¯m just as impressed with their work as you are. Hopefully the manor won¡¯t take long and I can move onto the rest of my properties.¡± One of them, a human woman with streaks of gray in her hair, leaned forward. ¡°What exactly do you mean, the rest of your properties?¡± When Alianna cleared her throat, the woman crossed her arms. ¡°Yolena Larss. I run the Laughing Lark tavern you and yours so graciously visitedst night. My family¡¯s run the Lark for six generations, but taxes bled us dry when the quarter went to shit and myte husband left it to your household when he died because everyone figured your family was gone for good. Just trying to figure out if I need to start looking for a new home.¡± ¡°Like I told Alianna yesterday, I have no ns to disce anyone immediately,¡± I told her. ¡°I chose this manor to start with for many reasons, chief among them being I knew it would be empty. Cynthia here, my bookkeeper, will be working up deals so we can keep the various businesses in my properties running as best we can.¡± Another human, this one a wiry man with thick sses, cleared his throat. ¡°Oswald Burke, purveyor of specialty goods. So we will be giving you a cut of the profits, I assume? In addition to paying for our tenancy?¡± ¡°As I said, Cynthia will handle the specifics,¡± I said carefully, and she nodded, ¡°but bottom line I want to make sure any businesses currently operating are able to continue doing so. Once we¡¯ve got that much nailed down, we can talk about investments.¡± A squat, burly man perked up. ¡°Investments?¡± I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure, with the current state of things, that not many businesses in the lower quarter have a lot of extra capital for renovations. I would be more than willing to spend a little capital to help your businesses with whatever is needed. That¡¯s the only circumstance I¡¯d expect any cut of profits at all. Other than that, I only expect enough to make sure the property taxes are able to be paid.¡± There was some muttering and grumbling, but most of them seemed somewhat agreeable. One of the demi-humans¡ªa tall violet scaled Dragonling woman¡ªtapped a finger on the table. ¡°Why now? Why have you so suddenly returned?¡± I carefully gave her the not-quite-a-lie I¡¯de up with. ¡°I¡¯ve been away for a long time. I only recently learned of the state of the Elion Kingdom, and let¡¯s just say I¡¯m not very happy with things. The Zaren who fought in the war would be very upset to learn he fought against Grimsbane just for the Guild to abuse its power and the ords be put into ce.¡± ¡°So, what?¡± a stout Dwarf demanded. ¡°You figured you¡¯d show up and save us all?¡± I gave him a cold smile. ¡°Actually, I figured I¡¯de along and tear it all down. I¡¯d like to put people like you in a position to put the pieces back together in a way that isn¡¯t horrible, but that¡¯s more up to you than it is to me.¡± I looked at them one by one. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. The system has been set up for humans to abuse, and I n to. Just not the way they intended. Not only that, but I have the resources and the know-how to turn things upside down.¡± ¡°They set the system up so they could benefit, and I n to make them regret it. I can¡¯t do it alone, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll make no small amount of enemies along the way. If you want to stay out of it and keep your heads down, I won¡¯t me you. If you want to try and change things?¡± I lifted my hands, palms up. ¡°Well, I can promise that one way or another I¡¯ll make big enough waves that you¡¯ll be able to get away with more than you usually would, even if you don¡¯t want to help me.¡± The tavern keeper, Yolena, grunted. ¡°You¡¯ve got most of us by the balls, one way or another. You could have the city evict us with a wave of your hand, so we hardly have a say in the matter.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°I won¡¯t make you false promises or ask for your trust. All I¡¯ll ask is for you to give me a chance to earn that trust.¡± The Dragonling woman crossed her arms. ¡°Hypothetically speaking, what exactly is it you need from us? You can force contracts on those in your properties, fair or not.¡± ¡°Contacts, for one. I need to know what¡¯s happening in the city. Personnel, for another. Cynthia here is currently doing all the work on her own, for instance. If you know of anyone good with numbers looking for work, I¡¯d be more than willing to pay for their services.¡± Another of the demi-humans, a Lycanine man, nced at Safina and Rhani and the cors they wore. ¡°So you can indebt them? Not likely, human.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any reassurances I can make that you¡¯ll believe,¡± I told him, ¡°but I have no interest in servants who don¡¯t want to be here. Everyone wearing one of my cors wears it by choice. If you have anyone who wants the money, I¡¯m more than happy to pay. Demi-human or otherwise. If you have anyone who needs the protection of a cor, I can offer that as well. You can ask any one of my servants what kind of Patron I am if you¡¯d like.¡± More muttering and hushed whispers. ¡°You¡¯ll be looking for servants, then?¡± The Dragonling asked, curiosity in her gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll have to before long. I¡¯m sure a visit to the Pens is in my near future.¡± I made no attempt to keep my contempt for the ce from my tone. But the dwarf was having none of it. ¡°You would support such a ce?¡± he demanded. ¡°No,¡± I said evenly, ¡°but I¡¯ll save as many innocent souls from that shithole as I can until I can find a way to get rid of it.¡± More than one of them seemed surprised by my answer, but none were unhappy about it. The Dragonling picked up a piece of meat and took a bite. ¡°You¡¯re an interesting man, Zaren Nocht. Your¡­ father¡­ would be proud.¡± She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. ¡°You can call me Zephyr. I specialize in people. I can think of a couple promising heads in the quarter that would suit your needs and are desperate enough to take the risk.¡± I wasn¡¯t a big fan of her phrasing, but the glint in her eyes told me she nned on that. ¡°I won¡¯t just give anyone a job. Cynthia and Liana both have final say on acquisitions, be it an employee or a servant.¡± She hummed. ¡°You want to earn goodwill? I think I know a way.¡± When I urged her to continue, she went on. ¡°Everyone knows someone who''s done a stint in the Pens. Voluntarily or otherwise. You scoop up a few members of key families and give them a good home like you seem to be capable of doing, then you¡¯ll make important friends. If you don¡¯t¡­¡± She let the threat hang. But I grinned. ¡°And let me guess, those names will be interspersed with other less important names?¡± That seemed to amuse her greatly. ¡°Well, well, you do know what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Hang on, Zephyr,¡± the Lycanine man said uncertainly. ¡°That feels like a risk.¡± ¡°It does,¡± I agreed. ¡°I¡¯m not normally one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but¡­¡± She took a swig of whatever drink Friya had brought her and made an appreciative noise. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen my father vouch for anyone, Lord Nocht, yet the way he spoke of you makes me very interested to see what you do with the rope I give you.¡± I chuckled. Leave it to Lizard to have a daughter as good at what she does as he was. ¡°Well, when you put it like that, how soon can you get me a list?¡± She just wordlessly pulled out a folded sheet of paper and slid it across the table. It came to a stop just in front of me, and I arched a brow. She just shrugged. ¡°I like toe prepared.¡± Several of the others at the table looked ufortable about the exchange, but if I had to hazard a guess, Zephyr had the reputation to back up her decision. After that, conversation turned towards the details, so I let Cynthia take over. Zephyr slipped out and the other demi-humans followed, but their expressions were more curious than anything else. I knew I hadn¡¯t made any friends, but I¡¯did the groundwork. As long as I could put my money where my mouth was, I was fairly sure I could win them over. Alianna stood when Cynthia started whipping out contracts, and I met her at the door. ¡°A moment?¡± She inclined her head with her hands sped in front of her. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that went better than I thought it would. I still fully expect you to betray us, but there¡¯s a small part of me that hopes I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°I appreciate your candor.¡± When I nced over my shoulder, Safina was watching our conversation closely. ¡°I was wondering if you might help me with something.¡± Her fear spiked again, but she quashed it quickly. ¡°If I can.¡± ¡°A number of the demi-humans who have found their way into my household, as far as I can tell, are from pure bloodlines. A couple of them are struggling with the instincts thate with that, and I was wondering if you knew of anyone who might specialize in demi-humans.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°I might know of someone who could help.¡± Her gaze drifted to Safina as well. ¡°Your Half-dragon?¡± ¡°Safina is one, yes,¡± I admitted. Alianna thought it over for several seconds, then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can find someone. Half-dragons are exceptionally rare, especially pure ones, but Amesseria is a big city.¡± ¡°That it is. Thank you again for your help. I hope I can prove that hopeful part of you right.¡± A ghost of a smile pulled at her lips, but she just inclined her head and took her leave. The humans filed out one by one, all of them with an expression of surprise. It was Yolena who stopped on her way out to talk to me. ¡°My father always said that if a thing was too good to be true, it often was, Lord Nocht. Your bookkeeper¡¯s contract is better than I could have hoped, so you¡¯ll forgive me if I decide to wait for the other shoe to drop.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I told her, shaking her offered hand. ¡°I n to pay those in my household, so hopefully I can send plenty of business your way.¡± Almost against her will, she cracked a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that or a part of me might start hoping you¡¯re a shit boss so your people end up needing somewhere to drown their woes.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± I told her. She took her leave as well, and Cynthia started packing up. My servants swept in to clean away the remnants of the meal and I waved Liana over as I walked to Cynthia¡¯s side. ¡°I¡¯ve got ns tonight, but I¡¯d like to get started on this list before fate steps in and the people we need get poached.¡± Cynthia nodded, taking the list. ¡°I needed to stop by and finalize the acquisition of the fourteen demi-humans we acquired on the road anyways.¡± She read over the list of names, no doubtmitting the eight names to memory. ¡°Take Liana since she¡¯s head servant, that way she can get them settled quicker,¡± I said. Liana looked over Cynthia¡¯s shoulder, then nodded. ¡°We should have enough rooms set up, though a few will have to share. It will still be a step up from the Pens.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Serena will want to be there in case any of them were mistreated, and I¡¯d feel better if you took Safina as backup since Rhani will be with me.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll get it done,¡± Cynthia promised. With that finished, I headed to where Safina had finally given Rhani her journal back. I could tell from the set of her shoulders that my Arelim wasn¡¯t actually seeing the words on the page. I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. You ready?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± she said. ¡°But we can¡¯t wait any longer.¡± Safina put her hand on Rhani¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Your sister will understand when you exin things. If she loves you half as much as you clearly love her, it¡¯ll all work out.¡± Rhani pushed herself to her feet and Safina followed suit. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go try and convince Xara that getting indebted is the single greatest thing to ever happen to me.¡± Chapter Seventy-Three: Sisterly Reunion Chapter Seventy-Three: Sisterly Reunion The closer we get to the square where we¡¯re meeting Xara, the more nervous Rhani gets. The bright eyed, energetic, incorrigible schr vanishes, leaving a timid girl in her ce. She chewed her lip so badly I figured it would soon be chapped. Her shoulders slumped, and she started wringing her fingers with her face turned downward. I hadn¡¯t seen her like this since before Listone. I put my hand on her shoulder and leaned in close, already wishing we hadn¡¯t agreed to keep disys of affection to a minimum in public. ¡°Breathe, Angel. It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± She let out a small whimper in the back of her throat. ¡°But what if it isn¡¯t? What if she hates me?¡± ¡°Why would she hate you?¡± ¡°Xara¡­doesn¡¯t like humans. At all,¡± she said slowly. We arrived at where Rhani¡¯s message asked to meet while she collected her thoughts. We were early, the sun still not fully below the horizon, which means we had a little time to kill. Luckily or unluckily, the area was rtively deserted. ¡°We aren¡¯t full blooded sisters,¡± Rhani said finally. ¡°We¡¯ve never been anything less to one another, but she was born before my father met my mother. Her dad¡ªher biological one, at least¡ªwas Mom¡¯sst Patron. He was¡­¡± ¡°Bad enough to leave Xara with a lifelong dislike for humans?¡± I offered. She nodded. ¡°To Mom, to the other servants, even to Xara¡­ It wasn¡¯t until after Mom died that she finally started to warm up to my birth father. I was twelve, she was seventeen. I got lost, found by some guards who weren¡¯t very sympathetic to demi-humans. One grabbed me hard enough to bruise my arm and Dad went mental as soon as he saw. She started warming up to him after. He¡¯s always been the only human she could stand.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± I told her. ¡°I can give you as much space and time as you need to break the news to her. Have you heard from your father at all?¡± Her face fell. ¡°He¡¯s probably on another business trip. If I had to guess, he took a job to start getting the funds together to¡­ buy me back,¡± she said miserably. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Rhani.¡± I stepped closer, lifting her chin. ¡°If I¡¯d known¡­¡± She sniffled. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have. Not early enough for it to have made a difference, at least. Trust me, I¡¯ve gone over it a thousand times in my head. I haven¡¯te up with a single way we could have done things better than we did.¡± ¡°The least shit option,¡± I joked. I was just contemting pulling her face up more to press my lips to hers¡ªhowever briefly I could get away with¡ªwhen suddenly my feet were no longer on the ground. A surprised grunt was all I managed before I was mmed into a wall hard enough to knock the wind from my lungs. I got a brief glimpse of honey colored eyes with a gold band in the iris, narrowed in rage, before a fist crashed against my face hard enough to make me see stars. [Giant yer] didn¡¯t activate, which meant my opponent was a lower overall level than me, though from how my head spun from the strike I knew Strength was her highest attribute. [Danger Sense] didn¡¯t ping in the slightest, which meant Rhani was in no danger. Since she wasn¡¯t under threat and [Horde yer] hadn¡¯t activated either, which meant my attacker was alone. They reared back to swing again but my moment of surprise was over. I broke their grip and tried to create distance, but they were a capable fighter. A hood hid their features, but the snarl they let loose as they swung again told me I was fighting a woman. I caught her strike on my forearm and bit back a curse. It was like getting hit with a hammer. I was just starting to summon my shadows when she spoke. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t touch her, you fucking liar!¡± she growled. I had just long enough to process her words and put together who¡¯d just socked me in the mouth when the woman who must be Xara vanished under a blur of red and white fur. Fang, in his wolf form, knocked Xara to the ground. Her hood fell back, revealing the same silver-ivory skin as Rhani, though her hair was ck with gold threads rather than the silver and gold Rhani had. Her eyes, as I¡¯d noticed, were brown instead of blue, though shared the same gold ring as her sister. They were rather visible right now since they were wide with fear as she stared up at Fang, his lip curled and fangs bared. ¡°What the fuck?¡± she demanded, struggling with Fang¡¯s weight. I wasn¡¯t certain, but I was pretty sure he was bigger than before. ¡°Call of your fucking beast!¡± I rubbed my jaw. ¡°Not my beast,¡± I told her. Her gaze went from Fang, to me, to Fang, then to Rhani, who was standing with her arms crossed and a pissed off expression on her face. ¡°Rhani?¡± Xara breathed. ¡°Yeah. Me.¡± She strode forward and sunk her fingers into Fang¡¯s fur, but her summon didn¡¯t take his eyes off her sister. ¡°And Fang isn¡¯t letting you up until you promise not to hit Zaren again.¡± Xara¡¯s re shifted back to me. ¡°What in the hells have you done to her?¡± she demanded. ¡°He made me happier than I¡¯ve ever been, Xara,¡± Rhani said, her voice low, but firm. ¡°And the letter¡ªwhich I helped write¡ªsaid he wouldn¡¯t force me to do anything or do anything to me that I don¡¯t want. And he hasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Rhani, whatever he¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything you want to know after you agree not to go after him again. Especially since it¡¯s stupid. If Zaren wasn¡¯t the best man I¡¯ve ever known, he could have you locked up or indebted.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Honestly, Xara, what were you thinking? If Zaren was like the rest of the Patrons in the city, he could have had us both.¡± Some of Xara¡¯s anger faded, reced with shame. ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t attack your Patron.¡± She spat out thest word as if it was the worst insult she coulde up with. ¡°Now call off your pet.¡± ¡°Not a pet,¡± Rhani said, smiling. She waved a hand and Fang faded away to nothing. Xara¡¯s brows shot up. ¡°You have a new ss?¡± she asked. ¡°A lot¡¯s happened, Xar.¡± Rhani helped her sister up, then threw her arms around her. I raised a brow when I realized Xara was at least an inch taller than me with arms that looked more than thick enough to toss me around like she had. Xara hugged her sister back, lifting Rhani¡¯s feet off the ground and burying her nose in Rhani¡¯s hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have¡ª¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have done anything differently,¡± Rhani said, pulling away. ¡°I was the one who snuck off. I was the one who got myself stuck in a trap that would have killed me if Zaren hadn¡¯te along. Zaren saved my life, then he changed it.¡± Xara stepped back, though she kept hold of Rhani¡¯s upper arms. Anger and hate still flowed from her eyes when she nced at me, but there was some uncertainty in them. ¡°He indebted you.¡± ¡°It was my idea,¡± Rhani told her. That made Xara¡¯s brow furrow. ¡°Surely there were better options than an assault story. Rhani, you¡¯ve got five more years before you¡¯re free.¡± Rhani grimaced and I had to bite back a chuckle, which earned me another stink eye from Xara. ¡°Not a story,¡± Rhani admitted. I could see the tension in Xara¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I might have¡­ stabbed him. Just a little.¡± Xara¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What? I panicked! Came to with a big, scary, attractive guy looming and just¡­¡± she motioned like she was stabbing and shrugged. Xara red at me again and I held my hands up. ¡°Picked a bad time to check for a pulse and I¡¯d say I more than paid for it, all things considered.¡± Rhani waved a hand. ¡°He¡¯s fine. It was hardly the worst injury he suffered in the tower of horrors. Which means he won¡¯t care at all about a measly little punch, right?¡± she asked with a pointed look at me. I grinned. ¡°I dunno, pretty sure that punch shaved off more health than your knife did.¡± When Rhani arched a brow, I chuckled. ¡°Water under the bridge. No harm done.¡± That only seemed to make Xara more suspicious. ¡°Why? Why let me walk?¡± ¡°Part because Rhani asked me to,¡± I admitted, ¡°part because it was a pretty justified punch, all things considered, and part because I have an idea of what¡¯ll happen if I decide to make a thing of it. I don¡¯t really agree with the level of crime and punishment in the city these days. Not for minor things, at least.¡± Xara just pulled Rhani into her side, clearly not believing a word I said. ¡°So what now? Your letter suggested you¡¯d be willing to let me take her ce. Commute her sentence to me.¡± ¡°And would you havee if the letter said anything else?¡± Rhani challenged, pulling away. ¡°Would you have believed it for a second if I said I was happy and he was an amazing Patron? After what happened to the Soleil sisters? Is there anything at all I could have written that would have convinced you he wasn¡¯t abusing me or forcing me to write it?¡± Xara¡¯sck of an answer was more than enough. She looked away with a growl. ¡°You¡¯re staying, then? With him?¡± She looked to me. ¡°You¡¯d really keep her as your ve?¡± I tried not to let the word rankle me. ¡°Rhani, I¡¯d like to free you from your debt,¡± I said instead. Rhani just rolled her eyes. ¡°Kiss my ass, Zaren.¡± Xara¡¯s eyes went wide, but I just barked out augh. ¡°Maybeter.¡± She shot me a heated look¡ªone that didn¡¯t slip past Xara¡¯s notice. But, rather than the anger I expected, something else shed behind her gaze. Something softer. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you two are¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have that discussion somewhere else,¡± Rhani said quickly. ¡°I want you to see my new home.¡± She bit her lip, looking at me uncertainly, then slowly moved towards me. I held an arm out for her to take and she wrapped around it. ¡°Our new home.¡± A tic started in Xara¡¯s jaw, but eventually she nodded. All the air fled Rhani¡¯s lungs and she swayed slightly before collecting herself. ¡°Good. I can¡¯t wait for you to meet everyone else.¡± She turned uncertain, pleading eyes up at me. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Go. Spend time with your sister. No telling when we¡¯ll find time once things start up in full.¡± She rose up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against mine then bounced to her sister. While we walked back towards the manor, Rhani brought Xara up to speed on what all had happened since I¡¯d pulled her out of Karn¡¯s tower. Thankfully she skipped the parts I was sure would lead to me being gutted as well as the harder to believe bits involving goddesses. I got more than a few dirty looks from her when Rhani mentioned the more dangerous part of our adventures, and I found myself really wishing she¡¯d tone down some parts. Especially everything to do with the Vx. Though, admittedly, the looks she shot me were a little less antagonistic and a little more calcting after that. When we reached the road that ended at my manor, Xara paused. ¡°You own one of these shitho¡ªer, mansions?¡± ¡°Technically speaking I own all of them,¡± I admitted. Even Rhani¡¯s head whipped around at that. ¡°I¡¯ve got ns, but I want to get my home base squared away before I worry about any other abandoned shacks.¡± ¡°Abandoned shacks, he says¡± Xara mumbled. She shook her head. ¡°Of course you manage to snag someone who¡¯s rich as shit.¡± But Rhani just smiled. ¡°And he¡¯s going to use that money to help a lot of people. Come on.¡± She dragged Xara along by the wrist and I followed. I felt the now-familiar tingle up my spine as Xara crossed the threshold. ¡°We¡¯ve only been here for a day and a half now,¡± Rhani started saying, ¡°so there¡¯s a lot of work still to be done, but I was hardly going to wait any longer to tell you I¡¯m okay. We¡¯ll have to find time to get you down here again once it¡¯s all fixed up.¡± Xara looked up at the manor with wide eyes. ¡°Who even needs a house this big?¡± she breathed. ¡°Considering Zaren can¡¯t help but take in anyone he can help have a better life, I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll have enough room,¡± Rhani said cheerily. ¡°I love it, though. I always wanted a big family, you know?¡± She pushed inside, and now that night had fallen I was finally able to appreciate Euribald¡¯s work. The crystals that lined the walls emitted a glow that was slightly stronger than torchlight but without the flickering. The workers had gone home for the day, so there were only a few servants cleaning up the hall currently. They smiled wide when they saw me, and Iris walked over to tell us that most everyone was in the dining hall. ¡°Hungry?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°Ryoko, Zerali, and Friya are great cooks.¡± Xara nced back at me. ¡°I could eat, I suppose.¡± I gestured towards the door leading to the dining area. No sooner had we walked in than Tiana spotted us. She shot to her feet and glided over to us. Her eyes flicked down to my jaw where I was certain a bruise was forming and she shot me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. Without missing a beat, she turned her attention to Rhani¡¯s sister. ¡°You must be the famous Xara.¡± She sped her hands in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m Tiana. It¡¯s wonderful to meet you, Rhani¡¯s told us so much about your family.¡± It was apparent that Xara¡¯s distaste for humans wasn¡¯t limited to men, though Tiana got significantly less of a re than I did. ¡°Yeah. Xara. Um, nice to meet you as well.¡± Rhani started chewing her lip again and I put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at me and nodded. ¡°Tiana is a member of Zaren¡¯s harem. Just like me.¡± Xara went stiff as a board. ¡°Oh,¡± she said simply. ¡°And you¡¯re, ah, okay with¡­¡± In reply, Tiana stepped behind Rhani and wrapped her long, slender arms around the shorter girl. Even though she tried to hide it, I could see her pleasure as Tiana¡¯s breasts all but sandwiched her head. ¡°Rhani¡¯s race has never once mattered to me. She¡¯s family.¡± ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t mean to be rude,¡± Xara said quickly, ¡°I¡¯ve just never known a human willing to share their man with a demi.¡± Tiana just shrugged, hugging Rhani tighter. ¡°Whether we¡¯re sharing Zaren, or whether me and him are sharing Rhani. There¡¯s more than enough love to go around either way.¡± She pressed her cheek to Rhani¡¯s crown. ¡°And Serena and Noelle feel the same way.¡± Xara shot me a look. ¡°Four?¡± ¡°For now,¡± Rhani giggled. That drew an exasperated shake of the head from her sister. ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Wait ¡®till you meet the other two. All together? They¡¯re quite the menace. Gods help me if they sessfully recruit Jack to the cause.¡± The doors flew open. ¡°What cause?¡± Jack asked, making me wonder just how good her hearing was. Behind her walked a woman just as tall as her, though narrower in the shoulder. Where Jack was a wildfire, storming into the room andmanding it with her presence, this other woman was cool and collected, flowing behind Jack like water with intense steel gray eyes and light brown hair. ¡°The ¡®corrupting Zaren¡¯ cause,¡± Rhani said with a smile. Jack grinned. ¡°Fuck yeah, I¡¯m in.¡± Then she jerked a thumb at the woman behind her. ¡°Z, this is my sister, Sylvenna. Syl, this is¡ª¡± Xara gasped. ¡°Captain?¡± she breathed. Sylvenna¡¯s eyes went wide. They jerked from Xara to the bruise on my jaw and all color fled her face. She stepped past Jack and sped her hands behind her back. ¡°Lord Nocht, I¡¯m Captain Pryce. I¡¯m a member of Amesseria¡¯s military, and Sergeant Via¡¯smanding officer. I¡¯d like to formally apologize for any problems caused by my subordinate and ask that any punishment you feel she deserves to bemuted to me instead.¡± ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be necessary¡ª¡± I started. ¡°No, Captain,¡± Xara said, ¡°if anyone is going to pay for my actions, it¡¯ll be me.¡± Sylvenna¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°Xara, I got your message and¡ª¡± ¡°Then you know I have to do this,¡± Xara insisted. The rest of us were watching the interaction, but I felt the need to rify. ¡°Ladies, please. Nobody is getting punished.¡± Xara still looked uncertain, and the disbelief was evident on Sylvenna¡¯s face. ¡°But,¡± Xara said, ¡°I struck you.¡± I just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure I deserved it for one reason or another. Besides, most of my best friends have taken a swing at me at least once.¡± Xara and Sylvenna looked at one another, and I realized a silent conversation was happening between the two of them. I wasn¡¯t the only one, either. With a squeal that made everyone flinch, Rhanitched onto Xara¡¯s arm. ¡°Xara, tell me I¡¯m seeing things!¡± she demanded, smiling wide. Her sister¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Rhani, I¡¯m not sure what¡ª¡± But Jack had put it together as well. Understanding dawned on her face andughter erupted from her. ¡°Shit, Syl, you should have mentioned something sooner. Zaren¡¯s above board, you don¡¯t have to worry about your girlfriend. Rhani would castrate him if anything happened to her sister.¡± Then she turned her grin on me, wiping away tears. ¡°And I¡¯d kick his ass if anything he did fell on you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the whole ¡®subordinate-superior¡¯ thing.¡± Sylvenna looked at the ground. ¡°Xara should be a captain too. Minimum. If they didn¡¯t limit demi-humans to sergeant and below then¡ª¡± She shook her head. ¡°That isn¡¯t important right now. Will you release Rhani?¡± I sighed, rubbing my temple. ¡°Sure I would, if she wanted to be released. She¡¯s got a powerful ss now, though, and if I understand the ords correctly that means she¡¯s safer with my cor than without it.¡± Sylvenna grimaced and looked away. ¡°You¡¯d be correct, but my sister¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t bother,¡± Jack said, leaning an arm on Sylvenna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Already tried. Rhani¡¯s living the dream, trust me.¡± Sylvenna still didn¡¯t look convinced, and with everything I¡¯d learned I couldn¡¯t me her. Xara either. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all sit and talk. Maybe eat something. We can all get on the same page so we can stop freaking out about things that don¡¯t need to be freaked out over.¡± Xara and Sylvenna both gave me a terse nod after exchanging a look. I pulled a chair out for Rhani, then one for Tiana on my other side. Rhani pulled her sister down next to her and Jack maneuvered Sylvenna into the seat next to Xara before anyone else could blink, shooting a wink in my direction. We still hadn¡¯t talked about what happened during our Linking, so I had absolutely no idea how to interpret the gesture. Many of the servants seemed to pick up on our guests'' difort, and before long it was just me, my girls, Jack, Xara, and Sylvenna. Not long after thest of the servants cleared out, Noelle slipped in with eyes still bleary from sleep. She wordlessly climbed into myp and pulled one of my arms over her front, nestling into its crook. Both Sylvenna and Xara stopped to watch with surprised expressions, but Rhani just beamed. ¡°This is Noelle, the third member of the harem. So far. Noelle, this is my sister Xara and her girlfriend, Sylvenna.¡± Noelle regarded them sleepily. ¡°Family of Rhani¡¯s is family of mine,¡± she said simply. I didn¡¯t miss the way Sylvenna and Xara both tensed when Rhani mentioned their rtionship. I figured their ranks weren¡¯t the only reason their rtionship had to stay secret, and there was only one way I could think of to reassure them. By giving them one of my secrets. ¡°Since you¡¯re basically family,¡± I said, causing both of them to tense, ¡°I guess you should probably know that I n to get rid of the ords.¡± You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed my deration. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Sylvenna said eventually. I shrugged, taking a sip of watered down wine. ¡°I have my ways. Trust me when I say it wouldn¡¯t be the most impossible thing I¡¯ve ever done.¡± Xara and Sylvenna exchanged a nce, and I noticed their hands meet under the table. ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous deration that could earn you a lot of enemies,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Secret for secret,¡± I told them. ¡°I know something that could cause you harm, now you know something that could cause me more.¡± I watched them both rx, leaning into one another. ¡°I¡¯m starting to understand what my sister sees in you,¡± Xara breathed. ¡°Assuming you¡¯re not full of shit, of course.¡± Sylvenna sucked in a breath, but I just grinned. ¡°Depends on the day. I also hope you¡¯ll believe me when I say I take care of my own, and since you¡¯re both sister to someone I care about, that includes the both of you. If you ever need somewhere to go, whether you¡¯re in trouble or you just need somewhere you can be together without fearing discovery, my door is always open.¡± Xara opened her mouth to say something, but then a hand captured either side of my face and Rhani was pulling my face down to hers. She was breathing hard when she pulled away, drawing a chuckle out of me. ¡°I fucking love you,¡± she breathed. ¡°For doing the minimum?¡± I asked. She gave me a heated look that said she¡¯d pay me back in fullter and I smirked. Conversation after that was a lot lighter, both Sylvenna and Xara finally seemed to rx after my admission. Before too long they were evenughing along as Rhani recounted in great detail how I managed to bluff my way past a living myth. Tiana¡¯s hand gripped my leg tightly, and I put the arm not wrapped around Noelle over her shoulder and pulled her close. I knew nearly getting buried alive still haunted her nights, but she put on a brave face andughed along to the utterly insane story, thankfully less terrifying with Rhani''s embellishments. Hearing it from someone else¡¯s perspective, I sounded positively crazy. Not for the first time, I had to take a second and marvel at the fact that I was still alive. About an hourter, Cynthia and Serena walked in. Noelle grumbled softly when I stood and ced her in the seat I¡¯d vacated, still half asleep. I met them halfway, exchanging a kiss with Serena before her eye caught the bruise on my cheek. She pushed her palm to it and healing warmth flowed into me. Secondster, I knew the bruise was gone. ¡°It went well then?¡± she asked, brow arched. ¡°Better than expected, honestly.¡± I jerked my head towards the group. ¡°Go on, I¡¯m sure Rhani can¡¯t wait to introduce you.¡± She patted my arm then did just that while I turned to Cynthia, who clearly wanted to speak with me. ¡°How did things go on your end?¡± Her lips thinned. ¡°It went well, for the most part.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thetter half of that sentence that worries me.¡± She exhaled sharply through her nose. ¡°I sessfully acquired the eight names on the list, and all of the demi-humans we rescued are officially a part of your household, though it cost a little more than I had originally nned. It¡¯s a very good thing you found extra funds in the basement. I also had new corsmissioned with your house seal so your servants aren¡¯t wearing simple cors. Hopefully that will earn them better protection outside of the manor.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But a pure Half-dragon earned us some attention we might have been better off without.¡± I stepped closer, lowering my voice so nobody overheard. ¡°Is Safina alright?¡± ¡°Physically, yes. I can¡¯t speak to her emotional state, though. I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯d react if I heard multiple wealthy Patrons offer up enough money to purchase a kingdom to buy me.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± I ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Headed straight for her room when we returned. I wanted to reassure her, but it wasn¡¯t my ce to. I can¡¯t make assurances like that on your behalf.¡± ¡°You can in the future. When ites to servants entering or leaving my household, I won¡¯t buy and sell people like property, no matter what thew says.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Cynthia made to leave, but I stopped her. ¡°Before you call it a day, why don¡¯t you join them for a bit. After I talk with Safina, I have onest task for you.¡± She raised a brow, and I could see a flicker of interest in her eye. She was intrigued by my tone, but she merely nodded and walked past me to take a seat. Rhani shot me a questioning look, but I made a gesture to say I¡¯d be right back and slipped out of the dining room. I made a brief stop in the entry hall to say hello to the new demi-humans Cynthia had brought. There were six women¡ªtwo Nymphs, a Wood Elf, a Deep Dwarf, a Dragonling, and a Lycanine¡ªand two men¡ªanother Dragonling and a Tiefling. They were all varying levels of haggard, wearing rags and patchwork clothes, and all of them looked at me with expressions ranging from hopeless to mistrustful to outright hate. I stopped long enough to at least let them put a face to their new Patron, then headed to find Safina¡¯s room. It wasn¡¯t hard to track her down. The second I got close I felt the barely repressed fear. She was afraid I was going to take one of the deals. I knocked on her door, receiving a disgruntled e in¡± in response. I opened the door and stepped in to see her sitting with her back to a bed that was definitely too short for her. She straightened when she saw me, but didn¡¯t stand. ¡°Zaren,¡± she said simply, her cobalt eyes locked on me. ¡°Safina. Cynthia tells me you met some interesting characters while you were out.¡± She hugged her knees to her chest. ¡°You don¡¯t have to beat around the bush. I heard the numbers those men were throwing at Cynthia. You sell me, and you¡¯d have the capital to run this quarter. It only makes sense.¡± I shrugged, sitting on the bed next to her. ¡°Then I¡¯m an idiot.¡± Her head jerked up and I felt her fear dim. ¡°You¡¯re seriously going to turn them down?¡± ¡°Do you want to serve any of them?¡± She slowly shook her head. ¡°Then yes, I am. The only way you¡¯re leaving my service is if you tell me you want to. I¡¯m not in the business of buying and selling people.¡± She snorted. ¡°I haven¡¯t been ¡®people¡¯ since the day someone paid for my inception.¡± ¡°Sure you have,¡± I said, cing my hand on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ve always been a person, just one beholden to people who really don¡¯t deserve to be considered as such. Now you¡¯re as much your own woman as you can be all things considered, and if I have anything to say about it you¡¯ll be truly free someday. Besides, you really think Noelle or Valith would just let me sell you off? Come on, now.¡± I saw her cheeks darken before she looked away to hide her expression. ¡°Yeah, I guess that¡¯s true,¡± she said, though I was pretty sure I heard a smile in her tone. ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t noticed you making sure Rhani¡¯s not missing meals. Between her and Noelle, you¡¯re a part of the family already whether you¡¯ve realized it or not.¡± Sheughed once. ¡°I can definitely think of worse fates.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± I patted her shoulder once, then stood, offering my hand. ¡°Nowe on, Rhani¡¯s sister is here and I¡¯m positive she¡¯d be thrilled to introduce you.¡± She grasped my arm and let me pull her up, towering nearly two feet taller than me. ¡°You really think so?¡± ¡°I know so. When Rhani left the city, her sister and her father were all she had. Every time she lights up when she introduces another friend, every time she proves her life is better now than it was before, I can see Xara get a little lighter. A little more at ease with how things have changed for her sister. Introducing a giant badass Half-dragon who can smack me around if I ever be someone Rhani doesn¡¯t love any more is something I think Xara would like very much.¡± Safina smirked at me. ¡°Pretty sure you won thest time we fought.¡± ¡°Pretty sure you were exhausted, wearing shit armor, and letting your cor dictate your every move. Not sure things would go the same if we went toe to toe again.¡± Her smirk widened to a grin and she looked away. ¡°Better go let Rhani show me off, then.¡± I nodded and turned towards the door, but I¡¯d barely taken a step before thick, powerful arms were crushing me into Safina¡¯srge chest. I was by no means a small man, but being lifted off the ground by Safina¡¯s crushing hug certainly made me feel like it for just a moment. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, then she let me go and sped out of the room before I could respond. Chuckling, I followed. By the time I made it into the dining room, Rhani was in the process of introducing Safina with a glowing smile. Xara reached out a hand, but Safina just swooped in and scooped her up in a hug simr to the one she¡¯d given me. I hoped I didn¡¯t look as panicked as Xara did, since I was fairly certain she was also someone unused to being lifted like we weren¡¯t over six feet tall, but I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t veryposed either with my feet dangling a foot above the ground. Sylvenna was smiling wide, still sitting at the table with Cynthia and Tiana. Noelle had shifted over to Tiana¡¯sp and was snoring soundly. I raised a brow as I sat next to them, and my mage smiled while she ran her hand down Noelle¡¯s back. ¡°She¡¯s been sleeping a lot since we got back,¡± Tiana exined. ¡°Serena thinks it¡¯s partly because this is the first ce she¡¯s ever felt safe and partly because her body is finally taking the time to heal from all she¡¯s been through.¡± I brushed Noelle¡¯s hair from her face and she nuzzled towards the palm of my hand. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right. On both counts. If anyone deserves the rest, it¡¯s her.¡± When I looked up and met Sylvenna¡¯s eyes, there was a slight sheen to them. She just shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯ll repay your earlier offer. Normally I¡¯d be hesitant to trust it, but¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got an idea about that. First off, you¡¯ve met Cynthia?¡± She inclined her head. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯d like you to tell us everything you¡¯re willing to about how the military treats its demi-humans, both officially and unofficially.¡± Cynthiaughed softly, then pulled out a notebook. Sylvenna looked from me to her with wide eyes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Call it a hunch,¡± I said slowly, spinning the empty cup sitting in front of me a quarter turn at a time, ¡°but something tells me there¡¯s an opportunity ripe for the taking.¡± Sylvenna just swallowed, sitting up straighter. ¡°To do what, exactly? I won¡¯t endanger the soldiers under me.¡± I smiled, but it was anything but a happy expression. ¡°If the military treats demi-humans as well as the rest of the humans in this city, then I¡¯m hoping there¡¯s a way to give those demi-humans a better life while exploiting the very system they¡¯ve put in ce in the process. I need to put pressure on the ords from as many directions as possible until they crumble like the twisted, corruptws they really are.¡± She looked towards Xara for a time, watching her interacting with Rhani and the friends Rhani had collected since we¡¯d met. Ryoko, Safina, and Serena were all talking andughing with them, and Rhani¡¯s sister looked happier and more at ease than she had since I¡¯d met her. Then, after draining what was left in her cup in one go, Sylvenna turned to me. ¡°What do you need to know?¡± Chapter Seventy-Four: Divine Demands Chapter Seventy-Four: Divine Demands The moment she woke up with a pounding headache, Kat knew her day was going to be shit. Her first night in a real bed after a week and a half of travel, and she felt like she hadn¡¯t slept a wink. Sure enough, when she checked on [Commune], its cooldown had been reset early. She wondered if her patron god had waited very far into the night to send out his divine summons. She doubted it. A soft groan slipped from her mouth as she pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around at the plush, opulent room she¡¯d been given by the province¡¯s lord. Being a Chosen had its perks, but she¡¯d be lying if she didn¡¯t miss the coziness of their camp first thing in the morning. Even if she still felt like somewhat of an outsider in their group, Allie and the party that hade to form around her were a lot closer than the people she was used to traveling with. The emptiness of the room was stifling as she pulled on her dress armor. It was lighter than her normal gear, but it would still do the job while being fancy enough not to offend Lord Balseron¡¯s fragile, royal disposition. They hadn¡¯t even met him yet and Kat already hated the man. Every inch of his manor dripped wealth and made Kat¡¯s skin crawl. Being a Chosen also had its drawbacks, namely dealing with men like Balseron. Their room arrangements only made sense. In a ce like this, Therese was loathe to let Rose out of her sight for even a second. Allie and Nora were still practically joined at the hip, but that was only half because of their rtionship. The other half was because Nora was still the only one who could reliably snap Allie out of her episodes. Kat wanted so badly to ask what could give her such horrible nightmares that she came up swinging the way she did, but she was terrified to ask. The change in Allie over thest three weeks was unsettling to say the least. Her eyes had turned darker. The bags under her eyes were more prevalent than ever. Her beautiful ck hair had lost much of its sheen. She¡¯d started to lose weight. It was worrying Kat more than she cared to admit, and she¡¯d already resolved to devote time to helping her after they returned from this mission. Watching Allie¡¯s decline made Kat feel helpless. More helpless than she¡¯d been since she¡¯d made a deal to serve a dickhead god. A god whose summons were making her feel like a spike was being driven into her eye socket. Once she¡¯d finished strapping her weapons on, she grabbed her kit and made her way out of her room. It was a tossup between Therese¡¯s room and Allie¡¯s, but in the end she chose thetter. If only because she wanted to see if a night in a bed had let her get any more rest than normal. She knocked, but there was no answer. Kat was just about to knock when she heard the sound of Allie crying out in pain. Logically, she knew it was likely a nightmare. That didn¡¯t mean she could take the chance that something wasn¡¯t wrong. Not in a ce that could very well be enemy territory. She unlocked the door with the key she¡¯d been given and stuck her head in. Nora was nowhere to be found, but Allie was curled up on the bed with a terrified, pained expression on her face. Her eyes were jammed shut, and her hands were fisted into the covers. Kat was just about to duck out, not wanting to overstep where Allie and Nora were concerned, when Allie writhed and cried out a second time. Kat¡¯s feet carried her forward. The oath she¡¯d sworn to Tydarr was to help those that needed her, and Allie needed her right now. She knew that in her bones, even if she had no clue how exactly to provide that help. ¡°Allie,¡± she said softly, unable to just stand by and watch the closest thing she¡¯d ever had to a friend in such clear agony. ¡°Allie, wake up.¡± Allie just cried out again, then let out a feral growl while grinding her teeth so hard Kat could hear it. Fuck, where was Nora? She put her hand on Allie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Allie¡ª¡± One moment Kat was gently trying to shake Allie awake. The next? She was t on her back with one of her own knives pressed to her throat. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Allie demanded, her face twisted in an unrecognizable snarl. ¡°Allie, it¡¯s me,¡± Kat said slowly, her eyes wide and her heart hammering. The de bit into the flesh of her neck as Allie¡¯s eyespletely void of anything resembling the woman Kat hade to know¡ªdarted around the room in a sh, fixing back on Kat with an intensity that sent chills down her spine. ¡°Where are we? Where are the others?¡± Kat stayed as still as she could mange. ¡°Therese and Rose are in their room. Not sure where Nora is, but if you let me up I can¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who the fuck those people are!¡± Sparks danced across her skin, meaning she¡¯d activated [Conduit]. Kat considered herself a good fighter, but there was no chance she¡¯d be able to react fast enough to stop Allie when she was boosted. ¡°Did he send you? Is this another one of his fucked up tests?¡± Shit, Allie didn¡¯t have a mouth like that. If she didn¡¯t look and sound just like the girl, Kat would have been convinced she was looking at a stranger. ¡°Allie¡ª¡± ¡°Who the fuck is Allie?¡± she demanded. Kat¡¯s mouth dried up. Allie¡¯s eyes narrowed, and Kat recognized the look of someone whose patience was running thin. She¡¯d have to make a move and hope her skills were enough to heal her before she bled out if Allie dragged that knife across her throat. What a shit time for her habit of sharpening her weapons whenever she was feeling nervous to bite her in the ass. ¡°Eliya,¡± a voice said softly from the door. Without moving her head, Kat nced at Therese and Rose, who were both frozen in the doorway. Allie didn¡¯t so much as nce in their direction, though her posture did soften. ¡°I woke up with this one looming over me. Are the others alright?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine, Eliya,¡± Therese said, taking a slow step into the room. Then, under her breath, ¡°Rose, get back to the dining hall and fetch Nora.¡± Rose vanished into the hall in a hurry and Therese took another step. ¡°That¡¯s Kat, Eliya. She¡¯s a friend.¡± The look in Allie¡¯s eyes hardened further. ¡°Bullshit. There are no friends down here.¡± ¡°An ally, then,¡± Therese said quickly. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Eliya, she won¡¯t hurt you. You can take that de away from her throat.¡± She did, if only by an inch. Only then did she look up at Therese. She opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say never made it past her lips. Her brow furrowed, and the knife hovering above Kat¡¯s throat trembled. ¡°Gwen?¡± she breathed, the name said more like a prayer than anything else. Therese swallowed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Now let Kat up, please, and we can figure this all out, alright?¡± But Allie winced as if she was in pain. ¡°No¡­ that can¡¯t be right¡­¡± She swayed slightly. ¡°Gwendolyn, you were¡­ I¡­ I killed you. You can¡¯t be here. He made me¡­¡± Kat watched the exchange with wide eyes, painfully aware that [Conduit] was still active and the small distance the knife had moved made little difference in how quick Allie could strike. But Therese hardly reacted to the information that she was apparently dead. In fact, if anything, her expression became almost unbearably sad. ¡°That¡¯s right, Eliya,¡± she said softly, taking another step. ¡°Remember. Keep going.¡± ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡± Allie shook her head like she was trying to frighten off an insect. ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Come back to us, Allie,¡± Therese said, crouching next to them and slowly reaching towards the knife. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª You can¡¯t be¡ª¡± She groaned and clutched her head, but Kat made no move to buck her off. Then Nora burst into the room. ¡°Allie,¡± she panted. Swaying, Allie¡¯s eyes fixed on Nora. The light was slowlying back to them, even if her nose was scrunched in confusion. ¡°Maeve? You¡¯re here too? Am I¡­? Did I¡­?¡± Then she flinched, letting out a pained whimper. She threw herself away from Kat,unching herself across the room in the blink of an eye thanks to [Conduit]. Nora followed in a blur, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend the second she reached her. Allie trembled as Nora whispered into her ear,bing her fingers through Allie¡¯s hair. ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± Kat asked, rubbing her throat. She grimaced when her fingers came away crimson, but Rose was already there, healing away the nick. Therese and Nora exchanged a loaded look, then both nced to Allie. Still looking miserable, she nodded, and Therese sighed. ¡°That was one of Allie¡¯s episodes. The memories she dreams of bleed over into her waking mind and she gets¡­ confused.¡± ¡°Confused,¡± Kat parroted, ¡°right. And the names? You¡¯re, what, posing as the people from her memories?¡± Nora helped Allie stand and guided her to the bed. ¡°Sort of. After the first few times, she just started calling us by those names. Always those three. I¡¯m Maeve, Therese is Gwendolyn, and Rose is Isabel.¡± Kat stood, rubbing her throat. ¡°Shit. You didn¡¯t mention things were this bad.¡± Allie hugged herself. ¡°They¡¯re not, usually. In the beginning I was more confused than anything else, and when I really started to get lost in Eliya I always treated them as allies.¡± But not her. Right. Kat was still the outsider. She ignored the small part of her that was hurt by that fact, telling it that she still didn¡¯t have the full story. ¡°Right. And you¡¯re able to talk her out of it?¡± ¡°Nora has the most sess with doing it quickly,¡± Therese exined, sitting on Allie¡¯s other side and putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Judging from her memories, her and Maeve were closest. But walking through her memories always leads her to the end.¡± Kat frowned. ¡°The end?¡± she asked, not sure she wanted the answer. ¡°My death,¡± Allie whispered. ¡°Eliya¡¯s death,¡± Theresa corrected softly. She rubbed Allie¡¯s back. ¡°No matter what we do, Allie can¡¯t remember the end. How Eliya dies. Anytime she gets close, something happens. Snaps her out of it. Makes Allie and Eliya sh hard enough for our girl to find her way back to the light.¡± Allie rubbed her face with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kat. I almost killed you. I don¡¯t want to think about what would have happened if Gwen¡ªshit, Therese hadn¡¯t arrived.¡± Neither did Kat. What a way to go, all things considered. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to wake you.¡± That drew a frown from Nora. ¡°Don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but why were you in our room?¡± Fuck. All the chaos had momentarily distracted Kat from the pounding in her skull, but now that she was calming down it had returned with a vengeance. ¡°I was looking for one of you and heard her having a nightmare through the door. I know I shouldn¡¯t have intruded, but I just couldn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Allie said. She definitely wasn''t, but Kat wasn''t enough of a people person to press the issue. ¡°I¡¯m just d you weren¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°You and me both,¡± Kat mumbled, once again rubbing her neck. ¡°You were looking for one of us?¡± Nora asked. ¡°Why?¡± Kat looked away, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m being summoned.¡± They all exchanged nces. ¡°Summoned?¡± Therese asked. ¡°Like, by¡­¡± ¡°My deity, yeah.¡± She lifted her kit. ¡°I need to [Commune] with Tydarr. He¡¯s practically demanding it. Only problem is that time tends to get weird between me and him, so a five minute conversation with him couldst five seconds or five hours. I need someone to watch my back.¡± Nora and Therese exchanged another nce, but Allie just nodded and started gathering her hair into a tail. ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help.¡± Even exhausted and still clearly distraught, she scooped up her sword. ¡°Where do you need us?¡± Kat wanted to argue, insist that thest thing Allie needed was more shit to worry about, but her summons picked that moment to pulse through her skull. ¡°Here is fine. I¡¯ll see if I can ask about your condition, too. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± Everyone but Allie perked up. She just shed a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°I would appreciate it, but don¡¯t go making any shit deals with gods.¡± ¡°Deals? You don¡¯t make deals with gods,¡± Kat said with a chuckle. ¡°You ask them really, really nicely and sometimes they answer. You know, when they¡¯re not in dickhole moods.¡± She was pretty sure she didn¡¯t imagine the increase in her summons at that moment. That seemed to confuse Allie, but Kat didn¡¯t think to hard about why that might be while she set up her gear. An idol, some offerings, and incense that would hopefully make what was about to happen not suck quite so much. She wanted to talk more about the fucking insane thing that just happened and the fact that everyone else in the room was acting like things were business as normal, but she already felt like shit that she¡¯d put Allie in that position in the first ce. ¡°Right, then. Hopefully this doesn¡¯t take too long. See you four on the other side.¡± Kat knelt down in front of her idol to Tydarr and activated [Commune]. The sound of a bell tolling followed by the unmistakable sh of a thousand swords on a thousand shields rang through her mind and the room around her faded away. She found herself in a war tent, maps spread out across the table that dominated the space. The shapes on it shimmered and shifted, impossible to make out, and any letters were in anguage she didn¡¯t recognize, though it made her eyes burn just looking at it. Across the table, leaning on the aged wood, was thergest man she¡¯d ever seen. Long dark hair and a thick beard to match hid many of his features, and his eyes seemed to shift from the silver of steel to the crimson of blood and back again in an endless cycle. He wore the most opulent, intricate armor she¡¯d ever seen, though it was tarnished by millennia of battle. ¡°Chosen,¡± Tydarr said, his voice a rumble that carried with it the promise of violence. ¡°You took your time responding to my call.¡± ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said, bowing her head, ¡°I was resting at the time your call arrived. I came as soon as it was safe to do so.¡± He grunted, then returned his gaze to the table in front of him. ¡°The conflict goes well. Too well. I have a task for you, Chosen.¡± ¡°Name it, and it shall be done.¡± Tydarr smirked, but it was a cruel expression. ¡°Careful not to incur debts you cannot afford, girl. You will return to Amesseria immediately and begin ingratiating yourself to Zaren Nocht.¡± Ice seemed to trickle down Kat¡¯s spine at the name. ¡°Zaren? Fat chance of that happening, he fucking hates me.¡± ¡°Then you will fix things between the two of you. He has information that could change the oue of the war that fast approaches.¡± She struggled to swallow past the lump that had appeared in her throat. ¡°What information, sir?¡± His gaze raked over the maps in front of him and he scratched his chin. ¡°He has interfered in the natural order, yet the scales have not tipped in the slightest. Allura protects him somehow, despite unting the oldest of ourws. I need to know how.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hardly someone he¡¯s ever going to share information like that.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Immediately Kat wished she hadn¡¯t opened her mouth. ¡°He hates Chosen. He seemed to hate me especially after I told him I served you.¡± She could still remember every moment of that day. She¡¯d been expecting someone so very different when it came to Allura¡¯s champion. Some sultry, shapely woman who just dripped sex. Maybe a tall, delicious looking man who was temptation on a stick. She certainly hadn¡¯t been expecting the intense, angry man Zaren ended up being. The hard look in those sapphire eyes, like a calm sea just waiting for a storm toe along and unleash the violence in them. The scars that peeked out from the worn, tattered traveling clothes he wore. The way he moved, deadly stillness giving way to unrelenting chaos in the blink of an eye. The second she¡¯did eyes on him she knew he was dangerous. When she¡¯d let her mouth get her ass in trouble? [Divine Sense] had given her many different reactions over the years she¡¯d served Tydarr, but she¡¯d never had it tell her to run away as fast as her feet could take her. Not like that. The darkness that cascaded off him, writhing angrily as if it had a mind of its own. The crimson glow that started to burn through the dark blue of his eyes. The feeling that he was suddenly twenty feet tall, looming over her, ready to squish her like a gnat. If she never saw Zaren again, it would be too soon. Few people had ever scared her in her life, especially when she¡¯d left her shit home behind. Zaren was one of those people. But Tydarr looked suddenly thoughtful. ¡°Yes, I suppose that would cause issue. You humans hold grudges almost as well as we gods.¡± He tapped the table with a gauntleted finger. ¡°Very well. Return to him, promise that you are utterly unlike the man who preceded you. Do not openly ask him what I need, but find a way to earn his trust. Inform him that assisting you in your investigation into the eldritch beasts will clear his debt. He will understand.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still not sure¡ª¡± His eyes glowed a violent red and the words died in her throat. He rose to his full height, dwarfing her, and crossed his arms. ¡°Youe with a request, do you not?¡± Her palms felt sweaty and her fingers trembled even in this dreamlike realm. ¡°My¡­ friend, Allisandre. She¡¯s suffering from some kind of affliction we don¡¯t understand. Can you help her?¡± Tydarr didn¡¯t answer immediately. His eyes shifted from crimson back to steel gray. A color that brought to mind the first de she¡¯d ever owned. Her stepfather¡¯s sword. In a moment, she was taken back to being a child. Hearing her mother beg. Her stepfather¡¯s drunken rage. Feeling the warm spray as she hit him with his own fucking de. The taste of his blood as it sprayed. The first life she¡¯d ever taken. Kat gasped as she mmed back into the tent, and she knew what she¡¯d just seen was Tydarr¡¯s way of reminding her that he¡¯d pulled her up from nothing and could put her back just as easily. She suppressed a shiver, putting on as brave a face as she could manage. She figured he could see right through it as her patron deity, but she had to at least try. Her attempt amused him. ¡°Help her? No. Unfortunately she belongs to another, and I cannot interfere. What I can do is tell you what exactly happened to her, and that information should lead you to finding a solution. Should you befriend Zaren, you¡¯ll know everything you need to.¡± She tried her best not to nch at his words. Did he realize what he¡¯d just given away? That Allie apparently belonged to another god or goddess was a huge piece of the puzzle. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, then.¡± ¡°You will seed. That is the only option. Am I understood?¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said, barely suppressing a shiver. Not for the first time, she reminded herself that she served the god of war, valor, and honor. There was nothing in any of those that involved kindness or empathy. Her patron god was as ruthless and unyielding as the domains hemanded. Before another word could be exchanged, she was violently shunted from the conversation. She mmed back into her body with enough force that she hit the ground. She groaned, struggling to pick herself up, but thick strong hands lifted her like she weighed nothing and set her in an unfairly plush chair. Her headache had been traded out for the full body ache that came from her entire body being tense during [Communion]¡¯s duration. ¡°Fuck me, and here I though today couldn¡¯t get worse.¡± She rolled her neck and saw only Allie and Nora in the room with her. ¡°How long?¡± ¡°A couple of hours,¡± Allie said. ¡°One of Lord Balseron¡¯s servants stopped by to inform us that he¡¯d officially entertain us at lunch. Hopefully we can get eyes on the demi-human then.¡± Kat rubbed her neck. ¡°Shit, yeah. Fuck, thisplicates things.¡± ¡°What¡¯d he have to say?¡± Allie asked. Kat didn¡¯t miss the vitriol in her tone and hoped it was aimed at her god, not Kat herself. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got good news and bad news,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Good news is he gave me a crumb and promised me a loaf, bad news is I¡¯ve gotta leave to pick it up.¡± Nora frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Kat ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Tydarr can¡¯t help directly because apparently Allie is spoken for on the divine front.¡± Nora nodded and crossed her arms, leaning out of the conversation. Kat turned her next words to Allie. ¡°You worship?¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± Allie said, far too quickly. ¡°Well, if we can figure out who¡¯s got a im on you, then maybe we can get them to fix you. Sounds like this asshole with the crystal knife fucked some shit up. I do some shit for my god and he said he¡¯d tell me what I need to know to get you all fixed up. Problem is, I¡¯ve gotta go back to the capital to do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Kat tried not to take any pleasure in the worry in Allie¡¯s voice. That would be very unprofessional. ¡°You¡¯d be gone for weeks!¡± Kat shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve got keystones. I¡¯ll give you two a receiver, use a sender to pop back to the capital, do the shit I need to do, then grab another keystone and pop back. Easy as that.¡± Allie crossed her arms and touched the side of her head uncertainly. A nervous tick Kat had been noticing more and more ofte. ¡°And we¡¯re just supposed to ask Lord Balseron to wait while you do?¡± That was a good point. Telling the local Lord she had an errand to run that was more important would go over about as well as a prostitute in a temple. ¡°You¡¯ll have to take lead,¡± Kat said eventually. ¡°We haven¡¯t even had a conversation with him, so we¡¯ll have to make it out like I¡¯m just an escort. You¡¯re the one representing King Rr, here because of the rumors of a new and exotic demi-human. You¡¯ll be the important one of our group, politically speaking.¡± ¡°Are we sure that¡¯s a good idea? I¡¯ve never shmoozed a noble before.¡± Kat just waved a hand. ¡°Just act like he¡¯s always the most important person in the room and stroke his ego and you¡¯ll be fine.¡± She jammed the heel of her palm into her eye. ¡°It¡¯ll suck shit, but¡­ Hells, I think I¡¯d rather have your job than mine.¡± She looked over her allies. Her friends. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you through everything I can think of before dinner, but the sooner I get my task out of the way, the better.¡± She fought a grimace. ¡°You don¡¯t ignore a directmand from the god who powers your skills, y¡¯know?¡± Allie looked so uncertain it made Kat feel like shit. She had enough on her te, and now all this shit was getting heaped on her shoulders? Her only sce was telling herself that getting this done would help Allie in the end. Finally, Allie let out a breath and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get it done, then.¡± Despite her guilt, Kat felt relief. For the next hour, she told Allie everything she knew about kissing noble ass. It was a myriad of lessons learned the hard way. She was the only Chosen on the side of light that wasn¡¯t born with a silver spoon up her ass, and it showed. A lot. Navigating the social swamp that was the other Chosen was often more difficult than the war she¡¯d been picked to fight. Therese and Rose returned after about thirty minutes. Thankfully she epted Kat¡¯s new orders even more smoothly than Allie had. Not only that, but having to fight her way up to B rank meant she had plenty of the tools they¡¯d need to charm Balseron out of his demi-human should the need arise. As a group, they briefly contemted pivoting and having Therese take charge, but she was adamant that Allie was better for the job in this instance. She wouldn¡¯t say why, but she was confident enough that none of them argued. All too soon, a servant arrived to escort them to Balseron¡¯s personal dining room. Therese was clearly upset when told that her servant would have to remain behind, but Rose quietly reassured her that it was fine, and that she¡¯d remain in their room until lunch was finished. Just to be safe, Kat threw up an [rm] at the door to make sure nobody tried anything. Therese was very appreciative of that. Balseron was nowhere to be seen when they entered, but that was hardly a surprise. Lords like him had a re for the dramatics. No doubt he had an entrance nned. Sure enough, as soon as they¡¯d all been seated, he swept into the room. He was a middle aged, pudgy, sweaty man with short, thick fingers. Far too much jewelry hung from his neck and fingers, and calling his clothes fine would be an insult. Kat had chartered ships that would cost less than his outfit for the day. His thinning hair and beady, assessing eyes reallypleted the picture. He stered on a too-wide smile and spread his hands. ¡°Chosen andpany, I wee you into my home. I am Lord Balseron, your gracious host for as long as you¡¯ll remain.¡± Whatever Kat¡¯s answer would have been went out the window as two servants followed Balseron in. It wasn¡¯t the matronly Elf that caught her attention though. No, it was the woman with the four arms sped primly in front of her that caused Kat¡¯s brain to short out for a moment. Her skin was a dark gray, just a few shades closer to violet than the girl in Zaren¡¯s caravan she¡¯d healed. Clothing sheer enough to be see through in most ces left exactly nothing to the imagination. Though her frame was thin, her breasts wererger than Kat¡¯s own by a bit. A gold chain connected the rings that hung from the dark gray peak of either breast, more than visible through her top, with a chain in the center that vanished between her legs. Her fingers were unadorned, but her forearms and biceps were each decorated by a simple gold band that contrasted well with her dark skin. Waves of lc hair cascaded halfway down her back, but her eyes were hidden behind the only swathe of fabric on her that wasn¡¯t translucent. Balseron¡¯s oily grin widened. ¡°Captivating, isn¡¯t she?¡± Before Kat could recover, Allie said in a breathy voice, ¡°she¡¯s beautiful. I¡¯ve never seen anyone like her.¡± Apparently, that was exactly the right thing to say. Balseron took his seat, obviously pleased, while his two servants took their ces at either of his shoulders. ¡°Nobody has. In all my time, I¡¯ve never heard of one such as her. An Ashra, ording to the man I purchased her from. ording to all my resources, she very well might be one of a kind.¡± Kat forced herself to eat, even if she didn¡¯t taste the food at all. To be relegated to a trophy, shown off for no other reason than being born¡­ She really hated men like Balseron. If it were up to her, she¡¯d just beat the shit out of him and walk out with the demi-human in tow. Unfortunately, Balseron simply held too much influence to risk angering. ¡°Yes,¡± he continued, ¡°Vanni was a fortunate find. A spot by a friend of a friend. Cost me a small fortune, but it was money well spent in my opinion. Collectors far and wide visit simply to get a look at her.¡± He leaned forward, his grin taking on a predatory glint. ¡°Would you like to spend some time with her, perchance? Get a closer look?¡± Kat had to swallow back the bile that threatened to make an appearance. She didn¡¯t need to look to know the others felt the same, but this was exactly why they¡¯de. If Balseron wouldn¡¯t part with this Vanni, then they¡¯d need to bring Be every scrap of information they possibly could. ¡°I would enjoy that,¡± Allie said smoothly, though there was a fire in her eyes that made Kat feel a lot better about leaving them to deal with this shit. Somehow, Kat made it through the rest of the meal. Thankfully all Vanni did was stand there. Kat wasn¡¯t sure how she would have handled things if the lord had decided to get handsy. He was more than happy to fill the silence, and he loved talking about himself. He loved showing off his ¡®possessions¡¯ just as much. Thanks to that, they didn¡¯t even have to pry to learn that Vanni had been left on the front doorstep of a church of a small, middle-of-nowhere town when she¡¯d been only seven. When she was thirteen, the priest had passed away. The woman who reced him was as devout as she was cruel and dered Vanni an abomination, banishing her from the church. From there she¡¯d apparently wandered, hiding her second set of arms as best she could and living on the streets until a sickly old man took her in. She cared for him, hidden away from the world, until he passed when she was seventeen. When his son arrived to deal with his father¡¯s things, he immediately saw the opportunity to get rid of some of his debts and called on Lord Balseron. He¡¯d paid an exorbitant fee, though he proudly bragged that he¡¯d been willing to pay twice as much for such a find and felt he¡¯d swindled the ¡®greedy fool¡¯ quite well. Kat winced when he asked if she¡¯d entertain him again at dinner to discuss the ongoing Chosen conflict. ¡°Unfortunately, my lord, it seems some urgent business hase up and I will need to leave immediately to take care of it. I will return at the earliest convenience, of course.¡± He was not at all pleased by that. ¡°You are leaving? So soon?¡± ¡°Unfortunately,¡± she gritted out, ¡°I have little choice. The life of a Chosen is one with little rest. Finding the time to break away in the first ce was difficult, but we agreed that seeking your aid in the conflict toe was far too important to be left to anyone else.¡± The story she¡¯de up with mollified him. For now. ¡°I see. Will yourpanions be joining you?¡± ¡°This will be a solo mission, hopefully one that won¡¯tst for more than a few days. If it pleases you, they will remain to enjoy your hospitality. You will, of course, bepensated for this unfortunate turn of events.¡± That was enough for him to rx into his seat. Like clockwork, all she had to do was make him feel nice and important, and he ate her words up. Arrogant he may be, but even he was aware the gods were above him. ¡°Of course,¡± he purred. ¡°Well, Chosen Katerina,¡± he raised a goblet, ¡°I will wish you a speedy return.¡± By the time the meal was finished, Kat felt like she¡¯d need several hours in a bath to get clean. The second the door closed behind Balseron and her allies dropped their masks, she was d to see they clearly felt the same. They all fell into step headed back to their rooms with Allie and Nora in the lead. ¡°What an unpleasant man,¡± Allie said. Kat snorted. ¡°Those are much nicer words than the ones I¡¯d like to use. You sure you¡¯ve got this?¡± Allie nodded slowly. ¡°I think so. If I act properly infatuated, then hopefully I can get some alone time with Vanni. He seems to like showing off his ¡®toys.¡¯¡± She grimaced at thest word. ¡°Kat, I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to leave here without her, do you?¡± Kat asked with a smirk. ¡°No. I really, really don¡¯t.¡± Therese crossed her arms, her finger tapping on her bicep. ¡°Might be difficult. Not sure we have enough money to convince him to part with her. Not sure there is enough money. Look around, he¡¯s practically pissing gold. He likes owning something unique far too much.¡± Nora made a growling sound in her throat that had Kat wanting to reach for a dagger. ¡°It¡¯s despicable. Trussing her up like that. Parading her around.¡± Allie put a hand on her girlfriend¡¯s forearm, and that was all it took for much of the tension to bleed out of Nora¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I know. We¡¯ll figure this out, right Kat?¡± Kat nodded. ¡°I can give Rr a rundown when I¡¯m in the city. Maybe he¡¯ll have some insight.¡± Running shaking fingers through her hair, Allie stood. ¡°Right. We should get back to Rose. Bring her up to speed. You¡¯ll be leaving immediately?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Kat said unhappily. ¡°I think that¡¯s for the best.¡± If she didn¡¯t, there was no telling what Tydarr would do. She¡¯d had more than enough nightmares about the horrors of war, she had no interest in giving him reason to force more into her skull. Then, to her surprise, Allie ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Whatever your mission is, be careful.¡± An alien warmth bloomed in Kat¡¯s chest. She honestly couldn¡¯t remember thest time someone had given a shit about her wellbeing, and Allie¡¯s concern clearly wasn¡¯t because of Kat¡¯s usefulness as a Chosen. For a second, Kat couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°I will,¡± she said finally. ¡°You all be careful too. Men like Balseron are perfectly harmless until they aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll keep the fat fuck happy,¡± Nora ground out. Kat¡¯s eyes widened, but she didn¡¯t dislike this side of the fighter in the slightest. ¡°Vanni¡¯s days as his showpiece are numbered, one way or another.¡± And so were Allie¡¯s days suffering from whatever bullshit had left her so fucked up. Kat was even more sure of that. She¡¯d find a way to help her friend or she¡¯d die trying. Tydarr be damned. # # # It took far too little time for Kat to get her things together and hand the receiver stone over to Allie. With onest look at the only friends she¡¯d ever had, Kat had activated her keystone and stepped through the portal into her quarters in the Amesserian pce. She had her own room in the royal pce. Her. A nobody from the shittiest part of the most dangerous city in Larisea. Her mother would haveughed herself into an even earlier grave if she¡¯d known. As a Chosen, it didn¡¯t take long for her to get an audience with the king. She wasn¡¯t at all surprised to find the legendary thief, Sandrel, in attendance as well. She was thankful Be wasn¡¯t in attendance. He made her nervous in a way that the other two didn¡¯t. ¡°Kat,¡± Rr said, inclining his head, ¡°wee back. I wasn¡¯t expecting you so soon. Was the information a bust, then?¡± ¡°Nope. Balseron called her an Ashra. She definitely fits the bill. Four arms, skin like one of those six-legged Maleks,¡± she shrugged. ¡°Getting her out of his clutches might be difficult, though. He¡¯s rather attached.¡± Rr¡¯s lips turned downward. ¡°Romantically?¡± She snorted. ¡°Hardly. She¡¯s the rarest piece in his collection. Even if she didn¡¯t have four arms, she¡¯s still stunning. He likes owning something shiny far too much. Not sure if money will cut it.¡± Sandrel grunted. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can dig up. You came back early for advice, then?¡± ¡°Not¡­ exactly.¡± That got both their attention. ¡°Tydarr sent me. I¡¯m on a mission from him.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Rr said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. It was a motion so close to the one her god had made earlier that a shiver traveled down her spine. ¡°Is there anything we can do to help?¡± ¡°You could tell me where I can find Zaren Nocht,¡± she said with a huff. She immediately knew she¡¯d made a mistake of some sort. They exchanged an incredibly loaded nce. Sandrel cocked a brow and Rr winced, then turned back to her. ¡°Why?¡± Kat¡¯s eyes fell on a stray beam of afternoon sunlight in an effort to avoid his weighty gaze. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to befriend him, apparently. He knows something Tydarr wants to know, and I have to start ingratiating myself to Zaren to earn his trust.¡± The silence that followed made her ears ring. When she finally forced herself to look up, the two of them were having a silent conversation that didn¡¯t seem to be going well. Finally, Rr turned back to her. ¡°I¡¯m not certain that¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡± One of his brows twitched, but he didn¡¯t seem displeased by her outburst. ¡°I said as much, and Tydarr nearly bit my head off. Why the fuck does he hate my god so much?¡± ¡°Not our story to tell,¡± Sandrel said quickly. ¡°Suffice to say it¡¯s justified.¡± ¡°Sandrel,¡± Rr cautioned, and the rogue shrugged. Kat figured badgering two of the few prominent figures that felt like they were on her side for a reason past her status was probably a bad idea. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure it¡¯lle up eventually. He¡¯s in town, then?¡± Sandrel nodded. ¡°Yep. It¡¯s been painfully anticlimactic. Really making my ass sore from how hard I¡¯ve been clenching. It¡¯s been a week, and he hasn¡¯t done fuck all but fixing up his home. Recruit a bunch of servants. Met with some of the prominent figures in the lower quarter. Started fixing up his other properties across the city.¡± He sighed. ¡°Considerably less fire and brimstone than I was expecting, if I¡¯m being honest. Maybe it isn¡¯t our Zaren after all.¡± But they hadn¡¯t looked into his eyes. The war against Grimsbane had happened nearly a decade before Kat had been born, but those sapphire eyes belonged to a man who¡¯d seen hell and walked away. ¡°It¡¯s him. Even if it isn¡¯t, Tydarr told me to befriend Zaren Nocht. Only one of those floating around as far as I know.¡± Sandrel gave her a long, hard look. ¡°It¡¯s your funeral, girl.¡± Then he grinned. ¡°I know a way we can see if he¡¯s legit. Rolls, how do you think Zaren would react if we sent a summons with the Chosen here?¡± Rr dragged a hand down his face. ¡°Sandrel, I just had the hinges on my door reced.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a good stress test, then.¡± He stood. ¡°Write it out, old man. We can¡¯t afford to sit and wait any longer. We need to have a conversation with our ¡®friend¡¯ and see what¡¯s what. I¡¯m too fuckin¡¯ old to be this stressed all the time. I woke up with a gray hair yesterday, for fuck''s sake.¡± ¡°Angering Zaren was your pastime, not mine,¡± Rr said, sitting heavily in his chair. ¡°Though you¡¯re right, he won¡¯t take that lying down if he really is the Godyer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Sandrel said, pping Rr¡¯s arm. ¡°And I¡¯ll have someone watching the manor. If she doesn¡¯te back out, they can retrieve her body.¡± Kat shot him a deadpan look. ¡°How reassuring.¡± ¡°Sandrel is being dramatic,¡± Rr promised, though he sounded unsure. ¡°Zaren won¡¯t kill anyone who isn¡¯t trying to kill him. Just don¡¯t expect him to be overly pleasant.¡± She let out a breath. ¡°Least he still owes me for fixing the not-Seraphim.¡± That made both of them frown. ¡°How do you mean?¡± Rr asked. ¡°The girl I mentioned before,¡± Kat exined. ¡°Someone lopped her wings off. I used [Miracle] to get them growing again.¡± Another silent exchange, then Sandrel leaned forward dangerously. ¡°Lopped off how? Your skill tell you that?¡± ¡°Sure. Someone surgically removed them, looks like. The stumps, at least. From her muscle definition, not sure if she¡¯d ever flown.¡± ¡°The cuts were clean, then? Not jagged?¡± ¡°Clean as I¡¯ve seen, I guess. There was signs of an older surgery, but I figured she just broke ¡®em too bad to be fixed or something.¡± Yet another godsdamned silent conversation. Then Rr said, ¡°was she in pain when you healed her?¡± ¡°Not particrly, no.¡± They both rxed visibly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°An old illegal surgery that puts winged species in constant agony,¡± Rr exined. ¡°If you¡¯d healed her without cutting away the warped parts of her wings, it would have only made things worse. But if she wasn¡¯t in any physical agony when you healed her, things should be fine.¡± ¡°Still, you don¡¯t really think it¡¯s a coincidence, do you?¡± Sandrel challenged. ¡°No,¡± Rr answered. ¡°No I do not. We need to have our sit down with Zaren sooner thanter.¡± He sighed. ¡°As much as I hate relegating a Chosen to a messenger¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kat said with a wave. ¡°It gives me a great excuse to be there, actually.¡± They nodded and Rr stood. ¡°I¡¯ll write out the invitation, then.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll show her where the manor is,¡± Sandrel offered, pulling a map from his pocket. Two hourster, Kat was making her way down a road that must have been the height of wealth once. Now it was old and decrepit, left to the elements without anyone to care for the dark, ghostly houses that loomed in the early night. There were signs that several were being worked on, but at least one had been simply knocked down in its entirety. Old, unusable furniturey in piles in front of the ones being worked on, and the closer she got to the end of the road the closer to finished the manors looked. But it was only the one at the end that had lighting from its windows. Even if Sandrel hadn¡¯t told her where to go, she would have known to go there first. She¡¯d made it halfway down the road when she sensed a presence next to her. ¡°Odd ce for a night time stroll,¡± a voice said. Kat spun away, drawing a weapon, but there was nobody there. ¡°Quick reflexes,¡± the voice said from behind her. She spun to see a Dark Elf woman holding a familiar knife in her hand, using it to clean under her fingernails. Kat''s knife. The sheathe at her waist was empty, which meant she¡¯d been disarmed without realizing it for the second time today. ¡°Armed to the teeth, clearly trained¡­ Want to tell me what you¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°Came to see Zaren Nocht,¡± Kat said slowly. Either the girl was fast, not alone, or had a movement skill. None of them were great possibilities. ¡°Got a message I¡¯m supposed to deliver.¡± The Dark Elf looked her up and down skeptically. ¡°Not sure what kind of message needs so many weapons to deliver.¡± Kat just shrugged. ¡°Weapons are a part of my religion,¡± she said. The Dark Elf scoffed. ¡°Right. Come on then.¡± She tossed the de back to Kat, heading for the manor. ¡°So, who exactly are you?¡± ¡°Kat. Chosen of Tydarr. You?¡± She nched a bit at the title, but recovered well. ¡°Valith. What do you want with my boss? And don¡¯t give me that ¡®message¡¯ shit, you¡¯re clearly here for another reason.¡± It had been hard to see in the dark, but as they approached the light given off by the manor Kat saw the cor around her throat. This one, unlike the simple ck leather Zaren¡¯s demi-humans had been wearing before, was a smooth ck cloth. From its front hung a piece of metal the size of a coin. The metal was ck, and engraved on it in dark crimson was a dragon curled around a sword. The same sigil as the one on the gate they¡¯d just walked through. ¡°Information exchange,¡± she said carefully. ¡°Zaren and I met on the road. He gave me some info, I promised to tell him anything else I figured out.¡± She turned her attention to the building in front of her. It was¡­ kind of a dump, if she was being honest. The outside was weathered and grimy, many of the decorative carvings chipped or shattered, and there was nearly no life in the yard in front of it. Only the pristine windows and the warm lighting from inside betrayed the husk as something more. Valith didn¡¯t say anything more. She pushed the door open and strode inside, leaving Kat to follow. Despite the buildings outward appearance, the entry hall was rather nice. Warm and cozy, plush carpets on tile floors, gems embedded on sconces that lit the entire space up nicely, andfortable looking furniture. Not dripping wealth like Balseron¡¯s ce. It was much more practical. There weren¡¯t many around, just a couple of servants cleaning. They wore cors just like Valith¡¯s. Now that she was in a well lit room, Kat realized she wore a nice set of light leather armor, treated ck to blend into the dark. The servants wore some kind of loose uniform, but the outfits were of decent quality and at the very least lookedfortable. They appeared well fed, healthy, and even happy judging by their expressions. Maybe Zaren wasn¡¯t quite as frightening as he¡¯d seemed. ¡°Miril,¡± Valith called, and a Seraphim with snow-white wings perked up. ¡°Find Zaren for me? He¡¯s got a guest.¡± She nodded enthusiastically, then took off with a running start and soared down the hall. She¡¯d just vanished from sight when Kat heard the sound of soft soled boots hitting the ground behind her. She whirled for the second time that night, only toe to a jarring stop when she took in the girl who¡¯d just dropped from the second story tond behind her. Kat¡¯s first thought was that Zaren had found himself another of the mysterious demi-humans. Then, when the girl tilted her head and sniffed, her vertical slit pupils widened. ¡°Kat,¡± she said softly. Then she stepped forward and wrapped Kat in a crushing hug, lifting her off the ground despite the near foot in difference between them. It wasn¡¯t until the girl set her down and stepped away that Kat realized she had two ck-feathered stumps jutting from her back. This was the girl Kat had healed. Her cheeks were fuller, her skin was less ashen, and her hair had grown enough that someone had done a few small braids down the side of her head. Even more striking a difference, this girl had a light in her eyes that she hadn¡¯t before. ¡°Shit,¡± Valith said, her jaw practically on the floor, ¡°not sure I¡¯ve ever seen Noelle hug a human other than Zaren or his girls. How¡¯d you win her over?¡± Noelle didn¡¯t take her eyes off Kat. ¡°She fixed my wings.¡± Valith¡¯s expression softened immediately. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m sorry I snagged your knife earlier.¡± Kat just shrugged. ¡°No harm done. You had no way of knowing. And you,¡± she turned towards Noelle. ¡°Damn, you look a shitload better. Zaren¡¯s been good for you, then?¡± A small smile graced her face. One that damn near broke Kat¡¯s heart. ¡°The best.¡± Her eyes flicked to someone behind Kat, and that smile widened. ¡°Kat,¡± an all too familiar voice said, ¡°to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Taking a breath to ready herself, Kat turned to face Zaren. Only to stop short with her mouth hanging open. While not quite as miraculous as Noelle¡¯s change, Zaren was different, too. Even ignoring the fact that his hair was now long enough to be tied back in a low, small tail and the respectable stubble that coated his chin, he seemed¡­ warmer. The sapphire in his eyes still made her think of the ocean, but much more at peace than before. He stood with a stillness, but more like he was at rest than a loaded trap ready to spring. Even the way he held himself, the ease with which he sped his hands behind his back, theck of tension in his face, the ease in how his shoulders were set, told her that something had changed. There was still an undercurrent of violence to him, but she was much less afraid of him now than she had been thest time they¡¯d been face to face. When he arched a dark brow, she realized he was still waiting on her answer. ¡°You said to tell you what my investigation turned up. Well, I¡¯ve got information. Tit for tat, and all that.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Figured I¡¯d see if you got yourself into any more trouble. You know, other than the Vx queen business.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Fair enough. Come on, then. Rhani has all the good shit, and I¡¯d rather she hear whatever it is you¡¯ve got from you than me.¡± His eyes fell on Noelle, and Kat knew from the way his gaze warmed that they were involved. Noelle took her spot beside him, wrapping her small hand around his, and he jerked his chin towards the hall to their right. Kat followed, only just realizing that Valith had disappeared at some point. They passed more than a few servants on their way to wherever they were going, and Kat found herself surprised by the way they all acted. There were a handful that were timid or scared, but none seemed particrly frightened of him. If anything, many of them were more at ease with him around than without. Most of the servants they passed¡ªall wearing his cor¡ªsmiled warmly at him. A genuine expression that she wasn¡¯t used to seeing on anyone without a cor. ¡°A lot of new faces,¡± she noted. He shrugged. ¡°Found some in a gnoll camp, more in a bandit camp, and went to the Pens once. My home is leagues better than that godsforsaken ce, though that isn¡¯t exactly a high bar.¡± Shit, the venom in his voice made her skin tingle. The more they passed, the more her brows rose. ¡°Just how many servants can you have in your household?¡± ¡°A lot,¡± he said simply. ¡°How goes the conflict?¡± Kat couldn¡¯t stop the snort that followed his question. ¡°Fuck if I know, I¡¯ve been chasing my tail with this whole Malek situation. Hasn¡¯t gotten any worse at least.¡± ¡°Fair enough. We¡¯ll have toe up with a different name, by the way. Only the winged ones are Maleks.¡± Kat stumbled. ¡°Fucking what?¡± ¡°Yeah. The winged ones are Maleks, the six legged ones are Ashai, and¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s another one!?¡± ¡°Rathum, yeah. Big, nasty fucker. Twice the size of the other ones, thick skinned, strong as shit. I barely survived, and I had help.¡± ¡°Fuck me sideways,¡± Kat grumbled, and Zarenughed mirthlessly. ¡°Tydarr called them Eldritch Beasts, so I guess we can use that?¡± Once again, she¡¯d managed to insert her foot straight into her mouth. Zaren stiffened up at the mention of her god, and for a second he was the scary motherfucker who¡¯d damn near made her piss herself back in that forest. New Zaren returned quick enough, but she could still see the shadows of his frightening side if she looked close. ¡°Right. That works as well as anything else, I suppose. Here, this is our library.¡± He pushed inside a big room filled with dusty, broken down, empty bookshelves. ¡°Or, at least, it will be. Once we, you know, buy books.¡± Inside were five more women. Kat recognized the Arelim sitting at a crescent moon shaped desk, barely visible over the stacks of books and pages that surrounded her. She was fairly certain her name was Rhani. The blonde, Serena, sat curled up on a soft looking couch with a book in her hand and a lithe Nekomata girl curled up in herp. She was absentmindedly running her fingers through the Neko¡¯s hair while the girl¡¯s tail hung off the side, flicking every so often. In a chair next to her was a busty auburn haired girl who looked like she¡¯d given up on sleeping in favor for a nap, though she was slowly blinking herself awake as Zaren, Kat, and Noelle entered. But they weren¡¯t the main ones that dominated her attention. Holy Half-dragons. That particr honor belonged to the eight foot tall, azure scaled, midnight blue horned woman with biceps the size of Kat¡¯s head and a chest even bigger than that. Vertical slit cobalt eyes locked onto her and narrowed. She stepped in front of Rhani protectively and crossed her arms. ¡°Kat?¡± Serena asked, frowning. Her gaze flicked to Zaren for a brief second. ¡°What are you doing here? Is everything alright?¡± The auburn haired girl stood, stretching like a cat and drawing Kat¡¯s eye to her many curves. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Kat,¡± Noelle supplied. ¡°She fixed my wings.¡± The Half-dragon sucked in her breath, stalking forward until Kat was looking up at her. ¡°Is that true?¡± Kat nodded, swallowing. ¡°I mean I was kind of a dick about it, but yeah.¡± Those cobalt eyes bored into Kat for an ufortable amount of time, then she nodded curtly. ¡°You take care of mine, and I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± Then she turned on her heel and stalked to where Rhani sat, dropping to the floor and leaning against the side of the Arelim¡¯s chair. ¡°Uh, right,¡± Kat said awkwardly. Then the redhead was there, throwing her arms around Kat. Gods, she was tall too! Half the upants of the room were taller than she was, for fuck¡¯s sake. ¡°Thank you for helping our sister. Whatever your reason,¡± she said softly. Then she pulled back and walked past Zaren, pressing her lips to his on the way. Damn, and Kat thought Allie had good taste in women. ¡°How can we help you, Kat?¡± ¡°Information exchange. I¡¯ve learned some shit about the Maleks¡ªer, the Eldritch beasts, and wanted to trade my info for whatever you¡¯ve got.¡± Rhani shot up. ¡°Fuck yes! Grab a seat and we¡¯ll get started.¡± Zaren nodded, already turning to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Kat said. He paused, a question in his gaze, but she was at a loss. She needed to build trust with him, but if he was going to duck out at every opportunity that would be difficult. ¡°I was, ah, hoping you might stay.¡± She was really hoping she misread the nces exchanged by the girls in the room, but she doubted she did. Zaren just rubbed his neck. ¡°I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s a good idea, Kat,¡± he said gently. Kat wasn¡¯t sure why the rejection stung quite the way it did, but she shoved that down. She grasped blindly for a way to get him to stay, but the only real option past seducing him was one she liked even less. And Kat was not the seductive type. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m here for your help specifically because Tydarrmanded it.¡± Zaren froze, his darkness returning. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°He said it would square things. Said you¡¯d understand what that meant.¡± Darkness flitted behind his eyes. ¡°So that¡¯s his y, then? Fine. Grab a chair.¡± She tried not to flinch at the barely reigned in anger in themand as he stalked over and took a seat in the corner of the room. All the others had gone still, and even the Nekomata had sat up to regard him with careful eyes. ¡°Right. Sorry, he didn¡¯t give me much choice in the matter,¡± Kat said quickly. She grabbed a chair and sat next to Rhani, pulling out her book. ¡°Um, feel free to tell me to fuck off or whatever, but can I ask what debt he was talking about?¡± Zaren rubbed his jaw for a moment. ¡°Well, I¡¯d imagine he¡¯s talking about the fact that I killed hisst Chosen.¡± Chapter Seventy-Five: Accommodations and Arrangements Chapter Seventy-Five: Amodations and Arrangements Announcement New images, including past cover art, has been added to the gallery! The silence following my promation was an incredibly informative one. My main goal of scoping out Kat¡¯s intentions was a pretty solid sess. The blood drained from her face and the fear I¡¯d felt from her since the moment she¡¯d entered the manor spiked tenfold. It wasn¡¯t just fear of me, either. If I had to guess, she was trapped between a rock and a hard ce. Namely, Tydarr and I. What did surprise me was theck of surprise from my harem. While Kat recovered from my answer, I raised a brow at Serena. ¡°You knew?¡± I asked curiously. She just shrugged, not meeting my eyes. ¡°Fortuna said you¡¯ve killed four Chosen in your life, but thest conflict only had three to a side.¡± I felt Kat¡¯s fear pulse again. ¡°Plus, there were only two Chosen in the Seven. Rr and Iliri. No matter how far back I look, I can never even find mention of a third Chosen on the side of light.¡± I nodded. ¡°Rr¡¯s prophecy was for seven to stop the threat. When I killed Tydarr¡¯sst dog, I took his ce on the team. Despite the protests of everyone but Rr.¡± She wrapped her arms around Nariko, who was looking at me with a mixture of awe and suspicion. ¡°I always assumed you had good intentions. I talked with Rhani about my theory, and she agreed with me. Naturally, we brought everyone else in on the discussion.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Kat interrupted, trailing off. She managed to find her way to a seat and sank into it, her eyes never leaving me. ¡°Why would you kill a Chosen? One of the good ones, at least?¡± ¡°Just because he was owned by a light god didn¡¯t mean he was a good person,¡± I said slowly, keeping a tight rein on my emotions. ¡°Askendar was a sadist, a rapist, and an overall monster. I killed him half because of what he did to people I cared about and half so he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it to anyone else.¡± ¡°So you, what?¡± Kat challenged, barely failing to hide the unsteadiness in her voice. ¡°You decided to be judge, jury, and executioner?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± I said, leaning back and kicking one leg up on my knee. ¡°He was a Chosen. One of Tydarr¡¯s. As far as anyone else was concerned, he could do no wrong. He certainly acted the part unless he was in private. I was ready to take full consequence for my actions, but he made things easy by trying to kill me first. He saw me and wanted to keep his perversions a secret, I suppose.¡± Her knuckles turned white from how hard her fists clenched in herp. ¡°Tydarr wouldn¡¯t have¡­He wouldn¡¯t have made someone like that his Chosen.¡± I resisted the urge to snort. ¡°As much as I hate defending any god, he didn¡¯t. Askendar was a picture perfect candidate up until Tydarr chose him. Once he had the power and prestige that came with a god¡¯s favor, though? Well, he started acting on those desires he¡¯d kept hidden all his life. At least that¡¯s what I was able to piece together after.¡± Her mouth opened and closed several times. ¡°You¡¯re sure he¡­ he really did those things?¡± I tried not to be offended. It wasn¡¯t every day you learn your predecessor was one of the most despicable kinds of men imaginable. She wasn¡¯t intentionally calling doubt upon my words, she was just grasping. ¡°I know for a fact. He did them to me, too.¡± She pped a hand over her mouth, her already pale face turning a shade of green. ¡°And the debt?¡± she asked through her palm. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. ¡°Chosen are meant to be killed by Chosen. Either personally or inbat with that Chosen¡¯s party. The gods don¡¯t like it when you break their rules, and they have a habit of punishing anyone who breaks them. A non-Chosen killing a Chosen invokes their wrath, either directly or indirectly. Curses, misfortune, divine intervention, you name it.¡± ¡°Like the goddess interfering with the Vx queen?¡± Rhani asked. ¡°Just so,¡± I agreed. ¡°Squaring Tydarr¡¯s debt means the only goddess still actively gunning for me is Rosoia, the bitch goddess of rot and decay. Still not looking forward to her price.¡± I could see the wheels turning, then she had a visible epiphany. ¡°That¡¯s why he chose me,¡± she breathed. That caught my attention. ¡°Oh?¡± She gripped one of her des, but it was more forfort than anything else. ¡°I¡¯m not like the other Chosen. They¡¯re all proper, trained, grew up in good families. Their families all trace back to generals in the war.¡± She forced herself to meet my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just a nobody. A dirt-poor girl who got tired of watching her step-dad beat the shit out of her and her mom and killed him with his own sword. My mom kicked my ass out on the street after. Skipped town and left me behind. I was days out from giving in to the local pimp just to fill my stomach when Tydarr chose me.¡± Well. Shit. Now I felt like an asshole. ¡°That would definitely make you an anomaly among Chosen,¡± I admitted. ¡°Fuck me sideways,¡± Kat muttered, ¡°no fucking wonder you hate me.¡± I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. ¡°I don¡¯t hate you, Kat. I hate your god for letting Askendar get away with so much. No doubt he¡¯ll me whatever Karn was doing to hide his actions and im ignorance, but what¡¯s done is done. Clearly he¡¯s trying to make up for it, even if it¡¯s far too little, far toote.¡± Noelle must not have been a fan of the irritation in my voice, because she climbed up in myp and settled her back to my chest, pulling one of my arms around her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m guessing exchanging info on the Eldritch Beasts isn¡¯t Tydarr¡¯s real reason for sending you?¡± Kat chewed on her answer for what felt like an eternity before she said, ¡°No. No it isn¡¯t.¡± Then she winced like she was in pain and I knew her god was punishing her. ¡°He wants me to earn your trust. He wants to know how Allura is letting you break the rules.¡± Before I could answer she cried out, clutching her head. Before I could even get to my feet, I felt a yank on the Link between Ash and I. Spots danced in my vision just before a wave of power sted through the room. It made my lower chest tingle like it was divine, but the feel of the magic was unlike any divinity I¡¯ve ever been exposed to. Kat gasped, eyes wide, and had to grab the back of her chair to keep from falling out of it. ¡°I¡ªI can¡¯t feel him. Tydarr. What the fuck was that?¡± All of us looked a the Jailer¡¯s de, which was sitting on the table behind Rhani where she¡¯d been. ¡°Well that¡¯s fucking new,¡± Imented. Rhani just groaned, her head falling to the table in front of her. ¡°How in the hells am I supposed to make sense of that?¡± I gave her a look that said ¡®.¡¯ I didn¡¯t trust Kat enough to discuss my theory of a literal god being trapped in the de, not now that it seemed more likely than ever. Manipting sses was one thing. Interfering with another god and their Chosen? Yeah, I¡¯m sure that powerful-as-shit pulse of raw magic wasn¡¯t going to cause us any trouble in theing weeks. ¡°Not important. What is important is that I still don¡¯t know the extent of what Allura did. Serena¡¯s made several trips to the temple in the city to no avail. Haven¡¯t gotten a word from her since she put me to sleep.¡± Kat cursed. ¡°Figures. Whatever, we can at least swap Eldritch stories.¡± She pulled out a booklet. ¡°Got some juicy bits.¡± That caught Rhani¡¯s attention. ¡°We¡¯ve got some stuff, too.¡± She pulled a journal out of her stack and flipped it open. ¡°We¡¯ll go first.¡± For the next hour, Rhani exchanged notes,pared drawings, and theorized on these Eldritch beasts and their rtions to Noelle and this new demi-human Kat had found. The longer they talked, the more at ease Kat seemed to get. The girls and I chipped in every once and a while, but for the most part it was Kat and Rhani doing the talking. ¡°I just wish I could think of a way to get that girl out of that slimy Balseron¡¯s clutches,¡± Kat said eventually, leaning back. She ran her hands through her hair. ¡°I get the feel money won¡¯t do any good, and short of spiriting her away¡­¡± I stroked Noelle¡¯s back as she snored softly in myp. ¡°While I¡¯m always down for a jail break, you¡¯re right in being hesitant. ording to what little information I¡¯ve been able to gather, Balseron is one of the most influential lords in the kingdom. You piss him off, you risk pissing off a lot of other lords. Lords we¡¯ll need if shit hits the fan the way I think it¡¯s going to.¡± Kat blew a raspberry. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know. Gods, this shit is fucked.¡± ¡°For now.¡± She shot me a confused look, but I didn¡¯t borate. Instead, I stood, taking Noelle with me. She was still sleeping all the time, but her wings had grown visibly. Just yesterday she¡¯de bursting into our temporary room grinning as wide as I¡¯d ever seen, absolutely ecstatic that her wings had grown long enough that she could flex them now. Tiana held her hands out and I set Noelle gently in herp. It took some doing to untangle Noelle¡¯s arms from around my neck, but eventually we got hertched onto Tiana instead. All without waking her up. ¡°Come on.¡± Kat, looking uncertain, grabbed her newly filled notebook and followed. To my surprise, Safina rose to her feet and joined us as well, bringing up the rear. I arched a brow in question, but she avoided my gaze. With a mental shrug, I said a quick farewell to the others and headed out towards the small, hidden staircase that led to the basement. ¡°Your mark is a collector,¡± I said, and Kat perked up. ¡°You can¡¯t buy Vanni¡¯s freedom, but you can barter for it. All you need is something of equal value in his eyes. You¡¯ve been in his house, so you might have a better idea of what would catch his eye than me.¡± The uneven tunnels at the bottom of the narrow staircase were confined enough that Safina had to watch her horns for fear of scraping them against the ceiling, but she seemed loathe to leave me alone with Kat. Her protective nature had really been showing through thest week, and I was curious as to how much of that nature was her draconic instincts and how much was the woman. ¡°For obvious reasons,¡± I said, summoning the key from my storage, ¡°it¡¯s best if as few people as possible know this exists.¡± ¡°Know what exists?¡± She asked, eyeing the apparently nk wall in front of us. I¡¯d paid Euribald a hefty sum to enchant the visage of a false wall over the vault. Once we¡¯ve finished a few more properties, I¡¯ve been strongly considering adding in a false vault down the road. That was more of a bucket list addition, though. I inserted the key and heaved the vault door open. Kat¡¯s jaw hit the floor when the gems inside illuminated the (much more organized) piles of gold, artifacts, and valuables. ¡°I¡¯ve had Rhani cataloging in her spare time with Cynthia helping out now that she¡¯s got some underlings to take some of the work off her shoulders, but we¡¯ve still only gone through a fraction of what¡¯s in here. Any ideas of his preferences?¡± Kat turned a slow circle, and I didn¡¯t miss the hungry look in Safina¡¯s eyes. ¡°Uh,¡± Kat said finally, ¡°he likes pretty things. Artwork, sculptures, shit like that.¡± ¡°Right.¡± I started towards what we¡¯d dubbed the ¡®non-lethal¡¯ corner where the valuable-but-not-dangerous items were stored. ¡°Artwork and sculptures, then? Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know shit about art thirty years ago and that hasn¡¯t changed much since.¡± Kat let out a whistle. ¡°And you¡¯re just¡­sitting on all this shit?¡± ¡°For now. We¡¯re selling off the stuff we can¡¯t use bit by bit so we can keep spending money on the lower quarter.¡± I gingerly pulled out two vibrant paintings that were from over a century ago. ¡°These might work.¡± Then I went through the jewels, looking for anything that stood out. I grabbed a few interesting looking ones and chucked them in an ornate chest. ¡°You¡¯re just¡­giving this to me?¡± Kat asked suspiciously. ¡°Of course not,¡± I told her, hefting an intricate statue that was two feet tall and iyed with dozens of gorgeous gems. ¡°I¡¯m sure the Chosen fund will reimburse me.¡± She frowned. ¡°Seriously?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°If I was greedy, I¡¯d haggle up front. This was all supposed to go to rebuilding the lower quarter, so I would hope you¡¯d pay me back in either gold or favor at your earliest convenience, but that takes a backseat to helping this Vanni get free of her Patron before our enemiese snooping.¡± She cocked her head, then shrugged. ¡°Sure, fuck it.¡± I pushed the box of gems into her hands, banishing the rest to my storage. ¡°You nning to leave tonight?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll drag my ass back up to the castle then head back in the morning. One of mypanions¡­¡± She let out a breath. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say me porting into her room in the middle of the night is not a good idea.¡± I opened my mouth to answer, briefly distracted when I made eye contact with Safina. She froze when she saw me looking at the jewelry adorning her horns, blushing furiously. I suppressed a chuckle, then resumed speaking to Kat. ¡°If you need a resident expert in night terrors, I¡¯ve got more than a little experience.¡± Sheughed dryly. ¡°Fuck, I¡¯ll probably take you up on that once we get this clusterfuck sorted.¡± Her eye was caught by a long, slender de. The metal shimmered in the light, shifting colors. ¡°Fuck me, is that an arcanium de?¡± I looked closer. ¡°Seems to be the case, yeah.¡± She lifted it off the rack and immediately the metal glowed softly with her divine magic. ¡°Shit, I know someone who would fucking love this. She¡¯s damaged two swords with her ss skills already.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Take it, we¡¯ll figure it outter. Consider it me buying a favor down the line.¡± Her brows rose. ¡°Fuck. Fair enough.¡± She gingerly slid it into its scabbard and slipped it into her belt. ¡°And you¡¯re more than wee to stay here,¡± I said. ¡°The gods know we¡¯ve got the rooms. In the morning you can take all this shit to an appraiser to get urate prices, then you can go deal with the Ashra. Then we can worry about whatever game Tydarr is ying.¡± She nodded, fingering the de, then winced. ¡°Ah, shit. Would now be a bad time to mention Ie with a summons?¡± She fished out a rolled up paper and handed it to me. I unrolled it andughed. So Rr was finally making a move, huh? ¡°About time,¡± I mumbled. That seemed to confuse her, so I banished it and waved her off. ¡°That all should be more than enough to get Balseron to part with his servant. Try to do at least a little bartering though, yeah?¡± She groaned. ¡°Fuck, I hate this part of the job. Are we sure I can¡¯t just stab him?¡± ¡°Fairly sure. We¡¯ll call that n C, though.¡± ¡°What the fuck is n B?¡± she asked with a smirk. I shrugged. ¡°Arson? Fire makes for good chaos. Got any four-armed skeletons lying around?¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Damn, we¡¯re all out. Had to use myst one two months ago.¡± ¡°Shame. n C it is, then.¡± She led the way out of the vault, but I had to keep Safina from wearing half the room out of the vault. When I pointed out she¡¯d need to put it all back, she just bashfully looked at the ground. ¡°My dragon really likes shiny things, apparently. And¡­¡± ¡°And¡­?¡± She hunched her shoulders, wringing her fingers and avoiding my eyes. Her tail swishedzily behind her. ¡°I¡­um¡­want to¡­give some¡­to¡­.¡± I barely heard her mumble Rhani¡¯s and Valith''s names and I chuckled. ¡°Alright, but you can¡¯t take all of it out.¡± Her eyes sparkled and she swept me up in a hug. ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll only take a few things, sir!¡± Then she was off. Watching her painstakinglypare each of the pieces only to select three¡ªthree that were far from the most valuable, but seemed to make her the happiest¡ªbrought a smile to my face. When I turned to leave I caught Kat smiling too, but I pretended not to notice when she schooled her features as quickly as she could. I locked the vault back up, reactivating the mirage, and led her towards the staircase. ¡°These tunnels stretch out for miles underneath the city. You ever see that,¡± I gestured towards a symbol carved into the wall; it was two ovepping triangles with an X in the center, ¡°it means whatever tunnel or sewer or catb its carved into eventually leads here. We used them in the war.¡± Kat ran her fingers over it with raised brows. ¡°Why tell me?¡± I just shrugged. ¡°Coulde in handy when shit hits the fan, who knows?¡± She just nodded. We climbed back to the entry hall where several servants were conveniently cleaning areas that I was pretty certain needed no more cleaning. When I asked them to take Kat to one of our extra rooms, two of them jumped up to help immediately. Kat said her thanks onest time and followed Sani, the gray haired Nekomata, and one of the new girls Anya, a gold scaled Dragonling, off towards the wing with the bedrooms we¡¯d restored so far. I ran a hand through my hair and let out a long breath. Safina, still cradling the jewelry I¡¯d let her have, stepped up next to me. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s a good idea to just¡­give her all that, boss?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gamble,¡± I admitted. ¡°But whether she pays us back¡ªas well as how she pays us back¡ªwill tell us a lot about how much we can actually trust her.¡± I jammed my hands in my pockets. ¡°My gut says she¡¯s trustworthy, but Tydarr¡­¡± ¡°A lot of resources to put on the line for a test, if you don¡¯t mind my saying.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got the capital to spare for the moment, and if it helps save this Vanni then it¡¯s money well spent.¡± I gave her a meaningful look, having to crane my neck up a bit to do so from how close she was standing to me. ¡°And I refuse to put a price on people, Safina.¡± Her cheeks darkened and she looked away. ¡°Right. What now?¡± ¡°Whatever you want,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re as safe as we can get in the manor, so as far as I¡¯m concerned you¡¯re off duty. You don¡¯t need to y the bodyguard twenty-four, seven.¡± Her expression fell somewhat, so I hastily added, ¡°Unless you want to, of course.¡± She perked up a little, her tail swingingzily. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Valith so I can give her gift to her, then I¡¯ll probably go back to the library again. Until we fully trust this Chosen, my dragon wants me to stay near Rhani and that de she¡¯s obsessed with.¡± I patted her arm. ¡°Follow your instincts,¡± I told her. ¡°Fighting them is just going to make you miserable. If they¡¯re telling you to stay near Rhani, then do it. But don¡¯t think you can only hang around her as a bodyguard. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to just have you around as a friend andpanion.¡± Her expression didn¡¯t change, but her tail went straight as an arrow. I resisted the urge to shoot her a questioning look. She¡¯d been working with a demi-human schr that Adrianna had found to understand her draconic instincts better, and she¡¯d certainly seemed morefortable thest few days. I didn¡¯t want to do anything that might make her self-conscious and ruin any progress she¡¯d made, so I just nodded. ¡°After today I think I need a nice soak, so let the others know I¡¯ll be in the baths.¡± Even knowing it wasing, a bear hug from Safina was an experience. She still set me down rather quickly and sped off before I could so much as get a glimpse of her face, but it was clear she really liked giving big, forceful hugs as if she was trying to crush my soul back into my body. I chuckled to myself and picked my way to what might have been my favorite part of the manor so far. There were apparently private bathing chambers upstairs, but Rhani still had the entire second floor sectioned off to keep me from getting a glimpse at what she¡¯s been referring to as her magnum opus. That meant using the considerablyrger, moremunal bathing chambers downstairs. We¡¯d sectioned off one of the tworge chambers just for the women, though that didn¡¯t mean the odd servant didn¡¯t find their way into the room with me when I was soaking. I cleaned off as quick as I could and sank gratefully into the scalding hot water. A groan slipped out of me, and I leaned my head back against the edge of the basin and closed my eyes. Euribald was quickly bing one of my very best friends with the innovative enchantments he¡¯d installed. Sink a little mana into the gems on the edge of the basin and the temperature rose. Miraculous. The heat sapped the tension from my muscles and I let my mind sink into the mire of my list of shit. We¡¯d been in the city for eight days now. Five of those days had been with a working bathing room, and I¡¯d spent all five of those days soaking at least once. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was an indulgence we could afford, but my thoughts never seemed to flow quite so easily as when I was just a few degrees short of boiling alive. The hard work on the manor was nearly allplete. The first floor was pretty much done with repairs, and the bedrooms on the second floor weren¡¯t far behind. We had plenty of rooms for everyone to have their own, both my girls and the servants included, but many of them still decided they¡¯d share. All of them seemed happy, even when I wasn¡¯t around. I¡¯d specifically asked Liana to report directly to me since I knew many of them would be more than willing to hide any difort or unhappiness with their situation when I was around. Cynthia, with the help of her underlings, had worked out a pay system. One of her current favorites, a guy named Deverin, was in charge of making sure everyone got their weekly stipend. Now we just needed to figure out some kind of weekly trip into the city to go shopping since many of the girls were rather hesitant to leave the grounds. All of that was only a fraction of what was going on, though. When I¡¯d hinted to Deetrik that I had more than enough resources to fund several projects at once, he¡¯d sent out a call. Damn near overnight he¡¯d tripled his work force, and now several of the other manors on the road where we lived were being worked on, as well as several of the businesses Cynthia had alreadye up with a contract for. He looked at me a bit strangely when I told him I wanted to convert the properties into moremunal housing than mansions for whatever rich friends he thought I had, but once I¡¯d given him the ns and the gold he¡¯d gotten to work immediately. We¡¯d also started on some of the rundown apartments that were barely livable. It involved relocating a number of squatting families, but with Adrianna¡¯s help we were able to find them all somewhere just as good if not better while we turned the crumbling shacks into something that could reasonably house people without threatening to fall down around them. It was all burning through my reserves rather quickly, which meant I¡¯d need to find a buyer for the treasure in my basement sooner thanter. The ie streams from the various businesses that were more than happy to exchange some future profits for renovations and investments would be helpful, but moreso in sustaining the little kingdom I was building long term than in financing the ns I had. Luckily, the next step in destabilizing the shit system that had been put into ce would hopefully me enough ie to work on the step after that. I just had to hope that my meeting tomorrow wouldn¡¯t fuck up my ns for the future. I¡¯d wondered how long it would take for one of the Seven to contact me. If they were anything like they¡¯d been when I¡¯d left thirty years ago, I was certain Sandrel was in charge of the spies that had been watching the manor thest week. Not only that, but handing in the corpse of a Vx queen was sure to have put me on Be¡¯s radar. His informationwork wasn¡¯t quite as thorough as Sandrel¡¯s, but he still managed to snare the big bugs in his web. Talking to them would mean I could finally go with Serena to the temple district as well. I hadn¡¯t so far for fear of my presence getting back to Iliri. I needed to know if I still had Rr¡¯s backing before she realized I was back seeing as he was the only reason she never tried to kill me back then. She always had taken it personally that I¡¯d killed Askendar. She¡¯d had the great misfortune of falling in love with him before he became a Chosen and turned into a monster, and she¡¯d called me a lying bastard more than once when he was involved. I also needed to figure out how the hell things had turned out so shit in the first ce. How the others had let the Adventurers Guild be so corrupt. How they could have ever thought the ords were at all an eptable set ofws to be put in ce. A part of me worried that I¡¯d be walking into a room with enemies tomorrow, but Rr had had faith in me when nobody else had. Not even me. The least I could do was give him the benefit of the doubt, even if I did want to see if his jaw could handle a punch as well now as it could thirty years ago. A hand on my shoulder drew me from my thoughts, though I didn¡¯t open my eyes. A brief brush against my Links told me it was Serena who was climbing into the basin, straddling me while she sank into myp. She raked her fingers through my hair just before her lips found my throat, and the feeling of her breasts against my chest under the still-scalding water was enough to make arousal surge straight into my cock. ¡°I figured you might want somepany,¡± she said softly, her lips trailing along the underside of my jaw. ¡°How are you? After Kat, I mean.¡± My hands trailed down her sides before squeezing her ass. One of her hands wrapped around my cock, guiding me into her slick folds. She sighed in satisfaction while she sank down on my length, then moaned when I started using my hold on her to slowly guide her up and down on my cock. I finally opened my eyes so I could look at her. ¡°Better than expected, if I¡¯m being honest. Kat¡¯s as much a victim of Tydarr as she is an extension of his will.¡± I sank my fingers into her wonderfully soft golden hair and tilted her head to the side so I could nibble at her neck. A delighted sound slipped from her throat and her walls clenched around me. ¡°Why do you think he chose her?¡± Serena breathed, wrapping her arms around my neck, pressing my head deeper into the crook between her head and shoulder. ¡°If she¡¯s so different than the normal Chosen?¡± My fingers dug into the toned flesh of her ass, drawing another sweet moan out of her. ¡°Hard to say. Could be he learned his lesson that rich, spoiled children make for poor heroes.¡± ¡°Or?¡± she panted, picking up speed enough that water was starting to slosh over the edges. ¡°Or maybe he wants someone he can control. Someone who knows what it is to be nothing. Who understands that there¡¯s a life much worse than the one she now leads to go back to if he abandons her.¡± Another moan, this time one with a need in it I was happy to fulfill. I slid a hand between us and started gently fingering her clit. ¡°We won¡¯t let that happen, will we?¡± ¡°No,¡± I promised, my lips brushing her ear, ¡°no, we won¡¯t. I won¡¯t stand by and let the gods turn anyone else into a victim so they can y their fucked up games. Not if I can do something about it.¡± I could feel her orgasm approaching, so I put more pressure on her clit and she pressed against me, arching her back enough that I could catch one of her nipples in my mouth. Her moan turned into a cry when I bit down on the nub and release ripped through her. She slumped against me, shivers passing through the length of her body while she caught her breath. I chuckled, running my fingers down her spine. ¡°You¡¯d think we haven¡¯t spent thest few nights sharing a bed with Rhani and Tiana,¡± I whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Noelle every other night,¡± she said, nuzzling my neck with her nose. ¡°But that isn¡¯t one-on-one, and I like when it¡¯s just us every once in a while.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Don¡¯t forget, I still owe you all dates once things are less insane.¡± She hummed. ¡°So, Rr? Tomorrow?¡± I nodded. ¡°As my priestess, you¡¯reing with.¡± I groaned in surprise when her walls fluttered around my cock still buried in her, seeking release. ¡°And after, we¡¯ll stop by Allura¡¯s temple together. See if we can¡¯t get her attention that way.¡± Her lips found mine, and suddenly I was having to fend her tongue off with my own. ¡°I love you,¡± she breathed against my mouth. ¡°I love you, too.¡± She started rocking her hips against mine, only to freeze with a hitch in her breathing. Frowning, I checked my Links again, surprised to find that the woman who¡¯d just entered was none other than Jack. Jack, who had been avoiding me since we Forged our Link. Since she¡¯d damn near pinned me to the wall and stuck her tongue down my throat, setting me ame in more ways than one. My cock jerked inside of Serena and she gasped, then smiled at me with a knowing look. Then her eyes went back to peering over my shoulder, following Jack as she walked around the basin. She had her towel over her shoulder,pletely nude otherwise. Seeing every muscle shifting under her skin, her chest bouncing with every step while she watched us, her entire body on disy, was hard to look away from. The red gem piercings in her nipples and belly button were eye catching, especially when she gave me a good show of herpletely bare pussy and the slightest twinkle of something red and shiny between her cheeks when she threw her legs over the opposite wall of the basin and sank into the water. The water had been cooling a moment ago, but I could already feel it starting to warm again. ¡°I guess we should talk, huh?¡± she said, throwing her arms over the edge of the basin behind her, baring her chest in a way that had to be intentional. ¡°I guess so,¡± I said carefully. Serena started to stand. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two some time¡ª¡± My hand on her hip trapped her in ce. ¡°Stay,¡± Jack and I both said at the same time. Jack arched a brow at me, though her lip twitched upwards. ¡°Hang around, blondie. You¡¯re part of the harem, so you might as well be around.¡± Serena looked at Jack over her shoulder for a few seconds, then nodded. She lifted herself up enough to turn around, then navigated my cock back inside her when she sat back down. She was subtle about it, but Jack read the breath that slipped out of me easily and smirked. ¡°So,¡± Jack started, ¡°am I right in assuming your girls know all about our¡­moment?¡± I wrapped my arms around Serena, lightly ying with her clit. ¡°I don¡¯t hide anything from them, especially when ites to other women.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°Saves us time, then.¡± She took a breath. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a week trying to think of what to say, and I¡¯m still¡­¡± She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°Look, I¡¯ll be blunt, alright? Because of my ss, I run hot. Not just temperature-wise, but¡­y¡¯know.¡± Serenaughed softly behind her hand and I had to fight to keep my eyes from rolling back into my head at how her walls fluttered around me when she did. ¡°Tiana has a simr issue, so we won¡¯t judge, Jack.¡± The sound that came out of Jack¡¯s throat was dangerously close to a growl, and once again the look Serena gave me said she didn¡¯t miss the way my cock twitched. ¡°Fine, yeah, I¡¯m horny. But I¡¯ve never been horny for anyone, so it was always manageable. When I¡¯m around you, it¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I think I understand.¡± She shook her head and leaned forward in the water, her hands falling to herp. ¡°It sucked, but it wasn¡¯t horrible when I was Vivian. At least then, I knew you didn¡¯t want me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want Vivian,¡± I corrected. ¡°But I was enthralled by the glimpses of Jack that seeped through.¡± Serena reached behind her to slide her fingers into my hair, pulling me forward enough to press a kiss to my cheek. Jack watched us hungrily, then looked away. ¡°Yeah, I was afraid you¡¯d say some sappy shit like that. Now, though? When it¡¯s clear you want me almost as much as I want you?¡± She sighed, her eyes flicking to where Serena and I were connected, even if she couldn¡¯t see us through the water. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I can handle having you, but not being able to have you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be that ck and white,¡± Serena offered before I could. ¡°You already know Zaren¡¯s shadows aren¡¯t bothered by your mes.¡± Jack¡¯s arm shifted towards her center in a way that made me wonder just where her fingers were. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve already considered a shadow condom. Not worth the risk if you ask me.¡± Using the hand on the back of my neck, Serena adjusted herself so she could start gyrating her hips. ¡°It might not be like this forever,¡± she said. ¡°Who knows if you¡¯ll get a skill that¡¯ll let you touch people again? Or if Rhani can use some of those new runes she¡¯s been ying with to find a way to help? And until then¡­¡± She lifted herself all the way up so that I was nearly free from her folds then let herself sink back down with a moan. Then she moved my hand to one of her breasts. ¡°Did you know Zaren can feel what his shadows feel when he controls them directly?¡± Jack¡¯s nostrils red. ¡°He neglected to mention that,¡± she said, her tone low. ¡°I can only do it on shadows I¡¯m touching or shadows touching my armor,¡± I reassured her. ¡°I haven¡¯t intruded on your privacy, you have my word.¡± Her arm shifted and I knew exactly what her hand was up to under the water. ¡°Not really what I give a shit about right now, Z.¡± A throaty gasp slipped out of Serena as the head of my cock scraped along one of her sweet spots. ¡°Just because you can¡¯t have sex doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t be involved. At least until we figure something out.¡± She shifted and, even though I couldn¡¯t see her face, I could perfectly picture the expression she was wearing. ¡°And, if you let us, we will help you figure something out.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Jack said under her breath. ¡°And if we wanted to do this?¡± Serena shuddered. ¡°Hands above the water,¡± she ordered breathlessly. Jack raised a brow, but sheplied. Then Serena pulled my head forward enough to capture my lips. ¡°Conjure some shadows,¡± she said, her lips still close enough to brush mine. I did as she asked, grinning, and two tendrils slid into existence from the cor on Jack¡¯s throat. Her eyes didn¡¯t leave mine, not even when Imanded one to y with her breasts. It split in two, circling around the fleshy globes and squeezing them before wrapping around her nipples, tugging at the piercings there. She gasped, gripping the basin so hard her knuckles whitened, but she didn¡¯t so much as blink. Serena started rocking her hips back and forth just enough to provide friction. ¡°Get her ready.¡± I took control of the other tendril and slid down Jack¡¯s body. I could feel the heat even through the tendril¡¯s altered senses, just as I could feel every ridge and ne of her muscr form. She groaned while it snaked down her belly, and a sound dangerously close to a whimper slipped out when I brushed over her swollen clit and slid between her slick folds. I sucked in a breath in spite of myself. ¡°Trust me, she¡¯s plenty ready.¡± ¡°Fuck me, you really can feel that, huh?¡± Jack panted, her chest heaving. I teased her outer lips, making sure not to touch her clit while I did, until she was squirming in the water across from me. Serena started bouncing on myp in full and let her head fall back on my shoulder. ¡°Then what are you waiting for?¡± Jack looked at me like she was waiting for my answer too, but I just grinned. ¡°I think she knows.¡± Jack¡¯s eyes widened, especially when I slid between her folds and pressed against the enchanted plug in her ass. ¡°Fuck you,¡± she breathed, her hips twisting, trying to slip me inside her. I rubbed Serena¡¯s clit and squeezed her breast, pinching her nipple and drawing a cry out of her, shifting underneath her form so I could thrust up into her. ¡°Better hurry, Jack. Serena¡¯s getting me closer by the thrust.¡± Serena let out a sound somewhere between a moan and augh, but Jack just grit her teeth so hard I could practically hear it. She made to move her hands under the water, but I summoned two more tendrils and wrapped them around her arms to pin them to the side of the bath. Jack shot me a re and her form flickered with fire, sending waves of heat through the water and steam into the air, but she remained silent. At least until I pulled back from her pussypletely, rubbing against the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs. Jack growled again, her hips bucking. I knew she was strong enough to break free of my impromptu restraints, but she didn¡¯t. Instead she just kept ring like she wanted to take a swing out of me before her head finally fell forward. ¡°Fuck! Fine, you win! Fuck me, Zaren, for the love of the fucking gods!¡± She¡¯d barely finished speaking before I shifted the tendril I was controlling into a more cock-shaped form and plunged it into her. Even drenched, she was unbelievably tight and so hot I felt like I was melting even through the tendril¡¯s connection. She cried out and came on the spot, clenching so tightly around the tendril that I could barely move it. While she came, I realized my direct control over my shadows had increased somewhere along the way, whether thanks to my Primal or otherwise. I made a smaller tendril split from the main one still buried in her andtched onto her clit, sending her crashing into a second orgasm. Serena started bouncing on myp in earnest. ¡°Match my movements,¡± she panted. I did, plunging the tendril into Jack in time with each of Serena¡¯s bounces. Jack moaned, gripping the side of the tub so hard it was starting to bend between her strength and the heating from her mes. She looked up at the same time Serena grabbed my chin and pointed it towards Jack. ¡°Look at her,¡± my priestessmanded. ¡°Let her watch you cum.¡± Through her pleasure-filled cries, Jack forced her eyes up to meet mine. The amber had brightened to the same gold and crimson as her me, but the heat in her gaze had nothing to do with her ss. Serena came hard, but her legs never stopped pumping her hips up and down. I gripped her tightly, shifting my hand from her clit to her hips so I could guide her movements along the final stretch. Then, as Jack¡¯s walls started convulsing around my tendril, I let myself go. I never once took my eyes away from her, even as I pumped Serena full of my seed. Jack came as well, this orgasm burning even brighter than thest. ¡°Fuck, Zaren!¡± she screamed, her body convulsing as bliss tore through her. mes sparked off her shoulders and the water around her boiled. The gems around the bath glowed as they sucked away the excess heat, but even they weren¡¯t enough to keep me from feeling like I was being cooked. All three of us panted as we came down from our climaxes. Serena groaned softly when I slid myself free of her folds, turning to nestle into my neck. ¡°Rhani is going to be so upset she missed this,¡± she said with a smile. Jack made a grunting sound. ¡°Tell her she can take your ce next time I feel like getting my ass railed and she¡¯ll get over it.¡± Iughed, blood already starting to head southward again. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will.¡± Serena kissed me, then stood and climbed out of the bath on unsteady legs. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back in the room.¡± I nodded, standing myself. Jack¡¯s eyes were glued to my body, especially what I had dangling between my legs, but whether because I was getting better at reading her or because of our Link I was certain she was more wistful of the intimacy me and Serena had shared outside of sex than actually being able to fuck. I stood there, letting the water drip down my body, meeting her irritated gaze for a few extra beats before I finally relented and dismissed the tendrils still holding her in ce. She shot up like a dart and the next thing I knew her lips were pressing into mine with a bruising strength. She pulled away before things could get as heated asst time, but there was still plenty of heat in her gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t care if I¡¯ve gottather you up in fireproof lotion, one day you are going to fuck me ¡®till I can¡¯t walk straight,¡± she said, jamming a finger into my chest. I chuckled. ¡°Sounds like a n. Be sure to let me know if you need any more¡­help.¡± She scoffed and climbed out of the basin, stalking off. She paused once to make sure I was watching her fucking amazing ass¡ªI was, since the red gem peeking from between her cheeks was making my mouth water slightly¡ªand grinned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever cum that hard in my life, so you¡¯re off the hook. For tonight, at least.¡± ¡°Until next time, then,¡± I said. Jack raked onest scathing look over my body and licked her lips. ¡°Yeah. Next time. You¡¯d better fucking believe it.¡± Then she grabbed a towel and stalked out of the chamber. I shook my head. Did this mean she was officially a member of the harem? I had to think so, but I figured it was a question best posed to my girls. I dried off and got dressed, and it wasn¡¯t until I was heading back through the manor towards my girls that I realized I was still smiling. Despite everything with Kat, I was still in a disturbingly good mood. Which could only mean tomorrow was going to suck. Chapter Seventy-Six: Long Awaited Meeting Chapter Seventy-Six: Long Awaited Meeting ¡°Would now be a good time to mention that I¡¯m incredibly nervous?¡± Serena asked, fidgeting with the hem of her top. She worried her lip while she stared up at the imposing castle that sat at the center of Amesseria, looming over the buildings around it intimidatingly. I chuckled. ¡°Rx, will you? This is gonna be great. I mean,¡± I amended, ¡°it¡¯s gonna be a pain in my ass, I¡¯m sure, but we¡¯ll have fun.¡± She seemed unconvinced, but she took a breath and soldiered on. I took a second to admire her before I followed. Her sleeveless, low cut top and tight pants with cuts on the side that exposed her hips were certainly eye catching. She¡¯d found no shortage of clothes that would help with her skill, [Shrouded in Faith], which boosted her Divine the more skin she showed. Not for the first time, I had to seriously appreciate how fashion trends had changed in thest thirty years. Her outfit had been far from the most scandalous we¡¯d seen just on our trip here. I, on the other hand, felt rather ufortable in the fine clothes I wore. The material was thicker than I was used to, and not nearly worn enough for my tastes. I¡¯d spent most of my life in rags and the rest in whatever clothes I could get my hands on, so having money for a real wardrobe was really throwing me off. I¡¯d trade this fine clothing befitting a noble for a simple shirt and trousers in a heartbeat, but I had a part to y. At least for today. The guard at the gate looked skeptically at us, but he waved us through after I shed my invitation. I couldn¡¯t help but notice he seemed rather unimpressed by a kingly summons. It wasn¡¯t the first time since we¡¯d arrived in the capital that I¡¯d wondered just how much power the king actually had with the government they¡¯d put in ce. We didn¡¯t talk while a servant led us through the hallways of the royal castle. Serena because she still seemed more than a little overwhelmed by the idea of meeting both a king and a member of the Seven, me because I couldn¡¯t help but remember thest time I¡¯d been through these halls. There had been a lot more blood and death back then. Even though realistically I knew thirty years had passed, for me it had only been a few months. My mind and heart were having a hard timeing to terms with the fact that we weren¡¯t in enemy territory. We were eventually left in an ornate meeting room. Arge table surrounded byfortable looking chairs dominated the space, and I almostughed at the fine paintings on the walls depicting the final battle with Grimsbane. It had certainly been glorified in thest three decades, and I couldn¡¯t help but look for myself in them. I was featured only a few times, and always as more of a footnote than anything else. Barely enough detail to be able to recognize without knowing what I was looking at. Oddly enough, that pleased me. The servant gestured towards the chairs at one end of the table, but with a nod to them I walked over and sat right in the middle of the long end. I had to strongly resist the urge to kick my feet up onto the tables surface, though it was a close run thing. I pulled a chair out for Serena to sit in and took my ce next to her. She was looking at the paintings as well, her eyes wide. ¡°Are you sure it was a good idea to bring me along?¡± I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She wore her hair down today, so her glowing golden locks cascaded down her shoulders and back. ¡°You¡¯re my priestess, my partner, and one of the people in this world most important to me. I¡¯d have brought everyone if I hadn¡¯t thought it was a bad idea to bring demi-humans into the keep.¡± ¡°And Tiana?¡± Serena asked, still uncertain. ¡°I offered, but she declined,¡± I said simply. What I didn¡¯t say was the uncertainty I¡¯d felting from her. If I had to guess, she was having doubts about something. That made my gut twist nervously, but I resolved to trust her. I¡¯d find time as soon as I could to sit and talk through whatever seemed to be weighing on her more and more each day. ¡°Besides,¡± I continued, ¡°Rr was a Chosen closer to his god than most. Maybe he can give us some advice on how tomune with Allura.¡± She nodded, though she still chewed the inside of her cheek. She grasped my hand, her fingerscing with mine. ¡°And you? How are you doing, being back here?¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to fight the smile that bled through my expression. Trust it to my priestess to notice. ¡°Better than I expected, honestly. It helps that they¡¯ve done some serious redecorating.¡± She squeezed my hand with a smile, her green eyes shimmering. She opened her mouth to speak, but stood abruptly instead when the door opened. I followed, albeit at more leisurely a pace, turning my attention to the figure walking through the doors. Emotions warred in my chest to see my old friend again. The man who was undoubtedly Rr examined us intently, his gaze trained on me far more than Serena. His face was so simr, yet weathered with age. The wrinkles around his eyes told me he still smiled a lot. His nose was still crooked from the time I¡¯d broken it, which meant he¡¯d never bothered to have a healer fix it. His nearly cropped hair and bushy, well-trimmed beard were still the same dark ck as before, though now they were both streaked with gray. There was a beat of silence while we looked one another over before he inclined his head ever so slightly. ¡°Lord Nocht. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.¡± So that¡¯s the game we¡¯re ying, then? I fought the urge to smirk, instead quirking a single brow. ¡°I wasn¡¯t under the impression that a summons from the king was something to be ignored, majesty.¡± Something flickered behind his steel colored eyes, but Rr was better than I was at keeping emotion from his expression. He waved the servant escorting him off and strode around the table with long, regal steps. He sat, not at the head of the table like a king should, but right across from me. He lowered himself into the chair, stiff backed, and gestured for us to do the same. Once we were seated, heced his fingers together. ¡°Seeing as your family is one of thergestndowners in the city, I thought it only prudent to have a sit down.¡± ¡°I see,¡± I said, giving him nothing to work with. His eyes flicked towards Serena, then back to me. ¡°You seem to have been rather busy since your¡­return.¡± Ah, I get it. He was trying to confirm if I was really, well, me. ¡°Unfortunately, most of my properties suffered from severe neglect after the war. There¡¯s quite a bit of work to be done, so you can hardly me me for getting the ball rolling.¡± His lips quirked downward. He let one hand fall to hisp while the other pressed its palm into the surface of the wood and he leaned back. One of his fingers started tapping, and I saw a few of his other tells. The tightening of the skin under his left eye. The slight pursing of his lips as they pulled slightly to the right. The fact that he¡¯d hidden his left hand from view told me he was probably twisting the ring on his finger as well. I let out a sigh. Might as well get it over with. ¡°Unclench your ass before you give yourself a hernia, old man. I don¡¯t have the time, patience, or levels to pick a fight with you right now.¡± Serena balked next to me, but Rr deted in his chair. His shoulders drooped and the skin on his face sagged, making him look seventy instead of fifty. ¡°Zaren,¡± he said softly. ¡°It really is you.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair, kicking my feet up on the table like I¡¯d been dying to since we¡¯d walked in. ¡°And Rr, I have to ask. What the fuck?¡± He slumped back. ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡± ¡°It fucking better be.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I mean, seriously? Letting the guild run amok? Letting lords and nobles have their run of the country? The fucking ords? Just because everything is shinier than it was under Grimsbane doesn¡¯t make any of this shit okay.¡± He winced with every usation. ¡°Trust me, Zaren. I know.¡± ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you fixed it?¡± He took a long breath and let his gaze travel over the paintings in the room. Like me, he knew exactly how little they represented the horrors of what had actually happened. ¡°The ords were supposed to be temporary. A stopgap to keep civil war from happening.¡± He shook his head. ¡°They were never supposed to be what they are now.¡± He rose to his feet and started pacing, favoring his right leg. I guess the blow Grimsbane hadnded in that final fight still troubled him, then. ¡°After the war, after you left,¡± there was a slight usation in his voice, but I ignored it, ¡°things were tense. With Grimsbane gone, those under his thralldom were free, but we had no way of knowing for sure who fought for him out of their own free will or because they were enved.¡± ¡°He¡¯d used the demi-humans tomit so many of his atrocities. The ords were merely a way to keep them separate and safe from the scores of humans who wanted retribution for events that might or might not have been their doing. The early ords put a stop to that long enough for us to put together a semnce of government. I took the mantle of king, but everyone was terrified of another tyrant taking power. Myself included.¡± Rr shook his head. ¡°The conflict was finished, which meant I was no longer protected by my status. I needed to make sure that, should something happen to me, things wouldn¡¯t fall apart. With the help of the others, we created a council, on which the king would sit. Democracy would reign, not the wishes of a single man.¡± I scoffed. ¡°You should have held the power a little longer, it seems.¡± To myplete surprise, he nodded in agreement. ¡°I underestimated the vindictiveness of those who would be elected. By the time I realized the mistake I¡¯d made, it was toote. The power was officially out of my hands outside another war. When it came time to disband the ords, they instead strengthened them. Be, Sandrel and I fought back as much as we could, making deals and concessions to soften the blows as often as we could, but in the end it simply wasn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°And the guild.¡± He made a sound in the back of his throat that I hadn¡¯t ever hearde from him before. It was a sound of frustration. Anger. Hatred. I didn¡¯t think Rr was capable of hating. ¡°They wanted the guild to operate outside the control of the government so that adventurers couldn¡¯t be used as an army for war. We didn¡¯t know at the time that the council and the leaders of the guild were working together behind closed doors. Once again, by the time we realized what had happened, it was toote.¡± He sank back into his chair heavily. ¡°And now many of those who serve the council are too young to remember the horrors of war. Too preupied in their own image, in lining their pockets, and in retaining their seats to give a damn about the people they rule over. We do what we can when we can, but those concessions I mentioned? They left us impotent, Zaren. For heroes who saved the world, we have remarkably little power.¡± I leaned my head back, massaging the bridge of my nose. ¡°We? Who else is still around?¡± For the first time, he seemed somewhat ufortable. Judging from the faint traces of magicing from what I could only assume were listening devices, I think I knew why. ¡°Be and Sandrel are always around, of course. Iliri rules over her temple district, but she cares little for what happens outside of it. Torren grew tired of politics after just a few years and went off to who knows where, and Yvonne¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°Yvonne hated what this country became the most. One day, she just¡­faded away. Vanished into the night with a simple note that said she was done. Nobody has heard from her since.¡± The silence stretched on after that while I chewed on the information he¡¯d given me. I silently counted the minutes until I was sure it was time. There were things we needed to discuss. ¡°Alright,¡± I said eventually, causing Rr¡¯s head to snap up. ¡°I know they¡¯re listening, so they cane in.¡± I¡¯d barely finished speaking when the doors exploded inwards, causing Serena to jump to her feet. ¡°You arrogant little twat!¡± Be roared. Rr just dragged a hand over his face. ¡°Be, my doors.¡± Be just ignored him, his dark violet robes ring in his wake while he stormed towards me with a finger stabbing usingly in my direction, his dark eyes narrowed in fury, and his long silver hair whipping around him like he was caught in a windstorm. ¡°You fucking knew the moment you sat down, didn¡¯t you?¡± I peered around him to see Sandrelughing so hard he was holding his sides, then looked back at Be. ¡°So ten minutes is still the standard bet, then?¡± I asked innocently. Be whirled on Sandrel. ¡°He knew about the listening devices, so I win!¡± he demanded. Sandrel wiped a tear from his eye. ¡°Not a chance, Benny. You said he¡¯d point them out within ten minutes, and he didn¡¯t. I win.¡± Serena looked between all of us with wide eyes, but I just patted the seat reassuringly. She slowly sat down, and the eyes in the room returned to her. ¡°So,¡± Be practically snarled, storming around the table to sit as far from me as he could manage, ¡°who is this, then?¡± Sandrel plopped down a chair from Rr and kicked his feet up to mirror me. ¡°Yes, I too would like to know more about the gorgeous blond on Zaren¡¯s arm.¡± His eyes twinkled with amusement, and I felt the need to throw something at him. I nodded to Serena, and she stood, her hands still gripping the hem of her shirt tightly. ¡°My name is Serena Ravin. I am a priestess to Allura, and one of Zaren¡¯s partners. It¡¯s a pleasure.¡± Sandrel¡¯s grin widened. ¡°So formal! I like her.¡± Then he ran a hand through his sandy hair. Of the three, he looked like he¡¯d aged the least. ¡°Plus, now we know why Amesseria isn¡¯t a burning husk yet. Zaren here gotid.¡± Serena started turning a shade of crimson and I gently pulled her back down into her seat. ¡°Ignore him, he¡¯s fishing.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°He isn¡¯t wrong, though,¡± she said softly, a hint of a smile on her lips. There was a beat, then Sandrel threw his head back and roared withughter. Rr smiled warmly, and even Be¡¯s lips quirked upwards ever so slightly. ¡°Oh I like her a lot!¡± Sandrel said before devolving into another bout ofughs. Serena¡¯s hand found mine under the table once more, something that definitely didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Rr. He cleared his throat softly and Sandrel got his amusement under control. ¡°So,¡± he said. ¡°Allura?¡± I sighed. ¡°Yeah. Allura. Shocker, right?¡± Be crossed his arms, his icy blue eyes sparking with annoyance. ¡°What he fuck does a sex goddess want with you?¡± ¡°Not a sex goddess,¡± Serena and I said in unison. We exchanged a nce and she looked down at the table, still crimson. I let out a breath. I was loathe to give much away to anyone, even my former allies, but I was going to need their help sooner orter. ¡°We made a deal. I¡¯m supposed to prepare the world for some vague threat headed our way.¡± Be leaned forward. ¡°Is it rted to the Maleks?¡± ¡°I take it you haven¡¯t talked to Kat this morning, then?¡± At his nk expression, I sighed. ¡°Yeah. Maleks, Ashai, and Rathums.¡± I gave them a brief rundown. ¡°And I¡¯m thinking they¡¯re rted, but I don¡¯t have proof just yet. That ritual of Grimsbane we interrupted? Allura thinks it caught the wrong kind of attention. That some kind of otherworldly threat ising for us.¡± That caught Be¡¯s attention. ¡°You think these¡­Eldritch Beasts are some kind of otherworldy creature?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. The magic in my de resonated with the magic in the Rathum I killed. Magic that seems fundamentally different than the magic we use. I¡¯m thinking both are from somewhere else.¡± ¡°You still have it, then?¡± Rr asked. ¡°The cursed sword?¡± ¡°The Jailer¡¯s de is apparently it¡¯s name.¡± I summoned the de from my storage and all three of them leaned away from it. They were always ufortable around it. I, however, smiled at the happy trill that came through the Link between me and Ash. She was still loathe to go into my storage for any reason, but each time it was a little easier to convince her. Whether it was the slowly growing Link between us or something else, I wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°One of them, at least.¡± Be leaned forward, practically salivating. ¡°Very well. Leave it with me and I¡¯ll uncover all its secrets. Perhaps we can find some kind of advantage in its magic.¡± Before I could even answer, the gem in the hilt glowed angrily. Anger pulsed through the link, and a pulse of furious magic bled into the room. The other three were on their feet in an instant, but I just frowned at the de. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not happening,¡± I said, more to the de than to Be. ¡°I¡¯ve already got someone working on it, but thanks for the offer.¡± Be scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s stronger than before, which means whatever containment spells it carries are clearly failing. I highly doubt whoever you have researching the de is better equipped than me, seeing as I have ess to all of Grimsbane¡¯s forbidden texts.¡± I set the de down so that it was leaning against my leg. ¡°Grimsbane waspletely unprepared for the Jailer¡¯s de, so I don¡¯t think the answers we seek are there. Besides, we¡¯re pretty sure my schr has received at least one skill for the express purpose of learning about the de, so I¡¯ll stick with her.¡± I ran my thumb down the scabbard. ¡°Plus, pretty sure the sword would get pissed at all of us if I let anyone else handle it.¡± Ash¡¯s Link hummed in agreement, and the other three slowly took their seats. ¡°You¡¯ll at least share your findings?¡± Be asked, somewhat begrudgingly. ¡°The important ones,¡± I shot back. I may not have liked him, but he was still smart as hell. While Rhani was the only one I trusted to look over the de itself, giving her findings to Be could very well lead us in the right direction. ¡°Right,¡± Sandrel said, ¡°now that you¡¯ve reached an agreement, care to tell us how you look all spry? Hate to tell you, Zaren, but old age is bollocks.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Gave up all my levels and Allura put me down for a thirty year dirt nap. What can I say, apparently a divinea is great on the skin.¡± Sandrel chuckled, but the skin around Rr¡¯s eyes tightened once more. ¡°I have to wonder exactly what kind of deal you might have made with her, all things considered,¡± he said. My eyes fell on the former Chosen. The only Chosen I¡¯d ever trusted. For a long time, the only one I would ever consider trusting, though Kat was slowly changing that. ¡°One between me and her,¡± I said simply. ¡°Suffice to say I have every intention of holding up my end.¡± ¡°No matter the consequence?¡± Rr challenged. When I didn¡¯t answer, I felt Serena stiffen beside me. ¡°Gods don¡¯t make deals, Zaren.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± I argued. ¡°Apparently that goes against theirws, but Allura¡¯s gone rogue. My guess is that whatever enemy ising isn¡¯t restricted by the same rules as our current pantheon, and Allura knows it. She¡¯s trying to find some other way to even the odds for whatever conflict is approaching.¡± ¡°She told you this?¡± Be asked. ¡°Fortuna gave me that bit, actually,¡± I admitted, and they all straightened. ¡°Two gods, Zaren?¡± Rr asked carefully. ¡°Three if you count Tydarr, but he¡¯s smart enough to know I won¡¯t tell him shit, so he sent Kat in his stead.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Sandrel said, swallowing hard, ¡°¡­she¡¯s still alive?¡± I chuckled, which only served to make them more tense. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s alive. She risked his ire to tell me she was sent, so I figure I¡¯ll give her the benefit of the doubt. I didn¡¯t tell her about the deals, though. Thest thing we need is for Tydarr to start running around offering mortals shit deals and causing all kinds of problems.¡± Rr ran a hand through his short hair. ¡°And you haven¡¯t had any contact from her since?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Serena¡¯s had dreams, and we think she might be manipting the sses and skills of those around me, but I haven¡¯t managed to have a real conversation with her since our initial meeting. I wanted to ask you about it, actually. Serena¡¯s made a few trips to Allura¡¯s temples, but no dice.¡± Stroking his beard thoughtfully, Rr nodded. ¡°Well, for starters, you have to remember that as a priestess she¡¯s only a conduit. Only an Oracle can talk to a god or goddess directly, and even then the gods prefer to use them as a mouthpiece. It¡¯s possible that you need to be in attendance toplete the other half of the connection.¡± Now it was my turn to drag my hand down my face. ¡°I was afraid you were going to say that. I don¡¯t suppose Iliri is out of town right now?¡± Rr had the grace to grimace, and both Be and Sandrel suddenly found the table rather interesting. ¡°No,¡± Sandrel said softly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t leave her domain often.¡± ¡°Lovely,¡± I groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with that when ites. For now, we should get to business.¡± All three of them regarded me warily. ¡°And what business is that?¡± Sandrel asked, his voiceced with curiosity. I smiled, and that put them on edge more than anything else I¡¯d done so far. ¡°We¡¯re going to dismantle the ords, of course. And while we¡¯re at it, I figure we can force the guild into restructuring itself.¡± All three of them were silent, and I felt Serena holding her breath next to me. I was d that none of themughed. In fact, they were all having a silent conversation that I was pretty sure had started to lean in my direction. Sandrel was the first to lean forward. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve got a n?¡± ¡°Several.¡± First I summoned a stack of papers from my storage and slid it across the table. Sandrel picked it up and started leafing through it. With each page, his eyebrows twitched further and further towards his hairline. ¡°The guild will be the easier of the two, I think.¡± His eyes flicked up to me. ¡°Household adventurers? I¡¯m not sure how much a single party would sway things.¡± From the tone of his voice, he already knew where I was taking this. ¡°Who said it had to be a single party?¡± I asked innocently. Rr leaned over to read as well, and Be stood to look over their shoulders. He adopted my personal favorite expression: begrudgingly impressed. ¡°They¡¯ll fight you on this, you know,¡± he said. I shrugged. ¡°Not at first. By the time they do, it¡¯ll be toote. If they want to stop me, they¡¯ll have to change thews in such a way that it¡¯ll be in to see they¡¯re trying to exploit the lower rank adventurers.¡± Rr frowned. ¡°You really think many adventurers would be willing to give uprge portions of their reward money?¡± I couldn¡¯t fight the hint of pride that red in my chest. Rr¡¯s initial thought was exactly how those running the guild would react. But I¡¯d spent hours the night before talking with Tiana and Cynthia both, finalizing our ns. Tiana¡¯s own experience in the guild had been invaluable, and Cynthia¡¯s experience on the other side had been just as much so. ¡°The system is designed to be nearly impossible,¡± I exined. ¡°Jobs rank C and below intentionally have shit pay. Shit enough that low rank adventurers are forced to take numerous jobs back to back just to be able to afford rent and food, much less equipment. Jobs aren¡¯t solely ranked by difficulty, but also on the time it takes toplete them. Low rank adventurers are forced to spend all their time on missions barely possible for them just to afford living. Unless, of course, they¡¯re willing to let higher ranking adventurers take advantage of them.¡± Unsurprisingly, Sandrel was the first to get it. ¡°You offer food and board and even if you¡¯re taking half the pot then they¡¯re already walking away with more money than if they¡¯re having to pay their way.¡± He barked out augh. ¡°Only the ones at the bottom would even think of taking the pay cut. He¡¯s right, Rr, those idiots won¡¯t know what hit them.¡± Heughed again. ¡°And you¡¯ve got a dozen mansions you¡¯re kitting out to hold said adventurers because there¡¯s nothing in thew that says they have to live in your personal residence.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of room to work with.¡± Be¡¯s eyes flicked up to me. ¡°Not to mention you¡¯ll be building up an entire generation of adventurers loyal to you. I¡¯m sure the fact that they¡¯ll be staying close to your home is only an added bonus.¡± I tapped my nose. ¡°I figure I can kill half a dozen birds with a single stone if I¡¯m smart about it. The only reason the guild got this bad is because of peace time. If something big were to happen, then we¡¯d be fucked. There just aren¡¯t enough high level adventurers willing to step up because the system is designed to filter out the strong willed. I get enough adventurers trained, strong, and high rank and I throw their entire system off bnce.¡± Rr shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s a damn good n, I¡¯ll give you that. I¡¯ve got some friends I can get to sign off on our part so it doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯m throwing my weight around. If I put my name on it they¡¯ll look too closely, after all.¡± ¡°Good. It might take some time, but it¡¯ll be for the best. Plus,¡± I added, ¡°if something major happens, you know, like an incursion by an outer god and his armies of otherworldly beasts, then you¡¯ll be d to have a corps of trained adventurers willing to take up arms and serve the role the guild was meant to.¡± Rr chuckled to himself, some of the light returned to his eyes. ¡°And the ords?¡± ¡°Those¡¯ll be trickier,¡± I admitted. ¡°And I¡¯ll have to be careful in the beginning. There are just too many counter moves that can be made against me in the early stages.¡± Sandrel tossed the papers onto the table. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°For starters? An inside man in the Pens. I need to know if demi-humans fitting certain criteria are thrown in the Pens before they¡¯re officially processed. One of the dangers of the ords is that most of the demi-human families that arerge enough or powerful enough to do anything have members in the system. The more I can get away from cruel Patrons and into ces where they¡¯re protected, the more allies I¡¯ll have.¡± ¡°Done,¡± Sandrel said, ¡°I¡¯ll have candidates for you by the end of the week. What else?¡± ¡°The military has the highest poption of demi-humans since the government is considered a Patron, and I need to find a way to fix that. I can have household guards, but only so many.¡± ¡°That one¡¯s easy,¡± Be offered. When we all looked at him, he shrugged. ¡°Make him a Magistrate.¡± Rr tapped his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Your properties are mostly in the lower quarter, sure, but how much of the lower quarter does he own?¡± ¡°Forty-eight percent,¡± I said carefully. Be tapped the table. ¡°If he can get his hands on three more percent, all he needs is the approval of a single council member to be appointed Magistrate of the lower quarter since there isn¡¯t one currently. Then he would be able to appoint a watch, and assigning demi-humans to the watch would bepletely legal, if not frowned upon.¡± Sandrel turned back to me. ¡°Think you could manage that?¡± I chewed my lip. ¡°Yeah, it might take some time and resources, but I¡¯m sure there are a few properties I could snatch up.¡± He rapped his knuckles twice on the table. ¡°Perfect. Is that all?¡± ¡°Not quite.¡± I took a brief breath. This would be the tricky part. ¡°I need to know who I¡¯m up against. What do you know about a man named Everard Bryce?¡± All three of them exchanged a grim nce. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he hired a crew to collect pure and powerful demi-humans outside of thew. A group that I have strong reason to believe is somehow rted to Valethar Karn.¡± There were three sharp intakes of breath on the other side of the table, but Be was the quickest to piece it together. ¡°You think he¡¯s involved?¡± Then he shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. ¡°You think it¡¯s all involved. Bryce. Karn. These demi-humans.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°The ords and the guild. You think every bit of it is connected, don¡¯t you?¡± The challenge in his voice was clear, and I rose to meet it. ¡°That¡¯s what my gut is telling me, yeah.¡± Be cursed foully. ¡°I fucking hate it when your gut gets involved.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Bryce and his entire family were found murdered in a home invasion the day after you arrived in the city.¡± ¡°Be,¡± Rr warned. ¡°Oh, shove off, your majesty,¡± Be spat. ¡°Our enemies clearly aren¡¯t ying by the rules, and frankly I¡¯m getting tired of it. You know as well as I do what happens when we ignore Zaren¡¯s gut feelings.¡± He growled low in his throat and raw, arcane energy sparked in the air around him. ¡°Zaren uncovered this operation and someone killed Bryce to keep him quiet.¡± Rr sighed. ¡°I fear you¡¯re right. There¡¯s clearly more going on than we¡¯re aware of.¡± ¡°Pretty sure there always has been,¡± I said. They all turned to me, their expressions demanding exnation. ¡°What if we weren¡¯t done? What if Grimsbane wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning? What if Grimsbane was no less a pawn than the rest of us?¡± The silence that followed was deafening. ¡°Zaren,¡± Rr said eventually, ¡°that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Insane?¡± I challenged. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m well aware. Yet it all feels far too interconnected to be coincidence. The ords would never exist in a world that didn¡¯t suffer Grimsbane first. The things Grimsbane did¡­ the things he knew¡­¡± My hands curled to fists, and I forced myself to voice something that I¡¯d never spoken aloud before. Something that had haunted me since the day I¡¯d looked into Grimsbane¡¯s eyes, just before I lopped off his head. ¡°I grew up looking into the eyes of a true monster,¡± I said softly, ¡°and Grimsbane¡­wasn¡¯t. Karn was evil to the core. Sadistic, twisted, arrogant. He never wavered, not even when I choked the life from his body. Grimsbane¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t like that. They weren¡¯t hard enough to belong to the man who nearly brought the world to its knees.¡± ¡°You think the man you killed wasn¡¯t Grimsbane?¡± Be demanded, shooting to his feet. ¡°He definitely was,¡± I said, raising a hand. ¡°He had the ss that enved so many people. And I¡¯m not saying he wasn¡¯t evil, nor am I excusing the atrocities hemitted. I¡¯m just saying I¡¯m not so sure he was truly the one in charge.¡± Rr shook his head, clearly troubled. ¡°Zaren, that¡¯s simply not possible¡ª¡± Be silenced him with a wave of his hand. ¡°This isn¡¯t some half-baked theory, Rr. Even I can see it¡¯s haunted Zaren. Even if it¡¯s impossible, we have to consider it. I always felt that the ords were put into ce too quickly. That its advocates came up with their ideas a little too fast.¡± He stroked his shitty little goatee. ¡°In retrospect, there are a number of inconsistencies that could be exined by Zaren¡¯s theory. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± Though he looked incredibly troubled by the thought, Rr acquiesced. ¡°Very well, let¡¯s move on then. You¡¯ll need someone in your corner. Someone who can run interference when you need it. I can provide that, but I have a cost.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°Seriously? I thought you were always the one man who could never be bought.¡± He offered a sad smile. ¡°I was, once. Time changes many things, it seems. I do what I can, but I¡¯m limited. I have a weakness, Zaren, and it would ruin me if our enemies discovered it.¡± ¡°Please say women or drink,¡± I pleaded. With a chuckle, he shook his head. ¡°If only. There¡¯s someone I care about very much, but nobody outside of this room can know who or why. If you protect her, then I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help you.¡± Well fuck me sideways, Rr had a girl? ¡°I think I can manage that much. Who is she?¡± Chapter Seventy-Seven: Karina Chapter Seventy-Seven: Karina As she always did, Karina kept her head down while she walked through the halls of the royal castle. For the most part, just that much made her invisible. She¡¯d grown up in these halls, and she¡¯d long learned that a subservient poise caused the guards¡¯ eyes to pass right over her, as if she didn¡¯t exist. She hated it almost as much a she loved it. She hated it because she hated feeling so unimportant. Just another nobody. Another nothing little girl who simply didn¡¯t matter. She loved it because she knew what happened to those of her kind who were too noticeable. Seelie were descended from fae, which left them with that otherworldly allure that made life dangerous when rejecting the wrong man might mean a life of servitude. Men like the one leaning against the wall outside the library. Serrick Davvon was several years older than her. Nearly thirty, if she had to guess. Neatly trimmed ck hair slicked back and a neatly kept beard that covered only his chin always made him feel oily, and she avoided him at all costs. Unfortunately, he was disgustingly intrigued by her for reasons she couldn¡¯t fathom. No, that wasn¡¯t true. She had plenty of ideas as to why he might be interested in her. Her race. Her ss. Her father. None of them were good. He smiled when he saw her, though his beady eyes seemed to darken. ¡°Karina! Right on time.¡± She suppressed a shiver. He was paying attention more than she realized if he knew her schedule so well. Nobody knew about her weekly visits to the library save one person, and Karina knew that person would never betray her. She bowed her head, if only to avoid his gaze she knew would be sweeping over her body. ¡°Lord Davvon. Forgive me, but I should be going.¡± ¡°I figured,¡± he said, smiling. ¡°I take it you¡¯re turning me down yet again?¡± Her skin crawled at the sound of his voice. Smooth as silk, yet grating on her nerves. ¡°Once again, I do not think the king would approve.¡± Nor would she, of course, but she could see in his eyes how little he¡¯d care about that. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡ª¡± She stepped around him, careful to keep her shoulder hunched and face turned towards the floor, and reached for the library door. No sooner had she grabbed the handle than his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Immediately she tensed, having to fight to keep her light from striking out at him. It writhed under her skin, demanding to be set free so it could deal with the threat, but she held it in. ¡°One of these days,¡± Serrick said, his face so close to hers she could feel his breath on her cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll learn why the old king is so fond of you. You seem a bit young for him, but¡­¡± his thumb brushed along her wrist, sending waves of revulsion through her, ¡°well, every man has his tastes, I suppose.¡± ¡°Please let me go,¡± she said softly. His grip tightened and he drew closer, though nothing other than his hand ever touched her. ¡°He won¡¯t know unless you tell him, of course. It could be our little secret.¡± He was being more forward than usual, and that scared her. Not in the least because her light was getting harder to control by the second, and him finding out about her ss was the second worst oue she could think of. She swallowed, every bit of willpower she possessed going towards controlling her light. ¡°Let. Me. Go.¡± He shot her a toothy grin. ¡°There she is. The woman hiding behind the scared little girl. I wonder what else you¡¯re hiding, Karina.¡± Just when she was certain she¡¯d have no choice but to strike, he let her go. ¡°Until next time, little Seelie.¡± He turned on his heel and walked away, whistling merrily. Not wasting another second, Karina ripped the library door open and ducked inside. The two servants watching over the stacks barely paid her any notice, even as she dove for the back corner of the library. An alcove that had long been one of her only refuges in this dreary castle that had been her home for the entirety of her twenty-one years. She was barely out of sight when her control slipped. Wisps of white-gold light lifted from her rosy pink skin, twisting and thrashing around her, trying to ward off whatever attacker had her nerves so frayed. They covered the exact patch of skin where Serrick¡¯s hand had wrapped around her wrist, ring as if trying to burn away any lingering essence he might have left behind. ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± she breathed. With a flick of her wrist, bands of light wrapped around the end of a half-empty bookshelf against the back wall. Another flick and they pulled the shelf to the side, revealing a section of stone wall covered in gouges. She briefly paused to make sure the sound dampening charms she¡¯d slowly stolen from the library were in ce before she imagined Serrick¡¯s oily face in the center of the wall. Like they¡¯d just been waiting for permission, the wisps twisted and stretched into whips that carved even more deep grooves into her own personal stretch of wall. She wanted nothing more than to scream in anger until her throat was raw, but the best she could do was grit her teeth and let her frustrations out on the stone. Her light cut into the wall on its own until it began to run out of steam, then she took up the mantle until her mana was empty. Fucking Serrick. Even at the miserable level of seven, she could still cut stone with [Light Maniption]. She dreamed of the day she could find out just what her skill could do to a human body¡ªnamely Serrick¡¯s¡ªbut because she was born a Seelie she was forced to hide her power. If anyone knew how strong her ss was, she¡¯d be cored before the day was out regardless of who protected her. Once her frustrations were eased and she¡¯d caught her breath, Karina manually shoved the bookcase back into its spot. Her light was getting stronger even though she hadn¡¯t gained a level in almost a year, and she had no idea how or why. She couldn¡¯t even go to anyone for help because there was only one person in this world she trusted with the knowledge of her ss. ¡°Well, looks like someone¡¯s had a week.¡± Karina smiled in spite of her mood and turned towards her best friend in the world. Jayme was leaning against one of the shelves with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face, dirty blonde hair in a low tail, and stormy gray eyes narrowed in amusement. Karina had long since gotten over the annoyance that Jayme could sneak up on her. For whatever reason, Jayme was the only person Karina had ever met that didn¡¯t set her light off in one way or another. ¡°You have no fucking idea,¡± Karina mumbled. Jayme pushed off the bookcase and strode towards Karina. ¡°So I take it you need to blow off some steam, then?¡± In answer, Karina called on her light. Bands of white-gold magic wrapped around Jayme¡¯s wrists and yanked her forward. She let out a delighted sound, allowing Karina to spin her around and push her against the bookshelf that hid the damaged walls with her wrists suspended above her head. ¡°Blowing off steam sounds good,¡± Karina admitted, reaching for the buttons on Jayme¡¯s tunic. Thanks to the agreement Jayme had with the keeper of the library, they wouldn¡¯t be interrupted. Jayme, despite being therger of the two women, squirmed under Karina¡¯s fingers. ¡°Shit, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that look. Tell me it wasn¡¯t Davvon.¡± ¡°Fuck ¡®lord¡¯ Davvon.¡± Karina growled. She got Jayme halfway undressed before starting to work on her own buttons. ¡°Arrogant prick. We might have to change meeting times, I think he¡¯s figured out wee here every week.¡± Jayme¡¯s expression grew tense, but she didn¡¯t say any of the things Karina knew were going through her head. Not yet. She might be the one to take the lead outside of their alcove, but here? Here Karina was in charge. That was their agreement. The only thing that had kept Karina sane this long. Jayme was one of Rr¡¯s royal guard. One of the youngest to ever be appointed. Showing any kind of weakness, even to a prospective romantic partner, had the potential to make her life hell. That meant her preferences, which were decidedly more submissive leaning, were something she could only explore with someone she trusted. Like Karina¡¯s, her list was painfully short. Karina, on the other hand, was forced to live the opposite life. Acting anything other than meek and docile would only attract the wrong kind of attention. The castle was full of men who would delight in breaking her will. Men who would whisk her away in a heartbeat if they ever learned of what she was capable of. Even if there were anyone else she trusted enough to be intimate with, Jayme was the only one she was willing to throw aside her servant¡¯s mask for. Not for the first time, Karina found herself wishing their rtionship could be more than just physical. They¡¯d discussed it at length, though, and both agreed that while they cared for each other deeply, it wasn¡¯t in a romantic sense. She loved Jayme, but more like a sister than a lover. They were a perfect match when it came to their proclivities, but both of them had a distinct preference for men when it came to anything long term. If they could find a man to share between them, though¡­ Maybe one who¡¯d help her tie Jayme up. Or one who wouldn¡¯t mind getting tied up himself. Or both. She shook the thought from her head and returned her attention to Jayme. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you to get any regr time to yourself, but if I have to feel his slimy hands again¡ª¡± The restraints¡ªalong with the illusion of Karina¡¯s dominance¡ªshattered when Jayme surged forward and grabbed Karina by the arms. ¡°That fucker touched you? I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Karina made an exasperated noise. ¡°He grabbed my wrist, Jay.¡± Sometimes she forgot that Jayme was a trained warrior. One who¡¯d fought in real battles. One who had more than five times the levels Karina had collected in her extremely sheltered life. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Jayme growled. ¡°I think I¡¯d like the excuse one way or another. He¡¯s growing bolder, and I don¡¯t like that. Makes me worry he knows something we don¡¯t. Something that makes him confident enough to push further than he normally would.¡± ¡°I can handle Serrick,¡± Karina said, rolling her eyes. ¡°No offense,¡± Jayme said, wincing, ¡°but we both know that isn¡¯t strictly true. If he finds a way around your dad¡¯s protection¡ª¡± ¡°Jayme!¡± Karina hissed. ¡°Shut the fuck up!¡± Now it was Jayme¡¯s turn to roll her eyes. ¡°Nobody¡¯s gonna hear us back here.¡± Karina bit back what she wanted to say next. Jayme was right¡ªprobably¡ªbut that still didn¡¯t mean she wanted her second biggest secret spoken aloud. Ever. ¡°Look, maybe you¡¯re right and he¡¯s up to something. If he knows we meet here, then I don¡¯t want to discuss anything important.¡± Jayme opened her mouth¡ªlikely to argue, as was her default state¡ªbut Karina held up a hand. Her light had begun to writhe in warning. Someone wasing, and they were both half dressed. ¡°Shit.¡± She hastily redid Jayme¡¯s buttons. ¡°Pin me against the wall.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± Karina spun them around again so that she was against the bookcase. ¡°Didn¡¯te the first time, babe, now pin me.¡± Despite her apparent confusion, Jayme did just that. One of her knees pressed into the wall between Karina¡¯s legs and her chest pressed the Seelie into the wall. Every inch of lean muscle pushing against Karina¡¯s considerably softer body. She leaned in, her lips a hair¡¯s breadth from Karina¡¯s throat, sending a wave of heat between her legs, but it was that exact moment one of the pce servants came speeding around the corner, skidding to a stop when she took in what was happening. Karina turned her face away, hiding behind Jayme as best she could, but her blue and gold hair was much too distinctive. Rumors of her and Jayme would be running rampant by dinner, she was sure. Jayme looked over her shoulder, pinning the servant with a re. ¡°Something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m here for Karina, actually, ma¡¯am,¡± the servant squeaked. Karina did her best to ignore the surge of anxiety that came with those words. Her mind went immediately to Serrick and her hands tightened on Jayme¡¯s shirt, but she forced herself to remain calm. Jumping to conclusions wouldn¡¯t help anyone. Thankfully, Jayme was back in royal-guard-mode. ¡°What do you need with Miss Vethier?¡± she asked, not moving an inch from where her body shielded Karina¡¯s from view. ¡°I, um, I¡¯m supposed to bring her to King Rr, ma¡¯am.¡± Another wave of anxiety, this time for a very different reason. Karina¡¯s hands tightened further, which didn¡¯t escape Jayme¡¯s notice. ¡°I¡¯ll get her there. You¡¯re dismissed, thank you.¡± It was probably a good thing Karina¡¯s smile was hidden by Jayme¡¯s shoulder. Her friend was one of the only people she¡¯d met who actually thanked the servants rather than just ordering them around. ¡°Um, I¡¯m supposed to, uh¡ª¡± Jayme pulled away slightly. ¡°I¡¯m one of the king¡¯s guards, I assure you I can handle it. Where is he?¡± ¡°Um, his meeting room, ma¡¯am.¡± The servant gave a hasty bow then ran off. ¡°Well, that¡¯s frustrating,¡± Jayme huffed. She then pulled back and started redressing Karina. ¡°Good thinking, by the way. Nobody will care if another guard is feeling up a demi in the library, but seeing a demi topping a guard? Not a good look for either of us.¡± ¡°Yeah, trust me, I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°Any idea what your¡ªer, what the king might want?¡± The small, hopeful voice that had lived in the back of Karina¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but wonder if today might be the day Rr officially imed her as his daughter, but she knew better. If he was aware of that truth, he¡¯d never once indicated it. As far as she knew, only Jayme and her knew. Karina because her mother had said as much on her deathbed and Jayme because Karina had desperately needed to entrust the secret to someone. ¡°No idea,¡± Karina said eventually, straightening her clothes. ¡°But we probably shouldn¡¯t keep him waiting. No telling how long it took that servant to track me down.¡± ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Jayme said with a grin. ¡°After you.¡± Karina scoffed, though Jayme¡¯s words brought a smile to her face. ¡°I appreciate the thought, but we both know my ce is following you with my head down.¡± Jayme¡¯s smirk faltered, but she turned towards the exit all the same and led the way out of the library. Though they¡¯d been interrupted before anything had happened, she did her best to make sure she didn¡¯t appear at all disheveled. Karina donned the mask once more as they picked their way through the castle towards where her father met with his guests. Unease settled in her gut the closer they got. He¡¯d given her the day off, then scheduled a meeting? Why? Was he meeting with someone he didn¡¯t want her to see? Or was he meeting with someone he didn¡¯t want seeing her? What did it mean that he was summoning her now? ¡°Want me to hang around?¡± Jayme asked from the corner of her mouth. ¡°Will it get you in trouble?¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± Karina wasn¡¯t a fan of ¡®probably,¡¯ but she was even less of a fan of whatever unknown was currently happening. ¡°Then yes, please,¡± she said, her voice small. Jayme¡¯s curt nod was her only response. Karina hated the idea of her friend getting in trouble, but she tookfort in the knowledge that her friend would stand by her no matter what. The trip to her father¡¯s meeting room seemed to take an eternity, yet was still over far too soon. Her docile mask that normally kept her invisible was washed away by Jayme¡¯s presence. An attractive young woman with the skill and determination to make it onto the royal guard turned heads, and many of them no doubt wondered at Karina¡¯s presence at her back. Karina¡¯s anxiety spiked once more when they entered to find Rr with three other men and a woman in the room. Two she recognized. Be and Sandrel had been constant fixtures in her life, visiting Rr often. They¡¯d always been kind to her, and in her fantasies she¡¯d often concoctedte at night she liked to think of a world where they¡¯d been doting uncles. Still, as living legends, being in the room with both them and her father was more than a little nerve wracking. From the way Jayme¡¯s shoulders stiffened, she no doubt felt the same. The fourth man was unfamiliar to her. Closer to her age than theirs. As tall as Rr, though not quite as broad. His tied back dark hair and fine clothes screamed noble, but everything else about his demeanor contradicted that. The way he stood made her think of Jayme in her royal-guard-mode, at ease yet coiled to strike at the same time. The small scars on his face spoke to a life that was far from privileged, and the weight behind his sapphire blue eyes¡­ They all turned towards her and Jayme in the time it took Karina to tear her gaze from the new man to the woman at his side. She was beautiful, with golden blonde hair that almost seemed to glow in the noonday light that filtered through the windows. Her outfit showed plenty of skin, revealing a simr build to Jayme¡¯s. This was a woman who knew her way around physicalbor. A fighter, ording to Karina¡¯s instincts. Yet the smile she shed at them was warm andforting. It unraveled some of the anxiety twisting in Karina¡¯s stomach. ¡°Your majesty,¡± Jayme said, bowing her head. ¡°I¡¯ve brought Miss Vethier.¡± ¡°Thank you, Jayme,¡± Rr said, bowing his head shallowly in return. ¡°That will be all.¡± Jayme sped her hands behind her back. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, sir, I¡¯d like to stay.¡± Karina¡¯s mouth felt painfully dry, but to her surprise, Rr just nced questioningly at the new man. His eyes flicked over Jayme, though he didn¡¯t leer at her at all. His gaze was appraising, and something about the way he cocked his head made Karina think he approved. Of what, she wasn¡¯t sure. He nced at Rr and shrugged, then his piercing gaze returned to Karina. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Karina, I¡¯d like you to meet someone. This is Zaren Nocht.¡± Some of that anxiety returned. She¡¯d heard the rumors floating around the castle over thest week. The mysterious lord who¡¯d appeared from the ether to reim the seat left behind by the darkest of the Seven. Aplete unknown who held enough power to send the capital¡¯s fragile bnce tipping into chaos. On paper, he was one of the most powerful men in the city. That didn¡¯t bode well for her. ¡°Lord Nocht, it¡¯s an honor,¡± she said, giving him a curtsy. When in doubt, respect and deference were the safest routes when it came to dealing with nobility. Only that didn¡¯t seem to be the case in this instance, judging by his answering grimace. ¡°Just Zaren, please. And this is Serena.¡± The blonde shot her another radiant smile. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Karina.¡± From her tone, she actually meant it. Huh. ¡°King Rr,¡± Karina said, sping her hands tightly in front of her to keep them steady, ¡°what do you need?¡± Her father smiled, but it was far from the smile she wanted to see. She recognized that look. It was the one she wore when he felt the need tofort someone just before he gave them upsetting news. That it was aimed at her very rapidly narrowed down the possible list of reasons for her presence. Not many of the remaining options were good ones. ¡°Karina,¡± Rr said in a tone that made her want to run away and not have to hear whatever he was about to say next, ¡°Zaren is in the process of restoring his properties and expanding his household. We¡¯ve discussed things, and both of us agree that his household would be a better ce for you than the castle.¡± For a solid minute, Karina forgot how to breathe. Ice flooded her veins, and she had to fight to stay upright. Her vision swam for a second, but she wed her way back from the verge of passing out while managing to keep her expression neutral. Once she was sure she wouldn¡¯t scream or cry, she searched for how she could possibly answer him. But Jayme beat her to it. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t just¡ª¡± she started. ¡°Jayme, stop,¡± Karina said quietly, her voice surprisingly steady. She managed to swallow past the lump of emotion in her throat. ¡°If you think that¡¯s what¡¯s best, sir.¡± She tore her eyes from Rr to the man, Zaren. She wasn¡¯t sure what she expected to see on his face. Triumph? Greed? Lust? What she found instead was a sadness simr to Rr¡¯s. Beyond that, there was something else. An acknowledgment of¡­something. Toote, she realized he¡¯d been watching her reaction. She wondered what she¡¯d just inadvertently told him. Her new owner. His eyes lingered on hers for a beat longer. They felt like an anchor she could use to pull herself out of the spiral anxiety threatening to drown her. Then they flicked back to Jayme once again. ¡°You know, Rr, a go-between never hurt anyone.¡± She filed away the easiness with which he said the king of Ameserria¡¯s name to think aboutter. Rr stroked his beard thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s not a half-bad idea. I trust Jayme. More than most of my guards, at least.¡± A shock of pride flitted over Jayme¡¯s face, but it was reced with her own mask as quickly as she could manage. ¡°Sir?¡± Rr turned to her. ¡°Lieutenant Selis, until further notice I¡¯m reassigning you to Lord Nocht. He¡¯s an¡­old friend of the family, and I¡¯d like you to watch his back until he¡¯s properly settled. And,¡± he cut his eyes towards Zaren with some amusement, ¡°if you¡¯re in a position to watch over Karina at all, then I¡¯d be doubly grateful.¡± Some of the tension bled out of Jayme¡¯s shoulders, but not all of it. Not by a long shot. Zaren crossed his arms, and Karina mentally kicked herself for noticing the way his chest and upper arm pushed against the fabric of his shirt. ¡°There are bound to be times I need to get a message to Rr or vice versa, but the less I¡¯m seen around the castle the better. Your presence will raise fewer questions. That being said, it¡¯s best we keep all this under wraps. Can we count on your discretion?¡± Jayme shot a wide-eyed look at Karina. ¡°Um, yeah. Discretion I can do.¡± Zaren nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Then he turned and hefted a massive de that gave Karina the chills just looking at it. Then something slid from his palm. An inky ckness that swept over the de and caused it to vanish from sight. Something about the darkness that vanished back into his sleeve set her more on edge than the sword did. It was the perfect opposite to the light that she struggled to contain nearly every day. ¡°Do you have anything to take care of before we leave?¡± he asked, stepping closer. It irked her that she had to look up at him. Even Jayme wasn¡¯t as tall as Zaren, and she was taller than most women in the keep. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now?¡± she asked. He inclined his head, and Rr cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll have her things sent to your manor, Zaren.¡± ¡°Then no, sir,¡± Karina said, trying and failing to keep her eyes downcast. Something about his gaze captured hers and simply wouldn¡¯t let her go. ¡°I have no other business to attend to. We can leave as soon as you would like.¡± He turned away from her, facing the three men on the opposite side of the table. ¡°I¡¯ll keep working on my end of things, you three get your shit taken care of.¡± Karina¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What man in their right mind talked to the Seven like that? But Be just scoffed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, go on back to your harem. Oh, and say hi to Iliri for me, will you?¡± Zaren grimaced, then promptly flipped Be off. To Karina¡¯splete surprise, Be justughed. Sandrel chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be in touch. You know Lizard¡¯s still kicking, right?¡± ¡°Oh, trust me,¡± Zaren said, ¡°I¡¯ve already reacquainted myself with the barbed-tail-bastard. The more things change¡­¡± Be scoffed, then strode out with all the gravitas that the wizard alwaysmanded. When she turned back, Sandrel was already gone. Slipped out a window or something when nobody was looking. Standard for him, he¡¯d always been a bit of a drama queen. But Rr approached her, cing one of his massive hands on her shoulder. ¡°Karina, I don¡¯t want you to think I¡¯m simply getting rid of you. I truly do think that his home would be a safer ce for you. A better ce. Zaren is a good man. I trust him the way I trust few others.¡± A good man. The castle was full of ¡®good men¡¯ who did terrible things to demi-humans like her behind closed doors. She wondered how many would im Serrick was a ¡®good man.¡¯ She felt a warmth in her chest that he cared enough to try and reassure her, but his reassurances fell t. All she trusted herself to do was nod, so that¡¯s exactly what she did. His lips curved downward, but he just gave her shoulder a final squeeze and took his leave as well, leaving her alone with her new owner. ¡°So, are you my Patron now?¡± she challenged. Jayme tensed, no doubt ready to spring to her defense should the need arise, but Zaren¡¯s mouth only twitched. ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± She frowned. ¡°We both know it¡¯s not.¡± He just shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the best avenue if I¡¯m going to protect you, but I won¡¯t force anyone into my service.¡± ¡°Protect me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Seelie, for one. Your kind is rare, and there are collectors who would love to get their hands on you.¡± The venom in his tone was enough to reassure her that he wasn¡¯t one. ¡°Beyond that¡­¡± He eyed Jayme, then seemed toe to a decision. ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me why, but Rr mentioned that protecting you would give him the ability to act freely. I won¡¯t ask if you know why.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t ask why the king trusts you enough to be able to protect me,¡± she challenged back. She caught brief surprise in his gaze, but his expression was dangerously close to that of a smirk. ¡°Fair enough, I suppose. So, what¡¯ll it be? I won¡¯t indebt you. You wearing a cor would give me a lot of leeway in what I can do to keep you safe, but I understand the freedoms you¡¯d be giving up by wearing it.¡± Anger she hadn¡¯t even realized had been building started to boil over. ¡°Freedoms? What freedoms? The freedom to walk around, head down, afraid to make eye contact for fear some asshole like you would take it as an invitation? Or the freedom to have to watch every word thates out of my mouth for fear of pissing off someone I have no power to fight back against if they decided I was worth their time? Or maybe you mean the freedom to spend every day afraid some rich prick will decide I belong to him and bend whateverws he feels like to make it so. So fuck it, go ahead and p a cor on me. Or a piercing or brand or tattoo or whatever the fuck you do to im your property!¡± She was trembling by the time she finished, partly because of her anger and partly because her light was begging to be set free. Unleashed on whatever was making her feel so godsdamned angry. She stared Zaren in the face, taking in the slightly surprised expression he wore and wondering how satisfying it would be to smack it off his gorgeous face. Wait, his¡­his what? Then, yanking the wind right out of her sails, he chuckled. ¡°Something tells me we¡¯ll get along just fine.¡± Then he took a step back. ¡°Serena?¡± The blonde stepped forward, still wearing that damn warm expression that was like the human equivalent of a steaming cup of hot chocte on a freezing day. ¡°Zaren understands that, like many of the other demi-humans we¡¯ve met in our travels, you might be hesitant to let a man in your personal space. Is it alright if I put your cor on instead? We can always remove it at any time.¡± Well, that was¡­a shockingly reasonable offer. Far more than she would have expected from him. Or her. And Karina didn¡¯t miss the brief exchange between the two humans as Zaren handed the cor to Serena. If they weren¡¯t together, Karina would eat her shoe. What had Be said about a harem? Was Serena a member? Why did the thought of Zaren entertaining a whole host of women make her gut clench? Surely it was because she hated him and everything he stood for as a human and a Patron, right? When Serena approached she smelled like roses and sunshine. Not that sunshine had a smell, but that¡¯s what her soft, warm scent made Karina think of. It was like every part of this woman was designed to put her at ease. Tofort her. It was unnerving, really. With shockingly little pomp, a thin ck strip of fabric was ced around her neck. It was so light Karina hardly even felt it. She might have forgotten she wore itpletely were it not for the small weight of the sigil hanging from the strip, pressing into the skin just above where her corbones almost met. And, while the touch of just about anyone other than Rr or Jayme made her light writhe and twist beneath her skin, Serena¡¯s touch calmed it. ¡°Well,¡± Zaren said, tugging on his sleeves as if his shirt was ufortable, ¡°not to shit on Rr¡¯s hospitality, but I fucking hate this ce, so let¡¯s get moving, shall we?¡± Karina blinked. In a sh, his demeanor had shifted to something a little less noble and a little more¡­well, she wasn¡¯t sure, but she definitely didn¡¯t dislike it. ¡°After you, my lord.¡± Again with the grimace. ¡°Just Zaren is fine, trust me. The less titles and honorifics thrown my way, the better.¡± She had to fight her frown as he started towards the door. He even paused to hold it open for the three of them, which caused even Jayme to shoot her a confused look. She opened her mouth to speak, but Zaren chose that moment to say over his shoulder, ¡°We can talk more about what¡¯s expected of a member of my household when we¡¯re surrounded by walls I trust a little more. At the very least, know that I don¡¯t expect anything untoward of you, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Karina swallowed, but resolved only to nod. Now that she¡¯d calmed a little, the gravity of her situation was starting to hit her hard. She was currently beholden to aplete stranger, and she didn¡¯t fully understand why. Rr had sent her away, but it sounded like it was more for her benefit than his. He was trying to protect her. Surely that meant he knew she was his daughter, so why had he never said anything? If she¡¯d thought Jayme had garnered plenty of attention walking through the keep, it was nothingpared to the heads that turned to watch Zaren walk through the halls. He walked¡ªno, he stalked through the castle with his shoulders set and his chin tucked as if he expected to have to fight at a moment¡¯s notice, though his body was calm and rxed as if he were out for a stroll in the park. It was an odd way of moving that was as worrying as it was reassuring. Then, when they were almost out of the castle, she saw the face she hated most in this world. Lord Serrick Davvon¡¯s gaze was locked onto Zaren, his hand stroking that awful little goatee while his dark, beady eyes glittered with something that made her insides roil. Then they passed from him to his beautifulpanion and she saw the unmistakable heat of lust sh across his features. When he saw Karina bringing up the rear, his eyes went wide and his nostrils red. ¡°Pardon me, good sir,¡± he said, slinking into the hallway. Zaren didn¡¯t so much as tense,ing to a stop with a rxed poise that probably should have sent Serrick running for the hills. ¡°Something I can help you with?¡± Zaren asked coolly. ¡°Lord Serrick Davvon,¡± he said, wringing his hands together. There was an excitement in his eyes that made bile rise in Karina¡¯s throat. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice the Seelie you¡¯ve got there. Might I ask where you¡¯re taking Rr¡¯s prized pet?¡± If his words were meant to be bait, Zaren didn¡¯t rise to it in the slightest. Even if Serena¡¯s shoulders tensed nearly as much as Jayme¡¯s. ¡°Karina here is the newest member of my household, if that¡¯s who you¡¯re referring to. With Rr¡¯s blessing, if that makes a difference.¡± Serrick licked his lips. ¡°I see. After how protective the king has been of her over the years, I can only wonder what sum you paid to get her. A sum I¡¯d be happy to match, and then some, if you¡¯d be interested.¡± Disgust that she was being spoken about like an object to be bartered for warred with the fear of what he¡¯d no doubt do if she ever found herself at his mercy. Zaren, however, didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°No thanks. I don¡¯t trade in flesh.¡± In just those five words, Karina felt some of her dislike for Zaren dissipate. Serrick, however, seemed to have the opposite reaction. He took a step she assumed was meant to be threatening, but Zaren was hardly bothered. ¡°I see. Even if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be more than willing to pay for some time with her. I can assure you we can reach a very lucrative agreement, even if you¡¯re not willing to part with her permanently.¡± Her disgust was promptly washed away by fear at his words. With a heartrending pang, she realized that the man in front of her held the power to do just that. No longer was she protected by Rr. Thew didn¡¯t protect her either, even for as little as it ever had. Her only protection in this world were the whims of the man whose magic flowed through the cor at her throat, and that made her more terrified than she¡¯d ever been in her life. She took a step forward, far enough to be standing shoulder to shoulder with him and close enough that she could feel his body heat, then opened her mouth to¡­what? Beg? Plead that he not force her to entertain Serrick even for a moment? These kinds of deals weremonce among servants, especially those owned by the nobles and lords that frequented the castle. She had nothing to offer him that he didn¡¯t already own thanks to the cor she¡¯d so foolishly epted. Then his head tilted slightly, as if he was considering it, and her light began to slither and surge under her skin. She was still desperately trying to find the words to get him to tell Serrick to fuck off when he finally spoke. ¡°If Karina wants to spend her free time with you, that¡¯s her choice. If she doesn¡¯t, then I will happily back up her decision. Once again, Lord Davvon, I don¡¯t trade in flesh.¡± Serrick took another threatening step forward. In response, Zaren¡¯s hand found the small of her back. She froze, suddenly aware of a brand new danger. When anyone touched her, especially men, her light tried to react. If she lost control of it here, in front of these two men, then who knew what would happen to her? One man who owned her and another who would stop at nothing to do the same. If they knew she was as powerful as she was, then what might they do? But, adding to the heap of surprises she was going to have to spend the night unpacking, her light didn¡¯t rebel at his touch. Nor did it calm and still like when Serena or Jayme touched her. No, instead her light did something it had never done before. It sang within her, spinning in delight as if in a dance beneath her skin. She¡¯d long interpreted her light as acting with emotion, and it took her a moment to understand the tion with which her light responded to Zaren¡¯s touch. Her light had never been wrong before. It loved Jayme, and it despised men like Serrick, yet it flowed through her with a warmth that had her fighting off a smile at just the smallest of gestures from this strange, dark man she¡¯d only just met. Struggling with the alien sensation, it took her a moment to realize Serrick was speaking again. ¡°¡­believe I caught your name,¡± he was saying. ¡°Lord Zaren Nocht,¡± Zaren responded, his tone even. Judging by the way Serrick¡¯s eyes widened, he recognized the name. ¡°Seems you¡¯ve heard of me,¡± Zaren continued. ¡°Though I can only wonder who from.¡± Serrick straightened to his full height¡ªwhich was several inches shorter than Zaren¡ªand puffed out his chest. ¡°You should be careful, Lord Nocht. There are many in the capital who you really wouldn¡¯t want as an enemy.¡± His eyes flicked towards Karina. ¡°A lowly Seelie surely isn¡¯t worth all the¡­animosity that might follow a disagreement between lords such as you and I.¡± A shiver went down Karina¡¯s spine, and she knew Zaren felt it. Then his hand slid lower. his long, iron-like fingers curling around her hip, pulling her flush with his side. His fingers brushed against a strip of exposed skin between where her tunic had ridden up and where her pants sat, and it felt like fire was burning her where they touched. Her light coiled within her preened in delight, and she had to fight the urge to lean into him. To show this unworthy wretch in front of her that a far superior male held im to her. What the fuck? Bottling up that insanely weird and powerful line of thought that barged into her mind and burying it down to be examined never, Karina fought to not be overwhelmed by the hardness of his side or the faint smell of leather and steel that she found oddly alluring. She blinked away the confusion, focusing on the interaction between the two men, trying to ignore the deep rumble of Zaren¡¯s voice that she could feel pressed against him like this. ¡°I can assure you, Lord Davvon, that I¡¯ve dealt with more than my fair share of enemies who thought much the same. And if Karina here is enough to make us enemies? Well, I¡¯m not sure I would have wanted to be allies in the first ce.¡± His grip on her waist tightened and a shudder passed through her, this one not born of revulsion or disgust. ¡°So if you¡¯re done making empty threats, I think we¡¯re done here.¡± Serrick glowered, but then Serena stepped to Karina¡¯s other side. She ced aforting hand on the shoulder not tucked into Zaren¡¯s side and a faint golden glow started emanating from her skin. The unmistakable mark of divine power. Serrick¡¯s glower darkened, and he stormed off without another word. As soon as he was gone, Jayme spun towards Zaren with a snarl on her lips, ready to demand he unhand Karina. She came to a stop, though whether it was the intense expression on Zaren¡¯s face as he stared after Serrick or whatever expression Karina currently wore while looking up at him, it was impossible to tell. ¡°Who was he?¡± Zaren asked. The words came out as amand, but not like the ones Karina was used to hearing. She¡¯d spent her life around men who thought they had the power to boss others around for no other reason than the size of their coffers or the circumstances of their birth, but Zaren¡¯s tone carried something far weightier to it. A kind of authority that felt much more earned than given. Jayme must have felt it too, because she snapped to attention. ¡°Lord Serrick Davvon. He owns a not so small estate in the upper quarter, left to him by his father. His family is old blood, but he¡¯s as slimy and as useless as theye.¡± Zaren¡¯s grip tightened further. Any tighter and it might leave bruising on her waist, but she simply couldn¡¯t find it in her toin. Not when her head was swimming from her light demanding she hold him just as tightly in return. ¡°And his¡­rtionship to Karina?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t one,¡± Jayme insisted angrily. ¡°He¡¯s just a slimy pervert with a fetish for Seelie. He¡¯s been after her for some time, and I¡¯ll kill him before I let him touch her. For any reason.¡± The threat implied by her words was clear, but Zaren hardly seemed to notice it. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure he wants her for that reason.¡± Then he grimaced. ¡°Well, not solely for that reason. I don¡¯t like him.¡± While Karina agreed heartily¡ªwith thetter half, at least¡ªshe was facing another issue. If she didn¡¯t put some distance between herself and Zaren, she might just give in to the impulse to climb him like a tree. A very worrying urge that had to belong to her light, because surely she¡¯d never feel that way about a human, much less a stranger she hadn¡¯t even known for an hour. ¡°Let me go.¡± Inwardly, she cursed. She¡¯d meant the words toe out as a demand, with all the rage and anger she¡¯d thrown at him back in the meeting room, but it came out soft and breathy. Like a moonstruck teenager. More a pleading request than anything else, and one that wasn¡¯t the slightest bit convincing, even to her. He looked down at her with a frown that only deepened as he realized he was still pulling her into his side. He let her go hastily and stepped away as if he hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been holding her. Like his actions had been purely instinctual. Something that was inordinately pleasing to her light¡ªwhich twisted in disappointment at their sudden separation¡ªas well as annoyingly endearing for reasons she couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom right now. ¡°My apologies,¡± he said, still frowning. ¡°I was going to have Jayme take you back to my manor, but for now I think I¡¯ll keep you with me until we¡¯re done in the temple district.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t fight the twisting of her features. ¡°The temple district?¡± He arched an amused brow. ¡°Something you want to say?¡± Not for the first time just since she¡¯d met him, she was d it was hard to tell when a Seelie with her coloring was blushing. When she didn¡¯t answer, he chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said from the corner of his mouth, ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of Iliri either.¡± A nervousugh bubbled out of Karina before she could stop it. She mped a hand over her mouth and red at him usingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± He winked. Winked. ¡°Didn¡¯t have to. Don¡¯t worry, though, I can promise she¡¯ll be so busy talking shit to me she won¡¯t even realize you¡¯re there.¡± With one final look in the direction Serrick disappeared to, he turned towards the front doors of the castle. Serena, who still had her hand on Karina¡¯s shoulder, gave her a squeeze. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zaren won¡¯t let anything like that happen to you. And men like that Serrick?¡± She leaned in close to whisper conspiratorially. ¡°Well, they¡¯d better watch their back, because Zaren really likes taking them apart.¡± Then she turned to follow Zaren, slipping her arm under his to wrap around it. Jayme stepped up next to Karina, both her brows raised high. ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± Karina knew Jayme was asking about her ss. Karina shook her head. ¡°When I figure it out, I¡¯ll let you know.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± Jayme asked, nodding. ¡°So he¡¯s cuuuuute,¡± she teased. ¡°Jayme, don¡¯t you even fucking start with me,¡± Karina hissed. That wasn¡¯t a thought she was interested in entertaining right now. Even if she did agree. Just a little. Chapter Seventy-Eight: Divine Orders Chapter Seventy-Eight: Divine Orders As we made our way towards the temple district, I did my best to keep my gaze from drifting towards the newest member of House Nocht as best I could. It was difficult, though, and not for the reasons I would have expected. I¡¯d only met a handful of Seelie in my time, but she carried the same unearthly lure. The faintest ethereal glow came from her rosy pink skin, encouraging my gaze and making me feel like I was being pulled towards her in a way I strongly disliked. I hated any magical effect that threatened my control over my own body, which meant I¡¯d have to be on guard around her at all times. I very much doubted any advances on my part would be wee in the slightest. But I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t having some difficulty. Even under that Seelie mour she was gorgeous. High cheekbones, an adorable button nose, plump lips that were just shy of being toorge for her narrow face, and eyes with irises that swirled like molten silver that gave the impression someone had trapped moonlight in them. And her hair, full and shining, a sea of blue and gold tied in a thick, loose braid, caught the bright sunlight over and over, adding to the otherworldly vibe that constantly tugged at my attention. Just in her appearance, she was beautiful. When that nose had wrinkled in anger? When those lips had drawn into a t line? When those eyes practically glowed with the rage and frustration her position had left her in? When, despite this shit world and the circumstances forced upon her, I¡¯d watched a fire light within her? Fuck. In a world without the ords, I liked to think we¡¯d be fast friends. As it was, I could fully understand Rr¡¯s need to get her the fuck out of the royal keep. Even now, after she¡¯d calmed considerably, I could tell she struggled with upholding the demeanor expected of a demi-human servant. The girl had steel in her, and I found myself hoping we could at least find somemon ground eventually. Another reason it was difficult to keep my eyes from wandering to where she walked shoulder-to-shoulder with her friend, Jayme, was her reactions. The way her eyes had grown so wide they nearly fell from her skull when we¡¯d gotten to therge, ornate buildings that filled the temple district told me she hadn¡¯t spent much time outside of the pce. Her gaze devoured the world around her like she wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d ever have another opportunity. I suppose from her perspective, that felt like a very real possibility. Irritation stabbed me once again. Not at her, but at the system that left her with such an ingrained¡ªthough likely well-earned¡ªmistrust for men like me. I wonder how she¡¯d react if she knew the amount of power I now held over her likely made me almost as ufortable as it did her. But it would do no good to try and convince her of that. I knew the drill. There were no words that would earn her trust, but if I was careful and consistent then perhaps I could do it through action. And the longer we walked, the more I realized that I really wanted that trust. Once again, my mind went back to just before we¡¯d left the castle. When we¡¯d been stopped by that slimy lord that made my skin crawl. I¡¯d pulled her into me without even realizing it. Tucked her into my side and prepared to dump all my Soul Essence into my shadows if it meant keeping her safe. And in the moment where I¡¯d realized what I¡¯d done, between her request that had something in me threatening to snap and finding the wherewithal to release her and give her the space she needed, it had felt so¡­right. I was fiercely protective of her, and we hadn¡¯t even known one another for an hour. The logical side of me was worried about that prospect, but the emotional side was only bothered by the distance with which I now held myself. I felt the same need to protect her that I felt for any of the women who¡¯d be incredibly important to me, which was insane. I would have protected her regardless between Rr¡¯s request and my apparent innate need to defend those this world has been cruelest to, but the vigor with which my body had sprung to her defense worried me. I really didn¡¯t like not being in control of my body. The paranoid facet of my mind pointed out that some kind of skill could be responsible, but I dismissed that. Mainly because, in that moment where I¡¯d pulled away, she¡¯d seemed just as confused as I had. Surely if she was manipting me in some way, she would be much cleverer about it. Once again, I lost the internal battle and nced over my shoulder at her. From the poorly concealed smirk on her face, it was something that hadn¡¯t slipped past Serena¡¯s notice in the slightest. I could only imagine how Rhani would react, both when she saw the gorgeous, strong-willed Seelie who would now be living with us and when Serena inevitably snitched and told my Arelim how hard a time I was having keeping my eyes off Karina¡¯s glowing expression. A soft smile pulled at those plump lips, and her expression was wistful. I followed her gaze and saw she was looking at a food cart offering candied nuts. One of many carts offering foods and treats on the main street leading into the temple district proper. Her lip ended up trapped between her teeth, and I couldn¡¯t help myself. ¡°Would you like some?¡± I asked softly. She jumped, her face turning towards the ground like she¡¯d been caught doing something wrong. ¡°N-no,¡± she said, doing her best to sound timid. Her tone, expression, and bodynguage took me back to when I¡¯d first met Rhani. I knew she was putting on an act, and I had to guess she didn¡¯t have a fiercely protective older sister to help her nail that act down. I¡¯m sure a part of it stemmed from having seen a glimpse of the real Karina and that I was actively searching for the deception, but her servant act had plenty of room for improvement. I was half-tempted to buy them anyways, but I knew she¡¯d turn them down. I exchanged a nce with Serena. Through her amusement, an understanding passed between us. She shot a flirty wink, then dropped back and engaged a very wary Karina in conversation. I did the same, only I stepped up beside Jayme instead. She tensed, tearing her gaze from the streets around us. She was taking her job as a protector seriously, and I appreciated that. All the same, I summoned some silver from my storage and held it out. She took it before she realized what it was, then her eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡°Karina¡¯s damn near drooling just at the smell of those,¡± I said, nodding towards the candied nuts stand. ¡°Go grab some for the both of you.¡± Her lips thinned. ¡°I¡¯m not some errand girl,¡± she said through clenched teeth. ¡°I¡¯m well aware, which is why I asked you get some for yourself as well. Consider it an advance.¡± She frowned. ¡°Why?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯d do it, but I highly doubt Karina would ept them from me.¡± Jayme watched me for a second, then the corner of her mouth twitched. ¡°Got her all figured out already, huh?¡± Augh slipped out of me. ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± But I¡¯d like to. Now it was my turn to frown. Karina was getting under my skin even faster than Jack/Vivian had, and I was positive she had no clue she was even doing it. I had to fight a grin when I wondered if I was getting under her skin just as badly. That desire to grin faded when something urred to me. Something I knew I¡¯d need to test, but I¡¯d need her trust to do it. Shoving the thoughts down, I returned my attention to Jayme. ¡°A day like this, I¡¯d say she needs a pick-me-up. A gift from her friend might not make it all better, but trust me when I say even a small gesture can keep you standing when you¡¯re having a shit time.¡± A myriad of emotions flitted behind Jayme¡¯s eyes. Distrust, confusion, and curiosity were prevalent, but eventually she nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I said, halting her before she could head off towards the stand. ¡°What¡¯s your weapon of choice?¡± She eyed me warily. ¡°Sword and shield, but I¡¯ll grab my things once we get Karina to her new home.¡± I didn''t miss the venom in her tone at thest few words, nor could I me her for it. ¡°It was my day off, and I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d need to¡ªwell, I didn¡¯t expect all this.¡± ¡°Understandable.¡± I stepped back and looked her over, taking note of the length of her arms and the way she held herself. Her shoulders were broad and her arms rippled with corded muscle. The evenness in those muscles told me she was either somewhat ambidextrous or that she fought exclusively with a weapon or shield in both hands. After brief deliberation, I summoned a sword and kite shield from my storage, handing them over. She took them with wide eyes. ¡°These¡­don¡¯t suck. Hells, they might be better than what I¡¯ve got right now.¡± If she was using standard guard gear, I was hardly surprised. While they were far from the fanciest weaponry in my vault, they were of fine make and magically reinforced. ¡°Do a good enough job and you can keep them.¡± Immediately, her eyes narrowed. ¡°And that job would be¡­?¡± ¡°Protecting Karina, of course.¡± Her eyes flicked towards where Karina and Serena were still talking. Already my priestess¡¯s warmth was breaking through her barriers, it seemed. ¡°Protecting Karina is the only reason I¡¯m here.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°And, since Rr has loaned you to me, I can make that an official order. Protect Karina at all costs, and any blowback from your actions falls on me.¡± She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Finally, she gave up and closed it, strapping the sword to her hip and hanging the shield on her back. ¡°What¡¯s your game, here?¡± she asked eventually. "What do you want with Karina? How¡¯d you get the king to toss her aside like that?¡± One of my brows arched. ¡°Toss her aside?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I need Rr¡¯s help, and his price is protecting Karina. I can do that with or without you, but she¡¯s more likely to ept your help than mine for obvious reasons.¡± My eyes were drawn back to the Seelie, who seemed to be fighting a smile at whatever Serena was saying with mischief in her eyes and her mouth hidden. When I returned my gaze to Jayme her expression had softened, though it was still wary. ¡°What I do, I do for her. Not for you, and not even for the king,¡± she said softly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± She stared me down for another beat, no doubt searching my demeanor for any deception or malice. She must not have found anything, because she turned and headed towards the stand to purchase some sweets for her and Karina. I approached the other two, and I¡¯d barely made it a few steps before Karina tensed. She hadn¡¯t even been looking in my direction, which meant she was more perceptive than she appeared. When she turned her body towards me, her arms were mped tightly across her chest. Her eyes darted around, widening in panic until they locked onto Jayme at the stand. She calmed at the sight of her friend, but I could tell she was still bothered that me and Serena were much closer than the girl she so obviously trusted. ¡°So why are we here?¡± she asked, her tone harsh. Even she winced at the sound of it, adding a much softer, ¡°sir.¡± I fought the urge to grin. ¡°Trying to see if we can talk to a goddess,¡± I said with a shrug. Her brows rose. ¡°A goddess? Have conversations with them often, then?¡± This time my lips did curl ever so slightly, despite my best efforts. ¡°Not as often as I¡¯d like to, since I¡¯m working for one.¡± She retreated a step before catching herself. ¡°You¡¯re a Chosen?¡± Serena sucked in her breath, but I just shook my head. ¡°Chosen adjacent, at best. I made a deal with a goddess, but she doesn¡¯t own me. That satisfy your curiosity?¡± Her gaze was locked on mine, the swirling silver holding me captive and making me feel like something was tugging at my chest. She stared me down until Jayme returned, then seemed to realize what she was doing and nched, averting her gaze and fixing her eyes on my feet. I bit back the unexpected frustration that welled in my sternum and cleared my throat. ¡°Serena, you know where you¡¯re going, so if you would?¡± With an amused nod, she turned and headed off the main street between two gilded temples. She pulled out her amulet¡ªthe one with Allura¡¯s symbol on it¡ªand rubbed her thumb against its worn surface absentmindedly. We hadn¡¯t made it far, though, when I felt too many eyes on us. I swallowed the groan that wanted so desperately toe out. The temple had juste into view¡ªa much smaller temple than the rest, though beautifully built with red and gold fabric decorating its windows and entrance¡ªwhen an all too familiar figure strolled out onto the road in front of us. I wished I could say Iliri looked like an old hag,plete with warts and a hunch. Unfortunately, that simply wasn¡¯t true. She¡¯d aged, certainly, but if anything the lines around her mouth and eyes only served to make her look even sharper than she had before. Her long, aristocratic nose, narrow and neat brows, and thin, stern lips still had the uncanny effect of making me want to avert my eyes and apologize for everything I¡¯d ever done. Her gaze locked on me immediately, and while mypanions all froze in their tracks I forced myself not to react at all past taking a few extra steps and slipping my hands in my pockets like I was hardly bothered by one of the most powerful clerics in the world. It took all of two seconds for Iliri decide that I was exactly who she thought I was. Her chin rose, and she looked down her long nose at me with a look that anyone else would assume to be a dignified air of aloofness. I¡¯d traveled with her long enough to recognize the way the skin around her eyes tightened and her lips curled ever so slightly. It was an expression thatnded somewhere between disgust and disappointment, which was practically where I lived ording to her. ¡°So the rumors are true,¡± she said in a velvety voice that really made me want to hit something. No doubt she had some kind of informationwork spread throughout the district that had tagged us the moment we¡¯d arrived. ¡°Depends on the rumors,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°That you have the nerve to show your face here, in this city, after you abandoned us.¡± That drew augh out of me, which startled everyone but Iliri. ¡°Seriously? Let¡¯s not pretend you didn¡¯t host a revel the second you heard I¡¯d left the city.¡± I shook my head. ¡°How many times did you say, to my face, that my skill with killing was the only reason Rr kept around? How many times did you tell me¡ªand I¡¯m quoting you here¡ªthat the second the threat was gone nobody would want me around?¡± Iliri¡¯s lips curled further, but she didn¡¯t deny my words. Though her eyes did flick to Serena, whose shoulders had gone stiff as a board. Then they traveled over Jayme and Karina, catching on the cor at her throat. Her mouth twisted. ¡°I should have known you¡¯d be quick to take advantage of the ords. Without a worldwide threat forcing the desperate to ally with you, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the only way you can force others to remain in yourpany.¡± The silence that followed her deration was deafening, but I felt like something had been lifted from my shoulders. A weight that had long beenpressing my lungs seemed to lift, and I smiled. Iliri¡¯s reaction to my expression was immediate. Her brows furrowed and she took a half step backwards, which was the Iliri equivalent of screaming in terror. ¡°Thank you,¡± I told her earnestly. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For making me realize you don¡¯t know shit about me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It used to hurt, that the woman everyone idolized thought I was scum. I thought much the same, so I never really questioned it. Now I know differently, though. You don¡¯t know the most basic thing about me, and all your judgments are based on who you think I am. It¡¯s a bit of a relief, honestly.¡± And that was true. When I¡¯d sat in the room with Rr, it was like he¡¯d expected me to leap over the table and attack him at any moment. He¡¯d known exactly how I¡¯d feel about the ords. The guild. All of it. He¡¯d been terrified I was here to destroy everything because he understood me. Sandrel, too. Even Be, as rarely as we got along, understood that I wouldn¡¯t stand for the atrocitiesmitted in my absence. But not Iliri. Never Iliri. She made her judgments the first time she met you, and it took a literal act of a god to change that opinion. She¡¯d written me off long before I even understood who or what I really, truly was. But that was her problem, not mine. Her nostrils red in response, and I knew if she wasn¡¯t worried about the carefully constructed image she¡¯d rued over thest thirty years and some change she would have sted me already. Instead, she drew herself to her full height, which was annoyingly tall. ¡°What are you doing here, Zaren? We both know your opinion on the gods, as well as their opinion of you.¡± My fingers twitched in my pockets. ¡°Why, Iliri, I¡¯m here to pray of course. Surely you wouldn¡¯t turn away a sinner such as I? One who so clearly needs the guidance of the divine? Or are you still selective on who deserves redemption?¡± Her expression barely changed, but that was standard for Iliri. Her lips became a thin line and her head tilted forward, which was her own version of a murderous grimace. ¡°I can only assume you¡¯re here to cause trouble, and if that¡¯s the case then I will ask you to leave. You don¡¯t belong here, Godyer.¡± I opened my mouth to respond, but Serena beat me to it. ¡°That isn¡¯t your decision to make,¡± she said in a cool voice that made me raise a brow. Her eyes flicked to Serena¡¯s face once more, then to the amulet at her neck. Sheughed mirthlessly. ¡°I see, now things make sense.¡± The insinuation that I was just after Allura¡¯s boons irked me, but that was nothingpared to the re of anger I felt through the Link between Serena and I. Serena sped her hands in front of her, a wide smile on her face. ¡°I see, your god must have informed you that we¡¯re on a mission given to us by Allura herself, then. I assume that¡¯s what you¡¯re referring to, at least.¡± Iliri gaped, but Serena barreled on before she could get a word in edgewise. ¡°Wait, that can¡¯t be right. If memory serves, Chosen no longermune with their god after their conflict ends. That means Zaren has talked with more gods than even you in thest thirty years.¡± The former Chosen in front of us looked like she¡¯d been punched in the gut. ¡°Gods? Plural?¡± Serena nodded solemnly. ¡°Oh, yes. Both Allura and Fortuna. Then Tydarr sent his Chosen to try and get information out of us, but that didn¡¯t go all ording to his ns. But then you¡¯ve already done your duty, haven¡¯t you? We wouldn¡¯t want to disrupt your day-to-day. After all, you¡¯ve got this wonderful temple district to run. It¡¯s so much nicer than the one in the lower quarter, isn¡¯t it?¡± Iliri blinked. ¡°There isn¡¯t one in the lower quarter.¡± Serena¡¯s smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m aware, I just wasn¡¯t sure you were. Though I guess I can¡¯t me you or the other priests and priestesses here. After all, anyone who can¡¯t make it up to your district probably doesn''t have the money to make any real donations.¡± Iliri glowered, and I resisted the urge to step between them. Serena could handle herself, and I had to have trust in her. Besides, this was one of the most entertaining things I¡¯d witnessed in a while. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever seen anyone other than me rankle Iliri¡¯s feathers quite so effectively. ¡°What exactly are you insinuating, girl?¡± She spat thest word, but Serena didn¡¯t so much as blink. ¡°Oh, nothing at all.¡± She stepped close enough to wrap her arms around mine, resting her cheek on my shoulder. ¡°With Zaren¡¯s resources, I¡¯m sure we can figure something out. You can keep your district nice and¡­clean. But, if it¡¯s all the same to you, I wish to go to my temple. Surely you wouldn¡¯t turn away a priestess for personal reasons, would you? From all the stories, I figured the great Iliri, Chosen cleric of Eelia would be above such worldly pettiness. I wasn¡¯t mistaken, was I?¡± I fought to keep my amusement off my expression while Iliri ground her teeth so hard I could hear it across the way. There were more than a few people who had found a reason to stop and watch the spectacle, and if Iliri chose to kick us out now then the whole city would surely know by sundown. ¡°Of course not. All are wee in the houses of the gods, as long as they do not mean to incite strife. You wouldn¡¯t be opposed to an escort, would you? After all, Zaren and I have such a rich history, it would be an insult to let anyone else do so.¡± Serena didn¡¯t so much as miss a beat. ¡°That would be lovely. Please,¡± she gestured. A vein had started to throb in Iliri¡¯s forehead, but she stepped aside to let Serena and I walk through. I risked a nce at ourpanions, who were both staring between Serena and Iliri with barely concealed expressions of shock and awe. Karina saw my nce and shot a bbergasted look at me, her eyes demanding answers. I shot her a wink and her mouth snapped shut, her cheeks darkening ever so slightly, before pointedly looking away. When we finally made it to the temple, a tired looking woman with frazzled hair doing its damnedest to escape a once-tight braid met us with a shallow, hurried bow. ¡°Wee to the temple of Allura.¡± Her eyes, which had deep bags under them, flicked between me and Serena. ¡°My name is Sel. I assume you¡¯re here for a rite, will we be setting up for fertility, virility, or a blessing for an unborn child?¡± Serena¡¯s grip tightened on my arm and I was powerless to stop the deep bellyugh that bubbled out of me. The priestess jumped, and I could feel Iliri¡¯s stare burning into my back, but I didn¡¯t care. Poor Allura, it seemed everyone really had decided she was a sex goddess. I got myughter under control. ¡°None of the above. We¡¯re just here to pray.¡± She swallowed, her brow furrowing in confusion, but eventually she nodded. ¡°Of course. Right this way then, my lord. I¡¯ll be around should you need anything else.¡± We entered the temple, and I took a good look around. While many of the other temples I¡¯d seen or been in¡ªespecially those on the main road¡ªoozed wealth and opulence, Allura¡¯s temple was cozy. The adornments were fine to be sure, but they were much more muted than the in-your-face glowing gold and jewels that filled the other temples. Walking in, to my great surprise, felt right. ¡°Oddly enough, I don¡¯t hate it,¡± I said out of the corner of my mouth. Serena swatted my arm. ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful temple, but it isn¡¯t often Allura gets much recognition.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Even from people who treat her like a sex goddess. Yrena, the goddess of Lust, gets a lot of that traffic nowadays. And with the way things have¡­gone over thest three decades, family and love are almost more of a luxury than anything else.¡± I patted her hand. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have to see if we can fix that. Come on, I assume there¡¯s an altar?¡± With a nod, she pulled me to the front. Karina and Jayme stayed near the entrance, looking ufortable, and I nodded to tell them that was fine. At the front of the room was a statue that was surprisingly urate to Allura. In the face, at least. Some of her other features were a little exaggerated, though not by much. Serena lowered her head, her lips moving silently, but I kept my eyes raised. Allura knew when she made our deal that I wasn¡¯t one to prostrate or grovel. If that ended up being the only option, then I might consider it, but I had to think after the way our initial conversation had gone she wouldn¡¯t want to piss me off so greatly. She would hardly cater to my whims, but she was willing to deal before, so why not now? With Serena¡¯s arms still wrapped around mine, I took a breath. ¡°Look, Allura,¡± I said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡ª¡± That was as far as I got before light exploded in my skull, obliterating the world around us. # # # The searing pain and disorienting spinning sensation faded eventually, and when I finally opened my eyes I realized I was sitting on a plush chair in a room that most definitely wasn¡¯t the temple we¡¯d just been sitting in. Serena was tucked against my side, murmuring as she pushed herself into a sitting position and cradling the side of her head. A soft gasp slipped past her lips when she finally managed to look around, but my attention was squarely on the familiar woman sitting in the vaguely throne-shaped seat across from us. She smiled warmly at me when she realized I was awake, and I heard a second gaspe from Serena. ¡°You certainly took your time,¡± she said, her voice silken smooth. I scoffed. ¡°Yeah, that tends to happen when you dump me in the middle of nowhere a month away from your nearest temple.¡± Amusement glittered in her eyes, but it hid something else. Another emotion she was concealing that set my teeth on edge. ¡°Beggars can¡¯t be choosers, but we¡¯re here now. That¡¯s what matters.¡± Serena opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Allura pursed her lips. ¡°Sorry, love, but you¡¯re not quite strong enough to host these conversations and participate in them. Not yet, at least. Someday, you will be.¡± Then she returned her attention to me. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy, Zaren.¡± ¡°So have you, it seems,¡± I shot back. Something flickered in her eyes again. There and gone again so quickly I couldn¡¯t decipher what, but I couldn¡¯t help but think she leaned forward ever so slightly at my words. ¡°How do you mean?¡± ¡°My allies?¡± Her eyes narrowed a fraction, and I knew I was on to something. ¡°You¡¯ve put a number of them in my path, haven¡¯t you? Manipted their skills and sses? Led me to a couple of them? Or are you going to lie like you did thest time?¡± Her expression hardened, but only for a second. ¡°I did not lie. I will hold up my end of our bargain, just as I hope you will hold up yours. You¡¯ve been doing an admirable job so far.¡± But I shook my head. ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t intervene because Karn was ying both sides. Fortuna said it was because he¡¯d made some kind of divine blindspot. Which is it?¡± ¡°Fortuna?¡± Allura demanded, then caught herself. ¡°Neither are lies, neither are fully true. However he created the blind spot, his actions with both the light and dark sides of the conflict factored in. That¡¯s the extent of what I know, though. Much of what Karn did as well as why he did it is still shrouded in mystery, but that isn¡¯t important.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡± I challenged. ¡°He¡¯s connected to everything that¡¯s happening now. The cors and the vers are from the things he did. I¡¯m not so sure he¡¯s done affecting things.¡± She crossed one leg over the other, intecing her fingers and leaning back. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡± I tilted my head, frowning. Something about this whole conversation felt¡­off. I just couldn¡¯t quite put my finger on what. ¡°But we should really talk about what muste next.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already working to undermine the guild¡¯s current practices and dismantle the ords, as well as figure out who exactly is still using Karn¡¯s techniques and artifacts.¡± She inclined her head. ¡°That¡¯s a good start, to be sure. You also need to find the other Primal sses and win them over.¡± My brows rose. ¡°Win them over?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Six sses built from the original six Primal magics that this world used to defend itself long before the System was ever put into ce.¡± She nodded, as much to herself as to me. ¡°In the conflict toe, the victor may very well be determined by who has the most Primal sses on their side. Six who are not bound by fate or bnce, they will be the ones to tip us into chaos or order. You¡¯ve already found two on your own, which is phenomenal, but you have to keep searching for the other three.¡± Serena¡¯s arms tightened around mine, and I could read her gaze as easily as if she¡¯d spoken. ¡°Two counting me?¡± I asked. Allura shook her head with a small smile, and I frowned. It wasn¡¯t arge leap to assume Jack was one, Her mes called to my shadows in a way that meant we had to be connected, but who could the other one be? I¡¯d have to figure it out quickly, it seemed. ¡°That¡¯s not all, either,¡± Allura said. ¡°There¡¯s something else you need to find, but I can¡¯t tell you much about¡ªwhat the fuck!?¡± She shot to her feet, her eyes fixed on something next to me. Frowning, I looked to see the Jailer¡¯s de leaning against the chair Serena and I were sitting in. The Link between me and Ash thrummed, as if she was asking, where¡¯d you go all the sudden? ¡°How did that¡ª¡± Allura asked in a voice that didn¡¯t belong to her. Her eyes widened, and she spoke again, this time in her normal voice. ¡°You were meant to keep the sword from falling into your enemies hands, not bond with it to the point where it could barge in on our conversations.¡± ¡°You knew when you chose me that I don¡¯t really follow instructions well,¡± I said dryly. I reached out and wrapped my hand around the de. Only then did I realize it had joined us without the scabbard that kept it from devouring me. The second I touched the hilt, something ripped through the core of my being. Like something had been ripped from me, only to be jammed back into ce in a way that fit better than before. This time, when the impressions passed through our Link, I understood them. They weren¡¯t quite words, but they made as much sense as if the sword had grown a mouth and started speaking with me. Whatcha doin¡¯? Ash asked. ¡°Talking with Allura,¡± I answered. Excitement trilled between us. Really? Where is she? I like her, she took away the wall! ¡°What wall?¡± I asked, ignoring the incredulous looks Allura and Serena were giving me. You know, the wall! The one that kept you from hearing me before? It was the least she could do though. She was the one who put it there in the first ce. I blinked, trying to decipher what the fuck Ash was talking about. The wall that kept us separate? She could only be talking about [Cursed Existence]. The skill had protected me from the harsher effects of the de, but it had also acted as a barrier to keep us from truly being connected. I¡¯d elected to forgo the skill this time around, and that was the sole reason my bond with the sword had grown to the point it had. But then, if Allura was the one who put it there¡­ Cold fury ripped through me, obliterating all rational thought. Serena made a pained sound and the world around us seemed to fade before snapping back into reality. I struggled to get my emotions under control before I did something to hurt Serena, then turned my attention onto Allura. If she was the one who gave me [Cursed Existence], the very skill that had allowed me to escape Karn¡¯s cor, then¡ª So, where is she? Ash asked again. I frowned. ¡°She¡¯s right there,¡± I said, tipping the sword towards Allura. Really? Is she hiding behind that other goddess? I don¡¯t sense her anywhere. My anger settled into something icy. I turned my gaze on ¡®Allura¡¯ and she paled. Suddenly the sense of unease I¡¯d felt made sense. This Allura had been almost exactly like the goddess who¡¯d I¡¯d made a deal with what felt like an eternity ago, but she wasn¡¯t quite right. It was the smallest things. Tiny mannerisms. The way her lips sat when she wasn¡¯t speaking. How her hands moved when she was idle. Her reaction to the sword. ¡°You aren¡¯t Allura, are you?¡± I asked. Serena stiffened, but ¡®Allura¡¯ only shot a dirty look at the Jailer¡¯s de. ¡°Spoilsport,¡± she muttered, waving a hand. Her visage melted into a slender woman with raven-ck hair that fell down to her waist, her skin the color of the moon and her eyes a warm violet that carried the divine weight of a goddess. ¡°So who are you, then?¡± I demanded. She crossed her arms. ¡°Keona.¡± I frowned, trying to recall the name. ¡°That¡¯s a minor goddess, isn¡¯t it?¡± That was the wrong thing to say. ¡°I¡¯m as much a minor goddess as my mother is a sex goddess!¡± She collected herself. ¡°Though, technically, my domain is somewhat narrower than what you would call a major god or goddess.¡± She waited for me to fill in the nks, then her expression grew more frustrated. ¡°Lost children?¡± ¡°Right. Again, not a fan of the gods, so you really shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Lost children. I should hate you most of all, then, for failing the others.¡± She looked away, her expression twisted with loathing that I wasn¡¯t entirely sure was aimed outward. ¡°And why do you think I¡¯m here? She put me in charge of¡ªwell, that isn¡¯t important right now.¡± She sighed, rubbing her forehead. ¡°Where is Allura, then? Or am I not worth speaking to in person?¡± She shot me a re. ¡°There¡¯s much you don¡¯t know.¡± She collected herself, then sat back down. Ash sent a trill of disappointment, apparently upset that Allura wasn¡¯t here after all, but remained in the room. ¡°Allura went missing about seven years ago. I waited as long as I could before I put her backup n into action.¡± ¡°Backup n? What backup n?¡± She paused. ¡°You, Zaren. You were always her trump card.¡± Well. Shit. ¡°So if she hadn¡¯t needed me¡­¡± I ventured. She just shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d have to ask Allura. I was told that if something happened to her, I needed to bring you back into y. One of your¡ªer, Rhani, who was a part of Allura¡¯s ns in a way I can¡¯t get into right now, was going to die. I put you in a position to save her and turned you loose on Kasidiel, and so far I¡¯m starting to understand why Allura held you in reserve for so long.¡± My anger was starting to rise again, but a hand on my thigh stopped me. I looked down to see Serena¡¯s eyes, wide with emotion, looking up at me. She anchored me, using our Link to pull me down and away from the fury I really wanted to unleash on the goddess in front of me. I took a long, long breath. ¡°So then why are we talking? Why now?¡± I asked. ¡°You have no real connection to me. By bringing your priestess into the temple, you created a strong enough connection to my mother that I could piggyback off it. Until now, I couldn¡¯t contact you.¡± She sat back, rubbing her temple again. ¡°You need to find Allura. She has a n, but she didn¡¯t know who to trust. She trusted me with more than anyone else because I was the only daughter who stood by her all these years, but even I don¡¯t know everything. Our enemies could win the war while we¡¯re trying to y catch up.¡± I had a number of other reasons I really wanted to have a conversation with the goddess of love, bonds, and family, but I wasn¡¯t dumb enough to say those out loud. ¡°And I don¡¯t suppose you have any idea how we do that? Where to start looking?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to do much of the legwork, unfortunately.¡± Her brow furrowed in frustration. ¡°The other gods have been looking, and as impossible as it seems the fact that nobody has had any sess so far makes me think mortals are involved. If a mortal has found some way to restrain Allura, only a mortal can free her.¡± ¡°You think this whole conspiracy we¡¯re trying to unravel is involved somehow?¡± I asked. She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s as good a ce to start as any. But I can give you some help. A marker.¡± Serena stiffened, her mouth agape, but I frowned. ¡°Care to exin?¡± Her head wobbled side to side. ¡°A marker is a physical manifestation of a god¡¯s will attached to a mortal, connecting them for a specific purpose. Allura left a marker behind for your priestess, and I can¡­alter that marker. Reverse its prity so that instead of using her divine magic to serve its original purpose, it¡¯ll use the cosmic energy generated by your deal to seek her out instead. It¡¯s built with what was left of the levels you gave Allura to cement your deal, which makes it powerful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing you won¡¯t be answering the dozens of questions that exnation raises?¡± Amusement flitted across her features. ¡°If you want to know the marker¡¯s original purpose, you¡¯ll have to find Allura. Only she can fix it, and finding her is more important than what it would do without my tampering.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even tell me what it¡¯s supposed to do?¡± ¡°Sorry, Zaren, but if I did you¡¯d demand I leave it be, and that simply isn¡¯t an option. I¡¯m certain that, once you know everything, you¡¯ll agree with my decision. If I¡¯m wrong, then even gaining you as an enemy would be a worthy sacrifice whenpared to the fall of our world.¡± I say let¡¯s do it! Ash chimed in. I gave the sword an exasperated look, and she shot the mental equivalent of a shrug through the Link. Allura gave you hope. You didn¡¯t have that before, and I like you a lot more when you¡¯re hopeful. So let¡¯s go find her, squeeze all the answers you need out of her, then destroy all your enemies! That drew a chuckle out of me, which served only to baffle the other two in the room. ¡°Sorry, talking to the sword.¡± I looked down at Serena. ¡°Well? You¡¯re the one who has to wear the marker. What do you say, want to go save your goddess¡¯s ass?¡± Serena nodded vigorously, and Keona let out a breath. ¡°Good. After everything I¡¯ve seen, you might actually have a chance at finding her.¡± Her lips quirked upwards. ¡°And undoing the horrors our enemies have forced upon this world along the way should be child¡¯s y for a fatebreaker like yourself.¡± Before I so much as had the chance to ask her what the fuck that meant, my vision went white again. Announcement Once again, deepest apologies to all for the dys on the chapter this week. Unfortunately I''m about to go out of town until Sunday, so the next chapter won''t drop until Tuesday at the usual time. After that, hopefully, we''ll be back to the normal schedule. -EApathy Chapter Seventy-Nine: Marked Chapter Seventy-Nine: Marked Before the light had even begun to fade, I was in pain. I¡¯d been electrocuted by some nasty skills once or twice, so it wasn¡¯t hard to pinpoint the cause of the full-body ache that throbbed through what felt like every muscle I knew of and more than a few I didn¡¯t. Step one was unclenching without falling over. Step two was rxing my jaw that was locked in ce so hard it was making my head pound. As the light¡ªas well as the ringing I didn¡¯t realize was there until it started to fade¡ªgave way to the temple, I realized we¡¯d amassed quite the crowd. Whispers surrounded us, and I felt the unmistakable gaze of Iliri burning into my back. I did my best to swallow a groan and popped my neck, then looked down at Serena while pretending I didn¡¯t feel like I¡¯d just been run over by a few horses. She was clenched like me, but her skin was pallid. A drop of blood fell from her nose while I watched, which had me stepping in front of her to grab her by the arms in an instant. She swayed a little, her eyes still closed, and reached up with her left hand to wipe the blood away. I opened my mouth to ask if she was alright when I saw her arm and my breath caught. I wasn¡¯t the only one. I had a feeling that the crowd around us were all whispering frantically about what I could only assume was Keona¡¯s marker. I gingerly grabbed her fingers and Serena finally opened her bleary eyes. She blinked a few times, then gasped. She held her hand up to the light, turning it with an expression of awe as she looked at the tattoo that hadn¡¯t been there just a moment ago. The ink started at the back of her hand and sprawled all the way up to her shoulder. Beautiful, intricate vines and flowers that trailed and twisted across her wless skin. When I trailed my fingers across the marker, I felt the faintest traces of divinity below her flesh. A startledugh escaped her lips and she ran her own fingers across it, no doubt alreadymitting every one of its features to memory just as I was. Each leaf, petal, and vine was so lifelike it looked like she¡¯d actually wrapped her arm in nts. It started on the back of her hand. A soft, brilliant flower the same gold as her magic was where it all seemed to start. While thin, delicate, leafy vines reached towards her knuckles, the rest of the tattoo started with two thicker vines that traveled up her wrist. One of the vine looped towards the inside of her arm where another flower sat, just below her palm. This one was a warm crimson that darkened to ck as the petals grew closer to the center, and from it another vine coiled its way up the inside of her forearm. Delicate leaves filled the nk space, but my gaze was drawn to what looked like four buds that had yet to bloom. On the outside of her arm, the other vine split again when it reached a flower that was the opposite of the first one. This one was mostly ck, but with crimson in its center. Her fingers traced one vine, mine the other. Her vine held four flowers and another bud. The first was a silver that reflected the light with trails of gold on the petals. Next came two flowers, one white and one ck, so close together it was as if they¡¯d sprouted from the same part of the vine. Thest bloomed flower was a gradient of bright gold and deep crimson that looked like a sunset. The one I trailed ended in a bud as well. In fact, the only flower that matched the others was a sky blue one with wide petals. The other two flowers had bloomed, but they were colorless. They were nothing more than outlines, even if they were the most realistic outlines I¡¯d ever seen. By the time we were done with our initial examination, some of her color had returned. Even without our Link, though, I would have known she was still unsteady. Iliri stepped forward with her hand outstretched and a wide-eyed look on her face, and a feral part of my instincts drove me forward. The hand still on Serena¡¯s non-markered arm pressed her into me. She didn¡¯t fight me in the slightest, instead stepping into my embrace to lean her head on my shoulder with her eyes jammed shut, clinging to me like she wasn¡¯t sure she could stand on her own just yet. I angled my body so that I was between her and Iliri, who stopped in her tracks. Her eyes widened even more. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of a mortal bearing a divine marker in¡­¡± she shook her head, her eyes flicking from where Serena¡¯s face was buried in my shoulder to me. ¡°We must begin studying it immediately.¡± My hackles rose. Serena let out a soft sound when I pressed her into me a little harder, but it wasn¡¯t one of difort. Quite the opposite. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to send one of you the notes, but I¡¯ll handle any research on my priestess¡¯s marker.¡± Fury shed across her face, but she schooled her features expertly. ¡°Zaren,e now. You and I both know your knowledge of the gods is¡­. Surely you¡¯re not so arrogant to reject my help.¡± I snorted. ¡°Considering the marker was made with me in mind, something tells me a lot of theological knowledge might actually be a hindrance.¡± Sheughed airily. ¡°You really think a goddess would go through the trouble of crafting a marker for you? No, we probably have record of it somewhere in the temple archives. The gods love reusing tools, after all. You can leave your priestess with us and we¡¯ll return her to you once we¡¯ve determined the marker¡¯s purpose.¡± At the barely hidden sneer when she said the word ¡®priestess,¡¯ I felt a tug on my mana. I knew without needing to look that my shadows had started to creep into the air around me just from the way the other onlookers took several steps back. All but Karina and Jayme, who were watching the whole interaction with interest. I opened my mouth, unsure and uncaring of what was about toe out of it, but Serena pushed herself away just far enough to stand under her own power, though her hand remained on my chest. ¡°While we appreciate the offer, we have all the information needed. Our conversation with the goddess told us everything we need to know for now.¡± Iliri stiffened. ¡°You spoke to Allura?¡± ¡°Keona, actually,¡± I admitted. ¡°That brings my tally up to four gods sticking their fingers in my pies.¡± The former Chosen bristled, but then her eyes fell to the hand on my chest. Whether by ident or design, it was the one that bore the marker. She brought herself to her full height. ¡°Of course, if that¡¯s the case, then I will hardly argue with the will of the gods. Should you need anything from me, I will naturally be at your disposal.¡± Her tone made it apparent that it would be under her terms, which was supremely unsurprising. Serena just inclined her head, looking over the crowd that had yet to disperse. ¡°We thank you. In this, we should have things handled for the time being. However, if you or anyone here wanted to support our efforts in building a temple district in the lower quarter in theing months, we would appreciate all the help we can get.¡± The smile Iliri stered on her face was so painfully hostile I had to actively keep my shadows from acting defensively. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my past with Iliri or something else that was causing them to act on their own, but I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t a little worrying. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to spread the word,¡± she said tightly. Then she spun on her heel and stormed out as gracefully as I¡¯d ever seen, sending priests, priestesses, and worshipers scurrying to get out of her way. Serena leaned back against me, once again examining her tattoo. Her fingers trailed from the silver and gold flower to the white and ck flowers, and I knew she¡¯d made the same realization I had. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± ¡°I know, love,¡± I said, pressing a kiss to her temple, ¡°not here, though. Let¡¯s get back and set Rhani¡¯s brain on it. I want you back behind warded walls after draining yourself like that.¡± By the time she¡¯d felt steady enough to walk, Karina and Jayme had sidled over to join us. ¡°You know,¡± Karina said, ¡°when you said you were going to talk to a goddess, I didn¡¯t think you meant literally.¡± Jayme elbowed her, and she averted her eyes. I chuckled. ¡°Yeah, never a dull moment around here.¡± Her molten silver eyes flicked up towards me, and I was pretty sure I saw a hint of excitement at my words. Before I could read too far into that, I nodded towards the entrance. Before we got far, though, the priestess from before skidded to a stop in front of us. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, sir! I didn¡¯t mean to cause offense at the entrance,¡± Sel said, her hands sped in front of her, ¡°I just¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said, waving my hand. ¡°I hardly look like your average worshiper of Allura.¡± A smile tugged at her features. ¡°Yes. Well, I just wanted to offer my humblest of apologies, as well as any assistance that might be of use to you.¡± Then her eyes slid towards the floor. ¡°Though, I can¡¯t imagine I¡¯d be much more help than the mistress of the temple district.¡± I snorted augh. ¡°Something tells me you¡¯d be a lot more use than she would. A lot less of a pain in my ass, too.¡± She gasped her eyes wide, but I just looked down at Serena, still holding my arm. ¡°Though, since this is the first temple of Allura we¡¯ve visited, I¡¯m sure Serena here would love to pick your brain someday.¡± Serena brightened, and Sel nodded vigorously. ¡°Oh, that would be wonderful! And I¡¯d love to help with temples in the lower quarter, too! Everyone should have ess to the gods, regardless of their economic status.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Feel free to visit House Nocht at any time. We¡¯ll likely be busy today, but sometime soon?¡± She nodded again. ¡°Oh, yes sir. That would be wonderful, sir. And I can ask around, see who else might be willing to help. There¡¯s a lot of us that aren¡¯t the biggest fans of how Iliri runs the district, so I¡¯m sure I could find you a good number of priests as well. Um, sir.¡± ¡°Just Zaren is fine.¡± ¡°Yes sir¡ªer, Zaren. Um, sir Zaren?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll ask around and visit when I know more.¡± Her eyes fell on the marker. ¡°That¡¯s really from Allura herself?¡± Serena lifted it again, but looked to me to answer. ¡°Allura made it, apparently, but Keona gave it to us.¡± Sel sighed dreamily. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± Then she straightened. ¡°Oh! But I¡¯m holding you up. You must have very important things to do. Much more important than talking to a little nobody priestess like me.¡± For what might be the first time in my life, I genuinely smiled at a priestess. Serena notwithstanding, of course. ¡°In my experience, it¡¯s often those who everyone else see as insignificant that wind up making the biggest of differences. Don¡¯t sell yourself short.¡± Her chest swelled, but she only bowed and vanished deeper into the temple with a spring to her step. I chuckled, only to realize Serena was beaming at me. I rolled my eyes, then led us out of the temple. Word traveled fast, it seemed, since we¡¯d left the district far behind before people stopped discreetly gawking at us. I was sure that the whole city would have heard the rumors about the strange new lord apparently talking to gods by the end of the week. Karina and Jayme fell back far enough to talk in hushed tones, and I allowed them as much privacy as I could without letting them get far enough away that my instincts pulled at me. I still didn¡¯t trust this city, and with Serena exhausted and both Karina and Jayme¡¯s fighting skills unknown, I was getting antsy. Whether I subconsciously picked up on something or my life was simply bing predictable, we hadn¡¯t made it far into the lower quarter before I felt [Horde yer] activate. Not heavily, which meant we weren¡¯t overly outnumbered, but enough to be mildly concerning. I exchanged a nce with Serena and she nodded, both to show that she was on the same page and that she felt confident she¡¯d regained enough strength to fight. Man, this Link wasing in handy. I dropped back and both our newpanions went silent, eyeing me warily. I stepped in between them, cing my hands on the smalls of their backs and conjuring two tendrils on either one of them. I mentallymanded the tendrils to coil tightly out of sight until they were needed to defend their hosts, and since neither of the girls reacted past my initial touch I had a feeling neither even knew they were there. I leaned down towards Karina so I could whisper in her ear, doing my best to ignore the way her breath hitched. Or the way her body seemed to lean ever so slightly towards me. Or the sudden desire to just toss her over my shoulder and sprint back to the manor. ¡°Whatever you hear, I won¡¯t let anyone take you from me. You have my word.¡± I frowned, the words not quiteing out how I¡¯d meant them to, but her only reaction was a shiver that traveled up her spine and a slight parting of her lips. Whatever her response would have been was cut off by three men stepping into the road in front of us. I patted both girls on the shoulder and stepped forward to stand next to Serena. ¡°Good afternoon, gentlemen. Something we can help you with?¡± The one clearly in the lead stepped forward with a lopsided grin, brushing his floppy, greasy hair from his face. ¡°You can, actually. We¡¯re here to acquire that adorable little Seelie you¡¯ve got back there. My employer wanted to make sure we beat any other potential buyers to the punch. So, how much to part with her?¡± I jammed my hands in my pockets to hide the sudden wave of rage that ripped through me as [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] revealed Karina¡¯s fear to me. It was a tall order, making sure my desire to smash this guy¡¯s skull into the pavement didn¡¯t show on my face, but somehow I managed it. ¡°If I say she¡¯s not for sale?¡± Floppy Hairughed. It was an ugly sound that reminded me of a braying donkey. ¡°Everyone is for sale, the only question is how much. Come now, what¡¯ll it be? Money? Jewels? A trade, perhaps? My employer could probably find you a demi-human capable of fulfilling your wildest fantasies.¡± His gaze raked over Karina, and I had to clench my jaw hard to keep the shadows I¡¯d gifted her from reacting. ¡°One that¡¯s nice and trained, of course.¡± I made a show of thinking about it. ¡°Still not sure I¡¯m willing to part with her. She¡¯s quite the find, after all.¡± Karina stiffened, shifting a half step closer to Jayme, but I didn¡¯t so much as look in her direction. Floppy Hair¡¯s smile faltered. ¡°I can assure you, with what my employer is offering, no cunt is worth passing up on this deal. No matter how sweet it is.¡± Man, I remembered this being easier. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I could keep this up before I caved into the need to break a few of this guy¡¯s teeth. But every situation had something to be won, and I still had a little patience left in the tank. Even if I¡¯d need to spend the rest of the day in the baths to get rid of the stink this whole conversation was leaving behind. I shook my head, crossing my arms. ¡°Come now, you really think her body is the only reason I obtained her? I¡¯m not sure you can afford any price I¡¯d ask for.¡± I felt Jayme loosening her de. Karina¡¯s fear was like ash in my mouth, and it made my gut twist painfully to know I was a part of that fear. She should never fear me. She should never have a reason to. I forced myself to focus on the man in front of me. He blinked twice, then a slow smile spread over his face. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t sure you knew what you had, there. Fine, so be it. If it isn¡¯t a fuck you¡¯re looking for, I¡¯m sure I can find a worthy trade. My employer has plenty of well trained, powerful demi-human¡¯s he¡¯s willing to part with.¡± Then he shrugged. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure most of ¡®em would be a good enough fuck, too. Either way, name your price.¡± Jackpot. I knew the interest in Karina had to be something other than just her body. He¡¯d offered sex when he thought that was why I wanted her, so the fact that he was offering powerful demi-humans now¡­ I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. I exchanged a quick nce with Serena, and she angled her body ever so slightly. She clutched one hand to her chest as if ufortable, which left her fingers just a hair¡¯s breadth away from the red gem that would summon her armor. Her other hand curved like she was about to grasp a weapon, and I got the message. I summoned a tendril and had it snake down her arm, ready to deposit a spear into her hand straight from my inventory. I let my arms hang down from my sides and cracked my neck. ¡°Yeah, still not happening. Thanks for the information, though.¡± That made Floppy Hair scowl. Then he made a motion with his hand, and all hell broke loose. The first thing that happened was the appearance of four guys behind us, seemingly out of thin air. From the way one was panting, I knew it was his magic. Then one of the four pointed a contraption I hadn¡¯t seen before at Karina and Jayme, and there was the sound of a mechanism releasing. Two wooden arms hurled two weighteds. They expanded in midair and mmed into Karina and Jayme, apparently not enough of a threat to warrant my shadows¡¯ intervention. They staggered under its weight, then another of the men threw his hands out and hit them with a st of magic. My shadows took the brunt of the attack, but it still sent them sprawling in opposite directions. All of this happened almost simultaneously, but the next heartbeat I was already in motion. White hot rage exploded in me and I saw red. Free them, Imanded, and the shadows I¡¯d gifted them whipped out to sever thes. I dipped into my Soul Essence, giving Serena two empowered tendrils and myself a single one at the same time I dropped Serena¡¯s spear into her hand. Just to help even the odds, I sent an [Empower] her way in the hopes it would help. Jayme was still struggling to free herself, curses flying from her mouth, while two men each headed for a different girl. I got there first, reaching into my storage for one of my swords. My shadows deflected the attack headed for Jayme and her sword mmed into her attacker¡¯s gut a momentter, so I focused on covering Karina. I swung my de, merely trying to drive the man back with a de from my storage. But a de from my storage was not what I got. Snarling at the assholes who would dare harm my charges, I swung with all my strength towards the nearest man. He tried to block the strike on instinct, but he was woefully unprepared for the indestructible scabbard of the Jailer¡¯s de to crash into him with my strength, enhanced by [Release the Darkness] in the daylight, behind the blow. His cheap sword snapped and he was taken off his feet with a surprised ¡°oomph!¡± I twirled the hefty de and caught the next man in the leg, his lunge towards Karina exposing him to the strike and making it impossible for him to dodge. He screamed as something in his leg snapped, but a follow up strike to the side of his head left him a groaning heap on the ground. The System couldbat many kinds of injuries. Brain damage was not one of those injuries. The first guy stepped back, looking at his snapped sword with wide eyes, but my attention was caught by Jayme. She was currently fighting three men at once, sword in one hand and shield in the other. Seems another had joined the fray at some point. She was an exceptional fighter, but in this instance I could tell she was outnumbered and likely outleveled. I reached out with my empowered tendril and hooked the back of her belt, yanking her back and me forward. She caught her feet just above Karina, already turning towards the man with the broken de with another few choice curses, while I engaged the other three. One charged me with a longsword while the one in the back shot more magic at me. What didn¡¯t bounce off my shadows was absorbed by my still-ridiculous Resilience stat. A few choice flicks of the heavy bludgeon in my hands snapped my attacker¡¯s wrist, sending the longsword skittering away. I mmed it into his gut hard enough for his feet to leave the ground, then I twirled the Jailer¡¯s de over my head. In a fluid move, I flicked open thetch and brought the de down with as much force as I could muster. The metal scabbard slid off perfectly, spinning end over end and crashing into the man throwing magic around. It wasn¡¯t enough to take him out permanently, but it took a sizable enough chunk of health out of his pool to make him strongly reconsider his role in the ambush. Nice one! Ash¡¯s¡ªwell, not quite voice, but for the sake of brevity¡ªvoice rang out in my head. Now get the guy with the weird thingy! Sure enough, the man with theuncher had reloaded. I closed the distance, but not fast enough. He fired,unching two mores at me. I didn¡¯t even react before crimson tinged tendrils shot forward, consuming my Soul Essence, andshed out with blinding speed. I didn¡¯t even have to slow down they shredded thes so quickly and efficiently. I¡¯m helpiiing! Ash cheered. Now fuck him up! Fighting a smile, I flicked the crimson de up, carving theuncher in half and catching both the mans arms. Not deep enough to hack anything off, but deep enough to make the man scream out in pain as the Jailer¡¯s de¡¯s cursed magic ripped some extra health away. I mmed the pommel into his face, shattering his nose and sending him straight to the ground. He scurried away, whimpering, and I let him. The mage was long gone, the man with the longsword had scampered over to the one I¡¯d knocked upside the head and was dragging him off, and the man with the snapped de was on the ground clutching a wound in his side. Karina stood behind Jayme, pressed into the taller girl¡¯s back with her hands wrapped in Jayme¡¯s shirt. Jayme looked to me, her brow furrowed, no doubt waiting for orders, but I just nodded. She was right where I wanted her, keeping Karina safe. I twirled the de, and headed towards where Serena had been dancing around the other three. Her spearcked the destructive power of Ash and the Jailer¡¯s de, but that hadn¡¯t stopped her fromyering dozens of cuts on the enemybatants. One had already turned tail and run, and another was leaning against the wall and clutching a gash on his thigh. That left Floppy Hair, who looked from Serena to me with wild eyes, searching frantically for anyone else. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a bit of a discipline issue,¡± I said. Ash trilled. Yeah he does! Buncha cowards, all of them! I managed to hide augh behind a cough. Floppy Hair scowled. ¡°This won¡¯t end with me. You know that, right?¡± ¡°I do,¡± I said with a nod. I don¡¯t, Ash said, her impressions feeling suspiciously like a pout. Let¡¯s just remove some limbs, maybe a testicle or two, and nobody will mess with you! I paused, shooting an incredulous look at the sword in my hand, fully aware I probably looked like a loon. We were definitely going to have to unpack thatter. I returned my attention to Floppy hair. ¡°Scamper along, and tell Lord Davvon and whoever he¡¯s working for to send morepetent people next time. This was just embarrassing.¡± His eyes shed. He clearly recognized the name, which meant my guess was at least close. He looked from me to Serena, waiting for the trick, before turning and running off. I felt disappointment radiating from Ash through our Link. A, no maiming? Not even a little? I wasn¡¯t sure whether I shouldugh or be concerned. ¡°No, no maiming. We avoid maiming unless strictly necessary.¡± Booooooo. I was being sassed by my sword. Unreal. ¡°Um, Zaren?¡± Serena asked, sounding slightly concerned. ¡°Yeah, turns out me and my sword can kinda¡­talk.¡± Ooh! Tell her she¡¯s really pretty! I frowned. ¡°You can see that?¡± Well, no, but you think she¡¯s pretty. I rubbed my temple. ¡°Ash thinks you¡¯re pretty, apparently.¡± She beamed. ¡°Well, thanks Ash. You¡¯re a very pretty sword yourself.¡± A wave of irritation and anger ripped through me, jumbling anything resembling words and making me wince. ¡°Yeah, not a sword. She¡¯s¡­ah¡­in the sword. I think.¡± ¡°My apologies, then,¡± Serena said quickly. As much as I wanted to see where this conversation was going, we had bigger fish to fry. ¡°You didn¡¯t feel like helping?¡± I asked over my shoulder. Valith stepped out of the shadows in a nearby alleyway, the thick metal scabbard over her shoulder. ¡°You had it well in hand, and I always appreciate a good show.¡± She handed the scabbard to me with some difficulty. ¡°That thing is a bit¡­egregious, don¡¯t you think?¡± she asked, eyeing the de on my shoulder. That means awesome, right? ¡°Something like that,¡± I mumbled. I slid the de into its scabbard. ¡°Thanks for the help, Ash. Talk to youter.¡± Byeeee! I shook my head and flipped thetch closed, then returned the de to its rightful ce at my back. ¡°Follow them,¡± I said to Valith. She nodded. ¡°Nariko¡¯s already on it, but I¡¯ll catch up. I¡¯ll let you know what hole they scurry into, boss.¡± She gave me a salute, then vanished before my eyes, no doubt reappearing somewhere else nearby. I ran a hand through my hair, unsure what to think. That had been a sloppy ambush from start to finish. None of them were particrly skilled, definitely not the caliber of mercenary that I¡¯d expect from someone capable of half the shit I expected of our enemies. If I had to guess, I¡¯d put my money on Davvon. He was working for our enemy, but he¡¯d gone out on his own to hire Floppy Hair and his poorly put together crew. I can¡¯t imagine he¡¯d cleared out his coffers to hire them. I turned away from where Valith disappeared and headed towards the others. Serena was healing up Jayme¡¯s injuries, though from herck of worry there wasn¡¯t anything significant worth healing. Then Karina turned her face towards me and that white-hot rage from earlier returned. I¡¯d barely registered the blood on the side of her face before I was storming towards her. Her eyes widened in panic and Jayme tried to step in the way, but I breezed past her and grabbed Karina¡¯s chin, turning her face so I could look at the injury better. ¡°You¡¯re hurt?¡± I demanded. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist, but she didn¡¯t try to pull my hand away. ¡°Bounced my head off the concrete when I went down, that¡¯s all. I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve had worse shaving idents.¡± That definitely wasn¡¯t the case. If Serena wasn¡¯t here, the cut would need stitches. I pulled a cloth out of my storage and held it to the cut, then gently pulled her hand off my wrist so she could hold the cloth in ce. Neither of us looked away the entire time. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything until after Serena had healed her injury. I tilted her chin up again, looking closely at her eyes. I didn¡¯t know much past simple battlefield triage, but I knew what it looked like when someone¡¯s bell was rung. She wasn¡¯t concussed as far as I could tell, which meant her trembling fingers weren¡¯t rted to her injury. ¡°First time in a life or death situation?¡± I asked. She grimaced, wiping the blood off her face. ¡°That obvious?¡± Jayme grabbed Karina by the shoulder and pulled her into a tight hug, ring at me with a look I recognized. Fear, but a rational one. The fear a warrior felt looking at an enemy they knew they couldn¡¯t beat, but that they were ready to fight anyways. ¡°I won¡¯t ask about your ss,¡± I said, and both of them tensed, ¡°but you should know that I¡¯ve got no issue with strong demi-humans. If growing more powerful is something you¡¯re interested in, that¡¯s something I can help with. You wouldn¡¯t be the first I¡¯ve got in my household.¡± The distrust in her eyes made me want to take a swing at someone¡ªnot her, of course, but maybe someone more masculine with floppier hair¡ªbut I knew earning trust wasn¡¯t something earned overnight. Still, I found it difficult to force myself to step away from her. It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d felt irrationally overprotective over someone I barely knew. War was a hotbed for orphans, the weak, and the injured, and they usually set off the part of me that to this day felt raw and bleeding after failing to save so many people I cared about. But Karina didn¡¯t really fit the bill. She was far from a scared kid, and I had a feeling if I even insinuated she was a victim of anything I might get a kick between the big toes. Yet, for reasons I didn¡¯t understand, I felt as protective of her as I did any one of the women I¡¯vee to care for. That made me frown. A thought urred to me, but following up on it could prove¡­difficult. Karina, her finger tips still trembling, saw something in my face. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked, an edge to her voice. I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°I¡¯d like to¡­look at something, but I won¡¯t do so without your permission.¡± Her nostrils red, and she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°If you think¡ª¡± ¡°Not that!¡± I said quickly. ¡°Never that. It has to do with a skill I¡¯ve got. I¡¯d like to¡­¡± Ah, fuck it. ¡°I¡¯d like to examine your soul.¡± Karina and Jayme exchanged a skeptical look, then Jayme said, ¡°That might be themest pickup line I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Serenaughed behind her hand. ¡°Not a pickup line, thankfully. Zaren has a ss rting to souls. He can Link them as well, but if he¡¯s just looking you probably won¡¯t even feel it.¡± ¡°Then why ask?¡± Karina asked, her question part curiosity and part usation. ¡°Because it feels scummy not to.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m reading your mind or anything, but I can learn a lot about a person from the state of their soul. Things like trauma and personality leave marks on the soul that I¡¯m slowly learning to read.¡± Karina only regarded me for a few moments before shrugging. ¡°Fine, knock yourself out. I highly doubt you¡¯ll find anything interesting anyways.¡± ¡°Karina!¡± Jayme hissed. ¡°You¡¯re seriously not worried about this?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Can you tell anything about a person¡¯s ss with your skill?¡± I bobbed my head side to side. ¡°Depends on if you subscribe to the theory that your soul can influence your ss selections. But no, I won¡¯t be able to learn anything definitive, and I don¡¯t n to dig. I just need to look for something specific.¡± ¡°Then do it.¡± There was a challenge in her eyes that made me smile. I closed my eyes and reached out with my senses like I had the day I¡¯d looked at Jack¡¯s soul when she¡¯d still been masquerading as Vivian. It didn¡¯t take long to find Karina. Her soul burned so bright it felt like it was burning into whatever the closest thing to retinas this sense had. It wasn¡¯t the warm golden glow of Serena¡¯s soul or the raging crimson and orange glow of Jack¡¯s, but a harsh white light that had no heat. It was remarkably intact, but I couldn¡¯t help but think it felt¡­stifled. Which made sense. Protected from the horrors of the world yet painfully aware of them. She was strong willed, too. Her soul had an¡­edge, that many of the other souls I¡¯d seen had. So little give it was impressive she¡¯d made it this long as a servant. But the most important part? Karina¡¯s soul shimmered. I wanted to look deeper, try and pry that shimmer away to try and understand what it could mean, but I¡¯d promised only a quick nce. I withdrew, but on my way I caught sight of another soul nearby. There was a pull between them, that drew me to it. A bond. I knew it was Jayme¡¯s soul the second Iid eyes on it. In many ways, Jayme¡¯s soul felt opposite to Karina¡¯s. Her soul was much softer around the edges, even if its core was stormy and strong. Stormy with indecision, with anxiety and worry about something she tried to carry alone and all the stronger because of it. Battered, but not like Noelle¡¯s. There was no great trauma in Jayme¡¯s past, but I could tell she¡¯d had to fight tooth and nail for most of her life. And, once again, her soul shimmered. Just like Karina. Just like half my damn harem. I withdrew fully and let out a breath. Both women looked at me, Jayme with skeptical curiosity and Karina with bated breath. Serena, too, was waiting for the answer eagerly. I nodded once, and her eyebrows rose. ¡°Well?¡± Karina demanded. ¡°Your soul has a shimmer,¡± I said. ¡°Both of yours do.¡± Jayme gripped Karina¡¯s arm. ¡°A shimmer? What the fuck does that mean?¡± Serena and I exchanged a loaded nce. What did it mean? I¡¯d never heard or seen anything like it outside my household, and that bothered me. Did it have something to do with Allura? With me? Granted, I hadn¡¯t exactly examined a whole host of souls. Should I start examining every soul I see looking for the shimmer? My gut told me it was important, but I had no clue who would have the answers as to why. Not outside of Allura, who was missing in action. But rather than saying any of that, I just said, ¡°When we figure it out, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡± Chapter Eighty – The Great Bed of House Nocht Chapter Eighty ¨C The Great Bed of House Nocht By the time we reach the manor, my head is still spinning. It felt like every time we got a few answers we earned a shitload of questions to bnce things out. Poor Katerina looked like she wasn¡¯t having any better of a time. I almost envied the simplicity of Jayme¡¯s role. Protect Katerina, that¡¯s it. Her reaction when we¡¯d entered the lower quarter had been one of surprise. Not that we¡¯d entered the lower quarter, but rather how different this part of the city waspared to the royal quarter. Rr, bless his heart, had a tendency to lean towards overprotective, which meant this was probably her first time so far from home. She certainly drank in our surroundings easily enough, clinging to Jayme so she didn¡¯t have to worry as much about where she was walking. I¡¯d chuckled at her reaction to the manor itself. I¡¯d always cared more for form than function, so the exterior of the building still left a lot to be desired. That was honestly preferable for me though, since that meant all the lovely spies that had been peeking in on my affairs over thest few weeks would report to their masters that I was weaker than I seemed. But I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t at least a little pleased when her skeptical expression fell away to be reced by one of impressed curiosity. It was well lit with enchanted sconces, the walls were no longer decrepit and dust covered, the floor was either polished or covered in plush carpet, and the temperature inside was warm and pleasantpared to the cool, early spring weather outside. Servants beamed at me, and I was pretty sure I saw Sani, the Nekomata we¡¯d freed from the bandits, vanish deeper into the house. No doubt informing one of my women about my return. Serena and I led our charges past the entry hall and into the main hall. Karina chewed her lip viciously, searching the face of every servant we came across carefully, no doubt trying to figure out what exactly her future held as a part of my household. And, for the most part, I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better reception. Most of the servants we came across gave me warm, if not timid, smiles and courteous bows. A few had a bit more skittish reactions, but nothing that indicated I was at all simr to what seemed to be the norm in this city when it came to Patrons. Some of our newest arrivals treated me with thinly veiled hostility or mistrust, but it was my opinion that those were the ones to seal the deal. That they feltfortable enough to react in such a way meant I wasn¡¯t forcing the others to smile warmly at Karina, weing her to the household like it was a good thing her freedoms had been taken away from her. Though she did jump half a foot in the air and duck behind Jayme when the library doors exploded open and a wolf that stood nearly as tall as me burst into the hall. ¡°Zaren!¡± Rhani shouted, riding Fang sidesaddle as he skidded to a stop next to us. Before I could even formte a response, she¡¯d hurled herself off Fang¡¯s back and straight onto me. Legs wrapped around my waist and fingers sank into my hair an instand before lips crashed into mine. After she¡¯d gotten a quick taste of every part of my mouth, she pulled back. ¡°You owe me so many orgasms.¡± Since my brain was still quite exhausted, I didn¡¯t evene close to managing a response before Safina came jogging over from out of the library with a wide grin on her face. ¡°Easy, girl, let¡¯s not go giving the newbies the wrong idea,¡± she said as she grabbed Rhani under the arms. Rhani resisted,tched onto me stubbornly, until Safina stepped close enough that Rhani was sandwiched between us. A full body shudder passed through Rhani. Then, like a cat grabbed by its nape, her limbs went limp and she allowed Safina to pull her off me and set her on her feet. I couldn¡¯t help but notice neither made any move to separate after, or that Safina¡¯s grin widened as she stood with her hands on Rhani¡¯s shoulders. I ran my hand through my hair with a chuckle, trying to tame it a little after Rhani made a mess of it. ¡°Rhani, Safina, this is Karina and Jayme. Karina, Jayme, meet Rhani and Safina. Rhani is one of my partners, and Safina is quickly bing one of my most trusted members of the household.¡± Safina¡¯s cheeks darkened, her tail sweeping behind her hard enough to elicit a yelp from Fang when it smacked one of his legs. Karina made a sputtering sound. ¡°Partners? As in¡ª¡± Then she mped a hand over her mouth. Rhani, shocking nobody, immediately zeroed in on the gorgeous, blushing Seelie. I fought a groan as fire lit behind her eyes. She leaned back into Safina, cing a hand on one of the Half-dragon¡¯s massive ones. ¡°Yep, been with him since he saved my life and made most of my dreamse true. One of five. Three humans, two demi-humans. For now, at least. We all agree there¡¯s more than enough room for more.¡± With a sigh, Safina tossed Rhani over her shoulder. ¡°Sorry, boss, she¡¯s in a mood.¡± ¡°Safina!¡± Rhani said, kicking for everything she was worth (and barely even affecting Safina¡¯s bnce in the process). ¡°Put me down! I¡¯m not done yet!¡± ¡°Hush, you,¡± Safina said, swatting Rhani¡¯s rear. Immediately the Arelim¡¯s legs locked and she wentpletely still. Safina nced at her hand like she was just as surprised as the rest of us, but recovered quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll take her back to the library, but you should definitelye speak with her as soon as you¡¯re able.¡± She turned and strode off with a limp Rhani still draped over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes, but I was pretty sure I heard Rhani mumble something about doing it again. Fang gave me a sloppy lick that left my hair sticking up and plodded after them. I ran a hand over my face, pointing a finger at Serena¡¯s bemused expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you start,¡± I warned. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to say a thing,¡± she lied through her perfect teeth. ¡°Is that,¡± Karina squeaked from behind Jayme, ¡°normal?¡± ¡°Not much around here is normal,¡± I admitted, wiping Fang¡¯s slobber from my face. ¡°Unfortunately, my tastes seem to lean towards the more¡­¡± I looked pointedly at Serena, ¡°entric.¡± She elbowed me, though she was smiling. Then, like she¡¯d just been waiting for us to finish, Liana practically materialized at my elbow. ¡°Wee home, sir. I take it we have a new arrival, then?¡± ¡°Katerina, yes. And Jayme is one of the king¡¯s guard, but she¡¯s been assigned to us for now. Katerina, Liana is the head servant around here.¡± Liana bowed deeply. ¡°Anything you need, I¡¯ll do my best to acquire. Lord Zaren gives me plenty of leeway to make sure everyone is happy and healthy, so if there are ever any issues please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± Katerina straightened. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I think I¡¯d like to get to my sleeping quarters, wherever they might be. It¡¯s been a day.¡± I could see the truth of her words in her face. The tightness around her eyes and the way she was expertly hiding her hands from view tipped me off. I pursed my lips, then came to a quick decision. ¡°Put her up in our wing, Liana. Karina here is a bit of a special case.¡± Karina¡¯s eyes flicked to me. ¡°Keeping me close?¡± I nodded. ¡°I very much doubt anything would happen, but in the event it does I¡¯d rather you be sleeping near the morebat ready members of my household.¡± Liana sped her hands in front of her. ¡°I can give her the room opposite Safina and Valith. She¡¯d have Nariko as a neighbor, and we both know nothing gets past her.¡± ¡°Will I be sharing?¡± Karina asked. Liana shed a warm smile. ¡°If you¡¯d like, I¡¯m sure we could find someone. If you¡¯d prefer a room to yourself, then we have the space for that as well.¡± ¡°Can Jayme room with me?¡± she blurted. Liana¡¯s eyes flicked to the warrior, then to me. I inclined my head slightly, and she said, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem in the slightest. I¡¯ll have a second bed brought up by the time dinner¡¯s ready. You can both get settled in, then I can give you the tour and exin how things work around here.¡± Karina¡¯s shoulders sagged with relief and she leaned on her friend. ¡°Then lead the way.¡± She took a few steps and paused, then turned to me almost reluctantly. ¡°Thanks,¡± she mumbled, ¡°for not selling me. Or handing me over to that dickweed Serrick.¡± She wrapped her arms around her middle. ¡°You¡¯re not aplete prick so far, so yeah.¡± I chuckled, something in me settling. ¡°Thanks for trusting me back there. I get that this whole situation isn¡¯t anywhere close to what you wanted, but hopefully we can work out an arrangement that doesn¡¯t leave you miserable.¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around then, sir.¡± ¡°Just Zaren is fine,¡± I said before I could stop myself. Her silver eyes searched mine, then she nodded. ¡°Zaren, then.¡± Then she smirked. ¡°You¡¯d better go. Apparently you¡¯ve got orgasms to dish out.¡± Roaringughter took me by surprise. She jumped slightly, but her lips curved upward ever so slightly. ¡°Story of my life,¡± I told her once I¡¯d gotten myughter under control. She blushed, then turned to follow Liana. I watched her go, both surprised and oddly pleased when she looked back over her shoulder before they were out of sightpletely. After they were gone, I rubbed my face with both hands. ¡°So, what are the odds Rhani actually makes it to anything sex-rted before she gets distracted by your tattoo?¡± I asked Serena. She chuckled, linking her arm in mine. ¡°Even enough that I wouldn¡¯t feel confident cing bets.¡± She leaned up on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. ¡°I¡¯ll go find Jack, Tiana, and Noelle and bring them up to speed, you go see what our Arelim needs.¡± I smirked. ¡°Our Arelim, huh? I like the sound of that.¡± I tipped her chin up to im her lips, then we split up. The library still had a sadly small amount of books, but I knew Rhani was nning to take a sack of coin into town tomorrow to remedy that. She¡¯d bought more than a few on her shopping trips, but I knew it was still nowhere near enough for her. She craved a giant room with books stretching as far as the eye could see, and I wanted nothing more than to satisfy that craving for her. I entered the library, half expecting Rhani to already be nude, only to stop in surprise. Rhani had her nose predictably buried in a book where she sat crosslegged on the ground surrounded by thick tomes. She sat between Safina¡¯s legs while the Half-dragon braided her hair, a book out on herp and her tongue trapped between her teeth in an expression of concentration that was far too adorable for a massive, badass woman like herself. She looked up when the door closed behind me and smiled wide. ¡°I¡¯m learning to braid!¡± I chuckled, picking my way over scattered books to look over her work. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a quick study.¡± She hid her face again in a way that made me want to absolutely heap more praise on her, but judging from Rhani¡¯s outburst we had bigger fish to fry. ¡°So, Angel, orgasms?¡± I knew she was in her focused state when she didn¡¯t immediately jump my bones. Her zed eyes snapped shut and a small groan slipped past her lips. She swayed slightly, but before she could topple Safina pulled Rhani back into herp like this wasn¡¯t the first time it had happened. ¡°Oh good, now that Zaren is here you can take a much needed break,¡± Safina said pointedly, shifting away from the books and bringing Rhani with her. Rhani blinked for several seconds, pulling her new braid over her shoulder and running her fingers along it in a daze, then finally focused on me and grinned. ¡°I hit twenty-five!¡± I grinned right back. ¡°Congrattions! Sounds like we have reason to celebrate then. Don¡¯t leave me hanging, I need details.¡± She beamed, but then her expression fell. ¡°One of my options was Smutty Schr,¡± she said with a huff. ¡°How can a Schr be smutty?¡± I mused. She threw her hands up. ¡°I don¡¯t know! I was so excited to find out, too,¡± she said with a pout, sticking her bottom lip out. My brows raised in surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t take it?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± she said, popping the ¡®p¡¯. She tried to reach for a book covertly, but Safina pped her hand without looking. ¡°My other option was Zaverrian Runeweaver.¡± I leaned forward. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Runesmiths and Runeforgers, but never a Runeweaver. And what the fuck does Zaverrian mean?¡± She threw her hands up dramatically. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± she cried, slumping against a far-too-amused Safina. ¡°I¡¯ve poured through the Compendium, I¡¯ve searched all the books we have, and I¡¯ve used my focused state to try ande up with something. Anything. I¡¯ve got fuck all.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°Your new core skill?¡± ¡°[Weaver of Runes],¡± she rattles off, her eyes going unfocused. ¡°¡®My understanding of the runguage makes it easier to craftplex arrays from runes of differing purpose.¡¯ Super fucking cool, but doesn¡¯t give me a lot to work with here.¡± She rubbed her temples with a wince. ¡°Gotta say, after my level twenty-four skill, [Master of Tongues], had nothing to do with actual tongues and everything to do withnguages, I was really hoping for a bone this time.¡± She pushed herself to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and reached for her skirt. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, you can fuck my ass and I can see if I cane up with something I haven¡¯t thought of.¡± Before I could so much as respond, Safina¡¯s arms wrapped around Rhani¡¯s waist and yanked her back down into herp with a squeak. ¡°No!¡± she snarled. ¡°Rhani¡¯s pushed herself too hard with too many focused states. She needs rest.¡± Rhani¡¯s mouth hung open in surprise, and I couldn¡¯t stifle augh. ¡°You heard the woman, you¡¯re on a mandated break from using your [Filled Focus] skill.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Rhani protested. ¡°No buts!¡± Safina cut her off. Then, in one fluid movement, Safina had flipped Rhani so that she was face down over the Half-dragon¡¯s knees. Rhani let out another surprised squeak that turned into a guttural moan as Safina¡¯s hand disappeared under her skirt,ing away with a sizable buttplug with a pop. ¡°And you can fill yours again after dinner, not a second sooner!¡± From the way her eyes rolled back, I was pretty sure Rhani was in the middle of an orgasm, but the point was driven home. Safina, her protective instincts now sated, looked to the plug in her hands. Her eyes turned to saucers and her cheeks and neck turned darker than I¡¯d ever seen it. She only grew more flustered when Rhani managed to pick her head up. ¡°F-fine,¡± she ground out, ¡°but you gotta put it backter.¡± Safina just gaped, clearly unsure what to do with the plug in her hand. Finally, she pocketed it and stood with a limp Rhani tucked under her arm, her rear pointed towards me. ¡°I¡¯ll take her to your room so she can get some rest. She¡¯s convinced she¡¯s on the cusp of a breakthrough, so she¡¯s been shirking sleep in favor of her studies.¡± She patted Rhani¡¯s ass a few times to punctuate her point, then froze when she realized what she was doing. I stifled anotherugh. ¡°Probably a good idea. And she¡¯s a wily one. I¡¯ve found the only surefire way to keep her from sneaking off to study is to make sure I¡¯m holding onto her when I fall asleep. She¡¯s a clinger when she¡¯s out, so she won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± Rhani¡¯s limbs locked again and Safina¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t want me taking up all the bed space. I can¡¯t imagine it would be all thatfortable.¡± I stood and put a hand on her arm. ¡°Safina, I can promise Rhani isn¡¯t going toin.¡± Safina shifted from foot to foot. ¡°Miss Wan did say dragons often slept piled together with their clutches¡­¡± ¡°There, see?¡± I said, giving her another pat. ¡°You can make sure Rhani¡¯s getting good sleep and satisfy those draconic instincts in the process. Two birds, one stone, right?¡± Something shed in her cobalt eyes and she nodded, more to herself than to me. ¡°Right. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I¡¯ll make sure she gets rest, then bring her down for dinner. Thank you, sir.¡± She spun around and marched out with a spring in her step, and as she left Rhani mouthed a silent I love you so fucking much at me behind her back. I shot a wink at her, then they were gone. The second they were out of sight, all my exhaustion hit me at once. Suddenly the thought of standing seemed like too much. I wanted to seek out my girls, but I wanted to just sit even more. I stumbled my way over to one of the plush armchairs we¡¯d drug into the corner of the library and sank into it, letting the chair devour my form. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, just letting the craziness of the day wash over me. After spending a month and a half just traveling to the capital and spending every day since then just trying to get something so simple as a home base squared away, I was pooped. My spies had made plenty of progress, which meant they weren¡¯t spending all their time away from the manor. We had beds in all the rooms, enough servants to keep the house operating without running anyone ragged, and all the little things like food and supplies taken care of. Not only that, but both of the encounters I¡¯d been dreading were out of the way and done with. I let the frankly ridiculous events of the day flow through my mind, going over each one and filing away everything that might have been important. At some point I must have started to doze, because I was suddenly aware of hands gently unbuckling my belt. Still half-asleep, I left my eyes closed and my head tipped back as small, callused hands fished my cock out of my pants. With one working the shaft and the other reaching down to fondle my balls, I was hard in no time. A soft groan slipped out of me when lips closed around my erection, followed by a louder one when my mysterious cocksucker took me all the way to the base in one go. One hand gently kneaded the sac while the owner of the soft, plump lips and slick fiery tongue started bobbing up and down. They slurped and sucked at my length, and it wasn¡¯t long before I heard the unmistakable sound of fingers vigorously plunging into a dripping pussy. ¡°Fuck,¡± I moaned, reaching out to sink my hands in their hair. I knew the second I touched long locks it was too long to be Noelle, and I doubted Rhani had voluntarily escaped Safina¡¯s clutches. The hands were too small to be Serena or Tiana, and since I didn¡¯t feel like my cock was about to be seared off my body I figured it wasn¡¯t Jack quickly sending me hurtling towards bliss. Then my questing hands hit something I didn¡¯t understand at first. Something on my partner¡¯s head covered in soft fur. They moaned when I squeezed the fluffy protrusion, and I recognized the voice. My eyes shot open to see Tsuki, her own golden gaze locked on mine as she stilled, waiting to see my reaction. Her face was flushed and she was panting even with the head of my cock resting on her tongue, her other hand nted firmly between her legs while her tail flicked behind her. I shifted my hand down to palm her cheek and she leaned into my touch without letting me slip free of her lips. Then I curved my fingers around the back of her head and gently pushed her further down my length. It was all the encouragement she needed as she resumed her sloppy, needy blowjob. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her lids drifted closed, but she just mmed me further down her throat as climax rolled through her. ¡°Fuck, Tsuki, I¡¯m gonna¡ª¡± That was all I got out before she started mming her head down even harder than before, a choked noise slipping out of her every time my cock head hit the back of her throat, but she was determined to take the entirety of my length with every stroke even as tears streamed down her face. My head fell back and my hips bucked as I came. My first shot filled her mouth, then she shoved me as far down her throat as she could manage. Fuck, I felt like I was cumming straight into her stomach with how hard she pressed her face into my pelvis. Just when I was certain I¡¯d have to pull her off for fear she¡¯d pass out, she finally slid my cock free and sat back on her haunches, heaving as she stared at the line of drool that connected her lips to the head of my softening erection. She stared at me, her chest heaving in nothing but one of my shirts, uncertainty in her eyes. I cupped her cheek again and her eyes fluttered closed, pressing into my palm. I used the hand to guide her up my body. Her hands slid under my shirt, pushing it up so she could run her palms across the flesh of my chest. She dragged her face close enough that her nose was touching, inhaling deeply the entire time. When she finally reached me, her legs on either side of myp, her knees sinking into the armchair below me, she sank her nose into my neck, letting out a whimper. I ran my hands down her sides then back up, pressing the back of her head into me. She melted in myp, pressing every inch of her body to mine. My half-hard erection scraped against bare pussy lips that dripped with arousal, telling me she was only wearing my shirt. ¡°Tsuki?¡± I asked. She moaned, rubbing her body against mine. ¡°I thought I had another week or two, but it seems my heat started early,¡± she panted. I slid a hand down to cup her ass and she groaned, grinding her lower lips along my shaft. I angled her hips so that the head scraped across her clit and she bucked into me. ¡°I told you before that I¡¯d rather youe to me than be forced to find someone else by your urges. Say the word and I¡¯ll take care of you.¡± She whimpered again. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad this time, so I was just going to ride it out, but then I figured if I took care of things this time then next time wouldn¡¯t be bad either.¡± ¡°Not a bad n,¡± I said directly into her ear, sending a shiver down her body. I slid a hand under the shirt, running it up her smooth flesh I¡¯d seen so many times since she¡¯d taken to sleeping naked on thest leg of our journey. I was already hard enough for a round two, something she was very aware of judging by the way she ground against me. ¡°And my shirt?¡± She lifted herself, bucking her hips every time my cock pressed against her clit. ¡°I thought your scent might take the edge off. I was wrong. So very wrong. Please, Zaren. Please help me.¡± First I slid the shirt upward. She whimpered, but I just leaned forward to nibble where her jaw met her neck. ¡°Surely the scent is better straight from the source?¡± She nodded eagerly, and I helped her line up properly atst. I¡¯d barely slipped past her outer lips before her hips were mming down, burying the entirety of my length inside her in one single move. Fuck she was ready for me. Hot and slick and already clenching around me deliciously. Another whimper slipped past her throat as she started riding me as hard as her limbs would allow. Her head fell back and I captured her nipple between my teeth, earning a loud cry of pleasure. I slid my hands up her thighs, one thumb covering her clit while my other hand grabbed her ass and used the toned muscle there to guide her, tilting her hips so that I hit all her most sensitive spots while I thrust up into her. It wasn¡¯t long before climax was ripping through her. She screamed, her head thrown back, then copsed forward. Her head fell to my shoulder, her body convulsing, but I tilted her chin up and gently pressed my lips to hers. Her eyes went wide and her body went rigid. I pulled away, afraid I¡¯d crossed a line, but then she was on me. The library was filled with the sounds of our flesh meeting as her tongue slipped past my lips, eagerly exploring my mouth. I cupped a hand behind her head while the other continued to guide her hips up and down. She whimpered again as her hands pulled at my shirt. I chuckled when she made small sounds of protest as I pulled away enough to remove the article. ¡°Hard to remove a shirt when our lips are locked like that.¡± An angry growl slipped past her lips, but it was reced by a pleased sound as her lips fell to my chest, kissing and nipping flesh wherever she could reach without slowing down her hips. She picked up speed, and I felt her walls starting to flutter right about the time she fell forward onto my chest, her nails digging into my skin and her eyes closed. I wrapped my arms around her and started mming into her with all the force our positions allowed me, fucking her right through her orgasm until I was spilling inside her with a groan. I held her tight to my chest until the aftershocks were done with her, then gently lifted her off my cock. I tucked her into me, stroking her hair and letting her curl into my arms. She pressed herself against me, moaning. ¡°More,¡± she groaned. ¡°I need more. I need you to breed me.¡± Fuck me if my cock didn¡¯t leap to attention at those words, but that was something to unpack at a wayter date. I turned her face towards me again and gave her a quick kiss. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± She nodded. ¡°Do you want me to make you feel good?¡± She hooked a hand around my neck and dragged herself into a sitting position, looking at me with fire in her golden eyes. ¡°I want you to fuck me until I can¡¯t walk any more.¡± ¡°I think I can manage that.¡± I stood, then dropped her into the chair I¡¯d vacated, her body sideways and one leg hitched over the armrest. She looked up at me with heated eyes and her tail swishing happily. I grabbed her tail, pulling her hips towards me, and she let out a throaty moan. One that melded into a cry of ecstasy as I plunged into her once again. When Jack and Tiana finally came looking for us, I had Tsuki bent over the back of the chair with her knees in the seat and was fucking her from behind. I¡¯d filled her up half a dozen times, and I¡¯d long stopped counting her own orgasms. She¡¯d lost the ability to form words a while ago, but if I stopped fucking her she growled at me. Always eager to please, I kept mming into her dripping pussy and drawing out the most delicious sounds each time our hips met. Both of my other women paused with open mouths, and I made the mistake of stilling my hips. Tsuki growled again, lifting her head and looking at me over her shoulder. Biting back a chuckle, I resumed pounding her while the other two approached with knowing grins. ¡°Definitely don¡¯t let us interrupt,¡± Jack said, throwing her arm over my shoulder and caressing Tsuki¡¯s ass. Tiana gathered Tsuki¡¯s hair, pulling it over one shoulder. ¡°How long have you two been at it?¡± ¡°A while,¡± I answered between thrusts. Tiana looked appreciatively at my front, coated in a sheen of sweat, and licked her lips. ¡°Tsuki¡¯s in heat.¡± Both girls made sounds of understanding. Jack leaned over. ¡°How about it, Foxy? Want me to y with your ass a bit? Squeeze out a few more orgasms before dinner?¡± Tsuki made a feral sound that was pretty close to an agreement, followed by a howl when Jack plunged two fingers soaked in Tsuki¡¯s juices past her rim. She clenched down on my cock and I groaned. ¡°She¡¯s cumming.¡± Tiana knelt behind the chair, face to face with Tsuki. ¡°Hells, Zaren. She¡¯s definitely enjoying herself.¡± She pressed a kiss to Tsuki¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. We¡¯ll make sure you aren¡¯t sleeping alone tonight.¡± Tsuki made a noise in her throat, and I felt something thrum through the Link between us. Following its urging, I lifted her so that her back was pressed to my front. Jack wasted no time in fingering her clit while I captured Tsuki¡¯s lips once more. When Tiana leaned down and locked her lips over Tsuki¡¯s clit, Tsuki came. She clenched around me, going boneless in my arms. At the same time, Jack leaned forward and bit my ear, grabbing a handful of my ass and giving it a squeeze that bordered on painful. With a curse, I deposited a final load into Tsuki while Jack licked her way up the side of my neck. I pulled out, letting myst orgasm drip out of Tsuki¡¯s pussy and join the mess already coating her inner thighs. Tsuki¡¯s head lolled, but I managed to keep her from toppling. Even when Jack reared back and smacked my ass hard enough to leave a nice red handprint. ¡°How was that, Foxy?¡± Jack asked. Tsuki let out a garbled sound that might have had a ¡°fucking great¡± buried somewhere in it, and Tiana smiled. Iid Tsuki down and conjured a couple rags. Tiana helped me clean her up, then her and Jack helped clean me up. Tiana like a seductress, Jack like she just wanted to see how many of my buttons she could push with a shit eating grin on her face. She cackled when I realized she¡¯d used my shirt to clean me up, and she was so delighted with herself that I didn¡¯t mention I had a storage full of extras. ¡°As fun as that was,¡± Jack said, giving my cock onest squeeze through the slightly smoking rag in her hand, ¡°We were sent to retrieve you. Apparently, the bedroom is done.¡± ¡°Thank fuck, the wait was killing me,¡± I mumbled, hunting for my pants. Then I paused and looked at Tsuki, who was lying in a heap in the armchair. She waved a hand weakly. ¡°Seen it. It¡¯s amazing. I¡¯ll be sleeping there for the next¡­forever. Go, I¡¯ll catch up. Or not. Maybee find me if I¡¯m not at dinner.¡± By the end she was slurring so badly I figured she¡¯d fallen asleep, so I tucked the shirt I¡¯d pulled off her around her shoulders and covered her with a nket. She snuggled into the chair with a smile and some happy incoherent mumbling, so I figured she¡¯d be alright. ¡°Lead the way,¡± I told them. We made it to the top of the main stairwell before Jack pulled out a blindfold, looking far too pleased with herself. It was a bit disorienting being blinded without the added benefit of [Dark Sense] since I was still in a well-lit part of the house, but Serena appeared to take one of my arms while Tiana took the other. I heard more than a few voices talking in hushed tones and I wondered just how much of the household was present for the grand reveal. The master bedroom was at the end of a hall of bedrooms that the girls had all imed, though they¡¯d all on more than one asion indicated they didn¡¯t see themselves getting much use out of the individual rooms. I could feel the moment I walked through what I assumed were ornate double doors. From the way the air moved I knew I was in a wide open space, but the sound was being absorbed by something I could only assume was furniture. My time in the dark before I¡¯d earned my ss told me that much. Then I felt fingers under my blindfold. ¡°I present to you,¡± Rhani said, ¡°the great bed of house Nocht!¡± She yanked my blindfold off, and once my eyes had adjusted my jaw dropped. I¡¯d seen houses that could fit in this room that must have taken up both the second and third floor of this part of the manor. Furniture in all shapes and sizes dotted the edges of the room, making various seating areas for eating, socializing, or (and I only say this because Rhani designed it) fucking. I spotted a reading nook with a lockable bookshelf that would be handy for any of the more sensitive tomes we acquired, and I could see the door that would lead towards the private bathing area. ss doors led to a balcony area that overlooked the gardens as well as a good portion of the quarter. But, while a dozen other people started exploring the room, my eyes were drawn to the feature that dominated the room. I wasn¡¯t sure what kind of bed I was expecting, but this wasn¡¯t it. It was less of a bed and more of a giant cushioned pit. Rhani, practically bubbling with excitement, led me closer. Three cushioned steps wrapped around the entire area, which was filled to the brim with pillows and nkets galore. It was the size of a dozen of thergest beds I¡¯ve ever seen all pushed together. Four posts rose from the four corners, and four more rose from the halfway points on each side. They went all the way to the ceiling, and between all of them were supports that had curtains hanging from them. Rhani saw me looking and bounded over, grabbing one of the curtains and pulling. ¡°Look, it¡¯s on rails! So you could use them for privacy if you wanted to rail someone without putting on a show! And check this out!¡± she bounced across the bed to one of the posts. ¡°Each one has a silencing rune I designed you can activate so you don¡¯t have to worry about your partner¡¯s screams waking up the whole bed! Isn¡¯t this fucking awesome?¡± Speechless, I kicked off my shoes and stepped down into the pit. It was even softer than I¡¯d anticipated, yet firm enough to still befortable. I walked into the center of the bed, trailing my hand on the curtains, then spun in a slow circle. I fixed my Arelim¡ªwho was practically vibrating with excitement¡ªwith an arched brow. ¡°Big bed for a harem of five.¡± She beamed. ¡°It¡¯s not just for the harem. I mean, if that¡¯s alright with you, of course. I figured anyone who wants to spend the night here could. I mean, this way Noelle can have Alice and the twins over all the time, and if they want privacy they can just take a different corner and activate the runes and pull the curtains.¡± Tiana threw an arm around her shoulder. ¡°Tell him the other thing. The rules.¡± Rhani flushed. ¡°Ti! I wasn¡¯t being serious! That was literally sleep deprived ramblings!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a rule,¡± I said, approaching her with crossed arms. ¡°What happens in the pit stays in the pit. Judgment free zone. From kinks to secrets to embarrassing sleep deprived fantasies. Spill.¡± She hunched her shoulders, but Tiana gave her a squeeze. ¡°Well, it¡¯s dumb, but I just though that if we wanted to we could maybe have the different areas be for different things. We could change the colors of the curtains super easily. We could have one corner for people who¡¯re just here to sleep, a cuddle corner, a corner for people looking to get it on, and¡­¡± she mumbled thest one. I stepped closer. ¡°I didn¡¯t quite catch thatst one. I can¡¯t greenlight it if I don¡¯t have the whole picture, Angel.¡± She huffed, then took a step towards me. ¡°We could have an ¡®anything goes¡¯ corner. Y¡¯know, if you¡¯re there you¡¯re¡­um¡­up for anything. Getting fucked awake, getting felt up, just having anyone in the mood have their way with you, but consensually.¡± She blushed. ¡°Like I said before, it¡¯s stupid. Just something I came up with when I was really horny.¡± I tapped my chin thoughtfully. ¡°We can workshop it,e up with specifics, but I don¡¯t see why not. I think at the very least having a ¡®hands off¡¯ corner would be a good idea for anyone not in the mood. It¡¯s a good idea, Angel.¡± I leaned close enough that I could grab her ass and pull her hips to mine. ¡°All of it.¡± She bit her lip, pressing into me. ¡°Wonder if we can get Karina to give it a try,¡± she said yfully. I flicked her on the nose. ¡°I¡¯m gonna institute another new rule at this point. No trying to seduce new arrivals until they¡¯ve been here a month. Maybe longer.¡± ¡°A month!?¡± Rhani stuck her bottom lip out, but I just crossed my arms. Her pout faded quickly and she grinned. ¡°A week.¡± I shook my head. ¡°A month for now, we can haggleter. We¡¯ve got bigger fish to fry, like figuring out the divine marker a goddess pped on Serena.¡± Rhani¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Serena!¡± She turned and stormed off. Well, she tried to, at least. Turns out storming is a tough ask when the ground is so soft and springy you bounce. More than a few of us got a chuckle out of it, but my eyes fell quickly on Jack. She was leaning on a wall, watching everyone checking out the new room with a bittersweet smile. I picked my way over to her. ¡°Why are you over here brooding?¡± ¡°Because it adds to the whole ¡®mysterious stranger¡¯ vibe I¡¯ve got going, duh.¡± She grinned, but her expression didn¡¯tst long. She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s fucking awesome, and I¡¯ll never get to experience it. Not without burning it all down or setting someone on fire. Probably both.¡± I stepped in close and put a hand on either side of her head, pinning her to the wall without either of us actually touching. ¡°Never say never.¡± I leaned in and gave her a quick kiss. She chased my lips with a moan, but she knew as well as I did that nothing good woulde from an extended makeout session. Especially not if she was still running hot from helping me finish off Tsuki. Speaking of. ¡°Want toe with me to collect a horny Kitsune?¡± She grinned. ¡°Depends, can I join in?¡± I conjured a tendril and sent it to tease her backdoor. She gasped, heat shing in her eyes, and shot me a grin that promised retribution. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°One day, Zaren, payback is going to be soooo sweet.¡± Then she pushed off the wall and headed towards the door. I took the chance to get her back, smacking her ass hard enough to turn heads. ¡°I look forward to the day.¡± Schedule Shift Schedule Shift Announcement Due to work, writing on the weekends is tricky for me. For that reason, I''m shifting the release schedule to Tuesday and Friday at 6 p.m. CST to give myself an extra day between chapters on the short end. I appreciate your patience almost as much as I appreciate all of you who have read this far. Thanks for taking the time to check out this author''s amateur writing, and see you tomorrow! Chapter Eighty-One: Vanni Chapter Eighty-One: Vanni There was a conversation going on in the room, but Allie wasn¡¯t paying any attention to what was being said. She couldn¡¯t tear her eyes away from her reflection in the sizable vanity mirror in the room Lord Balseron had given her. Her hair had been the feature she¡¯d been most proud of once. Long and silky, so dark a ck it looked to be nearly blue in the right light. She could still remember her mother weaving it into beautiful, intricate braids before she¡¯d gotten so sick her fingers no longer had the strength to do so. A close second were her eyes. They¡¯d always been a rich violet, and her father had always said it meant she¡¯d been born lucky. Now her hair was dull and dry. Split ends and stray hairs poked out of herzy tail. Her eyes were so dull they looked dead with how dark the bags under her eyes had gotten. Her once-ivory skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to hide her weight loss from the others for much longer. She was fairly certain Nora already knew, but nobody had mentioned how her cheekbones were more pronounced than usual. That her corbones pressed against her shirt more than they once had. Nobody mentioned anything at all about her rapidly deteriorating state, and she knew it was because of how frustrated they were that there was seemingly nothing anyone could do about it. She¡¯d been angry in the beginning. Then frustrated. Scared. Now? Mostly, she was just tired. Tired of being afraid. Tired of seeing the pain on her friends¡¯ faces after each episode. Tired of seeing how much suffering her condition was causing them. They were nning right now. Trying to figure out¡­something. She could barely remember at this point. Right now she was caught up looking for signs of Eliya in her eyes. Or was she looking for signs of Allie? It was getting harder and harder to tell which was which. Who she was at any given point. Where her episodes had once been easily marked by her losing time, now she was slipping between both personas so easily it was scary. Sometimes it was hard to remember who was the original and who was the interloper. Those were the times that scared her most. The two different lives were on a collision course, and she wasn¡¯t sure which would survive when it happened. ¡°Allie?¡± Gwen stood to her left, reaching for her uncertainly. Allie recognized the expression. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d called. ¡°Are you listening?¡± she asked. At first, Allie could only blink. It was undoubtedly Gwendolyn that stood in front of her¡ªevery fiber of Allie¡¯s being told her that much¡ªbut she was all wrong. Gwen was short. Stocky. Thickly built, which had always bothered her. Not tall, lithe, and graceful like the tinum blond before her. And her eyes. Plural. Allie could still remember gouging one of Gwen¡¯s eyes out. Sobbing. Fighting the burning at her throat with everything she had only to lose to the cor¡¯smand. Gwen holding her that night, sobbing just as hard, promising she didn¡¯t hold it against Allie. That she knew it was the cor¡¯s doing, not hers. Eliya. She was Eliya again, and she hadn¡¯t even realized it. Gwen¡ªno, Therese reached out to brush stray hairs out of Allie¡¯s face. Her long, slender fingers pushed into her hair, pressing the tips into the side of her head. Allie¡¯s eyes closed, a shiver running through her. Therese¡¯s hands passed over smooth skin and raven hair, not bumpy, horribly scarred flesh. It felt good. So fucking good. More than that, it anchored Allie into her body. Reminded her of who she was. Somehow, Therese had figured out touching that part of her was the fastest way to snap Allie back to reality. And as she came back, she realized Allie had been paying attention to the conversation, even if Eliya hadn¡¯t. That was another scary development. Eliya didn¡¯t go away fully when Allie was in control anymore. She was always present, just as Allie was always present when Eliya was at the wheel. It was one more thing that made knowing who was in charge that much harder. Allie closed her eyes, fighting the need to lean into Therese¡¯s touch. To lean into her. To seekfort in those long, graceful arms. She knew the mage would let her in a heartbeat, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Not when she was careening towards the edge of a cliff so imminently. What kind of person would she be to grow close to Therese knowing her days were numbered? She let out a breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can leave Vanni here. Not in good conscience,¡± she said, answering Kat¡¯s question as to whether they should leave. Kat looked relieved. She¡¯de back with a veritable fortune in artifacts, and still it seemed it wouldn¡¯t be enough to pry Vanni from Balseron¡¯s clutches. He was still ¡®considering¡¯ their offer, but Allie¡¯s instincts weren¡¯t hopeful. Or Eliya¡¯s, maybe. She wasn¡¯t sure. But Therese¡¯s finger tapped away on her bicep. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer we can afford to stay here.¡± The implication behind her words was clear. She wasn¡¯t sure how much longer Allie had. She¡¯d made it clear she wanted to leave and seek help before it was toote, and she was starting to win Nora over. Allie shook her head, leaning heavily on the desk. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what Be wants, we aren¡¯t leaving without her.¡± The words came out in a growl, which surprised her as much as it did the rest of them. Those fingers caressed her head again and a soft sigh slipped past her lips. She¡¯d slipped back into Eliya again. Eliya cursed a lot more than she did, and while Nora was adept at reading the change in her body movements, Therese usually knew when she¡¯d slipped into Eliya after just one or two sentences. The two of them were likely the only reason Allie was still any semnce of sane at this point. Allie shook herself. ¡°I won¡¯t leave her here. Look, let¡¯s be honest. Any chance of curing me is a long shot at best, and if we don¡¯t find some magical way to fix whatever was done to my soul, I don¡¯t want to die knowing I left Vanni to her fate.¡± A strong hand grabbed her shoulder. ¡°You aren¡¯t dying,¡± Nora said sternly. Allie smiled weakly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Someone will be left inhabiting the body, I¡¯m sure, it just might not be me.¡± Nora pulled her in close, pressing their foreheads together. ¡°Not. Happening.¡± Kat ran a hand over her face. She¡¯d been different since she¡¯d returned from the Capital. Thoughtful. Introspective in a way Allie hadn¡¯t seen from the girl. ¡°ording to the appraiser I went to, the painting I gave Balseron was the cheapest item my friend gave me. Balseron, the slimy bastard, agreed to ept it as payment for a night with Vanni. It was the best I could do.¡± Allie nodded. It made her gut clench just thinking about it, but there wasn¡¯t much choice. They¡¯d work with what they had. So far, Balseron had only shown off Vanni in short bursts. During meals or downtime, and always with an escort. A ¡®night alone¡¯ with her meant they might be able to ask her questions she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer otherwise. ¡°He still thinks you¡¯re in love with her,¡± Kat continued, ¡°so she¡¯ll be spending the night with you. The question is if you want to be alone or not.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Allie trailed off. How did she say she wanted them all to stay as well? How could she put into words that every time she fell asleep she was terrified Allie would never again wake? That she wanted to spend every moment possible with them while she was still¡­her? Therese¡¯s fingersced with hers. ¡°We can all stay, if you¡¯d like. The bed is certainly big enough.¡± Allie nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. Rose cleared her throat. ¡°All of us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked from rose to Kat pointedly. ¡°All of you. Please.¡± Arms like tree trunks wrapped around her from behind without pulling her hand from Therese¡¯s. ¡°Then all of us is what you¡¯ll get.¡± Kat nodded. ¡°Yeah, for sure.¡± Something in Allie¡¯s gut unclenched. A relief swept through her she couldn¡¯t exin, but she was more than d for that. She leaned back into Nora¡¯s embrace while her grip on Therese¡¯s hand tightened. She really didn¡¯t know what she would do without the women who¡¯d stumbled into her life. It wasn¡¯t long before a servant came to collect them for dinner. It was another forced affair, with Balseron practically salivating over every nce they threw Vanni¡¯s way. She stood there stoically for her part, still as a statue. Still only a step above naked with her body visible through the sheer silk of her loose robe. Her eyes hidden behind a veil Allie constantly wondered if she could actually see through. Allie and her party behaved with a sense of false cheer that didn¡¯t seem to affect the lord in the slightest. By the end of the affair she genuinely didn¡¯t know which would do her in first, her damaged soul or spending more dinner¡¯s in the disgusting lord¡¯s presence. ¡°Vanni, you will apany Lady Luce to her room tonight,¡± he said with a wave of his hand as servants swept in to clean the dishes from the table. Vanni didn¡¯t react past a slight curtsy as Balseron stood and brushed the crumbs from his shirt. ¡°She will exin the rules to you. In the meantime, I will consider your offer. I look forward to speaking with you in the morning.¡± He looked Vanni over one final time before sweeping from the room, his billowing clothes trailing behind him. Allie was the first to stand, and her party followed suit. Trying to ignore the sick feeling in her gut, she gestured out of the room. ¡°Vanni, please. Follow me.¡± ¡°Of course, mistress,¡± Vanni said. Her voice was soft, yet raspy. It urred to Allie that she¡¯d never heard Vanni speak before. Allie led the way, and a part of her was proud of the way her party moved to nk her and Vanni, ready to protect them from any harm. Vanni followed with two hands sped behind her back and her other set of arms wrapped around her stomach. Not used to reading people with more than one set of arms, Allie wasn¡¯t sure if she was nervous or if this was normal. ¡°Vanni, do you mind if the rest of my party joins us?¡± ¡°If the mistress wishes it, I will not object,¡± Vanni said simply. Allie just nodded. She didn¡¯t want to reassure Vanni too much in case Balseron had ears listening to them. Allie had no doubt if the man knew what her party really thought of him he¡¯d kick them out in a heartbeat. That or he¡¯d do something horrible to Vanni just to hurt them, but that possibility was one that hade to her while she¡¯d been Eliya. Allie entered first, followed by Vanni, then the rest of the group joined them. The Ashra stood in the doorway giving nothing away, the only indication of her emotions the slight speeding up of her breath indicated only by the rise and fall of her breasts. The slight tinkling of the chains that hung from her nipples clearly visible through the sheer top made Allie¡¯s blood boil, but there was nothing she could do about it now. The others filed in, most of them finding spots in the grand room to sit. All of them were watching Vanni like a hawk, though. Allie approached her, unnerved by the veil that hid most of the woman¡¯s face from view. ¡°Lord Balseron mentioned rules?¡± Vanni inclined her head. ¡°Yes. I am not to allow any marks to be made that would be visible on my flesh, and my veil is to remain in ce. Other than those two restrictions, I am to do whatever I am told.¡± Allie found some smallfort that Vanni wasn¡¯t being physically abused, but not much. ¡°And if we wanted to see your eyes? If I asked you to take that veil off, what would you say?¡± This time Vanni tensed. ¡°The master is adamant that the veil remain in ce.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Allie asked softly. Vanni swallowed. ¡°He¡­sees them as an imperfection. They make his guests ufortable, so I am to keep them from sight.¡± ¡°Is that why you talk without showing your teeth?¡± Therese asked. Vanni¡¯s head tilted in her direction, then she nodded. Allie stepped in closer. ¡°Can I remove your veil? If it makes you feel better, we don¡¯t have to tell Balseron.¡± After a long moment of hesitation, Vanni eventually nodded. Moving slowly, Allie reached up and lifted the veil away. Vanni¡¯s eyes were firmly shut. Allie set the veil aside and took a step back so she wasn¡¯t in Vanni¡¯s space. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt you. In fact, we won¡¯t even touch you unless you explicitly tell us it¡¯s alright.¡± She frowned. ¡°But¡­then why would you pay for a night with me?¡± It was Therese who answered while Nora watched with her arms crossed and her jaw firmly shut. ¡°Because we wanted to talk to you. Learn more about you and your master in a private setting.¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t have a productive conversation if your eyes are closed the whole time,¡± Allie said, her tone teasing. Vanni¡¯s lower arms wrapped tightly around her stomach¡ªthis time definitely in a way that said she was nervous¡ªand she pressed the fingertips of her upper arms together in front of her. She took a long breath, then slowly opened her eyes and looked at Allie. A shocked gasp slipped past Allie¡¯s lips, apanied by a surge of adrenaline that made her heart skip a beat. Vanni¡¯s irises were a dark red, and her pupils were vertical like a dragon¡¯s or a cat¡¯s. But the most surprising part was that there were no whites. The scleras were as ck as her pupils, which meant the red was the only color in them. But none of that was what sent adrenaline surging through her veins. Vanni¡¯s eyes were identical to the Ashai they¡¯d killed. After Kat had returned with all sorts of new information about the Eldritch Beasts, Therese had been the first to point out the simrities in the beast¡¯s name and the name of Vanni¡¯s race. If there were any doubt before that the two were rted somehow, there wasn¡¯t any longer. Allie allowed herself to be stunned for just a beat too long. Vanni¡¯s expression fell, and her eyes flicked to the floor. Her lower arms hugged her even tighter and her upper handsced together, squeezing one another tightly. She took a step towards the veil, but Allie stepped forward. Some part of her knew she was Eliya in that moment, all too familiar with feeling like her appearance made her unlovable. She caught Vanni with two fingers under her chin and lifted her face until the Ashra looked at her, hesitation and fear in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful, Vanni, you just caught me off guard for a moment. You don¡¯t have to hide those eyes from me.¡± Vanni bit her lip, revealing long, pointed canines, then gasped and mmed her lips shut firmly. Allie didn¡¯t take her fingers away from where they just barely brushed the underside of Vanni¡¯s jaw. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide those, either. Let¡¯s make a deal, alright? Come in and sit. All we want is for you to hang out and talk to us, maybe answer some questions if you¡¯refortable, maybe eat some of the snacks Kat¡¯s been stashing away, and we¡¯ll be sure to tell Balseron that you performed perfectly. How does that sound?¡± She spared onest nce towards the veil, then nodded. Allie turned towards the little receiving area in her suite, but Vanni said, ¡°he won¡¯t sell me, you know. You¡¯re not the first to try and purchase me, but Lord Balseron won¡¯t part with me under any circumstance. He enjoys feeling important far too much, and owning an anomaly such as myself is worth more than any jewels or coin ever could.¡± A cold fist gripped Allie¡¯s heart, but she didn¡¯t let it show. Instead, she smiled. ¡°Come on.¡± They all stood back, letting Vanni have her pick of the chairs. To Allie¡¯s surprise, she elected for the two-seater rather than one of the armchairs that would have ensured she was sitting alone. After a brief silent exchange with both Nora and Therese, Allie sank down onto the couch next to the Ashra. The others all took seats as well. Nora and Kat in armchairs and Therese and Rose sitting shoulder to shoulder on the couch. Slowly, watching for any sign that the move was unwanted, Allie brushed some of her lc hair behind her ear. When Vanni didn¡¯t flinch away, Allie gently ced her other hand on one of Vanni¡¯s forearms. ¡°First, can you tell us about the others who tried to purchase you?¡± The words tasted like dirt in her mouth, but she forced them out anyways. Vanni nodded. ¡°They were¡­ terrifying. They were led by a man named Kevran Arthal. The men he had with him¡­ the way they looked at me¡­¡± She broke off, suddenly shivering. Keeping her hand on Vanni¡¯s forearm, Allie started gently stroking Vanni¡¯s hair. ¡°Did Balseron force you to spend time with them as well?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No. He¡¯s many things, but he isn¡¯t overly cruel. It may be to soothe his own ego, but he does take good care of me. I think he knew just as I did that the men Arthal had with him wouldn¡¯t care much for his rules. They were only here for a single night, and something about them¡­¡± The shivering got worse. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep a wink the entire time they were in the manor. I wasn¡¯t sorry to see them go.¡± Allie exchanged a loaded look with Kat. Whoever these guys were, they sounded like bad news. It only made sense that Be wasn¡¯t the only one to have heard about Vanni¡¯s existence, but Allie had to wonder who else would have reason to seek her out. ¡°Shh,¡± Allie said, shifting closer. She gently pulled Vanni so that the Ashra was leaning on her, still stroking her hair. Vanni pressed into Allie¡¯s side with little resistance. ¡°Enough about those assholes, let¡¯s talk about something else, yeah?¡± Vanni nodded, and Allie shot a nce at the others. Gwen and Maeve both were tense, and it took Allie a moment to figure out why. Eliya had spent most of her lifeforting damaged kids in dark rooms, so it only made sense she¡¯d floated to the forefront around Vanni. But, even though she was pretty sure Eliya was at the wheel, Allie wasn¡¯t worried. If anything, she wasforted by the fierce protectiveness surging through her. With only a little hesitance, Allie made a conscious decision to remain Eliya. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us about your life here? How Balseron treats you?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Vanni settled a bit in Allie¡¯s arms. ¡°Well, like I said, he isn¡¯t a cruel man at heart. Just greedy. When there aren¡¯t guests to show me off to, I actually get a good amount of free time. I spend a lot of it in the library. I love to read.¡± ¡°What kinds of books?¡± Allie asked. Some of the tension in Vanni¡¯s shoulders melted away while she described the books she liked to read. Fantastic tales of powerful heroines building parties and saving the world. Books of all the different peoples of the world and thends they inhabit. Vanni sounded like an adventurer at heart, locked away by the strange race she was born as. ¡°He¡¯s very strict about what I eat, but he at least makes sure I never go hungry,¡± she continued after a while. ¡°I¡¯m better at avoiding them than I used to be, but for punishments he prefers istion. He doesn¡¯t want to risk scarring my body with physical beatings, so he locks me in the dark. A small smile slides onto her face. ¡°Little does he know I can see perfectly in the dark, and that I¡¯ve been alone pretty much all my life so being in istion doesn¡¯t bother me all that much. Not nearly as much as I pretend it does, at least.¡± Then her expression darkened and she sat up. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have said that. You won¡¯t tell him that, right? Please?¡± Allie grabbed her by the shoulders. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we won¡¯t tell him anything you say. Promise.¡± She sagged in relief, and Allie couldn¡¯t help but smile herself. Vanni wasn¡¯t quite the submissive servant she pretended to be, it seemed. ¡°And this?¡± she asked, gesturing at the room around them. ¡°Does this happen often? Him lending you to his guests?¡± ¡°Not often, no, but on asion.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Usually he only offers me to men he knows either won¡¯t actually go all the way or close friends. He must have very badly wanted whatever it was you¡¯re offering. That, and you don¡¯t have a¡­ you know¡­¡± ¡°A cock?¡± Allie asked. Vanni gulped, then nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, like I said, all we want is to talk to you. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± Vanni¡¯s mesmerizing eyes drifted to where Allie¡¯s arm was wrapped over her shoulders, then back up with a single brow arched, and Allieughed. ¡°These arefort cuddles, they don¡¯t count. And you¡¯re more than wee to tell me to shove off at any point and I will, alright?¡± She searched Allie¡¯s face for any sign of deceit, then eventually nodded. For the first time since she¡¯d entered the room, her lower arms started to uncurl from where they¡¯d been firmly wrapped around her narrow midsection. Allie leaned back into the couch and Vanni came along with her, wrapping one set of arms around one of Allie¡¯s while a third arm sought out her hand and the fourth settled on Allie¡¯s thigh just above her knee. She leaned her head on Allie¡¯s arm and tucked her legs underneath her. ¡°Can I ask you something now?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Allie said immediately. ¡°Tell me stories? You guys are adventurers, right? I want to know about all the cool things you¡¯ve done. Then I¡¯ll answer all the questions I¡¯m sure you have about my race.¡± With the hand Vanni wasn¡¯t firmly wrapped around, Allie brushed the Ashra¡¯s hair back. ¡°That sounds like a fair trade to me.¡± They ended up talking well into the night. Every so often, Allie looked at her friends who were more than happy to let her take the lead except when it was their turn to tell a story. Sometimes they were Nora, Therese, and Rose, others they were Maeve, Gwendolyn, and Isabel. Kat and Vanni never changed, though. The more they talked, the morefortable Vanni got. Unsurprisingly, Kat had some of the most interesting stories since she was a Chosen. Therese, as a B rank adventurer, came in a close second. Vanni hung off their every word with wide eyes and a wider smile that showed off those pearly canines. Then Kat would take over to ask the questions Be most wanted answered until Allie felt Vanni grow ufortable again. Then she¡¯d redirect the conversation back to story time. Eventually, after both Rose and Therese had started nodding off in their seats, they had to call it quits. Vanni hid it well, but Allie still picked up on her disappointment. They offered to let Vanni sleep alone, but it wasn¡¯t long before all six of them were piling into the suite¡¯s massive bed. Kat imed the spot nearest one edge while Rose slept perched on the other. Allie was prepared for Nora to grab her, crushing her to the warrior woman¡¯s ample chest, but long slender limbs wrapped around her instead. It was a surprise when Therese snuggled up to her from behind, pressing the gentlest of kisses to the back of Allie¡¯s shoulder, but a wee one. Then they allughed when Nora, not to be outdone, flopped down behind Therese and wrapped her arms around the both of them. Timidly, Vanni climbed in between Kat and Allie, curling up without touching any of them but close enough that Allie could feel the body heating from her. She made a mental note to mention to Kat in the morning that Vanni apparently ran hot. Rose was out before they¡¯d even finished getting situated. Therese¡¯s breathing evened out so soon after Allie found herself jealous of her, a girl pressed into both her front and her back. It was about ten minutes after that the sound of Kat sawing logs filled the room. Nora held out as long as she could¡ªno doubt the one on Allie-watch¡ªbut even she sumbed to sleep eventually. All four of them had been getting nearly as little sleep as Allie had, and it was all her fault. As the minutes stretched into an hour, Vanni remained her onepanion in the waking world. It wasn¡¯tpletely dark with the moonlight filtering in through the open balcony on the side of their suite, so Allie could see the dark red eyes peering at her in the dim light. Around when they entered what might have been the second or third hour¡ªit was always hard to tell at night¡ªVanni said, ¡°You¡¯re scared.¡± Not a question, and it had been spoken so softly that for a moment Allie thought she¡¯d dreamed it. ¡°Of what?¡± ¡°Falling asleep,¡± she said simply. Allie let out a long breath. ¡°You know we aren¡¯t leaving you here, right?¡± she said, trying to change the topic. ¡°We¡¯ll figure out a way to get you out of Balseron¡¯s clutches. Then, who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll get to see all those ces you love to read about.¡± The light only served to make Vanni¡¯s sad smile even sadder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand. I¡¯ll spend the rest of my life here, and I¡¯vee to terms with it.¡± Hesitantly, she reached out with one of her lower arms¡ªarms that Allie had noticed she was much more reticent about using¡ªand wrapped her fingers around Allie¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re kind. Much kinder than just about anyone else I¡¯ve met here. I do think I¡¯ll miss you very much after you leave.¡± A lump formed in Allie¡¯s throat. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up that easily.¡± Vanni squeezed her hand. ¡°I know. It¡¯s going to make me miss you all the more. Now, why are you afraid to sleep?¡± Allie blew out a breath. The morefortable she¡¯d grown, the more Vanni¡¯s stubborn streak had started to bleed through. When it became clear she wasn¡¯t going to just let it lie, Allie decided to go through a simplified version of the truth. ¡°Something happened to me. It left¡­trauma behind. Sometimes, I feel like I¡¯m someone else, and I don¡¯t even know it. It¡¯s not unmanageable when I¡¯m awake, but when I sleep¡­¡± Even the dreams weren¡¯t the worst part anymore. With the exception of Eliya¡¯s death, which still eluded her, Allie was fairly confident she¡¯d lived through the worst of what Eliya¡¯s life had to offer. Vanni squeezed her hand again to prompt Allie to continue. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of whose going to wake up when I fall asleep. I¡¯m afraid that one day the me I¡¯ve always been will close her eyes and cease to exist, and I¡¯m scared of what¡¯ll happen.¡± Allie waited for judgment or confusion or pity, but none came. Slowly, hesitantly, Vanni reached out and touched her fingertips to Allie¡¯s cheek. Then her palm. Her thumb traced the bag under Allie¡¯s eye. ¡°My old master, he was a kind man. He¡¯d been an adventurer, but he lost his arm and his party in a job gone wrong. He had night terrors and episodes that made him afraid to go to sleep as well.¡± Vanni chewed the inside of her cheek, then said, ¡°I can try to help, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± Now it was Allie¡¯s turn to offer a sad smile. ¡°Not sure there¡¯s anything that can be done for me.¡± Scooting towards her, Vanni leaned in so close Allie could feel her breath on her lips. ¡°You know enough of my other secrets by now, even if for no other reason than you¡¯re the first to care enough to ask. I have a ss. One that¡¯s apparently¡­rare. I¡¯m not sure I can do anything to undo the damage that¡¯s been done, but I can at least help you get a good night¡¯s rest.¡± At this point, Allie would sell her damaged soul for some good fucking sleep. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Syngergist,¡± Vanni whispered. ¡°There are a lot of options for skills that make groups more powerful inbat, but I haven¡¯t taken any of those. One of the skills I do have calms the mind and suppresses emotions. Things like anxiety or fear. During thest year he was alive, it was the only way my master could fall asleep. I can try it, if you¡¯ll let me.¡± Unable to speak, Allie just nodded. Nervous relief passed over Vanni¡¯s face, then she started sidling even closer. She let go of Allie¡¯s hand, then two hands grabbed Allie by the hips. Their fronts pressed together, trapping Therese¡¯s arms between them, and Vanni ced a hand on either side of Allie¡¯s face. Then their lips brushed together. A light, feathery touch that stunned Allie enough to keep her from reciprocating before Vanni pulled away. ¡°Was¡ªwas that part of the skill?¡± Allie asked, thinking of her previous master. Vanni giggled. ¡°No, that was for me. It¡¯s selfish, but nobody¡¯s ever made me feel the way you have tonight. Like I¡¯m¡­normal. Not some abomination.¡± Allie¡¯s hands found their way to Vanni¡¯s hips, then further as she wrapped her arms around the Ashai. ¡°You aren¡¯t an abomination. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want you to be anything but what you are.¡± Vanni¡¯s grin widened and wetness collected in the corners of her eyes, only visible in the dark because of how close her face was. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, her voice sounding like a prayer. ¡°Sleep well, Allisandre.¡± Then everything went quiet. Beautifully, mercifully silent. Allie. Eliya. Suddenly, it didn¡¯t matter. She was either both of them or neither of them, and whichever was the answer wasn¡¯t up to her. All the thoughts and fears bouncing around her mind faded, reced by a warm nket of nothing. A shuddering gasp slipped past her lips and Vanni¡¯s thumb wiped away the wetness beneath her eyes. Everything was gone. Everything good and everything bad, all reced by nothing but her exhaustion. But here and now, with Therese pressed into her back, Vanni into her front, and Nora¡¯s hand on her waist, Allie didn¡¯t even try to fight her eyelids as they slid shut. Vanni whispered something else, but Allie was already gone. # # # Allie¡¯s eyes were closed. Hard stone dug into her back, but her heady on something soft and warm. Someone¡¯sp. A pleased sound slipped from her throat as someone dragged their fingers across the disfigured flesh on the side of her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at Zaren, skinny and gaunt, who looked down at her with an emotion in his eyes she was utterly terrified to name. ¡°Thought you¡¯d fallen asleep on me there,¡± he rasped. His eyes were still red, and his throat was raw from screaming. The death of the twins followed so closely by what must have been a harrowing trial at Karn¡¯s hands. His penultimate trial, if Karn was to be believed. Hers had left her crying and in pain for days, and only the boy whosep she wasying in had gotten her through it. ¡°Not a chance,¡± she said back. Her eyes fell to the ceiling above, where Sora had managed to use a rock to draw stars mimicking the night sky they only ever saw in the briefest of glimpses in an attempt to cheer up her sister. Their deaths still felt raw to her, but she knew it was worse for Zaren. It always was. He connected with people in a way she was simply no longer able to. He followed her gaze, and she took the chance to look at him. There was so little left of him after all Karn had done, and she knew in her heart it wouldn¡¯t survive past tomorrow. Their final trial. She didn¡¯t know what that meant, but she had no illusions that she¡¯d survive it. The end hade, and she was surprised to find she wasn¡¯t nearly as relieved as she¡¯d always assumed she¡¯d be. A part of her was d it was soon to be over. The pain and the suffering. But for the most part, all she could think of was what Zaren would go through without her. Karn¡¯s pet project. His greatest sess. His favorite. The boy¡ªno, she couldn¡¯t call him that anymore. Not after everything they¡¯d survived. The man she¡¯d fallen in love with. Suddenly and painfully, she knew in her heart that she needed to tell him. That if she didn¡¯t do it right now, she¡¯d never have another chance. ¡°Zaren, I¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said softly, his eyes still on the ceiling. His thumb dragged across the side of her head and her eyes damn near rolled back in her head. Why had she kept him from touching her there for so long again? She forced herself to focus back on him, and he was smiling down at her. It always scared her when she smiled. Like a ss sculpture about to shatter into fragments that would tear her to pieces. ¡°Remember?¡± he said, his voice ragged. ¡°We¡¯re allies. It¡¯s all we can afford to be.¡± He dragged his thumb down the side again, this time all the way down until he could cup her chin. ¡°Tell me when we¡¯re out of here. When we¡¯re free of these cors.¡± She ced her hand over his, blinking back the tears that came. ¡°I¡¯ll find you, Zaren. Wherever we go after this life, I will. However long it takes.¡± He just nodded, and she knew he didn¡¯t trust himself to speak. He knew as well as she did what tomorrow would hold. That whatever sick, twisted tests Karn was running wereing to an end, and he was never one to tolerate loose ends. He looked at her like he wasmitting every part of her to memory. She knew because she was doing the same. She didn¡¯t know what she did to deserve such a short, miserable life. She didn¡¯t know which god she should curse. What she could have done differently. All she knew was that soon it would be over, and sitting here with Zaren was the first time she felt like she wasn¡¯t ready for it to end. Her whole life she¡¯d wanted to die. Now she was going to die as soon as she¡¯d found a reason to live. # # # Allie¡¯s eyes shot open. Her fingers twitched. Her hands itched. She felt exposed. Vulnerable. She looked around the room. It was just as it had been when she¡¯d fallen asleep. Dark, only illuminated by the moonlight. Six bodies were still in the bed, and three of them were tangled around her. Normally that would have made her feel safe. Loved. Not right now. Right now she felt like she was being smothered. Restrained. Vanni was curled into her chest, all four arms wrapped around her, which made it difficult to unravel herself from the Ashra. She¡¯d only managed to sessfully disentangle herself from two limbs before Vanni blinked awake. She withdrew in confusion, her brows drawn together in an unspoken question. ¡°Full dder.¡± The lie rolled off Allie¡¯s tongue like it was second nature. But Vanni just nodded. She helped Allie free herself from Therese, then Allie managed to spring out of the bed without waking anyone else. Vanni watched her every move, especially when Allie didn¡¯t head towards thevatory. Instead, she made a beeline for her things, pulling out the de Kat had given her. It was supposed to be magical, but she¡¯d barely been listening when Kat exined why. Eliya had been at the wheel then, and she had little patience for magical items. The second her hand wrapped around the hilt, the tension in her chest uncoiled. Mostly. She rose to her feet, then turned back to the bed with relief. Vanni¡¯s eyes flicked down to the sword and her confusion grew, but Allie would exin in a minute. First she had to figure out how a sword was going to fit into the four-woman snugglefest she¡¯d woken up in. She¡¯d just taken her first step when Vanni¡¯s eyes fixed on something over her shoulder. They went wide and a look of terror stretched across her face. Reacting on pure instinct, Allie threw a [Winter¡¯s Shield] to her left. The ws that would have sliced her to ribbons mmed into the shield, but even that wasn¡¯t enough to keep the force of the blow from sending her flying. She kept hold of her weapon despite hitting the ground hard, and she¡¯d shucked the sheathe by the time she¡¯d found her feet. ¡°Ambush!¡± she barked, and four figures shot to their feet. Nora and Kat dove for weapons while Rose and Therese fired skills. A beam of light mmed into the Ashai hanging from the roof, knocking it to the floor with a snarl. Rose threw up a wall of thorned vines just in time for a second Ashai to m into it. Allie looked at the angle of its leap and yelled, ¡°they¡¯re after Vanni!¡± Her party closed ranks like a true team. Nora took front while Kat grabbed Vanni, yanking her down behind the bed and standing over her with divine magic rolling off her in waves. Rose fell behind Kat, standing close enough to help, while Therese circled away from them to divide attention. Allie should have fallen back to cover Therese, but these fucking monsters were after her Ashra. Her friend. They¡¯d pay for that. She activated [Quicken] and arcs of lightning skipped across her skin. Then she used [Blood de], but her sword burst into mes rather than bing coated in crimson. Numbly, she realized she was Eliya again, but her feet were already carrying her towards the Ashai. Her ming de bit into the beast, but it was like trying to cut tough leather with a dull de. She engaged it up close, trading blows anding out better than the beast she fought. It limped back with a snarl while the others handled the second Ashai, but Allie had broken their formation. The Ashai had managed to turn them during their brief exchange, and now it lunged towards where Therese was hurling crystalline beams. Nora lunged to intercept it, and the second Ashai chose that moment tounch at Kat, driving her away from where Vanni was trying to make herself as small as possible. Then a blur shot past Allie. A winged Malek hurtled in through the open balcony straight at Vanni. It mmed into another wall thrown up by Rose, but a swipe of its tail sent the Dryad mming into the wall. It lunged for Vanni, but Allie was back in control. She fell back against the wall and activated [Step of Shadows], the new skill she¡¯d acquired on the trip here. Her body melted into the shadow she was pressed against only to emerge between the Malek and Vanni. Another [Winter¡¯s Shield] kept them from getting eviscerated, but already Eliya was trying to fight for control. She lunged forward and attacked the Malek, but its barbed tail met every one of her strokes. Even boosted by [Quicken]¡ªno, by [Conduit]¡ªshe wasn¡¯t fast enough. She needed to use her Night¡¯s de abilities, but Eliya couldn¡¯t¡ªshe couldn¡¯t¡ª Her confusion cost them all. The barbed tail sunk deep into her shoulder at the same time the Malek¡¯s wings popped out and knocked Nora off bnce, allowing her Ashai to get the drop on her. Therese shot the tail with enough force to get the Malek to retreat, but in doing so gave Kat¡¯s Ashai the opening tond a deep blow. Eliya was the beast killer, but Allie was the one who knew how to fight as part of a team. Eliya had reflexes, pain tolerance, and the aggressiveness needed to fight monsters, but it was only when Allie was in control that she could use her Night¡¯s de skills. She had to choose between one or the other or she¡¯d get her friends killed, but which was the right choice? Which would give them the best chance at protecting Vanni? Out of habit, she tried casting [Bloodweaving]. Pain bloomed in her skull as she tried to cast a skill with which Allie and Eliya had no ovep. The Malek knocked her to the ground before she could recover, its w raised to swipe. Vines wrapped around its leg, then the room was filled by a scream of pain. One of herpanions. She staggered to her feet only to see Vanni diving at her. One set of arms wrapped around her lower back and the other her neck, then Vanni¡¯s forehead was pressing to hers. That same wave ripped through her mind, but instead of dampening her emotions down to nothing Vanni was boosting them to the max. Rage at the Beasts for hurting her friends. Terror at losing those she cared about. Guilt at the pain her condition was causing to those around her. Pride in how the small little family she¡¯d made had adopted one another. Sorrow at the knowledge she¡¯d never get to fulfill her promise to Zaren. Frustration that her bullshit was once again putting everyone in danger. All of her jacked up emotions bounced off one another. Tangling. Eliya¡¯s and Allie¡¯s. Colliding. Shattering. Reforming. Something snapped, and then suddenly she could breathe. Allie. Eliya. Both. Neither. There were still holes, but the jagged edges of Eliya fit snugly with the rips formed in Allie. Everything slowed down to a crawl, then sped back up. Allie cast [Sword of Night] and inky shadows began to drip from her de. She rolled under the bed, casting [Step of Shadows] and lunging out of the shadow caused by the Malek¡¯s tail. A single deep cut severed the appendage, then her next step brought her close enough to cut deep enough into the Malek¡¯s wing to keep it from flying again. It whirled, but she was already ducking underneath it. [Step of Shadows] was costly, so she only had one more cast. She used it to emerge from Kat¡¯s shadow, then plunged her de into the Ashai¡¯s side. It howled, turning to snap, but she cast a [Winter¡¯s Shield] on her arm and caught its jaws in the process. It¡¯s fangs bit into the ice of the shield, catching the head for long enough for Kat to dash in and cut deep into its throat. She hit something important enough to start fountaining blood and the Ashai¡¯s jaws released. They exchanged a nce and Kat nodded once. They both turned and sprinted, Kat for the Malek hammering at Rose¡¯s shield and Allie at the Ashai Nora and Therese were both barely keeping at bay. She made it as far as the Ashai before she was forced to drop [Conduit], leaving her with only [Sword of Night] left in her arsenal. She cut across both of the Ashai¡¯s back legs, ducking under the retaliating swipe she knew wasing even before it sliced through the air above her. It¡¯s upper arm sailed over her head and sheshed out with her de, cutting deep into the shoulders of both its right arms. The lower arm went limp, then Nora was mming her hammer into the Ashai¡¯s left shoulder. Two crystals sailed past the Ashai, connected by a string of light that wrapped around its jaw and held it shut. Nora leapt on its back, grabbing the string on either side of the Ashai¡¯s maw and yanking backwards. It reeled, trying to dislodge her as best it could, but Allie lunged forward to cut at its exposed throat. Her shadow-wrapped de cut so deep she felt spine and she was bathed in a torrent of thick, boiling hot blood. She spun, ready to help Kat with the Malek, only to see she was already finishing it off. It thrashed against the thorny vines Rose had conjured, but Kat was still able to dispatch it with ease. They all stood, waiting for something else to happen, breathing hard and dripping with blood. Finally, Therese took a hesitant step towards Allie. ¡°Allie? Or Eliya?¡± Allie looked at her. She was Therese, but she was also Gwen. How? Why? She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t care. She was both the elegant mage that Allie was crushing on and the fellow experiment Karn had forced her to kill. Fuck the hows and whys, she didn¡¯t have time for that. Then she looked to Nora. Nora, the muscled up warrior she¡¯d been slowly and steadily falling in love with as well as Maeve, the strongest of their trial, only dead because she¡¯d managed to hide an infection from Karn until it was toote. Both. Neither. Fuck it. She¡¯d have them all. She grinned, no doubt she was quite the sight covered in Malek blood. ¡°Both, but we¡¯ll go with Allie for now. Simpler that way.¡± Nora stepped towards her next, her arm outstretched, but thenntern-bearing guards burst into the room with Lord Balseron in tow. ¡°What is the meaning of this? I let you into my home, and you¡ª¡± He cut off with a high pitched scream that made Allie wince as he took in the Eldritch Beasts in his home. The guards¡¯ weapons were raised, but they looked at the giant monsters uncertainly. Kat took a step forward with a grimace on her face, no doubt about to apologize or some shit, but Allie was done. Vanni had saved her, and godsdammit she was going to return the favor. ¡°These monsters are called Eldritch Beasts, Lord Balseron,¡± she said, sauntering forward. Balseron¡¯s wide eyes fixed on her, and he paled in terror. Coated from head to toe in blood wearing smallclothes shredded by the ws of the Beasts she¡¯d killed with a sword that was still slowly dripping shadows, she was sure she was quite the sight. ¡°They obey a man named Kevran Arthal, if you¡¯ve heard of him.¡± She knew he had, and from the way his face paled he remembered exactly the man Allie referred to. ¡°He wants Vanni, and he doesn¡¯t care to change your mind about selling her. No doubt he¡¯ll keep sending these beasts until they¡¯ve acquired her.¡± She held up her de, then let out a dramatic sigh. ¡°We were sent to get her away from you before anything like this happened, but I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t stay for any longer than we already have. Since you¡¯re so adamant about keeping her, you might want to hire more guards. Maybe some adventurers.¡± Then she shrugged. ¡°Though it wouldn¡¯t be hard for him toe for you directly, I guess. Then it¡¯d be easy for him to take her.¡± This time both the guards paled as well, and Balseron was visibly turning a shade of green. ¡°W-wait, I never said I was done negotiating!¡± Allie cocked her head. ¡°Oh? In that case¡­¡± She walked over to one of the Ashai and shoved her hand under its upper jaw, then lifted its head up with a grunt. It¡¯s eyes were rolled back in its head and its tongue was lolling out. Another wave of blood gushed from the gaping slit at its throat. ¡°These corpses would sell for a lot of money. Of course, I¡¯m sure if you mounted their heads in your entry hall you¡¯d be the talk of the province for sure. They¡¯re our kills, but I¡¯d dly add them to our side of the deal, both in exchange for Vanni and as a thanks for all the hospitality you¡¯ve shown us.¡± With his fear and his greed both on the same side, he didn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°I think that¡¯s perfectly eptable! In addition to the artifacts you¡¯ve already offered, I assume?¡± Allie cut a nce at Kat, who nodded with the air of someone who was excited to finally be done with the man. ¡°That¡¯s eptable.¡± She switched her de from hand to hand, then held her arm out to shake. Balseron took it with a wince, shook it once, then immediately pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood. ¡°Wonderful, wonderful! I¡¯ll have a scribe draw up the paperwork and we can have you on your way by the time breakfast is finished. Until then, I¡¯ll wake some of the servants to draw you all some baths.¡± He waved a hand, signaling one of the guards to do as hemanded. The guards both ducked out, and Balseron followed after onest drooling look at the Ashai at Allie¡¯s feet. The door had barely closed behind him when Allie sagged, only stopped from falling by a set of strong, muscr arms wrapping around her. She¡¯d lost a lot of blood from the blow the Malek hadnded. The room swam for a second, then warmth bloomed from the injury. She shook her head, leaning heavily on Nora, to find everyone looking at her with expressions ranging from shock to¡ªin Kat¡¯s instance¡ªa wide grin. ¡°Shit, girlie, that was fucking awesome! Did you pull that crap about Arthal out of your ass?¡± Allie grinned. ¡°Maybe.¡± Then she sought out Vanni. She was standing there, staring at the door with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open. Pushing herself to her feet, Allie slowly approached her. ¡°Vanni?¡± she asked, putting her hand on the Ashra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t think it was possible, but do you want toe with us?¡± Vanni tore her eyes from the door to look at Allie, lost for words. She tried unsessfully to say something, then the tears started trailing down her cheeks a second before she threw all four arms around Allie, hugging her tightly. Allie hugged her right back. ¡°Damn, Ashra hugs are something else.¡± Slender fingers sank into her bloody hair, caressing flesh that wasn¡¯t scarred in the slightest. ¡°Allie?¡± Therese asked. ¡°I¡¯m me,¡± Allie promised. ¡°Me, Allie, or me, Eliya?¡± Nora asked, putting her hands on Allie¡¯s shoulders. Allie¡¯s arms just tightened around Vanni, tion in her heart. Instinctively, she just knew there would be no more episodes. No more fighting for control. There were still some gaps in Eliya¡¯s memories, but Allie hardly remembered every minute of her own life. There was no line between them. Not anymore. She was both of them,pletely and utterly, and that was amazing. ¡°Me,¡± she said, and Nora¡¯s arms wrapped around them both. ¡°I¡¯m just me.¡± Chapter Eighty-One: Lust and Lanterns Chapter Eighty-One: Lust and Lanterns To put it simply, the new bed was fucking awesome. I¡¯d already been sleeping better since we¡¯d arrived at the capital thanks to having walls and a roof around me, but Rhani¡¯s super-bed was leagues above the two beds we¡¯d shoved together in the temporary room we¡¯d imed. Jack and I had gone back downstairs to scoop up Tsuki¡ªwhotched onto me happily the moment she was in my arms¡ªand returned to break in the bed. I¡¯d been a little worried her heat might make her territorial, but that worry went out the window when she lunged at Rhani, pinning my Arelim down and mming their lips together while arching her back and thrusting her ass at me. We pulled the curtains on the new bed to section off one corner and spent the rest of the day stress testing Rhani¡¯s silencing runes Tsuki certainly tested the stamina Allura had apparently gifted me. Her libido long ousted her body, but Serena kept a close eye to make sure she wasn¡¯t pushing things too far, offering her healing magic when she came too close to that line. There was one slightly terrifying moment when Ryoko stuck her head in our little corner. Her eyes went so wide I thought they might fall out of her skull. She didn¡¯t say a word, instead walking straight to her sister¡ªwho was still riding me, despite me having gone still at Ryoko¡¯s appearance¡ªand brushed Tsuki¡¯s hair out of her face. Ryoko took a long look at her, then kissed her forehead and left the room without another word. I tried to go after her, but Tsuki had me pinned down too well to move without manhandling her, so Noelle went after her instead. After I¡¯d sated Tsuki¡¯s oversensitive body with a few more orgasms, Noelle returned and promised everything was fine. After a brief break for dinner and several more rounds with everyone involved, we all curled up with Tsuki at our center, exhausted but extremely satisfied. Then I¡¯d passed out and had what might have been the best night¡¯s sleep I¡¯d gotten in about forty years. It seemed everyone else was content to let me and my harem have the bed to ourselves for the night. A designation that everyone seemed to agree applied to Tsuki at this point after countless orgasms between the seven of us. Jack partook for a while, getting off to my shadow tendrils while watching from a fireproof chair Rhani had helped create, though it was smoking by the time she called it a night and returned to her own room of fireproof furniture. Whatever her magic, it seemed conventional runes simply weren¡¯t strong enough to keep up. Something that gave me an idea, but one I¡¯d have to talk to Rhani about. When I woke the next morning, it was to a set of lips tracing their way up my throat. Hands nails digging into my chest, the voluptuous front of a small body pressing into me, and a set of wet, needy lower lips pressing against my morning wood. In the darkness provided by the walls of curtains lining the bed, I couldn¡¯t see anything about whoever was on top of me past a vague outline, so I relied on my [Dark Sense] to tell me what I needed to know. I trailed one hand down her back until it met a fluffy fox tail and used the other hand to cup the back of her head, brushing against the ears there. I rolled my hips, sliding the length of my cock against her lips without prating her, then froze at the moan that slipped past through her lips. A moan that wasn¡¯t quite the same pitch as the ones I¡¯d drawn out of Tsuki over and over against night. Almost quicker than I could react, the person straddling me dragged her pussy all the way up the length of my erection until the head was pressed against her opening with a needy whine. An opening that, as soon as the head started to part her folds, I realized was far too tight. My hands shot to her hips, holding her in ce before she could go any further. She struggled against my grip, trying desperately to impale herself on my length, but I shifted her enough so that my erection was nestled between her cheeks rather than inside her. She made a frustrated sound of protest, only silenced when I pressed her face to my chest and stroked her hair. Hair that was too short to be Tsuki¡¯s. She calmed a little, inhaling deeply through her nose where she was pressed into the crook of my neck, but her hips were still squirming desperately in an attempt to capture my cock again. I felt around briefly, d to see Tsuki still asleep while wrapped up in both Noelle and Rhani¡¯s arms. Serena and Tiana were syed out around us, taking full advantage of the sheer size of the bed while also still being close enough to touch me if they wanted. Carefully so as not to wake any of them, I cradled the form that could only be Ryoko to my chest and carried her to another corner of the giant bed. I made sure the curtains were closed behind us then activated another of the silencing runes. Only then did I set Ryoko down on her back, kneeling over her. She was as naked as I was, but I¡¯d surmised that much already from when she¡¯d been grinding against me. Her skin was flush, her nipples hard enough to cut diamonds, and her pussy was swollen, red, and soaked. The minute I tried to pull away she followed, and it was only when my hand inadvertently brushed her peaked nipple that her back arched and she fell back to the bed with a throaty whine. ¡°Please, Zaren, I can¡¯t stop. I can¡¯t get it to go away,¡± she mumbled, only capable of short, choppy sentences. One of her hands squeezed the breast I¡¯d brushed against while the other sought out my cock. It wrapped around my base, half stroking me and half pulling me towards the apex between her legs. ¡°I¡¯m so hot. It¡¯s never been like this,¡± she panted. She moaned and writhed, seeking something she just couldn¡¯t quite get, but her movements grew less violent when I gently put my hands on her. It wasn¡¯t until I finally took mercy on her and brushed my thumb across her clit that she came undone Her back arched off the bed and she came so hard her body shook after. I kept rubbing slow circles around the bundle of nerves at the peak of her swollen sex while I used two fingers to gently rub up and down the puffy lips. She let out a sigh, falling back to the bed in a boneless heap. ¡°Oh gods,¡± she squeaked, ¡°that feels so much better than my fingers¡­¡± ¡°Tsuki mentioned your heats don¡¯t respond well to self-pleasure,¡± I said softly. Her hand release its vice grip on my cock just enough that she could start stroking it up and down, but her eyes were fixed on the bed¡¯s curtained canopy. ¡°You seemed finest night.¡± She nodded. ¡°Tsuki has stressing about her heat for weeks now, afraid it¡¯ll happen at a bad time. I knew she wanted to spend it with you, but I wanted to make sure she was okay.¡± Her hips started writhing again, so I slipped a single finger inside her. Her head fell back, her mouth wide open in a silent scream of pleasure. It was only after a few moments of me slowly pumping in and out of her that she collected her thoughts. ¡°I wanted to stay, but the second I saw you inside her¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her look so happy during a heat¡­ The second I started wondering if it really felt that good¡­¡± I slid my finger in all the way, brushing against the unmistakable barrier that signified she¡¯d never been with a man before. ¡°By the time I got back to our room,¡± she babbled, ¡°I was so hot. My clothes felt like they were choking me. Then when I was taking them off I realized how good it felt to touch myself, but it wasn¡¯t enough. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off, her already flushed cheeks growing darker. ¡°You couldn¡¯t cum?¡± I said softly. I lowered myself so I was on my side next to her and she nestled into my chest, widening her legs to give me better ess. ¡°I promised your sister I¡¯d help with her heats. If you want, I¡¯ll help you too.¡± She moaned. ¡°Just my heats?¡± she breathed. I slipped a second finger into her, pressing my palm to her clit, and her body convulsed in another orgasm. She was so sensitive, I was d I¡¯d stopped her from going all the way before. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. If that¡¯s what you¡¯d prefer¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± she whimpered. She tried to push her hips towards my cock, but I used the hand on her pelvis to push her into the bed, grinding against her clit in the process. ¡°Please, I-I want you. I don¡¯t want to just have you during my heats. You¡¯ve been so amazing at every turn. You made my sister smile again. You¡¯ve given me so much more than I¡¯d ever dreamed of having.¡± Moving only her upper body, she pressed her forehead to my chest. ¡°You made me feel like I could dream for more. I need you, Zaren.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± She looked up at me with hooded eyes, hope mixing with lust. ¡°Really.¡± She threw an arm up and pulled me low enough to press her lips to mine in a clumsy, frantic kiss. I chose that moment to start sliding my fingers in and out of her tight tunnel and she melted in my arms. ¡°But I won¡¯t fuck you today.¡± She made a frustrated sound. ¡°Why?¡± she whined. I kissed her again, then pulled away until I was leaning over her. ¡°I won¡¯t take your first time while your mind is addled by your heat. Tsuki and I talked it over before hand, otherwise I would never have had sex with her while she had so little control of her body.¡± I leaned down to silence her objections with a kiss, then trailed my way down her body with my lips, my fingers slowly pumping in and out of her the entire time. I paused at her breasts to bite her nipple, which I was fairly certain sent her over the edge into orgasm again. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you hanging, though. I¡¯ll do my best to take care of you.¡± She made let out another adorable frustrated growl when I slid my fingers away, but the sound died in a gasp of pleasure when I reced those fingers with my mouth. I started by working her outer lips with my tongue while my fingers dug into her ample rear. When she started squirming again, I slid my tongue as deep inside her as I could, relishing the taste of her release as it sshed against my face. When her legs started trembling against the sides of my head, I licked my way up to her clit and started working on it while my fingers resumed to pumping in and out of her soaking pussy. Her legs wrapped around my head and she screamed out her climax. After a night without release, she was so sensitive that my attack rolled one orgasm right into the next. I didn¡¯t let up, alternating between her clit and her pussy with both fingers and mouth, showing no mercy until her legs finally released me and fell back against the bed in a sweaty, trembling mess. I sat up and wiped my mouth, then brushed the hair from her. She panted, her eyes taking a while to fix on me. ¡°Better?¡± I asked. She nodded like it took all her energy just to do so, and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. ¡°Talk to Tsuki once you¡¯re both awake. If we go any further than this and she finds out without one of us telling her about it, she might stab me in my sleep.¡± Ryoko giggled tiredly. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± Then she bit her lip. ¡°You really want me? Us? I mean, I know you¡¯ve already got so many others in your harem, but¡ª¡± I silenced her by scooping her up with one arm under her back and the other under her knees. ¡°My harem has been pushing me to ask the both of you to join us formally for weeks now, but I wanted to wait until I was sure you were ready first. Now I think you are. I¡¯d like you to be mine, and I know my other girls feel the same. The rest is up to you and Tsuki, but your position in my household isn¡¯t dependent on your answer, alright?¡± She nodded, moisture at the corners of her wide, golden eyes. ¡°Thank you, Zaren. There isn¡¯t a day that goes by I don¡¯t thank Allura that you found us in Anford.¡± I kissed the top of her head and her eyes slid closed. ¡°You and me both.¡± By the time I deposited her next to her sister, she was already mostly asleep. I set her in the spot Rhani had apparently vacated. I¡¯d barely set her down before she was absorbed into the pile of limbs and nkets that was Tsuki and Noelle. I stifled a chuckle, then gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead. All three of them smiled serenely, still mostly asleep, so I took my leave. It was like walking into a different world, stepping outside the thick curtains and into the morning sun. Rhani was in what we¡¯d dubbed the dressing area where there were a host of dressers and wardrobes. She took one look at me, her eyes drifting straight to my throbbing erection, and a smile graced her lips. ¡°Ryoko leave you wanting?¡± she asked innocently, wearing nothing but a skirt. She had a top in her hands, but made no move to don it. ¡°She wasn¡¯t ready to go all the way,¡± I exined. She opened her mouth to answer, but I spun her around and pushed her forward until her palms were pressed into the dresser she¡¯d pulled her skirt from. She gasped, arching her back and causing her skirt to ride up enough for me to see the underside of her plump, ivory cheeks. I flipped her skirt up and plunged myself inside her with a single thrust. She was more than wet enough for me to do so, and her response was swallowed by a happy moan. ¡°Besides,¡± I whispered into her ear, still hilted inside her, ¡°there¡¯s no need to push her when I¡¯ve got you.¡± Her head fell forward when I started to slowly saw my hips back and forth, but I wrapped a hand around her throat to pull it back up. ¡°Always wet and willing, eager to get fucked.¡± Rhani moaned, already bucking her hips against me, trying to get me in deeper as her tunnel walls clenched at my words. ¡°Should I expect this kind of treatment any time you get hard, then? You want me to be your outlet?¡± she panted. I squeezed the sides of her throat and started to pick up speed. Soon enough she was forced to thrust back into me just to keep from getting fucked into the dresser. ¡°Are youining?¡± ¡°Fuck no. Gods, this is so fucking hot,¡± she said between thrusts. ¡°Fucking me while the door to the room is open? Anyone could walk in, you know.¡± I pulled out and flipped her around, tossing her ass up onto the top of the dresser. I was barely inside her before her legs had wrapped around my waist, her ankles hooking behind my back. ¡°You expect me to believe you haven¡¯t already told everyone what to expect in this room? Sex, sex, and more sex?¡± Rhani sunk her hands into my hair and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth. ¡°I might have mentioned it,¡± she said once she was done tasting me. ¡°What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.¡± Her mouthtched onto the underside of my jaw, attacking my apparent weak spot they all loved so much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. Only volunteers clean the master bedroom.¡± After spending so long taking care of Ryoko, I was already at my limit. I came with a grunt while Rhani held me as deep inside her as she could, shuddering through her own climax while I filled her to the brim. I chuckled after, our foreheads pressed together. ¡°Might need to recruit another round of servants, then. I¡¯m not sure many of the servants we have so far are interested in seeing my pasty ass all the time, and I¡¯ve grown quite attached to sleeping without pants.¡± ¡°Mmm, me too,¡± she said, trailing her fingers down my chest. ¡°Makes it a lot easier to wake you up cock-first.¡± I leaned into her, resting my head on her shoulder while she dragged her nails up and down my back. ¡°I had an idea I¡¯d like you to work on.¡± I almostughed when her pussy walls mped around my half-hard length still inside her at the suggestion. ¡°Oh? And when was this?¡± ¡°Pretty sure I was balls deep in Tsuki at the time with one of you licking somewhere I¡¯m not used to being licked.¡± I gave her a pointed look. She just shrugged. ¡°I wanted to try it out. I was curious.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hate it. But we¡¯re getting off base. Idea. Spill.¡± ¡°Well, at this point, you¡¯ve learned as much as you can about the enchantments on the scabbard for the Jailer¡¯s de, yes?¡± She nodded. ¡°And you went over the enchantments on Jack¡¯s¡­equipment?¡± It took a second for it to click what I was talking about, and the next step was only a short leap in logic. ¡°Oh, shit, that could work! Can I have a bedroom to experiment on?¡± I cupped her cheek. ¡°Definitely, but have Euribald help you explosive-proof it first. And we should probably use one with an exterior wall, just in case.¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll use one of the ones on the third floor we haven¡¯t bothered with yet.¡± Then she bit her lip. ¡°Could take me a few weeks to get the array all nned up. Unless, of course¡­¡± I bit back augh. ¡°After you finish with whatever you¡¯ve got nned for the day, get an area set up. This time we¡¯ll see if I can fuck your ass through a focused state without sending you crashing into an orgasma.¡± Rhani licked her lips. ¡°And if you do? No harm done.¡± She patted my chest with both hands. ¡°Now, I love you, but get out of me. I¡¯ve got ns.¡± This time I let the chuckle spill out of me, but I did as she asked after a quick peck on the lips and hunted down a pair of pants. She smoothed her skirt out and got dressed in a tight top that showed off plenty of midriff, and I arched a brow when she pulled out a ckcy thong. She shrugged, her cheeks darkening. ¡°What? I can¡¯t go without all the time.¡± ¡°And your choice of undergarment has nothing to do with the fact that you¡¯ll be spending the day with Safina?¡± ¡°Noment,¡± she said cheekily, giving me a show of slowly pulling the thong on. Then she grabbed a satchel leaning against the dresser and threw it over her shoulder. This time when she chewed on her lip, I knew it was a sign of nervousness. ¡°Safina disappeared before I could ask her to join usst night.¡± ¡°Join us, or join us?¡± She swatted my arm. ¡°You know which one. I''m not going to push her. Her hugs are amazing, even when she¡¯spletely unconscious. It feels like she¡¯s trying to crush my soul back into my body.¡± She stretched her arms above her head. ¡°Best nap I¡¯ve had in¡­ ever.¡± ¡°You gonna bring it up to her today?¡± She let her arms fall. ¡°I was nning to, I just wanted to run it by you, first. Make sure she¡¯s¡­wee.¡± I wrapped my arms around her from behind and she leaned into my chest with a sigh. ¡°Of course she¡¯s wee. If any of you trust them, then I trust them until given a reason not to. You and Safina have gotten close, so I¡¯d be happy to have her in our giant, amazing bed the size of a small country.¡± She grinned. ¡°And, just to be clear, are you giving her permission to join us or¡­join us?¡± ¡°You horny little copycat,¡± I said, giving her nipple a tweak and drawing a squeal out of her while she tried to escape my arms. ¡°I think you know the answer to that. Did I ever tell you that Ria was taller than me by a few inches?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°You most certainly did not.¡± Then she understood what I was implying. ¡°Does that mean that you¡­¡± she trailed off. Now it was my turn to shrug. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how I am with Jack. I don¡¯t mind a girl who can toss me around a little, that¡¯s for sure. And Safina¡¯s gorgeous, bubbly, warm, and most importantly, she makes you happy. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t see the appeal. Now,¡± I stepped back and smacked her ass, ¡°go woo a dragon. And don¡¯t go spending your mana on research, I want you able to summon Fang if something happens. The second my [Danger Sense] pings, I¡¯ming straight for you. Got it?¡± She nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°And your orders?¡± ¡°Me and Safina both have them,¡± she said patting her satchel. In it was a signed slip giving her permission to protect herself from any harm by any means necessary, bound to both of our magics so it couldn¡¯t be stolen or ignored. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful, Zaren. Promise.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I gave her onest kiss, then she practically skipped out of the room. I watched her go, halfway tempted to drag her back for another round each time the swish of her hips shed that tiny ck thong at me. Once she was gone I fished a in ck shirt out and threw it on as well. I¡¯d barely finished before Tiana had joined me, pulling on a loose summer dress that flowed around her form beautifully. ¡°Busy morning already?¡± she asked, amusement twinkling in her eyes. ¡°Something like that.¡± I gave her a scorching kiss and she trailed a finger up her length, but we both knew we had to get on with our days. ¡°Still nning to spend the day with Cynthia?¡± She nodded. ¡°With both the barracks finished and two of the manors converted into party housing, it¡¯s time.¡± The barracks was a manor that Deetrik had refashioned to have severalrge rooms rather than a bunch of singles. Each room would fit up to twenty adventurers¡ªseparated by gender, of course¡ªand make up the cheapest option under the n Cynthia, Tiana and I had hashed out. The other manors we were nning to use as party housing, containing rooms that were designed for between one and four people. Adventurers who signed on to work under House Nocht would be expected toplete a minimum of one job a month. At the lowest end, if all they wanted was a bed in the barracks, it would only cost them a fifth of their reward money. The deal would include a safe ce to sleep, a secure locker to store any gear and loot, and ess to the dining hall that sat next to the barracks. Rooms in the party housing would cost them thirty percent, and we¡¯de up with a list of additional amenities that could be added onto the n. There were more ns to create higher tiers down the road, but we needed to wait until more manors were renovated first. We would almost surely lose money at first, but it¡¯s my hope that there would be enough adventurers determined to rise in rank to make up for those who couldn¡¯t afford to take on missions as often. Plus, it would take time for word of mouth to spread from the few adventurers brave enough to take the chance on us before we really started filling rooms. ¡°Did Zephyr get us a new list?¡± I asked. She nodded, smiling. ¡°Apparently she¡¯s rather impressed with how we¡¯ve treated the demi-humans under our care. We¡¯ve got another handful of names from the Pens and a list of hopefuls from the quarter looking for employment.¡± ¡°She still wants us to have them serve out a contract?¡± I asked, referring to the ones from the Pens. Apparently, purchasing and immediately freeing servants was against somew that could jeopardize my ability to acquire more servants should the need arise. Something I couldn¡¯t afford to have happen in case I came across someone I absolutely needed to save from the Pens. So having the servants I ¡®purchased¡¯ from the Pens work out their contract to ¡®earn¡¯ their freedom was apparently the best option for everyone. For now, at least. Tiana nodded. ¡°At least it¡¯s better than just about any alternatives.¡± She pressed her lips to my cheek. ¡°Serena and Noelle have the twins, so I¡¯ll take care of this. You can count on me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± I said, drawing a smile out of her. She sauntered off as well, and I followed. She went straight for the front door, but I turned and headed towards the tantalizing smell of bacon. I hadn¡¯t made it far before Valith practically materialized out of thin air next to me. ¡°Hey boss, got a minute?¡± she asked, her hands in her pockets. Though my rumbling stomach begged to differ, I inclined my head. ¡°Sure, shoot.¡± ¡°What exactly is my position here? Officially, I mean.¡± I took a moment to think about it, and only one real option came to mind. ¡°Spymaster.¡± She looked taken aback at my answer, then grinned. ¡°Not head assassin?¡± I chuckled. ¡°No, definitely not. I won¡¯t be sending you to kill for me anytime soon.¡± She let out a relieved breath. ¡°Right. And exactly how muchtitude do I get when ites to my duties?¡± ¡°Probably more than you think, but not as much as you¡¯re hoping for.¡± She pulled her hands out of her pockets to cross her arms. ¡°So, hypothetically, if I wanted to put together awork¡­¡± ¡°Thought you were already doing that?¡± She wobbled her head from side to side. ¡°I¡¯ve got one in the early stages, but I¡¯d like to form another. One made of a very specific type of informant.¡± I wasn¡¯t a fan of how cagey she was being. I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to be a fan of where this conversation ended up. ¡°And that type of informant would be¡­?¡± Her responding sigh only confirmed my fears. ¡°Kids. Orphans, specifically.¡± I stopped dead. ¡°We aren¡¯t using kids,¡± I said sharply. Eyes wide, she took a step back and held her hands up in surrender at the intensity of my tone. ¡°No, not using them. Never that. But there are a lot of kids who either don¡¯t have parents anymore or their parents have been scooped up by the system. You know there are only two orphanages in the entire lower quarter, and both are constantly at capacity?¡± She shook her head and gathered herself to her full height. ¡°The streets are full of kids struggling to survive. All I¡¯m proposing is we use some of your more scattered properties to set up halfway houses, talk to Alianna about potential caretakers. Give these kids somewhere they don¡¯t have to clutch a shank while they¡¯re sleeping and reward any who have information. These kids are resourceful, Boss. They¡¯re on every other corner, and they know more than most adults. We find the ringleaders, the ones who protect the little ones, and get them on our side? Not a damn thing will happen in the quarter without us knowing about it.¡± By the time she was done, her fists were balled and her chin was raised like she expected me to take a swing. I merely raised a brow. ¡°So, were you one of these ringleaders, then?¡± She looked away pointedly. ¡°No. I might have been, given time. I got taken in by a kid a few years older than me. He looked out for me, taught me to survive.¡± ¡°You try and look him up?¡± I asked, though I already suspected the answer. Her shoulders tensed. ¡°He died,¡± she said simply, and left it at that. I nodded. ¡°Alright then. Talk to Cynthia, tell her I¡¯ve approved your request. She¡¯ll be able to tell you which properties to set aside and how much we can afford to put towards these halfway houses until we start getting some ie in.¡± She balked. ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Yes, really. You made your case, and it was a good one. As long as we¡¯re not sending kids into dangerous situations, then I don¡¯t see a problem with it. We¡¯ll need to make sure the less honest ringleaders don¡¯t take advantage of us at other kids¡¯ expense, though.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said resolutely, a wide smile pulling at her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it. Cynthia, then Alianna. Thanks Boss, I promise you won¡¯t regret this.¡± She spun on her heel and headed deeper into the manor, but paused when I called her name. She paused, looking at me over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to make a world where kids don¡¯t have to worry about their parents being stolen away or die trying.¡± Valith offered me a small smile, then said softly, ¡°His name was Vallen. I was in love with him, and he had no idea. When I got my ss, he was so proud.¡± She turned away and jammed her hands back into her pockets. ¡°Two weekster, they came for me. Vallen tried to protect me, and they killed him. So far, I haven¡¯t found a single one of the kids we took care of.¡± Her hand went to her face, and I pretended not to notice her wiping away a tear. ¡°I want to stop these bastards, Zaren.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find your sisters, get rid of their cors, and track down every son of a bitch involved,¡± I promised. ¡°I won¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve burned their entire operation to the ground.¡± She gave me one curt nod, then used her skill to vanish on the spot. My stomach grumbled at me again and I turned towards the dining room once more. It¡¯d already been quite the day, and I still hadn¡¯t even made it to breakfast yet. And when I finally arrived at the table where several people were sitting down either, I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to either. Karina sat at the table, pushing eggs around on her te, looking utterly exhausted. Between her puffy eyes and the bags underneath them, I was willing to wager she hadn¡¯t slept. I sat in the chair next to her, ignoring the te that practically appeared next to me. Whoever set it down was gone before I could even look for them, so I didn¡¯t bother trying. I¡¯d have to get with Serena to find a way to properly thank the kitchen staff at some point, but that woulde after I figured out what Karina was struggling with. ¡°Rough night?¡± She jumped, her fork scraping against the te. ¡°Shit, sorry.¡± She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°New ce, shit circumstances, the crushing weight of an unfair existence, take your pick.¡± I leaned against the back of my chair, my body facing hers, one arm over the back. ¡°Wanna try that again and make it convincing?¡± She sighed and pushed her te away, barely touched. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to get used to. I¡¯ll figure it out. After all, this is my life now, right?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± I said slowly, munching on a piece of bacon. ¡°You¡¯re not a prisoner here.¡± She scoffed. ¡°So if I tried to leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯d let you,¡± I said, even though a part of me rebelled at the idea, ¡°but I honestly think this might be the safest ce in the world for you, and we aren¡¯t even done shoring up the manor¡¯s defenses.¡± She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table and resting her forehead against them. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. My situation is shit. People are shit. Life is shit. Everything is shit.¡± I chuckled, and she rolled her head enough to crack an eye at me. She looked me up and down, her gaze lingering for a while on my chest before she closed it again. ¡°I get where you¡¯reing from¡ª¡± ¡°I very much doubt that,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± That caused her to sit up, looking at me questioningly, but now was no time to get into my depressing past. ¡°I get things suck right now, but if you let me, I¡¯d like to help them suck less. I¡¯ve seen enough misery in my life, I¡¯d like there to be as little of it as possible under my roof.¡± She stared at me hard, then her hand shot forward lightning quick and snatched one of the remaining two pieces of bacon off my te. I noticed it was the one thing on her te that no longer remained. She waved the piece at me, leaning back in her chair. ¡°This is a good start. What else did you have in mind?¡± she asked, taking a bite. I grinned at her antics. ¡°You tell me. What would help you sleep at night?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you could make me human, could you?¡± she asked dryly. ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s a bit beyond my abilities. Not sure I would if I could, though.¡± She took another bite, and I was pretty sure I saw a slight blush under her rosy skin. ¡°Come on, spill. Tell me how I can help, and you can have myst piece of bacon.¡± She eyed the strip hungrily, then sighed. ¡°My room. It¡¯s nice and all, as nice as the rooms I¡¯ve always lived in, butst night I couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­ ustrophobic.¡± ¡°You want a room with a window, then? We can manage that.¡± She bit her lip, her eyes flicking between me and the bacon, though lingering more on me. ¡°Antern,¡± she said softly. ¡°And some oil. Something I can use for light at night.¡± I frowned. ¡°Late night reader?¡± ¡°You really gonna make me say it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you do anything, but the more I know the more I can help.¡± It was only after a long exhale through her nose that she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the dark.¡± Considering my ss, I was sure there was irony in there somewhere. ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± I said carefully. ¡°Plenty of people don¡¯t like darkness.¡± She didn¡¯t speak again until her strip of bacon was gone entirely. ¡°Most people don¡¯t have an irrational fear of it, though.¡± I winced. ¡°Irrational?¡± ¡°Completely. Full on freak out. I react so badly you¡¯d think I went through something horrible when I was young, but no such luck. Should have seen me as a kid.¡± Sheughed dryly. ¡°I used to have meltdowns if I woke up and it was pitch dark. I don¡¯t even like it when it¡¯s dim. I feel like¡­¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re being buried alive?¡± I offered, taking a¡ªno pun intended¡ªshot in the dark. ¡°Like you might just die if you don¡¯t find some light to see by? Like the darkness is pressing in so badly you feel like you can¡¯t even remember what it¡¯s like to be able to see?¡± Her hand slowly fell to the table. ¡°Maybe you understand me better than I thought.¡± I tapped my fingers to the table, then slid my te towards her. ¡°Come on, you can munch on the go.¡± She frowned when I stood, but she scooped up the bacon and followed anyways. ¡°Where are we going, exactly?¡± ¡°Elisa¡¯s workshop. You need to tell Jayme where you¡¯re at so she doesn¡¯t freak?¡± Karina huffed. ¡°No, Jayme had to go back to the castle to get her stuff and officially square away her new orders. She won¡¯t be back ¡®till lunch.¡± ¡°Guess you¡¯re stuck with me, then.¡± Her only answer was to nibble on her bacon, though there was the lightest of smirks on her face. I could feel her burning curiosity, but she didn¡¯t ask me any questions until we were at the reinforced door of Elisa¡¯s workshop. We¡¯d built it and Ryoko¡¯sb in a standalone building for safety reasons, and the both of them were over the moon with their amodations. I pushed the heavy door open, giving it a few bangs just in case Elisa was in the middle of something. Elisa was bent over some strange half-built contraption in the space she and Ryoko shared. She brightened when she saw it was me and rushed to throw some mps on her invention to hold it in ce, then pulled off a set of goggles revealing a set of perfect rings in the grime on her face. ¡°Zaren! Sorry I haven¡¯t checked in with you, I just haven¡¯t been able to leave. This ce is so much better than my space back in Anford!¡± ¡°d you¡¯re enjoying it,¡± I said. Karina had taken her ce behind me, head ducked subserviently, so I put my hand on the small of her back to push her up so she was even with me. She moved with a small squeak, but brooked no protest. ¡°This is Karina. Karina, Elisa here is our resident Tinkerer.¡± Elisa thrust a gloved hand out, frowned, yanked the grease-covered glove off, reached out with an equally grease-covered hand, then frowned again. ¡°Uh, sorry, I¡¯ve been¡­busy.¡± Karinaughed, a pure, bright sound that brought a smile to my face. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Then she shot a questioning look at me, clearly wondering why we were here. ¡°Elisa, what are the odds you can whip up antern with a longer lifetime?¡± She brightened. ¡°Give me ten minutes.¡± Then she was off, rummaging through bins of parts. She assembled while she moved, throwing together a taller, thicker version of the glowingnterns we wore on our belts when we were out. ¡°Just give me a minute to¡ªhang on.¡± Her top half disappeared into a bin and Karina shot me another exasperated look. ¡°A regr oilntern would be more than sufficient.¡± I grinned. ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯d be way less fun.¡± Elisa came out with a sound of triumph, then strayed into Ryoko¡¯s half of the workshop. ¡°I should have just enough of Ryoko¡¯s new version of glow juice to fill up thentern. Shouldn¡¯t need a top off for three to five years, assuming we got the math right. Considering I only invented them three months ago, only time will tell how urate that is.¡± She started carefully pouring a viscous liquid into her newest contraption, her tongue poking out between her teeth. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen Ryoko today, any idea when she¡¯ll be down?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°You might not see her today. Pretty sure she¡¯s still sleeping.¡± Elisa paused. ¡°Is she alright?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s fine,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°She¡¯s just sleeping off a sleepless night.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Elisa said, ¡°did she go into heat too? Miss Wan warned her that might happen.¡± ¡°Hang on, what do you mean, ¡®too?¡¯¡± Karina asked. ¡°Er, long story,¡± I told her. Karina raised a brow at me. ¡°Just how many members of your household are sharing your bed?¡± ¡°Not enough, ording to Rhani,¡± Elisa said under her breath, carefully securing the top of herntern. Karina choked. ¡°Hold up, are you telling me you helped two Kitsune through their heats? In one night?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s relevant,¡± I said quickly. Crossing her arms, Karina smiled. ¡°She¡¯s still got six minutes to go.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I started, trying to figure out how I ended up here, ¡°Tsuki and I made arrangements before we even made it to the city for when this eventually happened, so yeah I helped her.¡± ¡°And Ryoko?¡± Karina asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t have the chance, so I made sure to help her without, uh, taking things further than she might befortable with if she was in her right mind.¡± Karina looked away, biting her lip in a poor attempt to hide a smile. ¡°And your other women were just¡­okay with that?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Elisa scoffed, pulling out a red crystal and using it to melt two pieces of metal together. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to bet a week¡¯s wages they all joined in.¡± Whatever Karina¡¯s expression was warranted her hiding it behind her hand. ¡°How exactly does that work? Seems a bit¡­plicated. The logistics, I mean.¡± I could tell from the amusement in her eyes she was teasing me. ¡°It¡¯ll go better when I finish Rhani¡¯s little experiment,¡± Elisa mumbled, fitting some kind of extra housing onto thentern. ¡°Just as soon as Ryoko nails down the form on her homemade silicone.¡± ¡°Elisa!¡± I hissed, ¡°stop helping.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Karina said between snickers, ¡°please keep helping.¡± Elisa didn¡¯t respond right away, busying herself with tightening screws so small I could barely see them. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Miss Wan figured you helping Tsuki with her heat might trigger Ryoko¡¯s. She¡¯s been crazy stressed about it for thest week because of her feelings towards you.¡± Then she straightened. ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t say that out loud, did I?¡± ¡°Oh you definitely did,¡± Karina said. She bent over to poke at a contraption that was decidedly phallic in nature. ¡°Elisa, I think you and I are going to be friends.¡± ¡°You do, do you?¡± I asked, looking pointedly at the half-finished sex toy. Karina straightened, blushing deeply. ¡°I meant¡ªI wasn¡¯t talking about¡ªI was referring to the gossip, not the mechanized penis!¡± she blustered. ¡°Right, right. Whatever you say,¡± I said, lifting my hands. Elisa moved the near-finishedntern to her desk and started polishing it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Karina, Zaren¡¯s already given me the go ahead to give big discounts to other household members.¡± She shed the Seelie a grin. ¡°Pleasee to me with any ideas you can think of. The weirder, the better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, grinning now that the shoe was on the other foot. ¡°Got any strange requests? Both Elisa and Ryoko love a challenge.¡± Karina spluttered. ¡°Now, hang on, we were talking about you being some kind of sexual savant, seducing half the women in your household!¡± ¡°Seducing, huh?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Hardly. Rhani had to reassure me about a million times that I wasn¡¯t forcing her into anything. Serena took a damn ss just to cement her ce in my life and has held me together more times than I can count. Tiana sacrificed herself to save me, nearly getting buried alive in the process, which has always been a fear of hers. Noelle has proven time and time again that despite suffering some of the worst of what humanity has to offer, she¡¯s still one of the kindest souls I¡¯ve ever met. And Jack¡­¡± ¡°And Jack¡­?¡± Karina prompted, leaning forward, her amusement tempered by something that looked a little to close to interest for my sanity. ¡°Well, Jack I¡¯m still trying to figure out,¡± I admitted, ¡°but she definitely lights a fire in me like no one has since¡ª¡± The sentence died in my throat when I realized where it was heading. ¡°Since who?¡± Karina asked, all the teasing gone from her voice. Since Ria. She was a fighter. She didn¡¯t take any shit, especially from me. While everyone else treated me like damaged goods, afraid to make any sudden moves for fear they might set me off, Ria pushed me. Challenged me. Drew me out of the shell I¡¯d built around myself after Eliya. She gave as good as she got, and she never once treated me as fragile. When I was around Jack, I felt that same kind of¡­ well, fire. No pun intended. ¡°Someone who isn¡¯t around anymore,¡± I said instead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Karina said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± I said. Technically true, since Ria died over three decades ago, though realistically it had only been a little over two years for me. Between the war and the divinea, it felt like longer. To my surprise, Karina reached out and put her hand on my arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bring up bad memories.¡± I patted her hand, surprised by how muchfort the simple touch provided. ¡°Eh, when nearly all of them are, it¡¯s hard not to.¡± That made her frown, and the emotion in her eyes was too much for me. I looked to Elisa. ¡°Almost done?¡± Eliya straightened. ¡°Oh, I finished a few minutes ago, I was just waiting on you two to finish.¡± Then she turned to Karina. ¡°Since you¡¯re so interested in Zaren¡¯s love life, he won over Ryoko by giving Tsuki a home where she didn¡¯t have to protect her sister all the time and by letting her creative side run free without restraint. And Tsuki spent so much time looking for a reason to mistrust Zaren since he was human, she didn¡¯t realize she was falling for him until it was toote.¡± Then she cut her eyes to me. ¡°Uh, but you didn¡¯t hear any of that from me.¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose. How had this trip gone so sideways? ¡°Thentern, Elisa?¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± She jumped to her feet and set thentern on the table. Karina and I both leaned close to inspect it. ¡°This te here is where you¡¯ll push your mana into, and it¡¯ll charge the crystals attached to it. One crystal is good for three hours, four crystals means twelve. The mechanism here should rotate one crystal when the previous one runs dry, this way you can refill it easier if you need to.¡± ¡°And this,¡± she flipped atch and a set of shutters unfolded from a nearly invisible seam set into the roof of thentern, ¡°will allow you to control how bright it is. Given a few days I could probablye up with a design that controls the amount of glow juice active, making itst longer if you dim it, but I figure this is good enough for now.¡± ¡°Good enough?¡± Karina asked, lifting thentern. ¡°This is amazing! You could make a fortune with these. Oil-less, me-lessnterns? Twelve hour ones? I¡¯d be willing to bet you could make a model you could sell for a fraction of the cost of the light crystals.¡± She touched two fingers to the te Elisa indicated and it lit right up, casting the room in a soft white glow. ¡°You could light up the whole lower quarter with this!¡± ¡°That,¡± I said slowly, ¡°isn¡¯t a bad idea at all. Think you coulde up with an economy version? Something we can reproduce pretty cheaply?¡± She tapped her chin. ¡°I think I could manage that, sure. Give me two days?¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it five so you can make sure you¡¯re getting sleep, eh?¡± Elisa smiled ruefully. ¡°I think I can do that.¡± ¡°Good. Why don¡¯t we start now. When was thest time you slept?¡± She grabbed a rag to wipe her hands, only the rag was so stained it just smeared the soot and grease around. ¡°How long have we been in town again?¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to bribe some of Cynthia¡¯s minions to make sure she isn¡¯t doing too much work so she can make sure you¡¯re getting sleep. I doubt she¡¯s doing any better.¡± Elisa giggled. ¡°Definitely not.¡± Doing my best not to read too deeply into that, I led Karina out of Elisa¡¯s workshop. She followed with a dazed expression, cradling thentern like it was the most valuable thing she¡¯d ever held. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, durability is one of Elisa¡¯s staples.¡± I pulled my ownntern out of my storage. ¡°This baby has seen me through Vx swarms, etherwyrm hordes, gnoll bands, and bandit camps. You could probably light that thing on fire and it¡¯d be fine.¡± Karina just cradled it to her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the catch? What exactly do you expect in return? I refuse to believe you¡¯re just giving something like this to a girl you¡¯ve only just met.¡± I didn¡¯t answer until we were back in the manor. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be afraid of the dark. To feel like you¡¯ve got no control over your life. I spent a long time helpless, forced to watch those around me suffer while I could do nothing about it. Now?¡± I shrugged. ¡°If I can help, then I will. I won¡¯t watch the people around me struggle when I can offer them a helping hand.¡± She just shook her head. ¡°For the record, I still don¡¯t fully trust you, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re nothing like I imagined you would be when King Rr gave me to you.¡± She looked up at me with vulnerability in her big, silver eyes. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever met anyone like you in my life.¡± ¡°I should hope not,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I doubt the world could handle two of me.¡± Chapter Eighty-Two: Lust and Lanterns Chapter Eighty-Two: Lust and Lanterns To put it simply, the new bed was fucking awesome. I¡¯d already been sleeping better since we¡¯d arrived at the capital thanks to having walls and a roof around me, but Rhani¡¯s super-bed was leagues above the two beds we¡¯d shoved together in the temporary room we¡¯d imed. Jack and I had gone back downstairs to scoop up Tsuki¡ªwhotched onto me happily the moment she was in my arms¡ªand returned to break in the bed. I¡¯d been a little worried her heat might make her territorial, but that worry went out the window when she lunged at Rhani, pinning my Arelim down and mming their lips together while arching her back and thrusting her ass at me. We pulled the curtains on the new bed to section off one corner and spent the rest of the day stress testing Rhani¡¯s silencing runes Tsuki certainly tested the stamina Allura had apparently gifted me. Her libido long ousted her body, but Serena kept a close eye to make sure she wasn¡¯t pushing things too far, offering her healing magic when she came too close to that line. There was one slightly terrifying moment when Ryoko stuck her head in our little corner. Her eyes went so wide I thought they might fall out of her skull. She didn¡¯t say a word, instead walking straight to her sister¡ªwho was still riding me, despite me having gone still at Ryoko¡¯s appearance¡ªand brushed Tsuki¡¯s hair out of her face. Ryoko took a long look at her, then kissed her forehead and left the room without another word. I tried to go after her, but Tsuki had me pinned down too well to move without manhandling her, so Noelle went after her instead. After I¡¯d sated Tsuki¡¯s oversensitive body with a few more orgasms, Noelle returned and promised everything was fine. After a brief break for dinner and several more rounds with everyone involved, we all curled up with Tsuki at our center, exhausted but extremely satisfied. Then I¡¯d passed out and had what might have been the best night¡¯s sleep I¡¯d gotten in about forty years. It seemed everyone else was content to let me and my harem have the bed to ourselves for the night. A designation that everyone seemed to agree applied to Tsuki at this point after countless orgasms between the seven of us. Jack partook for a while, getting off to my shadow tendrils while watching from a fireproof chair Rhani had helped create, though it was smoking by the time she called it a night and returned to her own room of fireproof furniture. Whatever her magic, it seemed conventional runes simply weren¡¯t strong enough to keep up. Something that gave me an idea, but one I¡¯d have to talk to Rhani about. When I woke the next morning, it was to a set of lips tracing their way up my throat. Hands nails digging into my chest, the voluptuous front of a small body pressing into me, and a set of wet, needy lower lips pressing against my morning wood. In the darkness provided by the walls of curtains lining the bed, I couldn¡¯t see anything about whoever was on top of me past a vague outline, so I relied on my [Dark Sense] to tell me what I needed to know. I trailed one hand down her back until it met a fluffy fox tail and used the other hand to cup the back of her head, brushing against the ears there. I rolled my hips, sliding the length of my cock against her lips without prating her, then froze at the moan that slipped past through her lips. A moan that wasn¡¯t quite the same pitch as the ones I¡¯d drawn out of Tsuki over and over against night. Almost quicker than I could react, the person straddling me dragged her pussy all the way up the length of my erection until the head was pressed against her opening with a needy whine. An opening that, as soon as the head started to part her folds, I realized was far too tight. My hands shot to her hips, holding her in ce before she could go any further. She struggled against my grip, trying desperately to impale herself on my length, but I shifted her enough so that my erection was nestled between her cheeks rather than inside her. She made a frustrated sound of protest, only silenced when I pressed her face to my chest and stroked her hair. Hair that was too short to be Tsuki¡¯s. She calmed a little, inhaling deeply through her nose where she was pressed into the crook of my neck, but her hips were still squirming desperately in an attempt to capture my cock again. I felt around briefly, d to see Tsuki still asleep while wrapped up in both Noelle and Rhani¡¯s arms. Serena and Tiana were syed out around us, taking full advantage of the sheer size of the bed while also still being close enough to touch me if they wanted. Carefully so as not to wake any of them, I cradled the form that could only be Ryoko to my chest and carried her to another corner of the giant bed. I made sure the curtains were closed behind us then activated another of the silencing runes. Only then did I set Ryoko down on her back, kneeling over her. She was as naked as I was, but I¡¯d surmised that much already from when she¡¯d been grinding against me. Her skin was flush, her nipples hard enough to cut diamonds, and her pussy was swollen, red, and soaked. The minute I tried to pull away she followed, and it was only when my hand inadvertently brushed her peaked nipple that her back arched and she fell back to the bed with a throaty whine. ¡°Please, Zaren, I can¡¯t stop. I can¡¯t get it to go away,¡± she mumbled, only capable of short, choppy sentences. One of her hands squeezed the breast I¡¯d brushed against while the other sought out my cock. It wrapped around my base, half stroking me and half pulling me towards the apex between her legs. ¡°I¡¯m so hot. It¡¯s never been like this,¡± she panted. She moaned and writhed, seeking something she just couldn¡¯t quite get, but her movements grew less violent when I gently put my hands on her. It wasn¡¯t until I finally took mercy on her and brushed my thumb across her clit that she came undone Her back arched off the bed and she came so hard her body shook after. I kept rubbing slow circles around the bundle of nerves at the peak of her swollen sex while I used two fingers to gently rub up and down the puffy lips. She let out a sigh, falling back to the bed in a boneless heap. ¡°Oh gods,¡± she squeaked, ¡°that feels so much better than my fingers¡­¡± ¡°Tsuki mentioned your heats don¡¯t respond well to self-pleasure,¡± I said softly. Her hand release its vice grip on my cock just enough that she could start stroking it up and down, but her eyes were fixed on the bed¡¯s curtained canopy. ¡°You seemed finest night.¡± She nodded. ¡°Tsuki has stressing about her heat for weeks now, afraid it¡¯ll happen at a bad time. I knew she wanted to spend it with you, but I wanted to make sure she was okay.¡± Her hips started writhing again, so I slipped a single finger inside her. Her head fell back, her mouth wide open in a silent scream of pleasure. It was only after a few moments of me slowly pumping in and out of her that she collected her thoughts. ¡°I wanted to stay, but the second I saw you inside her¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her look so happy during a heat¡­ The second I started wondering if it really felt that good¡­¡± I slid my finger in all the way, brushing against the unmistakable barrier that signified she¡¯d never been with a man before. ¡°By the time I got back to our room,¡± she babbled, ¡°I was so hot. My clothes felt like they were choking me. Then when I was taking them off I realized how good it felt to touch myself, but it wasn¡¯t enough. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off, her already flushed cheeks growing darker. ¡°You couldn¡¯t cum?¡± I said softly. I lowered myself so I was on my side next to her and she nestled into my chest, widening her legs to give me better ess. ¡°I promised your sister I¡¯d help with her heats. If you want, I¡¯ll help you too.¡± She moaned. ¡°Just my heats?¡± she breathed. I slipped a second finger into her, pressing my palm to her clit, and her body convulsed in another orgasm. She was so sensitive, I was d I¡¯d stopped her from going all the way before. ¡°That¡¯s up to you. If that¡¯s what you¡¯d prefer¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± she whimpered. She tried to push her hips towards my cock, but I used the hand on her pelvis to push her into the bed, grinding against her clit in the process. ¡°Please, I-I want you. I don¡¯t want to just have you during my heats. You¡¯ve been so amazing at every turn. You made my sister smile again. You¡¯ve given me so much more than I¡¯d ever dreamed of having.¡± Moving only her upper body, she pressed her forehead to my chest. ¡°You made me feel like I could dream for more. I need you, Zaren.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°R-really?¡± She looked up at me with hooded eyes, hope mixing with lust. ¡°Really.¡± She threw an arm up and pulled me low enough to press her lips to mine in a clumsy, frantic kiss. I chose that moment to start sliding my fingers in and out of her tight tunnel and she melted in my arms. ¡°But I won¡¯t fuck you today.¡± She made a frustrated sound. ¡°Why?¡± she whined. I kissed her again, then pulled away until I was leaning over her. ¡°I won¡¯t take your first time while your mind is addled by your heat. Tsuki and I talked it over before hand, otherwise I would never have had sex with her while she had so little control of her body.¡± I leaned down to silence her objections with a kiss, then trailed my way down her body with my lips, my fingers slowly pumping in and out of her the entire time. I paused at her breasts to bite her nipple, which I was fairly certain sent her over the edge into orgasm again. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you hanging, though. I¡¯ll do my best to take care of you.¡± She made let out another adorable frustrated growl when I slid my fingers away, but the sound died in a gasp of pleasure when I reced those fingers with my mouth. I started by working her outer lips with my tongue while my fingers dug into her ample rear. When she started squirming again, I slid my tongue as deep inside her as I could, relishing the taste of her release as it sshed against my face. When her legs started trembling against the sides of my head, I licked my way up to her clit and started working on it while my fingers resumed to pumping in and out of her soaking pussy. Her legs wrapped around my head and she screamed out her climax. After a night without release, she was so sensitive that my attack rolled one orgasm right into the next. I didn¡¯t let up, alternating between her clit and her pussy with both fingers and mouth, showing no mercy until her legs finally released me and fell back against the bed in a sweaty, trembling mess. I sat up and wiped my mouth, then brushed the hair from her. She panted, her eyes taking a while to fix on me. ¡°Better?¡± I asked. She nodded like it took all her energy just to do so, and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. ¡°Talk to Tsuki once you¡¯re both awake. If we go any further than this and she finds out without one of us telling her about it, she might stab me in my sleep.¡± Ryoko giggled tiredly. ¡°Yeah, probably.¡± Then she bit her lip. ¡°You really want me? Us? I mean, I know you¡¯ve already got so many others in your harem, but¡ª¡± I silenced her by scooping her up with one arm under her back and the other under her knees. ¡°My harem has been pushing me to ask the both of you to join us formally for weeks now, but I wanted to wait until I was sure you were ready first. Now I think you are. I¡¯d like you to be mine, and I know my other girls feel the same. The rest is up to you and Tsuki, but your position in my household isn¡¯t dependent on your answer, alright?¡± She nodded, moisture at the corners of her wide, golden eyes. ¡°Thank you, Zaren. There isn¡¯t a day that goes by I don¡¯t thank Allura that you found us in Anford.¡± I kissed the top of her head and her eyes slid closed. ¡°You and me both.¡± By the time I deposited her next to her sister, she was already mostly asleep. I set her in the spot Rhani had apparently vacated. I¡¯d barely set her down before she was absorbed into the pile of limbs and nkets that was Tsuki and Noelle. I stifled a chuckle, then gave all three of them a kiss on the forehead. All three of them smiled serenely, still mostly asleep, so I took my leave. It was like walking into a different world, stepping outside the thick curtains and into the morning sun. Rhani was in what we¡¯d dubbed the dressing area where there were a host of dressers and wardrobes. She took one look at me, her eyes drifting straight to my throbbing erection, and a smile graced her lips. ¡°Ryoko leave you wanting?¡± she asked innocently, wearing nothing but a skirt. She had a top in her hands, but made no move to don it. ¡°She wasn¡¯t ready to go all the way,¡± I exined. She opened her mouth to answer, but I spun her around and pushed her forward until her palms were pressed into the dresser she¡¯d pulled her skirt from. She gasped, arching her back and causing her skirt to ride up enough for me to see the underside of her plump, ivory cheeks. I flipped her skirt up and plunged myself inside her with a single thrust. She was more than wet enough for me to do so, and her response was swallowed by a happy moan. ¡°Besides,¡± I whispered into her ear, still hilted inside her, ¡°there¡¯s no need to push her when I¡¯ve got you.¡± Her head fell forward when I started to slowly saw my hips back and forth, but I wrapped a hand around her throat to pull it back up. ¡°Always wet and willing, eager to get fucked.¡± Rhani moaned, already bucking her hips against me, trying to get me in deeper as her tunnel walls clenched at my words. ¡°Should I expect this kind of treatment any time you get hard, then? You want me to be your outlet?¡± she panted. I squeezed the sides of her throat and started to pick up speed. Soon enough she was forced to thrust back into me just to keep from getting fucked into the dresser. ¡°Are youining?¡± ¡°Fuck no. Gods, this is so fucking hot,¡± she said between thrusts. ¡°Fucking me while the door to the room is open? Anyone could walk in, you know.¡± I pulled out and flipped her around, tossing her ass up onto the top of the dresser. I was barely inside her before her legs had wrapped around my waist, her ankles hooking behind my back. ¡°You expect me to believe you haven¡¯t already told everyone what to expect in this room? Sex, sex, and more sex?¡± Rhani sunk her hands into my hair and sucked my bottom lip into her mouth. ¡°I might have mentioned it,¡± she said once she was done tasting me. ¡°What happens in the bedroom stays in the bedroom.¡± Her mouthtched onto the underside of my jaw, attacking my apparent weak spot they all loved so much. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, though. Only volunteers clean the master bedroom.¡± After spending so long taking care of Ryoko, I was already at my limit. I came with a grunt while Rhani held me as deep inside her as she could, shuddering through her own climax while I filled her to the brim. I chuckled after, our foreheads pressed together. ¡°Might need to recruit another round of servants, then. I¡¯m not sure many of the servants we have so far are interested in seeing my pasty ass all the time, and I¡¯ve grown quite attached to sleeping without pants.¡± ¡°Mmm, me too,¡± she said, trailing her fingers down my chest. ¡°Makes it a lot easier to wake you up cock-first.¡± I leaned into her, resting my head on her shoulder while she dragged her nails up and down my back. ¡°I had an idea I¡¯d like you to work on.¡± I almostughed when her pussy walls mped around my half-hard length still inside her at the suggestion. ¡°Oh? And when was this?¡± ¡°Pretty sure I was balls deep in Tsuki at the time with one of you licking somewhere I¡¯m not used to being licked.¡± I gave her a pointed look. She just shrugged. ¡°I wanted to try it out. I was curious.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hate it. But we¡¯re getting off base. Idea. Spill.¡± ¡°Well, at this point, you¡¯ve learned as much as you can about the enchantments on the scabbard for the Jailer¡¯s de, yes?¡± She nodded. ¡°And you went over the enchantments on Jack¡¯s¡­equipment?¡± It took a second for it to click what I was talking about, and the next step was only a short leap in logic. ¡°Oh, shit, that could work! Can I have a bedroom to experiment on?¡± I cupped her cheek. ¡°Definitely, but have Euribald help you explosive-proof it first. And we should probably use one with an exterior wall, just in case.¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°I¡¯ll use one of the ones on the third floor we haven¡¯t bothered with yet.¡± Then she bit her lip. ¡°Could take me a few weeks to get the array all nned up. Unless, of course¡­¡± I bit back augh. ¡°After you finish with whatever you¡¯ve got nned for the day, get an area set up. This time we¡¯ll see if I can fuck your ass through a focused state without sending you crashing into an orgasma.¡± Rhani licked her lips. ¡°And if you do? No harm done.¡± She patted my chest with both hands. ¡°Now, I love you, but get out of me. I¡¯ve got ns.¡± This time I let the chuckle spill out of me, but I did as she asked after a quick peck on the lips and hunted down a pair of pants. She smoothed her skirt out and got dressed in a tight top that showed off plenty of midriff, and I arched a brow when she pulled out a ckcy thong. She shrugged, her cheeks darkening. ¡°What? I can¡¯t go without all the time.¡± ¡°And your choice of undergarment has nothing to do with the fact that you¡¯ll be spending the day with Safina?¡± ¡°Noment,¡± she said cheekily, giving me a show of slowly pulling the thong on. Then she grabbed a satchel leaning against the dresser and threw it over her shoulder. This time when she chewed on her lip, I knew it was a sign of nervousness. ¡°Safina disappeared before I could ask her to join usst night.¡± ¡°Join us, or join us?¡± She swatted my arm. ¡°You know which one. I''m not going to push her. Her hugs are amazing, even when she¡¯spletely unconscious. It feels like she¡¯s trying to crush my soul back into my body.¡± She stretched her arms above her head. ¡°Best nap I¡¯ve had in¡­ ever.¡± ¡°You gonna bring it up to her today?¡± She let her arms fall. ¡°I was nning to, I just wanted to run it by you, first. Make sure she¡¯s¡­wee.¡± I wrapped my arms around her from behind and she leaned into my chest with a sigh. ¡°Of course she¡¯s wee. If any of you trust them, then I trust them until given a reason not to. You and Safina have gotten close, so I¡¯d be happy to have her in our giant, amazing bed the size of a small country.¡± She grinned. ¡°And, just to be clear, are you giving her permission to join us or¡­join us?¡± ¡°You horny little copycat,¡± I said, giving her nipple a tweak and drawing a squeal out of her while she tried to escape my arms. ¡°I think you know the answer to that. Did I ever tell you that Ria was taller than me by a few inches?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°You most certainly did not.¡± Then she understood what I was implying. ¡°Does that mean that you¡­¡± she trailed off. Now it was my turn to shrug. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how I am with Jack. I don¡¯t mind a girl who can toss me around a little, that¡¯s for sure. And Safina¡¯s gorgeous, bubbly, warm, and most importantly, she makes you happy. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t see the appeal. Now,¡± I stepped back and smacked her ass, ¡°go woo a dragon. And don¡¯t go spending your mana on research, I want you able to summon Fang if something happens. The second my [Danger Sense] pings, I¡¯ming straight for you. Got it?¡± She nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°And your orders?¡± ¡°Me and Safina both have them,¡± she said patting her satchel. In it was a signed slip giving her permission to protect herself from any harm by any means necessary, bound to both of our magics so it couldn¡¯t be stolen or ignored. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful, Zaren. Promise.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I gave her onest kiss, then she practically skipped out of the room. I watched her go, halfway tempted to drag her back for another round each time the swish of her hips shed that tiny ck thong at me. Once she was gone I fished a in ck shirt out and threw it on as well. I¡¯d barely finished before Tiana had joined me, pulling on a loose summer dress that flowed around her form beautifully. ¡°Busy morning already?¡± she asked, amusement twinkling in her eyes. ¡°Something like that.¡± I gave her a scorching kiss and she trailed a finger up her length, but we both knew we had to get on with our days. ¡°Still nning to spend the day with Cynthia?¡± She nodded. ¡°With both the barracks finished and two of the manors converted into party housing, it¡¯s time.¡± The barracks was a manor that Deetrik had refashioned to have severalrge rooms rather than a bunch of singles. Each room would fit up to twenty adventurers¡ªseparated by gender, of course¡ªand make up the cheapest option under the n Cynthia, Tiana and I had hashed out. The other manors we were nning to use as party housing, containing rooms that were designed for between one and four people. Adventurers who signed on to work under House Nocht would be expected toplete a minimum of one job a month. At the lowest end, if all they wanted was a bed in the barracks, it would only cost them a fifth of their reward money. The deal would include a safe ce to sleep, a secure locker to store any gear and loot, and ess to the dining hall that sat next to the barracks. Rooms in the party housing would cost them thirty percent, and we¡¯de up with a list of additional amenities that could be added onto the n. There were more ns to create higher tiers down the road, but we needed to wait until more manors were renovated first. We would almost surely lose money at first, but it¡¯s my hope that there would be enough adventurers determined to rise in rank to make up for those who couldn¡¯t afford to take on missions as often. Plus, it would take time for word of mouth to spread from the few adventurers brave enough to take the chance on us before we really started filling rooms. ¡°Did Zephyr get us a new list?¡± I asked. She nodded, smiling. ¡°Apparently she¡¯s rather impressed with how we¡¯ve treated the demi-humans under our care. We¡¯ve got another handful of names from the Pens and a list of hopefuls from the quarter looking for employment.¡± ¡°She still wants us to have them serve out a contract?¡± I asked, referring to the ones from the Pens. Apparently, purchasing and immediately freeing servants was against somew that could jeopardize my ability to acquire more servants should the need arise. Something I couldn¡¯t afford to have happen in case I came across someone I absolutely needed to save from the Pens. So having the servants I ¡®purchased¡¯ from the Pens work out their contract to ¡®earn¡¯ their freedom was apparently the best option for everyone. For now, at least. Tiana nodded. ¡°At least it¡¯s better than just about any alternatives.¡± She pressed her lips to my cheek. ¡°Serena and Noelle have the twins, so I¡¯ll take care of this. You can count on me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it,¡± I said, drawing a smile out of her. She sauntered off as well, and I followed. She went straight for the front door, but I turned and headed towards the tantalizing smell of bacon. I hadn¡¯t made it far before Valith practically materialized out of thin air next to me. ¡°Hey boss, got a minute?¡± she asked, her hands in her pockets. Though my rumbling stomach begged to differ, I inclined my head. ¡°Sure, shoot.¡± ¡°What exactly is my position here? Officially, I mean.¡± I took a moment to think about it, and only one real option came to mind. ¡°Spymaster.¡± She looked taken aback at my answer, then grinned. ¡°Not head assassin?¡± I chuckled. ¡°No, definitely not. I won¡¯t be sending you to kill for me anytime soon.¡± She let out a relieved breath. ¡°Right. And exactly how muchtitude do I get when ites to my duties?¡± ¡°Probably more than you think, but not as much as you¡¯re hoping for.¡± She pulled her hands out of her pockets to cross her arms. ¡°So, hypothetically, if I wanted to put together awork¡­¡± ¡°Thought you were already doing that?¡± She wobbled her head from side to side. ¡°I¡¯ve got one in the early stages, but I¡¯d like to form another. One made of a very specific type of informant.¡± I wasn¡¯t a fan of how cagey she was being. I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to be a fan of where this conversation ended up. ¡°And that type of informant would be¡­?¡± Her responding sigh only confirmed my fears. ¡°Kids. Orphans, specifically.¡± I stopped dead. ¡°We aren¡¯t using kids,¡± I said sharply. Eyes wide, she took a step back and held her hands up in surrender at the intensity of my tone. ¡°No, not using them. Never that. But there are a lot of kids who either don¡¯t have parents anymore or their parents have been scooped up by the system. You know there are only two orphanages in the entire lower quarter, and both are constantly at capacity?¡± She shook her head and gathered herself to her full height. ¡°The streets are full of kids struggling to survive. All I¡¯m proposing is we use some of your more scattered properties to set up halfway houses, talk to Alianna about potential caretakers. Give these kids somewhere they don¡¯t have to clutch a shank while they¡¯re sleeping and reward any who have information. These kids are resourceful, Boss. They¡¯re on every other corner, and they know more than most adults. We find the ringleaders, the ones who protect the little ones, and get them on our side? Not a damn thing will happen in the quarter without us knowing about it.¡± By the time she was done, her fists were balled and her chin was raised like she expected me to take a swing. I merely raised a brow. ¡°So, were you one of these ringleaders, then?¡± She looked away pointedly. ¡°No. I might have been, given time. I got taken in by a kid a few years older than me. He looked out for me, taught me to survive.¡± ¡°You try and look him up?¡± I asked, though I already suspected the answer. Her shoulders tensed. ¡°He died,¡± she said simply, and left it at that. I nodded. ¡°Alright then. Talk to Cynthia, tell her I¡¯ve approved your request. She¡¯ll be able to tell you which properties to set aside and how much we can afford to put towards these halfway houses until we start getting some ie in.¡± She balked. ¡°Wait, really?¡± ¡°Yes, really. You made your case, and it was a good one. As long as we¡¯re not sending kids into dangerous situations, then I don¡¯t see a problem with it. We¡¯ll need to make sure the less honest ringleaders don¡¯t take advantage of us at other kids¡¯ expense, though.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said resolutely, a wide smile pulling at her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it. Cynthia, then Alianna. Thanks Boss, I promise you won¡¯t regret this.¡± She spun on her heel and headed deeper into the manor, but paused when I called her name. She paused, looking at me over her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going to make a world where kids don¡¯t have to worry about their parents being stolen away or die trying.¡± Valith offered me a small smile, then said softly, ¡°His name was Vallen. I was in love with him, and he had no idea. When I got my ss, he was so proud.¡± She turned away and jammed her hands back into her pockets. ¡°Two weekster, they came for me. Vallen tried to protect me, and they killed him. So far, I haven¡¯t found a single one of the kids we took care of.¡± Her hand went to her face, and I pretended not to notice her wiping away a tear. ¡°I want to stop these bastards, Zaren.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find your sisters, get rid of their cors, and track down every son of a bitch involved,¡± I promised. ¡°I won¡¯t rest until I¡¯ve burned their entire operation to the ground.¡± She gave me one curt nod, then used her skill to vanish on the spot. My stomach grumbled at me again and I turned towards the dining room once more. It¡¯d already been quite the day, and I still hadn¡¯t even made it to breakfast yet. And when I finally arrived at the table where several people were sitting down either, I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to either. Karina sat at the table, pushing eggs around on her te, looking utterly exhausted. Between her puffy eyes and the bags underneath them, I was willing to wager she hadn¡¯t slept. I sat in the chair next to her, ignoring the te that practically appeared next to me. Whoever set it down was gone before I could even look for them, so I didn¡¯t bother trying. I¡¯d have to get with Serena to find a way to properly thank the kitchen staff at some point, but that woulde after I figured out what Karina was struggling with. ¡°Rough night?¡± She jumped, her fork scraping against the te. ¡°Shit, sorry.¡± She ran a hand through her hair. ¡°New ce, shit circumstances, the crushing weight of an unfair existence, take your pick.¡± I leaned against the back of my chair, my body facing hers, one arm over the back. ¡°Wanna try that again and make it convincing?¡± She sighed and pushed her te away, barely touched. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot to get used to. I¡¯ll figure it out. After all, this is my life now, right?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± I said slowly, munching on a piece of bacon. ¡°You¡¯re not a prisoner here.¡± She scoffed. ¡°So if I tried to leave?¡± ¡°I¡¯d let you,¡± I said, even though a part of me rebelled at the idea, ¡°but I honestly think this might be the safest ce in the world for you, and we aren¡¯t even done shoring up the manor¡¯s defenses.¡± She leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table and resting her forehead against them. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. My situation is shit. People are shit. Life is shit. Everything is shit.¡± I chuckled, and she rolled her head enough to crack an eye at me. She looked me up and down, her gaze lingering for a while on my chest before she closed it again. ¡°I get where you¡¯reing from¡ª¡± ¡°I very much doubt that,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You¡¯d be surprised.¡± That caused her to sit up, looking at me questioningly, but now was no time to get into my depressing past. ¡°I get things suck right now, but if you let me, I¡¯d like to help them suck less. I¡¯ve seen enough misery in my life, I¡¯d like there to be as little of it as possible under my roof.¡± She stared at me hard, then her hand shot forward lightning quick and snatched one of the remaining two pieces of bacon off my te. I noticed it was the one thing on her te that no longer remained. She waved the piece at me, leaning back in her chair. ¡°This is a good start. What else did you have in mind?¡± she asked, taking a bite. I grinned at her antics. ¡°You tell me. What would help you sleep at night?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you could make me human, could you?¡± she asked dryly. ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s a bit beyond my abilities. Not sure I would if I could, though.¡± She took another bite, and I was pretty sure I saw a slight blush under her rosy skin. ¡°Come on, spill. Tell me how I can help, and you can have myst piece of bacon.¡± She eyed the strip hungrily, then sighed. ¡°My room. It¡¯s nice and all, as nice as the rooms I¡¯ve always lived in, butst night I couldn¡¯t help but feel¡­ ustrophobic.¡± ¡°You want a room with a window, then? We can manage that.¡± She bit her lip, her eyes flicking between me and the bacon, though lingering more on me. ¡°Antern,¡± she said softly. ¡°And some oil. Something I can use for light at night.¡± I frowned. ¡°Late night reader?¡± ¡°You really gonna make me say it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to make you do anything, but the more I know the more I can help.¡± It was only after a long exhale through her nose that she said, ¡°I don¡¯t like the dark.¡± Considering my ss, I was sure there was irony in there somewhere. ¡°That¡¯s understandable,¡± I said carefully. ¡°Plenty of people don¡¯t like darkness.¡± She didn¡¯t speak again until her strip of bacon was gone entirely. ¡°Most people don¡¯t have an irrational fear of it, though.¡± I winced. ¡°Irrational?¡± ¡°Completely. Full on freak out. I react so badly you¡¯d think I went through something horrible when I was young, but no such luck. Should have seen me as a kid.¡± Sheughed dryly. ¡°I used to have meltdowns if I woke up and it was pitch dark. I don¡¯t even like it when it¡¯s dim. I feel like¡­¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re being buried alive?¡± I offered, taking a¡ªno pun intended¡ªshot in the dark. ¡°Like you might just die if you don¡¯t find some light to see by? Like the darkness is pressing in so badly you feel like you can¡¯t even remember what it¡¯s like to be able to see?¡± Her hand slowly fell to the table. ¡°Maybe you understand me better than I thought.¡± I tapped my fingers to the table, then slid my te towards her. ¡°Come on, you can munch on the go.¡± She frowned when I stood, but she scooped up the bacon and followed anyways. ¡°Where are we going, exactly?¡± ¡°Elisa¡¯s workshop. You need to tell Jayme where you¡¯re at so she doesn¡¯t freak?¡± Karina huffed. ¡°No, Jayme had to go back to the castle to get her stuff and officially square away her new orders. She won¡¯t be back ¡®till lunch.¡± ¡°Guess you¡¯re stuck with me, then.¡± Her only answer was to nibble on her bacon, though there was the lightest of smirks on her face. I could feel her burning curiosity, but she didn¡¯t ask me any questions until we were at the reinforced door of Elisa¡¯s workshop. We¡¯d built it and Ryoko¡¯sb in a standalone building for safety reasons, and the both of them were over the moon with their amodations. I pushed the heavy door open, giving it a few bangs just in case Elisa was in the middle of something. Elisa was bent over some strange half-built contraption in the space she and Ryoko shared. She brightened when she saw it was me and rushed to throw some mps on her invention to hold it in ce, then pulled off a set of goggles revealing a set of perfect rings in the grime on her face. ¡°Zaren! Sorry I haven¡¯t checked in with you, I just haven¡¯t been able to leave. This ce is so much better than my space back in Anford!¡± ¡°d you¡¯re enjoying it,¡± I said. Karina had taken her ce behind me, head ducked subserviently, so I put my hand on the small of her back to push her up so she was even with me. She moved with a small squeak, but brooked no protest. ¡°This is Karina. Karina, Elisa here is our resident Tinkerer.¡± Elisa thrust a gloved hand out, frowned, yanked the grease-covered glove off, reached out with an equally grease-covered hand, then frowned again. ¡°Uh, sorry, I¡¯ve been¡­busy.¡± Karinaughed, a pure, bright sound that brought a smile to my face. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± Then she shot a questioning look at me, clearly wondering why we were here. ¡°Elisa, what are the odds you can whip up antern with a longer lifetime?¡± She brightened. ¡°Give me ten minutes.¡± Then she was off, rummaging through bins of parts. She assembled while she moved, throwing together a taller, thicker version of the glowingnterns we wore on our belts when we were out. ¡°Just give me a minute to¡ªhang on.¡± Her top half disappeared into a bin and Karina shot me another exasperated look. ¡°A regr oilntern would be more than sufficient.¡± I grinned. ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯d be way less fun.¡± Elisa came out with a sound of triumph, then strayed into Ryoko¡¯s half of the workshop. ¡°I should have just enough of Ryoko¡¯s new version of glow juice to fill up thentern. Shouldn¡¯t need a top off for three to five years, assuming we got the math right. Considering I only invented them three months ago, only time will tell how urate that is.¡± She started carefully pouring a viscous liquid into her newest contraption, her tongue poking out between her teeth. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen Ryoko today, any idea when she¡¯ll be down?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°You might not see her today. Pretty sure she¡¯s still sleeping.¡± Elisa paused. ¡°Is she alright?¡± ¡°Oh, she¡¯s fine,¡± I said, rubbing the back of my neck. ¡°She¡¯s just sleeping off a sleepless night.¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Elisa said, ¡°did she go into heat too? Miss Wan warned her that might happen.¡± ¡°Hang on, what do you mean, ¡®too?¡¯¡± Karina asked. ¡°Er, long story,¡± I told her. Karina raised a brow at me. ¡°Just how many members of your household are sharing your bed?¡± ¡°Not enough, ording to Rhani,¡± Elisa said under her breath, carefully securing the top of herntern. Karina choked. ¡°Hold up, are you telling me you helped two Kitsune through their heats? In one night?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s relevant,¡± I said quickly. Crossing her arms, Karina smiled. ¡°She¡¯s still got six minutes to go.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I started, trying to figure out how I ended up here, ¡°Tsuki and I made arrangements before we even made it to the city for when this eventually happened, so yeah I helped her.¡± ¡°And Ryoko?¡± Karina asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t have the chance, so I made sure to help her without, uh, taking things further than she might befortable with if she was in her right mind.¡± Karina looked away, biting her lip in a poor attempt to hide a smile. ¡°And your other women were just¡­okay with that?¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Elisa scoffed, pulling out a red crystal and using it to melt two pieces of metal together. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to bet a week¡¯s wages they all joined in.¡± Whatever Karina¡¯s expression was warranted her hiding it behind her hand. ¡°How exactly does that work? Seems a bit¡­plicated. The logistics, I mean.¡± I could tell from the amusement in her eyes she was teasing me. ¡°It¡¯ll go better when I finish Rhani¡¯s little experiment,¡± Elisa mumbled, fitting some kind of extra housing onto thentern. ¡°Just as soon as Ryoko nails down the form on her homemade silicone.¡± ¡°Elisa!¡± I hissed, ¡°stop helping.¡± ¡°No, no,¡± Karina said between snickers, ¡°please keep helping.¡± Elisa didn¡¯t respond right away, busying herself with tightening screws so small I could barely see them. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. Miss Wan figured you helping Tsuki with her heat might trigger Ryoko¡¯s. She¡¯s been crazy stressed about it for thest week because of her feelings towards you.¡± Then she straightened. ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t say that out loud, did I?¡± ¡°Oh you definitely did,¡± Karina said. She bent over to poke at a contraption that was decidedly phallic in nature. ¡°Elisa, I think you and I are going to be friends.¡± ¡°You do, do you?¡± I asked, looking pointedly at the half-finished sex toy. Karina straightened, blushing deeply. ¡°I meant¡ªI wasn¡¯t talking about¡ªI was referring to the gossip, not the mechanized penis!¡± she blustered. ¡°Right, right. Whatever you say,¡± I said, lifting my hands. Elisa moved the near-finishedntern to her desk and started polishing it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Karina, Zaren¡¯s already given me the go ahead to give big discounts to other household members.¡± She shed the Seelie a grin. ¡°Pleasee to me with any ideas you can think of. The weirder, the better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said, grinning now that the shoe was on the other foot. ¡°Got any strange requests? Both Elisa and Ryoko love a challenge.¡± Karina spluttered. ¡°Now, hang on, we were talking about you being some kind of sexual savant, seducing half the women in your household!¡± ¡°Seducing, huh?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Hardly. Rhani had to reassure me about a million times that I wasn¡¯t forcing her into anything. Serena took a damn ss just to cement her ce in my life and has held me together more times than I can count. Tiana sacrificed herself to save me, nearly getting buried alive in the process, which has always been a fear of hers. Noelle has proven time and time again that despite suffering some of the worst of what humanity has to offer, she¡¯s still one of the kindest souls I¡¯ve ever met. And Jack¡­¡± ¡°And Jack¡­?¡± Karina prompted, leaning forward, her amusement tempered by something that looked a little to close to interest for my sanity. ¡°Well, Jack I¡¯m still trying to figure out,¡± I admitted, ¡°but she definitely lights a fire in me like no one has since¡ª¡± The sentence died in my throat when I realized where it was heading. ¡°Since who?¡± Karina asked, all the teasing gone from her voice. Since Ria. She was a fighter. She didn¡¯t take any shit, especially from me. While everyone else treated me like damaged goods, afraid to make any sudden moves for fear they might set me off, Ria pushed me. Challenged me. Drew me out of the shell I¡¯d built around myself after Eliya. She gave as good as she got, and she never once treated me as fragile. When I was around Jack, I felt that same kind of¡­ well, fire. No pun intended. ¡°Someone who isn¡¯t around anymore,¡± I said instead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Karina said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. ¡°It was a long time ago,¡± I said. Technically true, since Ria died over three decades ago, though realistically it had only been a little over two years for me. Between the war and the divinea, it felt like longer. To my surprise, Karina reached out and put her hand on my arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to bring up bad memories.¡± I patted her hand, surprised by how muchfort the simple touch provided. ¡°Eh, when nearly all of them are, it¡¯s hard not to.¡± That made her frown, and the emotion in her eyes was too much for me. I looked to Elisa. ¡°Almost done?¡± Eliya straightened. ¡°Oh, I finished a few minutes ago, I was just waiting on you two to finish.¡± Then she turned to Karina. ¡°Since you¡¯re so interested in Zaren¡¯s love life, he won over Ryoko by giving Tsuki a home where she didn¡¯t have to protect her sister all the time and by letting her creative side run free without restraint. And Tsuki spent so much time looking for a reason to mistrust Zaren since he was human, she didn¡¯t realize she was falling for him until it was toote.¡± Then she cut her eyes to me. ¡°Uh, but you didn¡¯t hear any of that from me.¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose. How had this trip gone so sideways? ¡°Thentern, Elisa?¡± ¡°Oh, right!¡± She jumped to her feet and set thentern on the table. Karina and I both leaned close to inspect it. ¡°This te here is where you¡¯ll push your mana into, and it¡¯ll charge the crystals attached to it. One crystal is good for four hours, four crystals means twelve. The mechanism here should rotate one crystal when the previous one runs dry, this way you can refill it easier if you need to.¡± ¡°And this,¡± she flipped atch and a set of shutters unfolded from a nearly invisible seam set into the roof of thentern, ¡°will allow you to control how bright it is. Given a few days I could probablye up with a design that controls the amount of glow juice active, making itst longer if you dim it, but I figure this is good enough for now.¡± ¡°Good enough?¡± Karina asked, lifting thentern. ¡°This is amazing! You could make a fortune with these. Oil-less, me-lessnterns? Twelve hour ones? I¡¯d be willing to bet you could make a model you could sell for a fraction of the cost of the light crystals.¡± She touched two fingers to the te Elisa indicated and it lit right up, casting the room in a soft white glow. ¡°You could light up the whole lower quarter with this!¡± ¡°That,¡± I said slowly, ¡°isn¡¯t a bad idea at all. Think you coulde up with an economy version? Something we can reproduce pretty cheaply?¡± She tapped her chin. ¡°I think I could manage that, sure. Give me two days?¡± I ruffled her hair. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make it five so you can make sure you¡¯re getting sleep, eh?¡± Elisa smiled ruefully. ¡°I think I can do that.¡± ¡°Good. Why don¡¯t we start now. When was thest time you slept?¡± She grabbed a rag to wipe her hands, only the rag was so stained it just smeared the soot and grease around. ¡°How long have we been in town again?¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to bribe some of Cynthia¡¯s minions to make sure she isn¡¯t doing too much work so she can make sure you¡¯re getting sleep. I doubt she¡¯s doing any better.¡± Elisa giggled. ¡°Definitely not.¡± Doing my best not to read too deeply into that, I led Karina out of Elisa¡¯s workshop. She followed with a dazed expression, cradling thentern like it was the most valuable thing she¡¯d ever held. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, durability is one of Elisa¡¯s staples.¡± I pulled my ownntern out of my storage. ¡°This baby has seen me through Vx swarms, etherwyrm hordes, gnoll bands, and bandit camps. You could probably light that thing on fire and it¡¯d be fine.¡± Karina just cradled it to her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. What¡¯s the catch? What exactly do you expect in return? I refuse to believe you¡¯re just giving something like this to a girl you¡¯ve only just met.¡± I didn¡¯t answer until we were back in the manor. ¡°I know what it¡¯s like to be afraid of the dark. To feel like you¡¯ve got no control over your life. I spent a long time helpless, forced to watch those around me suffer while I could do nothing about it. Now?¡± I shrugged. ¡°If I can help, then I will. I won¡¯t watch the people around me struggle when I can offer them a helping hand.¡± She just shook her head. ¡°For the record, I still don¡¯t fully trust you, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re nothing like I imagined you would be when King Rr gave me to you.¡± She looked up at me with vulnerability in her big, silver eyes. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever met anyone like you in my life.¡± ¡°I should hope not,¡± I said with augh. ¡°I doubt the world could handle two of me.¡± Chapter Eighty-Three: Books and Big Women Chapter Eighty-Three: Books and Big Women It had been a long, long time since Rhani had felt like this. Small. Insignificant. Lesser. Her skin still crawled at the way the guards outside the Amesserian Royal Library had looked at her. Theughter in their eyes that a couple of demi-humans thought they could enter such a prestigious location without a proper escort. She¡¯d spent so long at Zaren¡¯s side, she¡¯de to forget how the world usually treated people like her. Living in Zaren¡¯s home, being with everyone else, it felt like she¡¯d gone to an entirely different world. Once where she wasn¡¯t being punished for having the nerve to be born and Arelim. Five minutes with the arrogant humans at the gate of the Library had made that alle crashing back with a vengeance. Angry tears pricked the backs of her eyes as she and Safina made their way back into the lower quarter with their tails between their legs, but she refused to let them fall. Her only sce was that her skill hadn¡¯t triggered once, so there was a good chance they hadn¡¯t even been in the right ce to begin with. A heavy hand fell on her shoulder. ¡°Hey,¡± Safina asked, ¡°you alright?¡± Rhani smiled, even though all she felt like doing was curling up and crying. ¡°Great. The royal library was a long shot anyways. If it was there, then our enemies would have already cleared it out.¡± Safina didn¡¯t look convinced. For a minute there, Rhani was certain the Half-dragon was about to tie one of those guards into a knot, but she¡¯d refrained. It made their untouchable attitude sting all the more. Safina squeezed her shoulder, then nodded to herself. ¡°Right. Come with me.¡± She wrapped a massive hand around Rhani¡¯s arm and dragged it to the crook of her own, taking off deeper into the city. ¡°Um, Safina?¡± Rhani said uncertainly. ¡°Our next stop is that way.¡± She pointed over their shoulder. Safina didn¡¯t even slow down. ¡°We have plenty of time to make a stop since those fuckwits kicked us out.¡± Then she patted Rhani¡¯s arm with a warm smile. ¡°You need a pick-me-up.¡± More than happy to let the giant woman drag her through the streets, Rhani didn¡¯t bother fighting her. There was one frightening moment where a group of not-so-nice-looking individuals looked like they might stop them, but then Rhani summoned a giant red-furred jungle cat that stood nearly as tall as she did while on fours and they wisely decided to seek out easier prey. Brimming with excitement, Safina led her to a squat building with more spaces for windows than actual windows run down enough to have a slight lean to it. She had to duck and twist a little to fit through the door, and if she didn¡¯t hunch she risked scraping her horns on the ceiling. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Nona!¡± A plump woman sidled out of the kitchen area with a tter of pastries, dropping them at a table on her way to the door. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in ages!¡± ¡°Hey Margie,¡± Safina said, eyeing the pastries hungrily. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while. It¡¯s Safina now, by the way. I couldn¡¯t, uh, go by my real name before, but I can now.¡± Margie smiled wide. ¡°A lovely name. Now, how much have you scrounged up this time?¡± Safina patted the bulging coinpurse at her waist. ¡°I¡¯ve got a home now, and a generous Patron. I¡¯ll take as many as you have ready.¡± ¡°Perfect. Go on, grab a seat. I¡¯ve still got that extra sturdy chair in the corner, just for you.¡± Safina gave her a small bow, then made her way through the packed room as carefully as she could. Her tail knocked over two chairs before Rhani grabbed the end and held it up, drawing the most adorable squeak from the giant Half-dragon. Safina settled into a chair that had several additional ts of wood attached to it. The poor old thing creaked dangerously, but it held up. The table was barely big enough for the two of them, so Rhani sat down opposite her. ¡°Nona?¡± Safina shrugged. ¡°I always got weird looks when I introduced myself as a number.¡± She looked around the cozy little shop fondly. ¡°Me and Val used to sneak away to Margie¡¯s whenever we got sent on a job in the capital. Got punished for it a time or two, but it was always worth it.¡± Rhani¡¯s gut clenched ufortably, but she made sure not to let it show. ¡°Well you won¡¯t have to worry about that ever again. We can single handedly keep Margie in business if that¡¯s what you want.¡± In response, Safina¡¯s eyes glittered. She grinned and ducked her head, looking away. ¡°Yeah. I think that¡¯s finally starting to set in.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Rhani said. "In that case, you should know that you¡¯re wee in the master bed anytime. I know we haven¡¯t gotten that Half-dragon sized bed in just yet.¡± Safina¡¯s spine straightened, but she was saved from answering by Margie¡¯s arrival. The plump woman set a tter of pastries covered in a healthy coating of powdered sugar, and she made a point to wait until Safina had devoured one whole before leaving with a satisfied smile. Rhani tried one as well, and it was life changing. Crispy and ky, yet it melted in her mouth deliciously. Some kind of fruity filling exploded in her mouth, the vor so rich her eyes rolled back in her head. She didn¡¯t even realize she¡¯d let out a moan until she looked up to see Safina sitting with a pastry halfway to her mouth. Rhani hid a giggle behind her mouth, then finished off the pastry in her hand. The silence stretched until there were only a few pastries left. Safina, halfway through reaching for another pastry, sighed and sat back. ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea,¡± she said miserably. Still riding the sugar high from the pastries, it took a second for Rhani to remember where their conversation had left off. ¡°Joining the bed? If it makes you ufortable, you can always im a corner. We¡¯ve got so much more room than we need.¡± For now, she added silently. Safina chewed the inside of her lip, drawing shapes in the powdered sugar thatyered the table. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been working with Mrs. Wan on handling my instincts. She¡¯s taught me so much about why I feel the impulses I do as well as what impulses to expect if I find myself in certain¡­ situations.¡± Rhani leaned her elbows on the table,cing her fingers together. ¡°Situations like the master bedroom?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She drew another picture in the sugar that looked suspiciously like someone riding a dragon. Rhani did her best not to read too much into that image. ¡°Dragons are hoarders, and they nest in their dens. ording to Mrs. Wan, because I spent all my life not allowed to own anything, my instincts tend to see the people I care about as my ¡®treasures.¡¯ Not only that, but dragons like to sleep in contact with their¡­mates.¡± With thest word, she swiped her hand across the table, obliterating the image she¡¯d been so carefully drawing. ¡°This is all¡­¡± She huffed, sending a poof of the sugar into the air. ¡°I never dreamed things could turn out like this. My life is so much better than I ever could have hoped. I don¡¯t want to do anything to jeopardize that.¡± Rhani waved her hand through the sugar cloud. ¡°Well, for starters, Zaren is never going to hold you responsible for an instinctual reflex. You¡¯d have to try really hard to get on his bad side, so don¡¯t you even worry about that. And hearing all that about your instincts?¡± Rhani grinned and snatched up another pastry. ¡°Well now I really want to see what happens if we get you in the big bed.¡± Safina hid her own smile behind another pastry, but it fell before long. Rhani took a stab at the part of Safina¡¯s confession that caught her attention immediately. ¡°So¡­mates, huh?¡± Damn, Safina was gorgeous when she blushed. She aggressively crammed the whole pastry in her hand and swallowed it after three bites. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t want to intrude on anything. You and Zaren and all the others, you all seem very happy.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t be happier,¡± Rhani argued. ¡°Safi, are you attracted to¡­someone in the harem?¡± Safina avoided her eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re all Zaren¡¯s.¡± ¡°We are,¡± Rhani agreed, ¡°which brings me to my next question. Are you attracted to Zaren?¡± The Half-dragon shoved another pastry in her mouth. ¡°I¡­ might be.¡± ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± Rhani asked softly. ¡°What stays in the pastry shop, stays in the pastry shop. Might help to talk it through with someone who knows him well.¡± Her shoulders rxed, and she leaned forward. ¡°Seriously?¡± Rhani nodded, and Safina pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. ¡°Well, a part of it is my instincts. I think. Dragons like strength, and Zaren overpowered me the first time we met. Then he took me into his flight¡ªmetaphorically speaking¡ªand gave me a task: protecting you.¡± Then she winced. ¡°A task I enjoy greatly, I would like to add.¡± A warm, giddy feeling fluttered in Rhani¡¯s chest. ¡°And I¡¯ve never felt safer. Go on.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s definitely strong. Kind, but not patronizing. Takes the injured and the weak under his wing without a second thought. Protective.¡± She smiled to herself. ¡°Over-protective in some cases, but in ways that really make my dragon purr.¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. He isn¡¯t interested in me, clearly.¡± Rhani jerked back. ¡°What gave you that idea?¡± ¡°Well, he¡­¡± Safina¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°he keeps his distance. He doesn¡¯t look at me the way he looks at the rest of you. And that¡¯s fine,¡± she added quickly¡ªand rather unconvincingly, ¡°he¡¯s already given me so much, I can¡¯t expect more than that.¡± To give herself a second to choose her words carefully, Rhani nibbled on her pastry. ¡°Something you have to understand about Zaren is that his mind doesn¡¯t work like anyone you¡¯ve ever met,¡± she said slowly. Safina hung on her every word. ¡°Zaren spent a long time putting his own wants and needs aside to take care of everyone around him. Even now, it¡¯s second nature to him. I won¡¯t say whether he does or doesn¡¯t, but it would be very in character for Zaren to suppress his affections for your sake.¡± Safina frowned. ¡°So, what then? He thinks I¡¯m weak?¡± The hurt in her voice was palpable, and it didn¡¯t take a leap in logic for Rhani to understand why. If strength was a big deal to dragons, being considered weak by the object of her affections would suck. ¡°No!¡± Rhani said quickly. ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s less about you than about him. Zaren told you he wore a cor, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Safina said uncertainly. ¡°Well, it took him a long time to recover from what happened to him. Some days, he¡¯s still recovering. He doesn¡¯t know what happened to you while you wore that cor, and he¡¯ll never ask, but he¡¯ll also never pressure you into anything like a rtionship if he even suspects you¡¯re still on your path to recovery.¡± Safina¡¯s miserable expression was slowly reced by a more thoughtful one. ¡°So, if he knew a little more about what happened to me, and it wasn¡¯t as bad as what he thought¡­¡± Rhani¡¯s brows twitched upwards. ¡°I could always mention it in passing.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± She grabbed another pastry, but instead of eating it she started tearing it into little chunks. ¡°I¡¯ve got thick skin. Literally. Half-dragons have crazy high natural pain tolerance. Valith noticed pretty quick when we first got paired up, and she coached me.¡± She shrugged, a smile on her face. ¡°Figured befriending the big, strong, overprotective lizard girl might help her live longer.¡± ¡°Coach?¡± Rhani prompted. ¡°Yeah. Taught me how to act like I was in more pain than I was. How to fake it so that our captors thought they were punishing me a lot more than they actually were. And when we started going out on missions, surrounded by assholes¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Apparently, until they choose their mate, dragons tend to be promiscuous. My dragon couldn¡¯t care less about the men who tried to prove their manliness by shoving the giant girl around, and none of them were strong enough or¡­¡± she cleared her throat, ¡°big enough to actually hurt me.¡± Rhani reached across the tiny table and took one of Safina¡¯s giant hands in both of hers. ¡°So, then¡­¡± Safina¡¯s fingers wrapped around Rhani¡¯s. ¡°The past is the past. I¡¯m not interested in letting it affect my future. I did what I did to protect Valith and to survive, and I¡¯m fine with it. So is my dragon. And I have to assume that, since he loves Noelle so much, neither will he, right?¡± Her question sounded more like a plea, and Rhani smiled. ¡°Of course not. Zaren, better than just about anyone, knows sometimes you¡¯re faced with choices where there is no good option. Personally, I¡¯m thankful you managed to find the ones that led you here, and I hope Zaren feels the same.¡± Safina smiled wide. ¡°Yeah, me too. Maybe I¡¯ll give the bed a shot after all.¡± # # # After they¡¯d eaten their body weight in heavenly pastries, Rhani had ordered a box to go and paid for it to be delivered to the manor forter. She also left Margie with some gold and a promise that if she sent a message to the manor then Zaren (or, more urately, Cynthia) would be willing to discuss investments. Once Rhani was free from the bone crushing hug Safina scooped her up in after the offer, they both picked a direction and struck off deeper into the lower quarter. Safina had a spring in her step and azy smile that made Rhani¡¯s cheeks burn from grinning so hard. They chatted while they walked. About the manor, the servants, the harem. Everything. And while they talked, they window shopped. Safina found clothes tailored to fit a member of her race¡ªclothes that Rhani thought looked extremelyfortable¡ªand some simple jewelry that made her positively giddy. Rhani,pletely identally, of course, found a nice little shop that sold the most adorable lingerie. Intricatece made in store by an incredibly talented Deep Dwarf being assisted by her daughter. One who was very excited to learn about Zaren¡¯s stockpile of Vx silk pouches. After making a note to pass the information along to Cynthia, they started back towards the manor, taking a looping side path through another part of town they hadn¡¯t explored yet. It was past midday, dipping into evening, when [Arcane Intuition] red in Rhani¡¯s head. The small ramshackle building pinged her skill so hard she nearly fell over. Safina grabbed her by the shoulders, holding Rhani up while she reconciled what had just happened. It took her a moment to remember what question she¡¯d set her skill to. Why is the Jailer¡¯s de important? A little vague for her tastes, but evidently it had been the right one. ¡°We need to go in there,¡± she said breathlessly, clinging to Safina. ¡°Skill stuff. Come on.¡± Rhani dragged Safina behind her towards the little building. The door was a little nted, so Safina had to help her open it, and when it swung inward it rang a small bell attached to the frame. On the other side of that door was heaven. Rows of sagging shelves held books as far as the eye could see, which wasn¡¯t very far thanks to how densely packed the building was. When she looked up at Safina, the Half-dragon was watching her with amusement. ¡°Well, you indulged my pastry need, so go nuts. I¡¯ll be nearby.¡± Rhani squealed, threw her arms around Safina, then dove into the stacks. The books by the door were interesting, but she knew in her bones that the good stuff was going to be deeper in. If there was going to be something rting to the Jailer¡¯s de in this shop, the best ce to look would be in the dustiest corners she could find. She caught a glimpse of a wrinkly old man snoring behind the main desk before she dove even deeper. He was human, and after how wonderful Margie had been she wasn¡¯t willing to roll the dice on another one so soon. There were a few interesting titles she pulled out. An archaic book on runebreaking. A book in anguage from across the ocean on potions she could only read thanks to her skill, [Universal Trantor], that Ryoko would no doubt love. I nifty book on metallurgy that she figured Elisa would find interesting. It wasn¡¯t until she hit the very back corner of the room that her skill pinged again. The book was old. There wasn¡¯t even a title on the cover. The second her eyesnded on it, even underneath the thickyer of dust, her skill floored her. Unfortunately, it was tucked away on the top shelf. Even on her tip toes, she couldn¡¯t quite reach it. She was just a hair away from tracking down Safina to help when a set of long, slender, gray fingers reached over her head and slid the book out. Rhani whirled, eyes wide, looking up at the tall, slender Nephilim woman towering over her. She had soft gray skin a few shades darker than Rhani¡¯s, dark gray hair with a metallic sheen, and eyes that were two different colors. One an icy blue, the other a vivid violet. She stood several inches taller than even Safina, though her build was slim. A long patchwork dress didn¡¯t do much to hide legs that went on forever, and though her chest looked smallpared to her eight-foot frame, her breasts were still the size of Rhani¡¯s head. Rhani¡¯s first thought? Whoa, pretty. Her second thought? Aw Hells, I¡¯ve got a type! ¡°U-um, was this the one you were reaching for?¡± the woman asked timidly. Rhani had never seen someone so tall looking at her through hershes, but damn if this woman didn¡¯t manage it. It took Rhani far too long to find her tongue. ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s the one.¡± She looked at the book for a moment, her lips pursed, then held it out. ¡°Here. It¡¯s one of the rarest in our collection. I¡¯m not sure if my grandfather will want to part with it.¡± Rhani flipped it open and excitement flooded her. The book was in a foreignnguage¡ªone whose characters she didn¡¯t even recognize¡ªbut she did recognize the shape and structure of a few symbols here and there. She¡¯d be willing to bet a box of Margie¡¯s pastries it was the samenguage the Jailer¡¯s de¡¯s runes were based off. ¡°I¡¯m sure we cane to some kind of agreement.¡± She turned her attention back to the giant woman, who seemed to be struggling to hold her gaze. ¡°I¡¯m Rhani, by the way. I love books, so something tells me I¡¯ll be spending a lot of time here.¡± ¡°Ano,¡± the woman said, smiling softly. ¡°I love books, too. This shop has been in my family for generations, so you could say it runs in my blood.¡± ¡°A pretty good substitute when you can¡¯t go anywhere else, right?¡± Ano¡¯s eyes glittered. ¡°Very much so.¡± Her eyes darted towards the book again and she opened her mouth to say something, only to be interrupted by the sound of the bell above the front door ringing. ¡°Well, well, old man Serali, sleeping on the job again, eh?¡± The voice barely carried to the back, muffled by the walls of pages between them and the front door, but it made Ano tense up. ¡°You have to hide,¡± she hissed. She pushed the book into Rhani¡¯s chest and ushered her towards the corner furthest from the front desk. ¡°Take the book and stay silent, whatever you hear. Please.¡± She darted through the stacks, her shoulders curling in on themselves, and Rhani headed towards where she hoped Safina was. She made it close enough to see the man at the front facing a man and two women just before a hand mped over her mouth. She let out a muffled yelp before she realized she was being pulled into Safina¡¯s chest. ¡°Rhani, that¡¯s¡ª¡± Safina hissed, her voice ragged. She didn¡¯t finish the thought. She didn¡¯t have to. The man was tall, human, and well dressed, but Rhani barely spared him a second nce. Her attention was captured by the two demi-humans. One was a Tiefling with skin so dark a red it was nearly ck and hair the color of blood, while the other was a Seelie with hair that was golden blond with patches of bright red and skin the color of parchment. The Seelie wore barely any clothes, leaving most of her skin on disy, revealing a myriad of intricate tattoos that seemed to shimmer. But what had Safina trembling was the iron cors around their necks. ¡°Four and Seven,¡± Safina breathed. Rhani grabbed Safina¡¯s wrist but made no move to push it away. Her feet were off the ground, but Safina was holding her high enough to see through the books to the other side where the human was holding the old man by the front of his shirt. ¡°Come on now, Serali,¡± the human was saying, ¡°I¡¯m getting real tired ofing down to your little shithole. I told you what it is I need.¡± ¡°P-please, what you seek does not exist!¡± the old man sputtered, his face already bruising. ¡°I have looked everywhere! If my great grandfather owned such a text, it was sold long ago!¡± Rhani clutched the book tightly to her chest. She knew in her bones that the book in her hands was the very one this man was after. If Safina noticed her reaction, she didn¡¯t show it. The man just shook his head and ran a hand through his slicked back hair. ¡°Seven,¡± he barked. The Seelie¡¯s cor lit up, and her shoulders slumped. ¡°Retrieve her.¡± Seven stepped forward and tapped her leg, then flicked her hand out. The tattoo on her thigh began to writhe, then peel off her flesh and expand. It shimmered and twisted until it was a man made of vines, as if it had been painted onto the air itself. Like a walking, living drawing, it took off into the bookstore. There were the sounds of a struggle and a shout, then it returned dragging Ano by the back of her neck. She wore a terrified expression that made Rhani buck against Safina¡¯s hold. ¡°We can¡¯t, Rhani,¡± Safina hissed, sounding furious. ¡°Four wields fire elementals, if we pick a fight now, the whole store will go up. If it looks like they¡¯ll hurt her too bad we¡¯ll step in, but not before then. Even without the human, I don¡¯t think we can take them in a fight.¡± Rhani ceased her struggling, but she didn¡¯t look away as Seven¡¯s living tattoo threw her to the ground in front of the man. Ano¡¯s grandfather made a whimpering sound. ¡°Please, I¡¯m trying everything I can. I don¡¯t know what else I can do to prove to you that this book doesn¡¯t exist.¡± The man clicked his tongue, then put his boot between Ano¡¯s shoulder des and leaned forward. ¡°Wrong answer. Again. Consider this yourst warning, Serali. Find me that journal or your girl gets to experience life in the Pens. Always a treat when a Nephelimes through, especially if I put a hold on her purchase. I think a few months in there will be a great motivator, don¡¯t you?¡± Ano whimpered in fear, but she didn¡¯t try to push herself up. Her limbs trembled, but her eyes were fixed on where Rhani and Safina were hiding. Pleading silently for them to remain hidden. She whimpered again when the man dug his heel into her back, and it took everything Rhani had to keep from summoning Fang. She had to trust Safina¡¯s judgment here, even if it felt like it was going to kill her. ¡°I¡¯ll try again, please. If it exists, I¡¯ll find it,¡± the old man said, falling to his knees. ¡°Just give me a little more time.¡± ¡°Hmm, I dunno,¡± the man said in a sing-song voice. ¡°My boss isn¡¯t the biggest when ites to patience. Maybe I¡¯ll let her get a taste first. A week now, then if you don¡¯t have my book by the end of the month, she gets to go on an extended vacation. How¡¯s that sound?¡± Rhani missed the grandfather¡¯s reply thanks to the low growl in Safina¡¯s chest. The message was clear. They¡¯d stay hidden as long as they could, but this guy wasn¡¯t leaving the shop with Ano. Unfortunately, the Tiefling¡¯s ears were sharp enough to have caught it as well. Her head tilted just enough to catch her boss¡¯s attention. He looked back in their direction, but his gaze passed over their hiding spot. ¡°Four, go make sure we¡¯re alone.¡± Her face neutral, Four started heading straight for them. Safina cursed under her breath, then ducked through the shelves towards the wall. ¡°Sorry about this,¡± she said. ¡°Sorry about wha¡ªmmmf!¡± Rhani¡¯s body locked up as Safina¡¯s lips crashed down over her own. Her back hit a shelf and some books came tumbling down, but they all bounced off Safina¡¯s frame. Her legs hooked around Safina¡¯s waist like they had a mind of their own and one of Safina¡¯s hands grabbed a handful of Rhani¡¯s ass at the same time her thick, powerful tongue invaded Rhani¡¯s mouth. Safina¡¯s hands were sorge she could easily palm Rhani¡¯s cheek and have enough finger left over to toy with the plug in her ass. Rhani¡¯s moan was swallowed by the Half-dragon as she twisted the plug in slow circles, sending waves of pleasure thanks to her skill boosting the pleasure. ¡°Focus,¡± Safina said between kisses, then Rhani was dragging her back down by the horn with her other hand clutching the ancient book pinned between their bodies. Safina mussed Rhani¡¯s hair as best she could while also holding the Arelim up, but Rhani had just enough wherewithal to activate [Filled Focus]. Time seemed to slow while her thoughts sped up. Between how aroused she was and how fucking good it felt for Safina to toy with her plug, her focused state was strong. She was vaguely aware of a sharp intake of breath as they were caught. Safina pulled away only to trail her way down Rhani¡¯s jaw, nibbling at her throat and hiding her face from the intruder in the crook of Rhani¡¯s neck. Four stood with her jaw hanging open, watching the show. ¡°Four!¡± the man barked from the front. ¡°What the fuck is taking so long? Who¡¯s there? Answer me!¡± The cor lit up and Safina tensed. ¡°Give her a truth to say.¡± Rhani fixed her eyes on Four, who had eyes as red as her hair. ¡°Just a couple of horny demi-humans,¡± she whispered. Four frowned, visibly fighting thepulsion of the cor, and Rhani took a risk. She twisted her hand in Safina¡¯s hair, pulling it to the side to reveal her bare neck where there still remained a strip of skin lighter than the rest of her. Four¡¯s eyes went wide as understanding crashed through her. ¡°Just a couple of horny demi-humans,¡± she parroted. Considering how her and Zaren¡¯s rtionship had first begun, Rhani wished she had a moment to appreciate the irony here. ¡°Will they be a problem?¡± Safina chose that moment to squeeze Rhani¡¯s ass so hard it would surely leave a mark. She fucking loved it. ¡°A little too busy to bother with you,¡± she said. Four nodded. ¡°Nah, looks like they¡¯re more than distracted enough. Not worth taking the time on.¡± Rhani brushed her fingers over Safina¡¯s neck, covered only in Zaren¡¯s fabric cor, and nodded meaningfully. Safina shuddered at her touch, and it took every part of Rhani¡¯s willpower not to lose herself in the Half-dragon¡¯s embrace. Especially when she started sucking on the spot just under Rhani¡¯s ear. ¡°Fine, get back up here. We¡¯re leaving for now.¡± Four left with a nod, and Rhani just heard him say, ¡°we¡¯lle back in a week to pick up the little Nephilim here. I need to make some calls to ensure her visit to the Pens is a good learning experience.¡± Four¡¯s legs started carrying her away, but not before she whispered, ¡°save her from us. Please.¡± Rhani nodded again, then she was gone. The bell at the door opened, and Rhani gave Safina one more fierce kiss before patting her arm. ¡°Let me down, hurry.¡± Safina dropped her, though it looked like thest thing she wanted to do. Rhani darted for the door, forcing herself to ignore Ano and her grandfather for now and sprinting for the door. ¡°Festus!¡± she called, throwing her hand out. Taking Zaren¡¯s advice, Festus exploded into existence as a silver-feathered raven. He took to the sky, managing to find their quarry in seconds. When she walked in, Safina was easily lifting Ano up and setting her on her feet. ¡°Festus will track them,¡± she said quickly. ¡°We can tell Zaren where they go when we get back.¡± Safina nodded, her hand still on Ano¡¯s shoulder. The poor Nephilim was still trembling head to toe, tears in her eyes. ¡°What about these two? We can¡¯t just leave them.¡± The grandfather opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes fell on the book in Rhani¡¯s grip. ¡°Where did you find that!?¡± he demanded. ¡°That book isn¡¯t for sale!¡± Rhani shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s what they¡¯re after, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ano¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Grandfather?¡± He just shook his head. ¡°Please, I have to give it to them. I can¡¯t let them take my granddaughter. Whatever it¡¯s importance¡­¡± he trailed off, shaking his head again. Rhani clutched the book even tighter. ¡°If they get this book, something really, really bad is going to happen.¡± The old man slumped. ¡°I¡¯m no fighter, and neither is Ano. I couldn¡¯t stop you if I tried, but please. I¡¯m begging you. You can have whatever books you wish, just not that one.¡± Chewing her lip, Rhani exchanged a nce with Safina. Her heart was still hammering, and she could taste the Half-dragon¡¯s unique vor on her lips, and she couldn¡¯t even enjoy it. She entered a focused state, and though it was weaker than thest one, it helped her realize there was only one real option. ¡°Mr. Serali, sir? On behalf of my Patron, I¡¯d like to purchase your books.¡± Confusion became the dominant expression on his face. ¡°Which ones?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± Then her gaze shifted to Ano. ¡°And, once we¡¯ve actually got books, we¡¯ll need a librarian. One that, of course, would have the full protection of House Nocht.¡± Once again, thanks to Rhani¡¯s stupid skill, she was making an executive decision without consulting Zaren. One that involved adding another demi-human to the household and likely drawing the ire of dangerous individuals. But it worked out in the endst time, so hopefully it would work out just as well this time. And not just because the part of her brain that was always sexed up was currently wondering what it would be like to be sandwiched between Ano and Safina while Zaren fucked her. Whatever the case, she had a feeling Cynthia was going to be pissed. Some of these books looked old, and old meant expensive. She just had to hope that the book in her hands was worth it. Then, once she¡¯d made sure Ano and her grandfather weren¡¯t in danger, she could take a moment and process how she felt getting pinned to the wall and kissed silly by the seven-and-a-half-foot tall Half-dragon. What a fucking day. Chapter Eighty-Four: The Silver Swallow Chapter Eighty-Four: The Silver Swallow When I get back to the manor, I head straight for the library. I¡¯d been visiting one of the barracks to make the finishing touches when I¡¯d felt the pull from [Danger Sense]. It wasn¡¯t a strong enough pull to warrant me tearing through the city to get to Rhani, but it was a close run thing. It was gone by the time I hit the front door, and my Link gave me the sense that everything was fine, but I was more than a little concerned that the sharp spike had happened in the first ce. I¡¯d had a few pings throughout the day. Minor encounters that were resolved before I could really begin to worry. I trusted Rhani enough to keep her head and Safina to protect her, but the second I¡¯d felt the waves of peril from whatever happened I knew I was in for a day. I paused at the front door, a little confused by the heavy looking boxes that a number of burly men were carrying into the house. I recognized a few of them as the ones who helped move in the abundance of furniture we¡¯d needed to furnish the manor, but I didn¡¯t recognize the boxes they were carrying in. A quick peek in one told me they were all books, which is what led me to the library. Inside, I was met with a flurry of movement. The movers were stacking boxes along the wall while a number of servants unpacked books. Many of which looked to be old and worn, just the kind of thing that Rhani would absolutely love. Seeing all of it made me feel better immediately. Regardless of whatever danger she¡¯d found herself in, she¡¯d still managed to acquire no small amount of books. It didn¡¯t take me long to find her thanks to our Link. She was sitting on a table with a fresh journal in her hand, tongue between her teeth, a charcoal pencil scribbling away. As if she sensed my presence, she looked up and saw me. Immediately her shoulders sagged with relief and she hopped down, running straight into my arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, hugging me tight, ¡°I¡¯m sure you were worried.¡± ¡°A little,¡± I admitted, trying to y down just how relieved I was to have her safe in my arms, ¡°but let¡¯s save the apologies for after you tell me exactly what happened, alright?¡± ¡°Right,¡± she sighed, ¡°you¡¯re right. Well, for starters, I bought a library.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I see that, but we both know that¡¯s not what I need to know, is it?¡± Then she chewed her lip. ¡°Well, the good news is that I found two more of Noelle¡¯s sisters.¡± I forced myself to count to ten before I trusted myself to respond. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a little more than that, Angel.¡± And so she told me how her skill had led her to a small unnamed book shop where she¡¯d found a tome written in anguage that had toe from the same ce as the Jailer¡¯s de. How they¡¯d been interrupted by Four and Seven, along with a human they didn¡¯t recognize. She finished by telling me how she¡¯d sent Festus to follow them, then brought the owner and his granddaughter back to the manor to talk about purchasing their property, which had apparently been a quick conversation considering all the books were already being moved in. By the end, Rhani looked distraught. ¡°Can you talk to Safina? She¡¯s been beating herself up pretty bad about all this. She feels like she should have done something to save her sisters, and no matter how many time I tell her this is pretty much the best way it could have gone, I can tell she won¡¯t listen.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, then we can talk about where the cored ones ended up.¡± She nodded, then pulled back. ¡°I sent Festus out as a raven, but we got close enough that I could change him to a house cat. He¡¯s been inside getting theyout.¡± ¡°Good girl,¡± I said, my voice low. She shivered, her lips curling slightly, but I knew Safina was weighing heavily on her mind. ¡°Zaren,¡± she said, grabbing my arm before I could get far, ¡°I talked to her. She didn¡¯t have it nearly as bad as you were afraid of. You definitely don¡¯t have to treat her like she¡¯s made of ss.¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± I left her to her maps and headed for where Safina was sitting on the ground against the wall, her knees tucked to her chest and her tail wrapped around her legs. She watched everyone moving around with her jaw clenched. She tensed slightly when I sat down next to her, but that was her only reaction. Even sitting, she dwarfed me. It made trying tofort her feel¡­ odd. ¡°You did good,¡± I said after a few minutes of silence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel that way,¡± she replied tersely. I nodded. ¡°I get it, trust me. It¡¯s hard when you can¡¯t save everyone. Having to choose can¡¯t have been easy, but you made the right choice. You didn¡¯t have any way to disable the cors, and Fang can only neutralize one enemy at a time. You¡¯d have had to beat the shit out of one of your friends, hope to immobilize them without killing them, while also making sure the asshole they were with didn¡¯t make things worse.¡± ¡°You protected Rhani, you gave her the chance to trail them, and you got her home safe. Now we can go after them. Maybe even find their base of operations and a few more sisters if we¡¯re lucky.¡± I put a hand on her thick bicep and squeezed. ¡°You did good Safina. As good as I possibly could have asked of you. You did your job, which means I can do mine.¡± She started to rx. ¡°They were right there. They were so close.¡± ¡°I know. Trust me, I do. And when it¡¯s time to go after them, you¡¯ll be right there with us. Promise.¡± Finally, she turned to look at me. ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°You bet.¡± I took a chance and moved my hand down her arm until it was resting on one of hers. ¡°Thank you, for protecting her. I¡¯m d you made it out safe. Both of you.¡± She turned her face away, but her tail finally unfurled from where it had been wrapped around her. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need to talk to our resident genius for that.¡± I stood, ruffling her hair between her horns. She ducked away, a smile finally finding its way to her face as she batted my hand away. Then I held that hand out as an offering. ¡°Coming?¡± Our talk hadn¡¯t resolved everything going on in her head, but at the very least she didn¡¯t lookpletely miserable any longer. She took her hand and allowed me to pull her to her feet, smiling a little when I struggled. When we were vertical, she didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Safina?¡± I asked, sensing she had something she wanted to say. ¡°I¡­I want a Link,¡± she said finally. I cocked my head. That wasn¡¯t what I was expecting, but I was hardly going toin. ¡°Alright.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to hear me. ¡°Valith told me all about it, and I feel like a Link with me would be tactically valuable, too.¡± ¡°I agree. Let¡¯s do it.¡± But Safina barreled on. ¡°Knowing how much danger I¡¯m in could help you gauge situations, too. Like, if I¡¯m in more than Rhani, you at least know she¡¯s being protected. And you can empower me so I can protect her even better, too.¡± ¡°Safina¡ª¡± ¡°And beyond that, I like it here. No, I love it here. Before, all I had was my sisters, but none of us had a choice in that. I¡¯d still die for Valith, but this family is one I want to be a part of. I want to stick around, and I want to help all of you in any way I can, and if a Link lets me do that, then¡ª¡± ¡°Safina.¡± I put both my other hand over hers so it was sandwiched between them. She mmed to a stop, her throat bobbing. ¡°I¡¯d love to form a Link with you. You don¡¯t have to try and convince me.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, her voice small. ¡°In that case, can we¡­?¡± Rather than answering aloud, I reached out with my sense. Her soul, like Valith¡¯s, didn¡¯t shimmer. I¡¯d spent thest few days reaching out with my soul sense and brushing against everyone in the household. Not enough to be invasive. I wasn¡¯t learning anything deep about them past a quick cursory nce to make sure they didn¡¯t shimmer and that they were who they pretended to be. So far, I hadn¡¯t found any additional shimmers past the ones I¡¯d already noticed. Safina¡¯s soul was big and bright. Cobalt blue and sparking with electricity that had me feeling like I¡¯d stood too close to a lightning strike. Her energy raced through me, eager and curious and energetic. Her soul was covered in dings and chips, like life had tried to break her apart and constantlye up too weak to actually do any damage. I¡¯d barely activated [Forge Link] before she¡¯d epted and the Link was seared into ce between us. Even after I¡¯d pulled back, I was still aware of her. A low rumble sounded in her chest, but thanks to the freshness of the Link I knew it was a pleased sound. She was deliriously happy in that moment as the feeling of being epted washed over her so strongly it flooded through the bond between us. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to open my eyes before she yanked me into her arms, crushing me to her chest with enough force to crack my back about a dozen times. She pressed her cheek into the crown of my head while my face was buried in her ample bosom, lifting my feet off the ground and swinging me back and forth until she finally came to a stop. ¡°Thanks, boss,¡± she said into the top of my head. I patted her side, which was all I could really do with my arms pinned the way they were. ¡°Any time,¡± I wheezed. ¡°Not to sound ungrateful, but I can¡¯t breathe.¡± A distressed sound rumbled in her throat and she dropped me so suddenly I staggered, but she grabbed me by the arms to keep me vertical. ¡°Sorry!¡± I waved off her apology, still trying to find my feet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I liked it, I just also like oxygen.¡± Her smile returned, and her cheeks were a little darker than they were a minute ago. Once a reasonable amount of said oxygen found its way to my brain, I realized my Soul Smith ss had gained a level. It caught me by surprise since I was used tobat sses, but it made sense that forging and maintaining bonds would me experience. I was level seven now, which meant attribute points. I sunk them both into Primal and moved on, returning my attention to the Half-dragon in front of me who had arcs of lightning leaping up her arms. I smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Rhani. She¡¯s gonna be over the moon.¡± Once again, the Link made the task short work. Safina followed behind me, standing at my shoulder close enough I could feel her body heat. Waves of happiness still shuddered through the Link every so often, and it was tough to keep her wide grin from bleeding onto my face. I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised Half-dragons were like furnaces, both physically and emotionally, and yet I still was. When we caught up to our resident genius, she was talking to a new member of the household. A very tall member. If her lithe, eight foot frame hadn¡¯t clued me in on her Nephilim ancestry, her metallic hair and slightly glowing different colored eyes would have. She had that same otherworldly feeling as other celestials, though hers was stronger than Rhani¡¯s. The same Rhani who was looking up at the Nephilim woman with stars in her eyes. I resisted the urge tough. Rhani had a type, that was for sure. The tall woman seemed rtively rxed considering what she¡¯d been through. Her eyes were bright, and delight shined on her face every time she looked around at the library, though the one time her hand came up to brush the cor at her throat she winced. All that vanished the second she saw me. Her shoulders hunched and her head ducked. Long, graceful fingers fisted her threadbare dress and she went stiff as a board. Rhani frowned, then followed her gaze to see us approaching. ¡°Zaren!¡± she said, beaming at Safina just as much as me. ¡°Meet Ano. Ano, this is Zaren, the head of the household.¡± She grabbed my hand and pulled me closer. ¡°Zaren¡¯s great, you¡¯ll like him, I promise!¡± Ano¡¯s expression told me she wasn¡¯t so sure. The next thing I knew, I was between her and Safina with Rhani at my side. I was by no means a small man, but standing between seven-and-a-half-foot Safina and the eight-foot Ano, I definitely felt like it. From the way Rhani practically melted into my front, she rather enjoyed being surrounded by so many tall people. ¡°Wee to my home, Ano. I trust Liana has already set you up?¡± She ducked her head further. ¡°Y-yes sir. I¡¯ve n-never had a room to myself before. Thank you for your generosity in allowing me to s-stay here,¡± she stammered, her ethereal eyes pointedly avoiding mine. I hid a frown. I¡¯d met my fair share of people abused and traumatized by the ords, but Ano didn¡¯t strike me as one. There was no animosity in her fear, which made me wonder if she wasn¡¯t just painfully shy. An unfortunate disposition when one¡¯s stature tended to draw the eye. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, be sure to let me or Liana know. Rhani mentioned she¡¯s putting you in charge of the library?¡± She perked up, even if only for a moment. ¡°Oh, yes sir! It¡¯s a dreame true! We can fit all of my grandfather¡¯s books on the shelves neatly without having to stack any and we still have so much space! And Rhani says that we not only don¡¯t have to sell them, but we can buy more! I already have so many ideas on how we can organize them. I worked out a system ages ago, but my grandfather never wanted to move the books from where they were because we didn¡¯t have the space to move them around.¡± Then her eyes widened and her face turned back towards the floor. ¡°Um, I mean, i-if that¡¯s eptable to you. S-sir.¡± Ah hells. She¡¯s adorable. From how tightly Rhani was clutching my arm, I knew she agreed. I couldn¡¯t stop the chuckle that slipped out. ¡°I¡¯d already nned to let this be Rhani¡¯s domain, so as long as it¡¯s fine with her, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine with me!¡± Rhani chimed in immediately. ¡°It¡¯s our domain now.¡± Ano seemed taken aback. ¡°R-really? There isn¡¯t anyone else we¡¯ll be a-answering to? You¡¯d put a demi-human in charge of something so v-valuable?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a firm believer in having the right person for the job,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°If you¡¯ve been helping your grandfather run his shop for years, you¡¯re certainly qualified.¡± She hugged the book in her hands tighter to her chest, wetness gathering in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down, sir.¡± ¡°Just Zaren is fine,¡± I said. ¡°And your amodations are eptable? I know things can be tough for someone of your stature.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine,¡± she said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping on the f-floor since I outgrew my bed when I was fourteen. Please don¡¯t go to any t-trouble on my ount.¡± Rhani grimaced. ¡°We¡¯ll have to get another bed custom made, so that might be our only option until then.¡± ¡°She can have mine,¡± Safina blurted out. Then she blushed. ¡°Liana said mine was supposed to be ready by today, right?¡± Rhani nodded, a glint in her eyes that both worried me and made my pants a little tighter at the same time. ¡°Yes, but you can¡¯t just give your bed up. Where will you sleep?¡± Her question was about as unconvincing as it got, but Safina was too busy wringing her hands to notice. ¡°Well, if I¡¯m still wee, then I figured I could just sleep in the big bed. You know, until we could have another Nephilim-sized bed made.¡± I elbowed her. ¡°Of course you¡¯re still wee. And we¡¯re hardly going to kick you out when the new bedes in.¡± Ano¡¯s eyes were wide. ¡°You have a bed big enough to share with Safina?¡± Rhani cackled. ¡°We have a bed big enough to share with the whole household. I¡¯ll show youter and give you a rundown. You know, just so you¡¯re aware of it. No pressure, of course. It¡¯s set up so that even if you did want to stay for any reason, you could still have your privacy¡ªoh fuck!¡± she cursed, her eyes wide. The shift in her demeanor was more than enough for Safina to go stiff at my back. ¡°Rhani?¡± I asked. ¡°Festus got caught!¡± She said, her voice rising an octave. My gut clenched. ¡°By the enemy?¡± She focused, and I knew she wasmunicating telepathically with her familiar. She looked to me forlornly. ¡°Worse. He got grabbed by a cat person.¡± # # # ¡°You know,¡± I said, looking up at the multi-storied building draped in finery, ¡°sometimes it really feels like some cosmic asshole is dicking with me.¡± Rhani stifled augh next to me. ¡°I dunno, our enemy operating out of a brothel feels pretty in line with how everything else is going.¡± I sighed. ¡°Maybe, but there¡¯s a chance this isn¡¯t actually their base. I¡¯ve been here before.¡± Three heads¡ªRhani¡¯s, Safina¡¯s, and Valith¡¯s¡ªsnapped to me in unison. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a brothel back then!¡± I protested, heat rising to my face. ¡°It¡¯s a hub. Underneath is a nexus point in the tunnel system that runs under the city. Our quarry could have used the brothel to get underground and gone just about anywhere.¡± Safina¡¯s shoulders sagged, but Valith shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s notpletely unrted. This is where they took me when I was first kidnapped off the streets.¡± She shifted her eyes towards me. ¡°It¡¯s connected somehow. And even if it isn¡¯t, shutting this ce down would be doing the city a service.¡± I crossed my arms, leaning against the wall behind me. We were waiting for the crowds to grow a bit more before we risked infiltration, and by the looks of things it wouldn¡¯t be too much longer. ¡°How so?¡± She chewed the inside of her cheek. ¡°It¡¯s mostly rumors, but word on the street is that not all the courtesans inside actually want to be there. She takes in kids who have nobody else, feeds and clothes them, then puts them to work to pay off whatever ¡®debts¡¯ they rack up while she raises them. Only problem is that those debts tend to stack faster than her charges can pay them off.¡± Fingering the de at her hip, she eyed me. ¡°The madame, Adja Reade, is a piece of work. She¡¯s also number four in thergest property owners in the lower quarter. I propose we kill two birds with one stone here.¡± I nod slowly. ¡°Find out if there¡¯s any truth to the rumors and see if you can get proof. Look for any connection to this Arthal character while you¡¯re at it. If we can get something concrete then maybe Sandrel and Rr can help us acquire the property and help any of the people being held against their will inside. Demi-human or otherwise.¡± ¡°Done and done, Boss. You can count on me.¡± She pushed herself off the wall. ¡°The Silver Swallow is known for two things. A wide variety of options for demi-human fetishists and magic sex toys. I figure you and Rhani could go in and use that as your cover with Safina guarding your back, that way you don¡¯t have to worry about getting it on with a courtesan.¡± Some of the nausea in my gut dispersed. ¡°Thank fuck. Never been to a brothel before, and never thought I would. This just gets better by the minute.¡± ¡°Motherfuckers,¡± Rhani said under her breath, ¡°taking all the fun out of buying toys. Zaren, we need to bring them down.¡± I nodded. ¡°How¡¯s Festus doing?¡± ¡°His captor doesn¡¯t seem to realize he¡¯s a familiar, just an odd looking stray. She pped some kind of magic cor on him and he doesn¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to slip out unnoticed. I can still de-summon him if we need, though.¡± I shook my head. If we can get him out the old fashioned way, that would be for the best. If he vanishes into thin air, then they might realize we¡¯re wise to them. De-summoning will be n B.¡± ¡°And n A is to go in the front door of the brothel, buy a bunch of sex toys, and try to sneak him out in the process?¡± Safina asked. It was so much worse when she said it out loud. ¡°Yep. Come on, lets go.¡± Valith vanished to do recon while the three of us walked in the front door. Serena, Tiana, and Noelle were at a restaurant a few blocks away in case we needed them, but I hoped to get in and out without confrontation. When we were just outside the door, I paused. ¡°I might have to y the part of slimy Patron inside to get what we need, but rest assured I won¡¯t let anything happen to either of you.¡± Rhani squeezed my hand. ¡°We won¡¯t hold it against you.¡± I nodded, wishing I could try and kiss away some of that anxiety on her face, but doing so in public was probably a bad idea. Doing so in front of a brothel that catered to those who used and abused demi-humans and very likely run by our enemies was definitely a bad idea. ¡°Stay with Safina, and if we get separated, get out, alright?¡± As we entered the dimly lit, smoky entry hall, I reached out with my soul sense. Courtesans of both genders and all races lounged around in skimpy attire, the gazes of more than a fewtching onto me the second I walked in. I¡¯d opted for a finer outfit to y the role, but the whole thing made me feel sick. Backs arched, legs spread in invitation, breasts were pushed out, and hands caressed bodies to try and entice me and any other men and women making their way through the curtained front doors. Rhani and Safina at my back, along with the waves of reassurance that were pulsing asionally through my link with Serena, were the only things that kept my mind from burning the whole ce to the ground. Preparing myself for the worst, I started to examine the souls around me. Still no shimmers, but I¡¯de to expect as much at this point. Instead, I focused on the states of the courtesans around us. It wasn¡¯t as bad as I¡¯d hoped, but it wasn¡¯t good either. I didn¡¯t see any signs of any magics like the cor that would strip away wills, but I saw more than a few souls that were drowning in hopelessness. Some were clearly struggling, and many were far from happy. For the most part, there seemed to be a level of contentedness. People who¡¯d epted their fates. Valith was right. This ce needed to go down. Ornate signage directed us to their ¡®shop of wondrous pleasure,¡¯ but we¡¯d barely made it halfway before a portly woman with far too much makeup and jewelry stalked towards us. ¡°Well, well,¡± she said in a husky voice, ¡°if it isn¡¯t the prestigious head of House Nocht. I¡¯m surprised it took you so long to find my humble establishment.¡± I kept my face carefully expressionless. ¡°You must be Madame Reade. I see my reputation precedes me.¡± Her smile was wide and oily. ¡°As such an important man to this part of the city, you¡¯re the talk of the town Lord Nocht! Now, tell me how I can make all of your desirese true.¡± Her eyes flicked to the Half-dragon behind me. ¡°If it¡¯s training you require, I¡¯d be more than happy to give a man such as you a discount. If you¡¯re looking to employ some of your girls here for some extra ie, I can certainly be persuaded.¡± It was a struggle to keep the revulsion off my face. ¡°Perhaps in the future,¡± I lied. ¡°For now, I¡¯m here because I understand your establishment has the best selection of¡­aides this side of the Velossian sea.¡± She seemed more than a little disappointed, but she hid it well. ¡°I see. Well, if that¡¯s the case, then of course I won¡¯t get in your way. Please, if there¡¯s anything at all I can help with, don¡¯t be a stranger. I have some rather lucrative deals with many of the city¡¯s elite, and I¡¯d be happy to add you to that roster.¡± I think I¡¯d rather gargle boiling oil, thanks. ¡°Maybe another time.¡± Watching her slink away into the smoky building made me think of a snake, and I had a feeling I¡¯d be spending a not-small amount of time in the baths tonight to wash the stink of this ce off my skin. I knew there were brothels that operated above board, staffed with courtesans who genuinely enjoyed what they did. This wasn¡¯t one of those ces. The more I saw, the more I believed that. Now that Madame Reade was gone, we were able to enter the shop. Sex toys of all shapes and sizes filled shelves and racks, and there were couches strategically ced all over where courtesans showed off the goods in action. I did my best not to look, but their cement made it difficult to find a safe ce to look. I leaned towards Rhani and whispered, ¡°go nuts, Angel. Consider it a reward for quick thinking.¡± She bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°That door back there is the quickest way to Festus.¡± She handed me a slip of paper. ¡°This route should take you to him. Be careful?¡± ¡°When am I not?¡± I asked with a smirk. She shot me a droll look, and I turned to Safina. ¡°If things get hairy, get her out of here. I can handle myself.¡± Safina nodded, one of her massive hands on Rhani¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t let her out of my sight.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I left them behind¡ªRhani headed straight for the specialty wall in the back¡ªhoping I didn¡¯t make a mistake in giving them such a hefty coinpurse. In the darkest corner was a wall that wasn¡¯t actually a wall, but rather a doorway hidden in the folds of the purple and silver curtains that draped the room. I waited until nobody was looking in my direction, busying myself with examining a frankly ridiculous dildo, before slipping past and into the darkness behind. The hall was tight and poorly lit, which worked in my favor thanks to [Dark Sense]. I summoned a good amount of shadows and wrapped myself in them, using them to hide the shinier parts of my attire and muffle my footsteps. The one time I passed someone¡ªa courtesan walking with a satisfied smile, a bag of coin, and a slight limp¡ªI was able to easily fade into the dark. Thanks to the route I¡¯d memorized, it didn¡¯t take me long to find my way to the underground room where poor Festus was apparently being held. I avoided several trip wires and two different pressure tes, even using my shadow on the door to make sure I didn¡¯t set off whatever trap or rm was built into the hinge. Only then did I get a look inside the room. It was the first room I¡¯d seen that was actually well lit, and it very quickly became clear that I¡¯d found the source of the specialty toys upstairs. Tables and benches were filled with half-finished or damaged products. Dildos, straps, plugs, small little egg-shaped things that were no doubt meant for something sexual, and other things I really didn¡¯t want to think too hard about cluttered the room. All magical, and all well made. A quick examination told me that whatever artificer they had pumping out fake dicks knew what they were doing. The materials were of a middling quality, and none of the enchantments were particrly powerful, but I knew clever artificing when I saw it. I knew when an enchantment was stretched to perfection, getting the maximum amount of use out of the magic interred in the array. I could recognize when someone was talented enough to make a superior artifact out of inferior materials. I was hardly an expert on sex toys, but the talent behind whoever had made these was as evident as the creativity in how the magic was imbued. Carvings, Stitchings. Inverted symbols flipped and wrapped around the core of whatever the device was. If they chose, their creator would likely be capable of making some very dangerous weapons. And through it all, there was the sound of music. It didn¡¯t take me long to find the source. A music box, but boosted by whatever magic the artificer imbued it with. Instead of a single metal cylinder, there looked to be several rings inside. But, despite this being the workshop, the artificer was missing. I did a loop, reaching towards the walls with my shadows. Eventually, I reached out with my darkness and covered up the crystals in the walls that were lighting the room, plunging it into darkness. I closed my eyes and let [Dark Sense] run free. It was difficult to hear past the music, but I didn¡¯t want to turn it off for fear of alerting the artificer. After a minute or so, I realized I could feel the slightest drafting from my right. It took some searching around, but eventually I found atch that opened a secret door built perfectly into the wall, tucked away in the furthest corner of the room from the entry. I carefully picked my way down the set of stairs behind, leaving one song behind for another that drifted up from below. I gingerly stepped into a room nearly identical to the one above, albeit with considerably less sex toys. I saw cloaks, homemade pieces of armor, low quality gems, and plenty of household tools that were no doubt enchanted as well. And working at thergest bench in the room was a woman with thick ck gloves that went to her elbows, tinted sses, and a stained and burned apron on. And nothing else. I¡¯d like to say I averted my eyes immediately, but that would be a lie. She bobbed and danced along to the music with a very shapely¡ªandpletely uncovered¡ªrear pointed directly at me. Long ck hair was tied up in a messy bun at the top of her head and long, pointed ears told me I was looking at an Elf. Either High or Wood, but likely the former considering her skin was nearly as pale as Rhani¡¯s. Each ear held no less than four piercings, from studs to rings to a set of swords that hung down nearly to her shoulders. Shoulders that rested above a back I saw was intricately tattooed. Along with one of her thighs. And the opposite calf. And one of her biceps. Her back was thergest and most intricate. Wings spread across her shoulder des, one a feathered wing like a Seraphim¡¯s, the other leathery like an Erinyes. A scaled tail wrapped around her left bicep, and a thorny vine covered in roses twisted down her thigh. On the back of her calf was a spider web that looked realistic enough to make me shiver. And on a pillow next to her, looking at me with murder in his eyes, was Festus. A thick, spiky cor sat around his neck. As I watched, the woman danced to the side, kissed him on the head, then did a spin in time to the music back to her original position. Her eyes must have been closed under the dark, home made sses on her face because she didn''t react to me. The spin showed off ck painted lips, pert breasts that strained against her enchanted apron, and even more piercings. I counted two studs on her left brow, a ring in her lip, and a half-moon hanging from her nose, plus yet another intricate tattoo of a dragon resting on one of her corbones, its tail trailing down her shoulder to where it wrapped around her bicep. Just as I started wondering if I should just try and sneak Festus out, I reached out with my soul sense. The first thing I felt was faint surprise at the bright, bubbly nature of the soul that seemed so at odds with the tattoos and the makeup. Her soul was one that hadn¡¯t seen anyrge trauma past one of loss from a long time ago, but it did bear the signs of repeated, smaller traumas. Traumas like being basically imprisoned in a brothel, for instance. Oh, and there was one other thing. She shimmered. Chapter Eighty-Five: Stella Chapter Eighty-Five: Ste Though I¡¯d intended to get in and out without being spotted, the shimmer changed things. I still couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was important, yet I¡¯d stille no closer to understanding why. But that left me with a problem. I was currently alone in a hidden room with a mostly naked Elf that was nearly a full head shorter than me. Not exactly a good ce to start. The decision was taken from me when she turned around, humming to herself. It took her a second to realize she was looking at another person, and in that second we both stood still as statues, either unwilling or unable to make the first move. Then she shrieked, jumping half a foot in the air, and lunged for something on her workbench. Before I could even get a word in edgewise, she was hurling a knife at me. It was a poor throw, but the knife didn¡¯t care. There was a spark, then a sh, then the one knife was now six des tumbling at me end-over-end. I was surprised enough that a few would have found their mark if the shadows I¡¯d summoned earlier hadn¡¯t leapt into action and swatted the des out of the air. All but one melted into smoke, and by the time I looked away from the remaining dagger to the Elf she¡¯d scooped up a long pole and was pointing it at me. ¡°S-stay back!¡± she yelled. She twisted the haft of the pole in her hands and something resembling a curved de made from blue and silver me sputtered to life at the end of the weapon. ¡°I have a vague idea of how to use this and I¡¯m not afraid to figure it out!¡± I held my hands up, palms syed outward. ¡°Easy, I¡¯m not here to hurt you.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± she challenged. The tip of her fiery spear wobbled. She tucked it under her armpit so she could use one hand to reach over and scoop up a clear spherical gem wrapped in bands of copper. She tossed it to me, but my shadows caught it out of the air. Once I was sure it wasn¡¯t about to explode, I transfered it to my hand. Along the way, the orb seemed to suck up some of my mana, though not enough to be at all threatening. ¡°Say that again.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± Vivid blue smoke started to swirl inside the orb. Something about that was surprising to the girl, because both of her brows shot up. She twisted the spear and the ming head sputtered out of existence. ¡°Oh. Well, then. Um, how did you get in here?¡± ¡°The stairs.¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°I set up like a million traps to make sure the Madame couldn¡¯t sneak up on me.¡± ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± I said, nodding sagely. ¡°Yeah, I avoided those. Cleverly ced, but I¡¯ve got a lot of experience dealing with dungeon crawling.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± She leaned the polearm against the wall, where it promptly slid down and crashed to the ground with a tter that didn¡¯t even make her flinch. Then she flipped atch on her goggles, then pulled out the obsidian colored ss in them. Behind the now-empty frame was a set of bright green eyes flecked with gold. That was as much as I saw before she pulled a violet lens out of her apron and slotted it into ce. She walked straight up to me without even a hint of fear, moving in a speedy circle and examining me from all angles. She poked at my shadows curiously. They shied away from her touch as if unsure how to deal with her. I didn¡¯t move a muscle, worried I¡¯d scare her off if I did. ¡°Find what you¡¯re looking for?¡± I asked eventually. ¡°Not in the slightest. These are cool as shit. ss ability, right? Not items?¡± she gave me a once over, so close that I could see down the top of her apron to confirm that she was indeed not wearing a single scrap of clothing. ¡°Nope, no items on your person.¡± She tried to grab a shadow, but it slid from her grasp every time. ¡°Right. And you are?¡± Her face jerked up towards mine. ¡°Hm? Oh, right. Ste. Pleasure. Can I have some of these?¡± She pointed to my shadows. ¡°Uh they¡¯re kinda¡­ attached to me.¡± She blew out a raspberry. ¡°For now, yeah.¡± I fought the urge to take a step back. ¡°You¡¯re an artificer, then?¡± ¡°Figured that out all on your own, did you?¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Why are you in my shop?¡± ¡°Took a wrong turn looking for the bathroom?¡± I offered halfheartedly. Immediately the smoke in the orb turned a dark red and she cocked a hip. I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m here for the cat.¡± She gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. ¡°Not Mr. Whiskers!¡± I could feel the rage radiating from Festus. ¡°Afraid so,¡± I said, trying to hide my amusement. ¡°Finding you was just a happy ident.¡± The more I spoke, the more the smoke returned to blue. Her lips nted downward. ¡°Mr. Whiskers belongs to you?¡± Her bottom lip trembled. ¡°What if I bought him from you? I could trade! Anything in here that you see! Except my lie-ball, that¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°As tempting of an offer as that is, I¡¯m afraid that won¡¯t be possible. Festus isn¡¯t quite mine, you see.¡± She screwed up her face. ¡°Festus? Who names a cat Festus.¡± Festus himself huffed in response. ¡°Technically I was a dragon when my creator named me.¡± With an ear shattering¡ªand frankly, adorable¡ªyelp, Ste dove behind me. ¡°It talked!¡± She pressed herself into my back, grabbing two fistfuls of my shirt. To make things even odder, my shadows immediately parted for her, closing back up and enveloping her in their protective embrace. ¡°Yes, he did,¡± I said, shooting a dirty look at the silver cat. ¡°Festus isn¡¯t a real cat, he¡¯s a familiar. He won¡¯t hurt you either.¡± ¡°How can I be sure?¡± she demanded, ring at Festus from around my arm. ¡°How am I supposed to test him with my lie-ball, huh Mr. Sexy-Shadow-Man?¡± She grabbed my arm with a vice-like grip. ¡°How¡¯s he supposed to hold it? Cat¡¯s don¡¯t have thumbs!¡± I couldn¡¯t tell if I shouldugh or sigh at the griefstruck expression on her face. I held up the ¡®lie-ball.¡¯ ¡°Festus won¡¯t hurt you.¡± As soon as the smoke returned to blue¡ªwith the faintest strings of red inside¡ªshe rxed. What she didn¡¯t do was remove her hand from my arm. ¡°Oh. Alright, if you¡¯re sure.¡± Then she frowned and squeezed my arm. ¡°Yrena¡¯s tits, you spend a lot of time swinging swords around? I hope the other arm is just as muscr.¡± ¡°Uh, you could say that.¡± She wrapped both hands around my bicep. ¡°It should be a crime to wrap arms like these in fancy shmancy noble clothes like that.¡± I raised a brow. ¡°I think we¡¯re getting off topic here.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that a lot.¡± Despite the situation at hand, I had to ask. ¡°Mr. Sexy-Shadow-Man?¡± She gestured to the shadows that had wrapped around her like a protective shell. ¡°Have you seen yourself?¡± She made no move to step away from where she was pressed into my back. If anything, she almost nestled in deeper. ¡°You, my tall, dark, and handsome friend are scary in all the right ways.¡± ¡°Um, thanks?¡± She smiled brilliantly. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± ¡°Zaren. My name is Zaren.¡± ¡°Ooh,¡± she cooed. ¡°Cool name. Are your shadows going to let me go or are you nning to hold me up against you all day? I¡¯m notining if you are, I¡¯m quitefortable.¡± I frowned. It took a bit of focus to convince my shadows to unfold, allowing Ste to step away. Something she did slowly, and after some hesitation. She trailed her fingers along one of the tendrils when she did. ¡°Is it weird that I find your scary ass shadows oddlyforting?¡± ¡°A little,¡± I admitted. ¡°It¡¯s not a reaction I get a lot, that¡¯s for sure. This whole interaction has been pretty far from standard, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Then her smile died and she looked over towards Festus. ¡°So, my new best friend is actually a summon?¡± She let out a breath. ¡°That really blows.¡± She turned and started back towards the bench, once again turning herpletely bare backside towards me. Whether intentional or not, the sway of her hips made it hard to tear my eyes away from it. ¡°You¡¯re taking him, then?¡± ¡°My summoner needs him back,¡± I said slowly. She braced her hands on the workbench and leaned forward, which was really not helping the situation not-so-slowly developing in my pants. ¡°Uh, Ste? Can I ask why you¡¯re naked?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She looked down, as if only just realizing her attire situation. Just when I was expecting a freak out, she shrugged. ¡°If I get any magic residue on my clothes, then the Madame finds out about my secret shop. Can¡¯t afford to damage them, so I work in just my homemade apron and gloves. I grew up in a brothel, nudity is kind of a given.¡± ¡°Right. That makesplete sense. And would it be possible for you to at least put on some pants while I¡¯m here?¡± I asked gently. She looked at me over her shoulder, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and working her lip ring with her tongue. ¡°Right. I guess you don¡¯t want to see me naked, huh?¡± I shot her a dry look. ¡°Ste, that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. You¡¯re a gorgeous genius and while I¡¯d love nothing more than to have this conversation in the buff, I¡¯ve learned from experience that clothes make talks like this stay a little more on the rails.¡± Her lip slipped out from between my teeth and I realized she wasn¡¯t looking at me, but the lie-ball. The smoke inside waspletely blue, which made her cheeks turn a vivid red. ¡°Oh, for fu¡ª¡± I set the orb down on the bench. Next to it was a strip of ck cloth with a shimmering silver thread woven through it. I scooped it up. ¡°Here, just throw this on¡ªwhat the fuck?¡± The second I¡¯d picked it up, one of my shadows surged into the fabric. My darkness merged with the cloak and the garment came alive. It was impossible to tell where the magic began and the cloak ended, giving it a disorienting effect. An excited squeal was the next sound I heard. ¡°Holy fuck, I knew my cloak would work!¡± She darted over, spreading the cloak out without taking it from me. ¡°I knew you had a Primal ss! Now I know what that color means. Thank you magic-lenses.¡± Her words sent me into a light shock. ¡°A Primal ss?¡± Her brow furrowed. ¡°Yeah. A ss where Primal is the main stat? What else would I mean?¡± Then she looked me up and down. ¡°Muscles like that on a Primal based ss? You just got even more interesting.¡± I carefully set the cloak down carefully. ¡°Okay then. Fine, how about this.¡± I summoned the cleanest coat I had in my inventory. ¡°Here.¡± Her face went ck. Gingerly, as if she expected me to yank it back at thest minute, she took it. ¡°This is a really nice coat. Vintage, looks like.¡± I fought back augh. That was, in fact, the coat Allura had put me to sleep in. It was vintage, but only because I¡¯d been given the jacket thirty years ago. ¡°Should be plenty covering.¡± She took in with both hands and pressed it to her face. ¡°This is high quality, and you¡¯re just giving it to me? I can¡¯t take this.¡± Despite her words, the way she clung to the garment suggested she might burst into tears if I tried to take it back. ¡°Hear me out and we¡¯ll call it even.¡± She looked from me to the coat then back to me, then slowly nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± she said in a small voice. She carefully draped it over a stool, then pulled her apron off before I could so much as avert my eyes. Almost against my will, I clocked the nipple piercings, belly button piercing, stylized tattooed flock of birds that flew up her ribcage, and neatly trimmed patch of hair above the apex of her legs while she took her gloves and goggles off and dropped them on the bench. With a genuinely happy smile on her face, she threw the jacket around her shoulders. It went down to her knees, and the sleeves were far too long for her. She just pulled it tight, enveloping herself in the ck leather. ¡°It¡¯s so warm. It¡¯s like you just took it off.¡± I rubbed the back of my head. ¡°Sorry, my storage skill does that. It sort of keeps things in stasis.¡± She pulled the cor up over her face. ¡°Badass.¡± Then she frowned and stuck her hand inside. Fingers poked out of a hole at the shoulder and she shot a questioning look at me. I just shrugged, leaning against the bench behind me. ¡°I got chewed on by some blightwolves. That¡¯s the least damaged jacket I¡¯ve got on me right now, though.¡± Her eyesnded on mine. Dark, heavy eyeliner that had previously been protected by the goggles made her dark green and gold eyes sparkle. ¡°What¡¯s the most damaged jacket you¡¯ve got?¡± That was an easy one. I pulled the coat I¡¯d been wearing when I¡¯d been skewered by the Vx queen and held it up. In the back as well as in the front where it had been pulled closed was a big jagged hole nearly a foot in diameter. ¡°Holy shit!¡± She took it from me then held it up, shaking her head. Then she turned to hold it in front of my chest so it lined up. ¡°You were wearing this when it got all fuckled?¡± ¡°Unfortunately,¡± I replied with a wince. ¡°Luckily, one of my partners is a powerful priestess.¡± She let out a whistle, then reached out and touched her fingertips to my abdomen where I¡¯d been speared. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Then her light touch got heavier and she ran her palm down my abdomen, biting her lip. ¡°Damn. You need to hire me to make you a nice suit of armor. I¡¯m thinking leather. Lots and lots of leather.¡± Chuckling, I banished the coat back to my storage and gently removed her hand from where it was exploring my stomach. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know better, I¡¯d think you were stalling.¡± She pouted, her trembling bottom lip making an appearance. ¡°Please don¡¯t take my friend. I don¡¯t¡­ I just got used to the idea of having someone to talk to down here. I can¡¯t really trust anyone else with my secret.¡± She punctuated her request by burying herself even deeper into the coat I¡¯d given her. Damn. It was harder than it should have been to resist trying tofort her. I was still fighting the urge to scoop her up and get her as far from here as possible. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a seat. I¡¯ve got some questions I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± she asked, suddenly wary. Because you¡¯ve got some sort of marker on your soul that I don¡¯t understand but believe to be connected to saving the world. No big deal. Unfortunately, that wouldn¡¯t be the best way to start this conversation. Instead, I gestured to the room around us. ¡°You¡¯re an incredibly talented artificer. I¡¯m curious as to how you ended up making magic dildos in the basement of a brothel.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Please, I graduated from magic dildos when I was seventeen. But I see your point.¡± She shoved some stuff aside so she could hop up onto the workbench and gestured to one of the stools in the room. I sank down onto it and she sighed. ¡°Madam Reade finds kids who are starving and have nobody else. Gives them a home, some education, and three meals a day. In return, we¡¯re expected to work off our debts when we get our sses.¡± She started kicking her legs while her gaze wandered around the room. ¡°You can go into any number of jobs or roles to try and pay off your debt, but there¡¯s one route that promises the fastest payoff.¡± ¡°Working upstairs?¡± I guessed. ¡°Got it in one. I got lucky, though. Got an artificer ss and proved I could be useful at a bench, not on my back. Now, as long as I produce results and give the Madame plenty of one-of-a-kind sexual paraphernalia to put on her shelves, I get to avoid the bedrooms upstairs for my dungeon down here.¡± ¡°Then you haven¡¯t¡­¡± I let the question hang. She shot me a small smile. ¡°All of us undergo the training when we¡¯re young, but the gods give us three ss choices for a reason. I know how to please a man¡ªand a woman, if need be¡ªbut virginities are too valuable a thing to auction off for first time courtesans for the Madame to take in training. So no, I¡¯ve never been forced to have sex with money.¡± She looked away. ¡°Not that the Madame hasn¡¯t threatened me with it about a thousand times when I misbehave.¡± I nodded, running a hand through my hair. Gold flecked eyes followed the movement closely. So if you had the choice, you wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Sheughed dryly. ¡°Definitely not. This maye as a shock, but I don¡¯t really want a tail plug you can feel and move to be my legacy.¡± ¡°Then what do you want your legacy to be?¡± She bit her lip, then hopped down. She rooted around in a half open drawer and came out with a vial full of a swirling ice-blue mixture. ¡°C¡¯mere.¡± I moved behind her and she tossed it onto the ground a few feet away. It exploded, sending jagged shards of ice in all directions. My shadows reacted immediately, yanking her to my chest and preparing to defend us both. She squeaked in surprise, but didn¡¯t fight me. The shards, rather than going in all directions, were all pulled towards one spot. The apron still hanging on the wall. The shards crashed into the thick fabric. Most shattered, but a few stuck for a moment before falling to the ground. Ste shed a triumphant smile at me, then confidently strode out of my shadows. She lifted the apron up to show that the wall underneath was untouched. ¡°Arcanium weave. Someday, when I¡¯m out of here, it¡¯s going to make me rich as fuck. I¡¯ll make so much goddamn money that I cane back, buy this shit ce, and pay off everyone¡¯s debts.¡± I reached over her shoulder to touch my fingers to the shimmering thread that weaved intricate patterns all throughout the apron. ¡°Arcanium is a metal. You can¡¯t just turn it into thread,¡± I said with an arched brow. She hummed. ¡°You can when you¡¯re a motherfucking genius. And don¡¯t go asking me how I do it. That¡¯s a trade secret, thank you very much.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± When I looked down at her, she was gazing at the apron with a heavy look in her eyes. A hopelessness I was bing all too familiar with. ¡°It¡¯s a noble goal,¡± I said softly. ¡°But an unrealistic one, I know.¡± She undid her bun so she could run her fingers through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m just a demi-human. I¡¯ll never own shit, and it¡¯ll be a miracle if I¡¯m ever actually recognized for my creations. I¡¯m lucky to have a roof over my head and food in my belly and I shouldn¡¯t be so arrogant as to ask for more.¡± Anger churned in my gut as she spouted off words no doubt said to her dozens of times in her life. I was just beginning to search for the words to try andfort her when Festus padded over. ¡°Lord Zaren, Rhani would like me to pass along a message. Both she and Lady Safina have left the Silver Swallow and joined Lady Serena and the others.¡± Ste went so still I wasn¡¯t sure she was still breathing. ¡°Thank you, Festus,¡± I said without taking my eyes off her. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the message, sir. Lady Serena wishes to pass along that another of the flowers has bloomed. She said you would understand what that meant.¡± It took me a moment to figure it out, and when I did I felt like ice cold water had been dumped on my head. One of the buds on Serena¡¯s marker had changed? And right around the time I¡¯d met Ste, who had a shimmering soul? I already didn¡¯t believe in coincidence, and this just cemented things in my head. Ste was important somehow, which made her being imprisoned in one of the possible bases of our enemy a very, very bad thing. ¡°Tell her I might have an idea of why, but we¡¯ll discuss itter.¡± He inclined his head and sat back on his haunches. ¡°They would like to know when to expect you.¡± Ste was still looking at the apron, but her jaw was locked. It was clear that something had upset her. ¡°Something tells me it¡¯ll be a while. Have Safina take Rhani and Noelle back. Even disguised, I¡¯d rather not risk the nonhumans being in the area any longer than necessary.¡± He inclined his head, but didn¡¯t respond. Ste¡¯s bodynguage had be stiff and closed off, so I took a step back. She swallowed hard, then looked at me while hugging herself. ¡°I¡¯m guessing ¡®Lord¡¯ wasn¡¯t just a nickname?¡± Ah, shit. ¡°No,¡± I said. She nodded, turning away. ¡°No, of course it isn¡¯t. You¡¯re a Lord.¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°One who owns demi-humans.¡± I winced. ¡°I don¡¯t have anyone in my service that doesn¡¯t want to be there.¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯m sure.¡± She looked around at the room. ¡°And now you know my dirty little secret. I¡¯m sure the Madame would pay you handsomely to know about it.¡± Sheughed mirthlessly. ¡°I should have guessed your interest in me wasn¡¯t just academic. You should probably know that no amount of gold will pry me out of Madame Reade¡¯s clutches.¡± There was a lot to unpack in that defeated statement, but luckily for me I had a pretty good way to start doing just that. I scooped up the lie-ball and held it in front of her face. ¡°If it were up to me, nobody would wear a cor bearing my sigil.¡± The smoke was blue. ¡°If it were up to me, no demi-humans would be forced to wear cors period.¡± Blue. ¡°The ords shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± Blue. ¡°The only reason I have servants is because wearing my sigil is the best way for me to protect the people I care about from a corrupt system.¡± There wasn¡¯t even a hint of red in the orb by the time I was done. She looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°You care about demi-humans?¡± I smiled, moving the lie-ball so she could see both the orb and my face. ¡°Many of the people I care most about in this world are demi-human. Hells, at this rate, most of my harem is demi-human.¡± Nope, still a fucking crazy sentence to say aloud. Her eyes were wide as saucers. ¡°H-harem!?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m as surprised as you are that multiple women are willing to put up with my ass.¡± Augh bubbled out of her before she could mp hand over her mouth. ¡°And all the members want to be there? They don¡¯t mind sharing?¡± ¡°If they didn¡¯t want to be there, I wouldn¡¯t so much asy a hand on them. And with how often they push me to expand the harem, they definitely don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She pulled her hair over her shoulder, absentmindedly twisting it into a braid. I reached out to still her fingers. ¡°Ste, what did you mean when you said no amount of gold can free you?¡± I asked softly. Sucking her lip back between her teeth, she strode over to the box still ying music. She flipped a switch and it went silent, then she opened apartment in the back and started going through a stack of silver rings. She pulled one out and slotted it in, then flipped thetch again. As clear as if she was in the room, Madame Reade¡¯s voice came from the box. Itcked the husky tone she no doubt used on clients, but it was definitely her. ¡°Another Patron made me a rather lucrative offer today,¡± she said, her tone smug. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder and harder to say no, even if the girl is a gold mine.¡± I waited for the other end of her conversation to speak, but after a moment of silence her voice returned. ¡°I expect nothing less. I¡¯ve been offered enough to open a whole chain of brothels. Her¡­ ideas are apparently unique enough to catch the attention of half the artificer¡¯s guild. Another one went to the royal quarter to try and pressure me into selling her. I take it I can thank you for the interference?¡± Another pause. ¡°One of these days, you¡¯ll have to tell me why I¡¯m watching over the girl so closely. She¡¯s invaluable to be sure, but you couldn¡¯t have known that when you brought her to me. So far, everyone has shown interest only in her work, not in the girl herself.¡± ¡°This is a long pause,¡± Ste said quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know who she¡¯s talking to. She must be using some kind of magic item to speak with them over a distance, so the listener I nted in her office didn¡¯t pick up their side.¡± I wondered how many times she¡¯d listened to this recording. I didn¡¯t have long to wonder though before Madame Reade started speaking again. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll keep her nice and hidden away. It¡¯s worked out quite well, actually. The other girls have turned on her just as I predicted. A little special treatment goes a long way, it seems. Outside of fate or luck, whoever you¡¯re waiting on to show up won¡¯t even know she¡¯s here.¡± When she spoke again, fearced her tone. ¡°Of course, sir. I¡¯d never dream of it. No, you don¡¯t have anything to fear from me. Yes, I¡¯ll take care of it. Don¡¯t worry, the girl won¡¯t be going anywhere any time soon. Right. It will be done.¡± That¡¯s where the recording ended. Wordlessly, Ste returned the ring to the storagepartment. ¡°I just wish,¡± she said, her voice quavering slightly, ¡°that I knew why. I was young when my parents died. I don¡¯t even remember their faces. What could I have possibly done to end up here?¡± Unfortunately, the pieces were starting to fit together. I had an idea of why she was here, and since I was currently holding her lie-ball I couldn¡¯t hide that fact. She clocked my silence almost immediately and took a step back. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you? Why I¡¯m here? Why I lost my freedom when I was just six years old?¡± ¡°I have¡­ theories,¡± I said carefully. The smoke remained mostly blue, but there was some red mixed in. I was really going to have to figure this thing out. She crossed her arms. ¡°Spill.¡± I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°Maybe we should take a seat first.¡± She hopped back up onto her workbench and I sank back onto the stool. I thought about ditching the lie-ball, but in all honesty what I had to tell her was so ridiculous that she wouldn¡¯t believe me otherwise. I briefly questioned how smart it was to bring her into the fold when I¡¯d only just met her, but if I was even close to right then the truth was the least I owed her. ¡°Before I start, I should probably say that I¡¯m well aware of how ridiculous this is all going to sound.¡± She leaned forward, no doubt hungry for answers to the questions that had gone unanswered for so long. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± I let out a breath and closed my eyes. ¡°My name is Zaren Nocht. I¡¯m one of the Seven heroes who freed the kingdom from Zagrith Grimsbane. I was the one who cut his head off. After, I made a deal with a goddess. She put me to sleep for thirty years, and I only just woke up nearly two months ago.¡± I cracked an eye open. The orb was pure blue, and her jaw was hanging open. ¡°You broke the lie-ball. You must have. That or you¡¯re crazy.¡± I just shrugged. ¡°I did warn you. On my travels, I¡¯ve met a number of people who I believe that goddess put in my path. People that the goddess has helped either with sses or minor levels of divine intervention. The goddess has gone missing, so it¡¯s possible that someone is wise to her schemes. I have no solid proof, but I think you might be one of the people the goddess tried to prepare to aid me in whatever the fuck it is she wants me to do. If someone figured out what she was up to or that you¡¯re connected, it¡¯s possible they¡¯ve locked you away to try and draw out whoever her agent is. Namely, me.¡± She leaned back against the wall, her face ck. At some point, a thread of red had entered the sphere. I frowned, trying to figure out where I might have lied, but she beat me to it. ¡°You do have proof. Not irond, but you know something. Something that put you on that train of thought. Tell me.¡± I swallowed. She could only be talking about the shimmer. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡± Ste leaned forward, her gaze intense. ¡°This is my entire life we¡¯re talking about. If you know something, tell me.¡± I ran a hand over my face. ¡°Well, before I can tell you what I know, you have to understand that my second ss gives me some unique abilities. One such ability is that I can see souls.¡± ¡°Souls?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest as if trying to cover up. After watching her unt her nudity without a care in the world, it was almost entertaining. ¡°You looked at my soul!?¡± I held my hands up. ¡°I¡­ peeked at it, yes. It¡¯s a rtively recent development and I¡¯m still trying to figure it out. I didn¡¯t look close enough to get your life¡¯s story, but I did see an¡­ oddity in your soul.¡± She nched. ¡°An oddity? Am I sick? Am I gonna die? Zaren, I¡¯m too young and smart to die! I haven¡¯t even tackled my bucket list yet!¡± ¡°Rx,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing fatal.¡± Some red smoke appeared in the orb and she started to panic. ¡°As far as I know,¡± I added quickly, and the red disappeared. ¡°It¡¯s a kind of shimmer, like there¡¯s some aspect of your soul that¡¯s been hidden from anyone with the ability to take a peek. It¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen outside of my household, and so far everyone I¡¯ve met who has a shimmer has quickly be important to me. I have no idea what it means, just that it¡¯s important.¡± Some red filtered into the smoke and I frowned. Ste, though, looked excited. ¡°You do, though. You know what the shimmer means!¡± ¡°I definitely don¡¯t,¡± I protested. ¡°The lie-ball is never wrong, and it disagrees.¡± She hopped off and came over to stand next to me, peering at the orb. ¡°The more intense the colors, the more truthful or deceitful you are. When you said you wouldn¡¯t hurt me, it was as pure a blue as I¡¯d ever seen. Not only were you saying you weren¡¯t going to hurt me in that moment, but even down to a subconscious level you would never do anything that would knowingly cause me harm. Because of that, I trust you in a way I¡¯ve never really trusted anyone, despite us being strangers.¡± She reached out tentatively, brushing her fingers against the orb. ¡°On some level, you know what he shimmer means. Even if you haven¡¯t put the pieces together, the answer is staring you in the face. Either you¡¯ve overlooked it or you don¡¯t want to acknowledge it, but deep down you know. What makes you think this shimmer is rted to your goddess?¡± ¡°Before I answer, I should probably ask. Madame Reade doesn¡¯t have any way she can force answers out of you, does she?¡± Apparently the thought hadn¡¯t even urred to her. ¡°Nope. My mind ispletely my own. She can threaten me, I guess, but nothing she can do to me is worth giving up all the stuff you¡¯re telling me right now. Fuck her.¡± ¡°Right. Well, the goddess left a Marker for one of my partners. She¡¯s a priestess. The Marker is a tattoo of a flowery vine, and if my hunch is right I think each of those flowers represents a different one of mypanions. Specifically, the ones whose souls have the same shimmer as yours.¡± She gaped. ¡°And another of those flowers bloomed around the same time you met me, who has a shimmering soul. Fuck me sideways. You¡¯re telling me I¡¯ve been making magic sex toys because a goddess took interest in my life? What fucking goddess?¡± she demanded. I winced. ¡°Allura.¡± That took the wind out of her sails. ¡°¡®Family, love, and bonds¡¯ Allura?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a sex godde¡ªuh, I mean, yeah. That¡¯s it exactly.¡± Ste just rolled her eyes and hopped back up on the bench once more. ¡°Yeah, I know Allura isn¡¯t a sex goddess. Yrena, Goddess of Lust, has that title. Her domain gets all the horny shit, from the good stuff like making love to the bad stuff like rape. It¡¯s why Allura¡¯s followers get testy when you call her the sex goddess. The only pieces that fall under her purview are the good bits. You know, love making, forging bonds through trust and affection, making families, shit like that.¡± Huh. That exined a lot, actually. Her bare legs started kicking again. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I get some kind ofpensation for her inadvertently ruining my life, do I? I guess gods don¡¯t really care about us mere mortals.¡± ¡°Normally, I¡¯d be the first to agree with you, but¡­¡± I trailed off. If you¡¯d have told me thirty years ago that I¡¯d be defending a goddess, I¡¯d have hit you in the mouth. ¡°Allura seems to care a bit more than the average deity. A low bar, I know, but it seems to be true. As forpensation, I¡¯d happily give you your own workshop and endless resources if I could, but something tells me it won¡¯t be quite so simple as sneaking you out the back door.¡± She grimaced, then pulled one side of my coat away to reveal her body. At first I thought she was simply shing a pert, pierced breast at me, but then she touched her opposite hand to one of the birds tattooed on her ribs. It wasrger than the rest and glowed a slight silver color. A silver swallow. ¡°Putting her boys and girls in cors would limit the y options,¡± she said, her tone harsh, ¡°so she opted for a more permanent im. If I step outside the premises without explicit permission, it¡¯ll take me to the ground in pain until one of her other employeese to collect me. Tracker, iming mark, and deterrent, all in one.¡± Rage boiled in my chest as her words set in. Reade had marked Ste. Branded her. And from the way she spoke about the deterrent part of her mark, I knew she was talking from experience. The darker side of me born from Karn¡¯s experiments and tempered by the war red up, demanding I go upstairs and remove Madame Reade¡¯s head from her body and free all those under her thumb. But that wouldn¡¯t protect her in the long term. This city was full of people who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of a mind like hers for no other reason than her ears were pointed. Getting her away from Reade was only step one, I needed to be able to protect her after. At least until I could get rid of the ords and give her the power to protect herself. But getting rid of that mark was now priority one for me, and already I had an idea of how to go about it. All I needed was one more level in Soul Smith. It took well over a minute to fully leash the impulse. By the time I was back in control, I realized Ste was looking at me. Not in fear, but something akin to awe. ¡°You¡¯re angry. Not at me, but¡­ for me.¡± I ran my hands through my hair. ¡°Positive coping mechanisms have never exactly been my strong suit. I¡¯m working on it.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m not upset. Quite the opposite.¡± She worried her lip ring with her tongue. ¡°So what happens now? You take Festus and go? Start trying to find a way to force my freedom?¡± Almost, but the idea of leaving her here alone, at Madame Reade¡¯s mercy, was unthinkable. Every protective instinct I had screamed that we were not doing that. ¡°I have another idea, actually. I was thinking I¡¯d leave Festus here.¡± She perked up. ¡°Seriously?¡± At the same time, Festus slumped. ¡°Seriously?¡± he whined. I nodded. ¡°Festus canmunicate telepathically with Rhani. I can leave him with you, and if you¡¯re willing, you can be our inside man. Er, woman. It could be dangerous, so if you don¡¯t want to do that I¡¯d understand, but¡ª¡± ¡°Fuck that noise, I¡¯m in! Are you going to take her down?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n. As soon as I heard the rumors about what she was doing to demi-humans I was ready to try and get the brothel out from under her, but now that I know she¡¯s working for our enemy? It just got a whole lot easier to justify.¡± ¡°Holy fuck.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Holy fuck. This is happening, isn¡¯t it? And what about me? What¡¯s gonna happen to me when you¡¯re done with her?¡± ¡°Whatever you want.¡± I stood, holding the lie-ball out. ¡°If you want to be a member of my household and help us change the world, you¡¯d be more than wee. If you wanted to go out on your own, I could help you with that, too. From what I¡¯ve learned about what you¡¯ve been through, it sounds like the least I can do.¡± ¡°Right. Right. I¡¯ll do everything I can, of course.¡± She darted to her bench and started grabbing things. ¡°You¡¯ll want the magicloak, obviously.¡± She threw it over my shoulders before I could protest. ¡°And I¡¯m sure I can whip up some stuff that suits you, especially if you can get me some resources. Having to get them smuggled in is a massive pain in the ass. Madame Reade still thinks her enchanted tail-plugs have an arcanium core.¡± I wanted to protest, but my shadows had already merged with the cloak. When I wrapped it around my body in full, it was hard to see exactly where my body ended. It would be a massive boon inbat, and it would likely work even better than my shadows to obscure my form when sneaking around. ¡°There¡¯s one other thing I¡¯d like to offer, but I want to make it clear that you don¡¯t have to agree.¡± She stepped close to adjust the cloak. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me information, a killer jacket, and hope. Any more and I might faint.¡± ¡°I have an ability,¡± I said carefully. Interest red in her eyes immediately. ¡°I can forge a Link between us. Connect our souls. I get some benefits from it, but the important part is that I¡¯d know the second you were in danger. Even if you weren¡¯t near Festus, I could find you.¡± She gaped at me, her hand still on my chest where she¡¯d let it rest after adjusting the magicloak. ¡°A¡­ Link? Like, a permanent connection between our souls? That¡¯s some romance book type shit right there.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Indeed. Hence why you¡¯re more than wee to refuse. And it¡¯s not entirely permanent. I think I¡¯ll have a way to sever it in the very near future, if that¡¯s what you decide you want. Plus¡­¡± ¡°Plus¡­?¡± ¡°Plus, the bonds I form with those who shimmer are different than the ones I form with everyone else.¡± ¡°Different how?¡± ¡°When I form a Link with someone who doesn¡¯t have the shimmer, it¡¯s like I¡¯m building it from scratch using my own soul as the building blocks. When I do it with someone who shimmers, it¡¯s like I¡¯m building the Link atop some kind of preexisting framework. Something that was already there.¡± ¡°You mean,¡± she said slowly, ¡°like there¡¯s already some kind of connection between our souls, and you¡¯re just strengthening it?¡± ¡°When you put it like that, it really does sound like some cheesy thing from a romance novel,¡± I joked. She went back to working her lip ring. ¡°This connection¡­ It¡¯s the reason they took me, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m bait for a trap meant for you.¡± I put my hand over hers. ¡°I won¡¯t lie, that seems like a pretty likely scenario. But, if it makes you feel any better, I¡¯ve had much scarier people than Madame Reade set traps for me. Each and every one of them came to regret it.¡± ¡°And if I get in trouble, you¡¯ll reallye for me? You¡¯d risk your life for a demi-human?¡± ¡°I¡¯d risk my life for another person,¡± I corrected softly. ¡°I lived most of my life in a time when the ords didn¡¯t exist, remember? I don¡¯t share most of the bullshit prejudices that are slung around nowadays.¡± Her head bobbed. ¡°I¡¯ll take it. The Link, I mean. It sounds like something that¡¯ll help me sleep a lot better at night.¡± Without hesitation, I activated [Forge Link]. After a few seconds pause, she epted. Like with all the other shimmers, I felt the Link slide into a groove already there. It red to life, and for a moment I could feel the emotions rolling through her. They were chaotic and all over the ce, but at their core was a burning happiness and an abundance of cautious hope. No sooner had the Link fallen into ce than her front mmed into mine. Her arms wrapped around me tightly and she buried her face in my chest. I wrapped my own arms around her, only realizing her coat had parted when I felt her smooth skin under my palms. The magic of the Link settling in crackled between us, but it only made her hold onto me tighter. ¡°Thank you,¡± she mumbled into my chest. I rubbed her back. ¡°You¡¯re very wee. We¡¯ll figure this out, promise. ¡®Till then, Festus has a constant link to Rhani. Feel free to bother her whenever. I can¡¯t ever get her to sleep, so I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be reachable pretty much all the time.¡± A strangled sound between a sob and augh slipped out of her. ¡°When I found Mr. Whiskers¡ªer, Festus, I thought I¡¯d finally found a friend. I didn¡¯t know how right I was, I guess.¡± Very conscious of the bare skin beneath my palms, Iughed. ¡°Something tells me you and Rhani are going to be very good friends.¡± She made another unintelligible sound and just rxed into me. I kept gently stroking her back while my shadows coiled around us both, more than happy to let the moment stretch on as long as she needed. Then [Danger Sense] pinged hard. Valith was in trouble, several floors above my head. The danger onlysted for a moment, then the sense calmed. I waited to get anything else from the skill, but it remained silent. While I waited for my skill to tell me anything else, Ste remained in my embrace. At this point, she¡¯d leaned into me enough that I was practically holding her up. She made no move to end the embrace, and it went on long enough for me to worry she¡¯d fallen asleep in my arms when a piercing sound rang out, causing her to jump away from me with a curse. She shed my coat and scooped up some simple clothes, throwing them on haphazardly. ¡°Someone¡¯sing, gotta go. Just stay here, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Frantically straightening the simple dress that hugged her curves, she raced up the stairs. I followed close behind, only halting when she slipped past the secret door and into her main workshop. Darkness fell in the passage when she closed the door behind her, which made it easy for me to overhear her conversation. ¡°Letty? What are you doing here?¡± Ste asked. ¡°Estellise, I didn¡¯t know where else to go,¡± a woman replied, out of breath and unsteady. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I thought she was dead,¡± Letty started. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever see her again, but it was her. I know it. The Madame turned everyone against you for a reason. There isn¡¯t anyone else who would help me. Please, I know I haven¡¯t been overly kind to you, but I need your help.¡± ¡°Letty, slow down,¡± Ste said. ¡°Start at the beginning. What happened.¡± ¡°Someone from my past, before the Swallow. They caught her snooping in Madame Reade¡¯s office and knocked her out. They say she¡¯s some kind of spy! They¡¯ve locked her up in one of the punishment rooms, and I overheard Madame Reade say her business partners would be here tomorrow to ¡®collect¡¯ her. You¡¯ve seen them, Stel. I can¡¯t let those men have her.¡± Ste didn¡¯t respond, but she didn¡¯t have to. I had my answer. The sudden surge from [Danger Sense] was Valith getting caught, and now I had to find a way to get her out safely, preferably without ying my hand and putting Ste into danger. Then I¡¯d have to see about getting eyes on these business partners. Temporary Postponement Temporary Postponement Announcement If you''re reading this, that means I''m still working on today''s chapter. I hope to get it posted eitherte tonight or early tomorrow. Apologies for the dy! Chapter Eighty-Six: Bucket Lists and Revelations Chapter Eighty-Six: Bucket Lists and Revtions My feet carried me into Ste¡¯s workshop before I even realized I was on the move. Ste¡¯s eyes widened at my sudden appearance, but Letty¡¯s back was to me. ¡°The spy,¡± I said in a low voice, ¡°where is she?¡± Ste had only seemed frightened of me for a very brief moment. Letty¡¯s reaction was much more in line with what I expected from a situation like this. She shrieked, jerking away and curling into herself like she feared I would strike her. She was a voluptuous Dark Elf with deep violet skin, long, silky ck hair, and eyes the color of thunderheads. A corset hugged her figure, covering more skin than the silk undergarments and garter that made up the rest of her ensemble. Her reaction earned me an eye-roll from Ste. ¡°Dude, you had one job. Stay out of sight.¡± I ignored her, focusing on Letty. ¡°The spy. A Dark Elf? Silver hair and eyes?¡± Letty flinched, but Ste put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. ¡°You can trust him,¡± she said softly. ¡°Y-yes sir,¡± Letty stammered. I crossed my arms. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°I-in one of the istion rooms. Sh-she set of an enchantment that put her to sleep. As far as I know, she¡¯s still unconscious.¡± Well, that was both a good and a bad thing. No point in torturing an unconscious spy, after all, but asleep she wouldn¡¯t be able to protect herself. ¡°Take me to her.¡± Letty¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why?¡± Ste gasped. ¡°Because she¡¯s your spy, isn¡¯t she?¡± Any remaining blood in Letty¡¯s face drained away. ¡°You¡¯re her Patron?¡± ¡°I am,¡± I said, not seeing any point in hiding things. I trusted Ste in a way I couldn¡¯t quite wrap my head around, and Letty had already risked the Madame¡¯s anger bying to Ste for help in the first ce. And since she was terrified, it was pretty clear to see she held no deception in her gaze. ¡°And I don¡¯t leave my own behind. Tell me where I can find Valith.¡± Letty gained some of her vigor back. ¡°That¡¯s not her name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the name she chose to rece the one herst master gave her,¡± I said tersely. ¡°Now, please, I won¡¯t ask again.¡± She chewed her lip while Ste watched with wide eyes. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± She gulped audibly. ¡°If you go now, you¡¯ll never get her out.¡± I fought my instinct to head straight for where I assumed Valith was. I¡¯d already seen that the brothel was a maze, and there was a pretty good chance the courtesan who lived here knew something I didn¡¯t. ¡°Exin,¡± I said, trying to keep my tone firmly in the mand¡¯ category and not in the ¡®threat¡¯ category. ¡°Th-this time of night, all of the Madame¡¯s high profile guests are being served. That means their guards are all around, on high alert, and most importantly, loyal to men who are loyal to the Madame. If you try to bust her out, you¡¯ll only get the both of you killed.¡± ¡°You have an alternative, then?¡± She shot a fearful nce towards Ste, who nodded encouragingly. ¡°Yes. Wait until just before dawn when all of the high profile clients are leaving. Nobody would look twice at another man in a hood trying not to draw attention. There are plenty of men who visit the Silver Swallow who prefer to remain anonymous. They can¡¯t be seen cavorting with demi-humans by the public.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m just supposed to let Valith stew until then?¡± It was Ste who answered me with a wince. ¡°If she got hit by the sleep enchantment I made, then she¡¯ll be out for another five or six hours minimum. They can¡¯t try to get answers out of her while she¡¯s unconscious.¡± I raised a brow at her. ¡°You made the Madame a sleep enchantment that powerful?¡± She flushed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I made it for her! I made it for the other girls to help them sleep after particrly rough guests and it came out a little too strong. The Madame confiscated the enchantment before I could get it nailed down. I guess I know what she uses it for now¡­¡± The shadows I still had hiding under my clothes started to writhe angrily. Letty¡¯s fearful reaction to them was much more in line with what I expected to see when my shadows came out to y, even if it made my gut clench ufortably. A scenario like this was exactly what I¡¯d been afraid of when I¡¯d made Valith and the others my eyes and ears in the city. Too many times in the war had our spies been captured by enemy lines, too deep for us to even dream of rescuing them. Having to sit there knowing that somewhere in the world someone you knew was being tortured for information was a special kind of hell, one that I refused to go back to. ¡°Can you get to her?¡± I asked Letty. She nodded. ¡°Make sure she¡¯s still out, then keep an eye on her. I want to know as soon as she wakes. I¡¯m not leaving here without her.¡± Letty gulped, then nodded again. ¡°Yes sir. There¡¯s another girl, Remi. She was part of our family before Vallen died. She¡¯s one of the Madame¡¯s guards, but she works to help us when we can. We can trust her when ites to Valith. I¡¯d like to get her help as well.¡± Beneath her fear, it was clear to see Letty really did want to do everything she could for her friend. As loathe as I was to include anyone I hadn¡¯t met personally, I nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re sure, then we¡¯ll need what help we can get. Nobody else, though. The fewer who know about me at this stage the better. I¡¯ll keep hidden down here for now, go make sure Valith is alright.¡± Letty nodded, shot onest frightened look towards Ste, then turned and nearly ran from the room. Ste looked at me critically, then smirked. ¡°That was kinda hot, the way you stormed in and took control like that.¡± Then she swatted me on the chest. ¡°But next time, listen, will you? I¡¯d have gotten all that without you having to expose yourself like that.¡± I grunted in response, which made her roll her eyes. ¡°Come on then.¡± I followed her back into her secret workshop. She was barely in the door before she started stripping again. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to Valith?¡± With her creamy breasts once again bared to me and the dragon inked onto her vicle ring at me with what I swore was amusement, it took me a second to answer. ¡°I¡¯ll get her out of here one way or another.¡± She caught me looking and her smirk widened. ¡°You know, I¡¯m starting to think you¡¯re doing this on purpose.¡± She shrugged, putting my coat on but not closing the front. ¡°I grew up surrounded by gorgeous courtesans literally trained to show off their bodies. I don¡¯t have their boobs or butts, so the attention is kinda nice. Especially when you didn¡¯t so much nce at Letty past a quick search to make sure she wasn¡¯t armed.¡± She cocked her hip, and it took a shocking amount of willpower not to let my gaze drift towards the piercing in her bellybutton or the patch of hair further below it. ¡°And I meant after. What¡¯ll happen to her now that she¡¯s been caught?¡± I frowned, not sure where she was going with this. ¡°The Madame is keeping this under wraps, so her identity should still be mostly safe. Now that I know two of her old friends are imprisoned here I highly doubt I¡¯ll be able to keep her from helping me take this ce down.¡± Whatever answer she¡¯d been expecting, that wasn¡¯t it. With a thoughtful frown, she turned and walked further into her workshop. ¡°You¡¯re her Patron. Pretty sure you could do just that.¡± Understanding hit me like a lightning bolt. She was expecting me to punish Valith for getting caught. ¡°Val got caught working for me. Whatever suffering she endures now is my responsibility, and I¡¯m not going to hold it against her that something went sideways. Shit happens, we move on and adjust.¡± She scooped up a disgruntled Festus and hugged him to her chest, sandwiching him between her breasts. ¡°I see.¡± Seeing Festus reminded me I should probably keep everyone in the loop. ¡°Festus, let Rhani know that Valith got caught, but she isn¡¯t in immediate danger. I¡¯m already working to get her out, but I¡¯ll need a few things.¡± I ryed the gear I wanted Rhani to grab, then used a tendril I conjured on her armor to transfer it to my storage. Over this distance it was a little difficult, but I managed it. ¡°Who all is still with Serena?¡± ¡°Ladies Serena, Jack, and Tiana remained at the restaurant, sir.¡± I nodded. ¡°Are Nariko, Tsuki, or Alice in the manner?¡± ¡°All of them, sir.¡± ¡°I want eyes on the Silver Swallow, but only at a distance. With luck, we can get Valith out quietly. If shit goes south though, they can let Serena and the others know.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Ste nuzzled her nose into Festus¡¯s fur, then set him down. She pulled out a few folding chairs and set one down for me. Then she bit her lip. ¡°Lots of women there. How many of them are in your little harem?¡± Augh slipped out before I could stop it. ¡°Most of them, if I¡¯m being honest.¡± Her eyes widened a fraction. ¡°You sound surprised by that.¡± ¡°Most days I am.¡± I sat in the chair and leaned back. ¡°Until very recently, I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be fit to have one person willing to be involved with me, let alone¡­¡± I did some mental math, ¡°¡­Six? Either six or seven. There were some¡­developments this morning that need to be discussed before I officially include both twins.¡± Ste let out an incredulousugh. ¡°Seven?! You¡¯ve got seven girls in your bed.¡± Festus cleared his throat. ¡°Rhani has ordered me to add the obligatory ¡®so far¡¯ to that number.¡± She made a choking sound, then looked me up and down. ¡°Someone¡¯s greedy,¡± she said, though her tone was teasing. ¡°It certainly feels that way sometimes,¡± I said, smiling softly. ¡°Yet I couldn¡¯t imagine a life without each and every one of them in it.¡± Her smirk widened into something much more genuine. Then she turned away quickly and busied herself at a nearby workbench. ¡°So, you¡¯ll be hanging around here for a while then?¡± She didn¡¯t sound put off in the slightest. ¡°Seems to be the case, if I¡¯m wee.¡± ¡°You are.¡± Then she mumbled something under her breath I didn¡¯t quite catch. Then, louder, said, ¡°I¡¯ll just be working on some stuff over here.¡± I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. It had been a long, if not productive, day, and I was ready for a nap. I was just starting to nod off when I realized I was in the room with what could possibly be the most gifted artificer I¡¯d met since Esther. ¡°Ste?¡± I asked, not bothering to open my eyes. ¡°Know anything about golems?¡± She scoffed. ¡°I fucking wish. Golems are number three on my bucket list. Right after a divine weapon and something that lets me eat all the food I want and never get fat.¡± Not really surprising. Rhani had scoured what books she could for golems, but it was quickly bing a lost art. Rather than learning something asplicated as golem crafting, most would rather focus on their sses. The most anyone knew about golems these days were those created by skills. ¡°If I let you borrow a damaged golem, think you could figure out how to fix it?¡± I was met with silence. Then, just when I was about to seek her out to read her expression, a weightnded in myp. My eyes shot open only to meet hers, so close our noses were nearly touching. I could count each and every gold fleck in her eyes from here. Eyes that were locked on mine with a fervor that made some heat start to build in my gut. Then, when I realized she still hadn¡¯t bothered closing my coat and was straddling me, giving me a very up close view of her entire naked front, that heat started to travel lower and lower. ¡°Zaren, don¡¯t bullshit me here,¡± she said, her hands fisting the front of my shirt, ¡°you have a golem? A real, actual golem? And you¡¯re willing to let me look at it? Work on it?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I said, trying and failing miserably to get a handle on the situation rapidly developing down south. ¡°It¡¯s a little banged up on ount of a horde of etherwyrms, but most of the important enchantments are still intact. We think. And since I¡¯m working with a goddess and in love with one of her priestesses, maybe we could see about that divine weapon someday too.¡± The air seemed to fall out of her lungs. She was so close I could feel her breath on my lips, and I was struck with a sudden ache in my gut. An impulse to close that short distance, to im those lips with my own. The pain was sharp and familiar, settling low in my chest alongside a pain I¡¯d carried for a long, long time. Regret. For everything I hadn¡¯t done or said before it was toote to do so. For every person in my life I lost before I could tell them how much they meant to me. And, unless I was very mistaken, I could have sworn I saw that same pull in her gaze. Eyes that only left mine for the time it took them to nce down at my lips, her own so close that I caught the exact moment she stopped breathing. Then, all at once, the moment seemed to break. She pulled away ever so slightly and whatever spell had taken over lessened its hold. Unfortunately, in pulling away, she sat back enough to nt her ass directly on my cock, which was painfully hard. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± she said, her brows furrowing. Then she twisted her hips slightly, her ass pressing even more against my erection, and her eyes went wide with recognition. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, still recovering from the moment we¡¯d shared, ¡°but it¡¯s not every day a beautiful naked woman decides to jump in myp like that. Especially not¡ª¡± Her attention flicked down briefly to her exposed front, but her hands didn¡¯t move from where they were braced against my chest. ¡°Especially not what?¡± she asked hesitantly, her voice uncertain. I struggled to swallow. My throat felt parched, like I hadn¡¯t had a drink in years. I wasn¡¯t sure if I was going to answer or not, but then she rolled her hips once, dragging herself up my length. ¡°Especially not a woman like you,¡± I said softly. A deep flush started creeping up her cheeks. ¡°But I¡¯m an Elf,¡± she said softly. ¡°And Rhani¡¯s an Arelim,¡± I said immediately. ¡°Tsuki and Ryoko are Kitsune. Noelle is¡­well, Noelle¡¯s race isplicated, but safe to say she isn¡¯t human.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said once more, her voice tiny. She rolled her hips again, as if checking to see the rock hard cock pressing into her was real. My hands shot to her hips, holding her in ce. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not enjoying myself, but you¡¯re killing me here.¡± Her smile this time was bashful, and I could barely think past the weight of her in myp. The feel of silky smooth skin beneath my hands. The soft, sweet scent that I¡¯de to associate with magic over the years. Those damn eyes that still bored into me like they could strip away the masks I¡¯d donned and see more than I wanted her to. That ache returned with a vengeance, and I was gripped to say something. Words I needed to get out before it was toote. A host of words that had gone unsaid for too long, that I needed to speak before I never got another chance. The only problem was I didn¡¯t know what those words were. It left me confused. Uncertain. Like something was wrong with me. Her hands slid down my chest, then she paused. She shook herself, then took a breath. ¡°The golem. You mentioned a golem.¡± She sounded like she was trying to remind herself more than me. ¡°Right. Golem. Festus¡ª¡± ¡°She¡¯s already waiting. And bouncing excitedly, I might add,¡± Festus said from where hey. I closed my eyes, still very aware of my hands on Ste¡¯s hips yetpletely unable to remove them just yet, and focused once again on the tendril I¡¯d conjured on Rhani¡¯s armor. Like I was in two ces at once, I felt what the tendril felt while still fully aware of Ste in myp. I caressed Rhani, dragging the tendril down the side of her breast all the way until I reached her thigh. I couldn¡¯t hear through the shadows, but I could feel the vibration of her giggle. Her fingers stroking the inky ckness. The kiss she pressed to it when I trailed back up her body. Thanks to Jack, we¡¯d learned all sorts of fun things about how the tendrils reacted to the world around them, especially when I was in control of them. Not wanting to waste any more time, I reached out for the golem Rhani had propped up in the big room in her little reading nook. It was difficult to take something sorge into my storage from so far away, but after a few minutes I managed it. Once it was gone, I went back to Rhani once. I went south, giving the toy in her ass a yful tug then giving her ass a light smack, then I dissolved the tendril. That ought to get her nice and fired up. When I returned my full focus to Ste¡¯s workshop, I realized I¡¯d started rubbing small circles onto her thighs with my thumbs. Her attention was on me, and I didn¡¯t miss her breathsing harder than they had been a moment before. Not that I could, considering each one made the bared breasts right in front of me heave. I didn¡¯t trust my voice right now, so I merely used my shadows to summon the golem on a nearby workbench that looked sturdy enough to handle its weight, even missing an arm and a leg. Her eyes went wide and her jaw nearly fell to the floor. She jerked towards it, then froze with indecision on her face. She nced from me to the golem, her thighs tightening around mine just enough for me to know what her dilemma was, even if I didn¡¯t fully understand it. With great effort, I managed to peel my hands from her skin. ¡°Go on, nerd out,¡± I said with a smile. She let out a delighted squeal, then shot towards the golem. My body missed her warmth immediately, but I mentally chastised myself. I¡¯d literally just met this girl. I had no business fawning over her like this. I hadn¡¯t felt like this since¡ª Since Karina. And Jack before her, though both instances weren¡¯t quite the same. With Karina, I had felt fiercely protective. Like I needed to be personally responsible for her safety or I¡¯d lose my mind. I wanted to see her smile andugh in a way that left me confused and frustrated. And, now that I thought about it, my reaction to Jack wasn¡¯t so dissimr. The second I was sure she wasn¡¯t my enemy, I¡¯d been drawn to her. That first sparring session still yed in my head from time to time, and not just because she was a badass. At the end, for a moment, it felt like the match was about to turn into something more. Like it was the natural progression of our bout. From fighting to fucking. And the way she¡¯d reacted to it, I couldn¡¯t help but think she felt the same. And when we¡¯d Linked, the kiss that had followed didn¡¯t just feel right, but it felt familiar. The heat that pulled me towards Jack, even in the beginning, felt far too simr to the heat that pulled me towards the girls I¡¯d been sharing my bed with. Something in my mind snapped into ce. The thing all three had inmon led me to a train of thought that was even more worrying. How a part of me had trusted Tiana from the start. How quickly the casual touches to bolster her skill became something much more intimate. How badly I¡¯d needed to free Ryoko and Tsuki from the prison I¡¯d found them in. How protective I¡¯d grown over them, even from day one. How my body seemed to rx when they shared our tent, like it could rest knowing the people I had to protect were all within arm¡¯s reach. Even back to Rhani. Hells, she¡¯d literally stabbed me and I¡¯dughed it off. I hadn¡¯t really been angry with her for even a second, despite being perfect strangers. And watching her emerge from her shell, seeing how excited she got when she learned or realized something, how quickly I¡¯d gotten used to having her at my side, both when we were asleep and awake. Every time I saw her, alive and well and happy something inside me unfurled just a little bit more. Something that had been coiled tight for a long, long time. And all of them had one thing inmon. The shimmer. If I wasn¡¯t sure it was connected to me somehow before, I was now. Had Allura done something to these girls? Given them some kind of subconscious attraction towards me? Or maybe it was the other way around? Had she tethered them to me in some way that would bypass the walls I¡¯d been forced to build around my heart? If so, why? Was she trying to help me or manipte me? Suddenly it felt like the floor was falling out from underneath me. Everything I knew pulled into question. Allura was the goddess of family, love, and bonds after all. Surely something like this wasn¡¯t out of her wheelhouse. And if I was right, if she¡¯d created those bonds between me and these girls, was it fair to them? If she¡¯d intervened, how much of our rtionships was me and the girls and how much was Allura? If they were happy with me, did it matter? Would they hate me if they knew? If Allura had stacked the deck in my favor like this, would everything fall apart as soon as her deception came to light? ¡°Zaren?¡± The voice snapped me out of my spiral. It took me a second to ce who it belonged to. Where I was. With some difficulty, I managed to focus on Ste. I recognized the look on her face. Her posture. She¡¯d asked me something¡ªlikely more than once¡ªbut I¡¯d been busy drowning in my own head and missed it. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Ste pursed her lips. ¡°I was asking if you had the control mechanism. Most of this makes sense to me, but I¡¯d like to see if I can look at that as well. Then I want to see if I can figure out its power source.¡± I closed my thoughts up in a box and locked it away to be panicked overter and stood. I summoned the mangled control bracer and handed it to her. ¡°It got a little chewed on, but Rhani thinks the magic is mostly intact. And the golem is powered by a soul that¡¯s been trapped inside it. Trying to help the soul is on my long, long list of shit to do.¡± She took a step away. ¡°A soul? That¡¯s horrible.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, it definitely is. Rhani loves this thing though, so I was wondering if you could get it up and moving. Even if it¡¯s not battle ready, I think it would make her extremely happy.¡± The sudden image of the golem in a maid uniform popped into my head and I had to stifle augh. She frowned, setting the bracer on the table and donning her goggles. ¡°I can fix the golem, but I¡¯m not sure how much of a difference it¡¯ll make. It¡¯s power source is dwindling. Not sure how much longer it¡¯ll have.¡± I frowned, then stepped closer to the golem. I reached out with my soul sense and realized she was right. The soul was smaller than it had been before. Emptier. Like it was leaking where the chains punctured it. ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± she asked. ¡°I mean, wouldn¡¯t that mean the soul was free?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Not quite. The golem is literally consuming the soul. Killing it. The owner of that soul is already dead, and these enchantments serve to keep the soul from moving on into the afterlife. Once the soul runs out of juice, it ceases to exist. Gone forever. It wouldn¡¯t be suffering anymore, I suppose, but¡­¡± Ste chewed her lip ring. She swapped the ss, then looked from the golem to me, then down to herself. ¡°What if you Linked it?¡± I blinked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your Link thingy you did with me. It creates a tether between souls, right? You mentioned it being two-way, and I feel better in a way that I can¡¯t really put into words since we Linked, so maybe it would help?¡± I put a hand on the golem¡¯s torso. ¡°I¡¯m not sure a soul without a body would have the autonomy to ept the Link, but you may have a point.¡± She swapped the ss again. ¡°If the soul prefers to just wither away, surely it can just turn you down, right?¡± She made good points, and Rhani would be devastated to let the soul just disappear after all the times the golem had saved our asses. Figuring there wasn¡¯t much to lose, I activated [Forge Link]. Searing pain dropped me to my knees. A pained gasp slipped out of me and the room blurred as the Link was burned into existence between me and the golem. It took longer than it ever had before, and it feltpletely opposite to how it felt to Link to a shimmering soul. Like I was not only having to Forge the Link itself, but the framework for both souls to actually connect to that Link. It was far worse than the first Link I¡¯d Forged, and for a moment I wondered if my journey was really going to end here. Like this. But finally, mercifully, the pain lessened and the room swam back into focus. Ste was on her knees in front of me, one hand on my chest while the other was pressed to my cheek. Tears were in her eyes, and her expression was panic stricken. ¡°Well that sucked,¡± I managed eventually. Her shoulders slumped with relief. ¡°Thank fuck, I thought my stupid idea might have killed you. Are you alright? You looked like you were in pain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I promised. She looked so distressed all I wanted to do was pull her into my arms and reassure her, but after my brief spiral involving the shimmering souls I felt the best course of action was to keep my distance for now. I pushed my aching body to my feet and rolled out my joints, then checked my status. When I did, rm shot through me. [Soul Essence: 92/210] Fuck. Ste¡¯s Link had only cost twenty, just like the other shimmers. The link to the golem had nearly cost a full hundred. Almost triple the cost of a standard Link. If I had done this before I¡¯d started to increase the number of Links I had, it could very well have killed me. Time to see if it worked.
Nell Link Level: 1 Improved Soul Essence pool and Soul Stability.
Nell, huh? Well, Rhani was going to be thrilled. She now had a name for the golem. I checked Nell¡¯s soul and saw that it was already in better shape. It glowed brighter, and it no longer leaked from where the chains pulled against it. From the Link between us, I got the faintest pulses of something akin to gratitude. ¡°Alright, hopefully I don¡¯t have to go tethering myself to any more trapped souls any time soon.¡± I rubbed my chest. ¡°That hurt like a motherfucker.¡± Ste put her hand over mine. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re okay? Maybe you should sit down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ste. Trust me, I¡¯ve walked away from much worse pain than this.¡± Still, I felt more than a little overheated at the moment. I peeled off the fine coat that had served as my noble disguise and dropped it on a work bench, leaving me in nothing but a ck cotton shirt. Her eyes devoured my chest hungrily. ¡°You know, it¡¯s really unfair that only one of us is naked.¡± I arched a brow. ¡°With Rhani back at the manor, I can very easily get you some clothes.¡± She stuck her tongue out at me. ¡°Toote, buddy. We both know you like what you see,¡± she squeezed her breasts and my cock jerked in response. I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I lowered myself into the chair. ¡°You and Rhani are going to get along swimmingly. Gods help us all.¡± Her grin widened and she scooped up the control bracer. ¡°Don¡¯t me me, can¡¯t you tell I grew up in an unhealthy environment? Surrounded by sex and nudity all my life, you should feel sorry for me.¡± She pouted at me unconvincingly. ¡°Would it help if I said you being naked too would make me feel much morefortable? I¡¯m just a socially inept little Elf girl, after all.¡± Iughed even harder. ¡°Care to try that again holding the lie-ball?¡± She opened her mouth to respond, then her ivory cheeks turned a deep shade of scarlet. ¡°N-no I would not!¡± I kicked one leg up so my ankle was braced on my knee. ¡°Because the lie-ball would show you¡¯re lying? Or that you¡¯re telling the truth? I wonder how blue the smoke would get if you did,¡± I said thoughtfully, tapping my chin. Her blush deepened and she threw a tool at me. One of my shadows shot out and nabbed it out of midair. ¡°Ass,¡± she said, though she was smiling almost as hard as she was blushing. ¡°And I can probably fix your golem, but it¡¯ll take time. And materials. It could take me weeks to smuggle in all the shit I need.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Make a list. We¡¯ve got plenty of materials at our ce that I¡¯d be willing to part with for a project like this. Add on whatever you want and we can consider it your payment, since gold would only raise suspicions right now. Whatever we don¡¯t have on hand we can grab and I¡¯ll bring it by.¡± Her eyes shed. ¡°You mean you¡¯lle back?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± I said, perhaps a little too quickly. I was hardly an expert when it came to women, but I was pretty sure telling her I¡¯d burn this whole ce to the ground and kill everyone in it before I allowed some slimy fuck toy a single hand on her for nothing more than a handful of silver might give her the wrong idea. Or the right one, which might actually be worse. In response, she started working her lip ring again. This time it was less out of anxiety and more out of something that made me want to march over and taste her lip ring for myself. And maybe a few of her other piercings while I was at it. A few tattoos, too. Fuck¡¯s sake, it was a good thing Rhani couldn¡¯t read my mind. She¡¯d be having a field day right now. If I wasn¡¯t already struggling to hide just how aroused I was, the wave of pure happiness that rolled through our Link would have put me there. I took a deep breath, trying to focus on anything other than her lithe body that shed me every time she spun from one work bench to another, going from notes to examining to throwing together early prototypes for recement limbs. It hadn¡¯t even been an hour and I was already about to lose my mind. Something told me this was going to be a long night. Chapter Eighty-Seven: Jailbreak Chapter Eighty-Seven: Jailbreak To my surprise, my time in Ste¡¯s workshop flew by. Like Rhani, once she was engrossed in a project, her focus was unshakable. It helped that my time in Esther¡¯s shop during the war gave me enough knowledge to know just what questions to ask to prod her along in her musings, and it wasn¡¯t long before she was so invested in Nell that she no longer had the capacity to tease me. Thank the gods. With how hard I spent most of the night, I was going to make Rhani a very happy Arelim when I got home. Her and whoever else wanted to join in, because Ste quite literally unting her naked body in front of me all night was really making it hard to stay focused. I was just lucky she was forced to don her apron once again since she apparently refused to tie the front of her coat closed. Something about the constant shes of the creamy skin underneath my coat was so much more erotic than her simply being nude that I started to consider her jab to get naked myself. It especially helped when I started using my storage to transfer materials from our manor to the workshop. I could tell she hadn¡¯t fully believed I was willing to provide her with so many valuable magicponents, but the happy tears that welled in the corners of her eyes when I did was extremely worth it. Another thing that caught me by surprise was how quickly my Soul Essence started to regenerate. Just spending time with Ste, guiding and prodding her genius mind as she inhaled everything there was to know about the golem in front of her, not only put me at ease in a fashion I hadn¡¯t experienced in a very long time but it also got me up to nearly one hundred thirty Soul Essence. But, all too soon, her rms signaled someone approaching. In the time it took for her to get dressed her demeanor had shiftedpletely. Gone was the flirty, slightly awkward, bright little Elf girl. She donned her mask expertly, shifting into a much more serious, much darker version of herself that once again made me want to scoop her up and take her somewhere she¡¯d never have to hide herself away again. But the enchanted mark on her side meant that wasn¡¯t an option. If I was going to do this, I had to do it right. That meant taking my time and making sure she didn¡¯t end up paying for any of my mistakes. We were waiting in her main workshop when Letty arrived, pale and out of breath. ¡°It¡¯s time. She¡¯s awake.¡± I¡¯d felt a tremor through our Link briefly a few minutes ago, so that made sense. I¡¯d been monitoring our connection closely, but so far it was still considerably weaker than most of the Links I¡¯d forged so far. I took that to mean she still didn¡¯t trust me fully, which waspletely fair all things considered. Still, that meant I was limited in what I could sense through our Link. I slid Ste¡¯s magicloak on and immediately it absorbed my shadows. They writhed and pulsed initially, but I¡¯d spent some of my time in her secret workshop experimenting. It was only a few seconds before I managed to calm them, shaping the darkness until it just looked like a really dark cloak. Ste and I exchanged a nce. There was worry in her eyes, even if she was doing her best to hide it. Suddenly it was painfully difficult to walk away from her. To leave her here, alone, in what my brain insisted was enemy territory. I couldn¡¯t shake the sensation that if I left her now I might never see her again. Before I could find the words to say anything, she threw herself into my chest and wrapped her arms around me. ¡°Please be safe,¡± she said, her voice muffled by the cloak she¡¯d given me. I wrapped one arm around her while stroking her hair gently. ¡°Don¡¯t go worrying about me. I promise I¡¯ve walked out of more dangerous ces than a brothel.¡± She nodded, but it was still a few beats before she pulled away. ¡°See you next time?¡± ¡°You know it.¡± She offered me her best smile, and I did my best to return it. I could feel her eyes on me as I followed Letty out of the workshop. I pulled my hood low and Lettytched onto my arm so it looked like she was my escort. Sure enough, just as she¡¯d promised, the halls were filled with other men and even a few women with hoods pulled low. Nobody batted an eye in our direction while Letty guided me through. It wasn¡¯t until we were almost at our destination that I realized I was far more aware of her trembling fingers clutching my arm than her nearly naked body pressed up against mine. There was somefort in that. At least I wasn¡¯t painfully horny for every woman that came along. Just my women. Now I had to figure out why my dick was convinced thatbel extended to women like Ste and Karina, who I¡¯d only just met. ¡°She¡¯s in here, but I don¡¯t have a key. I saw her awake when one of those poor girls with a cor went in,¡± Letty said in a hushed tone. I patted her hand. ¡°You did good. Wait out here for me, I shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± She swallowed hard once, then nodded. She stepped away and I pressed a hand to the door. I conjured a shadow, then focused my will through it until it was thin enough to slip into the keyhole. I felt around for the lock mechanism and carefully undid it, then reached into my storage and pulled out one of Rhani¡¯s early prototypes. One of the silencing runes she¡¯d used on the bed. I channeled some magic into it and opened the door. The bubble kept me from making any noise, and since the only hostile upant was facing away from me, my entrance went unnoticed. Valith sat tied to a chair in the center of the room facing me. Her eyes didn¡¯t so much as flicker in my direction, but I felt the change in our Link. Surprise and relief. She knew I was here at least. Between us was one of the cored. The Seelie, Seven. Short gold and red hair and clothes that barely covered the bruising that trailed up the entire side of her body. She was pacing back and forth, her attention locked on Valith. As I slipped in, she was shaking her head. ¡°You were out, Fourteen,¡± she said, despair heavy in her tone. ¡°You were free. Why would you evere back? Why would you risk it?¡± ¡°You really think I¡¯d leave you behind, Sev?¡± Valith asked grimly. ¡°I saw a chance to save you, and I took it with both hands. I¡¯m not leaving you to this life.¡± Seven shook her head angrily, running her hands through her hair with enough force that they tore out a few strands. ¡°Forget about me! The only reason I could even get out of bed thesest few weeks is because I knew you¡¯d shucked your cor. Now that they¡¯ve got you again¡­ Fourteen, I¡ª¡± ¡°Valith,¡± she responded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s my name now. Valith.¡± Seven stopped her pacing. ¡°That¡¯s a good name, Valith.¡± Whether by intention or not, Seven stopped in the perfect ce for me to approach. I left the silencing charm on the door to make sure we wouldn¡¯t be disturbed and pulled the Jailer¡¯s de out of my storage. While still in the silencing bubble, I flipped thetch open. I don¡¯t like this ce, Ash said immediately. Her voice seemed to grow clearer every time I pulled the de out. There¡¯s so much sadness here. Can we burn it down? Working on it, I thought back, hoping she could understand. Ooh, neat! Can I help? I couldn¡¯t suppress a smirk at the sudden shift in the emotions burning through the bond. Sure. First things first, we need to help the Seelie in front of us. Got it! First question, what¡¯s a Seelie? Oh boy. ¡°Do you trust me, Sev?¡± Valith asked, her voice raw with emotion. Seven¡¯s shoulders stiffened. ¡°As much as I can with this thing around my neck.¡± I don¡¯t know what a Seelie is, but I vote we get rid of that nasty cor first, Ash said in a chipper tone. Envement magic is super gross, especially the stuff like that. It¡¯s way too close to this stupid prison for my liking. I paused. That was valuable information to file awayter, it seemed. Can you stop the magic without destroying the cor? Depends, can I borrow a bit of your soul and use this cool ass cloak you¡¯re wearing? I sent a pulse of affirmation through our Link, and she responded immediately with a wave of excitement. That was followed by a pull that nearly knocked me off my feet as Soul Essence was sucked into the de. The magicloak, which had a second ago been inert, started shifting and undting across my body, streaks of crimson weaving through the shadows and thickening them until it looked like I was surrounded by a cloud of red and ck shadow. ¡°Close your eyes, Sev,¡± Valith said softly. ¡°Please?¡± Seven hesitated, then stepped forward and ced her hand to Valith¡¯s cheek. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, her voice equally quiet. Only then did Valith¡¯s eyes flick to me, widening slightly at whatever she saw. It was all I needed. I surged forward, trying to strike at the cor on her throat and end things in one fell swoop. I was mere feet away when it glowed an angry yellow, then Seven¡¯s whole body went stiff. She whirled, her eyes wide with confusion, and something shot off her right bicep. Swirling blue twisted and expanded until it was a long, winged serpent hurtling towards me fang-first. Seven¡¯s confusion turned to fear as I hurtled towards her, but she was powerless to stop more of her tattoos froming to life. The serpent swirled and twisted around the tip of my de. I caught it about halfway down, slicing it in two, but since it wasn¡¯t a real creature with organs it didn¡¯t seem to care too much. It wrapped around my de as a bipedal creature made of vivid green and violet vines hurtled at me out of nothingness. I cut straight through its middle while tendrils ripped the serpent to shreds. The vine man¡¯s halves fell to the sides, but the nts it was made of immediately started writhing until I was facing two vine men half the size of the original. In the time it took me to hack them into pieces small enough not to matter, Seven was facing me with a fearful, if determined, expression. She crossed her arms, touching her fingers to either of her inner elbows, and came away with two long curved swords that looked like they were made of silver ink. She hesitated, then Valith said, ¡°Your only chance is closebat. Trust me, Sev.¡± Seven¡¯s jaw clenched, then she was hurtling towards me while birds with wings made from des erupted from her upper back andunched themselves at me. I conjured two empowered tendrils and they erupted from my shoulders, knocking most of them away. Several slipped past, apparently sentient enough to weave through my defenses. Rather than the pain of des slicing into my flesh though, I felt dull thuds and heard the impact of metal on metal. Though my curiosity was piqued, I didn¡¯t waste time looking down. Valith was right to goad Seven into close quarters. The longer the fight went, the higher the chances of discovery. If Seven spent the fight hiding behind her living tattoos, then depending on how much more ink she carried this fight could drag on for far too long. The only problem? Seven was very good at close quartersbat. If I didn¡¯t have Ash and my shadows to keep her creations at bay, I¡¯d be in trouble. As it was, I couldn¡¯t manage to get my de close enough to her cor for Ash¡¯s destructive magic to take hold. Not without running the risk of any idental decapitations. Pretty sure [Shadow Stitching] wasn¡¯t going to do much to fix that. She was quick, but the Jailer¡¯s de gave me an advantage. Every time our des crossed, it ate away at the animated ink that much more until finally one of her des gave way. I stepped in close, not giving her time to try and tap into another of her tattoos. The cor started glowing brighter and brighter, but her movements were sluggish. She was fighting its control. I got it! Ash called in my head. She lunged and my de pulled itself out of the way of her strike. It went past my guard, mming into my ribs, but once again all I felt was a dull thud. It hit hard enough that the already damaged de snapped, and the tip of the Jailer¡¯s de just barely nicked the edge of the cor. I felt shadows twist and condense until they were pinpricks. They weaved through the cor, and I was aware of them brushing up againstyer afteryer of magic I was vaguely aware of. I felt their general purpose through Ash. She bypassed enchantment after enchantment, each written inyers uponyers of iron in anguage I¡¯d only ever seen in one ce. Inscribed upon the Jailer¡¯s de. She skipped over the enchantments that took inmands. Ignored the magic designed to force the wearer to protect themselves. Past all the different inscriptions that stripped away the will of the wearer until she found a single thread of magic. The one that transferred all that the cor did to its wearer. With pinpoint precision, she eradicated that one single line, leaving the rest of the cor and its magic intact. All at once, the fight fell out of Seven¡¯s body. She copsed, falling to her hands and knees. I threw myself backwards, struggling for a moment to reign in all the shadows that were still trying tosh out and destroy anything and everything that came into their range. Now that I finally had a moment, I looked down. My cloak was gone, reced by a literal set of armor unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen before. Interlocking tes of metal as ck as my shadows marbled with red covered my torso and upper legs. It was light and flexible enough that they didn¡¯t hinder my movement, but I¡¯d already felt how effective it was at blocking damage. But, just because Seven was free, didn¡¯t automatically mean she was an ally. I turned my attention back to her, weapon raised, waiting for her next move. At first, she didn¡¯t move a muscle. She sat there on her hands and knees, eyes wide, with a look of shock on her face. Tentatively, she reached up and touched the cor still at her throat. For all intents and purposes, it appeared unaffected. Then, violently, she brought the de still remaining in her hand to her arm and sliced deep into her flesh. She looked at the line of crimson like it was a miracle, then let out augh filled to the brim with disbelief. ¡°Fuck. Fuck. You¡­¡± she looked up at me, then her expression hardened. She jerkily pushed herself to her feet and moved to stand between me and Valith. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Rx, Sev,¡± Valith said, the relief in her voice evident. ¡°That¡¯s my boss. He¡¯s the one who save me. Nine and Seventeen, too.¡± Seven nched. Her arms fell to the side and she actually staggered a step. ¡°Seventeen¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°Alive and well,¡± Valith said with augh. ¡°Shit, the pipsqueak even smiles every once in a while. You can trust him, Sev. You can also untie me whenever you feel like it.¡± ¡°Shit!¡± Seven cursed, letting her sword fall to the ground. She turned her back to me and darted towards Valith in a rush to untie her. ¡°Sorry!¡± Ash trilled in my head. Alright! Cor neutered! Now, let¡¯s go take care of this Seelie thingy. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. The girl is theSeelie, Ash. Mission aplished. Now, I can¡¯t exactly go running around a brothel with a giant scary sword, so I¡¯m gonna have to put you back. No problem, as long as you promise to take me out when you get home. Things are clearer these days, even when I¡¯m locked up, but your pocket dimension is too quiet. It reminds me of¡­ things. As much as I wanted to expand on just what exactly that meant, now wasn¡¯t the time. I returned the de to its scabbard and banished it to my storage. When I returned my attention to the other two girls, they were embracing tight enough that I felt the need to avert my gaze and give them a moment. When they pulled away, Valith¡¯s hand went to the cor still around Seven¡¯s throat. ¡°Let¡¯s get this off you and get you home,¡± she said, her voice cracking with emotion. But Seven pulled away. ¡°Not while they still have Four. Six and Thirteen are supposed to return from their mission soon as well. I can be your inside man, give us an edge when its time to save them. You¡¯re not the only one allowed to risk your freedom, Valith.¡± Valith looked like she wanted to argue, then her shoulders slumped. She turned to me. ¡°Gotta say, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure you¡¯d spring me. Thanks, boss.¡± I just shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t leave men behind. I take it your infil was a bust, then?¡± She grinned. ¡°Hardly. I made out like a bandit, but I wanted to cover my tracks. Snuck back in to make it look like amon robbery. Didn¡¯t expect to get sted by a sleep spell, though.¡± She threw her arm over Seven¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Sev, this is my boss, the infamous Zaren Nocht.¡± Seven¡¯s body locked up. ¡°You¡¯re the Shadowborn?¡± Her gaze flitted to where the pieces of her animated tattoos were dissolving on the ground. ¡°Fuck, thanks for holding back on me then.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Thanks for not making me kill you.¡± I stepped closer, reaching for her cor. ¡°May I?¡± She nced at Valith, who nodded encouragingly. As I examined the cor close up, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at that fact. Just like Ste before, Valith was vouching for me. Once upon a time, it was Rr who had to do the same for just about everyone we came across. Now I seemed to have collected a whole host of people who trusted me implicitly. It was mildly terrifying. The cor itself was just as I remembered, but with all I¡¯ve learned I recognized the style of magic unique to the Jailer¡¯s de. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I¡¯d never seen anything remotely like Karn¡¯s cors in the years since I¡¯d escaped them. I¡¯d always had the feeling that the Jailer¡¯s de sat at the center of his machinations, and this was just further proof of that. ¡°How much time do you spend here?¡± I asked her. She avoided looking at both of us. ¡°Seelie make a lot of money. We¡¯re rare and alluring, after all. I¡¯m here more often than not.¡± I had a feeling the bruises that ran the length of her body, as well as those mottling the side of her face I hadn¡¯t had a chance to look at until now, were the result of that. I nodded curtly, then stepped back. Valith looked like she wanted tomit murder, but I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You still in touch with Lizard¡ªer, with Samsol, I mean?¡± It took her a second to unclench her jaw. ¡°I can be, yeah.¡± ¡°Tell him we¡¯ve got a Ramadi situation. He¡¯ll know what I mean. I¡¯ll foot the bill.¡± Then, to Seven, I said, ¡°that¡¯ll be the code word. If they say Ramadi, then you know we sent them. We¡¯ll upy your nights so you have a chance to keep us informed and we can keep the Swallow¡¯s guests away from you.¡± Her relief was visible. ¡°That won¡¯t be cheap.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but it¡¯ll be well worth it. Now, you know the Swallow¡¯s artificer?¡± ¡°Estellise?¡± I chuckled. I could tell why she might prefer to go by Ste. She simply didn¡¯t strike me as an Estellise. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Get with her, tell her I sent you. I¡¯d like her to learn everything she can about that cor you¡¯re wearing, see if she can find a way to neutralize it that isn¡¯t me and my de. Hopefully with Rhani¡¯s help they can figure something out.¡± She nodded. ¡°I can do that. But for now, you should go. Gallow will be here soon, and we can¡¯t risk him recognizing Valith. As far as they know, she and Nine are on the run somewhere to the north.¡± Valith grimaced, but then her expression softened. She grabbed Seven¡¯s hand. ¡°Nine took the name Safina, and Seventeen is Noelle. You could choose a new name now, too, if you wanted.¡± Moisture filled Seven¡¯s eyes, but she blinked it away. ¡°I¡¯ll think on it. Now, we need to sneak Val out of here somehow.¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°What kind of underwear are you rocking?¡± Valith groaned. ¡°It¡¯s always something.¡± With a heavy sigh, she asked, ¡°What are the odds you¡¯ve got something slutty in there for Rhani? We¡¯re about the same size.¡± Trying not to feel ridiculous, I handed her a corset and garter belt. Rhani was going to be thrilled she¡¯d been so much help tonight. While Valith started to strip, I worked on returning my cloak to it¡¯s former shape to hide my profile. ¡°Samsol should be able to get his man in ce by the end of the day. Until then, leave whatever info you already have with Ste and she¡¯ll get it back to us. The more you can tell us about their base, the quicker we can n a hit to rescue anyone else with a cor. See if you can¡¯t find when the other two will be arriving as well.¡± Seven nodded. ¡°Right. I can do all that.¡± Valith handed me her clothes, which I banished to my storage. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± she started. The fact that she used my name caught my attention immediately. ¡°I know this is a big ask, but will you Link her? I¡¯d feel a lot better sending her back into hell if we at least knew when she got into shit. Plus, I figure you can track her with it.¡± At Seven¡¯s confused re, I gave her a brief summary of what the Link entailed. Even after the fight, I still had nearly a hundred Soul Essence in the tank. I¡¯d already confirmed she didn¡¯t have a shimmer, but I could afford the thirty Essence it would cost. She bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°If Valith and Nine are Linked to you, then I¡¯ll Link as well. It¡¯s not a sex thing, right?¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± I promised. ¡°No sex required. Valith and I are perfectly tonic, and I have no issue keeping it that way.¡± Seven looked skeptical, which made Valithugh. ¡°He¡¯s not kidding. His girls keep him plenty drained, so he wouldn¡¯t have the energy to force you into anything. And if he did, they¡¯d probably kill him.¡± She still looked unsure, but she just nodded. ¡°Right. Guess it¡¯s time for you to go, then.¡± They pulled one another close, pressing their foreheads together. ¡°Be safe, Valith.¡± ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s my line, Sev,¡± Valith whispered back. ¡°If you get busted, know that there isn¡¯t a damn thing that¡¯ll keep me froming for you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll be right behind her,¡± I agreed. I held my hand out and she took it hesitantly. When I activated [Forge Link], it felt like it had in the early days before I¡¯d fully expanded my pool. Like it was ripping the essence straight out of my chest to create the connection between us. I bit back a groan and magic sparked between our palms, then it was done. I could feel her faintly on the other end of the Link, which would have to be good enough until I could earn her trust more. ¡°y it safe, don¡¯t take any crazy risks,¡± I told her, pulling my hood up. ¡°Trust only Ste and Samsol¡¯s man. Valith will be in charge of monitoring the Swallow, so I¡¯ll leave the rest up to her.¡± Seven nodded, then walked up to the door. I pried the silencing charm off the wall next to the entrance while she checked outside for anyone nearby. When she waved us on, there was only Letty. As soon as they saw one another, both Letty and Valith gasped. Letty threw her arms around Valith, and after a moment Valith did the same. ¡°Shit, Let, when did you grow tits?¡± Valith asked tearfully. ¡°Long story,¡± Letty said back, wiping her eyes, ¡°and most days I wish I hadn¡¯t. But enough about that, we need to get you out of here. Remi¡¯s here, too. She¡¯s watching one of the side doors, so that¡¯s where we¡¯ll go. Valith nodded with a grimace. ¡°There¡¯s a painting on the second floor. A cored Seraphim surrounded by two muscled up Erinyes. You know it?¡± Letty grimaced, then nodded. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I stashed some shit behind it. Think you can get it to the artificer downstairs?¡± ¡°I can, but after we get you two out of here. Come on.¡± Seven and Valith exchanged onest lingering look, then nodded to one another. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare get yourself killed or re-cored, Sev. I¡¯ll bring your ass back just to kill you if you do.¡± Seven shot her a teary grin. ¡°Same to you. Say hi to Safina for me.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± They finally tore their gazes from one another and Seven headed further into the Silver Swallow at a brisk pace. Letty wrapped around my arm again, encouraging Valith to do the same to blend in. Valith shot me a re, giving me a pretty good idea of what she¡¯d do if I didn¡¯t keep my hands to myself, and I inclined my head. Between the low cowl of my hood and the Dark Elves on my arms, nobody so much as spared us a second nce. In no time, a tall Lycanine was ushering us out a side door. She exchanged a brief, crushing hug with Valith, leveled a few threats at me, and then we were gone. We stopped long enough for Valith to throw some clothes on, then we were on our way home. About halfway, Nariko appeared out of the darkness to let us know she¡¯d sent the others back as well. When we reached the front doors of the manor, Valith finally allowed herself to breathe. ¡°Seriously,¡± she said, ¡°thank you. It¡¯s nice to know you¡¯ve actually got my back. I know you promised before, but knowing it is different.¡± I patted her shoulder. ¡°I told you, I take care of my own. If you¡¯re going to risk your life on my behalf, then you can be sure I won¡¯t abandon you. The same goes for anyone in my household.¡± She nodded, her throat bobbing once, then pushed ahead to enter. It was early morning, still a few hours from sunrise, so the house was mostly silent. The only people visible were three individuals taking up one of the couches in the main hall. Safina sat in the middle, her head bobbing back and forth as she tried to fight off sleep. To her left, Noelle was curled up in the crook of her arm fast asleep. On her right, Rhani was syed out with her head resting on Safina¡¯s breast and Safina¡¯s hand pressed to Rhani¡¯s back. Rhani¡¯s eyes were half closed, but they shot open when they saw us. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± she cried. Safina shot to her feet immediately, bringing both girls with her and looking around, startled. Noelle made a disgruntled sound, still wrapped around her arm and holding on for dear life, but Rhani just looked thrilled. As soon as Safina¡¯s gaze locked on us, she stormed over with the girls still in hand. ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re both safe. Val, I was so worried¡ª¡± She cut off when she tried to step forward and hug Valith, only just then realizing her arms were still filled. She looked between them all, growling deep in her throat. Valithughed so hard tears started leaking out of her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Safina, resting her forehead on Safina¡¯s chest. ¡°Never change, Blue.¡± ¡°Ste¡¯s thrilled you¡¯re safe,¡± Rhani said, waggling her brows. ¡°You should probably know that I can look through Festus¡¯s eyes, too.¡± I sighed. ¡°Figures. Well, before you get carried away, you should probably know Karn¡¯s cors use magic I¡¯m fairly certain is based on the Jailer¡¯s de. For now, let¡¯s put understanding them at the top of your priorities.¡± She nodded, eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯ll get right on it.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get right on it after she sleeps,¡± Safina rified. She still seemed annoyed she couldn¡¯t scoop up all three of them at once, but Valith still leaning on her appeared to soothe her inner dragon. ¡°You were barely staying awake a minute ago.¡± Rhani scoffed. ¡°Hello, pot, meet kettle!¡± Safina just frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± ¡°It means,¡± I interjected, ¡°that we should all go get some sleep. I know I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°Not too exhausted, I¡¯d think,¡± Rhani said, fluttering hershes at me. Safina looked at the stairs, biting her lip, then down at Valith. ¡°Stay with us tonight? My dragon is still freaking out a little that you were in trouble and I couldn¡¯t get to you.¡± Valith hummed. ¡°Yeah, that sounds nice.¡± Safina¡¯s shoulder¡¯s hunched. ¡°Good. That¡¯s really good to hear.¡± Soon enough, we were all upstairs in the big room. I went to the dressing area and grabbed some clothes to sleep in. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you all, but I really need to wash the smell of brothel off.¡± But when I turned around, Safina was standing at the edge of the bed with a wide smile, her tail swishing behind her. Everyone paused, watching as she toed off her boots and stepped down into the pit. She took a few steps in, then lifted her hands straight out to her sides and fell forward. She hit with a bounce, sinking into the piles of nkets and mattresses. She made a delighted sound and rolled, eyes facing straight up, sying her limbs out in all directions. ¡°It just keeps going¡­¡± she said softly. Then she rolled over again and started manically pulling nkets and pillows towards her. Rhani looked like she was doing her best to hold in herughter. ¡°Looks like you might have been onto something about that nesting. Maybe we should¡ªeep!¡± Safina¡¯s tail shot out lightning fast, catching Rhani¡¯s ankle and yanking it out from under her. Rhani barely hit the mattress before Safina grabbed her by the leg and abducted her into the pile of nkets and pillows she¡¯d made. Rhani squealed and iled her arms, though she didn¡¯t do anything that looked remotely like trying to actually escape. ¡°Zaren, heeeeelp!¡± she called. ¡°Yeah Zaren,¡± Safina said, her eyes glittering with amusement, e help her.¡± She burrowed deeper into the towels, her tail flicking, daring me to get within reach. I couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°I would, but there¡¯s a nice hot bath calling my name right now. There¡¯s plenty of room, though. Someone,¡± I looked pointedly at Rhani, ¡°made sure there was more than enough room for everyone, giant, pretty, muscr Half-Dragons included.¡± Safina¡¯s pupils narrowed. ¡°A bath?¡± I nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to let go of Rhani.¡± She licked her lips. ¡°And¡­ you¡¯ll be there?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s something you¡¯refortable with.¡± She looked around at the nest she¡¯d made, then came to a decision. She popped up, throwing Rhani over her shoulder. ¡°Bath it is, then.¡± ¡°Safina!¡± Rhani pleaded with augh, ¡°I don¡¯t have any clothes to change into!¡± Safina swatted her on the rear, shutting her up rather effectively. ¡°We both know it won¡¯t stay on for long anyways, I¡¯m just saving time.¡± Rhani shot me a heated look, and after the day I¡¯d had I couldn¡¯t help but adjust my pants. Something that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Rhani. Her switch was flipped, and suddenly she was putty in Safina¡¯s hands. Shaking my head, I threw my clothes over my shoulder and followed. Valith patted my arm. ¡°I¡¯ll send the others on in when they get here. And¡­¡± She stepped in close. ¡°Take care of my friend, Zaren. She¡¯s got a lot of love to give, and she¡¯s been through far too much pain already. If you hurt her, then I will end you.¡± ¡°Duly noted. And don¡¯t you worry either, we¡¯ll have Seven free and clear before long too.¡± She blushed, then cleared her throat. She turned on her heel and strode out of the room without another word, leaving me alone in the room with Noelle, who still hadn¡¯t said a word. Silently, she walked over and pressed her face into my side, grabbing two fistfuls of my shirt. ¡°I hate not being able to go in with you,¡± she said softly. I ran my fingers through her hair and she hummed. ¡°I know, Noelle. It won¡¯t be like this always.¡± She breathed in deep, and I knew she was inhaling my scent. ¡°I know, but I am still frustrated. I hate being so different I can¡¯t even walk outside.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± I promised, ¡°until then, I¡¯ll just have to make sure you¡¯ve got enough friends at the manor to never feel alone again. And, when the timees to storm the castle, you¡¯ll be right there at my side.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said firmly, finally looking at me with intensity in her crimson eyes. ¡°I will.¡± I smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if Safina let Rhani undress herself, shall we?¡± The corners of her lips turned up. ¡°And you can finally see Safina naked. I wonder how her dragon will react when she sees you wearing just as little.¡± Apprehension and arousal warred within me, but I couldn¡¯t deny I was at least excited to see Safina enjoying the bath. There was something so pure about how fully she enjoyed the little things like beds and consistent meals. I pressed a kiss to the top of Noelle¡¯s head, then she took my hand and led me into the bath. We¡¯d only made it a few steps before we heard Rhani¡¯s delighted squeals. ¡°Guess Safina got impatient,¡± I said, and Noelle¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Understandable,¡± Noelle said with a shrug. ¡°She¡¯s already waited plenty long if you ask me.¡± Rhani squealed again, then there was a loud ssh, and I felt my own smile widen. ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Another (Not A) Hiatus Another (Not A) Hiatus Announcement Between working every day since thest chapter, an annoying bout of executive disfunction, some mild insomnia, and a sprinkle of writer''s block, it''s looking like this is going to be another one chapter week. Hopefully I can get back into the groove of things soon, and thank you for your patience. See you on Friday! Chapter Eighty-Eight: Bathing with Dragons Chapter Eighty-Eight: Bathing with Dragons By the time we made it to the bath, Noelle was dragging me along. I fought back augh at her sudden eagerness,pletely in contrast with herpletely straight expression. What exactly had her excited, I could only guess at, but feeling the faint echoes of her happiness through our Link made some of the tension in my chest unravel. When we arrived in the smaller bathing room connected to the master bedroom, Safina had already joined Rhani in the steaming waters. It wasn¡¯t asrge as the ones downstairs, but it was plenty big enough to fit my entire harem and then some with room to spare. Someone must have prepared the baths for us on our return. I¡¯d have to figure out who and thank them, even if the servants under my care seemed averse to letting me do just that. Rhani¡¯s clothes had been stripped, but Safina still wore hers. Soaked, they clung to her body, but she seemed unbothered. In fact, she looked to be having the time of her life. She was currently in the process of washing Rhani¡¯s hair with a wide grin on her face. Rhani, on the other hand, was near unresponsive. Her eyes were rolled back in her head and her mouth hung open while Safina aggressively massaged the bubbles into her scalp. Noelle wasted no time in shedding her own clothes. I helped with her shirt since she was still getting used to dealing with her regrowing wings. They were still nowhere near big enough to even slow her descent, but they had finally grown to the point where the joint was discernible. The feathers coating them were jet ck and silky smooth, and I¡¯d caught her on more than one asion wiggling them as much as she was currently able with a small smile on her face. I pulled my own shirt off and tossed it into the bin with the rest of the dirty clothes then kicked off my shoes, but I paused before shedding my pants. Safina was so absorbed with Rhani she hadn¡¯t even noticed us, but I didn¡¯t want to just strip if it was going to make her ufortable. I cleared my throat and her cobalt eyes shot to me. They lingered on my face for a half second before drifting down to my bare chest. Her delighted grin faded a little, reced with a look that I was fairly certain contained a bit more heat than I¡¯d expected. ¡°You¡¯re wee to remain clothed if that¡¯s what makes youfortable,¡± I said, undoing my own belt and watching her face closely for any reaction, ¡°but bathing tends to be easier without them.¡± It was difficult to misread the way her tongue darted out, wetting her lower lip while her gaze was locked on the belt in my hands. Her own hands had paused, giving Rhani enough of a reprieve to focus on me. At an encouraging look from her, I dropped my pants and undergarments in one go and tossed them in the bin as well. If her expression had been heated before, the current look on Safina¡¯s face should have boiled off some of the water. Her throat worked and her cheeks darkened, and I could see the willpower it took to redirect her gaze to the Arelim in herp. ¡°Right. I know that. I just¡­¡± She rinsed Rhani off while Noelle slid into the water next to them. I entered a bit further down, sinking into the near-scalding water with a sigh while I waited for her to finish her thought. ¡°When I was cored, I never really had much choice on what I wore,¡± she exined, still focused on Rhani. ¡°Or when I wore it. Sometimes I¡¯d get stuck in my armor for days because whoever I¡¯d been loaned out to would tell me to suit up and forget to allow me to change. Sometimes I forget I can change whenever I want. Especially when I get¡­ excited.¡± Before I could respond, she stood. Rhani whipped her head around so fast I worried for her neck, her wide eyes locked on the Half-dragon that now towered above her. Safina shot a hesitant look at me, but the fact that I was watching seemed to put her more at ease than anything else. She took one more breath, then peeled the soaked shirt off her body. Her muscles weren¡¯t as clearly defined as Jack¡¯s, but her body still rippled with power as she tossed the shirt aside, leaving her in pants and a tight wrap around her chest. My body¡¯s reaction to her muscled midriff and biceps that looked like they could crush my skull made me d I was halfway submerged. The sapphire blue scales on her arms trailed all the way up to her shoulders and across her back, as well as along the sides of her ribcage and down towards her waist. Their contrast against her pale skin, helped along by the water trickling down her body, was gorgeous. The wrap followed next, freeing her chest. Safina was well endowed, but with the size of the rest of her I often forgot that meant she had tits the size of my head. They spilled out of her wrap, her nipples already hardened. They were a darker pink, but they had the slightest blue tinge to them matching her scales. Her pants went next, earning a small whimper from Rhani as thighs like tree trunks moved easily through the water to toss her clothes out of the water as well. With her back to us, I could finally see her scales in their entirety. After going up her arms and over her shoulders, they met at the nape of her neck and trailed down her spine. They red out to cover her sides, then tapered inward until they met her tail. There they red outward again, covering her hips and going down her thighs, though they didn¡¯t go any lower than her knees. Left only in a set of low hanging undergarments that, in their soaked state, hid very little, Safina paused. She nced at me over her shoulder while I took in her muscr back, toned hips, and thighs that Rhani was no doubt imagining being crushed between. Not that I was any better. It was my turn to wet my own lips, and that small involuntary motion was all Safina needed. With her back still to us, she made a show of stripping off her undergarments, bending over but keeping her tail in ce to hide her most private parts from view. For a beat, the only sound in the room was her tail slowly churning the water from where it swished back and forth nervously while Safina watched me watch her, both of us apparently unsure of exactly how to proceed next. Rhani didn¡¯t have that problem. ¡°Oh, I know that look,¡± she said after tearing her eyes away from Safina only long enough to nce at me. ¡°He likes what he sees.¡± Safina¡¯s cheeks darkened further, but I fought the urge to roll my eyes lest she take it the wrong way. ¡°She isn¡¯t wrong,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful from horns to toes, Safina.¡± This time the flush took over everything from her neck to her hairline. She dropped like a stone, dunking her head under the water until only the tips of her horns peeked out. Then a steady stream of bubbles rose to the surface while we watched. ¡°Fuck she¡¯s hot,¡± Rhani breathed. Then shook her head. ¡°And adorable. It just isn¡¯t fair.¡± The bubbles stopped, but Safina didn¡¯t re-emerge just yet. Instead, those two horns started to move. They trailed over towards Rhani,pletely ruining any attempt at secrecy. I fought back myughter slightly more sessfully than Rhani did, but her giggles turned quickly into a squeal as Safina breached with enough force to send a small tidal wave across the baths and pounced on her. ¡°Zaren, he¡ª¡± was all Rhani got out before Safina dove back under the water with her. She came up sputtering as Safina carried her out of the bath and to the washing area, which was little more than a set of benches in a depression in the floor with troughs of water running between them. Of all the changes to the world in thest thirty years, the improvements of indoor plumbing had quickly be my favorite. ¡°We weren¡¯t done,¡± Safina said in a sultry voice. ¡°Oh please!¡± Rhani cried out in obviously fake distress, ¡°don¡¯t press me into your giant, sexy body! Anything but that!¡± Safina grinned, crushing Rhani into her chest with enough force to make the Arelim wheeze blissfully. She rose enough to sit on the edge with Rhani still in her arms, then grabbed some of the washing powder and started working it into Rhani¡¯s body. Noelle climbed out, grabbing some of the powder as well, and stood behind Safina to start working it into the Half-dragon¡¯s hair. Now it was Safina¡¯s turn to shudder as Noelle massaged her scalp. She started to work the soap into Rhani¡¯s skin again, but her hands moved with uncertainty this time. I wasn¡¯t sure why until her gaze flicked to me again. Well, I suppose it was a little strange for me to just sit there and watch. I dunked my own head, then climbed out of the bath and made my way towards them. Safina¡¯s hands came to a stop while both she and Rhani cataloged every drop of water running down my chest. ¡°Safina¡¯s hands are busy,¡± Noelle said, a hint of amusement just discernible in her normally t tone, ¡°and mine are so small it would take all night for me to clean her. Perhaps you should help, Zaren.¡± A shudder ran down Safina¡¯s spine and her pupils narrowed to slits, but from the way her breathing picked up and her chest began to heave I didn¡¯t think she was against that in the slightest. I coated my hands in the bathing powder and sat on the wall next to her. I stayed away from her erogenous zones at first, running soapy hands across her arms, back, sides, then stomach. Her body was just as toned as it looked, and every touch seemed to make her breathing pick up more and more. It wasn¡¯t long before her hands were barely washing Rhani any longer. To my surprise, her scales were softer than I¡¯d anticipated. They had a bit of give, closer to leather than to the harder, more armor-like texture I¡¯d been expecting. And when I went from running my fingernails along her scaled sides to pressing into the much softer flesh on her stomach, a quiet moan slipped out of her lips. Well fuck, if I wasn¡¯t hard before I sure was now. And, since I was no longer submerged, it wasn¡¯t long before the only one of us with her hands free wrapped her fingers around my shaft. Rhani started stroking me with slow, long pumps, which didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Safina. She gasped, arching into my touch, her breasts heaving. When I finally sunk my hands into the soft flesh of the tit closest to me there was nothing quiet about her moan. They were, without a doubt, thergest breasts I¡¯d ever worked with. Flesh spilled between my fingertips while I rubbed soap into them. Her breaths became pants while she pressed her chest into my hands, but there was so much surface area that I had plenty of flesh to work with without ever actually touching the diamond-hard peaks. ¡°Boss,¡± she said breathlessly after I¡¯d thoroughly cleaned everywhere except where I knew she wanted to be touched the most, ¡°please¡­¡± ¡°Please what?¡± I asked innocently, earning a snicker from Rhani. But Safina was lost in a haze and didn¡¯t notice. ¡°My¡ªmy nipples, please¡ª¡± She cut off with a moan when I pinched the first one, then her head fell forward when I grabbed the second. I frowned, surprised by how responsive she was despite Rhani¡¯s assurances earlier. Judging by the confusion on Rhani¡¯s face, she was thinking something simr. As if she could read our minds, Safina said, ¡°M-Miss Wan mentioned that it would be different, being with a partner I chose. I just didn¡¯t¡­¡± she took a second to catch her breath, ¡°I didn¡¯t know she meant¡­this.¡± ¡°Good different?¡± I asked, rolling one of the peaks between my fingers while I caught the other between two fingers while I squeezed her massive breast. ¡°Yesssss,¡± she moaned, arching again and rolling her hips on the bench. ¡°I feel it so much more. Before it was just pressure, not really good or bad, but this?¡± I released one breast and trailed my fingers down her stomach, soft inparison to her scales but still firm with muscle, and her hips jerked in response. I split my fingers around her clit, avoiding touching the nub, and ran them down her slit. It was absolutely soaked, slick with arousal. The noise that slipped out of her throat was in a pitch I¡¯d never heard from her. My fingers dug into her breast while I teased her outer lips. I jumped a little when her tail wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against her body, but she hardly seemed to notice. Her eyes were jammed shut, her breathsing out in needy pants, while her hips jerked and twisted in a desperate attempt to get my fingers where she wanted them. ¡°Zaren¡­ I want¡­ I need¡­¡± she whimpered. ¡°Need what?¡± I asked, my voice low. She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. More. Just¡­more.¡± ¡®More¡¯ I could do. I plunged a finger inside her and her pussy sucked it in eagerly. A groan turned into a deep moan when I pressed my thumb to her clit, then a cry when I inserted a second finger. Her inner walls mped down like a vice and she curled forward, crushing a surprised Rhani to her chest, trapping my arms between them, with her mouth open in a silent scream while tremors racked her body. Noelle was the only one not trapped in ce while Safina rode out her intense climax. When it finally released her, she let her head fall forward and rested her forehead on Rhani¡¯s crown. ¡°Fucking hell, that¡¯s what an orgasm feels like? Shit, now I know why you guys are always doing it.¡± Rhani went rigid. ¡°Safina, are you saying you¡¯ve never¡­?¡± she let the question hang. Safina just straightened. She didn¡¯t answer right away, so Noelle took the chance to grab her horns and tilt her head back to rinse the shampoo from her hair. Once she¡¯d collected her thoughts and recovered, she leaned back on Rhani¡¯s head with a happy sigh and the words started to just tumble out. ¡°Apparently, because we have natural armor and we¡¯re descended from beasts with ws that fought all the time, our sense of touch is sort of¡­ mutedpared to other races. When we¡¯re with a chosen partner, our biology almost ovepensates and makes us super sensitive. Because of that, any time assholes in the past wanted to push me around, I hardly felt any of it. I never really met anyone I wanted to actually be with, so sex never really did it for me. Miss Wan thinks thatbined with a cor that suppressed my natural instincts probably led to a stunted libido.¡± She smiled sweetly, her eyes still closed. ¡°She also mentioned my body might overcorrect if I found a mate I wanted, which really doesn¡¯t sound too bad right now.¡± Oh boy. If that was the case, once her post-orgasm haze lifted, there was a real chance I was about to have a sexed up Half-dragon on my hands. Logically I knew that was probably something I should worry about, but after being teased by Ste for so long and with Rhani¡¯s hand still wrapped around my dick it was hard to figure out why. In my own horny haze, it took me a second to realize Rhani¡¯s hand had stopped moving. When I focused on her, I realized she was horrified. Not entirely surprising, as I imagined Rhani thought of an orgasmless life as one of the worst fates imaginable. Fighting back a smirk, I managed to slip one of my hands free so I could turn her lips towards mine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Angel, we¡¯ll get right on fixing that.¡± Rhani squirmed and twisted until she was facing Safina. ¡°Damn right we will.¡± She managed to get a hand on one of the pails full of water and rinsed the soap from Safina¡¯s skin. She repeated the process until Safina was soap free with a happy, sleepy smile on her face. One that vanished the second Rhani sunk her teeth into the Half-dragon¡¯s nipple. Safina¡¯s pupils, which had widened, returned to slits and a sound somewhere between a growl and a moan started low in her throat. Her head shot back and she palmed Rhani¡¯s head, pressing it into her chest. Rhani managed to somehow shift off Safina¡¯sp without letting the breast slip free from her mouth while at the same time grabbing me by the dick and pulling me towards them both. Her other hand slipped down Safina¡¯s stomach, somehow managing to cast her anti-contraception crest over Safina¡¯s womb on its way to her clit all while guiding me between the Half-dragon¡¯s legs and driving Safina crazy with her mouth. I opened my mouth, unsure if Safina was quite ready for this step, but any objections were knocked aside when the leg Rhani wasn¡¯t straddling shot out to hook behind me, pulling me into her chest. Her lips covered mine while my cock ground into her stomach and her tongue immediately invaded my mouth. It felt like a battle for dominance. As if her tongue was trying to beat mine into submission while her other hand grabbed my ass, pushing me into her. I fought back despite her having considerably more tongue to work with and slowly beat her back. Before long, she was putty underneath me. I pushed and she turned, taking all three of us with her, until she wasying back on the washing bench, looking up at me with a lust filled gaze. ¡°Please¡­¡± she begged for a third time while Rhani kissed, bit, licked, and sucked one breast while her hand attacked Safina¡¯s clit. It didn¡¯t get much clearer than that, so I lined myself up with her entrance. Her thighs were coated in arousal, and I¡¯d barely pushed the head inside before I felt like I was being sucked in. She cried out, arching her back as I slid in inch after inch. Noelle leaned forward and sank her teeth into Safina¡¯s other breast hard enough to draw blood, but it only made Safina¡¯s walls clench tighter around me. By the time our hips met I felt like I was nearly at my limit. Safina¡¯s pussy was unlike any I¡¯d ever been in before. A sentence that, once my mind was no longer addled by lust, I would certainlyugh at. Both of us were still with me buried entirely inside her, but her inner muscles worked and shifted like they were trying to bring me to orgasm all on their own. More than that, I felt like there were hundreds of tiny shocks shooting between us, each one heightening the sensations of her hot, slick walls as they undted around me. ¡°Fuck, Safina, you feel amazing,¡± I panted. She could only groan in response, rolling her hips in a desperate desire for friction. I had a feeling that if she could form coherent words, she¡¯d be begging me to fuck her. Whether that was my imagination or the impressionsing through our Link, I wasn¡¯t sure. All I did know was that if I didn¡¯t start fucking her right now I might lose my own mind. Her leg still wrapped around me gave me just enough space to pull almost all the way out before helping me m back in. One hand was still on Rhani¡¯s head while the other braced against the bench behind her, giving her leverage to rock her hips and push back against me. Her tail wrapped around my leg when I started pounding into her in earnest. Her cries reached a fevered pitch while I fought off my orgasm for as long as I could. She locked up around me and her cries went silent once more as she came, and Rhani immediately released her breast to dive down and lock her lips over Safina¡¯s clit. Safina¡¯s eyes went wide and her back arched so high Noelle was nearly dislodged from where her teeth were still sunk into the Half-dragon¡¯s chest. I felt Rhani¡¯s tongue flick over my cock where I sawed in and out of Safina, but her attentions were locked solely on sending Safina crashing straight from one orgasm into the next. I could only withstand Safina¡¯s unique assault on my cock for so long before I lost the battle. I mmed into her onest time with a roar and emptied my own release inside her. That must have set off some deep seated breeding instinct, because she went wild. Her walls fluttered and locked down while she wrapped herself around me and Rhani both, letting out a feral sound of approval while I shot rope after rope into her. We allid there for several minutes. Safina and I were recovering while Rhani just enjoyed being in the middle of us. All the while, Noelle flitted around and finished washing us off with a smile. I didn¡¯t miss how often her gaze flicked towards the angry looking bite mark on Safina¡¯s breast or the content in her eyes each time it did. It seemed something we¡¯d done had made her own instincts happy as well. It was Safina who broke the silence first. ¡°Can we go to bed now?¡± she asked in a small, wavering voice. Frowning, I forced myself to sit up and look at her, worried she might be regretting what had just happened. One look at her face banished those worries. She stroked Rhani¡¯s hair absentmindedly with a wide smile on her face. It faltered a little when she saw me, but more out of worry of what I thought than anything else. She gasped a little when I slid free of her pussy, but with our height difference that was the only way I was going to be able to lean up and kiss her forehead without her leaning down to meet me. ¡°Of course we can. I¡¯ll go grab us some towels.¡± She hummed happily while I stood to do just that. She forced herself to sit up with some effort and had stood on unsteady feet, stretching towards the ceiling when I got back. She dried herself off, looking at the pile of clothes someone had left behind at some point, biting her lip. ¡°Would¡­¡± She swallowed. ¡°Would anyone mind if I didn¡¯t wear anything to sleep? I don¡¯t¡­ my whole body still feels sensitive, and the thought of clothes right now¡­¡± ¡°Fuck no we wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± Rhani said excitedly. ¡°One of the rules of the master bedroom is that clothes are always optional. Are you going to mind a little more fucking going on tonight?¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°More?¡± Her hand lowered to rest on her lower stomach. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡­¡± Rhani patted her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can just watch. Or not, there are private areas you can sleep in if you want as well. I just ask because Zaren here usually doesn¡¯t go down after just one orgasm, and after he spent the night getting teased by a sexy Elf I¡¯m sure at the very least me and Tiana will be sleeping well tonight. Serena too, probably. Maybe the twins. Noelle if she¡¯s feeling more than her usual cuddles.¡± I scoffed. ¡°Good gods, the list is getting longer and longer.¡± She grinned. ¡°You¡¯reining?¡± ¡°Not in the slightest.¡± Safina¡¯s eyes had widened, and one of her incisors was sinking into her lower lip. I put a hand on her hip. ¡°Does that bother you? That there are so many others?¡± She shook her head adamantly. ¡°No! Not at all! I just¡­ I was a little annoyed I¡¯m already tapped after just doing it once.¡± She huffed, gathering her hair and pulling it over her shoulder. ¡°And here I thought dragons were supposed to have crazy stamina.¡± I wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze. ¡°Tonight was your first time having real sex. Hells, Rhani basically passed out after our first time, and now look at her. There¡¯s plenty of time, and apparently plenty of me to go around,¡± I said, gesturing towards my already-hard-again cock. That seemed to appease her. She wrapped her arms around me and the next thing I knew my world was being eclipsed by her bosom. ¡°How do we divvy out cuddling rights?¡± she asked. I heard Rhani chuckle. ¡°Usually it¡¯s a bit of a firste-first-serve kinda thing, but with how big the harem is getting we might have to actuallye up with a system. But first timers always seem to get dibs, so you won¡¯t have to fight anyone else off tonight,¡± she said,ughter in her tone. Safina¡¯s arms rxed, but she didn¡¯t let me go. ¡°Good. And maybe watching him go a few rounds with the others will get me ready for one or two more.¡± Gods help me, I thought. Did Allura know what I was going to get into when she gave me a magic cock? Without her boon, I very much doubted I¡¯d be able to keep up. As Safina and Rhani dragged me back into the bedroom where all the others were waiting for me with Noelle bringing up the rear, not a stitch of clothing between the four of us, I realized I really needed to figure out whether I was going to thank her or yell at her when next we met. But, as I sunk into Tiana¡¯s embrace with Serena¡¯s lips peppering kisses across my shoulders while Safina pinned down Rhani and began torturing her with her fingers and tongue, I figured that was a problem for tomorrow. Along with about a million other things. # # # Objectively I knew I was dreaming, just as I knew something was off about it. The dream was too realistic. Too vivid. I¡¯d say too colorful, but there was no color in it. Just gray. For miles and miles and miles. At first I thought I was walking through snow, its color just a byproduct of whatever this dream was, but I quickly realized that was wrong. Ashes coated the ground as far as my eyes could see, thick enough to go nearly to my knees. It fell from dark ck clouds above, adding to theyer of death that fought against my every step. It sapped all sound from the world, leaving behind a silence that pressed in on my ears as if trying to break through to my mind and drive me insane. There was no wind either, just a painful stillness in the air. I trudged forward through the ash, each step abor to my exhausted legs. My shoulders were hunched, and my body threatened to fail with every foot I traveled, but I needed to see this through. I had to know for sure. Had to see it with my own eyes. I had to be certain. I wasn¡¯t sure if I walked for minutes or hours or days. I tried to count the steps, but I didn¡¯t even have it in me to do that any longer. When the ground started to drop away I realized I was walking up an incline. A steep hill that was only just beginning to level out. I was almost there. Almost to the end of my journey. Almost to the answer I knew would destroy me. When I got to the top, I stopped. My breath caught in my throat and my body sacrificed thest of its moisture to the tears that trailed down my face, cutting through the ash and grime. On the other side of the hill, the world stretched out for miles. Further than I could make out. An entire kingdom, visible from the perch I¡¯d walked so far to find. And it was all gone. More ash was all that remained. Where there should have been towns and cities and viges, forests andkes and farms and grassy ins, there was only an unending gray. The sky which had once been so bright and beautiful was nothing but angry ck clouds. Everything was gone. Everything was dead. Ash was all that remained. I fell to my knees and shattered the silence with a scream that tore itself out of my throat. My very soul calling out for vengeance. For retribution. I could feel the lingering death in every breath. Taste the decimated souls filling my lungs. I screamed and screamed and screamed for the millions I¡¯d failed. For the genocide I¡¯d been unable to stop. Everything was gone. Everyone I¡¯d ever loved. Every ce I¡¯d ever called home. There was nothing left. Nothing but me. The taste of blood was a wee change as I screamed my throat raw. A reprieve from the taste of ashes that coated my tongue. Eventually I ran out of screams. I knelt there, letting the ash slowly build up, ready for it to bury me. To be nothing just like the rest of my ne, even if I knew that fate was one I¡¯d never get. Even without food or water, I would endure. It was my blessing turned into my curse. I felt a ripple of something. Heard the crunch of someone else¡¯s footsteps on the ash, but I didn¡¯t turn. Didn¡¯t look. It didn¡¯t matter who it was. What they wanted. There was no righting this wrong. No putting the world back together. We had lost the war, and our realm had paid the price. The pain of loss turned into a searing agony as a de sprouted from my chest, slick with my blood. Crimson liquid on the crimson metal of a de I knew all too well, even if the eyes I was dreaming through didn¡¯t. My hostughed at first, ready to tell their attacker that a de wouldn¡¯t kill them. Then thatughter died in their throat. Something was wrong. The de was pulling. Drawing me in. Tearing something integral out of me. No, tearing me out of the body I inhabited. I scrabbled at the de, trying to escape it, but it was toote. The edges of my vision ckened and the ashes slowly got further and further away, like I was being dragged down a dark tunnel. I tried to w my way back to the world that had been my home, even if there was nothing left for me, but the pull of the sword was too strong. The ashes faded away until there was nothing left. Nothing but darkness that was somehow worse than the ashes. Something lurked on the edge of my peripheral, but it always lingered out of sight. A familiar magic I knew would show me no mercy. Allow me no respite. No escape. The darkness was all epassing. There was no sound. No sight. Nothing to touch. Just me. And time passed. An eternity, it seemed. Then another. Then another. Time held no meaning here either, and loneliness and insanity slowly stripped away what little was left of me. I let it. There was nothing left in me worth fighting for. Just pain and suffering. The darkness took and took and took until there was nothing left. Until Ash was all that remained. Chapter Eighty-Nine: Ashes to Ash Chapter Eighty-Nine: Ashes to Ash I was used to nightmares. Until a few months ago, I hardly knew what it meant to wake peacefully from a dream. This was different. There wasn¡¯t the jarring experience of being ejected from whatever horror my mind could conjure up. It wasn¡¯t waking in the throes of whatever awful emotion I¡¯d been trapped in by my subconscious. Waking from this particr dream felt like I was having to w my way back into my own mind. My first reaction was panic. In my half-asleep delirium, I thought I was being burned alive. I was hot, sweaty, and couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Once I started to wake further, I realized all of those could be attributed to the giant, adorable, softly snoring Half-dragon who¡¯d managed to wrap her arms around both me and Rhani and curl around us. The room was just beginning to lighten with the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon, which meant it was still dark enough for my [Dark Sense] to be mostly active. I took a moment to listen to the various breathing and snoring happening around me, cataloging who all wasying around me. Each heartbeat I identified made me feel a little better. A little safer. Considerably more sane. Safina was curled around me and Rhani while Noelle and someone I was reasonably certain to be Alice were bothying in a tangle of limbs pressed to her back. Just past them Valith was wrapped tightly in nkets with her back to the rest of us and her front facing towards the door. Tiana and Serena were in front of me, right where I¡¯d left them after ensuring they were fully satedst night,ying close enough that they could reach out and touch but not actually touching anyone. A bundle that must have been Nariko was curled up into a ball in the crooks of Serena¡¯s knees. At my feet were the twins, both curled up in a pile of the softest nkets they¡¯d been able to get their handsst night, riding out thest vestiges of their heat. They were all safe and, if their breathing was anything to go by, happy at best and content at worst. Even still, there was a part of me that was extremely bothered by those that were missing. Jack. Ste. Karina. I even had a nearly irrational urge to go make sure Jayme was alright. I felt like ants were crawling under my skin, and I needed to get up and move before I had a full on freak out. Even closing my eyes and focusing on the Links between Jack, Ste and I only did so much. That feeling of loss, ofplete and utter loneliness, still filled me. Drowned me. It required the use of a few tendrils of shadow, but I somehow managed to extract myself from the bed without waking any of the others. Well, anyone but Valith, who had turned to look towards me the second I started moving. I felt a pang of uncertainty through the Link, which meant I was broadcasting at least a little of what I was feeling right now. I was probably lucky she was the only one awake right now. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said softly, just loud enough for her to hear. ¡°Just bad dreams. You can get some real sleep now, I can keep an eye on things.¡± She huffed, then burrowed back into her nket. By the time I reached the Jailer¡¯s de, leaning against one of the posts that held up the curtains over the bed, her breathing had evened out. After the life she¡¯d been forced to live, I could understand her need to always be alert. I could only hope she would reach the point where the manor felt safe enough to let her guard down, but I knew better than anyone that the kind of paranoia she¡¯d been forced to develop wasn¡¯t something that could be cured by anything other than time. Doing my best to pretend my fingers weren¡¯t trembling, I ducked out of the big room and headed straight for my personal room, which had so far gone unused. I took a seat on the bed (stillrge enough to fit threefortably) andid the de across my thighs. After all, it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to deduce where the dream/memory hade from. Afterst night my Essence pool was nice and filled to the brim, so I undid thetch and slid the de a few inches out of the scabbard. Just enough for crimson tinged smoke to leak out and wrap around my wrist like a caress. I could feel the uncertainty through the Link, but Ash¡¯s emotions were intensified the moment the smoke wrapped around me. Fear. Uncertainty. Guilt. Most of all, that crushing loneliness that nearly had me running back to the big room to bury myself in as many of the women I¡¯de to love as possible. Closing my eyes, I focused on them. On how I felt when I was around them. The warmth I felt when I spent time with them. Not only how much I loved each and every one of them, but what it felt like to be loved by them. The constant support. The way it felt when I made even one of them smile. How lucky I was to get to fall asleep next to any of them, much less all of them. They weren¡¯t just my allies or my lovers, they were my family. I imagined bottling all of that up and pushing it through the Link. Trying to give Ash even a fraction of how my girls made me feel. Showing her she wasn¡¯t alone in the only way I could think of. Something more powerful than any words I could offer. The Link surged between us as she pushed back. Gratitude mmed into me so hard tears collected in the corners of my eyes. Not only for what I¡¯d just given her, but for something else, too. Everything else. For a moment, I felt what she¡¯d felt in the past. That crushing loneliness that stretched on for eternity after eternity, surrounded in nothing but suffocating darkness. A darkness only broken by the scraps of souls torn away from those who wielded the sword. Scraps that, until me, had been scattered, broken, and twisted. Wielders driven to insanity by the de, left soulless husks thatmitted horrific atrocities. Glimpses into a world that sometimes seemed worse than the nothingness that had be her existence. And then¡­ Me. Defiance. A soul that, though broken, refused to shatter. I knew pain, sure, but I also knew what it was to care for others. No matter how hard he tried, Karn could never fully kill my empathy. Could never stop me from forming attachments to the others. From taking enough strength in those attachments to defy him at every turn. To eventually kill him. Scrap after scrap of my soul filtered into the de until Ash was surrounded by them. Until she was able to slowly, piece by piece, build a wall between her and the darkness, constructed by the glued-together pieces of my will. More pieces of me made it to her than anyone before me. Then everyone before me. Even after the world had taken so much, I¡¯d still had pieces to give. Even after losing everything again and again, I¡¯d still had the hope to move forward. To try and make the world a better ce, even when I didn¡¯t really believe it was possible. The pieces of me became a window. Something that turned her from a mindless source of power into something¡­more. Something that, for the first time in a very, very long time, had hope. She showed me how she¡¯d felt the night I took on the Vx queen. Her tion at finallying face to face with me as I was drawn into the de tempered by the guttural fear that I was going to die. I felt what she¡¯d felt when she¡¯d made the decision to save me. She¡¯d sacrificed every scrap of soul I¡¯d ever given her, every piece of me that had slowly returned her to some semnce of sanity, and she¡¯d done it without hesitation or regret. If the choice was between my death and her returning to the darkness, then it wasn¡¯t even a choice. I didn¡¯t realize it then, but she¡¯d given me everything she had to give with the full expectation that the psyche she¡¯d been slowly building wouldn¡¯t survive. But it had. More than that, when she¡¯d given me all of the pieces I¡¯d given her, she¡¯d unintentionally included a little extra. A piece of her she hadn¡¯t even known existed. It left behind a bond between us. Something one-sided. A connection between my soul and her psyche that, even now, held the darkness at bay. And then, when I¡¯d fought the Rathum, I¡¯d unintentionallypleted it. I¡¯d put my trust in her, bared my soul to her, and turned that connection into something solid. Permanent. A Link. The window that had once felt like shattered stained ss, letting her see but distorting the image, was now clear. With every day she felt more and more like someone real and less like the mindless pit of power she¡¯d spent so long trapped as. When I opened my eyes, it was to a notification. One that made my brows rise.
Ash Link Level: 2 [[[Error]]]
Error? What the fuck? Was my skill malfunctioning? Was that something that could happen? I guess it wasn¡¯t the strangest thing ever to happen to me, but it was certainly worrying. Was the Link damaged? Or was it simply a non-standard Link because Ash was far from a normal soul? I had a thousand questions, but I figured Ash would have about as many answers as I did. When she finally receded from the Link, I could still feel her. Like the warmth left behind by a hand pressed to my cheek, echoes of her lingered. This time, when she spoke, it was like a whisper in the back of my mind. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, her voice trembling. ¡°Please,¡± I said, my own voice rough, ¡°after everything you¡¯ve done for me I feel like I should be the one thanking you.¡± ¡°You changed something again, didn¡¯t you? Things are clearer. You¡¯re clearer.¡± ¡°Seems to be the case,¡± I admitted. ¡°Think it has something to do with the dreamst night?¡± There was a loaded pause. ¡°You dreamed about the world of ashes as well?¡± ¡°I did. Is that amon urrence for you?¡± Uncertainty radiated through the Link. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a dream before, I¡¯ve only ever seen bits of yours. But that dream was a memory, wasn¡¯t it? One of mine?¡± I frowned. ¡°It¡¯s certainly not one of mine. You don¡¯t know?¡± She shrugged mentally. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense. It¡¯s familiar, though.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s disconcerting. Maybe you¡¯ll remember more as our Link strengthens.¡± There was another pause. ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to remember?¡± ¡°I wish I could tell you. Unfortunately, we¡¯re pretty firmly in uncharted territory here. Something tells me there aren¡¯t any books in the library that could tell us what¡¯s happening between us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I ran my thumb across the hilt absentmindedly. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯d rather know than not know, and any information about what¡¯s going on is worth it. Plus, more memories might help me understand exactly what you are. Unless, of course, you¡¯ve got some new insights to share.¡± Conflicting emotions rolled around in her. ¡°What d¡¯you mean? I¡¯m me, aren¡¯t I?¡± I chuckled. ¡°You certainly are, but knowing more about how you got trapped in the sword and who you were before that happened could help me understand why you, and the de, seem to be connected to our enemy¡¯s ns.¡± ¡°Oh. What if I was someone horrible before? This stupid prison is called the Jailer¡¯s de, after all, so what if I deserve to be here?¡± Her unasked question radiated through the Link. If that were the case, would I abandon her to the loneliness? ¡°Then I¡¯d say you¡¯ve atoned for it. More than that, I¡¯m not even sure you¡¯re the same person you were before, but I¡¯ll need to run that theory by Rhani, see if she¡¯s figured out anything else about that book we found.¡± She trilled thoughtfully. ¡°That all sounds way tooplicated for me. I think I¡¯ll just keep killing the things you need killed and let you figure out all that hard stuff.¡± Iughed. ¡°Sounds like a n. Something tells me I¡¯ll have more need for you very soon.¡± Satisfaction and excitement. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll kill stuff so freakin¡¯ good, you just wait!¡± Something in me eased at hearing her old, chipper self starting to return. We chatted a little longer, but before long I started to get the feeling she was growing tired. Her responses started to get sluggish and unclear, and I swore she even yawned at one point. Before too long, I returned the de to its scabbard and closed thetch. I felt her withdraw from the Link, but notpletely. Like Serena, I was aware of her in a way I hadn¡¯t been before. That in of itself got me thinking. Ash, my sword, was the second one to evolve her Link. What did that say about the other Links I had? What were the conditions under which those Links leveled? With Serena, the growth had been triggered by a sort of mutual understanding and trust. Not only her confession that she loved me, but me epting that I was loved. Did that mean my other rtionships were being held back? And if they were, how likely was it that I was the culprit? Knowing my issues with trust, I had an inkling I knew which was the case. I leaned the sword against the bed and ran my hands through my hair, then pulled up my list of Links. I had twelve currently. Serena, Noelle, Rhani, Ash, Tiana, Tsuki, Valith, Jack, Safina, Ste, Nell, and now Seven. Of those twelve, five were Links between me and those with shimmers. Rhani, Tiana, Tsuki, Jack, and Ste. My gut told me that it was no coincidence the only two Links that had leveled were those without shimmers. Of the non-shimmers that remained, it made sense that none had yet grown. Nell and Seven were both fresh (and I questioned whether it was even possible for the Link between me and a soul trapped in a golem to even evolve). Safina and Valith were both rtively new to the household, and with the lives they¡¯d lived I could understand that they¡¯d be slow to truly trust anyone, especially a human like me. Noelle doubly so. That she¡¯de so far was a miracle in of itself. The shimmers were the biggest mystery staring me in the face. I didn¡¯t think it was the shimmers themselves hampering the Link, but rather what I feared they meant. If they had been manipted in some way by Allura¡¯s machinations, then did that mean there was something artificial about our connections? Or, and this was the more likely oue in my opinion, was my own guilt that they¡¯d been manipted on my behalf holding me back from truly connecting with them? So many questions, so few answers. I needed to find Allura, but there were so many other important things on my to do list that figuring out where to start that search would have to wait. I needed to get this brothel situation taken care of, otherwise Ste being trapped in the lion¡¯s den was going to drive me insane. Not only that, but I had to keep holding up my end of Allura¡¯s deal and keep building up my assets in the city. We were getting close to really getting things rolling, which meant it was about to be dangerous just to be a part of my household. I needed to prepare, and I needed to make sure my guard didn¡¯t slip in the slightest. Fuck I was tired. And not the kind of tired that could be solved with a nap. A soft knock on the door jarred me from my thoughts. I instinctively checked my bonds, but whoever was on the other side wasn¡¯t Linked to me. When I opened it, I was surprised to see a bashful Alice with dark cheeks waiting on the other side. ¡°Alice,¡± I said, ¡°is something wrong?¡± She shook her head, not meeting my eyes. ¡°Not at all, I just¡­ um¡­¡± She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. ¡°You¡¯re thirsty?¡± I guessed. She ducked her head. ¡°I can wait, if this isn¡¯t a good time. It¡¯s not a need just yet, but I figured it was better to¡­ take care of it while it was still a want, y¡¯know?¡± I stepped back, pulling the door with me, and invited her inside. ¡°Now is fine. I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t force yourself to wait until you¡¯re parched beforeing to me. It¡¯s been a while since youst fed, hasn¡¯t it?¡± She picked at her nails. ¡°I¡¯ve been, um, snacking here and there. All consensual, of course,¡± she added quickly, barely concealed fear just barely perceptible in her voice. ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. Will this just be a feeding, or¡­?¡± Her throat bobbed again and her cheeks darkened. She shifted from foot to foot, rubbing her thighs together. ¡°Well, i-if you¡¯re willing, then I¡¯d like to, um, satisfy those other urges. I¡¯ve been good sincest time, promise. I haven¡¯t orgasmed while feeding once since that day with you and Noelle, but I¡¯ve been feeling a little¡­¡± she let the thought trail off. I¡¯d met a few Vampires in my day. Even fed a few of them, some willingly, some not so much. All of them had been predators though, down to the bone. Lethal and powerful. Everything about them screamed danger. Alice? Not so much. Frankly, the whole hesitant persona was adorable. And, if her words were to be believed, she was trying very hard to do as I¡¯d asked of her. I stepped close enough to lift her face with a single finger under her chin. The second my skin touched hers, she inhaled deeply and her eyelids fluttered. ¡°In that case, it sounds like you deserve a reward.¡± Her pupils dted and she took a step towards me, her eyes locked on the pulse point at my neck. ¡°Though, with just the two of us, we¡¯re a little limited in our options. Assuming you want my neck again and not one of the other prime feeding spots in my arms or thighs.¡± Her nostrils red, and she swallowed heavily again. Seemed she was very interested in the idea of the arteries in my legs, but for now her attention was still locked onto my throat. With scrabbling fingers, she lifted the hem of her shirt while pushing her pants down. ¡°I, um, I got Rhani to give me this.¡± She leaned back enough to show me the contraception crest just barely visible below her navel. ¡°And I talked to the others to make sure they were okay with it. Um, if you wanted to.¡± I touched my fingers to the crest and her chest heaved, but she didn¡¯t move otherwise. I slid them lower and she whimpered, pulling her waistband lower and giving me easier ess. I ran two fingers down her slit and they came away drenched. ¡°I¡¯ve got no problem with that, and it seems you don¡¯t either.¡± ¡°I have a really good sense of smell,¡± she panted, her hands trembling where they held her clothes, ¡°and Noelle always smells like you. And sleeping in the bedst night¡­ the way it all smelled¡­ then when you left earlier, I just followed the scent here, and¡­¡± I nodded, then pulled my shirt over my head. ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m not upset.¡± I¡¯d barely undone my trousers before she¡¯d ripped off her outer clothes, revealing nothing underneath. Sheunched herself at me, her legs locking around my waist and her mouth mming into mine. I grabbed two handfuls of her ass, then captured her lower lip between my teeth, biting down not quite hard enough to break skin, and she moaned into my mouth. I backed up until I hit the bed and fell back, bringing her with me. We¡¯d barely even bounced once before she impaled herself on me, mming her hips into mine and taking my entire length in a single go. She arched away from me, crying out, gyrating her hips. I groaned, surprised to be so quickly enveloped in her tight heat. She was so slick with arousal that I slid right in until there was no more of me left to take. I immediately used my grip on her ass to lift her up and down on my cock, sliding in and out of her folds with ease. ¡°Don¡¯t let me bite you,¡± she moaned, her face turned to the ceiling while she mauled her breasts. ¡°Not till I¡¯ve cum. Please,¡± she gasped. I sat up and dragged my teeth along her neck, keeping her chin pushed towards the ceiling while I thrust up into her. ¡°I can do that,¡± I said, peppering kisses along her throat, ¡°any reason why?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t¡ªah¡ªwasn¡¯t allowed to cum till I was feeding,¡± she said, gripping my shoulder with one hand and the back of my head with the other. I nibbled at her own pulse point and she let out a low whine. ¡°I want¡ªI want¡ªfuck! I want to be with you, then to feed. Not to be with you to feed.¡± I pulled back to look into her eyes while she rode me. They were still a dark violet, but tinged with red on the edges in her lust. ¡°I can do that.¡± I captured her lips again, then I lifted her off me. She whimpered, trying to use her Vampire strength to maneuver me back inside her, but it had been too long since she¡¯d fed properly. I flipped us so she was face down on the bed and plunged back inside her. She moaned, low and guttural, fisting the sheets and mming her hips against mine with all the energy she had. I grabbed her hips, angling each thrust and searching out her weak points. She buried her face in the bed to muffle her cries while her other hand snaked between her legs. It wasn¡¯t long at all before I felt her clench down, her muffled cries turning into a scream followed by a tearing sound as her fangs ripped through the bedding underneath her. I slid an arm underneath her and lifted so that her back was pressed to my chest and grabbed a handful of her perky chest. It was on the smaller sidepare to some of my other girls, but they were just big enough to fill my palm perfectly. ¡°No need to rush it,¡± I said in her ear, recing her fingers frantically attacking her clit with my own, rubbing it in slower, more controlled circles that had her writhing in my arms. ¡°I won¡¯t deny you, Alice. I¡¯ll make you feel good, so just enjoy it.¡± She made another whimpering sound that sounded like agreement and I started thrusting again. At this angle, my cock mmed right into a spot that drove her crazy. She let her head fall back on my shoulder while I drove her slowly but surely towards her second climax, scissoring her nipple between two of my fingers while I massaged her breast and rubbing slow but firm circles on her clit. I nibbled her neck again and she pressed her face to mine, whimpering as I picked up the pace, reaching back and wrapping her arm around my head to pull me closer. I moved my fingers faster as her walls started to flutter around my cock. She turned my head enough to press her lips to mine as she came and I swallowed her cries. Her first orgasm had been quick and violent, but this one I helped her ride out. Isted as long as I could, but feeling her clenching around me while her body writhed and spasmed in my arms was too much. I mmed into her onest time, loosing rope after rope of cum as deep inside her as I could manage. I sat back on my heels while still inside her while we both caught our breath, then she was twisting in myp. I slipped out of her only long enough for her to straddle me, then I was sliding back in, the slickness of both our releases making it easy. Iid back on the bed and she sank her teeth into my neck. A re of pain turned into a wave of pleasure as my cock returned to full hardness. She groaned, her eyes rolling back into her head, and took several long pulls while her hips rocked and twisted, trying to get me deeper inside her. I sank one hand into her hair, pressing her into my throat, while I massaged her ass with the other. I coated two fingers in the slickness coating her thighs and started to gently massage her asshole, which quickly led to her shuddering with another release while she drank her fill. She bit deeper and the pleasure intensified, rocking her hips back into my hand while riding me. My finger slid past the rim of her rear entrance and she moaned loudly in approval, and it wasn¡¯t long before my release was approaching again. Right when I started to feel light headed, she pulled her fangs from my neck and startedyering the bite with long, slow licks. I slid a second finger into her ass and she clenched around me with a whimper, mming her hips down on me just as I came a second time. ¡°Fuck,¡± she breathed,ying tense on my chest. ¡°That was¡­ fuck.¡± I chuckled, stroking my fingers down her spine. With each pass, she rxed into me a little more. Once she was rxed enough, I lifted her off my sensitive cock and nestled her into my side. ¡°d you enjoyed it.¡± Alice scoffed. ¡°Enjoyed it? I¡¯m already wondering when we can do that again.¡± She licked her lips, nestling into my chest. ¡°Is this okay? That I¡¯m, y¡¯know, still here?¡± I dragged my nails down her back again, all the way from her nape to the top of her ass, and she shivered. ¡°Thest thing I want is for you to feel used, so yes. This is more than okay.¡± She hummed, letting her eyes close halfway and melting into me. ¡°Good. I never¡­ well, you probably know. This is good. Very good.¡± The more she rxed, the more her words started to slur. ¡°Mmm, I feel so full. In more ways than one.¡± I didn¡¯t respond, since I was pretty sure she was asleep. I justid there, gently stroking her back, while she dozed. Thinking. Until, that is, I heard a voice in my head. ¡°That was fun to watch.¡± I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Ash in my mind. She¡¯d never been able to speak with the de sheathed before. I opened my mouth, but I¡¯d managed to avoid waking Alice so far. Instead I tried to focus on saying the words in my mind. You saw that whole thing? Amusement filtered through the Link, but muted. ¡°I did. Hard not to now that I can see things even clearer than before. I like her. Though, I guess I like all your girls. Especially Noelle. Don¡¯t tell anyone, but she¡¯s my favorite.¡± I ran the hand not trapped under Alice over my face. I guess that makes sense. You did give her a new ss, after all. ¡°No I didn¡¯t. I just gave her the ss she should have had before those fate thieves got ahold of her.¡± Once again, I had to fight the urge to react physically. Fate thieves? Are you using that as an insult or a title? ¡°Both? Neither? I dunno, it just feels right. Those bastards better hope I never find them since I fully n to burst their magic channels an inch at a time until they¡¯re begging for a death I will refuse to grant them. Ever yed anyone? I¡¯d do it, but I don¡¯t really have hands.¡± Alright, so my sword was a little more bloodthirsty than I thought. After everything that Noelle had been through, though, it was difficult to argue. I didn¡¯t bother answering, since Ash had retreated to apparently start running through a list of torture options she was capable of without opposable thumbs. How I knew that I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but it was as amusing as it was disconcerting. Iid there until Alice started to stir some timeter. The first thing she did was shift towards my neck, giving it a long lick that made my cock twitch, then she hummed. ¡°You taste like Noelle. Your blood, I mean.¡± She nuzzled into me a bit longer, then her eyes shot open as she realized what she said. I just arched a brow at her. ¡°And why exactly do you know what Noelle tastes like?¡± I prompted, more amused than anything else. I¡¯d seen how close the two had be since Noelle had imed her, so I doubted it was anything bad. Her face flushed. ¡°W-well, I might have challenged her dominance once or twice. There was a bit of wrestling involved. A bit of fighting. She always pinned me in the end.¡± ¡°You challenged Noelle¡¯s dominance?¡± I asked, frowning. I¡¯d gathered that there was some kind of pack hierarchy that came from their demi-human natures, but Alice didn¡¯t seem the type to want to be head of the pack. Alice, apparently understanding my confusion, scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it to win, obviously.¡± She hunkered down, her face nowpletely scarlet. ¡°I¡¯m not going to just ask her to pin me down and chew on me, that¡¯s no fun. Besides, she enjoys it just as much. She¡¯s always extra cuddly after,¡± she added with a small smile. ¡°See? I knew I liked her,¡± Ashmented. ¡°She¡¯s good to our Noelle.¡± I didn¡¯t miss the casual iming of the Mchai, both on my behalf and Ash¡¯s, but that was something to unpackter. After I¡¯d dealt with the minor bomb the naked Vampire in my arms had just dropped. ¡°Alright, and what exactly did you mean I taste like her?¡± ¡°Well, you remember that exotic taste I mentioned? Noelle tastes like that, except¡­ more.¡± ¡°More how?¡± She wrinkled her nose, then turned until she was on her back staring at the ceiling, her head resting on my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ like the difference between eating a dish that¡¯s got fire pepper kes in it versus taking a bite straight out of the pepper. Drinking from you is like the perfect amount of spice, and you¡¯ve got enough other vors to bnce it out. Drinking from Noelle is a rush. It leaves me all light headed and dizzy, but in the best way, though I can only handle a little bit at a time from her. But it¡¯s definitely the same vor, and not one I¡¯ve ever encountered before you.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± I once again ran my hand through my hair. At this rate, I was going to start balding. ¡°Another question on the pile, I guess.¡± ¡°I definitely don¡¯t envy you, Z-man. You gotta deal with all the hard stuff like answering questions and solving mysteries. I¡¯ll stick with my ¡®killing things¡¯ job. Waaaay more fun.¡± I ignored Ash¡¯s oh-so-helpful input. Especially when my stomach chose that moment to shout out its displeasure at being empty. Alice tried to hide her regretful look as she moved away, but I pulled her back. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait until you¡¯re dying of thirst next time,¡± I said, pressing my cheek to her temple. ¡°Noelle likes you, and I like you. I know the others have no problem with you, so we don¡¯t have to do this behind closed doors all the time. You¡¯re always wee in the big bed.¡± She twisted to look up at me with wide eyes. They were once again a bright, vivid violet without a trace of red. ¡°Really? I wouldn¡¯t want to drink you dry.¡± I just smirked. ¡°Who says it has to be so you can feed?¡± Her blush returned, but so did her smile. ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± She leaned into me, burying her face in my chest to hide the grin I felt. After she got her expression under control, she pulled back. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, though, I think I¡¯d like to goy down for a bit.¡± She yawned. ¡°I¡¯m already feeling my post-feedaing on.¡± I kissed her temple, then popped her on the ass. She hopped up and stretched with a grin that showed off her fangs, then frowned as she went hunting for the clothes she¡¯d practically ripped off. When she held up torn pants, she just shrugged and scooped my shirt up off the ground, striding away wearing nothing but that and a wide smile. I shook my head and pulled my own pants on, then strapped the Jailer¡¯s de to my bare back. At this rate, I really was going to run out of shirts. Figuring I probably shouldn¡¯t show up to breakfast shirtless, though something told me there weren¡¯t many who wouldin, I headed back towards the big room. While this might be my own personal room, I hadn¡¯t really filled it with anything of mine. But my quest to rece my stolen shirt hit a snag when I found two girls waiting outside my room. Jayme sat on one of the chaises that lined the hall with a bemused expression, watching Karina pace back and forth while chewing on a thumbnail. I froze, not quite sure what to do, but Jayme spotted me before I could even think about retreating. She barked out augh, startling Karina. ¡°See Kari? Told you he was be fine.¡± Karina whirled. ¡°There you are! What are you¡ª¡± She froze, her eyes growing wide, fixed on my chest. ¡°Oh, wow.¡± It took Jayme a second to realize what she was seeing, then she let out a low whistle. ¡°Damn, you know the edge is the part of the knife you¡¯re supposed to avoid, right?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Figured that out, thanks. Is something wrong?¡± Karina¡¯s pink cheeks darkened. ¡°N-no!¡± Jayme justughed, pushing herself to her feet and throwing an arm over Karina¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Kari was worried about you. We saw the little Vamp practically skip past wearing your shirt, and she was already worried after hearing what you got up tost night.¡± ¡°I was not!¡± Karina said, trying and failing to dislodge Jayme¡¯s arm. ¡°I was merely concerned about the health of our Patron in a purely professional manner! He¡¯s far too young to have heirs, and until he showed up it was epted that there wasn¡¯t anyone left of House Nocht to begin with. I was only worried about what might happen to me if he got killed or arrested.¡± I grinned and crossed my arms, not missing how her eyes flicked to my upper arms for a second. ¡°It¡¯s alright, your concern is adorable. And you don¡¯t have to worry about Alice.¡± She huffed. ¡°That¡¯s the Vampire, right? She looked¡­ happy.¡± Her eyes flicked to my throat where I was sure the still-healing bite was very visible. ¡°She fed from you?¡± I nodded. ¡°Her thirst was bothering her, now it isn¡¯t.¡± Jayme shot me a lopsided grin. ¡°Pretty sure simple feeding sessions don¡¯t leave gals looking like they¡¯re walking on air.¡± Now it was my turn to blush a little. ¡°It was a very productive feeding session.¡± When I saw Karina¡¯s lips thin, I felt the need to add, ¡°one that was fully discussed and agreed upon by both of us long before it happens, and one that was discussed by all members of my harem. At length, I¡¯m assuming.¡± That only seemed to make her more flustered. ¡°She¡¯s a part of your harem now, then?¡± I winced. ¡°It¡¯ll be discussed before any decisions are made. Why the interest?¡± ¡°N-no reason! No reason whatsoever!¡± It was tough to bite back myughter, but I managed it. ¡°I see. Then I suppose you wouldn¡¯t care either way that Safina is a member of the harem now?¡± I vaguely remembered that being discussedst night. Karina nched, but Jayme justughed. ¡°Shit, you really know how to pick ¡®em. That Half-dragon is amazing, isn¡¯t she Kari?¡± she asked, ribbing her friend. Karina¡¯s mouth just gaped until she managed to close it, then swallowed. ¡°You¡¯ve got more non-human members than humans at this point,¡± she said, then her eyes widened as if she hadn¡¯t meant to say that aloud. I just shrugged. ¡°Hardly an issue. And by the time I¡¯m done with the ords, it won¡¯t be an issue at all.¡± Karina wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°I heard you put your life on the line for another demi-humanst night. Valith, right?¡± I clocked the topic change, but I was feeling generous enough to allow it. ¡°I did. She got in trouble, but she¡¯s fine now.¡± That didn¡¯t seem to clear up whatever was bothering her in the slightest. Finally, she just shook her head. ¡°Well, whatever the case, I¡¯m d you returned okay.¡± Then her cheeks darkened again. ¡°F-for my own sake, of course! I don¡¯t know if the king would reim me if you went and got yourself killed.¡± This time when Jayme put her hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder, it was more for reassurance than teasing. I nodded. ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve put measures in ce so that if something happens to me then all the demi-humans in my household are taken care of.¡± I noticed she didn¡¯t rx all that much when I said that, but Jayme¡¯s grin only widened. ¡°Hear that? Sounds like you¡¯re gonna have to find a new excuse to fuss over him now.¡± Karina shoved her friend indignantly. ¡°Jayme! I¡¯m not fussing!¡± She was definitely fussing, and that made whatever part of me that was drawn to her very happy. ¡°Forget it,¡± Karina huffed. She drew herself up, straightening her clothes. ¡°Cynthia gave me my rather generous stipend, and I just wanted to thank you for your generosity. I also wanted to ask if I might be allowed to visit the market to buy clothes and other essentials now that I have the funds to do so.¡± There was something immensely entertaining about her adopting the prim and proper facade to hide whatever she was feeling currently. ¡°Of course. You¡¯re not a prisoner, Karina. I would ask that you take a member of my household in case any of the town guards try to cause any issues, but I won¡¯t force you to.¡± She seemed surprised, as if she was expecting me to deny her. Then she opened her mouth to say something, only to decide against it. ¡°Very well, I shall take your request into consideration. We won¡¯t head out until after breakfast, at least. Good day, sir Nocht.¡± She drew herself up again and started to walk past me, pausing when we were only a few feet apart to look closer at my scarred torso, then she shook herself and continued on. Jayme followed, her bemused expression back, and pped me on the arm. ¡°Cut her some ck, you¡¯re just very different than what she¡¯d been expecting.¡± Then her eyes raked over my body. ¡°Starting to guess where you might have picked up those moves you showed off the other day. Think you¡¯d be willing to show me one or two?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I answered easily. While I was reasonably sure that where Jayme went, Karina would follow, I found the idea of spending time with her just as intriguing. ¡°Things might be hectic for a few days, but I¡¯m happy to set some time aside when you have the chance.¡± She grinned. ¡°Heck yeah.¡± She pped my arm again and followed after Karina. I watched them until they were out of sight, my chest puffing only slightly when Karina nced at me over her shoulder before ducking around the corner. When I entered my room, most of the girls were already up and about. Safina, somehow wrapped around Noelle, Alice, and the twins, remained in bed, but the others were in varying states of dress. Rhani was the first to skip past me. She paused long enough to pull me into a kiss, then said, ¡°Stop by the Library in a bit, will you? I¡¯ve got some supplies I need you to run to Ste, and I¡¯d like you to fuck me in the ass for a bit so I can start cracking on this book we found.¡± That she could ask that so casually still blew my mind. ¡°It¡¯s a date,¡± I said with a smile. She beamed, then leaned in close. ¡°And Alice? Fucking nice! Or should I say nice fucking? Girl was glowing when she skipped in. She must reek of you, because those four¡ª¡± she jerked her thumb at Safina, Noelle, and the twins, ¡°¡ªpractically jumped her as soon as she made it to the bed. Almost makes me wish the celestial races had instincts like that. It¡¯s so fucking cute.¡± ¡°Please,¡± I said, popping her on the ass, ¡°You¡¯re enough of a handful already.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it,¡± she said with a wink. She pulled me down for another kiss, then sped out of the room. An exasperated looking Serena came next, pulling me in for a slightly deeper kiss than Rhani¡¯s had been. ¡°I told Safina I¡¯d keep an eye on Rhani so she¡¯d get some more sleep, so I better not let her get too far away.¡± I kissed her again. ¡°Careful, she¡¯s a crafty little shit.¡± Serena¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°Oh, trust me, I know. It¡¯s why I¡¯m holding several of her new toys hostage. Trust me, I can handle our little pervert.¡± She gave my hand a squeeze, then she was gone as well. I walked over to where Tiana was dressing at a much more leisurely pace. When I wrapped my arms around her, she sank into me. ¡°Morning, love,¡± she said, giving me a slow,nguid kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve got a job for me? I¡¯m feeling a little useless.¡± ¡°You? Useless? Never.¡± I gave her a squeeze and she sighed softly. Then I had an idea. ¡°Actually, there is something you could do for me.¡± Her turquoise eyes locked on mine eagerly. ¡°Do tell.¡± I opened my mouth, then paused. Would what I was about to ask make her upset? But I¡¯d alreadymitted, so I figured I¡¯d see it out. ¡°Karina and Jayme want to hit up the town. We know one of the other nobles has his sights on her, so I¡¯d feel a lot better if you went with them.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have been worried. Her eyes twinkled and her smile widened. ¡°I can definitely do that.¡± She gave me a quick peck, then pulled away to start donning her clothes with a new purpose. ¡°And I¡¯ll see what I can do about befriending her, too. Help her get morefortable.¡± She winked at me. ¡°See where she stands on you.¡± Before this morning, I would have said I knew that answer already. Now I wasn¡¯t so sure. ¡°I appreciate it. I¡¯ve gotten used to having you all Linked, not knowing if she¡¯s in danger or not has my nerves a little frayed.¡± She grabbed my face in both of her hands and pulled me close to kiss me even deeper than Serena or Rhani had. ¡°You don¡¯t have to justify yourself to me, Zaren. You look at her the way you look at any of us. It¡¯s pretty clear how you feel.¡± I wrapped my arms around her. ¡°In that case, mind exining it to me? I¡¯m still a little lost here.¡± Sheughed brightly, and the spark I saw in her eyes made me want to throw her over my shoulder and toss her back into the pit for an hour or two. ¡°And what would be the fun in that?¡± She pressed a kiss to my nose. ¡°I¡¯ve got them, so you can worry about other stuff for now.¡± I let out a breath I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding. ¡°Thanks. Fuck knows I¡¯ve got quite the list.¡± Tiana hummed. ¡°One thing at a time, Zaren. Sometimes, that¡¯s all we can do, right?¡± It felt like she¡¯d lifted some of the weight off my shoulders with just those words alone. She was right, of course. And I knew I could trust her to watch over Jayme and Karina. In fact, Tiana¡¯s skill set would synergize incredibly well with Jayme¡¯s more defensive style. The more I thought about it, the less worried I became. Now, if only I could find such easy answers to all the other weights on my head. Chapter Ninety: Long Awaited Reunion Chapter Ny: Long Awaited Reunion After a hearty breakfast, I had a quick chat with Valith. After sending her on a brief, easy mission to get a note to Sandrel via the eyes he always had on us, then seeing Karina, Jayme, and Tiana off, I found my way to the library. Serena was still on Rhani duty since Safina was practically hibernating upstairs still. Did dragons hibernate? I didn¡¯t know. Safina was definitely making a case for it, though. Either way, my priestess was the only other person currently inhabiting the library alongside its near-permanent resident. Rhani currently had the ancient, aged tome carefully opened on a stand surrounded by six journals she was alternating between, writing with a quill in either hand. When she looked up and saw me, her face lit up in a way that never failed to warm my chest. ¡°Zaren!¡± she said, recing her quills in their inkwells. She hopped up with a stretch, then skipped over to give me a kiss. ¡°I think I¡¯m making some headway finally. I feel like I¡¯m on the verge of getting the alphabet figured out.¡± ¡°Good to hear. Not overworking yourself, I hope?¡± I asked, raising brow at Serena. Sheughed. ¡°She¡¯s certainly trying. I¡¯ve had to practically force her to take breaks twice already.¡± Rhani rolled her eyes. ¡°They were just nosebleeds, hardly a big deal.¡± I wrapped on arm around her. ¡°Nosebleeds are mildly terrifying when you¡¯re tranting otherworldlynguages, Angel. Let us fuss, will you?¡± She leaned into me. ¡°Fine, fine. You¡¯re here for Ste¡¯s stuff?¡± ¡°Yep. You mentioned she had a n on how to get it to her?¡± Rhani strode over to a table covered in a sheet with an open top crate next to it. ¡°She¡¯s been experimenting with some logic she came up with after examining Nell all night and came up with some autonomous enchanted mice that have been mapping out the tunnels connected to her workshop.¡± With a wide grin, she held up a little clockwork mouse small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. ¡°She found a route to us early this morning.¡± My brows rose. ¡°That¡¯s handy. Even back in the old days we never had a decent map of the underground.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the map she¡¯s worked out so far. Being able to see through Festus¡¯s eyes is has been super handy.¡± I pocketed the folded up slip of paper she gave me. ¡°Elisa already made most of the moving parts for our little project, and I¡¯ve got the runes I think will work inscribed, I just need Ste to actually cast and make the magic pieces. Thanks to her, this project will take days instead of weeks.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Jack needs a win.¡± Lately I¡¯d gotten the impression she¡¯d been struggling. Being around me and the others but not being able to touch any of us was starting to get to her. Serena made a sound of agreement. ¡°She definitely needs a nice long hug.¡± As if to prove her point, she wrapped around my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder. ¡°And a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± ¡°And a good fuck,¡± Rhani added. ¡°Speaking of,¡± she hopped up to sit on the desk and crossed her legs, then waggled her brows at me, ¡°you¡¯ll be spending some time with Ste today.¡± I fought the urge to roll my eyes and started putting the materials Rhani had collected in storage. ¡°I hardly know her, I don¡¯t n on sleeping with her. Especially not as long as she¡¯s basically incarcerated in the basement of a brothel.¡± That earned a huff from her. ¡°You know she slept in your jacketst night? Just your jacket? All snuggled up in it. I wish I could show you the image Festus sent me. It was adorable.¡± Adjusting myself would only prove her point, so I settled for facing away from her while I banished the crate. The part of me that ached to im Ste, to bring her back to my home and ensure she didn¡¯t have to live in fear like she did now, liked that very much. But I only grunted in response. Serena¡¯s fingers trailed down my back. ¡°You like her,¡± she said. More a statement than a question. ¡°But something is bothering you. Do you not trust her?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the issue,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Implying that there is, in fact, an issue,¡± she pointed out. When I looked at her over my shoulder, she had one brow raised triumphantly. ¡°One that¡¯s been bothering you ever since you got back from the Silver Swallow.¡± I sighed, then leaned against the desk Rhani was sitting on, keenly aware of their gazes on me. ¡°It¡¯s not something quite so cut and dry. Honestly, it¡¯s the uncertainty that¡¯s half the problem. I¡¯m not even sure I could put it into words.¡± Serena went back to leaning on my shoulder, her emerald eyes peering up at me through hershes. ¡°You could try,¡± she suggested softly. I took a second to collect my thoughts, trying to find a concise way to exin the worry that had urred to me in Ste¡¯s workshop. ¡°I¡¯m¡­worried. Worried about just how far Allura¡¯s influence goes when ites to the people around me.¡± Rhani frowned. ¡°Does this have something to do with the shimmers?¡± ¡°How could you possibly have figured that out?¡± I asked. She just shrugged. ¡°You didn¡¯t have any problem with Safina, but you¡¯ve been avoiding the twins. In fact, me and Tiana are really the only two shimmer¡¯s you haven¡¯t been avoiding.¡± I dragged my hand down my face. ¡°Fuck, I guess I have been avoiding them, haven¡¯t I?¡± Serena patted my arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ve been too busy sleeping off their heats to really notice. You¡¯ll want to figure this all out sooner thanter, though.¡± I nodded. She was right. They both were. And after beating my head against the wall for two days, I figured getting their input could help. ¡°Allura had a n, but I¡¯m guessing something went sideways and threw that n off the rails considering she¡¯s missing. With the likely connection between the marker and the shimmers, as well as our theory about Allura affecting your sses and skills directly, it only makes since that those of you with shimmers are a part of that n.¡± Unsurprisingly, Serena was the first to understand. ¡°You¡¯re afraid you¡¯re being manipted into liking Ste?¡± I wobbled my head back and forth. ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s more like I¡¯m worried those of you with shimmers are being manipted into having feelings for me.¡± I winced as the words came out, already aware of how Rhani was going to take it. Her back went stiff as a board. ¡°You think I only love you because Allura made me?¡± she demanded, her voice wavering slightly. ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trade you for the world, Angel, and Allura has nothing to do with that. Not now, at least. But,¡± I held a hand up when she opened her mouth to argue, ¡°even you have to admit that we came together a little quickly. Especially on my end. I don¡¯t trust easily, yet you wormed your way in almost immediately.¡± She mped her jaw shut and looked away, and I pressed my advantage. ¡°Plus, with all the research you¡¯ve been doing you can¡¯t tell me story books aren¡¯t chocked full of gods tricking mortals into falling in love. I¡¯m not saying all the rtionships I¡¯ve built are built on a lie, but the fear that they are makes me¡­ hesitant.¡± There was a part of me that hated the understanding in Serena¡¯s eyes. That she¡¯d seen and heard enough about my past to understand exactly why I hated the idea of anyone having their freedom stripped. Thankfully, that part of me was drowned out by how much I appreciated having her to lean on when I needed it. Rhani seemed to understand as well, though not quite to the same extent. She ducked her head. ¡°I guess I can see how you might not want to jump in with both feet then.¡± I crossed my arms, covering Serena¡¯s hand on my bicep with my own. ¡°You¡¯re right. I am drawn to Ste. I¡¯m drawn to her in a way not quite like I¡¯ve been drawn to many of you, but it¡¯s simr. Getting her away from the Swallow is still one of my top priorities, but anything past that¡­¡± I shook my head. ¡°I need to understand these shimmers. What they mean, both for me and for all of you.¡± Rhani hopped off the desk and walked over to one of the shelves she¡¯d filled. ¡°Literature on souls is painfully sparse in this part of the world, but I can start trying to research it.¡± ¡°No, your genius brain is better served working on that tome.¡± I scratched at the scruff building on my chin. ¡°I sent a feeler out. I used to know someone who might be able to help me, I just need Sandrel to track her down. If anyone mortal on this side of the ocean has the answers, it¡¯ll be her.¡± Rhani nodded, more to herself than to me. ¡°Right. Guess I¡¯d better get cracking on this tome, then. I¡¯m so close, I can taste it.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll go to Ste,¡± I said, pulling the folded sheet out. ¡°She¡¯s pretty confident she can have the pieces done by tonight since she¡¯s already started,¡± Rhani said over her shoulder as she knelt down by a small chest next to her workspace and started rummaging around. ¡°If you don¡¯t have any other ns, you might as well hang out with her. She¡¯s pretty lonely, even with Festus around. I know you¡¯re all worried and stuff, but¡ª¡± ¡°Just because I¡¯m not trying to get into her bed doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to know more about her,¡± I said, chuckling as she pulled out a long, oddly shaped object with a red base. I had a feeling I knew exactly where it was going, and I figured I should leave before I was tempted to help her out. ¡°Good,¡± she said, pulling out a jar of what I realized to be lube. ¡°Now shoo, I¡¯ve got things to research and if you don¡¯t leave soon I won¡¯t let you leave at all.¡± Serena rose on her tip toes to kiss me. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of her,¡± she promised. ¡°I love you,¡± she whispered. Those three words seemed to dissolve much of the weight I still felt, both from our conversation and from the circles I¡¯d been thinking in for days. ¡°I love you, too. See you when I get back.¡± She hummed, then turned to walk towards Rhani. As much as I wanted to watch, I really did need to get moving. If Rhani¡¯s n for Jack came even close to working, I wanted to get things moving as quickly as possible. Not being able to touch Jack was almost as hard for me as it seemed to be for her. I was getting dangerously close to just eating the burns and having Serena fix me up after. Now I just had to worry about not getting seduced by an adorable little Elf determined to torture me in the most delicious way possible. # # # It was far too hot for Allie to keep sleeping, despite how early it was. The tent they had was meant for colder weather, and with the sheer number of bodies inside it was like a furnace. Even Nora, who usually preferred to sleep wrapped around her, had rolled away to give them both space to breathe. Her hand still remained on Allie¡¯s hip, though. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up. Rose was still snoring softly, curled up in her bedroll on the opposite side of the tent. The quiet dryad preferred to sleep in the same tent as the rest of them rather than sleeping solo like Kat, but she didn¡¯t like being close enough for anyone to touch her. Not even Therese, as close as they were. The tall tinum blonde was nowhere to be found, but that was no surprise. She often tookst watch since she was often the one to cook breakfast, though Allie would be lying if she wasn¡¯t greatly looking forward to being back in the city where she could wake up next to all of her friends at once. Assuming, of course, Therese and Rose would be interested in getting an apartment with her and Nora. She hoped the answer would be yes considering how close they¡¯d gotten on thest leg of the journey, but there was just enough uncertainty in her gut that she¡¯d postponed asking until thest minute. The absence that did concern her was Vanni¡¯s. Allie had never met a bigger cuddler, and as it turned out four arms made her the cuddling queen. She was also far from a morning person, and was regrly thest one up. Now that she had control of her own schedule for the first time in years, she seemed to be greatly enjoying sleeping in. Yet she¡¯d woken even before Allie. And that was assuming she¡¯d gotten any sleep at all. Being careful not to wake Nora or Rose, Allie threw on a shirt and some loose pants and slipped out of the tent. The sun had only recently risen, the sky still shifting from that early morning orange to early day blue. Therese gave her a nod, then gestured towards the edge of camp where Vanni sat with her knees to her chest, all four arms wrapped around them. Allie couldn¡¯t help but nce towards the city as she approached the Ashra. Amesseria never failed to look breathtaking early in the morning, managing to perfectly hide the corruption and greed that took ce inside its walls. As badly as she wanted to be in a real bed with four walls and no asshole Lord hanging over her head, she would no doubt miss the freedom that came with camping outside the capital¡¯s walls. Kat had been furious when she¡¯d found out her keystone¡¯s had been damaged in the fight. Her stone that would have taken them to the capital was beyond repair, so they¡¯d had to use her next closest one and walk the rest of the way. It had given her time to get to know Vanni outside of Lord Balseron¡¯s estate though, so she wasn¡¯t going toin. She sat in the grass next to Vanni, but didn¡¯t break the silence. After some time, Vanni eventually leaned into her, resting her head on Allie¡¯s shoulder. It was only when she sniffled that Allie realized she was crying. ¡°Vanni?¡± She wrapped an arm around the Ashra, who nestled into her side. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± she said unconvincingly. Allie rubbed one of Vanni¡¯s biceps. ¡°Come on, talk to me. Was it a nightmare?¡± Eventually, Vanni shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleepst night, so no dreams to speak of.¡± She sniffled again, then continued before Allie could push any further. ¡°I know it¡¯s selfish, but I don¡¯t want this to end. I don¡¯t want to get to the city. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid, Allisandre. Of what¡¯s next for me.¡± Allie took one of Vanni¡¯s hands in hers,cing their fingers together. ¡°It can¡¯t be any worse than what you¡¯ve been through, right?¡± Vanni made an unconvinced sound. ¡°In the beginning, back when I hadn¡¯t learned that obedience was the best route, Lord Balseron took me to the Pens in his city. He didn¡¯t leave me there, but he threatened to. They were¡­ gods, they were awful. I¡¯ve never been so frightened in my life. I never disobeyed amand after that, and he said the Pens in the capital were much more impressive.¡± Allie found herself surprised by the notion. She hadn¡¯t even considered that as an option for her friend. ¡°We aren¡¯t letting you go to the Pens, Vanni.¡± Vanni shrugged, which tended to be a full body thing when you had four arms. ¡°I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ll have much say in it. I may be a demi-human, and I may have been a step above a pleasure ve for nearly all of my adult life, but I¡¯m no fool. You and Nora don¡¯t have the status to take servants, and Therese can only take one, which is Rose. Kat, as an active Chosen, cannot have servants either. My fate will be determined by the man who hired you once he¡¯s satisfied his curiosity.¡± Her words made anger surge through Allie. Not just because of the hopelessness in her voice, but because she was right. She¡¯d been so worried about freeing Vanni, then getting her to the capital, that she¡¯d neglected to think about what would happen when they arrived. In all her fantasies, Vanni had been there too. Living with them. Waking up with them. A member of their party. After everything that had happened with Eliya¡¯s memories, she hadn¡¯t bothered to think any deeper than that. She¡¯d just enjoyed being sane with her friends. Her family. But now¡­ ¡°We won¡¯t let things go that far,¡± Allie started to say. Vanni just shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go,¡± she whispered. ¡°I want to stay with all of you. Nobody¡¯s ever treated me like you all have.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t have to end. You don¡¯t have to go anywhere, we can find some way to stay together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it since the moment you freed me from him. I¡¯ll forever be grateful for what you¡¯ve done, but it¡¯ll only ever be a dream. I¡¯m too unique. Too rare. Whatever you do, someone horrible will eventually get ahold of me.¡± Allie could only wrap her arm tighter around Vanni¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Not if I have anything to say about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just the thing, though,¡± Vanni said with a humorlessugh. ¡°I know if you had the power to protect me, you would. But you don¡¯t. Anyone as kind as you never will.¡± Allie tucked Vanni¡¯s hair behind her ears. ¡°Come on, why don¡¯t you eat something and we can all talk this over as a group, yeah? Maybe one of the others has an idea.¡± Vanni finally tore her gaze from where the sunrise would have been a while ago, and Allie¡¯s gut wrenched at the film of tears still in them. ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t hurt, right?¡± Allie took a second to wipe the tears away. Without whites, it was hard to tell Vanni had even been crying past a slight puffiness around her eyes. Allie stood, pulling Vanni to her feet with both hands. ¡°Vanni, I don¡¯t care what I have to do, I¡¯m not going to just abandon you to this shit system, alright? We¡¯ll figure this out.¡± Vanni sniffled, then nodded and allowed Allie to lead her back towards the fire where Therese was finishing up breakfast with Rose nearby, stifling a yawn. Kat was already out, sharpening one of her many des, and Nora was just pushing her way out of their tent with a grimace. Her eyes immediately sought Allie out and her expression softened, though there was curiosity in her gaze when she looked at Vanni. Vanni still stood hunched, her fingers tight around Allie¡¯s hand like she was afraid to let go. There was an excitement to the air as everyone grabbed food and sat around the fire, but it was hampered by they weight of whatever unspoken thing was bothering Vanni. Eating with only one hand was tricky, but Allie wasn¡¯t going to pull away from her friend when she so clearly needed the contact. Vanni, thanks to her extra limbs, didn¡¯t have that issue. Finally, everyone ate enough that Allie felt it was time to broach the subject. ¡°So, we need toe up with a n. We can hardly just hand Vanni over to Be and walk away, right?¡± Therese and Nora exchanged a nce, and Allie realized they were already a step ahead of her. From their expressions, they¡¯d alreadye at this problem and gotten nowhere. Therese sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what there is to do. Rose is the only servant I can have, and I won¡¯t give her up. It¡¯ll be months before any of us three of us manage to promote enough to take Vanni on, and that¡¯s being generous.¡± Nora nodded. ¡°We can get started as soon as we get back, but like Therese said, we¡¯re looking at it being months before we could possibly take her under one of us. And a lot can go wrong in that amount of time.¡± Considering Allie hadn¡¯t known any of them for that long, she couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°So what other options do we have, then?¡± Therese shook her head. ¡°Not many. Maybe even none. I can ask around, see if any of my contacts have room for a servant, but Vanni is unique. I don¡¯t know anyone with the power or capital to hold on to her if someone high up in the system decides they want her.¡± Nora huffed. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone like that, so I¡¯m no help either. Nobody in what¡¯s left of my family is well off enough for servants.¡± With every word, Vanni¡¯s grip grew tighter and tighter on Allie¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said softly. ¡°I understand. This is just the way things are. At least I¡¯ll have the memory of thest few days. And who knows? Maybe you¡¯ll promote in a few months and be able to find me again.¡± Her tone belied how little she believed her own words. Allie was just searching desperately for something to say, for whatever reassurance she could think of, when Kat cleared her throat. ¡°Actually, I might know a guy.¡± The hand wrapped around hers tightened to the point where Allie could no longer feel her fingertips. ¡°Really?¡± she asked, a little skeptically. Typically those who were in the circles of Chosen weren¡¯t often the best of people. Kat rubbed the back of her neck like she knew exactly what was going through Allie¡¯s mind. ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s nothing like¡­well, anyone, really. He¡¯s got a shitload of money, a big fancy manor in the lower quarter, and a small army of demi-humans under his Patronage that all seem to like him.¡± ¡°You think Be would be okay with him purchasing her?¡± Therese asked skeptically. Kat looked uncertain for a second, then something urred to her. ¡°Technically speaking, he already has. He was the one who gave me the shit to buy her off Lord Ballsack. He did it as a favor, but if he agrees we could always say we were just the middlemen. That we purchased her on his behalf. That would technically satisfy Be¡¯s requirements.¡± Vanni wrapped a second hand around Allie¡¯s, her eyes wide with hope. Allie squeezed her hand back. ¡°Can we trust him with her? With her being an Ashra and all?¡± Kat just shrugged, pulling out another of her des and beginning to polish it. ¡°Can¡¯t see how that would be an issue. He¡¯s already got another of the Eldritch races as his servant. A cute-as-shit girl with ck wings and coloring like yours. Called a Mchai, apparently. He takes good care of her, and she fucking adores him.¡± At this, Vanni sat up stiff as a board. ¡°There are more¡­ like me?¡± ¡°Close,¡± Kat said with a nod. ¡°We think you¡¯re rted to the Ashai¡ªthe six-legged Eldritch monstrosity¡ªand that she¡¯s descended from Maleks. Which is super fucked if you ask me, but¡­¡± she let the thought hang. Therese stood and started pacing. ¡°That could certainly work if you¡¯re willing to vouch for his character, but I was unaware of any powerful lords in the lower quarter. He must be powerful if he¡¯s gone under the radar for so long.¡± Kat just waved a hand. ¡°Nah, he only just got to the capital. Been abroad for a while apparently. But if you¡¯re looking for somewhere safe to stash Vanni, it doesn¡¯t get much safer than Zaren¡¯s. Asshole has that ce warded like a fucking vault.¡± The bottom dropped out of Allie¡¯s stomach. Distantly, she was aware of her mostly empty bowl hitting the ground, but she felt like she¡¯d been dunked underwater. Ice shot up her spine, and she found herself unable to remember how to breathe, much less talk. Thankfully, Nora jumped in for her. ¡°Zaren? That¡¯s his name?¡± Kat, oblivious to the sudden shift in the mood around the fire, just nodded. ¡°Yeah. Intense guy when he¡¯s pissed, but he fuckin¡¯ melts around those girls of his.¡± Allie felt like she was trapped in a whirlpool. She had a thousand questions, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how to ask any of them. Thankfully, Therese asked the question that she burned to ask the most in spite of everything. ¡°Girls?¡± Kat snorted. ¡°Yeah, girls. He¡¯s got a whole harem of beautiful women that look at him like he hung the moon. Human and demi-human.¡± Then she shot an awkward nce at Vanni. ¡°Er, not that he forces them or anything. Trust me, he nearly put me in the dirt when I so much as implied otherwise.¡± Which is exactly how her Zaren would have reacted. Finally, almost painfully, she managed to find her voice. ¡°What-what does he look like?¡± Kat frowned, then stood. ¡°Hang on, I think I¡¯ve got a¡­¡± she started rooting around in her bag, then pulled out one of the books she liked to draw in. One that she only ever openedte at night when she thought nobody else was paying attention. She flipped through until she found the page she was looking for. ¡°Aha! Found it.¡± Therese and Nora both looked at it over her shoulder. Therese paled, and Nora frowned. ¡°Is he always that scary looking?¡± she asked. Kat only chuckled. ¡°Not at all. Don¡¯t think too badly of him, I definitely deserved to be put in my ce just a little. Besides, he does not like Chosen. Or gods.¡± Then she flipped the book around and held it out to Allie. She took it with trembling fingers. After herment about Chosen, she already knew what she¡¯d see. Zaren. Her Zaren. There was no color to the sketch, but the detail was so perfect she could almost fill in the gaps. His brows were drawn in anger, his jaw set and his bodynguage radiating danger. His lips were thinned in an expression that could have been pulled straight out of her memories. Behind him was a cloud of ckness that looked like hands reaching towards her, right off the page with how well Kat had drawn him. His hair was a bit longer than she ever remembered it being, and he wasn¡¯t nearly asnky, but it was undoubtedly him. The longer she looked at the drawing, the more she swore she could see the blue in his eyes, dark with rage. To say she¡¯d pissed him off was an understatement. He looked angry to be sure, but only someone who knew him as well as she did would see the darkness that had always existed in him and how dangerously close to the surface it was. It was him. It was really, really him. Only with one problem. ¡°You drew this?¡± Allie asked. She slipped her hand from Vanni¡¯s grasp to touch her fingertips to the page, afraid of so much as smudging the charcoal. ¡°Ah, yeah. It¡¯s kind of a hobby of mine,¡± Kat said, her cheeks turning pink. ¡°You saw him? Like this?¡± she asked, her voice much breathier than she would have liked. ¡°This is what he looked like? Exactly what he looked like?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯s as close as I was able to get.¡± ¡°How long ago was it?¡± Kat thought it over for a second. ¡°A month and a half, maybe? He looks a bit better now. Less gaunt, I guess. More color to his skin. Definitely quicker with a smile.¡± With a shuddering breath, she forced herself to relinquish the drawing to Vanni. Some of the color drained from her dark gray skin. ¡°He looks terrifying.¡± ¡°Like I said,¡± Kat said abashedly, ¡°I¡¯d pissed him off. Said some pretty fucked up things. He¡¯s not normally like that, promise.¡± Vanni looked to Allie, chewing on the inside of her cheek. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s better than any alternative,¡± Allie said, her voice much steadier than she felt. ¡°At the very least, we could go and talk to him.¡± If it really was her Zaren, then there was nobody in this world she trusted more. She didn¡¯t say that out loud though, it was just too insane. Kat, though, rxed. ¡°Fuck yeah, we can go straight to him. We¡¯re lucky, we¡¯ll be using the gate closest to his manor.¡± Allie nodded, then stood and brushed herself off, trying to ignore the feeling of every nerve in her body being set alight. ¡°Guess we should pack up camp, then.¡± ¡°Allie,¡± Therese said, shooting her a concerned nce. Allie shook her head. She couldn¡¯t talk about it. Not right now. If she said aloud how certain she was it was her Zaren in that drawing and she turned out to be wrong, it might brake her. And if she turned out to be right? Well, she had no fucking clue what she¡¯d do in that instance. By the end, however it hade about, she¡¯d undoubtedly been in love with him. But her feelings for Nora and Therese rivaled those feelings. She could even see herself falling for Vanni in the future, even if they were only friends at this point. It was all too much right now. She smiled, hoping it didn¡¯t look as forced as it felt. ¡°Come on, the sooner we pack, the sooner we get there.¡± Both Nora and Therese continually shot her looks out of the corners of their eyes while they broke down camp in record time. All too soon they were on the move again. They walked in silence for the most part, since Allie was incapable of having anything but the lightest of conversations. She felt torn between her halves for the first time sine Vanni had managed to help meld them. On one hand, she wanted to run to him. To Zaren. She wanted to say all the things she¡¯d been too afraid to say when they were both under Karn¡¯s thumb. She wanted to be able to hold him, to be with him without fear of their owner punishing them. Without having to worry about what he might do if he found out just how much they meant to one another. A thrill raced through her that, somehow, they¡¯d both been given a second chance. But as excited as she was, she was also terrified. What did this mean for Allie? Did she want Zaren? And if she did, how did her girlfriend fit into things? Or Therese, who was rapidly bing just as important to her as Nora? Was Allie damned to be swept up in Eliya¡¯s wants? Or was Eliya damned to be held back by Allie¡¯s reservations? Forced to watch the man she loved from the outside because the woman who shared her body already had her happiness? It was too much. There were too many ways for it all to go wrong. So many paths that led to her, Eliya, or both of them being miserable. She went back and forth, thinking so hard in never ending circles that he hardly noticed them breeze right through security. With Kat leading the way, they didn¡¯t even ask to look under the hood pulled low over Vanni¡¯s head and wrapped tightly around her to hide her extra arms. As soon as they hit the lower quarter, she felt like she lost control of her legs. They carried her deeper into the city, past buildings that seemed to alternate between being run down and dpidated and freshly renovated. Following a tug just beneath her sternum that seemed to grow more painful with every step while also easing a tension she hadn¡¯t realized had been there for her entire life. Much too quickly, the manor loomed over them. It was¡­ a bit disappointing. It looked to be in worse shape than several of the other mansions they¡¯d passed on the road, but in thete afternoon light she could see light in several of the windows. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Kat said, reading their expressions, ¡°it¡¯s a lot nicer on the inside.¡± A blonde High Elf answered the door when they knocked. ¡°Yes, can I help you?¡± she asked politely. Kat stepped forward. ¡°Zaren in?¡± Her eyes flicked over their group, but she kept her expression neutral. ¡°He is currently out, but is expected to return soon. Can I take a message?¡± Kat frowned. ¡°What about Noelle? Or Serena or Rhani? Can you tell them that Kat¡¯s here and needs to talk to the big guy?¡± Some of the tension in her face loosened. ¡°Of course. Wait here, please.¡± The door closed, and Allie¡¯s nerves ratcheted to a whole new level. Was this it? Was this Zaren¡¯s home? Was this where her journey was always meant to lead her? It felt like an eternity before the door opened again. It was the Elf once more, but this time she opened it fully. ¡°Please,e in.¡± Allie couldn¡¯t help but nce at the Elf, who was clearly one of Zaren¡¯s servants. She wore a cor with the sigil given to his house after the war hanging in the hollow of her throat. Her uniform was clearly that of a maid¡¯s, but it was nowhere near as racy as some of the ones she¡¯d seen in her time. She looked the Elf over closely, searching for any sign of abuse or unhappiness, but the woman was smiling brightly. Her skin glowed with health, and there wasn¡¯t so much as a mark on her. Satisfied, Allie turned her gaze to the rest of the entry hall. Kat had been right, it was much better on the inside. Warm crystals lit the room,fortable looking furniture beckoned, and the warmth inside was much cozier than the sticky heat outside. There was no art and very little decoration, which was such a far cry from the gilded opulence of Lord Balseron¡¯s manor that she nearlyughed. There was definitely a sense of wealth to the house, but only in the quality of the materials surrounding her. It was understated, but it was there. ¡°My name is Elena,¡± she said with a curtsy. ¡°It isn¡¯t quite dinner, but there¡¯s always food being prepared with how many workers have been going in and out due to renovations. You¡¯re wee to wait in the dining room until Lord Nocht¡¯s return. If you¡¯d follow me.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Allie¡¯s stomach grumbled that she realized how hungry she was. With how quickly the day had slipped through her fingers, she felt like she¡¯d just eaten. Before they could make it all the way to the dining room, however, they were stopped by one of the strangest sights she¡¯d seen. The woman who exited the room was massive. A muscr blue Half-dragon that dwarfed even Nora ducked into the hallway with another girl on her shoulders. She was so much smaller it wasical, but it was herplexion that caught Allie¡¯s eye. Bright scarlet hair and eyes to match and dark gray skin with a slight bluish hue to it made the girl look like she could have been Vanni¡¯s sister, though instead of a second set of arms the girl had a pair of small, scraggly, ck-feathered wings. ¡°Kat!¡± the winged girl said, her face betraying just a hint of emotion. She hopped nimbly off the Half-dragon¡¯s shoulders, spreading her small wings out on the way down even though they couldn¡¯t have been big enough to even slow her descent. ¡°Hey, squirt!¡± Kat said, chuckling as the little one threw her arms around Kat¡¯s waist. ¡°You¡¯re looking better and better each time. She looked over her shoulder, patting the redhead¡¯s hair. ¡°This is Noelle, the Mchai I was telling you about.¡± She pulled away, looking at the rest of Allie¡¯s party. ¡°Hello, my name is Noelle. This is Safina,¡± she said, gesturing to the Half-dragon who was ring at them all as if daring them to make a move. Kat introduced them all one by one, hesitating a little when she got to Vanni. ¡°Vanni here is a bit special, and why we¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Why the hood?¡± Safina asked, crossing her arms. ¡°Got something to hide?¡± Allie swallowed past the lump in her throat and stepped in front of Vanni. ¡°Yes, actually, but that¡¯s something we¡¯d like to discuss with the lord of the manor, if¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Vanni said softly, cing a hand on Allie¡¯s shoulder. Keeping her lower arms wrapped tightly around her torso, Vanni stepped forward and, after only a moment¡¯s hesitation, lowered her hood. Safina¡¯s nostrils red, and Noelle¡¯s pupils turned to slits. The smaller girl stared at Vanni, and Vanni stared back, neither of them blinking. Everyone froze as the weight of the interaction became clear. There was something behind the way they were looking at one another that Allie didn¡¯t quiteprehend. Not until Noelle made the first move, at least. She took a step forward and snarled, baring long sharp canines, tense and ready to attack. Immediately, Vanni stepped back and lowered her gaze to the floor. As soon as they broke eye contact, Noelle calmed. She straightened, her pupils widening, and tilted her head to the side. Allie wasn¡¯t the only one holding her breath as she approached Vanni, then started walking around her in a circle. Then she made a distressed noise that had a growl building in Safina¡¯s throat. ¡°Your wings!¡± Noelle cried, pressing a palm to Vanni¡¯s shoulder des. Vanni just blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t have wings,¡± she said, her brow furrowed. Noelle made another distressed sound. ¡°They took them? Like¡­¡± She trailed off, but suddenly Allie knew why her wings were so small and scraggly. They¡¯d been taken from her. But Vanni just turned, shaking her head. ¡°I never had any. I¡¯m a little different,¡± she said, lifting her lower arms and using them to part the cloak wrapped around her. In all honesty, other than their skin and their eyes, they couldn¡¯t be more different. Even ignoring the wings versus the extra arms, where Noelle was small and petite, Vanni was tall and curvy. Noelle had hair the color of blood while Vanni¡¯s hair was a more lc color. But there was something about them, some kind of feral edge to the way they moved and talked, that was eerily simr. That made Noelle rx instantly. ¡°Good. Come,¡± she grabbed one of Vanni¡¯s lower arms and started to drag her deeper into the mansion. ¡°H-hang on!¡± Allie said, rushing to follow. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Safina said, nowpletely rxed, falling into step behind them. ¡°Vanni¡¯s pack now.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°I think.¡± ¡°Pack?¡± Therese asked. Safina nodded. ¡°Me, Noelle, and a few others, we¡¯ve got real strong instincts from our non-human sides. Innate needs for hierarchy. That stare off was a bid for dominance. Vanni dropped her eyes first, which means Noelle is still in charge. She¡¯s the unofficial alpha of our little group.¡± Kat made a choking noise. ¡°Not Zaren?¡± Safinaughed. ¡°Zaren¡¯s human, so he¡¯s not really pack, though he belongs to us. Er, ording to our instincts, I mean. It¡¯splicated. We¡¯re working on it.¡± Nora gave the Half-dragon an appraising look. ¡°And you¡¯re not the alpha?¡± Safina shot her a wide grin. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t bother asking if you¡¯d ever seen Noelle with a battleaxe.¡± Noelle dragged Vanni¡ªwith the rest of the group following¡ªinto a library with mostly empty shelves. In it an Arelim and a blonde human woman sat at a desk covered in books. The blonde¡¯s head whipped towards us and she immediately whispered something to the Arelim that had her scurrying to do something blocked by the chair she sat in, then the blonde rose to stand between the Arelim and the rest of the room. ¡°Serena¡¯s the human, Rhani the Arelim,¡± Safina supplied. Up close, Serena was utterly gorgeous. Her long blonde hair practically glowed and her eyes were like emeralds. She wore a sleeveless top that revealed a figure that rivaled Vanni¡¯s and muscled arms with a vibrant, beautiful tattoo of flowered vines twining up her left arm. With a painful start, Allie realized that tug in her gut was pulling her right to the woman. Noelle pulled Vanni right up to Serena, holding out the arm she was still holding on to. ¡°Look!¡± she eximed. Vanni waved awkwardly. ¡°Um, hi?¡± Serena shed a brilliant smile that was immenselyforting. Everyone in the room rxed a fraction, and it took Allie a second to figure out why. A soft radiance poured from the woman, so gentle that Allie hardly even noticed it. She was god touched to be sure, but her magic wasn¡¯t nearly as invasive or as in your face as the divine magics Allie hade across. ¡°Hello, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Serena, priestess of Allura.¡± ¡°The sex goddess?¡± Therese asked under her breath. If Serena noticed, she didn¡¯t react. ¡°Holy fucking shit you have four arms,¡± the Arelim said, lifting the edge of Vanni¡¯s robe. ¡°That is so cool. Kat mentioned you were an Ashai?¡± Vanni nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what my interface tells me.¡± Kat cleared her throat. ¡°She¡¯s why we¡¯re here. I need to talk to Zaren.¡± Serena¡¯s brow arched. ¡°As his partner and his second, I¡¯m happy to hear you out.¡± Kat shifted from foot to foot, clearly ufortable, so Allie stepped forward and wrapped an arm around Vanni¡¯s front. She immediately leaned into Allie with a small sigh of relief, which made Noelle turn her intense gaze on Allie. ¡°Vanni is important to us, but we don¡¯t have any way to keep her safe from anyone who would be able to abuse the ords to hurt her. Kat seems to think Zaren would be willing to provide her with a safe haven to call home that isn¡¯t the Pens. ¡°Of course!¡± Rhani said immediately. ¡°A friend of a friend of Kat¡¯s might as well be our friend, right Noelle?¡± Noelle looked from Vanni to Kat to Allie. ¡°They are all friends,¡± she said with a nod, as if that settled everything. Serena smiled so warmly it made Allie¡¯s gut clench. ¡°Elena,¡± she said to the Elf Allie hadn¡¯t even realized had been following them, ¡°will you fetch Cynthia please?¡± Elena left with a bow and Serena turned to the rest of the group. ¡°Zaren should be back shortly, but I know he¡¯ll be more than happy to take Vanni in. You won¡¯t have to worry about her.¡± ¡°And will we be allowed to¡­ visit?¡± Therese asked, keeping a silent Rose close to her. Her question seemed to take Serena by surprise. ¡°Visit? That won¡¯t be necessary. Zaren gives as much freedom as he possibly can to his servants. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll advice caution, since Vanni¡¯s appearance will put her at risk, but she¡¯s no prisoner. This manor is the safest ce for her, but if you really wanted to have her stay with you I doubt he¡¯d stand in your way.¡± Therese looked as surprised as Allie felt. ¡°He really just lets his servants do whatever they want?¡± ¡°Not quite. In exchange for the protection thates with the cor, he does ask for certain things. No intentionally getting into trouble or putting House Nocht under undue scrutiny, avoiding doing things that openly endanger you or other members of the household, as well as working.¡± Nora scoffed. ¡°Protection? And they have to work for it?¡± Serena turned that damn weaponized smile on her and Nora looked away. ¡°The work is for pay, and a rather generous pay at that. He refuses to allow anyone under his household to contribute without being properlypensated. And yes, protection. Especially in Vanni¡¯s case. If something were to happen to her, then he has a lot more power to help if she¡¯s wearing his sigil.¡± ¡°So we could see her whenever, then?¡± Allie couldn¡¯t help but ask, tightening her grip on her friend. Serena inclined her head. ¡°We¡¯d appreciate keeping the midnight arrivals to a minimum, but more or less.¡± Therese shot Allie a thoughtful nce. ¡°We could try to find a ce in the lower quarter, I guess. It would certainly be cheap, and with three adventurers we could definitely afford it.¡± ¡°Oh, oh!¡± Rhani said, jumping up from where she¡¯d been writing a moment ago. ¡°What if they became the first adventurers of House Nocht? Then they could literally live down the road!¡± ¡°In-house adventurers?¡± Therese said thoughtfully. ¡°Depending on the contract, that could be doable.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find Tiana!¡± Rhani said. She turned back towards them. ¡°You¡¯ll love Tiana, mainly because everyone loves Tiana, but she¡¯s in charge of the adventurer stuff.¡± Allie¡¯s stomach picked that moment to growl, which drew Serena¡¯s eye. That tug yanked in her chest, making her wince. Serena¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly and her head tilted, almost like she felt the pull as well. But the look was gone as quickly as it appeared. ¡°Come,¡± she said, ¡°this is a discussion much better had over food. I know the look of adventurers fresh off the road. If you¡¯d like, once we nail things down, we also have some rather nice bathing facilities you¡¯re more than wee to take advantage of.¡± She led the entourage back towards the dining room with another smile at Allie, who kept her arm wrapped around Vanni¡¯s waist while Noelle clung to one of Vanni¡¯s hands. On the way there they were joined by a woman with dark blond hair and eyes like steel, both in color and in the harness of her gaze, followed closely by a curly haired guy struggling to carry a stack of papers and bound books. She introduced herself as Cynthia, then put her head together with Serena and started talking in hushed tones. When they finally, mercifully, made it to the dining room, there were already a host of people inside. The majority of them were demi-humans, and the energy in the room immediately made Allie feel better. For the most part, there were smiles and warm conversations all around the tables packed with women and a few men sprinkled here and there, next to none of them human. They all seemed so happy, none of them showing even the slightest sign that this would be a bad ce for Vanni. Her eyes were drawn to a curvaceous auburn haired woman that made Serena and Vanni look petite. She saw theming and stood from where she talked to a human girl and a Seelie, excusing herself and heading towards them. ¡°Who are your new friends?¡± she asked. In short order, Serena introduced them and exined the situation. They took their seats and servants brought out tes of decadent looking food and set it in front of them. They ate while they discussed the¡ªfrankly, too good to be true¡ªterms of the in-house adventurer contracts. Allie filled her stomach with some of the best food she¡¯d ever had and the tes disappeared. They talked for well over an hour, hashing out the specifics not only of what the contract with house Nocht would look like, but what Vanni¡¯s role in the household might look like as well. And throughout the discussion, Allie caught Serena stealing nces at her, her eyes narrowed as if trying to recall if they¡¯d ever met before. Allie was reasonably certain they hadn¡¯t, either as Allie or as Eliya, though Rhani did feel oddly familiar to her. By the time they were finished, most of the room had emptied out. The sun was setting, and the only ones left in the room were Allie¡¯s group, Serena, Tiana, Rhani, Noelle, and Safina. It was just as Allie was starting to fight away yawns that a feeling like electricity raced through her. She shot up in her seat, earning her a few odd looks, already turning towards the door before it opened. Then he walked in. Zaren. Allie felt torn between weeping, running, and throwing herself into his arms. She waited for him to notice her, to see that she¡¯d actually, against all odds, found her way back to him. But his eye was drawn to the others. To Serena. Rhani. Tiana. Noelle. Even Safina. All in less than a second, but they were where his eye went first. Then his gaze traveled over the neers, though Allie was certain it lingered on her a hair longer than anyone else. He looked good. No, fuck that. He looked fantastic. Kat had been right. He had more color in his skin than at any point when she¡¯d known him. His cheeks were filled out, his body was covered in a thick, deliciousyer of muscle, and he walked with a smooth confidence that made tears spring to her eyes. Those beautiful sapphire eyes held so much life, so much fire in them. He was so far from the anxious, gangly, overthinking kid she¡¯d once known, even if he barely looked any older than thest time she''d seen him. And it was wonderful. ¡°Wee,¡± he said, his voice deep and smooth. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a basic rundown of what¡¯s happening, and I¡¯m more than happy to take Miss Vanni on.¡± He walked around the table, no doubt heading to what must have been several members of his harem, but Allie had lost control of her body. She stood when he drew even with her and he stopped, turning his attention to her with his brow furrowed. She was partly annoyed and partly grateful when his gaze didn¡¯t rake over her body, never once leaving her face. This close, through both Allisandre¡¯s eyes and Eliya¡¯s, she could feel the power in the way he moved. That he could be a threat in a second if he felt the need. But she wasn¡¯t scared. Not of him. Never of him. She opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat. How did she tell him the truth? What could she possibly say to convince him that Eliya lived on within her? That she was as much Eliya as she was Allie at this point? But even that n went out the window when he turned towards her fully, confusion in his gaze. Of course he didn¡¯t recognize her. Eliya had been short and squat, scarred beyond recognition. Her dull brown hair and eyes hadn¡¯t been anything of note. She didn¡¯t have the boobs or the ass to catch anyone¡¯s eye. Eliya was such a far cry from Allie¡¯s sleek ck hair, vivid violet eyes, and stunning figure that he¡¯d never in a million years connect the two of them. All too suddenly, she felt that she had an impossible task in front of her. There was no way she¡¯d ever convince him. That he¡¯d recognize¡ª ¡°Have we¡­¡± he started, tilting his head, ¡°met before?¡± Those words broke her. She was vaguely aware of a tear trailing down her cheek, but he didn¡¯t even have time to process that before she was moving. Rising up, capturing his face between her hands, then pressing her lips to his. It was a chaste kiss, all things considered, but it set her on fire. She was only used to intimacy with women, so the hard nes of his chest and the scratch of his thin beard were apletely new experience to her. He didn¡¯t really kiss her back, stiff and surprised, but she didn¡¯t care. She¡¯d found him. Defying all expectation, she¡¯d found him. ¡°Uh,¡± he said as she pulled back, ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡ª¡± ¡°I love you,¡± she said, loud enough for only him to hear, touching her fingertips to the throat she¡¯d never seen without a cor. ¡°I love you, and I¡¯ve been waiting a long, long time to say it Zaren. I couldn¡¯t before, but there¡¯s nothing stopping me now.¡± His utter confusion faltered a moment, then his deep blue eyes seemed to glow. Piercing through her. Seeing her in a way nobody but him every had. She felt exposed, as if he was peeling backyer afteryer until he could see the truth she couldn¡¯t find a way to put into words. His eyes fixed on her chest, but not as if he was staring at her breasts. She felt something brush up against the very core of her being, still raw and sensitive after being attacked by the man with his ss knife, and gasped. She wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d been expecting. Happiness and tion in the best case, of course, but that wasn¡¯t what happened. His confusion shattered into an expression she knew all too well. One he wore when he¡¯d understood something he wished he hadn¡¯t. The same look that came whenever he puzzled out another of Karn¡¯s schemes. Something dawned on him, and he flinched as if he¡¯d been struck. He staggered away from her, his hand barely managing to grab hold of the chair she¡¯d been sitting in a moment ago. This time when he looked at her, there was far too much emotion in his eyes. When he whispered a single word, his voice ragged, her knees nearly gave out underneath her. ¡°Eliya?¡± Chapter Ninety-One: Revelations and Implications Chapter Ny-One: Revtions and Implications I ignored the sharp intakes of breath around the table. It was impossible. Every natural sense I owned told me that much. The girl in front of me was nothing like Eliya. She didn¡¯t have the right build. The right hair. The right eyes. Even the color of her skin was lighter than Eliya¡¯s had been, and we¡¯d never seen the sun long enough to get anything resembling a tan. She didn¡¯t have Eliya¡¯s scars. Her voice wasn¡¯t ragged and torn from the torture she¡¯d endured. Physically, there was nothing to even suggest a distant rtion, much less that it was her that stood in front of me. And yet¡­ The second I¡¯d looked at her soul¡ªbecause how could I not?¡ªthe pieces fell into ce. I felt like someone had just taken a warhammer to my sr plexus. Her soul was unlike any I¡¯d seen before. Part of it was reasonably normal. It told a tale of loneliness and determination. Of loss and even hopelessness, with emotional wounds that were very freshly healed. The other part of her soul, separated by a clean divide, told me everything I needed to know. Deep, ragged scars caused by both physical and emotional pain. It was a soul that had endured a lifetime of abuse. Of suffering. Yet, at its core, a bruised and battered me of hope that refused to be snuffed out. Except that clean divide was damaged. A section where it looked like a serrated de had been dragged violently across the surface of this split soul, rending that divide and causing the two souls to bleed into one another like a popped egg yolk. The two souls swirled and mixed, violently in some ces, but peacefully in others. Like they were finally beginning to settle. And wrapped around the scarred half of the soul? A shimmer. A cloak meant to mimic the other half of the soul. To hide that devastated half from anyone like me who would take a look. A near-perfect copy, but there was no hiding what was underneath. A pull. A tug. Her soul gently calling to mine just as mine called in return. Not hard enough for me to detect it while it was hidden by the shimmer, but enough so that some of it bled through the mirage that hid its secret. A secret that had been staring me in the face the entire time. One so painfully obvious in hindsight that I wanted to put my head through the nearest wall for being such an idiot. For being so ridiculously in denial. But I couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. If I was wrong and I acted on my theory, then I could make things exponentially worse. I had to be sure. And, luckily for me, I¡¯d already set the pieces in motion to test the theory that had just backhanded me across the face. First, I needed more information. I closed my eyes, centering myself. I¡¯d survived Karn. I¡¯d fought in a godsdamned war for fuck¡¯s sake. I could hold it together for a little longer. I could feel her eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. I didn¡¯t know what she expected from me, but I had a feeling this wasn¡¯t it. With slow, deliberate motions, I pulled out a chair and sank into it. Every eye in the room was on me, which was understandable considering aplete stranger had just nted one on me. My girls were looking at me with expressions that ranged from shock to amusement (thanks Rhani for always being consistent). The neers with a level of hostility and concern that told me they cared greatly about the girl who¡¯d just kissed me. And Kat, who was confused as fuck. Sitting down was good. I no longer felt like I was going to pass out. The girl looked at me, holding her breath, looking torn between breaking out into tears and grabbing me for a second round. One of her friends, a tall, wispy tinum blond with pale eyes and concern etched into her expression, grabbed her hand. ¡°Allie?¡± she said softly. Allie threaded her fingers through the blonde¡¯s and, looking as unsteady as I felt, sank into her chair as well without taking her eyes off me. There was simultaneously too much space between us and not nearly enough. Taking a deep, wavering breath, I put my war face on. ¡°How?¡± was all I asked. The manner in which she answered would tell me a lot. Her bottom lip trembled. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted. Then the words started tumbling out. She told me about the man with the crystal knife. About the episodes. About Kat¡¯s magic sending her spiraling. She told me about her dreams, about how things started to get worse and worse until she started losing track of who she was. About Vanni, the Ashra, helping her reconcile the two warring halves. To rx them both enough that they stopped fighting one another and finally began to coexist. By the time she finished, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I had to fight the impulse to wrap her in my arms, d when the muscr woman with scarred forearms put a heavy hand on Allie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I know it sounds insane and you probably don¡¯t believe me, but¡ª¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± I said softly. And I did. The way she spoke, the way she told her story, was all Eliya. I could tell exactly where she¡¯d omitted things. I could tell when she omitted something because it embarrassed her to tell me and when she was trying to protect me from the harsher truths. I could spot her tells with ease. The honesty in her eyes was painfully familiar, and it took a second to find the air to speak. ¡°How much do you remember? Of Eliya¡¯s life, I mean,¡± I asked. She shrugged. ¡°About as much as I remember of my own. Early years are pretty blurry, and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s plenty of space between moments not worth remembering. I remember the good, though, and I remember the bad. I remember everything important.¡± ¡°How do you remember it? Like information, or¡­?¡± Allie shook her head, angrily wiping away some moisture that slipped free of her eye. ¡°No. I remember it all. How I felt. What I was thinking. Every touch, smell, taste, sound. All of it. Like I lived it.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± I asked again. Her eyes cut away. She knew what I was asking. ¡°Everything but the end.¡± Relief and pain fought a battle for space in my chest. On one hand, if she didn¡¯t remember, it couldn¡¯t hurt her. On the other, a part of me wished she did if only to get it over with. I let out a breath. ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry you had to go through this. I¡¯m d you had friends to go through it with.¡± Her brows knit together. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± My chest clenched. She said my name the same way Eliya used to. Resignation, but with the faintest spark of hope. The one word was filled with expectations and emotions I wasn¡¯t ready to deal with. She reached for me with her free hand, but I stood and stepped out of her reach. Hurt flitted across her face, but it had to be this way. At least until I knew more. Until she knew more. ¡°You know what happened to me, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I know someone who might.¡± She stood as well. ¡°Then let¡¯s go see them.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No. I¡¯ll be going alone. You and your friends are exhausted from travel.¡± Before she could protest, I turned my attention to Cynthia. ¡°Officially admit Vanni to the household as soon as you can, I don¡¯t want to bank on her getting into the city unnoticed. The sooner I can offer her my full protection, the better.¡± She nodded and I turned back to Allie. ¡°Make yourselves at home. What¡¯s mine is yours. I¡¯lle find you when I have more information about your situation.¡± ¡°Zaren, hang on,¡± Allie said, reaching for me. My body moved on its own, stepping away from her. I tried my hardest not to make it look like a flinch, but I failed miserably. The hurt returned to her expression and it absolutely gutted me, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I didn¡¯t know what to say to make any of this better. If it could be made better. I needed to figure this out first, then go from there. It was the best I could do for her right now. I turned on my heel, headed for the door, avoiding all the eyes that were on me. I¡¯d only made it a few steps when a hand grabbed my arm. Relief mmed into my gut when I realized it was Serena, looking up at me with wide eyes. ¡°Zaren¡ª¡± ¡°I know you want toe with me,¡± I said softly, ¡°but I need a minute alone to think.¡± Her grip tightened. ¡°But I¡ª¡± ¡°Watch over her until I return, please? If I¡¯m right¡­¡± ¡°I really think you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to be as quick as I can. Hopefully¡ª¡± ¡°Zaren!¡± she hissed, snaring my attention. ¡°Look!¡± She lifted her arm and brandished her tattoo. It had changed again. In addition to the gold flower with ck specks that had sprouted on the vine with the silver, ck, white, and red orange flowers, there were now three more that had sprouted. The vine that trailed from the red flower with the ck center that had once held four buds now sported a red flower with blue veins, a shining silver flower with a blue tint, and an earthy green flower with res of yellow on it. I closed my eyes as all the breath rushed out of me at once. The tattoo reacting all but confirmed it, but I still needed to confirm. I needed someone other than me to make sure I wasn¡¯t losing my mind. That I wasn¡¯t jumping to conclusions. ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡± she breathed. ¡°What it means?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have a very good idea,¡± I admitted. I could tell how badly she wanted to push for answers, which made me that much more grateful when she didn¡¯t. With a wordless nod, she let me leave. Even though I wasn¡¯t running, my journey out of the manor passed by in a blur. Before I knew it, I was outside in the night air. My feet carried me down the road to where an apparently homeless Lycanine man sat on the corner with a cup of change. ¡°I need to talk to Sandrel,¡± I told him. He frowned at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯ know no Sandrels.¡± I sighed, then summoned a gold piece from my storage and flipped it into his cup. ¡°I know you¡¯re one of his, I need to talk to him. Now.¡± He kept the ruse up for a moment longer, then shrugged. He stood, brushing himself off. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but he isn¡¯t exactly the type toe running to any lord who rings a bell.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s hesitant, remind him just how often I actually call on him,¡± I said dryly. The Lycanine just pocketed the gold with a snort and sauntered off into the dark. I leaned up against the wall he¡¯d been sitting by with my arms crossed, waiting. Thinking. Trying to wrap my head around the implications if I was right. Barely thirty minutes had passed before I felt a presence at my back. I turned to see Sandrel giving me a hard re from just a few feet away. ¡°How long have you known Efel was my guy?¡± I just shrugged. ¡°I spotted him day one. I figured you left him out here in case I needed to get in touch with you.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Asshole. What is it?¡± ¡°You track her down yet?¡± Sandrel narrowed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s the big emergency? This couldn¡¯t have waited ¡®till tomorrow?¡± This time it was my turn to fix him with a re. One that made him flinch. ¡°Hells, It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen that look,¡± he said with a grimace. ¡°Who¡¯re we killing?¡± I scowled. ¡°Probably nobody. I¡¯m either mad at myself for being a dumbass or a missing goddess for pulling one over on me. Not much I can do in either instance, really. Have you found her or not?¡± ¡°Never lost track of her,¡± he said, pulling out a slip a paper. I almostughed when I read the address. It wasn¡¯t far from where we lived at all. I arched a brow. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching her?¡± He held his hands up. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. You know what she is. Figured if she ever stepped in it I could lend a hand. Besides, I figured if you ever came back she might be one of your stops.¡± I inclined my head, storing the paper in my shadows. ¡°Thanks, Sandrel. I owe you one.¡± ¡°Like fuck you do,¡± he said, thumbing his nose, ¡°or did you forget we would¡¯ve lost that day if you didn¡¯t take Grimsby¡¯s head? We all owe you far too much for me to charge you for this. Just let me know if you n on burning down any sectors so I can get my people out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± I sighed. ¡°You ever feel like life is just the gods yanking our chains from one bullshit plot to the next?¡± ¡°Oh, most definitely my dark and broody friend.¡± He grinned. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s our solemn duty to live for the moments where we can yank back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡± We said our brief goodbyes and I wandered off into the city. It was dark, and in an attempt to distract myself I thought about what Karina had said about lighting the streets with one of Elisa¡¯s inventions. That distraction onlysted a few blocks though, and by the time the quaint little house crammed in one of the nicer areas of the lower quarter came into view, I was back to thinking myself into an early grave. Light shone through the window, so I knew someone was home. I knocked, hoping she was still awake. It wasn¡¯t long before I heard the sound of grumbling on the other side of the door. ¡°¡ªbetter have a damn good reason¡ª¡± Her voice cut off when the door swung inward and she saw me. Like everyone else from my past, Esadora had aged. Her once chestnut hair now had streaks of gray in it, and her face carried the lines of a woman who¡¯d spent much of her life smiling. Green, faceted eyes that shone like literal gemstones took in my face, wide with surprise, then shifted down to my chest. She reached out and pressed a palm to my sternum, then gasped. I felt the telltale sign of a Siren brushing up against my soul as she looked me over. When she tore her gaze back up to my face, there were tears in her eyes. ¡°Look at you. I¡¯d say it¡¯s like you haven¡¯t aged a day, but that isn¡¯t true in the slightest, is it?¡± She patted my chest. ¡°You¡¯vee a long way, I can already see that. And that soul!¡± She chuckled, then turned and walked into her home, waving me in after. ¡°Come,e. I¡¯d heard the rumors, and I figured if it was you then you¡¯d seek me out sooner orter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to see you,¡± I said, closing the door behind me. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯te sooner. It¡¯s been a hectic few weeks.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say! Tea?¡± ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°Good, I¡¯m fresh out!¡± she cackled, then sank into a chair with a sigh. ¡°So, I take it from the hour that this isn¡¯t just a social call?¡± I smirked. ¡°Straight to business, then?¡± She waved a hand. ¡°As badly as I want to know everything about how you got that soul of yours bursting with enough juice to sustain a whole colony of Sirens, I¡¯m far too tired to have such a lengthy discussion. You forget, Zaren, I can read you better than anyone alive. To say you¡¯re distressed would be a severe understatement.¡± I took a seat on the couch next to her chair. ¡°Yeah, you could say that. I need a soul expert.¡± ¡°I¡¯d certainly hope so, I¡¯m not good for much else!¡± she said with another cackle. ¡°Now tell crazy old Esadora what it is you need.¡± As concisely as I could, I gave her a brief rundown on my theory and what I needed from her. By the time I was finished, there was a glow to her eyes I hadn¡¯t seen in some time. ¡°Can you help?¡± She rubbed her hands together. ¡°You came to the right crazy old bat, that¡¯s for sure. As it so happens, I can. All I¡¯ll need is a glimpse and I¡¯ll know.¡± I made to stand, but she held up a finger. ¡°But, I have a condition. I need a favor.¡± I frowned. It wasn¡¯t like her to trade favors, which meant she must need help. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got a niece. A Siren, like me. She needs a household that understands our kind, and just sitting in the room with you is giving me a bit of a buzz, so I know you¡¯ve got the soul juice to spare.¡± ¡°Sure, I can take her in. Where is she?¡± A pained look flitted over her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said softly. ¡°She was living with my sister in a small vige a few days away, but my sister¡¯s nature was discovered by the worst sort. She didn¡¯t survive, and her daughter is in the wind. I¡¯m certain the girl still lives, but I don¡¯t have the resources to track her.¡± I tried not to let my disappointment show. ¡°Right. I can try to find her. I suppose I¡¯ll be back when I do.¡± She scoffed. ¡°Oh don¡¯t be such a sourpuss. I know you¡¯re a man of your word, your guarantee is more than enough for me. Besides, I know of a few ces she might head. But for now, let¡¯s go see if we can¡¯t help your friend, shall we?¡± # # # In many ways, Allie had never felt like this before. On the one hand, she was still brimming with anxious excitement. She¡¯d found Zaren. Against all odds, she¡¯d somehow tracked down the man half of her self had fallen in love with, and he believed her utterly insane story. Eliya would have a chance to know him outside the horrors of Karn¡¯s experiment, and Allie would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t feel rather attracted to the man even after only a short time with him. How much of that was Eliya¡¯s influence and how much was her own tastes, she wasn¡¯t sure. What she was sure of was that she¡¯d never had feelings like this for a guy before. But on the other hand, things hadn¡¯t exactly gone as she¡¯d pictured them. Sure, she wasn¡¯t so naive as to think she¡¯d be able to just jump into his arms and they¡¯d live happily ever after. Of course they¡¯d need to figure out exactly what had happened to her that had left her with Eliya¡¯s memories. She just hadn¡¯t expected the distance Zaren had immediately imposed between them. Already she was beginning to fear that the chaste kiss they¡¯d shared was the closest she¡¯d ever be to him. And even beyond that, she¡¯d never been in a ce that felt this much like¡­home. Sitting in the den of Zaren¡¯s home, freshly bathed in one of the nicest baths she¡¯d ever had the pleasure of using, nestled into Therese¡¯s side with her legs in Nora¡¯sp, sipping on a warm, spiced, chocty drink one of Zaren¡¯s many enthusiastic servants had provided, Allie felt at peace. The firece crackled, bathing the room in its heat and its warm glow. The clothes they¡¯d been lent while theirs were cleaned were soft andfortable. It was all she could do not to doze off. A part of her wished Kat had remained, but she¡¯d left to report back to Be once Vanni¡¯s situation had been squared away. All of Zaren¡¯s girls¡ªbecause that¡¯s what they surely were, from the way they talked about him¡ªhad barely left her side. A few more of them had evene out of the woodworks. A cocky muscr redhead who sat in a chair that was apparently made specifically for her wearing only boyshorts and a tight fitting top that barely contained her breasts shot repeated looks at Nora that suggested she couldn¡¯t decide whether to flirt or challenge her to a sparring match. A set of twin Kitsune that had taken one whiff of her and exchanged hushed words. Allie got the sense they approved of her, which apparently meant a lot to the room. Then there was the dark haired girl Allie was reasonably certain to be a vampire from the way she¡¯d licked her long, sharp incisors more than once who seemed most at home around Noelle and Safina. Then there were the demi-humans. Well over a dozen of them that all filtered through at least once, bringing drinks and snacks often enough that Allie was fairly certain they were just trying to get a look at the neers who¡¯d caused such a buzz. But each and every one of them looked well-fed and happy to be here, which made Allie feel much better about bringing Vanni. Speaking of her favorite four-armed friend, Vanni had found herself in what Allie thought might be the second best seat in her house behind the one Allie was in currently. She sat between Safina, who had one of her arms wrapped around the Ashra, so tall that even sitting straight up Vanni¡¯s head rested on one of her breasts, and the twins, who looked so fluffy and soft with their tails and their ears Allie found herself jealous. Noelle had imed Vanni¡¯sp where two of Vanni¡¯s arms wrapped around her while a third absentmindedly ran its fingers through Noelle¡¯s hair, the fourth resting between the ears of Ryoko, the white haired twin. The vampire girl, Alice, had settled in between Vanni¡¯s and Noelle¡¯s legs, leaving Vanni trapped on all sides and having to fight not to nod off. The other girls, the ones who¡¯d been in the room when Zaren had arrived, had all joined them. They¡¯d been taking turns since he left telling her about what their party had been up to, regaling her with their insane adventures that had her smiling so much her cheeks hurt. Not just because of the amazing man Zaren had apparently be, but because of how obviously they adored him. After everything he¡¯d survived, he¡¯d found family. Happiness. A home. But he¡¯d been gone for so long now. Long enough that the others were getting worried. Allie got the impression that it wasn¡¯tmon for him to strike out on his own like this, which was asforting as it was worrying. What if he wasn¡¯t happy she¡¯d returned? What if, just like Eliya¡¯s feelingsplicating her rtionship with Nora and Therese, her arrival put a strain on his rtionship with the women in this room? What if he didn¡¯t want to be around her? All at once, she felt the mood in the room change. As if summoned by her thoughts, the door opened and Zaren walked in. His eyes immediately found her, and her gut twisted at what she saw in them. Longing. Pain. Guilt. Behind him walked an older woman who must have been in her early fifties. She took a long, sweeping look over the room before wiping a tear from her cheek, then turned her warm smile on Allie. ¡°You must be Allie. My name is Esadora,¡± she said in a warm,forting tone. Allie sat up and Nora immediately stood to give Esadora her spot, moving to stand behind Allie. ¡°Hello,¡± Allie said, her voiceing out much more timid than she liked. Esadora swept across the room and sank down on the couch next to Allie, taking both her hands. Up close, the woman¡¯s eyes glimmered with a sheen Allie had never seen before, revealing her demi-human nature. ¡°Yes,¡± Esadora said, her eyes glimmering with amusement, ¡°I¡¯m a Siren. Zaren wants me to take a look at that soul of yours to see what¡¯s what. Do I have your permission?¡± Sitting face to face with the woman who¡¯d helped write the journal that had helped Allie piece herself back together was a surreal experience. Before she could answer, her eyes were drawn to Zaren. He visibly struggled to tear his eyes from her, floating across the room like a ghost to stand in front of the firece with one hand on the mantle, his back to her and his shoulders hunched. ¡°Um, yes,¡± Allie said, prompted by a gentle squeeze of Esadora¡¯s fingers. The Siren shed her a knowing smile, then her irises shifted. Their color became harder, faceted like gemstones, and her gaze trailed down Allie¡¯s face and to the center of her sternum. Allie struggled to swallow past the dryness in her throat, very aware that every eye in the room was on her. Every gaze but the one she wanted looking at her the most right now. She let out a soft sound, then cupped Allie¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for what you¡¯ve been through, child. There is no true strength in this world that is not paid for in blood and tears. May your strength carry you through the rest of your trials.¡± Then she sat back, keeping her hold on one of Allie¡¯s hands. ¡°First things first, I do believe I can help with your current situation.¡± A spike of panic tore through Allie¡¯s chest. ¡°Help how?¡± she asked, suddenly afraid that the woman would somehow take Eliya away from her. At one point she would have given anything for the nightmares and the episodes to end, but now? Now the idea of losing Eliya was like cutting off a limb. But Esadora¡¯s knowing smile didn¡¯t fade. ¡°Normally, damage to the soul is caused by trauma either physical or emotional. Whatever artifact was used to attack you damaged your soul directly, leaving behind the mental scars of a horrible trauma without a root cause, which left your mind floundering in an attempt to protect itself. As a Siren, I can feed off both the energy your soul gives off as well as your soul itself. I never do thetter, but in this case I believe I can absorb some of the damaged area, much like cutting scar tissue from a wound to let healthy tissue take its ce.¡± ¡°Then it won¡¯t affect my memories?¡± Allie asked. ¡°Not even the ones that don¡¯t belong to me?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°No, those are yours now, and there¡¯s nothing anyone can do to take them.¡± Allie bit her lip, thinking. ¡°Esa,¡± Zaren said, not turning away from the me. ¡°Patience, Zaren,¡± she said with a grin at his back. ¡°All things in their time.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Allie said finally. ¡°If you think it might help.¡± Esadora nodded. ¡°It will. It should make this transition smoother. You¡¯ll feel tired for a few days while your soul recovers, but surrounded by as much love and affection as you are it shouldn¡¯t be long before you¡¯re feeling better than ever.¡± Allie took a breath, then nodded. Esadora ced a gentle hand on the center of her chest and her eyes shifted again, the facets in her irises bing sharper and more pronounced. Allie felt something shift inside her. It was small at first, like a tickle bordering on an itch. Then it grew. It quickly developed into a sharp pain, but the kind that came from stretching an abused muscle. It was a good pain that promised relief. Then, as quickly as it had started, the pain faded away. Esadora took a deep breath through her nose, her eyes rolled back in her head. Allie felt a wave of fatigue wash over her, but it was akin to the tiredness that came after a good workout. She felt wobbly for a moment, but long graceful arms wrapped around her midriff to steady her as Therese hugged her from behind. ¡°Better?¡± Esadora asked, her tone breathy. Allie didn¡¯t answer right away. She was tired now, sure, but it felt like the pressure in her chest that had be her constantpanion had lessened considerably. Like a joint she¡¯d popped back into ce after it being injured for a long time. ¡°Yes. Much.¡± Esadora nodded, clearing her throat. ¡°For the record, should you need such a treatment again, I rmend you return to me rather than finding another Siren. Feeding directly off the soul can be a very addicting thing, but I¡¯ve buried enough family members in my time to prejudice that I¡¯m confident in my ability to resist such urges.¡± Therese¡¯s arms tightened around. ¡°Will she need it again?¡± she asked. Esadora tilted her head. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say. I¡¯ve seen simr injuries in victims of feral Siren attacks, but there aren¡¯t enough of us left for that to be amon urrence. And the nature of the artifact used on you isn¡¯t exactly the same, sobined with the abnormal nature of your soul I can¡¯t give you any certainties. I do live in the city, so I can check up on you regrly if that¡¯s what you wish.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡± Zaren asked over his shoulder. She nodded. ¡°I believe the strange bond you¡¯ve managed to create between you and your allies might speed her healing up considerably. Perhaps even undo some of the damage, which is beyond my capabilities.¡± Zaren couldn¡¯t hide the sh of a grimace that passed over his face. Allie tried not to let it get to her, but it was difficult. She figured he had a reason for the way he was acting¡ªhe always had a reason for everything he did¡ªbut without knowing what that reason was, the distance he kept creating between them hurt. But he schooled his features behind a mask she didn¡¯t recognize. One she assumed he¡¯d crafted during the war. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it after, then. Now will you tell me if I¡¯m crazy or not?¡± Esadora sank back into the couch without answering immediately. Allie didn¡¯t think she was enjoying leaving Zaren in suspense. It was more like she was hesitating to tell him something she knew he wouldn¡¯t take well. Finally, in a voice so quiet Allie was surprised Zaren even heard it, she said, ¡°you were right. About all of it.¡± He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead on the wall in front of him. Everyone in the room waited with bated breath. Finally, he straightened. ¡°When Allura tracked me down, she offered me a deal. I thought there was nothing a goddess could ever offer me that I wanted badly enough to warrant working with her. I was wrong.¡± He didn¡¯t turn around. He stared into the mes like it might have the answers to whatever questions were still burning in his mind. ¡°My end of the deal was to prepare the world for some unknown threat. One that would leave us decimated as divided as we are now. She put me to sleep for thirty years, and I¡¯ve spent thest two months doing what I could to hold up my end as I understood it.¡± A goddess? Zaren had made a deal with a goddess? That exined how he was still so young this many yearster, but Allie still couldn¡¯t wrap her head around what a goddess could possibly offer for Zaren to even entertain¡ª ¡°In return for doing what I could to prepare Kasidiel, she would reincarnate all the souls of those I¡¯d failed to protect in my lifetime,¡± he said, his voice ragged. Oh. Oh. Yeah, that¡¯d do it. There were varying reactions around the room, but the two that caught her attention were Serena and Rhani¡¯s. ¡°Oh, Zaren¡­¡± Serena whispered, tears building in the corners of her eyes. She reached for him with her tattooed arm, then she froze at the sight of the flowers etched into her skin. But Rhani made a pained sound, mping a hand over her mouth. Allie was so distracted by them that it wasn¡¯t until Zaren started talking again that the full implication of what he was saying kicked in. ¡°Considering every interaction I¡¯ve ever had with the gods and their servants, I fully expected her to hold those souls over my head until Ipleted her task. I¡¯d do whatever she asked of me, and afterwards the people I cared about would get a second chance. It never once urred to me that she might have¡­¡± he trailed off. That she¡¯d already reincarnated them. That, during his divinea, they¡¯d all lived lives. ¡°Are¡­are you saying that I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°There are two basic types of reincarnation,¡± Esadora said softly. ¡°One which preserves the memory of your past life, which is incredibly rare and typically only ever seen in extreme situations when a god is bestowing a great boon on a follower who gave their life for their deity. The other is moremon. Reborn without the memories of your past life. Yours is both, and it¡¯s neither. You were reborn with your memories, but they were suppressed. Whether the goddess intended to restore them or not I can¡¯t say, but it seems that whatever damage was caused to your soul ripped open your past self and allowed it to bleed in your current self.¡± Allie couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°Then¡ªthen I¡¯m not just seeing Eliya¡¯s memories, I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Esadora said, squeezing Allie¡¯s hand gently. ¡°I¡¯vee across reincarnated souls twice before, and I can say with a reasonable certainty that your soul is reincarnated. I see over three decades¡¯ worth of marks, good and bad, between both halves. Something only possible if your soul is older than your body. And there¡¯s more.¡± ¡°More?¡± Zaren asked, finally turning towards her. The pain in his expression ripped Allie apart. Esadora nodded. ¡°It seems your goddess made an addition. She tethered their souls to you. It¡¯s little more than a slight tug, more like a ma than any true bond, but if I¡¯m right then it would slowly pull them into your orbit. Sooner orter, those she marked in this way will eventually cross your path. Fate will demand it. I believe that is the oddity you¡¯re seeing. That pull bleeds through the magic hiding the original soul, altering its appearance enough for you to notice it.¡± Heughed dryly, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Un-fucking-believable. I should have known she¡¯d pull something like this.¡± Serena finally stood, going to him and putting her hand on his arm like Allie desperately wanted to. ¡°You say that like it¡¯s a bad thing,¡± she said softly. He rxed at her touch, but he was still clearly agitated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is yet. I do know I hate being manipted.¡± ¡°How are you being manipted?¡± Therese asked, an edge to her tone. No doubt she felt how tense Allie was. After all, she was the one who just found out she was the reincarnation of the tortured, abused girl that had once loved Zaren. He let out a breath. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not. Maybe I¡¯m overreacting. But from what it sounds like, she brought back all the people I already lost once and tethered them to me right before sending me into what is very likely to turn out to be a war. Maybe even one that makes the war against Grimsbane look like a fucking border skirmish. Holding the souls over my head would be one way to ensure my loyalty, but bringing them back and putting them in the line of fire? That¡¯s one way to make damn sure I do whatever it is she wants from me.¡± Allie stood, her legs much steadier than they had any right to be. Zaren tensed when she got close, but he didn¡¯t flinch away this time. ¡°Can we talk? Please?¡± After a brief hesitation, he nodded. They stepped away so they wouldn¡¯t be overheard, though Serena apanied them. ¡°Serena is Allura¡¯s priestess,¡± he exined. ¡°For reasons I can go intoter, I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s supposed to be integral to the whole reincarnation thing. Is it alright if she stays?¡± It was the most he¡¯d said directly to her in one go, so she nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± He spoke before she could. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know this must be a lot. I can¡¯t even imagine¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°I know I¡¯m probably not handling this well.¡± ¡°A revtion like this? I can hardly me you,¡± Allie said with a smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s next? Now that I¡¯m here, what do we do?¡± How do we handle the fact that we¡¯d been so close in another life? ¡°Honestly? I have no fucking clue. I¡¯m already dealing with enough shit right now, and this is going to make everything moreplicated.¡± Her jaw clenched and she looked away. Aplication. Was that how he saw her? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡ª¡± He reached for her, but stopped himself before he could make contact. ¡°Look, finding out that the people I cared about have already been reincarnated is a massiveplication, but it¡¯s one that just made its way to the top of my list. It changes¡­well, it changes a lot of things. I need to think. To figure shit out. And I need to make sure our enemies don¡¯t get the upper hand on us while I do.¡± ¡°So let us help,¡± Allie said, crossing her arms. Eliya wanted to smack some sense into him, and Allie wasn¡¯t too against the idea. ¡°We¡¯re hardly slouches. Therese is a B rank adventurer, and Nora and Rose can hold their own in a fight. And I¡¯ve been training with a sword since I was fourteen, not to mention everything I know because of Eliya.¡± He flinched again at the sound of the name, rubbing his palm with his thumb. ¡°I know. I can tell just by looking at you all that you¡¯re more thanpetent. I just¡­¡± ¡°You just what?¡± She took a step closer, and a part of her rejoiced when he didn¡¯t move away. ¡°What is it, Zaren? What do you know that I don¡¯t? I¡¯ve spent the better part of a month trying to reconcile never seeing you again, and now that I¡¯ve found you it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even want me here.¡± He couldn¡¯t hold her gaze. ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡± Allie snorted. ¡°Yeah, that was convincing.¡± His eyes cut to hers, and for a second she could see his spark. His fire. But it was gone just as fast, reced by the same cocktail of emotions as before. Guilt the predominant one. What had happened to make him like this? He¡¯d never once looked at her like he was looking at her now. ¡°What¡¯s thest thing you remember as Eliya?¡± he asked suddenly. She frowned. ¡°The night before the final test. You didn¡¯t want me to say how much I loved you while we were cored. Guess what, Zaren?¡± She tapped two fingers to her bare throat. ¡°No cors here.¡± He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple El¡ªer, what should I call you?¡± She opened her mouth to yell at him, but came up short. It was a fair question, and one she realized she didn¡¯t have an immediate answer to. But it didn¡¯t take her long to make a choice. ¡°Allie. Eliya is who I had to be, but Allie is who I wanted to be.¡± His gaze softened somewhat and he nodded. ¡°Allie, then.¡± He sighed. ¡°Listen, as far as I¡¯m concerned, what¡¯s mine is yours. If you want, we can get you and your group rooms in the manor. Fuck knows we¡¯ve got the space. And once I¡¯ve had a minute to sort through all the shit going on up here,¡± he tapped his temple, ¡°then we can talk more, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± she demanded, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. There was something holding him back, and she could tell by his expression he wasn¡¯t nning to fill her in on what or why. ¡°Until you know everything¡ªuntil you remember thatst day¡ªI think it¡¯s for the best we remain allies at best.¡± Allie did her best to ignore the feeling of her heart shattering in her chest. Zaren continued on as if her world weren¡¯t falling out from under her. ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to help you, but until you know everything that¡¯s all I can offer.¡± Allie blinked back the angry tears that threatened to fall. She would not cry. Not here. Not in front of him. Not because of him. ¡°And if it¡¯s not all I have to offer?¡± He took another step away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really am. Maybe after I¡¯ve thought things through a little more it''ll be different.¡± His tone suggested he didn¡¯t think that very likely. ¡°You can trust Serena. All of them, really, but I can honestly say I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without her.¡± He closed his eyes and she felt another brush against what must have been her soul. For a brief moment, she felt him. She felt the echoes of his pain. Of the loss and suffering that still haunted him, even if his wounds had finally begun to heal. She could sense the weight he¡¯d carried for so long, as well as the weight he carried now. It took her breath away. Then she received a notification. [ept Soul Link: yes/no] She couldn¡¯t ept it fast enough. A gasp slipped out of her as warmth flooded her chest. Like a balm spread over the pain Esadora had caused. Everything suddenly felt lighter. She felt at peace for the first time in a long, long time. She felt whole. A tear did fall this time, but it wasn¡¯t one born from sadness or anger. She felt him, too. Uncertainty. Longing. Grief. And still that heavy, choking guilt. He cared for her just as much as she cared for him, but the guilt was like a weight around his neck. Holding him back. Driving a wedge between them that she hadn¡¯t understood the depths of until now. Her body thrummed with the magic of their newfound connection even as he winced slightly. She felt a pinprick of his pain, but she also knew he was fine with it. That in his mind, in spite of whatever guilt he felt, that pain was well worth the connection they now shared. Even if she one day hated him for it. Hated him? She opened her mouth to protest. To insist that it was Karn¡¯s fault she died, not his, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. She couldn¡¯t say that for sure, could she? Not when Eliya¡¯s final day remained a mystery. What if there was good reason for his guilt? What if he waspletely validated in holding himself back? If he just epted her with open arms and then it turned out he¡¯d betrayed her, she might never have forgiven him. As the Link settled and her awareness of him faded to a background hum, she dried her cheeks. ¡°Fine. Maybe with this Link and Esadora¡¯s help, I¡¯ll remember sooner thanter.¡± Even without the Link she could tell he was torn on if he wanted that to happen or not. ¡°But Zaren, I¡¯m not sure I can handle living under your roof if you¡¯re just going to avoid me at every turn.¡± He inclined his head with a sad smile. ¡°And I¡¯m not sure I could handle being just friends with you, but we¡¯ll have to see what tomorrow brings, won¡¯t we?¡± Even if the emotion behind it wasn¡¯t the one she wanted, his smile still made her heart skip a beat. ¡°I guess so.¡± Turning towards Serena, he opened his mouth to say something. She just shook her head and ced her hand on his chest. ¡°Go. We both know there¡¯s somewhere you need to be right now. I¡¯ll tell the others.¡± He deted, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± She caressed his face with the light touch of a lover. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of handling things until you return.¡± ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. She returned the words, and Allie¡¯s gut clenched. Zaren took a step towards the door, then paused. He looked at her over his shoulder, and for the second time that night she saw a glimpse of his fire. ¡°I loved you. Never doubt that. From when you put me back together after my trials to the day you took yourst breath and beyond, I loved you. I only hope we can find our way back to that someday.¡± Emotion welled up in her throat. She hadn¡¯t realized how badly she needed to hear those words until he spoke them. How badly Eliya needed that reassurance. ¡°Me too.¡± He nodded once, then he was gone. Allie stared at the door he¡¯d left through until the tall auburn haired girl with the turquoise eyes walked up. Tiana, she was pretty sure. ¡°He¡¯s gone to Ste¡¯s, hasn¡¯t he?¡± Serena just nodded, her lips pinched. Allie couldn¡¯t help herself. ¡°Ste?¡± Serena sighed. ¡°If he and Esadora are right, then you¡¯re not the only reincarnated we¡¯ve found. You¡¯re just the only one who¡¯s recovered her memories. And not all the ones we¡¯ve found are safe under our roof.¡± Allie nched. ¡°No shit? Who else?¡± ¡°Most of us,¡± Tiana said, her voice grim, ¡°which is going to do a number on his head right now.¡± She hugged herself, rubbing her biceps. ¡°Fuck, you think he already knows who¡¯s who?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no telling,¡± Serena said softly. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he has some idea.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Tiana grumbled. ¡°Rhani already took off and Jack started smoking, so she¡¯s retreated to her safe room. The twins are asleep, so we¡¯ll have to bring them up to speedter.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We know you¡¯re safe, then,¡± she said, nodding towards Serena, ¡°and Safina and Noelle too. Thank fuck for that. If Allura had let two of his reincarnated friends get enved, he¡¯d fucking kill her.¡± ¡°Safe?¡± Allie asked, obviously several pages behind. Serena just nodded. ¡°He was already worried the shimmers¡ªthe marks he¡¯s noticed on some of the souls in his household¡ªwere giving him an unfair advantage romantically speaking. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be hesitant at best around those we suspect to be reincarnated.¡± Allie looked at her friends, who were locked in a hectic, hushed conversation while throwing nces her way. ¡°Now I really don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Serena slipped her hand in Allie¡¯s. ¡°Whatever you do, you¡¯ve got us now. It¡¯s clear Zaren cares for you, which means we care for you.¡± Tiana put on a brave smile. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t you worry one bit. Rhani will be ying wingman by the end of the week.¡± Then her smile faded. ¡°Fuck, that means Karina and Jayme¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Serena agreed, ¡°which begs the question¡­¡± ¡°Do we tell them?¡± Tiana finished. Allie just shook her head, feeling lost. ¡°This is not how I saw today going.¡± Tianaughed, then threw her arm over Allie¡¯s shoulder and pulled her close. ¡°Pretty sure none of us expected to have the rug yanked out from beneath our feet, least of all Zaren. But you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been doing this on your own. Mostly,¡± she amended, when Allie¡¯s eyes drifted back to her friends. ¡°It¡¯s a fucked situation to be sure, but maybe if we girls work together we can find a way to un-fuck it.¡± Serena nodded. ¡°I agree.¡± She gave Allie¡¯s hand a squeeze. ¡°Just tell us what you need from us.¡± Allie took a breath. Whatever the case, she had more answers now than she did before. Not only that, but she was in a safe ce surrounded by people who might actually be able to help her answer all the questions bouncing around in her head. But first things first¡­ ¡°I want to know everything you¡¯re willing to tell me.¡± Chapter Ninety-Two: Past and Present Chapter Ny-Two: Past and Present Walking away from Allie like that was one of the harder things I¡¯ve had to do in my life. The truth was that it took everything in me not to hold her close. To keep her in my sight until I¡¯d had the chance to say all the things I¡¯d regretted not saying since the day I¡¯d walked out of Karn¡¯s burningboratory with her body in my arms. But that would be unfair. To both of us. I¡¯d meant what I said. She needed to know the truth of that day, but I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever be able to tell it to her. I¡¯d tried in my head dozens of times now, but there was no way I could exin thest minutes of her life without sounding like I was making excuses. And while I could tell her everything that had urred, I would never be able to tell her how she felt about them. I¡¯d never be able to tell her what had gone on in her mind in those final few seconds. Whether she med me at all. Whether she hated me for what I did. And if I gave into the pull in my chest, the one I was fairly certain she felt as well from the look on her face, andter on she regained her memories and decided she couldn¡¯t stand me any longer? I wasn¡¯t sure I could handle that. But I¡¯d also meant what I said when I¡¯d told her I¡¯d reevaluate in the morning. This was the safest option. I might be walking away from her now, but she was safe. She was protected as long as she was in my home, if not by the slightly excessive protective wards I¡¯d hadyered around the property then by the rest of my family that I trusted implicitly. Not that Eliya had ever really needed protecting from anything except the one person I couldn¡¯t ever protect her from. There was an irony in where I found myself after, though. Thinking about the old days while trudging through the pitch ck underground beneath the city. Tight, dark corridors still made my heart w at the insides of my chest and my stomach twist painfully, but right now it felt more like a penance than punishment. There was something disturbinglyforting about a fear I could understand the root of. The route from our manor to Ste¡¯s workshop was a slightly convoluted one, but I¡¯d left marks on the walls thest time I¡¯d walked through. It took me about two hours to walk it, which meant plenty of time to think. Both a good and a bad thing. At the very least, by the time I found myself stepping over the first of her traps, I was fairly certain I¡¯de to the right ce. Every other shimmer I knew of was safe under my roof for the night. Even if I knew Ste was safe thanks to our Link, I needed to see her. I thought about ying our usual game. Sneaking past each of her traps to try and catch her unawares. After the first few I avoided I decided I didn¡¯t have the patience for it today. I set off three to let her know I wasing then stopped paying attention. She hadn¡¯t put any traps down that would be dangerous to anythingrger than a rat anyways. She was sitting at one of her desks when I arrived. A smile tugged at my lips when I saw her, once again wearing nothing but my coat. At least this time it was tied closed. I¡¯d barely made it past the secret door before she looked up at me and smiled. My body immediately rxed and some of the tension in my chest eased. She hopped off her stool and strode over to me with none of her usual saunter. She didn¡¯t speak a word as she walked straight into my chest and wrapped her arms around me. She didn¡¯t push out her chest or rub against me in her usual teasing way, either. She nestled her face into the hollow of my throat and just squeezed me with all the strength her small frame could manage while I enveloped her in my own arms and crushed the air out of her. I wasn¡¯t sure how long we stood there before we loosened our grips enough for her to pull back and turn those gold-flecked green eyes up at me. ¡°You looked like you needed that,¡± she said softly. ¡°I definitely did,¡± I replied. Already she was worrying the ring in her lip. ¡°It¡¯ste already. Does that mean you n to stay the night?¡± ¡°I was considering it.¡± I rested my hands on her shoulders, not quite able to let go of her knowing what I now knew. ¡°Assuming, of course, you promise not to take advantage of my naive innocence,¡± I added with a smirk. Her eyes twinkled. ¡°Well shoot, there go my ns for the night. Come on, I was just finishing up.¡± She led me by the hand into her workshop, not letting go until she¡¯d pulled a stool up to sit by hers. I sat and she went back to working on whatever diagram had captured her attention. I sat with my back to the bench, just watching her. Cataloging every time her eyes drifted away from her designs and towards me. There was something different about her tonight. Her normal demeanor, flirty and unable to keep from enjoying making me ufortable, was nowhere to be found. There was a part of me that missed the unseriousness of it. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked finally, with all the air of someone who was already well aware of the answer but didn¡¯t know how to start the conversation any other way. ¡°Not really,¡± I admitted. ¡°I just got some news that has¡­implications.¡± ¡°Good implications or bad ones?¡± ¡°Remains to be seen. I¡¯m kinda going back and forth on them still.¡± That lip ring ended up trapped between her teeth once more. ¡°You could bounce some thoughts off me if you wanted. An outside perspective could help.¡± ¡°It certainly could.¡± She went back to her diagrams while I thought over where to start. Finally, I figured I¡¯d just go for it. ¡°Can I ask you an odd question?¡± Her eyes flicked to mine, locked in and intense. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Hypothetically,¡± I said slowly, ¡°if you were a reincarnated soul, and someone who knew that person back when the were alive had that information, would you want to know?¡± A startledugh slipped past her lips. ¡°Wow, talk about a conversation starter.¡± She set her pencil down and crossed one arm under her breasts, bringing the other up to chew on her thumbnail. ¡°Not knowing any more than that, I think I would. But I¡¯d definitely have¡­questions.¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± I said, nodding. She took a slow breath, then pulled a lock of her hair over her shoulders to have something to do with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯d want to know who, of course. And how. Why. I¡¯d want to know what kind of rtionship they had to this person that knew them, I suppose. And I¡¯d probably want to do some reading on how exactly reincarnation works. If I¡¯d be influenced by my past self at all. If their life affected who I am, or if this is just who I am in thest life and the next. And I¡¯d want to know if I¡¯d ever¡­ I don¡¯t know, remember, I guess.¡± I chewed over her words thoughtfully. ¡°If there was no guarantee you ever would?¡± She looked back at me, her eyes searching my face for something. When she spoke again, her voice was painfully soft. ¡°I think I¡¯d still want to know. I mean, partially because it¡¯s really interesting to think about, but also¡­¡± She turned her body to face mine and swallowed. ¡°I think it would be unfair to the person who knew them to have to keep it to themselves forever.¡± That¡­took a lot of the weight off my shoulders. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t feel manipted at all?¡± ¡°Honestly?¡± When I nodded, she shrugged halfheartedly. ¡°I think I¡¯d feel manipted if you waited to tell me. Like, if I was really simr to my old self and you knew that, then you could easily y to my likes and dislikes and I¡¯d never know.¡± Air vacated my lungs like I¡¯d been hit in the chest. ¡°That¡¯s a fair point.¡± Her uncharacteristically serious expression cracked a little. ¡°One you didn¡¯t even consider because you¡¯re about as far from a maniptive person as it gets.¡± A nervous soundingugh escaped me. ¡°That makes me sound like a much better person than I am.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Then her expression sobered. ¡°Zaren, I¡­¡± Uh oh. That tone very rarely preceded anything good. ¡°Ste?¡± She chewed on her lip wring more. ¡°I have a confession to make. I won¡¯t bother asking you not to be angry, just¡­ please don¡¯t hate me,¡± she finished in a small voice. My stomach dropped like a stone. ¡°Ste, gotta be honest here, I¡¯m not sure I can handle more bad news with the day I¡¯ve had.¡± She nodded. ¡°I know that. It¡¯s just,¡± she hopped off her stool and started pacing, ¡°well, kinda like your whole hypothetical, there¡¯s something I need to tell you. You won¡¯t like it, but you¡¯ll like it less and less the longer I wait and I think it would be best to just rip off the bandage.¡± I rotated to face her and rested my hands on my knees, braced for whatever she was about to drop on my head. ¡°Alrighty then, proceed to rip.¡± At first I thought she was nervously fidgeting with her ear, then she pulled off a long bronze fixture that hugged the base of her ear. ¡°So, that first night you were here, I kinda sorta¡­slipped a listening enchantment on you,¡± she blurted out. I blinked. Then I blinked again. ¡°A listening enchantment.¡± She cringed. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°One connected to that ear piece.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve been listening to everything I¡¯ve said thest two days.¡± ¡°Well,¡± she said, her face turning crimson, ¡°not¡­everything. I have to sleep too, and I take it off whenever you¡¯re using the toilet.¡± ¡°What a relief,¡± I said dryly. Then, as the initial shock wore off, the implications settled in. ¡°Which means you already know.¡± She bit her lip and nodded. ¡°But I really appreciate that you immediately came and told me,¡± she said quickly. ¡°And, um, sorry.¡± I ran a hand over my face, briefly running through what I¡¯d done and said since I¡¯d met her. Then I realized I didn¡¯t care all that much what she¡¯d overheard. I trusted her with enough to damn me already. ¡°Can I ask why?¡± She started fidgeting with her hair again. ¡°Well, you were just so annoyingly perfect!¡± The look on my face must have beenical, because she made an annoyed sound. ¡°Well, you were! I¡¯ve spent my whole life alone down in this basement holding on to a stupid dream that my life would end up as anything other than another demi-human spreading her legs so someone else could make money and you just fall out of the fucking sky promising more than I could have ever dreamed of!¡± I opened my mouth to cut in, but it seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one running conversations in my head in my spare time. She was on a roll. ¡°Here you are, this big, muscr, hot, nice guy, pushing all my buttons. I¡¯m literally shing my ass at you and you¡¯ve got the nerve to be all respectful! I mean, who does that? And the way you made me feel? That whole first night I didn¡¯t know if I wanted to curl up in youp and sleep for a few years or beg you to pound me into the floor and see if the sounds I hearing from the other girls are real or not!¡± If she noticed me suddenly readjusting myself at her words, it didn¡¯t so much as slow her down. ¡°So yes! I put a listener on you! I had to know! I had to know why I felt like I could trust you when I¡¯ve never trusted anyone in my life. I needed to understand why you make my heart race any time you look at me. Why it hurt so bad every time you, aplete stranger, walked out that door. Why, even when I can literally hear you and your surroundings in my ear, I¡¯m gripped with such a potent fear that I¡¯ll never see you again the second you¡¯re out of my sight.¡± By now, her chest was heaving. She clenched her fists with her face tilted towards the floor, looking away from me. ¡°I just wanted to know who you were. I wanted to know how you acted when you weren¡¯t around me. When it was just you and your partners. How you treated your servants when there wasn¡¯t anyone else around. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Her words died off with a shuddering breath. She finally forced herself to look at me with tears building in the corners of her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to overhear something so big. I just¡­ I was scared. I figured you were too good to be true. That there had to be a catch. A trick. I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to what?¡± I prompted softly. She shook her head angrily. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to want to be one of them so badly. The women you surround yourself with. You probably don¡¯t even realize how different you are when you¡¯re with them versus when you¡¯re with outsiders. How quickly you can go from all scary and dark to this warm, fuzzy guy that I just¡­¡± She hugged herself. ¡°At first I listened because I needed to know what I was getting myself into, but that didn¡¯tst long. After that¡­¡± She took another shuddering breath. ¡°After that, I was just taking in every moment I could. Closing my eyes at night and pretending it was me you were whispering to in the dark. Enjoying it while itsted, because I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever actually get to be one of those girls. I doubted anyone would ever talk to me the way you talk to them, so I selfishly took what I could. And then, when Allie showed up and all that happened, even though there¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know and so much I still don¡¯t quite understand, I just couldn¡¯t stop listening.¡± Well, at the very least, now I knew why she¡¯d been acting different since I¡¯d arrived. She¡¯d already known what I wanted to talk to her about. And, if she was half as smart as I knew her to be, she¡¯s already put together a lot of the pieces for me. ¡°And¡­?¡± I said finally. Her head snapped up. ¡°And what?¡± ¡°You gave me all those reasons for why you did what you did,¡± I said, keeping my voice even, not betraying an ounce of what I felt, ¡°so what conclusions did you draw?¡± She swallowed. ¡°That I really regret betraying your trust. That you¡¯re even more than you appeared to be that first day.¡± She looked down again. ¡°That I really hope I can earn your forgiveness, because if I fucked this all up then I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to forgive myself.¡± I nodded, even if she wasn¡¯t looking at me. I leaned forward and held my hand out far enough that it entered her vision. ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you,¡± I said softly, almost surprised that I was telling the truth. She took my hand with a sniffle. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not?¡± I gently tugged her closer. ¡°No.¡± I¡¯d only intended to pull her close enough to wipe away the wetness coating her cheeks, but somehow she ended up straddling me, sitting in myp with her arms around my neck and her face buried in my shoulder. I gently rubbed her back as she settled into me, every part of her fitting perfectly into my front. ¡°I¡¯ve been where you are, alone and afraid and certain nothing was ever going to get any better. I understand needing to do whatever it takes to stay sane. You were protecting yourself. I won¡¯t fault you for that.¡± The tension bled out of her. ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± ¡°Definitely not,¡± I assured her. I ran my fingers through her silky ck hair. ¡°Honestly, while I might get a little annoyedter, right now I¡¯m just too grateful that I don¡¯t have to try and exin all this insanity.¡± Sheughed, turning her head so she could press into my neck. ¡°Are you sure? I could go get the lie-ball out for old times¡¯ sake.¡± That made me chuckle. ¡°Tempting, but I¡¯m guessing we have other things to talk about.¡± She went quiet, and for a time the only sound was our breathing and my fingers against the fabric of my coat while I rubbed her back. ¡°Do you know?¡± she asked, her voice so quiet I thought I¡¯d imagined it at first, ¡°who I was?¡± I exhaled slowly out of my nose. ¡°I have a pretty good idea, but I¡¯m hesitant to say for certain in case I¡¯m wrong.¡± She nodded against me, shifting and adjusting until she could look up at me while resting her temple on my shoulder, the fingers of one hand drawing patterns into my chest. ¡°Will you tell me about her? Assuming its a her, of course.¡± I chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a her, yes. Her name was Esther.¡± Ste listened raptly, hanging on my every word as I told her about Esther. I told her how my friend had been engaged to the son of one of Grimsbane¡¯s generals. He hadn¡¯t been a good man. Abusive and cruel, she¡¯d told me on more than one asion she often felt lucky he¡¯d only beat her. But she hadn¡¯t been content to just be a victim. She watched, waited, and bided her time, passing information to the resistance, designing magical weapons and tools in secret to help oppose Grimsbane and the family she was being forced to marry into in any way she could. She was found out, but resistance members she¡¯d helped managed to smuggle her out of the city before she could be dragged to her execution. All that happened before I met her, but it still felt important that Ste know that aspect of Esther¡¯s life. That, even when she¡¯d been trapped much like Ste was now, she hadn¡¯t taken it lying down. Then I told her about my time with Esther. How she¡¯d been this brilliant girl who refused to quit. Ever. She was slow to trust after her time with her fianc¨¦e and could be skittish around men, but I was still damaged from losing Ria. Our broken parts fit together perfectly, and it wasn¡¯t long before she was the best friend I¡¯d had in a very long time. The entire time Ste justid against my chest, soaking up every word. When I¡¯d finished telling her all the important things I could remember, she frowned. She sat up, still in myp, so she could look me in the face. ¡°So we weren¡¯t¡ªer, you weren¡¯t together? Like, together together?¡± I sighed, resting my hands on her hips. ¡°No. Our rtionship was purely tonic. Though¡­¡± She arched a brow. ¡°Though¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can say it withouting off arrogant,¡± I admitted. Her fingers syed out over my chest. ¡°Try?¡± ¡°Well,¡± I said slowly, ¡°I can tell you for a fact that thest few times I saw her I was trying to get up the courage to try and take things a step further than just a brief hug any time I wasing or going. And thest few times, it felt¡­¡± She leaned in closer. ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°Well,¡± I said slowly, ¡°those hello and goodbye hugs startedsting longer and longer. Thest one¡­ I remember wishing I never had to let go. That I didn¡¯t have to go back to the frontline. And when we finally pulled away, the way she looked up at me?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something I¡¯ve convinced myself of over the years, but in retrospect I can¡¯t help but wonder if she wasn¡¯t expecting me to kiss her.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d closed my eyes until I felt the pads of her fingers tracing my jawline. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was afraid. Back in those days, I didn¡¯t really have a whole lot of self preservation. I¡¯d lost one too many people. Seen one too many horrible things. Every time I went out, I expected not toe back. And this mission in particr was high risk. It didn¡¯t feel fair to start something only to go off and get myself killed.¡± When I opened my eyes, her expression was filled with pain and longing. ¡°I regretted not making a move the second the door closed behind me. As I mounted my horse to leave Haven, I promised I¡¯d remedy that as soon as I returned.¡± ¡°But you never did?¡± she guessed. I shook my head. ¡°Grimsbane¡¯s forces took advantage of our absence. I never saw her again.¡± Her bottom lip trembled as she pressed her palm to my cheek. ¡°How did I¡ªhow did she die?¡± ¡°In a ze of glory,¡± I promised. ¡°She lured the worst of his forces in, giving thousands of innocent families a chance to escape, then blew the whole city to hell with her in it. She gave us the opening we needed to win the war and saved a whole lot of people in the process.¡± She made a gasping sound and jammed her eyes shut, then opened them again. ¡°I can¡¯t remember it, but that feels¡­ right. Like¡­like I already knew it, you just reminded me of it. I can¡¯t exin it, but¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m her, aren¡¯t I? I¡¯m really her?¡± With the hand still on her hip I pulled her closer, cupping her face and running my thumb across her cheekbone. ¡°That¡¯s what my instincts are telling me.¡± She leaned into my touch, cing her hand over mine. ¡°Does it feel like this with the others, too? The other reincarnated?¡± ¡°No. This feels like¡ª¡± ¡°Like how you felt about her, right? Towards the end?¡± She was right. And as soon as she said it, I breathed easier. The way I was holding her now was the way I wished I¡¯d held Esther about a million times. And as soon as I came to terms with that, other pieces started to fall into ce. Each one making the pain in my gut uncoil a little more. But I could deal with all thatter. Right now, Ste deserved all of my attention. ¡°Yeah, exactly that,¡± I said. ¡°And the others? None of them have reacted like me, right?¡± ¡°Not exactly like you, no.¡± A smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth, and it was only then that I realized how close our faces had be. ¡°Then would it be safe to say that the way I feel right now is probably pretty close to how she felt towards the end as well?¡± ¡°That seems like a reasonable enough conclusion,¡± I said, our mouths so close I could feel her breath on my lips, ¡°but you¡¯re the only one who can really make that leap.¡± Her eyes flicked from my lips to looking into my own, and the look in them was so like the look in Esther¡¯s eyes that final day that I couldn¡¯t stop myself. My hand slid to cup the back of her head and I pulled her lips to mine. She kissed me back eagerly, fisting my shirt with one hand and sinking her fingers into my hair with the other. We¡¯d barely even begun before I felt her tongue pushing at my lips. I gave her ess immediately, palming her ass and pulling her into me like I could fuse our bodies together if I tried hard enough. She moaned into me, hooking her heels under my legs and pressing her core into mine, grinding along my erection. Her moan turned into a frustrated groan, and she pulled back enough to say, ¡°cot. I¡¯ve got a¡ª¡± I recaptured her lips as I stood with her still wrapped around me. It wasn¡¯t until I navigated us both to the cot tucked into the corner of the room that I realized she even set her shop up like Esther had. Another thought forter, when I wasn¡¯t marveling at the taste of the ring in her lip. Iid her down without breaking contact. Not until her hands started pulling at my shirt. I pulled back enough for her to tug it over my head, then her eyes went wide as she took in my bare chest. ¡°Oh sweet gods, today is the best day ever,¡± she breathed, running her palms down my front. The brief break was enough for a hint of doubt to creep in. ¡°Are you sure¡ª¡± ¡°Zaren,¡± she said, gripping my chin, ¡°I want you, and I want you now. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve waited two lifetimes for you and I am not above ugly crying to get what I want.¡± That was all I needed to hear. With deft fingers, I stripped her of her only clothing. As much as I liked the idea of fucking her silly while she wore nothing but my coat, I figured she didn¡¯t want it to get messy. Plus, I felt the need to catalog each and every one of her tattoos. With my tongue. So I did. She moaned and writhed as I kissed, licked, and bit my way up her body. The spider web on her calf. The thorny vine that wrapped around the inside of her thigh. Each and every one of the birds on her ribs. The dragon resting on her corbone. Then she arched into me when I took her pierced nipple into my mouth, flicking the hard nub with my tongue before I took the piercing between my teeth and tugged. She cried out, but the hand that fisted my hair only pushed me into her chest more. I slid the hand not holding me up down her belly, soaking in the moan she let out when my palm dragged down the piercing in her belly button. I rubbed slow circles around her clit while I continued to attack her nipple with my mouth. ¡°Fucking gods!¡± she cried out, ¡°I didn¡¯t know mouths could feel like that!¡± I pulled back, letting her nipple out of my mouth with an audible pop that left her squirming. ¡°Want to see what else I can do with my mouth?¡± ¡°Is that a trick question?¡± she panted. Her pants turned into moans as I sank a finger into her. I arched a brow when I met no resistance. She did her best to look annoyed, even while I pumped my finger in and out of her pussy. ¡°Zaren, I make sex toys in the basement of a brothel. I¡¯ve never been with another person, but if you think for one second I still have anything resembling a hymen then I¡ªunf!¡± Her words cut off with a cry as I slid a second finger into her. I leaned down to capture her lips once more, reveling in the sweet, literally magical taste of Elf on her. Then I started working my way down her neck alternating between soft nips and kisses. Trailing her corbone. Between her breasts. Down past her belly button. She moaned in frustration when I went past the heat between her legs, kissing my way down the inside of one leg until I was back at the spiderweb tattoo on her calf. I put her leg over my shoulder and kissed my way back up the other one, sinking my teeth into the thorny vine just hard enough to leave a mark. The sound that slipped out of her showed no signs of protest, so I did it again to the other thigh. By the time I¡¯d worked my way back up to the soaking wet, puffy lips at the apex of her thighs, she was squirming underneath me. ¡°Zaren, if you don¡¯t¡ª¡± she said breathily, trying and failing to sound threatening. I took that moment to deliver one strong lick to her clit. With how close I¡¯d pushed her to the edge, that was all she needed to fall apart in my arms. Her thighs clenched around my head, muffling her cries as she came. I let her ride out her climax, waiting until the tremors started to subside before nting my mouth over her pussy and delivering a long, slow lick around her outer lips. She made a muffled sound of halfhearted protest that devolved quickly into appreciative moans as I picked up speed, working my way from the outside in while I gently fingered her clit. Her legs locked behind my head as I drove her closer and closer to a second climax. Whatever words she managed were blocked by the thighs firmly covering my ears, but it was easy to read her reactions with my tongue sunk as far as I could reach inside her. Her inner walls started to twitch, so I switched my mouth and my fingers. I locked my lips over her clit and plunged two fingers deep inside her, curling them towards myself and pressing on the spot that all my girls seemed to have while I furiously sucked and tongued her clit. She came twice as hard as she had a moment ago, her fingers in my hair clenching to the point of pain. My only regret was that I couldn¡¯t see her face over the peaks of her pert breasts, pushing towards the ceiling with so much force that the only parts of her on the bed were her head and her shoulders, her lower half supported entirely by the grip her legs had on my head. All at once, she went limp. Her legs released their hold on my head and her body copsed to the bed, her chest still heaving as she recovered. Her gold-flecked eyes stared sightlessly at the ceiling and a blissful expression told me just how much she¡¯d enjoyed that. ¡°Where have you been all my life?¡± she managed eventually. I crawled up her body and pressed a kiss to her forehead. ¡°Divinea, technically.¡± I was just getting ready toy down next to her and let her drift off to sleep when I felt her fingers slip beneath my waistband and wrap around my cock. ¡°More,¡± she moaned. I arched a brow at her, but I was hardly going to tell her no. Not with the heat I saw in her eyes. She whimpered a little when I pulled away, but her protests died when she realized it was only so I could lose my pants. Her eyes fixed on my erection immediately and she licked her lips. ¡°Fuck, if I didn¡¯t need that in me so badly I¡¯d return the favor.¡± She scooted back, widening her legs and baring everything to me. ¡°Next time,¡± she promised, more herself than me. I took my ce between her legs, hooking an arm under her thigh to lift her to the right level. I searched her face for any sign of hesitation, but her attention was locked firmly on where the head of my cock pressed against her opening, the hot slick flesh begging me to thrust forward and fill her. Who was I to deny it? Her eyes rolled back into her head as I sank all the way inside her with one long, slow thrust, her tunnel already plenty prepared thanks to the two orgasms she¡¯d already had. She hooked the leg not in my grip behind my waist, helping to pull me deeper, while she mauled her breast in one hand and raked her nails down my front with the other. ¡°Shit,¡± she panted, ¡°that¡¯s not quite like any dildo I¡¯ve ever used.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as apliment,¡± I said, rocking my hips once. Her head fell back and she rolled her hips against mine as best she could. ¡°Fffffuck, you¡¯d better.¡± Once I was certain her pussy had grown used to my girth, I gripped her hip in the hand not holding her leg and started delivering long, slow strokes. From the pressure of her heel digging into my ass, long and slow wasn¡¯t what she was in the mood for. Trying not to appear too amused, I let her set the pace. Soon enough I was pounding into her with fast, frantic thrusts while she wailed out her pleasure. If she thought that was good, she waspletely unprepared for me to tilt her hips enough for me to hit one of the sweet spots I¡¯d cataloged earlier when I was between her legs. Her pussy mped down on me, and in the beat where she sucked in breath to cry out I pressed my thumb to her clit. She came with her most violent scream yet, her pussy walls and her legs both clenching around me so tightly that I couldn¡¯t do anything but gently massage her clit with my thumb while she rode out her most powerful climax yet. By the time she returned fully to reality, her breaths wereing in short gasps. Her head lolled until her eyesnded on me. She reached out with both hands towards my face and made a whimpering sound. I¡¯m sure she wanted me to go down to her, but I had other ideas. I leaned forward enough to slide an arm under her back then lifted so that we were both upright, chest to chest, with her legs wrapped around me. She immediately shifted her legs to give her the leverage she needed to start rocking against me even as she captured my mouth with hers. I wrapped an arm around her waist and ran my other hand between her shoulder des while she sunk both her hands into my hair, ensuring I could do nothing but return the furious kiss as we rocked frantically against one another. I was pretty certain that another orgasm rocked through her at some point, but it was nowhere near as strong as thest few so I fucked her right through it. She finally broke the kiss only to pull my head close enough that she could sink her teeth into my earlobe. I returned the favor, trailing my tongue along the long, pointed, pierced elven ear. She shivered with delight and mped down on me again, rocking her hips with renewed fervor and sliding along my cock with all the energy she had left. ¡°Fill me, Zaren,¡± she breathed into my ear. ¡°Cum inside me. I want to know what it feels like to have you dripping down my thighs.¡± She must have felt me twitch inside her judging by her sharp intake of breath. ¡°Would you like that? Me, in just an apron, crafting magical weapons of mass destruction with your cum dribbling out of me? Marking me as yours?¡± Apparently, judging by the climax that surged through me, the answer was a resounding yes. I wrapped my arms around her tight and mmed into her onest time before doing exactly what she¡¯d asked me to. I fired rope after rope, filling her until I felt the results of our union leaking out around my cock. I was so lost in my own release that I didn¡¯t realize she was cumming just as hard until her bones turned liquid in my arms. She sagged against me, nuzzling into my neck and making happy, nonsensical sounds. Gently, without slipping out of her, I lowered us both to the cot. Iid us down side by side while she remained wrapped around me¡ªin more ways than one. When I tried to reposition again I realized she was mped around me tightly enough that her limbs were trembling. I gently started running my fingers down her back until she slowly started to rx, then I pulled away enough to look at her face. There was no regret in her expression, thankfully, but there was a fear I recognized all too well. She knew as well as I did that our time was all too limited. ¡°Not to sound crass, but I¡¯m afraid as soon as I pull out there¡¯ll be a bit of a mess.¡± Her cheeks reddened and some of that fear dissipated. She pointed to a set of drawers. ¡°Second drawer down, red cloth.¡± I summoned a tendril and followed her instructions, pulling out a red rag with white stitches creating arcane symbols. I handed it to her and she rolled away with a satisfied sigh, using the cloth to clean herself up. ¡°Specially made after-sex cleaning cloth,¡± she said, tossing it onto the dresser. ¡°A best seller. Also good for cleaning up lube and other bodily fluids.¡± Then, after a moment of hesitation, she turned into me and curled up against my chest, slipping one of her legs between mine. I ran my fingers through damp hair, a sudden worry urring to me. ¡°Shit, protection.¡± She giggled. ¡°Come on, you really think I didn¡¯t have Rhani walk me through that contraception crest the second you left earlier? I knew I¡¯d need it sooner orter.¡± I lifted her up enough to catch her lips. ¡°You did, did you?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± she said, smiling triumphantly. ¡°And I was right,¡± she said, wiggling her bare chest against mine. I kissed her again, this time slowly. ¡°You certainly were.¡± We made out softly for a while before she nestled back into me, resting halfway on my body. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go yet, do you?¡± she asked in a small voice. Someone cleared their throat nearby. Ste jumped, but I just shot Festus a re. The familiar, still in his cat form, blinked slowly at us. ¡°The mistress would like me to pass along a message. She requests that you remain¡ª¡± He made a sound simr to passing a hairball, then sighed. ¡°I am being instructed to rte her message verbatim. She says, and I quote, ¡®Zaren, if you do not spend the night cuddling the shit out of that cute ass Elf you will regret it. Everything is fine here for the night, we can worry about the you-know-what tomorrow.¡¯¡± Hearing Rhani¡¯s wordsing from Festus¡¯s posh, monotone voice was quite the experience. Ste immediately burst into giggles, hiding her face in my chest. ¡°Thank you Festus,¡± I replied, somehow keeping a straight face. The cat inclined his head then stalked off. Ste inhaled deeply through her nose, curling her arms between us. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet her for real,¡± she said. ¡°You will soon,¡± I promised. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± she said, her voice painfully earnest. ¡°Whatever happens, I¡¯m d I got to give my first time to you.¡± I brushed some sweaty hair from her face. ¡°When I get you out of here, I¡¯ll give you a whole day of whatever you want. Whoever you want, too. I¡¯m sure you and Rhani could certainly put me through my paces.¡± She grinned up at me. ¡°You bet your ass we could.¡± Her hand trailed down my chest to cup my already-hard-again cock. ¡°Until then, though, you¡¯ll just have to fuck me good enough to not leave me wanting.¡± ¡°Not to brag,¡± I said, pressing a kiss to her lips and rolling her on top of me, sinking into her at the same time, ¡°but I may or may not have been literally blessed by a goddess with a divine cock.¡± She let out a moan as she rocked up and down on me. When she looked up at me, her eyes twinkled. ¡°Is that so? No wonder you¡¯re better than any of my toys.¡± Her head fell forward as she picked up speed. ¡°Fuck, I was going to suck you off, but now that you¡¯re in me again¡­¡± Iughed, gripping her by the hips so I could thrust up into her. ¡°The night is young still.¡± Her eyes shed. ¡°Oh, I know.¡± She tapped her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea of how many times you can go.¡± That brought a chuckle out of me. ¡°Not quite sure about that. I haven¡¯t really had the time to really go all out since we¡¯ve met.¡± Her eyes widened, and she picked up speed. ¡°Guess now I¡¯ve got a goal, then.¡± I grinned, trailing my hands up her sides. I could deal with all the other shitter, right now I had a horny little Elf to please. ¡°I guess you do.¡± Chapter Ninety-Three: Flowers to Faces Chapter Ny-Three: Flowers to Faces The irony wasn¡¯t lost on me that I¡¯d gotten some of my best sleep in weeks on a shitty little cot not long enough for me to have both my head and my feet resting on it at the same time. Though I was a little bothered by the absence of the other, much smaller, body nestled against mine in the limited space when I woke. Thankfully I didn¡¯t have to go far to find her, though. I found and donned my pants on my way to Ste, once again wearing nothing but her apron while she worked on something. She let out a happy sigh when I wrapped an arm around her from behind, then made a disappointed noise when she pressed back against me and felt my pants. Yeah, her and Rhani were going to be the best of friends. A couple of horny, repressed geniuses. ¡°You have to go now, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked softly, leaning her head against my shoulder and looking up at me. ¡°As much as I wish I didn¡¯t, I have to,¡± I said, pressing a kiss to her hairline. After our talk after¡ªand all the fun following it¡ªI was done fighting the impulses. She¡¯d made it more than clear I had her consent, and following those impulses helped lessen some of the stress in my chest. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve got a whole house of girls to talk to about being reincarnated souls from your past. Gotta say, I really don¡¯t envy you, even if I¡¯ll miss the shit out of you the moment you¡¯re gone.¡± I grunted nomittally. ¡°Just a bit longer. Cynthia¡¯s got a n in the works, and if it looks like that¡¯ll take too long I can always go out and get a few levels. Get my hands on a skill that will let me take you out of here.¡± A smile graced her ck-painted lips. ¡°I believe you. I should probably remove that listening charm, huh?¡± I just shrugged. ¡°Leave it for now, if it makes you feel better. If you feel like giving me privacy, all you have to do is take the loop off,¡± I said, rubbing her long, pointed ear between my thumb and forefinger. She shuddered, her eyes rolling back in her head. ¡°Jerk. Don¡¯t go getting me all worked up when you¡¯re on your way out the door.¡± ¡°Gotta leave you wanting more, right?¡± I teased. The heated look she shot me almost made me reconsider leaving. ¡°Trust me, that won¡¯t be an issue.¡± Her eyes raked over my chest while her tongue worried her lip ring, then she shook herself out of her reverie. She dragged a bundle of objects wrapped in cloth over. ¡°Here, I finished Rhani¡¯s project. I gave her the instructions on how to assemble it.¡± I whistled. ¡°Finished it already? I¡¯m impressed.¡± She shrugged, though a blush started to spread across the bridge of her nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to waste time sleeping while I had you here, so I was up most of the night. Besides, knowing what I know now¡­¡± After she¡¯d finally run out of steamst night, we¡¯did on the cot and just talked. After some encouragement, I bounced some of my ideas off her about who might be who when it came to the reincarnated. Having her outside perspective made it much easier to do without spiraling, and her workshop had the same calming effect on me that Esther¡¯s always had. And, if our theory on how we felt about one another before carrying over to some extent held true, then it would exin the difficulties Jack and I had been having. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough,¡± I told her. She just scoffed. ¡°Please, you¡¯re basically the one doing me the favor. Do you have any idea how much fun I¡¯m already having thinking of ways to apply the new logic Rhani¡¯s practically reinvented? Wherever she got those runes and arrays from, it¡¯s safe to say they were more advanced than we are in terms of magic and artificing. When you get me out of here, I n to make you a not-so-small fortune with the designs I¡¯ve already got cooking in my head.¡± My heart swelled that she¡¯d said ¡®when¡¯ and not ¡®if¡¯ I got her out. ¡°And I n to make sure you get credit for each and every design.¡± After a brief moment of hesitation, she wrapped her fingers around the back of my neck and pulled me down to press her lips to mine. ¡°I¡¯ll never get tired of that,¡± she said wistfully, her eyes closed. Then she opened them and fixed those gold-flecked green eyes on me. ¡°Now go on, you¡¯ve got a whole house of gals to get to, and I don¡¯t need to be startin¡¯ any bad blood by monopolizing you.¡± After another brief embrace, I stored away the project she¡¯d finished and took my leave. Even knowing why, the pang I felt when I slipped into the tunnels that ran underneath the city was no less painful. I wasn¡¯t sure how much longer I¡¯d be able to leave her in Madame Reade¡¯s clutches before I lost it. The journey back felt all too short this time, and before I knew it I was bypassing the heavy locked door that led to my basement. I was barely past the threshold before someone was mming into my chest, wrapping their arms around me. ¡°Hey, Angel,¡± I said, hugging Rhani back and pressing a kiss to her crown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I leftst night.¡± She shook her head adamantly, pulling back enough to look up at me but not far enough to be forced to let go. ¡°No, you did the right thing. We all know you far too well to think you¡¯d have been at all okay if you¡¯d stayed. Going to Ste was the right move, and we all agree on that.¡± Relief almost made my knees buckle. I hadn¡¯t even realized how worried I¡¯d been that they¡¯d be angry I ran. ¡°How are things?¡± ¡°Not as bad as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re imagining,¡± she said, running her hands through her hair. ¡°Serena and Tiana both stepped up as soon as you were out the door and took lead. They brought Allie and her party into the fold and up to speed.¡± She added thest part like she was afraid I¡¯d be upset, but I just nodded. Maybe it was selfish, but the thought that I wouldn¡¯t have to exin as much to Allie was another weight off my chest. ¡°I think that¡¯s the right choice.¡± Her expression looked as relieved as I felt. ¡°Yeah, I agree. I like her. Her friends, too. I think they¡¯ll fit in great once things calm down a bit.¡± I really hoped so, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to voice that thought aloud. ¡°The twins?¡± ¡°Tsuki overheard us talking, so we brought her into the fold. She withdrew a bit, so I can¡¯t tell what she¡¯s thinking, but she asked that she be the one to tell her sister once she¡¯s had time to think things through.¡± That made me wince. Tsuki was always as slow to trust as she was protective of her sister, and the thought of who they most definitely were in their past life¡­ ¡°Karina and Jayme are still in the dark, about pretty much everything,¡± Rhani continued, ¡°so we agreed to keep things that way for now until we know them a little better. Serena figures springing that on them might be a bit much when they¡¯re still adjusting to their new lives already.¡± As annoyed as I was with Allura, I still needed to personally thank her for putting Serena in my life. She was already such a far cry from the uncertain, inexperienced girl I¡¯d met on the road. ¡°Jack?¡± I asked tentatively. My gut dropped as Rhani winced. ¡°I¡¯ve already put in another order for more fireproof furniture. She was adamant she was alright, but I¡¯m pretty sure she melted the lock on her bedroom door as well. I¡¯ll know for certain when it¡¯s cooled enough to check.¡± I cursed, and Rhani patted my chest. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem as upset about the whole ¡®reincarnated¡¯ thing as she does the ¡®still not able to touch you without burn cream on hand¡¯ part. But,¡± she said, smiling, ¡°hopefully that isn¡¯t an issue for much longer.¡± ¡°I certainly hope so, and not just for my sake,¡± I grumbled. Sheughed, and I rxed a bit. I tucked a lock of her silver and gold hair behind her ear. ¡°And you?¡± Her expression sobered. ¡°It¡¯s a little crazy, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­But?¡± A small smile graced her lips and she leaned her forehead against my chest. ¡°It makes sense, I guess. It certainly makes me feel better about how things happened when we met.¡± I felt my brows furrowing. ¡°But you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Hannah,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve figured that out. I spent most ofst night pouring through every note I¡¯ve ever taken trying to figure everything out before you got back. And I know you were too young to have been romantic with her, but you did trust her, didn¡¯t you?¡± When I nodded, she hugged me tighter. ¡°And I trusted you, but after your talk with Ste I think it was more than that. Right from when we first met, I felt like I could trust you. That you were good and strong and¡­¡± She sighed happily. ¡°I knew you¡¯d never do anything to hurt me right down to my bones. You needed a teacher¡ªsomeone to help you limate to the world. To exin things like the ords. But I don¡¯t think it was just that, either. You needed someone to protect. You needed someone to need you, and I¡¯m self-aware enough to admit that I wanted someone I could rely on to protect me from the things I wasn¡¯t strong enough to protect myself from.¡± I crushed her to my chest and she let out a happy wheeze. ¡°I¡¯m gonna spend the next month analyzing every interaction I¡¯ve had with all of you, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°We will,¡± she promised. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already done a lot of the work for you. I can let you go over the notester.¡± ¡°Right. I guess I should probably go talk to the others, then. Get this clusterfuck all sorted.¡± When she made no move to let me go, I looked down at her. She was chewing her lip, and when she noticed me watching her cheeks darkened. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but I think you should also make time to talk to Noelle and Safina. Noelle¡¯s an emotional lockbox, as usual, butst night Safina felt a little¡­clingier than usual. Uncertain and nervous.¡± I sighed. ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± No doubt she was worried about how this new development would affect those that weren¡¯t reincarnated. If I¡¯d treat them as secondary because we didn¡¯t have shared history. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°Good,¡± she said. ¡°Now gimme, I¡¯ve got work to do and you¡¯ve got a household to reassure.¡± With a chuckle, I passed along the bundle Ste had left me with. Rhani skipped off with her project in hand and a gleam in her eye. I climbed the stairs behind her, albeit at a much slower pace. I could tell by the pull in my gut that most of my Links were in the dining room, so that¡¯s where I headed first. The house was quiet this early in the morning, and it was strange to me how the manor felt like nothing had changed, even if everything inside it had. The energy in the dining hall was warm and inviting. Conversations created a low,forting hum as everyone talked over their breakfast. Attitudes were happy and rxed, which was better than I could have hoped for when I¡¯d been psyching myself out on the walk from the Silver Swallow. But as soon as the first head turned in my direction and saw me, the room went silent. Hoping I didn¡¯t look as nervous as I felt, I headed towards my girls. Serena, Tiana, Safina with Noelle in herp, and Alice sat on one side while Vanni, Nora, Allie, Therese, and the dryad Rose sat opposite them. Serena stood as I approached, but I paused long enough to press a kiss to the top of Noelle¡¯s head and give Safina¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. Both of them rxed, and a pleased rumble started up in Safina¡¯s chest. When I turned to Serena, she was searching my face intently. Whatever she saw there she approved of, stepping close enough to give me a quick peck on the cheek. I felt a surge of affection through our Link at the same time, further driving her point home. ¡°Wee home, love,¡± she said into my ear. ¡°d to be back,¡± I said softly. She stepped aside to give me the seat she¡¯d been in so she could take the one on my side, leaving me between her and Tiana. I¡¯d barely sat before my busty mage¡¯s hand found my thigh, squeezing the muscle reassuringly. All it took was one heated look for me to get her message. Finding out she was almost certainly a reincarnated soul from my past changed nothing between us. She wouldn¡¯t let it. I ced my hand on her own thigh and squeezed it in return. That seemed to satisfy her as she returned to the omelet in front of her with a satisfied smile. After that, I realized I couldn¡¯t avoid looking across the table any longer. My eyes found Allie¡¯s immediately, feeling more than a little self-conscious that she¡¯d watched our whole interaction after what I¡¯d said to herst night. She offered me a tight smile and a nod, trying to say she wasn¡¯t bothered, but she couldn¡¯t fully hide the look in her eye. She¡¯d been a sight to look at the night before. Sharp features, high cheekbones, piercing violet eyes, long, silky ck hair. There had been faint bags under her eyes and a sense of exhaustion from being on the road, as well as a fine coating of dust and dirt from days without a real bath. Now, freshly bathed, hair washed and shining, glowing from a good night¡¯s sleep in a real bed, wearingfortable clothes and carrying a ¡®freshly woken¡¯ vibe that was really doing things to me, she was breathtaking. She moved to stand. ¡°We¡¯ll give you all some time¡ª¡± ¡°Stay.¡± The word was out of my mouth before I even realized I¡¯d spoken. She stopped looking as surprised as I felt. I cleared my throat. ¡°Please. If you want, of course. You¡¯re always wee at my table.¡± She slowly sank back into her chair. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if¡­¡± she trailed off. I leaned back as a te filled with eggs and bacon was set in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ve still got a lot of shit to figure out, but at the very least we don¡¯t have to be strangers. I¡¯m sorry I disappeared on youst night before we had the chance to talk further.¡± She just shook her head, her shoulders slumping a little in relief. She leaned into the tall, muscr Nora beside her a little. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. They told me about Ste, and¡­¡± She chewed the inside of her cheek, clearly unsure if she wanted to say more. Then she took a breath. ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much from when I¡ªwhen Eliya knew you, but you¡¯re still the same in all the ways that count. I know when you need to step away for a minute to straighten things out in your head.¡± I think I might have preferred a swift kick to the sternum to how her words made me feel. Appreciation and relief¡ªwhich seemed to be my prevalent emotions for the day¡ªbut also pain. Longing. Eliya never once held anything against me, even in the instances when she probably should have. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d ever get used to Allie being just like her, even knowing she bore the same soul. ¡°Right,¡± I said, my voiceing out rougher than I would have liked. ¡°I appreciate your understanding. Rhani said they brought you up to speed?¡± Allie cut an uncertain nce towards Serena, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about the brief sh I saw in her gaze. It was gone too quick for me to understand what it was, but I was certain I hadn¡¯t imagined it. ¡°They did. I hope that¡¯s alright.¡± Iughed mirthlessly. ¡°It¡¯s for the best. You deserve to know about the shitshow you¡¯ve been tied to.¡± The corner of her lip quirked up and her eyes practically glowed in yet another painfully Eliya-like expression. ¡°At least I know we won¡¯t be bored any time soon.¡± My heart practically skipped a beat. ¡°We?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from asking. The tips of the ears sticking out of her hair turned red. She just shrugged. ¡°Allura brought me back. Gave me another chance at a lot of things.¡± I was both thankful and a little disappointed when she didn¡¯t borate on exactly what those ¡®things¡¯ were, but I kept silent. ¡°I figure I can at least stick around until I¡¯ve got some answers on why. And if that involves staying at the manor that feels more like home than any ce I¡¯ve ever been¡­¡± she trailed off with a shrug. ¡°Fair enough,¡± I said, taking a bite out of the bacon on my te. ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t d to have you.¡± She swallowed audibly, ncing to her friends at her sides. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving them behind, though. No matter what.¡± ¡°And I¡¯d never ask you to,¡± I told her quickly. Therese¡¯s hand found Allie¡¯s and she nodded encouragingly. Allie took a steadying breath. ¡°Good, because I¡¯d like you to take a look at them as well. See if their souls shimmer.¡± That pesky feeling of an elephant sitting on my chest returned, but I just nodded once. From Nora and Tiana¡¯s expressions they¡¯d already discussed this, so I didn¡¯t bother asking if they were alright with it. I¡¯d reached the point where I no longer needed to close my eyes to draw on my Soul Sense, so I took a peek at the souls in question. What I saw made me frown. It took me a moment to understand what I was looking at. Therese, Nora, and Rosa each had a strangeness to their souls. Each of them were oddly shaped. They had a protrusion, almost like a cone had been ced on one side. And it only took me a second to realize that each of these tails were pointing in the same direction. At Allie. Then with a nce to Tiana next to me, I understood. The shimmer wasn¡¯t just a shimmer, it was the energy of their souls reaching towards me. Because I was looking directly at the tail, it blended in with the rest of the soul behind it, leaving nothing behind but a shimmer. I had a feeling that if I could look at Tiana¡¯s soul from any direction but head on, it would look like Allie¡¯s party¡¯s souls did. Which, to my great annoyance, raised a whole new host of questions. ¡°Vanni¡¯s soul doesn¡¯t shimmer, but the other three of you do.¡± A soft gasp slipped past Therese¡¯s lips and Rose clung to her free hand. The dryad still hadn¡¯t spoken a word in my presence, and that didn¡¯t change now. Nora just nodded to herself as if it madeplete sense to her, but Allie sagged in her chair. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. Really good.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°I think I already know who they are, too.¡± I frowned. ¡°Who?¡± She looked up at Nora, the adoration in her eyes clear. ¡°You were Maeve. My emotional rock, even back then.¡± Then she turned to Therese. ¡°And you were Gwendolyn, my best friend and confidante. You helped hold me together even when things were at their worst.¡± Then she looked past Therese to the dryad still leaning into Therese¡¯s side. ¡°And you were Isabel. I didn¡¯t get the chance to know you all that well, but you were close enough to Gwen that you were important to me by proxy. When my episodes were at their worst, when I was Eliya and not Allie, I think I recognized you.¡± Serena shot a confused nce at me, and I shook my head in response, already anticipating her question. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize any of those names.¡± Allie just smiled brightly enough to make me d I was sitting. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have. They didn¡¯t choose their names until after we arrived at our trial, and I was the only one to make it out. I couldn¡¯t tell you about them because¡ª¡± ¡°Because of the cors,¡± I finished for her. Karn had expressly forbid us to reveal any details about the trials that had earned us our sses. It was why Eliya never knew about Ina, Eve, Maris, Louis, or Jon. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± I pointed out. Allie frowned. ¡°It makesplete sense. Even with Karn pitting us against each other diator style all the time, they were my best friends.¡± Ignoring how fucked up my head got when she referred to Eliya¡¯s memories as her own still, I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you there, and I¡¯ll admit that your friends feel likeplete strangers to me still, which isn¡¯t how I¡¯ve felt towards any of the others so far. But if we¡¯re operating under the assumption that you¡¯ve all been reincarnated as part of her deal with me¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªthen you¡¯re right,¡± Allie said, understanding dawning on her, ¡°it doesn¡¯t fit what we know that my family was reincarnated as well.¡± She brought her free hand to her chin, leaning further into Nora¡¯s side while she squeezed Therese¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯re missing something.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°Not just that, but their souls are being pulled towards you, not me.¡± ¡°A contingency n?¡± Allie offered. ¡°Maybe I was a backup?¡± She picked up a butterknife and suddenly the de seemed to be made of shadows. ¡°My magic is close to yours in a way, after all. Maybe I should see if I can wield the sword. They said you still have it, right?¡± No. The voice in my head was sharp and insistent, sudden enough that it made me jump. That wouldn''t go well. Ash¡¯s tone was final, leaving no room for argument. Then she was gone. But she didn¡¯t need to weigh in. I didn¡¯t care what happened, Allie was never going near that de again. I¡¯d lost her once, I wouldn¡¯t lose her again. ¡°That isn¡¯t a good idea,¡± I said softly. ¡°Especially not with your soul still recovering. Thest thing we need to do is add a soul-devouring sword into the mix and make things worse.¡± She grimaced. ¡°Damn. Good point.¡± She sat up and stretched her arms above her head, and my gaze was pulled to the sliver of baster skin that peeked out from under her shirt as she did. ¡°We can shelve the sword for now. If Rhani¡¯s on the case, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a matter of time before she figures that out. It¡¯s probably better to figure out the reincarnated business anyways.¡± I leaned my hands on the table, interlocking my fingers. ¡°With Allura still missing in action, we¡¯re pretty much on our own,¡± I pointed out. She nodded. ¡°If the Marker is anything to go by, then we¡¯ve got just about everyone ounted for.¡± The Marker. It had been weighing heavily on my mind since my world had been shatteredst night. Without even needing me to ask, Serena offered her arm out to me. Gooseflesh spread over her skin at the touch of my fingers as I traced the vines and the flowers on them. ¡°The big gold one has to be Serena herself, right?¡± Allie finished, leaning forward with her eyes fixed on it. ¡°That makes sense,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°And these two,¡± I trailed my thumb over the first two flowers, one ck with a red center and the other red with a ck center, ¡°I think those are us. You and me.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. Serena said the other four were just buds before we met, right? Why do you think mine bloomed early?¡± ¡°Hard to say. It was bloomed by the time we got the Marker, so there¡¯s no way to know for sure what would have triggered it. Could have been you getting your memories, you getting your ss, or you meeting the others.¡± I shook my head. ¡°There¡¯s just no way to tell.¡± Tiana leaned her head on my shoulder, her finger trailing after mine. ¡°So these three are you three, then,¡± she said. She touched the red flower with blue stripes, the silver flower with a blue tint to it, and the earthy green flower. It wasn¡¯t a leap to connect them with Nora, Therese, and Rose in turn. But beyond them was a bud. ¡°So there¡¯s one more?¡± Allie thought for a moment, then perked up. ¡°It has to be Davis!¡± I couldn¡¯t help the slightly possessive surge that went through me. ¡°Davis?¡± At the note in my voice, Allie burst intoughter. ¡°Jealous, Z?¡± she teased, making my heart leap and twist all at the same time. Then she realized what she was doing and looked away with an embarrassed cough. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you were more his type than me. He used to make me tell him all about you so he could ¡®live vicariously through me.¡¯ He was the one who helped me understand that I¡ªhow I felt about you.¡± I nodded, feeling more relieved than I should have at her words. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out. If Esadora was right, fate should eventually pull him into your orbit.¡± She nodded, but my gaze was drawn back to where Tiana was tracing the vinesing from the other flower. One of them held a silver flower with gold threads¡ªjust like Rhani¡¯s hair¡ªfollowed by two flowers nestled together in the same spot on the vine, one ck and one white, then a red and orange flower that looked like a sunset and a freshly bloomed flower that had gold petals with specks of ck on them. Tiana tapped the ck and white flowers. ¡°The twins. Has to be.¡± ¡°Siri and Sora,¡± I agreed, and Allie¡¯s breath caught. ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± she asked, her tone unsteady. I nodded. ¡°It makes the most sense.¡± They were the deaths that had nearly broken Eliya when it had happened. Sometimes I wondered if the only reason she made it through those times was how hard she had to work to keep me from giving up. Then I touched the gold flower with ck specks. ¡°This one has to be Ste, just from when it bloomed. After talking with her, I¡¯m as certain as I can be that she¡¯s Esther.¡± Tiana nodded in agreement, then she ced her hand over mine and guided it towards the flower that looked like a sunset. ¡°Those look a lot like the color of Jack¡¯s mes,¡± she noted. ¡°She was Ria, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Serena asked softly. ¡°Yeah.¡± When I looked up, Allie was slowly turning her half-filled ss a quarter turn at a time. ¡°Ria was the only one of us you were together with back then, right?¡± Her tone was light, but I caught the undercurrent of emotion in it. ¡°I don¡¯t know if ¡®together¡¯ is quite the right word,¡± I said. ¡°Honestly, it was more of a ¡®friends with benefits¡¯ rtionship. I wasn¡¯t¡ª¡± my voice broke, ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t think I could have managed anything more than that after losing you,¡± I admitted. ¡°By the time I realized I wanted more, it was toote. From the tone of the letter she wrote me the day before she died, I think she felt much the same.¡± Tiana¡¯s arms wrapped around me, and the next thing I knew Noelle was practically elbowing her way into myp. I didn¡¯t bother fighting my smile as I wrapped an arm around her, careful of her nascent wings still healing as I pulled her tight to my chest. ¡°Once again, after talking with Ste,¡± I continued, ¡°I think those unresolved feelings are still etched into our souls. And, thanks to something Rhani said, I think there¡¯s more to that theory than I originally anticipated. In fact, I¡¯m starting to wonder if a lot of our initial rtionships were influenced by how we felt for one another in the past.¡± Allie nodded thoughtfully. ¡°Pretty sure you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever trusted anyone the way I do Therese and Nora¡ªnot as Allie, at least. And it would exin the sudden and violent impulse to cuddle that adorable Kitsunest night and see if that tail of hers was as fluffy as it looked,¡± she said nonchntly. ¡°I spent more than a few nights holding the twins after what Karn put us through.¡± Once I finished packing that away to deal withter, an idea urred to me. ¡°Allie,¡± I said, trying to ignore the slight widening of her eyes when I said her name, ¡°is there anyone else you¡¯ve felt familiar towards?¡± I could tell by her expression she understood what I was getting at immediately. ¡°Well, I liked Rhani right off the bat even if I didn¡¯t feel like I knew her, which makes sense. I never talked to Hannah, but I knew of her. Right now I¡¯m having to resist the urge to go off and find Ryoko so I can give her a nice crushing hug, but other than that¡­¡± She thought for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Nah, nobody else jumped out at me.¡± She nced at Tiana. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Not surprising,¡± I said. I turned Serena¡¯s arm enough to look at the third and final vine. I frowned when I realized it no longer had a single bud on it. Four flowers bloomed on the vine, three colorless with the second a sky blue color that took on a greenish tinge towards the center, perfectly matching the turquoise of Tiana¡¯s eyes. ¡°When did this bloom?¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I felt Ste¡¯s bloom, but I never felt this one. I didn¡¯t realize it was there until yesterday.¡± I hummed thoughtfully brushing my thumb against Tiana¡¯s flower. ¡°This one is yours, then,¡± I said softly. She made a soft sound of agreement in my ear, still flush with my back. ¡°She was a part of your trial, wasn¡¯t she?¡± Allie asked softly. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense,¡± I agreed. Tiana sucked her breath in sharply. ¡°So Ina, Eve, or Maris, then? Unless I¡¯m Jon or Louis, of course.¡± She said thest part jokingly, but I shook my head. ¡°Definitely not Jon or Louis,¡± I said with a chuckle. Then I thought about the other three,paring them in my mind to the woman wrapped around me. A task made oddly easier by the fact that I didn¡¯t know what two of them looked like since I hadn¡¯t met them before we went into the dark. ¡°Maris was always¡­harder. More sharp edges. Plus, shecked a certain amount of emotional awareness when it came to others. The opposite of you.¡± ¡°So Ina or Eve, then?¡± I briefly wondered if she could have been Ina, but that didn¡¯t feel quite right. ¡°Ina was¡­ she was an eternal optimist. She was great at putting on a brave face while trying to shoulder the weight of everything on her own. She was always more concerned about making sure everyone else was alright than she was taking care of herself.¡± Tiana was holding her breath, so it was Serena who asked, ¡°You think she¡¯s Ina, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± I smiled at Tiana over my shoulder. ¡°Ina also had a bit of a need to be in control. She could be brash or pushy about it at times, too. She never knew the meaning of the word subtlety. You mentioned once that you had an irrational fear of being buried alive.¡± She chuckled warmly, even as her arm tightened across my chest. ¡°Not so irrational after the spider incident, but yes.¡± ¡°Eve died from being crushed by falling rubble in a pitch ck cave underground,¡± I said softly, and she tensed. ¡°Oh,¡± was all she said. ¡°Before she died, Eve was the one who kept us all from losing our heads. Even in pitch ck darkness, she always seemed to know what we were feeling. She was like a little emotional chameleon, being whoever she thought she needed to be to keep us all working together and moving forward. I can¡¯t even begin to tell you how many times Ina and I butted heads after she passed.¡± Tiana looked away, even as a smile spread over her face. She leaned into me, pressing her front flush with my back while she rested her head on my shoulder. ¡°Oh,¡± she said again, but this time I could hear the smile in her tone. When I looked back across the table, Allie was watching us with a pained smile of her own. One that tugged at my heart and almost broke my resolve then and there. She caught me looking and straightened. ¡°So then the other three are probably members of your trial as well?¡± I nodded, stroking my thumb along Tiana¡¯s forearm. ¡°It makes the most sense, and we know of two of them thanks to process of elimination.¡± ¡°Karina and Jayme. Do we know which is Ina and which is Maris?¡± Allie asked, leaning forward again with an all too familiar look on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t know them well enough to be sure one way or another,¡± I admitted. ¡°Which leaves one more, but you mentioned two more names,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Jon, most likely. Louis always kept to himself, and he was the first of us to die so I never knew him all that well. Jon and I became friends, though.¡± I had to hope that me not being friendly enough with Louis didn¡¯t cost him another chance at life. Just one more thing to bring up with Allura when I managed to track her down. She nodded, drumming her fingers on the table. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re sticking with your thinking, then Tiana is our best bet at feeling out Karina and Jayme. If Eve was the glue, then odds are they¡¯ll be drawn to trust her. Especially if you¡¯re still keeping your distance to give her time toe to terms with the whole Patron/servant thing. Then we can decide when and how to tell them about all this,¡± she said waving her hand. I arched a brow at her, and even her friends were giving her slightly incredulous looks. Serenaughed softly. ¡°You think so, huh?¡± she asked, her tone teasing. Allie blinked once, then her eyes went wide. She mped a hand over her mouth, reeling back. ¡°Shit, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to just interject myself like that. I know it¡¯s none of my business¡ª¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh, which earned me a dirty look from her and the girls on either side of her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Eliya and I were always the ringleaders, working together to try and help the others. You¡¯re just falling into old habits.¡± I didn¡¯t add how refreshing it was that she did, but judging from the sparkle in her eyes I didn¡¯t think I had to. ¡°And you¡¯re right, of course. Speaking of,¡± I turned to Tiana, ¡°I never got to hear about how your day with them went.¡± She brightened. ¡°It was a lot of fun. We bought clothes, had lunch, got her plenty of odds and ends to make her morefortable, and even spent a small fortune on books. You¡¯ll have quite the fiction section by the time the month is out. They put an order in at a clothing shop and were going to go out today to pick it up. I was already nning to tag along.¡± ¡°Good. I don¡¯t like keeping them in the dark for any longer than necessary.¡± She pressed the side of her head to mine, then retreated back to her chair. ¡°Meanwhile, I have to figure out how I managed to miss another shimmer in our ranks.¡± Therese spoke up for the first time. ¡°If they¡¯re drawn to you, odds are they probably work for or around you.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I¡¯ll just have to take a peek at everyone¡¯s souls I pass for the next few days and hope I get lucky.¡± Serena turned her hand over to wrap her fingers around mine. ¡°It¡¯ll all work out, I¡¯m sure of it. Until then,¡± she shed her teeth at me in a grin, ¡°who has the best memory? Rhani¡¯s going to be quite put out she missed this conversation.¡± ¡°I can do it,¡± a voice to my right said. I jumped, leaning forward to peer past Safina at Alice, who had most of a sausage already on its way back to her mouth for a second bite. She paused when she realized everyone was looking at her. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t want to interrupt.¡± I chuckled while Safina ruffled her hair. ¡°I can run interference. I¡¯m sure I can think of a few ways to cheer her up if she¡¯s really put out,¡± the Half-dragon said. I pushed my mostly untouched te away. ¡°I¡¯lle along as well to answer any questions I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll have.¡± I pressed a kiss to the top of Noelle¡¯s head, then Serena, then Tiana¡¯s cheek before setting Noelle on the ground and standing. I shot an awkward nod towards Allie, then paused. In all the excitement, I¡¯d nearly forgotten one of the ideas I¡¯de up with while half-asleep in Ste¡¯s shop. ¡°Serena, do you remember after I fought the Vx queen? My soul burn?¡± Her brows furrowed. ¡°I do. Why?¡± Then understanding dawned on her face and she cut her eyes towards Allie. ¡°Ah,¡± she said softly. Allie frowned, noting the exchange. ¡°What? What¡¯d I miss?¡± Serena stood. ¡°Something best discussed in private.¡± She chewed her lip, looking back to me. ¡°You¡¯re sure you¡¯re alright with that?¡± I thought it over for a moment, but I couldn¡¯t find any reason to be bothered by the idea of Serena using her healing skill on Allie, even if it meant a little extra skin-to-skin contact. ¡°I trust you,¡± was all I said in response. Her expression softened, and she nodded. She looked at Allie and tilted her head towards the corner of the room. Allie, with onest confused look towards me, followed. I watched them talk for a moment before I turned to head after Safina and Alice. I¡¯d just made it out of the door when I heard a ¡°Zaren, wait,¡± from behind me. I turned, only slightly nervous to see Therese stalking towards me in that wispy way of hers. She was only slightly shorter than Tiana and I, but her narrow build made her seem taller than that. ¡°Therese. Something I can help you with?¡± She walked past me, jerking her head for me to follow, and led me into a spot where nobody would overhear us. ¡°Are you really going to do this?¡± she demanded. If I wasn¡¯t nervous before, the anger in her voice would have tipped me off. ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to be a little more specific than that, I¡¯m afraid.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°You¡¯re really going to keep Allie at arms¡¯ length? Tell her you can¡¯t be more than allies while you¡¯ve got all those other girls hanging off you?¡± I was taken aback at both her words and the heat behind them. ¡°You¡­want me to pursue her? I was under the impression that you three were¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°I love Allie,¡± she said simply. ¡°Nora does too. But we came to terms with her feelings for you long before you turned out to still be alive and of an appropriate age to court. I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t hate the idea of sharing her with you, and I¡¯d even go so far as to say I¡¯m attracted to you as well. But what you¡¯re doing right now is hurting her, and I can¡¯t just stand by and let that be.¡± Wow. Okay, that¡¯s a lot to unpack. But her pale, nearly colorless eyes demanded an answer. I sighed. ¡°I told her before why it has to be this way, and my stance hasn¡¯t changed.¡± Her opal eyes hardened. ¡°Do you have any idea what she¡¯s been through? What she¡¯s had to endure just to get this far? Not just Allie, but Eliya as well? And after everything, it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even want her. She won¡¯t say it, but I know that on some level it feels like she¡¯s toote. That you¡¯ve found your harem and decided you want them more than you want her.¡± I took a step forward. ¡°That isn¡¯t true.¡± The words came out as a growl, but she didn¡¯t so much as flinch. If anything, I was pretty sure she approved. ¡°I want her more than you can imagine. I want her to be a part of this family that I¡¯ve somehow managed to find. I want her to be happy, but more than that I want her to be happy with me. Don¡¯t think for a second that I don¡¯t want her, and don¡¯t let her think it either.¡± ¡°So why, then?¡± she demanded. ¡°Why keep this up? Why hold back? Why not try to move forward despite it? Why let the past keep you from having a future?¡± I took a step closer, so close that we were nearly face to face, and lowered my voice so that only she could hear it. ¡°Because without her knowing what happened that day¡ªherst day¡ªI wouldn¡¯t be able to be with her fully. Not living with the knowledge that she could remember at any time and realize she hates me. That she mes me for how things ended. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to either of us, and I won¡¯t hurt her again.¡± Her jaw worked as she red at me, not backing down. ¡°So tell her. Tell her what happened that day. Let her make the decision, but don¡¯t keep punishing her for something she has no control over.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple.¡± She opened her mouth to argue, but I cut her off. ¡°I can tell her what happened. I can give her every grisly detail I can remember. But there are parts I can¡¯t give her. I can¡¯t tell Allie how she felt. I can¡¯t tell her whether or not she med me as she took herst breaths. If she holds what I did against me the way I know I do.¡± Something in my tone or my eyes finally got her to break, looking away. She nodded curtly, then stepped back to let me past her and into the hallway. I returned the nod and started walking. I was even with her when, in a low, pained voice, she asked, ¡°What could have happened on that day that was so bad you carry it still?¡± I paused, looking down at my right hand. Tracing with my eyes the deep, ragged scar that had once cut across my palm that I¡¯d had healed in a drunken stupor. I swallowed past the lump in my throat and looked her in the eye so that hopefully she¡¯d understand everything I couldn¡¯t say. ¡°I killed her.¡± Therese recoiled like I¡¯d struck her, and honestly I felt that might have been kinder. She shook her head. ¡°You can¡¯t have¡ªthere must have been a reason. Karn¡¯s orders, or¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± I said softly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ordered to do it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± her brows furrowed, the first real break in her mask I¡¯d seen so far, ¡°you must have had a reason,¡± she repeated. ¡°I did,¡± I said with a shrug that was far more nonchnt than I felt. ¡°But the only one who can decide whether or not that reason is good enough is her. And until then, I can¡¯t be with her. No matter how badly I want her to be one of the faces I wake up next to, I don¡¯t deserve that honor. And she¡¯s the only one who can grant me that absolution. Until then I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make sure she¡¯s safe and happy, but that¡¯s all I can do.¡± And with that, I left Therese behind, speechless and in shock, hoping I hadn¡¯t just made a mistake. I knew she¡¯d tell Allie what I¡¯d told her. And whether I¡¯d taken the cowards way out by telling Therese instead of telling Allie to her face, I didn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t lost on me that I¡¯d just told Therese something I hadn¡¯t even confided in Serena with, but that was something to deal with another day. I couldn¡¯t help Allie remember, but I could help Jack deal with her situation. That would have to be good enough for now. Chapter Ninety-Four: Hitting the Town Chapter Ny-Four: Hitting the Town It seemed to Karina that the overcast weather matched up well with the sudden shift in mood around the manor. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she had a feeling it had something to do with the new arrivals that had shown upst night. Something significant had shifted in the dynamic between the members of Zaren¡¯s harem, and Karina would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t want to know what that something was. Badly. Ugh. She had spent far too much time over thest few days thinking about Zaren and his harem. She¡¯d known him for a whopping three days, she should not be this interested in his love life. But she¡¯d be lying if she didn¡¯t have a lot of questions. It was natural though, right? They were hardly dating, but she¡¯d fooled around with Jayme as often as they could get away with over thest few years, and Jayme was a human. It was only natural she¡¯d be curious about a rtionship dynamic where the humans and non-humans were on equal footing. That¡¯s all it was. That was as far as her interest went. That small, traitorous part of her that was still reying the way he¡¯d held her to his side so protectively that first day over and over again might beg to differ, but clearly that part of her waspletely delusional and should bepletely ignored. Thentern, too. So what if he¡¯d immediately gone out of his way to give her something that would have sold for a small fortune just because she hadn¡¯t been sleeping well? It meant absolutely nothing that just ncing at the stupid, wonderful little contraption never failed to bring a smile to her face. She just wasn¡¯t used to getting gifts from anyone other than her father or Jayme, that¡¯s all. Nothing more and nothing less. The dreams were a little harder to exin away. For the second night in a row, he¡¯d been in them. They¡¯d started out as the same nightmare as always. The dark. Pitch ck nothingness in a damp, cold cave. She couldn¡¯t see anything. Every sound was a threat in the darkness. Every rustle a rat. Every skitter a spider. Every breeze someone moving behind her, ready to do her harm. But unlike every other time she¡¯d had them since she was a little girl, he was there. It wasn¡¯t a sex dream. Honestly, she might have preferred that. He was clearly attractive, and with her being so far from her safe little corner of the library she hadn¡¯t feltfortable doing anything with Jayme past some painfully tonic cuddling. A sex dream she could attribute to being pent up and stressed out. But no. No sex. Just her,ying in the dark. The quiet grating on her nerves as her eyes tried and failed to make out even a single shape in the darkness. And the sound of breathinging from just in front of her. The feeling of fingers wrapping around her own, making her jump. Feeling the bones crush together from how hard she clutched that hand and the sound of his chuckle. That was it. Fucking hand holding. And gods damn her if it didn¡¯t make her feel calm and safe, like even the darkness couldn¡¯t get to her when he was around. How she knew it was him, she didn¡¯t know, but it was. She knew with absolute certainty that it was Zaren¡¯s breathing she could hear even without being able to see any part of him. It was his hand thatforted her. His warmth that made her feel like, at least in that moment, she wasn¡¯tpletely alone. And it was his absence that left an ache in her chest when she woke. One she had no clue how to even begin to make sense of. ¡°You¡¯ve got that look on your face,¡± Jayme whispered, making Karina jump. When she looked at her friend, Jayme was wearing a wide grin. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about him again, aren¡¯t you?¡± Karina swatted her friend on the arm, ncing at Tiana walking just behind them. She didn¡¯t seem to have noticed anything, but Karina was fairly certain Tiana had pointedly ignored more than a few of Jayme¡¯sments. Thankfully it was busy enough in the lower quarter¡¯s market ce that the low hum of conversation might have swallowed her words up. ¡°Will you shut up?¡± Karina hissed. ¡°Gods, I wish I¡¯d never told you about the stupid dream.¡± Jayme had been insufferable since, teasing Karina for her apparent crush. As if. She most certainly was not crushing on Zaren Nocht. He was her Patron for gods¡¯ sakes! ¡°But you diiiiid,¡± Jayme said in a singsong voice. ¡°Good thing, too. Otherwise your chances of ever getting a taste of tall, dark, and really-fucking-good-with-a-sword would be nil.¡± Karina smacked Jayme again, thoroughly annoyed that the difference in her Strength and Jayme¡¯s Fortitude meant the warrior girl would hardly even feel it. The dork hadn¡¯t shut up about him since he¡¯d taken those bandits apart, and since Karina had been stupid enough to share her dream and a few of her annoyingly unexinable feelings she¡¯d been relentless. ¡°They¡¯re already nil because I have no interest in him!¡± ¡°Oh,e on babe,¡± Jayme said with augh, ¡°you have eyes, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re telling me you have absolutely no desire to have him all naked, tied up, and at your mercy?¡± Heat shot straight to Karina¡¯s core and her thighs clenched together so hard she nearly stumbled. Apletely involuntary reaction with no meaning behind it, she was sure. ¡°Not in the slightest, though I¡¯m starting to wonder if you haven¡¯t been wondering what it might be like to be all trussed up and at his feet.¡± Blush spread over her nose and she bit her lip. ¡°Fuck, you think he¡¯d be into that?¡± Karina smacked her friend for a third time as Tiana made a choking noise that Karina prayed was aplete coincidence. ¡°You horny bitch!¡± she sputtered, hiding a surprised smile behind her hand. Damn it, now she was imagining tying up Jayme with Zaren. She really was pent up. Or crazy. Or both. Probably both. Jayme just grinned. ¡°We could always ask. Hey, T, what kinda¡ª¡± Karina pped both hands over Jayme¡¯s mouth, her face on fire. Her head whipped towards Tiana, who looked like she was trying very hard not tough. ¡°Nothing! Please ignore my friend, she¡¯s apparently been posessed by a chaos demon and is spouting absolute nonsense.¡± Tiana, the beautiful, auburn-haired goddess she was, justughed. ¡°You forget who I hang out with. I can guarantee I¡¯ve heard worse from Rhani just in thest few days.¡± Karina just hung her head in defeat. She hadn¡¯t realized at first just how observant Tiana was, but there wasn¡¯t much that got past her. It would have been annoying if Karina didn¡¯t already trust her. Seems she¡¯d found yet another human her Light liked. For so long, Jayme and her father had been the only humans who couldy a finger on Karina without her having to fight to keep her light under control. But her Light liked Tiana. Serena, too. Even the redhead, Jack, had patted her quite forcefully on the back and her Light had just sat in her chest, happily coiled up. She wasn¡¯t going to even think about how it acted around Zaren. How it preened happily under his touch. How it seemed to crave him and whatever dark magic she¡¯d seen from him that day they¡¯d been attacked. How it surged under her skin, pulling her towards him at nearly all hours of the day. Damn it all, now she was thinking about it. ¡°So¡­?¡± Jayme let the question hang, her grin undiminished. Tianaughed into her hand again. ¡°Not sure he would want me telling all his secrets.¡± Jayme blew a raspberry, but Karina let out a sigh of relief. You know, after violently tamping down the surge of disappointment that rose up when Tiana dodged the question. ¡°Of course not, it¡¯s none of our business.¡± She shot Jayme a re, but her friend was unabashed. There was something in Tiana¡¯s eyes as she looked at them. Like they were a puzzle she was trying to figure out. It seemed like something was on the tip of her tongue, but her demeanor shifted at thest second. ¡°What do you say we get something to eat? We¡¯ve been window shopping for most of the morning now.¡± Jayme¡¯s stomach grumbled and her head fell back. ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t even realize how hungry I was ¡®till you said something. I¡¯m down.¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t have been more than a year or two older than her and Jayme, but sometimes she almost fell into this motherly role that Karina definitely didn¡¯t hate. Other times the woman was just so damn likable that Karina constantly found herself forgetting why she was trying to keep her distance in the first ce. ¡°Come on, I think Zaren owns one of the restaurants around here,¡± she said, craning her neck to look at the signs. Karina scoffed. ¡°Owns it. It¡¯s still ridiculous.¡± Tiana shot her a smile. ¡°Trust me, he agrees. You should see the look on his face whenever he has to work with Cynthia on all his properties. Poor man¡¯s eyes ze right over.¡± Jayme frowned. ¡°Why? You think he¡¯d be used to it, being a lord and all.¡± Tiana hummed, letting the statement hang for a moment before saying, ¡°For most of his life, Zaren didn¡¯t own anything. He didn¡¯t even own his own freedom. The idea that he¡¯s in charge of so many properties and people doesn¡¯t sit well with him, but I think that¡¯s why he¡¯s perfect for the role.¡± She paused at the entrance to the restaurant and leaned towards them. Karina couldn¡¯t help but lean towards her in return, and so did Jayme. ¡°He¡¯s never shot down any of our ideas or requests in the bedroom, but his past has made us hesitant to approach bondage. Rhani¡¯s been thinking of a way to broach the subject, though,¡± she said with a wink. Karina was pretty sure her jaw was touching the floor, and Jayme wasn¡¯t much better. But, as if she hadn¡¯t just left both of them reeling and struggling to unpack everything she¡¯d just said, she turned and strode into the restaurant. She stepped aside and let them sit first, so Karina nabbed the seat facing the door. She¡¯d never much liked having her back to the entrance. Jayme just sank into the chair next to her, still wearing a slightly shocked (and more than a little turned on) look on her face. ¡°You guys are¡­¡± Jayme trailed off. ¡°Unorthodox?¡± Tiana offered. She shed a smile at them that did little to calm the heat between Karina¡¯s legs that had been sparked by Jayme and stoked by Tiana¡¯s words. ¡°For a number of reasons, Zaren does things in his own way. He doesn¡¯t put much stock in how things are normally done.¡± ¡°I was going to say you¡¯re living the dream, but that works too.¡± A Wood Elf waitress came by and took their order before disappearing. Thankfully, Tiana took it upon herself to shift topics to something that allowed Karina to formplete thoughts. Yesterday, she¡¯d yed the role of polite chaperone. She¡¯d chimed in from time to time, but for the most part she¡¯d been content to just let Karina and Jayme just have the day. But today she was much more engaging. She asked them all about their lives and their pasts, their families, their likes and dislikes. It started to feel like an interrogation until Karina asked about Tiana¡¯s family in return and she eagerly offered up her own story. They talked while they ate, and Karina just couldn¡¯t help but share things with Tiana that she¡¯d never shared with anyone but Jayme. Their food came and went while they talked, and before she knew what had happened they¡¯d spent almost two hours just chatting in the restaurant. At one point one of the staff came over to ask if they wouldn¡¯t mind vacating the table, but then her eyes fell on the cor bearing Zaren¡¯s crest wrapped around Karina¡¯s throat and promptly apologized. Eventually there was a lull in the conversation, but there was nothing ufortable about the silence that settled between them. The opposite, actually. For the first time since she¡¯d met Jayme when they¡¯d been kids and had decided on the spot that the girl would be her best friend, Karina found herself wanting to add to her friend circle of one. And that scared her. While she ruminated, Jayme drained what was left of her mug. ¡°I have to ask, how¡¯d you end up in Zaren¡¯s harem?¡± Karina kicked her friend under the table, but Tiana just smiled wistfully at her ss. ¡°He saved my life. Delved into an active Vx nest, cut me out of a cocoon, then led me out of spider infested tunnels. Most of us almost died at least once, but none of us came closer than Zaren.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I knew from the moment he pulled me out of that cocoon, drugged out of my mind on spider venom, that if I held onto him tight enough then everything would work out.¡± Her smile widened. ¡°I thought I was crazy at the time, having that much trust in aplete stranger. Not that I had much choice, of course. I certainly wasn¡¯t escaping alone. It was, hands down, the scariest day of my life. If I never have to go underground again it¡¯ll be too soon, but it brought him to me.¡± She hummed to herself. ¡°I sacrificed myself to save him. Ended up buried alive. Even though it¡¯s always topped my list of worst ways to die, I knew in my heart it was worth it. ¡°But, Zaren being Zaren, he just couldn¡¯t let me have my hero moment. He had to pull me out of the rubble, take me to the inn, and make me feel more loved and epted than I can ever remember feeling in my life. I haven¡¯t looked back since.¡± Jayme cleared her throat. ¡°Well, shit. If that doesn¡¯t make you feel all warm and gooey inside.¡± Her eyes flicked to Karina, some poorly conceived joke no doubt on her tongue, but it dissolved into a frown. ¡°You okay Kari?¡± It wasn¡¯t until she saw the concern on Jayme¡¯s face that she realized she was crying. Embarrassed, she wiped angrily at the tears. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not sure why¡ª¡± She sniffled, trying to snuff out the feeling in her chest. Warm and gooey wasn¡¯t far off, but other emotions swam around in her as well. So many she had trouble making sense of them. Guilt and loss, but also relief and happiness. Disbelief. A cocktail of feelings she had no clue how to decipher or deal with, but they left her wanting to leap over the table and wrap her arms around Tiana, holding her tight. ¡°A Vx queen, huh?¡± she choked out, reaching for her own drink just so she had something to do with her hands. ¡°That¡¯s gotta be quite the tale.¡± ¡°It certainly is,¡± Tiana agreed. Her warm gaze was locked firmly on Karina¡¯s face, worry in her eyes. ¡°But one for another day, I¡¯m afraid. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m fine,¡± Karina said again. ¡°Just¡­ got a little emotional.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not sure why, are you?¡± Tiana asked softly. When Karina didn¡¯t answer, she pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out on a limb here and guess you¡¯ve been feeling a lot of emotions over thest few days that you don¡¯t understand.¡± A thrill raced through Karina¡¯s chest. ¡°You know what¡¯s happening to me?¡± ¡°I¡ªwe,¡± she corrected, ¡°have a pretty good idea, but it¡¯s¡­plicated. And rather difficult to believe.¡± Karina exchanged a look with Jayme, noting the uncharacteristically serious expression on Jayme¡¯s face. ¡°You aren¡¯t influencing me, are you? You or Zaren? None of you have sses that mess with my head, right?¡± Tiana¡¯s eyes widened a fraction, as if the thought hadn¡¯t even urred to her. ¡°No, absolutely not! Zaren would never.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s rted to him,¡± Karina guessed. ¡°Yes, but we weren¡¯t fully aware of the¡­situation until very recently.¡± Karina nodded. ¡°We noticed. Everyone started getting all¡­ weird.¡± Tiana winced. ¡°Yes. We had some neers arrive and bring with them some big news. But it¡¯s not something we should talk about outside the manor. If you¡¯re willing, we can talk to Zaren. He can exin everything.¡± Curiosity warred with anxious anticipation. ¡°So Zaren is connected to all this? To¡­ me?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°In a manner of speaking, yes. Though I hope you don¡¯t hold anything against him until we can give you a better idea of what¡¯s going on.¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t lived some of it, I wouldn¡¯t believe it myself.¡± Karina chewed the inside of her lip. Jayme was looking at her to take the lead, but that was hardly surprising. She didn¡¯t realize Jayme was feeling some of the same things she was, but it wasn¡¯t out of character for Jayme to keep things like that pressed way down, even with Karina. ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s the case, I think I¡¯d like to get it over with as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Of course. Zaren is still scrambling to deal with the situation as best he can, but I know he¡¯ll make time for you. Both of you,¡± she added, nodding to Jayme. ¡°Then I guess we should get going,¡± Karina said, standing. She shook her hands out, doing her best to ignore the cold weight in her gut. Already her mind wasing up with possibilities as to what Tiana could be talking about. She hated not knowing what was going on, which is unfortunately where she¡¯d spent most of her life. ¡°Today was an interrogation, then? You were trying to figure something out?¡± Tiana responded with the faintest touch of her fingertips to Karina¡¯s forearm as they exited the restaurant. ¡°I was trying to get to know you better, but not just for Zaren¡¯s sake. You¡¯re stuck with us for the foreseeable future, and I¡¯d like it very much if we could at least be friends.¡± Karina felt some heat building in her cheeks. ¡°Oh. Well, I hope so too.¡± The brilliant smile that graced Tiana¡¯s face put many of Karina¡¯s worries to bed. ¡°Wonderful! Now, if memory serves, we still need to pick up those clothes. Shall we?¡± She held her arm out, and Karina could see the hint of worry in her eyes hidden well under her warm expression. She was afraid she¡¯d ruined any trust she¡¯d garnered over thest few days, but so far nothing she¡¯d said had done anything to change how Karina felt towards her. If anything, Karina felt morefortable around her than before. She linked her arm through Tiana¡¯s and they set off towards the quaint little shop they¡¯d found the day before. They picked up from earlier while they walked, Tiana on one arm with Jayme on her other side. Karina couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d felt so rxed. That is, until, her Light started to creep up under her skin. It was agitated. It made her flesh crawl and her gut clench. Her heart rate picked up, and before she knew it she was clinging to Tiana¡¯s arm. She¡¯d just opened her mouth to say something when she saw the look on Tiana¡¯s face. Gone was the warm, caring, approachable-yet-gorgeous woman she¡¯d been at the restaurant. In her ce was a striking, intense, terrifyingly beautiful woman. Her bodynguage hadn¡¯t changed, but her eyes darted back and forth. ¡°Your levels. What are they?¡± she asked, her tone light, but hard. Jayme rolled her shoulders. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not really sure I¡¯mfortable¡ª¡± ¡°Seven,¡± Karina whispered, ¡°and Jayme has a total level of thirty.¡± Jayme¡¯s eyes went wide, but Tiana cursed under her breath. ¡°ss type?¡± ¡°Mage. Combat, I think. It¡¯s nonstandard.¡± The words tumbled out as her fear started to spike. She understood what Tiana meant earlier, everything in her gut told her to rely on the tall, auburn haired magepletely. ¡°Mana pool?¡± ¡°Not great,¡± she started to look behind her, but Tiana¡¯s nails dug into her arm. ¡°Slightly above average, but all my skills use up a lot of mana.¡± A slight dip of her chin was her only response. ¡°Conserve mana, stay out of harm¡¯s way. Try to keep between me and Jayme, and save your skills. You¡¯ll likely only have one shot if things go bad, so make sure you don¡¯t waste it. If it looks like we don¡¯t stand a chance, bide your time and wait for your chance.¡± ¡°Shit, what the fuck is happening?¡± Jayme hissed through clenched teeth. Tiana wrapped her arm around Karina¡¯s shoulders and pulled her in close, pressing her lips to Karina¡¯s temple. Fire shot through her, even though she knew Tiana was just using the move to look around them naturally. ¡°We¡¯re being followed, and the only people around us are mercenaries. How much fighting experience do you have, Jayme?¡± ¡°Not counting the scuffle I got into with Zaren the other day? None outside of training.¡± Tiana took a breath. ¡°Whatever happens, don¡¯t lose your heads. If you can get away, run back to the restaurant. It¡¯s one of Zaren¡¯s, so they won¡¯t risk following you inside. Pretty sure we¡¯re outnumbered. Odds are they¡¯ll take us captive. Zaren wille for us, I promise you that.¡± Karina¡¯s fear spiked and a whimper slipped past her lips. She¡¯d been utterly terrified when those men had tried to take her, and that was when she¡¯d had Zaren and Serena both on their side. Jayme, as per Zaren¡¯s request, carried her sword and shield, but Tiana was unarmed. About the time Karina thought her heart was going to break out of her chest, a stout woman with short cropped hair and a scarred face stepped into their path. ¡°A nice day for a walk, isn¡¯t itdies?¡± she asked, her eyes flicking from one face to the next. ¡°It is,¡± Tiana said, smiling brightly. ¡°But we¡¯re runningte, so if you¡¯ll excuse us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can spare a few minutes, we¡¯ve got a¡ª¡± That was as far as she got before Tiana threw her hand out and four bolts shot from her palm. The woman had been standing with her hip cocked to one side, her weight mostly on one leg, so when the first bolt mmed into the knee bearing most of her weight her leg folded. There was a sickening crack as the woman went to one knee, then two bolts mmed into different parts of her torso, thest catching her in the throat. Karina couldn¡¯t so much as blink. She watched every second. The woman went spinning to the side, blood spurting from her mouth, her face twisted in pain and confusion. Blood sprayed and she made a gurgling grunting sound that seemed impossibly loud in Karina¡¯s ears. She¡¯d never seen someone die before, but in that moment all she could think was that she couldn¡¯t imagine the woman walking away from an attack like that. She hadn¡¯t even hit the floor before men and women jumped out of alcoves and alleyways on both sides. Panic rooted Karina to the spot as Jayme stepped in front of her while Tiana spun to Karina¡¯s back, all while Karina was frozen in ce. Watching like she¡¯d been kicked out of her own body, reduced to nothing but an observer. While Jayme took on two with her sword and shield, Tiana thrust one hand out. A shockwave sent the three men charging her to the ground, a barrage of six bolts erupting from her other hand and mming into them before they could regroup. There were cries of pain as joints snapped and twisted, Tiana¡¯s bolts ripping apart their weak points with deadly precision, but only two of them stayed down. One stood, his arm bent at an angle, gripping a one-handed sword. He charged at the same time several twangs rang out. Crossbow bolts mmed into the magic wall Tiana threw up, and behind her Karina heard the sound of bolts impacting on Jayme¡¯s shield, followed by a shout of pain. Karina whirled around to see that one of the bolts had sunk into Jayme¡¯s thigh, punching through the muscle and out the back of her leg. No. Karina¡¯s light flooded to her fingertips as Jayme managed to disarm and shield bash one of her assants even with only one good leg. Karina lifted her hands, ready to empty her mana pool to defend her friend, when the air behind Jayme started to fold in on itself. Karina held her hands up, palms out, fingers trembling, ready to st whatever was happening. The next second the air split and something was hurtling towards her. Her hands were swept aside just before her foot was knocked out from under her. The world shifted, spinning as the ground rose up and mmed into her. She tried to move, only to realize her attacker still had her arm in their grasp. She cried out in pain as they twisted it, driving her face into the ground. Then she froze as she felt something cold and sharp pressing into her throat. ¡°Unless you want to see the Seelie¡¯s blood painting the street, I¡¯d stand down,¡± a sultry, feminine voice said. There was a pause in the cacophony of sounds Karina couldn¡¯t make heads nor tails of, then several impacts of fists or weapons on flesh followed by cries of pain from her friends. Tears pricked Karina¡¯s eyes as she realized she¡¯d gotten her friends captured. That she¡¯d been worse than useless. ¡°Aw, don¡¯t sweat it sweetheart,¡± the woman holding her said. She lifted the de from Karina¡¯s throat to pat it against her cheek. ¡°Everyone freezes the first time.¡± She yanked Karina to her knees, allowing her to see her friends. Jayme was face down, a man standing over her with his boot on her back and a sword posed over the base of her skull. A few feet away a man held Tiana with her hands pinned behind her back while a woman held a long dagger to her neck. She was d in a tight-fitting ck outfit that Jayme had never seen before, and if she hadn¡¯t been wearing clothes underneath it would have been extremely revealing. Karina couldn¡¯t make out much of Jayme¡¯s face from where she was being held, but half of Tiana¡¯s was already covered in bruises and blood. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said, saying more with her eyes than Karina¡¯s panicked mind couldprehend, ¡°just remember what I said, okay?¡± Her confidence actually did a lot to stop Karina from falling apartpletely, then the woman holding Karinaughed cruelly. ¡°Cute. Hold her.¡± Karina couldn¡¯t hold back her terrified yelp as she was shoved into the arms of another man who roughly yanked her to her feet. The woman, d in tight ck leather armor with chin length ck hair, blood-red lips, and a thick scar over her left eye, stalked over towards Tiana. ¡°You¡¯re damn good, girl. Good enough to kill two of my men. Who taught you to fight like that?¡± Tiana didn¡¯t respond, she just held her chin high. The woman in charge didn¡¯t like that. She backhanded Tiana with enough force to make her body sag. ¡°We¡¯re bringing her along. Something tells me she¡¯s gonna be fun. Plus, she cost me two of my guys.¡± Then she looked over her shoulder and grimaced. ¡°Make that three.¡± The man holding Tiana nodded, then pulled out a sickly-green crystal. Tiana made a defiant sound before he pressed it to her forehead and she went limp in his arms. He tossed her over his shoulder and just stood there, waiting for orders. The woman turned to where Jayme had frozen, her eyes wide, and shrugged. ¡°Leave her. I don¡¯t kill people I¡¯m not paid to kill, and I¡¯ve got no patience for amateurs. Grab the Seelie and let¡¯s move out.¡± ¡°Kari! No!¡± Jayme screamed, surging up. That just earned her a swift kick to the head followed by a stomp on her ribs. That was all Karina saw before another of the mercenaries pulled out a gem identical to the one used on Tiana. Karina couldn¡¯t bring herself to do anything but watch as he touched it to her forehead. Then a feeling like being dunked in icy water washed through her, followed by darkness. Chapter Ninety-Five: Rescue Chapter Ny-Five: Rescue I was self-aware enough to be worried¡ªsomewhere deep, deep in the recesses of my mind¡ªabout my demeanor as I walked into the restaurant Cynthia had procured for us only a few days ago. I¡¯d been angry a lot of different ways in my life, and from experience this was one of the more dangerous. My rage roiled low in my gut, icy cold and coiled up in preparation to strike. Patient. Just waiting to unleash itself upon the ones stupid enough to fuck with me. Those with sharper instincts took one look at me and got the fuck out of my way as I headed towards the back rooms of the building, Allie on one shoulder, Serena on the other. The others waited just outside for me to figure out just what the hell had happened. ording to the out of breath, slightly terrified waitress who¡¯de running into the manor looking for me, I¡¯d hopefully find my answers here. All chatter came to a jarring halt when I opened the door. My fears were slightly abated when I saw one of the three I was worried about, injured but alive. Jayme was reclined on a couch with a sheen of sweat coating her ck and blue face. One eye was swollen shut and her lip was split. There was blood on her clothes, but not enough to be concerning. Another of the restaurant¡¯s employees was pressing a towel to the crossbow bolt sticking through her upper thigh. It took her good eye a second to focus on me, which told me she was at least a little concussed. And from the way she held herself and winced with each breath I figured her ribs were bruised at best. Once she realized who she was looking at her gaze filled with shame and her eye dropped to the floor. One nod to Serena and we were moving like a well-oiled machine. I touched the bolt with a shadow, banishing it straight from her leg, and Serena immediately pressed her palms to the wound to heal it. Jayme groaned through clenched teeth, but she rxed into the couch as Serena¡¯s magic started to take hold. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jayme started, her voice strained. ¡°I failed to protect her. I didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Worry about meter,¡± I said in a quiet,manding tone. Her mouth jammed shut and her eye flicked back up to me. Already some of Serena¡¯s healing was reducing the swelling on her face, but it didn¡¯t take a healer to know Jayme was done for the day when it came to fighting. I knelt down next to her so we were nearly eye-to-eye. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± In short, clipped sentences, she told me about how they were stopped on the way to the clothing shop. How Tiana attacked first, but the ambush was sprung immediately after. That tracked with what I¡¯d felt. [Danger Sense] had alerted me enough to know they were in trouble, so I¡¯d used [Empower] to boost Tiana¡¯s stats. From what Jayme told me of the fight, it came in handy. It just wasn¡¯t enough. And at that distance I wasn¡¯t able to summon tendrils on her armor, so that had been all I¡¯d been able to do while they¡¯d fought for their lives. My face was a mask while she recounted the short, violent fight. The woman who¡¯d appeared out of thin air to grab Karina. The gems they¡¯d used to knock Karina and Tiana out. That was why the Link had so suddenly cut out. I could sense her enough to know she was alive, but I couldn¡¯t get any sense of direction from her. Then they¡¯d roughed Jayme up enough so she couldn¡¯t follow before taking off into the city. She¡¯d managed to limp back to the restaurant, slipping in and out of consciousness, and sent one of the employees to find me. I could see how much she med herself, so I put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault,¡± I told her. ¡°When they jumped you, they attacked the eyes I had following you at the same time. It was a coordinated effort, and from the sound of things you lost before you ever had a chance. You made it back here and got word to me, and that¡¯s the best I could have hoped for from anyone in your position.¡± The air rushed out of her lungs in a sob and her head fell back to the couch. She rested her forearm over her eyes and grimaced. ¡°They took her. They took my friend, Zaren.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I gave her shoulder a squeeze. ¡°But from what you¡¯ve told me, they were after her to begin with. That helps a lot. That means she¡¯s not dead, and Tiana¡¯s still unconscious. If they used the same gem on both of them, then we can assume they haven¡¯t hurt Karina either.¡± She lifted her arm to look up at me with red-rimmed eyes. ¡°How are you so calm right now?¡± she demanded, just on the lucid side of hysterical. Impressive, all things considered. I¡¯d seen more seasoned fighters than her lose their shit in situations that weren¡¯t as bad as this one. I held her gaze so she might understand how serious my next words were. ¡°This isn¡¯t calm. I¡¯ve just learned the hard way that panic helps no one. When we find the ones stupid enough to cross me, they¡¯ll see just how calm I¡¯m not, trust me.¡± That seemed to make her feel better. She swallowed, then sat up and pushed Serena¡¯s hands away. ¡°Don¡¯t waste any more mana on me, not when I won¡¯t be any help getting her back. You will get her back, right?¡± I nodded. ¡°I will. And I¡¯ll make sure to discourage anyone else from making moves like this one.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Sheid back again and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. When I turned around, Nariko was walking in through the door. She gravitated towards Serena, though her eyes were on me. ¡°I trailed them to an abandoned warehouse. Valith found me and took over watch.¡± My rage twisted inside me. It sensed that I was one step closer to unleashing it. I looked down to Jayme. ¡°See? I¡¯ll just pop right in and pick her up. Easy as pie.¡± Jayme snorted, but I could see the relief in her bodynguage. Then, to Nariko, ¡°I thought you were off today.¡± She just shrugged. ¡°Got bored. Saw a group of armed people slinking through that gave me bad vibes, so I followed them to the ambush site. It was a losing fight, especially when thedy with the scar showed up, so I figured it¡¯d be smarter to watch and report.¡± ¡°Good instincts,¡± I said, inclining my head. I¡¯d figure out a way to repay herter. Right now I had bigger issues to deal with. ¡°The warehouse?¡± She gave me some brief directions. ¡°Valith and Tsuki are watching it now.¡± ¡°Feel like running another errand for me?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Find one of Sandrel¡¯s scouts. Have him key Sandrel in on the situation, let him know I n to respond ordingly.¡± She arched a brow, but nodded and slipped out of the room so quietly I wouldn¡¯t have known she was even there if I hadn¡¯t been looking at her. ¡°Jayme, stay here until I send someone to help you back. Until further notice, nobody goes anywhere alone. Not until I know why they came after Karina.¡± I saw a flicker of something in Jayme¡¯s eyes that told me she might have an idea, but that was a conversation best left forter. She agreed, and I gave her shoulder onest squeeze. ¡°You did good. Next time you¡¯ll do better. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± Then I left with Serena and Allie in tow. Thetter had watched the entire encounter silently, taking in every word I said and how I said it. She¡¯d been present when I¡¯d felt the attack happened, and she¡¯d left no room for argument when she told me she wasing to help. Safina, Noelle, Therese, Rose, and Nora all waited outside for us, each of them kitted out and ready for battle. The former two looked to me while thetter three looked to Allie. ¡°We have a location,¡± I told them, not breaking stride. They fell into step behind me. ¡°What¡¯s the n?¡± Allie asked, stepping up to walk at my left. ¡°I¡¯ll be walking in the front door, making a lot of noise. I want you and your team to take a side entrance.¡± She pursed her lips as if she wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of my orders, but she didn¡¯t argue. Therese, however, cleared her throat. ¡°From what I understand about your team, Tiana is your ranged damage. Without her, you¡¯re only frontline. Maybe splitting up isn¡¯t the best n.¡± ¡°They fucked with my people,¡± I said simply, my voice dangerously low. ¡°They¡¯ll expect me to retaliate in anger, even if they won¡¯t see meing so soon. Safina and I are intimidating enough, and Noelle and Serena both can do some serious damage. We kick down the front door with an appropriate amount of shock and awe and they¡¯ll respond.¡± ¡°Meanwhile,¡± Allie interjected with a grimace, ¡°we can slip in a side door and head straight for where we think the captives are.¡± I nodded. ¡°They¡¯ll likely know about us if they¡¯re watching me half as close as I suspect, but odds are they don¡¯t know about you yet. If they do, they won¡¯t know what you¡¯re capable of. We pincer them, make sure they¡¯ve got nowhere to go. Recovering Karina and Tiana are priority number one, everything elsees secondary.¡± We¡¯d barely entered the warehouse district when a dark shape fell from the rooftop next to me,nding silently. A hazy figure emerged, then the illusion faded to reveal Tsuki. Her golden eyes found mine immediately, and her cheeks darkened slightly. Then she cleared her throat and gestured for us to follow. ¡°We think there are at least twenty,¡± she said, winding through the alleys between buildings. ¡°Two on the door, the rest somewhere inside. All the windows are boarded up, so we can¡¯t see inside. Mostly soldier types. Lots of swords, shields, and bows, but nobody that outwardly looks like a mage.¡± ¡°Got eyes on a second entrance?¡± She nodded. ¡°There are three. The front door, a loading area with a big door that¡¯s closed and locked, and a smaller side door.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take the front, Allie I want you on the side door. Tsuki, you and Valith watch the exits in case they try to slip away. Engage if you think you can handle it, follow and report if you don¡¯t.¡± Tsuki nodded, then she turned and ran towards a nearby wall. A few feet away her image split in two, one Tsuki spinning and bracing against the wall tounch what must have been the main Tsuki high enough for her to mber up onto the roof. The one that did the boosting dissolved into thin air, and the real Tsuki wrapped herself in that hazy cloak again and all but vanished from sight. ¡°She¡¯s picked up some new tricks,¡± Serena noted. Noelle grunted. ¡°She wants very badly to be useful.¡± ¡°Well she¡¯s more than proved herself. Let¡¯s go.¡± Allie and her group split off to head towards the door Tsuki had directed them to. Allie shot me onest look that told me she wasn¡¯t psyched about us splitting up, but she didn¡¯t protest. I wish I knew how to tell her that Jack was probably the only other person in my household I trusted to lead a secondary team like this, but there just wasn¡¯t time. The front door was closer than either of the other doors, so we came to a stop so Allie¡¯s party had time to get into position. Like Tsuki had said, two guards were out front. They wore armor, but it was nothing special. Plenty of weak spots to expose. Both carried a sword and shield with a crossbow over their shoulder. Closing my eyes, I reached out with my extrasensory abilities. This close, even though she was still out, I could finally sense her armor. A feeling that I hadn¡¯t realized was there until I went looking for it and found nothing but emptiness in my head. Wasting no time, I conjured three Essence boosted tendrils from her armor. It was costly at a distance, but if it meant saving Tiana then it was well worth it. Not wanting to give away the game until I was in a better position, I wrapped the tendrils tightly around her, ttening them to her flesh and hiding them under her clothes. She started to ever so slowly stir as my shadows slid over her body. I could tell from what I felt through the tendrils that she was lying on her side with her hands restrained behind her back. I wrapped a shadow down each arm and slid them under the ropes binding her. Nonmagical, which meant I could sever them in an instant when the time came. [Danger Sense] was slowly ramping up. Without using my shadows to physically search the room I didn¡¯t know what surrounded her, but from what my skill was telling me she still wasn¡¯t in immediate danger past being a captive. Someone or something dangerous was approaching, but they weren¡¯t there yet. Unfortunately, without knowing if a guard was in the room with her, my options were limited. Fortunately, Tiana and I had discussed a few hypothetical scenarios that came close enough to this one that I had a n. ¡°This is still fucking insane,¡± I whispered to myself. Sorry about this, Tiana. I took the third tendril, the one not wrapped around her arms ready to free her, and slid between her legs. Then, making it thick enough to be felt but not to cause any damage, I plunged the shadow into her ass. I knew from the way her body jolted that she was wide awake now. I halted the tendril, leaving it inside her but decreasing its thickness a little. She struggled against her bindings for a moment, but I gently squeezed her arms with my tendrils. I felt her looking around, then she shifted enough to tap the tendril between her legs twice. Two taps meant ¡®I¡¯m okay, keep going.¡¯ A signal we¡¯d designed for the bedroom, but it worked just as well here. I could imagine she wasn¡¯t feeling particrly aroused in a situation like this, which meant her secondary ss wasn¡¯t helping her at all right now. I could fix that, even if it left me feeling more than a little strange about it. I ordered the tendril to start slowly pumping in and out of her while I split off a wisp to stimte the nub at the hood of her lower lips while she slowly sidled across the floor. She pressed up against something, and it took me a second to realize it was another body. The moment I touched it I felt that familiar yank on my shadows. Karina. She wasn¡¯t moving, but a quick foray with one of the tendrils on Tiana¡¯s arms to her pulse point told me she was alive, just unconscious. Since I hadn¡¯t had a few dozen discussions about boundaries with her like I had Tiana, waking her up the same way was out of the question. While Tiana jostled her, trying to get her to wake, I felt a Link approaching. As I opened my eyes, Valith appeared next to me in a crouch. ¡°Another group just entered the side door. Four guards that look better equipped than the other soldiers we¡¯ve seen and someone in a hood.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like this,¡± I mumbled, more to myself than to her. ¡°Tiana¡¯s awake, but Karina is still trying to break out of whatever knock-out spell they¡¯re using. They¡¯re on the first floor, somewhere on the northeastern side of the building if my senses are right.¡± Valith nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll pass it along to Allisandre.¡± ¡°Val,¡± I said softly, causing her to pause before she used [Blink] to teleport again. I held out a mana potion. ¡°They fucked with people I care about. I don¡¯t n on taking prisoners. Is that going to be an issue for you?¡± She¡¯d been used to kill against her will for a significant portion of her life. I wouldn¡¯t do the same to her now. She just shook her head. ¡°They kidnapped my friends. They¡¯ll get no mercy from me.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She nodded once and Blinked away. I turned to Noelle and Safina. ¡°You two ready?¡± The two responding growls I received almost brought a smile to my face. Noelle¡¯s spectral armor wrapped around her and she hefted her overlyrge battleaxe with a dangerous look in her crimson eyes. Safina was even scarier. Her heavy half-te armor would have been far too much weight for anyone but a Half-dragon with impressive strength, and the mace she carried was nearly as big as my head. With a shield taller than Noelle that looked normal sized on her near-nine-foot frame, Safina was terrifying. Serena, wearing only my shadow armor, just nodded and brandished her spear. I walked out in in view of the warehouse and the two men scrambled to draw their swords. They didn¡¯t wear the crests of the city guard, which meant they were either privately owned soldiers or mercenaries. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be here!¡± one called. The other, who collected himself much quicker than his ally, stepped forward. ¡°This is private property, and you¡¯re trespassing. We¡¯re going to have to ask you to¡ª¡± His eyes flicked away from me to Safina, growing wide when he took in the sheer size of her in her armor. That was his mistake. Distracted, he was too slow to react as I surged forward. I pulled a dagger out of my storage and mmed it into his thigh, right between the tes of his armor. It sank into the hilt and he screamed on his way to the ground as his leg gave underneath him. The other man cursed and lunged forward, but I sidestepped his clumsy, rushed attack. Tendrils shot out andtched around his wrist, yanking him forward and into my elbow. I felt his jaw crack against the strike and he went down hard. The screaming man went silent as Noelle cracked him upside the head with the t of her axe and Safina finished off the other guy with a solid m of her mace. Neither were dead, but they wouldn¡¯t be getting up any time soon. ¡°Should we check them for keys?¡± Serena asked, but I wasn¡¯t listening. Karina¡¯s presence pressed to Tiana¡¯s side had disappeared. Tiana tried to stand but was shoved roughly to the ground. I was ready to send my shadows on the offensive when [Danger Sense] ripped through me. Tiana froze, her heart hammering against her chest, and I sent my shadows questing across her flesh just enough to feel the tip of the spearhead pricking her throat threateningly. Then the spear vanished and [Danger Sense] quieted, but not by much. Tiana tried to push herself backwards and hands wrapped around her upper biceps, yanking her to her feet. That was enough for me. Ished out with the shadows I¡¯d nted on her, shredding her restraints and slicing at anyone who meant her harm. At the same time, I sent an [Empower] her way. Between the boost to her stats and my tendrils, I had to hope she¡¯dst long enough for us or Allie to get to her. ¡°Safina, the door please,¡± Imanded. ¡°With pleasure, sir,¡± she said, a feral grin splitting her face. With one kick from her massive, armored boot, the door crumpled. Shards and pieces of wood and metal exploded inward,nding on the floor in front of nearly a dozen men in shoddy armor with various weapons. They all stood, frozen in shock, as Safina ducked under the door frame then stood to her full height. ¡°Permission to let loose?¡± I summoned a short sword to each hand. In the cramped hallways and with allies nearby I didn¡¯t want to rely on the Jailer¡¯s de just yet. ¡°Permission granted.¡± With a roar that would have made grown men piss themselves (and likely did, judging by the sudden smell in the room) Safina charged into the group of soldiers shield first. Noelle was just behind her, sinking her battleaxe into the first man stupid enough to swing a de at her. I was only a half step behind, engaging three men with my dual des. Serena remained behind, stabbing at anyone she could reach and covering all three of our blind spots at the same time. [Horde yer] gave me the boost I needed, and I dumped an [Empower] into the three with me as well as Allie, feeling her Link grow close enough for her to have entered the building. [Giant Killer] never once activated, which meant the men that stood between me and my friends fell quickly. Safina¡¯s mace trailed blue lightning as she swung it with enough weight and force behind it to lift foes from their feet with the power of her strikes. Shields shattered and armor crumpled under her assault. Noelle¡¯s axe would have been threatening enough, cleaving through flesh and bone with ease, but the added explosions of her [Bestial Strike] caused plenty of additional damage. And the spectral ravens weaving through the fight kept us from taking any real damage. And to top it all off, we fought as one. Thanks to [Tandem Fighting], since we were all Linked, I felt as if I knew what my allies were going to do before they did it. We worked together to take our enemies apart as often as we stepped in to make sure none of us were taking on too many at once. At one point, I fought three while Noelle and Safina teamed up to take soldiers down one at a time. They didn¡¯t stand a chance. The fight didn¡¯tst long at all before they were all either dead, unconscious, or injured enough to no longer be a threat. I wasted no time in running deeper into the warehouse, towards where I felt Tiana still fighting. My shadows kept the enemies at bay while she sted them with her lethal force magic, doubly dangerous because of my [Empower] and the arousal I¡¯d built in her before everything kicked off. Right when the first of the three tendrils I¡¯d given her finally ran out of juice and faded, I felt a shift in [Danger Sense]. There was a blending sensation between the Links I had with Allie and Tiana as Allie¡¯s party jumped into the fray and [Tandem Fighting] activated. In a matter of seconds, the tendrils went from being nearly overwhelmed to not having anything to do as Allie and Nora took up positions between her and the enemy. We came crashing around the corner to see Allie¡¯s party engaged in a melee with at least ten more soldiers. There must have been a few inside by the time Nariko had found the ce, because we¡¯d surpassed their initial guess of twenty. I searched desperately, but I saw no sign of Karina. Tiana¡¯s head whipped around, her eyes falling on me, shining with relief. She nodded, then her gaze hardened. ¡°We¡¯ve got this. They took Karina that way,¡± she said, nodding down an adjacent hallway. ¡°Go.¡± As badly as I wanted to hold Tiana close and make sure she was alright, the logical part of me knew I had to move. If they¡¯d taken Karina, there was every chance they were trying to escape with her. I took off down the hallway in the direction she¡¯d indicated. Hang on, Karina. I¡¯ming. # # # A few minutes earlier¡­ Karina hadn¡¯t had a headache like this since her and Jayme had stolen a few gons of wine from the kitchens. It took her a moment to think past the pounding in her skull long enough to even try to move the rest of her body. Her shoulders ached from how her arms were pinned behind her, but with a jolt of panic she realized she couldn¡¯t move them. Pain dug into her wrists when she tried as coarse ropes dug into the skin there. A frightened whimper slipped from her as she tried and failed to sit up, doing her best to take in the room around her with bleary eyes. Small, cramped, and empty. No windows, just brick walls and a single thick door. Not even a nket between her and the hard concrete floor. She paused when she bumped into something warm and soft. ¡°Shh,¡± a voice said next to her ear. Tiana, she realized. ¡°It¡¯s alright, take a breath. It¡¯s important to not panic right now.¡± Not panic? She was currently restrained in a strange ce, still dizzy from whatever had happened to her. She was fucking terrified. It didn¡¯t take a leap of the imagination to know she¡¯d been kidnapped, and as her vision stopped swimming and she took in Tiana¡¯s bruised, restrained form, she realized she wasn¡¯t the only one. Then, like strikes to her gut, the memories of what had happened came back to her. ¡°Oh gods, Jayme!¡± Karina cried out. She jerked forward, searching the room for her friend, only to roll as she violently heaved. Nothing came up, but her body certainly gave its best effort. ¡°Easy,¡± Tiana said, the sound of her voice the only thing allowing Karina to keep tethered to sanity. ¡°Those gems did a number on us. I¡¯m stilling out of it, too.¡± ¡°Jayme, is she¡ª¡± Karina spluttered, still heaving. ¡°She isn¡¯t here,¡± Tiana said softly. ¡°But there isn¡¯t a third set of bindings, and there¡¯s no sign she was here before I woke up. That isn¡¯t important right now.¡± ¡°Not important?¡± Karina sat up, wishing her hands weren¡¯t bound so she could at least wipe the tears from her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Tiana said, her turquoise eyes pinning Karina in ce. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do for her in this moment. Right now, we need to focus on our own survival. Worrying about anything that isn¡¯t directly rted to us could get us killed.¡± Karina did her best to calm her heaving breaths. Tiana slid over so they were side by side once more and Karina couldn¡¯t stop herself from leaning into the taller woman¡¯s side. Taking whateverfort she could from Tiana¡¯s warmth. ¡°What do we do?¡± she asked, straining against her bonds. ¡°Right now? Nothing,¡± Tiana said softly, resting her cheek on the top of Karina¡¯s head. ¡°We breathe, we wait, we listen. We don¡¯t know where we are, how many men are around, or even who has us. They could be listening, so we can¡¯t say anything important. Understand?¡± Karina nodded numbly. It made her feel wretched, but a part of her was d she wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This was my fault.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Tiana admonished, pulling away enough to look at her, ¡°this was nobody¡¯s fault but the men who took us, in and simple.¡± ¡°They were after me, though,¡± Karina said, a tear trailing down her cheek. ¡°You just got caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± Tiana promised. She pressed her forehead to Karina¡¯s. ¡°We¡¯re going to be okay. Zaren wille.¡± A shakyugh was all Karina could manage at first. ¡°You have a lot of faith in him.¡± There was a twinkle in her eye making Karina wonder if the mage knew something she didn¡¯t. ¡°He¡¯s earned it. And he won¡¯t leave you behind either. It doesn¡¯t matter to him in the slightest that you aren¡¯t human, you¡¯re important to him. He wille.¡± Karina closed her eyes, trying to take Tiana¡¯s words to heart. To let them be her reality. She had to believe them or she¡¯d fall apart. ¡°You were amazing back there. You¡¯re a badass.¡± Tiana smirked, a light blush blooming on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not so special.¡± ¡°You destroyed those guys. If we¡¯d had one more frontline to watch our backs, and if I hadn¡¯t fucked up and gotten caught, then we would havee out on top.¡± Tiana just shrugged. ¡°I had some help.¡± ¡°Will you teach me to fight like that?¡± Karina asked, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°If we survive this?¡± Tiana leaned in close. ¡°We will survive. And after, if you¡¯ve got a mage ss, then absolutely I¡¯ll teach you whatever you need to know to feel safe.¡± ¡°Zaren will be okay with it?¡± A softugh slipped past her. ¡°Zaren is a big fan of the women in his household being able to defend themselves when pushes to shove. Plus,¡± her eyes twinkled, ¡°he¡¯s got a bit of a thing for kickass girls, so learning to fight will only help your chances.¡± Karina felt herself blushing profusely. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Tiana shifted, gasping softly as she did, her face growing even redder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t.¡± Then the unmistakable sound of a key being inserted into a lock filtered through the door and Tiana¡¯s yful expression faded. ¡°Listen to me,¡± she said, her voice low, ¡°whatever happens, whatever they try to do, you stall. Stall for as long as you possibly can. Do whatever you have to and buy yourself time. Every second counts, do you understand me? And whatever you do, do. Not. Panic.¡± Karina nodded fearfully just before the door opened. Tiana tried to stand, but a boot shot out and shoved her to the ground. She¡¯d barely looked up before a spear was being pressed to the hollow of her throat, making her freeze. ¡°Now, now,¡± the man holding the weapon said, ¡°no need for all that. Cooperate, and things won¡¯t have to get ugly.¡± Then another man, tall and thick with muscle, snatched Karina by the arm and roughly yanked her to her feet. Karina fought, cursing and spitting at the man, using all her willpower to keep her light fromshing out at him. Behind him stood two more men, big and armored, as well as the scarred woman from the ambush. She couldn¡¯t fight them. Not without any kind of training. That didn¡¯t stop her from kicking and fighting the man every step of the way as he dragged her from the room. ¡°Remember what I told you!¡± Tiana called at her, even as Karina was essentially carried past the threshold. They paused outside as the man turned to the scarred woman. ¡°Redhead¡¯s all yours,¡± he said gruffly. Her grin widened. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you. I hope we can do it again sometime,¡± she said, trailing a long nailed finger down his bicep. He grunted, then he was dragging Karina away from the door while three of the men from the ambush walked inside. She fought, trying to get back to her friend, but the only reward for her efforts was a sharp blow to the back of her head. The hallway swam around her as she was dragged into another room and unceremoniously dumped into a chair. She tried to rise, only to be shoved back down. The man who¡¯d dragged her here just looked down at her with a cruel grin. ¡°Now, now, I¡¯d best behave if I were you. Boss doesn¡¯t know exactly how roughed up you got in that ambush just yet, and he gave Victoria plenty of leeway in bringing you in.¡± Karina froze as the implications of his words sank in. ¡°W-what do you want with me.¡± ¡°Me?¡± He chuckled. ¡°To get paid, of course. My boss? That¡¯s a whole different matter.¡± As if his words were a signal, the door behind him opened. Through it stepped Karina¡¯s worst nightmare. Lord Serrick Davvon, in all his slimy glory, strutted into the room like he was king of the world. When his eyes fell on Karina, his grin grew wide. ¡°Leave us,¡± hemanded. The thug still holding her down frowned. ¡°You sure, boss?¡± He just shrugged. ¡°Wait outside, and if she somehow makes her way past me and to you then you have my full permission to educate her on her ce in this world,¡± he said simply, his words making Karina¡¯s blood run cold. ¡°That ought to serve as plenty of deterrent, shouldn¡¯t it little Seelie?¡± Unable to find her voice, Karina just nodded. Tears spilled silently down her cheeks as her light recoiled inside her, as if it knew just how truly screwed she was. She¡¯d always known Davvon was demented, but to go so far as to kidnap her in broad daylight? The thug left the room and Davvon set a small case on the table in front of her. ¡°Now then, little Seelie, let¡¯s you and me have a chat. Cooperate, and things can be rather easy for you. You¡¯ll find that I can be a rather amiable master when my instructions are followed.¡± He opened the case and set a strange object on the table. It was a magical gem in some kind of frame. He flicked a piece into ce and a low hum filled the room. ¡°There, now we won¡¯t be overheard. Not with what we¡¯ll need to discuss.¡± Then he pulled out a rectangr silver tablet with a spike at the top. ¡°Now, sorry for making you wait, but I was in a rather annoying meeting with your dear old father.¡± Karina felt the blood draining from her face and Davvon¡¯s expression grew delighted. ¡°Oh, yes. It took some digging, but the knowledge that the great Rr, Chosen of Thyana, goddess of light, is your sperm donor will make me powerful beyond imagination.¡± Then he pulled a knife out and Karina felt herself begin to tremble. He thumbed the de, walking around the table with slow, deliberate steps. ¡°My master has spent most of his natural life searching for a specific set of individuals, you see. Ones that meet very specific criteria. But, as much of a genius as he is, my master can be a bit literal in his thinking.¡± He dragged the de across Karina¡¯s shoulders. Not hard enough to cut, but hard enough for her to feel the sharpness of the de. ¡°You see, he¡¯s been searching for years in all the wrong ces. In the north where the sun never sets. In the deserts where there are no clouds to offer shade. You see, the Shadowborn was born in literal darkness, so surely its counterpart must be the same?¡± Nothing he was saying made any sense to Karina. Davvon was more delusional than she could have imagined. She needed to get away from him, but there was no way she could take on the four trained men outside the door. She wasn¡¯t anywhere near an expert, but even she could tell those four were a cut above the men and women that had ambushed them. ¡°But I started to think in the opposite direction,¡± Davvon continued, unaware of her thoughts. ¡°You see, the original Shadowborn were born in times of darkness. Not literal, but metaphorical. When the side of light became so oppressive it cast shadows dark enough to spawn a weapon capable of righting the scales. So I started to be a little more¡­ abstract in my thinking.¡± He stopped behind her. Before she could react, he¡¯d grabbed her wrist. She let out a cry of fear, pulling against him, but he merely used his knife to cut through her bindings. He yanked her arm in front of her, holding her body down with his other hand, and gripped her thumb. She let out another cry, this time in pain, as he twisted her hand and jammed the thumb down onto the spike at the top of the silver tablet. ¡°I thought to myself, what or who would be the embodiment of light?¡± he said, holding her thumb to the tablet while she struggled against him in vain. Crimson blood ran from the puncture, flowing down the tablet and sinking into the silvery surface. ¡°It didn¡¯t take me long toe to a reasonable conclusion. Rr. Great, perfect Rr,¡± he spat, shoving her down harder. Breath was driven from her lungs as the edge of the table dug into her ribs, but he didn¡¯t let up. ¡°The picture perfect Chosen! All things every god aspires for their Chosen to be! Honorable! Kind! Merciful!¡± He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her head back. ¡°Perfect fucking Rr, Chosen to the goddess of light! How could it be anyone else? But s, Rr never took a wife! Never had dalliances! He never paid for a whore, never relished in the spoils of victory, hells, for a while I wondered if the old bastard might not be a godsdamned virgin!¡± Davvon paused, his face splitting into a wide grin. With his hand still fisting her hair, he turned her face towards the tablet. Written across the top, above her stats and skills, was a word that made thest of the hope in her wither and die. Lightborn. Her ss. One she¡¯d instinctively known all her life she couldn¡¯t tell anyone about. Jayme was the only one she¡¯d ever spoken the name aloud to. ¡°Then I found out about the Seelie that had followed him around. Tending to his wounds. Repairing his armor. The rumors that she would often stay in his tent well past sunrise, even if they never so much as shared a kiss outside it. Her devoted loyalty to him. The child she had nearly a decadeter whose father was only ever a topic of spection. A child that grew up protected, in the capital. A servant protected by someone powerful.¡± He yanked her head back again, forcing her to sit upright, leaning down until his nose was almost touching hers. ¡°Hello, little Lightborn. You¡¯re going to change everything.¡± Then he shoved her away, releasing her. She curled into herself with a whimper, rubbing the raw patches of skin under her wrists she hadn¡¯t even realized had been bleeding. Surely he could have used that blood for his tablet, but he¡¯d wanted the pleasure of causing her more pain. She wanted to run. To find the darkest corner imaginable and hide in it, away from him. She wanted to scream and cry and rage at the world, but all she could do was sit there numbly while he pulled out a final item from his case. A cor. A thick, iron cor with runes etched into the inside. It looked seamless until he whispered a word, then grooves appeared as symbols glowed orange on the outside of the cor. Where a second ago it had been smooth, unblemished metal, it clicked open. ¡°Now, can¡¯t have you misbehaving any more, so you¡¯ll have to wear this until you realize who owns you.¡± He smiled at her, but his eyes were cold. ¡°I¡¯d tell you not to fight me on this, but we both know that¡¯s a moot point. I¡¯ll enjoy punishing youter regardless.¡± Her light rebelled in her chest as he approached. She knew somehow that this was her moment. It was now or never. If he got that cor around her throat, even over Zaren¡¯s that she still wore, her life as she knew it came to an end. But he was as arrogant as he was delusional. He¡¯d left her hands unbound. She had a single shot to survive, and she was going to take it. He grabbed her, trying to shove her back down onto the table, but she fought back with everything she had. She kicked, screamed, and bit, raking her nails across his face with her free hand while she collected her light in the palm of the hand he was holding on to. He cursed, trying to manhandle her into a position where he could pin her with his body, but Jayme had shown her a few moves to use on men bigger than her. She twisted and bucked until her hand came free. ¡°Stupid bitch!¡± he screamed, managing to grab hold of the hand she was using to w at any skin she could reach. She used that as leverage to pull herself close, shoving her hand in his face and letting loose with all the power she had. Her mana pool was drained by the barrage of attacks she¡¯d held back and light burned so bright it seared his image into her retinas. He howled, dropping the cor and jerking back. ¡°You little whore! I''ll fucking gut you!¡± he cried, wing at the seared area that had once been one of his eyes. Karina lunged for the cor he¡¯d dropped. The metal was thick and heavy, and it was immensely satisfying when she swung it as hard as she could into the side of his head. He screamed again as the metal cut into the skin above his eye, but Karina was lost in a haze. Someone was screaming. All the fear and panic she¡¯d been tamping down came to the forefront as she mmed that heavy iron cor into Davvon¡¯s head again and again and again. By the time she came to a stop, her limbs were trembling and her front was covered in blood. Numbly, she realized she was the one who¡¯d been screaming at the top of her lungs. Davvon¡¯s face was smashed to a bloody, seared pulp, and he was no longer breathing. She looked at him for a second longer before she lunged away, vomiting everything she had in her stomach. She threw up until she couldn¡¯t any longer, then she forced herself to look at the man she¡¯d just killed. There was no pity or remorse in her, but it still took everything in her to rifle through his pockets. The only thing of value she could find was a dagger, but she wasn¡¯t so naive as to think it would help her against the men that waited outside. All too soon, the door banged open. ¡°Boss, we gotta go. The warehouse is under¡ª¡± He paused as he took in the scene, his eyes wide. The other three filed in behind him, simr looks of shock and rage on their face. ¡°What the fuck did you do?¡± one of the other men asked, his voice low and menacing as the doortched shut behind him. Buy Time. Tiana¡¯s words rang through her head. She couldn¡¯t think about what these men would do to her given the chance or she¡¯d freeze again. Instead she raised her dagger, hoping she didn¡¯t look as afraid as she felt. Then she lifted her other hand, allowing her light to slip past her skin and wrap around her arm. Wisps of angry, pure white light twisted around her skin. Every second counts. ¡°Davvon underestimated me,¡± she said, her voice ragged from screaming, ¡°will you do the same?¡± The four men all paused for a beat. Karina struggled to keep her light swirling with what little mana she had left. If they called her bluff, she wouldn¡¯t even have enough left for a single attack. Then the one in the lead snarled. ¡°Seelie bitch. You¡¯ll pay for this.¡± He took a single step forward, and everything exploded. The door erupted in splinters as a mass of swirling darkness raged into the room. There were surprised grunts and shouts that turned quickly into screams as the figure tore into the four men. With shes of silver, ck, and crimson, the neer had one of the men on the floor in seconds. The other three tried to nk him, but he seemed to have no front or back. Tendrils of darknessshed out in all directions, blocking and striking with enough speed to keep the two behind him from interfering as he sunk his de into the throat of the second man. Rather than pulling it free, he left the de behind and whirled on the other two. Another de, this one short and thick, appeared in his hand. One man¡¯s weapon was too long to wield urately in such a tight space, so it wasn¡¯t long before he was bleeding out on the ground. Thest man fell prey to the shadows, trying to crawl away with dozens of cuts covering his body. The man in the shadows just calmly knelt over him and pulled his head back, slicing his throat in one fluid movement. When the shadowy figure turned towards her, she realized it was Zaren. Angry, whirling shadows erupted from his back and sides, whirling and collecting around him like a furious cloak. His eyes went from Davvon¡¯s body to her, taking in her blood covered appearance. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked softly, his voice impossibly loud in the silence of the aftermath. He should have been terrifying. Wrapped in monstrous shadows and covered in the blood of the trained men he¡¯d ughtered. Apparently unfazed by the blood he¡¯d just spilled. Unbothered by whatever injuries he¡¯d sustained. He was barely even breathing hard from the fight he¡¯d just dominated. Karina should have been absolutely terrified of the man, but all she could do was throw herself at him, the sobs finally breaking free as she copsed against his chest. Her knees buckled and she heard the sound of the knife hitting the floor, but his arms were there to catch her. He held her tightly, his hand cupping the back of her head and his shadows wrapping around her like they were just as d to see her safe as he was. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he said, his voice gravelly, his arms crushing her to his chest in just the right way. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± Chapter Ninety-Six: Out of the Frying Pan… Chapter Ny-Six: Out of the Frying Pan¡­ Fear. Everyone felt it at some point or another. It was a survival mechanism. Fear kept you alive. It was a reminder of what you had to lose and how badly you didn¡¯t want to lose it. When kept under control, fear sharpened you. Made you cautious. There were only two kinds of people who didn¡¯t feel it. Those too stupid to understand the danger they were in and those who had absolutely nothing left to lose. That was especially true in the lower quarter. Fear was everywhere. Demi-humans had so many reasons to feel it, after all. Fear that a human would take advantage of them. Of losing everything, whether because they did something worth punishing or because a human was in a particrly bad mood. Families afraid for members taken by the ords. Parents terrified of their children¡¯s future. Demi-humans scared that this might be the day they lose a loved one to a corrupt system. During my time in the lower quarter, I¡¯d been surrounded by so much of that fear that [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] had faded to a nearly inaudible hum in the back of my mind. I¡¯d be nearly blind to it. Even the members of my household weren¡¯t immune to it. Every night I could feel the fear of my servants who were simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. For this seemingly impossible stroke of luck toe to an end. The skill was all but uselesstely, like trying to pick out whispers in a crowded room. I¡¯d all but tuned it out at this point. But Karina¡¯s fear cut through the din like a battleaxe cleaving through a skull. It flooded my senses. Drowned out the world around me. It was a sharp, all-consuming fear. One I knew all too well. The fear of being powerless in a very bad situation. Of knowing for a fact that something very, very bad was about to happen to you and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing you could do about it. It was intense from the word go, and it only grew from there. Every second it ramped up as whoever she was with became more and more of a threat. My Agility ticked up point by point as I hurtled through the hallways towards her, carving through anyone in my path with Serena, Safina, and Noelle hot on my heels. Then the fear had shifted, in taste if not in intensity. The sour taste of hopelessness reced with the burnt acrid vor of pure desperation apanied by the fear of someone else near her, there and gone in the blink of an eye. Something was happening, but she was fighting back. Then, about the time I carved through four guards in the blink of an eye, it shifted again. It lessened, though it was still plenty strong enough for me to feel. Jumbled, panicked fear reced the desperation, and somehow I knew she¡¯d gotten the upper hand on whoever was in the room with her. Then that fear spiked again, but only for a moment. Then it faded in the worst way possible. It didn¡¯t disappear, but it dwindled away until all that was left was the fear of someone resigned to their fate. The worst part was that I could see the room she was in. The solid wood door that separated me from her. It was just on the other side of six guards that wore armor different than the ones we¡¯d fought so far. A personal guard, if I had to guess. I didn¡¯t even have to speak before Safina and Noelle were surging past me. They crashed into the guards and sent them scattering, Safina¡¯s lightning infused mace and Noelle¡¯s massive battleaxe a very proper incentive to get the fuck out of their way. Serena darted in after, using her spear to create space. They engaged the guards and pushed them back enough to give me an opening. Trusting them to handle themselves. I hurtled through the door. My shadowsshed out just before impact, turning the door to kindling. My feet had barely touched the floor before I registered the four men moving towards Karina, who stood with a dagger in one hand, pure white light in the other, and a thick spattering of blood on her front and face. That was all I needed to see before my des were sinking into the chest of the first men, finding the gaps in his armor like they were drawn to them. He screamed and fell back, taking my des with him. I didn¡¯t care. New des were in my hand before he¡¯d even made it halfway to the ground while my shadowsshed out at the other three. The second hesitated in his panic, his gaze drawn to his dyingrade, and I wasted no time in sinking my de into his exposed throat. I left that one there to as I summoned a short de and lunged at the idiot with a longsword. It clipped the wall, giving me plenty of time to slip inside his reach and making the long weapon useless. My shadows cut through the unenchanted chain under his armor like it was made from butter, and my des followed. A few deep cutster and he was on the ground as well, his blood pooling and mixing with the first guard. By the time I turned towards the fourth guard, he was already as good as dead. He¡¯d lost the fight against my empowered tendrils and was now crawling towards the door, choking on his own blood. I felt like I was watching someone else kneel down and pull his head back before dragging his de across the man¡¯s throat, but when the head flopped lifelessly to the ground it was still me that banished the de to my storage. Only when I was sure they were all dead did I turn to Karina. I did so with a heavy dose of resignation. Karina hadn¡¯t lived an overly easy life thanks to her race, but she had lived a sheltered one. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. I was willing to wager she¡¯d never seen a man die, much less four trained guards executed in a single, violent assault. So when I finally met her eyes, I expected to see fear and revulsion. I epted I¡¯d see a look I¡¯d seen a thousand times. The expression of someone looking at a monster. But all I saw was fading despair, being slowly reced by relief. Her shoulders sagging as the fight drained out of her all at once. A sh of silver from the corner of my eye as the dagger slipped from her hand, then a choked sob as she threw herself at me. She¡¯d barely hit my chest before I¡¯d banished my own weapons and wrapped my arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said, the words far and distant, as if being spoken by someone else, ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± I was aware I was probably crushing her with how hard I pressed her to my chest, but she voiced noint. Her hands fisted the cloak Ste had made for me as she burrowed deeper into my arms. My shadows reacted to her touch immediately, wrapping around her and lifting her slightly from the ground. Covering her like a nket and protecting her from any further threats. The sounds of fighting had died out and a heavy silence settled in the room, broken up only by her near-silent sobs muffled by my chest. I gently stroked her hair as whispered words offort slipped past my lips as if someone else was speaking them. With every pass of my hand down her back, I came back to myself a little more. As her grip on me lessened, bit by bit, so did the presence of the Zaren I¡¯d been on the battlefield. My head snapped towards movement in the doorway, but it was just Safina poking her head in. She was spattered with blood, her pupils slits as adrenaline from the fight surged through her, but she merely looked at us and nodded, her shoulders rxing. Then she retreated, giving us space. [Danger Sense] told me the others were done fighting as well. The skill told me that Tiana was safe, and Karina¡¯s warmth in my arms meant so was she. Rational thought started to return, which meant it was time to start worrying about possible consequences. A brief nce at the man in the corner¡ªthe one whose face had been reduced to pulp but whose clothes screamed noble¡ªmeant those consequences were likely to be a pain in the ass. Then my gaze trailed from the body to the bloody iron cor next to it and my rage returned. I understood a bit of Karina¡¯s fear a bit better now. His goal had been to enve her, but judging by the looks of things she¡¯d bludgeoned him to death with the very tool he¡¯d nned to use to take her freedom away. But that didn¡¯t answer the question that was burning in the back of my mind. Why? Why go to such lengths for one Seelie woman? I knew why Karina was dear to me¡ªor, at least, I had a very good idea¡ªbut why did this man involve so many other guards in trying to take her? What about Karina prompted the simultaneous strikes that led to her capture? The cor suggested it was for far more than a simple ransom, and with how recently I¡¯d be her Patron a ransom didn¡¯t make much sense anyways. There was no way for anyone to know why she was important to me, which meant there was something I didn¡¯t know. Some other reason the now-deceased noble man wanted her. All it took was a quick nce around the room to find a clue. A silver tablet sitting on the table. I used a shadow to scoop it up and bring it to me, and when I read the words on it everything clicked into ce. What could only be her blood still filled the small reservoir at the top, and the crimson words told me everything I needed to know. Lightborn. She was one of the six Primal sses that were allegedly tied to the fate of this world. The kind of thing that absolutely warranted the use of so many resources to ¡®acquire¡¯ her. If I¡¯d known her ss, I probably wouldn¡¯t have let her out of my sight. If her ss was half as important as Rhani seemed to think it was, she was something worth fighting wars over. Whether my bodynguage had shifted or she had simply gathered herself enough to stand on her own feet, she chose that moment to pull away. She looked up at me with red rimmed eyes, her rosy, plump lips opening to say something, before she realized what I was holding. Fear mmed into me again as her expression contorted with horror. But she didn¡¯t pull away, even if her body had gone ramrod stiff. Making each move slow and deliberate, I banished the tablet to my storage and gently put my palm to her cheek. ¡°We can discuss itter,¡± I said softly. The tension started to bleed out of her and she leaned into my touch. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to have that conversation somewhere safe, and I think you¡¯ve been through quite enough for one day, don¡¯t you?¡± She swallowed heavily, then nodded. ¡°Thank you,¡± she whispered, her voice ragged. ¡°Tiana kept saying you¡¯de for us, but I just¡­ I thought that if you did get us back, it would be long after¡­¡± her words trailed off and her gaze fell to the man on the floor. Her face turned a shade greener and her lips became a line. With my hand still on her cheek, I turned her head away from him and gently pulled her to my chest. She didn¡¯t fight me, wrapping her arms around me withoutint. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You did good, fighting for as long as you did. You bought me time.¡± She sniffled. ¡°Tiana told me to. Like she knew you were already on your¡ª¡± She froze, then gasped. ¡°Jayme! She¡ª¡± ¡°Jayme¡¯s fine,¡± I promised, my thumb tracing the ridge of her cheekbone. ¡°She made it to safety and told me about what happened. She¡¯ll be back at the manor by the time we get there.¡± A choked sob slipped past her lips and she leaned into me once more, her temple pressed against my jaw. ¡°Do you have mana left?¡± I asked her. She shook her head as best she could without breaking the contact between us. ¡°My skills do a lot of damage, but they cost a lot of mana at the same time.¡± I hummed thoughtfully. ¡°My skills don¡¯t do a lot of damage up front, but they don¡¯t cost much either. I overwhelm my enemy rather than taking them down with a single blow. It makes sense that you¡¯d be the opposite, I suppose.¡± ¡°Why would that make sense exactly?¡± she asked. ¡°Because my main ss is Shadowborn,¡± I said softly. ¡°Your opposite. Or counterpart, perhaps. We aren¡¯t really sure yet.¡± She pulled back, looking up at me with her swirling silver eyes wide. ¡°What?¡± she demanded. I grinned. ¡°You¡¯re in goodpany.¡± Then my smile fell. ¡°Will they try again?¡± She nced back towards the noble, biting her lip. ¡°No. I think Davvon was the only one who¡¯d pieced it together. From the way he talked, I think he wanted to keep the glory for himself.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re right, but all the same we¡¯ll be taking some precautions in the future.¡± I was thankful she didn¡¯t fight me on that. If anything, she seemed more relieved. ¡°I want to learn how to fight. Like Tiana.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea,¡± I said earnestly. Her eyes flicked back up to me, something in them pinning me in ce. ¡°I figured.¡± Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips as she gathered the courage to say whatever it was she wanted to say. ¡°She mentioned you preferred women who can handle themselves.¡± Heat bloomed within me, both in my cheeks and somewhere a bit further south. These women were going to be the death of me. ¡°She wasn¡¯t wrong about that one. I always did like a girl who could kick my ass,¡± I said with a shrug. Her eyes widened and her cheeks darkened. She lowered her face, but not before I saw the corners of her lips pull upward. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve got some work to do then,¡± she said, so quietly I wasn¡¯t sure if I was meant to hear her or not. ¡°Not as much as you might think,¡± I mumbled. Judging from the way her grip on my cloak tightened, I was pretty sure she heard me. ¡°Can we go home now?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Absolutely,¡± I told her. But as I stepped towards the door, still holding her to my side, an uneasy feeling passed through me. All of this felt a little too easy. Just like I knew I¡¯d been missing some key information about Karina, I felt like I was missing something now. I only hesitated a moment before I pulled the enchanted cloak off my shoulders and wrapped it around her. Then I summoned a few tendrils at her waist to give her an addedyer of protection. They sunk into the cloak immediately and it came alive with shadows. When she looked up at me with a question in her eyes, I just winked. ¡°Better safe than sorry, right?¡± I left the room with her tucked into my side. The other three were waiting outside for me next to a pile of bodies that had formerly been the guards to the room. Serena¡¯s eyes flicked towards Karina. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked softly. Karina¡¯s grip on me tightened. ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± she admitted, ¡°but I¡¯m not injured, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± The cuts on her wrists from her bindings, the cut on her palm from where she¡¯d mmed the hard edges of the cor into Davvon¡¯s face, and the mangled puncture on her thumb told me differently, but I wasn¡¯t going to push her just yet. While they were undoubtedly causing her pain, none were life threatening. And if that physical pain helped her cope with the emotional pain of taking a life until I could get her somewhere safe, then I wasn¡¯t going to argue. Serena¡¯s eyes found mine and I didn¡¯t need the Link to understand the unasked question in them. I shook my head softly, indicating that we¡¯d made it before anything could be done to Karina. Her shoulders rxed and she smiled. ¡°What should we do about them?¡± she asked, gesturing towards the bodies stacked in the corner, no doubt by Safina. ¡°Most of them were mercenaries,¡± I said. ¡°Not particrly good ones, either. The real problem is Lord Serrick Davvon, also known as the corpse in the room behind us. Him and his personal guard being dead could cause us problems, but that¡¯s something to worry about when everyone is safe at the manor.¡± She nodded. ¡°Lets get moving, then.¡± Noelle and Safina took up spots on either side of me and Karina while Serena led the way. I checked the Links while we walked. From what I could tell, everyone else was waiting for us as the front of the warehouse. But as eager as I was to get out of here, I still couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that things weren¡¯t over yet. The thought had barely left my mind before both [Danger Sense] and [Giant Killer] red. I summoned a de and came to a halt. The other three, through my actions or through whatever they felt through our Links, did the same. Karina clung to me, her breathing in short gasps while all of us searched for whatever had set me off. ¡°Impressive reaction time,¡± a voice said from behind us. I whirled, pushing Karina behind me, and the other three took up positions on either side of me. Leaning against the wall like she hadn¡¯t a care in the world was a woman with chin-length ck hair, blood red lips, and a thick scar that went over one of her eyes, both of which were a swirling mix of violet and crimson that screamed bad news. I lifted my de, but made no move to attack. Even if the woman didn¡¯t hold herself like a warrior, her gear would have told me she was a threat. It was very good quality, but it had seen more than its fair share of use. Not to mention its design was unlike anything I¡¯d ever seen before. ¡°Not sure we¡¯ve met,¡± I said. Her lips quirked up. ¡°We haven¡¯t, which is such a shame really. I¡¯ve been wanting to meet thete, great Zaren Nocht for some time now.¡± Her words put me on edge for more than one reason. The sultry, seductive tone would have been enough to set off the rm bells, but what really made my blood run cold was her ent. I could almost ce it, like a name that was just out of reach. I¡¯d met a lot of people with a lot of different ents over the years, but hers I couldn¡¯t ce. It was almost a dozen different things, but not quite any one of them. All I knew was that I needed to get the people I cared about far, far away from this woman. ¡°A pleasure,¡± I responded dryly, ¡°but we really must be going.¡± Her smile widened. Her eyes were that of a predator, and for the first time in a long time I felt like prey. ¡°I had a feeling grabbing the busty mage would make things interesting,¡± she purred, pushing off the wall and sauntering towards us. ¡°I had a feeling you had some tricks up your sleeve when you pulled that stunt with the Dark Elf¡¯s disappearing act, and I figured it couldn¡¯t exactly hurt to let that cute little Neko follow us here. Looks like I was right on both counts.¡± My blood ran cold. ¡°Safina,¡± I said under my breath, ¡°I need you to take Karina and get her out of here.¡± ¡°But boss¡ª¡± she started to protest. ¡°Karina¡¯s tapped and untrained, and I can¡¯t fight all out and protect her at the same time. Please, Safina.¡± She clenched her jaw, then nodded. Karina, pressed firmly to my back, was trembling, but Safina would at least keep her safe while I held off the woman in front of me. I knew telling Serena and Noelle to go with her would be moot, even if I wanted them as far from the scarred woman as possible. It had been a long, long time since I¡¯d felt so threatened by a single individual. The woman in question¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Oh, go on then. Let the little Seelie run off. Not like I really care about her. She was always Serrick¡¯s obsession. I¡¯m far more interested in you, Zaren.¡± ¡°I wish I could say I¡¯m ttered, but unfortunately my harem is just about full up,¡± I shot back. She chuckled. ¡°A shame.¡± She cocked her hip and raised a brow. I nodded once to Safina, and she lurched into action. She scooped Karina up and took off in the opposite direction. I shifted onto the balls of my feet, ready to intercept the woman, but true to her word she just stood there and watched. ¡°Now then,¡± she said, drawing a long, thin de in either hand from thin air, ¡°it¡¯s been a long, long while since I¡¯ve had any real fun, so do me a favor and don¡¯t go dying too quickly, will you?¡± I barely had time to throw an [Empower] at Noelle and Serena before the woman was in my face. I blocked her strike, but the force behind the needle-thin de snapped my own sword in half like it was made from wood. The other bit into my chest with lightning fast speed once, twice, three times, leaving searing cuts in my skin as not even my shadows could keep up. Serena reacted first, jabbing her spear at the woman, but she moved in a blur. Her des moved so quick I couldn¡¯t even keep track of them, cutting Serena¡¯s spear into evenly sized pieces before kicking her away with enough force to crack ribs. Noelle roared as she swung her axe, but the woman stopped the strike cold with one de before hooking the other under the swell of the axehead. She knocked Noelle away just like she had Serena, only the bind her des had on Noelle¡¯s axe ripped it from the Mchai¡¯s grasp. I summoned two more des, this time enchanted, but whatever magic her swords carried was stronger. I managed to trade blows with her for a brief moment, but every time our des crossed cracks spiderwebbed through the metal of mine. Then the enchantments failed and the des shattered, leaving me unarmed once again. ¡°Come on now,¡± she said, twirling her des, ¡°that can¡¯t be all you¡¯ve got. You¡¯re the great Zaren Nocht! Killer of Zagrith Grimsbane! Wielder of the cursed de. Godyer. Reaper. Deathbringer. Harbinger. So many titles, all for this?¡± she tutted. ¡°Where¡¯s your ir, Zaren?¡± I hated falling into traps, but there was nothing more frustrating than seeing the metal jaws of the trap and knowing you have to step on the pressure te anyways. I knew exactly what she was doing. After her initial attack, she¡¯d barely done any actual damage to me. She was destroying my weapons, trying to draw out a weapon that couldn¡¯t be destroyed. Unfortunately, there was nothing else I could do other than draw it. Not while Serena and Noelle¡¯s lives were at stake. And so, knowing full well that I was ying directly into her ns, I drew the Jailer¡¯s de from my storage. Her des lowered. ¡°Finally,¡± she said. Then her tongue rolled around inside of her mouth. When her lips parted next, a perfectly round gem with swirling blue and violet magic inside was between her teeth. Just as my thumb touched thetch to free Ash¡¯s magic from the scabbard, she bit down. A wave of magic exploded through the hallway, mming into me. Everything came to a stop. Literally. I could move my eyes, but that was it. Every other muscle in my body was firmly locked in ce. I fought and struggled, but even my shadows werepletely motionless. I tried to ess my skills or my storage, but it was as if everything but my mind was frozen in time. A brief nce told me that Serena and Noelle were equally trapped in ce. The woman had no such trouble, though. A rune unlike any I¡¯d ever seen¡ªeven on the Jailer¡¯s de¡ªglowed on her breast. Her swords vanished and she pulled out another gem. The one bloodred. She mmed it into the wall and something disturbingly close to blood spattered out from it. It fell prey to gravity at first before trailing out to the sides and up the wall until there was a crimson rectangle the size of a door on it. Then she strode over to me. ¡°You were fun while yousted, I suppose,¡± she said, her tone disappointed. She patted me on the cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad, yousted longer against me than most.¡± Then her gaze fell on the Jailer¡¯s de. Her expression twisted with revulsion and disgust. It was at that moment the crimson door opened and someone stepped through it. They were tall. As tall as me. Long, well-kept golden hair cascaded down past his shoulders. The clothes he wore were of a fine make, riding the line between fashionable and practical. Thick in ces I knew were likely padded and etched with stylized runes I figured were additional armor. Eyes the color of tarnished gold fixed on the woman and he scowled. ¡°You¡¯d better have good reason for bringing me here, Lilith,¡± he said. His ent I recognized. Somewhere to the west, unless I was mistaken. She scoffed. ¡°Maybe take a look around the room before you start acting like a dickhead?¡± His scowl deepened, but he did as she bid. When he saw me, his eyes widened. ¡°I heard the rumors,¡± he said, ¡°but it really is him, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lilith crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. ¡°Hard to say. He fights like a demon, that¡¯s for certain, but if he¡¯s got more than thirty total levels I¡¯ll eat my left shoe. Hardly a war hero.¡± The man strode up to me, getting so close our noses nearly touched. A cruel smile spread over his face, and though I was confident I¡¯d never seen the man before there was something familiar about him. A revulsion and rage that I couldn¡¯t exin. All I knew was that the man in front of me was, without a doubt, my enemy. I fought against whatever restrained me again, every fiber of my being desperate to rip this man limb from limb, but to no avail. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s him alright,¡± the man said. He walked to the side and wrapped his hand around the hilt of the Jailer¡¯s de. He started to peel my fingers off it one by one, his grin widening. I fought with everything I had, but nothing I did even slowed him down. ¡°He¡¯s just gone and lost all his levels.¡± Once he pried the de from my hands, he returned to stand in front of me. ¡°When you returned, I was certain you were an impostor. There wasn¡¯t nearly enough fire and brimstone. The Zaren of old would have razed this city to the ground. You must have been a pretender. But now I know the truth. You¡¯re a shadow of who you once were. You haven¡¯t acted because you can¡¯t, can you? You¡¯ve gone and lost all your levels.¡± He started back towards the door. ¡°You can kill them now,¡± he said, waving his hand. But Lilith just stepped in front of him, a hard look on her face. ¡°Draw it.¡± The man paused. ¡°For what reason?¡± Lilith took a step closer. ¡°Because I just wasted myst chronotrap on this venture, Arthal, and the ne that makes them isn¡¯t exactly around any longer. I want to see if it was worth it. Or have you forgotten that our entire rtionship is predicated on you being able to wield that sword? No? Then draw it.¡± Arthal. I knew that name. It was the name Valith had overheard. There was every chance the man in front of me was the one in charge of whatever Karn¡¯s operation had be. He scowled, but he didn¡¯t argue further. I had a feeling he was as outssed by this Lilith woman as I was. He grabbed the hilt in one hand and thetch in the other. A smile spread over his face, one filled with greed and lust for power, as he flipped thetch open. His expression as he drew the de an inch from its scabbard was one of pure triumph. Right until the pain set in. Crimson smoke shot out of the gem andtched onto his arm like furious snakes. He screamed as his clothing dissolved under the assault, ck veins sprouting through his flesh and creeping towards his shoulder. He fell to one knee as shadows¡ªshadows nearly identical to the ones I wielded¡ªerupted from Arthal¡¯s body and pried the sword away. It skittered to a stop dangerously close to where Noelle was trapped, crimson smoke still rising from the de. Arthal¡¯s shadows took the form of long, spindly hands rather than the tendrils mine did, but I felt an instant kinship with them even from a distance. Arthal was a Shadowborn. ¡°What the fuck, Kevran?¡± Lilith demanded, grabbing the front of his tunic and yanking him to his feet. ¡°You said you had it handled. That you¡¯d be able to wield it.¡± ¡°Get your hands off me, devil!¡± he cursed, shoving her away. She hardly moved, only serving to shove himself against the wall as he cradled his arm. Even separated from the de it was beginning to wither. ¡°Everything I am is so that I can wield that de! I don¡¯t understand any better than you do! I followed every instruction to the letter, took every ss that had any sess with the damn thing! You¡¯ve no idea the sacrifices I¡¯ve made to wield that sword.¡± Lilith¡¯s eyes drifted towards the de and she took a step away from it. ¡°They don¡¯t mean shit if you can¡¯t hold it for more than a few seconds.¡± She stepped even closer to him than he had to me mere moments ago. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you what my master will do when he learns of your failure.¡± Fear shed across Arthal¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m well aware.¡± He rose to his full height as best he could with a fucked arm. ¡°And I haven¡¯t failed yet. Nobody knows the de better than I.¡± Then his eyes drifted towards me. ¡°Well, nearly nobody.¡± He walked towards me, a little unsteady on his feet. He drew a short dagger made of green crystal in his good hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we see what secrets your soul holds?¡± Chapter Ninety-Seven: And Into the Flames Chapter Ny-Seven: And Into the mes Noelle was trapped. Not just by the strange magic holding her in ce, making her feel like ants were crawling around angrily beneath her skin, but by the memories that assaulted her. The pain in her chest was sharp where the woman had hit her, made worse by the position she was stuck in. Doubled over against the wall, clutching the remains of the axe Zaren had gifted her, she hadn¡¯t even managed to find the wind that had been knocked from her before the wave of magic locked her every muscle in ce. No matter how hard she struggled and pushed, not a single one of her limbs would react. Nothing moved. It dragged her back to the short few years she¡¯d spent wearing one of those awful iron cors, before they realized she no longer had the will to resist them. She was back in the dark. Unable to resist the things they did to her. When they¡¯d beaten her. When they¡¯d taken her wings. Panic flooded every part of her, filling the corners of her mind with fog so thick she couldn¡¯t find her way back. Drowning her thoughts in echoes of screams so loud she couldn¡¯t remember what silence even sounded like. She couldn¡¯t even curl up into a ball to protect herself. Couldn¡¯t cry or scream or plead for mercy. She could do nothing but sit there and wait for whatever came next. Noelle. The voice cut through the darkness, brushing against her like a caress. A ghost of a touch on her cheek, like someone had so softly pressed their hand to the side of her head. Then there was another on her other cheek, cupping her face. Quieting the screams. Dispelling the fog. One drifted down to wrap around her hand, squeezing reassuringly. Noelle, the voice said again, I need your help. Zaren needs your help. The voice was warm andforting. It wasn¡¯t that far from how she¡¯d always imagined her mother¡¯s voice must have sounded. And as her words chased away thest of Noelle¡¯s panic, leaving her with a calm she didn¡¯t realize existed, the hallway came into view. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Serena, stuck in a simr position to her own. But it was the figures right in front of her that demanded her immediate attention. The woman from before stood with her arms crossed, her posture radiating tension, and a strange magic symbol still glowing on her breast. The tall blond man stood in front of Zaren, who was missing arge patch of his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why this isn¡¯t working!¡± the blond man said through clenched teeth as he carved another line in Zaren¡¯s chest. There must have been half a dozen of varying depths leaving blood trailing down his front. Its color was off, as if there was something dark mixed in with the normally crimson liquid. ¡°It¡¯s as if his soul is wrapped in protections unlike anything I¡¯ve seen!¡± The woman scoffed and stalked forward, snatching the dagger from the man. Noelle was powerless to do anything but watch as she jammed it into Zaren¡¯s chest and twisted. The skin around his eyes tightened, but that was all the reaction he was allowed thanks to this strange magic. Noelle, we¡¯re very quickly running out of time! When Noelle tore her gaze away from the scene in front of her, she realized the Jailer¡¯s de was lying just a few inches from the hand she¡¯d braced against the floor when she¡¯d tried to regain her bnce. Thetch was undone with the de sticking a few inches out of the scabbard, and crimson smoke trailed from the gem in the hilt. It was stretched across the ground and wrapped around her wrist, slowly trailing up her arm. Its touch felt just like the calming caress that had brought her out of her panic. Was the sword talking to her? She knew that Zaren would often pause, as if he was conversing with the de, and had even mentioned the being inside once or twice, but even knowing that there was nothing she could do. Ash, she thought the name was, might have needed something from her, but trapped by this magic¡ª I can break the magic¡¯s hold on you, but there will be a cost. Potentially a steep one, the voice said. If it meant helping Zaren, there wasn¡¯t much Noelle wasn¡¯t willing to do. She looked back to the woman just as she yanked the de free from Zaren¡¯s chest with a curse. ¡°What the fuck is he doing with Zaverrian magic?¡± We don¡¯t have much time. I can lend you my power, but it¡¯s going to hurt. The voice suddenly sounded rushed. Panicked. But I need you to understand. You aren¡¯t like Zaren. You have too much of my ne in your blood. Zaren is the perfect host; just enough of my ne to wield my magic but enough of this one to keep it from consuming him. You¡¯ll be able to wield more of my power than he could ever hope to, but it will burn through you like dragonfire. That didn¡¯t matter. If she did nothing, Zaren would die. She would likely die. And if they decided not to kill her, then¡­ Well, odds were she¡¯d rather be dead. No, she¡¯d do this. Whatever it was the voice needed from her. She¡¯d endured pain before, but before she¡¯d endured it because she had no other choice. Now she¡¯d endure it again, this time for the people she¡¯de to care about. For the man who¡¯d managed to earn her trust. Who¡¯d helped her feel things again and made her unafraid to let her emotions in. For every time Serena or Tiana or Rhani or any of the others had made her feel loved. For every time one of them had held her tight,pletely unaware how constantly she felt on the verge of breaking and falling back into the darkness she''d wed her way out of. For her family, there wasn''t anything she wouldn''t do. ¡°Zaverrian?¡± the blond man was saying. ¡°I was under the impression the ne that country resided in wasn¡¯t around any longer.¡± Ash must have sensed her resolve. Alright. Prepare yourself. This won¡¯t be pleasant. The woman shook her head, thrusting the knife back into the man¡¯s hands. ¡°It¡¯s not, but a few cockroaches always manage to slip through the cracks. Or did you think the de grew its own legs and walked itself to this realm. Which you¡¯d know if you sessfully tracked down all the artifacts, but you fucked that up too, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I told you, the entire damn book shop got bought out from under me!¡± the man spat. The tendril crept higher up Noelle¡¯s arm. I¡¯ll break you free. Grab the de, then hold on for dear life. The second you touch it, you¡¯ll be on a timer, understand? Noelle wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she was asking questions. It wasn¡¯t like she could answer them in her current state. But she was ready. Prepared. She doubted there were many who were so well equipped to handle pain like her. In that way, Zaren¡¯s enemies had created the tool that would bring about their destruction. ¡°Remember where my master found you, Arthal. He pulled you out of that hole solely because he believed you would be capable of delivering the de and its upant to him. You owe him for every decade you¡¯ve lived since then, and trust me when I say he will collect.¡± The man got in her face as the tendril moved further, splitting and wrapping around Noelle¡¯s torso, heading towards each of her limbs. ¡°I know the debt I owe, and I¡¯ve already half paid it off. We¡¯ve got the de, finally, as I promised. Clearly I¡¯ve made a miscalction somewhere, but it won¡¯t take me long to figure out where I went¡ª¡± he cut off suddenly, the his head whipped towards the sword. He cursed, lunging for the de, but he was toote. All at once, the tendrils tightened around Noelle. Something around her snapped, and suddenly she was free. Her hand jerked towards the de, closing thosest few inches between them. Someone shouted as her fingers closed around the hilt. Noelle¡¯s world exploded into color as lightning raced through her veins. It reminded her of the soft warmth of Serena¡¯s healing, only magnified a thousandfold. It started where her flesh touched the de, but it spread out through the rest of her in the blink of an eye. Filling her limbs with raw power. Not just her arms and her legs, but her wings, too. She felt the energy from the overly sensitive bases to the tips she hadn¡¯t felt since they¡¯d been cut away from her body. The hallway seemed to elongate. Every detail sharpening until she could count the individual stubble on Arthal¡¯s jaw as he lunged towards her, his shadows surging from his body. Noelle had always felt light¡ªa consequence of her race¡ªbut now it felt like her physical form had faded away entirely. For a brief moment she felt pain, but even that faded away. She was pure energy. Raw power. She didn¡¯t swing the de at Arthal, she imagined herself on the other side of him and then she was in a sh of crimson. We need to stop the woman. Aim for the crest on her chest, Ashmanded. Noelle lifted the de, feeling utterly weightless, unsure where her body ended and the sword began. And as she looked into the crimson and violet eyes of the strange woman who¡¯d terrified her a moment ago and found fear there, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a thrill of excitement. Whatever the consequence, she was going to enjoy this. # # # By the time Arthal¡¯s severed limb found the ground again, Noelle had shattered the des Lilith had drawn to protect herself. Whatever magic had shattered all the des I¡¯d used to defend myself wilted under the intensity of Noelle¡¯s assault, backed by Ash¡¯s magic. And Noelle? Noelle was terrifyingly magnificent. Ash¡¯s magic had wrapped every inch of her below the neck in shadows that seemed to flicker between crimson darkness and something more substantial. Her hair was twice as long and red out like she was underwater, the vivid scarlet melding with the shadows until the ends were as ck as my own shadows. And her wings were no longer the small, half-formed limbs. Ash¡¯s shadows hadpletely enveloped them, leaving Noelle with two wings made from her inky-crimson magic, each one as long as she was tall. She swung around the massive de only slightly shorter than her that glowed with a darkness that seemed to devour the light around it like it was weightless. Lilith darted backwards, something off about how she moved through the air. It was as if her body was moving at a slightly different speed than the world around her. But to a supercharged Noelle, it still wasn¡¯t fast enough. Lilith threw out wave after wave of strange magic, but Noelle and Ash cut through each one. Meanwhile, Arthal was limping towards that crimson door, clutching his stump. He shot onest look at me over his shoulder, his eyes full of malice and the promise of retribution, before he yanked the door open and stumbled through it. Only it didn¡¯t close behind him. I remained frozen,pletely helpless as a blue-gray snout nosed the door open fully. My stomach plummeted as a six-legged Ashai stalked through the door, its short snout twitching as it scented the air. It wasn¡¯t quite asrge as the ones Serena and I had killed in the forest, but the three that followed behind it erased any advantage that might have given me. Not that I had any to begin with, considering I was currently doing my best impression of the appropriately destitute statue of myself I¡¯d seen exactly once since my return. My pounding heart served to make even more blood pour from the deep wounds that damned knife had left on my chest. Getting carved up by the magic soul knife was hardly the worst pain I¡¯d ever endured¡ªonce you¡¯d been impaled by a Vx queen small cuts like this seemed rather insignificant inparison¡ªbut it had hurt like hell. Thanks to a certain de constantly trying to rip my soul out of my chest, I could not only endure it, I could resist whatever the strange effect the de was supposed to have. But, unfortunately, cuts were still cuts. And the second the scent of the blood on my chest hit the first Ashai¡¯s nostrils, its head whipped towards me. The other three took one look at Noelle andunched themselves at her for reasons I didn¡¯t fully understand. Noelle spun like she knew they wereing without so much as ncing their way. Her wing mmed into the first one with enough force to send it careening into the wall. The de found the second, and from the point of the strike burst a crimson spectral beast that looked not unlike the snout of one of the Eldritch Beasts she was fighting. The third tried to lunge at her from the side, but spectral ravens twice the size of the ones Noelle normally conjured rushed it, ripping at its face and driving it back. With a feral roar, Noelle surged away from the outstretched ws. She spun, knocking Lilith¡¯s des away with one wing then sweeping her legs with the other. Lilith managed to stay upright, but she was off-bnce enough that Noelle¡¯s next strike rang true. Without her feet even touching the ground, one flex of her wings sent her darting forward in a crimson and ck blur. Lilith shifted, once again moving in a way that didn¡¯t quite match up with the world around her, but the tip of the Jailer¡¯s de managed to just barely scrape the magic sigil still glowing on Lilith¡¯s chest. Like the strings holding me back had been cut, I fell to one knee. The first thing I did was boost Noelle with an [Empower]. Immediately after, I applied a [Shadow Stitching] to stop the bleeding on my chest. Nearly simultaneously, I pulled a kite shield out of my storage. Not a moment too soon, as the Ashai mmed into the shield, its four front ws carving deep grooves in the metal. I didn¡¯t have time to deal with it, so I shifted just enough to let the Ashai tumble past me before hurling myself at where Lilith and Noelle still fought. Thanks to [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] I knew for a fact that Lilith felt fear bordering on terror every time the Jailer¡¯s de came close to her. I also knew that there wasn¡¯t a single drop of fear in Noelle. In fact, past the ring of [Danger Sense] warning me that every second Noelle wielded Ash¡¯s magic brought her closer to death, I could feel her tion through our bond. But as I tossed the first Ashai behind me, the massive snout of a Rathum emerged from the crimson door. Then its shoulders hit the frame and it stopped, too wide to even fit through. It struggled with a snarl, trying to force its way through the frame. Then its glowing crimson eyes fixed on me. It let out a sound somewhere between a bark and a chirp. Immediately the three Ashai circling turned and charged at me, and I knew without looking that the one I¡¯d dodged wouldn¡¯t be far behind. While the Rathum angrily tried to shove itself through the door, the four Ashai converged on me. I summoned two short des and half a dozen shadows to defend me, but the hallway wasn¡¯t big enough for me to slip past the Ashai, and Noelle¡¯s strength was gging. Already her movements were bing sluggish, and my [Danger Sense] told me it wouldn¡¯t be long before her body gave out. The three Ashai rushed me from the front and it was all I could do to keep them back with de and shadow, but the fourth never made it to me. Not before a rush of golden light announced Serena¡¯s arrival at my back. It was no spear, but there was enough left of the haft of Noelle¡¯s axe for her to knock the Ashai back. It was trivial to rece the haft with one of the backup spears I kept in my storage. ¡°Get to Noelle. She can¡¯t keep this up much longer, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told her between blows. She nodded as I tossed her an [Empower], my Soul Essence reserves beginning to run low, then she activated [Step of the Wind]. I threw myself into the midst of the Ashai,shing out with my shadows to keep them engaged while Serena skipped over their heads. She hit the ground on the other side and immediately fell into an [Exalted Rush]. Just as Noelle dropped to one knee, Serena arrived. Lilith went from trying to skewer Noelle to having to deflect Serena¡¯s momentum to keep herself from getting skewered. That was all I saw before I was back to fighting the Ashai with des wrapped in shadows. I didn¡¯t have surprise on my side this time, and [Horde yer] only got me so far. The Ashai moved fluidly as a pack, covering each other¡¯s blind spots and giving me no chance to so much as catch my breath. The first solid strike I managed tond was my undoing. My de caught in the rough, leathery hide of the Ashai¡¯s shoulder, and the shadow wrapped around the de was enough to yank me off bnce enough for another to lunge forward and sink its fangs into my forearm. I wrapped the limb in enough shadows to keep the teeth from shredding me, but the hooked nature of the Ashai¡¯s fangs kept me locked tight. Which meant I was once again helpless as a third Ashai lunged for my throat. I banished the stuck de to my storage and pulled another out, collecting my shadows in front of me to try and mitigate the damage, but one way or another this was going to hurt. Then, in a burst of raven colored hair and swinging a de of shadows, Allie erupted from the shadows coating me. Her long, one-sided, shadow-wrapped de bit deeper into the Ashai¡¯s flesh than any weapon I had in my arsenal. Before the dark spray of blood had even hit us, two twin beams of light mmed into the Ashai that had managed to trap me. Allieshed out, her limbs a blur, lightning tracing her skin. Her rapid strikes bought us space as more beams hit the Ashai, not piercing their thick hide but doing enough damage to at least drive them back further. I spun as my shadowsshed out at the one behind me, but Allie just tossed a shield of ice between me and the beast with the flick of her wrist. The Ashai had barely even impacted with the frozen barrier when a warhammer was mming it into the wall. The implement never even stopped moving as Nora twirled it over her head for a second strike. ¡°All these years and you¡¯re still shit at fighting beasts. Didn¡¯t you fight in a war or something?¡± Allie said, shing a grin at me that was so reminiscent of Eliya that for a moment I forgot where we were. I summoned a fresh set of swords. ¡°I was a little busy fighting the monsters that walk on two legs,¡± I grumbled. She just rolled her eyes, twirling her de. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of these things. We might as well be professional Eldritch Beast hunters at this point. Go get your girls, and make sure you keep your shadows big enough for me to slip through them.¡± I didn¡¯t bother asking her how she¡¯d managed that in a first ce. It was a discussion forter, and I already had an idea of how it¡¯d go. Nora went barreling past us, mming Beasts aside with her hammer, and Allie slipped into her wake, striking out into the chaos Nora created. Together they created enough of a gap that I was able to slip through. I touched either of them as I passed, gifting them tendrils with thest of my mana even as used one of my own tendrils to slip a mana potion from my storage and down it. Noelle and Serena were barely holding their own even without Lilith¡¯s swordbreakers in y, but even as I closed the distance Noelle fell to one knee. She tried to rise, panting, only to fall forward. [Horde yer] gave way to [Giant Killer] as Lilith¡¯s eyes locked on me, and the staggering difference in our level boosted my Primal through the roof. My shadows exploded forward in a frenzy, enveloping Noelle and yanking her out of Lilith¡¯s reach and into my chest. I wasted no time in pulling the Jailer¡¯s de from her grasp. Her fingers were too weak to fight me, and the second I broke the contact between them she went limp. ¡°Zaren,¡± she mumbled, her eyes struggling to focus on me. ¡°I¡­ Ash said¡­¡± ¡°You did good,¡± I told her. That was all she needed to hear, it seemed. Her eyes closed and she sagged in my grip. Oh good, Ash said in my mind, you¡¯re alive. I was worried there. You got here just in time. Holding Noelle in one arm, I looked towards Lilith. Ash¡¯s magic wrapped around me like it had Noelle, though to a considerably lesser extent. Lilith looked from Noelle to the de then finally to me, and something clicked into ce for her. ¡°I get it now,¡± she said, her face twisting into a grimace. ¡°You¡¯re a cosmic fuck-up. A wildcard. Your Godyer moniker had nothing to do with your level of power, not really.¡± I raised the de, pointing it at her. ¡°You¡¯re a servant of the outer god, aren¡¯t you? The oneing to destroy this ne?¡± Her scowl deepened. ¡°You have no idea the can of worms you just opened, Zaren Nocht. I¡¯ll retreat today, and when next we meet I¡¯m willing to wager I¡¯ll have an offer for you. I strongly suggest you take it when the timees.¡± She stepped away as the air behind her folded and twisted until it looked like she was parting a curtain with a vast nothingness on the other side. She paused, looking back to me with pity in her expression. ¡°I was like you once. I thought I could win too. But there is no winning. Not against him.¡± I didn¡¯t try to stop her from leaving. Between the constant use of [Empower], the boosted tendrils I¡¯d been summoning, and the fuckery Arthal hadmitted with the soul dagger, I was nearly out of Essence. I would only be able to wield the de for less than a minute before I ran the risk of permanent damage. Even now I could feel the pain in my chest as it pulled me below the threshold that represented my own soul and not the power gifted to me by my Links. Whew, Ash said, that was close. I couldn¡¯t help the spike of anger that surged through me, nor could I stop Ash from feeling it with us currently connected. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to warn me?¡± I couldn¡¯t! She had some kind of magic that kept me from talking to you without a direct connection, and she sprung her trap before you could undo thetch! I barely managed to get myself thrown at Noelle. I can¡¯t believe that worked. My eyes fell to the Mchai in my arms. Serena was at my side in an instant, gingerly pressing her fingers to Noelle¡¯s neck. ¡°Her pulse is there, but it¡¯s weak.¡± She¡¯ll be okay. Allura was onto something with that whole deal thing. I couldn¡¯t do anything about the excruciating pain of the sword devouring her soul, but I managed to at least turn it into a trade. I didn¡¯t bother asking what the trade was for. I didn¡¯t have to. Not only was Noelle¡¯s hair so long it would likely reach her waist, but her wings were no longer the half-healed stumps they¡¯d been only this morning. I didn¡¯t exactly know a lot of Mchai to be able topare them to, but to me they looked even longer than they should have been. They were fully formed and covered in soft ck feathers that turned crimson at the tips. Even in my arms most of her wings were on the floor, so I summoned a set of tendrils to gently pull them in and pin them to her back as carefully as I could. ¡°Get her out of here. Ash says she¡¯ll be alright, but I¡¯d still like you to take a look at her. Esadora, too, if you can find her.¡± Serena nodded, taking Noelle from me. I knew she was loathe to leave me, but she understood where my priorities were at. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± she said, her voice wavering. ¡°I know,¡± I said, cupping her cheek. I needed to get to the battle going on behind me, but I trusted Allie. She could hold for just a few more seconds. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter. That was a lot closer than I¡¯mfortable with.¡± She nodded once, then she tucked Noelle¡¯s limp form to her chest and took off in the opposite direction from all the Eldritch Beasts. Of which there were many. The initial four Ashai were among the corpses on the ground, but it seemed the Rathum had finally made it through. The sides of the door were bent so badly it looked more like a pentagon than a rectangle, and even as I watched another Eldritch Beast crawled through. This time a Malek, and I cursed when it leapt out of therge hole in the wall and took flight, heading off into the city. ¡°Zaren!¡± Allie called. I focused on her long enough to see her expertly duck under the swipe of a Malek, severing one of its wings with her shadowy de, before dropping to the ground and rolling. She seemed to fall through the floor only to pop out of my shadows. ¡°Handy trick,¡± Imented. She grinned. ¡°We need to get that door closed.¡± Considering only a small piece of the original door still hung from its frame I was pretty sure we needed an alternate solution. I pulled out some mana potions and handed them over without even thinking about it. She downed two then pocketed the others. ¡°Can you get me to it?¡± Her head wobbled back and forth. ¡°How big can you make those shadows?¡± I downed two more mana potions, already feeling the telltale tingles that came from burnout, and summoned another round. I twisted the tendrils together, thickening the shadows until they spread out behind me like something between a wing and a giant hand. ¡°That work?¡± She quirked a brow, but her grin only widened. ¡°Wicked. Go ahead and get started, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± With a deft spin, she twirled into one of my shadows. I saw her pop up on the other side of the battlefield long enough to slip the other two mana potions into Therese¡¯s hand before she ducked back into the willowy mage¡¯s shadow and appeared in the shadow of the Malek she¡¯d been fighting only a moment ago. I was already running out of time. I gave the Malek a cursory swing as I passed, severing its tail while its attention was on Allie and giving her the chance to finish it off. Then I was face to face with another Ashai. This one wasrger than the first four, but with the Jailer¡¯s de I made quick work of it. The dying snarl of the beast brought down two more on me, but Allie erupted out of my shadow once more and went on the offensive. She danced around me, her de finding every vital spot within reach and spilling gallons of Eldritch blood. Like we¡¯d never been parted, we fell into a rhythm immediately. I used my weight and the extended reach of the Jailer¡¯s de to create openings and Allie slid into every one to deal maximum damage. At one point Nora¡¯s bulk mmed an Ashai into a Malek, snapping a wing with a sickening crack. Both beasts crashed into the wall in a iling tangle of limbs only to be sted away by a barrage of beams from Therese¡¯s crystals. It was as my Soul Essence ticked under fifteen that the door finally came into reach. I got a good look through it into a long, deep cavern. I caught a glimpse of cages and glowing red eyes as far as I could see, but the rapid approach of a second Rathum evenrger than the first forced me to act before I could see much else. I cut into the wall with the Jailer¡¯s de, leaving a deep scar in the already damaged surface. The crimson doorway faded to ayer of rust colored magical residue, cutting off the beginning of the Rathum¡¯s roar as the gateway faded into nothingness. No sooner had it faded than I fell to one knee, clutching my arm as the Jailer¡¯s de hungrily sucked my soul out. Allie dropped down next to me, reaching out like she wanted to help but wasn¡¯t sure if touching me would just make things worse. ¡°What do you need?¡± she demanded. ¡°Scabbard,¡± I managed through grit teeth as my vision swam. ¡°On it.¡± She ducked back into my shadows, vanishing. Barely a secondter, she was back with the heavy metal sheathe in hand. She maneuvered it onto the tip of the de, helping me slide the de the rest of the way in until she could snap thetch shut. The raging fire that was Ash¡¯s power vanished from my body and I sagged, only barely managing to keep standing. I banished the sword to my storage before its weight could drag me to the ground as Allie grabbed me by the shoulder to keep me from falling over. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Tapped, mostly,¡± I admitted. Then I summoned two des and wrapped them in shadow. ¡°Just means I¡¯ve got to do things the old fashioned way.¡± Her smile was dark and full of mirth. ¡°d to see fame didn¡¯t change you too much. It¡¯s refreshing seeing you ready to get your hands dirty like the rest of us plebeians.¡± I got unsteadily to my feet and rolled my eyes. ¡°Please, fighting like a cornered animal is kind of my specialty.¡± She rolled her shoulders and brandished her de. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. These are beasts, so I¡¯ll lead, ¡®kay?¡± I nodded once and she was off. She fell in beside Nora and the two fought together like they¡¯d been doing it all their lives. Even more surprising, I fit into their battle dynamic like a piece they¡¯d been missing all along. Nora was an adept bruiser and Allie was damage incarnate, but neither of them could demand the attention of several beasts at once like me and my shadows. Nora¡¯s hammer broke bones and Allie¡¯s de severed arteries while I drew aggro. The hallway was illuminated by constant shes as Therese¡¯s crystalline magic cut through the fray with a precision that would give Tiana a run for her money. By the time thest Eldritch Beast fell I was almost out of mana, Essence, health, and shadows. I swayed on my feet, desperately ready for a nap, but the absence of the Rathum demanded my attention. ¡°How many slipped through the hole?¡± I asked, panting. ¡°Too many,¡± Therese said with a grimace. I nodded, then dragged myself out of the hole in the wall. We were rtively near the entrance where we¡¯d all decided to rendezvous, and I was somewhat relieved by the piles of dead Beasts. There was a crimson sh as red and gold mes immted another, drawing my eye to a half-corporeal Jack who looked at me with ming eyes. ¡°You are in so much trouble. How dare you not send me an invite!¡± she said, pointing one ming finger at me. ¡°Things happened a little¡ªmmph!¡± My words were silenced by Tiana¡¯s lips as she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and practically shoving her tongue down my throat. I only had a moment to be confused before I realized she was grinding her pussy on my thigh while her fingers made a mess of my hair. I managed to pull back enough to look at her, and the zed look in her eyes was all I needed to see. ¡°[All In]?¡± I asked. ¡°A few times,¡± she said breathlessly before diving back to lock lips with me. I snaked a hand between us and plunged my fingers into her dripping snatch. She came the moment I curled them towards myself, pressing into her most sensitive spot. She released my mouth with a whimper and tucked her face into the crook between my neck and shoulder while she rode my hand. ¡°Well,¡± Allie said, ¡°that¡¯s one way to cap off a battle.¡± I shot her a re. There was no judgment in her gaze. It was mostly amusement, though it was tempered by a longing I couldn¡¯t afford to analyze right now. ¡°She¡¯s got a¡ª¡± I started. ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± she said, waving a hand, ¡°detriment ss and all. They told me.¡± I arched a brow. I asked them to bring her into the fold, but it urred to me then that I should probably double check exactly how they interpreted my request. But that was yet another thing to worry aboutter. I turned my attention back towards Jack while I drove Tiana towards another orgasm. ¡°The Rathum?¡± She huffed. ¡°Slipped into the city along with maybe a dozen of the other fuckers. I¡¯ve got Reese and Zoey tracking it, and we¡¯ve already rang the rm to tell civilians to stay indoors. Where the fuck were they hiding all these Beasts?¡± ¡°Not here.¡± I briefly exined the facility I¡¯d seen through the gate. If what I¡¯d seen was right, even this small horde wasn¡¯t even a fraction of what our enemy had at their disposal. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, we need to track down all these¡ª¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Allie interjected. ¡°You said it yourself, you¡¯re tapped.¡± I frowned. ¡°I¡¯m fine. As long as these beasts are out and about, the city¡¯s in danger¡ª¡± Allie stepped closer, her hands on her hips. ¡°And you¡¯ve already made sure the incursion can¡¯t get any worse than it already is. Now you need to go home and rest while your household,¡± she jabbed her thumb into her own chest, ¡°proves its worth.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Between the Rathum and the other Beasts¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s your spread?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Health, mana, Essence. Lay it on me.¡± I knew when arguing with Eliya was a moot point, so I sighed and checked my stats, wincing as I saw the values that corroborated the story my aching body was already telling. [Health: 49/220] [Mana: 7/140] [Soul Essence: 11/230] ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Allie said before I could so much as read the values aloud. My expression must have been telling. She took another step closer. ¡°You¡¯re going to go back to the manor and have Cynthia raise a bounty for any and all Eldritch Beasts, funded by House Nocht itself. That¡¯ll get the local adventurers all moving in a hurry and garner plenty of reputation to get the ball rolling on your house adventurers n. Then, because I know you and I¡¯m starting to get to know Serena, you¡¯ll send the busty blond out to take care of the injured while Jack and I track down the Rathum and put it down. And after that I imagine you¡¯ll keep the neighborhood awake with the sounds of Tiana¡¯s screams.¡± Then she smiled sweetly. ¡°Or am I wrong?¡± The silence hung heavy in the air for a moment. Allie¡¯s brow was raised, waiting for me to challenge her. Jack stood just behind her, very clearly trying not tough. Our staring contest was abruptly broken by Tiana¡¯s next climax, then I sighed. Once again, I was faced with irrefutable proof that Allie and Eliya were one and the same. Eliya had had the same irritating habit of jumping right to the n she knew I was going to think up, and in my current state I couldn¡¯t argue a single part of her n. ¡°I¡¯ll have Valith run interference,¡± I said finally, acknowledging defeat. Allie made a triumphant sound, then rose up on her tip toes to press a kiss to my cheek. Then, before either of us could react, she spun on the ball of her foot and pranced away. ¡°Come on girls, we¡¯ve got a Rathum to hunt.¡± Jack elbowed me. ¡°I like her a lot, Z. You¡¯d better not fuck things up.¡± I shot her a droll look. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that particr ship has long since sailed. Don¡¯t you have a Rathum to immte?¡± The glow in her eyes grew a mite more intense. ¡°I love it when you talk dirty to me,¡± she said with a wink. Then she turned and ran after the others. ¡°Hey, idiots! I¡¯m the one who can read Reese¡¯s signs!¡± I stared after her until Tiana, still clutching me, giggled. ¡°Your face. You are so fucked,¡± she said dreamily. ¡°Not yet I¡¯m not,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Can you walk?¡± She whimpered. ¡°Can you spare a tendril?¡± ¡°I can in a few minutes.¡± ¡°Fine, but only because I know how badly you need to check on Noelle and Karina,¡± she said with a huff. ¡°Hey,¡± I turned her chin up towards me. ¡°You know I would have torn this city apart to find you, right? You¡¯re just as important to me as any of the others.¡± Her lips curled upward and her already flushed face turned a half shade darker. ¡°Zaren, that¡¯s very sweet, but maybe you could say that againter? Preferably when you¡¯re buried as deep in my aching cunt as you can reach?¡± I didn¡¯t have a response to that. ¡°Man,¡± a new voice said behind me, ¡°I¡¯m really starting to envy your life.¡± Tiana clung to me tighter, trying to keep my body between her and Sandrel, who had appeared behind us at some point, so I could continue to finger her without him seeing. ¡°Sandrel. You missed the party.¡± He snorted. ¡°Tell that to the four spies I¡¯ve got in a lovely little dungeon that legally doesn¡¯t exist. You had a lot of eyes on you tonight that didn¡¯t belong to either of us. When you said you¡¯d respond appropriately, I imagined a little more arson and a little less otherworldly monsters, but you never disappoint, you know that?¡± ¡°I assume you¡¯ll let me know if you find out anything important?¡± ¡°You know it.¡± He nced at some of the bodies. ¡°Things are escting. You¡¯ve got a y yet?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± When he raised a brow in question, a small smile crept onto my face. ¡°Tell the others to get ready. As soon as I¡¯ve recovered from all this bullshit I n on acquiring a brothel, and something tells me things aren¡¯t going to go smoothly.¡± He justughed. ¡°Goody. I was just starting to feel like things were getting boring around here.¡± Popularity Poll! Poprity Poll! Announcement To those of you keeping up with this story actively I''m sure ites as no surprise when I say there won''t be a chapter this week. Between being busy and being unable to get my brain to focus on Shadowborn long enough to crank out a chapter, today''s chapter is nowhere near finished. Therefore, this week is going to be another one chapter week, posted usual time on Friday. Once again I appreciate your patience and apologize for the constant dys, but I would rather postpone a good chapter than release a half-baked one, especially with the events toe in the next few. To try and alleviate the pain of not having a chapter today, I''ll do something I''ve been itching to do for a while now and throw up a poll to see how people feel about the (too) many characters that have sprung forth from my heavily overcrowded brain. Since there are so many to choose from I''ve decided to give everyone three votes. I look forward to seeing who all of you prefer, and I''ll see you on Friday! -Eapathy Chapter Ninety-Eight: Dealing with Goddesses Chapter Ny-Eight: Dealing with Goddesses Announcement Edit: Spoiler I was very sleep deprived when I wrote thetter half of this chapter and when I was posting it. Numerous line spacing corrections have been made, as well as fixing a number of typos and rewording some things in thest section to sound better and line up more with what I''m trying to say. Also changed the chapter name to something much more fitting. [copse] Rhani paced back and forth. She¡¯d been pacing since everyone had returned to the manor, chewing on her nail until there was hardly any nail left to chew on. Her gaze kept flicking towards the book on the library¡¯s table. Her table, if she was being honest. She¡¯d been reading it when they came home with Noelle¡¯s unconscious form. She¡¯d run through it dozens of times by now and there was only one thing to do. She just had to get up the courage to do it. After what the others had told her about everything that had gone down with that woman Lilith, she knew they needed answers. ¡°Rhani?¡± She turned towards the uncertain voice, surprised to see Allie standing with her arms wrapped tightly around her torso. ¡°Got a minute?¡± Rhani turned towards her, all thoughts of nail biting and pacing nervously gone. ¡°Sure.¡± Allie sighed. ¡°Zaren needs you.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Rhani asked, already heading towards the door. ¡°Yeah.¡± Then she frowned. ¡°Well, sort of. Pretty much.¡± Rhani paused. ¡°He didn¡¯t ask for me.¡± More a statement than a question. Allie looked away. ¡°Nope. And he won¡¯t.¡± She ran her hands through her hair. ¡°I know that look. He¡¯s ming himself right now, and if you don¡¯t stop him, he¡¯ll spiral. Noelle¡¯s out, Serena¡¯s trying to help her, and Tiana¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Rhani said, nodding. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯d go myself, but¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°Not sure if I¡¯d be wee. I remember a time where I¡¯d be the first one at his side at a time like this. Is it fucked to miss when we were literal ves?¡± Rhani smiled softly. ¡°You don¡¯t miss being a ve, though. You miss how close you were with him. Have you thought about Serena¡¯s offer?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah, after tonight I don¡¯t think I can put it off any longer.¡± ¡°Good. Come on, then.¡± She led Allie up the stairs and into the main bedroom where they¡¯d taken Noelle. They¡¯did her down on her front so they could extend her wings. Tucked under them on one side was Safina, who had snuggled up next to the tiny Mchai and was gently stroking her back. She hadn¡¯t left Noelle¡¯s side since they got back, and Rhani had a feeling they¡¯d have to bring her meals up here until Noelle woke up. Safina wasn¡¯t going to leave her side for anything. Rhani took a peek behind one of the curtained off corners where Tiana was taking care of herself with abination of toys and Zaren¡¯s shadows. He¡¯d tried to tend to her when they got back but, Tiana being Tiana, she¡¯d gently directed him to stay by Noelle¡¯s side. It had probably been the right thing at the time, but Allie was right. Sitting by Noelle¡¯s side and not doing anything was just going to lead to him thinking himself in circles. ¡°Wait here,¡± she told Allie, heading towards the group huddled around Noelle. Serena and Miril, the household¡¯s only Seraphim, were going over Noelle¡¯s freshly grown wings with a fine toothedb to make sure they were whole and healthy. They certainly looked that way, long and well shaped. The red and ck feathers shined in the light, and every so often they¡¯d touch a spot that made the wing twitch so at least they knew the nerves were intact. First she knelt down next to Serena. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Physically? Fine.¡± Serena wiped at her forehead tiredly. ¡°Her health is as full as I can get it and the wings don¡¯t have any breaks or missing bones. If it were any other situation I¡¯d say she¡¯s just suffering from exhaustion, but considering the cursed otherworldly sword in the room I just can¡¯t say for sure.¡± That sounded about right. ¡°So there¡¯s nothing more you can do for her?¡± Serena shook her head. ¡°In that case, I think Allie needs you.¡± Serena nced past the Arelim to where Allie was standing. Her eyes were locked on Zaren and she was chewing hard on the inside of her cheek. Her expression softened and she nodded. ¡°Right. Good. He needs her, even if he¡¯s being an idiot about this.¡± ¡°Especially then,¡± Rhani said, giving Serena¡¯s forearm a squeeze. Rhani watched her go, wishing she could go with her and join in on the naked cuddlefest. She was positive that Allie was delectable under those clothes with how efficient she was with a sword, but she could be patient. Now it was time for the hard one. Zaren was sitting on the edge of the pit with his elbows on his knees, staring at but not really seeing Noelle. She was sleeping so peacefully Rhani found it hard to believe anything was wrong, but it was hard to argue with the sudden appearance of those wings. She¡¯d undergone something massive, and rarely was there given a boon such as this and no consequences. She sat next to Zaren and leaned against him, gently rubbing his back. ¡°Has Ash said anything?¡± He grunted. ¡°She says Noelle just needs rest while her soul recharges. That she came close to running out of time, but things went as well as they possibly could have.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry with her,¡± Rhani noted. He sighed and ran his hand over his face. ¡°Yes. And before you even start, I¡¯m fully aware she did what she did to save us all. I¡¯m also aware that Noelle is capable of making her own decisions, and if the two of them hadn¡¯t teamed up we¡¯d probably all be dead or cored by now.¡± ¡°But emotions are rarely logical,¡± Rhani finished for him. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be fine, I just need time.¡± She nodded. ¡°You will, and Noelle will, too, but there¡¯s someone who needs you right now.¡± His brow furrowed, then he cursed. ¡°Tiana. How long have I been sitting here acting like a jackass?¡± ¡°Long enough,¡± Rhani said, patting his shoulder. ¡°Now go on and fuck Tiana till she passes out, ¡®kay? Noelle is going to be fine and Karina and Jayme are both in Karina¡¯s room already. Zoey and Reese are taking turns standing guard outside her room and Valith has eyes watching every corner for blocks. Your family is here, and they¡¯re all safe. Go take care of our girl and get some rest, we¡¯ll wake you the second Noelle wakes up.¡± He looked at her for a bit longer, then nodded. He went to Noelle first and brushed his fingers against her wings. A shudder ran down the length of the appendage and Noelle stirred slightly. Then he brushed a knuckle against her cheek and she murmured something unintelligible, nuzzling into Safina¡¯s embrace as best she could with her wings. That seemed to cate him. After that he went to the curtained off corner. Rhani knew she needed to get a move on while he was distracted, but she couldn¡¯t help but wait for a ten count then peek behind the curtain. She would never get tired of seeing Tiana riding their man like a madwoman, her breasts bouncing and her face twisted with ecstasy while he thrust up into her. She was tempted to rub one out, but she¡¯d just been granted a window. After the day¡¯s events Zaren would freak if he knew she was about to leave the manor, but he¡¯d be distracted for the next hour at least. Probably longer judging by how fired up Tiana looked. But Rhani was the brains of the household, so she wasn¡¯t going to just sneak out. No, she was going to do the smart thing and talk to the second strongest person in the household. Luckily, Jack wasn¡¯t hard to find these days. She spent a lot of time in her fire resistant room reading books from afar behind the ss shield Zaren had purchased her. Rhani had finished their prototype room just this morning, but everything had gone to shit before they¡¯d had a chance to test it. She¡¯d talk to Zaren first thing in the morning about at least taking Jack to see if it worked so Rhani could start outfitting the main bed with the enchantments. But that was besides the point. She only had to knock on Jack¡¯s door once before it opened. ¡°What¡¯cha need, sprite?¡± she asked, crossing her arm and leaning on the frame. Rhani bit her lip. ¡°An escort. Into the city.¡± Jacks brows shot up. ¡°And Zaren okayed this?¡± Rhani¡¯s expression told her everything she needed to know, apparently. She snorted. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite, where to?¡± ¡°Temple district,¡± Rhani offered. ¡°I need to talk to a goddess.¡± She rolled her shoulders. ¡°Fuck it. Shit¡¯s never boring with you lot, at least. Now, I¡¯m guessing? While he¡¯s balls deep in Tiana?¡± ¡°Um, yeah.¡± She just nodded again. ¡°Sounds good. Let¡¯s roll, then.¡± She grinned. ¡°I get to be there when you tell him, though.¡± Rhani would haveughed if her stomach wasn¡¯t twisted in so many knots. They collected Reese on their way out and Jack had her let one of Valith¡¯s scouts know where they were headed so she didn¡¯t sound any rms. They made good time, only getting stopped once by a curious guard. Jack showed him a bit of metal that had him taking arge step back with a very pale face. Any other day and Rhani would have asked questions, but today her mind was firmly upied. Jack shot her a confused nce when they bypassed Allura¡¯s temple, but she didn¡¯t ask questions. Rhani led the way to arger building on the outskirts of the district. This particr temple wasn¡¯t devoted to any particr god. Instead it was meant to allow worshipers to pray to a number of smaller gods. It took Rhani a moment to find the altar she was looking for, but soon enough she was kneeling in front of a statue of the goddess of lost children. ¡°Really hope you¡¯re listening, Keone, or I¡¯m gonna get yelled at for nothing.¡± Jack watched from a distance (standing a respectable distance from anything wooden or mmable) while Rhani lowered her head and closed her eyes. She sat like that for who knows how long, asking Keone for guidance and a meeting. ¡°Allura warned me you might be an issue,¡± a voice said from behind Rhani. She shot to her feet and whirled to face the slender woman with waist length ck hair. Her skin looked like moonlight and her warm violet eyes seemed to chase away all of Rhani¡¯s fears and worries. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Keone let out a breath and started walking around the small, cozy room they were in. ¡°Ask the questions you came here to ask, child.¡± Rhani gripped the hem of her skirt. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing a lot of researching, and I can¡¯t find a single instance in scripture of Allura being able to reincarnate anyone. ording to everything I¡¯ve read, it isn¡¯t a power that falls under her domain. She represents the bonds between living things. The connection between family members. Love. Nothing about birth, death, or rebirth falls under her domain.¡± Keone turned away, sping her hands behind her back. ¡°Was there a question in there?¡± ¡°I did find a story where Allura worked with another god who could reincarnate. That god reincarnated the soul and Allura bonded them for eternity so that they¡¯d always find one another in whatever incarnation they were born into. Just like she bound all of us to Zaren. I also found several instances that imed that you would reincarnate lost children who died alone to give them another chance at happiness.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Keone said, holding up a hand, ¡°you¡¯ve figured it out. I was the one to reincarnate you, not my mother. Though I did it at her request and with the power Zaren Nocht gave up.¡± Rhani nodded, her throat dry. ¡°That¡¯s why you had the marker. It was built to lead him to us, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Keone nodded curtly. ¡°I won¡¯t repurpose it though, no matter how much of a fuss Zaren makes.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know,¡± Rhani said softly. ¡°And I won¡¯t tell him. Not that part, at least.¡± ¡°You just wanted to provide thest of your evidence before I so rudely cut you off?¡± She blushed. ¡°Um, maybe. Anyways, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Keone walked up to Rhani, gently cing her cool palm to Rhani¡¯s cheek. ¡°Do not ask this of me, child.¡± ¡°I have to. I don¡¯t have any other choice.¡± ¡°There is always a choice.¡± Rhani shook her head. ¡°I keep making these half connections. Sometimes I know things I shouldn¡¯t. I remember things I¡¯ve never learned. Like with the Primal sses.¡± She hugged herself. ¡°I¡¯m remembering things, aren¡¯t I? Things I knew before.¡± Keone let out a long, suffering breath. ¡°You were mine, once. Hannah wasn¡¯t your first life. Once upon a time you went through something that left a mark on your soul. You¡¯re more connected to your past selves than you should be, though not nearly to the extent of poor Allisandre. I¡¯m d she¡¯s doing better, by the way. I guided her to help as best I could.¡± Rhani saw the subject change, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from asking. ¡°Will it work? Serena¡¯s magic?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If it does, I¡¯m not sure anything will. Not with what was done to her soul.¡± ¡°Can you do it to me? Make me remember Hannah?¡± Keone didn¡¯t answer right away. She walked over to a window that overlooked a field of silver, glowing nts. ¡°Yes, I can. But I would rather not.¡± Rhani stepped up to the window as well. All she could see was the field that went on for miles and a full moon that hung far too low in the sky, as if it were close enough for her to throw a stone at it. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because there are no half measures. If I remove the barrier between Hanna and Rhani, you won¡¯t just gain her memories. You will be Hannah, just as you are Rhani. You will know everything. Not just what she knew, but her emotions. Her thoughts. Her hopes and her dreams. Her fears and her pain.¡± She looked down at Rhani with sadness in her eyes. ¡°Rhani, if I restore your past life, you will know what it is to die.¡± Rhani swallowed heavily. The thought had urred to her, sure, but hearing the goddess say it out loud? That was terrifying. But like she¡¯d said before, she didn¡¯t have a choice. There was something fluttering on the edges of her mind. Something she knew was important. Life or death. Hannah had a critical piece of information, she¡¯d bet her life on it. Or, at least, her sanity. She took a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯ve done your duty and warned me of the consequences. Now please, goddess. Remove the barrier in my soul.¡± # # # ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to do this?¡± Therese asked for the hundredth time. ¡°With every fiber of my being,¡± Allie said, sighing as she pulled on a long shirt that she may or may not have borrowed from one of Zaren¡¯s dressers. It smelled faintly of him, and took her mind off what she was about to do. Nora wrapped her arms around Allie from behind. ¡°Whatever happens, we¡¯re with you. Until the end.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Allie said, stroking Nora¡¯s forearm with her thumb. ¡°Not sure I could do it without either of you.¡± Therese sighed, then nodded. Allie understood where Therese wasing from. Her friend hade straight to her the moment Zaren had told her the short version of how she died. Even if, on some level, she knew it was the truth, she still refused to believe it. ¡°Come on, then.¡± Allie led them from the baths towards her room. After the fight, the least she could do was bathe before she spent any time wrapped up with one of Zaren¡¯s girls. Nora looped her arm through Allie¡¯s left while Therese interlocked her fingers with Allie¡¯s right hand and they walked together to what Allie hoped would be the end of all this bullshit. Serena was sitting on the edge of the bed wearing a robe when they walked in. She shot to her feet, clearly as nervous about what they were about to do as Allie was. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to do this?¡± Serena asked. Allie managed to suppress the need to pull her hair out. She knew Serena¡¯s heart was in the right ce, but if someone else asked her that question she was going to scream. Instead, she nodded. ¡°You saw us out there, right? Me and Zaren, side by side?¡± ¡°I did.¡± She smiled. ¡°You two were something else.¡± ¡°Fighting with him felt so¡­ right,¡± Allie said, sitting on the bed. Therese sat next to her while Nora leaned against the wall. ¡°And, if you¡¯re right about all this goddess business, I can¡¯t help but feel like she gave me my secondary ss for a reason. So I could stand by him inbat. Be his perfect counterpart.¡± She squeezed Therese¡¯s hand. ¡°I love my team. They¡¯re my family, and fighting with them I feel like I fit with them perfectly. And with Zaren in the mix I felt¡­ unstoppable. Since earlier, I can¡¯t stop thinking that maybe I¡¯m supposed to be at his side. That whatever threat we face next, I need to face it with him. And if we don¡¯t resolve this, then there will always be a wall between us.¡± Serena smiled. ¡°Alright then. All that¡¯s left is to decide how we want to do this.¡± Allie bit her lip. ¡°Can they stay?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Serena said instantly. She stood and untied her robe, letting it fall to the floor. Allie knew why she was here, but it was still a shock when she turned out to be wearing nothing but a thin pair ofce panties underneath. Allie forced herself not to look at Serena¡¯s incredibly attractive body, now bared to her, and cleared her throat. ¡°Right. Okay. We¡¯re really doing this.¡± Gods, Serena was pretty. It might be foolish, but Allie couldn¡¯t stop herself from imagining a future where she was a part of Zaren¡¯s harem the same as the busty blonde. That, somehow, things worked out and all of Allie¡¯s girls became Zaren¡¯s girls too. That they could all be happy together. Serena slipped between the covers and scooted as far back on the bed as she could manage. Vanni had spent a few nights in their room so Allie knew the bed could fit all four of them, but it would be tight. Before she could psych herself out, Allie pulled her own shirt over her head, though she kept it in her hands. She folded it up before sliding into the bed,ying it under her head as sheid down so close to Serena that she could feel the priestess¡¯s body heat. She felt Therese and Nora both climb into bed after, but neither touched her yet. They all waited on the priestess to take the lead. ¡°My skill needs skin contact,¡± Serena said softly, blushing. Allie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re Zaren¡¯s girl, I¡¯d like to be Zaren¡¯s girl someday. Besides, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re having sex. Or doing anything Zaren hasn¡¯t already suggested himself, right?¡± Sheughed softly. ¡°No, I suppose not.¡± Allie¡¯s heart nearly leapt out of her chest as Serena wrapped those long, toned arms around her and tucked Allie into her bosom. Flesh pressed against flesh as they fit together like two adjoining puzzle pieces. Their legs entwined as if on their own and Serena¡¯s long, callused fingers settled on Allie¡¯s back. Only once they¡¯d settled did Therese slide in behind her. She tucked into Allie¡¯s back while Nora threw her arms over all of them. ¡°I¡¯ll start healing in a moment,¡± Serena said, her chin resting on top of Allie¡¯s head. ¡°A fair warning, you might start to feel aroused. It''s a side effect of my skill. If you need, ah, relief, then feel free to do whatever you need to do. Trust me, I¡¯ve just about seen it all at this point. If you start to drift off then don¡¯t fight it. From what you¡¯ve told me, being unconscious might help your mind deal with the damaged memories.¡± Allie just nodded, already feeling her eyelids start to droop. Then the soft, smooth flesh she was pressed against started to glow softly. Warmth seeped into Allie from every single inch that was touching Serena¡¯s body, molding against hers so seamlessly it was hard to remember where one of them stopped and the other began. She felt warmth pooling between her thighs but it was secondary to a feeling like a thick, warm nket being draped over her. She listened to Serena and didn¡¯t bother fighting the wave of sleep that washed over her. She let her eyes droop closed and the world fell away until there was nothing left but the faint scent of Zaren drifting up from the shirt she¡¯d folded up under her head. # # # The smell of cooking stew filled the small house as Allie chopped away, dicing the vegetables in front of her. The sound of kids ying drifting through the window brought a smile to her face as she scooped the next wave of ingredients into the bubbling broth. She set the knife down and wiped her hands just as a par of arms snaked under hers, pulling her into a broad chest she knew all too well. ¡°Smells good,¡± the voice she loved so much whispered in her ear. She hummed, leaning back into Zaren and reaching up to rub her palm across the stubble on his cheek. ¡°It¡¯ll taste even better if you actually let me finish cooking, love,¡± she said with augh. ¡°Mmmh,¡± he said, pressing his lips to the nape of her neck. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry.¡± ¡°Well I am,¡± she said, patting his cheek. He nuzzled into her neck, dragging his scratchy beard across her neck and driving her into a fit of giggles. ¡°Makes sense, I suppose,¡± he said, his hands lowering to the swell of her belly, heavy with their child. ¡°Eating for two as you are and all.¡± She closed her eyes and hummed happily, just enjoying the moment while itsted. Even if it was false. ¡°You¡¯re not real, are you?¡± she asked softly. He froze, going far too still. ¡°Eliya, what are you talking about?¡± A tear tracked its way down her cheek. ¡°This is a lie. A dream. I don¡¯t get to have a happy ending.¡± He didn¡¯t answer. Her back grew cold, and when she turned around he was gone. The sounds of children had vanished with him, along with most of the color in the cozy kitchen. Allie didn¡¯t bother wiping the tears away, letting them fall freely. Then she put her hands to her belly and found it t. A sob escaped her at the overwhelming feeling of loss that enveloped her. She¡¯d always dreamed of having a normal life. Being someone¡¯s wife. Someone''s mother. Nobody special. Not a ve or an experiment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± an unfamiliar voice said. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to cause you pain.¡± Allie turned towards the woman. She was tall. Gorgeous. Glowing golden hair. Perfect skin. Curves in all the ces that she wished her scarred body had. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± she demanded. ¡°Call me Allura,¡± she said softly. ¡°Well, Allura, you and your shitty dream can fuck off.¡± She angrily wiped away a tear. ¡°I don¡¯t need to see all the things I can never have.¡± Allura gave her a sad look. ¡°I only thought to give you something happy. I wish I could do more, I truly do.¡± Allie scowled. She tried to remember where she was. How she¡¯d gotten here. She remembered her night with Zaren, staring at the stars drawn on the ceiling of their cell. Falling asleep with her hand in his. Being woken by the cor and forced to leave before she could so much as say goodbye. Karn dragging her into his vault and opening the ss case that kept the giant de that terrified her. She remembered how eager he¡¯d been when he¡¯d ordered her to draw it. The searing pain as it ripped her apart from the inside. His rage and anger that she was another failure. That she¡¯d failed to wield it for even a full minute. Then he¡¯d started in on her. He¡¯d beaten her ck and blue. mmed her into the ss case so hard it had shattered it, leaving her feeling like she was made of cuts and bruises. Laying in a pile of ss as broken as her body. Sobbing from the pain and fear. Looking up at his hateful face as he gave her his final order. Forbidding her from healing herself. Allie sucked in her breath. Tears sprung to her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m dying.¡± Allura nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid so, child.¡± A shuddering sob wracked her body and she mped her hand over her face. Her eyes jammed shut. Her legs gave out underneath her and she sank to the floor. Allura knelt next to her, pulling Allie¡¯s head into her bosom and stroking her hair. ¡°After what you¡¯ve endured I thought it only fair for you to pass on in the midst of a happy memory, even a fabricated one,¡± she exined, ¡°rather than in pain and fear.¡± Allie wasn¡¯t sure how long sheid there crying before she simply ran out of tears. She was never going to see Zaren again. Never going to see freedom. Never stand in the sun or feel the rain or curl up next to a fire with a good book or a million other things she¡¯d only ever whispered to Zaren about in the dead of night, afraid speaking those dreams aloud would rob her of them. ¡°I want to see him,¡± Allie said finally. ¡°Onest time. Can you do that?¡± Allura pursed her lips. ¡°I can try, but Eliya¡­ your death won¡¯t be quick. Not unless¡­¡± Her eyes unfocused and her brows narrowed. Then her jaw set and her beauty shifted from warm andforting to terrifying. She touched her fingertips to Allie¡¯s forearm. ¡°Eliya, how much is it worth to you to see Zaren one final time?¡± Allie frowned, sniffling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I have to offer you.¡± Allura stood and sped her hands in front of her. Something had shifted in the room, so Allie used the countertop that she¡¯d been dicing vegetables on to pull herself up as well. ¡°Allura?¡± ¡°There are many rules that govern what I¡¯m able to do. I don¡¯t like these rules, but I am bound by them nheless.¡± She looked away at something Allie couldn¡¯t see. ¡°There are so many things I cannot do, like intervene and save your life. But what I can do is tell you that Zaren is on the cusp of reaching his next level.¡± Allie¡¯s heart hammered, though this time for a different reason. ¡°What are you saying? What are you telling me to do?¡± ¡°Truthfully? I do not know. What I do know is that I am tired of living by these rules. I am willing to challenge them, to bend them if I can, damn the consequences.¡± She turned to Allie. ¡°I cannot give you any guarantees, but I will say this. If Zaren can earn a level before Karn sees him next, then there is a possible future where Zaren does not die in a cor.¡± ¡°I-I can save him?¡± Allie demanded, stepping closer. Allura put her hands on Allie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°There must be bnce. If something is given, something else must be taken away. But I¡¯m hoping that if something is taken first, then perhaps what is given will be that much more potent. But Eliya, either way, there must be sacrifice.¡± Allie bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°Okay. Okay, alright. I¡­ I can do that. I just¡­ let me see him onest time and I¡¯ll give my life.¡± Allura reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind Allie¡¯s ear. Hair that Allie wouldn¡¯t have outside this dream thanks to Karn. ¡°Whatever happens, Eliya, know that you are loved. By him and by me. When you take yourst breath, I will be there.¡± She leaned forward and brushed her lips against Allie¡¯s forehead and the world faded away only to be reced by pain. Horrible, throbbing, wracking pain that assaulted every inch of her. A strangled sob ripped its way out of her throat as someone shifted her. A thumb wiped the tears and blood from her eyes. When she finally managed to open her eyes, Zaren¡¯s tear stained face was looking down at her. ¡°Eliya,¡± he whispered, cradling her head, ¡°Eliya, it¡¯s going to be okay.¡± ¡°Z-Zaren,¡± she choked out. She cried out as he shifted her slightly, feeling bones grinding inside her where something inside her had been broken. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s gonna be fine. Once Karn gets back¡ª¡± ¡°Stop,¡± she whispered. Already she could sense everything slipping away. She couldn¡¯t feel her fingers anymore, and her arms weren¡¯t far. Her head lolled as she tried to look around and her gaze fell on a jagged shard of ss big enough for what she needed to do. ¡°I¡¯m gonna die, Zaren.¡± ¡°No! No, no, no! You¡¯re gonna be fine, Eliya. Please, You can¡¯t¡ªI can¡¯t do this on my own.¡± ¡°You can,¡± she said, fumbling for the shard. Even though she couldn¡¯t feel anything but pain past her elbows she somehow managed to pick it up. ¡°Zaren, I-I need you to do something for me. Please.¡± ¡°Anything,¡± he said, starting to rock her. ¡°Anything, Eliya. Just stay with me, please.¡± Her eyelids were starting to droop already. She lifted the shard and he gingerly took it. ¡°Eliya, you know we can¡¯t hurt him. He¡¯s got standing orders¡ª¡± ¡°Not him,¡± she said softly. His expression twisted with horror. He tried to throw the shard away but she grabbed his wrist. ¡°No, Zaren. Please,¡± she begged. ¡°I¡¯m going to die. If-if I die, he gets all of me. All the experience from what he did. I don¡¯t want to be a part of him. Please¡­¡± she coughed, the sound wet, ¡°please. I¡­ I want to stay with you, even after I¡¯m gone. I want to leave a part of me with you. Don¡¯t let him have me, Zaren. Please?¡± she babbled. The ck on the edges of her vision was growing thicker by the second. He held the shard with trembling fingers, tears streaming down his face. She hated doing this to him. Hated that he would have to live with this weighing on him for the rest of his life. But if he lived, then it would be worth it. She whimpered as he shifted her again, gripping the long, razor shard of ss so hard it cut into his palm. A part of her liked that. That her blood would mix with his. He held the ss over her chest and she ced her bloody hand on his cheek. ¡°Zaren, don¡¯t let this break you. Live. For me. For all of us.¡± He nodded and she saw his demeanor shift. Saw subject thirteen take over. After everything he¡¯d done, she knew he could do this, too. Even if it destroyed him. ¡°Do you want to close your eyes?¡± She made a sound that was almost a no. She knew what she wanted thest thing she saw in this world to be. Together they took onest shuddering breath. Then he plunged the shard down. Allie felt a sharp, burning pain, then everything went cold. It was a relief when the pain faded, then she let oblivion take her. The cold took her, permeating every inch of her being. Then, bit by bit, that cold was reced by a soft,forting warmth. When she opened her eyes again she was in the same spot, only instead of Zaren holding her prone form it was Allura. Allie tried to open her mouth and speak, but she couldn¡¯t seem to find her voice. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯ll take your soul a moment to adjust to not having a body,¡± Allura said, gently stroking Allie¡¯s hair. Allie started, sitting up clumsily. She felt weightless and off bnced, but she was more interested in the fact that she had hair on the side of her head again. Then, as the world slowly started toe into focus, she heard him. Zaren screamed, clutching her body to his chest. It was a raw, agonizing sound that would haunt her for the rest of her¡­ well, whatever her existence was now. She felt Allura¡¯s hand on her back. ¡°I thought you might want to see the aftermath of your sacrifice.¡± When Allie looked at the goddess, the corners of her mouth had turned up in the shadow of a smirk. ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Better than I could have imagined,¡± Allura said softly. ¡°It seems I still have a bit to learn when ites to the nature of cosmic deals. I only assumed you¡¯d be giving up your life. I didn¡¯t factor in your future. Your happiness. The damage to your eternal soul. The pain you knowingly caused a loved one. You sacrificed so much more than a simple life, and it showed in the other end of my deal. The depth of that sacrifice gave me more power to uphold my end of the deal.¡± Allie turned back to where Zaren had finally gone quiet. It was surreal to see herself from an outside perspective. She was sure if she could cry in this form she would have as she watched Zaren set her body down, gently rearranging her limbs so she might have been sleeping. Blood poured from the deep cut of his palm but there was so much of her blood on the floor it was difficult to notice if she didn¡¯t look for it. He sat in silence, just staring at her body, for what felt like an eternity until the door opened. Karn strode through in all his twisted glory. She¡¯d hated him for a very long time, but she hated him even more seeing the look of satisfaction on his face. ¡°Thirteen,¡± he said, and Zaren¡¯s cor lit up. ¡°Answer me with the truth. Did you love her?¡± Allie held her breath as she waited for the answer. She wished she hadn¡¯t had to die to hear how he felt, but at least she would¡ª ¡°No,¡± Zaren said, his voice ragged. If Allie hadn¡¯t been sitting down she surely would have fallen as stabbing pain ripped at her chest. ¡°I tookfort in her body. Nothing more.¡± Karn¡¯s expression fell. ¡°You simply used her for sex, then?¡± Zaren didn¡¯t look away from her body. ¡°I did.¡± Some of the pain started to fade. Her and Zaren had never had sex before. He¡¯d lied. He¡¯d lied after Karn had explicitly told him to tell the truth. He¡¯d ignored a direct order from the cor. When Allie looked at Allura, she was smiling. She turned back in time to hear Karn order Zaren to follow him before turning and leaving the room. Zaren didn¡¯t move in spite of the cor¡¯s glow. He gently touched her face and she knew in that moment he¡¯d lied about not loving her, too. Then Zaren finally got to his feet. The vacant look on his face scared her, even if she¡¯d seen it before. All she could do now was hope herst request would be enough to keep him moving forward until he could find someone who saw in him what she had. He looked at the door, then he turned away and walked to the cursed sword that had nearly killed her. He lifted it, then with trembling hands he utched the de and pulled it partway out of its sheath. Solid red smoke twisted around his arm and snaked up towards his torso but he didn¡¯t even flinch. It kept spreading up the limb until it touched the cor. Where the crimson smoke met metal it began to smoke and rust. Next to Allie, Allura sucked in her breath. In seconds the cor had fallen to the ground and Zaren was shoving the sword back into its scabbard. After onest look towards Allie¡¯s body he walked out the door after Karn, dragging the heavy de and its scabbard behind him. ¡°Magnificent,¡± Allura breathed after he¡¯d vanished beyond the door. Allie didn¡¯t answer. Not right away. She stood there, looking at her own body, for what felt like hours before the numbness suddenly faded away, leaving her feeling like a raging inferno had ben lit inside her. She''d known it a moment before, but she understood it now. This woman was a goddess. ¡°Why?¡± she demanded as anger bloomed in her chest. ¡°Why wait until now? Why let us go through all this? What made you start caring all of the sudden?¡± Allura schooled her expression fast. ¡°You might not believe me, but in truth I only recently learned of your predicament. I was¡­ led here.¡± ¡°By who?¡± Allura raised a brow and Allie very briefly questioned her own sanity at questioning a goddess, but she quickly moved past that. Then Allura sighed. ¡°I have been following a trail of breadcrumbs left by a goddess much older and much more powerful than I. One who died long before I ascended to my godhood. Pieces set in motion in a ce very different from this one.¡± ¡°Different from Karn¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°Not quite,¡± Allura said with a smirk. ¡°I thought that trail ended with the de, but I think I was wrong. I think it¡¯s Zaren that¡¯s the key. The linchpin. A Convergence of cosmic impossibilities that just might give us a chance in changing our fate.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Allie said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what most of that means.¡± Allura smiled ruefully. ¡°Apologies. I¡¯ve always been fond of humans, and there are few gods I trust with the things I¡¯ve learned. I tend to let my mind get away from me.¡± Just as Allie opened her mouth to ask whates next the door opened again. Zaren limped into the room covered in blood and soot. He fell to a knee beside her body and cupped her cheek. ¡°I killed him, Eliya,¡± he rasped. ¡°I put my arms around his throat and I squeezed until he stopped breathing. I killed the rest of them, too. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s over, and you saved me.¡± Then, with extreme difficulty, he managed to lift her over his shoulder with one arm while his other still clutched the de. Eventually he stood and limped back out the door as the room started to fill with smoke. ¡°He¡¯s the key, I know it,¡± Allura said, more to herself than anything else. ¡°Now if only I could find a way to guide him.¡± ¡°Guide? Or manipte?¡± She started as if she¡¯d momentarily forgotten Allie¡¯s presence. ¡°I would prefer to guide him. Support him from afar. After what he''s been through thest thing I wish to do is use him against his will. But if ites down to it, to prevent the end of everything as we know it, I will manipte him if I must. Only as ast resort. I just wish I knew how.¡± Allie felt more tired than she¡¯d ever felt in her life, but she forced herself to straighten. ¡°What¡¯s that information worth to you?¡± The goddess¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°Looking to make another deal?¡± ¡°Giving you inside info on the man I love? That¡¯s gotta be worth quite a bit. Especially if I don''t know if I can trust you not to hurt him.¡± ¡°I could give you another chance,¡± she offered. ¡°Reincarnation isn¡¯t one of my powers, but I know of someone who would be willing to do me that favor. And, for what it is worth, I give you my word that I have his best interests at heart. I firmly believe that being the key to saving our existence is something worth rewarding.¡± Allie thought it over for a good while. After all, it wasn¡¯t like she was on a clock any longer. ¡°Fine, but not for me.¡± Allura frowned, then nodded for her to continue. ¡°My friends. The others in my trial. They deserve another chance. Maeve and Gwen. Isabel. Davis.¡± ¡°Not you?¡± Allura asked softly. ¡°No. No, I¡¯d rather wait for Zaren.¡± She hummed. ¡°Very well. Four souls given another chance for the information on how to guide Zaren to his destiny.¡± Allie tried not to feel guilt at the deal she¡¯d made. Instead she focused on her next words. Maybe if she yed her cards right she could help Zaren from beyond the grave. Maybe she could offer him the chance at the life he deserved. Besides, this goddess was going to try and use him one way or another. This was Allie''s one chance to make sure he came out on top. ¡°You¡¯ll never control Zaren. Not really. He¡¯ll always find a way to slip your cor and rip off the hand that feeds him. The second you manipte him or lie to him about your motives even once you¡¯ll lose him. He''ll never stop trying to undermine your efforts or taking you down, especially if he even thinks you might use others to manipte him. You''ll have to prove that you''re not just another Karn. If you want him on your side you¡¯ll want to give him two things.¡± ¡°And those two things are?¡± Allie looked at the pool of blood. Hers and his. All she could do now was hope her next words wouldn''t damn him. ¡°You need to give him something to lose. Then give him an avenue to protect it. There is nothing Zaren wouldn¡¯t do to protect the people he cares for.¡± That seemed to surprise Allura. ¡°You would have me ckmail him?¡± ¡°Try it, I dare you,¡± Allie said with a dryugh. ¡°No, if you really want Zaren to do whatever it is you want him to do, you need him to be your ally, not your tool. He doesn¡¯t respond well to authority and he hates following orders. He¡¯s more of a ¡®point and set loose¡¯ kinda guy anyways. Karn learned fast that Zaren is more efficient the fewer direct orders he¡¯s given. Give him a task and no real direction as to how he should go about aplishing it and watch the magic happen.¡± Then she sighed. ¡°Not that he¡¯s got anyone left that he cares about. Karn took them all away one by one by one.¡± Something shifted in Allura¡¯s expression. There was a glimmer in her eye that made Allie wary. ¡°Thank you, Eliya. You may have just earned this ne a stay of execution. Like I said before, I believe that those that allow us to survive deserve rewards, not punishment. Now I have one more deal to offer you, independent of the one we just agreed upon.¡± Allie crossed her incorporeal arms. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Your soul is supposed to go on to its afterlife. Thanks to the cosmic overflow from our first deal I was able to hold you here a bit longer after your passing, but that time is almost up.¡± She turned towards Allie fully. ¡°Entrust your soul to me, and I will ensure you see Zaren again.¡± Chapter Ninety-Nine: Fault Chapter Ny-Nine: Fault Once upon a time I could see every star in the sky from the capital and its surrounding areas. Now, with the growth of the city and the addition of magical lights in the wealthier districts, the sky felt empty to me. I dozed on the roof of my manor slipping in and out of sleep while I just thought. nned. Dealt with my level up. One level in Shadowborn brought me to twenty-two while two in Soul Smith knocked me up to nine. I grabbed [Sever] immediately and threw the points from the odd level into my Primal, kicking me to 34. I grimaced at my stat spread.
Strength [15] Arcane [0] Vitality [22] Focus [14]
Dexterity [17] Divine [0] Fortitude [15] Resilience [70]
Agility [20] Primal [34] Endurance [15] Will [11]
Crossing swords with Lilith made one thing clear: my stats were nowhere near the level they needed to be. Once I got all this bullshit with the brothel and the guild squared away I needed to look into getting me and my girls more experience. When I went to look through the skills avable to me in the Shadowborn tree my brows rose.
Echoes of Darkness (a) - Sometimes, the abyss stares back. Expend mana to summon a temporary echo made of your shadows capable of performing simple tasks. Echo¡¯s durability scales off Resilience while its strength scales off Primal.
I couldn¡¯t help but think back to the fight with the Rathum. The ability was a bit too simr to what Ash had allowed me to do. I highly doubted it was a coincidence. Whatever the case, I could already think of dozens of applications to the skill, and that was before seeing exactly how boosting it with Soul Essence affected the ability. It was while I was pondering the possible applications of this particr ability¡ªwatching the stars knowing I was rapidly running out of time before the sun arrived to wipe them away¡ªthat I heard someone climb onto the roof with me. They moved quietly, but this early in the morning I was still being boosted by [Dark Sense]. I wasn¡¯t immediately familiar with the way they moved and breathed, but the pull in my gut told me it was Allie. She leaned over me, blocking out the sky with a bemused expression. From my vantage point practically between her feet I could very easily tell that she was wearing a set ofcy red panties, one of my shirts, and nothing else. Good gods, what was with these women and my shirts? I was going to need to go shopping again soon at this rate. ¡°Please tell me you haven¡¯t been up here all night,¡± she said, her hands on her hips. I shrugged where Iy. ¡°After I put Tiana into a very satisfieda I got a few hours. Then I just needed some air, so I came up here.¡± She shook her head. Then she walked over toy down perpendicr to me with her headying on my stomach. My brain stumbled at the sudden closeness, and it wasn¡¯t until after she¡¯d grabbed my arm and pulled it over her chest, interlocking her fingers with mine, that I found my voice. ¡°Allie¡­¡± I started, not entirely sure I had the willpower to put distance between us. She hugged my arm tighter to her chest as if afraid I might take it away. ¡°I remember,¡± she said softly. Any further protests died on my throat. I fought the urge to dive headfirst off the roof in an attempt to escape this conversation. After three tries, I finally managed to speak. ¡°And?¡± She didn¡¯t answer right away. Not with words, at least. She did tuck her face against the inside of my arm and close her eyes. ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, there¡¯s nothing to forgive.¡± I felt like the air had been knocked from my lungs. It felt like someone had been sitting on my chest for years and suddenly decided to get up. An ice cold chill swept through me from the top of my head to the tips of my fingers and toes, leaving behind a heaviness as it faded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good to hear,¡± I managed past the lump in my throat. She squeezed me again. ¡°If I¡¯m being entirely honest,¡± she said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you made such a big deal about it. You did what I asked of you. From the way you were acting I was expecting¡­ well, something worse than that.¡± I didn¡¯t answer for what felt like an eternity. When I finally found the words, the sky was starting to lighten. ¡°War¡­¡± I started, ¡°it fucked me up. In a lot of ways. I saw a lot of messed up stuff. Stuff that I¡¯m sure will haunt me for the rest of my days.¡± As I talked, her fingers started trailing up and down my forearm. Her presence, still familiar from our days under Karn, helped me immensely. ¡°One of the things that screwed me up the worst was seeing what happened when good men did horrible things.¡± She didn¡¯t interrupt, even if I could feel her confusion. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of that in war. Sometimes they¡¯re just following orders. Sometimes it¡¯s for survival. Sometimes our baser, shittier natures take over in a moment of passion. Whatever the case, the part that affected me the most wasn¡¯t knowing what even a good person can be driven to do. It¡¯s what came after.¡± ¡°I hated them,¡± I continued. ¡°At first, all I could see were men trying to lie their way out of suffering the consequences of their actions. Then, one day, Rr had to put a man on trial. Used a spell that would reveal if he was lying. The man we¡¯d been trying? He¡¯d murdered a civilian. It had happened right in front of me. I knew what I¡¯d seen, but the man told a different story. One that painted him in a very different light than the truth. But the spell suggested his version was true.¡± Allie turned so she could look at me and pressed the hand she was holding to her. I squeezed her gratefully. ¡°It wasn¡¯t until after, when I talked to Rr, that I understood. Sometimes, when people do things they can¡¯t handle, they lie. Not just to the people who would judge them, but to themselves. And when what they did weighs heavily enough on them, those lies be truth. They have to believe their altered version because it¡¯s the only way they can live with themselves.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust your own memory of that day, do you?¡± she asked softly. ¡°I remember the important parts,¡± I said. ¡°I remember watching the light leave Karn¡¯s eyes. The sound my cor made when it hit the ground. The blood as I carved through the rest of his helpers.¡± My voice caught. ¡°Holding you. How broken you were. Feeling you go limp in my arms. I remember feeling the ss cutting into my palm and thinking it should have hurt more.¡± I shifted, not sure whether I brought her closer by ident or on purpose. ¡°But they¡¯re all out of order. The memories skip from one to the next with nothing but nks in between. All I really know is that you died by my hand, I ended up with a skill that made me immune to the cor, and I ended up with my freedom. Not to mention the brief rtionship I had with alcohol didn¡¯t exactly make things clearer. After a while, once I¡¯d seen just how far a man could go to convince himself he wasn¡¯t a monster, I started to wonder.¡± ¡°Did you really ask me to kill you? Or did I make it up because it was the only way I could live with myself?¡± Iughed mirthlessly. ¡°I¡¯ve always struggled with trusting anyone, especially myself. After everything he did to us¡­ after everything he made us do¡­¡± ¡°But I did ask you,¡± she said. ¡°I begged you. You did what you had to, Zaren. What I wanted you to. And¡­¡± She bit her lip in such an Eliya-like expression and I knew I wasn¡¯t going to like what she had to say next. ¡°And there¡¯s more. There¡¯s something you don¡¯t know.¡± Every muscle in me clenched at once. ¡°Karn?¡± I breathed. ¡°No!¡± She shot up, rolling so she could put her hand to my cheek. ¡°No, Karn had no influence over what I did. His only order still affecting me other than the usual shit was that I couldn¡¯t heal myself. But¡­¡± She let her weight settle on my chest, resting her chin on her forearm. It was hard to feel like she wasn¡¯t holding me down, expecting me to rabbit. She sighed. ¡°She was there, Zaren.¡± When I frowned in confusion, she winced. ¡°Allura.¡± It was a good thing she was holding me down. I fought the emotions that threatened to blow my lid and forced out one long exhale. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked evenly. As concisely as she could, no doubt reading from my bodynguage that I was ready to take a swing at the nearest inanimate object, she told me what she¡¯d remembered. How Allura had tried to let her drift away in a peaceful dream only for Allie to bargain her way back to wakefulness to give me a chance at freedom. That me killing Allie wasn¡¯t only granting her peace, but allowing her to hold up her end of what I realized was Allura¡¯s first deal. Then, almost fearfully, she told me how she may or may not have nted the idea to reincarnate my loved ones in Allura¡¯s head. She tossed thatst juicy tidbit out quickly, like she was afraid I might explode on her, but all I could do wasugh. ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I said betweenughs, ¡°that you¡¯re the one who put the seed for all this,¡± I waved my hand at the manor, ¡°in Allura¡¯s head?¡± Red spread out over her nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d do this! I just figured if¡ª¡± She cut off, and suddenly I was the one worried she¡¯d rabbit. I wrapped both arms around her. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t You¡¯d better finish that thought Miss Mastermind.¡± She tried to break my grip to no avail, then scowled at me. ¡°You really want to know? I knew you then, Zaren. Better than you knew yourself. I knew what killing me would do to you. You¡¯re the most amazing man I¡¯ve met in two lifetimes. You can endure anything as long as you¡¯ve got a reason to, but without me or the others you didn¡¯t have that reason. You¡¯re a protector, but you didn¡¯t have anyone to protect anymore. I hoped that if I put the idea in Allura¡¯s head, she¡¯d give you someone who needed you long enough to find your own reason for living.¡± She sniffled, then turned her head so she couldy her cheek on my chest. ¡°Or are you going to tell me I¡¯m wrong?¡± I let my head fall back to the roof below me. ¡°Nope, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Self destructive is a pretty good way to describe me between escaping Karn and meeting Rr.¡± She hummed. ¡°Fucking goddess took her sweet time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure.¡± I didn¡¯t realize my thumb had started stroking a spot between her shoulder des until she sighed softly. ¡°There were times where I thought it was finally going to be over. When I picked fights I definitely shouldn¡¯t have walked away from. But there always happened to be innocents involved. People who would get hurt if I didn¡¯t neutralize the threat. I couldn¡¯t just let them die, so I always ended up walking away. Felt like a coincidence back then, but now¡­¡± ¡°Goddesses. Can¡¯t live with them, can¡¯t live without them apparently,¡± she joked. I chuckled. ¡°No fucking kidding.¡± The sky above us slowly turned from ck to violet to the orange of theing sunset while weid there. Her tracing shapes I thought might be letters into my chest and me running my hands slowly and rhythmically up and down her back. She was the first to break the silence. ¡°Then there¡¯s us.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing we can¡¯t just skip to the fun parts, huh?¡± ¡°Probably not a good idea,¡± I agreed, even if my body didn¡¯t. ¡°Best case scenario, where do you see us heading?¡± ¡°Truthfully?¡± I nodded, and she grinned. ¡°Most nights I envision me and Therese sixty-nining while you and Nora take turns on either side.¡± She sat up. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, pretty sure I¡¯ve heard mention of a magic strap?¡± I blinked. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re going to have to give me a second. Maybe a neck massage to help me with the whish.¡± She burst intoughter. ¡°Oh my gods, your face. That¡¯ll never get old. My bad, knowing you¡¯re not geriatric has led to more than a few fantasies at night.¡± She sighed, then nestled back onto my chest. ¡°I really don¡¯t remember being this fucking horny all the timest go around.¡± I snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t remember every woman Ie across being so horny either. Thank fuck Allura decided to give me a magic dick to keep up.¡± ¡°Ugh, do not mention the magic meat stick when I¡¯m not allowed to sample it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gracing that with a response.¡± ¡°Coward.¡± She grinned again, then it faltered. ¡°Seriously, though. I love you, Zaren. I did then and I do now. But I love Nora and Therese, too. And Vanni¡­ well, lets¡¯ just say she¡¯s probably one of the best cuddlers I¡¯ve ever met. Hells, if I ever manage to crack Rose¡¯s thorny exterior I could see myself caring a lot about her, too. I just¡­ don¡¯t really know what to do about all of it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get that. Trust me.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to figure out how my harem got as big as it is, and I¡¯ve only just stoppedughing in my head whenever I say the words ¡®I have a harem.¡¯¡± That brought her sense of humor back. ¡°You¡¯re telling me. You¡¯ve certainly got a knack at picking them. I mean, you should have seen me with Serena earlier. Both of us, naked, just a couple pairs of panties between us¡­¡± She lifted herself higher so that her face was just out of reach of mine. ¡°I¡¯d love to get a taste of your cute little priestess one of these days. Pretty sure if I hadn¡¯t been reliving my literal death I¡¯d have had some pretty fantastic dreams.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell which was worse, that my pants were rapidly growing tighter or that her thigh was (likely very strategically) ced right over my stiffening erection. ¡°You definitely weren¡¯t this horny before,¡± Imented. She just shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll bring it up with Rhani. Maybe it¡¯s rted to the whole gender ratio thing.¡± My brows rose. ¡°You can¡¯t just toss that out there like that and move on.¡± ¡°Watch me. You still haven¡¯t given me a straight answer. Would you and your girls, after taking the time to get to know us, ever consider adding me, Nora, Therese, and potentially Vanni into your harem?¡± Hm, let me think. The willowy, pale, intense, attractive mage who clearly wasn¡¯t willing to call me on my bullshit? Or the tall, quiet, muscr badass who swung around a hammer that probably weighed more than Noelle? Or the busty, bashful girl with four arms who never smiled wider than when everyone around her was happy? Yeah, that wasn¡¯t an answer I needed to think about for long. ¡°If they wanted me, too, then yeah. Knowing my girls you all could probably get it hashed out by dinner time.¡± Her eyes lit up and she tried to pop to her feet. ¡°No!¡± I said, pulling her back down. She fell back onto my chest in a fit of giggles. ¡°That wasn¡¯t me telling you to go drag Rhani out of her books to start negotiations. I was exaggerating.¡± Probably. Maybe. Okay, not really. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, rolling her eyes but still smiling wide, ¡°I¡¯ll at least wait ¡®til breakfast.¡± She braced her hands on either side of me, pushing herself off me a little, then paused with her lower lip between her teeth. Then, quick as if she worried I might stop her, she darted back down to press her lips to mine. It was a chaste kiss inparison to all but the only one we¡¯d shared so far, but it was magical. Literally. I felt something stirring in me as the bond between us seemed to settle and shift, growing sturdier than ever. She didn¡¯t quite reach the second level, but I had the feeling it wouldn¡¯t be much longer. She pulled away, her cheeks glowing red in the light of the sunrise. ¡°Consider that a taste forter.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± I told her. She sat back, being careful to make sure her ass at least brushed against my dick, but I grabbed her wrist. ¡°I love you,¡± I blurted. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have made it this far without you, deal or no. You held me together when I should have fallen apart. And when I did fall apart, you were the one who glued the pieces together. I loved you then and I¡¯m pretty damn sure I love you now.¡± She beamed at me with tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°Well then,¡± she said, her voice watery, ¡°I¡¯ll just have to help you make sure there isn¡¯t any room for doubt.¡± Her eyes flicked towards my lips. At the same time my hands slid a little higher on her bare, creamy thighs. I felt her fingers tighten where she braced herself on my chest. She took a breath, though whether it was to say something or do something I wasn¡¯t sure. Then her eyes flicked to the side and she frowned. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± She shot to her feet and headed for the edge of the roof. I was following a secondter, both frustrated and relieved that we¡¯d been interrupted. I followed her gaze and what I saw had my frown matching hers. Two figures walked through the front gates of the manor grounds. In the morning light it was easy to make out the fiery red of Jack¡¯s hair and the shimmering silver and gold of Rhani¡¯s. Rhani cradled her head while Jack supported her as best she could while keeping physical contact between them at a minimum. Allie and I exchanged one single look before we were both racing to the window we¡¯d both used to get out here. We moved through the manner as quickly as we could without raising a panic and hit the foyer just after Rhani and Jack had walked through the front door. I¡¯d only half opened my mouth to demand why they¡¯d snuck out after everything that had happened today when I saw Rhani¡¯s expression. Uncertainty. Confusion. Fear. Pain. And in that moment where I hesitated, she didn¡¯t. She hurtled into my chest with a sob, nearly knocking me over in the process. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault!¡± she said before I could so much as open my mouth again. I wrapped my arms around her in return and shot a questioning look at Jack who fired back a bewildered expression. ¡°I know,¡± I told her. ¡°Ash and Noelle did what they had to¡ª¡± She shook her head adamantly. ¡°No! Not that. I mean that isn¡¯t your fault either, but¡ª¡± She winced, then shook herself. ¡°No, I mean my death. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± It took me a whole six seconds to put together what she¡¯d said. ¡°You mean Hannah¡¯s death,¡± I realized. She nodded. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault. Karn didn¡¯t kill me¡ªI mean, Hannah¡ªto punish you. I mean, he did, but that was just an added bonus. He killed me so I could never tell anyone about his captive or the things I learned for him or the stuff I remembered or¡ª¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa,¡± I interrupted. I grabbed her by the shoulders and guided her to one of the chaises in the room to sit her down. I tucked her hair behind her ears and she leaned into my touch while Allie sat on her other side and Jack stood nearby with crossed arms and concern etched on her face. ¡°Start from the beginning. Where were you tonight? Where is all of thising from?¡± She took a deep, shuddering breath, then nodded. ¡°The stuff that Lilith woman said was the final nail in the coffin. I knew things without being able to know them, and once I realized those things were likely things that Hannah knew I went to Keone¡¯s temple and had a conversation with her.¡± She bit her lip. ¡°She might have restored my memories of Hannah¡¯s life.¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°Okay, we can discuss thatter since I know you¡¯ll explode if you don¡¯t tell me whatever it is you need to tell me.¡± She smiled ruefully. ¡°Keone told me that something happened to me in a past life. A pre-Hannah life. It left a mark on my soul that apparently makes it impossible topletely lock my memories away if I¡¯m reincarnated. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Karn had me¡ªHannah¡ªeither. He sought her out specifically because of something she was supposed to have known.¡± ¡°Karn was obsessed with the six Primal sses,¡± she barreled on. ¡°Apparently, while they¡¯ve shown up throughout history, there¡¯s only one instance where they¡¯ve all shown up at the same time. It also coincided with the first ever appearance of the Jailer¡¯s de, though it was by a different name at the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he was obsessed with the Shadowborn ss,¡± Allie guessed. Rhani nodded. ¡°He was sure they were connected somehow. That if he managed to unlock the secrets of one it would lead to the secrets of the other. And to do it¡­¡± She swallowed hard, then looked up at me with a hint of fear in her eyes. ¡°He had a man in one of hisbs. He was chained up with enchanted restraints. I didn¡¯t recognize them at the time, but now I know them to be the same kind of logic that the Jailer¡¯s de uses. And this man¡­ he was beautiful. Emaciated, yet still somehow perfect looking. He had this glow about him¡­¡± ¡°A god,¡± I concluded. ¡°Karn had a fucking god locked in his basement.¡± She nodded again. ¡°I think it¡¯s how he was hiding himself from the other gods. There are rules about how much they can intervene in other¡¯s affairs. He had some way of extracting that god¡¯s magic and using it for his own gains. The god had clearly been tortured, too. And once I learned¡ªremembered¡ªthat the six Primal sses emerged in response to when a group of survivors from another ne brought the Jailer¡¯s de while running from the destruction of their home.¡± I blinked. ¡°Come again?¡± She nodded, hugging her stomach. ¡°The de is important. They brought it here to hide it from the god that destroyed their world. He wasn¡¯t drawn to this ne because of the power of the de, he¡¯sing here because someone a very, very long time ago went to a lot of trouble to hide the de from him.¡± ¡°Not the de,¡± I realized suddenly. The events of Ash¡¯s dream reyed in my head. Rhani nodded. ¡°The de is just a vessel. A prison in the shape of a sword. I think he¡¯s after Ash, though as far as I know Karn never made that connection. I doubt anyone ever could without the bond you¡¯ve formed with her.¡± She leaned her head on me. ¡°Karn had the de and a basic understanding of the sses. He needed to know how they were connected. Thanks to his cor, I was forced to give him that.¡± She sniffled. ¡°I think¡­ I think I might have been one of the ones who brought the de here in a past life. I have vague, shadowy memories of being chased by monsters eerily like the Eldritch Beasts we¡¯re facing now.¡± ¡°Karn had ancient scriptures and tomes that talked about an incursion. A magic gue that nearly wiped us out apanied by monsters that had never been seen before and haven¡¯t been seen since. We almost lost because the Shadowborn then decided to side with the invaders. He alone nearly caused the end of everything. That¡¯s why Karn decided to chase after that ss.¡± She closed her eyes, her head still resting on my bicep, while Allie gently rubbed her back. ¡°Once I was able to tell him that, and once he¡¯d realized I¡¯d connected the dots on his divine prisoner, he decided he no longer needed me. He only did it in front of everyone else to try and drive you deeper into darkness. He didn¡¯t know if he needed physical darkness or emotional darkness to force one of you into the Shadowborn ss so he did his best to create both.¡± She pulled away so she could look up at me. ¡°It was never your fault, Zaren. I was always going to die down there. Karn couldn¡¯t risk anyone ever knowing what he¡¯d learned from me.¡± She pressed her hand to my cheek. ¡°So please stop ming yourself. This is one weight you don¡¯t need to carry anymore.¡± Fuck. Two massive weights lifted from my shoulders in a single morning? Once I could take deep breaths again I felt like I was floating. I bundled her up tightly to my chest. ¡°While I¡¯m not thrilled you went off to have a one-on-one with a goddess without at least discussing it with us first, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not more than a little relieved to hear it.¡± Allie was still rubbing her back, but she had a pensive look on her face. When I raised a brow at her, she cleared her throat. ¡°Rhani, as someone who also very recently remembered what it was like to die, do you¡­ remember anything else? After?¡± Rhani gasped. ¡°That¡¯s right! That was the other thing!¡± She sat up quickly only to wince, then she shook off whatever pain she felt. ¡°After Karn killed me¡ªcrap, Hannah¡ªthere¡¯s this¡­ fuzzy patch. My guess is that I¡¯m not allowed to remember what the afterlife looks like. Then all the sudden I was talking with Allura. She told me that you¡¯d need my help someday and that if I was willing to entrust my soul to her she¡¯d make sure I had the chance to give it.¡± Allie exchanged a nce with me. ¡°Was that it?¡± She shrugged. ¡°There was another gap, like I was taking a really long, really nice nap, then Keone was there. A memory of her, not the current her. She asked me a bunch of questions about what I wanted to look like and the kinds of things I wanted to do.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking what I¡¯m thinking, then?¡± I asked. Allie just nodded. ¡°Three¡¯s a pattern.¡± ¡°Three?¡± Rhani asked, frowning. ¡°Also, since when have you two been all made up? Tell me I didn¡¯t miss the fun times.¡± There was the Arelim I knew and loved. ¡°Allie got her memories backst night, too,¡± I exined. ¡°Turns out she¡¯s likely the one who put the idea for this whole reincarnation deal in Allura¡¯s head.¡± ¡°She offered me a deal in reincarnating,¡± Allie exined. ¡°Got my consent. From what we¡¯ve learned, maybe that¡¯s important. Now that we know she approached you as well, not to mention Serena overhearing Ria making a deal with someone after her death?¡± All three of us nced towards Jack in unison, who scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I don¡¯t remember shit. Though¡­¡± she grumbled something, running a hand through her hair. ¡°Feels prudent to mention that my ss¡¯s name is Fireborn.¡± When not a single one of us were surprised, she snorted. ¡°Right. Should have known you¡¯d have guessed as much.¡± ¡°My fault, really,¡± I said. ¡°With the way my shadows reacted to your mes it only made sense. Plus¡ª¡± ¡°Fireborn,¡± Rhani interjected. ¡°You got your ss after nearly being burned alive. Born in fire. It fits.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s two of the Primal sses we know of, then,¡± Allie said. I coughed. ¡°Yeah, about that.¡± All eyes turned to me. I did a brief check to make sure nobody else was around, but we were alone. ¡°Karina. She¡¯s Lightborn. That¡¯s three.¡± Allie cursed. ¡°No wonder they wanted her so bad. When did you figure it out?¡± ¡°After. She thinks the only guy she knew died in the rescue, but we can¡¯t be too cautious. I was nning to have Tiana work with her to train her skills up.¡± ¡°Good idea,¡± Allie said, ¡°I¡¯ll see if Therese can help.¡± ¡°I can work with her too,¡± Jack offered. ¡°Always liked her.¡± Rhani tucked herself into my side. ¡°Then we can start figuring out a way to find the other three. Wind, water, earth. I¡¯ll keep trying to crack this journal, too. Now that I¡¯ve got Hannah¡¯s memories I¡¯m thinking it¡¯s more important than we realized. Pretty sure it¡¯s a personal ount of one of the people who brought the sword over, but I won¡¯t know for sure until I finish figuring out the alphabet.¡± ¡°First,¡± I said, my tone leaving no room for argument, ¡°you¡¯re going to get some rest. You¡¯re exhausted and I¡¯m guessing that big brain of yours needs time to handle all the new information bouncing around in it.¡± That she didn¡¯t argue only proved me right. Allie put her hand over mine where it sat on Rhani¡¯s hip. ¡°What are you nning to do with your day?¡± ¡°First things first, I need to go check on Noelle again. Then I want to talk to Cynthia about the brothel situation. If it¡¯s looking like it¡¯ll be more than a few days for her to get things settled I¡¯m getting Ste out of there tonight. If not, then getting her out legally is the safest option for her long term.¡± Then I looked at Jack. ¡°I also need to have a talk with you at some point, preferably today.¡± Her brows rose. ¡°What kind of talk?¡± If Rhani and Ste¡¯s creation worked half as well as Rhani expected it to? ¡°The kind that¡¯ll probably need you to clear up a good chunk of your schedule.¡± Heat shed through her eyes. ¡°Gotta take care of some shit with Zoey and Reese, but I can do after dinner.¡± ¡°Works for me,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°Good,¡± Allie threw her arm around Rhani and me both, ¡°then you can have lunch with me and my girls so we can talk logistics.¡± I grinned. ¡°Logistics, huh? That¡¯s what we¡¯re calling it?¡± Rhani¡ªwho looked all too pleased to be sandwiched between us¡ªlooked between us with wide eyes. ¡°Okay, I definitely missed something.¡± Allie stood and pulled Rhani to her feet. ¡°Come on, I can exin everything. Serena saw everything I saw, so she¡¯s giving the others the rundown.¡± ¡°Efficient.¡± I stood as well, feeling far too pleased seeing Rhani leaning on Allie. ¡°You girls never cease to amaze me, you know that?¡± Allie just smiled and hooked her arm around Rhani¡¯s, who leaned on her gratefully. She shot me a wink and led her off towards the main room. Jack just shook her head and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯d say I don¡¯t envy you, but that would be a lie. See youter, then?¡± She sounded almost bashful, but I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Later.¡± She pped my arm and headed back out the front door. I just shook my head and watched her go. I really had my hands full with all of them, and I couldn¡¯t be more thankful. As I set off to hunt down Cynthia or one of her minions I couldn¡¯t help but think I had a busy day ahead of me. One I was probably looking forward to a little too much. Small Delay (tomorrow) Small Dy (tomorrow) Announcement Between maintenence issues with my home and wrangling pets because of them I was not able to finish today''s chapter before having to go to work. But hey, it wouldn''t be chapter 100 without a small dy, right? Aiming to finish it tonight for a noon (CST) release tomorrow. Apologies for yet another dy, but I can at least promise that when chapter 100 DOES drop it''ll be a hefty one. As always, thank you all for taking the time to read my stories and I''ll see y''all tomorrow! Chapter One Hundred: Team Building Exercises Chapter One Hundred: Team Building Exercises The first part of my day wasn¡¯t nearly as enjoyable as I¡¯d been hoping for. Not even close. It involved a lot of bullshit that had me ready to raid my armory and take control of the brothel the old fashioned way, consequences be damned. I spent most of the morning in a series of meetings with Cynthia, her minions, and a representative sent by Rr. It took absolutely forever, but we finally managed to iron out a contract that Madame Reade would have no choice but to ept. It involved using abination of my status, money, legal loopholes, and the information Valith and Seven had been able to provide us on her doings. It managed to skirt the line between leverage and ckmail, but considering the things we had on her I hardly had it in me to feel guilty. Especially when Seven¡¯s information just confirmed what I¡¯d been suspecting all along. The Silver Swallow, while being a sessful brothel at face value, was the core of a well organized and widespread trafficking ring that was responsible for providing Arthal with the demi-humans he needed to reach whatever end goal he was vying for. Once we used this contract to scoop the Swallow out from under Reade, Sandrel¡¯s men would be paying her a visit to see just how much she truly knew. I didn¡¯t know what exactly that entailed and, after all the lives she was responsible for ruining, I didn¡¯t ask. But all of this meant it would be days yet before Ste was free and clear. Every day she was imprisoned in the basement of our enemies was another day something could go wrong, and each one was even harder to endure than the one before it. I still wanted desperately to simply go and liberate her, [Sever] the connection between her brand and her Patron and whisk her away to somewhere I could protect her, but I¡¯d been talked off that proverbial ledge. It was clear there was more behind Ste¡¯s position than we knew. Her disappearance could very well tip off Reade and end our n before it even had a chance to begin. Even though the others had a point, it wasn¡¯t until Ste herself (through Festus/Rhani) weighed in. She wasn¡¯t going to trade her safety for the futures of all the other girls under Reade¡¯s roof. So we agreed to keep a damn close eye on Reade and herings and goings. Seven seemed to think it would be some time yet before she had enough demi-humans to smuggle out of the city, but Sandrel had men in ce all the same. The proof we had was damning, but if we could catch her red handed then it would elerate things nicely. The one silver lining of the whole morning was my own amusement at one of Cynthia¡¯s minions. Deverin, a human who couldn¡¯t have been much younger than me, was one I¡¯d been seeing more and more often. A few times I¡¯d interacted with him in Cynthia¡¯s stead. With a smaller build, a head of curly hair, and thick sses I¡¯d overlooked him at first, but he proved to be sharp as a whip and more than capable of handling Cynthia when she needed handling. Like when she started scooping up papers after our meeting ended, mumbling to herself about the things she needed to do today. Deverin pointed out that she needed rest after pulling an all-nighter, and when she tried to brush him off he rolled up a paper and swatted her on the head with it. She pouted at him¡ªa noticeably uncharacteristic expression for her, I felt¡ªbut folded under the arched stare he shot back at her and meekly handed over the pages she¡¯d started stacking. I decided then and there to see about giving him a raise. Lunch turned out to be a much more enjoyable affair. I ended up in one of the smaller, cozier dining rooms with Allie and her team, Vanni included. Things were a tad awkward at first, but in no time we¡¯d settled into afortable conversation. Therese had warmed up to me considerably by the time we called it, though Nora was still¡­ well, Nora. I got the sense she didn¡¯t dislike me, she just wasn¡¯t an overly expressive person. The way her eyes glowed anytime she looked Allie¡¯s way, though, was more than enough for me. Vanni was having a grand old time. Apparently they¡¯d finally gotten the first set of clothes in that had been made especially for her unique frame. She wore a baggy four-sleeved sweater that hid her figurepletely yet didn¡¯t impact her cuteness in one bit. I couldn¡¯t help but notice that she usually had at least one hand ying with the soft fabric, though it felt less like a nervous tick and more like she was just marveling at the garment. From what I¡¯d been told about how Allie had found her it wasn¡¯t hard to guess she was enjoying somethingfortable and not designed to show off her body. Already she was more energetic than she¡¯d been when they¡¯d first arrived. I hadn¡¯t been sure what to do with her when she¡¯d arrived, but she¡¯d taken to standard tasks like cleaning and cooking like they were some of the most fun things she¡¯d ever done. I suppose for someone who¡¯d been a glorified trophy for thest few years of her life that wasn¡¯t so surprising. Rose, Therese¡¯s dryadpanion, was present, though she didn¡¯t say a word the entire lunch. She sat near enough to be considered a part of the meal but not close enough to ever partake in any of the conversation happening. We exchanged a nce at one point and I hated the familiar shadow I saw in her gaze almost as much as what it told me she¡¯d been through. I inclined my head to her, apparently imparting even more than I meant with the short exchange from the way her eyes widened slightly in surprise. I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say she was morefortable after, but it certainly felt like she was a little less on edge. I wished I could help her escape the demons I knew had to be haunting her, but it wasn¡¯t my ce. Besides, Allie was probably just as suited as I was for the task if not more so. The best I could do was try to keep an eye on her from afar and be ready to help if the need ever arose. I¡¯d just stood to take my leave when Therese called my name. ¡°A moment?¡± I paused. My lips had just parted to ask her what she needed when they were covered by her own. I felt her hand on my chest as she leaned into the kiss, her tongue swiping at my lower lip before her teeth nipped at it. She was gone before I could collect myself enough to return the favor, caughtpletely off guard. She grinned at me first, then turned to look at Allie over her shoulder. Her expression was one of shock and unbridled lust. One nce at her face, her cheeks flushed and her lips parted slightly, her breathing in short gasps, had my pants tightening. Theresa turned her satisfied smirk back towards me. ¡°That look means she liked what she saw more than she¡¯s willing to admit.¡± Then her pink tongue darted out to wet her lower lip in a stark burst of color on her pale face. ¡°Can¡¯t say she¡¯s the only one, either.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then she¡¯ll love this.¡± Therese¡¯s eyes widened, her mouth opening in what might have been protest, but she made no move to stop me as I captured her chin and pulled her mouth back to mine. Any objections went out the window as she reciprocated eagerly, moaning softly as her head tilted so she could fit her lips against mine. Her tongue slipped out again to taste me, but I wasn¡¯t caught off guard this time. I pulled her hips to mine as I used my own tongue to wrestle hers into submission. She tried to resist for maybe a second before she wilted. She melted into my front, only the hand fisted in my shirt and the arm she¡¯d thrown around the back of my neck keeping her knees from buckling underneath herpletely. When I finally released her from the kiss she stepped back a little unsteadily. Color had bloomed across her normally pale cheeks and her pupils were blown wide. Her breaths came heavy as she touched two fingers to her swollen lips, also a few shades pinker than normal. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± she breathed. It wasn¡¯t hard to see that Therese was usually the more dominant of the three in their rtionship. It was also no secret that she didn¡¯t mind me taking control in the slightest, judging by her expression and the way her teeth sank into her lip. If Allie had liked the first kiss, the second broke her. I¡¯d barely turned towards Allie, prepared with some smugment or sarcastic remark, when she barreled into me. My back hit the wall as she devoured me, as if she was trying to rece every bit of Therese¡¯s taste with her own. She groaned eagerly into my mouth before sucking my bottom lip between her teeth and biting down hard. I fisted her hair and used it to pull her body against mine, earning the sweetest of moans from her. ¡°Fuck,¡± she panted, ¡°I was going to try and take this slower, but I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°Mmh,¡± I tilted her head back so I could suckle on her pulse point, ¡°Not sure I¡¯ve got it in me to disagree right now,¡± I mumbled, my lips still pressed to her throat. Her legs parted and my knee slipped between them. She wasted no time pressing her core against my thigh, leaving no room for doubt as the wet heat started to seep into my pants leg. ¡°I¡¯m trying to remember why we shouldn¡¯t do this and I¡¯ming up empty.¡± I nipped at her neck and groaned as a hand slipped past my waistband to grab my cock. Then I started when I realized Allie had one hand in my hair and the other on my neck. I pulled back and looked down to see Therese fishing me out of my pants with her eyes locked onto where my flesh and Allie¡¯s touched. I groaned when she took the head into her mouth and swirled her tongue around the crown. My head fell back as pleasure rippled through me from her soft lips and hot, slick tongue. ¡°Fucking hell¡­ fuck¡­¡± Allie took advantage of my momentary distraction to dart in and lick her way up the column of my throat until she could press her lips to where my jaw met my neck. I couldn¡¯t suppress my moan, nor could I hide the way my cock throbbed with it currently hitting the back of Therese¡¯s throat. I grabbed a handful of Allie¡¯s ass in one hand and threaded my fingers through Therese¡¯s hair with the other. She ceded control of the blowjob immediately, her opalescent eyes never once leaving my face as I dragged her lips up and down my shaft. Nora finally decided to join in, pressing against Allie¡¯s back and pinning her between our bodies. ¡°Seems Rhani wasn¡¯t kidding,¡± Nora noted. Her hands threaded under Allie¡¯s arms until they were on her breasts, kneading and massaging while she undid the buttons of Allie¡¯s tunic. ¡°Fucking¡­ Rhani¡­¡± I panted. I slipped a hand beneath Allie¡¯s waistband. I knew she was wet from how she¡¯d soaked through her pants but I was unprepared for just how soaked her hot core was. From the way she bucked as my fingers brushed against her clit I didn¡¯t think she waspletely prepared either. ¡°Ngh! Fuck, Zaren!¡± Allie panted, giving my neck a break. She pressed the side of her face to mine, panting as I slipped a finger into her pussy. ¡°The informationwork that is your harem is impressive.¡± She leaned away long enough for Nora to pull her top over her head, revealing acy red bra underneath. I only had a moment to enjoy the sight of it before Allie caressed the slightly glowing crest that I could only see because my hand was pulling her waistband out. ¡°Your Arelim especially,¡± she breathed. Therese hummed around my cock as I swelled in her mouth again at the sight of the contraception crest on Allie and what it meant. When I felt her long, nimble fingers around my sac while she worked my shaft I couldn¡¯t help but fall over the edge. Not with her and Allie all over me, the head of my cock slipping into her throat, or the sight of Nora ying with Allie¡¯s nipples that peeked out over her bra. I managed to grunt out a warning before shoving Therese¡¯s head down even further and spilling myself straight into her throat. Her eyes glowed with heat, only leaving mine to look at Allie. I couldn¡¯t see her face since she was just as locked in on me blowing my load in Therese¡¯s mouth as I was, but I could feel the way she clenched around my finger. ¡°Mmh,¡± Therese hummed, licking her lips. She stood slowly, running her hands up my body from my thighs to her shoulder, lifting my shirt up and off along the way. Her face inched towards mine only to change direction at thest moment. Allie made a pleased sound of surprise as Therese pressed her back into Nora¡¯s front with her tongue down Allie¡¯s throat. Her hand slid down to join mine, rubbing circles around Allie¡¯s clit while I slipped a second finger in and curled them towards me, her other handzily pumping my already-hard-again cock. It didn¡¯t take long before Allie was screaming out her release, pinned between the three of us. Her body convulsed, but Nora held her tight with those powerful arms. Arms that pressed against me as Allie sagged forward, though the tall warrior didn¡¯t seem to mind in the slightest. Therese and I, without so much as a single nce, kept attacking her core until she wasing a second time. I thought about pushing for a third before I saw the heat in Allie¡¯s eyes and registered exactly what she was asking for. ¡°H-how long before¡ª¡± she panted. ¡°He never even went soft,¡± Therese supplied, running her fingers through Allie¡¯s hair and scraping her nails against the side of Allie¡¯s scalp. Allie¡¯s eyes rolled back as she leaned into Therese¡¯s touch. She sagged a bit in Nora¡¯s grasp before she collected herself. She turned an uncertain gaze towards me. ¡°Zaren I know this is¡ª¡± I silenced her with a kiss deep enough that I was d Nora still held her up. ¡°Just tell me how you want me,¡± I said, our lips still touching. She groaned, desire and frustration warring in the sound. Her hand joined Therese¡¯s and her eyes widened. ¡°Fucking hells, remind me to thank Allura when I see her again.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Seems to be amon sentiment.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll bet.¡± She looked around the room, her eyes falling on Vanni. I¡¯d all but forgotten that she and Rose were in the room still. ¡°Shit, Vanni, sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to ignore you.¡± Vanni¡¯s eyes went wide. All four of her hands raised (two of which had been resting deep between her legs) in surprise. ¡°Oh, not at all! Don¡¯t mind me!¡± Allie leaned into me. ¡°I do mind, though. You don¡¯t have to stay if you don¡¯t want to. I mean, you absolutely can¡ª¡± her eyes darted to me, ¡°¡ªit¡¯s okay, right? If she stays?¡± I chuckled. ¡°A bitte for that, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯ve seen the pit, right? I¡¯m hardly bothered by an audience at this point as long as they want to be there.¡± Vanni¡¯s cheeks darkened. ¡°I-I see. Um, well, in that case¡­¡± she stood uncertainly, then relocated to one of the chaise¡¯s in the room with a nervous energy. ¡°Ah, I¡¯d like to stay.¡± Therese took a break from where she¡¯d been plying Allie¡¯s shoulder with kisses to say, ¡°Feel free to do more than just watch.¡± Vanni, apparently, needed no further prompting. It was mesmerizing to watch as she lifted her shirt above her breasts with one hand, fondled one of the heavy¡ªpierced¡ªglobes with another, and slipped a third under the tiny panties that had apparently been the only things underneath the massive sweater she wore. All at the same time. With her fourth arm she reached a hand out to Rose. I felt all three women I was touching in some fashion freeze in anticipation. Rose looked at the four of us, her gaze lingering on me for what felt like an eternity. Then her eyes slid down to my chest and I thought her light green cheeks might have darkened slightly. She stood, still not saying a word, and walked over to where Vanni sat with her legs spread wide. Rose sat on one of Vanni¡¯s bare thighs and leaned back against the Ashra. Vanni whispered something, which drew a nod out of Rose. The next thing I knew Vanni was gently slipping two hands under Rose¡¯s clothes while her other two continued to y with her own body. Rose¡¯s eyes shuttered as one of Vanni¡¯s hands went north and the other south, settling on one of her pert breasts and between her legs respectively. She sagged against Vanni with her head resting on the Ashra¡¯s shoulder and her face turned towards Vanni¡¯s neck just enough that she could still see us. Allie¡¯s nails dug into my arm and I thought I saw a film of wetness in Therese¡¯s eyes, but I gathered now wasn¡¯t the time to delve into that topic. I trailed my fingers down Therese and Allie both and their attention was returned to me in no time. There was an energy to the both of them that wasn¡¯t quite so prevalent a moment ago. I enjoyed the stark differences in their builds as they stripped each other with practiced moves. Therese was tall and lithe. Her breasts were barely handfuls, but their shape was perfect. Her skin was almost entirely unblemished with the exception of a few scars on her side from an old injury. Her pale nipples and the little of her pussy lips I could see through the thin patch of hair the same tinum blonde as that on her head were only a few shades darker than ivory of her flesh, which meant the only color on her body came from the flush of her arousal. Allie was everything I expected her to be underneath her clothes. Perky breasts just big enough to spill over my fingers sported delicious looking pink nipples hard enough to cut diamonds. Her narrow waist red out to a wide set of hips and a toned bubble but I really wanted to sink my teeth into. She wasn¡¯t nearly as muscr as Jack or Safina, but something about the slight lines of muscle that hinted at the strength beneath her soft looking skin made my mouth water. Then there was Nora. She was big in just about every sense of the word. She was thicker built than someone like Jack, who was pure muscle under tightly stretched skin. Everything from biceps as big as my head to a chest that was just as impressive spoke to the raw strength her body possessed. Unlike her twopanions her body was littered with the scars of someone who was was used to fighting for survival. ¡°I knew it was a good idea to pick the dining room with the couch,¡± Allie breathed. She dragged her nails down my front before grabbing me by the shoulders and turning me so my back was to the couch she¡¯d been talking about. I let her shove me down onto it dly. She straddled me before I¡¯d even finished bouncing, settling her weight on my legs with my erection pressed flush against her core. I could feel her heart hammering as she pressed herself flush to me and nted her lips over mine. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this for two fucking lifetimes,¡± she panted. I ran my palms up her side and she shivered under my touch. ¡°I know the feeling.¡± Therese and Nora sank down on either side of us. Nora¡¯s hands traveled Allie while Therese tucked herself into my side and let her fingers go questing, tracing my scars. ying with my nipple while Allie lifted herself off myp to line up the head of my cock with her hot, dripping core. The world seemed to hold its breath as time stood still. I couldn¡¯t look away from her face. Her head was tilted back as the pressure on her entrance increased painfully slowly. Her lips parted in anticipation. Her silky, raven hair cascading over her shoulders and covered her chest just enough to be teasing. And the way her front tensed as my crown slipped past that first barrier made me want to hold her tight and never let her go. I couldn¡¯t breathe as she slid down inch by torturous inch. Her velvet walls sucked me in greedily until our hips met. She fit me perfectly. So snug that I felt like I could cum without even needing to move. She didn¡¯t make a sound at first, her mouth stretched open in a silent scream of ecstasy. I didn¡¯t even realize her climax had mmed into her until I felt the fluttering of her walls around me. Then all at once her body went limp, sagging against my chest. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would be so¡­¡± I could barely manage to grunt my agreement. I was torn between never wanting her to move and needing to flip her under me so I could do my damndest to fuck her through the bottom of the couch. I cradled her head and just enjoyed the feeling of her hair slipping through my fingers while she caught her breath. ¡°Gods I feel so full,¡± she said. She pushed herself up and we both groaned at the slightest of friction between us. I felt like a part of me had slid into ce. Like I was one step closer to beingplete. Unable to take it any longer I gripped her hips hard enough to leave a mark. Her walls mped down and the anticipation in her eyes made me throb inside her, drawing another moan from us both. ¡°Fuck me, Zaren.¡± I needed no further invitation. I lifted her before she could even begin to do it herself while she leaned back with her hands on my knees. We worked together to raise her up higher. Higher. High enough that only the crown was still inside her. Then our eyes met and an unspoken agreement passed between us. She mmed down on my cock so hard I saw stars. She screamed out my name, already on her way back up for a second trip. By the time our hips met a third time her head had fallen back. She let her eyes fall closed, lost to the pleasure, giving me the chance to just enjoy the sight of her breasts bouncing from the force of every trip up and down my cock. Her perfect slit stretched around my girth. Then Nora was between my legs, giving Allie a backboard. She braced one hand against Nora and the other on my chest as she rode me. Nora took one of her breasts in one hand and I grabbed the other, pinching her nipple between two fingers while I squeezed the perfectly shaped globe. Allie¡¯s head fell back to Nora¡¯s shoulder with a cry as Nora¡¯s skilled fingers went to work on her clit. Therese took my nipple into her mouth while her fingers traced the line of my jaw, but all my focus was on Allie. I thrust up into her in time, trying to angle each thrust to hit the spot that made her sing the loudest. She was on the edge of release in no time. I hilted myself in her as she screamed out another climax, grinding and rolling my hips just enough to prolong the intense release that ripped through her. Then she all but knocked Therese aside in her attempt to im my mouth. She shifted forward and hooked her legs under mine to give her even more leverage. Rather than the long, heavy ms of her previous position she fucked me with short, punishing thrusts. I grabbed a handful of her ass, unable to stop from teasing the pucker between her perfect cheeks. She only rode me more vigorously. Soon Nora was once again pressed against her back, teasing her nape with small kisses and nibbles while her hands gripped Allie¡¯s chest and thigh to help her ride me even harder. I felt Therese¡¯s hand manage to sneak around and grip my sac, fondling me while I pounded Allie from below. I could feel her climax getting closer and my own was racing to match it. Allie cried out against my lips, then fell forward so her face was buried in her neck as release found her. A few thrustster I was doing the same, taking deep breaths in through my nose and inhaling her sweetvender scent as I spilled myself as deep inside her as I could reach. She clung to me, panting, fitting against my body like we¡¯d been made for one another. I guess, in a way, that was absolutely true. I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as I traced the line of her spine. ¡°You know,¡± she said between breaths, tucking herself against my chest while still impaled on me, ughter isn¡¯t really the sound a girl wants to hear after the fuck of her life.¡± That only made meugh harder, earning me a pout from her. ¡°Sorry, I just couldn¡¯t help but remember something.¡± She quirked a brow while Therese stroked my arm. ¡°Care to share?¡± the blonde asked. ¡°I remember a couple of months after our trial, you asked me what my dream girl looked like.¡± The moment the words were out of my mouth Allie flushed. She knew exactly where I was going with this. ¡°Th-that¡¯s hardly relevant!¡± she stammered. I shot her an arched look. ¡°Really? Because I seem to remember¡ªafter being expressly forbidden from describing you at the time¡ªsaying I thought dark hair, pale skin, and exotic eyes were attractive. And considering we know Rhani got to choose what she looked¡ª¡± She mped both hands over my mouth. ¡°That has nothing to do with anything!¡± Thereseughed behind her hand. ¡°Gods you two are cute. I wasn¡¯t sure about this before, but now?¡± She licked her lips and gave me a heated look. ¡°Seeing you get her all flustered is addicting as hell.¡± Allie shot her a re. She shifted, only then seeming to realize I was not only still inside her but still very hard. She bit her lip to try and hold back her moan as she let me slide free. If I wasn¡¯t already hard as diamonds, I would have found my way there pretty quick watching my seed dribble out of her. Then she leaned forward to whisper straight into the ear opposite Therese. When she pulled back with her lip firmly between her teeth I could only look at her with my brows dangerously close to my hairline. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re sure?¡± She nodded eagerly. ¡°Positive. Please?¡± ¡°And she¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°Come on, Zaren, you know I wouldn¡¯t suggest it otherwise.¡± Therese must have sensed something was amiss. Wariness entered her gaze and she leaned away from us. Nora must have suspected something because she helped Allie roll off myp with shaking limbs. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, ¡°but if she gets angry you¡¯re taking the me.¡± ¡°Allie,¡± Therese said, trying to scoot away, ¡°what did you¡ªeep!¡± She squealed as I pounced on her, throwing her long, ivory legs over my shoulder and plunging into her with a single thrust. I knew from the little we¡¯d talked about she was more than experienced so I wasn¡¯t worried about hurting her, but Allie¡¯s prompting was the only reason I pulled a move like this without at least discussing it first. And what a move it was. Any sound of protest was drowned out by Therese¡¯s moan as her back arched and her fingers wed at the couch under her. Since she¡¯d been focused entirely on Mine and Allie¡¯s pleasure, she was more than a little pent up. I¡¯d only just begun thrusting before I felt her mping down on me. ¡°Fuck Allie!¡± she panted, desperately grabbing for any leverage she could get as I pressed her knees to her chest and thrust into her from above. ¡°You¡¯re. Lucky. He. Feels. So. Good,¡± she panted between thrusts. But Allie wasn¡¯t done, apparently. She slipped around me, grabbing one of Therese¡¯s ankles in either hand and bending her even further, tilting her ass upward towards me even more. I let Allie take control of her legs and wrapped my fingers around her slim ass cheeks, spreading them wide as I hammered her from above. ¡°Gods, love,¡± Allie cooed, ¡°I love when you top me, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get tired of seeing you under our man.¡± The only answer Therese managed was an incoherent babble, which is also all she got out before her face vanished between Allie¡¯s thighs as she sat on Therese¡¯s face, still folding her by the ankles. ¡°Fucking hell I love your tongue. Don¡¯t leave a drop of his cum behind.¡± Fuck I wasn¡¯t sure I could get any harder. Thanks to Therese¡¯spletely exposed position it was easy to thumb her clit without sacrificing any of the leverage I had. Therese writhed under us, her screaming muffled by Allie¡¯s cunt, and I felt another climax roll through her. Allie wasn¡¯t far behind thanks to how oversensitive she was. Once her eyes had returned their trip from inside her skull she licked her lips. ¡°Take her ass,¡± shemanded. My pace stuttered. ¡°Seriously?¡± She nodded eagerly. Therese iled as much as she was able thanks to Allie¡¯s grip, but no spells went flying so I didn¡¯t think she was entirely against it. It was Nora¡¯s amused smirk that told me I was okay to slip free of Therese¡¯s pussy to press against her tight pucker. Her muscles clenched at first, then I felt her rx under mepletely. Her ass opened up for me and I slipped in with a surprising ease once my crown made it past her tight rim. With the position Allie was holding her in I couldn¡¯t stop myself from sliding all the way in with a single thrust. Therese¡¯s toes curled and she groaned into Allie¡¯s core loud enough for me to hear. Allie hummed in satisfaction, watching inch after inch of me vanish into Therese¡¯s rosebud. Then she leaned down and stuck her tongue as deep in Therese as she could reach. Nora immediately slid in behind her, her hand slipping behind Allie¡¯s rear to do who knows what to her while Allie licked, sucked, and nibbled at Therese¡¯s cunt and clit. I pounded into Therese¡¯s rear while Allie worked her front and Nora worked Allie. The closer to her next climax Allie got the more vigorously she attacked Therese. It didn¡¯t take long at all before I could feel Therese¡¯s body start to convulse. Her ass was already gripping my cock unbelievably tightly, so when she clenched down as she came again I didn¡¯t stand a chance. ¡°Getting close,¡± I grunted. Allie pulled back with onest lick. ¡°Finish in her cunt.¡± I was too far gone to even think of arguing. I came free of Therese¡¯s ass with a pop, leaving her gaping pucker behind, and mmed all the way into her pussy with so much force I shifted all three of them back. I came with a roar, emptying myself in Therese for a second time today, just in a different hole. Allie sitting on Therese¡¯s face was the only reason the entire house didn¡¯t hear her scream, but the force of it sent Allie spiraling into her own climax. As release imed Allie, she let Therese¡¯s legs slip free. If there was any question as to Therese¡¯s opinion on the matter they were silenced as her long, lithe legs immediately wrapped around my waist to hold me close. It wasn¡¯t until after all three of us hade down fully that she finally released me. Allie didn¡¯t seem to have the strength to lift a single one of her limbs so Nora had to practically lift her off of Therese. Once uncovered, the blonde stared at the ceiling with zed eyes and an air of satisfaction. I slumped back on the couch to catch my breath while Nora and Allie helped one another shift Therese to a sitting position. Nora and I briefly made eye contact and I inclined my head in question. She frowned for a moment, contemting, then shook her head. ¡°No, not yet. I did not develop an immediate crush on you like Therese. Though,¡± she said, looking up and down my body appraisingly, ¡°I will admit I am beginning to see the appeal.¡± Therese huffed. ¡°When I can formplete, rational thoughts, I will be yelling at you for saying that.¡± In response, Nora just leaned Therese over until she was nestled under the crook of my arm with her head resting on my chest. Allie sidled up on her other side, sandwiching the mage between us and interlocking her fingers with mine as she beamed up at me. ¡°You saved her mother, apparently. She grew up on stories about how you were the real hero of the Seven.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± I said, frowning. I turned Therese¡¯s face up by her chin. ¡°How do I live up to the legend?¡± She licked her lips. ¡°They left out certain key pieces of information, but for the most part you exceed expectations. I¡¯m not sure why your women even let you out of the bedroom when you can do that.¡± I chuckled. ¡°If I never leave the bedroom I never get pissed enough to need to vent my frustrations. Apparently my girls look forward to that.¡± Therese¡¯s brows rose, then she looked to Allie. ¡°So how long before you piss him off?¡± Allie just shrugged, cuddling in deeper. ¡°I¡¯d give it a day or two, tops.¡± Then she hid most of her face in Therese¡¯s mussed hair. ¡°Does this mean we¡¯re wee in the pit?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Wee? Rhani might drag you there herself if you try to avoid it.¡± Therese hummed and trailed a finger on my half-hard length. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no reason to put off Forging a Link with Nora and I now, is there? If it improves ourbat efficiency and ties us to your household more firmly, then¡­¡± I checked my essence pool. ¡°Yeah, I should have enough to manage two more bonds. We can discuss Vanni and Rose at ater date, when they¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°Speaking of,¡± Allie said under her breath. We all took a peek at where the two demi-humans in the room still sat. Rose was tucked into Vanni¡¯s side snoring softly while Vanni gently stroked her hair and back at the same time whilezily fingering herself. The Ashra paused, blushing, when she realized we were all looking at her. ¡°Oh, um, sorry. I guess I zoned out a bit.¡± Therese¡¯s fingers dug into my thigh as she sat up. ¡°She¡¯s sleeping,¡± she noted. ¡°Without nightmares.¡± Vanni tucked a verdant strand of hair behind Rose¡¯s ear. ¡°I might have cheated a little. I calmed her, like I did Allie before. She¡¯s beening to me every so often to get some dream-free rest.¡± ¡°I thought she¡¯d been acting different,¡± Therese said. ¡°Mm,¡± Vanni pressed a kiss to Rose¡¯s forehead and I felt a soft exchange of magic take ce. Rose sighed, smiling softly and sinking deeper into Vanni¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m just d I can help. She seems to be doing better. I think being in a household full of demi-humans that are treated kindly has helped tremendously. ¡°If there¡¯s ever anything I can do...¡± I said. Allie squeezed my hand. ¡°I know. Maybe in time. The Patron Therese saved him from¡­¡± I nodded in understanding. ¡°I wish it weren¡¯t such amon story. It won¡¯t be if I have my way.¡± I knew she was closer to Therese than to anyone else, so I threaded my fingers through Therese¡¯s hair. ¡°If you ever feel the need to make said Patron disappear, I do know people.¡± A dark flicker passed behind her eyes. ¡°What makes you think there¡¯s a Patron left to vanish?¡± Well. Shit. That probably shouldn¡¯t have gotten me ready for another round, but with her finger still trailing my shaft there was no avoiding it. ¡°Fair enough.¡± ¡°So,¡± Allie said, stretching her arms above her head and sending what blood was left in my body south, ¡°Links, then more sex? There¡¯s plenty of time before dinner, after all.¡± Therese showed her support of the idea by wrapping her fingers around my length. ¡°Hm, I dunno. I don¡¯t really want to drain him before his experiment with Jack. Pretty sure we all know what¡¯ll happen if it goes well, and I don¡¯t want to be on that girl¡¯s bad side.¡± Allie just scoffed. ¡°Please, that girl doesn¡¯t have a bad side. Have you seen her?¡± Nora made a sound of agreement, sending fantasies roaring through my head. I found myself really hoping Rhani¡¯s prototype worked for a number of reasons, least of all Jack being able to join the rest of us in the pit at her leisure. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I trailed my fingers up Therese¡¯s inner thigh, ¡°I had good stamina before Rhani got ahold of me. If I can handle two Kitsune¡¯s heats I think I can manage.¡± I regretted my words instantly as a challenge lit up all three girls¡¯ eyes. Allie licked her lips, but Therese palmed her face and pushed her back. ¡°Links first, hornball.¡± She shook her head at me in exasperation. ¡°I swear, take a lonely girl and give her a few dozen orgasms and she bes insatiable.¡± I snorted. ¡°Story of my fucking life.¡± # # # Chapter 101: Explanations Chapter 101: Exnations Several hourster I finally managed to extract myself from Allie and her team. She¡¯d dozed off with Nora wrapped firmly around her and Therese somehow draped over both of us. Once I¡¯d managed to free my lower lip from between Therese¡¯s teeth, give Allie a (not so brief) kiss, and even pressed a quick peck to Nora¡¯s crown, I located my pants and slipped out of the door. I didn¡¯t even bother looking for the shirt. If it wasn¡¯t already on one of them, it would be soon. I just summoned one of the many extras I kept in my storage and called it a day. I¡¯d just finished inhaling several portions of dinner when Karina walked in looking hesitant. The second she saw me her brows came together and she started chewing on the inside of her cheek, then she headed towards me with Jayme on her heels. ¡°Zaren. Can we talk?¡± she asked. I nodded, then gestured to the food. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°We ate,¡± she said, looking away. I stood. ¡°I take it you¡¯d rather have this conversation somewhere a little more private?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She stepped aside to let me pass, then she and Jayme both followed. We went into one of the other small sitting rooms that hadn¡¯t been used for sex all day (hopefully). An awkward silence settled over the room as we all took our seats. Me on one couch with her and Jayme on the one directly across from me. Jayme lounged with one hand on Karina¡¯s leg, but the Seelie sat with her back ramrod stiff and her hands folded in herp. One of the servants popped their head in to see if we wanted anything to eat, but since we¡¯d all apparently already done so we elected to simply have some drinks brought in. It wasn¡¯t until after they¡¯d arrived that Karina finally broke the silence. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯d like to know what it is that¡¯s changed the mood around heretely. Thest thing I want to do is stick my nose where it doesn¡¯t belong but¡­¡± She took a breath. ¡°But I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m involved somehow.¡± There was no point in lying any longer, all things considered. ¡°You¡¯re right, you are. Both of you,¡± I said, nodding to Jayme, whose brows twitched upward in surprise, ¡°But I have to warn you, the truth is a little¡­ fantastical.¡± Karina looked down at her hands. ¡°That man¡­ he went to extreme lengths to try and take me from you. I think his obsession with me was a part of that, but so was my ss, even if I don¡¯t know why.¡± She nced back up at me with those eyes that seemed to be brimming with liquid silver. ¡°But you came for me. You killed a lot of humans to save one Seelie.¡± ¡°I killed my enemies to protect a member of my household,¡± I corrected. She swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m important to you.¡± ¡°You are.¡± ¡°Important beyond whatever deal you made with King Rr.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t know about my ss until after you saved me.¡± My lips quirked upwards. ¡°You saved yourself, from what I saw. I just got there in time to escort you home.¡± I thought I saw a hint of a smile on her own lips, but it wasn¡¯t long before whatever was eating at her washed it away. ¡°This¡­ fantastical exnation you¡¯ve got. Does it¡­¡± She cleared her throat, then looked away. Her already rosy pink skin darkened around her nose. When she spoke again it was so quietly I nearly missed it. ¡°Does it help exin why I really want to curl up in yourp right now?¡± My reaction had nothing on Jayme¡¯s. The poor girl had been mid sip, and until that moment I¡¯d never actually seen drinke out of a person¡¯s nose. ¡°Ah,¡± I said as Jayme violently coughed in an attempt to clear out the drink she¡¯d just inhaled and exhaled, ¡°Sort of. It¡¯splicated, but I think I can answer your questions.¡± She just nodded curtly, but Jayme looked between us incredulously. ¡°Hang on, we¡¯re really just moving past this?¡± Karina blushed even harder. I managed to suppress a chuckle, but I couldn¡¯t hide my smile. ¡°Hopefully things make a little more sense in time.¡± ¡°Please,¡± Karina said, waving a hand for me to continue. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no easy way to say this, but you¡¯re the reincarnated soul of someone I once knew. Both of you.¡± There was a long beat of silence. They exchanged a look, but there wasn¡¯t nearly as much disbelief in their eyes as I thought there would be. They leaned together and exchanged a few whispers before they sat back up. ¡°I have¡­ some logistics questions¡­¡± Karina said eventually. ¡°Understandable.¡± I leaned back on the couch with my arm over the back. ¡°Well, long story short, thirty years ago after I helped end the war with Grimsbane the goddess Allura approached me with a deal. Prepare the world to stand against the threat of some outernar god and she¡¯d reincarnate the souls of the people I cared about that died before they ever really had a chance to live. We¡¯re almost certain that you two are two of those souls.¡± Karina just blinked. Eventually, Jayme whistled. ¡°Damn, boss. You, uh, look pretty damn good for pushing fifty then.¡± ¡°Technically I¡¯d be a little over fifty,¡± I said, shrugging, ¡°but Allura put me in some kind of divinea for thirty years. For Rr it¡¯s been three decades since the war ended, but for me it¡¯s been months.¡± Jayme slumped back. ¡°Fucking hell. No wonder you dusted those idiots so easily. I bet they¡¯re chumpspared to the soldiers you¡¯re used to fighting.¡± I inclined my head. ¡°Not a bad problem to have, I guess.¡± Karina¡¯s gaze had dropped back to her hands. ¡°And us? Were we fighters in the war or something?¡± That made me wince. ¡°Not¡­ exactly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good, is it?¡± she asked. ¡°No.¡± She bit her lip. Jayme leaned in to whisper something else and she nodded. ¡°I¡¯d like to know. We would, I mean. Even if it¡¯s bad.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± I took a long sip from my drink. ¡°Before the war, I was a ve.¡± Even without looking at them I knew their expressions were that of shock. ¡°A man named Valethar Karn performed experiments on me and the other children he had enved. He used magical iron cors to take away our autonomy.¡± Karina paled and her hand shot up to her throat. I nodded. ¡°Yeah, the very same ones. We think our enemy is somehow rted to the things he did thirty years ago, but that¡¯s a discussion forter. The experiments were brutal. I was the only one to survive them.¡± ¡°And you think we were two of the other experiments?¡± Karina asked, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± she started. I knew what she wanted to ask, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t ready to ask it yet. ¡°How old were we?¡± ¡°If you are who I think you are, then Jayme was thirteen or fourteen. We aren¡¯t fully sure when your birthday was. Karina, I know for a fact you died on your sixteenth birthday.¡± Jayme looked like she might be sick. Neither of them said a word as they digested that. Then Karina stood. Jayme jumped to her feet as well, looking slightly confused. Karina didn¡¯t even look at her as she grabbed Jayme¡¯s hand and dragged her over to the couch. Jayme didn¡¯t so much as make a sound of protest as Karina yanked her around so her back was to the couch then shoved her down onto the cushion next to me. Jayme hadn¡¯t even finished bouncing before she spun and sank down between us. She pulled my arm over her shoulder and tucked it into her chest while at the same time twisting so her back was to my side and kicking her feet up into Jayme¡¯sp. Then she grabbed Jayme¡¯s hand and pulled it into her ownp. ¡°Please,¡± she said softly, once she¡¯d settled in, ¡°keep going.¡± Jayme and I exchanged a very bemused nce over her head, but I didn¡¯tment. Not with how pleased my shadows seemed to be with her proximity. ¡°The test we were a part of involved being trapped underground in pitch ck darkness from when we were thirteen to when we got our sses. There were six of us. Jon, Louis, Maris, Eve, Ina, and me.¡± I bumped Jayme¡¯s hand where it sat in Karina¡¯sp only an inch from mine. ¡°You were Maris.¡± I hadn¡¯t been sure, but I was now. ¡°You weren¡¯t the most trustful, but then again none of us were in those days. We were never that close, but we did have an understanding. I did my best to keep everyone physically safe, you kept the mood light with humor. If Ina and I ever butted heads, you were there to support her after.¡± ¡°And you,¡± I said, squeezing Karina into my side, ¡°were Ina. The unofficial leader of our group. You kept us moving. Kept us together. Kept us from falling apart in the dark.¡± Karina tucked her face into my bicep. ¡°How did we die?¡± I let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want to know?¡± It was Jayme that answered this time. ¡°Yeah, we do.¡± ¡°At one point, Karn started releasing criminals and ves into the tunnels. Adults, usually with one order. Kill one of us and they¡¯d win their freedom. We didn¡¯t know they wereing, though. We didn¡¯t know yet how important it was to stay together at all times.¡± I leaned my cheek on the top of Karina¡¯s head and she rxed into my side and put my hand over Jayme¡¯s in Karina¡¯sp. ¡°The very first one got ahold of Maris before we even knew what was happening. He¡­ he hurt her. nned on hurting her more. But he wasn¡¯t used to the dark like we were. We heard the screams and came running. He heard using and panicked. You were gone before we could get to you.¡± Jayme sniffled and blinked back tears. ¡°The guy who killed Maris?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been good at killing,¡± I said softly, ¡°even if it took me a while to get the ¡®efficient¡¯ part down.¡± She just nodded once. I felt Karina take a breath but I already knew what she was going to ask. ¡°The day the second of us turned sixteen we went into a room just barely enough to be able to see one another. You didn¡¯t get the ss Karn wanted you to, so he put a crossbow bolt in your chest. You died reaching for the first shred of sunlight you¡¯d seen in three long years.¡± I pretended not to notice her wiping at her eyes. ¡°My fear of the dark¡­¡± ¡°Yeah. And now you¡¯ve got a ss that¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll never be in the dark again so long as you have mana.¡± A sound between augh and a sob slipped out of her. ¡°We were close?¡± ¡°As close as two kids trapped in hell wearing body controlling cors could be,¡± I said carefully. ¡°Then¡­ we weren¡¯t¡­?¡± ¡°Not¡­ exactly.¡± She shifted enough to look up at me with puffy eyes. ¡°And what does that mean?¡± ¡°Well, we weren¡¯t together. Romantically speaking, I mean. You were my friend, someone who¡¯d been with me through the worst stretch of my life. Given time, who knows what might have happened? But¡­¡± She twisted again, bringing her face even closer to mine. ¡°Zaren, if you leave one more sentence hanging I might actually attack you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin. There was the fire I remembered. She hid it well under the mask of subservience being a demi-human demanded she wear, but I was starting to live for the moments I saw the real Karina peeking out from beneath it. ¡°You may or may not have been my first kiss.¡± The smile that broke out on her face warmed me from the inside out. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously. nted one right on me.¡± Her smile fell. ¡°And then I died, huh? Damn, Zaren. I¡­¡± she put a hand on my chest. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how hard that was for you.¡± I put my hand over hers. ¡°You¡¯re the ones that died.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re the one who had to live with it after,¡± she fired back. ¡°Maybe,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°In the end, though, as awful as it sounds, there were times I was d you died when you did. The way you did. Both of you. Because what came after¡­¡± I leaned back into the couch. ¡°I was always the only one making it out alive. Thinking of either of you having to endure what came after the trials? I¡¯m not sure I could have handled that after what we went through together.¡± She leaned her head against my chest. ¡°So then the way I feel about you now?¡± ¡°Assuming we¡¯re on the right track about all this, your soul recognizes mine. If you had romantic feelings for me then, they might well have carried over to now. Your body and mind don¡¯t remember me, but your soul does. It can lead to a kind of¡­ confusion, I guess. Your soul doesn¡¯t understand why you aren¡¯t pursuing me even though you have no idea why you¡¯d want to. Hypothetically.¡± ¡°So then all this?¡± she asked, trailing her fingers down my chest. Wisps of light twisted with tiny tendrils of shadow trailed up from where her fingers touched me as our magics twined together. ¡°You¡¯re feeling the same thing as I am, aren¡¯t you? Just a dozen times over between all of us.¡± I covered her hand with mine to still it before we ended up with another problem. ¡°Something like that, yeah.¡± She bit her lip and looked up at me, but there was considerably less anxiety in her gaze this time. ¡°You¡¯re okay with this, then? With me being, um, on you?¡± Jayme barked augh. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s okay with it alright.¡± Karina blushed and kicked at her friend, but Jayme caught her foot with a grin. Then Karina looked up to me with a heated look. ¡°Jayme¡¯s had a thing for you ever since she saw your swordy.¡± ¡°Oh you slut!¡± Jayme said. She yanked on Karina¡¯s leg until the Seelie was in herp and pinned her arms to her side. ¡°I told you that in confidence! It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯ve been having wet dreams about him since day one!¡± ¡°I have not¡ª¡± ¡°Always mumbling your name while she¡¯s sleeping,¡± Jayme continued while Karina struggled to break her grip, ¡°blushing when you get her all flustered, drooling when she sees the other girls all over you, wishing she was one of them.¡± There was a blinding sh of light from Karina and suddenly they were reversed with Karina on top. She held Jayme¡¯s wrists above her head while pinning her legs with her knees while bands of light restrained the blonde. ¡°I am hardly the only one who¡ª¡± She froze while Jayme just smirked up at her. I didn¡¯t have to look hard to see the heat in Jayme¡¯s eyes, nor did I miss how quickly Karina had pinned her. Like it was a position they weren¡¯t unfamiliar with. When Karina¡¯s gaze slowly rose to meet mine, heat and shame and worry all warring in them, I felt my pants starting to tighten. Karina opened her mouth but Jayme beat her to it. ¡°What are the rules on getting into the harem? Is it a one-at-a-time thing or do you take in groups?¡± Her words were directed at me but her eyes never left Karina¡¯s face. Blushing furiously, Karina pped a hand over Jayme¡¯s mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t answer that!¡± shemanded. I just shrugged. ¡°Considering I spent lunch with Allie¡¯s team and not a lot of clothes I¡¯d say my girls have no problem weing groups into the fold. As for getting in, there is some kind of process where those already in the harem discuss potential members. Whether it¡¯s unanimous or majority I have no idea, I just get told the final verdict.¡± ¡°And?¡± Karina asked before she could stop herself. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you have to make any decisions now, but you¡¯ve both got the stamp of approval,¡± I told them. ¡°Though, if you¡¯re concerned, I¡¯m sure any of my girls would be happy to discuss things further.¡± Karina nched while Jayme went still under her. She gingerly dismounted Jayme and returned to sitting next to me, only close enough that our shoulders touched. ¡°Then you really¡­¡± ¡°I do,¡± I told her honestly. ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should jump in feet first or anything. I¡¯m more than happy to figure things out as we go. Take things at your own pace while we figure out where you fit in the scheme of things.¡± She nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. Though¡­¡± She looked back up at me and once again that bottom lip was trapped between her teeth. I gingerly ced a hand on her lower back. ¡°Now who¡¯s leaving sentences hanging?¡± Her eyes flicked towards my mouth, then she was moving. Her soft, plump lips pressed against my own. I barely even had time to reciprocate before her tongue was tracing the seam of my mouth. I returned the favor eagerly and the exotic, sweet taste of her exploded over my tongue. When she pulled back, she was panting. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely think things over. But, um¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee in the big bed any time,¡± I promised her. I had to fight a chuckle since this was the second time today we¡¯d had this conversation. ¡°If it makes you feel better you can always take a corner and section it off. The curtains are plenty thick enough to block light if you want to bring yourntern. Both of you,¡± I added, nodding to Jayme. She licked her lips like she wanted a taste just as badly, but she just sat back. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll take you up on that. She might act all tough and dominant, but she melts as soon as you start cuddling her.¡± Karina whirled on her friend. ¡°Says the big, tough guard to gets wet just thinking about being bound and gagged!¡± Jayme nched. She looked to me like she feared I might judge her for it. I just chuckled. ¡°I probably shouldn¡¯t mention Rhani¡¯s growing toy collection or Serena¡¯s proficiency with ropes, then.¡± ¡°See?¡± Karina said, smacking my chest, ¡°I told you that you had nothing to worry about. You can be a badass with a sword and still enjoy getting trussed up and toyed with.¡± These two were really not helping the tightness in my pants. Jayme opened her mouth, likely to drop another kink bomb on the conversation, but I held a hand up. ¡°As entertaining as this is, there are other matters we need to discuss.¡± Karina¡¯s face fell. She threw onest dirty look at Jayme before settling back into the chair next to me. ¡°Yeah. I guess you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°First things first, I don¡¯t want to ever end up in a situation where I don¡¯t know where you are or what¡¯s happening to you. I have a skill that will Forge a Link between our souls that provide a host of benefits.¡± ¡°Done,¡± Karina said immediately. Jayme nodded as well. I arched a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t want all the details?¡± ¡°That Link is how you knew we were in trouble, wasn¡¯t it? It¡¯s why Tiana knew you weren¡¯t far off?¡± Karina asked. When I nodded, she shrugged. ¡°Then I want one, too. I¡¯ve already basically decided I¡¯m going to be one of your girls, I just need to finish convincing myself it¡¯s notpletely ridiculous that my powerful, rich, human Patron wants me as more than his servant. And with my ss, I¡¯d feel a lot safer at night knowing you¡¯ve got some way to sense if I¡¯m in danger.¡± Jayme just huffed augh. ¡°What she said.¡± If they were willing then I wasn¡¯t going to argue. Forging the Links went about how I expected it to. The second I connected with Karina¡¯s soul she was in myp with her tongue down my throat, grinding on my erection through our pants. It took some considerable willpower to avoid ripping her clothes off then and there, especially when I saw the very same struggle mirrored in her eyes. As it was my hands snaked underneath her shirt to touch her bare flesh as magic crackled between our skins. I finally managed to collect myself enough to offer the Link to Jayme, though Karina made no move to vacate myp. Jayme held back a little longer than Karina when I offered the Link to her, but the end result wasn¡¯t much better. Heat flooded her eyes and her nostrils red, then she was on the move. Karina was already taking up myp, so Jayme pressed into my side. Her lips crashed into mine, but the second I started to dominate the kiss she folded. She sagged into me while I controlled every bit of the scorching, frantic kiss. The next thing I knew she was between me and Karina with me tasting one side of her neck while Karina attacked the other. Whether she¡¯d climbed into myp on her own or Karina had pulled her between us, I had no idea. Jayme groaned between us as both me and Karina explored her body. My palms traced her muscles while Karina stroked her thighs and her hips. ¡°Unless you two want our first time together to be here and now,¡± I managed eventually, ¡°you might want to stop.¡± Karina let out a frustrated growl at the same time a needy whimper escaped Jayme¡¯s throat. ¡°I need,¡± Karina said through clenched teeth, ¡°to think. Even if I know my answer already, I need to be sure.¡± ¡°I understandpletely,¡± I promised. She nodded, but she didn¡¯t get up until her hands had trailed up Jayme¡¯s front and to her breasts where I was pretty sure she tweaked both nipples. ¡°But as soon as I¡¯m sure¡­¡± I grinned at her. ¡°Looking forward to it. You¡¯ll have to get Rhani to show you her stash.¡± Her silvery eyes shed. ¡°Careful what you wish for, Zaren. You just might get it.¡± For a brief second I thought she might say fuck it and go for my pants anyways, but we were interrupted by a knock on the door. Karina grumbled something before she stood and dragged Jayme along with her back to the couch they¡¯d started on. Jayme was still a little checked out from the Linking so she didn¡¯t so much as resist while Karina manhandled her onto the couch and sat in herp, then pulled the blonde¡¯s arms around her. I headed to the door¡ªafter adjusting myself, of course¡ªand was surprised to find Jack waiting on the other side. She was smirking, but she only held my eyes for a second before her gaze slipped away. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m interrupting. Figured we could have that chat.¡± ¡°Good timing, actually,¡± I said. I stepped aside to let her in. Jayme tried to scramble out of Karina¡¯s arms when she saw Jack walk in, but Karina just tightened her arms. It didn¡¯t take much to get Jayme to fold. Jack turned an arched brow from them to me and I couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°They Linked?¡± she asked finally. ¡°Just finished.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°You want to have this talk now, I¡¯m guessing?¡± ¡°Might as well.¡± She nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this, then.¡± I shut the door and locked it, then returned to the couch. I pulled a fireproof stool out for Jack that I¡¯d grabbed earlier and handed it to her. She sat next to me, facing the other two who looked both confused and concerned by the sudden development. ¡°Right,¡± I said, ¡°we need to talk about your ss, Karina.¡± She paled. ¡°You told her?¡± ¡°I tell my girls everything.¡± I leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. ¡°But it¡¯s alright, you¡¯re in goodpany. You remember how I said my ss is called Shadowborn?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well Jack here is a Fireborn. Together we make half of the six Primal sses.¡± That finally snapped Jayme out of her haze. ¡°Wait, you know about Karina¡¯s ss?¡± Karina ducked her head sheepishly. ¡°I meant to tell you¡­¡± ¡°What makes it so special?¡± Jayme asked. Jack looked to me to answer, so I said, ¡°We aren¡¯t sure yet. All we really know is that they¡¯re powerful sses that our enemy will stop at nothing to control, as evidenced by Davvon¡¯s actions. I¡¯d like to promise to protect you, but at the end of the day there¡¯s simply too much we don¡¯t know.¡± Karina ran her hands through her hair. ¡°So my ss makes me a target. Lovely.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like you to work with Tiana, Therese, Jack, and me to learn to fight well enough that you can protect yourself. Tiana and Therese are two of the most skilled mages I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of fighting alongside and me and Jack have magic that¡¯s likely simr to yours, so maybe between the five of us we can figure these sses out.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting Karina to make a big deal out of it after her scare, but I was still surprised to see the relief in her posture. ¡°I¡¯d like that a lot.¡± Jayme cleared her throat. ¡°I want to be able to protect my friend, so I¡¯d like to get stronger as well. I know it might be a big ask, but¡ª¡± ¡°Jack is damn good with a sword,¡± I interrupted, ¡°and I¡¯d be more than happy to work with you as well. Ideally I¡¯d like all those in my household to be able to protect themselves, but especially those I care deeply about.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you, but by the time I¡¯m done you¡¯ll be a force to be reckoned with. You should have seen Zoey when I found her. Girl could barely tell the pointy end of the sword from the hilt.¡± Jayme couldn¡¯t fight her smile. ¡°Fucking right. Shit, I can¡¯t believe a real life member of the Seven is going to teach me swordy. Talk about a dreame true.¡± After that we talked logistics for a while. nning and goals. Jack had a loose n set up in no time, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was withdrawn from the conversation. Something was bothering her, but I didn¡¯t want to ask what that something was while we had an audience. Eventually it was time for both Karina an Jayme to (reluctantly) take their leave. Once they¡¯d headed off, presumably to discuss whether they were sure about joining the harem, Jack turned to me. The reluctance in her posture bothered me, especially when she sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t single me out earlier just for that, huh?¡± ¡°I did not. I had something else I wanted to talk to you about, but it¡¯s best if we have this conversation somewhere a little more private.¡± Her expression tightened, but she just nodded. ¡°Lead the way.¡± # # # It was a tense walk to the testing room we¡¯d set aside for Rhani¡¯s experiments. Jack didn¡¯t say much, but it wasn¡¯t hard to see that something was bothering her. She wore her standard attire¡ªnothing more than the lightest version of my shadow armor, a set of ck bands that held up her breasts and a tight pair of shorts that left little to the imagination¡ªwith that fiery red hair tied back, but I couldn¡¯t help but think she felt¡­ disheveled. I was reminded of the time period when she¡¯d misced the nipple piercing that was part of the array that kept her body from copsing into me. The effort needed to keep herself together and not send the camp up in me had made it impossible for her to get real sleep. She¡¯d grown irritable and the mask of Vivian had started to slip more and more. I knew it had to be a different problem this time for a couple reasons. Partly because I knew she had backups in the city, but mainly because I could see the outlines of her nipple piercings through the bands that made up her top, the piercing on her bellybutton was still in ce, and as far as I knew she hadn¡¯t misced the magical butt plug that tied the array together. Nope, that still wasn¡¯t any less ridiculous. The array that Rhani, Ste, and Elisa had worked together to create wasn¡¯t exactly subtle, but Jack didn¡¯t so much as nce at the metal pieces when she walked in. She must have assumed I¡¯d taken her to a Jack-proofed room though, plopping down in a chair before I even had the chance to mention the array. She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees, and sighed heavily. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking a job,¡± she said before I could speak. I paused. ¡°A job?¡± She nodded without looking at me. ¡°Something to get me out of the city for a few weeks. I¡¯ll wait until after I¡¯ve worked with those two first, of course, but I¡­¡± I sank down onto another of the chairs with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jack?¡± After a heavy breath, she leaned back in her chair to look at the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much longer I can do this,¡± she admitted. My gut twisted. ¡°Define ¡®this.¡¯¡± She waved her hand vaguely at the room around her. ¡°Being here. Being around all of them and not being able to so much as bump into someone without worrying I¡¯ll set them on fire.¡± There was a pregnant pause, but I got the feeling she had more to say. ¡°Being around you and not being able to do anything.¡± I opened my mouth but she cut me off. ¡°It¡¯s not even the orgasms. I mean, I¡¯m just as horny as always¡ªif not more so, all things considered¡ªbut those shadows of yours have made me cum more in thest few weeks than I¡¯ve cum in thest few years. And I don¡¯t want to say that I¡¯m jealous of the others, but¡­¡± ¡°But you are,¡± I finished for her. She nodded, still without looking at me. ¡°It¡¯s the stupid shit, y¡¯know? Light touches. Being able to just toss an arm around you. Leaning into you after a long day.¡± She huffed heavily. ¡°I¡ª¡± I felt a little nauseous as she choked on her words. How could I have missed how miserable she apparently was? I should have brought her here the moment Rhani had finished the room, but things had just kepting up. I¡¯d taken for granted that Jack was a badass capable of handling anything. She always seemed so¡­ put together. Confident. Cocky. It hadn¡¯t even urred to me that she might be struggling. She finally dragged those amber eyes up to me. Sometimes they looked like they held mes in them, but right now they were dark. ¡°I was Ria, right? Before?¡± ¡°Makes more sense than anyone else,¡± I acknowledged. ¡°And you guys were friends with benefits?¡± I winced. ¡°That¡¯s probably the closest term to what we were, but¡ª¡± ¡°But you were more?¡± she guessed. ¡°Or you were bing more?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded and crossed her arms. ¡°Mornings are the worst,¡± she said softly. ¡°Sometimes I¡ªsometimes when I first wake up I¡¯ll reach out like I¡¯m expecting you to be there. Before my eyes are even open I¡¯m looking for you. Then when my hand hits empty space I feel¡­ despondent. Angry, but with myself more than anything. Each time I feel like¡­ like I¡¯ve let you down. It hurts, Zaren. Waking up alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Jack,¡± I said softly. She shook her head angrily. ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to be sorry for. This shit is my fault. It is,¡± she insisted the second I opened my mouth to argue. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it a lot. Noticed the trend. I mean, take a look at those of us with the stronger sses. Tsuki went through hell, but now she¡¯s strong enough to protect her sister. Allie¡¯s had a shit runtely, but she¡¯s strong enough to stand by you in a fight. Tiana worked her fucking tits off to get where she is. I literally burned alive to get where I am.¡± ¡°Serena mentioned overhearing part of some deal,¡± she barreled on, ¡°and the more I think about it, the more I know what it was. Allura gave me a choice, I¡¯m sure of it. When I look at my fucked up situation I don¡¯t me anyone but myself. If she¡¯d have told me that you¡¯d need me someday, then she offered a powerful ss at the cost of plenty of suffering, I¡¯d have taken it in a heartbeat. If Ria thought how I think, then I know she would have, too. Looking back¡ªhells, looking forward at all the shit we¡¯ve got looming over us, I wouldn¡¯t have done a damn thing different. Not when the shit I¡¯ve survived made me strong enough to help you. To have your back.¡± ¡°I just¡­¡± she trailed off, her energy running out, ¡°I need to get my head on straight. Collect myself. Figure out a way to take a breath. I¡¯m sure theres some shit we need to take care of outside the city that¡¯ll further our agenda, so I won¡¯t even be hanging you high and dry.¡± It felt like someone had stuffed my mouth with cotton balls. Knowing she¡¯d been suffering so close to me and I hadn¡¯t even realized? That made me want to put my fist through a wall. But Ria had been like that, too. The letter I¡¯d found on her body had revealed so many things she¡¯d been hiding from me because she felt that I wasn¡¯t ready for them. I didn¡¯t speak as I stood. Her eyes tracked my every move as I slowly walked across the room and to the fixture that would activate the array. It was a rtively small piece of metal shaped not unlike a clock. On it was only a single ¡®hand¡¯ that someone would have to turn down so that it clicked into ce. If the gem in the center was filled with mana, it would serve as the key to activating the other pieces of the array ced around the room. I touched my finger to the gem, filling it with enough of my mana tost for twelve hours. Rhani had done extensive testing with jars of Jack¡¯s me, and I knew it was capable of suppressing my own shadows, but we hadn¡¯t tested it on Jack herself yet. ¡°If you feel that¡¯s what you need to do,¡± I said eventually, ¡°then I¡¯m hardly going to stop you. Even if I¡¯d much rather you stayed.¡± She got to her feet and walked over to me. From the way she hugged herself I knew she was having to resist the urge to reach out towards me. Ria had always been quick with touch. A p on the back. A light punch to the arm. When I was in a mood she¡¯d always throw an arm around my shoulders to pull me down to her height so she could muss up my hair. I should have put two and two together ages ago and realized Jack would have been the same if she didn¡¯t have to worry about setting people on fire. ¡°You would?¡± she asked softly, in a very un-Jack-like voice. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d be lying if I said I had to constantly remind you that physical contact would end poorly for me,¡± I acknowledged, ¡°but the idea of you not being here?¡± I brushed my thumb against her cheek. Her skin was too hot to the touch for anything more, but it made her eyes flutter and a shiver roll through her. I watched as she fought the urge to lean into the touch. She scowled. ¡°I know. Trust me, the thought of walking away at all fucking sucks, but I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°And if you could?¡± Her eyes snapped to me. ¡°Zaren, I¡¯m a little too pent up for hypotheticals right now,¡± she said in a low voice. I inclined my head. ¡°Fair enough. Still, I¡¯d like to try something. You may feel odd for a second, but let me know if it hurts.¡± She frowned, the confusion clear on her face, but her eyes just flicked to the fixture on the wall. The second I turned the metal ¡®hand¡¯ to its downward position I felt the magic click into ce. My shadows retreated deep inside me, to a ce I couldn¡¯t reach. The world seemed to grow quieter, but I felt like a weight had been lifted from my chest. The effects on Jack were even more profound. She let out a surprised gasp and swayed on her feet. After reaching out to steady herself against the wall, she looked at me with wide eyes. ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°Zaverrian rune arrays, courtesy of our Runeweaver. Abination of the same kind of magic found in the Jailer¡¯s de and the array you¡¯re wearing right now to keep your mes under control.¡± She looked down at her hands with wide eyes. ¡°This particr array is meant to suppress Primal magic like yours and mine. This version shouldst for twelve hours, but we haven¡¯t had time for more than a few tests.¡± I watched closely as my words slowly sank in. She looked up at me slowly, her face ck. Then with trembling fingers, she slowly reached out towards me with one hand. She let her fingertips brush my chest first, but when nothing caught fire she kept pushing until her palm was t against my sternum. I slowly pressed my full hand to her cheek. She was still far warmer than the average human, but it was tolerable. ¡°Once we do some stress testing, we can try to find the best version to help you¡ªoof!¡± The hand on my chest mmed me back into the wall hard enough to knock the air out of my chest. Before I could even take a breath, she¡¯d followed. Her lips crashed into mine. Her hand sunk into my hair while the other trailed up the side of my face. I wrapped my arms around her and pushed back immediately. She kissed me aggressively. Frantically. Barely pulling back long enough for either of us to take a breath between assaults. I let my hands roam the solid muscle of her body, going lower and lower until they cupped the globes of her ass. Then I went even lower until I reached her thighs. She groaned against my lips as I yanked her up and spun, pressing her back into the wall. Her powerful legs wrapped around my waist as the new angle let her kiss me even deeper. I cupped her ass at the same time I brought my other thumb up to brush the red gem sitting in the hollow of her throat. The armor faded away at mymand. ¡°Yes!¡± she cried as her naked breasts pressed into my chest and my fingers dug into her bare ass. My fingers brushed against the plug in her ass and her back arched. She panted heavily with hunger in her eyes as she grabbed two fistfuls of my shirt in her hands and yanked. The fabric didn¡¯t stand a chance. She ripped the cloth from my body so she could run her hands down my chest. I did the same in return, trailing my palms up her sides until I could dig my thumbs into the undersides of her breasts. She gasped, then I went higher until I could touch her nipples, either with a tiny metal bar embedded in them. ¡°Fucking finally!¡± she breathed. Then she was diving back in. She shifted low enough to grind against the bulge in my pants. She cried out as her bare pussy finally found the friction she¡¯d been craving so badly. ¡°Really fucking burying the lead on this one!¡± I smirked, then I let her feet hit the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to make it up to you.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± The second her feet hit the ground I dropped until I was looking up at her. Jack¡¯s eyes widened as I threw one of her legs over my shoulder and delivered a long lick up her core. ¡°Fuck!¡± Her body shuddered and her eyes rolled up into her head. She was absolutely dripping wet, so I didn¡¯t waste time. I started with her outer lips, working them with my tongue while watching her every reaction. Absorbing every sound she made. Keeping track of which spots made her twitch and jerk the most. Gods, she was even hotter down here. Her taste coated my tongue. Her smell invaded my senses. Her hands hovered over me, like she was fighting to keep from touching me still. Then I plunged a finger inside her at the same time I dragged my tongue over the nub at the hood of her core and she shattered. Her fingers sank into my hair as she rode my face, screaming my name as her orgasm made her taut muscles ripple and shift beneath her skin. I dipped back to her pussy and thrust my tongue inside her. With one hand I fingered her clit, with the other I gripped the plug in her ass and started pushing and pulling on it, shifting it around to create even more pressure while my tongue searched for the deepest parts of her. Hunted down every spot that made her thrash and scream as her fingers tightened in my hair, pulling me even deeper into her. After I¡¯d sent her crashing into her second orgasm, only held up by the wall and my face between her legs, something between us shifted. ¡°I appreciate getting eaten out as much as the next girl,¡± she panted, her pupils blown wide, ¡°but if I don¡¯t get a real fucking cock in me soon I¡¯m going to lose my godsdamned mind.¡± ¡°That can be arranged.¡± I licked my way up her toned body and grabbed her by the back of her neck to pull her face to mine. I caught her bottom lip between my teeth and bit down as I yed with one of her breasts, tugging and twisting the piercing in her nipple. She moaned sweetly, then her hands were at my belt. She frantically got it undone, then I heard fabric tearing as she freed my cock. Fiery hot fingers wrapped around my shaft and it was my turn to groan. From the re in her eyes, I knew she liked that sound a lot. There were many words that came to mind when I imagined Jack. Slow and gentle were not two of those words. Her leg had wrapped around me before my pants even hit the ground. Her heel dug into my ass as she pulled herself high enough to line me up with her entrance. The second I felt her dripping heat pressing into my head I pushed. Her tunnel resisted the intrusion for the briefest of moments, then I was mming into her tight, impossibly hot tunnel. ¡°Fuuuck!¡± Her head falling back and her chest heaving as our hips met. I tilted her head back so I could shower her neck with kisses while her nails dragged down my back. While she¡¯d had my shadows in her any number of times, I knew she¡¯d never been with a man before. Her hymen might have been long gone, but I still gave her a moment to adjust to my size. When her eyes finally found their way back to me, they were glowing. She grabbed my face in both hands and pulled my forehead to hers. ¡°Zaren,¡± she said breathlessly, ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once. You¡¯d better fuck me like you mean it.¡± Well, when she asked so nicely¡­ I put my palm to her neck with my thumb under her jaw. I didn¡¯t squeeze, but just my hand being on her throat made her clench around me. Then I sunk my fingers into the flesh of her thigh to hike her leg even higher as I slowly dragged my cock out of her. She tried to wiggle her hips and use her leg to pull me in deeper, but right now I had all the leverage. Especially when I tightened my grip just enough for her eyes to flutter and her lips to part in anticipation. Then I mmed home with a single thrust of my hips and those eyes rolled back into her head with her lips stretched wide in a silent scream. I didn¡¯t stop there, either. Her body hadn¡¯t even started toe back down from the force of my thrust before I was pulling back to do it all over again. She reached for the ground in vain with the leg not wrapped around me as I fucked her into the wall, but she soon gave up. She wrapped it around me the same as the first, slowly getting a little more leverage each time my hips mmed into hers. Her legs squeezed me so tight I thought she might crack a rib, but that just freed my hand up to sink my fingers into her breast. Her voice finally found its way back and she screamed out her pleasure while her insides clenched down on me. She twisted her fingers in my hair and dragged my lips back to hers. Her long, toned legs let her slowly start angling herself for better and better thrusts. I felt her walls fluttering as another climax approached. Her kisses grew sloppier. More desperate. Her moans sweeter. Faster. Then her head was falling back as she screamed my name again, cumming around my cock. I had to slow my pace from the sheer tightness of her tunnel as her inner muscles mped down on me. Thest thing I wanted to do was blow my load this early. Not when I still had many, many ns for her. But she had ns for me, too. Just when I thought it was time to start thrusting into her again I was falling. I slipped free of her as she shoved me onto my back, but I didn¡¯t feel the cool air on my cock for very long at all. I¡¯d barely hit the ground before she was on me, impaling herself with a single move. ¡°Fuck! You feel so good, there''s so much!¡± she panted. Her hands braced against my chest as she started riding. In this position it was much easier for my hands to explore her. Her thighs. Hips. Her toned ass. Her impossibly soft breasts. I trailed my thumb down her center, across the piercing at her belly button and lower until my thumb brushed against her clit. Her back arched and she cried out as I pressed down. Her hand went to her own breast as she rode me even faster. I thrust up into her from below, not content to let her do all the work. ¡°This is so much better than your shadows,¡± she panted. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to tell them to step their game up,¡± I grunted. She tried to say something in response, but I could already feel her getting close again. Her head tilted back and her eyes closed halfway as she picked up speed, and that was when I struck. A pleasure filled yelp slipped past her lips as I rolled us until her shoulders were the only part of her on the ground. I pressed one leg to her chest and rammed down into her. ¡°You fuck!¡± she cried, her nails dragging down my back hard enough to draw blood. But her walls clenched down on me even harder than before. Using one hand to hold her leg in ce and the other to hold me up I mmed into her with all the force I could muster. Her leg wrapped around me to try and get leverage, but she was too close to shattering to muster up any real strength. ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re tight,¡± I panted ¡°Yeah?¡± Her eyes shed as suddenly her walls mped down so hard I could barely move. We both groaned as my pace slowed by necessity at the sudden, intense tightness. ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Gods!¡± I gasped. I responded by shifting her leg even higher, folding her in half as I picked up the intensity of my thrusts. ¡°Ahhn!So fucking deep!¡± Her hands scrabbled for purchase of any kind. I didn¡¯t relent, mming into her as hard as I¡¯d fucked any of my girls so far. I let her leg go so it pressed into my chest and shifted so I could attack her clit with my other hand. She squirmed and writhed, but with her pinned under me there was nothing she could do but cum. ¡°Fuck, Zaren!¡± she screamed, eyes jamming shut as release ripped through her again. I let off as I fingered her through her climax to let her ride out the pleasure. That was my mistake. Her powerful legs tightened and her body shifted underneath me. Then we were rolling again with me still buried inside her. She ended up back on top and I saw the challenge in her eyes. From there, it was on. We fought one another for dominance, each trying to pin each other. I never slipped out of her for long before I was thrusting back in, but neither of us ever truly got the upper hand. I wasn¡¯t sure either of us wanted to, really. We rolled and twisted, our limbs wrapped up and me buried inside her. At one point we sent a chair rolling away, but that just made herugh. I followed, and suddenly we rolled to a stop with her on top. Her legs on either side of mine. I sat up so our fronts were pressed together and wrapped a hand around her back. Her arms were over my shoulders as she looked down at me with a hooded gaze. The battle for dominance mmed to a halt as we both stopped to simply chase one another¡¯s pleasure. Our faces only inches apart. Hers so close I could feel her breath on my lips. Our gazes not breaking even to blink as she rode me and I thrust up into her in perfect time. The hectic, aggressive fucking faded in that one moment into something slower. Softer. Sweeter. Fingers trailed my back and I pushed forward so our lips met. It wasn¡¯t the hectic, frantic exchange from before. Like our fucking, it was slow. Easy. I took my time drowning in her taste as we slowly picked up the pace. Both of us had the perfect amount of leverage in this position. Each thrust brought us both closer and closer to the edge. Jack kissed me back at first, but the closer she got to her breaking point the slower her lips moved until they¡¯d stilled altogether. Her eyes were screwed shut as she rode out the pleasure. Her breath came in short gasps and her nails dug into my back. Her walls started to flutter, and I knew she was on the precipice. ¡°Look at me, Jack,¡± I whispered against her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, the amber almostpletely drowned out by the same swirling gold and orange of her mes. ¡°You¡¯re mine, Jack. No matter how far you go or how much space you need, that¡¯ll never change.¡± Her breath hitched. Then she fell apart. She buried her face in my shoulder to muffle the cry as she came. Her limbs wrapped around me tightly and I let the clenching of her body send me into my own orgasm. I let my eyes fall closed and buried my face in her hair as I spilled myself in her. I gently stroked her back while her chest heaved, flush with mine. She seemed more than happy to just sit there with our bodies slotted together like pieces of a puzzle. I hummed when she started ying with the hair at the nape of my neck. ¡°So I say we call it a draw,¡± she said in a small voice. Augh burst from my throat and it wasn¡¯t long before she was joining me. Once we¡¯d managed to rein in our giggles she pulled back, gasping as my still-hard cock shifted inside her. ¡°Damn, and here I thought you¡¯d be spent after fucking Allie¡¯s team into a groupa.¡± I gripped her chin between two fingers and pulled her into a soft kiss. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this for far too long to just be sated with one round.¡± She grinned and started to slowly rock her hips. ¡°Yeah? And just how long have you been waiting?¡± I hummed in thought, but the answer was an easy one. ¡°Well, probably sometime around ¡®Lady Vivian Cross. A pleasure.¡¯¡± Her eyes glowed with mirth. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Not when you can dick me down like that.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Thank goodness. I was trying toe up with reasons to get you to stay.¡± Her lips quirked upwards. ¡°You could always try asking.¡± ¡°Stay,¡± I said immediately, pressing her to my front. ¡°Please?¡± Her smile widened. ¡°How can I say no to that face? Besides, I¡¯ve been taking lots and lots of notes thesest few weeks. I think I need to test this divine stamina of yours out myself.¡± My grin matched her own. ¡°Be my guest. After a draw like that, I think I need a rematch.¡± From the look in her eye, I had a pretty good feeling we were about to put Rhani¡¯s design through all the stress testing it would ever need. Chapter 102: A Wing and a Prayer Chapter 102: A Wing and a Prayer Consciousness came for Noelle slowly. Her dreams had started dark and twisted. She drowned in pain and torment that seemed to have no end. But then they faded. Softened until she felt like she was wrapped in warmth and love. Like a nket of all the best feelings she¡¯d ever experienced had been wrapped around her shoulders. Her limbs are what she felt first. Too heavy to move and full of a tingling that just bordered on being unpleasant. Not that she wanted to even try. That irrational, half-asleep part of her was convinced if she shifted even an inch it would shatter the bubble that surrounded her. She was face down with warm softness below her and soft warmness above. The next thing she felt was the massive arm draped over her lower back. She knew immediately it must be Safina. Noelle was curled up with her face turned into the Half-dragon¡¯s chest, only barely able to breathe. Safina¡¯s heavy arm pushed her into the soft bed below her with just the perfect amount of weight to make her want to slip back into the warm, fuzzy sleep she¡¯d only just started to rise from. But after a few minutes of trying she came to the conclusion that there was such a thing as too warm. Whatever nket that was draped over her and Safina was too heavy. Too hot. Herfort started to shift into something that made her want to squirm. So, regretfully, she did. She tried to move as little as possible in the hopes that this wonderful bliss wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. But the second she tried to nudge the nket off her shoulders a gasp slipped out of her. A sensation like lightning raced through her from¡­ somewhere. And she found that she liked it immensely. Whatever had just happened made that tingling that filled her shift firmly away from unpleasant. So she tried again. This time slower. Slow enough that she realized it wasn¡¯t a normal nket that had been draped over her. It was soft to the touch, but¡­ stiffer? And, most importantly? She felt it. Not in her elbow, but somewhere else. A sensation her mind couldn¡¯t figure out quite how to make sense of. Like the fingers of one hand brushing against the back of the other, only a thousand times more intense. All at once that bubble of safety popped as the implications crashed into her all at once. Her breath stopped and the sound of her racing heart filled her ears. The massive body at her side shifted. ¡°Noelle?¡± Safina whispered, rubbing small circles into her back. Noelle felt every one of her movements through her¡ªno, she couldn¡¯t even think the words. Not yet. The massive,forting hand went higher. It brushed her hair out of her face. Then it threaded through her hair, brushing against her scalp. Noelle shivered from the pleasure. She would never get tired of the feeling of someone else ying with her hair. It was easily one of her favorite things, right behind when someone she trusted touched her¡ª No. No, it wasn¡¯t possible. Safina trailed her fingers through that hair, going lower. And lower. And lower. Far past where Noelle¡¯s hair should have ended. A soft sigh slipped past Noelle¡¯s lips, but she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to open her eyes. She wasn¡¯t sure what she¡¯d do if that deadly thought bouncing around in the back of her mind turned out to be false hope. She didn¡¯t know what she¡¯d do if it didn¡¯t. Safina¡¯s fingers restarted their journey from the crown of her head and down her spine, passing dangerously close to the bases of the two appendages she couldn¡¯t even bear to name. Another tiny sound slipped past her parted lips as Safina¡¯s fingers dug into her skin with just the right amount of force. ¡°I know you can hear me,¡± Safina said, worry evident in her voice. ¡°Please, I just need to know that you¡¯re okay.¡± Noelle frowned. Okay? Why wouldn¡¯t she be¡ª The ambush. The trap. The otherworldly woman. The de. It all came crashing back to her at once. Noelle carefully tried to move both her arms, then her legs, though she still didn¡¯t open her eyes. ¡°I think I am fine. There¡¯s no pain,¡± she said, her voice hoarse. Safina sat up, which dragged a whimper out of Noelle when her bulky form dragged against the undersides of the thick, feathery covering that weighed on her. Then Safina was lifting her up enough to hold the rim of a cup to her lips. Noelle gulped down the cool water gratefully. ¡°No pain at all?¡± Safina asked once she¡¯d finished. Noelle shook her head. One of Safina¡¯s massive hands cupped the side of her face and Noelle sighed at the touch. ¡°Open your eyes then. Please?¡± It was among the scariest things she¡¯d ever done, but she opened them. It waste in the day, but not quite night. The light that filtered through the windows was enough to illuminate Safina¡¯s furrowed brow and slightly downturned lips. ¡°You¡¯ve been out for a few days,¡± she said carefully. ¡°There were some side effects to what you did. Good ones, we think, but we weren¡¯t sure. Couldn¡¯t be, ¡®til you woke up.¡± Noelle forced herself to sit up, trying her best to ignore just how much heavier she felt than normal. The feeling of the sheets as parts of her dragged along them were harder to ignore. Wetness welled in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ Are my¡­?¡± Safina¡¯s expression rxed somewhat, but there was still worry in her eyes. ¡°See for yourself, little raven.¡± Hardly daring to breathe, Noelle turned and looked behind her. A sob escaped her as she took in the huge, feathery wings that hung behind her. Silken ck, red tipped feathers that made patterns that looked to her like mes. Biting her lip, she carefully tried to flex them. Her gasp at the sensation of her wings flexing turned quickly into a startled yelp as they extended faster than she was ready for and she nearly fell over. She her arms iled and her wings shot inward so fast one of them started to cramp as Safina dove to catch her. ¡°Easy there,¡± Safina said, trying poorly to hide her amusement. Amusement that turned quickly into her fussing when she saw the look of panic on Noelle¡¯s face. ¡°Shit, Miril said that might happen. Which wing?¡± Noelle gestured to her left wing and Safina shifted behind her. ¡°Lay forward. Good, just like that.¡± Her fingers started at the base of Noelle¡¯s wing and another blissful strike of lightning tore through Noelle¡¯s body. She started working down a bit at a time. ¡°Let me know when I hit¡ªah, there it is.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before Noelle went from fisting the sheets under her in pain to doing so to try and keep her moans from slipping out as the twisting agony faded to something significantly more enjoyable under Safina¡¯s hands. Every time she pressed and massaged the muscles in Noelle¡¯s newly formed wing sent heat racing through her body. ¡°ording to Miril,¡± Safina said, gently extending the wing as she massaged, apparently oblivious to Noelle¡¯s true plight, ¡°it¡¯s not umon for wings to cramp from misuse. It happens in the winged races if they ever end up grounded for significant periods or¡ªin extreme cases¡ªif their wings have been bound for any real amounts of time. Since these wings have never been used before, it might take some time for you to get the hang of them.¡± Safina froze when a groan finally slipped past Noelle¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Noelle gasped, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡ª¡± Safina¡¯s hand trailed down her back. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Miril warned they might be a bit sensitive, too. Especially since they were gifted to you by a goddess.¡± She gently trailed her fingers across the feathers and Noelle had to suppress another embarrassing sound. The more Safina touched her wings, the more her body started to feel like a raw nerve. Not that she could bring herself to ask the Half-dragon to stop. ¡°I¡­ I have wings,¡± Noelle whispered. The words felt like a lie on her tongue, yet¡­ She¡¯d been prepared to wait for years before she ever took to the sky again. But that¡¯d been fine because there was at least a chance, no matter how distant. But now? Looking at the full, lush wings that sprouted from her back? Each one wasrger than she was. Even now she struggled to fight the urge to hurl herself out the nearest window just to feel the wind flowing through her feathers. The ache in her chest to fly through the sky like she¡¯d always dreamed of was only rivaled by the building ache between her legs that grew stronger with every brush of Safina¡¯s fingers. ¡°These babies aren¡¯t the only things the sword left you with,¡± Safina said carefully. Noelle¡¯s mind went to the voice in the de as she ran her hands through her hair. It had barely cleared her shoulders before, but now it hung all the way down to her ass. It was gorgeous. Long and as soft and silky as her feathers. A shade of crimson that had once reminded her of blood, but now made her think of something¡­ warmer. Had the goddess in the de really given her all this? Her hair alone would have brought her to tears, but her wings? There was no chance Noelle would ever be able to repay her, but she¡¯d never stop trying. Especially since it seemed Zaren was as important to Ash as he was to her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s beautiful,¡± Safina said, gathering her hair up and using a band on her wrist to tie it back, ¡°but that isn¡¯t all. Look down, little raven.¡± Noelle frowned up at her, but it seemed all her reservations were gone. She was beyond relieved, and the silvery shimmer at the edge of her piercing eyes threatened to cause Noelle¡¯s own tears to spill over. At her urging, Noelle looked down at her own body. She supposed with the wings they hadn¡¯t bothered to try and wrangle a shirt on her, so all she wore was a modest set of panties. And what she saw made those tears spill over in full. Her body had changed a little, sure. Her chest was no longerpletely t. She was still far from busty, but there was a distinct swell to the two mounds that would at least fill her own small hands. Her ribs, which had been slowly disappearing after thest few months, werepletely invisible now. Her hips had a bit of a re to them, and her rear had just enough curve to match her chest. All of the muscle she¡¯d been building while training was thicker, but no longer did it look like her skin was stretched tight over any of it. Now she looked¡­ soft. Not weak, but appealing. At least to herself. She didn¡¯t feel like a twiggy little girl any longer. But it was her skin that made her vision blur. It wasn¡¯t long before she couldn¡¯t see anything, so she ran her hands all along her smooth, wless skin. She couldn¡¯t find a single mark or blemish from her time as Subject Seventeen. There wasn¡¯t a single scar on her body any longer. As if she¡¯d never even worn that awful cor. The first sob surprised her. The second was inevitable. Soon she was sobbing in full with her hand pressed to her mouth and tears cascading down her face. She started to double over, but Safina scooped Noelle up and pulled her into herp. ¡°Shh, it¡¯s alright, we¡ªoh!¡± Safina jumped a bit, and in Noelle¡¯s state it took her a second to realize why. As her hands curled into the front of Safina¡¯s bare chest, her wings had wrapped around the Half-dragon¡¯s frame like a second set of arms. It felt¡­ right. Noelle¡¯s arms might not have been long enough to wrap around her friend, but her wings certainly were. Safina managed to find a position where she could stroke Noelle¡¯s back around her wings. She held Noelle until the sobs favored to sniffles and she¡¯d managed to at least stem the flow of tears. ¡°Only a few of us know so far. Me, Serena, Miril, and Alice are the only ones.¡± ¡°A-Alice?¡± ¡°She¡¯s spent about as much time by your side as I have,¡± Safina admitted. ¡°With Tsuki keeping an eye on the city for retaliation, she¡¯s pretty much the only one my dragon trusted to keep an eye on you if I needed to step away.¡± Noelle looked up at her as Safina cradled Noelle¡¯s significantly smaller form. ¡°You¡¯ve been here the whole time?¡± ¡°Unless I was in the privy,¡± Safina said proudly. ¡°You almost died. I wasn¡¯t leaving your side for anything else until you were awake again.¡± ¡°Nobody knows?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Safina¡¯s warm, callused hands explored her body like she was just as amazed by Noelle¡¯s perfect skin as Noelle was. Noelle instinctively knew Safina would have waited until she was awake to do so. ¡°We figured you might want to tell people yourself.¡± Noelle felt the burn in her cheeks before she even realized she was smiling. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ whole.¡± ¡°You are,¡± Safina agreed. Noelle held up an arm in front of her. She spent so long looking at the marks manacles had once left on her wrists. At the cuts on her forearms from the times she¡¯d tried to protect her face. The slightly jagged part of her arm where it had been snapped and never set correctly. The crooked fingers where her hand had once been mangled as a punishment. All of it was gone. It was like she was looking at apletely different person, yet that person¡¯s fingers moved exactly as shemanded them to. ¡°I¡¯m beautiful,¡± she said, tears starting to well in her eyes. A growl sounded low in Safina¡¯s throat as she gripped Noelle¡¯s chin¡ªfirmly, but not painfully¡ªand turned her face upward. ¡°You were beautiful before. I knew it, Zaren knew it, and so did everyone else. You¡¯re beautiful now, too, just in a slightly different way.¡± She easily shifted Noelle in her arms until she could press their foreheads together. ¡°But if you feel beautiful now, then I¡¯m very happy for you.¡± The tears started again and Noelle buried her face in Safina¡¯s shoulder. Her wings wrapped around the Half-dragon¡¯s form all on their own and Safina just chuckled while she went back to rubbing Noelle¡¯s back. But Noelle could only go so long before the urge to stretch her wings again became too much. She¡¯d barely started wiggling before Safina set her on her feet. Noelle only managed to stay standing for a moment before she began to totter. Safina¡¯s strong hands steadied her once again. ¡°Easy now, you¡¯ll have to learn the whole bnce-counterbnce thing all over again now that there¡¯s suddenly considerably more. I figure we can¡ª¡± Noelle jumped when a piercing squeal echoed through the room. Fortunately this time, as her wings shot out and extended, she wasn¡¯t sent tumbling to the ground in pain. Unfortunately, for Safina at least, her wings popping out clipped her right in the jaw. It seemed Noelle¡¯s considerable Strength carried over to her wings. Safina grunted as her head was knocked up hard enough to send her tumbling backwards onto her ass. Noelle had just enough time to retract her wing in rm¡ªmuch too fast once again, causing her muscles to seize¡ªwhen a white-furred blur crashed into her. She was only kept from tumbling to the ground by Safina¡¯s quick reaction as her arms wrapped them both up. ¡°Careful! She¡¯s still figuring the wings out!¡± Ryoko gasped and pulled away, almost sending Noelle to the ground again as the weight on her front suddenly vanished. ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± she grunted. She¡¯d been trying to say ¡®it¡¯s fine,¡¯ but her attempt to correct her bnce had sent her wings cramping again. ¡°Oh shit, here we go again. Alice, help her stand,¡± Safina said. Noelle hadn¡¯t even realized Alice was in the room until she was standing in front of Noelle with a wide grin. ¡°You look like you¡¯re feeling better,¡± she said quietly. She slipped her arms under Noelle¡¯s and tucked the Mchai into her front. Noelle buried her face in Alice¡¯s chest happily as Safina¡¯s fingers got back to work. Now that she was fully awake and standing it was much harder to hide the effect Safina touching her wings had on Noelle¡¯s body. She pressed herself into Alice¡¯s front while Ryoko and Safina both worked together on her wing. This time, Safina held the wing gingerly while Ryoko¡¯s small, nimble fingers went to work. The fabric of Alice¡¯s shirt felt perfectly rough against Noelle¡¯s sensitive nipples. The Vampires scent filled her nostrils and rxed her. Alice¡¯s hand in her hair was gentle, but it was clear she waspletely aware of Noelle¡¯s building arousal when her other hand brushed against Noelle¡¯s stomach. ¡°Miril was right,¡± she breathed, ¡°those wings really are gonna get you going for a few weeks.¡± Noelle could only whimper. The pain was gone and her wings were rxed, but whether Ryoko and Safina thought she was still clinging to Alice in pain or they¡¯d simply got caught up giving her wings a hands-on examination, they kept massaging. Noelle¡¯s hands fisted the front of Alice¡¯s shirt, pulling her closer. Alice¡¯s hands slipped below Noelle¡¯s waistband and that lightning ripped through her again. ¡°Noelle¡­¡± Alice whispered. The hunger in her voice was clear. The only answer Noelle could manage was to sink her teeth into the skin between Alice¡¯s neck and shoulder. Alice responded immediately by sinking her own fangs into Noelle¡¯s neck at the same time her fingers brushed against the nub between Noelle¡¯s legs. Between Safina and Ryoko working her wings and Alice¡¯s fangs and fingers release ripped through Noelle immediately. She hadn¡¯t even realized she¡¯d ripped her wings free of Safina and Ryoko¡¯s hands to wrap them around Alice until after the stars had vanished from her vision. Alice let her neck go after a few pulls, her pupils blown wide and a dopey grin on her face. ¡°Damn, your blood hits hard.¡± Noelle tried to stand only to totter to the side once more. She made a frustrated sound as Safina had to keep her from falling on her ass again. Safina just grinned down at her. ¡°Tell us what you need, little raven.¡± All three of them looked at her expectantly. Noelle took one look at her wings and made her decision. ¡°Help me figure out walking, then I need Zaren.¡± # # # We must have dozed off at some point. I woke up a little confused that there was no nket to throw off. Jack put off heat like a camp fire, and I was breaking a sweat with my limbs tangled up in hers. Sweat stered her hair to her forehead and covered her in a thin sheen, which meant I couldn¡¯t have been asleep for too long. Sex with Jack wasn¡¯t quite like sex with anyone I¡¯d had before. Half the time I wasn¡¯t sure if we were fucking or fighting. It was a constant battle for dominance with her, and I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t enjoy every second of it. It felt like what me and Ria might have had given the chance, and I couldn¡¯t wait for many more battles. We¡¯d lost count of the score at some point, but by then it hadn¡¯t mattered. I couldn¡¯t help but watch her sleep, cuddled against my chest. She stirred slightly when I trailed my nails down her spine and I watched with fascination as the muscles in her back shifted under her skin. She nuzzled into me and sighed softly with a serene look on her face I¡¯d never seen before. She very suddenly sucked in a deep breath through her nose and her eyes fluttered open. She touched her fingers to the skin in front of her face and smiled softly. Then she looked up and saw me watching and blushed. ¡°Not a word,¡± she warned. ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Mmn.¡± She leaned up long enough to press her lips to mine before settling back on my chest with her face turned towards mine. She ran her hand up my chest until it was resting over my heart and closed her eyes. ¡°Fuck, I missed this.¡± ¡°Cuddling?¡± I asked, my brow raised. She hummed her amusement without opening her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you a secret and you are never going to mention it outside of this room.¡± I brushed the hair off her face. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll bring Rhani in hereter and the whole harem will know by breakfast.¡± She flicked my nipple. ¡°Dickhead.¡± ¡°Ow! Fine, my lips are sealed.¡± ¡°Growing up,¡± she said, trailing her finger absently around the nipple she¡¯d just flicked, ¡°we weren¡¯t the wealthiest. My dad really wanted a son, but my mom just kept popping out daughter after daughter.¡± I slid my hand down her thigh and hiked her leg higher up on me so I could more easily run my hands down her leg. She made an appreciative sound and kept going. ¡°We shared rooms pretty much my whole life. A couple of my sisters got spooked easily and had nightmares often after a small, slightly traumatic incident, so we spent a lot of nights with most of us in one bed.¡± Her hand stilled with her fingers on a particrly stark scar from a stab that had missed my heart by a hair. ¡°We were always a touchy-feely family. I think that was the hardest part after my ident. I never particrly liked sleeping alone, but not having any other choice? I was fucking miserable. It was years before I could evene close to sleeping through the night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that,¡± I told her. She just grunted, but I didn¡¯t miss how she wrapped her leg around mine and nestled deeper into me. ¡°I survived it. I made it here. That¡¯s what matters. I¡¯ll get this all figured out. Until then, this room and whatever time you can spare me is more than enough for me to stay sane.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°So then I don¡¯t need to mention the other prototype I helped Rhani kit a quarter of the pit with?¡± Jack went rigid for a full ten count. Then she sprang up so she was straddling my abdomen with her hands on either side of my head. ¡°Zaren, don¡¯t you dare fuck with me about this.¡± I trailed my hands up her thighs as my blood rushed southward. ¡°Rhani figured if this worked out you might want to give the bed a try as soon as possible, so she went ahead and set up her second prototype. Worst case scenario was she had to pull it back down to fix it, but I think she enjoyed getting it all put up almost as much as the thought of what might happen if it worked.¡± Her lips were crashing down on mine before I¡¯d even finished thest word. She kissed me frantically. Aggressively. Trying to dominate me and clearly enjoying when I pushed back just as hard. I felt her hands around my shaft just before she managed to shift her hips over my cock without ever breaking the kiss. We both groaned against one another¡¯s lips as she mmed down on me and impaled herself with one forceful thrust. She ground herself on me with short, frantic movements. I grabbed a handful of her ass to guide her, letting her have her way with me while I held her lips to mine. I felt her inching closer and closer to her climax. She pushed back and cried out with her face to the ceiling, mauling her breast with one hand while she pressed the other to my chest for leverage. That was the exact moment I flipped us both so she was underneath me. Sheughed as I tossed her face down on the bed and put my hand between her shoulders, pressing her into the mattress. She lifted her hips, pushing her ass at me, but I didn¡¯t start fucking her yet. Instead, I pressed on the plug still in her ass and her nostrils red. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it,¡± she said, her voice breathy. But the heat in her eyes told a different story. ¡°Don¡¯t what? This?¡± I slowly slid the plug out of her and she groaned, trying to chase my hand. ¡°Or this?¡± I slid my cock between her cheeks, sliding my length along the rim of her ass. Her protests died, reced by a long moan as she bucked against me with her face half buried in the bed. I kept holding her down with one hand and pulled some lube out of my storage with the other. She cursed and writhed as I prepared her with two slicked up fingers but she never once tried to get out from under me. I¡¯d barely started pressing the head to her rosebud when she mmed her hips back. My eyes rolled back in my head as intense heat and unbelievable tightness surrounded my cock. ¡°FUCK!¡± she howled as she impaled herself on me. She tried to bury her face in the mattress, but I didn¡¯t let her. I wrapped her hair around my fist and yanked her head back. She groaned as her ass mped down on me, her eyes rolled back in her head. ¡°Ria always liked a bit of pain mixed in with her pleasure,¡± I told her. I pulled my cock almost all the way out and mmed it back in. Her back arched and two of her fingers sunk into her cunt. ¡°Guess some things carry over even past death.¡± ¡°Fucking yes!¡± she screamed as I started fucking her in earnest. I reached around to finger her clit and nearly blew my load then and there when her release caused her ass to mp down on me like a vice. ¡°Harder! Fuck me like you mean it!¡± I did as she asked, yanking her hair hard enough that I could trail my teeth along her shoulder and up her neck. When I bit down on her earlobe she exploded again. She mauled her breast so hard I feared she might leave a bruise while she screamed out her release. I shoved her back down and gripped both her hips. Her screams were muffled by a mouthful of bedding as she bit down, not even trying to hold her front half up and instead using both hands to bring herself more and more pleasure as I ravished her ass. Her inner muscles gripped and squeezed me like she was trying to suck me in deeper. It wasn¡¯t long before I exploded inside her with a roar. I fell on top of her, pressing her even deeper into the mattress. I made no move to get off her and she made no move to get out from under me. Instead she reached up over her shoulder to twine her fingers with mine. ¡°Shit, you keep fucking me like that and we won¡¯t get anything done,¡± she said once she¡¯d caught her breath. I chuckled, then pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck. ¡°If I had a silver for every time I¡¯d heard that¡­¡± ¡°Mmmh, someone¡¯s cocky.¡± ¡°After the sounds you were making?¡± I shifted just enough to slip a little deeper inside her and she ducked her head, fisting the sheets. ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯ve got some good reason for it.¡± ¡°Shitting hells,¡± she groaned. ¡°How the fuck are you still hard?¡± ¡°Have you seen my harem? At this point the line between stamina and self defense is a fine one.¡± She chuckled, rocking back against me. ¡°One of these days we need to just tie you down and all take turns ¡®til you run out. See where that divine stamina really ends.¡± Iughed in return. ¡°Can¡¯t wait.¡± The look in her eye had me ready to go another round when the sounds of amotion reached me. We exchanged frowns. [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] wasn¡¯t going off and the wards hadn¡¯t picked up any intruders. She smacked my chest. ¡°Get out of me so I can go yell at people, will you?¡± I did, but not before driving into her onest time and giving her a scorching kiss. Only then did I pull out of her¡ªearning a disappointed grunt through clenched teeth¡ªand roll away. She started to sit up, but I snagged the plug thatpleted her array and pressed it against her pucker. Whatever words she was about to throw at me were lost when I pushed the red plug past her rim and she bit down on the bed again. ¡°You are going to pay for thatter,¡± she warned, rolling off the bed. Then she blushed. ¡°Fuck, how much did you cum in my ass?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You let me get a nap in to recharge. At that point it¡¯s your fault.¡± She punched my arm hard enough to knock a point off my health pool before she touched the gem at her throat and summoned my shadow armor. I looked wistfully at the remains of my clothes and summoned another set, making a mental note to restock my reserves when I had the chance. These girls were killing me. We paused at the door. ¡°Ready?¡± She took a long breath, then nodded. ¡°Now that I know there¡¯s a reprieve? Yeah, I got this. Now lets go kick someone''s ass.¡± I smirked and led the way out the door. I caught her brief grimace when she passed the threshold, but that was the only sign I saw of her leaving the array¡¯s range. It wasn¡¯t hard to find the source of themotion with everyone collected in the main hall. And when I saw what everyone wasughing and cheering about I couldn¡¯t help but smile myself. Safina ran full tilt through the hall with Noelle on her shoulders, those big, beautiful ck wings spread wide to catch the wind. Her long crimson hair tied back just enough to stay out of her face flowing behind her. Her face lit up with joy. She wore a long, backless top that kept her wings free. Sheughed brilliantly while Safina sprinted and everyone watched with the same smile on their faces that I wore. ¡°Well, damn,¡± Jack said next to me, grinning, ¡°how am I supposed to kick any asses now?¡± Safina ran out of room and slowed to a stop. Noelle looked around the room, her eyes immediatelynding on me. Her already brilliant expression brightened even more and she hopped up on Safina¡¯s shoulders. Safina¡ªand several others¡ªmade sounds of rm, but none were quick enough to stop Noelle fromunching off Safina with all her considerable strength. Her wings red wide and caught the air, but I knew in a moment she was still barelyfortable enough with them to glide. The joy on her face made my heart skip a beat as, for one glorious moment, she soared through the air. For a brief moment I worried about hernding, but she managed to get her feet under her at thest possible second. She hit the ground running, tipping to the side, but she managed to stay upright with a jerk of her wings. She let out a loud, infectiousugh as she threw herself into my arms. Iughed myself as I spun her around. Her wings wrapped around me like a second set of arms. ¡°Look at you!¡± I said, setting her down. ¡°When did you wake up?¡± ¡°A little over an hour ago.¡± From the way she clung to my arm I got the feeling she still wasn¡¯t too steady. ¡°Had to relearn walking.¡± ¡°Well it looks like you picked it up quick,¡± Jack said, crossing her arms. For the first time, I saw the motion for what it was. She was pinning her hands down so she didn¡¯t instinctively reach out and ruffle Noelle¡¯s hair or wrap an arm around her shoulders. Noelle made a nomittal noise deep in her throat. Then she turned to me and thrust her arms out. ¡°Look!¡± At first I wasn¡¯t sure what I was looking for, then it hit me. There wasn¡¯t a mark on her skin. Not a bump, bruise, or spot of scar tissue. My smile widened even further. ¡°Ash is just a gift that keeps on giving, huh? That¡¯s wonderful, Noelle.¡± ¡°And this!¡± My brows shot up as she lifted her backless top to bare her breasts. Her torso was just as wless as her arms, and her chest had grown visibly. ¡°Holy shit, pipsqueak!¡± Jack said, ¡°you¡¯ve got tits now!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but crush Noelle to my chest. Her arms and wings both wrapped around me tightly as sheughed again. I¡¯d never heard herugh before, and now it seemed she couldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Ash righted a wrong that should never have happened,¡± I told her. ¡°I only hope now you¡¯ll feel as beautiful as the rest of us know you are. That you¡¯ve always been.¡± I didn¡¯t need to see her face to know she was crying. I could feel the wetness of her tears against my chest and the way her hands fisted my shirt. But I could also feel her smile and happiness so strong it radiated through our Link. I brushed a hand against her feathers, marveling in their softness. Her breath hitched and I felt something else ripple through the bond. She pulled back enough to look up at me and I saw an ocean of emotions roiling in her gaze. She bit her lip, but her stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly. Safina, who had approached alongside the rest of their little pack while I was distracted with Noelle, stiffened. ¡°She needs food,¡± she insisted, her fingers curling and uncurling like she might snatch Noelle right out of my arms. ¡°I am¡­ hungry¡­¡± Noelle admitted. I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. ¡°Food first, then we can figure everything else out after.¡± ¡°You¡¯lle?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course.¡± I tucked some hair behind her ear. ¡°Just try to get rid of me after you saved my ass.¡± Jack pped my arm. ¡°You go get the little biter some food. I¡¯m gonna go track down Kili and Anri.¡± Noelle brightened again at the mention of her Erinyes friend and her older sister. ¡°Miril can teach her how to fly, but the Seraphim isn¡¯t a fighter like Anri. If Noelle wants to be able to use those wings and that axe at the same time, Anri is the one to ask. Plus, I told Kili I¡¯d let her know when you woke up.¡± Noelle¡¯s eyes widened like she hadn¡¯t even considered that. I just nodded my thanks. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s properlypensated seeing as she¡¯s technically your servant.¡± Anri, the older Erinyes, had felt safer taking Jack, an S rank adventurer, as her Patron instead of a lord like me. I could hardly me her, though. She had a powerful ss, and she¡¯d implied her sister did as well. Jack gave me a two fingered salute and started walking backwards towards the door. ¡°Until tonight, then,¡± she said, her eyes twinkling. I got a few confused looks and shrugged. ¡°Test sessful.¡± ¡°Very sessful,¡± Jack said with a wink. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to test her other array in the pitter.¡± I felt a bit like prey the way several sets of eyes snapped to me. Between the promise/threat in Jack¡¯s eyes, the way Noelle pressed her new body into my side, the sudden narrowing of Safina¡¯s pupils, the sudden puffing of Ryoko¡¯s tail, and the way Alice was licking her lips, I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to be getting much sleep tonight. Break for Thanksgiving Break for Thanksgiving Announcement Hello all, Between dealing with family and the holiday break as well as picking up extra hours at work I won''t really have time for writing this week, so I won''t be posting any chapters. I n to resume normal release times (or as close to them as I usually am, I suppose) next Tuesday. I hope you all have a good week, and I''ll see you for the next chapter! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 103: Shattered Dreams Chapter 103: Shattered Dreams That night was like a dream. Everyone waited with bated breath as Rhani flicked the seal in ce on her array and Jack took her first step into the pit. When nothing caught fire, the wide grin on her face made it all worth it. She¡¯d barely begun tough before Rhani tackled her. Jack just let it happen, tumbling into the piles of pillows and nkets with an ted sound and tears brimming in her eyes. It wasn¡¯t long before half the room was dogpiling on. And after that? Yeah, it went pretty downhill after that. Clothing vanished and fun times ensued. Allie jumped in with gusto, always managing to be within arms¡¯ reach of me. Therese stuck by her side, but she seemed at least willing to join in on the celebration. Nora politely declined, opting to call it early and go to sleep in the ¡®quiet corner.¡¯ Curtains were pulled and a silence rune was activated, though I saw its residents peeking out more than a few times. Ryoko still wasn¡¯t quite ready to participate and Tsuki wasn¡¯t a fan of just how many people were suddenly in the pit. Vanni and Rose both chose to stay in their room, but Karina and Jayme joined the twins, albeit a tadte. She managed to time her entrance right as Serena was taking me into her mouth and Noelle was chewing on my shoulder while riding my fingers. People couldn¡¯t seem to stop touching her wings, and every touch just got her going more and more. She blushed furiously even as Jayme grinned wide. The former hid behind her hands (though she peeked through her fingers) while she dragged thetter into the quiet corner. I saw both swirling silver and steel gray peeking out from behind the curtains more than once. While I took care of Noelle and Serena, Therese got her revenge on Allie an arm¡¯s length away. I got to see a whole new side to Tiana as she helped hold Allie down and send her screaming from one orgasm to the next. A few feet away Jack and Safina were giving Rhani a simr treatment. That was how it started, but as the night dragged on I ended up with just about everybination of girls they coulde up with. Even Alice eventually worked up the courage to join in, and she was weed with open arms. I even saw her snacking on a few of the girls, driving their orgasms to even higher heights. The natural way they all moved in and out was something I would marvel onter, when I wasn¡¯t otherwise upied. By the time everything winded down to a close I¡¯d spent some ¡®quality time¡¯ with each and every one of them. Late into the night I ended up in my favorite ce. Passed out buried in a pile of bodies. I had Allie tucked into one side, Therese tangled up with her and Nora capping off the end, and Noelle wrapped around my other with Jack at her back barely visible underneath Rhani, Serena, and Tiana who had all managed to fall asleep draped over her in one way or another. Safina had somehow ended up being a pillow for nearly all of us with my head on her stomach and one of her arms draped over Noelle¡¯s wings, which were carefully folded against her back. It wasn¡¯t quite perfect, not with one soul still trapped behind enemy lines, but it was damn close. And then, all at once, that dream shattered. [Danger Sense] sent me hurtling into wakefulness with my adrenaline surging. I startled half the pit into wakefulness, but I was too busy focusing on the feedback from my skill. I was confused for a moment to find that it was Nell that was in intense danger, then when my sense expanded to include Ste less than a minuteter I understood. ¡°Rhani!¡± I barked. She shot up, her eyes unfocused. Her expression twisted into one of horror. ¡°They came out of the tunnels. They went straight for Festus, I¡ª¡± she shook her head, her eyes widening in panic, ¡°I don¡¯t have eyes in there anymore!¡± The room exploded into motion as I shot to my feet. Whatever was happening was happening across town. My sense told me that Nell was in the most immediate danger, and that while Ste was in danger it wasn¡¯t life threatening. They weren¡¯t there to kill her, they were there to take her. Whatever was happening would be finished before I could get there, so rushing to her side now would only put us all in a worse position. I managed to get into a pair of pants and sprinted from the room. I threw on clothes from my storage while I raced to Cynthia¡¯s room. She opened the door less than a minute after I knocked, wearing nothing but a robe with frazzled hair and a peeved look on her face. A look that evaporated the second she saw my own. ¡°What do you need?¡± she asked. ¡°I need the Swallow and I need it now.¡± She put her business face on and pushed past me. I followed her into her office just a few doors down. I took a few steps in before I paused. My surprise was nothingpared to Deverin¡¯s, who until now I¡¯d assumed had simply been Cynthia¡¯s head minion. Seeing him in Cynthia¡¯s office, standing between the legs of a very naked Elisa with a look of pure terror on his face, for a brief moment made me forget about my plight. I was momentarily worried about a scene seeing Cynthia¡¯s girl with a guy in her own office, but I¡¯d once again underestimated this new world. Cynthia strode right up to the two of them, gave them both a peck on the cheek, then crouched down behind the desk. ¡°Deverin, pick your jaw up off the floor and finish up,¡± shemanded, pulling a stack of papers from one of the desk drawers. ¡°Zaren has seen much worse. You didn¡¯t have to share a wall with him on the trip to Amesseria.¡± She stood and gave him a swat on the rear, then held the papers out to me. ¡°Finished just a few hours ago. Give those to Reade and she¡¯ll fold. I¡¯ve already filed the necessary documents, so everything should be set.¡± I banished them to my storage with a nod. ¡°They¡¯ve made a move, so might as well prepare for fallout.¡± She nodded curtly and I left the room just as fast as my feet would take me. Later on I could chuckle at what I¡¯d just walked in on, after I¡¯d made sure Ste was safely behind my walls. When I made it to the foyer I found everyone waiting for me. I hated what I had to do next, but unfortunately I didn¡¯t see a way around it. ¡°Noelle, I want you and Alice to stay behind. Until you get the hang of fighting with those wings it¡¯s too dangerous to take you intobat and I need someone watching the manor in case this is a ploy to draw us away. Jayme, you as well.¡± Noelle¡¯s face fell, but with one look at her new wings she just nodded. ¡°Valith, track down one of Sandrel¡¯s guys and pass along the message that shit might be about to get messy. Allie, you take your team to the swallow aboveground in case they try to leave that way. Take Liana and Elena with you as well. I¡¯m putting them in charge of the Swallow until we find someone more permanent.¡± The two blonde elves had already been briefed on what I needed from them and didn¡¯t so much as flinch. Then I nodded at my mage. ¡°Tiana, you go with them.¡± Tiana let out a relieved breath and nodded thankfully. She knew I was taking the tunnels just as I knew she still hated the underground. ¡°The rest of you with me. I¡ª¡± My words died in my throat as [Danger Sense] went t. First I felt the danger Nell was in vanish altogether. I could still feel her Link, which meant she hadn¡¯t been destroyed, but I had a feeling she was no longer in fighting shape. Whoever was attacking either didn¡¯t care or didn¡¯t have the time to try and carry her off. Ste¡¯s danger spiked, then after a brief, terrifying moment, it faded as well. The way it simply disappeared was identical to the way my sense of Tiana¡¯s danger had when she¡¯d been taken, so I knew she was unconscious. I tried to find the words, but panic was rapidly oveing me. Allie took one look at my face and stepped in with a hand on my arm. ¡°Any girls we find we get safely out of the way, but Ste is the priority. Lock Reade down if you can as well, since we¡¯ll need her to officially take control of the Swallow. Assume this is a y by our enemy, so if anyone not in a city guard uniformes at you then you put them down.¡± There were nods all around. Nobody batted an eye at her giving orders, which settled something in me. I nodded gratefully, then I headed for the entrance to the basement. Allie gave my arm onest squeeze, then she led her team out the front door. Jack, Serena, Safina, Zoey, and Reese fell into step with me. As we took off into the tunnels I sent off what I hoped wasn¡¯t a worthless prayer to Allura to at least keep Ste safe until I could get to her. I just hoped I wasn¡¯t toote. # # # We arrived to devastation. Ste¡¯s secret workshop was wrecked and soaked in blood. I saw smears where bodies had been dragged off, leaving no sign of who the attackers might have been. On the ground next to the secret door that led into Ste¡¯s main workshop was Nell, most of her body destroyed. She¡¯d held out as long as she could, but whoever had taken Ste hade prepared. My only sce was the knowledge that, even at a dead sprint, I¡¯d have arrived toote one way or the other. I could berate myselfter for leaving Ste in the Swallow despite my instincts telling me to get her out. I knew the risk I¡¯d run, and it seemed I was paying for it now. ¡°You just can¡¯t catch a break, can you?¡± I asked Nell. I felt her soul pulsing angrily inside the chassis of the golem, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do for her right now. I banished the pieces of her I could find into my storage, wishing I had the chance to look over the repaired limbs Ste had attached to her. Ste fixed her once, I was sure she could do it again. Reese slipped back into the secret workshop from where she¡¯d gone ahead. She shook her head once at Jack, who grimaced. ¡°Looks like they¡¯re all gone,¡± she quietly. ¡°Found this, though.¡± She held out a crumpled piece of paper to me. I forced myself to remain calm as I read, even as every word just made the blood roar louder in my ears. It was a note from Ste, hastily scrawled in panic. Teardrops stained the page and made the ink run in ces. Whatever had happened, she¡¯d chosen to write this note instead of escaping. Zaren, it read, they¡¯reing for me. They know about your ns for the swallow. They came out of the tunnels and in through the front at the same time. Nell is holding them back downstairs, but I can hear theming for me from upstairs. My traps heard them. They¡¯re here for me. They know I¡¯m tied to you somehow. That you¡¯lle for me. I¡¯m bait. I should tell you not toe for me, but I want the life you promised. They¡¯re almost through. I don¡¯t want to go. I don¡¯t want to go. I don¡ª Thest word ended with a jagged line down the page. She¡¯d been grabbed mid word and the note must have fallen to the ground. With Nell¡¯s interference they must have been in a hurry, so they hadn¡¯t bothered looking at the note. I banished it to my storage as my panic and my fear boiled over into something far too calm. Nobody said anything, but I felt their eyes on me as I walked out and into the brothel proper. The building was awash with fear that made my [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] skill scream, so I knew the building wasn¡¯t abandoned. There were girls in most of the rooms, no doubt hiding from whatevermotion had happened. We passed more than one broken down door with an empty room on the other side on our way to Reade¡¯s office, but we passed by just as many with its upants still terrified inside. I arched a brow when I found Sandrel himself standing outside Reade¡¯s office with Valith by his side. He inclined his head to me. ¡°Came as soon as my scouts reported an armed group slinking through the city. They went in, never came out.¡± I cursed. ¡°The tunnels.¡± He nodded once. ¡°The tunnels. Figured I¡¯d let you have your chat with Reade then take her afterwards. Not a fan of the bitch running a flesh trade under my nose for so long. Been spending thest week cleaning house.¡± I grunted, then pushed the door open. Reade sat at her chair, her face bruised and a lit cigarette between two fingers. Behind her stood Remi, the Lycanine who¡¯d helped smuggle us out before, and a peeved looking Oni man who leaned against the back wall with his arms crossed. From the way both of them were looking at Reade I knew they were on our side. Panic flitted across Reade¡¯s expression for a moment, but she hid it well. ¡°So it was you, then. You¡¯re a better actor than I gave you credit for, kid,¡± she said, snubbing out her cigarette. Remi¡¯s eyes cut to me with a carefully hopeful glint. ¡°Ste?¡± I shook my head and her face fell. I summoned Cynthia¡¯s papers and dropped them on Reade¡¯s desk. ¡°You should know,¡± I said, my voice cold and gravelly, ¡°that while I despise killing women, I do make exceptions. vers happen to be one of those.¡± She scoffed. ¡°You think I wanted any of this?¡± she pulled the papers over and signed them. ¡°You don¡¯t know shit, kid. If it wasn¡¯t me, it¡¯d be someone else. You¡¯ve got no idea who you¡¯re across the table from. I¡¯ll give you a hint, it¡¯s someone with a hell of a lot more pull than me.¡± I pulled the papers back and banished them, then gave a nod to Valith. She went to go collect Liana and Elena, who would go through and get a headcount of girls and kick out any remaining customers. The Silver Swallow was officially closed for business until some severe rebranding could be done. ¡°Where did they go and who did they take?¡± I demanded. Reade just leaned back in her chair. ¡°No clue. Things around here operate on a strictly need-to-know basis, and more often than not I didn¡¯t need to know, apparently.¡± She let out a sigh and ran a hand over her face. ¡°They took any of the girls they thought were valuable then disappeared. Left me to take the fall.¡± ¡°Why? What did they want with those girls?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Race specific sses. Rare ones, mainly. Apparently a mother¡¯s sses can pass on to their offspring while the father carries the influence when ites to stats and race. Assuming both parents are demi-human, at least.¡± The Oni man stepped forward with his fists balled. ¡°You took our women for breeding stock?¡± he demanded. She met his re without flinching. ¡°For every girl they took, I gave ten a chance at life that wasn¡¯t on a damn street corner.¡± ¡°And made money off them at every turn,¡± Remi spat. Reade scoffed. ¡°And so what if I did? You think their lives would have been any better off without me?¡± I held a hand up and they all fell silent. I ced my palms on her desk and leaned forward. ¡°Ste?¡± This time, she flinched. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. One of them just showed up one day with her in tow, said she was important. I was to keep her safe and isted. Keep careful track of anyone who crossed paths with her. They told me that someone woulde for her one day and to inform them immediately when it happened. I didn¡¯t know it was you. Didn¡¯t even know she¡¯d seen anyone till I over heard a girlmenting on some new coat she¡¯d been wearing. Not like it mattered. They came for her as soon as they found out about the little stunt you had nned.¡± I was just on the verge of falling into a much darker version of Zaren from the past when Valith¡¯s voice pulled me back from the edge. I looked at her over my shoulder. She was out of breath like she¡¯d just been sprinting, but there was a light in her eyes ¡°You need to see this.¡± I looked to Remi. ¡°You, I trust. I¡¯m putting you in charge of security. Work with Liana to get the ce locked down and the girls left safe, we¡¯ll reevaluate once I¡¯ve taken care of this.¡± The Oni growled. ¡°And who put you in charge?¡± Reade just sighed. ¡°I did when I signed over every property I have to him. Wee to the infamous house of Nocht, Zophel.¡± He paused, then looked at me curiously. ¡°You¡¯ll get back the women that were taken?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a part of my house, now.¡± I cut my eyes to Reade, who flinched at whatever she saw in them. ¡°And I take care of my house.¡± I paused on my way out to exchange a look with Sandrel. A brief nod between us was all that was needed. He¡¯d originally joined the Seven because his sister had been taken and sold into very, so I knew he¡¯d do whatever it took to make sure Reade told us everything there was worth telling. I also knew he¡¯d have people standing by to follow my guys wherever we went since he knew me as well as I knew him. There was no way I was abandoning those girls to their fate, and since I¡¯d been the one to pull his sister out of her cage back then he¡¯d always felt like he owed me. I left Sandrel behind and Valith led us back to Ste¡¯s workshop and into the tunnels, where she pulled out a smaller handheld version of Elisa¡¯sntern. ¡°Look at this.¡± Carved into the wall was four jagged lines. I wasn¡¯t sure what I was seeing at first, then it hit me. It was a seven and an arrow pointing down the tunnel. ¡°She left us a trail,¡± I breathed, some of the tension in my gut uncoiling. ¡°We¡¯re going after them, right?¡± I nodded. First, though, I went back into the workshop. In the time I¡¯d spent with Ste I¡¯d made a loose catalog of her inventions in my head. I went straight for one of her prototype drawers and pulled out what looked to be a set of matchingpasses, only these didn¡¯t point north. They pointed to one another. I tossed one to Valith. ¡°There¡¯s no telling where this will lead us and I want to have a route back aboveground just in case. Take this to Allie. I¡¯ll lead the tunnel crew, you guys follow on the surface. We can pincer them just like they pincered the Swallow.¡± She nodded, then paused. ¡°What are the odds this is a trap?¡± ¡°Aplete certainty,¡± I said honestly. ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to spring it. Tell Allie it¡¯s her job to bail my ass out, she should enjoy that.¡± That reassured her, but still she worried. ¡°Zaren, I¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll get them out,¡± I promised. ¡°All of them this time.¡± The fire in her eyes was her only answer before she stepped back and vanished. I pulled out my ownntern¡ªarger one, seeing as I didn¡¯t have the benefit of enhanced dark vision¡ªand set off in search of the next mark. The normally cool tunnels were soon filled with Jack¡¯s heat with how keyed up she was. I summoned some devices from my storage and passed them to Zoey and Reese. ¡°Those should override the cors and incapacitate the wearer until we can get the cor off entirely. Jack, Four summons creatures made of hellfire so you¡¯ll have to be the one to get in close and keep her busy while they capture her.¡± They nodded, and I turned to Safina and Serena. ¡°We¡¯ll be looking for Ste after we set off their trap. They probably won¡¯t expect us so quickly, just like when Karina was taken, but we can¡¯t count on that. Expect the worst at every turn. Hit hard, hit fast, and hit first. They took ours from us, so show them no mercy.¡± Thatst line more than anything seemed to set off something primal in Safina. Lightning crackled across her scales and a feral growl sounded deep in her chest. If they hadn¡¯t taken someone I cared deeply about, I might have felt sorry for whatever poor soul was about to be on the other end of her mace. We moved as quickly as we dared, only losing the trail once or twice before we came across another seven etched into the wall. Whoever these guys were they covered their tracks well, but I was willing to put my trust in Valith. It wasn¡¯t long before we encountered our first trap¡ªan insultingly simple tripwire¡ªbut our enemy had nothing on Ste. Compared to the elegant, clever cement of her traps I avoided in the game we yed every time I visited these were crude and easy to spot. The more traps we avoided, though, the more I started to see signs of the group we were following. Carting prisoners through the tunnel they would have had no choice but to deactivate and reactivate the traps as they passed, which meant we were likely moving much faster than them. Yet another thing bracing the door that kept the darker parts of me locked away. We moved through the tunnels for well over two hours. Long enough for the sun be perilously close to rising unless I was mistaken. That was when we finally reached our destination. I knew we were there because of the small creature waiting for us outside. It was almost a cat, but an incredibly stylized rendition of one. It looked like it was made of violet mes that had the same consistency as the summons I¡¯d fought when I¡¯d cornered Seven in the Swallow before. Like watercolor painted right onto the air. It was scratching at a wall with ws sharp enough to leave grooves in the stone of the wall. Grooves the same thickness and depth as the sevens we¡¯d been following. ¡°Secret door. How should we¡ª¡± Jack started. I summoned the Jailer¡¯s de from my storage and drew it. ¡°Ash, if you¡¯d please,¡± I said aloud as I stabbed the de into the stone. Yes! I knew you couldn¡¯t stay mad at me forever! The crimson and ck smoke immediately started to eat away at the brick, degrading it until we had a hole we could step through. On the other side was a narrow staircase that the ming cat immediately darted up. I slid the de back into its sheathe, but didn¡¯t banish it yet. ¡°Thank you. For healing her wings. Her scars. Everything.¡± Ehh, I didn¡¯t so much as heal them as I did rece the parts of her my magic burned away with the body her soul felt it should have, but I¡¯m d it worked out in the end anyways! Right. That was a worrying sentence we¡¯d have to unpackter. ¡°Well it¡¯s time to save another of our souls, but they want you too badly for me to use unless I¡¯ve got no other option.¡± You got it, my dark and brooding vassal! I, your loyal trump card and benevolent benefactor shall await your call with bated breath! I paused, analyzing the Link between us. ¡°You¡¯re in a really good mood,¡± I noted. Fuck yeah, I am! Thanks to Noelle, I realized something HUGE. I¡¯m not just like my dad, I¡¯m like my mom, too! ¡°Ash, what the fuck does that mean?¡± I asked, exasperated. I have no idea! Isn¡¯t this great? Now let¡¯s go save that cute little elf. Your soul always tastes the best when you¡¯re not all dark and angry. One of these days we were going to need to work on her timing when it came to dropping existential bombs, but until then we had bigger fish to fry. Ignoring the strange looks I was getting from mypanions, I banished the de and started up the stairs. It didn¡¯t take long to affirm we were in the right ce. The room at the top was filled with a half dozen bodies that I figured were Nell¡¯s work. Reese knelt over one and frowned. ¡°Ochre Wolves. A shady mercenarypany with a very specific ¡®everything has its price¡¯ reputation.¡¯¡± ¡°So nobody that would be missed?¡± I asked. She shook her head and stood. ¡°Theirrades have already looted the bodies for anything of value, if that gives you a better idea of their standard grunts.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± I donned the magicloak and drew two short swords. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done, then.¡± If I hadn¡¯t already been nning to gut every asshole who raised a de against me tonight, what I found in the next room would have been enough to get me there. At least two dozen demi-human girls of varying ages huddled in cages not even tall enough for most of them to stand in. Many of them were either naked or dressed in rags that were only a step better, though I noticed a few that were in the finer clothes of the Swallow. They were all shivering, many clutching one another in the cold dank cer they were being kept in. I saw bowls full of something that couldn¡¯t possibly be considered food sitting just inside the cages, though more of them were empty than not. They all looked at me with fear and desperation in their eyes. The feedback from [Predator¡¯s Pursuit] was beginning to make my head spin. ¡°Zaren¡­¡± Serena breathed, gripping the back of my cloak with trembling fingers. ¡°Yeah. New n,¡± I agreed. ¡°Jack?¡± She nodded. ¡°On it.¡± She went around melting the locks with her bare hands while I pulled extra clothes and nkets from my storage. I searched their faces one by one as they hesitantly crept out of their cages, both relieved and frustrated not to see Ste¡¯s face among them. ¡°Serena,¡± I called. From her expression she knew exactly what I was about to ask, and she wasn¡¯t happy about it. ¡°The rest of us are going in hard and heavy. We¡¯ll draw plenty of attention, so give us about ten minutes then lead these girls out of whatever building is above us. Sandrel¡¯s people should be close by. Tell them to take the girls back to the Swallow until we can figure out somewhere better.¡± ¡°Y-you¡¯re sending us back?¡± one of the girls asked fearfully. Smiling wasn¡¯t exactly in my repertoire right now, but that¡¯s one of the many reasons I had Serena. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± She promised, caressing the girl¡¯s cheek. ¡°Madame Reade will be gone by the time we get back. The Swallow won¡¯t be the Swallow for much longer. You¡¯ll be safe there.¡± The girl didn¡¯t look convinced, but one look at the cage she¡¯d been freed from made her decision. I knew better than most that even the hell you knew could be better than the one you didn¡¯t. I pulled Serena in close and pressed my forehead to hers. ¡°Be quick about it. You know how I get myself into trouble when you aren¡¯t around.¡± ¡°I sure do,¡± she said, those green eyes twinkling. ¡°Try not to do anything too outrageous before I get back.¡± ¡°I make no promises.¡± I looked to the others and jerked my head. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± We didn¡¯t even make it out of the cer before things kicked off. Zoey was just reaching for the door when we heard voices on the other side. They were muffled, but I clearly heard one of them refer to ¡®merchandise.¡¯ I nodded for Zoey to stand back just as the door swung open, revealing a group of the same mercenaries we¡¯d found dead in the room before and two men who I figured were nobles from their dress. The nobles were there of their own free will, which sealed their fates. The mercenaries scrambled for their des but I was quicker. The first man was dead before the second even drew his de, and the second died before the third could manage to swing in the tight quarters of the hallway. I summoned Essence empowered tendrils and crashed into the guards, using the tight quarters and my shorter des against them. I heard the twang of a bowstring and more guards fell, then there was the unmistakable meaty thud of Safina¡¯s mace followed by screaming. Caught off guard, the mercenaries didn¡¯t stand a chance against us. I cut the first noble down with a single strike and lopped the second noble¡¯s arm off at the elbow when he tried to brandish a de at me. ¡°Y-you?¡± he cried, scrambling away from me and cradling his bleeding stump. He must have had a skill or item that involved some kind of healing because the blood stopped far too quickly. ¡°I know you! Aren¡¯t you supposed to be some kind of hero? You wouldn¡¯t kill an unarmed man!¡± It seemed word of my true identity was starting to get around. I leveled a de at him, still dripping with blood. ¡°I am a hero,¡± I told him, my voice deadly. ¡°I¡¯m just the kind of hero that the storybooks like to pretend doesn¡¯t exist.¡± He made a whimpering sound, then he turned and ran as fast as his feet would allow. As badly as I wanted to kill anyone who participated in a ve trade like this, I let him go. A screamer like him would draw plenty of attention from any mercenaries or guards remaining in the house, and I didn¡¯t feel like having to hunt them all down. As long as Allie was close, Sandrel¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t be far behind to scoop up anyone who might try to flee. I sucked in my breath as [Danger Sense] red to life again. ¡°Ste?¡± Jack asked after one look at my face. I nodded as relief flooded me. ¡°She¡¯s awake, somewhere upstairs. She¡¯s not in immediate danger, but we should be quick all the same.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on, then,¡± Jack said, grinning. ¡°We need to get your artificer safe so I can properly enjoy immting the scum of Kasidiel.¡± Chapter 104: Fiery Retribution Chapter 104: Fiery Retribution Fighting alongside Zaren was like nothing Jack had ever done before. In this life, at least. From how immediately they just clicked, he and Ria must have been a force of nature. She knew where he was going to be before he even started moving. She ignored enemies because she knew he¡¯d take care of them, and she was right every time. She hardly needed to look at him, instinctively knowing exactly where he¡¯d be at all times. Not that she could stop herself from sneaking peeks here and there. Gods he was magnificent, wrapped in those furious shadows that ripped and tore his enemies apart almost as efficiently as those des in his hand. More than once she wondered how their enemies felt as he cleaved through them. To an outsider, he must have been terrifying. Death incarnate with a cold, deadly expression. He never flinched. Never snarled or shouted. Never tried to intimidate his opponent or psych them out. Every strike was clean and calcted. The few attacks that managed to get past his defenses didn¡¯t seem to faze him in the slightest. It was in that moment she truly understood some of the monikers he¡¯d earned during the war. Reaper. yer. Deathbringer. Shadowborn. But Jack could see the truth. She saw the faint tick at his temple. The set of his jaw. The slight hunch to his shoulders as he threw himself at his foes, giving them no opportunity to breathe before he put them down. The way his thumbs worried the hard edges on the crossguards of his des, pressing hard enough that she thought he might be trying to draw blood. Zaren was a hound who knew his leash wasn¡¯t strong enough to hold him, and he was fighting so very hard to keep from snapping it. Safina was just as impressive. Brute strength wrapped in thick armor crackling with lightning. Every swing of her mace snapped bones and bent des. Even in hallways that were a little too tight for her to maneuver properly, her size and strength made her an absolute menace. She wasn¡¯t afraid to use her body as a weapon, shoulder checking guards and sweeping legs with her tail as often as she cracked skulls with her mace. Zoey was a gifted swordswoman, but shecked the experience the rest of the group had. The girl knew it, too. She fell back to cover their rear, taking on any guards that tried to nk them. Shecked the ferocity and presence of the other three melee fighters, but her slow and steady style suited her in this instance. Reese stayed in the center of the group firing arrow after arrow from her enchanted quiver, each one finding purchase even in these cramped quarters. In all honesty Jack was using more mental energy keeping her mes in check than actually fighting. She used [Forged in me] to conjure a set of swords nearly identical to Zaren¡¯s and cast [Cloak of the Phoenix] to protect herself. Her flesh turned to me in many areas, wreathing her in a cloak made of pure brilliant me that illuminated the hallway and reflected off the pools of crimson they left in their wake. The mercenaries they encountered as they cut their path through the manor weren¡¯t the same shit guards they¡¯d run into before. They were higher level, better trained, and had better equipment. Jack was good, but even she couldn¡¯t stop every blow. The pain turned to heat as [Body of me] plugged the holes they carved. Each one only pissed her off more. She wasn¡¯t sure how many of them they¡¯d carved through in this massive mansion when they all heard an ear-splitting shriek cut through the air. A short humanoid creature with batlike wings and a long, thin tail hurtled at them from above coated in mes. Four arrows punched into its tiny body in rapid session, three of them burning off before they had the chance to do any real damage. Jack called upon her [Sunfire Bow]. The arms sprang from her left wrist as she pulled back a glowing golden string. An arrow made of the crimson and golden mes sparked to life when she hit full draw and she released. The arrow struck true, and she felt a brief struggle as her golden mes fought against the dark crimson hellfire that surrounded the summoned imp. Hers won out and the imp faded to ash. The mercs around them all stepped back, eyeing her warily, just as the sounds of barking echoed through the halls. Two hounds made of the same hellfire came tearing around the corner, racing for the group. Jack took the one in the lead out with a double shot from her bow while Reese sunk two arrows into the shoulder of the second. It sprawled hard and Safina darted forward to smash its head in before it could recover. Zaren shot her a nce and she nodded with a grimace. It was fun while itsted, but she had a job to do. ¡°Let¡¯s move,¡± she said, dismissing her bow. Zoey surged forward, carving a path with wide sweeps of her de while Reese put arrows in arms and thighs to widen the gap. Jack followed them both down the path created by the cinder footprints of the hellhounds. They left Zaren and Safina behind and raced through the manor, but they didn¡¯t have to go far to find their quarry. Four¡¯s unique description would have been enough to recognize her. Soot ck skin and blood red hair with a set of bright orange eyes. The cor helped, too. mes seemed to crackle beneath her skin as she summoned another one of her hellspawn, a grimace set on her face. A creature like a bipedal insect rose from the ground. It was wrapped in thick carapace with hellfire leaking out of the gaps. ¡°Another fire user. Funny how people always think that¡¯ll help.¡± Jack grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girlie. I promise I¡¯m not just another fire user.¡± She flicked a hand and Zoey and Reese scattered to either side. She used [Forged in me] again, this time creating an almostical hammer from her mes. How it had enough weight to be used as a bludgeon she didn¡¯t really understand, but she¡¯d never cared enough to stop and think about it. She darted under the hellspawn¡¯s first swipe and mmed her hammer into its torso. The carapace was just as hard and heavy as it looked, but that just meant the beast was slow. It swiped at her with its four three-pronged ws, but Jack dodged them easily. She mmed the same spot on its armor over and over until it finally cracked. When it staggered back to try to cover its new weak spot she mmed her hammer into the knee closest to her. She twirled her weapon to build up momentum and brought it down on the hellspawn¡¯s head. There was a sickening crunch as its head sunk a good few inches into its body and the pressure from her blow caused the cracked part of the armor to burst outward, spilling hellfire and innards onto the floor. Four took a few nervous steps back as Jack walked through the hellfire spreading from the corpse, unbothered by its heat. It was affecting her health pool, but not enough to matter. Not as much as the intimidation factor her actions earned her, at least. Now, time to y her part. ¡°We need to keep the cored separate,¡± she called to her allies. ¡°We can¡¯t take them both at once.¡± Four¡¯s eyes narrowed like she sensed a trick, but she didn¡¯t say a word as her cor illuminated. Cracks of me spread along her hands and wrists again as she summoned three more hellhounds before turning and running deeper into the mansion. ¡°Go,¡± Jackmanded. She stepped forward to engage the hellhounds as Reese and Zoey took off after Four. Jack was really feeling the hammer right now, so she kept it. She smashed through the hellhounds with rtive ease, but their purpose was never to do anything more than stall her. She dismissed her hammer and took off after the others, keeping a keen eye out for Reese¡¯s marks. Four led them on a chase through the mansion, through half the building and up a flight of stairs until they were in what had to have been the back corner of the building. She turned the corner just in time to see Four summoning yet another hellspawn, this one a serpent that was as thick around as Jack¡¯s waist. Itunched at Zoey, but Jack intercepted it. It¡¯s long, scaly body wrapped around hers and started squeezing, so Jack let go of her control. She threw her arms around its neck and let her fire rage. Hellfire and Primal me warred, but hers won out in the end. It took less than sixty seconds before Jack was standing with a feral grin and the disembodied head of the hell serpent in one hand. ¡°What else you got in there?¡± she asked, tossing the head at Four¡¯s feet. ¡°What¡ªwhat are you?¡± Four demanded, shrinking back. ¡°She¡¯s a Fireborn,¡± a new voice said. ¡°And a strong one, at that.¡± Jack risked taking her eyes off Four to see a man in fine clothes and a wide smile on his face. At his side stood a cored Seelie that could only have been Seven. She eyed Jack with suspicion and a faint glimmer of hope. ¡°Seven,¡± the man said. The Seelie¡¯s cor lit up, confirming Jack¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Take care of the fires these two have left behind.¡± Seven grimaced, but she turned anyways. Wrapped around most of her thigh was a gorgeous winged serpent made entirely of water. It peeled off her skin, growing until it was evenrger than the serpent Jack had immted a moment ago. It flew past them, spraying water across the crimson and golden mes that Jack and Four had left in their wake. ¡°Honestly, Four,¡± the man said, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ve told you again and again to be mindful of your surroundings. This will call for punishmentter, you understand?¡± Four ducked her head and Seven shot a murderous look at the man¡¯s back, but his attention was back on Jack. ¡°I don¡¯t know who sent you girl, but you should know that I work for some very powerful people. I could make you rich beyond your wildest dreams if you came and worked for me.¡± Jack cocked her hip to the side and crossed her arms. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty happy with my current employer, thanks. Just can¡¯t beat his dick.¡± The man scowled, which made Jackugh. ¡°Valith sends her regards, by the way.¡± His scowl turned to a look of confusion, but Seven let out a relieved breath. ¡°You¡¯ve done it, then?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Fucking finally.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Gallow barked. ¡°Seven, restrain her.¡± Seven¡¯s cor illuminated and she tapped the tattoo on her opposite thigh. Beautiful, intricate vines slithered off of her and tangled together until they were in the shape of a man. ¡°Eat shit and die, Gallow.¡± He whirled, his eyes wide and his face reddening with rage, but the vine man mmed into him hard. It wrapped a hand around Gallow¡¯s throat and lifted him from the ground as the vines began to emerge from its body, wrapping around the man¡¯s body until they could bind his hands and gag him. ¡°Sev?¡± Four asked, eyes wide. ¡°Sorry love,¡± Seven said sheepishly. ¡°I wanted to tell you about Fourteen so badly, but I couldn¡¯t risk it. I¡¯ll exinter, just try to resist for a second.¡± mes erupted from Jack¡¯s hands, wrapping around them like ws. Four¡¯s cor illuminated and forced her into action. She summoned more hellhounds, but Jack ripped through them easily. She waved her hand and called out a wave of imps, but Seven¡¯s water serpent swooped down from above and swallowed them all. Then she called up two of the serpents, but they wilted under the intensity of Jack¡¯s mes as she let her control slip a little more. Jack¡¯s mes were so brilliant that Four never noticed Reese slinking through the dark. While Zoey bound and gagged Gallow with real rope, Reese hurled one of Rhani¡¯s creations at Four¡¯s back. It started as a disc only to spring into ropes tipped with weighted bronze triangles. Four let out a strangled cry as they wrapped around her, but before she could call any more hellspawn to her side it activated. Golden lightning raced across her skin, causing her to seize. She convulsed for a second before the lighting turned a dark crimson and the cor around her throat glowed red. ¡°Wh¡ªhow¡ª¡± she panted. ¡°No time,¡± Jack said, dismissing her ws and cloak. She knelt down over Four and touched her finger to the cor. ¡°That ss of yourse with any fire resistance?¡± ¡°A-a bit,¡± she stammered, eyes wide. ¡°How¡¯s your pain tolerance?¡± Her eyes flicked to Jack¡¯s hands. ¡°You can get it off?¡± ¡°I can try.¡± Hope red in her expression, reced immediately by raw determination. ¡°Fucking do it. I don¡¯t give a shit how much of me you burn away.¡± Jack gripped a part of the cor opposite the hinge between two fingers and focused her me into it. Four gasped, then jammed her eyes shut as the cor started to glow orange from the heat. Her breath starteding in pants and the smell of burning flesh hit Jack¡¯s nose, then the magic in the cor started to short. Moving as quick as she dared, Jack grabbed the cor with both hands and yanked. She grunted with the strain, but the weakened part of the cor eventually gave. It snapped and the cor went skittering away, ruined and unusable. As it should be. Jack stepped back to get her mes under control as Reese helped Four untangle herself from her trap. She¡¯d barely gotten Four on her feet before Seven was crashing into her with tears leaking from her eyes. Seven pulled back enough to look at Jack with her arms still around a shell shocked Four. Jack held up a ming finger with a raised brow, but Seven just paled and shook her head. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m more than happy to wear a rigged cor until I can have it removed in a way that doesn¡¯t involve me getting burnt to a crisp.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand,¡± Four stammered. From how hard Gallow was struggling against his bonds, neither did he. Seven walked over to him, then struck him with enough force to make Jack wince. ¡°Now Zaren Nocht has five of us, you rotten bastard. It¡¯ll only be a matter of time before he finds the rest.¡± The blood drained from Gallow¡¯s face, but Seven was already turning towards Jack. ¡°Don¡¯t suppose you know anyone who specializes in torture? If anyone deserves it, it¡¯s this piece of shit.¡± Jack nodded. ¡°I might know a guy. Zoey, you take this asshole to Sandrel¡¯s guys. Reese, you get these two to Valith.¡± ¡°Not Zaren?¡± Zoey asked. Jack shook her head. ¡°While I¡¯m sure Zaren is more than capable of pulling every secret out of this guy¡¯s skull, I¡¯m not sure I want him to. I don¡¯t want him to have to be that version of himself ever again.¡± Zoey nodded curtly, then threw Gallow over her shoulder easily. Reese looked like she wanted to argue about her assignment, but she just jerked her head at Four and Seven. Jack knew she was going off book right now, but she couldn¡¯t leave while Zaren was still fighting. Especially since she didn¡¯t know if Serena had found her way back to him yet. Four looked like she had a few hundred questions, but she seemed smart enough to know that now wasn¡¯t the time to ask them. She let Seven take the lead of the group and then they were gone. Once they were out of sight, Jack summoned a small me in the palm of her hand. It was something she¡¯d learned she could do only recently, and she¡¯d yet to tell anyone about it. For now, it was her secret and hers alone. The me acted like any ordinary me for a few seconds, but as she watched it started to pull slightly to the side. Like a soft wind was brushing the tongues of fire just enough for her to see it. The fire was pulling towards Zaren. Her own personalpass. It had a rather limited range, but the mansion she¡¯d chased Four through was well within whatever boundaries this new skill had. Once she was sure of the direction she dismissed the me and sprinted down the hallway. Not for the first time and definitely not for thest she couldn¡¯t help but grin. It was so fucking great to finish a fight and not have her tits spilling out everywhere. She was going to have to thank Zaren for his shadow armor, and now that she had the ability to ns were already springing to mind. But that was forter, after they¡¯d rescued the little elf. Jack wanted desperately to meet her. The reincarnated version of the girl who¡¯d managed to piece together the wreck Ria had left in her wake. The one who¡¯d helped design the array that had given Jack a glimpse at a future that didn¡¯t involve crippling loneliness. Unfortunately, Jack¡¯s first look at the girl was less than ideal. She was on her knees at the foot of a man in fine noble clothes, bound and gagged with tear streaks on her face. Like Jack and about a dozen men with crossbows they stood on the second floor, aiming down at Zaren who stood with Safina at his back on the level below. The man had her hair wrapped around his fist to hold her head up and a de pressed to her throat. The triumphant smile on his face made Jack¡¯s skin crawl, but there wasn¡¯t shit she could do from her position. She¡¯d have to get through half the crossbowmen, and her skillset didn¡¯t exactly lend itself to a stealthy approach. Fuck, why had she sent Reese away? That girl could have solved this whole situation with a few well ced arrows. ¡°Jack.¡± The whisper at her back was the only reason she didn¡¯t swing on the hand that brushed her shoulder. She looked over her shoulder to see Allie, Tiana and the rest of her team behind her. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea. How bright can you make your mes?¡± # # # A few minutes earlier: I didn¡¯t like this. Something was off. There was a trap here, I just couldn¡¯t see it. Ste was getting closer with each mercenary I cut down, but that only made my nerves feel more raw. It was almost a relief when I walked into what must have been the main hall to a row of crossbowmen all prepared for my arrival. A toon of mercenaries equipped with swords and shields waited for me in formation with grim expressions on the floor in front of me. On the second story, just as many mercenaries with crossbows stood with their weapons pointing over the banister, waiting for me to make my move. And in the center of them all, unarmed, was a man I hadn¡¯t met but recognized. ¡°Councilman Nairn,¡± I called, wiping a spatter of blood from my face. ¡°Why am I not surprised.¡± ¡°Zaren Nocht. I must say I am surprised,¡± the man said. He couldn¡¯t have been much older than me, yet he was one of the most powerful men in Amesseria. ¡°I was told you¡¯d be arriving soon, but I must admit I didn¡¯t anticipate just how soon. You continue to impress.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I aim to be a pain in the ass, what can I say?¡± ¡°You seed in that, Godyer.¡± If he was expecting me to be surprised, he was sorely mistaken. ¡°I wondered how things fell so far so fast in my absence. In the end, traitors on the council was the only thing that made sense. I know Bryce was dirty, but he must have outlived his usefulness. How long before you can say the same?¡± ¡°When I bring my master Zaren Nocht on a tter? Oh I think my usefulness is just beginning.¡± Nairn¡¯s face twisted in a slimy grin. ¡°I have to say, you certainly live up to the legends. In fact, I¡¯m sure you could still cut through every man in this room and kill me.¡± The men on the ground all shifted uneasily at his words, but they didn¡¯t break formation. ¡°The question is, can you do it in time to save the little elf?¡± My stomach plummeted as he snapped his fingers. The next thing I knew Ste was being dragged out from a room behind him. [Danger Sense] told me she was nearby, but now it was ringing as loud as it ever had. Her hands were tied behind her back and her face was bruised. She¡¯d been gagged, and there were tracks where tears had fallen. The fear in her eyes as they found me made my shadows shift and shudder angrily. It took every shred of self control I possessed to keep from reacting as the guard shoved her to her knees in front of Nairn. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked, pressing a de to her throat. ¡°I must admit I was skeptical when my master gave her to me. That she was apparently linked to someone who had the potential to cause us no end of problems. And yet, here we are.¡± I took a breath. ¡°You should know that if you hurt her then I will kill you. Painfully. And there¡¯s not a force in this world that can stop that from happening. Surrender now and incarceration is the worst you¡¯ll get.¡± Heughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that negotiating only works when you do it from a position of power? No, Nocht. You¡¯ll give me that de my master wants so desperately or I¡¯ll open your little elf¡¯s throat up from ear to ear.¡± It always came back to the de. To Ash. I dismissed the two short des in my hands and pulled the Jailer¡¯s de from my storage. I rested my thumb on thetch and everyone in the room tensed. It seemed they¡¯d been warned of what I was capable of. All you gotta do is stall a little longer, Ash said in my mind. ¡°You know, Nairn,¡± I said, looking up at him, ¡°I¡¯m impressed. This trap might have worked on me thirty years ago, but you made a mistake.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°Oh? And what that might be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the same as I was in the war. I¡¯ve evolved. Learned a few lessons. Grown as a person.¡± Nairn scowled. ¡°Enough, Nocht. Toss the de on the ground and get on your knees.¡± A little longer¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, Nairn. After all, dead men can¡¯t pass on the lessons they learned. Like what happens when you fuck with the people I care about.¡± Then several things happened at once. Jack went soaring over my head, leaping off the top balcony and aiming for the toon of soldiers. I was pretty sure I saw her shoot me a wink just before she erupted into brilliant golden mes, bathing the room in her light. The intense light cast dark shadows as she fell below the floor of the second story. Shadows that Allie used to pop out behind Nairn, her de drawn and coated in darkness. She shed across the forearm holding the de, sending it ttering to the ground, and cut his other hand off at the wrist. I used [Echoes of Darkness] at the same time, sending a copy of myself made from shadows shooting forward towards the soldiers. The men with crossbows above¡ªalready tense and jumpy¡ªloosed their bolts. Two were knocked away from me by my shadows while the rest mmed into my shadow copy. Before they could even begin to reload arcane bolts and beams of crystalline energy were erupting from somewhere on the second level. Allie twisted, wrapping her body around Ste and throwing up a shield of ice as Nairn howled and fell back, clutching his stump. More bolts from somewhere I couldn¡¯t see crashed into them while more mercenaries charged her, but Nora was quicker. She crashed through them with her hammer, sending more than a few tumbling over the edge and onto the ground below. Safina crashed past me, leaping into the fray of panicking mercenaries dealing with a Jack-shaped me. Jack was like an anvil and Safina was the hammer that crushed them between her. She kept charging through until she hit the wall behind them and turned back towards me. Once I¡¯d banished the Jailer¡¯s de once again, I was hot on her heels, using [Echoes of Darkness] again to summon a copy that helped clear my path. Safina mmed her mace into one of the mercenary¡¯s skulls and left it there, interlocking her fingers and giving me a foothold. My boot had barely met her hands before she was heaving me up,unching me up and over the banister and onto the second floor. After that it was easy to finish off the rest of the soldiers under Nairn¡¯s employ. The spot he¡¯d chosen was easily defensible unless you had a seven-and-a-half foot tall Half-dragon strong enough to chuck you up a level. Now that we had the better position the mercenaries could onlye at us two at a time. It wasn¡¯t long before the Ochre Wolves realized they were outmatched. Some surrendered, more ran. The fighting had barely stopped when Ste crashed into my side, burying her face in my shirt. ¡°You came,¡± she breathed. ¡°I knew you would, but¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± I said, rubbing her back. I slipped a hand under her shirt and her breath caught, but it was only to ce my palm over the mark that kept her tethered to the Swallow. A quick cast of [Sever]ter and she was well and truly free. ¡°I¡¯ve got you now.¡± I let her sob into my shirt while the others went around disarming mercenaries. One tried to get clever, but after Safina threw him into the wall hard enough to break his back the others got the message. It was just as she¡¯d started to rx that Serena arrived, dragging a limp Nairn behind her. ¡°Sorry, got caught up with some more captives. Found this one, though.¡± She dumped him at my feet and Ste buried herself deeper in my arms. I watched him just long enough to see his chest moving up and down and arched a brow at her. She let out a breath. ¡°I healed him enough to stop the bleeding. I¡¯m guessing the fact that he¡¯s alive means you nned it that way?¡± ¡°You would be correct,¡± I told her. ¡°A councilman answering for his crimes will do much more for us than one who simply died for them.¡± ¡°Speaking of answering for your crimes,¡± a familiar voice said. I rolled my eyes and turned towards Sandrel, not letting go of Ste. He was looking over the room with an impressed expression as his guys came in and took custody of the mercenaries. ¡°I have missed seeing the art you leave in your wake.¡± ¡°Sandrel. Fancy seeing you here,¡± I said, grinning. He grinned right back. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡± Then his expression sobered. ¡°Gonna be tough to deal with this one, though. A noble¡¯s house is one thing, but a councilman? That shit stirrer Councilman Miles is already outside with a contingent of guards waiting to take you into custody. With how fast he got here, I¡¯d be shocked if he wasn¡¯t involved.¡± I sighed. ¡°I figured.¡± I grabbed Ste by the shoulders and gently pried her off me. ¡°I need you to go with Serena right now,¡± I said, wiping her cheeks with my thumbs. ¡°Wh-what? No, I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Ste,¡± I said gently. ¡°Serena¡¯s going to take you home. Our home. You never have to set foot in the Swallow again, but I¡¯ve got some things I need to deal with right now. I¡¯ll feel a lot better if you¡¯re safe at the manor, so please go with her.¡± She sniffled, then nodded. ¡°Okay. Promise you¡¯ll be there?¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t keep me away if they tried. Trust me.¡± She let me hand her off to Serena, who shot me a worried look. I inclined my head. ¡°Get with Valith and get her and the other two back as quick as you can. I¡¯ll be there after I deal with Miles. Take the demi-humans with you, just in case.¡± Serena took a breath, then put on her bestforting face. ¡°Come on. The quicker we get moving the quicker we get home. We can get you some food and a nice hot bath.¡± I watched them go before I turned to Allie. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± That brought me no small amount of relief. I grabbed her by the back of her neck so I could press my forehead to hers. ¡°Come on, then. Let¡¯s go get arrested.¡± Safina wasn¡¯t happy about leaving me behind, but one look at Ste¡¯s pitiful appearance and her protective instincts went into overdrive. Jack, Tiana, Nora, and Therese were all as adamant about not leaving me as Allie had been. I wasn¡¯t sure what I¡¯d done to earn such loyalty, but I was hardly going to turn them away now. I dragged Councilman Nairn through the mansion by the scruff of his blood soaked robes. Just as Sandrel had warned, an entire toon of city guards were waiting for us at the front door. The man I recognized as Councilman Miles stood at their head with a smug expression. I just loved it when my enemies provided an audience for me. One that fell as soon as I dumped Nairn¡¯s unconscious form at his feet. ¡°Oh, good. You¡¯re timing is excellent, councilmen. Gentlemen,¡± I said, nodding to the guards at his back, ¡°please take Councilman Nairn into custody.¡± Miles sputtered. ¡°Wh¡ªon what grounds!?¡± ¡°Kidnapping, theft, trafficking, take your pick.¡± I shrugged. ¡°My people are gathering evidence right now, so we¡¯ll know more soon enough.¡± One of the guards stepped forward with a pair of handcuffs uncertainly, only to freeze when he saw the stump of Nairn¡¯s arm. Miles swatted him away. ¡°Get back, you fool! Lord Nocht, you are under arrest for trespassing, murder, and¡ª¡± ¡°Actually, Councilman, you¡¯ll find I was well within my rights,¡± I said. ¡°Mercenaries under Nairn¡¯s employ kidnapped servants who legally belong to me. I was merely retrieving them, and in the process I discovered Nairn¡¯s crimes.¡± The guards heads snapped between me and him as if watching a bout. Miles was turning a shade of purple by this point. ¡°If a wrong wasmitted against you, then you should have gone through proper channels and¡ª¡± ¡°And allow him to sell my servants in the time it takes you to decide you want to put resources towards it? I don¡¯t think so.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Unless you¡¯re saying that Patrons have no real right to reim their property. That would be a dangerous precedent, councilor. Just imagine how many demi-humans might disappear behind closed doors if that were the case.¡± Miles nched, then he paled. No doubt he sensed he no longer had the upper hand, if he¡¯d ever had it at all. ¡°You still had no right tounch an attack on a councilman¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Wrong again. As magistrate of the lower quarter, I would argue that it is my duty to protect the wellbeing of those who call my quarter home. I haven¡¯t had the chance to install a quarter guard just yet, so I took the liberty of doing things the old fashioned way.¡± ¡°You¡ªI¡ªthere¡¯s¡ªthere is no magistrate for the lower quarter!¡± ¡°There wasn¡¯t,¡± I agreed, ¡°but I rectified that a few hours ago. You¡¯ll find that all the proper paperwork is in order.¡± I could see the gears turning in his head. If I wasn¡¯t bluffing, that meant I had as much power as he did. Maybe even more so. Challenging me outright would be disastrous for him, especially if he was as crooked as I suspected. ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll be taking custody of any and all demi-humans on the premises. While you and your humanpatriots might be protected by your status,¡± he spat thest word like it was vile on his tongue, ¡°and demi-humans who caused harm to the citizens of this city must be incarcerated immediately.¡± I just shook my head again. ¡°Sorry, that won¡¯t work either. You see, any demi-humans that fought here today did so under my orders, which makes their actions my actions. Unless, of course, you¡¯re saying a demi-human should disobey a direct order if they consider that order uwful. Another dangerous precedent to set, Councilor.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªno, of course I¡¯m not saying that,¡± he said quickly, his eyes darting around to the guards behind him. Only they weren¡¯t the only audience watching our little show anymore. Themotion had drawn a small crowd who were paying close attention to our conversation. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a relief. That said, if you¡¯re dead set on punishing someone, you¡¯re wee to arrest me.¡± I held my hands out with my wrists together. ¡°I take full responsibility for the demi-humans under me. Though,¡± I said as his hopes started to rise, ¡°I suppose that causes another precedent issue. I¡¯m not sure how many Patrons would stay free men if we started punishing them for the actions of their servants. Your choice, councilor.¡± His face mottled with rage as the full implications of what I¡¯d done hit him. The very same system that allowed men like him and Nairn to take advantage of the demi-humans now protected me. If he wanted to take me down, he¡¯d have to go through his own rigged system to do it. Not only that, but I¡¯d t out told him and anyone else listening exactly how I¡¯d done it. I was sure our conversation would be spread out through the city by nightfall, which meant that anyone who had the desire to could do what I just did. Unfortunately, while his arrogance might have gotten him into this, Miles wasn¡¯t aplete fool. He knew when he¡¯d been outsmarted. ¡°Captain, please take Councilman Nairn into custody until we can see this mess sorted out. Magistrate Nocht, I assume I don¡¯t have to request you remain in the city while the investigation is underway?¡± I inclined my head. ¡°If you need anything at all, you know where to find me.¡± He spun on his heel and stormed off without another word. Some guards grabbed Nairn, several of them looking at me with fearful expressions which werepletely understandable considering I was still covered in blood. Several shot me covert nods of respect and Imitted those faces to memory. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you pulled that off,¡± Allie breathed. Tiana nodded, looking a little green. ¡°I¡¯m shocked he backed down so easily.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t have a choice,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like I told you back in Anford. I don¡¯t have to do anything to get rid of the ords. Not really. A corrupt system will always expose itself eventually, you just need the patience and timing to take advantage when it does. This is the first domino, the rest will fall soon enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I keep trying to tell Rr,¡± Sandrel said, strutting up with his hands in his pockets, ¡°but the old fart¡¯s just too rigid. He thinks the only way to get rid of the ords is with staunch resistance, but the harder he pushes the more rigid they be.¡± ¡°It¡¯s why we were the ones to do all the shit like this,¡± I told him, ¡°and Rr was the one who sent us to do it.¡± He grunted his agreement. ¡°Go home to your women, I¡¯ll handle things here. We¡¯ll turn the ce over before Miles and his rats get a chance to get in and hide anything. If I find anything, you¡¯ll be the first to know.¡± ¡°I appreciate that.¡± He just shrugged. ¡°You did all the hard work. I¡¯m too old for all that business, don¡¯t you know.¡± I snorted. ¡°Really? You don¡¯t look a day over seventy.¡± He wagged a finger at me. ¡°You know, when I was your age¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, kiss my ass gramps.¡± I flipped him off and threw one arm around Allie and the other around Tiana. ¡°Go have all your young and spry employees do all the hard work while I climb into my giant bed with all the gorgeous women crazy enough to let me.¡± He scoffed and threw his hands up, then walked back towards the mansion with a chuckle. Allie just cocked a brow and grabbed a handful of my ass. ¡°Crazy, huh?¡± I gave her a squeeze. ¡°You really think someonepletely sane would put up with me?¡± ¡°Not a chance,¡± Tiana said. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m sure Ste, Noelle, and Rhani are all going to be nervous wrecks until we get back.¡± I winced. ¡°Yeah, something tells me Noelle won¡¯t let me out of my sight today. She¡¯s gonna be pissed I made her stay behind.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll just have to make it up to her,¡± Jack said with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few ideas if you¡¯re struggling.¡± ¡°Something tells me that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Therese said. I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! No chapter today No chapter today Announcement Hello all! I know that we just had a break, but unfortunately it seems I will need to take another. Between having to prepare for theing holidays, a smidgen of writer''s block, and the release of a book I have been waiting for desperately for well over a year now, I have gotten absolutely nothing done on the Shadowborn front. No chapter today, and expect some dys during the holiday season because my work schedule will be erratic. Apologies, and I''ll see you for the next one! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!