A Dragon’s Tale

Chapter 23: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer

* * *

Selene took a deep, calming breath and let it out slowly.  She was standing in the observation room that looked into one of the interrogation rooms.  Sitting on the other side of the two-way mirror was Hailey Oswald.  The guards -- or perhaps ’henchmen’ was more accurate -- had separated the three ’visitors’ and she’d been told they were all going to separate interrogation rooms.

She almost snorted; they called them ’visitors’ when ’prisoners’ was more accurate.  Come to think of it, they had called her a ’visitor’ at least once before.

Hmm...

”Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”  Smithbond said.  She hadn’t noticed him enter the room. 

”What do you want from them?”  She asked. 

”Information mostly.  She would’ve learned a lot about 10K1 while she was there.  We need to know what she knows.” 

Selene raised her eyebrow.  ”Wouldn’t it have been easier to show up with a badge and request the information?  Did you really need to kidnap her?” 

”Detain.”  Smithbond corrected.  ”When citizens do it it’s kidnapping; when the government does it, it’s called detainment.” 

”A rose by any other name...”  She countered.

”Miss Dawson, I’m not going to argue with you.”  He said firmly.  ”You can either get in there and do the interrogation yourself, or I can find someone else to do it.”

Something about the way he said it made Selene think that ’someone else’ wouldn’t be nearly as nice as she herself would be. 

”For the record, I think you’re going about this all wrong.”  She replied as she walked to the door.  ”The stick works best in combination with the carrot, not all by itself.” 

He looked impassive.  ”Noted.”

She resisted the urge to glare at him before walking through the door into the interrogation room.

Hailey did glare at her. 

”Good morning and I’m sorry.”  Selene said, figuring that since she had no clue what was going on, honesty was the best policy.  ”I had no clue that my ’colleague’ had kidnapped you until it was already done.”  She said, putting the word ’colleague’ in air quotes. 

”I didn’t realize the FBI was kidnapping people these days.”  Hailey replied with all the warmth of a winter snowstorm.  

”They aren’t.  Truthfully, I don’t know who these jokers are.”  Selene said as she sat down in the aluminum chair across from the willowy woman.  ”I didn’t give them what they wanted so they made a phone call.  Five minutes later I wasn’t an FBI agent anymore.”

”And now you’re working for them?”

”Something like that.”  Selene grimaced.  ”Trust me, you’d rather talk to me than my ’colleague’.” 

Hailey scoffed.  ”Where the hell are Jason and Melinda?” 

”Probably the other side of that wall.”  She nodded to the wall behind Hailey, where she thought the other interrogation rooms were. 

”I’m not saying shit until I see them.  Hell, I’m not saying jack unless they’re in the room with me.”

Selene opened her mouth to reply when she heard the door behind her open.  It was Smithbond.  He walked into the room and right up to Hailey so he was towering over her in her personal space.

”Miss Oswald.”  He said in a tone that was both conversational and menacing.  ”You can either talk to Miss Dawson here and now, or I will be conducting the interrogation personally.” 

Hailey stood up as much as she could with her hands cuffed to the desk and then looked Smithbond right in the eye, though he was much taller.  The willowy woman sized him up for a moment before speaking.

 ”Fuck.  You.” 

Smithbond smiled politely.  Then without warning, his hand shot out and grabbed the back of Hailey’s head.  Before either woman could react he had slammed Hailey’s face into the steel table.  Hailey cried out in pain as a trickle of blood started dribbling out of her nose.

”What the fuck!”  Selene jumped out of her chair and her hand went to her holster...  then she remembered that they’d taken her weapon. 

”She was being uncooperative.”  He replied as if they were discussing the weather.  ”I’m making her cooperative.” 

”Like hell you are!”  Selene snapped back.  ”You can’t do that!” 

He shrugged and then reached down and grabbed a fistful of Hailey’s hair.  Near two decades of her father’s tutelage in martial arts came rushing back in an instant. She nearly leapt across the table to bring her hand down on his wrist at a pressure point.  He let go of Hailey’s hair and twisted his hand to block her strike.  

WHAM!

Selene saw stars. 

She wasn’t even sure where his strike had come from because she hadn’t seen it coming.  She staggered back, trying to catch her balance.  She’d been hit before, and hard, but that had been something else. 

Smithbond grabbed Hailey -- who was still handcuffed to the table -- and pulled her to her feet by her hair.  ”Now, do you have something to tell me?” 

”Fuck off.”  Hailey said, sounding even more defiant than last time.  For some reason, Selene got the impression that this wasn’t her first time being beaten.  Smithbond shrugged and pulled her head back, presumably to slam her into the table again. 

Selene reacted.

She leapt forward, making sure to keep her defenses up and footing stable.  Smithbond saw her coming, let go of Hailey, and aimed a counter-punch.  Selene blocked it, then twisted her arm around to trap his hand and put his wrist in a joint-lock. 

Or at least, that had been her plan.

He must’ve predicted it because he dodged the joint lock and managed to grab Selene’s wrist.  She opened her hand and twisted her arm towards his thumb to escape, a move which had never failed before... until now.  With a deft twist and inside step, his other fist avoided her block and impacted her gut.  Even with all her training to reduce impacts, he outweighed her by a lot and hit like a freight train. 

She doubled over...

...just in time for her face to meet his knee.  

She heard a popping sound as she saw stars for a second time.  She must’ve blacked out for a split second because the next thing she knew, she was on the ground.  Her head was pounding, so she must’ve hit it when she fell.  It was also hard to get back to her feet when the world was spinning.  She looked up to see a very disappointed Smithbond standing over her. 

He wasn’t even breathing hard.

”If you’re so concerned about Miss Oswald, perhaps you should share a cell with her until you learn something.”  He said coldly. 

She had planned to respond, but the headache was making it hard.  For a moment she thought he might’ve been kidding.  Then she realized; he wasn’t kidding.  Not in the slightest.

He turned to Hailey.  ”Miss Oswald, I will give you the night to reconsider being cooperative.  Then I will begin interrogating your friends...  starting with the pregnant one.” 

Selene felt her jaw drop as Hailey’s eyes went wide.

”Over my dead body.”  Selene struggled to her feet, the blood running hot in her veins at the mere thought of Smithbond assaulting a pregnant woman.

”Your funeral.”  He shrugged.  ”Just don’t make that literal.” 

It took a moment for Selene to realize that he might not be kidding. 

She raised her fists anyway. 

* * *

”Rachel, are you awake?”  Alana called to her best friend from just outside the makeshift curtain that separated the girl’s area from the rest of the ship.  The girl’s sleeping area was near the bow of the Argo on the lower deck, and despite all the fighting earlier, the ship seemed rather peaceful.  She supposed it was the proverbial calm after the storm.

”Yeah.”  Came the redhead’s reply, sounding like she was deep in thought.

”May I come in?”

”Sure.”

Alana ducked through the blanket to the ladies’ sleeping area.  There were four hammocks, but only two were presently being used, with Anthiel sleeping in the other.  Around both hammocks were neat piles of clothing.  Near the high elf’s hammock was a collection of colorful dresses, while the teen mage’s collection was much more practical.  Alana had never seen her wear a dress, as she preferred slacks and blouses.  They were still feminine clothes, but not ’girly’.

”What’s up?”  Rachel asked from deep in her hammock.

”Three things.  First, Ethan wanted your advice on the best way to enchant himself for combat.”

”Sure.”  She replied absentmindedly.

”Second, he wanted to get your advice on how to make it so he and all his wives can all talk to each other at once.”

”I don’t have any experience with that, but I’ll do what I can.  What’s the third thing?”

”I thought you should know that Kendra saw what happened earlier.”  The wood elf replied, then explained how Anthiel had seen the dragon huntress sneaking off the ship.

”Hmm.”  Rachel sat up looking thoughtful.  ”Did she have her weapons with her?” 

”Anthiel said she had a Dragon Slayer bow, but only one arrow.” 

”Hmm.”  The beautiful redhead frowned.  ”Does that mean she would’ve attacked if she had another arrow, or that she only had the arrow for defense and was doing reconnaissance?”

”I don’t know.”  The chocolate-haired elf replied.  ”Taloni thought she was here to help.”

”I can’t decide if she’s incredibly insightful or incredibly naïve.”  Rachel replied. 

”Really?”  Alana asked, feeling confused.

”Well, think about it.”  The redhead replied.  ”There was no way Kendra could’ve known that Kyrupto was going to arrive, and there’s no way that anyone would think he was our ally.  If Kendra’s goal was to kill Ethan, why not attack after Kyrupto left?  He obviously wasn’t an ally, and if she had wanted to kill Ethan, why didn’t she?  She had ample opportunity before Anthiel noticed her.  A surprise attack would’ve been successful, but she retreated instead of attacking.  Why?” 

”Good point.”  The wood elf replied.  ”So, why did she come aboard then?”

”Beats me.”  The redhead shrugged.  ”She’s done some very confusing things lately.” 

”Agreed.”  Alana noticed that Rachel’s nose crinkled slightly whenever she was deep in thought.  It was adorable. 

”What?”  The redhead asked.

”Nothing.”  Alana blushed slightly as she realized she might’ve been staring.  ”We should probably go see Ethan though.” 

”Sure.”  Rachel said but didn’t move.

”Was there something else?”

The redhead stared at her thoughtfully for a moment.  ”Do you like being married?” 

”I love it, why?”  She couldn’t help but smile.

Rachel nodded thoughtfully.  ”Why do you love it?”

”Uh...”  She hesitated.  Why did she like being married?  A flood of reasons came to her and it took a moment to pick which was the biggest reason.  ”Because I have someone to share my life with.  Life can be really uncertain, and dangerous, and lonely sometimes.  I like knowing that no matter what happens, I’ll be by his side.  I’ll have someone to talk to and lean on, especially when life gets rough.” 

Rachel got a mournful smile on her face.  ”That sounds nice.” 

”What’s wrong?” 

The teen mage hesitated a moment then shook her head, climbed out of the hammock, and stood up.  ”Never mind.  Let’s go find Ethan.” 

”You don’t have to talk about it, but you look like you want to.  Do you?”

Rachel gave her a genuine smile, which was strange because the teen mage also looked like she was on the edge of tears as she sat back down.

”Yes.”  Rachel admitted, her lip trembling slightly as she replied.

”What is it then?”  Alana asked, walking over and sitting down on the hammock next to her best friend.

”I don’t want to end up alone.”  Rachel whispered after several moments.  Her tone sounded like someone who was telling a grave secret or revealing forbidden knowledge.

”Why would you?  You’ll always have us.” 

”That’s kind to say, but eventually you and Ethan and his other wives will want to settle down somewhere.  I’ll move to Arcanum to study to become an Arch Mage.  I’m sure we’ll still see each other, but we’ll drift apart.  And if I’m always studying, I won’t have time for...” 

Rachel trailed off, looking out one of the small porthole windows that lined the lower deck of the Argo to let light into the lower decks. 

She looked mournful.

”You seem to have put a lot of thought into this.”  The wood elf observed. 

”Something like that.”  Rachel replied, still looking out the window.  ”I want to become an Arch Mage, I do, but what’s the good of achieving all your dreams if...” 

Rachel sighed.

”...if you’re alone when you arrive.”  Alana finished.  ”Yeah, that would be...  Yeah, I understand.” 

Rachel continued, and it sounded like she almost couldn’t stop herself.  ”I see how happy you, Beth, and Taloni are being married to Ethan.  I want that, maybe not with Ethan, but I want it.  And yet, he’s such a good guy; I have trouble believing that I could find a man to measure up, you know?” 

”I do, yes.”

”Right.”  Rachel nodded and looked back at her.  ”I don’t want to settle, but it seems impossible that I’ll meet another man as good as Ethan.  He just tried to give up his most precious possession in the entire world to save me, and then he nearly died protecting me.  I mean, who does that?” 

Alana couldn’t help but smile.  ”My husband.” 

”Yeah.”  Rachel sighed.  ”But who else?  I could maybe see a man doing that for his wife, but for just a friend?”

”I don’t think you’re ’just a friend’ to him Rachel.”  Alana said quietly. 

The redhead’s eyes got big.  ”Really?”

”Really.”  She replied seriously.  ”He really cares about you and values your opinion.  You’re a great friend to him, a close friend, a confidant and trusted advisor.”  She felt like the redhead was more, but wasn’t sure how to put it into words.

”Oh.”  Rachel said, and her shoulder slumped slightly, like one of those deflating balloons Ethan had once described.

”Did you want to be more?”  Alana asked, trying to keep her tone neutral instead of hopeful. 

”No.”  Rachel replied a little too quickly and a little too high-pitched to be perfectly believable. 

Alana managed to prevent herself from jumping for joy. 

She knew it.

Rachel was attracted to Ethan, and she was pretty sure her husband was also attracted to her best friend. She managed to prevent an ear-to-ear smile from creeping onto her face.  If Rachel really had fallen for him -- and it seemed that she had -- it was only a matter of time.  The redhead probably didn’t realize it herself yet, but she would be married to Ethan too.  Maybe not soon, but eventually. 

Alana put her arm around the redhead.  ”Rachel, you’re only nineteen.  You don’t need to have everything figured out right now.  It will all be okay in the end; if it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

”Okay.”  Rachel said with a sigh. 

”The end.”  The wood elf said with a wink. 

Her best friend chuckled. 

Rachel straightened up, took a deep breath, and then turned to Alana with a much happier look on her face.  ”Let’s see if we can help Ethan and his lovely wives with their communication problem, shall we?” 

She couldn’t help but smile at the compliment, though it wasn’t directly aimed at her. 

* * *

”My lord the king?”

The king straightened up from the war council table and nodded for Delabor to enter. The cavernous room was made from dozens of trees that had been planted in a circle, so they had grown together to form the walls.  The ceiling had been formed by branches that curved inwards, growing together so they met in a domed ceiling.  From the outside, it simply looked like a tree with an impressively wide trunk.  

From the inside, it was even more impressive.

The high domed ceiling towered fifty feet above the floor.  The many tree trunks that had grown together almost gave the appearance that you were inside the ribcage of some great beast of Illuminar.  Around the edge of the room were placed torch sconces -- set away from the wall of course -- and some of the greatest sculptures and carvings in the whole wood elven kingdom.  All made from wood of course, as was fitting and honorable. 

”Approach Delabor.”   The king instructed. 

The rest of the war council also straightened up and paused their discussion.  Of course, they didn’t stop discussing to prevent Delabor from hearing, but to honor the king by making it easier for him to speak with the man on whom he had called.

”Apologies my king, but isn’t it strange that the dragon -- while accepting your offer -- has chosen to attend to an errand before coming here instead of coming directly here?”  

There was a smattering of whispers around the council table

The king curled his lip.  ”Yes Delabor, it is strange.  Few would insult the crown -- and thus our ancestors -- so flagrantly without cause.” 

”Since he believed it to be a matter of life and death, would that be sufficient cause?” 

The king clicked his tongue.  ”Perhaps; it is possibly the only cause that warrants such dishonor.”

”You are wise my king.”  Delabor bowed. 

”My king, might I have leave to address the honorable herald?”  The high priest of Illuminar asked.  As was proper and fitting, the high priest was always present at council meetings, for who could rule well without Illuminar’s input?

He nodded.  ”You have leave Plesius.” 

Plesius was a thin man and quite wiry.  As befitted the high priest, his robes were the purest white and adorned with a golden sun made from gold thread and gold adornments.  He had a calculating look that the king always thought was odd for a holy high priest, but who could say a word against Illuminar’s high priest?

Plesius turned to Delabor.  ”Did he speak of his connection to Illuminar -- blessed be He -- or of any other holy matters?”

The king suppressed an envious expression.  Plesius had just asked a simple question, something he himself as the king could never do unless it was to inquire of Illuminar Himself, or to inquire of Illuminar through one of His prophets.  But as much as he wished to have a simple conversation, he couldn’t dishonor the crown -- and thus the ancestors -- by simply asking as Plesius had just done.

”He claimed not to be a prophet of Illuminar -- blessed be He -- but allowed for the possibility that he had accomplished his feats by the God of Light’s power.”

The king suppressed a sigh; a simple answer to a simple question.  Not even with his own wife could he indulge in that luxury, just as tradition unfortunately dictated was proper. 

”Interesting.”  Plesius the high priest said.  ”Then at least he is not a false prophet as he does not claim to be a prophet at all.” 

”That is good.”  The king said.  ”The Book of Light is clear how false prophets are to be handled.” 

”You are wise my king.”  Plesius said with a bow.

The king inclined his head in a nod of respect, just as tradition dictated was proper.  However, he did grow tired of the constant bowing, nodding, and servility that was displayed towards him.  For them to do anything else would dishonor the crown and thus their ancestors, so it was required.

Still, he thought it would be nice -- just for once -- to have an honest conversation with an honest fellow without all the posturing and deference. 

* * *

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh.

”What?”  Taloni said defensively.  ”I’ve never seen one before and that’s what it sounds like.”

He chuckled.  ”I’ve never heard anyone describe a shower as a ’falling hot water bath’ before.”

”Well, it sort of is.”  Beth took up the Fey’s defense.  ”I mean, there’s so much water that it’s like a bath, but it is falling, so...” 

”Thank you.”  Taloni replied, then snuggled up closer to him.

They were all laying on the bed in the captain’s cabin.  He was laying on his back while his two wives were snuggled up against him on either side.  They were both wearing clothes as Alana was supposed to be back with Rachel soon. 

He felt much better after his nap and his two teen wives further improved his mood.  The tone in the cabin was light, but almost determinedly so.  Kyrupto had done a number on them, and right now a bit of lighthearted fun was a welcome respite.

”What else?”  The honey-blonde asked the blonde.

”Well, there’s this thing called a ’hair dryer’...” 

Ethan lay there mostly listening and occasionally chiming in as Beth described every detail of Earth to Taloni in exquisite detail.  He could tell they were going to be wonderful friends.  They were close in age and both possessed near boundless curiosity, which had already seemed to make them fast friends. 

”--And that’s when we went to bed.”  Beth finished, after explaining the events of the first day.

”Is that when...?”  Taloni glanced at Ethan then back at the blonde, then lowered her voice to a whisper.  ”Is that when you kissed Alana?” 

Beth nodded.  ”She’s a great kisser, and her lips are so soft.” 

Ethan nodded appreciatively.  ”Both sets are, and you would know...” 

Beth blushed scarlet and covered her face with her hands.  ”I can’t believe I did that.” 

”Did what?”  Taloni looked back and forth between them before settling on Ethan.  ”What do you mean ’both sets are’?” 

”Women have two sets of lips.  This set...”  He leaned down and kissed her tenderly.  ”...and the other set.”  He pointedly looked down at the area between her legs.

The Fey looked confused for a moment before her eyes became as wide as saucers.  She looked at Beth, mouth agape.  ”You kissed her...”  Her eyes went wide as her voice lowered to a faint whisper.  ”Down...  down there?”

Beth’s cheeks were the color of a ripe tomato as she nodded, though she did look rather pleased with herself.

”By Illuminar that sounds...”  She looked extremely conflicted.  He felt a small spike of arousal over their bond, but she looked almost horrified too. 

”Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”   Ethan said with a chuckle.  ”Judging by Alana’s reactions, she loved it...  more than once...” 

Taloni bit her lip.

The Fey looked at Beth with something between admiration and desire.  She squirmed slightly against him in a very sensual way that was almost certainly subconscious.

”I think someone likes that idea.”  He prompted. 

The Fey blushed scarlet but didn’t deny it.

”I enjoyed doing it.”  Beth said nervously. ”Alana is such a wonderful girl and I loved making her feel so good.”  She glanced at the Fey, but couldn’t meet her eyes for long.  ”You’re a wonderful girl too.” 

Taloni let out a tiny squeak. 

Ethan couldn’t help but smile at the blonde’s transparent attempt at flirting.  She was clearly slightly taken with his Fey wife, and he felt like they could use just a bit of prodding.

”You know.”  Ethan said to Taloni as the blood rushed to his loins.  ”If you ask very nicely, Beth might give you the same treatment.” 

He could feel her start to squirm against him in both arousal and embarrassment.

”I...”  Beth wouldn’t look at either of them and spoke so quietly she was almost hard to hear.  ”I could do that...”

”I...”  Taloni took a deep breath.  ”I mean, when you said ’kissed’ I thought you just meant...  not that I’m opposed, I just...” 

”Then maybe start slow now and try other things later?”  He suggested, immensely enjoying his two teen wives being nervously attracted to each other but being too embarrassed to admit it.

”Slow?”  Beth asked.

”Sure.”  He replied and then turned to Taloni.  ”Taloni, do you want to kiss Beth?” 

The Fey froze like a deer in the headlights.

”A normal kiss I mean.”  He corrected himself.

She loosened slightly but bit her lip and seemed incapable of speaking.  He raised his eyebrow. 

”Yes master.”  She squeaked out. 

He turned to the other teen.  ”Do you want to kiss Taloni?”

”Yes Dominus.”  She said after a moment of gathering her courage.  ”I would like that very much.”

”Then...”  He moved his hands to indicate they should. 

”Right now?”  Taloni whispered in a hoarse voice. 

”You certainly don’t have to, but if you both want to, why wait?”  

They both nodded. 

”So...”  He again indicated with his hands.

At the same time, Beth and Taloni looked at each other and both bit their lip.  It was adorable.  Beth -- ever the adventurous one -- leaned her head forward so she was halfway across his chest.  Moments later, Taloni slowly followed suit, bringing their lips close together. 

”I...  I’ve never...”  The Fey whispered. 

”It’s just like kissing Ethan.”  Beth replied kindly.

Taloni nodded. 

Beth leaned in a bit more, so their lips were separated by only a fraction of an inch.  Both of them turned their heads fractionally toward him and glanced with their eyes, seemingly to check if he was okay with this. 

He grinned broadly. 

Taloni bit her lip as she looked back at Beth, who licked her lips just slightly.  The blonde leaned in a hair as the honey blonde’s breath hitched.  Their lips were almost touching...

Click.

They froze as the latch to the captain’s cabin door was pulled and the door swung inward, revealing a short chocolate-haired elf and a beautiful redhead.  He was struck at that moment by just how beautiful their resident mage was.

”I really do think that’s...”  Alana stopped as she saw Ethan’s two younger wives frozen in an almost kiss.  The corners of her mouth curved upwards into an amused grin.

Rachel’s eye widened.

Beth and Taloni jerked apart so fast you might’ve thought there was an electric shock. 

”I was just... Beth and I, um...”  Taloni started to splutter.

”We weren’t...  I mean, this wasn’t...”  Beth started to say.   Both seemed to be directing their comments not at his first wife, but to Rachel. 

”Ladies.”  He said, resting a hand on each of them to stem the flow of reasons and rationalizations that was assuredly about to be unleashed.  He looked at them kindly with an amused smile.  ”You did nothing wrong, so there’s no need to explain yourselves.  Understand?” 

They both looked relieved. 

”Yes Dominus.”  

”Yes master.” 

He sat up and looked at Rachel.  ”Sorry if we made you uncomfortable.” 

”No, I’m good.”  She said, though her cheeks were slightly pinker than normal and her mouth parted much less than it usually did when she spoke.  He couldn’t help but notice that she had nice, full lips. 

He cocked his head to one side.

He realized that the first few times they’d met it had been in combat, and after that he’d been too concerned about her recovery to really notice her physically.  By the time she’d recovered, she was so much a part of the crew that he’d never really stopped to admire her.

She was beautiful.

She was several inches taller than Alana, and had a few inches on his other wives too -- no, not ’other wives’ he corrected himself.  She wasn’t his wife.  Her flame-colored hair was about as long as Alana’s, and fell in waves down to mid-breast.  He couldn’t help but notice that she was rather more amply endowed than his other wives too.  Whereas Taloni had smaller B breasts, and Alana and Beth had full B maybe edging into C, Rachel was firmly on the large side of C.

There was a confidence in her posture that set off her shapely legs, narrow waist, and slender arms.  Yet she didn’t have the look of a model from Earth either.  She was beautiful, but it was a more subtle kind of beauty that seemed to grow with time, not diminish.

”What?”  Rachel asked. 

”Nothing.”  He shook his head as he realized he’d been staring. 

*She is beautiful, isn’t she sir?*  Alana’s voice came over their bond. 

*Yeah, she is.*  He agreed. 

”Anyway.”  He said aloud.  ”Let’s see if we can figure out how to make a magical group chat work.” 

* * *

Hailey let the soldiers lead her and didn’t resist.  It hurt to resist and she needed to save her strength.  She was fully conscious, which was almost a shame because that meant she was also fully conscious of the pain radiating from her face.  It felt like it had gone ten rounds with a heavyweight boxing champion.

She almost laughed. 

Four years ago, she would’ve folded like a house of cards at the slightest threat of pain.  Now...  now she was glad that this Smithbond fellow wasn’t a sadist.  Her previous master had been a true sadist; a connoisseur of pain who derived pleasure from inflicting it.

Smithbond wasn’t. 

He was decent at inflicting it, but she had been tortured by a master.  He could do nothing compared to her experience in the Ten Kingdoms.  But his threat to ’interrogate’ Melinda...

That made her blood boil.

The soldiers led her to a large steel door, opened it, and unceremoniously pushed her in.   She caught herself on her knees and then let herself slump over onto her back on the concrete floor.  It had been a long day.

”Hailey!”  Melinda shrieked as she rushed to her side. 

Moments later, she felt two strong, masculine arms hook under her knees and shoulders to lift her easily off the floor and gently deposit her on one of the two cots in the spartan jail cell.

”Are you okay?”  Jason asked as he set her down

She was momentarily dumbstruck.  His face was close to hers, and they hadn’t seen each other this close in four years. Damn, he was good-looking.  He had picked her up like she weighed nothing at all.  He was the best man she’d ever known, and even Ethan took a distant second to her Jason--

She stopped. 

He wasn’t ’her Jason’ anymore. 

”Hailey, can you hear me?”  He asked. 

”Uh huh.”  She nodded, shaken out of her reverie.

”What happened?”  He asked. 

”Welb, Heb was,”  She paused, as the blood was making it hard to talk.  Melinda got the roll of toilet paper from the nearby toilet in their cell and handed her a few pieces. 

”Thankb you.”  She said, rolling it into two pieces and sticking them in her nose.  This was the first time she’d truly missed something about the Ten Kingdoms; any mage could’ve patched her up quickly. 

”What happened?”  Jason asked again.

She recounted the story, including Selene coming to her defense. 

”Do you think it was an act?”  Jason asked.

Hailey paused for a moment, then shook her head.  ”Ow!”  She winced as her slight headache flared at the movement; okay, shaking her head was a bad idea. 

”Are you okay?”  Melinda asked again, for the dozenth time. 

”Mels, I’m fine.”  She said, then added at her friend’s skeptical look.  ”Honestly.  This was just another Tuesday when I was in the Ten...”  She trailed off at their expressions. 

Melinda looked horrified.

Jason looked concerned. 

”Just another Tuesday?”  Melinda whispered.  ”Oh Hailey, I’m so sorry.” 

Jason looked as somber as she’d ever seen him.  ”Are you serious?” 

She nodded, but slowly so she didn’t aggravate her headache. 

Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  ”I don’t know what to say.” 

”You’re speechless?  My Jason is--”  She stopped, realizing what she’d said moments after she’d said it.  Melinda definitely reacted, but she couldn’t tell exactly what the Latina woman was feeling. 

”Mels, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--”

There was a scraping sound as the door opened again.  Two soldiers carried a semi-conscious Agent Dawson into the room, dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor, and then left, locking the door behind them. Hailey tried struggling to her feet, but Jason wouldn’t let her up. 

He put his strong hands on her shoulders and held her there.  ”Stay here and rest, I’ll take care of her.” 

She nodded and he got up and walked over to Agent Dawson.  He rolled her onto her back to take a look and Melinda gasped. 

Her face was a puffy mosaic of purple and blue.

Her head lolled and there was a bit of blood coming from her nose still.  Her white shirt was dotted with flecks of blood that looked like they had come from under her shirt.  Hailey had seen enough women beaten to know exactly what had happened; she’d fought until she’d been beaten unconscious.  She’d also seen enough women beaten to know that none of those injuries were life-threatening.  She’d seen her former owner do far worse and the girls pull through just fine. 

Well, fine physically anyway. 

Jason whistled.  ”Holy shit.”

”She’ll be fine.”  Hailey said sitting up.  ”She’s going to feel like shit for a few days and hurt for longer, but she’ll be fine.” 

Melinda looked at her in shock.  ”How could you possibly know?  She looks like she needs an ambulance!” 

”I know because I’ve seen worse.”  Hailey said quietly. 

Jason and Melinda stared at her.

Hailey bit her lip. 

”It was this bad?”  Melinda asked, looking at Hailey as her eyes teared up. 

Hailey could feel herself tearing up too and she nodded.  Then -- she wasn’t sure why -- but she added in a low voice.  ”Worse.” 

”Worse, how could it be worse?”  Melinda looked stunned. 

”It was only worse for...” Her breath caught and she stopped.  She took a deep breath and then finished the sentence.   ”...for the women.”

Melinda looked confused for a moment then comprehension dawned on her.

”Oh Hailey...”  She covered her mouth with her hand.  ”You...  you were...”

Thankfully, she was able to honestly shake her head.  ”No, I got off easy.  But not everyone did.”  Ironically, the champion thought the scar left by her baby being killed was repulsive -- which he made sure to tell her more than once -- and so he’d never touched her.  It was the one silver lining in a very dark cloud.

On the floor, Agent Dawson groaned. 

Jason reached down and picked her up.  She seemed to almost try fighting him, but was so out of it that it amounted to nothing more than a bit of flailing.  He set her down on the other cot.  She groaned again and seemed to be fighting to stay semi-conscious. 

”You...  you won’t...”  She mumbled and tried to put her hands up.

”You can rest here, you’re among friends.”  Jason said, putting his hand on top of her head.  She flailed for another moment or two and then seemed to calm down. 

”She really took a beating.”  He remarked when Agent Dawson had calmed down and seemingly fallen asleep. 

”Yeah, she was incensed when that suit guy threatened to...”  She took a deep breath and looked at Jason.  ”He threatened that if I didn’t tell him what he wanted to know, he would ’interrogate’ Mels.” 

Melinda put her hands protectively over her very pregnant stomach.  Jason clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. 

* * *

”So, let me get this straight.”  Rachel asked, trying to fully understand how they had their psychic network setup. ”It’s like you each have your own fortress around your minds.  Then to communicate with Ethan, you imagine a tunnel going from your mind to his, and he does the same?” 

”And you need to imagine a door leading into that tunnel, otherwise you can’t hear what they’re saying.”  Ethan added. 

”Okay.”  Rachel nodded. 

She was sitting on the one chair in the captain’s cabin which usually was tucked under the unused deck opposite the bed.  As seen from above, the room was slightly ”T” shaped, with the top of the ”T” being the large window that covered the entire back of the captain’s cabin.  The bottom of the ”T” was where the door was.   The bed was on the left side of the ”T” and the desk on the right, though it was hardly used.

Sitting across from her on the bed -- thankfully no longer snuggling -- were Ethan and his wives.  He was sitting on the edge of the bed, with the girls arrayed around and behind him.   They always seemed to do that, and it seemed natural and subconscious for them to. 

”So, can you simply all connect to each other?”  The redhead asked after thinking for a moment.

”We’ve tried that, but I can try again.”  Alana said, closing her eyes.  Rachel couldn’t help but notice that she had long, pretty eyelashes.  The wood elf kept her eyes closed for several seconds, then turned her head a bit as if looking for something, then opened her eyes. 

”Anything?”  Ethan asked.

”No, I can’t find either of them.”  She shook her head, then turned to Beth.  ”Here, take my hand and let me see if that helps.” 

The blonde took the chocolate-haired elf’s hand and then the latter closed her eyes again.  She kept them closed longer this time, clearly trying to complete the challenge she’d assigned herself.  After almost a whole minute, she opened her eyes again. 

”Nope, I just can’t seem to find Beth, even while physically touching her.” 

Rachel frowned.  ”I bet that the bond allowed you all to find Ethan easily.  Telepathy is notoriously difficult; one of the most difficult of all magical arts.”

”What if they all bonded to each other?” Ethan asked. 

Rachel almost laughed at the uncomfortable looks each of his wives gave the others.  He apparently felt it.

”So, not something you’re all interested in?”  He asked, turning around to look at them.

”I love your other wives master, and I’d do it if you told me to, but that’s...”  Taloni looked very nervous.  ”That’s incredibly, um...” 

”It’s like sharing your soul with someone.”   Alana said.  ”I really like Beth and Taloni, but that level of intimacy is... it’s not something to take lightly.” 

”Plus, it might be a bad idea.”  His blonde wife pointed out.  ”Imagine if we could all feel what the others are feeling all at the same time.  We’d feel amazing when things were good, but when they weren’t...” 

”It would be like a negative feedback loop.”  Ethan grimaced.  ”Sorry girls, I’m really not very knowledgeable about this whole magic thing.” 

”Yeah, you grew up with silly things like science instead.”  Rachel said with a wink.  Having seen Ethan’s world, she had to admit they had done quite well without magic.

Ethan chuckled. 

”Well,”  Rachel sighed.  ”If they can’t find each other, then you’re going to have to connect them all somehow.”

”Like being the server host for a cloud account, so everyone can be on the same server.”  Ethan nodded. 

Rachel and his other wives stared.

He chuckled.  ”Well, I may not know magic but you ladies don’t know the internet, so we’re even.”

”We might be even if we were on your world.”  Rachel countered.  ”Here...” 

”Touché.”  He saluted her. 

They all stared again, so he explained it was a reference to some sport called ”fencing”, which sounded a lot like dueling with blunt swords.

”So, if I need to host, then maybe...  Hmm.”  He frowned. 

Rachel was struck for a moment just how strange the situation was.  She was the only woman in the room who wasn’t married to Ethan.  He hadn’t asked anyone else to be present, which made sense for Serif and Raklan, but Anthiel would likely be just as helpful she herself could be, maybe more so. 

Yet Ethan had singled her out.

As she thought about it, she realized it wasn’t the first time that Ethan had treated her with special regard.  He always included her when he was talking to his wives.  Always.  She obviously didn’t share a bedroom with them, but otherwise... 

She wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction to that. 

She liked it. 

She really liked it.

She liked being around Ethan.  She liked being included with his wives on virtually everything except the bedroom stuff.  Though, given the sounds that had come from his bedroom on earth, she doubted being included in that would be bad at all.  Of course, that would require marrying him, which she absolutely had no intention of doing. 

But the dreams...

”Rachel?  You still with us?”  Ethan asked, interrupting her reverie. 

”Oh, sorry.”  She looked at him.  ”I just got distracted.” 

Alana eyed her for a moment, but said nothing.

”Any ideas?”  He asked.  ”I figure if I have a sort of....  no.  Maybe...”  He trailed off. 

”How about an antechamber?”  Rachel offered as an idea came to her.  ”It sounds like these ’tunnels’ coming from each of your wives go directly to you.  What if you had a secondary area that was more like an antechamber, where your wives could send a message, and then it might filter to each other wife?  Kind of like sound in an echo chamber.” 

”Hmm.”  Ethan mused.  ”Let me try.” 

He closed his eyes and the room was silent for almost a minute.  The girls looked around at each other, all basically twiddling their thumbs as they had done when Alana tried. 

Eventually, he opened his eyes.  ”This might take a minute.  I get the feeling I need to do some kind of enchanting to make it work.” 

”You’re a dragon so you should be fine.”  Alana beamed, then added with a mischievous tone.  ”As long as you aren’t made of leather.”

Everyone except Taloni laughed. 

”What?”  The Fey teen asked. 

Ethan explained how he’d had trouble trying to enchant leather on the way to Arcanum.   The Fey smiled, but clearly didn’t get the joke as well as the others.  Rachel supposed you had to be there. 

”All right, I’m going to give this a go.”  He said, and then closed his eyes again. 

He sat there unmoving for nearly five minutes.

Finally, he took a deep breath and opened his eyes.  ”I think that did it.  Alana, try to see if you can link yourself to the new...”  He made air quotes.  ”The new ’room’ I added to my mental fortress.” 

”Okay.”  She nodded and closed her eyes.  She re-opened them barely ten seconds later.  ”That was easy.”

He turned to his two teen wives.  ”Okay, now Beth, Taloni, you try.”

They did the same thing as Alana, though they took twice as long. 

”I did it Dominus.” 

”Finished master.” 

”Okay, now Alana, try saying something to the ’room’, instead of directly to me.”  Ethan instructed. 

Moments later, the other two girls giggled slightly. 

Ethan looked at them, and then all three nodded.  He smiled broadly, and then got a mischievous look on his face.  Several seconds later, all three women turned red and burst out laughing. 

Apparently, it had worked.

She should be happy about that.  

Why wasn’t she? 

She was happy for them of course.  They were looking from one to the other and she recognized all the signs of people having a conversation, but there were no words.  Judging from their body language, they were all speaking to each other...

...but not her. 

She felt a profound sense of sadness for some reason.  She liked that they had included her in their group even though she wasn’t married to Ethan.  His wives had even made her an honorary member of the ’wives council’.  And while she found that silly and embarrassing, she had also loved it dearly.  

Now...

Now she truly felt like an outsider.  She knew if she said something, anything, they would start speaking aloud again just to include her.  Heck, she figured they’d soon realize that she was being left out and start speaking aloud again just to include her.  She was grateful for that.  But now they had something together that she could never share.  Well, she could never share it without marrying to Ethan.

”Rachel.”  Alana said, breaking her out of her reverie for the second time that afternoon. 

”Thank you so much.”  The wood elf said.  Then she got up and opened her arms to offer a hug.  The redhead hesitated only a moment before getting up and hugging the shorter wood elf.  Moments later, she found herself in the center of a ”wives of Ethan” group hug.

”Thank you Rachel, so much.”  Beth said. 

”It was so good of you to help, thank you so very much.”  Taloni added. 

Ethan stood up also.  ”I really appreciate everything you’ve done and everything you continue to do.  I think everyone in this room owes you their life at least once, some of us more than that.  You are a wonderful woman and I can’t thank you enough.” 

”Thank you.”  Rachel blushed. 

Standing there, being hugged by the three most delightful women she knew and being complimented by their husband, she felt happier than she had since...  Okay, since that first dream and maybe that time at the restaurant.  But besides those two incidents, she couldn’t ever remember feeling this happy.

”Now, I know you want to become an Arch Mage; if there’s anything we can do to help, let us know.  We’re behind you one hundred percent.” 

”I’ll um, I’ll let you know.”  She replied, not sure what to make of his offer given her two dreams. 

Ethan’s wives let go, smiling broadly at her.

They all liked her.

She knew they did, and she liked them.  Heck, she liked Ethan too.  But even for all of this, she didn’t want to give up her autonomy.  She didn’t want to promise to follow and obey someone.  Knowing Ethan, he’d probably strike those words from the vows if she asked him too, but it didn’t matter.  Being merely ’one of his wives’ while he was her only husband created an immense power imbalance. 

It had to. 

Even if he wasn’t a dragon, it would create an imbalance.  His wives would be vying for his attention while he was deciding where to put it and who to pay attention to at any given time.  That put all the power in his hands.

Over time, she could see all of them ’molding’ to suit his desires as a natural consequence of sharing the same husband.  They would change to suit him, probably without meaning to or even realizing it.  He wouldn’t even do it on purpose, but it would happen.  It was human nature.  It was feminine nature.

She didn’t want that.

She didn’t want someone telling her what to do. 

She didn’t want a lord.

She was even struck by a mild annoyance that they could be so happy having one.  The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her.

* * *

Alana had spent enough time around Rachel to tell when something serious was on her mind.  The redhead looked pensive at Ethan’s comment, and most people would’ve probably assumed she was thinking about it.

Alana knew better.

Oddly, the redhead had also started to look slightly irked not long after, but she wasn’t sure why.

”Now, second order of business.”  Ethan said.  ”If Kendra really is tailing us, then we need to know more about her intentions.” 

Everyone including the wood elf gave him their undivided attention, even apparently Rachel.  His wives sat back down on the bed and Rachel sat back down on the chair.  She wished her best friend was sitting on the bed as one a fellow wife, but that seemed to be a ways off yet.

”Here’s the real question: how do we go about finding her and contacting her, preferably without anyone being shot?” 

”I could put on the weight-reduction necklace and see if I can’t fly out and find her.”  Taloni volunteered. 

”Absolutely not.”  Ethan said firmly.  ”I’m not putting you in danger by putting you in Kendra’s path.” 

Alana, Beth, and Taloni all nodded, accepting his decision.  Personally, the wood elf didn’t think the Fey girl would be in any danger and thought he was being unreasonable by dismissing the idea so fast, but wasn’t sure how to say that without being disrespectful. 

”Ethan, can I make a suggestion?”  Rachel asked, and judging by her tone she had gone from a bit irked to downright aggravated.

”Yeah.” 

”Change your attitude.”  She said through gritted teeth; if she was a dragon it might’ve come out as a snarl.  She stood up and glared at him.  ”Your wives practically worship the ground you walk on.  So before you go snapping and dismissing their ideas out of hand, realize that if you tell them not to voice their opinions, they probably won’t.” 

”I didn’t--” He started to say, but it appeared Rachel had worked herself into a bit of a tizzy. 

”No, you didn’t.”  She cut him off.  ”They’d probably jump off a bridge if you asked them to, and you have way more power over them than anyone should have over another person.  So maybe, once in a while, shut your mouth and hear them out.” 

She glared at him for a moment, then turned and stalked out of the captain’s cabin, slamming the door behind her. 

Everyone stared.

Alana felt like the sun had set at noon.  She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her friend lose her temper like that, not at any of them.  Well, not since getting the will-breaker ring off.  This was totally unlike her and she had no clue where it was coming from. 

Ethan, Alana, Beth, and Taloni stared for several seconds after the redhead left.  Her husband opened his mouth, worked it for a moment, then closed it and cocked his head to one side. 

”May I go talk to her?”  Alana asked.

”Um...”  He seemed torn.  ”Can you wait a minute?” 

She nodded. 

”She’s not wrong.”  He hung his head slightly and turned to Taloni.  ”I’m sorry I just dismissed your idea.  I should’ve at least heard you out and your reasons for it.  Will you please forgive me?”

”Of course master.”   The Fey teen smiled. 

”Thank you.”  He said looking relieved.   ”And all of you, if you think I’m making a bad decision, I want you to say something.  Always.  Doesn’t matter the topic, please feel free to speak up.  Do it respectfully, but please do.” 

”I will sir.” 

”I would be happy to Dominus.” 

”Of course master.” 

”Thank you all, and again, I’m sorry.”  He turned to Alana.  ”Go ahead.” 

She nodded, slipped off the bed, and went out onto the weather deck.  It was early afternoon and the sun was presently hidden behind a small patch of clouds in the beautiful, mostly-cloudless blue sky.  There was a warm breeze and they were sailing low enough that she could hear the birds singing below.  The cheery weather made a nice contrast to the chaos of the morning.

She looked around the weather deck for her friend and spotted a patch of flame-colored hair near the bow.  The redhead was looking out across the vast sea of tall grass that was under them.  Apparently, they’d truly crossed into the Great Plains.  Alana walked up to Rachel and leaned up against the railing a few feet down from her; close enough to be near, but far enough to give her some space.

”Let me guess, he asked you to talk to me?”  She said with a scowl.

”No, I asked if I could.” 

Rachel scoffed.  ”That’s part of the problem.”

”What is?” 

”That you asked.”  She shook her head.  ”Don’t you get tired of that?  Don’t you get tired of answering to him?” 

”What do you mean?”

”He says ’jump, and you ask ’how high’.  I know he’s your husband, but would it kill him to not be so...  so...” 

”...so... what?”  Alana asked, not understanding where this was coming from. 

”I don’t know.”  Rachel shook her head and looked out across the Great Plains.  ”The way you, Beth, Taloni treat him is so...”  She sighed.  ”I couldn’t do it.” 

”No one’s asking you to.”  She countered.  ”We all wanted to marry him; we signed up for this.” 

”Beth didn’t.  Not really.  Her father promised her in marriage to whoever would rescue her.  He didn’t even consult her on it.  She didn’t get a say or have a choice.” 

The wood elf frowned.

What was going on here?  It was very unlike Rachel to act this way.  She was usually the one who was calm when everyone else was panicking.  And what she was saying...  She thought about it for a moment and saw a common thread running through what she’d said so far. 

”So...”  She said choosing her words carefully.  ”Do you feel like you don’t have a choice in something?  Or that someone is telling you what to do?” 

Rachel made a sound somewhere between a snort, a chuckle, and a sigh.  ”Something like that.” 

The redhead didn’t elaborate, so Alana merely leaned up against the railing and looked out of the great golden-brown waves of tall grass that covered the Great Plains.  She wasn’t sure what she could say, so she tried to just be there for her friend. 

”I have a choice, but I really don’t.”  Rachel finally said.

”Oh?” 

”I can choose to be happy, but what good is happiness without autonomy?  I can choose autonomy, but what good is that without happiness?” 

”Sounds like you’re stuck between a troll and golem.”  She nodded. 

Rachel turned towards her, confusion written all over her face.  ”How do you do it?”

”Do what?”

”Call him ’sir’?  Be so damned deferent all the time?  I don’t understand.  You treat him like he’s your king.  How can you do that?” 

She smiled.  ”Because he treats me like a queen.”

”That would be nice.”  The redhead conceded with a sigh.  ”But not all queens have kings you know.” 

”Yes, but I can’t be treated like a queen by my husband without having him as my king.” 

”I hate that you’re right.”  Rachel said sourly.  Her displeasure didn’t seem to be directed at the wood elf, so she scooched a bit closer.

”I want to be treated like someone’s queen, I just...”  She trailed off.

”...you just don’t want someone to be your king.”  Alana said as comprehension dawned.  ”Ah.” 

”Yeah...”  She sighed.  ”Is that horrible?” 

”No.”  Alana replied.  ”Is that why you got so upset?  Because you think Ethan acts like our king?” 

”A little.”  She admitted.  ”But it’s not really that.  I just...  I just don’t know if I could do that.” 

”Did someone ask you to?”

”Not directly.”  Rachel replied but didn’t elaborate.  She looked out across the Great Plains for another minute before speaking again.  ”I need to apologize to Ethan, don’t I?” 

”Do you feel like you need to?” 

”For snapping at him like that, yeah.”  She nodded, then looked at Alana.  ”I’m a bit jealous of how happy you are, but I’m not sure I’d be happy in your situation.” 

The wood elf smiled.  ’Fortunately, you can choose your own way to be happy.” 

”Yeah, maybe...”  Rachel trailed off and got a distant look in her eye for several moments. 

Alana suppressed a smile.

One of these days, she knew that Rachel would stop fighting her attraction to Ethan and fall for him very hard.  She knew it wasn’t the right time now, but she was absolutely sure that time would come.  She knew it in her bones with a certainty she couldn’t explain.  She was looking forward to that day, but for now, she just wanted to help her best friend. 

”If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”  Alana offered.

”Thank you, I will.”  The redhead replied softly.

Alana scooched closer and put her head on Rachel’s shoulder, which was easy because the redhead was nearly six inches taller.  Rachel reciprocated by resting her head on the wood elf’s head. 

Alana remembered waking up next to Rachel in the hammock.  She was sure she’d have that again someday, only Ethan would be right there too.  It had been wonderful, and somehow, she got the feeling that eventually, her dream about the two of them sharing a kiss would come true. 

She knew it would take time -- perhaps a lot of time -- but knowing it would happen made the journey more fun. 

* * *

”Because it’s contained.”  Ethan explained.

”But, how does that help?”  Beth looked very confused, which looked very cute on her.  ”A person doesn’t get stronger when they’re contained, so why would an explosion?” 

”Uh...”  He considered; that was good point but a flawed analogy.  ”Remember the grenades and how powerful they are?  Now imagine you put that in a steel cup with a plug at the open end, and then tried to stop the explosion from pushing the plug out.”

”Yeah, I can see that.”  She nodded.  ”But only a few drops of this ’gas-o-line’ stuff?  That’s all it takes?” 

He nodded.  ”Yup explosions are really powerful when contained.” 

”Wow, I can’t believe you can make a horseless carriage -- I mean a ’car’ -- move with a few drops of liquid.” 

”It’s like...  like...”  Taloni seemed to be searching for the right word. 

”Magic?”  He suggested. 

The Fey teen shook her head.  ”No, that makes much more sense.” 

He burst out laughing.

Beth and Taloni stared at him.  One set of violet eyes and one set of blue eyes wondered at him as they both looked extremely confused.  The dimples on both their cheeks were adorable when they smiled.

”That’s an expression from Earth.  When we can’t figure out how something works, we say ’it’s like magic’.” 

”But magic makes a lot of sense.”  Taloni replied while Beth giggled. 

*Hi everyone.*  Alana’s voice rang out in the mental chamber that allowed them to speak to each other telepathically all at once. 

Rachel’s suggestion had been a good one.  It had taken him a while, but some instinct -- probably from his dragon side -- had guided him.  He had created a round chamber ”below” the mental fortress around his mind.  It was connected to his mind by a short stone hallway like the ones that he had created going to the minds of each of his wives.  These mental hallways ensured that no one could overhear their conversation. 

He had then told his wives to create hallways going to this chamber. 

When they directed their thoughts to the chamber, the messages then could go to the central chamber and spread to everyone else.  They could also talk directly and privately to him through the original passage as they had done forever, which he would’ve hated to lose. 

*Ethan,*  Alana continued saying to everyone.  *Rachel wanted to talk to you and I suggested that talking down in the hold might be more private.  She said she’d meet you there.*

*Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.*  He replied and then turned to his teen wives.  ”Well ladies, you can finish grilling me on how cars work later.  I’m going to talk to Rachel and then I’d like us all to come up with a plan to talk to Kendra...  and I’ll listen to all the ideas that are presented this time.”  He added to Taloni. 

She beamed at him.  ”Thank you master.” 

He gave them both a quick kiss and then stood and left the captain’s cabin.  It was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining over a nearly cloudless blue sky, the air was warm but not too warm, and a gentle breeze wafted across the deck.  Alana was walking towards him with a smile on her face.  She was grinning ear-to-ear as if she was trying not to.

”What’s got you so cheerful?”  He asked. 

”You’ll see.”  She replied mischievously.  ”It might take a little while, but you’ll see.”  She slipped past him, brushing her fingers across his chest as she did so, and slipped into the captain’s cabin.  The emotions from their bond were filled with happiness and anticipation, but she seemed to enjoy the aura of mystery, so he let it go. 

He shrugged and then headed down the flight of stairs to the Argo’s lower deck.  The portholes in the side let in enough light to easily see, especially with his dragon eyes.  He headed towards the forward hold and saw Rachel sitting on a large oak barrel.  She was swinging her legs slowly so they tapped the barrel’s sides at a regular interval. 

She looked nervous. 

”Alana said you wanted to see me?” 

The redhead nodded, bit her lip, and looked down for a moment.  That might’ve been the first time he’d ever seen her look sheepish.  He had to remind himself that despite her incredible maturity for her age, she was only nineteen.  A very youthful, beautiful nineteen at that. 

”I’m sorry I snapped at you.”  She finally said. 

”I forgive you.”  He replied, and he meant it.  He couldn’t imagine holding anything against her.

”Thank you.” 

”You weren’t wrong though.”  He added.  ”I apologized to Taloni and I’m going to be better about that.  You’re right; they really do listen to me whenever I tell them to do something.  I need to be more conscious of that.” 

”Yeah...”  Rachel sighed.   It wasn’t an exasperated sigh, nor a wistful sigh, nor a contemplative sigh, though it contains elements of all three. 

”If I may ask, why did you get so upset?  Your comments were spot on, but you’re usually much more calm and reserved.”

She glanced up at him, then down again.  ”I was hoping you wouldn’t ask.”

”You certainly don’t need to answer.” 

”Yes, I do.”  She said quietly.  For perhaps the first time since he’d known her, the redhead looked small and vulnerable; almost frail.

She glanced at him again and there was a strange look in her eye.  Loneliness perhaps, maybe mixed with confusion.  ”I like you Ethan.  You’re a good guy and you were willing to give up...”

She blinked, and it almost looked like she was holding back tears. 

”I mean, what you did for me earlier with Kyrupto.”  She finished.  ”No one had ever been that good to me until I met you.  No one.  I lived in a lord’s manor with endless servants attending to my every need and no one ever really cared about me.” 

She took a deep breath before continuing.  ”I was literally trying to kill you when we first met.  But despite that, you...”  She touched the black mark on her finger where the will-breaker ring had been.  ”...you saved me.  You took me in and gave me a home and the best friend I could imagine on a ship full of wonderful people.” 

She cocked her head to one side.  ”Except Raklan, he’s pretty terrible.” 

”Fair enough.”  He chuckled. 

”For the first time in my life, no one is telling me what to do.  Whether it was my father, the steward, or the endless supply of teachers my father forced me to listen to, I was always being ordered around.  I’m not now, and I don’t want to give that up.” 

”No one is asking you to.”  He replied.  ”You don’t think I’ve been trying to control you; do you?” 

”No.”  She shook her head.  ”And that’s the problem. You’re dangerous Ethan; you’re dangerous because you’re not dangerous.   You’re the most dominant man I’ve ever known, but you aren’t dominating.  Well, your human side isn’t.” 

”I’m confused.” He frowned.

”Me too.  I don’t understand how your wives can be so happy obeying you like they do.  I could never be happy in that position.”  She finished with an almost wistful note; as if it was true, but she didn’t want it to be. 

”I’m not asking you to be.”  He leaned against the side of the ship trying to figure out where she was going with this.  ”I’ve never asked you to be.” 

”I know, but...”  She bit her lip and looked down at the ground.  For a moment, he was reminded of Taloni or Beth when they had something they wanted to say but couldn’t work up the courage.  He was again reminded that as mature and powerful as she was, she was only nineteen.

”...but I couldn’t do it.”  She quietly finished.

”No one is asking you...”  He trailed off as comprehension dawned on him.  ”Oh.”  

Suddenly a lot of things more sense to him.  Her behavior at the restaurant, how she had sent all the perfect signals at all the right times.  He’d assumed it was an act, but now he wasn’t so sure.  Plus, the strange little looks she’d been giving him for days, if not weeks. 

It all made sense now.  

”Oh.”  He said again. 

”Yeah...”  She nodded. 

For a moment, she looked like a deer in the headlights.  He realized that she was sharing something incredibly personal and intimate with him, and opening herself up a lot to do it. 

He smiled at her.  ”Rachel, you will always have a place on this ship.  Always.  Neither I nor my wives will pressure you to do anything and you can make your own choices.  You’re welcome to stay with us just exactly as things currently are until we’re all old and gray if you like.  You’ve earned it.” 

She started tearing up slightly when he mentioned ”old and gray.”  She blinked a few times and looked away from him, using her beautiful hair to partially obscure her face.  He walked over so he was standing next to her; close but not in her personal space nor towering above her.

”Hey.”  He said softly. 

She turned to look at him. 

The look in her eyes was heartbreaking.  She looked like a lost, sad, and lonely little puppy who was huddled in the cold looking for warmth and comfort.  Her eyes had pools of tears collecting at their corners.  Her lips were quivering slightly.

His dragon side seemed to purr, and he could feel the rising urge to take her right then.  His dragon instincts were screaming that in this frightened and vulnerable state, she’d let him.

He ignored them. 

He gave her a small smile, then reached up and caught the single tear that had just started to roll down her cheek.

”Please stop.”  She sniffled.  ”I’m so ugly when I cry.” 

He grinned a bit wider.  ”Rachel, I don’t think you could ever be ugly.”

She sobbed a bit and blinked a few times, rubbing the tears out of her own eyes and off her face.  Something about her motions seemed slightly frantic, as if she didn’t want to be seen in this state.

He reached up and took her hands in his.  ”You don’t need to pretend that you’re okay when you’re not.  Not with me.” 

She nodded, then bit her lip.  ”I can’t do it Ethan.  I just...  I just can’t.  I want to -- or maybe I want to want to -- but I can’t.”

”We wouldn’t make you do anything, or even ask you to.  I promise.”  He assured her.

For some reason, that made her tears come back slightly.  It occurred to him that he had never seen her open up like this.  If he had to guess, he would’ve said she’d probably never opened up like this to anyone, except for maybe Alana.

”Ethan.”  She said softly after a moment. 

”Yeah?”

”You’re still holding my hands.”

He looked down to see that he was indeed still holding her slender, dainty fingers in his own much larger and scaly ones.  It was incredible that such small fingers could wield such powerful magic.

He released them.  ”Sorry.” 

”No, don’t apologize.”  She said wiping her cheeks more gently this time.  ”Not for being sweet.  I just...”  She trailed off.  She looked him in the eye for a moment.  He could see the vulnerability was retreating, being replaced with the wall she usually kept up.  It was starting to retreat...  but wasn’t gone yet.

”I can’t do it.”  She almost pleaded.  ”Being ruled, having a lord, losing my autonomy; I just can’t do that.  I won’t do that.” 

”And I won’t ever ask you to.”  He promised again. 

She nodded, seeming to be getting control of herself a little.  She bit her lip and looked at him.  She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, and then closed it again. 

He smiled.  ”What?” 

She shook her head.  ”I was going to be really selfish for a moment.  Never mind.” 

There was something in her tone that was...  off.  She sounded like she really wanted something that she was too scared or too nervous to ask for.

”Tell me.”  He instructed.  It wasn’t quite a command, but it wasn’t merely a suggestion either.

She bit her lip, looked at the ground, then back up at him.  Her eyes were the brightest blue and some combination of longing, anxiety, and embarrassment.

”Can you....”  Her voice hitched, like she was having trouble getting the words out.  ”Can you...  sit next to me, um...  like at the restaurant?” 

”Sure, scooch over.”  He smiled.

She did, and he hopped up onto the barrel next to her, glad it was as large as it was.  There wasn’t a lot of room, but she didn’t seem to mind.  She leaned up against him just as she had done at the restaurant.  On a lark, he put his arm around her too, just as he had at the restaurant. 

She let out a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

Ethan took a moment to think about this whole situation. 

He hadn’t really thought about Rachel that way because she had made it clear that she wasn’t interested.  She’d made it clear ever since Elder Goman had revealed his plan of having him bond to many women so he could get enough mana to enchant himself enough to be a match for the black dragon.  Therefore, he hadn’t thought about it much at all.

Apparently, she was thinking about it. 

He smiled. 

He would be lucky to have her as a wife.  She was more serious than his other wives, but just as delightful company.  Her sharp mind, powerful magic, and graceful beauty were a striking combination that he would love to have beside him for the rest of his life.  She was delightful to be around and he would be lucky to have her as a wife.  Any man would. 

His dragon side bristled.

Suddenly, he felt a powerful surge of jealousy at the idea of another man, any man, having the nubile redhead next to him.  She was his to own, to take, to breed-- 

He closed his eyes, clamping down on his dragon side yet again.

Where had that come from? 

Come to think of it, it wasn’t the first time he’d felt a surge of protectiveness, of possessive jealousy over the beautiful redhead.  Thinking back, he’d felt it many times before.  He had felt a similar rush of possessiveness when Kyrupto had moved to take her.  He’d been very relieved when the Drago had let her go, but he didn’t know why the copper dragon had.  His only real explanation had been a vague reference to him having ’tainted’ her. 

”Rachel.” 

”Hmm?” 

”Do you know why Kyrupto thought I had ’tainted’ you somehow?” 

”Um, yes?”  She said, and she sounded rather guilty. 

”Care to share?” 

She froze.  ”Do I have to?” 

”Certainly not, but I’d like to know if you’re willing to share.” 

She looked up at him, her young eyes guilty and vulnerable.  ”It’s your mana.” 

”My mana?” 

She nodded, still looking very nervous.  ”From when you saved me after we left Gralden.” 

He opened his mouth, closed it, and then cocked his head to one side.  ”But that was at least a month ago.  You still have some of my mana left after all this time?” 

She nodded.  ”I hope that’s okay.” 

He chuckled, winked at her, and then said in a mock-fatherly tone.  ”Absolutely not young lady; you need to cough it up right now.” 

She chuckled back.

She had a beautiful smile and this one was open, honest, and vulnerable... but only for a moment.  Then the last vestiges of her vulnerability retreated behind her wall.  There was a slight shift in her body language as she straightened up almost imperceptibly.  Suddenly, his arm didn’t seem as welcome around her so he removed it. 

She looked at him and grinned.  It wasn’t the same open and vulnerable expression as before, but it was kind and caring. 

”You’re a good friend Ethan.”  She said as she hopped down off the barrel. 

”Likewise.”  He replied. 

She took a deep breath and then let it out all at once. Then glancing out a nearby porthole, she spoke. ”It’s about lunchtime and I’m starved.”

”Then let’s get a bite to eat.”  He nodded. 

”Also.”  Her vulnerability returned just slightly.  ”If I haven’t worn out my welcome, I’d still like to listen in while you and your wives make plans to talk to Kendra.” 

He grinned.  ”You will never wear out your welcome.  You’re always welcome to join us, but only if you share your opinions...”  Then he winked as he added.  ”...O’ wise redhead.” 

She rolled her eyes and chuckled.  ”Deal.” 

* * *

Kendra yawned in the late-afternoon sun, feeling sleepy as she usually did on these long trips.  She was no stranger to long, lonely trips, but this one seemed longer and lonelier than usual.  She wasn’t sure why.  Part of it was her tiny little airship that had almost no room for anyone else.  Part of it was the endless hours with no one to talk to.  And this time, part of it was wondering what she was missing.

She had only been watching the dragon for a week now, but she’d seen enough to know that he wasn’t like other dragons.  No dragon she’d heard of would voluntarily surrender gold. 

Ever.

Dragons were notoriously resistant to giving up their gold even to a Drago, though they could when forced by one.   But voluntarily?   That was unheard of.  It was especially unheard of for a dragon to sacrifice for a human.  She’d been called all manner of names and derogatory titles by dragons before, but they all carried the same basic thread.  Dragons believe that they are as far above humans as humans are above cows.

This dragon didn’t though.  Or at least, it seemed like he didn’t.  He treated the crew as equals and was so tender with his wives.  She couldn’t forget how he had spread his wings over his wives as they had slept.  Dragons were possessive, but not tender; not caring.

She glanced towards the airship and saw something strange. 

A small dot that she could barely see had flown out to the left side of the airship.  It was small, maybe the size of a person, but she couldn’t be sure.  She pulled out her enchanted spyglass and found the dot. 

It was the Fey girl, Taloni. 

She was flying directly towards her. 

Instantly Kendra’s guard went up. 

She grabbed the Dragon Slayer bow that had remained next to her since she’d left the Argo.  Not for defense against the Fey -- she wasn’t scared of her -- but for defense against the dragon.   If the Fey knew that she was here, the dragon surely did too. 

It was just like a dragon to use someone you trusted as bait. 

She grabbed her last Dragon Slayer Arrow, nocked it into the bow, activated her strength-enhancing vambraces, and set the bow on her lap where she could draw it in moments.  Only when this was accomplished did she pull up her spyglass again and look towards the dragon’s airship. 

The dragon and the wood elf with the green dress were standing on the quarterdeck looking in her direction.  The wood elf was squinting slightly, and even the dragon might’ve been a little bit. 

He waved. 

She almost dropped the spyglass. 

He pointed to Taloni, mimed drawing a bow, and then shook his head.  She could see the implied threat even being so far away.  It was hard to be sure, but it looked like concern was driving the dragon’s threat. 

She considered for a moment. 

Dragons were fast, but it would take him at least a minute or two to fly all the way to her, so she would have time to restring it if necessary.  She well remembered the last time she’d seen him and the threat that he’d given.  She had no desire to be ”torn limb from fucking limb” for harming any of his wives, especially Taloni.  She didn’t trust the dragon.  Not one bit. But for some reason she was willing to trust Taloni. 

She stood up, and made a show of removing the arrow from the bow, setting it down beside her.  Then she unstrung the bow and held it above her head so they could see it was no longer bent.  She set the bow down and picked up her enchanted spyglass again. 

The dragon gave her a curt nod, but also set his jaw. 

He didn’t look happy. 

She swallowed. 

It took Taloni several minutes to fly to her airship.  As she got closer, she started to droop in her flight as if she was tired.  She came in towards Kendra at about Kendra’s level and seemed to be having trouble staying aloft.  When she finally arrived, she did so by grabbing the prow of the canoe-sized airship. 

Kendra stepped forward and pulled her onboard, her strength-enhancing vambraces making it very easy. 

”Thank...  thank you.”  Taloni panted as she sat down on a coil of rope.  ”I...  I don’t...”  She panted.  ”I don’t usually fly for that long and...”  She yawned, catching her breath.  ”...and my wings still aren’t very strong yet.” 

”I thought you said your wings weren’t strong enough to fly?”  Kendra observed.

The Fey girl held up a small pendant around her neck as she breathed hard. 

”Weight-reduction necklace?”

Taloni nodded as she caught her breath.  ”I haven’t flown that long since my wedding night.  I’ve been exercising my wings every day, but they still aren’t used to carrying my full weight for very long.” 

”Oh.”  Kendra nodded, then realized she’d been distracted too long.  Quick as a flash, she pulled up the spyglass and looked at the dragon’s airship to make sure he was still there.

He was. 

He seemed to be pacing the quarterdeck nervously, never taking his eyes off of them. 

”He’s really nervous that you might try to hurt me.”  Taloni explained.  ”You attacked Alana once and he’s very protective.” 

Kendra scoffed. 

”You still don’t believe he’s protective?”  She asked while still catching her breath.  ”Even after what you saw on the Argo earlier today?” 

”I’ve learned never to trust a dragon.”  Kendra lowered the spyglass but kept it close. 

”Ethan is so much more than just a dragon.”  Taloni countered.  There was a conviction in her voice that Kendra could scarcely believe.  It sounded like the Fey girl believed it with all her heart. 

”What makes you so sure?” 

Taloni opened her mouth, then cocked her head to one side as if listening to something.  She frowned, then looked at Kendra.  ”So, master knows you’ve been following us.” 

”Master?”  Kendra raised an eyebrow.  That sounded more like a dragon. 

Taloni beamed.  ”Yes, master finally agreed to let me call him that.  He didn’t want me to, and it took some convincing, but he did finally let me.” 

Kendra stared. 

”What?”  Taloni asked.

”You had to ask to call him master?  He didn’t demand it?” 

”Of course he didn’t silly.”  She replied like the dragon huntress was speaking gobbledygook.  ”He’s not like most dragons.”

”How can you be sure?” 

”Because I’ve seen him.”  The Fey girl said a little more seriously.  ”Like, all of him.” 

”Huh?” 

”When we bonded, I saw--”

”Wait.”  Kendra interrupted.  ”You bonded?  With a dragon?”  Her mouth fell open. 

She nodded.  ”I don’t suppose you’ve ever bonded with someone?”  She looked around the canoe, apparently correctly guessing that she was alone. 

Kendra shook her head. 

”When I did, I got this...  this sense of him.”  She explained.  ”It’s like being in an airship with a city below you.  You can see everything all at once, but it only lasts for a moment.  I saw every part of him; both the best parts and the parts he’s ashamed of.  Everything.  He’s a good man.  He has flaws and faults like everyone else, but he’s the best man I’ve ever known.” 

Kendra raised her eyebrow. 

”He really is.  He’s--”  She stopped and cocked her head to one side as if listening again.  ”Sorry, I keep forgetting.”  She said to no one in particular, then turned to Kendra.  ”Ethan wants to talk to you.” 

On instinct, Kendra’s hand dropped to the hilt of the sheathed sword on her waist.  Moments later, a terrifying dragon’s roar filled the air. 

Kendra flinched in response, far away though he was.  She didn’t have dragon eyes, but even she could see the dragon take off from the Argo.  Instantly, Taloni whipped around and seemed to stare intently at the dragon, almost with a pleading look on her face.  Kendra pulled up her enchanted spyglass and saw the dragon flying toward them at terrific speed. 

Then he hesitated, slowing slightly. 

Taloni turned around and pleaded.  ”Please put your hands up, show him you aren’t armed and won’t hurt me.” 

Two of the most powerful forces in Kendra’s life collided at that moment.  First, over a decade of training that taught her never to encounter a dragon without proper weapons.  Second, the desire to not make enemies of her new friend...

Wait, ’friend’?

It took a moment to realize that somehow, Kendra had started thinking about the little Fey girl as her friend.  She didn’t know when it happened -- the hug perhaps -- but she did think of her that way.

She raised both arms in the air, high enough that no one would think she had a weapon.

Taloni whipped back around and started intently, almost pleadingly, at the incoming dragon.  Several seconds passed, and then the dragon flapped his wings and started circling where he was.  He wasn’t coming closer, but neither was he going back to his airship. 

”Okay, I convinced him.”  Taloni said with a sigh of relief. 

”How?”  Kendra asked confused.

The Fey girl smiled mischievously. ”I’ll tell you if you meet with Ethan and talk to him.” 

”After that?”  She said, having just seen the dragon lose his temper in a micro-second.

”He won’t hurt you unless he thinks you’re going to hurt one of his wives.  I promise.” 

Kendra hesitated, then looked around at her small airship.  ”There’s no way I would trust him being this close to me.”

”He doesn’t have to come here.”  The Fey teen replied.  ”He actually wanted me to invite you to the Argo.” 

”That would mean he picks the terrain?”

”Well, you just said you don’t want him to come here.”  Taloni pointed out.

”True.”  She admitted.  It still seemed risky though, and there was one other question in her mind.  ”Why?”

”Why what?” 

The dragon huntress looked at the circling dragon and narrowed her eyes.  ”Why does he want to talk with me?  The last time we met he threatened to rip me limb from limb if I came near him again.” 

Taloni frowned, then glanced at Ethan with a confused expression.  Several seconds later, she looked back at Kendra.  ”No, he threatened to do that if you ’hurt a single hair on Alana’s head’.  He didn’t say anything about you being close to him.” 

Kendra’s jaw dropped.  ”How do you know that?  You weren’t there.” 

”He just told me.” 

The confused dragon huntress looked at Taloni and then at the dragon flying several hundred yards away.  ”How?” 

”I’ll tell you if you meet with master.”  She promised. 

”I’m not leaving my weapons behind.”  Kendra said.  ”That’s not negotiable.” 

Taloni hesitated, cocked her head to one side, then look at her again.  ”He says that’s fine as long as you leave any bows on your airship.”  She frowned.  ”I think he’s worried that you might hurt one of his wives.” 

”I won’t unless they attack me.” 

”Then you’ll come?”  The Fey teen said hopefully.  She really did look like she wanted her to, and Kendra did want to find out what really made the dragon tick. 

Being on the dragon’s airship though...

She frowned. 

It was always a bad idea to meet with an enemy on his terms.  Always.  However, there really wasn’t a better option.  Grounding both airships to meet on the ground would be a waste of time because he could fly, giving him a positional advantage.  Plus, all the dry grass on the Great Plains below...

If she was going to meet him, then doing it on his own airship might be the best place, outside of a crowded market with lots of guards.  And since he already knew she was there, she didn’t have the element of surprise anymore.   Perhaps, a fact-finding mission might work after all.

Besides, this dragon didn’t appear to have super hard scales yet, given how her throwing dagger had hurt him in Arcanum.  If worst came to worse, she still had those up her sleeve; quite literally.  They were concealed, so she would have a chance to use one if he attacked.

Plus, Taloni wanted her to go...

”Okay; I’ll meet with him.”

* * *

The moment Selene started to wake up, she wished she hadn’t.  She felt like she’d gone twenty rounds with a heavyweight boxing champion who was armed with a meat tenderizer.  The only parts of her body that didn’t hurt were the ones that ached. 

She thought she was good at hand-to-hand combat, but Smithbond was something else.  He was on a whole different level.  She felt like she had just been schooled like a white belt challenging a grand master.  She doubted even her father could’ve taken him and he hadn’t lost a fight in almost a decade, even against other masters.

She inhaled and immediately felt her ribs mount an assault on her pain receptors.  One or two of them must be cracked.

She groaned.

”You’re awake.”  A feminine voice nearby said.

She thought it might’ve been Hailey Oswald, but wasn’t sure.  Putting thought into anything aggravated her headache.  She just groaned again to confirm.  She had tried to speak, but a rather painful bruise on her side had ruined that plan. 

”Don’t move too much.”  Hailey said.  ”You’re going to be okay, but it’s going to hurt like hell for a few days.” 

Selene finally managed to open her eyes, and thankfully the lighting in the room wasn’t bright enough to make them hurt.  Strangely, one of her eyes didn’t want to open all the way.  It was the one that really hurt, as opposed to the other which merely hurt.

Selene was lying on her back on what felt like a cot, and not a very high-quality one.  Hailey was leaning over her, probably sitting on the cot next to her.  The room was made from concrete except for the steel door with a barred window.  There was a toilet with a privacy curtain in one corner, another cot -- with Jason Stiles and Melinda Estelo sitting on it -- and that was it. 

”Sorry for--”  Selene started to say, but was interrupted by the moving aggravating her ribs, which made her cough, which aggravated them even more. 

”Sorry for dragging you all into this.”  She said once the coughing fit had died down and the pain had returned to a manageable level. 

Melinda put her hand over her very pregnant stomach protectively.  ”We forgive you.” 

”Anyone who would go through that--”  Jason indicated her many wounds.  ”--to protect Hailey and Melinda is okay in my book.”

”There’s nothing to forgive, not after what you did for me in there.”  Hailey added.

”Thank you.”  Selene said.  She had the impulse to get up, but that sounded like something only a masochist would indulge in at this point.  ”What time is it?” 

”It’s a quarter to six.” Jason said looking at his watch.  It was an old-style analogue one, which is probably why they hadn’t confiscated it.

”I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat or drink around here?”  She asked, reconsidering sitting up.  One does not simply drink water lying down.  She almost chuckled as she remembered that meme, then suppressed it; she was in enough pain. 

”We have water.”  Hailey said getting up.  There was a tiny sink with a single paper cup next to it.  Hailey filled the cup and brought it to her. 

”Thanks.”  Selene said, then made to sit up.  It hurt less than she thought it would, which meant she was able to stifle the cry of pain.  Once vertical, she took the cup and went to take a drink.  She winced when the cup touched her lip, which was apparently split. 

The water felt good though. 

It tasted like chlorine, but she was parched.  She finished the cup, drinking slowly lest she move too quickly, start coughing, and end up with the cup’s contents all over herself.

”So, what now?”  Hailey asked when she was done. 

Selene looked around the concrete walls and steel door.  ”I guess we get comfortable and wait.” 

”No, I meant about...”  Hailey glanced at Melinda.  ”About your boss.” 

”I have no idea.”  She replied honestly.

Over Hailey’s shoulder, she could see Jason clenching his fist and alternately looking at Melinda with concern and glancing at the steel door. 

”I wish I could help, but clearly I can’t.”  Selene said, hating feeling so helpless.  She had never felt like this before.  Never been in a position where she was so totally powerless before.  She hated it. 

Truly hated it. 

In the back of her mind, she remembered being completely helpless at least once before: in the clearing with the dragon-man.  However, that had been an entirely different situation and thus she’d had an entirely different reaction. 

”Maybe you could tell him about where you were from, just not about Ethan.”  Selene suggested.  ”He might accept that.” 

All three of them looked at her with something approaching suspicion, but not quite reaching it. 

”I’m just trying to help.  None of us want to see a pregnant woman looking like me.”

All three of the others gave her an odd look.  

That’s when Selene remembered that -- despite her wounds and puffy face -- her looks had always been the envy of every woman she’d ever met.  She didn’t mind being beautiful; she liked it in fact.  However, it did make having any sort of friendship rather difficult.  Men wanted her body and women were jealous of it.  Neither fostered a good environment for friendship.

”Look, I’m either here because he got me fired and I tried to protect Hailey, or because I’m trying to get you--”  She looked at Hailey.  ”--to spill your guts to him.  There’s literally nothing I can do to convince you it’s the former, so I’m not even going to try.  You can make up your own minds.” 

”He got you fired?”  Melinda cocked her head to one side.  ”What happened?” 

”It’s a long story.” 

Jason looked around the prison cell.  ”We appear to have plenty of time.” 

Hailey and Melinda both looked at her expectantly.

”Okay.”  Selene sighed and began to recount the story.

* * *

Every fiber of Kendra’s body was screaming that she was making a huge mistake.  All of her training, all of her experience, common sense, and even a few proverbs from the Book of Light concerning dragons told her she was making the biggest mistake of her life. 

She had almost turned her airship around several times.  Each time, Taloni had convinced her to keep going.  The Fey teen was still sitting in her airship, having asked to ride back with her because her wings were tired.  The dragon huntress reluctantly agreed.  She liked having the Fey girl around, but it was a bit awkward with her having hunted the girl’s husband for so long.

What Kendra really wanted to do was ask for another hug, but she couldn’t work up the nerve. 

She wished she could.

Now, she was pulling her airship up alongside the dragon’s, the latter having dropped anchor to better facilitate docking.  She had pulled rather farther up than was usual, so her ship was docked far forward of the main mast near the Argo’s bow.  She’d done this on purpose to put as much distance between herself and the other crew as possible, in order to have as much time to react as possible. 

Kendra threw a rope to a thin, wiry crewman who caught it expertly and hooked it around one of the docking posts built into the railing for just such a purpose.   She hooked the docking rope around the docking posts on her own airship.  They were enchanted, and the tiniest drop of mana would cause them to break away without the hassle of needing to untie the rope. She tightened the rope until the two hulls were touching to finish docking, and then cinched the rope.

After that was done, Taloni smiled at her, then flew up and over to land next to the dragon, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as she landed.  He touched her arm affectionately in response, but never took his eyes off the dragon huntress. 

”Kendra.”  He almost growled.

”Dragon.”  She replied said as she hopped onto the Argo.

They stared at each other for several tense seconds.  She was missing her Dragon Slayer bow dearly, almost feeling naked without it.  However, she had a sword at her side, her concealed throwing knives, and her strength-enhancing vambraces; she was ready in case they attacked. 

Opposite her was the dragon flanked by his three wives and the redheaded mage, Rachel.  Up on the quarterdeck, the high elf was at the ship’s wheel.  She had a sword at her side and a rollable leather shield in hand, but didn’t look like she was about to use them.  The two crewmen were standing by the entrances to the lower decks.  They too were armed but clearly hanging back.  Except for Taloni alone -- who looked elated to have the dragon huntress onboard -- the Argo’s crew all looked wary.

The sun had recently started to set, and the sky was a beautiful mosaic of reds, oranges, and purples on the clouds.  The reddish light of the setting sun made the situation even more surreal. 

”You wanted to talk?”  Kendra said after nearly a minute of silence. 

”Why are you following us?”  He asked.

”I thought that was obvious.”  She retorted, glaring daggers at him. 

”Okay, then why did you save Taloni and Anthiel?” 

She shrugged.  ”I was bored and needed some exercise.” 

”That’s not true.”  Taloni stated.  She wasn’t accusing Kendra nor being combative; she was merely stating a fact.  Her brilliant lilac eyes seemed to bore into Kendra, but her gaze was filled with kindness. 

The dragon made a thoughtful sound.  ”Why hunt me for over a week, nearly kill me several times, and then rescue my wife?”

”Because I’m not hunting her.”

”Why aren’t you hunting Ethan anymore either?”  The redhead asked. 

”What makes you think I’m not?”  Kendra countered. 

”You had him dead to rights earlier today.”  She replied.  ”You had the opportunity, the weapons, the element of surprise, and even an escape route; you had everything you needed and yet didn’t strike.  Why?” 

Kendra didn’t reply.

She wasn’t even sure she had a good answer to reply with. 

”I have a better question.”  The wood elf in the green dress said.  ”Why were you trying to kill him in the first place?” 

”He’s a dragon.”  Kendra replied, noting that the wood elf had used the past tense for her hunting.

”And that’s reason enough?”  Rachel asked. 

Kendra raised her eyebrow.  ”You’re a Lord’s daughter.  Surely you’ve heard of the chaos that dragons wreak upon these lands.  Surely your father had to deal with dragons regularly.” 

”No, not that I can recall.”  The redhead shook her head.  ”I’ve heard the stories, but dragon attacks were virtually unheard of in my father’s domain.” 

Kendra cocked her head to one side. 

Strange. 

She’d never heard of a human lord being able to keep dragons at bay.  Defeat them, yes.  Drive them out, sure.  But prevent them from attacking in the first place?  She hadn’t thought that any man could keep their lands free of the scourge of dragon. 

”You’ve been watching us for a while now.”  Taloni pointed out.  ”Does he really deserve to be hunted just for being a dragon?” 

Kendra didn’t answer.

”How long have you been watching us?”  Ethan asked.  ”Since we Left Arcanum?” 

”About.”

”Can you name a single thing he’s done that deserves death?”  Rachel asked.

”He killed a girl in Arcanum; I know that much.” 

”That was me.”  The blonde spoke up.  ”And it wasn’t him.  It was some men who attacked us.  I died while Ethan was trying to save me.”

”You don’t look very dead.” 

”Were you watching us the night we left Arcanum?”  Ethan asked.  ”If so, you surely saw me fly her body to the Argo.”

The dragon huntress nodded, still not sure what to make of that. 

”I was clearly dead, wasn’t I?”  Beth asked. 

”Yes.”  Kendra admitted. 

”He tracked down and fought a necromancer, and then traveled to another world to bring me back.  What normal dragon would ever do that for a human?”

Kendra let her hand fall to her sword as she narrowed her eyes.  ”You ’tracked down a necromancer’ to bring her back?  The dark arts do sound like a dragon’s domain.” 

Ethan scoffed.  ”And he nearly killed us.  I didn’t use him to bring Beth back, I just needed to use his portal.  I brought her back the same way I brought you back.” 

”You’re welcome by the way.”  Alana said frostily.  ”For saving you both times.”

Kendra pursed her lips. 

She wasn’t wrong.

It galled her to no end, but she wasn’t wrong.  He had indeed saved her life twice.  Of all the things she’d seen since encountering this dragon, that made the least sense.  Him raising her in The Arena might make some sense.  It had certainly swayed the crowd and probably help him avoid a lot of problems.  But the second time there were no witnesses and it had cost him a singed back to help her.  It didn’t make sense.

”Why?”  She finally asked.  ”Why did you save me during the fight with Havorleth?”

”Honest truth: I have no idea.”  Ethan replied.  ”Instinct maybe?  Or maybe I just didn’t think you deserved to be burned alive.  I don’t know.  Believe me, I don’t make a habit of taking dragon’s fire for my mortal enemies, or bringing them back from the dead.”

Kendra frowned.

He was either telling the truth or among the best liars she had ever known.  Actually, either they were either all telling the truth or they were all exceptional liars.  She had watched all of them carefully, and none gave the slightest sign of dishonesty.  That was doubly surprising because he was talking about bringing someone back from the dead.

”How did you bring the girl and me back from the dead?”  Kendra asked indicating Beth.

”It’s kind of complicated.”  He replied. 

She gave him a look.  ”I’ll try to keep up.” 

* * *

”And that’s when I discovered all my martial arts training was woefully inadequate to the task.”  Selene said, finishing her story and trying not to sound bitter about that last part.  She’d managed to make it through without dissolving into a pain-induced coughing fit every few seconds.

”Wow.”  Jason said.  ”That all makes sense...  if you’re telling the truth.” 

He grilled her on various fine details of the story for the next several minutes, probing for inconsistencies and little details you would only know if you were telling the truth.  She answered all of his questions and he eventually seemed satisfied. 

”Well, I believe her.”  Jason said when they were done. 

The two other women nodded.  

”The question now is, what to do next.”  Selene said. 

They talked about it for a few minutes, until they heard the sound of the door being unlocked.  They looked over to see three people enter.  One was Smithbond who was looking uncharacteristically cowed.  Next was the purple-haired Yvonne, who looked like she could punch through concrete right now as mad as she was.  Last was Gonorran.  He looked impassive and seedy as ever, but also mildly amused at the other two.  Somehow, his smile made him look creepier. 

The purple-haired woman was glaring daggers at Smithbond. 

”I’m sorry Selene and...” She looked at Hailey.  ”Whatever your name is.  I thought this lug and I had an understanding about the proper way to treat guests.” 

She glared at him again and he seemed slightly cowed by the irate computer whiz.

Yvonne looked at Gonorran, snapped her fingers, and then pointed at Selene and Hailey.  ”Sometime today please.” 

The two women both shrank back slightly.

”Don’t worry, he’s just going to use magic to heal you.  If he does anything else...”  Yvonne let that hang in the air like someone reminding a misbehaving child to behave. 

If Selene hadn’t had that encounter with Ethan or seen Gonorran fighting through the satellite feed, she wouldn’t have believed it.  As it was, she barely wanted to be in the same room with the necromancer, much less let him use magic on her. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but unfortunately the inhale aggravated her ribs and cut her off.  She groaned in pain slightly, and while she was distracted she felt Gonorran’s hand settle on her shoulder.

She shuddered, and resisted the urge to shrug it off. 

Her whole body started to tingle slightly.  She could feel something going on, but wasn’t sure what it was.  After about thirty seconds, she realized her ribs didn’t hurt anymore.  Another thirty seconds saw her puffy eyelid going down and the various aches and pains in her body slowly subsiding.  After a couple of minutes, she still felt very sore but nothing actually hurt anymore.

”Thanks.”  She forced herself to say.  Her father had drilled being polite into her and it was a hard habit to break, even with someone like Gonorran. 

He looked down his nose at her, regarding her much as a casual shopper might regard a trinket that wasn’t worth his time.  He sniffed derisively and then turned to Hailey.  A minute later, Hailey was also looking much better.  The bruises weren’t completely gone, but the cuts were closed and she certainly looked much better.

”Now that’s taken care of, get lost.”  Yvonne waved Gonorran out. 

The necromancer looked at Smithbond, who nodded.  Once he left, Smithbond closed the door behind him. 

The purple-haired girl turned to Hailey.  ”Now, I understand you don’t want to tell us what you know about 10k1.”

”10k1?”  Hailey looked puzzled.

”The Ten Kingdoms.”  Smithbond clarified. 

”Here’s the thing, I’m guessing this is from loyalty to that Ethan character who helped you.” 

Hailey didn’t reply.

Yvonne continued.  ”Here’s the thing, we don’t give a rat’s ass about him.  You could never mention him again for all we care.  We want to know about the world itself.  What is it like?  What are the people like?  Most especially, what are their weapons and especially capabilities like?  Do they pose a threat to us?”

”I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”  Hailey said. 

”Except they can open portals.”  Smithbond pointed out.  What’s to stop them from opening one right into the Oval Office?  Or a bank vault, or a nuclear missile silo?”

”Why are you asking all these questions?”  Selene asked.  ”You told me yourself that you had captured some people from 10k1.  Surely you must know they pose no threat.” 

”They weren’t very forthcoming.”  Smithbond replied.  ”As a result, we had to send our men in blind and lost them.  We don’t want to make the same mistake again.” 

”Again?”  Selene raised her eyebrow.  Thankfully, it didn’t hurt anymore. 

He nodded.  ”Yes again.  We’ve had the portal for decades, we just lacked someone to power it, which we now have.”  He glanced towards the door through which Gonorran had just left.  ”We’re going to send an expeditionary force to do a proper threat assessment and we want to know what we’re walking into.” 

”Interesting.”  Jason mused.

Selene frowned. 

The phrase ’expeditionary force’ sounded an awful lot like it really meant ’invasion scouts’.  She wouldn’t put it past them given what she knew of them, especially Smithbond.  What secret government agency wouldn’t like a location that’s literally on another planet so they couldn’t be discovered doing whatever nefarious things they had planned?

”Here’s the deal.”  Yvonne said to Hailey.  ”You tell us about the world, what it’s like, and especially anything that might pose a threat, and then you and your friends can go home.”  She indicated Jason and Melinda.  ”We don’t even care about that Ethan fellow, just the world.” 

That’s when it hit Selene: they were playing ’good cop, bad cop’ at a whole other level.

This was next-level interrogation. 

Suddenly it all made sense.  Smithbond had wanted Selene to intervene.  He had wanted to beat her mercilessly so Hailey would see what he could do, so the threat against Melinda would be more effective.  Then by making Yvonne come in bossing him around, he’d made it seem like ’the boss’ was not only against this, but also infuriated by it.  Having Gonorran heal them was a masterful stroke, putting them both in Yvonne’s debt.  And her saying she didn’t want to hear about Ethan was the final straw to get her to speak with as little resistance as possible. 

As this realization washed over her, she realized that Smithbond wasn’t cowed by Yvonne at all.

He was probably behind this.

The only question was if they were telling the truth about letting the three civilians go when this was all done.  She caught Smithbond’s eye, glanced at them, then back at him, and raised her eyebrow.

He nodded. 

She hoped he was telling the truth about letting them go afterwards, because Hailey was the next to speak.

”Okay, what do you want to know?” 

* * *

Ethan watched the dragon huntress like hawk.  She seemed unbothered by his explanation of CPR, but she was certainly very wary.  She hadn’t taken her eyes off of any of them since the moment she’d stepped foot on the Argo.  Her arms were down and casual, but he could tell that behind the relaxed stance she was ready to explode into action. 

There was at least fifty feet between them, as neither side was comfortable getting too close.  She stood nearer to the bow of the ship where her own canoe-sized airship was docked to the Argo.  Meanwhile, he and his wives stood near the entrance to the captain’s cabin.  This wasn’t on accident, as he wanted his wives to be able to duck out of danger at a moment’s notice.

He wasn’t taking chances.

Not with Kendra.

”So, you’re saying it’s not Illuminar’s power that let you raise people from the dead, but some kind of...  Science?”  She looked skeptical. 

Rachel nodded.  ”It sounds silly, but it’s true.” 

Kendra frowned. 

She seemed to do that a lot.  

*Master, do you see what I meant about her being lonely?*  Taloni asked tentatively while their guest seemed to mull things over. 

*Not really.*  He replied, not taking his eyes off the dragon huntress.

*I wish you could see it master.*

He glanced at his Fey bride and she had a slightly mournful look in her lilac eyes. He looked back at Kendra and tried to see what his Fey wife was saying.  The dragon huntress looked like a predator.  That was really all he could see.  She was alert and primed for battle, her hands never straying far from her sword.  She looked relaxed, but coiled like a serpent ready to strike. 

He looked at her face, trying to gauge what was going on.

Her hair was jet black and fell down nearly straight, with just a hint of wave.  Her skin was tanned like she’d spent a lot time in the sun, and yet it didn’t look leathery or damaged.  Her deep brown eyes were alert and cautious, darting to each of the Argo’s crew in turn. 

Her eyes seemed cold and hard; a warrior’s eyes that offered no remorse, pity or mercy.

Then their eyes met

For the briefest moment, their eyes met and he saw something else flash in them.  It was so fast that without his dragon-enhanced reflexes, he might’ve missed it.  For an instant, her eyes looked less calculating and more...  more...  lonely?  They were like a deep pool in the midst of the desert.  The moment passed so quickly that he couldn’t tell what she was feeling. 

Hmm. 

”Okay, so let’s cut the bullshit.”  He said, deciding to try getting a straight answer.  ”You were trying to kill me, now you’re merely following me and watching everything we do.” 

Kendra shrugged.  He took that as a ”Yes”. 

”The question is why?”  You seemed to have stopped trying to kill me after I saved your life the second time, so why.” 

”It wasn’t because you saved me.”  Kendra replied quietly.

”Then why?” 

Kendra averted her eyes for one moment.  Just an instant, but it was the first time she’d taken them off of one of the Argo’s crew, and for some reason that seemed significant.

”Why Kendra?”  He asked again.

”Because of her.”  Kendra said, pointed to Alana. 

”Me?”  His elven bride looked surprised.  ”What did I do?” 

”It was the way he acted towards you.”  The dragon huntress clarified.  ”I’ve never seen a dragon be protective towards someone like that.  Ever.” 

”Oh.”  Rachel said with a smile.  ”You’ve been following us to see what he’s really like; to see if he’s like other dragons.” 

Kendra nodded mutely. 

”Then how about this.”  Ethan offered, glancing at the setting sun.  ”Join us for dinner here on the Argo.” 

Kendra stiffened, suddenly suspicious.

”You don’t need to eat.”  He added.  ”Let us tell you our story.  I’m guessing you’ve only heard Lord Delmar’s version and the pack of lies he’s been selling about us.  Let us tell you our side of the story and you can judge for yourself.” 

”I have no way of knowing if you were telling the truth.”  She countered. 

”And you know Lord Delmar is?”  He raised his eyebrow.  ”If politicians here are anything like where I’m from, I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, even if he wasn’t trying to kill us.” 

Kendra made a thoughtful noise, and inclined her head slightly in concession.

”Please Kendra?”  Taloni asked.  ”You don’t have to believe us, but please at least hear us out?”

The dragon huntress stared at them for nearly a whole minute.  She looked at all of them several times, her gaze landing on his Fey wife more often than the others. 

She looked torn. 

Finally, she sat down on the deck, placing her legs so she could spring up at a moment’s notice.  Then she looked at them again and spoke.

”I’m listening.” 

Note: This chapter began and ended on day 56 of Ethan’s life in the Ten Kingdoms.