Into the Fire
Fifty One
Author’s note: This chapter presumes that you are familiar with Kelvin’s Choice’s story, Tamers, as well as Micah Hakubi’s story, Gunpowder, Treason & Plot, and uses characters and situations from them with their permission. If you have not read these stories, you are very naughty and need to remedy the situation immediately. Both are well worth the time.
***
Eve appeared carrying Ninhursag, April and Pandora, all of whom were holding hands with her. The Elfqueen looked at the Megami-sama and the Fallen Angel as April activated her personal armor and all of her enhancement cards. “You two clear the house. I want anyone they left behind brought to me for questioning.” She looked at April as the others headed off. “Iain recognized his captor. What’s their relationship?”
They met briefly when Linda McMahon came to Blue to retrieve a military airship that Micah Hakubi stole from Capital. Triple H was part of her security element.
April was still explaining the episode when Pandora slammed open the last door in the house to see a figure on the floor glaring at her over a gag. I’ve got an Officerjenny who looks like a prisoner.
Eve’s response was instantaneous. I’m on my way. She appeared in the doorway as Pandora pulled the gag off of the police pokegirl.
The Jenny spat phlegm on the floor. “You’re all under arrest until I sort things out.”
Pandora blinked. “Do what?”
“You may be part of the group holding me prisoner. You’re under arrest until I find out who you are.” The last was muffled as Pandora shoved the gag back into the Jenny’s mouth.
Eve gave her an appalled look. “What was that for?”
“We don’t have time for her shit.” Pandora gripped the Jenny by the front of her blouse and lifted her off the floor, turned and slammed her back against the wall hard enough to shake the house. “When I take this off again, you will be silent unless answering my questions. If not, I’ll leave you here and you can pray to be found before you die of dehydration. Understand?” The Jenny stared at her and Pandora shook her hard enough to make the reinforced fabric of her blouse begin to tear. “I asked you if you understand me.”
“Put her down.” Eve grabbed Pandora’s arm. “Now.”
The Fallen Angel ignored her and ripped the gag free. “Who are you and why are you here?”
The Jenny glared at her. “I am Virginia and this is my house. Who are you?”
“The people who took you prisoner just kidnapped our man.”
The Jenny scowled. “Let me go and as soon as I can report this the Wick constabulary will hunt them down and get him back.”
Eve frowned. “Release her, but don’t let her contact her police department.”
“Wouldn’t that be easier if I don’t let her loose?”
April’s silver form appeared in the doorway. Bring her. Don’t release her. If she starts yelling, gag her. Ninhursag’s orders.
“You heard her.” Pandora stuffed the gag back into Virginia’s mouth and hoisted the Jenny over her shoulder. “Let’s go find out what’s going on.”
When they got back to the front of the house, Dominique had joined Ninhursag. “Pandora, come with me and bring your new friend.” She vanished, followed seconds later by the Fallen Angel.
Eve frowned. “Where did she go?”
“They’re going to Minister Chambers’ house.” Ninhursag rubbed her eyes. “Iain’s someplace where they have a teleport block set up and since none of us have been to that part of the Capital League we can’t even teleport nearby. Canaan is already in Capital and heading towards him as fast as she can, but she’s still got a ways to go and not knowing his precise location is not going to help. When she’s close to where he is, she’ll be an anchor point for the rest of us.”
April’s armor melted away. “Can the Dragonesses take us there?”
Eve snorted. “Probably, but can you order them to? I can’t. Fortunately, he’s got at least two of them on his body so he’s not unguarded.”
Ninhursag nodded. “True, but I want us nearby. Eve, I want you to look through Iain’s eyes and get as many details as you can about where he is. Then go find Lucifer and see if she can help us ID it and get us plans of the complex, if she’s willing to help. If not, or if she can’t, we’ll wing it as usual. April, go back to the house and brief Vanessa on what happened. If she wants to come along and help break things when the time comes, she’s welcome to.” She glared at nothing in particular for a moment. “I know Iain wants to try talking to them first, but we are going to be in position for when that fails just as soon as we can. I don’t think his negotiations will have any result we can live with, but we can always hope while preparing for the worst.”
***
Dominique hammered on the door hard enough to rattle stuff on the walls inside the building and stepped back so she was fully illuminated for the camera. A few minutes later Camille cautiously opened the door. “Did you have to hit so hard? You woke up Undine. Now she’s wandering around and bitching about it.”
“I need to talk to Monica. There’s a big problem that I’m trying to keep from becoming a really big problem.”
Camille blinked. “How big could it become?”
“Is an international incident between two leagues big enough for you?”
The Ladyien opened the door. “Come in. I’ll get the mistress for you. You’re sure about this?”
“Capital League operatives took a Blue Officerjenny hostage while setting up a kidnapping for Iain that succeeded. You tell me what could happen about that.”
“Oh, hell.” Camille spread her wing cases and flew up the stairs.
As soon as she was gone, Dominique opened the door to let Pandora in. The Fallen Angel dropped Virginia on the floor. “You stay still and silent,” she warned the Jenny quietly.
A few minutes later, Monica came down the stairs still belting on a robe. She took in the situation at a glance. “Do we have time for the long version of this story?”
Dominique smiled grimly. “We do. Iain had an appointment with an Officerjenny in Wick and it turned out that she was a Capital agent working for Triple H. They took Iain prisoner and spirited him away to someplace in Capital.”
Monica blanched. “I am so sorry.”
“For what?”
“He was blowing off that appointment to have dinner with me and I made him go. If I hadn’t, this wouldn’t be happening.”
“It’s not your fault. He’d have met with her eventually in any case and we’d still be in the same situation.”
“Thanks.” Chambers nodded towards Virginia. “Who is that?”
“Her name is Virginia and she was a prisoner in the house, which she owns. I think they took her so they could get a badge and other gear proving the agent was a legitimate Wick inspector in case they needed it.” A sour expression crossed her face. “Not that anyone asked to see one.”
“If she’s a Blue, why is she tied up?”
“She’ll have to report what happened and then it’ll become official that Capital took a Blue League officer prisoner and then kidnapped Iain. At that point you’ll have no choice but to protest what happened to Virginia through official channels to the Capital League. In light of what may happen, I don’t think you want Blue’s name associated with Kerrik Wolf. I brought Virginia here because you can order her not to tell anyone what happened and you understand the political dynamic enough to realize that might be an excellent idea.”
Chambers blinked. “What might happen? Please elaborate on that statement.”
“Iain is furious and so are we. He’s going to try using logic with McMahon, but I think he’d have more success trying to talk water into not being wet than he will trying to make Vincent McMahon be reasonable. So I doubt anything will change and then we will act to free him.” Her eyes hardened. “You don’t want to be involved at that point.”
Monica turned and called up the stairs. “Donna, bring me my badge. Camille, put on some tea for our guests.” A grumpy looking Undine floated down the staircase and landed next to her tamer. “Thank you, Undine. Dominique, let my officer go.”
The Archmage started to order Pandora to release Virginia only to stop when she realized that the Fallen Angel was already cutting the Officerjenny’s bindings.
Donna jumped off the upper landing and grabbed the handrail. Using it as a fulcrum, she pivoted in midair and landed on the first floor. “Your badge, Minister.”
“Thank you, major.” Monica held out the badge as Virginia pushed to her feet. “I am Minister of Defense Monica Chambers and your ultimate boss with the exception of President Llewellyn.”
The Officerjenny looked closely at the badge and shot to attention. “Minister, Inspector Virginia of Wick ready and willing for all orders!”
Monica handed the badge back to Donna. “Inspector Virginia, I want your full report as to what has happened to you today.” As the Officerjenny rattled off her report, Camille set up tea and biscuits on a sideboard. When Virginia was done, Monica gave her a pleased smile. “Thank you, inspector. Now, under the Defense of the Realms Act, I am classifying that report and anything associated with it as top secret and need to know only. You are not to share this information with anyone without my express permission and you are not to act in any way. Rest assured that the situation will be placed in the hands of the proper persons and dealt with.”
Virginia saluted crisply. “Yes, Minister Chambers. I understand and will comply.”
Monica turned to Pandora. “Will you return Virginia to her home, please?”
“I’ll be glad to, minister.” The Fallen Angel held out her hand. “Sorry about the discomfort, inspector, but we needed to make sure the minister got to speak to you before you blurted this out to the rest of the Wick constabulary. Let me teleport you back to your house and I’ll leave you an address where you can send the bill for the locks I broke.”
“I understand.” Virginia took Pandora’s hand and the two teleported away.
Monica waited a few seconds until she was sure Virginia wasn’t coming back. “What the hell does McMahon think he’s doing kidnapping Kerrik?”
Dominique shrugged. “I’m not completely sure, but Capital has tried for at least two other authors before making this play for him. They failed in both of their other attempts but apparently they haven’t learned anything yet.”
Camille handed her mistress a cup of tea. “Do they still think that the authors can be bent to their will? That doesn’t make any sense in light of what’s already happened. Nobody has successfully controlled one of them.”
Dominique started to say something and hesitated. Chambers’ eyes narrowed. “Out with it, woman!”
“I’m not sure Iain would want me to discuss this, but are you aware that Capital’s upper echelons are riddled with Sanctuary Goths?”
“Riddled?” Monica’s eyes widened and then narrowed. “I know there are some connections with Sanctuary, but no, I wasn’t aware they were riddled with them. Define riddled.”
The teacup’s handle shattered in Monica’s grip and tumbled to the floor. She stared at it, ignoring the blood welling from the cuts on her hand. “I wish I could disbelieve you. I knew they were allied with Sanctuary, but, no, nothing hinted at that.” She blinked when Camille jerked her hand down so she could inspect it. She gave her Ladyien a warm smile as her harem leader spread a healing ointment on the injuries. “Thanks, Cammie. Dominique, I thought Sanctuary wasn’t after Kerrik anymore.”
“Just because Sanctuary as an entity isn’t actively hunting him doesn’t mean all Sanctuary Goths have stopped. Word is getting out, but the process is slow and I’m sure that some people will ignore the announcements until someone gets spanked for it. However, it’s entirely possible that Capital wants Iain for its own reasons and this has nothing to do with Sanctuary. They take the alliance with Sanctuary as closely or as loosely as they see fit when it suits them.”
“What do you want from me? You know that I can’t obligate the Blue League to his aid without going through channels and getting authorization. The president knows him, though, and likes him so anything is possible.”
Dominique brushed her crimson hair back and shook her head. “Capital will just disavow having him and we both know it. Then it just becomes your word against theirs. And at that point they may take steps to purge any evidence of his presence, which could include liquidating him. It would be best if you didn’t do anything while we are free to act.” She smiled grimly. “They’ll suspect we’re coming, but they have no idea of what we really are.”
“And what’s that?” Camille nibbled on a biscuit.
Dominique bared her teeth in a feral grin. “We’re a family who wants one of our own back and will do anything to accomplish that goal. And on that note, I need to be going. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
***
Aglaii ran her hands down his body and glanced up at Barbie, who stood off to the side wearing a slightly sheepish expression on her face. “You cracked his skull and gave him a concussion,” she said accusingly.
“Sorry,” the Damsel rumbled. “He wouldn’t back down from Rebekah, so I tapped him once and he fell. How was I to know he was so fragile?”
Iain focused on the shooting pains in the back of his skull as the Sanctuary Goth leaned over him and lifted his head so she could run her hands over his hair. He couldn’t allow her to continue torturing him, so he grabbed her by the head and drove his thumbs into her eyes in a frantic effort to drive her off. He felt them pop greasily. Aglaii screamed and toppled backwards to the floor.
Iain came upright in a rush, the pain in his head making his vision tremble. On the floor next to his bed lay a curled up Nursejoy. Her hands were pressed tightly over the ruins of her eyes and she cried from the pain. He shook his head and light pulsed behind his eyes in jagged bursts of agony that drove the breath out of his body. “You sonofabitch,” Triple H snarled as he smashed Iain in the side of the head with a massive fist and the world spun away again.
Consciousness.
Iain didn’t open his eyes and examined the area with his perception. He was in a room with a solid steel door and no windows, although a mirror ran from waist height to the ceiling of one wall. He lay on a blanket in one corner and the only other things in the room were a table and two chairs on opposite sides of the table, all of which were bolted to the floor. On the other side of the mirror he saw a woman or pokegirl sitting in front of a monitor that showed a display from the three cameras concealed in the room. She’d opened another window in the display and was playing solitaire.
Memory returned. I need to either start wearing a helmet or figure out some way to make my head less breakable. It seems to be a target of first choice for people.
You’re awake. Canaan’s thought was filled with relief.
He opened his eyes. How long?
You have been a prisoner for an hour. You have been unconscious for a total of forty minutes, ten of which were before you blinded the Nursejoy and Triple H hit you again.
Inside the observation room, the woman had noticed his eyes opening and was talking softly into a phone. Idly, he made a mental note to see if he could somehow add sound to his perception. My time sense is acting up again. I feel like I’ve been asleep for weeks. So that wasn’t a dream? I thought she was Aglaii. I wonder if I’ll get the chance to apologize to her.
Focus, Iain. She’s not important. What is important is that we need all the information you can give us about your surroundings. Your position has been magically blurred, but Dominique is using the location spell she used to find you when Aglaii had you. I’m in the Capital League and I’m coming for you as fast as I can, but everything you can feed us will help.
He slowly sat up and examined himself, noting his head didn’t hurt anymore, but the room still swayed slightly as he moved. He was wearing a lime green jumpsuit of the sort commonly worn by high security prisoners, with no pockets and Velcro closures instead of zippers. His feet were bare, which accounted for his cold toes in the chilly room. He wriggled them idly. I need to clip my toenails.
Focus, damn it. When we get you home, I’ll give you a pedicure if you’ll just pay attention to what’s important.
His head came around when the door opened. A massive man entered the room and dropped a folder onto the table. He motioned towards the chair on Iain’s side of the table. “Can you get up?” His tone made it a challenge.
For a heartbeat anger flared until Iain forced it back down. The room started spinning again as he slowly and deliberately he pushed to his feet, but he ignored it through force of will and steadily walked over to sit down in the chair. The room steadied gradually has he watched the man. “Mark Calloway. Or should I address you as Mr. Undertaker?”
“Your sense of humor appears to be unaffected. That’s good to see. You may call me Undertaker.” Calloway picked up the folder and opened it, carefully keeping it where Iain couldn’t see the contents. “Admiral Kerrik Wolf of the Blue League, but we know that’s just a fiction for the covert work you have been doing for them as an author.” He watched impassively as Iain swayed slightly. “Are you well, admiral?”
“I’ll be all right, Mark. Even though I’ve been kidnapped and beaten, I will be all right. But one of these days I’d like Paul to try that shit when I’m not being held at gunpoint or mostly unconscious. Then we’ll see what happens to whom.”
“Are you sure you don’t have the rebel blood curse? I ask that because it really sounds like your mouth is running without any input from your brain just like people with that curse tend to do. You don’t challenge us.”
Iain took a deep breath and held it for a five count. “At this point I am trying to remain civil, but I was kidnapped and Paul hit me at least twice. I have no urge to be accommodating. If you wanted accommodating, you should have sent me a polite email asking for whatever it is you think you are going to get from me.”
Calloway’s eyebrows rose. “This is being civil? Wouldn’t you say you’re being rather accusative?”
“I’m speaking nothing but the truth and I haven’t started with the demands that Paul be arraigned on kidnapping and assault charges.”
“He’s a member of Capital’s government. He can’t be charged for discharging his duties.”
“I have broken no Capital law. I have never been to Capital. As far as I know, kidnapping is illegal here. All of this means that Paul Michael Levesque was either breaking the law as a rogue agent of Capital or this league is a banana republic.”
“You are wrong on all counts, Wolf. You are wanted for breaking Capital League law.”
Iain blinked. “Me?”
“Yes, you.” Satisfaction filled Calloway’s voice.
“Ok, I’ll bite. What did I do?”
“You aided and abetted a fugitive from Capital League law. That makes you a wanted criminal and Triple H was acting within his responsibilities in bringing you in for justice.”
“I what? Other than you and Vinnie’s other monkey, I haven’t even talked to anyone from Capital in a long time. Who in the fuck did I give aid to?”
Calloway dropped the folder flat and spun around the top sheet to show Iain a picture. “Micah Hakubi.”
Iain stared at the picture for a second and shook his head. “It’s official. You have been dropped on your head too many times.” He looked up from the picture. “I have never met Micah. I have never sent him weapons, food or money. You are,” he broke off for a moment. “I’m trying really hard to find a way to address you that doesn’t involve the word cocksucker because this is a complete fiction and we both know it.”
A cold smile spread over Calloway’s face. “Fiction? You interfered in the retrieval of the Kite, which is Capital property.”
Iain frowned. “I know that name.” His mouth dropped as the memory surfaced. “I did nothing of the sort! The military airship Kite was in the possession of Blue when Linda showed up to press Capital’s claim to it and before I arrived and spoke to her. I had nothing to do with who had it. You people are smoking Toca leaves.”
“You interfered in the retrieval,” Calloway insisted confidentially. “Micah Hakubi stole it and you interfered. That makes you an accomplice.”
“Fuck, that’s thin, Mark. You should have made sure Paul let me hit him and then you could have added assault to your pile of bullshit charges. No honest jury would convict me.” He grimaced. “But then it’s either going to go to a dishonest jury or not to a jury trial at all. Let me guess, Vinnie has a camera stellata hidden away around here somewhere and I’m to be tried there.”
Calloway looked confused and then irritated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Aha! You can’t fool me! Denial of a star chamber is always positive proof of its existence!” Iain smiled craftily for a second before becoming serious. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Mark. While highly placed in the administration here, you are still just a flunky and I am not going to deal with a flunky. I’m not dealing with you, Paul, Stephie, Shane or anyone except Vinnie and Linda. I’d prefer Linda, but then this little escapade has eroded my belief in her having any common sense, much less more than Vinnie.”
A dangerous glint appeared in Calloway’s eyes. “Why do you think you won’t deal with me?”
“You won’t kill me and you do not have carte blanche. Vincent can overrule any agreement we might come to, which means that talking with you is a waste of my time as well as yours.”
Mark put both hands on the table and leaned forward as he put an intimidating scowl on his features. “I can make you wish you were dead, Wolf.”
Iain chuckled. “You can try but, after being tortured by the Sanctuary Goths for a very long time, I do not think you will be successful. You see,” he leaned forward slightly and his voice became a hiss, “I know all about wanting to be dead. Once, I wanted to die so much I harassed a Limbec pirate into driving a dagger into my heart. I wanted to die. I intended to die, and the only reason I am not dead is because those bitches couldn’t even get that right. So if you think you’ll get your jollies beating me to a pulp, you go right the fuck ahead but you will have to get enough people in here to hold me down while you do it because I’m going to do my best to kill you and you will never break me you whoreson piece of shit.”
Eirian’s thought whispered through his mind. We can free you at any time, my lord.
I know. I have to talk to McMahon and try to reason with him or we’ll be at war with someone else right after making peace with Sanctuary. This has to end now.
Caloway’s fists clenched and the man glared hotly at Iain, who glared back. “You’re either tougher than hell or dumber than anyone I’ve ever known,” he finally growled.
Iain shrugged. “If Vincent will treat me with respect, then I will treat him with respect. If he engages in theatrics or a testosterone laden tirade, I can meet that too. I don’t want to die, Mark. But I will die before I become anyone’s puppet and Vincent has nothing except my life to use as leverage for whatever he wants. It’s not enough.” He paused and tried to choose his words carefully in mind of the cameras and who he hoped was watching. “There’s no real way to sugarcoat this, so I am not going to try to. So far Vincent and Linda have tried to suborn two other authors. Neither Micah nor Kelvin proved amenable and I am not going to either. Whether you believe it or not, I am not acting as a secret agent for Blue. I did, briefly, but that was because we were using each other in pursuit of a common goal. Eventually our purposes diverged and I moved on. This admiral crap is a complete fiction. I didn’t ask for it and I don’t want it. Since I have it, I’m just going to use it to do someone a favor and that only if they don’t kibitz for so long that some other plans of mine finally come to fruition and I can go home, because when that happens I am out of here so fast I’ll probably draw a vacuum on this dimension.”
‘You’re not going to stay in Blue?”
“Not a chance.”
“Then why are you helping them?”
“I’m not.”
“Appearances mean everything, Wolf, and it appears you are.”
“The Blue League is a something. I’m doing a favor for someone.”
“Why?”
“She’s got nice tits.” Iain smiled when Calloway blinked at him in surprise. “I don’t have many friends, Mark. She’s one of them and she asked me for a favor. Then Colin decided that a commission would sweeten the pot and made the Minister of Defense give me an admiralship. Frankly, if it wasn’t for this friend, I’d have shoved it up his nose. However, due to certain happenings, I’m rethinking her favor since soon it won’t help her at all.”
“Why’s that?”
Iain folded his hands on the table. “Mark, we are not friends and I have given you all of the information you need, so this isn’t going to become a heart to heart no matter how much you try to make it one. Am I under arrest?”
“You are.”
“Lawyer.”
Mark Calloway grinned. “It doesn’t work that way, Wolf. You are our prisoner, but you aren’t on any record anywhere. No lawyer for you.”
“Then you’d better make sure that Nursejoy doesn’t put my name in her report of how her eyes got popped. Oligarchic plutocracies love paperwork just as much as any government, so I’m sure she had to file a report when a dangerous human blinded her.”
Mark just shrugged, but inside the observation room the woman grabbed up the phone and began punching buttons. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Iain leaned back in his chair. “And now you have to start with the lies. It’s sad. Unfortunately for you, I think we have discussed everything that I need to with you. We’re done.”
“I decide when we’re done, Wolf.”
Iain just smiled and folded his arms over his chest. “Then I hope you enjoy carrying on a conversation by yourself.”
“Talking to me only helps you, Wolf. If you don’t talk to me, we can’t work something out.” His eyes narrowed when Iain got up and went over to pick up the blanket. He wrapped it around himself and sat down on the floor. “Come back to the table, Wolf.” He scowled when Iain put his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. “NOW!”
Iain ignored him.
Calloway came around the table and Iain surged to his feet as the larger man reached for his hair. There was a flurry of movements too fast for the woman in the observation room to distinguish and Iain flew across the room. He smashed into the mirror and fell to the floor, quickly rolling to his feet and sliding sideways to put the table between him and the Undertaker. Blood ran down his clothes from his pulped lips and he grimaced and spat a tooth into his hand. “Shit.” He popped it into his mouth and swallowed it. “That’s your last warning, Mark. I suggest you get that arm looked at.”
Calloway looked his arms and blinked when he realized that blood was pouring from his right forearm out of a deep slice that ran perpendicular to the arm. He refocused on Iain as he gripped the arm above the wound to slow the bleeding. “How’d you do that?”
“Like I’m going to tell you anything. Get it looked at before you pass out and an assault team smashes me around before hauling you off to medical.”
Calloway headed for the door to the room. “This isn’t over, Wolf.”
Iain watched him go. “It never is,” he said quietly. Once the door was shut, he turned to the mirror. “I have to pee.”
***
Vincent McMahon watched the Undertaker flex his newly healed arm. “How bad was the injury?”
“Just a scratch.”
The Nursejoy shook her head. “It was a clean cut and completely severed the ulna. Another few inches and you’d have lost your arm below the elbow.”
“It didn’t hurt.”
“Mr. Calloway, when you get a cut that deep it seldom does. The nerves get completely severed and can’t send pain impulses to the brain. I repeat, you almost lost your arm.”
“I didn’t.” Calloway glared at McMahon as the Nursejoy packed up her kit. “Where did that fucker have a knife hidden, up his butt?”
“I don’t know,” McMahon snapped back. “Linda is looking at the video.”
“I want to see it too.” Calloway’s body armor covered his arms as well as his torso and had been taken away for cleaning and repair, so he shrugged into the T-shirt he’d had on underneath it. “Let’s go.”
Linda McMahon didn’t look up from the computer screen when the door opened behind her. “Vince, come see this.”
“I’ve got Taker with me.”
That made the Sanctuary Goth look over her shoulder at them. “Good to see you are whole again, Mark. You’ll need to see this too. I’ve slowed the video down so we can see everything that happened.”
On the display, Calloway reached for Iain’s head even as the sitting man quickly began rising to his feet. There was a flurry of blows from Calloway that Iain deflected to the sides. Finally a punch got through and took Iain in the mouth. She froze the scene as Iain responded by throwing his first offensive punch, a blow aimed at Calloway’s testicles that the bigger man shifted enough to take on the thigh. “Mark, he’s as fast as you are. You’re stronger than he is, but not any faster.”
“That’s impossible. I have enhanced speed and Wolf is supposed to be pure human. All of the authors are.”
“Were,” Linda corrected. “Micah Hakubi is obviously no longer completely human. Perhaps none of them are anymore or maybe they never were in ways our DNA tests can’t recognize. Now watch closely.” The video started playing again.
Calloway grabbed him by the throat and threw him. As the Undertaker lifted him for the throw, a tiny line of silver suddenly glittered in Iain’s left hand and he sliced across the Undertaker’s right arm before he flew away from the force of the throw. “What the hell was that?”
Linda shrugged. “If he were a pokegirl, I’d say it was probably a tiny energy blade. As he’s an author and human, your guess is as good as mine is.”
“Fuck me.” He looked at Vincent. “Well, boss, how do you force someone who can do that to do what you want?”
McMahon scowled. “I do it from a distance, of course, just like I would with a dangerous pokegirl. He can still do for us what he did for Blue or Choice did for Sunshine. I just have to find a way to convince him that he wants to do it.”
“Good luck with that, boss.”
Linda smiled coldly. “Oh, we’ve already got a couple of ideas in that regard. It’ll be all up to Wolf as to which way things go.”
***
On his way to Iain’s interrogation room, McMahon stopped in the observation room for a moment. Through the one way mirror, he saw that Iain had returned to his blanket and was sitting with his back against the wall. His eyes were closed. “How long has he been like this?”
The woman running the recording equipment glanced up. “He went back to his blanket right after the Undertaker left and he realized I wasn’t going to let him go to the bathroom. Watching him is about as exciting as watching grass grow.”
“I’m glad he’s boring. Maybe he’ll be reasonable after all.” Vincent left the room and went to the door to Iain’s interrogation room. He ignored the Armsmistress standing guard outside it and opened the door. Iain’s head turned and his eyes opened. “Wolf, if you need to go to the bathroom, this lady here will take you.”
Iain climbed slowly to his feet. “Thank you, McMahon.” His lips had scabbed, but the damage Calloway had done to them made him lisp.
McMahon looked at the Armsmistress. “Make sure the bathroom is empty before letting him in to use it and don’t let anyone go in while he’s in there.”
“Do I need to go inside with him?”
“No. He’s got nowhere to escape to and he’s unlikely to hurt himself.”
“Yes, Mr. McMahon.”
She led Iain down the hall and stopped in front of the bathroom. She paused and suddenly frowned. “I’m supposed to make sure the bathroom is empty before you go in, but I can’t do that and leave you out here unattended at the same time. Come in with me and you’ll wait while I chase out anyone already using the bathroom.”
He nodded. “Sounds fair to me.”
He followed her inside and stood near the door as she checked the stalls. “There’s nobody here, so you do what you need to. I’ll be outside. Please don’t try to escape. You won’t succeed and the attempt will just make your life difficult.”
Iain smiled, revealing that Calloway had knocked out one of his incisors, and then winced from the pain as a scab tore. “I’m not planning to leave just yet.”
“After your meeting with Mr. McMahon, I’ll see if I can get someone to heal your lips, Mr. Wolf.”
He nodded. “Thank you, but I think we first need to see what McMahon orders after our meeting. Depending on how it goes, he might want me to hurt for a while longer yet.”
“He would never do that. He’s a good man.”
“I’m sure you think so,” he said quietly. After the door shut behind her, he checked the room with his perception for surveillance devices. All clear.
Shadows extended from under the sink and Aurum appeared with Emerald. The green cocked her head as Aurum grabbed his arm and sank onto his skin. Shall I heal your wounds, my lord?
It’ll wait for now. I am already healing faster than a human, but if I am suddenly healed as soon as I am not being watched, they might suspect I am not alone. I don’t want them to know that until it becomes necessary to reveal that little fact to them.
Eirian touched his mind as Emerald became a tattoo on his chest. My lord, Beryl will remain at large to control the newest members of your dead harem. Their initiative is still developing and they need guidance. She will also act as a backup if needed.
I understand. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really do need to use the facilities.
When Iain returned, McMahon was sitting at the table. He waved to the other chair. “Sit, Wolf.” Iain started to say something and paused. Finally he shrugged and sat down. “Excellent.” Vincent opened the binder he’d come in with and extracted a thin sheaf of papers, which he skimmed across the table to stop in front of Iain. “Your pay for your work for Blue was an ebony stone and five million SLC per year. I don’t have an ebony stone to give you, but I’m increasing your salary to seven million and you’ll get a very nice piece of property with a Harem Master sized house on it. This will be yours forever. It’s on prime real estate and not very far from my summer home. If you do need an evolution stone, I am sure we can come through with that, too.” He put a pen on top of the papers. “Just sign on the last page.”
Iain’s eyebrows went up and he quickly read through the papers in front of him. “Impressive. You even have here what I’d be paying in taxes.” He put the papers back down and pushed them to the middle of the table. “No.”
“It’s not enough? I can offer some additional perks that should make my offer completely irresistible.”
“It’s not happening, Vince.” Iain rubbed his lips for a moment. “As long as you release me promptly, I’m willing to look past the kidnapping and Mark trying to scare me with that crap about being charged with aiding and abetting Micah. Until I found out who was supposed to have taken the Kite, I didn’t know Micah had been brought to this pokegirl world just like I had. I certainly couldn’t have known he was coming to Blue and so there’s no way I could have acted to help him escape your clutches.” Iain’s lips quivered for a second as he tried not to smile. “He and his harem did that all by themselves.” Then he lost his smile as his eyes hardened. “I may even be willing to look past the fact that both Mark and Paul assaulted me.”
“You attacked a Nursejoy. Paul was defending her.”
“I was disorientated after undergoing Paul’s first assault. I woke up believing I was under attack and defended myself. I regret injuring her. However, if I hadn’t been abducted in the first place she and I would never have crossed paths and she wouldn’t have been hurt.”
“We need your help, Wolf.”
“Even if I agree with you that whatever you want me to do is actually a need and not merely a want, it does not justify what you did. You should have asked.”
“Would you have said yes?”
“You’ll never know.” Iain shifted slightly in his chair. “You didn’t ask and I didn’t get a chance to consider my reply.”
“I’m asking now.”
“After kidnapping me? Forget it.”
McMahon eyed him for a moment. “You know, your harem might find life here in Capital much better than living in Blue. Right now you have three pokegirls, those being Eve, April and Dominique. Capital is much safer for pokegirls, you know, than Blue is.”
Iain’s expression blanked. “Don’t go there, Vincent,” he said quietly.
“It’s true. Bad things happen to pokegirls in Blue every day. Things that would never happen to them if they were in Capital,” McMahon smiled thinly. “If they were here and working with you.”
Iain put his hands flat on the top of the table and took a deep breath. His voice was almost completely devoid of emotion. “Vincent, there is no way that whoever is behind that mirror could either get in here or could summon help fast enough to keep you alive if you threaten my family again in my presence.”
McMahon sneered at him even as the woman in the observation room picked up the phone and called for backup. “Better men then you have threatened my life, Wolf. I’m still here.”
“I don’t agree, Vincent.”
“Nobody is better than you? What hubris.”
“No, Vincent, that is not what I meant. This is not a threat. It’s a statement of fact. If you threaten my family or actually move against them, I will see you dead.”
“You’ll need an army to carry that one off, Wolf.”
“If that’s what it takes then I’ll come up with one, Vincent. However, all of this is moot since I know you’re a reasonable man and you aren’t going to threaten my family again. You’re better than that.”
The door opened and a Blazicunt, Grizzlar and Super Sayjin poured into the room, followed by the Armsmistress from the hall. The Grizzlar moved to stand directly behind Iain while the Super Sayjin bobbed her head to Vincent. “Mr. McMahon, is everything all right?”
McMahon grinned at Iain. “Everything is fine, Kat. See, Wolf, even a hinted threat to me brings prompt action.”
Eve’s mind touched his. Iain, agree to whatever he wants. We aren’t in position to rescue you yet! Don’t do anything rash.
Your warning is probably too late. I’m in the mood for rash. “You’ve got a good team, Vincent, but since you’re not going to threaten my family again, they really aren’t going to have anything to do.”
“So, you’ll agree to do what I want you to?”
“Unless you want me to go home, no, I’m not.”
“That’s too bad, Wolf, but I’m sure you’ll change your mind. Your pokegirls are looking for you and my people are looking for them. Eventually, I’ll have one or more of them and then we’ll talk again. Until then, you’ll stay here.” McMahon made a show of looking down at himself. “I’m still alive.”
“Yes, you are.” Iain shrugged as, inside the observation room, the shadows behind the woman watching through the mirror moved and became Beryl.
McMahon picked up the papers and put them back into the binder. “We’ll talk later.”
‘That is entirely possible, Vincent. In fact, I’m looking forward to that time.”
Inside the observation room the Dragoness drove her claws into the woman’s head, puncturing her brain and killing her instantly. Two forms manifested from the shadows and moved in front of the mirror as Beryl tore her claws free and quietly lowered the body to the floor. She didn’t look at the new arrivals as she watched the happenings in the other room. “Be ready to move as soon as we do.”
Eirian and Aurum erupted from Iain’s back and grabbed the Grizzlar even as Emerald and Skye emerged from his body. The green Dragoness charged the Blazicunt while the blue threw Iain at the mirror. On the other side, Matilda the White Tigress’s arms blurred as she slashed the silvered glass to shreds and Ling caught him as he flew into the room with them. As soon as Ling had him, Beryl erupted into the interrogation room.
Moving at the limits of their enhanced speed and strength, Eirian pulled the Grizzlar’s head from her body and threw it at the Armsmistress while Aurum hurled the corpse at the Super Sayjin. Then they rushed the Armsmistress even as the fighting type drew her sword and swatted the head away.
The Blazicunt smashed Emerald in the face, or at least tried to. Emerald opened her mouth and slammed her teeth closed on the fist, using the arm as an anchor as she ripped out the fire type’s throat with both sets of claws in a motion that sprayed everything in the room with droplets of blood.
The Super Sayjin dodged the flying body and charged forward until she realized Skye was blurring towards her. She threw herself out of the way of the oncoming Dragoness and got pinned from behind by Beryl as the red wrapped her arms around the fighting type and lifted her feet from the ground. The blue Dragoness pivoted and drove her fist into the Super Sayjin’s throat, crushing it to the spine. To make sure of her foe, she also drove her claws into the pokegirl’s chest and ripped out her heart.
The Armsmistress lunged, driving her sword into Eirian’s chest. The Dragoness responded by grabbing her wrist and pulling herself onto the sword until the hilt hit her in the valley between her breasts. The Armsmistress fought to free her weapon and then to release it, but Eirian held on to her wrist with an unbreakable grip. Aurum drove two fingers through the gap in the gorget and tore it off. Then she ripped out the pokegirl’s throat in a gout of blood.
The entire fight had taken less than ten seconds. Vincent McMahon was still lunging for the door when Beryl grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him to a halt. “I believe my lord will wish to have a word with you. Now.” His eyes swept around the room and froze at the sight of Eirian slowly pulling the sword from her chest. He couldn’t seem to look away as Ling carefully lowered Iain to stand inside the interrogation room.
Iain grimaced at the mess. “Matilda, guard the door to the observation room. Skye, guard the door to our room. I expect someone was watching remotely and I’m sure reinforcements are on the way.” He smiled with anticipation as he turned to their prisoner. “I guess it is officially later. You threatened my family. Now it’s time to pay the piper, Vincent.” McMahon’s eyes locked with his and he turned white as Iain started to pick his way around the blood spreading on the floor, realized that he couldn’t and simply squelched through the crimson pools towards the other man.
Iain, if you kill him now Linda will hunt us forever! Surprisingly enough, it was April, and Iain paused to consider her advice. She loves him just as we love you!
Fine, we’ll try it your way. He turned to look up at the closest camera. “Linda, I do not want war with the Capital League. Like I told you once before, I want to be left alone. That’s all Kelvin and Micah want, too. I know I said I would kill Vincent if he threatened my family again and he did, but I’m going to let him live and I hope you realize that it’s not because I’m in a weak position or unwilling to kill.” He looked pointedly at the carnage filling the room. “Do not let him make me come back here, because I understand that if I kill Vincent McMahon, I will have to kill everyone in a command slot here in Capital to make sure you don’t come after me. I don’t want to do that, but I will if I have to come back here to protect my family. Beryl, I do not want you to release him, but don’t hurt him just yet.” He glanced at McMahon before returning his attention to the camera. “Linda, I want my possessions returned to me and I want them now. When they’re here, we will release Vincent and we will leave.”
Is that really so important? It was Canaan. Everything can be replaced.
They have several of your pokeballs. We know they can get your baseline information from them, but I don’t know what else they might be able to glean from them and I don’t want to take any chances. If nothing else, the information overlap they could get from the baseline information might lead them to Iain Grey.
There was a long pause. He’s right, Dominique commented. Our pokeballs need to return to us. I can put together a spell that will allow me to destroy them from a distance and release whoever is inside it if something like this happens again, but that’s for the future.
Be careful, Ninhursag thought to him. If you can’t get our pokeballs quickly, get out. We would rather they find out more about us than manage to keep or kill you.
I will keep that in mind.
The phone in the observation room rang. The two undead in there ignored it until Iain sighed and began squishing his way through the blood towards the shattered mirror. “Ling, please pick up the receiver and, as long as you can do so without destroying it, hold it where I can reach it.”
She picked up the receiver and offered it to him. “My lord.”
“Thank you.” He took it with a grateful smile and held it to his ear. “What?”
“Mr. Wolf, I wish to speak with my husband and make sure he is all right.”
Iain turned and smiled at the hidden camera. “I’m sure you can hear everything going on through the microphones in the room. You don’t need to talk to him right now. No special code questions or warnings. You can always send those to him through your delta bond.”
A hint of bitterness filled her voice. “If we were delta bonded, I would, Mr. Wolf. Is that how you communicated with your harem?”
“I decline to answer that question.”
“And, sadly, I am not in a position to compel the answer from you. Whose blood is that on him?”
“I’m sorry to say it’s from one of the security element that we had to kill. He isn’t harmed, other than a bit of a shock when he found out I wasn’t as defenseless as he thought and maybe a bruise or two. Naughty Wolf.”
“I’m surprised to hear you express regret, Mr. Wolf. That was a very vicious cold blooded massacre that took place in there.”
“Linda, I didn’t want to hurt anyone here. However, once I was forced to act, I had to take into consideration the reputation of your people and I couldn’t afford to do things halfway. They all had to die and before I could be hurt because I am the logical target.” He glanced at McMahon. “And for the record, I was defending myself and I am not going to surrender to you over this. Unfortunately, I’m still in a precarious position and if an assault is carried out while I’m waiting on my possessions, you will become a widow. So, to keep everyone alive safe, please get my stuff delivered to me ASAP.”
“Your things are on their way. The Undertaker will be delivering them, if you can promise his safe conduct.”
“I will not harm Mark or order him to be harmed unless I believe he is about to attempt to do harm to me. At that point I will kill him.”
Eirian was still holding the sword and offered it to him hilt first. “Here, my lord, a prize from our fight. My lord, we are your sword and we will kill this man if he tries to hurt you.”
He accepted the weapon in his free hand and leaned it against the wall. “Eirian, I trust your judgment. Linda, I want to thank you for all of your help.”
“Why wouldn’t you just help us, Kerrik?”
“Why wouldn’t you just ask me or Micah or Kelvin to help you, instead of kidnapping us? I know it’s not because all Sanctuary Goths are manipulative. I had one in my family and she wasn’t anything at all like you.”
“You? A Sanctuary Goth in your harem?” Disbelief filled Linda’s voice. “What happened to her?”
“We were attacked by a mage and she was murdered before we could kill him. He killed four other members of my family, too, and I miss them all.”
Beryl’s head cocked. “Even Sable, my lord?”
He nodded. “That’s right, Beryl. I wish she hadn’t been killed and I miss her too.”
The red’s head bobbed. “Thank you, my lord. Will you miss me when I am gone?”
“I will.”
She looked up at the camera. “My lord has given this man safe passage. If he betrays it and harms our lord, we will exterminate all life within this complex.” Her massive head swiveled to pin Vincent in her gaze. “And I will start with this one.”
Aurum snorted. “Only if you are faster than I am.”
Iain put his hand on her shoulder. “Beryl, you are not to harm anyone unless I command it.”
“That is true, my lord, for as long as you are able to issue us commands. If you fall, you will not be able to stop us.”
He blinked and then chuckled softly. “I appreciate your loyalty but let’s hope I don’t fall. Most of the people here wouldn’t deserve what you’d do to them.” He realized he was still holding the phone. “Linda, are you still there?”
“I am.” She sounded wary.
“I just want to get my stuff and go home. Let’s not complicate this. While I’d like to face off with Mark for knocking out one of my teeth, this isn’t the time or the place. I hope this ends well.” He handed the receiver back to Ling, who returned it to its cradle. “Skye, you monitor the door here. Matilda, keep an eye on the door to your room. When Mark gets here, get my stuff from him without letting him in here.”
Eirian glanced up. “We should destroy the cameras so they won’t be able to use them to coordinate an attack against us.”
Iain shook his head. “We will not deprive Linda of the ability to see her husband. She knows what will happen if I get incapacitated and I doubt she’ll take that chance with Vincent’s life.” He looked at McMahon. “You’d better hope she’s not willing to play games with your life.”
Vincent grunted sourly. “She isn’t. We are the glue that holds Capital and the WAPL together and she won’t jeopardize that.”
“Good. I am sorry that events unfolded the way they did, but I wanted to talk to you and try to impress upon you that we authors are not anyone’s slaves. If we were, we’d still be working for Sanctuary.” He looked around and sighed. “I was trying to keep people from having to die.”
“You do realize that this makes you a wanted criminal here.”
“Vincent, I don’t really care. Your stupidity made them have to die. I was protecting myself. Don’t come after me and don’t send anyone else after me or you’ll get more of the same.”
Eirian stalked forward until she was standing in front of McMahon. “Human life, let me be very specific,” she said. “If anyone from Capital comes after my lord, I will hold you personally responsible. No matter where you go and no matter how hard you try to hide, you will fail and you will die. And my lord is absolutely correct in the threat you and yours present to him. If I come to kill you, to protect my lord I will kill everything you love or that loves you. Men, women, children, pets, they will all die.” The other Dragonesses snarled their agreement.
McMahon recoiled from the raging hunger which suddenly filled the air around him. “Wolf, are you going to allow her, allow them to threaten me like this?”
“Vincent, I tried to reason with you and that failed. Since she’s trying to make you realize that leaving me alone is a great idea, yes, I am going to let her threaten you to her heart’s content.” He grinned suddenly. “Besides, this is Capital and pokegirls have much more freedom here.”
“Someone is coming down the hall.” Skye summoned her wings and spread them halfway to prevent anyone at the door from seeing past her. “The walk is similar to the one that your first interrogator has, my lord.”
McMahon scowled. “How can you let them call you that? They’re people, damnit.”
Iain gave him a gap toothed grin. “I can order them to kill everything in a ten mile radius and they will. I can order them to kill each other and they will try as hard as they can. However, I will not order them to stop doing something they have told me that they want to do.”
Someone beat on the door and Skye opened it to reveal the Undertaker. Calloway tried to look past her and she spread her wings wider. “Where is my lord’s property?”
“I want to see Vince first.”
Iain glanced at McMahon. “I’m just about done being accommodating. Skye, let Mark take one step into the room and let him see our prisoner. If anyone else tries to follow him in, kill them.”
“Yes, my lord.” The blue Dragoness dropped her wings and took a small pace backwards. “Look and give me my lord’s possessions.” Iain sneezed at the sudden scent of ozone. “Make any sudden move and I will kill you.”
“Skye? I don’t remember asking for more threats. I think we’ve made plenty of them already.”
“Yes, my lord.” The Dragoness didn’t move.
Calloway looked over her shoulder at McMahon. “Are you all right?”
McMahon’s reply was terse, even for him. “I’m fine. Give him his stuff.”
Calloway handed Skye a cloth satchel. “Everything we took from him is in here, except for his pistol. It’s in the armory and would take another twenty minutes to retrieve.”
Skye cocked her head. “This man has a pistol, my lord. Do you wish it since he refuses to provide yours?”
“It’s interesting that apparently they were planning on my being here for an extended time to the extent that they took complete possession of my pistol instead of unloading it and putting it with the rest of my property. The question then becomes, just how petty am I feeling.” Iain smiled thinly. “No, it’s probably contaminated with the same kind of sleaziness that pervades this place.”
Calloway turned a dull red. “Look, asshole, it is standard policy to put all confiscated firearms in the armory.”
“So my stuff is confiscated, is it? And because it would take a little bit of work on your part to return some of my property to me, you decided to ignore that it’s mine?” Iain’s eyes began to glitter angrily. “You whoresons took me against my will. Then you stripped me of my personal possessions and now you’re keeping some of them forever because you think that because you’re a government you have the right to kick around people who aren’t combat tamers or part of your conspiracy. Your arrogance is about what I expected and someday I hope you get what you deserve because of it. You are so lucky that someone doesn’t want me to kill all of you because I wouldn’t lose a second of sleep over anyone here.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You people are so fucking pathetic. Just like Sanctuary you preach and preach the good life and it turns out to be nothing more than lies.” Abruptly he turned away from Calloway. “I’m done with this place. Eirian, let’s go.”
Beryl took his hand. “My lord.” The shadow from the table stretched out to touch them and they sank into it.
Eirian picked up the dead Armsmistress and slung the body over her shoulder while Aurum did the same thing with the Blazicunt. Then they and Skye disappeared into the shadows, followed by Matilda and Ling.
Emerald summoned her wings and slashed out with one of them, smashing Calloway into the wall head first and knocking him unconscious. Then she turned to McMahon and strode forward, forcing him back against the wall. “Beryl said that we would exterminate all life here if our lord is threatened by you again and Eirian stated that you would be definitely among the dead.” The green Dragoness leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose. “The one who killed us was not merely content with taking our lives. He wanted our spirits, too, and insisted that we swear oaths of obedience to him while we were alive. He tortured us for this oath and also for his amusement and before he was done, I begged him to accept my oath. I would have agreed to anything to make what he was doing stop and when he finally took my life, it was the only gift he ever gave me. Afterwards, he had me torture prisoners of his and I learned everything he knew about pain. I tell you this because he also had us study the leaders of the leagues and I even spent time here, pretending to be alive so that I might learn as much as possible about this place for the one who murdered me for the day when he came here and took this place for his own. I know you, Vincent McMahon, perhaps better than you know yourself. You are a vengeful man and, even now, in your heart you are planning revenge against my lord. If you do not abandon these plans, we will return and Eirian will give you to me. I will show you everything that I have learned and that showing will last an eternity to you. Pain will become your entire existence. I will take your pride and your spirit and leave you nothing. You will plead with me to end your miserable existence and out of respect for my lord I will eventually relent and allow you to die.” Her head cocked slightly. “My lord would be pleased if you did not die by his hand or the hand of his servants. I do not care if you live or die, Vincent McMahon, which makes the decision as to whether your life becomes mine up to you. Consider carefully before making that decision.” She stepped into his shadow and sank out of sight.
***
Beryl and Iain stepped out of the shadow of a tree and he looked around slowly before letting go her hand. Before he could do anything else, Eve appeared and wrapped him up in her arms. An instant later he felt April arrive and do the same thing. “Are you ok,” Eve whispered.
“Of course he’s not,” April released him as the others began appearing. “He’s got smashed lips and a missing tooth. Fix that.”
“Sorry.” Eve let go and began bathing him in healing magic.
Canaan gave him a guilty look and he held up a hand. “Don’t say it. I hoped that talking to Vincent would keep Capital from becoming our new Sanctuary. Only time will tell if it worked.” Skye handed him the satchel and he began stripping off the jumpsuit. “Where are Zareen and Sofia?”
Dominique smiled broadly. “We think you need to get healed before Sofia can cannonball into you. Zareen volunteered to keep her company. She’ll expect some private time with you in recompense, but it’s worth it.”
“It wasn’t that bad. I was never in mortal danger.” He held out his hand and Skye became a tattoo on his arm.
“We don’t agree, Iain, and Sofia is the only one who wasn’t able to see what was going on. Not knowing was driving her crazy.” The Archmage’s smile widened. “It’s good for her to worry about you.”
Pandora chuckled. “And is it just as good for the rest of us? Your pretense of unconcern was pretty transparent.” She touched Iain on the cheek. “Please don’t do that again.”
“Why don’t you wish for the moon while you’re at it?” Ninhursag’s hand twitched in his direction. When Iain reached out and grabbed it the tension visibly drained from her. “Iain will stop putting himself in danger the day we do and not before. We can’t, so you can guess what that means.”
“I’ve made a decision about that. From now on, I’m not going to be going to interviews with strangers until after Canaan has vetted them. Hell, I think I’ll want her to check people we know, too, at least for a while. And I will never, ever be alone with strangers again.” He shrugged when everyone stared at him. “I am willing to try to reduce the danger as much as possible. We do try to do the same for you all, after all.”
Eve’s face lit up. “Pandora, you keep praying. Maybe someday he’ll come to all of his senses.” Everyone laughed.
“What happens now?” Canaan slipped around behind him and rested two of her hands on his shoulders.
Iain frowned. “Vince isn’t an idiot and Linda is even less of one than he is. They now know or believe that somehow I can defeat teleport blocks and will understand what that means about their personal safety if we decide they need to become dead. However, Vince has more than enough pride for any twelve people and I certainly tweaked it today by the way I took him prisoner. That means he could jump in just about any direction, and the fact that people seem to be able to find me whenever they want suggests he could eventually locate our home.” His eyes swept the faces looking at him and he mentally shivered at the trust glowing in all of them. “I think we should finalize our plans to move and get the hell off this rock. It’s the only way to be safe.”
“What about Monica?” Raquel shrugged when everyone looked at her. “You’ve got more than a little pride yourself and you agreed to help her out.”
“Helping the Blue League work up a single ship, no matter how powerful, is not worth our lives.” He looked at Beryl. “Tell Eirian and the others that they did well today. I could not ask for better bodyguards in a situation where my living family was not available. Thank you.”
“You do not want to become like us and we do not want that either, my lord, but your gratitude is accepted with pleasure. I will inform the others. Aurum will be along soon to join Skye in her duties to watch over you.” She stepped back under the tree and vanished.
Iain stepped away from the people touching him and went back to changing clothes. “After I get dressed, we’ll go home. Today has been a bit stressful and I think I’ll need to decompress while ya’ll explain what’s been going on while I was gone.”
***
Iain Grey - Tradesman
Living Harem
Ninhursag - Elfqueen (maharani)
Eve - Megami-sama
Dominique - Blessed Archmage
April - Duelist
Zareen - Nightmare
Pandora - Fiendish Fallen Angel
Canaan - G-Splice (Amachamp Hunter/Alaka-Wham)
Sofia - Peekabu
Raquel – Fiendish Rapitaur
Dead Harem
Eirian - Silver Dragoness
Skye - Blue Dragoness
Emerald - Green Dragoness
Aurum - Gold Dragoness
Beryl - Red Dragoness
Julia - human
Ling - Cheetit
Matilda - White Tigress
21x Twau