“A suggestion I quickly cast aside,” Duke Gladios said when he saw the look of horror on my face. “The Emperor has, of course, lifted all bans on the use of torture. Homehold, however, has never once entertained the idea.”
I glared at Marcus, who was strapped on that slab and refused to look me in the eye. “Has that dirty son of a bitch spilled the beans yet?” I asked.
Sir Lucien stepped up beside me and we shook hands. It felt good to be on decent terms with the gruff old knight. “Not a word, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been working to sniff out some of his traitorous friends,” the knight said.
“Oh, no shit?” I asked.
He nodded grimly. “The officer who sent him south to the Gray Wolf Mountains garrison was in league with him, no doubt. The moment he heard about Marcus’ betrayal, he’d tried to flee. He made it as far as Silverhome Woods before me and my men found him. The blasted coward slit his own throat before we could take him, though.”
“What is it about this dumbass Emperor that makes these guys so loyal?” I asked.
Sir Lucien sneered. “Money and power, Earthman. The Emperor treats his most loyal sycophants and footsoldiers very well.”
“I guess his loyalists don’t give a damn about treating the citizens fairly or with any respect,” I said.
“Honor certainly isn’t among their traits,” Duke Gladios said.
I turned back to Sephara, who was still in my arms, nuzzling against my cheek. “I’m sure you’ll get him to talk sooner or later,” I said.
“I’m trying, Earthman,” she said. “As far as I know, no restoration mage has ever concocted such a spell. Or if they have, they’ve kept it secret. Even combining our knowledge, me and the golden whore haven’t been able to figure it out.”
“Maybe we can find something in the Imperial Library,” I said.
Sephara rolled her eyes. “Oh yes, the big beautiful Imperial Library that Ciara doesn’t want me to see,” she said, though there was a playful sarcasm in her voice.
“She already talked to you then,” I said.
She shrugged. “She sure did, Earthman,” she said. “And I reluctantly agree with her plan. Besides, if I leave that traitorous bastard here with the golden bitch, she might start forcing herself on him.”
I chuckled. “And why would she do that?”
Sephara looked at me plainly. “Surely, that would count as torture, wouldn’t it?”
Chapter Ten
I was making my way back to my bed chamber. It was almost time for dinner and I wanted to wash up beforehand.
It was funny. Since I’d arrived in this realm, I’d been killed a few times. I’d taken on hordes of the undead, lich lords, and even threw down with a vampire lord. Yet here I was, terrified of meeting Bella for the first time.
The thought that I’d say the wrong thing or rub her the wrong way was haunting me. I remembered what Ciara had said about Bella, how she’d been betrayed in such a cruel way, then spent all those years locked away by Lord Ephemera.
I’d have to find a way to make things right. And tonight, it would all start in the duke’s dining hall.
However, when I pushed open the door to my bed chamber, I saw Bella curled up on my bed and my jaw dropped.
Despite what I’d heard about her apparent fragility and meekness, her eyes were shining with a palpable desire. Her bare legs slipped out of her parted kimono. The silk fabric drooped down her left shoulder, exposing her bare skin.
“Gamelord,” she said. “I’m glad that we’ve finally gotten the chance to meet.”
My voice got caught in my throat. I certainly hadn’t been expecting this. The Mananymph ran her fingers through her hair and curled her fox tail seductively.
“Well, aren’t you going to come bind with me?” she asked.
“Um, yeah I guess,” I said. Something about this wasn’t right. “You think maybe we should talk first?”
True, I’d begun the binding process with Sephara quite quickly, but at least we’d spoken telepathically before that. Given Bella’s gentle, shy reputation, I’d assumed she’d want to take our time with all this.
Suddenly, she hopped up from the bed. She was a bit shorter than Pandora and Sephara, but she walked with a peppy bounce in her step as she crossed the room and hugged me.
Of course, her beauty went without saying. Her delicate, feminine features were impossible to look away from. As she hugged me, her firm, small body pressed against mine and I instantly got excited.
Yet, when she kissed me, I had to pull away.
It wasn’t that her lips weren’t soft, it wasn’t that her mouth and tongue weren’t sweet. But I had these lingering doubts in my belly.
She cocked an eyebrow and frowned. “You don’t want this body?” she asked. She ran her fingers across my chest. “You don’t want to show me the ways that Earthmen make love?”
“Obviously I do,” I told her with an apologetic smile. “But Bella, we’ve hardly even spoken to each other. And you’ve been through a lot. I assumed you’d want to take things a bit slower than this.”
Again, she pressed herself against me, and smiled a sly, mischievous smile when she felt my erection growing in my pants.
“Why, Gamelord, I don’t want to do this slowly at all,” she purred. I felt her hard nipples pressing against me through the fabric of her kimono. “So toss me on your bed and have your way with me.”
There was something…wrong here. Something that I just couldn’t put my finger on.
It was the look in Bella’s eyes. It was like I’d seen it before. Then there was the way she spoke, the cadence of her voice. Something about the Mananymph was very, very familiar.
Then I caught it.
I didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t all that powerful in illusion magic, but just then, ‘Bella's’ eyes flashed a bright shade of gold as the illusion flickered.
“Therena you have to stop this,” I said.
‘Bella's’ light laughter quickly grew deeper and more sensual. Her body flickered with green mist and, in a moment, Therena was standing before me, completely naked. The high elf’s perfect golden skin was smooth and sexy and her matching golden hair tumbled down her shoulders.
“Oh Gamelord, you disappoint me,” she said in her throaty tone. “I thought by now you’d have learned how stubborn high elf women could be when they want something.”
I walked past her, to the trunk where I kept my clothes, and pulled out a tunic that I hadn’t worn yet. I handed it to her. “Please get dressed,” I said.
She took a step closer to me, her naked body mere centimeters from my own. “Just once, Gamelord,” she whispered. “Let me show you how the high elves make love.”
“It wouldn’t be love,” I countered. Then, more firmly: “Now please leave.”
Therena sighed, tossed my tunic to the floor then strutted past me. Her golden robe was on the floor, on the far side of the bed. “Such a pity,” she said. “One night with me, Gamelord, and I’d show you things those silly Mananymphs could never dream of doing.”
I opened the door for her and gestured out into the hallway. “I’ll see you at dinner, Therena,” I said.
She walked slowly toward the door, her golden eyes locked onto me, and she ran her fingers across my cheek as she walked out the door. “Farewell, Earthman,” she said, then swaggered her way down the hallway, with every servant and guard drooling at the sight of her.
I shut the door and sighed. “Jesus, that lady is insane,” I said.
Except, I still wasn’t alone.
Bella was there, standing in the corner, with flickering motes of green illusion magic fading around her. She must have been here the whole time, using an invisibility spell.
Her face was bright red, she was blushing so hard. She crossed her arms, hugging herself, and she was too nervous to look me in the eye. “I’m sorry for snooping, Champion,” Bella said.
Her voice was beautiful. It had a light, yet mesmerizing quality, alm
ost like listening to gentle wind chimes.
“Hey, don’t be sorry for anything,” I answered. “If anything, I’m sorry you had to see that. I’ve told Therena that I’m not interested in her, but she just won’t stop.”
She backed farther into the corner, almost as if she were afraid of me. I took a few steps toward her then got down on one knee.
“Anyway, I’m really glad that we finally get to meet,” I said.
Her face went another deeper shade of red when I took her hand into mine and kissed it.
“I’ve been looking forward to this,” I said.
Now, she finally shifted her eyes to mine. The faintest traces of a smile crept across her face. “As have I, Champion,” she said.
“You don’t have to call me that,” I said. “Mostly, your sisters just call me Idiot Earthman.”
Bella’s hands shot to her mouth as she stifled a surprised giggle. “I’d never dream of insulting you!” she said.
I shrugged. “Eh, you get used to it,” I said.
When her laughter ended, she began nervously toying with her thumbs. She looked nervous again, embarrassed. “When the elf woman impersonated me, you could have…taken me, or at least you would have thought you were.”
“Again, I’m sorry you had to see that,” I said.
“May I ask you a question?”
I nodded. “You can ask me whatever you want,” I told her.
“Why didn’t you…take her, when you thought she was me?” she asked.
I laughed. “Well, obviously it wasn’t because I don’t think you’re incredibly beautiful,” I said.
Now, her face was twice as red as an apple.
“But something just felt off,” I said. “And besides, there’s plenty of time for all that. I want to get to know you, first.”
She studied me for a moment. “I’m relieved that you’re an honorable man, Champion,” Bella said. “While I was locked away and word reached Lord Ephemera that a Champion had come to the realm, he’d told me that you were likely to be a dishonorable man. That Mother Gaia had made a mistake in choosing you.”
I scowled. “Yeah, well he’s dead now.”
“Lord Ephemera wanted to break my spirit, as it made it easier for him to siphon off my energy,” she said. “So he showed me images of Earth, from your home. He showed me awful, awful things.”
“Yeah, there’s no shortage of awful things going on back where I’m from,” I said.
“Lord Ephemera showed me all the bottomless evil that Earthfolk do to each other. He wanted to convince me that all Earthfolk are savage cutthroats. I’d known that I shouldn’t have believed him, but after all those images…” she trailed off and shivered.
“Hey,” I said. “There are plenty of good people where I’m from. And, I should add, there are more good people than bad people. But I hope you’ve changed your mind about us.”
She smiled, and it was so sweet, so delicately adorable, that I was certain that my heart was going to melt.
“Indeed I have, Champion,” Bella said.
I stood up and offered her my hand. “Well, what do you say that we head down for dinner? You’ve got to be hungry.”
She paused a moment before taking my hand, looking at me like I was a fire that might burn her.
Yet, when her fingers intertwined with mine, the relief in her face made it impossible for me not to smile.
“I’m quite starving, Champion,” she said. “Please, show me the way to dinner.”
*****
“The golden whore did what!?” Sephara shouted when Bella told her what had happened.
I laughed. “Sephara, take it easy,” I said.
“Shut up, idiot Earthman!” she said then pushed away from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go have a few words with that one!”
Sephara went stomping away. Pandora sighed, chuckled, and took a quick sip of wine before getting up to follow her. “I’ll make sure Sephara doesn’t kill the elf, Duke Gladios.”
Gladios rolled his eyes as he downed a mug of ale. “I’ll have a talk with Therena about boundaries,” he said. “The high elves have a promiscuous culture, Gamelord. Please, try to understand.”
“Hey, no big deal,” I said.
Duke Gladios grabbed a fresh mug and I saw a distinct glint in his eye. “You know, back when I was a soldier as a young man, I’d been stationed in the Golden Isles. The brothels there…”
Sir Lucien coughed into his fist, getting the duke’s attention, then subtly gestured to Bella.
“Oh, sorry Lady Bella, forgive this old man’s tongue,” Duke Gladios said.
She was laughing too hard to accept his apology, but when she calmed down, she pulled three small, largely featureless amulets from her kimono. “I made these,” she said. “For our trip north, to the Imperial City.”
“What are they?” I asked.
“Constant-effect camouflage amulets,” Bella said. “When you, me, and Pandora wear them, no one will recognize us. For as long as we’re wearing them, we’ll appear normal to each other, but to anyone else, we’ll look completely different.”
“Oh, that’s awesome,” I said. I grabbed the one meant for me and I was about to put it on, but Bella stopped me.
“That’s not a good idea just yet,” she said. “With all due respect to Duke Gladios and Sir Lucien, recent events regarding Imperial agents make me think that we should keep our new visages secret until we’re well on the road.”
I grinned. Bella was smart as hell. “Good idea,” I said.
“Aye, the girl’s right,” Duke Gladios said. He looked around, casting a wary eye on every nook and cranny in the dining hall. “No telling where the Emperor’s little rats might be hiding.”
“I assume that means you won’t be wanting an escort, then,” Sir Lucien said.
“I think it’s better if we keep it to just the three of us,” I said. “Once we’re north of the city, we can use Bella’s enchanted amulets. Up until then, I don’t think we’ll have much to worry about, though.”
“I’m doing my best to root out other traitors among my men,” Sir Lucien said. “But there’s no way of telling which of them might be agents for the Emperor.”
“Hopefully the Lady Sephara and Therena can get the truth out of Marcus before long,” Duke Gladios said.
Then, echoing from down the long hallway outside the dining hall: “I should grab my spear and ram it in your belly, you golden wench!”
Duke Gladios sighed.
“Anyway,” I said. “I’m not familiar with this realm, guys. How long is it going to take us to get to the Imperial City?”
Sir Lucien sipped his wine. “On horseback, about a week if you keep to the main roads and keep a strict riding schedule. The Imperial City is located in the heart of the continent, atop the vast gold mines far beneath the city. You may be harassed by some of the less scrupulous soldiers of the Imperial Legion, though.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Should I expect trouble?”
Sir Lucien shook his head. “Not really. They may ‘tax’ you a few coins for the ‘privilege’ of walking the Emperor’s roads.”
I rolled my eyes. “At least I’ll know what to expect,” I said. “On that front, Duke Gladios, I could really use some walking-around money. I’m sure we’ll get by on the food we bring with us, but I think it would be best if we slept in the inns we find along the way. I’d rather not draw attention by camping outside the cities we pass.”
The duke waved me off as if it were no big deal. “You’ll have plenty of coin, Gamelord,” the duke said. “You won’t have to worry about that. And aye, I agree about staying at inns. I was going to suggest contacting the network the United Rebel Front operates across the Empire. They’ve got safehouses aplenty, but the less suspicious you all look, the better.”
“We’ll leave before dawn,” I said. “Fewer eyes on us. Plus, Duke Elfblood told me to stop for a visit on our way to the Imperial City.”
“She s
eeks to aid you,” Duke Gladios said.
“I hope she remembers the offer,” I said.
The duke laughed. “Duke Gretchen Elfblood never forgets a friend, Gamelord,” he said. “Despite her quarrelsome nature, she’s got good friends across the Empire. Surely, she’ll have a way to speed your journey.”
“Once we’re finished with the head librarian,” I said, then pointed to the teleportation amulet around my neck. “We’ll head back here right away. I don’t like the idea of leaving Homehold, not with the Necromancer consolidating his forces.”
A dark look fell over Sir Lucien’s face. “I have to agree,” he said. “If the Necromancer knows you’re gone, I think it’s likely he’ll decide to strike.”
Bella shivered when she heard that. “I guess we better move fast, then,” she said.
“And what about you, Bella?” I asked, understanding that she wouldn’t be back to her full power level for quite a bit. “Are you sure that you’re up to the journey?”
She smiled shyly and touched my hand. “As long as you’re there to protect me, Champion,” she said.
Chapter Eleven
After dinner, I was ready to hit the sack. The only problem was, I couldn’t for the life of me find the Mananymphs.
After ensuring that Sephara didn’t kill Therena, Pandora thought it would be a good idea for the two of them to take Bella around Homehold again. Except, that had been hours ago and they still weren’t back.
It wasn’t like I was worried about them. Between Pandora and Sephara, they were more than capable of handling themselves in the unlikely event that there was trouble. Still, it was getting dark, and I hoped they remembered that we’d have a long day tomorrow.
I got tired of waiting for them then headed up to the bed chamber. If they needed me, they’d know where to find me. Also, I spoke to Duke Gladios. He’d gotten a room near mine prepared for Bella, as I didn’t think she’d be ready to share a bed with me yet.
I opened my bed chamber door, stepped inside, and that was when my jaw nearly hit the floor.
Monstergirl Quest Book Two Page 9
