As he walked away, he passed Alana as she headed for the kitchen. She was humming softly to herself and seemed like a woman on a mission.
Except now that he was looking, he noticed the extreme difference in her. He was floored he’d missed it until now.
She was wearing what he could only describe as a house dress and looked like an Elven woman today, instead of her weird in-between state.
Even her hair had been done in a far more womanly fashion.
Just before vanishing into the kitchen, Alana glanced over her shoulder with a frown and quirked an eyebrow. She stopped in the door frame and met his eyes.
“Is everything alright?” she asked.
“Uh, yeah. Just… you’re wearing a dress,” Rene said.
“Indeed. Do you like it?” Alana asked, grabbing the dress in each hand and lifting it ever so slightly to reveal her ankles. “I think it hangs on me quite well.”
“Yeah. It looks good on you. You look good,” Rene said. He was feeling like a bit of a bumbling fool right now.
Just about the only woman he felt confidence around was Aurora, and that was due to her own shyness.
“Why thank you, Rene,” Alana said, giving him a smile that showed off her two sets of canines. Then she stepped into the kitchen.
Did we get married?
I don’t know. I don’t think so.
I think maybe we did.
Yeah, I think we got married.
But I think if we did get married, we got fucked without fucking.
Cause I’d really like to get laid.
Hell if I know. No experience at all with this.
The one time we almost did in our last life, you nearly had me kill her. Relationship lasted more than a month, but it was still a bit fast.
Remember? Kelly?
Yeah. I remember. Should have killed her.
Rene shook his head and walked into the adjoining room. It was originally a library but was now converted into a study hall for Lori.
An older woman was sitting in a chair next to Lori, as the young girl diligently worked with a pen and paper.
Looking up, the older woman smiled at him and stood. She looked to be in her fifties, but it was a distinct possibility she was younger. This world aged people much harder and faster, he’d noticed.
Especially those who grew up as commoners. Her brown hair was starting to gray and her brown eyes looked rather tired.
She looked like so many others Rene had seen in this world. Tired and nearly broken, much earlier in life than people in his old world.
“Good timing, Master Anatolis,” said the woman, waddling his way. There was something clearly wrong with her gait, but it didn’t seem to pain her.
Rene smiled at the woman and didn’t respond. His mind had already been thrown for one too many loops today. He really couldn’t handle much right now.
“Miss Moon is severely lacking in some fundamentals that’ll be necessary for her to get into the university,” the woman said. Instantly, Rene wanted to punch her in the mouth. “She is an incredibly bright child, though. Her deficits are only in what was given to her, nothing to do with who she is.
“We’ll be able to correct and solidify her educational foundation in no time at all. By the time she’s old enough to enroll, she’ll be ready for a university admission test and will pass easily with that lovely mind of hers.”
Mmm.
To Rene, the Monster felt like he was rather happy with the fact that the woman was complimenting Lori.
Smiling, the older woman let out a soft sigh.
“For such a young girl to have gone through so much, she’s incredibly resilient,” said the woman. “I’ll start sending over the appropriate tutors from my school for personal instruction.”
We should give her a tip. I like her.
“Thank you, I appreciate your time and dedication,” Rene said. He really wished he had learned her name previously.
“Of course. I’ll take my leave for the day. Until we next meet,” said the woman, leaving the room.
The click of the door shutting woke Rene up to the fact that he could have Analyzed her.
Slipping. Really bad.
“There, see?” Lori proclaimed, turning toward him in her chair. “I’m all set. I’ll be ready for university, and I’ll do my best. When do I get to start learning blacksmithing?”
“Tomorrow. Master Smith Tinter said he’ll take you on. He taught your brother. It felt… appropriate,” relayed Rene. He’d set it up previously.
“Tinter… okay… that’ll do. Okay,” Lori said, then she looked down to the ground. “I think I’m going to go lie down in my room. I’m tired.”
“Alright,” Rene said. “Alan said dinner will be ready shortly.”
“Her name’s Alana, not Alan,” Lori said, getting up from her desk. “We talked earlier. She said you and her are going to take care of me.”
Lori left without saying anything more.
The bright cheery girl was gone. The one who played with dolls, held mock tea-parties, and thought the world was a happy shinning place.
Or at least hidden for the time being.
Shaking his head, Rene scratched at his hairline. This wasn’t something he’d be able to solve.
Not with money, items, promises, or violence.
All he could do was be there for her in the place of Bill.
Since it was because of Rene that he was dead.
***
Sitting at the apex of his roof, Rene stared out at the city streets in front of him.
He hadn’t noticed it originally, but the manse was actually somewhat elevated. It was difficult to tell, given the way the nearest boulevard ran along it, but he could certainly tell from the house itself.
Dinner with Alana had been a rather ordinary affair. So much so, that it was almost unnerving.
Doubly so, when the Elven maiden had called Lori to dinner. It’d become a three-person meal, sitting in very traditional positions. Rene at the head, Alana on the opposite end, and Lori in the middle.
Even the table conversation reminded him of growing up in his parents’ house back in Laetus. It’d been odd and made Rene ache inside.
Going soft.
But… that’s okay.
I think… I think we’re a better person when we’re soft.
Says the asshole who coerced me into trying to court two women while I have an Elf playing housewife back at home.
You like it.
You want that affection. That acceptance.
You’re desperate for it. You yearn to feel all three of them in bed, to feel their warmth, and have them accept you, just as we are.
The Monster we are.
Just as I hope they accept us, too.
I are you, you are me. We are we.
Yes, exactly.
“Get off my roof,” growled a voice nearby.
Make that four.
“I swear to the deepest parts of hell, if you do something stupid, I’m going to give you several notches and maybe worse,” Rene threatened.
“It’s my roof. This is where I think,” Irini whined coming closer to him. “You’re not supposed to be up here. This is for me.”
Turning his head, he glared at the cat-girl assassin.
“I’m not going to attack you. You’ve marked me twice already,” Irini said, reaching up to run a finger along the edge of her ear. The two notches were quite visible. “I don’t need anymore. I’m shamed enough as it is.”
Clicking his tongue at that, Rene looked back out at the street.
“I should notch each side of both your ears preemptively,” Rene muttered. “We both know you’ll do something stupid. Eventually.”
“I will not,” Irini disagreed, and sat down next to him. “I know my place. You’ve marked me accordingly and I’ll not risk more. You didn’t have to notch me the second time. I already had the one.”
“You’ll get one for every time you do something stupid,” Rene co
untered.
Huffing at that, Irini leaned over and snuffled at his hair, then sat up straight again.
“Stop that,” Rene said moving his head away from her.
“I’m just checking to see if you’re bedding the Elf,” Irini grumbled.
What?
What?
“Why would that matter?” Rene asked. “I’m not married to you. I’m not bedding you. I’ve hired you.”
“As if I could marry anyone else, given what you’ve done to my ear,” Irini growled. “Without pristine ears, no good Alis would ever be interested in me. So now I’ll have to settle for something less, like a human. You’ll do. If you start bedding the Elf, I’ll have to change my plan around.”
Blinking at that, Rene shook his head.
“I’m pretty sure that isn’t going to happen,” Rene stated rather firmly.
“Why not? You’re not very handsome, but your abilities make up for it. I think you’d be good to any kits we’d have,” Irini reasoned, though it sounded like she was talking to herself, more than him. “And you have wealth. That and you can actually fight me. It will be good for us to train our kits together. And I know you find me attractive. I can smell your arousal, you realize.”
Irini flexed her hands and then lightly drug her rather sharp looking nails across the roof several times. Looking to the material, Rene could tell she’d done that exact move several times, right where he was sitting.
“So, if you start bedding the Elf, I’ll just have to resolve myself to bedding you, as well,” Irini said. “Which would be rather disappointing to give myself away before marriage. Bad enough you’ve maimed me.”
“An assassin with marital honor, how curious,” Rene mused.
“Is it? You have your own code of honor,” Irini countered. “I’m neither dead nor raped. Both of which could have easily been done to me.
“You also don’t presume on the idiot Elf, despite her making herself available, and you took in a child that isn’t yours. Is this the same man who wears a mask and murders people? Runs brothels? Has people robbed?”
Shaking her head back and forth as her tail starting to whip around behind her angrily, Irini looked extremely annoyed.
“Stupid human. You dare to lecture me for wanting to wait for marriage when you have your own odd codes that don’t match. You should—”
“Okay,” Rene said interrupting her. “Okay. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“What? Okay? You’re sorry? That doesn’t excuse this,” Irini said, turning her head toward him. “You don’t get to simply apologize and call it done.”
“Yes, I do, because I have nothing else I can offer,” Rene said with a laugh. The madder she got, the more it somehow amused him.
“Hmph,” Irini said with a snort. Then she leaned over and head-butted the side of his face with the top of her skull, then sat straight up again. “It’s good that you’re laughing. Your mood needs to improve soon. We need to plan what we do next. The guild won’t wait forever. You’ll need to check in and put plans in motion.”
She’s right.
Rene nodded at that. It was certainly something he needed to do regardless of anything else.
The Hood was effectively defunct now. It didn’t serve his purposes in the same way the Mask did. The Mask could preemptively stall, slow, or stop crime Rene didn’t want to happen.
Where the Hood could only respond to existing crime.
“Now… get off my roof or pet me. I’d like it around the base of my ears if you decide to pet me, Rene Anatolis,” Irini said, and put a hand on his shoulder. She began to push him away from the spot she clearly wanted.
“You’re so damn bossy all of a sudden,” Rene said, pulling his arm away and then reaching up to scratch at her ears.
“Because I’ve decided you’ll do,” Irini said. “You’ve been selected. And provided I don’t annoy you, you leave me to my own devices. Which means it’s really more like a marriage. So you see? It’s decided. Now, more at the base please.”
Then the Alis began to purr, as Rene did as she asked and scratched at her head and ears. Focusing more deeply on the base of her ears.
Like a giant house cat.
He didn’t mind her being a little bossy.
If we sleep with Alana, that means we could sleep with Iri—
Shut up.
Just shut up.
Chapter 31
Working his way through the Tramp’s Tail with his mask on, Rene was amused as everyone fell away from him.
The only person who dared get close to him was Irini.
Wearing a mask almost identical to Rene’s, but black and covering her whole head, the Alis was right behind him. Her tail had been tied down to her left leg to hide what she was, as well.
The last thing they needed was anything identifiable of her to slip out.
As he made his way to the back, Rene felt the attack coming long before he even saw a hint of it. His senses were strung so tight that he felt like he could taste the anxiety of all those around him.
Which made the man with the dagger edging closer to Rene, burn bright like a bonfire. Lighting up the night with his presence, to the point that it was obvious what he was doing.
At least to Rene.
Lashing out with the blade, the man would have succeeded against anyone else, except perhaps Irini.
Casually as could be, Rene plucked the blade from the man’s hand and put a right hook through his jaw.
When his head snapped to the right, the would-be killer went down in a heap and hit the ground. Then he went limp, as he clearly lost his grasp on the waking world.
“That was stupid,” Rene murmured, looking at the knife. It was unimportant, cheap, and probably would have broken if it had hit one of Rene’s ribs. “Someone carry him for me to my office.”
Several gang members jumped forward to grab the unconscious man.
Filing into the office in the back, Rene was surprised to find Dephan and three young women there.
The one-time-madam had changed her style of dress and now looked much more like a lesser noblewoman. She’d also taken the time to work her hair into a presentable style for the times for the nobility.
A new desk had been added to the far corner of the office and it was littered with pieces of paper, coins, and bits and ends of other things.
Dephan had clearly decided it best to work out of this room, but hadn’t wanted to touch the primary desk.
Good survival sense on that one.
“Put him on the ground,” Rene said gesturing to the center of the room. He went over to his desk and sat in the chair behind it. Irini moved to the corner and got down in a squat.
All she needs is a tracksuit.
Rene smirked, looking away from Irini who was staring at him through her mask. Turning toward Dephan, Rene waited for the men to leave.
“Good evening, Dephan,” Rene murmured once the door closed.
“Good evening, boss,” Dephan said, putting one hand into the other in front of herself. “How are you?”
“Fine. Though that one tried to knife me,” Rene explained, pointing to the unconscious man. “I’ll have to take him apart to find out who tried to get me stabbed.”
“Ah, yes. You could use the back room. I try to keep this building free of killings, but you can’t always stop ’em. You can drain him there and we can dump the body in the night,” Dephan said. Then she gestured to three attractive women standing around her. They were very well put together, dressed seductively, and just a hair over what he’d consider eighteen. “And these are your personal girls. Just like you asked. Paid for your use only, never worked the sheets, all fresh as the day they were born. I guarantee it or you can take my life. This is Rose, Darla, and Pinky.”
Each woman bobbed her head toward Rene as they were addressed.
Apparently, Dephan had been a madam a long time with an extensive client list.
She’d clearly made sure to spread out her selection of g
irls to what she thought might be to his taste. Rose was a brunette who was almost a redhead with brown eyes. Darla had black hair with blue eyes. And Pinky had very blonde hair with green eyes.
“I had the bedroom cleaned and redecorated, and the storage room converted into a room for the girls,” Dephan finished with a smile.
“Good work,” Rene said, then turned back to Dephan. “I wish I could sample them but my time is limited at the moment. What do you need from me to make business go smoothly?”
“I… don’t understand, boss,” Dephan said.
“I’m your boss. I solve the big problems so you can make everything run smoothly,” Rene explained. “What do you need me to solve, so you can do your job?”
“Oh,” Dephan said. Looking to the ground, her face took on an expression of consideration. “Could you do something about the Ravens?”
“Sure. That was on my to-do list anyway,” Rene said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Do you know where they’re working out of?”
“That’s actually the problem. They’re not,” Dephan said in a huff. “They’re just running around causing problems and mischief. Just the other day, they murdered a merchant after robbing him.
“And then there’s that whole thing with that lieutenant. It’s obvious he didn’t kill himself and was corrupt. There’s a lot of pressure coming down on everyone and the damn Ravens are just making it worse.”
“Right,” Rene murmured, leaning back in his chair. “In other words, the members are just running wild because there’s no guild head.
“And with the actions they’re taking, they’re creating far more of a problem for us simply because they’re bringing down attention.”
“That’s… yes, that’s right,” Dephan said. Rose, Pinky, and Darla were all nodding their heads as well at that.
“You training them to take your place?” Rene said, pointing at the three girls. “Be your lieutenants?”
“I—Yes. I am. Is that a problem?” Dephan asked with some firmness in her voice.
She expects me to challenge her. Why?
“No. Why them though?” Rene asked.
Dephan had lifted her chin up as soon as he started talking. Now she looked as if she didn’t know how to respond to his question.
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