by Cid Banks
I scooped one of Jasmine’s kittens from the ground and knocked. “Naomi, are you there?” I listened hard through the din but heard no response.
“Want to fuck?” a ginger tom slinked through, touching noses with cats. “Anyone want to fuck?”
“Can you guys shut it?” I faced her room. “Naomi, it’s me. I have something for you.”
“Leave me alone,” she said, her voice muffled. “What the hell is that sound?”
At least she was talking. “Open up and find out.”
Sheer curiosity must have motivated her to slide from the bed and crack the door. A sliver of Naomi’s tanned skin moved into view.
The striped kitten in my hand screamed. “Pet me!”
“What?” She gaped as a cat pawed the gap, admitting the horde inside. “What the heck did you do?”
They clawed her legs, crying for her to hold them. I pushed the wailing kitten into her hands, and she staggered to the mattress where a half dozen cats patiently waited. Frank rubbed his cheek against her calves.
Bewildered, Naomi stared at the cats piling onto her lap. She caressed the kitten, wrapping her arms around the rest clamoring for attention. A quiver started in her bottom lip as felines of all shapes and sizes mauled her. One of them nudged her palm, forcing her to cuddle its head, and a hesitant smile broke the sadness tightening her face.
Yes.
“Dude, stop it.” I picked up the ginger tom harassing the other cats for sex and rubbed his back. “This place has enough cats.”
Naomi held the kittens against her chest, eyes glistening. “How did you do this?”
“Er—I got the Commune spell and told them they’d get all the meat they wanted.”
“You learned Commune? Why?”
I put down the tom and sighed. “Because I felt horrible about what happened. I had to cheer you up.”
“You wasted a spell for me?” Naomi asked, half-exasperated, half-impressed. “James!”
“What?” I brushed cat hair from her shoulders. “You’re worth it.”
Eyes filled with tears, Naomi leaned closer. Her rosebud lips parted as a flush darkened her cheeks. Her warm breath billowed over my mouth.
A spotted Bengal stood on her knees. “FEED ME!”
I jerked as Naomi laughed. “Could you pipe down? You’ll have food soon enough.”
Naomi kissed a kitten, smiling. “What are they saying?”
“They’re very demanding. It’s all food, sex, and scratches.”
“That sounds accurate.” She brushed a black and white cat. “I was allergic in real life, you know. One perk of this place.”
We sat in silence. A tortoiseshell perched on my lap purred like a motor. I buried my fingers in its fur, feeling the vibrations.
“Naomi, I’m really sorry.”
She sobered. “It’s not your fault.”
“I pushed you into the stupid quest.”
“No.” Naomi shook her head. “I made the decision. It worked out fine until that damned sword came out of nowhere. I can’t believe I’m all the way back to level nine.”
“What are your plans?”
“Dunno,” she said after a long pause. “I could go to another town and level up, same as before, but what’s the point?”
I searched her sapphire gaze. “What do you mean?”
Naomi’s voice broke. “We will lose our minds anyway. It may happen in one year or ten, but eventually we’ll forget ourselves. I can’t stand it, James.”
I took her in my arms, rubbing her arms. “I have to believe there’s a way out of this. It’s the only thing keeping me going.”
Naomi shivered. “And if there isn’t?”
“At least we have each other.” I kissed her forehead. “I might forget myself, but I’ll never stop wanting you by my side.”
A watery grin blossomed across her face. “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”
Her hands clasped my neck as she glided onto my lap. My hand wrapped around her waspy waist as her hair tickled my skin. Her beautiful smile swam closer, and I stopped breathing, afraid that I might blow her away. Naomi’s lips touched mine. I deepened the kiss, palms roving her sexy curves as blood coursed through my veins like fire.
I wanted her. The game could take my memories, but I’d hold on to this forever. The game couldn’t destroy how much I wanted her. I slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders.
“Hey, asshole!” Frank’s claws sank into my knee. “We’re still hungry! Feed us—then you can fuck her.”
Twenty-Four
“Do I want to know why cats are eating our food?” Amy stood behind the felines surrounding a roast pig.
“Don’t be rude to my new subjects.” I avoided looking at Naomi. “I made a deal with them.”
“You made a deal…with cats?”
“Yeah.” I met Amy’s exasperated gaze. “The king of cats keeps his word. I said I’d give them meat if they kept Naomi company.”
“For the record, I had nothing to do with this.” Naomi sat on a tree stump, smiling as she observed the scene.
Orange, black, and white cats tore into flesh, lined up like horses at a trough. The smaller felines darted in between the bodies, trying to snatch whatever scraps they could. Earsplitting meows filled the air. Commune had worn off, but I didn’t need a magic spell to know what they were saying.
I carved a large chunk of thigh from the pork and separated the meat among the kittens as Jasmine watched. The kittens devoured the food.
“Well, I guess we have bigger problems.” Amy tiptoed in between the cats to tear a chunk for a sweet beige cat that brushed her legs. “You haven’t glanced at your maps yet, have you?”
“No, why?”
“Er—well. It explains why everyone from the rebellion is traveling here. There’s a lute on a flag pointing here. I also ran into Cedric, and he’s been merging rebel forces. He called in supporters from all over the south.”
I had a flag?
I hadn’t looked at my map in days. Frantically, I flipped it open. I zoomed out, identifying the Marshlands, the Golden Highlands, the Coldwater Rush with Goldbridge, and the Spirelands. Mountains rose to our west and the sea to our east. The four regions I’d visited included a much larger area labeled The Kingdom of Storms. Smaller flags north of the kingdom were marked as rebel strongholds. A blue flag with a lute was smack dab in the middle. Right in the Spirelands—The Rebels of Blackspire Fortress.
My voice raised an octave. “Everyone can see this?”
Naomi blanched as she stared into space. “Yes.”
“Now that you’re an ally to the rebellion, your banner will fly with ours in defiance of the Storm King.” Amy grimaced. “Everyone knows you’re here…including the Storm King.”
Holy crap.
A chill rode my spine. “So we leave.”
Amy grinned uneasily. “Yeah, that’s not an option for you anymore.”
A breeze picked up, playing with Naomi’s hair. She brushed it away. “There’s a little crown icon over your head. Wherever you go, people will know you’re the baron of this castle.”
“Fuck!” Clicking that stupid prompt had painted a massive target on my back. “Can’t I pass the title onto someone else?”
“No,” said Amy. “And why would you want to?”
Naomi gaped at her. “Because that crown might as well be a ‘Please Kill Me’ sign.”
I stepped out of the tangle of hungry cats and ironed my face with my palms. This was too much to take in. I was fucked. Enemies would be on me like white on rice, and it wasn’t fair to involve the girls in my mess.
“Right,” I sighed, turning to them. “When will you be leaving?”
Amy’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You have to! It’s way too dangerous to stick around.”
Amy shook her head, doubling down. “If we don’t stand against the Storm King, there won’t be a safe place to hide. This is our chance to
strike him and win.”
“I’m not running either,” Naomi whispered.
“What?” I approached Naomi, who looked frightened but determined. “That’s crazy. Look, both of you are safer anywhere else. You should leave me and—”
“No,” they said together.
“But we barely know each other.” I searched their grim expressions for a fraction of regret. “You can’t risk your lives for me.”
“You don’t get to decide that for us,” Amy hissed. “The Storm King wrecked my life. There’s no way I’d ever run. I’m staying.”
I faced Naomi, the stunning sorceress who told me on day one she never took risks. I’d fallen for her the moment we locked eyes. “Watching you die once was bad enough. You have to save yourself.”
“I am saving myself,” she said with a huge sigh. “This fortress could be a haven, James.”
I scoffed. “It has more holes in its walls than Swiss cheese.”
“We can make this world safer for everyone.” Naomi stood, her fingers grazing the roughened stone. “Once it’s fixed up, we won’t have to worry anymore. We’ll have a home.”
Home was still New York, but with every passing day, it felt farther away. “I don’t know. I need to think about this.”
“What’s there to think about?” Amy rumpled her short hair, grin carving dimples into her cheeks. “Let’s kick that storm fucker’s ass.”
I was in over my head. I’d unwittingly made myself the target of the most powerful villain in the game. Was there a Darwin Award for idiotic gamers?
Ruined balconies jutted from the lower keep, wrapping around the fortress in step-like layers of fortification. I stood on one, looking over the busy courtyard glowing with fire pits. My gaze roved the castle and abandoned countryside.
At least it was an epic view.
Stars peeked through gaps in the dark clouds. I hadn’t seen a clear sky in days. I stopped worrying it was a symptom of the Storm King. This area seemed predisposed to lousy weather. Too bad I hadn’t conquered a castle on a sunny beach.
It didn’t matter. Keeping the fortress was stupid. It was more of a liability than an asset. Staying here was suicide. The Storm King was coming, and he’d kill us all. There wasn’t time to fix every structure. Even if we pooled our resources, it wouldn’t be enough.
Shoes scraped against stone. Behind me, orange light flared, illuminating Amy’s face. Her armor was gone. She only wore the tight pants and crop top. She hung her torch in a bracket on the wall and joined my side.
“Hey.” My lips twitched into a half-hearted grin. “Where’s your armor?”
“It’s being repaired. That demon boss messed it up. Thought I would see how you’re holding up.”
My smile disappeared. “Not great.”
She ran her fingers through her short red hair. “Cedric is here. He’s happy that you’re joining the fight. They need a win after losing Goldbridge. This castle might not be worth much, but it’s a powerful symbol to have a feudal character revolt in the Storm King’s domain.”
“He’ll come here.” I clamped down on the panic in my voice. “He’ll kill everyone in this castle, and then he’ll murder me. Once, if I’m lucky. Anywhere I go, people will know who I am. The assholes that work for him will find me.”
“Don’t forget the price on your head,” Amy quipped. “Can’t show yourself in Marshtown ever again.”
“Right.”
Amy wrapped her arms around me. I dragged her into my chest, her head nestled under my chin. I inhaled the sweet scent of her hair, wishing I could extend this moment forever.
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered. “I believe in you.”
“I wish I shared your confidence.”
“You need to stop worrying.” Amy’s roving hands slid up my pecs as her lips parted. My worries faded as I fell into her electric gaze. They were so bright. She was always brimming with optimism. It was impossible to hang around Amy and not feel lighter.
I needed that.
Rising on her toes, Amy pressed her cheek against me. Her warm breath blew across my skin as I tightened my grip around her waist. Her heart throbbed. I felt it patter against my skin—so quick. Her soft lips grazed mine. My heartbeat thundered.
No. It was wrong.
I pulled an inch away. “Amy, you’ve died so many times. Your memories are gone. Kissing you feels like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Whatever.” She grinned at the idea. “No one’s taking advantage of anyone. I wanted you the day we met.”
“Why?”
“You’re sweet.” Her fingers tickled my neck. “And maybe I have a thing for guys that play guitar—or want to play guitar.”
I almost expected a popup that said Deception or Seduction. “Come on Amy. You know that’s not true.”
But I was losing focus on why I cared. Her tight body folded into mine as she yanked me closer. Her perky tits mashed my chest.
“I was lost,” Amy said simply. “I completely forgot what was real. It was like walking through a dream. I didn’t realize how strange everything was. It’s like I was…sitting on the edge between fantasy and reality. Like I was welcoming the fall. You brought me from the brink, James. You saved me.”
“That’s not—I didn’t do anything special.” I stammered as heat filled my cheeks. “I thought you were an NPC. I was just a horny idiot hitting on a pretty girl.”
“You helped me remember who I was.” Overcome, Amy buried her face into my collar. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“I didn’t even know I was saving you! I don’t deserve credit for that.”
“You were there for me. You made me feel again. When I’m with you, I remember that I had a life before this. I’m a real person… and you care about me. You’re not an NPC programmed to pretend to give a shit.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
My breath caught in my throat. She had lived through a nightmare, and it wasn’t fair. Amy deserved to be loved.
As though sensing my hesitation, she seized me. “I make my own decisions, and I decide I want you.”
Our lips crashed as I pushed her against the wall. I stroked her, marveling at the smooth skin. I wanted her closer. I needed every inch of her under my palms. Flames of desire roared inside as Amy ripped off my shirt. Her tongue played in my mouth as I tugged her crop top. She sucked on my bottom lip with a small moan.
God, I loved the taste of her.
Grabbing the crop top, I yanked it free. She gasped. I gave her perky boobs a pinch, and she swatted my bicep, laughing. My lips marked the warm skin under her collarbone. Amy wrapped her leg around me. I scooped a handful of her beautiful ass. She moaned into my mouth.
As though we had no time to waste, we stripped our clothes and laid them on the ground. Golden firelight licked Amy’s petite curves. I kissed along her stomach, hands trailing to the wetness between her thighs. Amy shuddered with pleasure, lips curving. Then she palmed my chest, pushing me down. Grinning, she straddled me. I took her waist, guiding Amy as her hips sank. Her wet heat squeezing me made me forget everything for a while.
There was all the time in the world to worry about war. Tonight was just about us.
Twenty-Five
The war meeting would determine our strategy. I’d overheard the gist of it earlier and spent all day pouring over details in the Gamepedia, learning as much as I could about commanding an army and running a castle. The current plan had flaws. A lot of them. The one I’d developed was better, but convincing them to follow my strategy would be tough.
Amy touched my shoulder. “They’re gathering.”
“Let’s go.”
Amy stopped me in the doorway, taking my hand. “Something on your mind?”
Warmth flooded my body at her smile. Hours ago, I’d woken up to her naked limbs locked in my embrace. Leaving her was a bitch, but I had work to do.
I wished I could leave everything behind and spend eternity naked with
her.
“I’m fine. Still figuring out the details.” I opened my character menu, addressing the prompts that had greeted me this morning. “Er—I need to level up. Bedding my first woman gave me tons of experience.”
Thanks, lustful trait.
“I’m your first?” Amy elbowed my ribs, laughing. “Didn’t feel like it.”
“In the game.” I shuddered to think of being trapped here without ever having sex.
“Well, I’m glad we did it at least once before running into battle. Even if it was for experience points.”
“Hey, give me some credit.” I grabbed her waist and teased my fingers under her waistband. “It wasn’t just once.”
“Horndog.” She slapped my chest. “Hurry and level up. We’ll be late.”
I looked over my song and spell choices. I picked Duplicate Level 2 in anticipation of the meeting.
Duplicate: Level 2
Casting MP: +2 per duplicate
Target: Self
Magic School: Illusion
Can now create multiple duplicates, with each subsequent duplicate increasing casting MP by 2. Duplicate lifespan based on Willpower.
I could pick one more. I glanced over the spells, hesitating over Amplify.
Amplify: Level 1
Casting MP: 3
Target: Self or Area
Magic School: Destruction
Multiply chaotic energies like sound and heat. Does not create a source of energy. Spell duration and effect multiplier based on Willpower.
That sounded perfect for the plan cooking in my head. I chose the spell and turned my attention to songs.
Learn any basic, intermediate, or advanced song:
Song of Sorrow
Song of Rest
Song of Unmaking
Song of Retching
Song of Splendor
Song of Echoes
Song of Smashing
Song of Discord
