“Sure, but I can enchant it for you.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. I’ll talk to you about it later. Is Tiffany inside?”
“Indeed. I will inform her that you’ve arrived.”
From inside the cabin, Tiffany’s voice rang out, “Leonard, just let them in. This place is not very big—I could hear everything.”
Somewhat stiffly, Leonard opened the door.
Tiffany was sitting in a comfortable-looking chair, dressed in a skirt, a low-cut top, and pumps. She looked like she’d just bathed, and she was even wearing makeup.
“What’s the occasion?” asked Trav.
“You are.”
He blinked. “You knew I was coming?”
“Of course. I have the mantle of Zorya, remember?”
Yaakova and Narnaste brushed by Trav and both of them took one of Tiffany’s hands. “We brought him back!” said Narnaste.
Yaakova sort of bowed over the hand she was holding. “Have you been well, Lady?”
Trav was taken aback. “What the hell? ‘Lady?’ Why don’t you ever talk to me like that, ‘Kova?”
The harpy shrugged. “You are my lord and we are tied together now forever. I respect your power, but this one...has style.”
Narnaste nodded. “I was confused and didn’t know what to think about it when you married Tiffany, Master. But when Faith fell, we saw how she acted, how strong she was, and she saved us. She saved a lot of people. I should have known that you would make such a wise choice, Master.” Narnaste’s eyes shone. “You are building a new pantheon!”
Trav coughed. He wasn’t sure what to say to that. He was suddenly struck by the situation itself—talking to his new wife who looked human but was actually a reborn goddess, in the presence of his non-human girlfriends. What would Dad say about this? Hell, what would Mom think about this? he thought, and suppressed a laugh. Behind his valkyries, he saw Tiffany smiling at him.
The reborn goddess freed her hands and folded them in her lap. “I’ve gotten stronger, you know. You probably have too, right?”
“Yes.”
“I can feel it. My ability to sense these things has improved.”
That was news to Trav. He just raised an eyebrow.
Tiffany smiled and stood. “My abilities and control have grown too. I can actually adjust the time dilation of my domain now.”
“You mean—”
“Yes. I can either make time move even more slowly, or faster there now.”
“Why have you had it locked up, then?”
“Oh, you noticed that?”
“Of course I did.” Trav frowned. “I was stranded in a forest and living in a cabin for like a month. Your domain would have been a nice place to escape to and maybe make my way to wherever you were.”
“They really do already sound like a married couple, don’t they?” Narnaste loudly whispered to Yaakova.
The harpy just shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Harpies don’t really marry very often. I have several half sisters.”
Narnaste made a face at Yaakova, and Trav ignored them. Tiffany glanced at the valkyries but met Trav’s eyes again. She said, “That’s not how it would have worked. If you traveled to my domain and came back, you’d just return from where you started.”
“I could have at least told you what was going on. Why was it locked up tight?”
Tiffany sighed. “The truth is that until we all got here, we were in massive danger and constantly moving. Then after I got here, I’ve been under constant watch. The official story that Yaakova came up with and that Hravalin eventually endorsed was that I was a powerful human witch, and Yaakova wanted to learn my style of magic. I think some of the other harpies suspected I was Restless, though. I was afraid that if I used too much of my power, a watcher might notice and I’d be dissected, killed, or put under tighter security. Worse, I was worried an enemy Restless might find me.
“Every day I’ve been here, I’ve been spied on. To be honest, I’m not sure if they were trying to figure out if I was Restless or just observe new magic, I’m not sure, but I’ve had to play it safe. A handful of other refugees made it here from Faith but they’ve kept quiet. Some of them visited me from time to time, at least when it was safe to do so.”
“Sounds boring.”
“It was.” Tiffany nodded. “But Jang-mi has been visiting me, and at least we are all still alive.” She gave Narnaste and Yaakova a look and said, “I want to take your master somewhere with me, but this time we will only be gone for a moment.”
Yaakova and Narnaste nodded. Narnaste’s face was calm, but her tail moved in a way that let Trav know she was distressed. Tiffany must have also noticed, because she moved closer to the Kin woman and put a hand on her arm. Tiffany said, “We’re coming back soon, and we aren’t in territory controlled by the Church here. Relax.”
“Yes, Lady.” Narnaste’s hand rested on the hilt of her rapier, though.
Tiffany took Trav’s hand. “Would you like to come with me?” She drew her fan and raised an eyebrow.
Trav frowned. “Why can you go now? You just told me why you’ve kept the entrance locked up.”
“Things have changed. Word spreads fast, and I bear the mantle of Zorya, remember? Sometimes I just know things that are happening nearby. As I get stronger, the range will increase. But anyway, you made a massive power play and it seemed to have worked. Even though it’s only been a couple of hours, a solid number of harpies in the East Tribe know you are Restless and believe it. Most don’t seem to know how to feel about it so far, though.”
Trav slowly nodded. “So that’s why my power hasn’t increased.”
“Sure. Knowing something exists is not the same thing as caring about it. Anyway, now I’m not as worried about keeping secrets. I’ve already tied my fate to yours, and what’s done is done. For the record, I think you made the right decision, though.”
“You do?”
Tiffany nodded seriously. “The Faithful are scattered to the winds, and Faith has been destroyed. The fact so many Restless are turning up on Asgard is a big deal, and I’m worried about it. The more friends and allies we can make now, the better.”
“Couldn’t you just make your portal, slow down time on the other side, and wait out any danger?” asked Yaakova.
“Nothing is ever that easily, especially for Restless.” Tiffany smiled. “That applies to magic too, something you probably know well, right, Kova?”
As Yaakova nodded her head in agreement, Tiffany took Trav’s arm and said, “Ready?” She held up her fan.
Trav paused. A bit of his old paranoia from the mines crept up in the back of his mind, and he suddenly saw familiar text overlaying his vision.
Hello Oracle. You haven’t communicated in a long time. Why now?
So that does matter, Trav thought.
The exchange had only taken a few seconds, and Trav came back to the present. The Oracle was right. Trav had reasoned out a while ago that since the Oracle was conserving power, she likely wouldn’t have any reason to give him information unless he was screwing up somehow.
“Sure. Let’s go,” said Trav. Tiffany smiled and made a slashing motion with her fan, opening the way to her domain.
***
“Oh thank the stars! I’m finally back and I can stop pretending like I always know what the hell is going on!” Tiffany ran a hand through her hair and sat on the edg
e of a fountain outside her temple. Overhead, stars twinkled in the vastness of space all around her pocket dimension.
“Huh?” Trav was tired from the events and stress of the day, and really hadn’t expected Tiffany’s sudden shift in mood.
“You know, luckily I really do like your valkyries, but they can be needy. How do you deal with it so easily?”
“Needy?” Trav thought of his Kin as powerful, vicious, and resourceful.
“Then again, I guess that just being around you is reassurance enough.”
Trav didn’t say anything, just sat down next to her. He was getting the feeling that Tiffany wanted him to listen for a while.
“I don’t know how it is for you, but my compatibility with Zorya’s mantle actually wasn’t exceptionally high. It was enough to join with her, but both she and I kind of got thrown into the partnership. You on the other hand...I don’t sense any of the fluctuations from you like the ones I can feel in myself as I adapt.”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you found yourself doing things you normally wouldn’t do, or thinking in ways you might not usually think? Do you feel like you’re becoming a different person?”
Trav thought about it. “Not really. I know what you’re getting at. We’ve talked about this before, and I’ve worried about Odin’s influence on me. But lately I’ve been crafting, fishing, and learning martial arts. Sure, I’m curious about learning new things, but I always have been. Odin told me that I was a good candidate for his mantle. I’m starting to wonder if people just never really understood Odin all that well. I haven’t felt like I’m really changing all that much.”
Tiffany sighed. “You’re lucky. Meanwhile, I have not had sex in a very, very long time.”
Trav blinked. “Huh?”
“Zorya is, or was, a virgin goddess. After I accepted her mantle, I became Zorya, or at least I started to. The Restless are old school. Nobody really knows where the original Restless came from, and passing on a mantle is rare. Now I have to obey certain rules that get stronger the longer I have the mantle. My power came with a price. I have felt interest in sex, great interest, but my body isn’t on the same page. Emotionally, I couldn’t tolerate the thought of it, either. It’s the weirdest, most uncomfortable thing ever.”
“So, what exactly does that mean? For us.” Trav scrunched up his brow. If he understood correctly, he was beginning to think that the wedding night he’d assumed had been postponed when Faith had burned down might actually not happen at all.
“Come with me.” Tiffany stood and held out a hand that Trav took. She led him to the temple, her temple. They passed through the beautiful central room, down one hallway and through a set of carved double doors. “Turn around.”
If Trav hadn’t been so tired, both emotionally and physically, he might have asked questions, but he just turned around with a shrug. Besides, the Oracle had basically told him to roll with the punches.
He heard a rustling of cloth behind him and wondered what was going on, but also felt a powerful curiosity building, wanting to know what exactly Tiffany’s purpose was. Finally, she said, “Okay, turn around.”
Trav turned and his jaw dropped. Tiffany had changed—now she was wearing a sheer negligee the color of rose petals. She also wore a silver crown with tiny twinkly stones and matching earrings...and nothing else.
He couldn’t help it—Trav’s eyes ran up and down the length of her body. Tiffany blushed a bit, but she also threw her shoulders back and gave him a smoky look. Her nipples were hard, poking through the thin fabric of her see-through clothing. She had more extreme measurements than Trav would have imagined. Tiffany was shaped like a nightclub singer—all curves and femininity. Her breasts were smaller than he’d assumed, but still nicely shaped—very nicely shaped.
Her expression was shy, but instead of covering herself, Tiffany grabbed Trav’s hands and lightly placed them on her hips, with his fingers resting on the swell of her ass. She reached up, placing her hand behind his head and pulled him down into a kiss. After coming up for air, Trav smiled a bit and kissed her back.
His hands around her hips tightened. This time Tiffany broke off the kiss with a gasp and a light giggle. “Oh wow, thank you for that. You have no idea. I’ve always thought you were a good-looking guy, and something about your eye patch just drives me crazy. Like I said, Zorya was a virgin goddess, but she was also a horny girl. So I have been slowly remembering thousands of years of pent-up sexual frustration, and adding my own with no possible release...until now.”
“We got married,” said Trav, understanding.
“Exactly. And now you’re all mine. We can stay in here for days, and only a few minutes will pass on Asgard. I knew you were coming, remember? We have plenty of food, and everything we need. A wedding day is not enough. This is going to be our wedding week.” Her cheeks colored darker and she looked at the floor. “Well, if you, you know, want to.”
Trav studied the little blond goddess and laughed. Tiffany’s eyes darted up, but she relaxed when she saw his expression. “I think I might have lucked out on this deal,” said Trav with a grin.
“You have no idea, you stubborn man.” She shook her head. “Zorya watched other people copulating for a millennium, mortals and Restless, and never got any action herself. The things she fantasized doing with a man...some even involve magic! Seriously, you have no idea what she thought up. I’ve been going crazy—I don’t know how she endured it.” Tiffany suddenly pushed her face into his chest. “I’m married!” She did a little dance on her toes, then drew back and said, “Saving my world is my goal, but I have to admit, I’m really happy right now. I have—”
Trav cut her off with a growl and a kiss. His weary brain had finally caught up with the situation and was in agreement with his body. He ran one hand up her back until it was on the back of her neck, and slipped her negligee off with his other hand where it made a silky puddle on the floor. He kissed her until she melted against him.
Then he picked her up and carried her to the bed. The ceiling overhead disappeared, showing a view of space and the stars outside, and about an hour later when Trav finally noticed, he wasn’t even surprised.
Chapter 17
Trav was lying in bed with Tiffany, the sheets wrapped around both of them in crazy ways. The ceiling overhead was gone again, and he was looking at a distant nebula. Trav thought the sight was beautiful, and so was his new wife. The fact that she might be immortal, and he might be too, was something he hadn’t really spent the time to think about in-depth before this moment.
He tightened his arm around her shoulders and thought of the past for a while. Being remarried felt weird—it would have felt strange even if he hadn’t just spent a few days with his new wife in her celestial temple. He knew without any doubt that Beth would approve. She’d always said he was destined for great things.
“What are you thinking about?” asked Tiffany. She idly traced her finger through his chest hair. “Sometimes you get really moody and I can even see the magic inside you swirl differently.”
Trav gave her a look. “Sometimes I forget you can do that. How many on Asgard can actually see magic like you and I can?”
“Oh, probably not many. There are some truly powerful Kin on Asgard, but we are probably in the top dozen right now for seeing magic itself. You will pull ahead of everyone else eventually. My future talents will lie in seeing the big picture, not knowledge as a whole.”
Trav nodded.
She asked again, “What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking about the past.”
“Oh?”
He nodded. “There is something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” Tiffany waited patiently, and Trav started speaking again. “When I came back from this place to Faith, the town was in the middle of the attack by the Church of Self. I’m pretty sure they were mixed with Kyvendi forces. Anyway, Risscith helped me, and he asked that I tell you that he served you faithfully until the end.�
�
Tiffany nodded gravely, and her eyes grew watery. “Thank you for telling me. I felt when he died.”
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“I killed him. It was a mercy killing. He asked me not to leave him for the Dacith and I thought that sounded like a good idea. In fact, the crazy sonofabitch was so honorable I did...something.”
“What did you do, Trav?” Tiffany’s eyes bored into him, intense behind their sheen of tears.
“I held my hand out and said, ‘Bravery.’ After that I felt a little weird. Does that mean anything to you?”
Tiffany blinked in surprise and lowered her gaze until she was staring at Trav’s chest. She looked up and said, “I can’t believe this.” She tapped her chest. “It’s here. I can’t believe I didn’t notice before!”
“Huh?”
“You honored him. When you recognized his bravery, it must have moved you, and you actually marked his soul. He must have accepted the gesture too, otherwise it wouldn’t have worked!”
“Tiffany, I didn’t grow up in a magic-based world. Can you please explain what the heck you’re talking about?”
“Because of what you did, you honored Risscith and more importantly, you marked him. After I get stronger, I will be able to find his soul! It’s weakly attached to both of us right now.”
“Find his soul? You can do that?”
“I can with a marked soul. Any Restless can mark a soul, but it can’t be faked. A mortal has to impress us, to make us respect them. It means more when we’re more powerful, but...this way I can try to fulfill his desire as a faithful servant, even after death.”
“What sort of things can you do?” The conversation fascinated Trav.
“I can use a marked soul for magic, or enchanting, or find them and put them in an afterlife I eventually create—”
“Afterlife!?”
“Of course. Oh that’s right, your mantle was from a leader of a pantheon, and a loner. None of this would likely interest you much, but mortals have called Restless ‘gods’ for a reason. When we’re at our most powerful, there isn’t really much in the universe we have to fear, other than Titans, or each other. Some Restless can do all sorts of crazy things, even manipulate souls.”
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