I let her steer me back towards her bedroom.
"So, what's new in your life?" I asked her.
"I have a new boyfriend," Alice said grinning.
"Will wonders never cease," I said shaking my head.
"Wilma, Evan. Evan, Wilma."
I looked up and there was a rather unattractive man sitting up in Alice's bed. Unattractive was perhaps a bit kind, he was definitely not a handsome man. However he was rather impressively built, and I suspect that attracted Alice a lot more than his looks did.
"Wilma, huh?" He growled.
"Oh, shit," I said softly. It was Evean!
Everything slowed down as Evan jumped out of bed approaching me, and I backed up until I was in the doorway leading to the bedroom. Evan was naked, and he didn't have any weapons. I did the eyes and ears thing, I didn't know if Fel could help, but I sure wanted him to know what was going on.
I, on the other hand, had a knife and it was already in my hand. But I didn't want to fight Evan/Evean if I could avoid it, as a man, Evan was stronger than me, though I didn't know how experienced Evan/Evean was at fighting.
"I'm going to pay you back, Will," Evan growled.
"Evan! Stop!" Alice said and moved to stand between us.
I was worried what he would do to her, for getting in his way, but Evan simple picked her up, and moved her aside and set her down.
"Evan, I'm pregnant!" I said loudly.
"So. What." he growled taking a step towards me.
I got in a fighting stance and waved the knife at him. "If I lose this baby, I swear what I do to you and Roden will make what I did to the Mulanders look like a Sunday social."
Evan stopped and winced. I got the impression that Roden had just pulled on his leash, hard.
"The Goddess here owes me too, Evan, if you die here, you will spend several days in the kind of agony that can destroy your soul. If you thought what happened in that tent was bad, this will be a thousand times worse."
"Not if I kill you first," Evan said, but he wasn't looking as confident now.
"If you kill me first, Roden will stop you from going home, the local champion will get you, and you'll suffer, oh trust me, you'll suffer."
"Roden wouldn't do that!"
"Fel is probably telling Roden right now just how pissed off I'll be. Oh, and there are a few other gods involved in this now as well. They'll be pretty pissed off too. Why do you think Roden is telling you to stop?"
Evan snarled, and the look he gave me was full of hate and frustration. "I came all this way, I put up with months' worth of shit, to pay you back, and now I can't?" He screamed.
Alice looked at Evan, then at me, then at Evan again. "What's going on here, Wilma?"
"Me and Evan have a history, and it's not a good one," I said. "Though that's not my fault. Is it Evan?"
"You tricked me!" Evan snarled.
"Yeah, well you tricked me first!" I yelled back at him. "And I told you I felt bad about it, I even apologized to you! I didn't have to do that, Fel didn't tell me to do that, I did it on my own!"
Evan turned and stomped back to the bed, and dropped down to sit on it, looking daggers at me.
"I'm sorry, Wilma, I had no idea," Alice said to me, and looked back and forth between the two of us.
I sighed and put the dirk away. "It's not your fault, Alice," I said and gave her a hug, "Besides," I said and took a moment to give Evan's naked body a more appreciative look, "he's definitely a hottie. Bet he rocks your world in bed, right?"
Evan's jaw dropped when I said that, and surprisingly he blushed something fierce.
Alice just giggled and nodded. "Yeah, he's built like the ultimate roadie, and he rocks the bed like a complete five star act!"
"I am not a 'hottie,'" Evan grumbled, still looking embarrassed.
"If you're in Alice's bed," I smiled sweetly at him, "you are by definition, a 'hottie'. Alice only picks the best, and everyone knows it."
He blushed even more at that, and I had to admit I enjoyed watching him squirm, it is the little things in life after all. What I couldn't figure out was why Evan was so, well I wouldn't quite say 'ugly', but his face did seem to have taken a couple of shots from the ugly stick. Evean was the one of the most gorgeous females I'd ever seen in my life, so as a man, she should have been a complete knockout in the looks department here as well.
"Did you say you're pregnant?" Alice asked stepping up to me, and looking me up and down.
I smiled and nodded, "About three months."
She stopped a moment, "Stephan?"
I nodded again, "Yeah, Stephan. I didn't really know until after he was gone, and well," I looked around, "I thought here or Scopuli would be a better place to have a baby then out there, in some small village," I said waving a hand towards the hills.
Alice nodded, "Who are Roden and Fel?" she asked next.
"Two guys that we sort of work for," Evan said from the bed. "They're like mayors of different towns."
Alice gave him a look, and then looked at me.
"Close enough," I nodded.
She nodded slowly and decided not to make an issue of it.
"Can I trust you to behave?" she said looking at Evan.
Evan grumbled but nodded, "I won't do anything to her."
"And you?" Alice said looking at me.
I held up my hands, "I won't attack him, I swear."
"Swear?" Evan looked up at me and smirked.
"For as long as we're both here," I motioned to the world around me, "I do. By Fel even."
Evan looked at me surprised, and tilted his head to the side as he considered my words. "Okay, I swear the same, by Roden."
I sighed and smiled. "Thanks, Evan, I'll try to make it up to you someday."
"Oh really?" He said looking at me in obvious disbelief.
"Hey, boy scout, remember?"
"What in the world are the two of you talking about?" Alice complained.
"Eh, old joke." Evan said, and then patted the bed. "Come to bed, Alice."
"I'll sleep on one of the couches in the other room," I said and nodded towards the hall.
"Darn, there go my hopes for a threesome," Alice sighed, leering at me.
"Maybe tomorrow," I laughed, and left the room, closing the door behind me. With a sigh I went and found an extra pillow and a blanket, and went and sacked out on the couch.
"Tonight would be a good night, Fel," I mumbled and curling up I fell asleep.
"I had no idea that she was there, or even how she got there," Fel said to me as I appeared in his bar.
"What I want to know is how she got by those SOBs in Ithaca." I complained.
"She didn't go that way."
I looked at Fel, "What? I thought that was the only way through?"
Fel shook his head, "No, there a lot of connections between the sphere Ithaca is in, and the one your Earth occupies. Same for most of the realities you went through."
"Then why did we have to go that way?" I said rather hotly.
"Because at the time, it was the only pathway that we knew about," Fel said and sighed, "you know that, William, and you know that we wouldn't have put you all through that even once, if we could have avoided it."
I nodded and sighed myself. I was surprised that it still bothered me, what we had gone through in Ithaca, this many years later.
"So how did she find out? How did Roden find out?"
"Roden claims he has no idea either, that Evean just wanted to go 'home' for a while and check up on her family there. I'm sure he knows by now what happened and how it happened, but we're not allies, so he's not sharing with me."
"Do you believe him?" I asked.
Fel shook his head, "Not really. I mean it is possible that he didn't know what she was doing until she did it. But I'm starting to think that he likes to cater to her. No idea yet why, it's not like there are other gods who spoil their champions," he said and winked at me.
I tipped my beer to him and took a drink, "It was still
one hell of a shock. I'd love to know how he found Alice."
"I'm guessing that was just dumb luck," Fel said smiling.
"That's a pretty big coincidence to just be 'luck,'" I complained.
Fel shrugged, "There are forces beyond that of the gods, William, ones that we don't even fully understand...."
"Or can't explain because of the rules, right?" I interjected.
Fel tipped his beer to me, "Sometimes, but not always."
"So more of the 'limited omnipotence' that Stephanie told me about?"
Fel paused a moment, "It doesn't exactly work the way that Stephanie led you to believe, though it isn't a bad explanation."
I raised an eyebrow at that one, "How's that?"
"In our own spheres, we have our powers, which are limited only by the rules of our reality and those of the overall; I guess you'd call it a 'system.' Some of these rules you are aware of, some of them you'll never notice, even if you run up against them a hundred times. We're also limited whenever we interact with another god, goddess, or their champions and priests.
"So my omnipotence is limited, as Stephanie told you, by those things. My omniscience is however is not limited within my sphere, I am only limited in what actions I can take, or what I can tell others, due to those ever present 'rules.'"
"Sounds confusing," I said shaking my head.
"For you, yes it would be. But for me, William, as a god, not at all. In fact I find it quite helpful."
I thought about that a minute, "So, why is Aryanna able to see the future in your sphere?"
Fel smiled at me, "As in any 'game', William, there are always loopholes and ways to get around certain rules without breaking them."
"So can Aryanna see what's going to happen next in Siren?"
Fel shook his head, "No, because those situations don't apply there. Also you and Evean are champions, and that makes things difficult anyway."
"What about Evan ... err Evean. Will she behave? Or do I have to watch out from now on?"
"I wouldn't worry about Evean anymore. Roden believes your promise of retribution if she should cost you the child, and I was quick to make sure that he understood I would back you on it. Aryanna and several of her allied gods also made sure he understood they would also back you."
I was taken aback by that, "Really?"
Fel smiled and gave a nod of his head.
"But, but why?" I asked confused.
"Because Stephanie and Aryanna were close, because they're friends with Aryanna, and because more than a few of them got on well with Stephanie in the same way you get on with Aryanna.
"Friendship, no matter how one-sided it can often be, William, is actually very important to many gods and goddesses."
I smiled and shook my head, "I had no idea."
Fel smirked at me then; "Well, you always remember your favorite pet!" he said and laughed.
I stuck my tongue out at him, but then laughed as well, and hoped he didn't start patting me on the head and telling me what a 'good boy' I was.
"Well, I hope Alice isn't pissed at me when 'Evan' leaves tomorrow."
"Oh I don't think Evan is going to go anywhere for a while," Fel said.
I raised an eyebrow and stared. "What?"
"Well, as I can best figure it out, Roden feels that if he leaves Evean there to keep an eye on you, and 'protect' you, that if anything does happen, we'll owe him one."
"And will you?" I asked cautiously.
"Aryanna probably would feel so, and I might as well," Fel said with a nod.
"And is that all there is to it?"
Fel laughed, "Oh, I suspect Evean, err 'Evan' just wants the opportunity to annoy the hell out of you for the next six months."
I sighed, knowing Evean, I had a suspicion that was going to be true.
Five
Lionesnesc
"Where's Evan?" I asked Alice the next morning as we left the apartment rather early to go get some breakfast.
"Sleeping in," Alice smirked, "I kept him well occupied last night, I'm surprised you didn't hear it?"
I had heard it, and I'd cast a cantrip to block it out after the first few minutes. A voyeur I'm definitely not.
"Umm, I sort of slept like the dead last night," I said and gave a shrug. "I was pretty tired."
Alice laughed, "Must have been to sleep through that! Anyway, I called Henry a little while ago, he said to bring you by his office and let him set you up with a place to stay or something. If you an Evan don't get along, well, I sure don't want to force the two of you to keep company."
I nodded to that.
Alice was quiet for a moment as we walked; we were heading towards the amphitheater obviously.
"You know," She started, "I heard a lot of stories about what went on at Scopuli just before everyone said you dropped out of sight. I've asked Henry, but he doesn't want to talk about it."
I nodded and looked at her a moment, then back down the street towards our destination. "And?" I asked.
"Well, what happened?"
"Another city tried to invade, being the fresh new act we got tapped to help out."
"I heard it was pretty impressive what you guys did up there."
I sighed and shook my head, "We slaughtered them, Alice, we went out there not just with a new play list, but with a whole new sound. They never had a chance, they had no idea what was waiting for them."
"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Alice said, sounding rather surprised.
I shrugged and thought a moment, and then nodded slightly. "For the people at Scopuli it was good, and it was definitely good for the goddess, but it was a bit hard for me to take, Alice. I think of music as something to be enjoyed; fun to listen to, fun to play. Not something that you kill people with.
"It kinda messed with my head."
"Oh," Alice said and stopped, forcing me to stop and look at her.
"I'm sorry," She said and gave me a hug, "I've heard it can be rough. But still." She hugged me again, "thanks for doing it. They would have come here after they destroyed Scopuli, and it would have been even worse for us, as we're just one of the city's subject towns."
I nodded, "I don't regret saving the city, I just wish we hadn't had to do it."
"Well sometimes we all get caught up in things that we didn't intend to," Alice said and taking my hand started us walking again.
"Like Evan?" I asked softly.
Alice laughed, "Like Evan. Ever sleep with him?" Alice inquired with a grin.
"Almost," I smiled and sighed at the same time. "He can be quite charming when he wants to be!"
"Don't I know it! And let me tell you, he knows his way around a woman's body so well I'd swear he was a woman himself!"
I coughed at that as I tried not to laugh.
"What?" Alice asked looking at me.
"Some-how I can't see him as predator and you as prey," I said and covered up with a giggle.
Alice leered at me rather outrageously. "Yeah, and I don't think he expected to be the fish on my hook either, but when I saw that boy, oh yeah, I sure went and reeled him in!"
I laughed with her then, I would not at all be surprised to find out that Alice was Evan's 'first' after he got here. Switching sexes was pretty disconcerting.
"So, you going to?" Alice asked me.
"Going to, what?" I asked back.
"Sleep with Evan of course!" She giggled.
I shook my head, "I don't think so."
"What? The boy is fantastic!"
"Too much history," I said and shook my head again, "I mean, not that I wouldn't if we didn't," I grinned back at Alice who laughed again.
"I'm gonna have to tell him you said that!"
I blushed, she probably would too, "Umm, I'd rather you didn't," I said a bit embarrassed.
"Oh?" Alice smirked at me, "You do like him, don't you?"
"I also like chocolate, but I know when something is bad for me!"
"Hey, he swore to behave, so if you ever wanted to have a roll wit
h him, now would definitely be the time."
"You have a one track mind, Alice," I complained.
"This from the girl who snogged me on stage in front of a full house?"
"Yeah well," I grinned at her, "You deserved it."
"Uh-huh."
We talked about other things from that point; Alice was never one to stay on one topic for long, no matter how embarrassing it may be. When we got to Henry's office she knocked on the door, opened it and showed me in, waved to Henry and said 'Hi', then left to get to her own work.
"Wilma! It's so great to see you again!" Henry said coming around the desk and giving me a hug. "The priests at the temple told me you left after that nasty little business we had back then," he gave me another hug, "Alice also told me about Stephan, I'm sorry to hear he's no longer with us."
I nodded slowly. "We'd known it was coming for a long time, so we'd already made peace with it," I told him.
"Well at least now I know why you weren't interested in the money so much. Come, come, sit down, relax."
I let myself be steered over to a comfortable chair by the side of his desk, not one of the unpadded hard wooden ones he normally made the band members sit in, when I'd been here before.
"So what brings you back? Looking to perform again? I can set you up with some first class musicians! People would give their last breath to be on stage with you, and not just the new acts either! I'm talking the old hands! You folks really shook things up when you were here."
I smiled a little wanly, "I'm pregnant, Henry, with Stephan's child. I need a place to stay for a while."
Henry's eyebrows rose slightly and he smiled, "Well, congratulations then! And of course you can stay here! You still have quite a sum of money on account after all, and with Stephan having passed, and you bearing his child, you're entitled to his account as well."
"And here I thought I was going to have to work to pay my way," I smiled.
"If you could teach some of my acts a few of those songs of yours, I'd be a happy man, Wilma. But don't you worry about money, even if you didn't have a dime, I'd still be happy to take you in! Talent like yours is a rare thing; it will be a pleasure to have you around. My house is your house, and my door will always be open to you."
Portals of Infinity: Book Five: Demigods and Deities Page 4
