Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “You value them highly,” the healer said, setting the clip into her long white hair. “I accept this as part of the debt. See me again if you have any needs, minor or major.”

  “I’ll keep you at the top of my list if healing is required,” Sean said.

  “Good day to you,” the healer said, leaving the room.

  The others were already waiting for him when he made his way to the front room. “Ida, how do you feel?” Sean asked, going over to her.

  “Sore, but she said I’ll make a full recovery,” Ida said, but her eye twitched.

  “She’s in perfect health now. Fiona made sure of it,” Myna whispered from beside him, low enough that only he and Fiona could hear her.

  “Ry?”

  “Fully healed, Sean.”

  “Okay, let’s go home and have breakfast,” Sean said. “Sam, did you want to join us?”

  “I should get home. I have work that needs to be done,” Sam said, hugging Ida one more time. “Please keep her safe, Sean. I heard what would have happened if the bolt had been another inch to the side.”

  “We’ll be working on making sure nothing like that ever happens again,” Sean said.

  Sam walked with them, but left when they passed her place. Sean slowed his steps when they approached their house and saw a Rabbit Moonbound exiting through the shop door.

  “Oh! Shaper, sir,” the Moonbound bowed at the waist to him.

  “Came for the ear cuffs?” Sean asked, seeing the copper jewelry adorning her ears.

  “Yes. They are becoming well known,” she replied, still bent at the waist.

  “You can stand up. It’s fine,” Sean said. “I’m glad you all like them.”

  “Will we have you as a guest tonight?” the Moonbound asked as she stood upright. “There have been rumors that you had a problem last night.”

  “Tonight, I’m having dinner with friends,” Sean said. “I don’t know if any of us will be in, but everything is fine.”

  “I will let Lilly know. I’m sorry for delaying you,” she replied, bowing once more and hurrying off down the street.

  Sean watched her go, taking notice of her odd gait.

  “We should go inside,” Fiona said, taking his hand.

  “Right, sorry,” Sean said, shaking his head. “Side entrance.”

  Andrea rushed into the front room as Myna closed the door behind them. “Is everyone okay?”

  “We’re fine,” Myna replied for them. “Make sure all is ready. We are going to clean first.”

  “Yes… sorry. I’ve been worried and—”

  “Shh,” Fiona said, stepping over to her, “come on. We’ll talk while they get presentable.”

  “We’ll meet you downstairs,” Ida told Sean. “Ry, can we talk while we get our things?”

  Ryann nodded, looking a little uncertain. “That might be for the best.”

  “Come on, Master,” Myna said, taking his hand and leading him toward their room. “We’ll get everything ready and start washing.”

  Sean let her drag him off, “Okay.”

  ~*~*~

  Hot water poured over Sean, helping wash some of the exhaustion from him. Warm hands rubbed his back, and Sean exhaled deeply as fingers helped ease the tension still left in his muscles. “Thank you, Myna.”

  “You’re welcome, Master.” Myna purred as she massaged him. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know,” Sean answered her truthfully. “I brought her back and gave her what she wanted— to be equal to you and Fiona— but I don’t know if it was the right thing to do. I’m not sure if she thinks it was the right thing to do.”

  “Ryann is still afraid that you’ll end up being like Oriv,” Myna explained as she continued to help him relax. “We know that will not happen, and her fears are fading, but you’ll need to be more gentle with her than you were with me.”

  “Yeah,” Sean sighed, letting his head fall forward so the water could hit the back of his neck. “You know, a year ago, I would have been shocked and elated to have a single one of you. Here I am now with three women who seem to love me, more than I would have ever thought possible.”

  “Four, at least,” Myna corrected him. “Ida will be asking sooner than you are likely to guess, Master. Ryann is telling her the truth about last night, about how you saved Ida from being paralyzed and brought Ryann back from death. Her love for you will only grow knowing that.”

  “Why?”

  “Our poor, dense husband,” Myna giggled. “This world is based on power. It has been since the days of the first people. Not only do you carry enough power for a hundred men, you’re as gentle and loving as the best man could ever hope to be.”

  “How can you be okay with more women joining us?” Sean asked, turning around to meet her gaze. “Doesn’t it upset you?”

  “If it was anyone other than those who will always be beside you, yes,” Myna replied as her arms went around his waist. “I’m fine when they truly love you as Fiona and I do. You never see them when they watch you... you don’t see the adoration and love. In a way, it is one of your charms. Other times, I want to slap you for being denser than adamantine.”

  “But the more of you there are… how do I keep all of you happy?”

  “The same way you have been,” Myna smiled. “Just be you, Sean. It’s all we wish. We know you will love us, support us, and encourage us. None of us will be angry if you spend time with the others because we know we’ll have our moments, too.”

  “It’s hard for me to accept... my world was just so different,” Sean sighed as he rested his forehead against hers.

  “We know, husband, we know,” Myna whispered. “Trust in us as we trust you.”

  Tilting his head back, Sean kissed her lightly. He pulled her closer, not with passion or desire, but with love. The kiss lingered for a time before Sean broke it. “Okay, my silly kitty. You’re sure that Ry and Ida both want this?”

  “Ryann admitted as much when you brought her back,” Myna smiled at him. “I give it until Tenday before Ida is asking you.”

  “Even with people clearly trying to kill us?” Sean snorted.

  “Especially with people trying to kill us,” Myna corrected him. “With death looming like a shadow, it makes one want to embrace life even more.”

  “I’ll accept her when she asks.”

  “Good. You deserve as much love as you can have, Master. It would be good for you to accept a loved one without needing to bring them back from the dead, too.”

  “Probably right about that,” Sean admitted. “I’m going to get in the tub. Please wake me if I fall asleep again.”

  “Of course,” Myna said, leading him over to one of the tubs and bringing over buckets of cold water so he could adjust the temperature.

  ~*~*~

  Sean was vaguely aware when Ryann and Ida came into the bathroom. Their voices washed over him, but he did not follow their conversation. When Myna started to talk, Sean submerged his head so their voices became even more muted.

  A hand touched him some time later, and he sat up, “Huh?”

  “Breakfast,” Ryann said from beside him.

  Blinking at her, Sean just sat there for a long moment as he took in her naked body. “Breakfast?”

  “Not me,” Ryann said, her lips twitching up into a smile. “Though… Myna promised that I could have you alone tonight… if that’s—”

  “Yes, if it’s what you want, Ry,” Sean cut her off. Standing up, he met her eyes, “I meant it when I said you’d be equal, but that will be at your pace. I will not push you for anything. You being happy and comfortable is what matters.”

  Ryann looked away from him, “I know you’re not Oriv, Sean. You’ve proven it again and again since you saved me. I tried rejecting what you showed me, lied to myself, and hurt my best friend by being mulish. It took my death and you bringing me back for me to be honest with myself. I wouldn’t blame you for ha—”

  A single finger across her lips cut her off. “Never,
Ry. I wasn’t exactly helpful; ‘denser than adamantine’ is how Myna put it.” Dropping his finger from her lips, he stepped out of the tub. “No blame. All that matters is going forward.” Opening his arms, he invited her to him, an uncertain smile on his lips.

  Stepping closer, her arms went around his neck and his went around her waist. “I’m still your shield?”

  “And so much more,” Sean replied.

  Leaning forward, Ryann kissed him tentatively. Sean kissed her back, gently, letting it be a thing of acceptance rather than unbridled passion. The kiss lingered, and slowly began to deepen. Ryann’s arms pulled him closer, and Sean tightened his grip on her in return. Lips parting, their tongues met for a brief moment before Ryann pulled back.

  Sean exhaled when she broke the kiss and almost broke their embrace. “Ry?”

  Seeing his puzzlement and sadness, Ryann stepped forward again, kissing him hard this time. Sean was not prepared for the assault, but he accepted it, doing his best to return what she was giving.

  Both of them were breathing fast when the kiss broke again. Ryann’s cheeks were flushed. “Sean. Thank you. I’ll always be your shield, wife, and lover. I never thought I would feel this way before meeting you.”

  “You’re amazing, Ry,” Sean replied. “I’ll do my damnedest to be the man you deserve.”

  “I know,” Ryann smiled, “we all do. We need to get dressed. They are waiting for us.”

  “I need to dunk my head in the bucket for a minute,” Sean said.

  Ryann blinked, then began to laugh when she let him go. “I’ve heard that things shrink with cold water, but I’ve never heard it phrased that way.”

  “I meant the one on my shoulders,” Sean replied, “but yeah, that would probably work, too.”

  “Go dunk. I’ll get the towels,” Ryann said, walking away from him.

  Sean watched her go, mentally comparing her now to the first time he had seen her in a bath. She’s really filled out nicely from being near-starved, Sean thought. He turned away from her and went for the cold water bucket.

  Chapter Five

  Breakfast had become more of a brunch by the time they gathered for food, with Sean and Ryann the last two to take their seats. The only one missing was Chastity, who was busy working. Andrea brought in food from the kitchen the moment they sat down.

  “I’m sorry for this, it’s just frumenty. It’s easy to keep going, and it’s filling,” Andrea said, setting the pot on the table and going to retrieve the berries and honey that she normally served with it.

  “It’s fine, Andrea,” Sean said, serving himself a larger portion than normal. “You’ll be cooking for just you, Chastity, Ven, and Venn tonight. The rest of us will be having dinner at Fredrick’s.”

  Andrea’s smile faltered, “Of course, sir. I will make sure everything is in order here.”

  “Thanks for your hard work, Andrea,” Sean said as he added honey and berries to his bowl. “I know things were probably stressful here over the last twelve hours.”

  “Oh, no, sir,” Andrea said quickly. “Nothing compared to what—”

  “Andrea,” Fiona said, cutting her off, “he is trying to apologize for causing you worry. He’s just bad at it.”

  Sean, who had started to speak, shrugged, “Yeah.”

  “Sir,” Andrea said slowly, choosing her words with care, “thank you for thinking about me, but you don’t need to. As long as you are okay, I will have everything in order here.”

  “Sean,” Fiona said to stop the moment from spiraling, “what do we need to do before dinner?”

  “Only thing we absolutely need to do is patent the new kettles,” Sean said between bites. “We’ll start selling the new ones tomorrow. Staying under the radar isn’t our friend, not if people want us gone. We need to make a bigger name so that we can’t be easily removed. The bathhouse will do that, but before then, the kettles will be the key.”

  “You should do that after breakfast, then get some rest,” Fiona told him. “You exhausted yourself last night, didn’t you?”

  “How did you know?” Sean asked.

  “The Bond dimmed, badly. I felt you pulling energy from me, and I know why now,” she looked to Ryann, “and I approve. Still, until you get some good sleep, you’ll be shaky. Try to refrain from doing anything, or do as little as you can.”

  “She is right, Master,” Myna spoke up. “If Fiona hadn’t helped when you were helping Ryann, we both would have collapsed.”

  “We felt the pull, too,” Ven added.

  “I felt it, as did Chastity,” Andrea added. “We both had to sit down. Fiona told us to stay put just before she left.”

  “The healing, along with saving Ryann, used most of the energy you had left after all the work earlier in the day,” Fiona explained. “Even you have limits, dear heart.”

  “Okay, I get it,” Sean said. “I need to be thinking clearly for tonight, anyway.”

  “Good. The rest of us will do as much as we can,” Fiona smiled. “Ryann, you should rest as well, considering what you went through. Ida, you don’t have to rest, but no Shaping today.”

  Ida bowed her head, “Understood, Fiona.”

  “I will rest when Sean does,” Ryann said simply, though her cheeks pinked.

  “Yes, rest only,” Fiona said firmly. “You are riding high on your heart’s desire right now, but your soul was taxed more than you think.”

  Ryann flushed, “I will heed your words, Fiona.”

  “Good.”

  “Fiona, I want everyone to make sure their clothing is at least as thick and difficult to penetrate as leather when they’re outside,” Sean said. “Work with the others if you need to, but make sure it happens. I don’t want a repeat of last night. If need be, we’ll get some actual thin leather and incorporate it into our clothing.”

  “I’ll see what needs to be done,” Fiona replied, placing her hand over his. “I had another thought to that end, but it is radical for this society.”

  Scraping his bowl to get the rest of his frumenty, Sean nodded, “Go on.”

  “Ven, do you think other Messenger Fairies in the city would be willing to work out an Agreement if they were given a safe place to live and plentiful food?” Fiona asked.

  Ven and Venn exchanged a long look before Ven replied, “Depending on the Agreement, they would.”

  “Please find a dozen or two who would be willing to make an Agreement,” Fiona said. “They will make it with you. They will be provided a home and food for being our scouts, but they will need to keep our secrets as you do. You will be our envoy to them, as I’m sure they would be happier dealing with you than us.”

  Venn nodded and asked, “Can we bring in another pair for the same deal that we have?”

  “I’ll agree to that,” Sean said. “Did you have a pair in mind?”

  “Omin and Onim,” Venn replied. “Their Agreement with the Dominguez family just expired. They asked us two days ago if you’d be willing to offer them an Agreement, even for a fraction of what we get.”

  “Four Messenger Fairies would make things easier when we have to send multiple messages quickly,” Fiona said. “We can establish a hierarchy, and have them subordinate to Ven and Venn, but ranked over the other Messenger Fairies.”

  “A watch of Messenger Fairies,” Ida whispered, the humor evident in her voice, “like nightingales.”

  “Omin was the one you gifted the cup to?”

  “Yes. Word of your willingness to treat us as equals is spreading, so I’m sure we can get others for Fiona’s plan. Even with the Agreement to keep your secrets, it is worth it considering how much they could get in return.”

  “That’s Sean,” Myna smiled.

  “If they’re here when I return, I’ll Bond them before my nap. After that, you can work on getting the others subordinate to you,” Sean said before finishing his tea. “See if you can also work out an Agreement for them to run odd messages that we need for a nominal price, as well, just in case one of you i
sn’t there and we need to send word right away.”

  “Yes, sir,” they replied in unison before darting off in flashes of silver.

  “It’s a good plan,” Sean told Fiona with a smile. “Thank you for suggesting it.”

  “I want us safe, dear heart,” Fiona smiled back fondly. “Go on. Take care of what you need so you can come home and sleep.”