Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “If you will follow me,” Agatha’s smile was real rather than the business smile she used most of the time, “Gertihs is quite interested in what you’re bringing him.”

  “I’m sure he is,” Sean chuckled.

  “I’m curious if there might be a discount on the kettles for those of us who work here?” Agatha asked as they walked down the hall.

  “None planned,” Sean replied. “You’ve been good to us, though. If you stop by tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure that you get a discount on one of them.”

  “Thank you very much, sir.” Agatha’s happiness was clear as she paused in front of Gertihs’ office. “Until tomorrow. Have a good day.”

  “You, too.”

  Opening the door, Agatha announced them, “Sir, Shaper MacDougal to see you.”

  “Show him in, Agatha.”

  Once Sean and Ryann had entered the room, Jackson smiled at them. “I’m not surprised to see you again. What marvel did you bring this time?”

  “A faucet and a shower,” Sean grinned. Laying the two pieces on the desk, Sean sat back. “You’re going to want a bucket if you test them.”

  “What do they do?”

  Sean gave Jackson a quick explanation on what the two pieces did and why they were different in design. Jackson looked at the pipes on his desk in shock as Sean talked. Once Sean had finished, Jackson rang a small bell on his desk.

  A moment later, a young man opened the door. “Yes, sir?”

  “I need two large buckets.”

  “Right away, sir.”

  When the door closed, Jackson looked at Sean, “How did you come up with the idea for these?”

  “I can’t answer that,” Sean replied.

  “These are going into the bathhouse you’re building with my brother and the rest of the group you’ve gathered?”

  “Yeah. The faucets will go on the tubs, and the showers are for the prewashing. The faucets are also going to be sold for people to have them in their homes; no more needing to draw water from the public wells.”

  Jackson shook his head, “This will change things tremendously... you are aware of that?”

  “I’ve been told,” Sean said. “Let me explain the patents I want for both of them.”

  Sean had just finished describing how the patents were to be divided when a knock on the door announced the young man with the buckets. Jackson took them and dismissed the servant, his face blank the entire time.

  “If these work and you go forward on this, you should know that Denmur will respond. You’ll be making a group that could potentially rival his.”

  “We’ll be ready,” Sean replied.

  “I hope so,” Jackson said before he picked up the faucet, testing it first, and then the shower.

  A few minutes later, Sean had paid the fees and left the building.

  “How long do you think we have before something happens?” Ryann asked as she watched everyone who passed near them.

  “Until the bathhouse is open, unless Denmur has some way of knowing what I just did. If that’s the case, maybe less.”

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Fiona, Ida, and Andrea were leaving the bathhouse as they approached the building. “We’re done, Sean.”

  “Well, guess that means we can head home,” Sean said. “Everything is patented and in motion.”

  “We should go back and get our sparring in, then,” Ryann said, “especially if trouble is going to come our way.”

  “Sir,” Ven said, landing on Sean’s shoulder abruptly, “might we join your sparring lessons?”

  Everyone looked at the Messenger Fairy with surprise. “You might get injured, Ven,” Sean replied, “and I’d hate for any of you to come to harm.”

  “We could help,” Ven said. “We’ll never do much damage, but we might be able to distract and harass someone.”

  “The death of a thousand tiny cuts,” Sean muttered. He chuckled and raised his voice again, “Ven, I won’t stop you, but make sure anyone who joins understands that we spar almost as hard as we would fight for our lives. Injury is likely, and considering your smaller size, death is a possibility.”

  “We understand and will pick our times and places to attack,” Ven replied. “It would be best to practice with you so you can adapt to us being there.”

  “This isn’t required,” Fiona said. “Having you as scouts around us is enough.”

  “The majority of us will do only that,” Ven nodded. “I was asking for myself and Venn, though Omin and Onim might join us.”

  “Speak with Myna about it,” Sean said. “She’d be the best one to figure out a way for you to help us while staying safe.”

  “I will,” Ven said before they shot off into the distance.

  “Everyone wants to help,” Andrea said softly.

  “I hope they don’t get hurt,” Sean sighed.

  “We’ll find out, and even so, they will heal. It might dissuade them from wanting to help,” Ida said.

  ~*~*~

  Once the sparring session was over, Sean held up a hand, “Ven?”

  “Yes, sir?” Ven said, landing on it

  “You okay?”

  “My wing was damaged, but it’s fine now,” Ven said. “You warned me that it might happen.”

  “You were able to get away,” Myna said. “That was good. Knowing when to back off is important.”

  “Did we do well?” Venn asked, landing on Sean’s shoulder.

  “You made it difficult to concentrate,” Ryann said. “The silver streak that you leave behind as you fly draws the eye.”

  “It appeared difficult for you to hit them, too,” Myna added. “I barely managed to clip them.”

  “Which might give us a chance to react,” Sean said. “If you had a hard time keeping up with them, then most others will, too.”

  “We’ll improve, as well,” Venn said. “We’d never have considered it, but being Bonded to you gives us a bit of freedom.”

  “Huh?”

  “If one of us attacked someone, we’d be Life Bonded as punishment by the magistrates. Since we are Bonded to you, the magistrate would bring you in, not us,” Ven explained.

  “Oh,” Sean said. “Well, please try not to attack anyone unless needed, then.”

  “We wouldn’t,” Venn replied.

  “Sparring is done,” Myna purred. “Time to try out the new bathroom pipes.”

  “First,” Ida called out, taking off at a run for the bathroom.

  “Oi, you scamp,” Ryann laughed as she ran after Ida.

  Sean chuckled as he watched the two of them run off. “The rest of us should get going, too.”

  “Once I’m clean, I’ll go relieve Fiona so she can come bathe,” Chastity said, moving toward the bathroom. “It was nice of her to trade places with me so I could spar.”

  “We all need to practice, even me,” Myna said as they went after the others.

  “Did I do well today?” Andrea asked.

  “You are improving,” Myna nodded. “You will be able to defend yourself now. I’d even give you good odds against any single opponent who isn’t highly trained.”

  Andrea beamed as she entered the bathroom before them. Chastity shook her head, smiling to herself as she followed her friend. Sean slowed his steps and touched Myna’s arm.

  “What about me?” Sean asked her.

  “If you truly seek to fight, you could overpower almost anyone,” Myna replied, coming to a stop just outside the door. “Your skills are improving quickly, and even without raw power, you can hold your own against any but the most skilled people. Currently, even Darragh might have been hard pressed to beat you.”

  Sean’s eyebrows went up at her words. “Really?”

  “I would not lie,” Myna said evenly before her tail came around and batted his hand. “You are dangerous to everyone around you except those you love.” Touching the door, she paused and looked over her shoulder at him, “Will you wash my back?”

  “Gladly,” Sean smiled.
>
  ~*~*~

  Sean sighed happily as he pushed his plate away. “You always make meals so tasty, Andrea.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Andrea beamed.

  “We’ll be using a special room at the inn tonight,” Sean said. “Fiona, Myna, are you coming?”

  “I’ll stay home,” Fiona said. “Dame Mageeyes is likely to be there, and I would rather not run into her.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “I will go with you, Master.”

  “Three it is,” Sean said, getting to his feet. “I’ll try not to stay out too late.”

  “Just come home safe,” Fiona said, getting a kiss from him. “I’ll work with Chastity and Andrea on their Shaping while you’re out.”

  “Thank you,” Andrea and Chastity said in unison.

  “Have a good night,” Sean said, heading for the door.

  “Might we join you?” Omin asked Fiona as Sean left the room.

  “I’d be delighted,” Fiona replied.

  The trip to the inn was quiet; Ida and Ryann walked ahead of Sean and Myna, while several Messenger Fairies scouted ahead of them, looking for ambushes. Their normal table was empty, so Sean went to the bar while Ida made her way to the apprentice table.

  “Allonen, I believe Fredrick was arranging a room for us,” Sean greeted the bartender.

  “He did,” Allonen nodded. “Bemin, take these three to the private room.”

  “Right away. Follow me, please.”

  They followed her through a different door and into a long hall where the doors were widely spaced. Bemin rapped once on the third door, then opened it for them.

  “There they are,” Joseph chuckled. “Always one of the last to show.”

  “Andrea’s cooking is difficult to resist,” Myna replied.

  “Now that we’re all here, we can have drinks and food brought in,” Fredrick said from the head of the table. Pulling on a rope, he motioned the three to take the seats that had been left for them. “Please bring the drinks and food, Lilly.”

  Lilly, who had appeared behind Sean and the others, bowed her head to Fredrick. “I shall bring them right away, sir.”

  With the door shut behind her, Fredrick looked over the table. “First order of business; do we set up this place and the Den with the more advanced bathing setups?”

  “I think we should at least do it here,” Italice said. “We might need Dame Mageeyes help in the future.”

  “Mageeyes and Somnia are good friends,” Sean told them.

  “If we do one, we might as well do the other,” Ryan said. “Allies are allies, and we need as many as we can get.”

  “I’m asking for a showing,” Fredrick said.

  Hands went up around the table. Sean was a little slower to raise his as he had not known what was being asked. The door to the room opened, surprising everyone.

  “Bring it in, Lilly,” Mageeyes said when she entered the room. “Sorry for interrupting you, but I wished to say a few things.”

  Myna got up from her chair, “If the Dame wishes to sit?”

  Mageeyes gave Myna a smile as she came around the table and sat beside Sean. “Very polite of you, Myna MacDougal. Bemin, bring another chair for her.”

  Bemin had followed Lilly in, but hurried off to fetch another chair. Mageeyes smiled at everyone around the table as she waited in silence. Once the table was loaded with desserts and pitchers of various drinks and the extra chair had been delivered, Mageeyes shooed the maids out.

  “Dame Mageeyes, we’re honored to have you join us. To what do we owe the honor?” Fredrick asked once the doors shut.

  “I’ve been bored for a long time, but now... now, things are moving. I want to back this budding faction.”

  Everyone at the table looked shocked except Sean. “What are you offering us?” Sean asked.

  Mageeyes’ light, clear laughter filled the room. “MacDougal, I do enjoy you. Your ability to disregard all the mores of society and speak plainly is one of the many things that point to your origin.”

  Sean’s lips puckered into a sour expression, “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “You’re taking all the fun out of the moment, with this continual resistance to playing the game. Fine. I offer my backing. Even Denmur will hesitate before making any overt move with me behind you. In return, I want an equal share in current and future endeavors.”

  “You seem to think there will be future endeavors,” Fredrick said.

  “Someone registered a new patent today on some very uniquely enchanted items,” Mageeyes smiled broadly. “I think the current projects you have are far from the last. I’ll even go so far as to say you haven’t thought far enough in advance.”

  “Excuse me, Dame,” Joseph said sincerely, “you do realize that many of us are common folks? We don’t know how to properly handle being equals with nobility.”

  “I heard that everyone here uses first names to show equal footing, yes?” When everyone nodded, she continued. “Then when we are discussing business like this, you may call me Amedee.”

  The room went still. Being able to address even the lowest rank of nobility by their given name was so rare, it was almost completely unheard of.

  “Amedee, are Saret and Flamehair going to want to edge in on this as well?” Sean asked pointedly.

  “Saret and Charie would love to join,” Mageeyes replied. “In fact, if you’re amenable, I’ll have them join us now.”

  “Why? And stop with the bullshit. Why are you three doing this?” Sean asked bluntly.

  “Sharpeyes hurt a friend of mine many years ago and has never paid for that. His son caused Saret to grieve the loss of a daughter, along with many other problems. Lord Sharpeyes asked Charie to leave the first party he hosted, saying ‘the cleaners should never have been given a title.’ We’ve all been wronged or slighted, and want to see them pay for it, but we lacked any way of doing so without it reflecting badly on us. Now, we can back your group. It stands against Denmur, who is favored by Sharpeyes. The loss of face for Denmur will reflect back on Sharpeyes.”

  “Cat’s paw against cat’s paw,” Sean snorted. “How very Fae of you.”

  “It is the game; this is the way things are done,” Mageeyes replied. “You’ll learn in time, or you’ll end up facing the real players. Even you would find that hard to handle.”

  “All in favor of allowing Dame Mageeyes, Dame Flamehair, and Miss Somnia into our circle? I call for a showing,” Fredrick managed.

  Hands went up all around the table, with only Sean not raising his. All eyes went to Sean, who was staring at Mageeyes. After a long moment, he raised his hand as well. A collective breath was exhaled around the table.

  “Fredrick is in charge of our association,” Sean said.

  “I know. The reason I’ve come forward now is that you’ve made your collective official,” Mageeyes smiled. “Backing you now is easier than backing you all individually. May I call the others into the room?”

  “Please,” Fredrick said.

  “Pura, let my friends know they can come into the room,” Mageeyes said, and a silver streak flashed out of the room. “Please, try the desserts. I had the ones you ordered replaced with these, as they are much better.”

  People were just taking the first bites of their desserts when the door opened to admit Charie Flamehair and Saret Somnia. Bemin and Lilly followed them in with extra chairs. The table was a little crowded when the two additions took their seats.

  “Hmm, maybe we should move this to the next—” Mageeyes began.

  “I got it,” Sean said, touching the table and Shaping it to be longer and wider. “There, now we just have to spread out a bit more. I’ll return it to its normal size when we’re done.”

  Mageeyes shook her head, “Yet another reason to side with your association. No Shaper in the city could have done that so quickly or smoothly. None of the glasses were even disturbed.”

  “We’ve agreed to upgrade your bathing rooms with the most recent inno
vation,” Fredrick told Saret and Mageeyes. “We’d voted on that before Amedee asked to join us.”

  “I’d like to join, as well,” Saret purred, her eyes locked on Sean.

  “Saret, you promised,” Mageeyes sighed.