Shadowborn

Chapter Sixty-Three: Six Primal Paths

Nearly an hour later, Tiana, Serena, and I all sat watching with different levels of amusement while Rhallani frantically went from journal to journal, page to page. Most of her hair was haphazardly tied up, but much of it had fallen from the leather tie from how often she ran her hands through it. She was still completely naked, which had me readjusting myself as she made yet another frustrated noise.

“Where is it? I swear I—” she trailed off with another frustrated growl.

She’d done that about ten times in the last fifteen minutes. She’d shot up like she’d been electrocuted and started tearing through her books, but whatever epiphany had struck her still eluded her. We’d tried to help once or twice, but she could barely formulate a single sentence much less tell us what it was she was looking for.

We’d told Noelle, but she was still taking her job as the protector of the demi-humans very seriously. She figured we’d tell her the important parts and left us to it. Last I’d seen her, she was sitting rather protectively over Alice, who’d curled up and gone to sleep after feeding on me, while watching Kili and her sister work with the other winged demi-humans.

“I think she’s getting worse,” Tiana noted, draping herself over my back from behind. She rested her cheek on my shoulder, leaning her head against me.

Serena’s hand slid up the inside of my thigh, trailing over my very hard length. When I raised a brow at her, she blushed. “Maybe she needs some help?” she asked pointedly.

Tiana’s lips brushed the back of my neck. “Mmm, I love my life,” she mumbled, then pushed me towards our Scholar.

I lost my pants on the way, and Rhallani was so focused on her books that she didn’t even see me coming. Not until I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to me, pressing a kiss to her neck from behind.

“Zaren, please, I’m almost there. I’ve almost got it,” she whimpered.

“Rhallani? Turning down sex? Who are you and what have you done with my Angel?” I said.

She shuddered into my arms, grinding against my length in spite of her words. “It’s here somewhere. It’s gotta be.”

“No,” I said, reaching up to cup one of her breasts. Her back arched, pushing her chest into my hand while her ass pressed against my groin. I kissed her temple. “It’s up here, and you need to take a step back if you want to see that.”

“I have to have it here. I have to have read it since we met, but I can’t remember…” she groaned, writhing against me.

I slid the arm around her waist down lower until I was teasing the sensitive flesh between her thighs without touching her where I knew she wanted it most. She bucked, trying to guide my fingers to the apex between her legs, but I denied her. “Then stop thinking so damn hard. Start at the top, Angel. Dr. Crazy said a lot of things last night, which one set you off?”

She shook her head with another whimper and I took mercy, sliding my fingers across her soaked outer lips. “Forget about the big picture for a second and look at the pieces.”

“Primal Classes…” The words practically fell from her lips mid-gasp.

I nipped her earlobe. “Good girl.” I conjured a tendril and used it to clear some space, then lowered her down so she was resting her weight on her forearms with her ass pointed at me. I rubbed the head of my cock against her outer lips and she tried to push herself back onto me. “Keep going.”

“He—he mentioned a second one…” I slid in and she moaned. I pushed all the way in with a single thrust and held her hips to mine, keeping still and denying her the friction she craved. “Two Primal Classes. He said that like it was important.”

I started rocking my hips achingly slow and her head fell forward. “Shadowborn. He mentioned it right after he mentioned Shadowborn. He knew about your class, and the thoughts were connected.”

Her walls fluttered around my length, forcing me to suppress a groan of pleasure. She tried to pick up the pace herself, but I kept careful control of her. I ran a hand up her spine and brushed her hair over one shoulder. “You know what to do if you want more.”

She held back another desperate moan. “If there are two, there have to be six… A second Primal class…” Soon the tent was filled with the sounds of my flesh slapping against hers. I ran a thumb over the rim of her asshole and she clenched hard. “Six Primal Classes. Shadowborn is one.”

“My class revolves around Primal, but so do plenty of others. Noelle’s, for instance.” I reached between us to gather some of her wetness on my fingers and thumb. “Who was the second one, Rhallani?”

Her body bucked again when I put more pressure on the bud staring up at me. “Nnnng! The archer! The flame archer!” I slid my thumb past the rim and she clenched around me with a gasp. “Six Primal Classes, born to defend Kasidiel.” The words tumbled out of her like a dam bursting. “Fire, water, earth, air, shadow, and light. Classes given in times of strife, connected by fate, drawn together to defend the plane. Fuck!”

I wrapped a hand in her hair and pulled her back up so that her back was flush against my chest, letting my thumb slip free of her ass so I could reach around and massage her clit. She was on a roll now, and stopping her would be a mistake.

“Your shadows fucked the Rathum up!” she cried, her eyes jammed shut. My lips found her throat, and she reached behind her to sink her fingers into my hair and hold me there. “The flames did, too! All the other magic and weapons didn’t work. You felt the same magic in the beast as your sword. It’s not from this plane, so it’s resistant to our magic, but not yours. Not the flame archer’s.”

Her words ended in a silent scream as orgasm overtook her. I kept slamming into her, holding her up through her release. As soon as she was able, she started speaking again. “They show up in history when the world becomes unbalanced, but only ever one at a time. Never together. The last time they did life was nearly wiped out. War and plague and famine decimated everything. Six Primal warriors against a warlord who thought he was a god, wielding a sword that devoured life itself.”

She somehow managed to lift herself off my length, lowering her hips just enough that I was pressed against her asshole, and then her ass hit my groin again and I had to clamp a hand over her mouth to keep the entire camp from hearing the scream of pleasure that erupted from her.

The sudden tightness of her ass wasn’t something I was prepared for, and I could feel my end getting closer. It was harder and harder to focus on her words with each thrust, and with how hard she pushed back against me each time she must have felt the same. I uncovered her mouth, instead plunging two fingers inside her and curling them to hit her sweet spot.

“Fuck Zaren! The classes split, fighting one another, and nearly destroyed our plane!” she continued, her head resting back on my shoulder and her eyes jammed shut. “The Eldritch Beasts. They were a part of it, but they were wiped out along with most everyone else. The Primal Classes spawned lines and lines of other classes. The refugees helped the world recover after the war was won. The Primal Classes are the closest to the source of all magic, and the most powerful. Other classes have evolved to be most effective in our world, but not those.”

I’d given up on listening, hoping that the other two were taking notes. One arm was tucked under her breasts to hold her against me while my other plunged my fingers inside her, my thumb mauling her clit. My release was fast approaching, and from how hard the rim of her ass clenched around my cock so was hers.

“They’re important. There are five others out there with classes like yours. Mythic classes. The first of them. We have to find them before they do. If they aren’t all on the same side, then we lose.” Those were the last words out of her mouth before her entire body clenched in release. Her sudden, near-painful tightness sent me over the edge and I spilled myself inside her.

I sat back on my heels, holding her to me and panting. Her eyes were still closed, and she clung to my arms with trembling limbs. We sat there for a few moments, both of us trying to catch our breath, and she let out a groan that turned into a laugh.

“You just fucked a level into me.” Then she started to laugh harder, still impaled on my cock. “Fuck, I love you. Getting fucked in the ass while having earth shattering revelations? Is there anything better?”

That pulled a laugh out of me. “I can think of a few things, but it’s definitely up there.” Before she could manage to get me into a round two, I managed to lift her off my softening length. We both groaned when I slid free, and I turned her so that she was sitting sideways in my lap with her head resting on my chest. “So, it sounds like you remembered.”

She made an irritated sound. “I remembered the information, but not where I read it, which is really annoying. But yeah, it sounds like this whole Primal Class thing is important.”

“You kinda dropped a lot of shit in there, Angel,” I told her. I glanced at the other two. Serena was writing and Tiana was watching with her legs spread and two fingers inside her. Both were blushing furiously. “A war that nearly destroyed the world, huh? It sounds like it predates the war I fought in, and I’m not exactly a history buff.”

Her fingers traced the lines of my chest. “Wars weren’t necessarily something I focused on either, and this one happened a long fucking time ago. I think. It’s weird. Nearly everything I know, I remember learning. This? I have no idea how I know about the stuff I just talked about.”

Tiana’s legs clenched as she found her own release, then she crawled over to take her favorite spot draped over my back. I leaned against her, and she reached over my shoulder to play with Rhallani’s hair. “More goddess stuff, maybe?”

“Could be,” I said uncertainly, “but this feels like a bit too direct of an intervention for them. Is this the first time you’ve known something and not known how?”

She pursed her lips. “I think so? I mean, sometimes I’ve had gut feelings or off-the-wall theories that I had no business actually putting together that ended up panning out a little too neatly, if that counts.”

Tiana’s head pressed against mine. “Any particular fields?”

“Classes,” Rhallani said immediately. “Almost always classes. I’ve always had a bit of an obsession,” she admitted.

“Well, at least we’ve got somewhere to start when we get to the capital,” I said with a chuckle.
But she frowned. “Your sword. You aren’t hiding it, so does that mean I can start examining it?”

I glanced at where it was still sitting in the corner of the tent. I reached out and brushed my awareness against the link forged between me and “Ash.” I still hadn’t mentioned that part to them because I was still really struggling to wrap my head around it.

“I’ll let you look over the scabbard, but I think it’s best if the sword remains sheathed for now. I’m low on Essence, and…”

“And?” Tiana prompted, trailing her fingers along the scruff building up along my jaw.

I sighed. “The…entity in the sword is tired. The one who I think has been helping. Influencing classes. Keeping the sword from eating my soul completely. I want to give them a chance to rest a bit before we risk letting the blade’s twisted magic run rampant.”

A blissful smile took over Rhallani’s face. “So many questions to answer. The Jailer’s Blade is what that guy called it. Does that mean this entity trapped in there is one of this Jailer’s prisoners? And who is the Jailer? Is he from another plane, too?”

“That would make sense,” I admitted, reaching out to run a finger along the scabbard. I felt the faintest brush of acknowledgment, but that was it. I sighed. “All of it feels connected. Eldritch Beasts. The Jailer’s Blade. Primal Classes. A whole bunch of capital letters, and twice as many questions.”

Then I looked down at Rhallani, who had a mischievous glint in her eyes. “And you aren’t allowed to act stumped just to trick me into fucking an epiphany into you again.”

She gasped in mock indignation. “I would never!”

Tiana chuckled, tapping Rhallani’s nose. “You absolutely would, you little minx. I may have the whole ‘sultry seductress’ act down after lots of practice, but you’ve got that irresistible innocence thing going that drives Zaren wild despite being almost as far from innocent as possible.”

As if to prove Tiana’s point, Rhallani pouted. “Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She trailed her hand up my chest to my neck with a heated look that sent my blood flowing in the wrong direction to have any kind of intelligent conversation. “I’m just a sweet little Arelim trying to do her best in such a cruel, cruel world, secretly pining away for the kind, strong Patron who saved her in more ways than one.”

I laughed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Yeah, not that secret, Angel. You can examine the sword after you’ve had a good night’s sleep. I know you’ve got a skill to protect you, but bad things have happened in the past when people tried to study the runes on the blade.”

She huffed. “Fine. I’ll sleep.” She snuggled against me, her eyes half-lidded. “I always sleep amazingly after you fuck my brains out. Especially my ass. I won’t be sitting right for a few days, and I love it that way.”

That sounded like a great plan to me. I set her on the bedroll and laid down next to her, bringing Tiana with us. I could tell from the way her hand wrapped around the base of my cock, once again hard, that she was still suffering from the effects of [All In]. I rolled to my back and she waisted no time impaling herself on me with her hands on my chest.

Rhallani watched for a little while, but by the time I’d shot my second load into Tiana she’d nodded off. Serena came back after a while with dinner and we woke Rhallani enough to eat, but she was back out after that. It wasn’t long before I was following her, and it was some of the best sleep I’d had in a long while.

# # #

I woke with Tiana’s lips around my cock and only lasted a few more minutes before she was swallowing down yet another load. She assured me that it was because of a dream she’d had, not because she was still suffering from [All In], so that was all the fun we had that morning. Rhallani wanted to get started on the blade, but I made her eat some breakfast first.

The camp was bustling, and it made me wonder just how things were going to be once we’d gotten on the road. While my girls went to find food, I tracked down Cynthia. My storage was much emptier after we made sure the demi-humans we’d saved all had the clothes and supplies they’d need for the remainder of the trip, and I had to hope we didn’t stumble across any more groups that needed help since I was basically out of extra tents.

I also checked with her to see exactly what kind of authority she had when it came to acquiring new servants. According to her, as long as I charged them with my own mana beforehand, she could place one of my collars on a demi-human and officially claim them. A fact that still unsettled my gut greatly, but there were at least a few of the demi-humans we’d saved that I wanted to keep close if they’d let me. Nine and Fourteen for starters, since Noelle had already asked me about them, but also Alice the Vampire and Caliel the Nereid since they were the two I was most worried about Patrons trying to take advantage of. Alice because of her race, Caliel for her apparently powerful class.

At Cynthia’s suggestion, I had breakfast with my girls (minus Noelle, who had spent nearly all her time with Nine and Fourteen) in plain view of where the demi-humans had taken to grouping together, but far enough away that I couldn’t overhear anything they might say.

It seemed to be the right choice. From how often they glanced in my direction, I knew I was the topic of many conversations. It seemed those we saved from the gnoll den had taken to integrating those we pulled from the bandit camp to help them along. Even Alice seemed to be doing much better, even if she did sit a little apart from the rest. She was still tense and wore her cloak with her hood pulled up, but she looked more at ease than she did the day before.

Then a thought occurred to me. I looked from Alice to Feranica, the Drakken, with her leathery wings and scaled tail, both a pure, bright crimson. Miril the Seraphim was fair in complexion and, now that she’d had a chance to clean them, her feathery wings were pure white. When I looked at Caliel, her eyes were on me. She had light blue skin, a hair so dark a blue it was nearly black, a lithe figure that was no doubt built to cut through the water, and eyes the color of the ocean on a sunny day. She held my glance for a moment, almost as a challenge, then her eyes widened and she quickly looked away.

“Fuck,” I mumbled. When Tiana shot me a questioning glance, I explained. “I think we’re going to need to get our hands on a demi-human expert. Other than the Nekomata—we already know why she was imprisoned—the women we freed from the bandit camp are all pure.”

“Pure?” Serena asked.

I nodded. “Look at their features. The more crossbreeding that happens, the more muted their characteristics become. It’s hard to tell with Alice, but I’d be willing to bet she’s at the very least the daughter of two vampires.”

Rhallani paused mid-bite. “You think it’s important? I mean, if you’re right, they’d fetch really high prices for the bandits, but you think it’s more than that?”

I ignored the anger her casual statement stoked. “They weren’t for selling, though,” I pointed out. “They were already paid for, and they were going to be given away.” My eyes fell on Nine, who had Noelle sitting on her shoulders while they talked. I’d met very few Half-dragons in my time, but none of them had coloring as vivid as Nine.

Then Caliel caught my eye again. A Nereid with a water class was hardly uncommon, but Alice had also had some kind of class related to her race. Following that thought, my gaze fell on Nine once again. According to legend, lightning dragons were the same blue as her scales. I doubted it was coincidence that her class let her charge her weapons with lightning in return.

Even Fourteen was considerably darker than the average Dark Elf. Suriel was practically pale in comparison. And we’d already seen just how strong Noelle’s bestial instincts were. “The purity is important,” I insisted. When I explained my train of thought to the others, Rhallani’s eyes widened.

“My skill fired off,” she said quickly. “You’re on to something.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with their classes?” an unexpected voice offered. We all turned to see Vivian looking from one of us to the next innocently. “Sorry, was this a private conversation? I’ve been here the whole time, so I assumed anyone could jump in.”

I frowned, but if she had an idea then I would be a fool to ignore her. “It’s fine. You were saying?”
She took that as an opportunity to slide closer to me. Close enough that I could smell the strong floral perfume she wore. “Well, I’m hardly an expert, but could purity increase the chances of them gaining a racial class? I mean, look at Anri, for instance.” When we all stared at her uncomprehendingly, she giggled. “A Hellion? It’s a powerful class, but only Erinyes can obtain it. She’s a purebred Erinyes, like her sister, so perhaps there’s a correlation?”

Rhallani caught my eyes and nodded vigorously. Seems that was another step in the right direction. “Perhaps you’re right, Vivian. Thanks for the input.”

She beamed. “Just glad to be of service. You all did so much helping these poor girls get free of those monsters while I sat back and did nothing, so offering ideas seems the least I can do.” I wasn’t imagining the frustration in her voice, even if she tried to hide it.

“If we didn’t have Reese, then taking down Fourteen without harming her too much would have been much more difficult,” I argued. “Zoey has more than pulled her weight as well.”

She hid her smile behind her hand. “Yes, they are both very good at what they do, aren’t they?”

I nodded, standing. “They are. I’ll be back in a bit, I think I need to make a few rounds. Serena, I assume you’ll be with Suriel?” She nodded. They’d been spending some time together while Suriel taught her the basics of first aid. “Good. Tiana, go with Rhallani and make sure she doesn’t overdo it?”

Tiana wrapped an arm around the Arelim. “You know it.”

Vivian stood as well. “Might I accompany you? It’s been some time since we’ve had a chance to simply talk, after all.”

I tried to think of a reason to say no, but came up empty. She took my lack of answer as a yes and stepped close enough to hook one of her gloved arms in the crook of my elbow, earning me three sets of raised brows.

“Er, right. Sure.”

She just smiled up at me through her lashes. “So, where to first?”

“I was thinking Anri, since you brought her up.”

“Lead the way then, good sir.”

Trying not to show just how awkward I felt, I picked my way to where Anri, Miril, and Feranica were sitting. Anri saw us coming first and shot to her feet, standing at attention like a soldier. “Sir, ma’am,” she said automatically.

I chuckled. “At ease.”

She relaxed, then paused. She hit me with an appraising look. “Military?”

I winced. As part of the Seven, it was common for soldiers to act that way around me. As Ren the lord nobody knew…not so much. “Of a sort,” I said eventually, overly aware of Vivian’s eyes on me. “Have a minute?”

She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“No need for formalities,” I told her. “Just Ren is fine.”

That seemed to confuse her, but she nodded. “Alright, what can I help you with, Ren?”

“You’re a Hellion, right?”

She tensed. “Yes. I served in the Amesserian military for a few years, then switched to serving a Patron when my sister got her class.” She swallowed. “My former Patron had a…thing for wings, sir. I took care of him, he gave my sister a home.”

I was sure I wasn’t imagining Vivian’s hands tightening around my arm. “I’m sorry.”

She just shrugged. “He wasn’t bad. He was fairly sweet as far as Patrons go, and a bit of a quick shot. Most of the time he was just happy to touch my wings and never even…ah…got inside. Small price to pay for Kili.”
Her story reminded me a bit too much of Tsuki and Ryoko, so I forced myself to set it aside for now. “And, if I’m not overstepping, can I ask about your parents?”

She swallowed again, but stood up straighter. “Never really knew them. Mom died giving birth to Kili, dad got indebted a few years later and never saw him again. He wasn’t the same after mom died, I was already practically raising Kili on my own.”

“Both Erinyes?”

She nodded, a slight sheen to her eyes. “Yes, sir. The wings can cause complications during childbirth, and they weren’t wealthy enough to afford a real doctor. My grandparents on both sides were Erinyes as well. Me and Kili both are pure Erinyes, at least three generations strong. There’s a small community of them in the capital, but I joined up as soon as I got my class at sixteen. Made me invaluable on the battlefield.”

With a start, I realized what this looked like. “Sorry if this feels like an interrogation, that wasn’t my intent,” I said a little too quickly.

She nodded, though her brows drew together. “Not at all. You should know as much as you can about your options, sir. I’ll happily answer any questions you have.”

“Just one more. Will you tell me why your Patron was on the road?”

Only after shifting her weight from side to side for a few moments did she answer. “I’m not entirely sure. My Patron was on vacation in Anford. He received an urgent letter, then he packed up with his wife, me, and Kili, then left the next morning.”

“Any idea what the letter said?”

“No, sir. He burned it immediately after reading. You know what happened after that.”

“I do. Thank you for your time, Anri. You’ve been a big help.”

She nodded, though seemed confused. “I’m at your disposal, sir.”

I said a brief goodbye and left, so lost in thought I’d completely forgotten Vivian was still on my arm. “Think they were lured to the capital?” she asked, her tone rather unlike the bubbly Vivian Cross I’d come to know.

“I’m thinking so. If I’m right, then the bandits were looking for purebred demi-humans. Anri fits the bill, so best guess is that the gnolls got ahold of her before the bandits could.” Then, with a start, I realized who I was talking to. I glanced down at Vivian, but she was deep in thought.

“Sounds like we need to know if the others have similar stories.”

I looked down at her in surprise. “My thoughts exactly.”

She looked up at me with a start, and for a second I looked into the eyes of someone very unlike Vivian Cross. She schooled her features expertly, and once again the mask slid into place. “How exciting! I always loved a mystery! It’s just like the books I read growing up.”

“Right,” I said, unconvinced. “Well, I need to talk to Liana next.”

Her eyes glimmered in excitement. “Let’s go then!”

I briefly considered trying to pry my arm free, but decided it wasn’t worth the suspicion it might invoke. I was willing to play along for a bit longer. Liana was talking with her sister, Elena, and the Lycanine Iris. They all cut off as soon as one saw me, turning to me straight backed with expressions stuck somewhere between anticipation and worry.

“Liana, how are things?”

“Good, sir,” she said eagerly. “Alice is doing much better since you helped her.”

I let out a breath. “Good. I told her that I’d help again if needed, but in case she doesn’t listen will you keep an eye out? If she starts showing signs of thirst, let me know and I’ll talk to her.”

She nodded. “Of course. Caliel seems a bit calmer, but she still isn’t speaking. Sani is awake, but it will be some time before she’s recovered, I think. Right now she’s just waiting to see what horrors she’s in for next, and it’ll be some time before she trusts that you aren’t going to hurt her. What they were doing to those poor Nekomata is just…” she trailed off, misty-eyed.

Iris cleared her throat. I looked over the Lycanine. Chestnut brown hair fell nearly to her waist, and the fur around her tall, doglike ears was the same color. Her eyes were a few shades lighter, and though her expression was carefully neutral bordering on submissive, I couldn’t help but notice that her tail was wagging behind her. “Um, I just wanted to say that it was a good idea to have Miril and Feranica working with Anri. Suriel thinks they’ll be able to fly again in a month, sir.”

I inclined my head. “Thanks. Not the first time dealing with this kind of bullshit, unfortunately.” Being imprisoned underground and keeping them from flying was a powerful form of psychological torture for the winged races, so naturally Grimsbane had employed it on the families of those that fought for him. Rehabilitating Seraphim, Drakkens, and Erinyes was something I’d done before.

Iris’s face dipped, but her tail wagged harder. “Thank you, by the way. I never had the chance to say it to you personally, but thank you for saving us.”

“Of course.” I looked at the three of them. “I was wondering if you’d be able to help me?” I was met with a barrage of very eager agreements. “You’ve given me the basics on how you all were taken, and I’d like to know the same about our new additions. How they were captured and, if you can manage it, why they were on the road in the first place. They’ll probably be quicker to talk to you than me right now.”

All three of them nodded. Liana stepped up. “We’ll get right on it, sir. We won’t let you down.”

“I appreciate it. Don’t push too hard, though. Last thing I want to do is spook them.”

Elena smiled brightly. “Yes, sir. I’ve got a light touch, and I’ll help. You can count on us.”

They all took off, heads bent together, whispering frantically. “That was easier than I expected,” I admitted.

Vivian gave me an odd look. “Why would have it been difficult? They’re all tripping over one another to impress you. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

“Why would they want to impress me?”

Then Vivian’s look turned sympathetic as she patted me on the arm. “You’re a Patron who hasn’t done a single thing to mistreat his servants since you all rescued them. Either you’re a kind Patron and they want to impress you enough that you offer them a collar, or you’re a Patron who has his servants very well trained and they’re afraid of upsetting you. From an outside perspective, they have no way to tell which is which. Ingratiating themselves to you is the safest option. It’s a matter of survival.”

I sighed. “Right. I keep forgetting how fucked this all is.” She cocked her head, but I didn’t have any way to elaborate on what I’d just said without also explaining a lot of things I didn’t really trust her with yet. “Thanks, Viv. I’ll keep that in mind. It’s the former, by they way. I’ve never mistreated anyone who works for me, and I don’t ever plan to.”

She giggled behind her hand. “Oh, I know. It’s interesting how transparent you are in some respects, yet so utterly mysterious in others. You’re a man of contradictions, Ren.”

“A blessing and a curse,” I grumbled.

She smacked my arm playfully. “I think it makes you very interesting.”

I arched a brow in her direction. “So I’ve noticed,” I said pointedly.

She looked up at me through her lashes, her lips quirked upwards in amusement. “Thank you for letting me tag along, but I’d best leave you to it. I’d hate to make all those girls of yours jealous, after all.”

I barked out a laugh. “Fat chance of that. More likely you’d get dragged into the pile the moment you got too close.”

That seemed to catch her off guard. For a moment, she was speechless. I even caught a glimpse of whoever was pretending to be Vivian Cross peeking through the cracked facade, but she eventually recovered. “Well, I’ll just have to keep that in mind. Good day, Ren.”

She turned and walked away with a bit of extra sway to her hips. She glanced at me over her shoulder and smiled when she caught me looking, and I just shook my head. I wondered if she realized just how much of her I saw through. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was going to be pissed when she found out I hadn’t believed her for a second, nor could I ignore the amusement I felt at the thought of it.

Now if I could just puzzle out the why.