Chapter 27 Clandestine meetings

“Please forgive me for this question, but I’ve got to ask it,” I said, relaxing in a bed as two strong arms roamed on my back.

“What is it?” The familiar voice of Domina called back to me.

My eyes were closed as I relaxed into the massage, feeling the tension of the day disappear.

“Your husband arrived almost an hour ago, aren’t you curious about his trip?” I tried to say it in the safest way possible.

It is not a very easy thing to say ‘why are you here with me when your husband just arrived from a trip?’. Especially when I was lying buck naked with a generous amount of oils spread on my back. The massage was decent, however. I could notice the obvious lack of knowledge in anatomy but in general strokes, they were on the right path.

Just a bit less effective at targeting deep knots and their ilk.

No wonder all of them were so perceptive to my massage techniques.

Domina sighed. “I am extremely curious, especially about the envoy. Her arrival wasn’t planned at all. But we will discuss this later.”

Which meant later in the bath, when her entourage would leave us alone. Right after the massage was over.

It was the middle of the day and I was getting front row tickets to the inner life of the wermage bathing. For my own sake, Aikerim pulled all the stops. Including the most important one - her own time.

I wasn’t observing her usual bathing routine at the manor. The one designed for efficiency and speed. What we did now was reserved for Domina’s partners and allies. If they would ever prefer to attend her private baths instead of meeting in the city. Which meant that the level of luxury was cranked to the maximum as well as the amenities provided.

The clandestine discussions during these meetings were part of the norm, which is why a large chunk of soaking and relaxation time would be only shared by us.

A perfect time to discuss a snake in the garden.

A perfect time to apply conditioner to her hair.

“And on the point of my husband. Do you really expect me to meet him right away?” The voice of Aikerim continued, coming from my side, “His arrival is a grand affair and both parties have traditions to uphold. It is a show of respect when Domina takes time to prepare herself for the meeting. It also gives them time to relax from their voyage and reacquaint themselves with the Manor.”

“The precious time of Domina, huh. What an interesting tradition.” I hummed in thought.

To be able to display that Domina is showing you respect while at the same time cementing her position as the one above you. Traditions of Emanai had their own particular nuance to them, shaped by the women in power and the magic they possessed. Perhaps there was some weight in Albin’s passion. Unravelling such tidbits of the past and looking back at where they came from.

I should probably do something for him too, in the near future. His eccentricity aside, the Mephistopheles managed not only to save my hide but provided me with essential information and a training toy for Irje. While promising to supply me in the future with something close enough to be called guitar strings.

The orb alone had made his assistance extremely invaluable. It was the toy that attracted my attention, most likely dragged over the table by Irje’s Flow. Who knows how many more nights we would’ve spent completely unaware. And if we did find out - how long it would have taken us to see some real progress.

But what could I give him? What could a slave murk give to the Speaker? Pretty much nothing. Most likely even Erf couldn’t. But Erf could give things to a historian.

Not a printing press, Domina would skin me alive for something like that.

But I could tell him stories. Not the tales of the past, for them - unknown, but tales about history itself. He might recognize the similarities in the works of Herodotus and Thucydides. He would also appreciate the ideas of Cato the Elder. But these won’t be gifts. Just discussions on things he was most likely aware of.

I would start with the works of Ibn Khaldun.

A man who was considered to be the founder of disciplines that would eventually cover almost all social studies. From sociology and economics to the things like historiography. The study of the methods in developing history.

I had a feeling he would appreciate it well.

“That would be enough. Leave us.”

The hands, that I started to appreciate, pulled away immediately.

Rubbing my eyes, I forced myself to get up and stretch.

“While all this is pleasant, we have no time for you to simply doze off.” Domina continued.

“Forgive me, but I was actually thinking about an appropriate gift for Albin, as he had assisted me greatly and I cannot appear ungrateful to someone of his status.”

“And what did you come up with?” Aikerim promptly asked, getting up from her massage bed.

Another thing that my front row tickets included was a buck naked Domina. Who was more curious about the words about to come off my lips compared to the sight already burned in my eyes.

My eyes stayed on her face. “Stories. About history and society. Something not so groundbreaking for a Speaker of Shebet, but extremely attractive for the Historian Albin. You will get a copy of course.”

Aikerim smiled and walked toward the baths. Almost dragging me behind with her tail.

Looking at her I could see there was not a lot for Anaise to grow into. But hot damn, woman. Spare some sanity for a poor Erf. You might have grown up surrounded by attendants, but I wasn’t. She also didn’t have the same ‘issue’ as Anaise had. Most likely from the frequency of her public bath visits, which required her to maintain the expected level of customs. Which also didn’t dull with her boldness nor the impact on me.

Speaking of plucked hairs.

“Do you mind answering another question of mine,” I asked when the red blob resurfaced from the pool of water. “About your hair.”

Just as her daughter, Aikerim had most of her hair braided. And just like her daughter, the braids hid a lot of volume of their hair. With long red bands coming down on her chest and a figurative red cloak at the back, she looked like a mermaid within a risque picture. Just enough to show the curves, yet hiding the peaks of her breasts.

The mermaid raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve heard that wermage hair doesn't get cut as easily, yet it still reacts well to the soap and conditioner,” I said as I started to bring all the cleaning and hair-care products.

“Because it is magical?”

“Perhaps,” I conceded, “But magical how?”

Aikerim thought for a second then shrugged and offered me a lock, “See for yourself. Do you have a blade?”

Eagerly, I’ve retrieved the blade that I got from Wrena and tried it on the tips of her hair. I’ve tested the sharpness beforehand and Wrena’s words were true - it was sharp enough to cut hair on my skin. Yet not Domina’s. The blade made its way through the hair painfully slow, facing an unusual resistance.

I pinched the blade, running my fingers through the bottom half of it, and tried again. The blade went through like butter.

How peculiar.

“What did you do?” She pulled her hair back, surprised at the outcome.

“Hmm? I used a sharper portion of the blade.” I murmured, engrossed in few hairs I’ve cut off. Now, even the original blade was capable of splitting them with ease. Whatever resistance they possessed, when they were still attached to Domina, was now utterly gone. What I had in my hands were just strands of human red hair.

Curiouser and curiouser!

“Can you sharpen any blade like that?” Aikerim pressed on.

“Not really. The blade is too sharp to last long - it rusts very quickly,” I replied, still occupied by the tiny strands. “To hold a near-monomolecular edge for extended periods of time you need regenerative blades. And you are correct, your hair is magical. Was magical to be precise. As soon as it was cut whatever influence Flow had on it was lost.”

“Regenerative? You mean alive? Or magical?” She asked incredulously.

“Ah, no. The name might be confusing but they simply rebuild themselves from the air. Just like a cup would ‘refill’ itself if you put it underwater.”

The molecular self-assembly and nitrogen deposition weren’t simple topics to explain in a few sentences. Especially to a person who grew up believing that all matter was made with just four elements and glued together with the magical fifth.

“And can you make these?” Aikerim was relentless.

I chuckled ruefully, “Not even close. I need tools to make tools to make tools… To even consider something like that as a possibility.”

And by that time any bladed weapon would be archaic at best. But I preferred not to go into weapons research. I had a few nasty vials from a market and a few tiny pouches with neurotropic powder. Enough to kill and enough to incapacitate if I had to.

“Pity. But I would be extremely interested if you do come up with something.” Domina nearly purred.

I sighed and put her cut hairs aside. And grabbed the lotions instead. Aikerim noticed my actions and moved as well, giving me access to her mane.

“Honestly speaking. I hope that I will never have to.” I spoke as my hands began to work. “I would prefer to make you richer rather than deadlier.”

Aikerim leaned into my fingers. “You will. One way or another. Hope is not enough, and some things require power.”

“Power, yes. But for power to actually affect others they need to believe in it too. To do that you have to show it to them in action. Repeatedly. I would prefer to rely on your power instead, and make it stronger in my own way.” I gently tried to steer the conversation away.

“Yes, I would prefer it too, that you would continue to rely on my power.” She sighed but accepted my polite rebuke. “This conversation can wait, for we have other topics to discuss today.”

“Indeed.” I eagerly jumped to the pressing matter on my agenda, “The snake.”

Aikerim snorted, “Do not call her that in her presence or when in public. I do not wish to see how you look inside out. Just because my uncle and Albin Chasya let you do it doesn’t mean that every other wermage in the hearing range will let it slide. Especially if you casually refer to them like that.”

“So she is a wermage herself?”

“She would be, otherwise she wouldn’t have come here so easily. Emanai is too cold for them even in the summer. Especially at night. If she couldn’t guarantee her survival with Flow she wouldn’t be here at all. Or she would have a much larger entourage.”

I nodded to myself, as my hands started to rinse off her hair. That meant she was powerful and had a lot of practice in Flow. Heat regulation? Or, maybe, generation. Whatever she did - she has most likely been doing it for years non-stop. Which made her even more powerful in my book.

“But she did come.”

“She did,” Aikerim smiled at the sheen of her hair and passed the comb to me. “And I do not think it is a coincidence either. I had made enquiries to my husband about the flux they might be using. She had most likely been made aware of it.”

I grimaced, “That could be it. For someone well versed in glassmaking even subtle hints about ingredients could be extremely obvious. Especially the ingredients they hold secret.”

She frowned, “I have sufficient trust in my husband’s abilities or I wouldn’t have mentioned it to him at all. Despite his appearance, he is very capable at being discreet.”

“What about your son? He looked absolutely enamoured by the envoy.”

It was time for Aikerim to grimace instead. “That could be a possibility.”

With a groan, she stood up and sat on the edge of the bathing pool. Her tail plopping into my lap with a wet sound. “I hoped he would’ve grown out of that age by now, I guess I was wrong.”

She stopped speaking for few seconds, to hum contentedly at my ministrations, and then grumbled, “The rashness of young males was written even in legends. Can you teach him restraint?”

“I don’t think any teacher can do that. What is needed is time and experience. But what should we do about Shahin Esca?” I kept working on her tail as I spoke.

Compared to her daughter, she had much better control over her appendage. Or she simply didn't register me as a potential mating material. Her enjoyment was palpable but that was as far as she went.

“She will be welcomed in my Manor as all guests would be. But the attendant of my daughter will be too busy with his other tasks to appear often. Especially during meals when the guests are invited. I will need to speak to my son about his dalliances. If your words are true then I will have to postpone his tutelage with you.”

“I’ve implied that I am an assistant of Virnan Shah, who is actually educating your daughter. And that he agreed to teach her Flow due to her insight, which helped him achieve a breakthrough.” I supplied her with additional details as I gently rinsed her tail with running water.

Even wet, the tail was a beauty to behold. The water running through the hair made it look like liquid fire flowing through my fingers. Despite our serious conversation, it was an enchanting sight. Despite my notions of human beauty, the additional appendage fit her body shape perfectly. Her athletic back, slim but with a hint of muscles reminded me of what my fingers felt when they caressed her daughter. Minuscule but now-familiar bumps at the small of her back, unusual for humans. Muscles that either helped the tail to move or made it stable instead. Perhaps identical to what we would develop if we had tails to move all the time.

She turned her face to me with a raised eyebrow. “And how much of that is true?”

I blinked. “All of it, I would expect even the Orb to confirm my words. Your husband is eager for a celebration too.”

Aikerim hummed in satisfaction and turned away, giving me access to comb her tail once again.

“Despite your reluctance, you have a way with words. It is a pity that the presence of Shahin Esca is throwing rocks under the wheels at the moment. But no matter, Virnan is notorious for refusing students so I would not need to come up with any intricate explanations.”

“Should we stop the work while she is here?”

Her eye came back to look at me. “What day is it today?”

I tilted my head in confusion. “The twenty-fourth of Summer? The day of your husband’s arrival.”

She smiled. “Exactly, the twenty-fourth of Summer.”

No other explanation was given as I was trying to remember any important dates, Anaise’s birthday was coming soon but nothing immediate. Yet she expected me to understand, judging from the profile of her face.

I intentionally tried to ignore the rest of her profile due to how distracting it was. But still, nothing came up, it was just a normal day…

Ah.

I smiled ruefully in understanding, “This is a normal occurrence for you isn’t it?”

“Indeed. If I were to stop anything as soon as a pair of inquisitive eyes crossed my door, nothing would be ever done in this Manor. Moreover, a quick cessation of work would actually bring more unwanted attention. Everyone talks, especially if the routine changes quickly.”

Domina stretched and got up, twirling around and admiring the new look of her tail.

“This is rather effective.” She nodded in satisfaction. “Come, Erf. I don't have a lot of time and neither do you. I remember you mentioned some other glass inventions, unknown to Emanai?”

I rose up myself, “Yes I have a few, you actually want me to start at them now?”

The amber eyes met mine, this time she wasn’t happy, pleased, or satisfied. Domina was serious, “She is a wermage, as such I do not see her risking her life and position to target, steal or kill a murk. But I would prefer to be prepared for everything. Keep at least the guard or Irje with you at all times when you are at the workshops or in the city. And in case she tries political leverage, I would need proof that what we have wasn’t stolen from Esca.”

I nodded in agreement and understanding. “I will make at least two, both yet unknown.”

“Good,” She nodded, “Let us go.”

XXX

It was still early afternoon when I walked out of the baths. For the rest of the bathing time, we were surrounded by the horde of slaves. Putting all our clandestine discussions to a halt. As such the rest of the time was spent with Domina getting ready herself and me familiarizing myself with the practice.

As soon as that was done, she set off to meet her family. While I marched to meet mine. The news about the envoy weren’t received with joy, especially by Yeva, but Irje took it in stride. My cougar promised to keep an eye out for any snakes slithering around, especially if she got close to workshops. She did mildly grumble about the convenience of the visit but resolved to spend her time working as an overseer.

Both of my ladies also agreed with Domina on the matter of my safety. Demanding a similar promise to always have Viter or Irje with me when I leave the manor or work in the workshops. They even asked me to limit my time in the alchemy lab and come sooner to my home, but the curve of their lips told me that there was another reason behind it.

In the end, Irje set off to keep order in her domain. While I stayed behind with grumpy Yeva.

“I hate this.” She murmured.

“I agree, the arrival of the envoy is quite unfortunate.” I gently adjusted my stance, letting her sit in my lap more comfortably.

“It’s not just that. I hate being powerless.” Yeva mumbled as she nuzzled deeper into my shirt.

“Are you really? She is just a guest and you are in my sadaq.” I hummed into her ear as my fingers slowly combed her hair. “If she even dares to lift a finger on you she will be punished greatly. Either by me or by Domina herself. You might not trust her but trust me that I can make her do it.”

She chuckled ruefully, “But that is what makes it worse. All my life I feared for my safety. I thought it was the worst feeling in the world. And then you came. You took that from me, and I will be forever grateful, but now I fear again. This time I fear for you and us.”

“Let me tell you something. Something that is not well known among us murks, most likely because wermages do not want it to be known. Murks are resistant to Flow.” I slowly started from afar, still holding her close.

Yeva grew still but didn’t interrupt me, allowing me to keep talking.

“I’ve learnt about it by accident, first from Albin, the one who gifted me the vibrator for Irje.” I felt her tremble in quiet laughter from my quip, “And then directly from Domina. Who explained why she kept my knowledge safe with me. And now I am telling this specifically to you.”

She scrunched her nose. “You don’t want Irje to know?”

I sighed, “I don’t want someone else to know what Irje knows. And hurt her for it. From the words of Albin, one of the most prominent examples of our resistance is the fact that our minds cannot be read with magic.”

“Still, I feel like she should be aware.”

“And that is why I am telling you. Perhaps together we will be able to tell her enough to trust, but not enough for anyone, particularly interested, to glimpse too much. I won't be holding this private forever. Just until I can protect you, and her, and my family. Myself. Without Domina’s help.”

Her hand reached to my face so that she can ‘look at me in the eyes’, “Could you?”

“Perhaps, I can’t say for sure but, from what I know so far, yes.” I gently kissed the tips of her fingers instead.

She smiled but kept her hands on my face, content with my continuing kisses. “You are a master at stating something outrageous and then turning it into reality. So what have you been hiding then?”

“My knowledge didn’t come alone. It also gave me the ability to raise my strength and shape my body.”

“Like your tongue?”

I let it slide out of my mouth and lick her palm from the other side, making her giggle. “Like my tongue. What matters is that everyone still sees me as a murk. Including those who might wish to harm me. But I won’t get hurt as easily as an average murk. I also won’t die as easily as an average murk.”

Yeva hummed.

“Did you know that Irje yelled at Domina today? Because of the marks on your back.”

I sucked the air in. “Damn it. Is everything alright? She didn’t hurt her or anything? Domina didn’t mention it to me at all.”

“No. From what Irje told me, she actually approved of her actions. But you see how your silence could have gotten us in trouble?”

“I know, Yeva and I am sorry. But I also know how easily it could backfire. On one of my earliest ventures into the city, I almost got caught by a wer mob because I tried to look like them. I’ve seen and felt how easily something unusual could get you in trouble, lost a chunk of my ear too.”

She gasped quietly at my words, as her hands reached out and checked my ears. Only after finding them whole, she breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess there is a shadow for everything.”

“Two sides of a coin,” I chuckled in agreement, “It is hard to predict which option is the best one, all we can do is prepare for everything and make sure the worst doesn’t come to pass. This is why I made it perfectly clear to Domina how precious you both are to me. And this is why I am telling you all this right now. Both because I no longer fear for your safety in telling you this, and because I want you to be aware so that we all can plan better ahead.”

“Very well, I forgive you for your silence,” She proclaimed pompously and snuggled back in, “But I still wish to share this with Irje. She fears for you just as much as I did. Or is there more, that you wish to tell?”

“Now that I told you about murks and Flow, I trust you to be prudent with what you say. So please do. Perhaps together we could put her fears to rest. About more things to tell - I can’t really say much, mostly because the words won't mean anything to you just yet. That is why I’ve been teaching you chemistry and other sciences. Know that I can make my powers stronger than they are right now, but for that, I need to leave the city. This is why I am planning to retrieve my family personally.”

Yeva climbed higher, her lips brushing against mine, “As long as you will promise to come back.”

“I don't need to promise, because I will be back.”

Her lips were soft and warm. Their gentle touch impossible to resist. I spoke to them forgetting the world around me. Seeking that pliant flesh of hers, and giving in to her responses. A kiss that was not a kiss, yet. Yet so much closer.

“All these things I do, I do them for us. So that we can be like this forever.”

Her smile was delicious.