Chapter Seventy-Four: Divine Demands

The moment she woke up with a pounding headache, Kat knew her day was going to be shit. Her first night in a real bed after a week and a half of travel, and she felt like she hadn’t slept a wink. Sure enough, when she checked on [Commune], its cooldown had been reset early. She wondered if her patron god had waited very far into the night to send out his divine summons.

She doubted it.

A soft groan slipped from her mouth as she pushed herself into a sitting position and looked around at the plush, opulent room she’d been given by the province’s lord. Being a Chosen had its perks, but she’d be lying if she didn’t miss the coziness of their camp first thing in the morning. Even if she still felt like somewhat of an outsider in their group, Allie and the party that had come to form around her were a lot closer than the people she was used to traveling with.

The emptiness of the room was stifling as she pulled on her dress armor. It was lighter than her normal gear, but it would still do the job while being fancy enough not to offend Lord Balseron’s fragile, royal disposition. They hadn’t even met him yet and Kat already hated the man. Every inch of his manor dripped wealth and made Kat’s skin crawl. Being a Chosen also had its drawbacks, namely dealing with men like Balseron.

Their room arrangements only made sense. In a place like this, Therese was loathe to let Rose out of her sight for even a second. Allie and Nora were still practically joined at the hip, but that was only half because of their relationship. The other half was because Nora was still the only one who could reliably snap Allie out of her episodes.

Kat wanted so badly to ask what could give her such horrible nightmares that she came up swinging the way she did, but she was terrified to ask. The change in Allie over the last three weeks was unsettling to say the least. Her eyes had turned darker. The bags under her eyes were more prevalent than ever. Her beautiful black hair had lost much of its sheen. She’d started to lose weight. It was worrying Kat more than she cared to admit, and she’d already resolved to devote time to helping her after they returned from this mission.

Watching Allie’s decline made Kat feel helpless. More helpless than she’d been since she’d made a deal to serve a dickhead god. A god whose summons were making her feel like a spike was being driven into her eye socket. Once she’d finished strapping her weapons on, she grabbed her kit and made her way out of her room. It was a tossup between Therese’s room and Allie’s, but in the end she chose the latter. If only because she wanted to see if a night in a bed had let her get any more rest than normal.

She knocked, but there was no answer. Kat was just about to knock when she heard the sound of Allie crying out in pain. Logically, she knew it was likely a nightmare. That didn’t mean she could take the chance that something wasn’t wrong. Not in a place that could very well be enemy territory. She unlocked the door with the key she’d been given and stuck her head in.

Nora was nowhere to be found, but Allie was curled up on the bed with a terrified, pained expression on her face. Her eyes were jammed shut, and her hands were fisted into the covers. Kat was just about to duck out, not wanting to overstep where Allie and Nora were concerned, when Allie writhed and cried out a second time.

Kat’s feet carried her forward. The oath she’d sworn to Tydarr was to help those that needed her, and Allie needed her right now. She knew that in her bones, even if she had no clue how exactly to provide that help. “Allie,” she said softly, unable to just stand by and watch the closest thing she’d ever had to a friend in such clear agony. “Allie, wake up.” Allie just cried out again, then let out a feral growl while grinding her teeth so hard Kat could hear it. Fuck, where was Nora? She put her hand on Allie’s shoulder. “Allie—”

One moment Kat was gently trying to shake Allie awake. The next? She was flat on her back with one of her own knives pressed to her throat.

“Who the fuck are you?” Allie demanded, her face twisted in an unrecognizable snarl.

“Allie, it’s me,” Kat said slowly, her eyes wide and her heart hammering.

The blade bit into the flesh of her neck as Allie’s eyes—completely void of anything resembling the woman Kat had come to know—darted around the room in a flash, fixing back on Kat with an intensity that sent chills down her spine. “Where are we? Where are the others?”

Kat stayed as still as she could mange. “Therese and Rose are in their room. Not sure where Nora is, but if you let me up I can—”

“I don’t know who the fuck those people are!” Sparks danced across her skin, meaning she’d activated [Conduit]. Kat considered herself a good fighter, but there was no chance she’d be able to react fast enough to stop Allie when she was boosted. “Did he send you? Is this another one of his fucked up tests?”

Shit, Allie didn’t have a mouth like that. If she didn’t look and sound just like the girl, Kat would have been convinced she was looking at a stranger. “Allie—”

“Who the fuck is Allie?” she demanded.

Kat’s mouth dried up. Allie’s eyes narrowed, and Kat recognized the look of someone whose patience was running thin. She’d have to make a move and hope her skills were enough to heal her before she bled out if Allie dragged that knife across her throat. What a shit time for her habit of sharpening her weapons whenever she was feeling nervous to bite her in the ass.

“Eliya,” a voice said softly from the door.

Without moving her head, Kat glanced at Therese and Rose, who were both frozen in the doorway. Allie didn’t so much as glance in their direction, though her posture did soften. “I woke up with this one looming over me. Are the others alright?”

“They’re fine, Eliya,” Therese said, taking a slow step into the room. Then, under her breath, “Rose, get back to the dining hall and fetch Nora.” Rose vanished into the hall in a hurry and Therese took another step. “That’s Kat, Eliya. She’s a friend.”

The look in Allie’s eyes hardened further. “Bullshit. There are no friends down here.”

“An ally, then,” Therese said quickly. “It’s alright, Eliya, she won’t hurt you. You can take that blade away from her throat.”

She did, if only by an inch. Only then did she look up at Therese. She opened her mouth, but whatever she was about to say never made it past her lips. Her brow furrowed, and the knife hovering above Kat’s throat trembled.

“Gwen?” she breathed, the name said more like a prayer than anything else.

Therese swallowed. “That’s right. Now let Kat up, please, and we can figure this all out, alright?”

But Allie winced as if she was in pain. “No… that can’t be right…” She swayed slightly. “Gwendolyn, you were… I… I killed you. You can’t be here. He made me…”

Kat watched the exchange with wide eyes, painfully aware that [Conduit] was still active and the small distance the knife had moved made little difference in how quick Allie could strike. But Therese hardly reacted to the information that she was apparently dead. In fact, if anything, her expression became almost unbearably sad.

“That’s right, Eliya,” she said softly, taking another step. “Remember. Keep going.”

“You… I…” Allie shook her head like she was trying to frighten off an insect. “That’s not…”

“Come back to us, Allie,” Therese said, crouching next to them and slowly reaching towards the knife.

“I’m not— You can’t be—” She groaned and clutched her head, but Kat made no move to buck her off. Then Nora burst into the room. “Allie,” she panted.

Swaying, Allie’s eyes fixed on Nora. The light was slowly coming back to them, even if her nose was scrunched in confusion. “Maeve? You’re here too? Am I…? Did I…?”

Then she flinched, letting out a pained whimper. She threw herself away from Kat, launching herself across the room in the blink of an eye thanks to [Conduit]. Nora followed in a blur, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend the second she reached her. Allie trembled as Nora whispered into her ear, combing her fingers through Allie’s hair.

“What the fuck just happened?” Kat asked, rubbing her throat. She grimaced when her fingers came away crimson, but Rose was already there, healing away the nick.

Therese and Nora exchanged a loaded look, then both glanced to Allie. Still looking miserable, she nodded, and Therese sighed. “That was one of Allie’s episodes. The memories she dreams of bleed over into her waking mind and she gets… confused.”

“Confused,” Kat parroted, “right. And the names? You’re, what, posing as the people from her memories?”

Nora helped Allie stand and guided her to the bed. “Sort of. After the first few times, she just started calling us by those names. Always those three. I’m Maeve, Therese is Gwendolyn, and Rose is Isabel.”

Kat stood, rubbing her throat. “Shit. You didn’t mention things were this bad.”

Allie hugged herself. “They’re not, usually. In the beginning I was more confused than anything else, and when I really started to get lost in Eliya I always treated them as allies.”

But not her. Right. Kat was still the outsider. She ignored the small part of her that was hurt by that fact, telling it that she still didn’t have the full story. “Right. And you’re able to talk her out of it?”

“Nora has the most success with doing it quickly,” Therese explained, sitting on Allie’s other side and putting a hand on her shoulder. “Judging from her memories, her and Maeve were closest. But walking through her memories always leads her to the end.”

Kat frowned. “The end?” she asked, not sure she wanted the answer.

“My death,” Allie whispered.

“Eliya’s death,” Theresa corrected softly. She rubbed Allie’s back. “No matter what we do, Allie can’t remember the end. How Eliya dies. Anytime she gets close, something happens. Snaps her out of it. Makes Allie and Eliya clash hard enough for our girl to find her way back to the light.”

Allie rubbed her face with both hands. “I’m sorry, Kat. I almost killed you. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if Gwen—shit, Therese hadn’t arrived.”

Neither did Kat. What a way to go, all things considered. “Don’t sweat it. I shouldn’t have tried to wake you.”That drew a frown from Nora. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but why were you in our room?”

Fuck. All the chaos had momentarily distracted Kat from the pounding in her skull, but now that she was calming down it had returned with a vengeance. “I was looking for one of you and heard her having a nightmare through the door. I know I shouldn’t have intruded, but I just couldn’t—”

“It’s alright,” Allie said. She definitely wasn't, but Kat wasn't enough of a people person to press the issue. “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.”

“You and me both,” Kat mumbled, once again rubbing her neck.

“You were looking for one of us?” Nora asked. “Why?”

Kat looked away, then sighed. “I’m being summoned.”

They all exchanged glances. “Summoned?” Therese asked. “Like, by…”

“My deity, yeah.” She lifted her kit. “I need to [Commune] with Tydarr. He’s practically demanding it. Only problem is that time tends to get weird between me and him, so a five minute conversation with him could last five seconds or five hours. I need someone to watch my back.”

Nora and Therese exchanged another glance, but Allie just nodded and started gathering her hair into a tail. “Of course we’ll help.” Even exhausted and still clearly distraught, she scooped up her sword. “Where do you need us?”

Kat wanted to argue, insist that the last thing Allie needed was more shit to worry about, but her summons picked that moment to pulse through her skull. “Here is fine. I’ll see if I can ask about your condition, too. It’s the least I can do.”

Everyone but Allie perked up. She just flashed a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I would appreciate it, but don’t go making any shit deals with gods.”

“Deals? You don’t make deals with gods,” Kat said with a chuckle. “You ask them really, really nicely and sometimes they answer. You know, when they’re not in dickhole moods.”

She was pretty sure she didn’t imagine the increase in her summons at that moment.

That seemed to confuse Allie, but Kat didn’t think to hard about why that might be while she set up her gear. An idol, some offerings, and incense that would hopefully make what was about to happen not suck quite so much. She wanted to talk more about the fucking insane thing that just happened and the fact that everyone else in the room was acting like things were business as normal, but she already felt like shit that she’d put Allie in that position in the first place.

“Right, then. Hopefully this doesn’t take too long. See you four on the other side.” Kat knelt down in front of her idol to Tydarr and activated [Commune]. The sound of a bell tolling followed by the unmistakable clash of a thousand swords on a thousand shields rang through her mind and the room around her faded away.

She found herself in a war tent, maps spread out across the table that dominated the space. The shapes on it shimmered and shifted, impossible to make out, and any letters were in a language she didn’t recognize, though it made her eyes burn just looking at it. Across the table, leaning on the aged wood, was the largest man she’d ever seen. Long dark hair and a thick beard to match hid many of his features, and his eyes seemed to shift from the silver of steel to the crimson of blood and back again in an endless cycle. He wore the most opulent, intricate armor she’d ever seen, though it was tarnished by millennia of battle.

“Chosen,” Tydarr said, his voice a rumble that carried with it the promise of violence. “You took your time responding to my call.”

“Forgive me,” she said, bowing her head, “I was resting at the time your call arrived. I came as soon as it was safe to do so.”

He grunted, then returned his gaze to the table in front of him. “The conflict goes well. Too well. I have a task for you, Chosen.”

“Name it, and it shall be done.”

Tydarr smirked, but it was a cruel expression. “Careful not to incur debts you cannot afford, girl. You will return to Amesseria immediately and begin ingratiating yourself to Zaren Nocht.”

Ice seemed to trickle down Kat’s spine at the name. “Zaren? Fat chance of that happening, he fucking hates me.”

“Then you will fix things between the two of you. He has information that could change the outcome of the war that fast approaches.”

She struggled to swallow past the lump that had appeared in her throat. “What information, sir?”

His gaze raked over the maps in front of him and he scratched his chin. “He has interfered in the natural order, yet the scales have not tipped in the slightest. Allura protects him somehow, despite flaunting the oldest of our laws. I need to know how.”

“I’m hardly someone he’s ever going to share information like that.”

“And why is that?”

Immediately Kat wished she hadn’t opened her mouth. “He hates Chosen. He seemed to hate me especially after I told him I served you.”

She could still remember every moment of that day. She’d been expecting someone so very different when it came to Allura’s champion. Some sultry, shapely woman who just dripped sex. Maybe a tall, delicious looking man who was temptation on a stick. She certainly hadn’t been expecting the intense, angry man Zaren ended up being.

The hard look in those sapphire eyes, like a calm sea just waiting for a storm to come along and unleash the violence in them. The scars that peeked out from the worn, tattered traveling clothes he wore. The way he moved, deadly stillness giving way to unrelenting chaos in the blink of an eye. The second she’d laid eyes on him she knew he was dangerous. When she’d let her mouth get her ass in trouble? [Divine Sense] had given her many different reactions over the years she’d served Tydarr, but she’d never had it tell her to run away as fast as her feet could take her. Not like that. The darkness that cascaded off him, writhing angrily as if it had a mind of its own. The crimson glow that started to burn through the dark blue of his eyes. The feeling that he was suddenly twenty feet tall, looming over her, ready to squish her like a gnat.

If she never saw Zaren again, it would be too soon. Few people had ever scared her in her life, especially when she’d left her shit home behind. Zaren was one of those people.

But Tydarr looked suddenly thoughtful. “Yes, I suppose that would cause issue. You humans hold grudges almost as well as we gods.” He tapped the table with a gauntleted finger. “Very well. Return to him, promise that you are utterly unlike the man who preceded you. Do not openly ask him what I need, but find a way to earn his trust. Inform him that assisting you in your investigation into the eldritch beasts will clear his debt. He will understand.”

“Yeah, I’m still not sure—”

His eyes glowed a violent red and the words died in her throat. He rose to his full height, dwarfing her, and crossed his arms. “You come with a request, do you not?”

Her palms felt sweaty and her fingers trembled even in this dreamlike realm. “My… friend, Allisandre. She’s suffering from some kind of affliction we don’t understand. Can you help her?”

Tydarr didn’t answer immediately. His eyes shifted from crimson back to steel gray. A color that brought to mind the first blade she’d ever owned. Her stepfather’s sword. In a moment, she was taken back to being a child. Hearing her mother beg. Her stepfather’s drunken rage. Feeling the warm spray as she hit him with his own fucking blade. The taste of his blood as it sprayed. The first life she’d ever taken.

Kat gasped as she slammed back into the tent, and she knew what she’d just seen was Tydarr’s way of reminding her that he’d pulled her up from nothing and could put her back just as easily. She suppressed a shiver, putting on as brave a face as she could manage. She figured he could see right through it as her patron deity, but she had to at least try.

Her attempt amused him. “Help her? No. Unfortunately she belongs to another, and I cannot interfere. What I can do is tell you what exactly happened to her, and that information should lead you to finding a solution. Should you befriend Zaren, you’ll know everything you need to.”

She tried her best not to blanch at his words. Did he realize what he’d just given away? That Allie apparently belonged to another god or goddess was a huge piece of the puzzle. “I’ll do my best, then.”

“You will succeed. That is the only option. Am I understood?”

“Yes, sir,” she said, barely suppressing a shiver.

Not for the first time, she reminded herself that she served the god of war, valor, and honor. There was nothing in any of those that involved kindness or empathy. Her patron god was as ruthless and unyielding as the domains he commanded.

Before another word could be exchanged, she was violently shunted from the conversation. She slammed back into her body with enough force that she hit the ground. She groaned, struggling to pick herself up, but thick strong hands lifted her like she weighed nothing and set her in an unfairly plush chair.

Her headache had been traded out for the full body ache that came from her entire body being tense during [Communion]’s duration. “Fuck me, and here I though today couldn’t get worse.” She rolled her neck and saw only Allie and Nora in the room with her. “How long?”

“A couple of hours,” Allie said. “One of Lord Balseron’s servants stopped by to inform us that he’d officially entertain us at lunch. Hopefully we can get eyes on the demi-human then.”

Kat rubbed her neck. “Shit, yeah. Fuck, this complicates things.”

“What’d he have to say?” Allie asked. Kat didn’t miss the vitriol in her tone and hoped it was aimed at her god, not Kat herself.

“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” she said slowly. “Good news is he gave me a crumb and promised me a loaf, bad news is I’ve gotta leave to pick it up.”

Nora frowned. “I don’t know what that means.”

Kat ran a hand through her hair. “Tydarr can’t help directly because apparently Allie is spoken for on the divine front.” Nora nodded and crossed her arms, leaning out of the conversation. Kat turned her next words to Allie. “You worship?”

“Definitely not,” Allie said, far too quickly.

“Well, if we can figure out who’s got a claim on you, then maybe we can get them to fix you. Sounds like this asshole with the crystal knife fucked some shit up. I do some shit for my god and he said he’d tell me what I need to know to get you all fixed up. Problem is, I’ve gotta go back to the capital to do it.”

“You’re leaving?” Kat tried not to take any pleasure in the worry in Allie’s voice. That would be very unprofessional. “You’d be gone for weeks!”

Kat shook her head. “I’ve got keystones. I’ll give you two a receiver, use a sender to pop back to the capital, do the shit I need to do, then grab another keystone and pop back. Easy as that.”

Allie crossed her arms and touched the side of her head uncertainly. A nervous tick Kat had been noticing more and more of late. “And we’re just supposed to ask Lord Balseron to wait while you do?”

That was a good point. Telling the local Lord she had an errand to run that was more important would go over about as well as a prostitute in a temple. “You’ll have to take lead,” Kat said eventually. “We haven’t even had a conversation with him, so we’ll have to make it out like I’m just an escort. You’re the one representing King Rolar, here because of the rumors of a new and exotic demi-human. You’ll be the important one of our group, politically speaking.”

“Are we sure that’s a good idea? I’ve never shmoozed a noble before.”

Kat just waved a hand. “Just act like he’s always the most important person in the room and stroke his ego and you’ll be fine.” She jammed the heel of her palm into her eye. “It’ll suck shit, but… Hells, I think I’d rather have your job than mine.” She looked over her allies. Her friends. “I’ll walk you through everything I can think of before dinner, but the sooner I get my task out of the way, the better.” She fought a grimace. “You don’t ignore a direct command from the god who powers your skills, y’know?”

Allie looked so uncertain it made Kat feel like shit. She had enough on her plate, and now all this shit was getting heaped on her shoulders? Her only solace was telling herself that getting this done would help Allie in the end. Finally, Allie let out a breath and nodded. “I’ll get it done, then.”

Despite her guilt, Kat felt relief. For the next hour, she told Allie everything she knew about kissing noble ass. It was a myriad of lessons learned the hard way. She was the only Chosen on the side of light that wasn’t born with a silver spoon up her ass, and it showed. A lot. Navigating the social swamp that was the other Chosen was often more difficult than the war she’d been picked to fight.

Therese and Rose returned after about thirty minutes. Thankfully she accepted Kat’s new orders even more smoothly than Allie had. Not only that, but having to fight her way up to B rank meant she had plenty of the tools they’d need to charm Balseron out of his demi-human should the need arise. As a group, they briefly contemplated pivoting and having Therese take charge, but she was adamant that Allie was better for the job in this instance. She wouldn’t say why, but she was confident enough that none of them argued.

All too soon, a servant arrived to escort them to Balseron’s personal dining room. Therese was clearly upset when told that her servant would have to remain behind, but Rose quietly reassured her that it was fine, and that she’d remain in their room until lunch was finished. Just to be safe, Kat threw up an [Alarm] at the door to make sure nobody tried anything. Therese was very appreciative of that.

Balseron was nowhere to be seen when they entered, but that was hardly a surprise. Lords like him had a flare for the dramatics. No doubt he had an entrance planned. Sure enough, as soon as they’d all been seated, he swept into the room. He was a middle aged, pudgy, sweaty man with short, thick fingers. Far too much jewelry hung from his neck and fingers, and calling his clothes fine would be an insult. Kat had chartered ships that would cost less than his outfit for the day. His thinning hair and beady, assessing eyes really completed the picture.

He plastered on a too-wide smile and spread his hands. “Chosen and company, I welcome you into my home. I am Lord Balseron, your gracious host for as long as you’ll remain.”

Whatever Kat’s answer would have been went out the window as two servants followed Balseron in. It wasn’t the matronly Elf that caught her attention though. No, it was the woman with the four arms clasped primly in front of her that caused Kat’s brain to short out for a moment.

Her skin was a dark gray, just a few shades closer to violet than the girl in Zaren’s caravan she’d healed. Clothing sheer enough to be see through in most places left exactly nothing to the imagination. Though her frame was thin, her breasts were larger than Kat’s own by a bit. A gold chain connected the rings that hung from the dark gray peak of either breast, more than visible through her top, with a chain in the center that vanished between her legs. Her fingers were unadorned, but her forearms and biceps were each decorated by a simple gold band that contrasted well with her dark skin. Waves of lilac hair cascaded halfway down her back, but her eyes were hidden behind the only swathe of fabric on her that wasn’t translucent.

Balseron’s oily grin widened. “Captivating, isn’t she?”

Before Kat could recover, Allie said in a breathy voice, “she’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone like her.”Apparently, that was exactly the right thing to say. Balseron took his seat, obviously pleased, while his two servants took their places at either of his shoulders. “Nobody has. In all my time, I’ve never heard of one such as her. An Ashra, according to the man I purchased her from. According to all my resources, she very well might be one of a kind.”

Kat forced herself to eat, even if she didn’t taste the food at all. To be relegated to a trophy, shown off for no other reason than being born… She really hated men like Balseron. If it were up to her, she’d just beat the shit out of him and walk out with the demi-human in tow. Unfortunately, Balseron simply held too much influence to risk angering.

“Yes,” he continued, “Vanni was a fortunate find. A spot by a friend of a friend. Cost me a small fortune, but it was money well spent in my opinion. Collectors far and wide visit simply to get a look at her.” He leaned forward, his grin taking on a predatory glint. “Would you like to spend some time with her, perchance? Get a closer look?”

Kat had to swallow back the bile that threatened to make an appearance. She didn’t need to look to know the others felt the same, but this was exactly why they’d come. If Balseron wouldn’t part with this Vanni, then they’d need to bring Bennet every scrap of information they possibly could.

“I would enjoy that,” Allie said smoothly, though there was a fire in her eyes that made Kat feel a lot better about leaving them to deal with this shit.

Somehow, Kat made it through the rest of the meal. Thankfully all Vanni did was stand there. Kat wasn’t sure how she would have handled things if the lord had decided to get handsy. He was more than happy to fill the silence, and he loved talking about himself. He loved showing off his ‘possessions’ just as much. Thanks to that, they didn’t even have to pry to learn that Vanni had been left on the front doorstep of a church of a small, middle-of-nowhere town when she’d been only seven. When she was thirteen, the priest had passed away. The woman who replaced him was as devout as she was cruel and declared Vanni an abomination, banishing her from the church.

From there she’d apparently wandered, hiding her second set of arms as best she could and living on the streets until a sickly old man took her in. She cared for him, hidden away from the world, until he passed when she was seventeen. When his son arrived to deal with his father’s things, he immediately saw the opportunity to get rid of some of his debts and called on Lord Balseron. He’d paid an exorbitant fee, though he proudly bragged that he’d been willing to pay twice as much for such a find and felt he’d swindled the ‘greedy fool’ quite well.

Kat winced when he asked if she’d entertain him again at dinner to discuss the ongoing Chosen conflict. “Unfortunately, my lord, it seems some urgent business has come up and I will need to leave immediately to take care of it. I will return at the earliest convenience, of course.”

He was not at all pleased by that. “You are leaving? So soon?”

“Unfortunately,” she gritted out, “I have little choice. The life of a Chosen is one with little rest. Finding the time to break away in the first place was difficult, but we agreed that seeking your aid in the conflict to come was far too important to be left to anyone else.”

The story she’d come up with mollified him. For now. “I see. Will your companions be joining you?”

“This will be a solo mission, hopefully one that won’t last for more than a few days. If it pleases you, they will remain to enjoy your hospitality. You will, of course, be compensated for this unfortunate turn of events.”

That was enough for him to relax into his seat. Like clockwork, all she had to do was make him feel nice and important, and he ate her words up. Arrogant he may be, but even he was aware the gods were above him. “Of course,” he purred. “Well, Chosen Katerina,” he raised a goblet, “I will wish you a speedy return.”

By the time the meal was finished, Kat felt like she’d need several hours in a bath to get clean. The second the door closed behind Balseron and her allies dropped their masks, she was glad to see they clearly felt the same. They all fell into step headed back to their rooms with Allie and Nora in the lead. “What an unpleasant man,” Allie said.

Kat snorted. “Those are much nicer words than the ones I’d like to use. You sure you’ve got this?”

Allie nodded slowly. “I think so. If I act properly infatuated, then hopefully I can get some alone time with Vanni. He seems to like showing off his ‘toys.’” She grimaced at the last word. “Kat, I…”

“You don’t want to leave here without her, do you?” Kat asked with a smirk.

“No. I really, really don’t.”

Therese crossed her arms, her finger tapping on her bicep. “Might be difficult. Not sure we have enough money to convince him to part with her. Not sure there is enough money. Look around, he’s practically pissing gold. He likes owning something unique far too much.”

Nora made a growling sound in her throat that had Kat wanting to reach for a dagger. “It’s despicable. Trussing her up like that. Parading her around.”

Allie put a hand on her girlfriend’s forearm, and that was all it took for much of the tension to bleed out of Nora’s shoulders. “I know. We’ll figure this out, right Kat?”

Kat nodded. “I can give Rolar a rundown when I’m in the city. Maybe he’ll have some insight.”Running shaking fingers through her hair, Allie stood. “Right. We should get back to Rose. Bring her up to speed. You’ll be leaving immediately?”

“Yeah,” Kat said unhappily. “I think that’s for the best.” If she didn’t, there was no telling what Tydarr would do. She’d had more than enough nightmares about the horrors of war, she had no interest in giving him reason to force more into her skull.

Then, to her surprise, Allie placed a hand on her shoulder. “Whatever your mission is, be careful.”

An alien warmth bloomed in Kat’s chest. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time someone had given a shit about her wellbeing, and Allie’s concern clearly wasn’t because of Kat’s usefulness as a Chosen. For a second, Kat couldn’t speak.

“I will,” she said finally. “You all be careful too. Men like Balseron are perfectly harmless until they aren’t.”

“We’ll keep the fat fuck happy,” Nora ground out.

Kat’s eyes widened, but she didn’t dislike this side of the fighter in the slightest. “Vanni’s days as his showpiece are numbered, one way or another.” And so were Allie’s days suffering from whatever bullshit had left her so fucked up. Kat was even more sure of that.

She’d find a way to help her friend or she’d die trying. Tydarr be damned.

# # #

It took far too little time for Kat to get her things together and hand the receiver stone over to Allie. With one last look at the only friends she’d ever had, Kat had activated her keystone and stepped through the portal into her quarters in the Amesserian palace. She had her own room in the royal palace. Her. A nobody from the shittiest part of the most dangerous city in Larisea.

Her mother would have laughed herself into an even earlier grave if she’d known.

As a Chosen, it didn’t take long for her to get an audience with the king. She wasn’t at all surprised to find the legendary thief, Sandrel, in attendance as well. She was thankful Bennet wasn’t in attendance. He made her nervous in a way that the other two didn’t.

“Kat,” Rolar said, inclining his head, “welcome back. I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Was the information a bust, then?”

“Nope. Balseron called her an Ashra. She definitely fits the bill. Four arms, skin like one of those six-legged Maleks,” she shrugged. “Getting her out of his clutches might be difficult, though. He’s rather attached.”

Rolar’s lips turned downward. “Romantically?”

She snorted. “Hardly. She’s the rarest piece in his collection. Even if she didn’t have four arms, she’s still stunning. He likes owning something shiny far too much. Not sure if money will cut it.”

Sandrel grunted. “I’ll see what I can dig up. You came back early for advice, then?”

“Not… exactly.” That got both their attention. “Tydarr sent me. I’m on a mission from him.”

“I see,” Rolar said, stroking his beard thoughtfully. It was a motion so close to the one her god had made earlier that a shiver traveled down her spine. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

“You could tell me where I can find Zaren Nocht,” she said with a huff.

She immediately knew she’d made a mistake of some sort. They exchanged an incredibly loaded glance. Sandrel cocked a brow and Rolar winced, then turned back to her. “Why?”

Kat’s eyes fell on a stray beam of afternoon sunlight in an effort to avoid his weighty gaze. “I’m supposed to befriend him, apparently. He knows something Tydarr wants to know, and I have to start ingratiating myself to Zaren to earn his trust.”

The silence that followed made her ears ring. When she finally forced herself to look up, the two of them were having a silent conversation that didn’t seem to be going well. Finally, Rolar turned back to her. “I’m not certain that’s a good idea.”

“Yeah, no shit.” One of his brows twitched, but he didn’t seem displeased by her outburst. “I said as much, and Tydarr nearly bit my head off. Why the fuck does he hate my god so much?”

“Not our story to tell,” Sandrel said quickly. “Suffice to say it’s justified.”

“Sandrel,” Rolar cautioned, and the rogue shrugged.

Kat figured badgering two of the few prominent figures that felt like they were on her side for a reason past her status was probably a bad idea. “It’s fine. I’m sure it’ll come up eventually. He’s in town, then?”

Sandrel nodded. “Yep. It’s been painfully anticlimactic. Really making my ass sore from how hard I’ve been clenching. It’s been a week, and he hasn’t done fuck all but fixing up his home. Recruit a bunch of servants. Met with some of the prominent figures in the lower quarter. Started fixing up his other properties across the city.” He sighed. “Considerably less fire and brimstone than I was expecting, if I’m being honest. Maybe it isn’t our Zaren after all.”

But they hadn’t looked into his eyes. The war against Grimsbane had happened nearly a decade before Kat had been born, but those sapphire eyes belonged to a man who’d seen hell and walked away. “It’s him. Even if it isn’t, Tydarr told me to befriend Zaren Nocht. Only one of those floating around as far as I know.”

Sandrel gave her a long, hard look. “It’s your funeral, girl.” Then he grinned. “I know a way we can see if he’s legit. Rolls, how do you think Zaren would react if we sent a summons with the Chosen here?”

Rolar dragged a hand down his face. “Sandrel, I just had the hinges on my door replaced.”

“It’ll be a good stress test, then.” He stood. “Write it out, old man. We can’t afford to sit and wait any longer. We need to have a conversation with our ‘friend’ and see what’s what. I’m too fuckin’ old to be this stressed all the time. I woke up with a gray hair yesterday, for fuck's sake.”

“Angering Zaren was your pastime, not mine,” Rolar said, sitting heavily in his chair. “Though you’re right, he won’t take that lying down if he really is the Godslayer.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sandrel said, clapping Rolar’s arm. “And I’ll have someone watching the manor. If she doesn’t come back out, they can retrieve her body.”

Kat shot him a deadpan look. “How reassuring.”

“Sandrel is being dramatic,” Rolar promised, though he sounded unsure. “Zaren won’t kill anyone who isn’t trying to kill him. Just don’t expect him to be overly pleasant.”

She let out a breath. “Least he still owes me for fixing the not-Seraphim.”

That made both of them frown. “How do you mean?” Rolar asked.

“The girl I mentioned before,” Kat explained. “Someone lopped her wings off. I used [Miracle] to get them growing again.”

Another silent exchange, then Sandrel leaned forward dangerously. “Lopped off how? Your skill tell you that?”

“Sure. Someone surgically removed them, looks like. The stumps, at least. From her muscle definition, not sure if she’d ever flown.”

“The cuts were clean, then? Not jagged?”

“Clean as I’ve seen, I guess. There was signs of an older surgery, but I figured she just broke ‘em too bad to be fixed or something.”

Yet another godsdamned silent conversation. Then Rolar said, “was she in pain when you healed her?”

“Not particularly, no.” They both relaxed visibly. “Why?”

“An old illegal surgery that puts winged species in constant agony,” Rolar explained. “If you’d healed her without cutting away the warped parts of her wings, it would have only made things worse. But if she wasn’t in any physical agony when you healed her, things should be fine.”

“Still, you don’t really think it’s a coincidence, do you?” Sandrel challenged.

“No,” Rolar answered. “No I do not. We need to have our sit down with Zaren sooner than later.” He sighed. “As much as I hate relegating a Chosen to a messenger—”

“It’s fine,” Kat said with a wave. “It gives me a great excuse to be there, actually.”

They nodded and Rolar stood. “I’ll write out the invitation, then.”

“And I’ll show her where the manor is,” Sandrel offered, pulling a map from his pocket.

Two hours later, Kat was making her way down a road that must have been the height of wealth once. Now it was old and decrepit, left to the elements without anyone to care for the dark, ghostly houses that loomed in the early night. There were signs that several were being worked on, but at least one had been simply knocked down in its entirety. Old, unusable furniture lay in piles in front of the ones being worked on, and the closer she got to the end of the road the closer to finished the manors looked.

But it was only the one at the end that had light coming from its windows. Even if Sandrel hadn’t told her where to go, she would have known to go there first. She’d made it halfway down the road when she sensed a presence next to her.

“Odd place for a night time stroll,” a voice said.

Kat spun away, drawing a weapon, but there was nobody there. “Quick reflexes,” the voice said from behind her. She spun to see a Dark Elf woman holding a familiar knife in her hand, using it to clean under her fingernails. Kat's knife. The sheathe at her waist was empty, which meant she’d been disarmed without realizing it for the second time today. “Armed to the teeth, clearly trained… Want to tell me what you’re doing here?”

“Came to see Zaren Nocht,” Kat said slowly. Either the girl was fast, not alone, or had a movement skill. None of them were great possibilities. “Got a message I’m supposed to deliver.”

The Dark Elf looked her up and down skeptically. “Not sure what kind of message needs so many weapons to deliver.”

Kat just shrugged. “Weapons are a part of my religion,” she said.

The Dark Elf scoffed. “Right. Come on then.” She tossed the blade back to Kat, heading for the manor. “So, who exactly are you?”

“Kat. Chosen of Tydarr. You?”

She blanched a bit at the title, but recovered well. “Valith. What do you want with my boss? And don’t give me that ‘message’ shit, you’re clearly here for another reason.”

It had been hard to see in the dark, but as they approached the light given off by the manor Kat saw the collar around her throat. This one, unlike the simple black leather Zaren’s demi-humans had been wearing before, was a smooth black cloth. From its front hung a piece of metal the size of a coin. The metal was black, and engraved on it in dark crimson was a dragon curled around a sword. The same sigil as the one on the gate they’d just walked through.

“Information exchange,” she said carefully. “Zaren and I met on the road. He gave me some info, I promised to tell him anything else I figured out.” She turned her attention to the building in front of her. It was… kind of a dump, if she was being honest. The outside was weathered and grimy, many of the decorative carvings chipped or shattered, and there was nearly no life in the yard in front of it. Only the pristine windows and the warm light coming from inside betrayed the husk as something more.

Valith didn’t say anything more. She pushed the door open and strode inside, leaving Kat to follow. Despite the buildings outward appearance, the entry hall was rather nice. Warm and cozy, plush carpets on tile floors, gems embedded on sconces that lit the entire space up nicely, and comfortable looking furniture. Not dripping wealth like Balseron’s place. It was much more practical. There weren’t many around, just a couple of servants cleaning.

They wore collars just like Valith’s. Now that she was in a well lit room, Kat realized she wore a nice set of light leather armor, treated black to blend into the dark. The servants wore some kind of loose uniform, but the outfits were of decent quality and at the very least looked comfortable. They appeared well fed, healthy, and even happy judging by their expressions. Maybe Zaren wasn’t quite as frightening as he’d seemed.

“Miril,” Valith called, and a Seraphim with snow-white wings perked up. “Find Zaren for me? He’s got a guest.”

She nodded enthusiastically, then took off with a running start and soared down the hall. She’d just vanished from sight when Kat heard the sound of soft soled boots hitting the ground behind her. She whirled for the second time that night, only to come to a jarring stop when she took in the girl who’d just dropped from the second story to land behind her.

Kat’s first thought was that Zaren had found himself another of the mysterious demi-humans. Then, when the girl tilted her head and sniffed, her vertical slit pupils widened. “Kat,” she said softly. Then she stepped forward and wrapped Kat in a crushing hug, lifting her off the ground despite the near foot in difference between them.

It wasn’t until the girl set her down and stepped away that Kat realized she had two black-feathered stumps jutting from her back. This was the girl Kat had healed. Her cheeks were fuller, her skin was less ashen, and her hair had grown enough that someone had done a few small braids down the side of her head. Even more striking a difference, this girl had a light in her eyes that she hadn’t before.

“Shit,” Valith said, her jaw practically on the floor, “not sure I’ve ever seen Noelle hug a human other than Zaren or his girls. How’d you win her over?”

Noelle didn’t take her eyes off Kat. “She fixed my wings.”

Valith’s expression softened immediately. “If that’s the case, then I’m sorry I snagged your knife earlier.”

Kat just shrugged. “No harm done. You had no way of knowing. And you,” she turned towards Noelle. “Damn, you look a shitload better. Zaren’s been good for you, then?”

A small smile graced her face. One that damn near broke Kat’s heart. “The best.” Her eyes flicked to someone behind Kat, and that smile widened.

“Kat,” an all too familiar voice said, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Taking a breath to ready herself, Kat turned to face Zaren. Only to stop short with her mouth hanging open. While not quite as miraculous as Noelle’s change, Zaren was different, too. Even ignoring the fact that his hair was now long enough to be tied back in a low, small tail and the respectable stubble that coated his chin, he seemed… warmer.

The sapphire in his eyes still made her think of the ocean, but much more at peace than before. He stood with a stillness, but more like he was at rest than a loaded trap ready to spring. Even the way he held himself, the ease with which he clasped his hands behind his back, the lack of tension in his face, the ease in how his shoulders were set, told her that something had changed. There was still an undercurrent of violence to him, but she was much less afraid of him now than she had been the last time they’d been face to face.

When he arched a dark brow, she realized he was still waiting on her answer. “You said to tell you what my investigation turned up. Well, I’ve got information. Tit for tat, and all that.” She shrugged. “Figured I’d see if you got yourself into any more trouble. You know, other than the Valax queen business.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. Come on, then. Rhallani has all the good shit, and I’d rather she hear whatever it is you’ve got from you than me.” His eyes fell on Noelle, and Kat knew from the way his gaze warmed that they were involved.

Noelle took her spot beside him, wrapping her small hand around his, and he jerked his chin towards the hall to their right. Kat followed, only just realizing that Valith had disappeared at some point.

They passed more than a few servants on their way to wherever they were going, and Kat found herself surprised by the way they all acted. There were a handful that were timid or scared, but none seemed particularly frightened of him. If anything, many of them were more at ease with him around than without. Most of the servants they passed—all wearing his collar—smiled warmly at him. A genuine expression that she wasn’t used to seeing on anyone with a collar wrapped around their necks.

“A lot of new faces,” she noted.

He shrugged. “Found some in a gnoll camp, more in a bandit camp, and went to the Pens once. My home is leagues better than that godsforsaken place, though that isn’t exactly a high bar.” Shit, the venom in his voice made her skin tingle.

The more they passed, the more her brows rose. “Just how many servants can you have in your household?”“A lot,” he said simply. “How goes the conflict?”

Kat couldn’t stop the snort that followed his question. “Fuck if I know, I’ve been chasing my tail with this whole Malek situation. Hasn’t gotten any worse at least.”

“Fair enough. We’ll have to come up with a different name, by the way. Only the winged ones are Maleks.”Kat stumbled. “Fucking what?”

“Yeah. The winged ones are Maleks, the six legged ones are Ashai, and—”

“There’s another one!?”

“Rathum, yeah. Big, nasty fucker. Twice the size of the other ones, thick skinned, strong as shit. I barely survived, and I had help.”

“Fuck me sideways,” Kat grumbled, and Zaren laughed mirthlessly. “Tydarr called them Eldritch Beasts, so I guess we can use that?”

Once again, she’d managed to insert her foot straight into her mouth. Zaren stiffened up at the mention of her god, and for a second he was the scary motherfucker who’d damn near made her piss herself back in that forest. New Zaren returned quick enough, but she could still see the shadows of his frightening side if she looked close.

“Right. That works as well as anything else, I suppose. Here, this is our library.” He pushed inside a big room filled with dusty, broken down, empty bookshelves. “Or, at least, it will be. Once we, you know, buy books.”

Inside were five more women. Kat recognized the Arelim sitting at a crescent moon shaped desk, barely visible over the stacks of books and pages that surrounded her. She was fairly certain her name was Rhallani. The blonde, Serena, sat curled up on a soft looking couch with a book in her hand and a lithe Nekomata girl curled up in her lap. She was absentmindedly running her fingers through the Neko’s hair while the girl’s tail hung off the side, flicking every so often. In a chair next to her was a busty auburn haired girl who looked like she’d given up on sleeping in favor for a nap, though she was slowly blinking herself awake as Zaren, Kat, and Noelle entered.

But they weren’t the main ones that dominated her attention. Holy Half-dragons. That particular honor belonged to the eight foot tall, azure scaled, midnight blue horned woman with biceps the size of Kat’s head and a chest even bigger than that. Vertical slit cobalt eyes locked onto her and narrowed. She stepped in front of Rhallani protectively and crossed her arms.

“Kat?” Serena asked, frowning. Her gaze flicked to Zaren for a brief second. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

The auburn haired girl stood, stretching like a cat and drawing Kat’s eye to her many curves. “Who’s this?”“Kat,” Noelle supplied. “She fixed my wings.”

The Half-dragon sucked in her breath, stalking forward until Kat was looking up at her. “Is that true?”Kat nodded, swallowing. “I mean I was kind of a dick about it, but yeah.”

Those cobalt eyes bored into Kat for an uncomfortable amount of time, then she nodded curtly. “You take care of mine, and I’ll take care of you.” Then she turned on her heel and stalked to where Rhallani sat, dropping to the floor and leaning against the side of the Arelim’s chair.

“Uh, right,” Kat said awkwardly. Then the redhead was there, throwing her arms around Kat. Gods, she was tall too! Half the occupants of the room were taller than she was, for fuck’s sake.

“Thank you for helping our sister. Whatever your reason,” she said softly. Then she pulled back and walked past Zaren, pressing her lips to his on the way. Damn, and Kat thought Allie had good taste in women. “How can we help you, Kat?”

“Information exchange. I’ve learned some shit about the Maleks—er, the Eldritch beasts, and wanted to trade my info for whatever you’ve got.”

Rhallani shot up. “Fuck yes! Grab a seat and we’ll get started.”

Zaren nodded, already turning to leave. “I’ll leave you to it.”

“Wait!” Kat said. He paused, a question in his gaze, but she was at a loss. She needed to build trust with him, but if he was going to duck out at every opportunity that would be difficult. “I was, ah, hoping you might stay.”

She was really hoping she misread the glances exchanged by the girls in the room, but she doubted she did. Zaren just rubbed his neck. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Kat,” he said gently.

Kat wasn’t sure why the rejection stung quite the way it did, but she shoved that down. She grasped blindly for a way to get him to stay, but the only real option past seducing him was one she liked even less. And Kat was not the seductive type. “Look, I’ll be honest. I’m here for your help specifically because Tydarr commanded it.”

Zaren froze, his darkness returning. “Is that so?”

“He said it would square things. Said you’d understand what that meant.”

Darkness flitted behind his eyes. “So that’s his play, then? Fine. Grab a chair.” She tried not to flinch at the barely reigned in anger in the command as he stalked over and took a seat in the corner of the room. All the others had gone still, and even the Nekomata had sat up to regard him with careful eyes.

“Right. Sorry, he didn’t give me much choice in the matter,” Kat said quickly. She grabbed a chair and sat next to Rhallani, pulling out her book. “Um, feel free to tell me to fuck off or whatever, but can I ask what debt he was talking about?”

Zaren rubbed his jaw for a moment. “Well, I’d imagine he’s talking about the fact that I killed his last Chosen.”