Chapter One #2
“The men in Sirrush’s colony guard were all monster class.
We didn’t know what we would be facing. We enlisted because our own marriage prospects were slim to none, and when we were waiting for our commanding officer to rejoin the world, we studied history, dance, music, all the softer sciences that we had not been allowed to study in the worlds of our birth. ”
“Well, having guys studying for eight hundred years and coming out well-educated and patient does seem to fit the timeline for most males I have met.”
Gasps sounded around the room, and Hatcher laughed.
Her dark blue partner said, “You know, if my brother weren’t an omega with a tremendous ego, I might not have agreed, but he made us learn what made a good partner and why he didn’t want one.
Then he met Olivia, and he made some alterations to his way of thinking.
After that, all family chats were about making sure your partner was comfortable, in and out of bed. ”
Hatcher muttered, “I didn’t think sex was supposed to be comfortable.”
The alphas around her slowly turned to look at her as she sipped her tea. Arwell snorted. Rhea didn’t say anything, but she was busy chewing. Her guys were determined to get nutrition into her. It was cute.
Arwell looked toward her dish, and a mouthful of food was waiting. She looked at Ryo.
He grinned. “I was just waiting for you to slow down.”
She laughed and then covered her mouth as the food was shoved into her. She continued laughing, and he was grinning. He continued to feed her in between his own bites, and she snickered. “So, I am getting off light.”
He smiled. “Our third is at work today, and he couldn’t get away.”
“Uh-huh. Who is he?”
“A big bird. Currently a jump instructor with clients launching out of a plane.”
“Ah. What do you do for a living?”
He smiled. “Trainer. I make grown men cry.”
“Me, too, but I use different techniques.” She smiled.
He grinned. “I work for Havlock.”
“Who is that?”
One of Rhea’s guys wiggled his fingers at her.
“That was disturbing,” Arwell mumbled as Ryo put another dumpling in her mouth.
Lady Fen was taking photos and chortling to herself. Ryo said, “Thank you for hosting this breakfast, Lady Fen.”
“I have been trying to line up omegas for those of you I know. I wasn’t expecting them to drop through the ceiling. These ladies are not delicate, but next to you, gentlemen, they seem very suitable for them.”
Arwell chewed and muttered, “Did she just call me fat?”
Lady Fen narrowed her eyes. “You could stand to lose a few pounds, Arwell.”
“Just wait until the next charity auction. I am going to wipe the floor with you, you little twerp.” Arwell scowled.
Lady Fen blinked. “Where do you get your money, Arwell?”
“From my job, Fen.”
“What is your job?”
“I own computer servers, Fen. Lots of them.” She smiled. “Companies rent space on them, and I charge them rent. It’s an international phenomenon. All I have to do is keep the data safe, and I definitely do that. Not everyone considers giving head without bending forward a job skill.”
The spluttering of laughter and coughing from those who had inhaled their food filled the room.
Fen grinned. “I knew you were in there somewhere.”
“Thanks. You just had to keep poking, and now they think I am rude.” She finished her meal and set her utensils down.
Hatcher grinned. “We know you are rude. It’s part of your charm. I would call it observationally blunt.”
Arwell chuckled. “That sounds like me.”
Rhea smiled. “I think Lady Fen doesn’t have an issue with the comment.”
Lady Fen chuckled. “Of course not. I have a lot of alphas, and I am a busy woman. Sometimes it is just blow and go.”
Arwell had been sipping her tea, and she spluttered and looked at the older woman with the devilish gleam in her eyes. She was having fun.
“I always knew evil was short.”
Fen grinned. “You are a lot more fun when we aren’t bidding on the same artifacts.”
“You are more fun with food.”
“I will carry a bao bun every time we are due to interact.” Fen grinned. “It seems sensible.”
“Don’t flirt.” She sipped at her tea.
Fen laughed bright and long.
Ryo was staring from her to Lady Fen. “Do you want to get a room?”
Fen grinned. “We have one. You are all eavesdropping.”
Arwell smiled. “This is a different side of you, Fen.”
“The top of my head? I had no idea you were one of the shining ones.”
“That is the idea.”
“Why are you differently coloured?”
“It goes with the different ears. See the jagged bits? That means I am not just able to use aspects of magic. With some focus, I can use it all. Same with about eight others in the city. Hatcher and her sister are two of them. Then there is Rhea. And myself. And five others.”
Lady Fen frowned. “Why haven’t they come out?”
“They are needed where they are. They will know when it is time. Or they will get outed in spectacular fashion. Either way, they are quiet now.” Arwell knew of one that would be exposed soon, in spectacular fashion. Dorn had already gotten the tickets to the gamer convention on the coming weekend.
Arwell looked at Ryo. “Do you play video games?”
He grinned. “No. Why?”
“Oh, Dorn and I are going with some friends of his to the gamer con this weekend.”
“Would you like an escort?”
“Did you buy a pass?”
He smiled and pulled his phone out. “You are going on Saturday?”
“Yup. And Friday night. Planning a date?”
“Yes.”
“Great. Just you, me, and four teens.”
“And our third.”
“Uh-huh. That is going to be harder to explain. I don’t normally let unvetted guys around Dorn. I will need information from both of you.”
He nodded. “Sensible. How old is he?”
“Twelve.”
“Ah. Interesting age.”
“Yup, that is why him having friends the same age who will also alpha out one day is handy.”
“Even the girl?”
“Yup. She’s going to be a terror, but her mother’s female alpha is doing great with her.” She smiled. “They are all coming to the convention. They are also all playing a new game, and the company is having a booth and a panel about the new game. The kids are stoked.”
“What game?”
Arwell smiled slowly and pulled out her phone. She tapped the app and showed Ryo the screen. “There you go. Riot Magic.”
He stared at the screen. “That’s a mage in a tunic with pigtails and a blood djinn.”
“That is correct. The game teaches math, shape identification, physical evolution, cooperation, and marksmanship. And you can level up and go into melee mode. There are five characters to play, and each one comes in male or female, so you don’t have to be the title character. The kids all play at the same time.”
He was tapping at his phone and said, “How is their mobile game?”
“Pretty good. I was playing it last night.” She grinned. “I always play as the djinni.”
He nodded, and she saw that he was downloading it.
Arwell smiled.
He glanced at her. “Well, if we are going to the convention, it behooves me to know what he is playing right now.”
“So, just like that?”
Ryo smiled. “Should it be more complicated? You glow to my senses, and I know I glow to yours.”
“How do you know that?”
“You look irritated when your gaze turns my way.” He grinned. “As if I am foiling some plan of yours.”
She grimaced and poured tea for both of them. “It wasn’t a plan, per se. Just an outline for Dorn and me. I am not his mother, and it adds a different tension to our relationship.”
Ryo frowned. “But you have raised him.”
“Yes, but I got him when he was two, and he knew I was not his mama. So, I left space for her. If she ever returns, there will be a place for her in his life, a place I have not taken.”
Ryo looked at her calmly. “May I hug you?”
She shrugged. “Sure, but why?”
“Because you have gone and ignored your own instincts for his mental health. That must have been horribly difficult.”
“Um, you could say that.”
He pressed his forehead to hers and looked at her. He knew what she had done in that moment, and she felt him tense.
Arwell leaned back. “Oh, you have a psychic component.”
He nodded. “I do. That was... informative.”
She grimaced. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to dump that on you.”
“No, it is helpful to know. Dorn does not know?”
“Absolutely not.”
“He will not hear it from me. Do you give him hope?”
“No, I have a charm on me that stops him from asking.”
“Has he been in therapy?”
“Most of his life. Right now, it is once a month.”
“Who brought him to you?”
“Another of my kind. Like Rhea, she moved between worlds for a while.” She smiled. “She went a little further, though.”
“How much further?”
“The imperial court?”
“What? The golden dragon locked this world.”
“Locked from incoming personnel, not outgoing. If you could figure out how to leave, you could leave. She figured out how. She came back with Dorn, knowing that this world would be safe for him. I was set up financially, so this is where he’s living.”
He nodded. “I just can’t believe she managed to take him.”
“It was necessary, and she did it.”
“I need to see her memories.”
“You will have to ask nicely. She’s a little rough around the edges.” Arwell smiled. “And she bites.”
“Interesting. Does she have a mate?”
“Nope. She says no one around here is her type, and yes, she knows about the dark elves.”
“Interesting. She is a djinn?”
“Yeah. She’s purple when she shifts.”
He froze. “What?”
“Yup. She’s grape-coloured. Black hair.”
He nodded and kissed her forehead. “I have to make a call.”
Arwell nodded and sipped at her tea.
Hatcher said, “What was that?”
Arwell smiled. “It was something I said.”
* * * *
Ryo walked into Avor’s office. “Sir, I have interesting news. Do you have contact with the court?”
“Yes. Ira likes to get help with her homework. Why?”
“I was just told by a reliable source that there is a high djinn born of this world here and functioning. Is this something the court should know?”
Avor paused. “So, you know how she would have gotten the tint and which colouration precisely?”
“My mate says she is grape. Not just tinted.”
“You have found a mate?”
He nodded. “She’s one of the earth-born djinn. Where were they all hiding?”
Avor smiled and sighed. “I think that Kaido hid them. Kept them from approaching the new palace. Tried to keep them away from court. But now you are telling me that there is a court djinn here.”
“She’s earth-born. That I am sure of. She came back here for safety.”
“I see. So, what do you want?”
“Can you ask the empress if she knows the circumstances? This woman is strong enough to punch through the dimensions untrained. Having her loose is potentially dangerous.”
“Does your mate know you are here?”
“No.”
Avor nodded. “Go back. Tell her that you have gone looking for information on that kind of djinn, and now your attention is fully fixed on her again.”
“You will let me know?”
“I will consult with Vemel and his mate and make a plan. Only then will I let you know.”
“Very well. I thought it was something you should know.”
“You are correct, Ryo. Is Morven part of your group?”
“Yes. How did you know?”
“Because he’s behind you, looking furious. Apparently, you should have consulted him before speaking about your mate’s friends.”
Ryo turned, and Morven grabbed him and hauled him back to the restaurant.
Before they entered the room, Ryo asked, “What is the problem?”
“You should have let her know you were going to solve the mystery of her friend. Now, she knows you are a tattler.”
Ryo frowned. “But those djinn are dangerous if untrained.”
“Yes, and now you get to find out why.” He kept his grip on Ryo, and they entered the space that had two more people than it had before. A tween boy and a woman whose skin was dark purple.
Ryo saw the unrelieved gold eyes that turned toward him. “Oh, shit.”
Arwell chuckled. “Ryo, this is my friend. Oh, and Dorn, the precious light of my life and heartbeat outside my body.”
Dorn grinned. “So, you are Ryo, and that must be Morven. Ilia told me about you both. Sorry for my butting in, but there was a water main break at school, and no matter how many alphas shouted at it, we still need to wait for a city plumber. Ilia brought me to Aunty.”
Arwell smiled. “The cars swarming the school will be terrifying, and Ilia is authorized to extract him.”
Ryo asked, “Why?”
Ilia smiled. “Well, horn for brains, I am his English teacher. Once my class was dismissed and on their way with parents, I took him to his guardian. Now, I shall return to write a pop quiz.” Ilia smiled
Dorn grumbled, “Aw!”
There was a light tinkling laugh, and Ilia was gone.
Ryo looked at Arwell’s expectant look. “Hello, Dorn. I am Ryo. I am one of your guardian’s designated mates.”
Dorn nodded. “I know. I can see it.”
Arwell snorted. “Of course you can. This is Morven. He’s the other one.”
“He’s a big bird.”
Morven chuckled. “The mythical term is roc. Just like he’s technically a unicorn, of sorts.”
Dorn nodded. “Right. I have read about those.”
Ryo sighed. “So, I went to the king to ask about your friend.”
Arwell paused and nodded. “Shall we take this elsewhere?”
Arwell held Dorn, and she looked down at him. “Here we go.”
Ryo stared at the place where his mate had been. “Shit.”
Morven grabbed his shoulder. “Come with me.”
Ryo felt the portal, and they were gone.
* * * *
Rhea smiled. “Lady Fen, are there any more of those fluffy buns?”
The omega tapped her phone, and the elves in the room laughed. “Of course. Where are my manners, but where did they go?”
“Auredel Lane. That is where they live.” Hatcher smiled. “She bought us houses there so we always had a place to go if we wanted it. Dex had to stay where her family could find her, but the rest of us could be free to have our own places.”
Wei asked, “How many of you?”
“Eight, nine, a dozen. I am not sure. We flit around like crazy.” Hatcher smiled. She paused. “I wonder how Ax is doing?”
“Well, she has to negotiate with an omega, so that is a situation all in itself.” Rhea smiled and grabbed the buns that had just arrived in front of her. Priorities were clear when food was around.