Chapter 9 Checkmate #3
“What about Glyma?” Waryn said, and another wave of sorrow bowled over her.
She hadn’t thought of Glyma, the loss too great to bear.
Even if she took her mother’s offer to break things off with Waryn, she would still have to surrender Glyma.
She could be with a woman, yes, but a woman of her mother’s choosing.
And Glyma, a poor, no-name Succubus, bastard child to an unmarried mother from Lust?
Claryn would burn the Pentagram down before she ever allowed Quin and Glyma to be together.
And Glyma wanted nothing to do with the Dubois; she’d made that clear early on.
No, Glyma would never be Quin’s, and Quin would never be Glyma’s. They’d been kidding themselves these past weeks, playing at something that could never be real.
“What about Glyma?” Quin said, voice hollow.
“Oh come off it, Quin,” Waryn said sharply. “You’re crazy about her, and she’s head-over-tail for you as well. I can see it clear as day.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
He gaped at her. “It doesn’t matter? You’re half in love with her already, and it doesn’t matter?”
“How can it matter? Please, Waryn, tell me!” Quin stood and started pacing, hands gesticulating violently.
“Either I leave you, and my family demolishes every aspect of your life, and then I’m still destined to marry a woman I can’t even choose because you know my mother would never allow Glyma within fifty miles of the family.
Or we marry each other and play house for my mother and the media, and then what?
I ask Glyma to be my mistress? My side piece?
Always behind closed doors. Always in secret. Stolen moments in cheap hotels?
“We could be with each other, but never together. What kind of life is that for her? For me? Even for you or any child we’re forced to bring into this godsforsaken dimension?” She choked on a dry sob. “How could I ask that of her, of you? How is that fair to anyone? It will only hurt.”
With an infuriatingly condescending smile, Waryn stood and captured her shoulders in his hands, halting her pacing. “There’s a third option, you know?”
Quin splayed her hands. “I’m all ears.”
“You could just be with her,” he said, and it was Quin’s turn to gape.
“What?”
“You could be with Glyma. Hang the engagement. Hang the plan. Hang your mother and the family and this whole godsdamned world you hate so much,” he said, shaking her gently like he was trying to rattle something loose. “You could leave this all behind, and be with the woman you want.”
“Leave?” she echoed, and he nodded without a hint of jest. “But I can’t.”
“Why not?” he asked in bewilderment.
She shook her head. “I would lose everything. We both would.”
“Firstly, stop worrying about me. I’m a big boy, and I can take care of myself, so leave me out of the equation for now.
Secondly, what would you actually lose? Your business, your livelihood, is your own.
Your mother’s name is not on the bank accounts or the paperwork.
Sure, this house isn’t entirely yours, per se, and did they buy you that car?
I can’t remember, so maybe they’ll take it back.
And the family will…” He winced at that.
“Okay, yes, you’re sure to lose your inheritance.
But by gods, Quin, imagine what you’ll gain. ”
“But—”
“I have known you for three years, and in that time, I have come to adore you,” he said, cradling her face in his hands. “Your wit and intellect and the soft, gentle heart you try so hard to hide. But you have always kept yourself small and dim, to keep yourself from being noticed.
“And I know why you do. If you can keep yourself from being noticed, then your mother won’t see you.
And if your mother doesn’t see you, then she can’t hurt you.
I understand, darling, I do.” Tears flooded her vision, and Waryn smiled sadly.
“But, Quin, when you’re with Glyma, you shine brighter than the fucking sun.
I’ve seen it, the way you light up. And not just because of her, but because you’ve always had it in you.
It’s always been right here, and it’s always been yours.
” He pressed a hand to her chest over her racing heart.
“You just have to let yourself shine, darling. You’re worth it. ”
She was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks and catching on his thumbs. “My mother will never let me go. She’ll destroy everything. You. Me. Glyma, and the cafe.”
“Your mother’s petty, but she’s not that petty.
Yes, she’ll drag our names through the mud, but do you actually care about any of it?
Do you want to be welcomed in those circles?
” She shook her head, and he swiped at her tears with his thumbs.
“Then there you have it. Let her ruin your image. You’re not going to be around to care, are you?
And as for Glyma, your mother won’t do anything. What would it gain her?”
“Revenge,” Quin said pathetically.
“Again, I just don’t think your mother’s that petty.
But if you’re really worried, then at least tell Glyma everything and give her a chance to decide for herself.
You’re standing here, acting noble with self-sacrifice, but what you’re really doing is taking away her choice in all this.
” He patted her cheek a little too hard.
“News flash, she may just choose you back.”
Speechless, Quin searched for something to say.
A rebuttal. A counter-argument. A reason to refuse because she was so very, very scared.
There had been many reasons why she’d never truly gone after something she wanted.
Her mother’s approval and societal expectations, sure.
But the biggest was the fear of losing, of failing, of rejection.
She couldn’t fail at something she never tried; she couldn’t lose what she never had to begin with.
But she wasn’t a coward. Or maybe, she didn’t want to be a coward anymore.
“What about you?” she finally managed to ask, because it did matter.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll travel. I’ve always wanted to see the human dimension. Maybe apply for an academic residency at Cambridge.”
This was the first time Quin was hearing about anything like that. “Cambridge? In England?” He nodded, and she half-laughed, half-cried. “Why did you never tell me you wanted that?”
“I never thought it would fit in with the plan,” he admitted with a shrug. “What? You think you’re the only one capable of self-sacrifice? I’m offended.”
Laughing through her tears, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. “I don’t know how I got so lucky with you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, kissing her temple near the base of her horn. “Imagine what a power couple we would have been if we’d been born heterosexual.”
She pulled back enough to frame his face in her hands. “We could have really loved each other.”
With a scoff, he rolled his eyes. “We do love each other, you daft dyke.” Then he kissed her right on the mouth, close-lipped and brief. A mere peck, but it was full of affection. And yes, love.
They parted, and Quin glared up at him. “Daft dyke?”
“Well, you can be rather thick sometimes,” he said with a wink, unwinding his arms from around her. “Now, go get your lady, Miss Duboi.”
“What? Now?” A different type of panic gripped her. “But… it’s so late.”
“Quinastasia Duboi,” Waryn shouted, making her jolt at his sudden volume. “You will not be a coward. I will not stand for it.”
“You know I hate that name,” she grumbled, but he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.
“Either you go to Glyma and fight for her, or I will go get her and bring her here.” He made a face, like he smelled something bad. “Please, don’t make me do that. I really don’t want to listen to you two mashing your genitals together all night.”
Quin balked. “I beg your pardon? Mashing genitals?”
“Yes.” He pantomimed offensively, rubbing the heels of his palms together. “From my understanding, there is much smooshing.”
“Smooshing?” she shrieked in horror.
“That’s not the point.” He pointed toward the front door. “Get out of here this instance, and go get the woman you probably love—if not now, then you will in the future. Presumably after the genital smooshing.”
“Stop saying, smooshing, and definitely don’t add, genital before it,” she snarled.
“I will not stop,” he said haughtily, crossing his arms over his chest. “I will say even worse things if it gets you to leave.”
Quin glared. Waryn grinned gleefully.
“I’ve heard scissoring is a thing for you ladies,” he said, and she turned on her heels with a wordless cry and stalked out of the study. “Have fun, and be safe. Enjoy losing your lesbian virginity, my darling!”
Face on fire, heart racing a mile a minute, Quin closed her eyes, pictured Glyma’s building, and teleported, launching herself into the unknown for the first time in her life. She prayed Glyma would be waiting for her on the other side. She didn’t want to face the dark alone.