Chapter 20
The stars were really pretty when you looked at them from the Astroturf. “Hey, Vergis, look! The stars are really pretty.”
“Stop grabbing my horns, you ass. This mattress isn’t big enough for two.”
“But you need to look up.”
“I’m looking. Damn it, will you keep your hands to yourself? You don’t go around grabbing people by the horns.”
There was a funny noise. It was me snort-giggling. “Lissir grabbed you by the horns. When you told me I should just date Ink. He grabbed you like a bull! By the horns!”
“Yeah, because Lissir is an ass who likes to have the last word and pimps me out to your brother in-law’s entourage like nobody’s business. You know what? Fuck it.”
“Aww, Vergis, don’t leave me. I’m lonely. Loooonely!” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hammock swaying pleasantly, and the stars above me swayed with it. The night was so pretty.
“God, you’re so weird when you’re high.”
I was snort-giggling again, but louder this time. “Did I ever tell you Ink is my weirdo husband? He’s a great big weirdo who doesn’t mind walking around naked and talking about pleasure play out in public.”
“Hate to break it to you, human, but you’re the weirdo in that particular relationship.”
“Nuh-uh. Hey, you said I could have the hammock. What’re you doing climbing in the hammock?”
“Well, I have the hammock now. What? Why’re you looking at me like that? Oh no, don’t you fucking dare, you can’t—”
I was nimble like nobody’s business. “See? It’s big enough for the both of us. Because of my soft human frame.”
“I’ll throw you off this roof myself if you don’t get off me. See how your soft human frame holds up when it meets the cold hard ground.”
“Nooo, you promised. I’m no pigeon. You can’t murder me on your man cave pigeon murder roof.”
“The fuck is wrong with you? You’re not ever getting drugs from me ever again. Fucking human weirdo.”
“I really like you, Vergis. I think you and Nokim should totally get together. He’d bake you flower brownies, and then we could all have brownies together.”
“He already suggested that.”
“Hah! See? I know love. Luurve. Luuuuurve!”
“You’re even less useful than when you aren’t high.”
“I’m a fucking delight, pardon the French. I really like cuddling with you, Vergis.”
There was a creaking.
“Sadir? What are you two doing up here?”
“Oh, weirdo husband!” Said weirdo husband had climbed up through the little hole in the roof. He was so handsome. And tall. “You’re so, so handsome. And tall!”
“Please can you take your mate downstairs? We got a little high on kaminni.”
My weirdo husband had the best clickity chuckle, and the best warm arms. Why had I ever thought lying next to Vergis was nice?
Vergis wasn’t so bad, but weirdo husband was a million times better.
He was the fairest of them all, and I was his stepmother’s mirror, totally smitten and telling everyone who asked about it!
My Snow White husband. I totally forgot to tell him how he was the bestest of them all when he tickled my throat with his tongue.
“Everyone else is downstairs and soaking, Vergis. Some of the protectors are wondering if you’ll join.”
“Naaah, Vergis is saving himself!”
“Shut the fuck up, Princess.”
I did my best googly eyes at Inkiri, the bestest weird spouse between here and Aer. “Can we not go soak? I don’t want to see anyone else’s cock tonight. Just want yours.”
“Sadir, you’ll want your bed more quite soon. Come on, let’s get you off the roof.”
“But I don’t like stairs.”
“Can always kick you off the ledge and call it a day, Princess.”
“Aw, I love you too, Vergis, you big, horny sourpuss.”
“I’ll carry you, Sadir. Hold on to me.”
“Always.”
“Glad to hear that.”
The rest of the evening, the bestest, bluest husband took care of me, and maybe I talked too much, but he totally listened. Being high was the best.
I was learning new things. The newest was that being high wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Vergis was to blame for that particular lesson, of course.
All the bagua had been camping out in the downstairs living room, apart from the ones who had been keeping watch, and lucky for me, most of them were having their breakfast outside and not back in the kitchen.
That meant my coffee and I could be miserable together, although my coffee was actually fine.
Nokim had gotten really good with the fancy machine, and after taking one look at me, he’d gone straight for espresso rather than cold brew.
Charles sat across the table from me. He was watching the video feed again. “I did tell you to make good choices. You could’ve listened. You didn’t.”
Inkiri rubbed my back. “Some food will make you feel better, sweet thing.”
A week earlier, Nokim had gotten into sweetened oatmeal mixed with nuts and seeds and topped with fruit, but then he’d discovered polenta.
That’s what was on the menu today, along with fresh raspberries and raspberry dissent jelly.
That stuff was really good, but I wasn’t sure my stomach would be on board with it just yet.
“In a little while,” I said and leaned against Inkiri. “Guess it’s fine though. If we’re going to try to close up the monsters’ access to here, getting high once in my life beforehand seems like a good choice. I might get eaten, after all.”
Inkiri clicked. “You will not get eaten, sweet thing.”
“We have to talk about whether we bring the prisoner with us or set up a system to keep him here.” Charles looked at Inkiri. “It’s not like I trust him, but if some of what he’s saying is true, I don’t think he deserves to die. Between you and me, I think Kinnek thinks so too.”
Inkiri nodded while he continued to rub my back in a very relaxing way. “I agree, but we cannot expect you to come along with us, Charles.”
“Look, I get why you’re saying that, but I was a soldier.
I’ve seen actual combat, and I’m not letting my kid and the man I love more than anything go into whatever battle you might encounter there without me.
” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m an asset when it comes to human tactics as well.
If we run into those magician fuckers, I’ll be useful. ”
All the talk of battles and combat did nothing to settle my stomach.
Inkiri nodded. “We’ll be lucky to have you. But it does leave the matter of the Koa Esher.”
We didn’t discuss that further. Thankfully, Vergis came into the kitchen. He gave me one look, then grinned. “How’re you feeling this beautiful morning, Princess?”
“For all the things you say are my fault, this?” I pointed to my face. I’d seen the bags under my eyes, and my bloodshot eyeballs. “This is all your fault.”
“Mmm, but you were quite happy last night, Sadir, in the hammock with Vergis,” Inkiri said.
“Oh?” Charles turned to look at his kid.
“Not what it sounds like,” Vergis and I said together.
Charles raised a brow. “Sounds like you had a party just for the two of you. It’s always the quiet guys who get really freaky when no one is watching. Anyway, I suggest we take the prisoner along, make sure we know where he is at all times.”
“The Koa Esher from the basement?” Vergis walked to the fridge, but Nokim handed him a fresh mug of coffee before he even got there. “Thanks, Nokim.”
I blinked sleepily. That was possibly the first morning ever that Vergis had thanked Nokim for the coffee, and as a result, Nokim was sporting a beaming smile. I couldn’t imagine smiling like that. My face was hurting. Just looking at Nokim was sort of painful.
“Anytime,” Nokim said, but Vergis was already sitting down next to his dad.
“I may have a plan for how we can take him along safely.” Vergis looked at me. “Remember the bear?”
I groaned, and Inkiri clicked.
“How could I forget the bear?” I asked before carefully laying my head on my arms.
Charles stirred some honey into his polenta. “Magicy stuff?”
Vergis nodded and sipped his coffee. “Yup.”
“You double-check that with your dad.” Charles looked back at Inkiri. “A week from now is still the plan?”
I lifted my head a fraction. “Uh, wait, are we…already planning when we’ll…whatever we’ll do?”
“We talked about it last night, Sadir. Zeddira and Kinnek headed back to Aer this morning to select more protectors to help us.”
My jaw about dropped. “We’re bringing more people into this?”
Inkiri nodded. “After you were gone, as Zeddira and Kinnek talked, Zeddira said that back on Aer, the Koa Esher have been using the beasts to attack just past the border. There is some magic the humans have shown the Koa Esher that makes it possible to control the beasts to some degree. That’s what the prisoner has said before, and Zeddira just confirmed that the Koa Esher were already using that information to cause harm.
As a result, the Koa Esher must still be working with humans.
Which they would only be doing if they had come to an agreement regarding you. ”
Charles nodded. “Yeah, basically, we’ve been able to confirm that our bunker-dwelling bagu has been giving us solid intel so far.”
“Oh. That’s bad. I mean, good about the intel, but what is happening is pretty bad.”
“It’s all the more reason to close the veils to the monsters’ world as soon as possible,” Nokim said before finally joining us.
He sat next to Vergis and put down a bowl of his polenta breakfast delight in front of him.
“The veils between Aer and Earth, our plan will not harm that connection? I would hate being cut off from Earth.”
Vergis leaned back in his chair. “Nah. Those two make Aer and Earth stick together.” He gestured back and forth between Inkiri and me. “Through the magic of fucking lots.”
I didn’t have the energy to turn any shade of billet bean. My teeth were hurting too much. I lowered my head back onto my arms.
A door in the house opened, then shut. “Ah!” Lissir walked into the kitchen from the direction of the mudroom. “Mostly everyone’s here. Fellisse?”
Charles cocked his head. “Bunker.”
“That can’t be helped, then.” Lissir sat down with us, though not before he checked both entrances to the kitchen. “I have news.”
Vergis snorted. “You found another Raikenga to keep you company last night? That’s not news. Everyone saw that coming.”
“Well, yes, I did.” Lissir shrugged. “Another one from Livim, by the way. Most of the people Zeddira has brought are from Livim. But that’s not important.
What is important is that the Raiken is setting up outposts here on Earth, mostly because the recent reports indicate that the Koa Esher are doing that too. ”
“Everyone’s colonizing the place?” I lifted my head again.
Vergis leveled a flat glare at me. “I don’t think you have any right to get upset about anyone colonizing anything.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, but just… You know. There are going to be issues.”
Lissir nodded. “Yes, the Raiken expects that, but they’re not looking for war.
They’re looking to extend the prosperity they have already brought to parts of Aer.
They’re looking to work with the humans who still remain in the regions, especially the ones who might be in a bad situation.
” Lissir looked at me. “You said something about a religious group when Inkiri first brought you home? Tador mentioned something like that.”
I blinked. My eyes weren’t handling the light too well. “Tador?”
“The guy he was cozying up to last night,” Vergis said.
Lissir bobbed his head. “Their tactician. Also a decent lover. But from what Tador said, they came across a human settlement about four days’ walk away from where we found you.
Since the humans there attacked first and were unwilling to talk or even listen, they decided to storm the place.
It was in a relevant position, from a tactical standpoint.
They were prepared to let the humans be after they took all their weapons, but then they discovered children—young girls, he said—with babies of their own, made to work the fields and bearing the marks of fists and worse.
The protectors who entered that place were… very shocked.”
I wasn’t particularly interested in the coffee anymore. “That sounds about right.”
“A part of the reason Zeddira was on Earth was to decide what would happen to the men of that group, or most of them. He came to an agreement with the survivors and other humans they have established relations with that Raiken law should apply.”
Charles chuckled. “Love it. Raiken law is a lot better about that sort of thing.”
“What’s that mean?” I asked.
“Mistreating a hangu in that way, and doing it repeatedly?” Inkiri rubbed my back. “Sakkir. You know that word, don’t you?”
“The de-horning that basically means killing? After cutting their dicks off? Yeah.”
“Good riddance,” Vergis said.
Lissir tapped the table with his fingers.
“Yes, yes, a good thing. Are you all listening to me? Our people are expanding their reach to Earth, which, on balance, I think will be good. But the Koa Esher are doing the same. I’ve been reading everything Kinnek has collected on the Loathly Lady, and from my understanding, her favor would be very relevant in such a situation. ”
Inkiri clicked. “Zeddira learned some of this from Kinnek yesterday.”
“I thought he would have. It’s a good thing.”
All eyes turned to me.
Inkiri pulled me close against his side, and I relaxed into him. “He wants a quiet life, Lissir. Not to be what the Raiken might wish him to in this expanded territory.”
“Oh, come on.” Vergis crossed his arms. “I’ll be the first person to say I liked things better before Earth became the new Wild West for all and sundry bagua, but what’s done is done.
” He looked at me. “And you know, with great power, yada yada. Get yourself a cape and say smart stuff. Or skip the cape and don’t speak all that much.
Might be better, considering. Just be the twinky magic dispenser nature has selected you to be. ”
Charles cleared his throat. “Son, this was not a pep talk.”
I had to agree with Charles, but it was also maybe possible that Vergis was right. A little bit. And I hated all of it. The presence pricked at the fringes of my mind though, just enough that I could feel something like a nod of agreement with Vergis’s words.
All of a sudden, I wished I were high again.