Chapter Three
Ted watched Avor speak to the men, and he gave them the same kind of download that she had gotten from the USB stick.
Mik looked at the orcs. “I don’t think those are for me. Not Nyssa either. So they must be for Nyla.”
The four men looked at Mik and nodded.
Mik cackled. “I get the feeling any guy picked for me is either going to be super nerdy or heavily armoured.”
Ted chuckled. “Or just really nervous. Why wait for them to pick at all?”
“Ah, we are a little overpowered for standard earth-born guys. In a world of combustion engines, we are jet-propelled. Different fuel, different results. The empire has been improving their engines for thousands of years.”
The orcs grinned.
Mik snorted. “They think that’s a compliment. It just means that I don’t want my kids to be considered threats to the empire. That’s my job.”
One of the orcs grinned and chuckled. Ted looked at him, and he was in different clothing than the guys next to him. He was dressed nicely, slightly formally, like a scholar who ate the books of the enemy.
Ted chuckled. “Mik. That one is here for you.”
Mik whipped around and stared at the nicely dressed orc. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, he has battle nerd written all over him.”
Avor asked, and the man inclined his head. He was a trained mage and there for the little chaos if she would have him.
Ted looked at Mik. “Did you get that?”
“What?”
“He’s here for the little chaos if she will have him.”
Mik blushed. “Uh. I don’t know what to do with that.”
He spoke quietly.
Ted grinned. “He can get you a manual if that would help.”
More soft words.
Ted paused and laughed. “He can also do a puppet show for clarity.”
Mik went from embarrassed to outraged to intrigued. She looked at Ted and then the orc. “What kind of puppets?”
There was laughter, and Mik walked over and extended her hand to him. He took it and bent over her fingers, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
Avor said, “They need to speak to Teyval and get oriented. Jobs, homes, chosen occupations, and human seeming.”
Mik smiled. “He needs to obtain puppets.”
The man grinned, showing a lot of teeth. His tusks had little gold bands on them, and his ears had a lot of piercings.
She nodded. “See you when you have been made inconspicuous.”
He chuckled, kissed her knuckles again, and looked at Avor, who was looking between the two of them and obviously doing some kind of math. “Right. Teyval and his pack are waiting. Stay quiet. Myrtle is working, and she likes a quiet house.”
Mik grinned, and the men walked out of the room.
Regis smiled. “That was quick.”
Ted looked at her. “You knew Avor was for you because you are a reincarnation; you were a mate before you even met him in person.”
Regis blinked. “How do you know that?”
“The download. It came with the glitter. I know a lot.”
Mik looked toward the door where the green contingent had disappeared. “Do you think he has tattoos? I get the feeling he has tattoos.”
Ted laughed. “Probably. So you are too much for an elf, and now you need an orc?”
“Well, my habit is to lean to the greener side of things.”
Ted slapped her head. “You are incorrigible.”
“I use my sense of humour to burn off steam. If I can get an assist on relaxing, I would be very appreciative and probably better with my patients.”
Regis chuckled. “Ah. Stress relief. Yeah, they are good for that. I have spoken with Myrtle, and she said that Teyval is definitely a good partner and father material.”
Ted asked, “Is he green?”
“No. He’s half dark elf and half orc, I guess.” She shrugged. “I have the elite omegas in my head, not their mates. That’s Avor’s thing. He got knowledge of his colony imports when they arrived. They are in his head, so I am guessing he knew when these new ones arrived.”
Nemia said, “I hope so. They would play havoc with the spicy fiction crowd if they started popping up everywhere.”
Ted snorted. “No kidding.”
Mik cocked her head. “What part would pop up first?”
Ted grinned. “I like you like this. I just remember the calming therapist.”
“Eh, can’t be calm all the time. When I am out like this, the magic talks, and it is rather fun. It even moonlights as a video game character in Riot Magic.”
Regis got a text and smiled. “They are on their way back with Teyval. Myrtle’s other mates will fuss over her until he gets home again. If he needs to go back, he will.”
Ted smiled. “They went over there because Teyval wouldn’t come on his own?”
Regis sighed. “He never leaves Myrtle. She may have double the mates, but he is all hers, and the others are just support.”
Mik paused. “Wait. If they can mate one to one and the other four were here for Nyla, what the hell?”
Regis shrugged. “I guess she can keep as many as she wants, but the dragon killers are always partnered up right away to keep them loyal to the empire.”
Nemia paused. “Dragon killers?”
“Red djinn, like you.”
Nemia held her hand up. “I thought I was more of a maroon.”
Ted tilted her head. “More wine.”
Mik looked. “I think merlot, perhaps sangria.”
Ira spoke, “It’s pretty.”
Nemia smiled. “Thank you. I think I figured out how to go back to myself.”
Win smiled. “That is usually best. It is nice to have a place to hide.”
Arwell chuckled. “But you do look lovely in crimson.”
“Thank you. I am going with sangria. I like sangria.” Nemia took a deep breath and slowly leaked pigment until she was a tribute to her golden-haired ancestors. Milky skin and hair to her waist were her signature, along with her blue-grey eyes that turned silver when she was red.
Nemia’s hands went to her ears, and she exhaled. “Whew. Back to normal.”
Arwell chuckled. “You will find that the djinn form feels like the normal one after a while.”
Nemia snorted. “I will take your word for this. It is really new. Ted, where have you been staying?”
“I have a small apartment where I can pay for everything online. I have really embraced being the ghost in the machine in town. I have made a ton of apps to run small businesses and even some large ones. They have kept me sane and working. Oh, now I get to focus on finding that shadow mage piece of shit.” Ted smiled.
“I am going to tear him a new one, heal him, and tear it again.”
Regis said, “If you can wait, Avor can give you some tips on destroying shadow mages.”
Win was eating another pastry. “So can Mik. So can I.”
Ted was interested. “What would you recommend?”
“When he reaches out for you—and they always reach out for you—split his hand along his fingers and run the split up his arm. He will be distracted as hell.” Win grinned with strawberry sauce in her teeth. “If you aren’t grossed out, keep going.”
Ted paused. “I thought I would pull my energy back and see what is left of him.”
Mik nodded. “Very poetic. Very dramatic. Did you want a hand?”
Ted’s magic was running a search pattern. She paused. “Mik, does your magic run off without you?”
“Sometimes, if it has shit to do. We are the vessels, the carriers. We have been remade to host it. We do our thing, and it does its thing. It has an agenda I know nothing about, and it just wants to keep the dark elves out of our way.”
Ted nodded. “Good thing that they are aiming a pretty orc at you.”
The low rumble behind her said, “Thank you. You mages are adorable and fascinating in equal measure.”
Ted looked behind her, and the orc was now wearing rich brown skin, short cropped hair, and silver earrings in his human form that was still twelve inches taller than she was. She smiled. “Pretty is pretty, and cute is cute. Mik is both. You are?”
“Avenget Molari. Mage to the imperial court.”
Teyval walked in behind them. “I had to give them the local languages. Elf brains are a little different.”
Ted paused. “Oh. Ohnonononono.”
She ran outside and closed her eyes, using a seek spell. She didn’t look for Hrinian; she was looking for other mages. They had to be bright and strong and away from people. She opened her eyes. There was a shadow moving toward another bright blob of magic.
Mik ran over. “Where are we going?”
Ted’s magic showed her, and they were on their way.
* * * *
Avenget looked at Teyval. “Where did they go?”
A pale woman was sipping a beverage. She said, “They are going to get Hrinian before he attacks another woman like he attacked Ted. She ran out and did a seek spell for mages, and then she and Mik poofed away.”
Avenget said. “Hrinian?”
“Shadow mage who put the thrall curse on Ted six years ago. He’s about to have a very bad day.”
She sipped at her coffee. “I am going to give them a head start and join them. Just want to finish my coffee.”
She smiled. “So you are the sacrificial mates that the empire sent this way?”
Avenget felt his face darken. “Something like that.”
“So there is you for a mage and four for the other djinn? Are they going to smash her flat or each take a limb and pull?”
Teyval grinned. Avenget looked at him for help. Teyval shrugged. “I have to keep Myrtle in a good mood. I am not going to try to explain how it is a one-to-one with djinn, if possible. If they need more backup, they have it.”
Nemia cocked her head. “So do the extras go home? Is it like recycling?”
Teyval snickered. “No, they are here to stay.”
“So how many are you importing? I mean, I am guessing that they each have seen files for Nyla, and they have their heart or whatever set on her.”
Teyval snorted. “This is fun. Yes, they are all geared toward her.”
“What happens with the rejects?”
The orcs looked offended, and she flipped them off. They paused and then looked outraged.
“Hey, they are picking it up fast.” She checked her senses for Ted and grinned. “Well, gotta go prevent a massacre. When Ted lets go, she really lets go.”
The woman waved at them and turned into a red djinn as she moved. Corso looked at her and followed. When she disappeared, so did he.
Avenget chuckled. “It seems Nyla will have three to choose from.”
Teyval laughed. “That is how it happens. Less formal introductions, more them telling you that you are not nearly as scary as you think you are, and then you are hooked. Myrtle climbed onto my lap when she learned I was the archive, and she still regularly picks my brain for details on alien races. I was very lucky to find a writer who appreciated me for my finer qualities and didn’t mind the tusks.
” He snorted. “They do tend to use the ears as handles if you are doing things right. Just a warning.”
Avenget blinked and grinned slowly. “So not timid?”
“Not for long. Once they are relaxed around you, they are capable of anything.”
Avenget smiled. “In that case, I suppose I should go and watch my mage in action. I do love a little chaos.”
He found the signature he had been memorizing and followed it to an open space covered with domed structures and silence. He saw the red djinn and Corso and followed them into one of the structures.
Inside, the mages were talking to another woman who radiated a gentle power. She held up her hand. “Got it. You are going to copy my signature and stop me from getting drained. Go ahead. This is my third one this week.”
The mages were startled, but a moment later, Mik had the new woman in a safe place near a rear exit, and Ted was bent over a tray of plants with the same energy signature as the gentle mage.
A vehicle approached, and he hid with Corso and the red djinn. They were simply standing by and watching.
Corso said, “This is not how I imagined my first date on this world.”
Nemia glanced at him. “I thought you were here for Nyla.”
“I am here for my best match. That is you, and I now have to get you to see the positive aspects of myself while I learn what is what.”
Nemia whispered to him, “What do you have to do?”
“Occupation, home. Community involvement. Avor is responsible for assisting us.”
The car pulled up, and three shadow mages emerged.
Nemia tensed, but Avenget touched her arm to keep her calm. He pressed a finger to her lips.
Corso whispered in her ear that they would help if it were necessary, but her friend needed vengeance. They were here to witness. That was all.
Avenget was eager to see what the mages could do. With three shadow mages, there should be leftovers.