Chapter Nine
Lucia sat with Yorwell on his deck and looked out over the quiet green space behind him. He had just held her at Mik’s office, and then they had headed home.
When she finally spoke, she said, “Giants are steady, they are calm, and they have patience.”
Yorwell nodded. “And we are excellent dancers.”
She smiled. “That will be an interesting demonstration.”
“Oh, I certainly think so.” He nodded again. “How was your session?”
“Long, but we covered some ground. Less rage when I came out than when I went in.”
“How many diamonds?”
“Sixteen.” She shoved her hands into the pouch on her sweatshirt. She pulled her left out, and it was full of glittering stones, some of astonishing size.
“Those are impressive.”
“Slow tears are bigger stones.” She smiled. “I learned that today.”
He smiled. “When you have settled, do you have thoughts for dinner?”
“All food is like new. Even mac and cheese is a feast.”
He nodded and pulled up his phone. “I can work with that.”
She laughed and sighed, looking out at the peace of nature. “Well, it hasn’t been a completely horrible day.”
He chuckled. “I am glad to hear it.”
“I figure my headache from crying ought to stop anytime now.”
Yorwell got up and walked behind her, pressing his fingers lightly to her temples and massaging gently, moving his fingers through her hair. He reached the back of her neck and worked down her shoulders.
Lucia had never been on the receiving end of a neck rub, and she found herself twisting against it, a small purr coming from her throat.
Yorwell chuckled. “I have never heard a beta purr before.”
She practiced a phrase that Mik had coached her with. “It’s new.”
He kissed her neck, and she scrunched her shoulders. He chuckled. “That is a fair answer.”
She sighed. “Too much new.”
“Pace yourself. It is your first day.” He kissed the other side of her neck. “So how much time have you been spending in other people’s cellphones?”
“I am there right now. Why?”
He chuckled. “The silence hurts?”
“It frightens me. I am terrified of sleeping and the silence being never-ending. It was bad enough not to be seen or heard or be able to touch and be touched, but I was terrified of silence because that meant I wouldn’t be able to know if the world had ended or just my world.
I have learned not to sleep, but I think that won’t be likely in this form. ”
His hands still moved on her shoulders. “If you let me, I would like to help you figure it out.”
Lucia leaned back in his grip. She purred again, and he kept working on her tension. She started yawning, and he chuckled. “I think a nap might be in order.”
She tensed. “No.”
“I will be in the room, a radio will be on, and you will be comfortable.”
She looked up at him. “I am willing to try. I had quite the emotional tsunami today. I don’t want to miss dinner, though.”
Yorwell spoke, “You won’t. Do you want to sleep in my office or in the bedroom?”
She blushed. “I would like to sleep in a bed. It has been a while.”
He nodded. “I am glad you are willing to try. It shows attachment to your current state.”
Lucia looked at her hands and flexed them. “How much is your bed rated for?”
“A lot. Giants sleep on a stone platform with a pallet on top of it. We have pillows and sheets just like everybody else, but our beds are solid. You won’t break it or fall through.”
She blushed. “Thanks.”
“Okay, let’s get you set up for a nap. Do you want to sleep in a shirt?”
Her blush got hotter. “Yes, please. I am not recognizing this as me quite yet.”
“It will take time, and I have a plan to help you with the process of adapting to your new physicality.” His upside-down smile was sweet. “A form of physiotherapy.”
She smiled and then yawned again. “Right. You have to let me go before I can stand up.”
He smiled. “Right.”
“Yorwell, you haven’t moved.”
He chuckled and straightened. “Well spotted.”
She got to her feet and walked up to him, hugging him. She mumbled, “I thought I would try this dressed and not sobbing.”
Yorwell smiled. “I am too heavily dressed, but I like this very much.”
She snorted and just focused on relaxing. When she felt herself getting sleepy, she said, “Okay. I am ready to try napping now.”
He stroked her back. “In a minute.”
She smiled and continued to hold him. When they both loosened their grips, he led her upstairs with a sports drink and a very slow pace.
“Are there a lot of giants here?”
“Not a lot. We don’t fit most standard seats or clothing, so we stay home and have our own families and standing armies. Libraries are big, so we are comfortable doing research and studying when we aren’t trying to beat the hell out of the others. That is what we do on weekends.”
“Oh. My brothers and cousins do the same.”
“Most of the giants here are half dark elf.”
“Oh. Interesting.”
“Calmer. More magic. Not in a hurry.”
“Yeah, I can tell by the slow pace up the steps.”
He chuckled. “I am still debating dinner. I want it to be special.”
She laughed. “The most special thing would be pie, cake, and ice cream. Mom told me over and over that betas couldn’t afford to get fat, or no alpha would want them.”
“Oh, you with more curves is an intriguing idea.” His hand at her back moved, and his fingers wrapped around her waist.
“Greedy.”
He chuckled. “Yes. I will show you art from home. The giantesses are spectacular. Muscles and curves confined in very snug clothing. Enough to take a male’s breath away.”
She snorted as they moved down the hall to his bedroom. When they were inside, he folded the sheets back and then went to get her a shirt.
He brought her a dark blue t-shirt, and she removed her shoes and looked at him. “You have already seen me naked today. Again, and I charge extra.”
He grinned. “I would pay.”
“Save it for when I am not waiting to go into a shallow coma for a few hours.”
He nodded. “Change in the bathroom, and I will be waiting to tuck you in.”
She nodded, took the shirt, and was happy it was a crew neck and not a V-neck. A V-neck would have shown way too much. As it was, the crew neck scooped below her collarbone and was way too close to her breasts.
She folded her sweats and socks carefully and carried them with her, setting them at the end of the bed. Yorwell tucked her in with a kiss on the forehead and set something on the bedside table. A soft static rumbled out, and she blinked away tears. “Thank you.”
He kissed her cheek. “No problem. I am going to be in the corner at my desk, making a few calls. I will keep my voice down, but I will be there. You can sleep. I am not letting anything happen to you.”
She sniffled and pulled a tear from the side of her nose. She set it on the table and went to sleep in the light of a bright afternoon with a giant in the corner and a white noise machine at her side. She let herself relax and hoped her body would be there when she woke.
* * * *
Yorwell opened a vision portal. “Hello, Pandora. I need some clothing for my companion. She’s fixated on underwear as well.”
Pandora smiled. “We usually are. Who is your companion?”
“Lucia Danyova. The unfixed mage. Achilles gave her a body with a very sylphlike dress, and she isn’t comfortable with it. She hasn’t had a body for years, and it is difficult for her. She doesn’t know the sizes.”
Pandora blinked. “Oh, Regis told me about her and her cousin. Right. Hand me the dress, and what size are her feet?”
He passed the dress through and said, “She’s a ten. She’s a gorgeous height.”
Pandora grinned. “You would think so.”
“No one else will dare form an opinion.”
“Ah, so it’s like that.”
“It is. First, she reclaims her sanity, then she reclaims a physical form, and after, we will deal with her family.”
Pandora said softly, “A good order for things. Do you have any thoughts on decoration for her?”
“She’s linked to cellphone signals, so something with that. Oh, she has diamonds to offer in payment. I am sure she would be willing to part with them.”
She blinked. “Why are you sure?”
“They are a side effect of her crying. She’s an electrical being in a stone body made flesh. This is her result. They have been assessed and are genuine.”
He held out the container from the therapy session and then the one from the kitchen. He held back two that he wanted set for her ears. He hadn’t shaped jewellery in some time, but this would be worth the effort.
Pandora stared. “She cries diamonds?”
“Yes. I want everything she wears to have some on it. They are proof of her survival.”
Pandora nodded. “Got it. Several million dollars worth of diamonds, an elf-made dress, shoes, and underwear. I will make her a body double and get to work. Are you attending the contractor’s gala?”
“This city has a lot of fancy-dress events.”
Pandora grinned. “That’s because the guys who have paired up want to show off women they didn’t scare away.”
He grinned. “Assume we will attend three or four events in the next six months. Her preference is for casual clothing. Jeans and sweats, but there is no reason she can’t have comfortable and bright tunics that leave her able to move.”
Pandora grinned. “I do love a practical man. Giant?”
“Correct.”
“Family crest?”
“I will write out her glyph and send it to you shortly.”
She nodded. “Well, I had better get to work. These mages rarely start with ballgowns. How long has she been... gone?”
“Cursed over ten years ago, and she lost her body six years ago.”
“Ah. I will give this my best.”
“Blues, greens, and deep russet, please.”
“Embroidery?”
“Gold. Rose gold.”
“Nice. Okay, I can have something for casual dinners out by late this evening if my guys don’t rush me home.”
“If they try, tell them Yorwell’s lady has a need. They will help.”
“Giants are a hard fit?”
“You have no idea. A searching giant can take over two centuries to find their match. I have been seeking for five.”
“You don’t look a day over two hundred. Right. I have projects to work on.”
“Thank you, Pandora. I will await your call.”
“Cool. See ya.”
The display went black.
He smiled and made some more conventional phone calls to his warehouse and requests for custom work.