Chapter One #2
“Oh. It was. It was fine. I wasn’t in any danger, and then he was done and angry for some reason, so I made sure the spell worked, and I left. A human walking through an ogre neighbourhood gets a lot of attention. I moved fast.”
“So, he was an ogre.”
“He wasn’t red.”
“You had sex.”
“He had sex. I held still.”
“Oh, damn.”
“I got the spell; he got off; I got out.” Bethany shrugged.
“I just always hope that a first time will be memorable.”
“Oh, I remember it, I just don’t want to do it again.” Bethany shrugged.
“Well, Nessa has the desk covered for the party on Saturday. Sound check is at five. Party starts at eight and goes until one. You are the second performer, up on stage at nine until ten.”
“An hour? My wings are super excited.”
Orvis’s eyes got wide. “Oh, I had forgotten about them.”
“That was the point.”
Atolica smiled. “I will need to warn you about someone who gets very excited by wings. He calls us all cousins. I think he is looking for a flying family.”
Bethany nodded. “Understandable. It is always more fun to fly with others.”
“You have done it?”
“Once or twice, when I had to flee for my life. Avian shifters are always willing to help confuse ground walkers. It is handy.” Bethany sighed.
Atolica blinked. “I haven’t flown with a flock in years. Things have been complicated for me.”
“Understandable. How are your nieces?”
“Growing like weeds with a third on the way. They are gorgeous, and my sister is so happy.”
“And you are an aunt two and a half times over. Congratulations.” Bethany smiled.
“Thank you. I can’t believe you are here.”
“Well, I have a legal identity again and now am working on my own comfort, a decade and a bit late.”
“Fourteen years.”
“I remember. You were just old enough to fly away from your flock.”
“And I tried to bring you home to Crioss, but they made me call Leetha first. She found you a shelter.”
“Right. Your first meeting with Leetha. She had to come get me.” Bethany smiled. “And you visited me for a bit until they thought I was safe and I could leave.”
Atolica smiled. “And then you were gone.”
“Yup.”
“Well, Nessa says I can borrow you, and if you give me your financial institution, I can send you the payment to lock you in.”
“Why are you so eager?”
Tolly grinned. “Because Stovos listens to your music. When you were out being whoever, I knew your voice. When I found your music all over his phone, I hoped for this kind of moment, and then here you were.”
“I am going to try and stay here as long as I can.” Bethany nodded. “I am hoping. There is enough power around here for me to hide.”
Tolly blinked. “Oh, right. There is a lot of new magic in the area now. It would be easier to hide.”
Bethany smiled. “That was my thinking, and since my magic seems to align pretty well with Nessa’s, this was the perfect place for me, and I get to see friends again. Well, friend. I don’t get out much.”
Tolly stared. “You have fertility magic?”
“More or less. More, actually. I don’t want to wreck her groove when she is getting into it. If she feels stress, I can help her out.”
“You are sure?”
“Yup. The wild magic takes people apart and puts them together. It isn’t comfortable.
Well, it wasn’t. I can do spot healing that is minimally invasive.
Getting genitals to toe the line isn’t too tricky.
The ripening that Nessa does is a little more sudden with my work.
She uses a scalpel; I use a hammer. Treatment of last resort. ”
Tolly smiled. “Could you kickstart me?”
“You would have twelve hours to get things together, and like Nessa’s, it is best to consummate immediately.”
“Can you help with multiples?”
“Sure, but the female has to agree with the male outside the room.”
“Why?”
“Because what the male thinks is timesaving can cost a life.” Bethany frowned.
“Oh. Right. Well, I can only have girls, and Stovos has proof that boys are all dark elves can manage.”
Bethany smiled. “Then manage your child, and see what you get. Oh, Nessa knows nothing about this, so please consider me a usage of last resort.”
“Of course. Do you still look the same as you did when performing?”
“I have added a few things to the look.” Bethany grimaced.
“I am so excited. Now, gimmee those payment details. I know you never ignore a contract.”
Bethany brought up her details, and Tolly chortled and hid her screen while she was sending the money.
“Why are you so delighted?”
“Because you have no idea how much I am sending you. Stovos sends me money just for funzies. I am spending it on you. There is a six-figure budget for this party, and I am not even close to it.”
Bethany felt her phone vibrate and stared. “Twenty thousand? I usually perform for a run at the buffet. I can’t accept this.”
Tolly smiled kindly. “Stovos gives freely, so I can give freely. I am definitely up for the sudden wave of energy to start our child. We have been at it for a year, and no luck so far. Our granddaughter is adorable, but I finally developed an urge for my own.”
“I will help you if you need it, but I don’t think they have stopped hunting for me. Oh, and you can tell Nessa. I don’t want to steal her thunder, and this would be a one-off. Everyone will think it’s her.”
Tolly smiled. “So, you will?”
“Yeah. Contact me after the party. I can do it that night, but I would prefer to meet with you and Stovos first.”
“Can you meet with us tonight?”
“No. I am pulling the shift today. I am here until midnight and back at seven.” She shrugged. “I am also not saying or doing anything until Nessa is good with it. I need this job.”
Tolly nodded. “I get it. I could get you a job with Twilight Corp.”
“With what credentials? I have a charming manner and am attentive to people around me. That’s it. That’s my only saleable skill.”
Footfalls approached, and Nessa walked up to them. “It is a good skill. What am I missing?”
Tolly volunteered, “Bethany isn’t a human. She has fertility skills.”
Nessa froze. “What?”
Bethany rubbed the back of her neck. “Don’t worry. This is your facility. I am just here to cater to the guests.”
Nessa grabbed her by the hand and sat her down. “What kind?”
“What?”
“What style?”
“I don’t know what the style is. I have done it twice.”
“When you were trained, what did they call it?” Nessa smiled encouragingly.
“Oh. No training. I am wild magic. The need was identified, and I made the changes that allowed the conception. It is hard on the subjects, though.”
Nessa blinked. “You can bring on conception without any study?”
“I never had the funds to pay for an education. I am also sort of on the run. This identity is solid as well as my face, so I think I am good for now. The children that resulted are alive and healthy and a true split of their parents’ genes.”
“Can I contact them?”
“I will have to ask them.”
“Can you?”
She nodded and pulled out her phone. She contacted both couples with the same message about a fertility specialist wanting to know about her technique and results.
“Message sent.” She smiled. “Here is the address of the first one. Do you have translation apps on your phone?”
“Yeah. Why?”
She sent the address. “They are in Japan.”
“Oh. Right. Okay. I can manage that.” She paused and started typing, asking her questions.
The second couple answered as well, and Bethany forwarded the address. “These ones are in Scandinavia.”
“What are they?”
“Gnome and giantess.”
“Whoa.”
“And the other couple?”
“Tengu and nekomata. Cute couple. Together for twenty years with no luck.”
“How did you meet them?”
“I was there performing and needed someone to hide me from a bunch of horny ogres, so they hid me for a few days, and their scents covered mine until I could make arrangements and get to the airport. The sudden alignment was the magic’s payment for the help.”
“So you just...”
“Aligned them. Took the egg and sperm and made them equal and then got out of the way as the little one got started. It was only confirmed after I had already headed home.”
Nessa’s eyes widened. “You didn’t wait?”
“Not with the ruckus they were making. Their house wasn’t that big.” She sighed. “But I am not heartless. I left them an orb with a second chance, but it would only work for them. The moment that the ritual worked, the orb disappeared.”
Nessa smiled. “Good. So, do you want to take instruction?”
“Do I have to register with a guild?”
“Not really. I think I have some of my starter books.”
“Well, I am going to be pulling some long shifts, aside from Saturday.”
“Right. I have someone to take over in case the guests need anything, and they have been warned about it. They are having a movie night in their room and spending it planning a baby room.”
Bethany smiled. “Good. They deserve some time together. I chose the room with the bed rated for two thousand pounds. They should be fine.”
Nessa paused. “I forgot about that. What else did you add to the room? They both seemed very happy with the accommodation.”
Bethany blinked. “Well, you said to guess as many of their needs as possible, so they have a full bondage kit so Sereda can get on top now and then, rated for Ikor’s strength. A basket of lubes and some liver on crackers with sparkling water.”
“How much did that cost?”
“About twenty bucks in total. I set up an account with the new bondage shop, and they are giving us equipment to test. She caters to a lot of creatures but is having trouble getting word of mouth around. I thought this couldn’t hurt.”
Nessa grinned. “Well, the Wells are very comfortable and are treating this as a second honeymoon. I have another couple set to arrive late next week. Their file is in the office if you want to study tonight.”
“Sure. I will take a look.”
Her boss paused. “You really sing?”
“It’s kind of performing. Closer to burlesque.”
Tolly looked up from her phone. “I have seen clips. It’s phenomenal. Stovos has bootleg downloads from live performances.”
Bethany said softly, “I look a little different now.”
Tolly smiled. “It will be fine. I am sure of it.”
“I am sure, too. I just don’t want to surprise you.” Bethany smiled. “You get punchy when folks surprise you.”
“Yeah, Stovos has found that out a few times.” She chuckled.
Bethany checked the time. “Well, I have to start prepping the meals, so I have to go.”
Tolly smiled. “I will be in touch, now that I know where to find you.”
Bethany smiled. “It was lovely to see you again. Feel free to answer any questions Nessa has if she needs to know. Also, please remind her I am being hunted. It’s important.”
Tolly said softly, “Yes, Bethany, it is.”
She went to the kitchen and began her task of preparing dinner for two hungry trolls. The sous vide was underway for nice rare meat, and she got the vegetables prepared. She was the host and on call for her guests. They were going to get the best of care while she was there.