《Welcome to the Party》


 Chapter 1

    ¡°Don''t give your name. Don''t go to your place. Make it a one-time thing.¡±


    ¡°And how did that work out for you last week again?¡±


    ¡°Fair point. Okay, rule number four: always have a solid exit strategy. Who knew her husband would get fired that night?¡±


    Phil sighed and downed his beer. Raising his hand to get the waitress¡¯ attention, he gave his buddy an exasperated look.


    ¡°It really is a wonder you haven¡¯t been killed yet, Chuck.¡±


    Chuck gave him his most charming smile as the waitress approached.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault women find me irresistible. Perhaps if the men in their lives gave them the attention they needed, they wouldn¡¯t seek me out. Isn¡¯t that right, Tina, sweetheart?¡± he said, turning to the tired looking brunette. She placed the beer in front of Phil while giving Chuck a sidelong glance.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t know. John over there gives me everything I need and more.¡± She indicated the muscular man leaning up against the wall watching the patrons of the bar enjoy themselves, yet ready to pounce if needed, as bouncers were wont to do. Tina looked Chuck up and down and smirked. ¡°Something tells me you wouldn¡¯t measure up.¡±


    Phil bust out laughing as Chuck feigned getting shot in the heart. Tina gave him a friendly smile and wink as he doubled her tip for the ruthless attack. She patted his shoulder in appreciation and left to continue making the rounds. Chuck sat back up in his chair where he¡¯d slumped when playing dead and watched her go.


    ¡°You definitely need to hit that, bro.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡± Phil asked. ¡°You know damn well what happens to guys who hit on her. Especially when her husband is standing twenty feet away! You¡¯re lucky you only got away with a busted lip when you tried.¡±


    Chuck waved his concerns off. ¡°Totally worth it. I still managed to get a handful of ass before he swung. That woman works out, man.¡±


    ¡°If hadn¡¯t been there to save your ass, it would¡¯ve been the last thing you ever felt. Why go after taken women anyway? You¡¯re just begging for trouble.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Phil! That¡¯s the excitement of it! If there¡¯s no danger, then it¡¯s just sex, and even that gets boring after a while. You gotta keep things spicy!¡±


    Phil took a pull from his bottle. ¡°You¡¯re an asshole, you know that? Why do I even hang out with you? I¡¯m gonna get killed just for being associated with you.¡±


    Chuck smirked. ¡°Two reasons, mi amigo.¡± He held up one finger. ¡°Because we¡¯ve been friends since junior high. And two,¡± he held up another finger, then pressed them together to point at Phil, ¡°because you¡¯re the typical beta male white knight that wants to play the angel on my shoulder while secretly hoping to get with the friends of the girls I hook up with.¡±


    Phil turned scarlet red but didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t have to. Chuck had known him for years. Knew him better than anyone. He¡¯d always been the more dominant one in their little duo, always taking the lead in any situation they found themselves in. His brutal assessment of Phil was based on years of experience. Phil didn¡¯t like to dwell on the fact that all of the women he¡¯d been with had been leftovers from Chuck¡¯s endless crusade to get the hottest woman in a group. He also didn¡¯t like to think of himself as ¡°beta.¡± He just liked to use his head more than his brawn, of which there was very little. Respecting women, and any relationship they may be in, shouldn¡¯t be the mark of a beta male, but in Chuck¡¯s eye it did. He was very much the type to go for what he wanted, and he wouldn¡¯t stop until he got it, even if ¡°it¡± had a significant other the size of a Greek demigod.


    ¡°Listen, man, if you don¡¯t start talking to women on your own, you¡¯re gonna end up alone. Think of it like one of those games you love to play. Whaddya call ¡®em? Visual novels? Those weird Japanese dating sims. Just talk to her and adjust your answers as needed until she¡¯s ready to climb into your lap.¡±


    Phil shook his head, chuckling. It doesn¡¯t quite work like that, he thought. He¡¯d actually tried that before in high school. All he got for his troubles was a disgusted look and a creep label that lasted the rest of the school year. For Chuck, hooking up was as easy as saying hi. For Phil, dating was more Dark Souls than Clannad.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy, Chuck. Not for me anyway. I just can¡¯t read women. You remember Jenny Smith?¡± Chuck nodded, a slight smirk on his face. ¡°For months she was constantly hovering around me, talking to me, even calling me just to chat. I never put two and two together, man. It never occurred to me that she might be interested in me until she wasn¡¯t anymore. I just thought she was being friendly.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Chuck snorted. ¡°She used to complain to everyone that would listen about how dense you were. She even came to my house one night to get advice on how to make you realize.¡±


    ¡°She stopped by your place?¡± Phil asked, surprised. The look in Chuck¡¯s eyes suddenly triggered something in Phil. ¡°You didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I did. A few times that weekend. Why do you think she wasn¡¯t interested anymore?¡± Chuck at least had the decency to not look overly fond with himself, not that it helped Phil¡¯s anger any. Phil dropped his head into his hands, muted rage coursing through his mind. He fought it down though. Getting pissed now wouldn¡¯t do any good. It¡¯d been over ten years.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°You¡¯re a real son of a bitch, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± stated Chuck. ¡°If it helps, I did feel guilty afterwards. All she wanted was to talk about you, but she looked so vulnerable I just couldn¡¯t help myself. Oh, sit down. We both know you¡¯re not going to do anything.¡±


    Phil looked down and realized he was standing, his fists clenched. The tables around them had gone silent and were staring at him while John the bouncer had taken a step away from the wall he had been leaning against. Chuck continued relaxing in his seat, sipping at his beer while watching Phil¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for the night,¡± Phil muttered and made for the door, pulling out his phone to call an Uber.


    ¡°This is why you¡¯ll always be a beta, Phil!¡± Chuck called to his back as he left. Phil felt every eye in the bar follow him out until the door closed behind him.


    *


    ¡°Where the hell is this guy?¡± Phil muttered as he checked the app for the fifth time in as many minutes. It said his ride was a minute out, and the GPS showed the vehicle a block away, but it wasn¡¯t moving. He¡¯d tried cancelling and getting another ride, but the same vehicle took the request. Phil danced in place a little to keep warm, the chilly night cutting right through the light sweater he wore. He was also coming down from his fit of anger at Chuck, although he made no move to look in the window of the bar. He could already imagine Chuck shrugging at his departure and moving to find a woman to hit on. He knew that Chuck wasn¡¯t the type of person he should have as a friend, but he was the only one who ever hung out with him.


    Phil was socially inept. He didn¡¯t know how to talk to people, especially women. He¡¯d never been on a real date that wasn¡¯t some group event where Chuck had tried to set him up with someone, and most of those ended with an awkward goodbye and no returned calls. The handful of women that he¡¯d taken to bed, or rather, had taken him to bed, had seemed to do so out of pity, and not a single one of those women expressed any interest in seeing him again afterwards. At least that¡¯s the impression he got. He never stuck around afterwards to find out. To this day he had yet to wake up under another woman¡¯s sheets. Phil was well aware of his standing with people, and that he was destined to be a cowardly wallflower for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Fuck this,¡± he muttered and started walking. The uber was only a block away. If it wouldn¡¯t come to him, then he¡¯d go to it. Breath steaming in the cold night air, he made his way down the street. There was little traffic in this part of town, the bar being a hole in the wall that he and Chuck frequented. All the newer dance clubs were on the other side of town, drawing the majority of weekend partiers over that way. It left the street quiet and still, only the blinking of the nearby traffic light showing any sign of life. Well, that and the grunting and soft curses coming from around the corner.


    Phil slowed his pace, cautiously approaching the corner of the building on the intersection. He peeked his head around and couldn¡¯t contain the audible gasp that escaped his lips. A man was leaning into the driver¡¯s side of a car while three women stood back and watched. One of the women apparently heard his gasp and glanced over. Their eyes met briefly before he could pull himself back around the corner to hide. For that brief second, he could see absolute terror in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he worked up the courage to take a second look. His instincts screamed to run and call the police, but he also realized that he hadn¡¯t actually seen anything more than someone leaning into a car and three women standing nearby.


    Slowly, he inched his head out of cover again and tried to take in what he was seeing. The car, a midsize sedan, was rocking side to side a bit. Now that he took a longer look at it, he realized it matched the description of the car that was supposed to pick him up. The figure leaning into it seemed to have a large build, and it was his movements that caused the car to rock. He then realized that door to the vehicle was laying on the ground, ripped off at the hinges. Sweeping his eyes from the vehicle, Phil¡¯s eyes fell on the women again. The terrified woman caught his attention and she reached back to let the other two women know, quietly slapping at the nearest one¡¯s arm. The second one looked pissed off and whipped her blonde head around to the first one, but her expression changed to astonishment when she caught sight of Phil. She started to wave him over frantically, but Phil shook his head, eyes wide at the spectacle before him. He wasn¡¯t sure what was happening, but he was reasonably confident that he wanted nothing to do with it. He looked at the last woman and his brow furrowed in confusion. Her fists were white knuckled, and she appeared to be straining against something, if the tautness in her neck and face were any indication. Her face was almost as red as her hair from the effort. It was like she wanted to take a step forward but was unable to for some reason. She paid no attention to the second woman¡¯s slaps at her arm.


    Again, the first two women frantically tried to get Phil to come to them, and again he shook his head negatively. They were desperately pointing back at the car, mouthing something to Phil that he couldn¡¯t quite make out. The two women exchanged glances, nodded, and then the nearest one breathed out ¡°He¡¯s killing him!¡±


    The movement in the car suddenly stopped and both women froze. The second one slowly looked back at the large form slowly extricating itself, her eyes narrowing in obvious hatred. The first one looked pleadingly at Phil, mouthing please help at him. Phil¡¯s eyes shot wide. No one had ever asked him for help before, let alone a woman. His grip tightened on his phone. Chuck¡¯s words still hung in his mind. This is why you¡¯ll always be a beta, Phil! He wasn¡¯t a man of action. He wasn¡¯t the knight in shining armor, despite Chuck¡¯s mocking description earlier. He was just Philip Thomas, the lanky dude who played dating sims and only left the apartment for work and when he was dragged out by his one and only friend, although he was starting to question that particular label for Chuck. His life was work, games, and home. Not rushing to the aid of others. He should run and call the police. He should.


    He didn¡¯t though. As he took in her expression and the body language of the other two women, he knew had to do something. He didn¡¯t know what, but he was sure if he left something bad would happen to them. He didn¡¯t want that on his conscience. He just couldn¡¯t let it happen. The figure was still straightening up after getting out of the car. Jesus, Phil thought. He¡¯s a fucking giant! Suddenly, Phil wasn¡¯t sure doing anything would help at all. Just delay the inevitable.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    He ran. Before the whispered word had been finished, Phil had a full head of steam and his out of shape legs pistoned as he bolted. Much to his surprise, however, he wasn¡¯t running away, but charging towards the building with legs. Phil barely had time to register the shoulder length blond hair and surprised expression on the man¡¯s face as he collided with him. The large man had been in the process of turning when Phil tackled him and was caught off balance. Both men hit the ground in a heap. Phil heard a couple of cracks and the blinding pain that rocketed through him told him that at least one of those cracks was him. Screaming in agony, he attempted to roll off the large man, convinced he was shortly about to die, but the other man didn¡¯t move. The pain in Phil¡¯s shoulder was causing him to hyperventilate as he struggled to get off the guy, but his movements only served to bring him face to face with him. He was greeted with a stunned expression, and Phil was distantly aware of seeing the steam from the man¡¯s breath dissipate as his breathing got shallower. Finally, with one last exhale, the man ceased all movement, breathing his final breath into the still hyperventilating Phil¡¯s face.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Are you fuckin¡¯ kidding me?¡± Phil heard someone say. He couldn¡¯t be sure who, however, as he was more focused on the intense pain in his shoulder and the white sparks popping in his vision every time he moved. Those sparks turned into a supernova when he felt arms snake under his chest and lift him off the still form beneath him. He felt a grating in his collarbone and let out a yell that ended in whimpering tears as he was unceremoniously dumped on his back. He held his left arm close as he tried to figure out what had just happened.


    ¡°Is he¡­ dead?¡± he heard one the women ask hesitantly.


    ¡°Give me a second, Rose. I¡¯m checking,¡± replied a third voice. ¡°See if he¡¯s alright, will ya?¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, right. Okay.¡±


    The stars above Phil disappeared, replaced by a concerned face. Trying to shift his attention from the excruciating pain in his shoulder, Phil focused on her. Wide, concerned looking brown eyes stared back at him over a straight nose and full lips. Brown hair cascaded over one shoulder, brushing against Phil¡¯s cheek while a hand lightly brushed his hair off his forehead. To Phil¡¯s mind she looked just like-


    ¡°Anne Hathaway?¡±


    The woman shook her head. ¡°Hardly, but thank you for the compliment. I¡¯m Rose. Are you ok?¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°Shoulder. Broken,¡± he grunted out. Her eyes narrowed as her attention shifted downward to where he was clutching his arm. She looked at his shoulder, her eyes glowing briefly. Phil stared. Did he just see that, or was his mind playing tricks on him from the pain?


    ¡°Broken clavicle,¡± she muttered, then looked him in the eye. ¡°This is going to hurt. A lot.¡±


    ¡°What-¡± he began, but all thought instantly fled as she placed her hands on his shoulder and forced the bones back in place. He screamed in pain, and just before he blacked out, he could have sworn he saw her eyes glowing again.


    Rose stood up and turned away from the unconscious man, looking to her companion that stood next to the prone form of their former¡­ associate.


    ¡°Bruce?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dead,¡± replied Reese. She lifted the man¡¯s head to reveal what had killed him: a four inch post sticking out of the concrete where a road sign used to be. When he¡¯d fallen, he¡¯d landed clean on it, driving what was left of the post into his skull. The blonde didn¡¯t seem too upset at the situation. Not that she would. He¡¯d given her little reason to love him. ¡°How¡¯s the kid?¡±


    ¡°Alive. I had to heal his collarbone though. Looks like he blacked out from the pain.¡±


    Reese shook her head. ¡°Damn fool¡¯s lucky he wasn¡¯t killed. If Bruce had been a second faster, we would be cleaning up two murders tonight.¡±


    ¡°We still are,¡± came the reply from the car. Reese and Rose looked over at the redhead as she examined the driver. ¡°This guy¡¯s dead, and now we have to do something with Bruce. At least the wet noodle over there will be easier to move.¡± She stood up and blew a lock of her hair out of her eyes before joining the other two next to Bruce¡¯s body. ¡°Do your thing, Reese. It¡¯s almost two, and that bar around the corner is going to empty out soon.¡±


    Reese smirked as she started walking towards the intersection. ¡°Surprisingly practical, Britt. Rose, get Master Wet Noodle down the street a bit. I¡¯d hate to undue the work you just put in to him. Britt, I may need a ride after this. It¡¯s going to take a lot of energy, and it¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    Nodding, Britt and Rose moved Phil¡¯s unconscious form down the street and waited for Reese¡¯s show to begin. Reese took a breath and opened her mind to everything around her. Aside from her two companions and the unconscious man with them, all she felt were stray animals in the immediate area and some soft echoes from the bar just at the edge of her range. She sent a spike of energy out to chase off the animals but didn¡¯t concern herself with the bar. What she planned wouldn¡¯t affect it or her friends. Assured that nothing alive would be harmed, she wrapped herself in a bubble of energy and pulled herself into the air.


    Rose and Britt averted their eyes and placed themselves between Reese and their charge in case he suddenly woke up, aware of what was to come next. A bright flash illuminated the intersection, following by a deafening roar. Shockwaves nearly knocked Rose over, but Brittany stabbed the ground with her hand and held her in place. As the heat and shockwaves calmed down, the women turned to inspect the results. The entire intersection and half the buildings surrounding it was molten slag. The radius had naturally been expanded to consume the car and bodies, the entire reason for the action in the first place. The heat coming from the area was enough to reduce everything it touched to ash, and the soft bodies were quickly consumed by flames and incinerated.


    Reese levitated herself to the edge of destruction and promptly collapsed. Britt quickly made her way over and hoisted the exhausted woman over her shoulder.


    ¡°Time to go,¡± Britt said as she raced back to Rose and threw the still unconscious man over her other shoulder. Hardly noticing the weight she carried, Britt dashed down the street, Rose hot on her heels. They needed to be long gone by the time people started converging on the area.


    *


    Phil woke screaming, clutching at his shoulder and completely disoriented. He sat up and looked at his hand. Why was he clutching his shoulder? He had a vague impression that he should be in a lot of pain, but he felt none, aside from a slight headache that he attributed to the drinking he did the night before. As he was looking at his hand he noticed the blanket across his lap, then the couch he was laying on. He recognized neither of them. What the hell? he thought. Looking around, he took in his surroundings. He was clearly in someone¡¯s living room. A very nice living room. The furniture looked like it was directly out of a show about the rich and famous. The massive flat panel TV was a brand he couldn¡¯t have afforded without saving his entire income for a few years. A huge fireplace took up the center third of an adjoining wall while floor to ceiling windows flanked it. The windows provided a view of a high class neighborhood, which confused Phil because last he remembered he was deep in town at the bar and nowhere near anything like this.


    Tossing the blanket aside, Phil stood and marveled at his bare feet. Heated floors, he thought. Nice. He looked around the room, trying to gain some idea of where he was. Seeing some pictures on the mantel of the fireplace, he padded his way over and grabbed the closest one. A brunette was smiling widely and throwing up a peace sign. She looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t quite place her. She kind of reminded him of-


    ¡°Anne Hathaway?¡±


    ¡°Rose. We¡¯ve already been through this, Mr. Thomas.¡±


    Startled, Phil nearly dropped the photo. After some awkward juggling, he managed to save it from hitting the ground and placed it back on the mantel. He didn¡¯t notice it fall flat as he turned and saw the real life version of the woman wearing a tank top and shorts instead of the fashionable dress in the photo. Her hair was tousled, and eyes were puffy and red, but it was definitely the same woman he remembered seeing last night. Last night!


    It all came back to him in a flash. His argument with Chuck. Stumbling upon the group at the car. Rose¡¯s pleading eyes meeting his. The tackle. The pain. Her glowing eyes. Nothing after that though.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why am I here?¡± he asked nervously. The woman eyed him for a second.


    ¡°How much do you remember from last night?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Everything up until you touched my shoulder. What did you do? I know I broke it when I hit that walking gorilla-¡± he cut himself off when he saw the dark look in her eyes. He was incapable of reading women, but even he could tell this was a step too far for her. Meekly, he looked at the ground. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Still looking at the ground, he missed her wiping at her eyes and sighing. Moving to the couch, she threw the blanket over the back and called him over while taking a seat. Nervously, he made his way over and sat at the far end of the couch, nowhere near where she¡¯d patted, and awkwardly turned his head to look at her while wringing his hands between his knees. She had no way of knowing that being alone with a woman on a couch terrified him more than his actions the night before. At least, he didn¡¯t think she had any way of knowing.


    It wasn¡¯t too terribly difficult for her to get the idea. To her, his body language screamed it. He was distant, folded in on himself, and hardly made eye contact. He¡¯d glance at her, then look away, glance back, make eye contact, look away again. Despite her current mindset and grief over the events of the night before, she couldn¡¯t help but be a little annoyed. He still couldn¡¯t resist taking quick peeks at her chest. She¡¯d come to expect it in her life, but most guys were better at hiding it than he was. She decided to take a wait and see approach with him, wondering if he¡¯d find the courage to speak first.


    They sat there for a few uncomfortable moments before his fidgeting started to annoy her.


    ¡°Mr. Thomas, you killed a man last night.¡± Taking the blunt approach, Rose figured it was best to hit him with the biggest hammer in her arsenal at the moment. This was completely out of character for her, but the man was already familiar with her face, so they decided she should be the one to talk with him. Reese wasn¡¯t part of the discussion since she¡¯d passed out on Britt¡¯s shoulder and still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    If Phil¡¯s eyes had gotten any wider, they would¡¯ve fallen out of his head. ¡°I did!? I didn¡¯t mean to! I swear! I don¡¯t even know why I ran at him!¡± He dropped his face into his hands and started rocking back and forth. ¡°Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod¡­¡±


    Rose moved closer to place a hand on his shoulder, but as soon as he felt the movement he jerked away, surprising her. He stood up from the couch and started pacing. ¡°What am I going to do? I killed a man. I. Killed. Someone.¡± He whipped around and faced Rose. ¡°Are you going to call the cops? It¡¯d be the right thing to do, of course. I wouldn¡¯t blame you.¡± It didn¡¯t occur to him that if they were going to do that, they probably wouldn¡¯t have let him sleep on their couch.


    Rose shook her head. ¡°No. No one is going to call the cops. Sadly, it was going to happen eventually. I didn¡¯t want to admit it to myself, but he needed to be killed. Probably a long time ago, actually, but we just couldn¡¯t accept that he was too far gone to save. And when he started choking that poor man¡­¡± she lapsed into silence as she remembered the night beforeStolen novel; please report.


    Phil stared at her in confusion. ¡°What?¡±


    Rose looked up, then made a decision and stood. ¡°Let¡¯s get some breakfast. I have a lot to tell you, and I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Phil watched her retreating back for a second then followed her. To say he was confused would be a massive understatement. He followed her through a door in to a lavish dining room straight out of a fantasy novel. At the long table two places were already set with food piled up in between like a luxurious buffet. Rose took a seat to the right of the head of the table and gestured at the seat across from her.


    They ate in awkward silence for a while before pushing their plates aside and settling back with some coffee. Phil wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to do in these sorts of situations, and he was terrified of saying or doing anything that might offend her again. Rose, for her part, seemed content to sit in silence and sip her coffee. The longer the silence dragged, the more nervous Phil got and the more he squirmed.


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t always like that, you know,¡± Rose said suddenly. Phil just stared at her, not knowing what to say or what she was talking about. ¡°He used to be a bright, energetic, and fun guy. That¡¯s why I joined his party.¡± She looked down into her mug. ¡°That¡¯s why I fell in love with him.¡±


    Phil opened and closed his mouth a few times, wanting to say something, anything, but instead just did his best impression of a fish out of water. She still hadn¡¯t looked at him. ¡°Um¡­¡± he began.


    ¡°Something in him changed though,¡± she continued, cutting off anything Phil might have said much to his relief. ¡°You know that old saying ¡®you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain?¡¯ I think that¡¯s what happened to Bruce. He used to be so kind and caring about everyone, but gradually he started turning his back on people. Started saying things like ¡®the weak need to start standing up for themselves¡¯ and complaining about not being recognized for all the work he¡¯s done for the city. He started to not care that what we do is supposed to be a secret. I think his power started to go to his head.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He used to be so humble.¡± She lapsed into silence for a bit.


    ¡°What you do?¡± Phil asked. Rose finally looked up and met his eyes. It was all Phil could do to not lower his own.


    ¡°We¡¯re kind of like guardians, Mr. Thomas. We protect the city.¡±


    ¡°Um, call me Phil, or Philip. Protect it from what? Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Philip, then. We protect it from things mundane people couldn¡¯t hope to comprehend. As for why I¡¯m telling you, we¡¯ll get to that in a moment.¡±


    He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Mundane people?¡± Rose let a small smile play across her lips for a second at his question.


    ¡°Not the best term, I know, but usually helps get the idea across. I guess you could say we¡¯re like¡­ adventurers in an RPG? That a fairly accurate description. At least our group was. A mage, a tank, a healer, and a leader. Just don¡¯t call Brittany a tank. She hates the term.¡±


    Phil unconsciously rubbed his collarbone. ¡°You¡¯re the healer, aren¡¯t you? My shoulder¡­¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Yes. I healed you last night.¡±


    ¡°Last night¡­¡± Phil said thoughtfully. ¡°Last night, why didn¡¯t you try to stop¡­ Bruce, was it? You said he was choking that man, but you guys just watched.¡± He flinched at the look that crossed her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we would have if we could have!?¡± she barked out, jumping to her feet and smacking the table as tears started rolling down her eyes. ¡°We tried! We fought so hard against the order, but we couldn¡¯t break it! We couldn¡¯t stop him! We were helpless! He ripped that door off and started choking that poor man right before our eyes, just because he called us pretty as we walked by! He told us to stay there, and there was nothing we could do!¡± Rose¡¯s voice had risen in pitch as she unloaded on Phil before she collapsed back in her chair and buried her head in her arms, sobbing on the table, her coffee mug knocked over, the spilled coffee spreading and dripping on to the floor.


    Phil sat straight against the back of his chair as if he were pinned there, unable to move and unsure what to do. If women in general terrified him, then a crying woman was downright horrifying. He sat there, stunned and motionless, until a new voice caused his head to whip around in panic.


    ¡°When a party leader gives an order, it will be obeyed. There¡¯s no way around it.¡± The muscular red head said as she stood straight from the door she¡¯d been leaning against and started walking the length of the room to Rose¡¯s side. Phil couldn¡¯t help but admire the muscle tone evident on her body, not the least bit hidden beneath her black and red leggings and sports bra. She scowled at him. ¡°Eyes up, kid, or I¡¯ll have your eyeballs for earrings.¡±


    His eyes immediately snapped to her face, then back down to the table. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled.


    Rolling her eyes, she took a seat next to Rose and placed a comforting hand on her back. As she comforted her friend, she turned to face Phil. ¡°Someone a long time ago decided that a party leader¡¯s word was law, and all who follow them were compelled to obey. They say it prevents infighting in the group, but I think someone was just high on their own power and didn¡¯t like being told no.¡±


    ¡°They?¡±


    ¡°Not important right now. What¡¯s important is that we couldn¡¯t have stopped Bruce last night after he told us to stay, no matter what happened. The only way we could have been released from the order was if he rescinded it or died.¡±


    ¡°That sounds awful,¡± said Phil.


    She shrugged. ¡°It didn¡¯t used to be an issue, so we never thought about it.¡±


    Rose lifted her head and looked at the red head with a sad but grateful smile. ¡°Thanks, Britt, and I¡¯m sorry, Philip. I shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you.¡±


    Philip waved his hands in front of himself. ¡°No, no, no. The fault is mine. I was wrong to assume you¡¯d just let someone be killed like that.¡±


    The two women exchanged a look, and Rose slowly nodded, looking back down to the table.


    ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t think this was the first time,¡± said Britt. Phil cocked an eyebrow at her, so she continued. ¡°There have been other occasions where he got upset with someone over something trivial. He always told us to head home at that point, and we had no choice but to obey. He¡¯d always turn up later and not say anything about it. Then a day or two later there¡¯d be reports of someone missing or bodies being found. We could never prove he had anything to do with it, but a pattern was developing.¡±


    ¡°Was there no one you could tell?¡±


    ¡°We tried to bring it up with him one day, and he told us to not talk about it,¡± answered Rose. ¡°Stupid mistake on our part, really. We should¡¯ve gone straight to the council first. Once he told us not to talk about it, we were helpless.¡±


    ¡°Could you have written an email or letter or something? He just said not to ¡®talk¡¯ about it, right?¡±


    Britt rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not the wording we have to follow, it¡¯s the intent. If the leader is issuing orders in the middle of a fight, they may not have time to completely articulate what it is they¡¯re trying to do. We¡¯re not exactly sure how it happens, but with just a few words a leader can pass their plan off to everyone in the party and know what they¡¯ve pictured in their heads will happen. Some parties are so well put together that it can be accomplished with just a look. We¡­ never made it that far.¡±


    Suddenly, a door on the other side of the dining room banged open and a short blonde woman walked in yawning with her arms stretched over her head. Phil¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he took in the sight. Her face, arms, and shirt were covered in soot from her fireworks display the night before, although Phil had no way of knowing that since he¡¯d been unconscious at the time. It wasn¡¯t the soot that had caused his surprise and embarrassment, however. It was the fact that aside from her shirt, the only other thing she was wearing was a collection of string that laughably passed for underwear. Very little was left to the imagination. Phil turned beet red and focused very hard on the tabletop with his hands pressed firmly in to his lap, praying no one had seen his reaction. He missed the smirk on Britt¡¯s face.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± the blonde said as she approached the table, finally taking a look at who was present. ¡°Oh. We brought the wet noodle? How ya doin¡¯, hero?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Wet noodle?¡± Phil asked. Did she see my reaction just now? He was aware of a presence pushing in to his personal bubble. A breath on his cheek. Slowly, he turned his head and found himself nose to nose with the blonde, her blue eyes encompassing his entire field of view. His cheeks felt like they were on fire. He tried looking down to break eye contact, but she immediately pushed her forehead against his to hold him in place. When he tried to lean back away from her, she followed his movements. Before he knew it, he was pressed against the back of his chair with no escape. She had practically crawled on to his lap to maintain her position, a hand on his chest, one leg squeezed between his and the arm of the chair.


    ¡°Wha¡­ what¡­ what are you doing?¡± he squeaked out. His heart felt like it was going to either beat out of his chest or stop completely, he wasn¡¯t sure which. He could smell the toothpaste on her breath and absentmindedly wondered why she¡¯d brushed her teeth but not wiped the grime off her face. Her eyes stayed locked on his for a few more seconds.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got really pretty eyes,¡± she breathed out. She shifted her head slightly, bringing her lips dangerously close to his. Phil could¡¯ve sworn he heard the booms of his heart breaking the sound barrier. After a couple seconds that felt like an eternity, she backed off completely and flopped over the arm of the chair next to his. ¡°Shame about the rest of you though,¡± she said conversationally and poked his ribs with a dangling foot.


    Phil couldn¡¯t process what just happened and continued to hyperventilate as he stared off in to space. He didn¡¯t notice the three women exchange glances with each other, nor Brittany¡¯s eyerolling at Reese¡¯s antics.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got our work cut out for us, girls,¡± said Reese. This brought Phil back to the present.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Britt groaned. Rose looked between the two of them, confused for a second until the pieces clicked in her head.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°Looks like it. I can feel it in him.¡± She turned her attention to Phil. ¡°You caught his dying breath, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°What? The guy from last night?¡± he asked, not daring to look at her.


    Reese leaned forward towards Phil, a serious look on her face. ¡°Yes. Bruce, the guy from last night. The guy you stupidly tackled and drove on to a four inch spike and killed. You were face to face with him when he breathed his last, right? You inhaled his dying breath, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I- I- I don¡¯t know! Maybe? Not on purpose though! I didn¡¯t mean to kill him. One of you asked for help and the next thing I knew I was trying to tackle him. I don¡¯t even know why! I should¡¯ve just called the cops like I originally thought.¡±


    Rose¡¯s hands shot to her mouth to hide a gasp, her eyes wide and focused on Phil.


    ¡°It was me,¡± she said, voice full of despair. ¡°I asked for your help. If I hadn¡¯t asked, he might still-¡±


    ¡°Be killing innocent people,¡± finished Reese. She straightened and swung her legs around to sit in the chair normally. She fixed Rose with a stare. ¡°I know what you felt for him, Rose, but the man you fell in love with died a long time ago. What the noodle here killed was a monster, and deep down you know that.¡±


    ¡°Reese!¡± Brittany snarled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sugarcoating this, Britt. The sooner Rose gets this through her head the better. Bruce, our Bruce, no longer existed. Hadn¡¯t for a couple years.¡± The expression on Reese¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Believe me, I was forced to come to terms with it a long time ago. It¡¯s time she does as well.¡±


    Phil watched the exchange in silence. Everything was way over his head, and he wasn¡¯t absorbing half of it. What the hell did she mean ¡°we¡¯ve got our work cut out for us?¡± And that nonsense about the guy¡¯s dying breath? What the hell? He was so far out of his comfort zone right now he may as well have been living on the moon. Hell, he would¡¯ve preferred being there instead. The solitude of the moon versus stuck in a room with three pretty women, one in tears, one that threatened to rip out his eyeballs for jewelry, and another that had so thoroughly invaded his personal space she may as well have been wearing his shirt? Yeah, definitely the moon. There are no women on the moon, right?


    *


    ¡°Is leaving Reese alone with him a good idea?¡± Rose asked as she accompanied Britt out of the dining room. Britt shrugged.


    ¡°Dunno. Probably not, given his candy ass reaction to her, but she¡¯s best suited to filling him in on what¡¯s going to happen from now on. Your emotional state is all over the place, and if he stared at my tits one more time I really would turn his eyes into earrings.¡± Britt glanced at Rose as they walked. ¡°You gonna be okay?¡±


    Rose sighed. ¡°Maybe? Eventually? I¡¯m not sure. It hasn¡¯t even been a day and¡­ and¡­¡± she trailed off, unable to complete the thought. Intellectually she¡¯d known what needed to be done, but her heart screamed otherwise. It still believed he could¡¯ve been saved. That her Bruce was still somewhere inside just waiting to be drawn out. Her heart and mind were at war with each other. She had loved him so deeply, but after what he¡¯d done to Reese, there was no coming back. It was unforgivable, yet she¡¯d tried to do so anyway. That had driven a wedge between the two women, once the closest of friends. Now they were acquaintances at best, forced to remain teammates due to ancient laws and traditions that couldn¡¯t be broken. She shook her head. Something in the universe must hate her.


    Britt saw the conflict on Rose¡¯s face and draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling the slender woman in close. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s hit the gym. A little exercise might help clear your mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh no. Last time I exercised with you I couldn¡¯t lift my arms above my shoulders for days.¡±


    Britt laughed. ¡°Just use the treadmill while I work out.¡± She glanced back at the retreating dining room door. ¡°Although part of me kind of wants to see the pervy kid¡¯s reaction. It¡¯s not every day a mundane learns he¡¯s a party leader.¡±

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Why am I still here?¡± asked Phil. He just wanted to go back to his apartment, forget everything that had happened, and bury himself in his games. It didn¡¯t feel like they were holding him hostage, but he also got the sense that they wouldn¡¯t let him leave. He didn¡¯t even know where his phone was, or his wallet now that he thought about it. The usual lump was missing from his back pocket.


    ¡°Do you not enjoy the company of three beautiful women?¡± Reese asked as she helped herself to some food.


    ¡°Um,¡± Phil started. ¡°I¡¯m not good around women. Never have been.¡±


    ¡°And now you¡¯ve been thrust into a group of them. Might want to get used to it.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it? I killed the man one was in love with, one looks like she¡¯d rather gut me than talk to me, and you¡­¡±


    Reese looked at him out of the corner of her eye as she munched on some bacon. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Phil swallowed. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re half naked! It¡¯s very distracting. And why should I get used to it? Just give me my stuff back and let me go home. I promise I¡¯ll never talk about what happened last night. It¡¯ll haunt my nightmares, sure, but I won¡¯t tell a soul,¡± he pleaded. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could get on with his life and pretend last night was nothing but a bad dream.


    Reese took a drink of her orange juice, then half turned to face him. ¡°Ok, first, I¡¯ve lived here longer than you, so I can dress however I¡¯d like. Two, your stuff is safe and you¡¯ll get it back soon. Three, you¡¯re gonna have to talk about what happened last night when the council representative gets here. Four, I can¡¯t help you with the nightmares. That¡¯s just something you¡¯ll have to learn to deal with on your own.¡±


    As flustered as she made him, Phil was still sharp enough to catch her exact wording. ¡°What the hell do you mean ¡®I¡¯ve lived here longer than you?¡¯ I don¡¯t live here. I live downtown.¡± He pointed at the door leading to the living room he¡¯d woken up in. ¡°That is definitely not downtown! I don¡¯t even know where that is.¡±


    Reese snapped her fingers and a card popped into existence in front of Phil, bouncing off the table a couple times before settling. He picked it up and looked at it. It was just a plain white card with a black strip along the top. He gave Reese a perplexed look.


    ¡°That¡¯ll grant you access to the house, your room, the library, and the gym. Try not to use the gym when Britt¡¯s in there at first, or you¡¯ll be completely unable to move the next day or three.¡±


    Phil shot to his feet. ¡°Now just a minute!¡±


    A loud chime ended any discussion on the subject before it could even get started. Reese looked towards the ceiling and sighed, getting out of her seat.


    ¡°That¡¯ll most likely be the council rep. Go wait in the living room while I get dressed. Rose and Brittany will join us there as well.¡± She left before Phil could say anything. Numbly, he pocketed the card and made his way out the door he entered earlier.


    *


    ¡°So, you maintain that, while accidental, the death of Bruce Wright was both inevitable and necessary?¡± The council representative, who had simply introduced himself as Jack, was a gentleman that looked to be in his mid-30s, dressed in a sharp looking business suit with slicked back hair and a perfectly trimmed five o-clock shadow. He was currently standing in the middle of the room questioning the women who were lined up on the couch. Brittany was still in her workout gear, while Rose and Reese had taken a couple minutes to throw on some jeans and t-shirts, although Reese still sported the grime on her face and arms. All three nodded an affirmative to his question while Phil did his best to turn invisible in the recliner he had claimed. The rep shook his head in frustration, then whispered something to the stern looking woman that accompanied him. He¡¯d made no effort to introduce her, and she¡¯d said nothing the entire time they¡¯d been grilled.


    ¡°Frankly, ladies, we¡¯re astounded. You suspected an alignment shift in the party leader, but instead of saying anything to the council you approached the subject first? It never occurred to you that he¡¯d do exactly what he did? Stop. Don¡¯t answer that. I already know the reason why.¡± He shook his head again. ¡°This is exactly why we discourage romantic relationships within the party. It clouds your judgement.¡± Rose turned red and pulled her knees up to her face on the couch. The soft sound of her crying could be heard by everyone in the room. Jack turned to Phil.


    ¡°And you, sir, are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Either way, you¡¯re exceedingly lucky.¡± The woman next to Jack looked at Phil, then suddenly moved over to him, leaning down to take a look into his eyes. When Phil attempted to avert his gaze, she roughly grabbed his chin and held him still. She stared at him for a couple seconds, then, still gripping his chin, turned to look at Reese, who shrugged and nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s starting to hurt, ma¡¯am,¡± Phil managed to get out. The woman looked back at him, quirked an eyebrow, then released him, rejoining Jack in the center of the room. She didn¡¯t say a word to him, but he seemed to know what had happened. He rubbed his face with both hands before flopping down in a recliner opposite Phil¡¯s.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?¡± he lamented.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, sir,¡± said Reese, showing a surprising amount of deference from Phil¡¯s point of view. ¡°They were face to face when Bruce died. He caught the dying breath.¡±


    ¡°Why do you keep talking about that?¡± Phil asked. Reese glanced over at him, then looked back at Jack, whose stately manner earlier had all but evaporated as he slouched in the chair. Jack heaved a heavy sigh, then began to explain.


    ¡°When a party leader dies, their¡­ essence, if you will, departs to find a new host. This usually takes a fair amount of time. Years, even. Usually long enough for the party members¡¯ bonds to break down and find a new party if they wish or seek retirement and live a normal life. You, my incredibly unlucky friend, were face to face with him when he died. You¡­ inhaled that essence before it had a chance to depart his body completely. As such, his party is now yours.¡± He leaned forward in his seat. ¡°Mr. Thomas, you are now these ladies¡¯ party leader. My congratulations and condolences.¡±


    Phil stared at Jack, then looked at the women on the couch. Rose was still hiding behind her knees. Brittany was pointedly not making eye contact. Reese shrugged again and smirked.


    ¡°Welcome to the Adventurers Guild, Phil.¡±


    Phil started giggling. He didn¡¯t know why. He couldn¡¯t stop himself. This was all a joke, right? Some B-List celebrity was going to jump out from that door over there and yell ¡°Gotcha!¡± any moment now, right? This was all too absurd. Give me a break, he thought. He didn¡¯t care that everyone was staring at him now. Even Rose had lifted her head to stare at him. He started laughing. This was all so stupid. This was something you read in some crappy story. This didn¡¯t happen in real life.


    ¡°You¡¯re all fucking nuts, you know that?¡± he finally said. ¡°Adventurers Guild? Magic essence? Party leader? You¡¯re looney!¡± He stood up. ¡°Where¡¯s my phone and my wallet? I¡¯m getting out of here.¡±


    ¡°Phil¡­¡± Reese began.


    ¡°Get me my fucking stuff!¡± he barked. The three women on the couch immediately stiffened at his tone. Then, to his surprise, Reese shot to her feet and made her way over to the fireplace. Placing her hand on a marbled tile, it glowed briefly before popping open with a click. She reached inside a small cubby hole and pulled out his wallet, phone, and keys, then brought them over and deposited them in his hands. Then she slapped him.


    ¡°This is why you need to stay here. You¡¯re completely unaware of the power you now have. I¡¯m lucky that¡¯s all you¡¯ve demanded today aside from calling you Phil. We don¡¯t know the extent of what you¡¯ve inherited from Bruce, and you have no idea what¡¯s out there that can sense what¡¯s in you. Until you¡¯re trained, you are both a danger and in danger. If you still want to leave, we won¡¯t stop you, but we¡¯re not responsible for what happens after you walk out that door.¡±


    Reese stepped aside, holding her arm out towards the door. All eyes were on Phil, and it felt like an overbearing weight pushing down on him. Unable to take the pressure, he quickly made his way to the foyer. He paused long enough to slip into his shoes barefoot (he had no idea where his socks had gone) then grabbed his coat off the hook before turning back to everyone.


    ¡°Th-thanks for breakfast,¡± he said, then stepped into the chilly morning air. The last thing he heard before the door closed behind him was Jack muttering.


    ¡°Son of a bitch.¡±


    *


    Phil walked down to the end of the road leading away from the house. He was stunned at how large the property was, likening it to an estate rather than just a simple home like he had grown up in. Finally reaching the end of the drive, he pulled out his phone to get a ride. He was a bit surprised to see the phone still had some life to it. He hadn¡¯t had it on a charger since before he went out with Chuck, and this model phone was notorious for its short battery life. Speaking of Chuck, he noticed there were quite a few missed calls and text messages waiting for him. Securing a ride and learning he was only on the opposite side of town, he leaned up against the gate to the property and started going through his messages.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Unsurprisingly, most were from Chuck wanting to know where he was and if he was alright. He¡¯d seen him walk away from the bar in the direction of the gas explosion and hadn¡¯t seen or heard from him since. Get back to him as soon as he could. There were also a couple voicemails from work. The first one was wanting to know where he was. The second one was telling him that if he didn¡¯t want to come in to work on time, then he shouldn¡¯t come in to work at all, ever again.


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± he muttered. He¡¯d have to stop by later and plead his case. May as well do that this afternoon after he¡¯d had time to decompress. In the meantime, he should probably check in with Chuck and let him know he¡¯s alright. He may have been an asshole of epic proportions, but he was still the only friend Phil had.


    ¡°Phil!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Chuck. Sorry to worry you, man. I¡¯ve had a weird morning.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright, mi amigo. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Chuck! Come back to bed, baby! John¡¯ll be home in four hours, and I want you to fuck me unconscious before then.¡±


    Phil pulled his phone from his ear and looked at it with a raised eyebrow before putting it back.


    ¡°Was that Tina?¡±


    Chuck laughed. ¡°You bet your ass it was. I knew I¡¯d get her in the end. And I have, too. Twice.¡±


    ¡°Gross.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, guess I better get my nose back to the ol¡¯ grindstone. I¡¯ll see ya later, buddy.¡±


    Chuck hung up before Phil could say anything else. He shook his head.


    ¡°He really is going to get himself killed one day,¡± he said to himself as his ride pulled up. Just as he got comfortable in the backseat, his phone buzzed. Chuck had sent him a picture message. Opening it up, he saw the very same waitress who¡¯d insulted Chuck last night handcuffed to a headboard with a blindfold over her eyes and wearing nothing else.


    ¡°She really does workout, doesn¡¯t she?¡± he said to himself, admiring the abs and high, firm tits on display. Saving the picture to his phone gallery for future use, he settled back and watched the world move outside the window, doing his best to look deep in thought so the driver wouldn¡¯t try to strike up a conversation.


    Half an hour later he let himself into his apartment and flopped over the arm of his couch, landing face first in the cushion. He briefly thought about the look on Reese¡¯s face as she¡¯d handed him his stuff earlier. The anger and frustration she¡¯d displayed had struck him to the core. It didn¡¯t seem to be aimed completely at him, but enough of it was that it had helped push him out.


    ¡°What am I thinking about? Nothing happened. Nothing. I got drunk last night and woke up somewhere strange, that¡¯s all,¡± he muttered in to the cushion. He would do his best to stick to what he¡¯d said earlier. He¡¯d forget anything happened. Never tell a soul. He didn¡¯t kill that guy. He didn¡¯t break his collarbone and see it healed. He didn¡¯t have breakfast with three beautiful women. If he was being honest with himself though, he¡¯d rather not forget that part, but remembering that meant remembering everything else. So, unfortunately, that had to go too. If Chuck asked what happened, he¡¯d just say he had more to drink than he¡¯d thought and woke up on a bench somewhere. He was sure that would work. Chuck would be more interested in bragging about his latest catch and going into far too much detail, as he always did. Phil was rather curious how he¡¯d manage to snag Tina. He¡¯d been under the impression she didn¡¯t like Chuck, only tolerating him because he tipped well.


    He half shrugged, knowing Chuck would fill him in later. Checking the time on his phone, Phil decided he had a couple hours for a nap, so he plugged his phone in to the charger and set the alarm before rolling on to his side and burying his face in to the back of the couch.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just been told you¡¯ve got the power to lead a group of beautiful women on epic adventures just like in those games you love to play, and your first response is to run home and take a nap?¡±


    ¡°What? Who said that?¡± John looked around. This was his apartment, but something seemed¡­ off. He couldn¡¯t quite place it.


    ¡°You know most guys would kill to be in your position. Sorry. Poor choice of words. You actually did kill to get this, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are, but I didn¡¯t mean to kill anyone. It was an accident. I just want to forget it and continue living my life.¡± He continued looking around, trying to find the source of the voice. He thought he saw some distortion in the air moving towards him, then it stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do. I¡¯m not going to let you forget, however. Frankly, I¡¯d take it as a personal insult. I¡¯m the guy you killed after all.¡± The form solidified into a muscular blond man with a square jaw and shoulder length hair. He looked like he could easily take on any who stood in his way. The fact that he was only two feet tall did nothing to change Phil¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°You¡¯re, um¡­ shorter than I remember.¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°This is all that was left of me. The real me, before the asshole took over.¡±


    ¡°The asshole?¡±


    ¡°The man I turned in to. I try to think of him as a separate person. Helps assuage the guilt I feel. I¡¯m not trying to say I was taken over by a demon or something like that. Sadly, my ego was my own undoing. I let my position and accomplishments go to my head. I felt the world owed me. I began to see the girls as mine, and not as my friends and teammates. I turned my back on a great woman that truly loved me, and what I did to Reese¡­¡± the tiny Bruce trailed off, his voice breaking at the end. Phil was intensely curious about what had happened to Reese but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Bruce gave him a grateful smile, which caught Phil off guard.


    ¡°Oh, right. I should probably explain a few things. One, you¡¯re asleep right now, so I guess you could write this off as a dream later if you want. Two, I¡¯m the essence you inhaled last night. The last remaining humanity in the hero formerly known as Bruce. You may continue to call me Bruce if it helps. Three, I highly recommend you return to the estate and seek their help. You haven¡¯t a clue what kind of world you¡¯ve been thrust in to, and your life is no longer truly your own.¡±


    Fat chance of that happening, Phil thought, remembering the looks on everyone¡¯s faces as he left. Not to mention he had to go beg for his job back later.


    ¡°I do not recommend that. Oh, sorry. I¡¯m part of you now, so everything you know, I know. Including your thoughts. I know you¡¯re never one to rock the boat. I know your sex life is dependent on your buddy¡¯s scraps. I know Reese scared the hell out of you during breakfast. That actually surprised me. I¡¯ve never seen her act like that with anyone before.¡±


    Phil held up his hands. ¡°Ok, slow down. What are you, exactly? A delusion? A spirit? Am I going crazy?¡±


    ¡°A delusion? No. A spirit? Not really, it¡¯s complicated. Are you going crazy? Maybe? Maybe I¡¯m not real and this is your unconscious mind trying to justify what you really want to do, even if you¡¯re too scared to actually do it?¡±


    ¡°I mean, yeah, it would be cool to lead an adventuring party full of gorgeous women, but that¡¯s only in stories and video games. In real life it would be terrifying. Not to mention I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Terrible with women?¡± The tiny man smirked. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one with that problem? Everyone starts out terrible with people. You need to man up and talk to them though. You may get shot down 99 times out of a hundred, but that one yes can help build your confidence. You¡¯ve just given up too easily. Not everyone gets who they¡¯re aiming for.¡±


    ¡°Chuck does,¡± said Phil. ¡°He¡¯s managed to get every girl he¡¯s ever gone after. Some take longer than others, but he¡¯s got a perfect record.¡±


    Tiny Bruce laughed. ¡°What a crock. No one does that. He¡¯s been lying to you.¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. We¡¯ve known each other since middle school. He lost his virginity before we even hit high school. Every girl he¡¯s ever said he wanted, he got. What¡¯s really strange, however, is that once he¡¯s had them and moved on to the next, not a single one of them has had anything bad to say about him. No crazy exes, no jealousy, no clinginess. He gets them, has his fun, and parts with no issues.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simply not possible. Someone always gets hurt. It may not be evident at first, but even if they seem fine, someone ends up crying into their pillow at night or something.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve seen it firsthand. They treat him exactly the same afterwards as they had before. It¡¯s almost like they never had their fun at all.¡±


    Tiny Bruce immediately jumped up on the couch next to Phil with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°Like it never happened at all?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. There might have been some who broke up with their significant others afterwards, but they never pursued Chuck or anything like that. They just left their current guy or girl and moved on to someone else.¡±


    Distantly, Phil heard knocking. Bruce turned and looked at the dream apartment door.


    ¡°Shit. You¡¯re going to wake up now. Listen, Philip, you have to do both of us a favor. Do NOT-¡±


    Phil was jerked awake. Someone was banging on his door loud enough to wake the dead. It took a couple seconds for him to regain his senses. What a crazy ass dream, he thought. The banging resumed.


    ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯m coming! Quit banging,¡± he yelled as rolled off the couch. Groggily, he checked his phone. Four in the afternoon with a missed alarm notification. ¡°So much for going in to work,¡± he muttered. He padded over to the door, taking a peek through the eyehole before opening. He saw Chuck¡¯s hazel eye staring back at him, warped through the walleye lens.


    ¡°Hey buddy! Open up! Have I got some bragging to do!¡±


    Phil shook his head, something he felt he¡¯d been doing entirely too much today. Unlocking the deadbolt, he opened the door a crack and walked back to his small kitchen, allowing Chuck to let himself in as he started rummaging for something to eat.


    ¡°So what happened to you last night, man? You left in a huff, and then disappeared just before the explosion.¡±


    Phil poked his head around the separating wall between the living room and kitchen. ¡°Explosion?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, man!¡± Chuck said excitedly. ¡°Whole damn intersection went up. They¡¯re saying it was a gas main rupture or something. Looks like a small nuke went off if you ask me. I got worried when I couldn¡¯t get ahold of you after that.¡±


    ¡°Not so worried that you couldn¡¯t help but hook up with Tina though, right?¡±


    Chuck laughed. ¡°Hey man, when an opportunity drops in your lap like that, you gotta take it. And boy, did it drop in my lap. The explosion knocked us off our feet in the bar, and next thing I know I¡¯m on the ground and she¡¯s laying on top of me. Maybe she was just thankful I broke her fall or something, but she looked me in the eye and told me to swing by this morning. Six hours later and here I am, satisfied and dehydrated. You got a beer?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hang on.¡± Phil went to the fridge and grabbed a couple cans. ¡°You¡¯re playing with fire, man. If John finds out, your life is forfeit, you know that, right?¡± Phil took the beer in to the living room and held it out to Chuck. When Chuck reached up to take it, his finger brushed Phil¡¯s, sending an alarming spark to Phil¡¯s mind and he locked up. Chuck¡¯s eyes went wide for a second before he hung his head in resignation.


    ¡°So, something interesting happened last night after all.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Phil couldn¡¯t speak. Something felt horribly wrong with this situation.


    Chuck sighed. ¡°Dammit. You were always such a good source, too. Totally convinced of your own ineptitude. I even actually liked you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Shame.¡±


    Phil couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening. Every fiber of his being screamed danger, but this was Chuck. His only consistent friend for fifteen years. The only thing dangerous about Chuck was his preference for unavailable women. He was still unsure of what to think even as Chuck dragged him out the front door and tossed him over the railing of his fifth floor apartment.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Tell me again why I¡¯m stuck watching this guy?¡± Brittany said into her Bluetooth ear piece.


    ¡°Because Rose is in no condition to, and I still haven¡¯t fully recovered from last night,¡± came Reese¡¯s response.


    Brittany tossed the empty cheeseburger wrapper on to the passenger seat of her car. ¡°No, I mean why are we bothering with him? What happened to ¡®we¡¯re not responsible¡¯ and all that? He clearly wants nothing to do with us, and I¡¯m perfectly fine with that. We can just live in peace and take the occasional job from the guild when the money runs low.¡±


    She heard Reese sigh. ¡°We¡¯ve been over this already. That guy is dangerous right now, no matter how wimpy he looks. We need to keep an eye on him until the council makes a decision.¡±


    ¡°I am not following this pathetic excuse for a man everywhere he goes. There are better things I can be doing right now.¡±


    A car pulled in to the space next to hers. She glanced over to see a man that she might have considered attractive ten years ago, but she¡¯d long learned that men who relied on their looks generally led towards trouble she didn¡¯t want to deal with. She ignored the wink and cocky grin the blond sent her and refocused her attention on the wimp¡¯s apartment door.


    She was lucky she¡¯d been able to follow his trip back to the apartment and see where exactly he lived. The other option had been to track his phone¡¯s GPS and hope they spotted him exiting before he left again. The address listed on his driver¡¯s license was an old one from another town, so that wouldn¡¯t have worked as a means of finding him. Fortunately, she¡¯d watched him enter his apartment three and a half hours ago and the door hadn¡¯t opened since. At least it hadn¡¯t until the same blond guy that had winked at her started pounding on the door.


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯ve got some movement,¡± she said.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s visiting him. Cocky looking blond dude. Yep, he must know him. Walked right on in.¡±


    ¡°I guess this will be the first test then. Remember, we¡¯re still not sure what he¡¯s capable of. All we know for sure is that he can give me orders. Who knows what else?¡±


    ¡°I think he failed his first test,¡± Britt said a couple minutes later as she quickly got out of the car. She spotted the blond easily drag the recognizably lanky form of Phil out the door and toss him over the railing. She was already running as his mop of black hair disappeared into a tree in front of the apartment complex. ¡°Tell Rose to get ready, we¡¯re probably going to need her.¡±


    ¡°On it. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Blond dude tossed him from the fifth floor. I¡¯m going to retrieve him now before blondie can finish the job.¡± She quickly made it to the tree where she¡¯d seen him disappear from view but saw no sign of Phil on the ground. Looking up, she saw the skinny guy draped over a large branch, his breathing short and ragged, eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Hang on, kid. I¡¯ll have you down in a second,¡± she called up to him. He waved her off, then pointed.


    ¡°Chuck,¡± he wheezed. Whipping around, she saw the guy from before standing behind her with a cocky grin.


    ¡°Hey, sweet tits. You a friend of his?¡± Chuck casually strolled up as he spoke. Then he laughed. ¡°Of course not. I was the only friend he had. You must be a party member, right?¡±


    Britt didn¡¯t say anything. She just took a step back for every step that he took forward. It wasn¡¯t long until she felt the tree at her back.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just forget about him and come play with me? Body like that, I bet we could have fun for days.¡± He punctuated his words by licking his lips as he eyed her up and down. His gaze then settled on hers, his hazel eyes glowing briefly. She took a step forward and he grinned triumphantly.


    ¡°Incubus. No, they¡¯re extinct¡­ half incubus, am I right? A hink?¡±


    The grin vanished from his face, replaced with anger. ¡°Do NOT call me that! What the hell are you that I have no effect?¡±


    ¡°Orc,¡± she said, grinning.


    He scoffed. ¡°Impossible. They¡¯re extinct, just like all the so called ¡®fantasy¡¯ races.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°You mean like incubi and succubae? Orcs may be extinct, but their descendants aren¡¯t. And we happen to be immune to your little charm effect, so you can take your nauseating smile elsewhere while I collect my party leader.¡±


    He shook his head. ¡°No can do, babe. I gotta kill him. Even if you offered that fine ass of yours to me, I¡¯d just have to kill him when we finished. No matter how this goes down, it ends with him dead.¡±


    Britt shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t particularly care, actually. I ain¡¯t attached to him beyond a magic spell, so you¡¯d really be doing me a favor. But a dear friend of mine seems to have taken a liking to the wimp, and I don¡¯t want to see her sad.¡±


    ¡°Awww, thanks babe!¡± Brittany had completely forgotten that she still had her earpiece in. ¡°Could you hurry this up though? We kind of need to get him some medical attention, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Britt said. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave now, ok? If you try to follow us, I¡¯m going to shove your head so far up your ass that lump in your throat will be your nose.¡± She reached back with one hand and pushed the tree over, both making it easier to get Phil and demonstrating her strength to the pretty boy in front of her. He held his hands up and backed off.


    ¡°I do so look forward to our next meeting, my dear. I¡¯ll show you just what an incubus is capable of and you¡¯ll never look back, babe. Phil, mi amigo, see ya round, buddy.¡± Chuck vanished from where he was standing, reappearing next to his car. Britt watched as he threw a salute her way, then he climbed in to his car and drove off.


    ¡°Hurry, Britt.¡±


    ¡°I know, dammit. Give me a second.¡± She walked over to the tangle of branches that now encased Phil and pulled them apart, leaning over him to reach them all. ¡°Sorry about that, guy. Had to scare the prick somehow. Your friend¡¯s a real charmer, you know that¡­ seriously!? You¡¯re still staring at my tits!?¡±


    *


    Brittany dumped the unconscious sack of flesh named Phil on the couch as Rose ran up to evaluate him.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Oh my god! How is he still alive? What happened to him?¡±


    Britt shrugged as Reese joined her at her side. ¡°Hit a tree on his way down.¡±


    ¡°How many trees did he hit?¡± asked Reese, eyeballing the fist shaped bruise forming on his cheek.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± muttered Britt.


    ¡°You know beating our party leader is heavily frowned upon, right?¡±


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t like it, he should¡¯ve ordered me to stop.¡±


    Rose looked up from the side of the couch. ¡°I doubt he was able to say much after you broke his jaw.¡± She sighed. ¡°This is going to take me days to heal. Do me a favor and carry him to his room, please? Without inflicting any more injuries, if you¡¯d be so kind?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want him to suffer just little bit more? After all, he-¡±


    Rose cut her off. ¡°That was that, and this is this. Whether anyone likes it or not, he¡¯s one of us now. I¡¯ll deal with my personal feelings on my own time. For now, just let me do my job.¡± Brittany grunted, but did as Rose asked, gently lifting him and carrying him to the former guest room that they had assigned to him.


    ¡°So, an incubus?¡± asked Reese.


    ¡°Yeah. Damn handsome one too. Glad someone in my family tree had an orc fetish. I¡¯d have been putty in his hands if I didn¡¯t have that blood running through me. Wonder why he was friends with a loser like this.¡± She gently laid the loser in question on the king size bed, then stepped aside so Rose could get to work on him.


    ¡°Probably leeching off of him,¡± suggested Reese.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Britt.


    ¡°Full blooded incubi are extinct, right? They were the ones who could charm with their own power. Like the rest of us, their heritage has become muddied and diluted after generations of breeding with other races and humans. I¡¯d imagine a modern day inc would need a source or two to pull from. I¡¯m willing to bet Phil¡¯s issues with people, especially women, started about the same time he met his friend, Chuck. I¡¯m not sure how he did it, but he was sucking the charm and charisma Phil naturally had and using it for himself.¡±


    Britt scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re telling me this guy here was supposed to be some sort of ladies¡¯ man?¡±


    Reese laughed. ¡°No. At least no more than any other man. Chuck just enhanced what he was taking with his own innate ability, allowing him to get his foot in the door. Phil probably isn¡¯t a total loser, he was just being used as a charm reservoir. Now that we¡¯ve separated the two and brought him to the protection of the house, he should start getting some of his mojo back. Provided my theory is correct, anyway.¡±


    Britt rolled her eyes. ¡°Great, as if he didn¡¯t stare at us enough as a wimp. Just wait till he starts feeling manly again.¡± She turned to leave. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go jump in the shower. That Chuck fella and this little chat has left me feeling all kinds of dirty.¡±


    Reese nodded and turned to Rose. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, doctor?¡±


    She looked up from where she was sitting on the bed. ¡°I put him under a deep sleep spell for now so he shouldn¡¯t feel any pain while I¡¯m working, but this is going to take a while. The actual tree impact crushed his ribcage. He¡¯s lucky nothing punctured a lung or his heart. The other ¡®tree¡¯ strikes were calculated to maximize pain over actual injury, it¡¯s just the number of them that¡¯s an issue.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully that tree learns to get along with him in the future. With any luck he¡¯ll be with us for quite a while.¡±


    ¡°And without that luck?¡±


    ¡°He leads us into a party wipe. The only upside to that is that we¡¯ll never have to worry about anything ever again.¡±


    They both went silent and watched Phil sleep for a bit.


    ¡°You know,¡± said Reese, ¡°he¡¯d probably be kinda cute if he actually put in some effort.¡±


    Rose shook her head and gave a small smile. ¡°You always did have a soft spot for hard luck cases. Go on, get out of here. I need to get to work. Try arranging something with the guild to get his stuff from his apartment and brought here. I sense he¡¯ll be more likely to listen to you when he wakes up than when he left this morning.¡±


    *


    ¡°You do realize she will actually pull your eyes out of your head, right?¡±


    Phil groaned and looked around. He was laying on the couch in the estate¡¯s living room, but everything felt off again. Sitting on the arm of the couch staring at him was Tiny Bruce.


    ¡°She does realize that if she dangles them over the face of an immobilized man, he¡¯s really got no choice but to stare, right?¡±


    Bruce shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t let facts get in the way of her feelings. She could poke you in the eye with a nipple and still get pissed you looked. Anyway, I¡¯m not here to talk to you about that, as enjoyable as the subject is. Do you understand now why the girls were dead set on keeping you here?¡±


    Reluctantly, Phil nodded. He¡¯d truly underestimated just how much his life had changed in the last day. Accidently killing a man was bad enough, wasn¡¯t it? Now there were people out to kill him? Chuck, of all people! The man he¡¯d known the longest!


    ¡°What the hell is Chuck? How was he able to move like that? To toss me around so easily?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s an incubus.¡±


    Phil furrowed his brow, trying to place the term. Bruce rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s the male version of a succubus. He draws power from sex, usually with woman, but not always.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re making that up,¡± Phil scoffed.


    ¡°You¡¯re having a chat with a two foot tall version of the man you killed last night, personally witnessed someone healing you with magic, and was tossed over a railing like you weighed nothing. Is the idea of your friend being a creature of legend really so unbelievable? Remember what you told me before? About his track record with women?¡±


    ¡°You mean his perfect record? Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That never struck you as odd? When have you ever heard of someone with that kind of success with women? Every single woman he¡¯s gone after has caved. In fact, until today, I¡¯ll bet he¡¯s never met a woman capable of saying no when he¡¯s used his power.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, about that. Did I hear her correctly? Did she say she was an orc?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure Reese has a whole lesson plan worked out for you about this, so I won¡¯t steal her thunder.¡±


    Phil got up and paced around a bit. ¡°Okay, I have to ask. Are you actually Bruce? Some figment of my imagination? If I asked the girls about this, would they freak out?¡±


    Bruce jumped to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t mention this to them! They¡¯re already unsure enough about you as it is. If you tell them you¡¯re talking to a mini version of their old party leader in your dreams, who knows what the consequences will be. Especially with Rose and Reese. That could shift their opinions of you in a very negative fashion, and you need all the allies you can get right now. Reese would definitely toss you to the wolves.¡±


    Phil held his hands up in surrender. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t say anything. You have to know what I¡¯m going to ask next, right? You¡¯re in my head after all.¡±


    Bruce¡¯s shoulders dropped. ¡°You want to know what I did to her, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Phil nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Out of respect for her privacy, I won¡¯t go in to the full details. If she chooses to tell you at some point in the future, take that as a measure of how much she¡¯s grown to trust you, ok? What I will tell you is this: I didn¡¯t beat her or anything like that. I was a despicable human being, though. Not because I forced her to do something she didn¡¯t want to do. It was just the opposite, in fact. I won¡¯t say more on that. Just know that you must be careful about what you order them to do as a party leader.¡±


    Phil stared at the tiny man. That wasn¡¯t an answer. Not really. If anything, he was more confused than he was before.


    ¡°I suddenly don¡¯t feel like talking anymore,¡± said Bruce, hopping off the couch and heading for the foyer. ¡°This is a recreation of the house from my memories. Familiarize yourself with it while you¡¯ve got the chance. You¡¯re going to be asleep for a while anyway, so it¡¯ll keep you occupied. Any locked door you come across is someone¡¯s personal area. No snooping the girls¡¯ rooms for you. Don¡¯t give me that look. I live in your head, buddy. I know the thoughts you have. My old room is also locked, not that you¡¯ll find much more than a shrine I dedicated to myself.¡± Tiny Bruce shook his head. ¡°God, I was such a bastard. Anyway, I¡¯ll leave you to it.¡± He waved, then vanished in a puff.


    Phil stared at where he was for a few seconds, then shrugged. He still didn¡¯t really have any idea what was going on, or if he was really in a dream state or not, but until he woke up or whatever, he may as well wander around. Stepping into the foyer, he decided to start at the top and work his way down. Climbing the stairs, Phil started exploring his literal dream house.

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Dammit,¡± Britt muttered as she stared at the weight bar in her hands.


    Rose chuckled from the treadmill she was jogging on. ¡°Those things have a weight limit, you know.¡±


    Britt held up the bent bar. ¡°Damn thing is rated for 1500 pounds. It¡¯s supposed to be strong.¡±


    ¡°It is strong, Britt. You¡¯re just not supposed to hang additional weights off of it with straps after you¡¯ve maxed it out.¡± Rose ended her run and stepped off the treadmill, wiping her face with a towel as she approached Britt. ¡°We¡¯ll get you some new bars next time we head out. This isn¡¯t the first one you¡¯ve broken, it won¡¯t be the last.¡±


    Britt tossed the bent bar towards the corner of the in-home gym and decided she was done for the day. ¡°If you guys would just let me get a dwarven weight set, this wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± She picked up her towel and drink and followed Rose out of the room.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of ¡®letting¡¯ you. It¡¯s that we can¡¯t afford it. Have you seen the market price for mithril these days? Why not settle for an orichalcum set? It¡¯s almost as strong, and far cheaper.¡±


    Britt sighed. ¡°I told you before. Orichalcum may be strong, but it has no flex. Instead of bending once it reached its limit, it would snap. Mithril is strong and has some flexibility, allowing me to stack more weight. That¡¯s why they use orichalcum for shields and axes and mithril for swords and armor.¡±


    Rose shook her head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know anything about that, but I¡¯ll trust your judgement on it. Ok, no orichalcum weight set. We¡¯ll just have to keep buying new equipment for you until we get a large influx of cash or a particularly lucrative quest pops up on the guild website.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± Brittany scoffed. ¡°Like we could do any of those anyway with our current party. What¡¯s our glorious leader doing today?¡±


    Rose stopped as they reached the door to her room. ¡°Still training with Reese. It¡¯s only been a week since I woke him up. You remember how it was when you were learning the trade, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I was twelve. I took to my role easily. It didn¡¯t take a lot of time to figure out my job was to hit and get hit. We¡­ tanks,¡± she said the word with disgust, ¡°have the easiest job in the party.¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°And he¡¯s got the hardest. In addition to figuring out his own abilities, which haven¡¯t manifested yet, he¡¯s also got to learn ours. He needs to learn strategy, management, three dimensional thinking, study up on common threats, the administration side of our lives¡­¡± she trailed off as she thought about everything that had been dumped on the poor guy. ¡°You might want to go easy on him for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Britt asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Look, he didn¡¯t ask for this. Really, it¡¯s our fault he¡¯s in this position. If we¡¯d done what we should have with Bruce, he¡¯d still be living his normal life. A sad, lonely life from what I can tell, but one he seemed to be comfortable in. Now his best friend is an enemy out to kill him, he¡¯s surrounded by women that make him uncomfortable, and he¡¯s got a workload heavier than anyone I¡¯ve ever met, save some of the guild masters and council leaders. I¡¯m just saying, maybe cut him a little slack, alright? If you catch him staring every now and then, maybe pretend you didn¡¯t notice on occasion. It¡¯s what I do. What¡¯s a little fanservice if we can finally get back to work?¡±


    Britt glared daggers at Rose. ¡°I am not some work of art for him to admire.¡±


    Rose took a step back and eyed Britt up and down, giggling. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, hun. You look pretty damn good to me. Especially the way those leggings hug your ass.¡±


    Britt¡¯s face lost her anger, turning red from embarrassment instead. She was suddenly very self-conscious about herself. ¡°I-I-I¡­ I gotta go shower,¡± she stammered out before beating a hasty retreat to her room. Rose giggled again at the reaction and opened the door to her own room.


    *


    ¡°Come on. I thought you said you were a gamer,¡± Reese lamented. She was laying on her belly on Phil¡¯s couch in his room, watching him stumble around with a VR headset on. Her legs kicked back and forth as she watched him get his ass kicked on the TV the Playstation was connected to.


    ¡°I said I played games, not that I was good at them!¡± he replied as he jumped back from the huge spider that was running at him. ¡°Why the hell am I playing Skyrim, anyway? It doesn¡¯t have any party mechanics that I¡¯d find helpful.¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°Getting you used to the idea that you¡¯re going to see some strange things out there, maybe?¡±


    Phil stopped, his character dying just as he removed the headset and turned to face Reese, who was a lot closer than he remembered her being when he put on the headset. Had he really moved around that much? VR was so weird. He took a step back. ¡°That¡¯s it? That¡¯s the whole reason?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± she said. She waved her hand in the air and an image began to form between them. Phil went pale as a large two headed dog appeared. It was as tall as the average great dane but built like a rottweiler. Lowering both its heads, it eyed Phil and growled, showcasing far more teeth than he was comfortable looking at.


    ¡°Uh, Reese?¡± he squeaked out.


    She gave an evil grin and flicked her finger at Phil. The dog immediately barked viciously and leapt, covering the distance to him in a heartbeat, not giving Phil any time to even think of dodging, let alone attempting to perform the maneuver. Just before making contact, the dog abruptly vanished in a puff of purple smoke. Phil landed on his ass, trembling as Reese rolled around on the couch, her cackling laughter filling the room.


    ¡°You really are a witch,¡± he muttered as he checked himself over. He didn¡¯t piss himself, but it was a near thing. Flopping on to his back, he struggled to get his breathing and heart rate back under control. Reese¡¯s laughter calmed down after a minute and she rolled onto her side, propping her head up on her elbow.


    ¡°I¡¯m a mage, dear leader. You don¡¯t want to meet a true witch, trust me.¡±


    He lifted his head up, looking over his chest at her. ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    ¡°Illusion magic. That was an orthus. Two headed dog.¡±


    ¡°Like the old Greek myth?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Where do you think the myth came from? A lot of what we call myths, legends, and most fantasy in general is based on something that once existed or currently does.¡±


    Something clicked in Phil¡¯s head. ¡°Orcs.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°And elves, and dwarves, and goblins, and likely anything else you could think of. As far as we know, however, there are no pureblood races anymore. They¡¯ve all bred themselves into extinction. What we have now are people who might show racial traits every now and then. Britt¡¯s incredible strength, durability, and immunity to charm magic are leftovers of the orc race. Rose¡¯s affinity for life magic, which is where her healing comes from, hint at an elvin heritage. Bruce was descendant from an ancient line of heroes, and me, I¡¯m a Merlin.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow. ¡°A Merlin? Like King Arthur Merlin?¡±


    ¡°The one and the same!¡± she said brightly, sitting up on the couch. ¡°Well, not a direct descendant of the man himself, but one of his pupils. They called themselves the Children of Merlin. As far as I know, however, Merlin himself had no actual children.¡±


    ¡°Um, do you think I-¡± Phil began, sitting up himself.


    She cut him off with a shake of her head. ¡°Sorry pal. You¡¯re a regular old human. We checked while you were out. Your lineage is pretty boring, to be honest. Your family seemed destined for mediocrity in all ways.¡± She immediately felt bad about her choice of words, watching his shoulders drop with disappointment. ¡°Hey now, don¡¯t give up. You¡¯re a party leader now. First one in your family that¡¯s ever held the job dating back to antiquity. Who knows what powers will show as you gain more experience and confidence?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s ok. You don¡¯t need to comfort me. I just allowed myself to fantasize for a second. So, all those races used to be real, huh? But wouldn¡¯t that be public knowledge then? Why does the world think they¡¯re all just myths and fantasies? Surely graves or fossils or something would¡¯ve been discovered, right?¡±


    ¡°Ancient agreements and promises. As the humans grew to be the more dominant species on the planet, the races began to see that they were feared. Some tried to capitalize on that fear and rule the comparatively weak humans. What they didn¡¯t count on was the sheer number of humans. They bred faster than the races, and the humans soon learned that enough numbers can overwhelm even the strongest of opponents. Many ancient battles in mythology were real battles between humans and the races. Troy was a dark elf stronghold. These days, the secret of the races¡¯ prior existence is kept to avoid throwing the world in turmoil.¡±


    ¡°Turmoil?¡±


    ¡°You see the amount of conflict between religions these days, right? Even though they fundamentally say the same things, the delivery is different, and each one thinks they¡¯re the right one. Most of the conflict is more passive aggressive. Arguments on websites and protests outside various religious structures. Some are more¡­ physical, in their arguments. Now, you take that environment and throw in the fact that humans once shared this planet with dozens or even hundreds of different races. Completely different races, not the made up ¡®races¡¯ of today, where it¡¯s really the one race in different colors. It¡¯d be like aliens landing on the White House lawn. It would destroy everything people hold dear in their beliefs, and people don¡¯t react well to that.¡±


    Phil nodded, understanding her point. He¡¯d always been agnostic himself, but he could understand that the more devout might have issues if their beliefs were contradicted so radically. ¡°So what happened then? You said there were descendants, so obviously not everyone hated the other races.¡±


    Reese smiled. ¡°Obviously. There were plenty of humans who didn¡¯t have any issues with them at all. Maintained trade, built up mixed race towns, even started families. In the end, the races weren¡¯t hunted to extinction. They were bred out of existence. As time went on, less and less purebloods were born, and those with mixed blood procreated with regular humans and other mixed bloods. The older pureblooded races eventually died out, leaving behind generations of descendants that continued breeding with other mixed heritage people and humans until everyone was indistinguishable from everyone else. They didn¡¯t look like orcs, or elves, or what have you, but human. Some traits remained, however. Like Britt¡¯s strength, Rose¡¯s healing, my magic, and so many other examples around the world.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Phil shook his head. ¡°You make it sound like a college lecture.¡±


    ¡°Would you rather have the TLDR version? The races fought and fucked themselves out of existence. The humped themselves into oblivion. You¡¯re imagining it now, aren¡¯t you? Elves and orcs and dwarves and humans all in a sweaty pile.¡± She smiled as his face started turning red and he shifted his seating a bit. ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t have happened like that. As the stories say, elves and dwarves didn¡¯t get along. Most Orcs hated everyone. Amazons hated men. Goblins, fortunately, were too stupid and died out on their own. Anyway, to sum up, that¡¯s why the races are no longer around. As for why no one finds any trace of them, that¡¯s part of the ancient agreements and promises I mentioned. Any time an archeology dig discovers something, the nearest guild branch sends someone out to cover it up. They infiltrate the group and remove the evidence as they go. Remember all that talk about secret rooms in the pyramids in Egypt, and then suddenly there wasn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°You mean there were? Secret rooms?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah. Filled with hordes of treasure. And a great big old dragon skeleton. You should read up on the history of that find. It¡¯s in the library here. The work put in to covering that up was a masterstroke.¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Dragon? Like a flying lizard that breathes fire?¡±


    She smiled and leaned forward. ¡°Like a flying lizard that breathes fire,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Only, don¡¯t call them lizards. They really hate that. And they don¡¯t breathe fire. So really just intelligent flying reptiles.¡±


    ¡°They hate that? You said that in a present tense. As if they¡¯re still around.¡±


    ¡°They are! They tend to isolate themselves though. Unlike in the stories you¡¯ve read, they can¡¯t assume human form or anything like that. I think there¡¯s a small colony in the southern end of the Rockies. One or two in the Appalachians. Anywhere not frequented by humans.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± said Phil, rubbing his face in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s so much I don¡¯t know, isn¡¯t there?¡±


    Reese smiled and nodded. ¡°We haven¡¯t even scratched the surface.¡± She turned serious again. ¡°I have to admit, you¡¯re trying a lot harder than I thought you would. I kinda figured you be a lot less¡­ enthusiastic about all this.¡±


    Phil sighed. ¡°I guess finding out my best friend was a mythical being sucking my ¡®charm¡¯ or whatever you want to call it out of me had an effect. Or maybe it was when he threw me into the wind trying to kill me. It does change your outlook on things. Which reminds me, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever properly apologized to you.¡±


    Reese blinked. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For my actions that day. I hadn¡¯t realized what my demand had done to you. I¡¯ve done my best to avoid making the same mistake again, but that doesn¡¯t change what I did. I really am truly sorry.¡± Phil wanted to demonstrate his sincerity somehow, but bowing seemed a bit tacky to him, and he couldn¡¯t really think of anything else. He settled for just lowering his head a bit and breaking eye contact, staring at the floor in front of himself. He saw movement in his peripheral vision and was soon staring at a pair of tiny feet, probably a woman¡¯s size 5 if he had to guess, not that he knew anything about women¡¯s shoe sizes.


    Reese knelt down in front of him and lifted his head by cupping his jaw in both hands. She smiled brightly at him, then leaned in and hugged him. He momentarily panicked at her proximity, remembering the first time they¡¯d interacted, but steeled himself and lightly placed his hands one her back. Even in his distracted state of mind, he still noticed that he felt no evidence of a bra strap beneath her shirt. Stop it! he chided himself. Don¡¯t turn this into something weird!


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured into his shoulder. ¡°Apology accepted, though not needed. It was a rough day for everyone.¡± She was grateful for it anyway. It was the first apology she¡¯d received from a party leader in a long time. One she hadn¡¯t known she was craving. For a brief moment she saw Bruce in her mind¡¯s eye. Not the tyrant he¡¯d become, but the man she¡¯d known before. The man she¡¯d-


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry! Am I interrupting?¡±


    Reese and Phil flinched apart. Phil immediately pulled his legs up to his chest and turned beet red while Reese turned and smiled at the bewildered brunette standing at the door.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± she beamed. ¡°Phil just apologized for what he did the other week, and he just looked so cute I had to hug him!¡±


    Rose looked between the two of them, then shook her head. ¡°Um, ok. The, uh, the guild has requested our presence. All of us.¡± She nodded her head at Phil, indicating that he was included as well. Reese nodded and jumped to her feet, dancing towards the door. She stopped and turned, eyeballing the man currently hiding behind his knees.


    ¡°You might want to change. Jeans and t-shirts don¡¯t go over to well at the guild. Business casual should be fine.¡±


    Phil nodded. ¡°Oh, uh, ok,¡± he said, not moving.


    Reese tapped her foot. ¡°Hurry up now. They don¡¯t like to be kept waiting when they summon people.¡±


    ¡°I, uh, I need a couple minutes. I uh¡­¡± he trailed off, face turning the reddest she¡¯d seen to date. He pointedly made no effort to make eye contact with her. She cocked her head in confusion for a second before it clicked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she said, feeling embarrassed for him. ¡°Uh, sorry. We¡¯ll be off then. Meet us in the foyer when you¡¯re, ah, done. Ok?¡± Phil nodded mutely, wanting to die on the spot. Of course, he¡¯d get a hard on when a beautiful woman got that close to him. Despite everything he¡¯s been through, he was still a healthy young man in his late 20s, and she was damn attractive. He just wished the timing was better, like when he was completely alone and not being stared at by pretty women.


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Reese. Taking Rose¡¯s arm, they left his room and closed the door behind them.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Rose asked as they walked down the hall.


    ¡°Remember when we talked about him getting his mojo back?¡±


    Rose nodded, then came to a complete stop. ¡°Oh. OH!¡± she said, a little too loudly. Reese shushed her down, giggling.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± she hissed and got them walking again. ¡°Poor guy probably feels bad enough as it is. It¡¯s not his fault though. His mind and body adapted to being drained by what¡¯s his face. Now it doesn¡¯t know what to do with all that excess energy. It¡¯s like he¡¯s going through puberty again, I¡¯ll bet.¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Could be. I can¡¯t tell if that makes him lucky or unfortunate.¡±


    ¡°Considering he shares a house with three attractive women like us, it could go either way. On the one hand he¡¯s got enough spank material to keep him busy-¡±


    ¡°Crude,¡± Rose cut in.


    ¡°On the other hand,¡± Reese continued as if she hadn¡¯t heard her, ¡°given his fear of intimacy with women, he may find the environment troublesome.¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°What if someone gives him a hand?¡± She rolled her eyes at Reese¡¯s chortle. ¡°Not what I meant, but another possible solution.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting one of us sleeps with him? Because if you are, we both know there¡¯s really only one person that fits the criteria, right?¡±


    ¡°I just thought-¡±


    ¡°Please, stop. Look, I know you¡¯re just floating ideas, but it¡¯s not gonna go down like that. If it does. Sure, once you get him out of his shell he¡¯s a likeable enough guy, and maybe if he starts working out he¡¯d even be attractive, but for me¡­ I tease too much, maybe. I enjoy his reactions, yeah. But not that. I¡¯m¡­ not ready. I haven¡¯t been. Not since¡­¡± Reese trailed off. Letting go of Rose¡¯s arm, she quickened her pace. ¡°I¡¯m going to get changed.¡±


    ¡°Reese!¡± Rose called after her but was met with the sound of her door closing. ¡°Shit,¡± she muttered. ¡°Stupid, Rose. Stupid. Stupid!¡±


    Reese leaned her back against her door, fighting the urge to give in to her tears. She shook her head at Rose¡¯s self-chastisement as she continued down the hall. ¡°I know you¡¯re trying,¡± she said quietly to the room, ¡°but it¡¯s not that easy, hun.¡± She walked over to her dresser and pulled out the framed picture she¡¯d had tucked away. The four of them hanging out at the guild bar, smiles and alcohol all around after a successful quest. Before the dark days. Before The Order. The one order he¡¯d given that had changed her life forever.


    She threw the picture back into the drawer and slammed it shut, sniffing back the tears she wouldn¡¯t shed. Not today. Today she needed to escort her new party leader. She needed to be there for him now. He was like a child in a new world and needed her. Needed all of them. Mindful of the warning she¡¯d given him about the guild not wanting to be kept waiting, she quickly changed into slightly more professional wear than the shorts and t-shirt she currently wore.


    Shortly she joined the rest downstairs. Phil had beat her downstairs, and she appraised his look. Cargo pants and a polo shirt. Not bad, but¡­ ¡°A bomber jacket? Really?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s the only cold weather jacket I have, and it¡¯s freezing out there.¡±


    She looked at the other two women. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him?¡± Rose kept quiet, avoiding eye contact and staring at the floor. Brittany just shrugged, clearly not giving a shit. Phil looked on in confusion.


    ¡°Tell me what?¡±


    Reese rolled her eyes. Turning this into a team is going to be harder than I thought. ¡°Come on,¡± she said, and led them towards a recessed wall panel. Placing her hand against it, a small square lit up. It scanned her hand then shut off. The wall panel clicked and slid open, the wall disappearing into the floor. Phil¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head.


    ¡°Is that a fucking stargate?¡± he blurted.


    ¡°Where do you think they got the idea?¡± she said, shrugging. The portal wasn¡¯t as large as the convoluted hoop seen on the tv show. It looked like calm water in place of a door, and it only went one place. ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Security¡¯s gonna be a bitch today.¡± She stepped through first. Mostly to show him it was harmless, but also to see if he¡¯d come through on his own. He¡¯d made some progress while at the house, but this was his first real experience with the new world he found himself in. Well, second, if you counted the attempted murder by his friend a couple weeks ago, but that was before he¡¯d accepted his new life, so she didn¡¯t. Rose and Britt quickly followed her through and stepped to the side.


    A hand tentatively reached through the portal and she had to stifle a giggle. She saw Rose do the same thing while Britt simply rolled her eyes. The hand disappeared back through and she could imagine him staring at it in disbelief. It was only a couple seconds later she saw him step through, his eyes closed and a look on his face like he was expecting some sort of impact. When none came, he cracked one eye and looked around. Reese shook her head and waved him forward.


    ¡°Come on, you nut. We need to get you a guest pass before we can enter the guild proper.¡± Reese started walking and was joined by Britt and Rose. She heard Phil jogging to catch up and whisper under his breath.


    ¡°It¡¯s like an airport.¡±


    She smiled and looked around herself. She¡¯d been here so many times she never really paid attention to her surroundings anymore, but she could understand a newbie¡¯s reaction. The high ceilings and tiled floors. The security checkpoints and various desks spread throughout the expansive building awed most people their first time through. She chose not to tell him that it actually was an airport. An old discarded airport in a secret location that even she didn¡¯t know. The guild had claimed and renovated it, turning it into the administration headquarters for guild activities in their part of the country. The portal they¡¯d just exited was located in the old check in area, and the security was essentially the same, although it was less concerned with shoes, belts, and liquids and more concerned with magic items, concealed weapons, and harmful spells a party might have cast on them. Most of the time a party wouldn¡¯t worry about passing through security, since their business could be taken care of at one of the old check-in desks, and even those didn¡¯t get used that often these days. Most just used the guild¡¯s website to find jobs.


    Today, however, they were forced to endure the paperwork for requesting a guest pass, and the pat downs at security. Britt bristled at the large man who insisted she needed to be searched more thoroughly, and it was only the man¡¯s supervisor that saved his life.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about that, Miss Hughes,¡± the supervisor said, bowing deeply. ¡°He¡¯s new. He¡¯s not had the honor of meeting you before.¡±


    Brittany continued to glare at the large man, who returned the glare. ¡°Might want to get that little power high fixed, Bluto. Orcs are not known for giving second chances.¡± The large man, whose nametag did not say Bluto, suddenly went pale.


    ¡°Orc?¡± he squeaked out. He bowed deeply. ¡°My most sincere apologies, ma¡¯am. It¡¯ll never happen again.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Ma¡¯am? Do I look like an old lady to you?¡± If the poor man had gone any paler, he would¡¯ve been transparent. Reese was about to speak up when, surprisingly, Phil stepped in.


    ¡°Um, Britt? Shouldn¡¯t we get going? Important people are waiting for us, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Britt raised an eyebrow at the timid man, looked back at the now trembling security guard, then sniffed in contempt and continued her way through to where Reese and Rose waited, one shaking her head at the show, the other releasing the healing spell she¡¯d been conjuring. A pretty heavy duty one, if Reese was correct in identifying it. Phil joined them a moment later and Brittany rounded on him.


    ¡°Listen, you little twat, if I wanted someone to interfere, I would¡¯ve asked one of these two! Who do you think you are!?¡±


    Phil shrank into himself a bit. ¡°Th-th-the p-party leader?¡±


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? You can¡¯t even say that with confidence, but still have the nerve to interfere in my business? These two may think you¡¯re the new party leader, but to me you¡¯re just some spineless asshole squatting in our home and staring at us for your jerkoff fantasies!¡±


    ¡°Please, Britt,¡± Rose said. ¡°He was just trying to keep the situation from getting worse. Can we go now? Everyone is staring at us.¡±


    Britt glanced over at Rose, then gave Phil one last glare before stomping off, cracking some of the floor tiles in the process. Rose followed while Reese idly wondered where Britt got her boots from. They must be pretty high quality when the floor gives way before they do. She walked over and looped her arm into Phil¡¯s, pulling him along in the others¡¯ wake.


    ¡°Come on, hero. She¡¯ll get over it. We¡¯ve got a meeting to get to.¡±

 Chapter 6

    The party waited in uncomfortable silence. Phil and Reese were sitting on a bench, whispering back and forth as she filled him in on what to expect when they were called in. Rose was seated a noticeable distance away, with Brittany leaning against the wall next to her. Rose occasionally glanced over at the others, wanting to join them, but still felt uncomfortable around Reese after their earlier encounter. Britt focused her attention on the door, doing her best to pretend that Phil didn¡¯t exist while she still could.


    The doors made no sound as they opened, swinging wide to allow the gentleman behind them to step out.


    ¡°The council will see you now,¡± he said, gesturing for them to follow.


    Reese¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°The council? Not the guild leadership?¡±


    ¡°The council, Miss Campbell, and they like to be kept waiting even less than the guild does.¡±


    She shot to her feet, dragging Phil up with her. ¡°Right. Sorry. Come on, Phil.¡± She stepped forward, Rose and Britt falling in behind the two of them. Reese suddenly felt extremely underdressed. The guild was business casual. The council was as formal as you could get. They followed the gentleman until he indicated where they should stand in the middle of the hall. The room was dark except for the circle of light in the middle of the room, the floor they stood upon the lowest level. Above them was the raised dais that the guild leadership normally occupied. It wasn¡¯t usually shrouded in shadows, but the council liked to maintain an air of anonymity. The lights shining in their eyes helped to obscure their view even more.


    ¡°Bruce Wright¡¯s party, as requested,¡± the gentleman announced before walking off into the shadows.


    ¡°I see Mr. Wright¡¯s party, certainly,¡± came a modulated voice. ¡°However I do not see Bruce Wright. They shall no longer be addressed as such. Will the new party leader step forward?¡±


    Phil felt a nudge in his ribs and glanced over. Reese nudged him again and indicated with her head that he should step forward. Before he could process the idea, however, he felt a shove at his back. He stumbled forward a couple steps before righting himself. He glanced back at Britt, who stared back impassively. Facing forward again, he attempted to only sound half as nervous as he actually was.


    ¡°Um, I guess that would be me, Sir, or Ma¡¯am, or, um¡­¡±


    ¡°You guess? You don¡¯t know if you¡¯re the party leader?¡±


    He glanced back at Reese, but she gave no hint of what he should do. He turned his face back into the bright lights. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here a couple weeks. I, um, I haven¡¯t done anything yet that I would call leader-like.¡±


    ¡°Do you not control them with orders?¡± the same voice asked from a different location.


    ¡°Um, not if I can help it. I did so once on accident, and it led to me nearly getting killed a few hours later.¡±


    ¡°So you have the capability?¡±


    ¡°The capability, yes, but not the desire.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    Phil looked confused. ¡°Because there¡¯s no reason to. They¡¯ve been training me in what I¡¯m supposed to know as a leader, but we haven¡¯t faced any situation where it was necessary. Even if we did, they know their abilities better than I do and would have a better idea on how to implement them.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re aware you could order these women to do anything you wish, right?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve told me that, yes.¡±


    ¡°And you have no desire to use these women as you want?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Phil was starting to get a little pissed at this line of questioning.


    ¡°Control your temper, Mr. Thomas.¡±


    ¡°You keep asking these absurd questions. I¡¯ve already explained why I haven¡¯t used whatever power it is that I have over them. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±


    ¡°We ask these questions to determine if you¡¯re worthy of joining our ranks. Any who would seek to abuse the trust inherent in the position must be sought out and dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Like you guys did with my predecessor?¡± As soon as the words left his mouth he realized what a horrible mistake it was. He audibly heard the women behind him stiffen up, and more than one chair creaked in the darkness in front of him. Whatever came next was entirely his fault and he knew it.


    ¡°Mr. Wright gave the guild ten years of honorable service, saving countless lives over and over again, perhaps even your own. While his downfall was a tragedy, it would do you well, and everyone else present, to remember that the good he did heavily outweighed the bad.¡±


    Phil lowered his head in submission. ¡°Of course. I apologize if I spoke out of turn.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± came a bellow from behind him. Shocked, he turned to see Britt take a step forward.


    ¡°Miss Hughes?¡± Even with the voice hidden behind a distortion effect, the confusion was evident.


    She took another step forward until she was side by side with Phil. She still refused to make eye contact with him. ¡°I don¡¯t like this man. I think he¡¯s a miserable excuse for a human being and far too weak for this line of work.¡±


    ¡°O..kay?¡± came the confused response.


    ¡°That being said, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s wrong in regard to Bruce. For two years he showed signs of an alignment shift. You must have seen the reports. Excessive property damage while completing quests. Higher civilian casualties. An increase in quest failures. The rising number of missing people in our area. How come none of this triggered an independent investigation by the guild?¡±


    ¡°It was determined that your party was in a rut, so to speak, and that you would eventually pull out of it.¡±


    ¡°For two years?¡± said Reese, also stepping up next to Phil. ¡°Two years is not a ¡®rut,¡¯ Councilor.¡±


    ¡°Miss Campbell, if we feel a party is becoming a danger to itself or others, there are measures in place. A party as distinguished as yours would have suffered a tremendous setback if an investigation had been launched.¡±


    Britt scoffed. ¡°So it was a PR thing. You didn¡¯t want your golden boy¡¯s downfall to bring discredit to the guild.¡±


    Phil stayed silent, watching the interplay. He was actually still a bit surprised at Britt being the one to come to his defense. Well, kind of.


    ¡°So you or the guild saw the evidence, but chose not to act upon it?¡± asked Reese.


    Silence greeted her question. Reese and Phil exchanged looks while Britt crossed her arms and looked intimidating.


    ¡°You knew? You knew. How many innocent people died?¡± asked Rose.


    More silence.


    ¡°You could have saved so many lives but chose not to. For what? Image? We¡¯re a secret from the world. Whose image were you protecting? You could have saved all those innocent people. Maybe even saved Bruce himself. I lost the man I love because of that?¡± Rose fell to her knees. She didn¡¯t start crying like Phil expected her to, though. She just sat there with a stunned expression on her face. He wasn¡¯t sure what he should do, but felt he had to do something. Turning his back on the darkened dais, he squatted down in front of Rose and hesitantly placed a hand on a shoulder. He nearly withdrew it when she twitched at his touch, but he maintained his position.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Rose,¡± he said quietly. Reese joined them, squatting down behind Rose and wrapping her arms around her, their argument from earlier forgotten. Britt moved to stand beside them, arms still crossed like a sentinel guarding her charge. Silence filled the room.


    A chair creaked in the darkness. Slow, measured steps echoed around the hall. All four party members turned to follow the sound. The steps turned heavy as they descended steps Phil couldn¡¯t see, then resumed their measured pace until someone entered the circle of light they occupied. Rose gasped, and Phil could understand why.


    ¡°They sought to protect my image,¡± the newcomer said. The gentleman before them was tall, muscular, wore a perfectly tailored suit, and his blond hair was slicked back. ¡°I¡¯m Robert Wright. Bruce was my son.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    *


    ¡°Clear the room!¡± barked Wright.


    The sound of footsteps filled the hall for a minute before everything was silent again. Wright pulled a small remote from his pocket and pressed a button, bringing the lights up to a normal level. Then he surprised everyone by sitting on the floor next to them, crossing his legs and unbuttoning his coat.


    ¡°Mr. Thomas,¡± he said. ¡°Can I call you Philip, or Phil?¡±


    Phil exchanged quick glances with Rose and Reese, before turning to give Wright his full attention.


    ¡°Uh, sure. Either is fine.¡±


    Wright nodded. ¡°Phil, then. Call me Robert. You¡¯re not a father, are you son?¡±


    ¡°Uh, not to my knowledge, no.¡± Reese tried to hide an amused look at his answer while Britt quirked an eyebrow at him. He shrugged a little at them, then shrank in on himself a little, embarrassed by his answer. Robert chuckled.


    ¡°A safe enough answer, I guess.¡± He turned serious. ¡°So you¡¯ve never had to watch your pride and joy slowly turn into a psychopath, have you? Don¡¯t answer. Very few people have ever been placed in that position. Yes, ladies, we were aware of Bruce¡¯s transformation. I did try talking to him about it, but he refused to acknowledge any wrong doing. Nothing was done about it because of my position on the council.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, sir, but is your position so vital that innocent lives are so easily sacrificed?¡±


    Robert eyed Phil. ¡°Forgive me, Phil, but I was led to believe that you were the nervous sort that avoids confrontation.¡±


    ¡°As was I,¡± said Britt, staring at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯m generally not comfortable around people, especially women, and have been called ¡®beta¡¯ by my former best friend on many occasions, but even I have a line in the sand, sir. Maybe I¡¯m recovering from what Chuck did to me, or maybe I¡¯m genuinely upset that people died so this council or whatever could save face. Maybe both.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You guys wanted me here to ¡®to determine if I¡¯m worthy of joining your ranks,¡¯ I believe you said. Honestly, how can one trust a judgement of that after what you¡¯ve just told us?¡±


    ¡°Just tell us why,¡± Rose pleaded.


    Robert looked at each woman in turn. ¡°Ladies, before I go any further, please allow me to apologize to you. You went through some truly difficult times,¡± he fixed his eyes on Reese briefly before continuing, ¡°and it was in part due to the council¡¯s position. No investigation was launched because the council didn¡¯t want word to get out that one of their member¡¯s children had an alignment shift.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want the investigation to undermine the position of the council,¡± Reese concluded. ¡°People died so you guys could remain in your seats.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said unapologetically.


    ¡°But your son died as well,¡± said Phil.


    ¡°You mean you killed him,¡± said Robert, staring him down.


    Phil flinched under the scrutiny. ¡°Yeah, I killed him. Accidentally. If you want to hate me or turn me in to the authorities, I won¡¯t blame you for that. But it shouldn¡¯t have reached a point where he died, right? He was choking a man to death when I ran into everyone. Don¡¯t you think that if you guys had actually done something when you figured out something was wrong, both your son and those he¡¯s killed would still be alive?¡±


    Robert glared at him, but Phil pushed on.


    ¡°Honestly, I think I would¡¯ve been more eager to follow people who are willing to provide help for someone who needs it than people who pretend to not see a problem so they can look good.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re on very thin ice, Phil,¡± warned Robert.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I felt I needed to get that out. If that¡¯s how you guys do things here, then I don¡¯t want to be a part of it. So you can go ahead and remove this power I have and let me go on my way.¡±


    Robert looked upon the group, surprise overriding his anger. ¡°You ladies didn¡¯t tell him?¡±


    Reese shook her head. ¡°Didn¡¯t seem relevant, considering how hard he was working to learn the job.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what?¡± asked Phil.


    ¡°Phil, there¡¯s only one way to transfer party leadership,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°Death,¡± said Britt.


    Phil paled. ¡°Oh,¡± he squeaked out. He glanced at each of them, eyes wide. ¡°Okay, new plan. Um, uh, I don¡¯t have a new plan, actually.¡± Britt rolled her eyes at him as he shrugged sheepishly. ¡°Obviously I don¡¯t want to die, but I¡¯m really not comfortable in this environment. If I went bad like he did, what would you do?¡±


    Robert shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Standard procedure is to eliminate the rogue leader before he can do too much damage.¡±


    Phil gulped. ¡°You¡¯d kill me. Right. Not that I have any plans of going bad or anything like that!¡± he immediately clarified. ¡°I just wanted to make sure.¡±


    Rose cocked her head. ¡°Make sure of what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± he responded. ¡°I¡¯m kind of panicking here. I¡¯m surrounded by people that cared for Bruce and being the guy that killed him I¡¯m surprised you all don¡¯t hate me or want to see me dead! I mean besides Brittany, of course.¡±


    Brittany grimaced. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you dead. I just don¡¯t want you as my party leader.¡±


    ¡°Uh, right. Thanks, I guess. But I think the most confusing person here is you, sir.¡±


    Robert raised an eyebrow. ¡°Me?¡±


    Phil wrung his hands together, nervous about what he was about to say. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at this, but I¡¯m going to be blunt.¡±


    Robert nodded slowly and motioned for him to go on.


    ¡°I killed your son, right? I, um, inherited his power, I guess you guys would call it.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already been over this, yes,¡± Robert said, irritation growing in his voice.


    ¡°Yes, right. Um¡­¡± he hesitated, causing everyone to look at him in annoyance. He took the leap.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to care.¡±


    ¡°Phil!¡± gasped Reese. Rose¡¯s hands shot to her mouth. Even Britt¡¯s eyes widened at the audacity of the statement.


    Robert stared at Phil. His eyes never wavered as Phil spit out his words, no trace of emotion crossed his face. Phil started to squirm under the man¡¯s gaze. Had he gone too far? Of course he¡¯d gone too far. What kind of idiot tells a parent that they don¡¯t care about their kid¡¯s death? He started to open his mouth to apologize for his rudeness, but no words came out. He was actually afraid he might say something worse than he already had. He wanted to look down at the floor they were sitting on, but Robert¡¯s eyes held his in place. He waited for the rage to hit.


    None came. Shockingly, Robert was the first to break eye contact. He briefly glanced down, then stared up at the ceiling, leaning back on his hands as he heaved a heavy sigh.


    ¡°I was always a terrible father. You obviously wouldn¡¯t know that. I am not a decent human being. The council has always come first for me. My wife, God rest her soul, raised Bruce on her own. That¡¯s why he turned out to be the amazing man he was. When the reports started coming in about his shift and the drastic change he¡¯d undergone, all I could think about was how this would harm my position if it were investigated. So quashed the reports and tasked others with cleaning up his messes. He had ceased to be my son and was now a liability.¡± He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his folded hands, once again making eye contact. He even smirked a little, and Phil suddenly wanted nothing to do with man. His next words confirmed the feeling.


    ¡°You did me a favor.¡±


    Silence followed the words. Phil didn¡¯t think any of his team was even breathing. He instantly felt the need to be somewhere else and stood up, shocking everyone. He tried to say something a couple times, but once again nothing came out. He settled for a quick head nod as a goodbye and started for the door, turning his back on the man. He heard the women get up and start to follow him until Robert spoke up again.


    ¡°Philip Thomas!¡±


    Against his better judgement, Phil stopped and turned to face the councilman.


    ¡°Mr. Thomas, I hereby grant you the title of Party Leader. All that was Bruce Wright¡¯s is now yours. The paperwork has already been completed, Miss Campbell knows where to pick it up.¡± The stern looking man smirked again. ¡°In gratitude for what you¡¯ve accomplished for the council. Good day, sir.¡± He then turned and made his way out a door on the far side of the chamber.


    *


    ¡°Was that smart?¡± a councilman asked Robert as he entered the back room where they waited.


    Robert sighed and flopped into a nearby chair. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Everyone here knows how much you adored your son. I don¡¯t understand why you put on that act.¡±


    ¡°The kid needed provoking. It almost felt like he wanted to be punished for what he did.¡±


    ¡°As any rational human being would. I still don¡¯t understand your actions though. What good can come of making him an enemy of the council?¡±


    Robert stood and paced. ¡°To light a fire under him. Did you know he¡¯s the first pureblooded human to join the guild?¡±


    The four other council members nodded their heads.


    ¡°For millennia those of us with mixed blood have stood watch against the evils of the world, but cases like Bruce¡¯s are becoming more frequent. More and more reports are coming in that show a pattern of excessive destruction and casualties. Like the lives of those we protect matter less than completing a successful quest and getting paid. We need an injection of humility and humanity. That young man is scared as hell, but he has compassion. My son was a monster in the end, yet he still carries the grief of killing him.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand¡­¡±


    ¡°Those girls undoubtedly told him of the council, and how our authority is unquestionable, right? He questioned it. You were there. Then he was face to face with me, the father of the man he killed, and called me out for not seeming to care. For someone who was apparently described as ¡®beta,¡¯ he¡¯s got some brass ones. I acted the way I did because I want him to change things. If I read him correctly, he¡¯s going to put everything into becoming the best party leader he can be.¡±


    ¡°Which still doesn¡¯t answer-¡±


    Robert cut him off. ¡°And then, hopefully, he¡¯s going to attack us.¡±


    Eyebrows shot up around the room.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± said Robert. ¡°He sees us as the villains now. He isn¡¯t going to want to see people like us in charge. Given our lack of action against Bruce and others like him, he may not even be wrong. Perhaps we¡¯ve become the villains we¡¯ve stood against for so long. Either way, I think it¡¯s time for a changing of the guard, and he may just be the catalyst we need. If Bruce¡¯s death can bring about a positive change in our organization, I¡¯ll accept it as a worthy sacrifice.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you truly feel, why not just step down?¡±


    Robert smirked. ¡°Just because I¡¯m ready to retire doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to have a little fun before I go. He has to earn it, so we¡¯ll play the villain for him. We¡¯ll start slow. It¡¯ll be years before he¡¯s ready to challenge us, but eventually we¡¯ll have to directly provoke him. No one would respect him as a leader if we just handed it to him. If it looks like I¡¯m about to take it too far, let me know, alright?¡±


    Hesitant glances passed between the other four members. Robert sighed.


    ¡°Do I have to make it an order? Christ, I know it¡¯s been decades, but we¡¯re still a party, right? Let¡¯s have a little fun, but not too much, and hand things off to the new generation with pride.¡±


    ¡°¡°Yessir!¡±¡± they answered in unison. One held up her hand.


    ¡°Um, why give him Bruce¡¯s assets, though?¡±


    Robert shrugged. ¡°Not like I need them. I¡¯ve already retrieved the keepsakes I wanted from the estate. The house, the money, the vehicles, I don¡¯t need any of it. I see no reason to uproot the girls, either. I didn¡¯t really do him any favors though. He¡¯s also inherited Bruce¡¯s enemies. We¡¯ll see how he handles them. It¡¯ll be a good measuring stick to judge his progress.¡±


    She eyeballed him worriedly. ¡°You just might be a villain after all, you know that?¡±

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Ok, I just need you to sign here, here, aaand here, Mr. Thomas. Oh, and initial there,¡± the clerk said, sliding a document in front of Phil. Reese grabbed the nearby pen and handed it to him. He briefly marveled at the chain, surprised that even in this strange environment of superpowered people that pen theft was still a thing.


    ¡°Um, sure. Here, here, and here? Ok. Oh, right,¡± he slapped his initials in the indicated spot and slid the paper back. The clerk gave a practiced smile, then slid him a key card similar to the one Reese had given him.


    ¡°Congratulations, Mr. Thomas. You¡¯re in a whole new tax bracket now.¡±


    Phil¡¯s face went slack. ¡°Taxes?¡±


    Reese giggled. ¡°One of two constants in the universe, Phil. You¡¯ll never escape them.¡±


    ¡°Right. Death and taxes,¡± he muttered. To the clerk, ¡°Is that all? I kind of expected more paperwork.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it, sir. The rest of the paperwork was taken care of by the council.¡±


    Phil frowned at the mention of the council but nodded. ¡°Alright. If that¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°It is, sir. Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. You too.¡± He turned and left the counter they were standing at, rejoining Britt and Rose in the guild¡¯s lobby where they¡¯d entered. Once together, Reese grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Let me see your finger. Britt?¡±


    Wordlessly, Britt reached down and pulled a small dagger from her boot. Phil¡¯s eyes went wide.


    ¡°Is that why the guard said you needed to be searched further?¡±


    ¡°Only a fucking moron goes anywhere unarmed,¡± she said as she handed Reese the weapon handle first.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know you used weapons. I just kinda figured you¡­¡±


    ¡°Punched everything? Do I look like the incredible Hulk to you?¡± She glared at him.


    Not with tits like those, he thought to himself. Out loud he said, ¡°Not at all. Sorry for being presumptuous.¡±


    She cocked an eyebrow at him but didn¡¯t say anything. He suddenly felt a prick on his index finger.


    ¡°Ow! What the hell!?¡± Reese grinned at him as she quickly sheathed the dagger and handed it back to Britt.


    ¡°Press that against the card you were just given.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You need to bind the card to yourself, and you do that with blood. Well, I guess you could¡¯ve spit on it, but the spell works best with blood.¡±


    Giving Reese a dirty look, Phil pulled the card out of pocket and pressed it against his bleeding finger. ¡°Is that all? Do I need to do anything else?¡± Reese shook her head and pointed at the card, indicating he should keep watching. The small amount of blood coming from his finger soon stretched and thinned out as it began forming shapes on the surface of the card, then they faded from existence, taking the blood with them. He pulled his finger away and stared at the blank card. He looked at the women, raising his eyebrow.


    Rose reached out and held his hand. Her eyes glowed briefly, and when she let go the cut on his finger was gone. She gave him a small smile but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Welcome to the guild, party leader,¡± said Reese, slapping him on the back.


    Britt sighed. ¡°Guess there¡¯s no way around it now. I¡¯m going to put together a training plan for you. If I¡¯m stuck with you, you should at least be able defend yourself.¡±


    Phil stared at Britt in surprise, but she waved him off.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve already lost one party leader. I don¡¯t want to lose another if I can help it. Looks bad on the resume, you know? Besides, it took some stones to stand up to a councilmember like that.¡± With that, she turned and started making her way to the portal. Rose smiled at her friend¡¯s back and moved to follow.


    Reese leaned in and spoke softly to Phil, a tone of wonder in her voice. ¡°Not bad, hero. You scored some points with most stubborn one in the group.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Phil grunted in wonder. He felt a soft sensation on his cheek, then Reese danced away from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s on credit. Lead us well. Now let¡¯s go home, shall we?¡±


    Numbly, Phil ran his fingers across his cheek, stunned at the soft kiss she¡¯d just planted there. Credit for what? he wondered. Filing that away to ponder later, he pocketed his keycard and moved to follow the girls.


    *


    The next three months were extremely busy for the team. Brittany followed through with her promise and put together a training plan for him the included endless amounts of cardio, free weights, martial arts, and a healthy diet. When he asked how much she planned to teach him, she told him ¡°Just enough to get your ass kicked.¡± When he pointed out that he was already proficient in getting his ass kicked, she added five miles to his morning runs. Phil kept his mouth shut after that.


    Rose took over teaching him the administration side of being a party leader. He hadn¡¯t realized how much the guild ran on forms and reports. It wasn¡¯t something that was generally covered in the games he¡¯d played or the books he¡¯d read. When he remarked on that to her, she proceeded to lecture him for hours on the importance of meticulous record keeping and focusing on the little details. Phil kept his mouth shut after that.


    Reese was in charge of teaching him battle tactics, history, and the different types of quests they could expect to be given. She had him play numerous video games that focused on strategy and party management. When Phil pointed out that he wasn¡¯t going to have the bird¡¯s eye view of the battlefield like he did in the game, she proceeded to lecture him about the importance of three dimensional thinking and not limiting himself to what was just in front of him. She then gave him an ancient guild text on what was expected of a party and quizzed him mercilessly until he could recite it from memory. Phil kept his mouth shut after that.


    Phil was introduced to the training yard behind the house. In it, automatons simulated various types of enemies the team had faced in the past, and it was Phil¡¯s job to defeat them by giving the girls orders. He was dismayed to learn that he hadn¡¯t seemed to develop any powers of his own after receiving Bruce¡¯s essence, which forced him in to a purely strategist role unable to participate in attacking alongside the women. It wasn¡¯t that he was eager for combat, in fact the very idea terrified him, but he couldn¡¯t get over the idea of sending them out into danger while he stayed back and barked orders. He usually had Rose near him during these exercises, since her offensive skills were minimal. She was a support role type, as he had come to think of it. That left Brittany as their tank, which he was smart enough not to say to her face, and Reese as their damage dealer. This was a shift for her, as Bruce used to have that role while she did long range attacks.


    She¡¯d taken Phil down to the basement one day and shown him the armory stored there, hoping they could find something that might up his combat potential, but they were unable to do so. Any armor Bruce had stored there was for someone much stronger and larger than Phil. Phil himself was astounded at the collection, no matter how useless it was to him. Some armor was straight out of a fantasy game and completely unacceptable for wear in the modern day city, unless one didn¡¯t mind causing a commotion everywhere they went. There was more practical armor, of course. Leather jackets with chainmail hidden in the lining. Leather jerkins that could be worn under shirts and coats. Reinforced motorcycle helmets. Gloves with armored knuckles. Military looking uniforms. All of it heavy and sized for the man who used to be more than twice his size. Phil couldn¡¯t help but smirk at one particular weapon he came across.


    ¡°Really?¡± he said, pointing at the item hanging on the wall.


    Reese rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, really.¡± She reached up and grabbed the frying pan. A sad look crossed her face as she looked at it. ¡°He had the oddest sense of humor.¡±


    After their exploration of the home armory, they took a group trip back to the guild and perused the armory shop there. It proved to be an exercise in futility, however. They found some items that would help boost his defense, but they already had stuff like that back home. It was offense that he was lacking. When he asked about firearms, the women stared at him.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked.


    Britt turned to the clerk. ¡°Sergey, you still got that gun?¡±


    Sergey nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t leave home without it,¡± he said, patting his hip.


    Britt lined up with the girls and said, ¡°fire away.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡± Phil squealed, but couldn¡¯t say or do anything else before Sergey whipped out his pistol and fired round after round at the women. Reese held out her hand and stopped the rounds heading towards her, letting them hang in the air for a second before they dropped to the ground. Rose was shot numerous times, including once in the forehead, but each bullet was immediately pushed back out of her body and the wound healed. Phil was stunned the forehead shot hadn¡¯t killed her. Britt just stood there, arms crossed as each bullet hit her and stopped, none coming close to breaking her skin. The slide on the gun quickly locked back. Sergey was already sliding a new magazine into place when Phil held out his hand.


    ¡°Okay! I got it! No guns. What the hell!? Warn me next time, alright? Rose, are you okay? You took a shot to the face!¡± Sergey and Reese both snorted at his comment, and he rolled his eyes. ¡°Real mature, guys. Seriously, though, Rose. How are you still alive?¡±


    Rose blushed lightly at his worried expression. ¡°I, uh, can heal myself immediately. Any damage done is fixed so quickly the body doesn¡¯t even know it was hurt. It doesn¡¯t heal my clothes, though,¡± she added, glaring at Britt as she poked a finger through one of the holes in her shirt. ¡°I really liked this shirt,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Immediately? Wouldn¡¯t that, like, make you immortal?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You know I can only do so much with my healing. If we¡¯re in a fight and I¡¯m healing others as well as myself, I get tired quickly. That slows down my healing. If it gets too bad, I¡¯ll die, just like anyone else.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Britt lightly thumped Phil on the back of the head. Or at least she thought she had. Her strength compared to Phil¡¯s meant that her light thump was equal to a roundhouse kick. She panicked briefly as he rolled along the floor and bounced off a nearby shelf, but quickly schooled her face to show disdain. She had a reputation to maintain, even if she did feel bad about what she did. She covered it up by speaking angrily.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been paying attention during our training sessions? I thought you understood the importance of keeping the healer safe at all costs.¡± I really am sorry! she thought as he picked himself up and gratefully accepted the healing from Rose. He gave Britt a sheepish grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Britt. I¡¯m sorry for forgetting the fundamentals. If we go down, she can get us back up, but of she goes down, we¡¯re in trouble. And, uh, thanks for holding back on the hit.¡±


    Britt¡¯s eyes widened slightly, not realizing he¡¯d been able to tell. He¡¯s changing, she thought. ¡°Well, next time I won¡¯t. Don¡¯t forget the basics. I think we¡¯re done here, don¡¯t you?¡± She stomped out before anyone had a chance to answer her. She passed by Reese and Sergey as they were talking quietly amongst themselves but overheard a portion as she passed by.


    What the fuck¡¯s a tsundere?


    *


    ¡°Remember when he could barely look any of us in the eye?¡± Rose asked Britt as they sat down for lunch upon returning.


    Britt scoffed. ¡°He still stares at my tits too much. Although I will admit that he¡¯s putting in some honest effort. He doesn¡¯t slack off in the gym, and his run time is dropping. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever exercised this much in his life.¡±


    ¡°Probably not,¡± agreed Rose. ¡°I got the impression his whole life was just work and video games. That incubus leeching off of him was probably a huge contributing factor though. He said they¡¯d been friends since middle school. Poor guy never had a chance to spread his own wings if Chuck¡¯s been draining him for that long.¡±


    Britt chuckled. ¡°What a stupid name for an arch nemesis. ¡®Chuck the Incubus!¡¯¡± she said grandly, then laughed. ¡°The wimp can¡¯t even make tough enemies.¡±


    Rose looked thoughtful as she picked at her salad. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡±


    Britt raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to go on.


    Putting her fork down, Rose folded her hands in front of her on the table and focused on Britt. ¡°Imagine it. To Philip¡¯s mind, that was his best friend for fifteen years. They did everything together, right? Well, most things. He even said the only reason he has any experience with women at all is because Chuck helped him meet a few. We sit back and clearly see that Chuck hand fed him and strung him along for so long, but that¡¯s only become clear to Philip in the last couple months. That doesn¡¯t erase the previous decade and a half. Philip has to reconcile 15 years of friendship with the idea that Chuck wants to kill him now. Villainous name or not, this is going to be Philip¡¯s toughest challenge yet.¡±


    Britt mulled that over as she chewed her sandwich. Could she suddenly handle having to fight her best friend? She didn¡¯t have to think too hard on the subject. Bruce had been her best friend. They¡¯d trained endlessly together. Fought side by side. When he¡¯d turned, she hadn¡¯t been able to do anything against him. Even if he hadn¡¯t ordered them to not bring it up, she knew she wouldn¡¯t have been able to raise her fists against him. Even after what he¡¯d done to Reese. She¡¯d been furious, yeah. She¡¯d destroyed the gym in her rage at his audacity, but the idea of crushing him into the ground had never crossed her mind.


    Now Phil was stuck in a kill or be killed scenario against his old friend. What would he do? How would he handle it? He hadn¡¯t talked about Chuck since that first month when he¡¯d decided to open up to everyone about himself and what kind of person he saw himself as, which basically boiled down to him saying he was the most boring person in existence as far as Britt was concerned. When they asked him his plan for Chuck, Phil had actually shrugged and said they¡¯d cross that bridge when they got to it. Meaning he didn¡¯t have a clue. Britt did have to concede Rose¡¯s point though. Silly name or not, Chuck will be Phil¡¯s biggest challenge. Could he do what she hadn¡¯t been able to?


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope that skinny body of his has a massive set of balls. Fighting a friend won¡¯t be easy.¡± With that, Britt fell silent and continued eating her lunch. Rose eyed her for a second, a little surprised that Britt hadn¡¯t gone further in insulting him. She usually took every opportunity she was given. Calling him skinny was so tame as to sound affectionate. Had his tenacity started to chip away at the tank¡¯s armor? Rose smiled softly to herself as she continued eating.


    *


    ¡°So what powers those automatons anyway?¡± Phil asked Reese as they reviewed the previous day¡¯s training footage on the big screen in the living room. Phil winced as he saw himself take a hit to the small of the back. He¡¯d been so focused on the group Britt had been clobbering that he never noticed the one that had managed to flank them and attack him from the rear.


    ¡°I¡¯m honestly not sure. Bruce had them custom built by an old friend of his father¡¯s,¡± she glanced over at the other side of the couch in time to see him frown at the mention of Robert. ¡°They¡¯re customizable to cover just about any scenario that we could think of. Why?¡±


    ¡°Just curious. I¡¯m still getting used to this whole sword and sorcery in the 21<sup>st</sup> century thing. Figured it was some type of magic you might be familiar with. Something like them would be helpful to have as backup during a quest or something, ya know? They¡¯re surprisingly agile, and not many things can take a hit from Britt like that.¡± He indicated the screen where Britt had just sent one of the humanoid figures flying with a right cross, only to have it stand back up and rush her again.


    ¡°Well, they¡¯re made of mithril. Even Britt would have to put in some serious effort to damage it.¡±


    ¡°Mithril? That¡¯s real? Like the armor they gave Frodo in the Lord of the Rings?¡±


    Reese laughed. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s real. Not quite as shiny as usually depicted though. Only master artisans put in that much effort. It works just as well without all the polishing. Besides, something that shiny is just a beacon on the battlefield¡­¡¯ she trailed off, earning her a look from Phil, but she ignored him. Mithril armor. It was light enough, but they didn¡¯t have any in the armory to test out. Realizing that Phil was still staring at her, she held up a hand as the look of an idea striking her crossed her face. She quickly whipped out her phone and shot off a text.


    ¡°What?¡± Phil asked.


    ¡°I think I have an idea. Don¡¯t get your hopes up yet, but I think I solved your armor problem.¡±


    ¡°My armor problem?¡±


    ¡°The fact that the stuff we have is too big and heavy for you to wear. Rose and I only wear light armor because it gets in our way when casting, and Britt is pretty much made of armor. You¡¯re the only one who really needs it.¡± Phil made a face, but she waved it off. ¡°Nothing to be ashamed about. We¡¯ve never had a straight human to think about like this before. Even the guild had nothing, remember? The armor there is designed to work with someone¡¯s natural traits and abilities. You don¡¯t have any that we¡¯ve been able to discern. The body armor the police and military use is woefully inadequate for this line of work, so we can¡¯t put you in that.¡±


    Britt and Rose walked in at that point. Over her shoulder Britt was carrying one of the training automatons. Making her way to wear Reese indicated and dropped it on the floor with a loud clatter.


    ¡°Okay, I brought one. Wanna tell us what this is all about?¡± Britt said, crossing her arms.


    Rose leaned down, examining the dummy closely, then smiled. She waved Phil over.


    ¡°Pick it up,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Pick it up. Even you should be able to lift one of these.¡±


    Giving her a wary look, Phil bent over and hooked his hands in the armpits of the metallic doll and lifted. He was surprised to find it a lot lighter than he¡¯d anticipated. Maybe a hundred pounds at the most. Still pretty heavy for him though, despite the intense workouts Britt put him through. He grunted while he lifted it but managed to get it standing. It was facing him now, and he couldn¡¯t help but stare into the holes where the eyes should be.


    ¡°Is this hollow?¡± he asked, looking over its shoulder at Reese who was running her hands up and down its back.


    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± she grunted absentmindedly as she searched for something. ¡°Ah! I thought so!¡± she declared and pressed something Phil couldn¡¯t see. The suit immediately went stiff in his hands.


    ¡°You can let go,¡± Reese said. ¡°It¡¯ll stand on its own now.¡±


    Phil released his grip and backed away, half expecting it to collapse, but found it standing solid. Britt raised an eyebrow at the display.


    ¡°I thought these could only work in the training yard?¡±


    Reese nodded. ¡°As automatons, yes. But do you remember what Bruce told us about Jonas?¡±


    ¡°That he was some kind of mad scientist type?¡± ventured Rose.


    Reese smiled and nodded excitedly. ¡°Exactly! Also that he was a huge geek. Loved anime, video games, and comic books.¡±


    ¡°And? What does that have to do with anything?¡± asked Britt, irritated at Reese dancing around her point.


    ¡°Everything! What was his specialty?¡±


    Rose¡¯s eyes flashed, suddenly catching on to Reese¡¯s point. ¡°Armor!¡±


    Phil stared at the two of them, then exchanged a confused look with Britt. ¡°You have any idea what they¡¯re talking about?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not a clue.¡±


    Rose and Reese ignored the exchange, pouring over the magical robot.


    ¡°The chest, maybe?¡± asked Rose.


    Reese snapped her fingers and pointed at Rose before moving around to the front and running her hands up and down. Her face fell when she shook her head.


    ¡°Nothing. I guess that makes sense. Take a hit to the chest and it would just pop open, defeating the purpose. Maybe somewhere not as accessible or easily targeted? Check the joints?¡± They resumed their search, hands running up and down the form in a way that started to make Phil uncomfortable. Reese noticed his shifting stance and decided to tease him a little, running her hand down the torso and crotch area. She almost laughed at how big his eyes got until her hand was firmly between its legs.


    ¡°Oh!¡± she squeaked out in a mix of surprise and embarrassment. ¡°Well, um, that¡¯ll make getting you out all the more interesting.¡±


    ¡°Getting me out?¡± he said. Rose smiled and pushed with her middle finger. Phil heard a click and the automaton suddenly started opening up. He¡¯d thought it was a series of solid plates connected to resemble a human, but it turned out to be a series of much smaller interlocking panels that suddenly shifted and moved, revealing a cavity in the torso. The arms and legs also opened up in a similar manner while the head split down the middle and retracted into itself.


    ¡°You gotta be shitting me,¡± said Britt. ¡°Are they all like that?¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°Probably. You grabbed this one at random, right?¡±


    Britt nodded. ¡°Closest one I could find.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯d wager they¡¯re all like this. Something to remember one day, I guess. Come on, Phil. Take a closer look.¡±


    Phil approached the suit, peering inside the torso. He ran his hand across the back, noting the weathered padding. Since the automatons were normally just left in the training yard, they¡¯d been exposed to the elements, and clearly that had an affect on their interior.


    ¡°He made an Iron Man suit?¡±


    ¡°Mithril Man. Said he was a geek, right? I can¡¯t believe this didn¡¯t occur to us earlier,¡± said Reese.


    ¡°Why would it?¡± asked Britt. ¡°Bruce never told us anything about this. We always just assumed they were training dummies. What led you to this idea, anyway?¡±


    ¡°We were talking about armor and mithril, then I remembered that these were made out of the stuff and were hollow. I was going to suggest cannibalizing one to make a chest plate for him, but when I saw the seams on it, I got the idea that the crazy bastard might¡¯ve done a bit more than we planned for.¡±


    ¡°But you said you don¡¯t know how they work. How do we know it¡¯s safe?¡± Phil asked, turning his back to the suit to talk to Reese. She shrugged.


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t. Someone¡¯s gonna have to test it out.¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyes quickly flicked to Britt, considering she was the toughest one in the group. She, however, thought differently.


    ¡°Oh, hell no. I am not your fucking guinea pig. I don¡¯t even think I¡¯d fit in that thing anyway. Why the hell did your eyes go to my chest when I said that!?¡± She glared at him, causing him to take a step back and put his hands up in surrender.


    ¡°Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to look! It was just a reflex action!¡±


    She took a step forward, cracking her knuckles. ¡°You¡¯re about to see a reflex action, buddy! Better don that suit so we can test it out as I whoop your ass.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± he stammered out.


    ¡°Get in the fucking robot, Phil!¡± She punctuated the demand by poking his chest with two fingers hard enough to force him back. He stumbled back into the suit and it immediately started closing around his chest. Worried he¡¯d lose them, he scrambled to get his legs and arms in place in case the suit decided to seal itself through them. As silently as it opened, it closed itself around him. Unable to move as it did so, Phil started to feel claustrophobic. His limbs were locked in place, and he could feel the helmet moving around his head. Suddenly realizing his face was about to be closed in, he started panicking and hyperventilating. Not being able to move sucked enough, but to have your main senses cutoff too? Phil didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to handle that. He was only able to squeak as the last pieces slid into place, covering his mouth. All he could do now was see out of the eyeholes, and all he saw was the girls staring at him. He could see them trying to talk to him, but the suit cutoff his hearing. He tried telling them that, but they obviously couldn¡¯t hear him. He couldn¡¯t even shake his head to show them he couldn¡¯t hear them. He was firmly locked in place.


    Stuck in this position and overwhelmed by everything, Phil did the only thing he was capable of at the moment: he passed out.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that uncomfortable?¡±


    Phil opened his eyes and saw two foot tall Bruce standing in front of him. Looking down, he saw he was standing there with his arms held straight out. He tried moving his arms, but they wouldn¡¯t budge. He tried moving his legs, with similar results. It seemed all he could move was his head.


    ¡°Great,¡± he muttered. ¡°Even in my own dream I¡¯m stuck like this.¡±


    Bruce laughed at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like your arms will get tired or anything, and the girls won¡¯t let anything happen to you in this state. They¡¯re debating getting you out of the suit as we speak, so I¡¯ll make this fast.¡±


    Phil nodded, not liking not being able to move. ¡°Faster would be better, yes.¡±


    ¡°Ok. When you wake up, I¡¯m going to need you to concentrate. I¡¯m going to help you interface with the suit. They were designed on a whim by Jonas, but he never put any thought into how the suits would work like this. What you¡¯re going to need to do is think of the suit as a party member.¡±


    ¡°A party member? Like the girls?¡±


    ¡°Kind of. It¡¯s a bit more complicated with actual people, but the magic imbued in the suit is compatible with your party leader power.¡±


    ¡°That seems remarkably convenient, don¡¯t you think?¡± Phil said skeptically.


    ¡°Are you really in a position to look a gift horse in the mouth right now?¡± Phil shook his head. ¡°Good, now listen, while you¡¯re doing that, I¡¯m going to do my part to integrate the suit to your thoughts. If I do this right, I¡¯ll be your own personal Jarvis while in the suit.¡±


    Phil smirked. He was about to say something when he suddenly snapped awake again when he felt an impact in his chest. He still couldn¡¯t hear anything, but he could see Britt staring into the eyeholes, her arm outstretched, fist no doubt planted in his chest. For a second he marveled at how blue her eyes were, but then mentally shook himself and tried to remember what Tiny Bruce had told him.


    Imagine the suit as a party member, he thought to himself. He imagined giving it commands like he did the girls and having it obey them. The suit trembled a bit around him, then stopped. Okay, he thought. It¡¯s not a suit. It¡¯s a full fledged member of the party. I¡¯ll call you MB-1. Mithril Bruce 1. How¡¯s that? A way to honor the man he used to be. Come on, MB, help me out here. Phil closed his eyes and concentrated, ignoring the girls¡¯ frantic motions in front of him as they attempted to get his attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m honored,¡± he suddenly heard. Was it heard? Did he actually hear it, or was it in his head?


    ¡°Does it matter? It¡¯s nice being able to communicate while you¡¯re awake for once. I¡¯ll only be able to do it in the suit, however.¡±


    ¡°Bruce?¡± he whispered.


    ¡°MB, if you¡¯ll please. Can¡¯t let the girls hear you talking to me, alright? You should be able to move now. I¡¯ll get to work on the hearing and speaking. The magic is a bit complicated.¡±


    Phil was immediately able to move, just as Bruce¡­ no, MB, had said. He looked down in time to see Reese¡¯s hand snaking between his legs. Thankful they couldn¡¯t see his expression beneath the helmet, he took a step back, startling everyone. The girls jumped back at the sudden movement, then immediately started saying something. He held up an armored hand to quiet them, then placed it over his ear and mouth, shaking his head. They nodded in understanding, then stood and watched as he took a few practice steps around the room.


    It was awkward at first, but he soon got used to it with MB¡¯s guidance here and there. The first couple steps cracked the tiled floor. While the armor wasn¡¯t heavy, the power driving it was intense. Phil knew with any small miscalculation he could easily kill a person. At MB¡¯s suggestion, he walked through the house to the kitchen and opened the hutch that held the plates and such.


    ¡°I¡¯ve almost got the communication side of things figured out. Jonas used some ridiculously old fashioned spells for this thing. Oh, don¡¯t worry about the dishes. A) you can afford to buy as many new ones as you want to replace what¡¯s damaged, and B) I always hated that design. Knock yourself out. Practice taking them out one at a time and replacing them until you get the hang of it.¡±


    Britt leaned over to Reese as they watched him crush a couple plates and grip his fists in frustration. The armored fingers were naturally bigger than his own, so he was attempting to pick up the plates with both hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s practicing picking up plates,¡± Reese answered, an impressed tone in her voice. ¡°He¡¯s practicing his fine motor control already. I actually figured he¡¯d want to practice punching things first. Isn¡¯t that what guys would want to do when they get some sort of power armor?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I would want to do,¡± said Britt.


    Rose chuckled. ¡°Knowing him, he probably wants to master it as soon as possible so he doesn¡¯t accidently hurt one of us. How many times did you yell at him for pulling punches when you sparred, Britt? It was cute the way he worried about hurting you.¡±


    ¡°In that suit, he may just do it,¡± remarked Reese. ¡°We don¡¯t know how much that could add to his offense yet. The automatons in the yard pack a punch by themselves. How much of that will he be able to control?¡±


    ¡°Apparently if I attempt to use the suit¡¯s full power in a punch or a kick, I risk more damage to myself than what I¡¯m aiming at.¡± His face was covered by the helmet, but they could make out the crinkled eyes of someone smiling broadly as he turned to face them. ¡°Sorry. I just got the communications figured out. The interface for this thing is weird. No, I didn¡¯t call you weird, just the interface. Calm down, MB. We¡¯re in this together, right?¡±


    Britt leaned over to Reese again. ¡°Ummm, is he alright?¡± she asked, but was only met with an astonished look from Reese.


    ¡°Sorry again. MB is kind of like an AI, I guess you could say? Some kind of magical AI. He¡¯s helping me figure the suit out. It was his idea I practice finer control before moving on to punching things.¡± He shrugged as best he could in the suit. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to get some more plates before this is over.¡±


    ¡°Can you open the helmet or something? Hearing you talking like that is irritating as hell,¡± said Britt.


    ¡°Oh. Ok. One sec.¡± He stood still, his head bobbing a little as he apparently spoke to whatever this AI was, then his helmet retracted, panels sliding within panels until it formed a collar around his neck. Phil gave it an impressed frown. ¡°Not bad. Pretty cool, actually.¡±


    ¡°Nope. I was wrong. The irritation had nothing to do with the helmet,¡± said Britt.


    Phil made a face at her, then looked surprised at his own action. Reese stifled a chuckle. She¡¯d been right. Blocking off Chuck¡¯s influence had done wonders for his personality. Even Britt was smirking at his reaction, which surprised Reese the most. Before, if he¡¯d even glanced at her wrong, she would¡¯ve threatened all kinds of bodily harm and dismemberment. The fact that she now found amusement at his actions (well, some of them) spoke volumes about his personality. She was actually teasing him, Reese thought in wonder. She hadn¡¯t seen Britt do that with anyone in years. She looked at Phil again as he was recovering from his shock and started to reevaluate him in her head. They¡¯d all been disappointed when he hadn¡¯t manifested any powers to aid them, but maybe he didn¡¯t need them. Maybe he just needed to be himself.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°So what do you say, wimp? Wanna fight?¡± Britt asked.


    ¡°Um, I was kind of hoping to learn how to control it better first.¡±


    She scoffed at him. ¡°Best way to learn is by getting your ass kicked. Haven¡¯t I at least taught you that much? Outside, let¡¯s go.¡± She didn¡¯t wait for a response. Just turned and left the kitchen, fully expecting him to follow. Reese and Rose exchanged glances, shrugged, and followed her. They smiled at each other as he softly muttered to himself.


    ¡°God dammit.¡± The clomps of his footsteps soon followed theirs.


    *


    Britt bounced on her toes in the training yard, the usual obstacles and automatons cleared out to make a ring for them.


    Time to see if the wet noodle¡¯s stiffened up a little, she thought to herself.


    ¡°Woo! Go Britt!¡± cheered Rose off to the side.


    ¡°You got this, Phil! Easy victory!¡± yelled Reese beside her. Britt stopped bouncing and raised her eyebrow in response.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? A little positive reinforcement isn¡¯t a bad thing,¡± Reese responded, shrugging.


    ¡°Um,¡± began Phil. ¡°MB wants me to remind you that while the suit may be able to take significant punishment, what¡¯s contained inside is still squishy and frail. Seriously? Frail?¡± He cocked his head to the side as he listened to something only he could hear, then his eyes widened. ¡°I am not saying that! Because I¡¯m not, that¡¯s why! We just got to the point where she doesn¡¯t want to kill me on sight, and I am not willing to die today!¡±


    Curiosity piqued, Britt cocked her head. ¡°What¡¯s your magic buddy saying there, Phil?¡±


    He gulped at the inflection on his name. ¡°He, uh¡­ heheh, (I am so gonna die today) he said if you could only use about ten percent of that brutish strength, that would be an adequate test.¡±


    She nodded, cracking her knuckles as she slowly approached him. His face was as white as his armor now. ¡°Brutish, he says? Ten percent? I¡¯ll think about it. Might want to put that helmet on, boy-o.¡± She grinned evilly. ¡°This is gonna hurt.¡±


    Brutish!? I¡¯ll show him ¡®brutish!¡¯ she thought as she drew her fist back. She didn¡¯t normally telegraph her moves, but as pissed as she was right now, she still didn¡¯t want to genuinely hurt him. Pain would still be involved, considerable amounts of it in fact, but nothing debilitating. As soon as his helmet slapped into place, she swung.


    How the fuck am I supposed to gauge ten percent? she thought. If he¡¯s unconscious or dead after this, I¡¯ll know it was too hard. His arms were moving up to block, but it was far too slow. Please don¡¯t die. The thought passed through her mind just as her fist contacted the helmet. It wasn¡¯t her first time hitting such armor, but the sound was different this time since there was someone inside. As such she didn¡¯t get the usual satisfying gong she liked as the suit, and poor Phil, were flung across the yard.


    ¡°Oh my!¡± cried Rose as Phil streaked away. He landed about fifty yards away, digging a furrow in the ground where he hit and slid. They started to worry as he lay there motionless on his back for a couple seconds, then his arms shot up.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± he yelled, and all three women let out the breaths they¡¯d been holding. They watched him awkwardly pick himself up, verify all his parts were in order, then jog back over. They actually heard him laughing as he got closer. ¡°Did you see that shit!?¡± he asked excitedly. ¡°That had to look like something out of an anime or something! So cool!¡±


    Britt stared at him. She couldn¡¯t decide if she wanted to laugh or get angry at his excitement. She¡¯d meant for it to hurt at least a little. The fact that he was laughing and having fun both amused and angered her. She smiled grimly. Guess I can turn up the power a bit, can¡¯t I? she thought. His laughing stopped abruptly when he saw the expression on her face and the look in her eyes.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± he said.


    Her grin grew predatory. ¡°¡®Oh shit¡¯ is right,¡± she said, tossing her head left and right to crack her neck. He quickly assumed a defensive stance as she closed in on him with a roar.


    *


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I saw her have that much fun,¡± said Reese.


    ¡°Ow! Glad she enjoyed it,¡± muttered Phil.


    ¡°Hold still!¡± chided Rose. ¡°Nothing¡¯s broken, but you¡¯ve got a lot of internal bruising.¡±


    The three of them were currently in the living room while Britt went to shower after they¡¯d finished. Phil was stretched out on the couch as Rose treated him, slowly healing the internal injuries he¡¯d taken as they tested the limits of the suit and his body. Reese had volunteered as pillow and was currently stroking his hair as he used her lap to rest his head. Despite the pain he was in he still managed to find the energy to be embarrassed by the attention, and his cheeks had been red for at least twenty minutes. He¡¯d also managed to avoid eye contact for most of that time as well.


    ¡°You should be proud of yourself, you know?¡± said Reese.


    ¡°No one takes a beating quite like me, right?¡±


    She smacked his forehead. ¡°No, dummy. You actually got a couple hits in. For someone who¡¯s only been at it for a couple months, that¡¯s impressive. On top of that you were wearing a magic suit of armor for the first time and had no idea how to control it. How do you control it anyway?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. I found that if I thought about it like it was a party member, it did what I wanted. By the end of the beating she was giving me, it felt like the suit was responding as naturally as my own body does.¡±


    ¡°And how does MB fit into this?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ I think, maybe, he¡¯s a manifestation of my party leader power and the magic of the armor combined. Maybe? I don¡¯t know anything about this kind of stuff. I just know that it can be a real smartass sometimes. Be thankful you can¡¯t hear it.¡± He shrugged, then winced, earning him a dirty look from Rose.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to stay still, I¡¯ll just come back later and you can suffer for a little while.¡±


    ¡°Nononono! I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll be a good boy! Promise!¡± he pleaded. Rose rolled her eyes and continued her work.


    Reese had covered her mouth with the back of her hand and looked over to the corner of the room, doing her best not to laugh at the pair. The scene was just too adorable for her to process. She looked down at him as he closed his eyes and rested with his hands folded on his stomach. He still had that soft face he¡¯d had when they first met, but with the exercise and healthier diet Britt had put him on, it was less baby fat and more¡­ adult. That was the only word she could come up with. A lot had been drilled into him in the last three months and it seemed he¡¯d forced himself to mature to keep up with it. His body was filling out and he was accepting more responsibilities. She¡¯d think he was a completely different man by now except for one aspect of his that hadn¡¯t changed. He still had the kindest eyes she¡¯d ever seen.


    Those were the eyes of a man who could change the world, if only he had the backbone to support them. She brushed a tuft of black hair off his forehead, lightly playing with it as she did so. He opened his green eyes and caught her blue ones staring at him. He blushed again but didn¡¯t break eye contact.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked as she continued to stare.


    She smiled softly and shook her head. ¡°Nothing. Just thinking how much you¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you have. You used to barely be able to hold a conversation with any of us. Now you can, and you¡¯re working so hard.¡±


    His blush deepened. ¡°If I¡¯ve changed, it¡¯s thanks to you ladies. I used to never want to leave my apartment and spent all my time playing video games. You guys saved me from Chuck, and it would be insulting if I didn¡¯t do my best to repay that by working as hard as I can.¡±


    ¡°Should I leave you two alone?¡± asked Rose, eyebrow raised as she watched the exchange.


    ¡°Sor-¡± Phil began, but Reese cut him off.


    ¡°Actually, yeah.¡± Rose¡¯s eyebrows disappeared into her hairline.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± she asked.


    Reese nodded, looking her in the eye. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s something I need to talk to him about.¡± The look on Reese¡¯s face told Rose everything she needed to know.


    ¡°Oh,¡± she breathed. She closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. ¡°I understand. Take your time.¡±


    Phil looked between the two of them. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Rose smiled sadly but didn¡¯t say anything. She patted his shoulder, stood up from where she was kneeling and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her.


    Phil looked up at Reese, concern written on his face.


    ¡°Reese? Are you okay?¡±


    She smiled, then awkwardly bent down to kiss his forehead. ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    He sat up at her words, wincing at the pain, but ignoring it so he could focus on her. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Is it something I can help with?¡±


    She searched his face with her eyes, only finding kindness and worry staring back at her. His image got blurry as tears welled up in her eyes. She wiped them away and took a couple breaths. This was going to be tougher than she thought, but it was time. Somehow, she knew that if she put it off any longer, she would never have the courage to do this again. If that were to happen, then it would slowly destroy her from the inside out and she wouldn¡¯t be able move on from the pain. And if she wasn¡¯t able to move on from that, then she¡¯d never be able to tell him¡­


    She shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t been okay for a very long time.¡± She reached out and took his hands in hers, wanting the stability he provided her at this moment. He blushed again at her touch but made no move to pull away. He simply gripped her hands firmly, letting her know he wasn¡¯t going anywhere. ¡°I have to tell you what happened to me two years ago.¡± Phil¡¯s eyes widened, but he kept silent.


    ¡°I have to tell you how I first learned that Bruce was changing, and why I haven¡¯t been able to get close to another man since.¡±

 Chapter 9 (Read Authors Note first)

    ¡°Bruce was one of the best people I¡¯d ever met in my life,¡± Reese began. ¡°He always had a smile. Always a kind word. He had an odd sense of humor and was a bit of a smartass, but it suited his personality. Even after some of the things we¡¯d seen on our quests, he never wavered in doing what he thought was right for the world. Whenever one of us was feeling down or having issues coping with something we¡¯d just been through, he was the first one to reach out. He truly cared for the three of us and placed our wellbeing above his own. He got this house and land for us, not him. Always said he would be happy in a small apartment somewhere. He was the kind of leader anyone could dream of having, and we were lucky enough to call him ours.¡±


    Phil said nothing. He thought about the miniature version in his head and could see the shadow of what she described. The version he knew, however, was scarred from he had become.


    ¡°I guess it came as no surprise that Rose fell head over heels for him. I mean, all three of us loved him in our own way, but the love they shared was the stuff of legends. I¡¯ve never seen two people more suited for each other. As you know, however, the guild frowns on dating within a party. They found out and tried to talk them out of it, but Bruce wouldn¡¯t have it. Told them that since it wasn¡¯t forbidden, they had no business sticking their noses into his household.


    ¡°Looking back on it, that probably should¡¯ve the first indication that something was changing in him. He¡¯d never called it his household before. It was always ours. He said we were all equal members of the team, and he was just the party leader in title only. Anyway, watching the two of them was both a pleasure and a curse to me. I couldn¡¯t figure out why at first. I was happy for the two of them. How could I not be? Rose was closer to me than my own sister. Her happiness was mine. When they finally started dating, she was positively radiant with joy.¡±


    She smiled sadly and looked down at their hands. She ran her thumb over his still bruised knuckles, then released him and stood up. Pacing a couple steps out and back, she continued speaking while Phil listened patiently. He had a good guess where the next part was going.


    ¡°I figured it out one night. I passed by his room and overheard them. They were making love and I could hear her through the door. I didn¡¯t mean to listen in, but honestly it was hard to miss. That¡¯s when I realized it. Why I¡¯d started avoiding being in the same room as them. Why I¡¯d buried myself in studying more magic in my room and the library. Why I started finding excuses to eat at different times. I still loved them. I loved Rose. But I was in love with Bruce. When I heard her cries of ecstasy that night, I realized I so deeply wanted that to be me. To feel his arms around me. To cuddle with him in front of the TV. To feel him inside of me as only she could. Sorry,¡± she said, noticing Phil¡¯s blush. ¡°The point is, I¡¯d fallen in love with Bruce. I couldn¡¯t do anything about it, though. It was him and Rose, and I never wanted anything to separate them. My love was destined to be unrequited, and I had to come to terms with that.¡±


    ¡°For the next year I did my best to hide my feelings. I¡¯m honestly not sure how well I did, but we still managed to live a peaceful life. Well, as peaceful as adventurers can be, that is. Looking back on it, the signs of him changing had been there, but we were blind to it for some reason. A grumble here, an irritated sigh there. An angry outburst once or twice. We chalked it up to working too much and needing a vacation, but he wouldn¡¯t hear of it. Said too many counted on his party to get things done. His party.¡± She shook her head. ¡°How blind we were.¡±


    Sitting back down on the couch, she sighed. ¡°I never saw it coming. We had just returned from a quest. I don¡¯t know where the girls had gone, but I was in my room writing in my journal about the mission. It was my way of decompressing, and that day we were unable to save a little girl from a vamp, so I was taking it pretty hard.¡±


    ¡°A vamp?¡± Phil asked without thinking.


    Reese blinked, suddenly pulled out of her memories. ¡°Oh. Umm, a vamp is like a vampire.¡±


    Phil realized what he¡¯d done too late. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have¡­ um, I should¡¯ve waited.¡±


    She gave him a grateful smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You probably did me a favor. Recounting it is hard enough, but the feelings attached to it were starting to come back as well.¡±


    Hesitantly he reached out and took her hand again. ¡°Hey, if that¡¯s what you need to get past this, then you do what you need to. I¡¯m not going anywhere. Need a punching bag for any anger issues? I think I¡¯ve demonstrated my ability to take a hit quite a few times since I got here. Need to yell at someone, pretend I¡¯m them. Need a shoulder to cry on? I¡¯ve got two, pick one.¡±


    She stared at him in wonder. ¡°You¡¯re like a completely different person, you know that?


    He shrugged. ¡°Maybe this is who I was meant to be all along? I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s who I am now though, and I want to help you, all of you, become the best that you can be.¡± A concerned look crossed his face. ¡°Do you want to continue or try again another time?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she shook her head. ¡°I want to do it now. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to again. The sooner I tell you, the sooner I can move on. Just give me a couple seconds.¡± She gripped his hand tighter, grateful for his presence. He was different from Bruce, both the old and new, in so many ways, but had the same kind eyes. Without realizing it, his being here had changed the house. Britt was lightening up. Rose was, well, she was still dealing with things. As for herself, Reese was finally wanting to heal. For so long she¡¯d bottled things up. The pain, the misery, that sense of betrayal she¡¯d carried with her since that day. She took a breath.


    ¡°I was having a hard time dealing with it. Seeing that small, unmoving form at the bastard¡¯s feet, that satisfied grin on his face. It haunted me. Even after Britt had put her fist through that smug smile, all I could see was that dead little girl. Couldn¡¯t have been more than 4 or 5 years old. I wasn¡¯t doing well. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t a surprise when Bruce came to my room. I figured he was there to comfort me, like he did whenever one of us was feeling down. He sat down next to me on the bed and put his arm around my shoulder. Despite what I was going through, I still couldn¡¯t help but be a little excited, you know? I loved this man, and now he was holding me. I let myself lean into him, crying over that poor girl into his shoulder.


    ¡°He sat there, letting me cry it out. He kept saying that he¡¯d take care of his girls. No one was going to hurt his girls. No one was going to take them away. That¡¯s when I started to pay attention to what he was saying. His girls. I remember looking up at him to ask what he meant by that, but he grabbed my face and kissed me. I was so shocked I couldn¡¯t move. Then he said that I should just do what I want. What I¡¯ve always wanted to do. It wasn¡¯t advice he¡¯d given me, but an order. To do what I wanted! He knew what I wanted. I wanted him, and he used that! I have never felt so torn in my life. Part of me was screaming ¡®no!¡¯ but the rest wasn¡¯t listening. My heart wasn¡¯t listening. I wanted him, and even though I told myself no, I also knew that my desire was stronger than my reason. So even though I knew I was betraying Rose, I did it. I climbed up on his lap and¡­ well, you can probably figure out the rest. Afterwards, he left like it wasn¡¯t a big deal at all. Like he expected it to be part of our normal lives. Still talked about his girls. It was then I¡¯d figured out that he was trying to form his own little harem. What he and Rose had was beautiful, but somewhere along the way he¡¯d gotten greedy. She wasn¡¯t enough for him anymore. He wanted it all. After that he didn¡¯t hide what he was becoming anymore.¡±


    She looked at Phil and saw the rage evident on his face. His hand was trembling in hers. She rushed to finish her tale.


    ¡°I told Rose what had happened. I confessed to her that I¡¯d been with Bruce. I told her how it happened. About him using my feelings to get what he wanted. She didn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d done it intentionally. I¡¯m not sure if she was truly that na?ve or if she didn¡¯t want to admit it to herself, but ever since then we¡¯ve been more or less estranged, stuck together by this party magic and Bruce¡¯s will. He never came for me again, but I could always feel his eyes on me. I know he looked at Britt the same way, but he either never went after her or she hasn¡¯t spoken about it if he did. I just know that there was no mistake in the order he gave.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s about the intent, not the wording,¡± Phil finished, recalling Britt¡¯s words. ¡°That motherfucker. He raped you! Now I don¡¯t feel so bad about killing him. I only wish I could do it again.¡±


    She pulled his hand to her chest and tried to keep his attention. ¡°Phil! Please. I appreciate the thought and that you¡¯re getting so angry, but that solves nothing now. He¡¯s dead. He¡¯s paid for his crimes.¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyes met hers and they softened a bit. ¡°What can I do?¡± he asked somewhat helplessly. ¡°I have no idea how I can help in this sort of situation.¡±


    ¡°Just keep being you,¡± she said, reaching out and stroking his cheek. ¡°The guild has councilors that can help with this sort of thing. I¡¯m going to start going to one. I know I¡¯ve teased you mercilessly in the past. Purposely entered your bubble to get one of those cute reactions you have. I think I was overcompensating. I wanted to prove to myself that I could still be around men without those old emotions flooding back up. Despite everything I did, you never once attempted to take advantage of the situation. I don¡¯t know what might¡¯ve happened if you had, but I am so grateful to you for being so¡­ awkward.¡± She smiled when she said that, and he knew she didn¡¯t mean it as an insult.


    ¡°A large part of me feels incredibly guilty, though. If I hadn¡¯t wanted it so badly-¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Phil said sharply, surprising Reese. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter that you wanted it. You never would have acted on it if he hadn¡¯t given you that order. He used your emotions and feelings against you. Whether you wanted it or not, he¡¯s completely at fault here, and you have no reason to feel guilty. At all. I know it¡¯s not going to be as easy as me saying that for the thought to leave your mind, but it¡¯s something you should know. It was not your fault. The sooner you begin to accept that, the sooner you can begin to heal.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    She sniffed and blinked back some tears. She¡¯d done her best to keep emotion out of this, but she was pretty much at her limit now. The old hurt was coming back. The anger, the pain, the sense of helplessness, the guilt. It was the guilt that was the worst. The guilt that she¡¯d betrayed her dearest friend, and the guilt that she¡¯d enjoyed the act so, so much as it was happening. She didn¡¯t mention that to Phil, but she¡¯d quickly given herself over to it and tossed reason out the window, wanting to savor every second of it. That voice in the back of her mind that should have told her it was wrong had gone silent as she¡¯d rode him like her life depended on it. That¡¯s what had disturbed her the most after all was said and done. If she were to continue being honest with herself, she wouldn¡¯t have minded sharing Bruce with Rose if it had happened organically. It wasn¡¯t unheard of. Some parties were built around it, and oh how the guild hated that. But it hadn¡¯t happened that way, and she¡¯d been put through two years of hell because of his selfishness. Intellectually she knew none of it was her fault but try telling her heart that.


    She gave Phil a grateful smile and squeezed his hand one last time before letting it go. She stood and took a couple steps before turning back to him.


    ¡°Thank you for listening. Thank you for being¡­ well, you. I¡¯m going up to my room. This was harder than I thought it would be and need some time to myself.¡± She held up a hand as he started to get up and say something, prompting him to sit back again and close his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright. Well, as alright as I can be after reliving that. I¡¯ll be back down for dinner, ok?¡±


    Phil nodded and she felt his eyes track her as she left the room. She managed to make it up the stairs and most of the way to her room before the tears started. She passed by Rose without saying a word, entered her room and closed her door behind her, and collapsed to the floor. Her sobs could be heard down the hall.


    *


    Phil sat in silence by himself after Reese had left the room. Tiny Bruce had told him before that he hadn¡¯t forced her to do anything she didn¡¯t want to do, but that was only a half truth, wasn¡¯t it? It was both something she¡¯d desperately wanted and didn¡¯t want at the same time. His order had stripped her of the right to choose, and if that wasn¡¯t rape, he didn¡¯t know what was. It wasn¡¯t always pinning someone down and taking them against their will. He¡¯d used his position and power to get what he wanted in the most despicable way. He wondered what Tiny Bruce would have to say about that. Phil was already aware that the after image detested what he¡¯d become, but he wasn¡¯t sure that he¡¯d be able to look at the little man the same way again.


    ¡°He never tried anything like that with me, but he certainly wanted to.¡±


    Phil¡¯s head whipped around to see Britt entering from the dining room.


    ¡°You were listening?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I came down to get a bite to eat and heard it, yes.¡± She flopped down into the chair nearest him, completely unapologetic for being called out for eavesdropping. ¡°Truth is, if he¡¯d given me a similar order, the result would¡¯ve been the same. He just didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°You were in love with him too.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°Naturally. You would¡¯ve been hard pressed to find any woman that didn¡¯t swoon when they saw him, but we lived with him for years. We all loved that man. Rose just got there first. It took Reese longer to figure out her own feelings.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°First sparring match. He was the first man to not hold back against me. It told me that he respected who I was enough to treat me as an equal.¡±


    Phil sat forward, intrigued. ¡°You fell in love with him because he hit you?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°When you put it that way, you make me sound like a masochist. No, I fell in love with him because he didn¡¯t treat me like a fragile woman. He understood my role in the team and was determined to help me be the best I could be at it. He knew I¡¯m orc descended and could take a lot of punishment. In our line of work, progress comes with pain, and he didn¡¯t shy away from delivering it when it was needed. If I dropped my guard, he exploited it. If my attention wandered, he made me pay for it. If I fell for a feint, he made sure I remembered the lesson. Up until two years ago, I would¡¯ve had that man¡¯s babies if he¡¯d only asked.¡±


    ¡°Until he raped Reese.¡±


    For the first time since he¡¯d known her, he saw a sad look cross her face. ¡°Yeah. Until that. When I learned about it I destroyed the gym in a rage and went to confront him. He ordered me not to bring it up again. To pretend like it didn¡¯t happen. So that¡¯s what I did for two years. Part of me still wanted him though. You may not realize this, but I¡¯m not generally hung up on romance and sentimentality.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± he asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she answered while mean mugging him. ¡°He was still a prime physical specimen, even if he¡¯d turned into the world¡¯s biggest douchebag. He still knocked me on my ass from time to time, which is no mean feat. So yeah, the physical attraction was still there. If he¡¯d given me a similar order to Reese¡¯s, I¡¯d have jumped him right there, no matter where we were. Fortunately, I¡¯d managed to mask my feelings well enough that he didn¡¯t notice. With Reese he could¡¯ve just written it off as a bad turn of phrase, since everyone knew how she felt. With me, it would¡¯ve been more difficult to pass off as an accident.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly forthcoming about all this,¡± Phil said.


    ¡°Better you know as much as you can than only snippets from certain perspectives. I¡¯m sure Rose will tell you her side when she¡¯s ready now that Reese has opened that door.¡±


    Phil flopped back on the couch and rubbed his face with his hands. ¡°Damn. And I thought I had it rough lately. The fact that you ladies are able to function at all is the true testament to your strength, you know that?¡±


    Britt half smiled. ¡°One does what one has to for survival. I work out and beat things up. Reese flirted and played games. Rose¡­ had me.¡± Her cheeks flushed slightly. It took a second for that to register in Phil¡¯s head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± he asked, sitting up. ¡°Did you just say what I think you said?¡±


    Her face turned dark as she glared at him. ¡°Yes. Yes, I said it. Rose and I fuck to keep the pain at bay. Got a problem with that? Or worse, are you imagining it right now?¡±


    ¡°What? No! Of course, I don¡¯t have a problem with that! What people do in their own bedrooms is their business, not mine! I just didn¡¯t expect it, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°And did you just imagine it?¡± she asked, standing up. Phil quickly stood with his hands in front of him in surrender as she stalked towards him. Unfortunately, his mouth wasn¡¯t as quick to catch on as the rest of him.


    ¡°Of course, I did! Uh, not! I did not!¡± He realized he was too late with the addendum as her fist came flying at his head. It was a textbook punch she¡¯d thrown at him thousands of time by now when sparring, and his body reacted on instinct, dodging the fist quickly, securing her arm over his shoulder and hip tossing her on to her back. She hit the coffee table hard, collapsing it beneath her. It happened so fast neither one even realized it had happened until it was done. They stared at each other, both wide eyed in surprise.


    Phil released his grip on her arm and backed up quickly. ¡°Sorry!¡± he squeaked and bolted out of the room, leaving the beautiful redhead on the floor. She didn¡¯t even watch his departure. She was still staring wide eyed at the spot where he had been standing over her.


    ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± she asked herself as her breathing quickened.


    ¡°Philip!¡± Rose cried as she ran into the room. ¡°I heard a crash! What happened? Are you alright? Britt?¡±


    Britt continued laying on the remains of the coffee table but turned her head to see Rose drop to her knees next to her.


    ¡°Brittany?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but I think the wimp just bested me.¡±


    Eyebrows lifting slightly, Rose stared at Britt. ¡°Philip¡­ bested you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so. I went to punch him for imagining us in bed, and then I was here.¡±


    Rose turned beet red. ¡°You told him!?¡±


    ¡°It kind of slipped out. He¡¯s cool with it, by the way.¡± She shrugged and started sitting up.


    ¡°You told him!?¡± Rose screeched.


    ¡°Look,¡± she started, but winced as she felt something stabbing into her back. ¡°Can we save the lecture for later? I¡¯m actually in a certain amount of pain here.¡± She reached back with her hand to investigate the pain, but Rose slapped her hand away.


    ¡°Let me look.¡± Britt turned so that Rose could get a better look and felt her fingers probing her back. ¡°You landed on the scented candle that was on the coffee table. You¡¯ve got glass imbedded fairly deep. Give me a few minutes.¡± Soon Britt felt the warmth of Rose¡¯s magic working on her back, the glass shards and wax working their way out of her skin.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the little wimp did that,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Can you really still call him that after this afternoon and now?¡± Rose said, preoccupied with her task behind Britt.


    ¡°This afternoon doesn¡¯t count. He had that damn suit on.¡±


    ¡°But this counts?¡± Rose asked. She looked up to see Britt¡¯s ears turn pink and gasped. ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? You really are a masochist, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I said shut up.¡±


    ¡°Guy throws you through a table one time and you¡¯re smitten?¡±


    Britt growled and folded her arms around her knees, resting her chin on them. ¡°Just hurry up and finish, will ya?¡±


    ¡°Relax. The glass is out. I¡¯m just healing the cuts and I¡¯ll be done. I can¡¯t do anything about the lavender smell though.¡± Rose watched the back of Britt¡¯s head nod, her red ponytail bobbing with the movement. She smiled at the woman, her shock at their secret being revealed having passed. There was nothing romantic going on between them. It was just a physical outlet for the two of them. Now that she thought about it, there was no real reason for it to be a secret. Reese undoubtedly knew, and Philip had never shown any indication that something like that would bother him. Come to think of it, after being dropped into a world that he¡¯d only read about in fantasy novels, two women sleeping together would be pretty tame by comparison. And of course he¡¯d imagine it. Britt was gorgeous, Rose wasn¡¯t so modest as to not be aware of her own beauty, and he was, as far as they knew, a fully functioning heterosexual man. Britt wouldn¡¯t have been surprised that he would try to picture it, which means she told him on purpose.


    ¡°You wanted to punch him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Britt wasn¡¯t paying attention, still trying to figure out what the hell was happening in her head.


    ¡°You told him about us because you wanted to punch him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why would I want to do that?¡±


    Rose patted her friend¡¯s back. ¡°Because under that armor-like exterior, you¡¯re a big old softy.¡±


    Britt stood up and started kicking the coffee table debris into a pile. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡±


    Rose got to her feet as well and crossed her arms as she watched Britt work. ¡°I know what Reese told him.¡± Britt froze for a second, then resumed what she was doing, not saying a word. ¡°You wanted to distract him. Keep him from dwelling on it and making himself too angry.¡±


    Britt sighed and picked up the pile of debris. ¡°Get the door for me, will ya?¡±


    Rose led her to the side door of the house where the trashcans were and opened the door for her, lifting the lid of the can so Britt could use it. ¡°So, are you going to tell me?¡±


    Britt dusted off her hands, then placed them on her hips. ¡°Are you sure you want to hear this?¡±


    ¡°I already know most of it, don¡¯t I? Listen, I think we¡¯ve all been putting this off for too long. Reese found the courage to talk about it, and she caught the worst of it. I¡¯ve tried to make amends, but I¡¯ve never truly acknowledged the extent of it. I¡¯ve¡­ been afraid to.¡±


    Britt sighed and waved for Rose to tag along as she started to walk around the property. ¡°I think you may not know as much as you think you do. Come on. We¡¯ve got a lot to talk about, and when we¡¯re done, you might want to consider talking to Phil. If he¡¯s going to lead us, all the cards need to be on the table.¡±

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Come on, wimp! Quit trying to hit me and hit me!¡± Britt bellowed, causing Phil to pause for a second. She saw the suit¡¯s helmet tilt slightly.


    ¡°Morpheus? That¡¯s what you¡¯re going with?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Why are you such a fucking nerd? Just hit me, will ya?¡±


    Phil smiled beneath his helmet as he resumed his stance.


    ¡°She¡¯s changed. She never let me drop my guard like that without making me pay for it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed that too,¡± he responded quietly so his voice wouldn¡¯t be broadcast. ¡°Ever since I put her through a table last month she¡¯s been, I dunno, keeping her distance. Almost like she¡¯s afraid of me. It¡¯s only when we train that she faces me head on.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s you she¡¯s afraid of, my friend,¡± responded MB.


    The first time they¡¯d interacted again after Reese¡¯s story, Phil had been asleep. He¡¯d shown up in the living room, complete with smashed coffee table, and Tiny Bruce had been kneeling, face pressed firmly in to the floor. He¡¯d started apologizing profusely before Phil had even been able to register where he was. The little man had begged forgiveness, but Phil waved him off. As angry as he¡¯d been, Britt¡¯s trick of distracting him had proven effective and he¡¯d had time to calm down and process everything. He¡¯d determined that it wasn¡¯t his place to render forgiveness or not, but the girls¡¯, especially Reese.


    Phil didn¡¯t consider the figure before him to actually be Bruce anyway. That man had been turned to ash months before. This was just an echo of the man he used to be. An echo shouldn¡¯t bear the obligations of the source. They sat that night and talked. It was important for Phil to have a working relationship with this voice in his head, and if he shut it out for actions that couldn¡¯t be taken back, he¡¯d be placing himself at a serious disadvantage. Not the least of which was because Bruce helped run the suit Phil was currently in.


    ¡°Think we can safely up the power by another 10% yet?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get greedy. You¡¯ve only been at 50% power for a week now. Your body hasn¡¯t fully adapted to it yet. You need to train more to be able to control the speed and power of the suit, or need I remind you of what happened when you tried to jump from 30% to 40% too quickly?¡±


    Phil grimaced. A couple weeks previous he¡¯d dislocated his wrist, elbow, and shoulder after insisting MB raise the limit. The suit could handle his thrown punch just fine. His arm, however, could not, and it was unable to keep up with the suit¡¯s motor control.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s not do that again. Ok, 50% it is.¡± He stepped forward, body in a boxer¡¯s stance, and threw a jab that Britt knocked away easily. He tried to follow it up with a body blow, but she¡¯d anticipated his move, dancing out of the way before landing a right hook to the side of his head. Armor or not, he still felt the impact and saw stars for a second, giving her the opportunity to follow up with a shot to the gut with her left.


    They weren¡¯t really boxing so much as getting Phil used to taking hits in the suit. That didn¡¯t stop him from trying to get some hits in on his own though, and her constant drills and sparring sessions had allowed him to make remarkable progress in hand to hand fighting. He still got his ass kicked on a regular basis, but she¡¯d been at this for seventeen years. His four months couldn¡¯t hope to touch that kind of experience.


    He feinted a kick to her leg, and she glanced down at the unexpected movement, allowing him to bring a haymaker around and connect with her cheek. He was fairly certain the impact hurt him more than it did her, but he¡¯d given it his all anyway. She rolled with the punch, spinning around and bringing a backhand to the back of his head. He stumbled forward and lost his balance, hitting the dirt with his knees. Before he could scramble back up she was beside him and all he saw was her black and red legging just before her shin connected with his chest, knocking him on his back. As soon as he hit the ground, she was on him, straddling his chest and raining blows against his helmet.


    ¡°I yield!¡± he said, holding his hands up. She stopped instantly and he dropped his hands to his side as he retracted his helmet. ¡°Ok, that hurt,¡± he said, knowing his head and chest were going to be swollen purple messes soon. Well, it gave Rose something to do, so there was that.


    He glanced up at Britt to see what pointers she had this time, but was rather surprised to find her still straddling his chest and¡­ blushing? ¡°Uh, Britt?¡±


    She leaned down, her face getting surprisingly close to his. He could make out only the slightest mark where he¡¯d connected with her cheek earlier, but it was her blue eyes that held his attention as they narrowed at him.


    ¡°If you really want to know what hurt is, go ahead and keep feeling up my legs,¡± she gritted out. Phil¡¯s eyes got wide and he gave his hands an experimental squeeze. Perhaps a little too late, he realized his hands weren¡¯t on the ground as he¡¯d thought.


    She must¡¯ve rung my bell more than I¡¯d thought.


    ¡°I said get them off my legs, not fondle them!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit! MB!¡± Phil¡¯s helmet snapped into place just as Britt¡¯s fist slammed into it, driving his head into the dirt beneath them. Fairly confident he was concussed, he still had the foresight to lift his arms as far away from Britt as he could get. She glared at him a second longer, then pushed herself up and off of him before stomping back to the house, stomping on his chest as she moved over him.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to want Rose to look at you sooner than later, I think.¡±


    ¡°Well aren¡¯t you just a font of fucking wisdom,¡± Phil muttered as he slowly started to get to his knees. ¡°Figures. The first time a woman¡¯s straddled me in a year I¡¯m covered in armor and she¡¯s beating me.¡± He flexed his armored fingers. ¡°Can¡¯t even feel a damn thing with these.¡±


    ¡°Careful. Say that any louder and you¡¯ll trigger the broadcast. Don¡¯t need Rose overhearing that.¡±


    ¡°Rose?¡± Phil looked up and saw Rose jogging out to where he was in the yard. ¡°Ah. Good call.¡± He retracted the helmet again so he could smile gratefully at her approach.


    ¡°A year? Really?¡± MB asked.


    ¡°Been at least a few months for you too there, buddy,¡± Phil mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a low blow, man.¡±


    ¡°Philip!¡± Rose cried as she reached his side. ¡°Good lord. What did you say to her?¡± Her eyes were wide at whatever damage had been done. Phil was grateful he couldn¡¯t see his own face. The armor was great, but one still felt the impact, and that left considerable bruising sometimes.


    ¡°Why do you automatically assume I said something?¡± he asked.


    She gave him a look and he hung his head.


    ¡°Apparently I was feeling her up.¡±


    ¡°Apparently? How does that work?¡± she asked as she started running a healing hand over his head. He immediately felt relief from whatever internal damage had been done.


    ¡°After I yielded the match, I dropped my arms down. I can¡¯t feel anything with these,¡± he waved his hands in front of him, ¡°so I had no idea that they¡¯d been resting on her legs. I guess she thought I was trying to cop a feel. I only wish I¡¯d been that lucky. Would¡¯ve at least made the beating that followed worth it.¡±


    He felt an impact to the back of his head and gripped it with both hands, staring in shock at the brunette next to him who was giving him an evil eye.


    ¡°Ow! What the¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be the nice one!¡± he cried.


    ¡°Oh am I, now?¡± she asked incredulously. ¡°Let me guess, Britt¡¯s the mean one and Reese is, what? The sexy one?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he grumbled. ¡°She¡¯s the tease. Anyway, what was that for?¡±


    Rose shrugged. ¡°It was a reflex. Here, let me see it. Oh, you¡¯ll be fine. Come on, let¡¯s get you out of that armor so I can fix the rest of you. Back to the house, Iron Man.¡±


    Phil got to his feet and started making his way back with Rose at his side. ¡°What?¡± he asked when he saw her appraising him.


    ¡°Nothing really. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard it a lot, but you¡¯ve changed. If I were to judge by your comments, I¡¯d say you¡¯re completely free of Chuck¡¯s influence. You never would have said anything like that about Britt before, and certainly not in front of any of us.¡±


    Phil shrugged. ¡°Could be. Or I could just be used to being around you guys all the time now. I never really interacted with anyone I didn¡¯t have to before, so getting close to people wasn¡¯t something I did. Even at my old job I did my best to be invisible.¡±


    ¡°I still think that was part of the effect Chuck had on you. You had no charisma, no social skills, and didn¡¯t know what to do when you were the center of attention. Now you¡¯ve loosened up enough to joke around with us, even Britt, knowing full well she could turn you into paste if she wanted.¡±


    They made it back to the house and Phil held the door open for her as they entered. Making their way towards the armory, he thought about her statement. ¡°Maybe. I don¡¯t know. I just know that these days, even with everyone¡¯s issues, I¡¯m comfortable here. It would have been so easy for you guys to hate me for what I did, whether it needed doing or not. Hell, maybe you did, but kept it to yourself. I wouldn¡¯t blame you. To my face, you¡¯ve always been kind. You were the first to greet me the next morning, even though you were going through so much. Everyone still looked out for me even after I acted like an asshole and demanded to be allowed to leave.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Entering the armory, he waited for Rose to release the suit. He casually made sure his attention was elsewhere as she reached between his legs for the release mechanism, not wanting her to see him blush at their proximity. She did, naturally, but ignored it. Her mind was on other things. He exited the suit, clad in shorts and a t-shirt, and sat down on a nearby stool for her to continue her examination.


    ¡°Shirt off. She told me kicked you pretty hard in the chest.¡± As Phil complied, she couldn¡¯t help but compare his current physique to when they met. Before he¡¯d been out of shape and lanky, his ribs clearly evident. He¡¯d never be large and muscular, but he had definitely filled out. He was still a work in progress, according to Britt. His definition was better than most because he hadn¡¯t had any fat to begin with, so any mass and definition gained was immediately noticeable. Just as noticeable as the massive bruise that covered his chest. She let out a low whistle.


    He glanced down and took in the sight. ¡°Damn. That was either from the kick that knocked me on my ass, or the parting stomp when she left.¡±


    Rose shook her head. ¡°You do know it¡¯s not normal to be so blas¨¦ about getting your ass kicked, right?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Name one thing about our lives that¡¯s normal?¡±


    She pretended to give it some thought. ¡°Hmmm. Well, like most guys, you still check us out when you think we¡¯re not looking. That¡¯s pretty normal, right?¡±


    He gaped at her for a second. Had he really been that obvious? Who was he kidding? Of course he¡¯d been that obvious. Subtlety was not something he was well acquainted with. He hung his head in surrender, then blushed as she giggled at him.


    ¡°Hey, if I were in your shoes, surrounded by beautiful women all the time, I¡¯d do it to. Frankly, we¡¯re surprised you haven¡¯t made a move on one of us yet.¡±


    ¡°How could I?¡± he asked defensively. ¡°Reese is working through her issues and I¡¯d hate to take advantage of that, and you and Britt¡­well, I¡¯m not Chuck. Taken women are off limits to me.¡±


    She processed what he just said while finishing up healing his chest. That task completed, she grabbed another stool from a nearby workbench and planted it in front of him before taking a seat. He looked up in surprise, but didn¡¯t say anything, expecting she had something important to say.


    ¡°Philip, we¡¯re not taken. I¡¯m not gay, as you¡¯re aware. I¡¯m not even really bi, at least I don¡¯t think I am. Britt is. Her flags fly both ways. What we have is comfort. That¡¯s all. There¡¯s no romance.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry, I just assumed¡­¡± he trailed off.


    ¡°The last couple years have been tough for us. We were essentially living under a dictatorship. Yes, I still loved Bruce and shared his bed. I had that na?ve thought that I could change him, in that way that abused women all over the world think. ¡®He loves me, he¡¯s just having a rough time right now. I¡¯ll help him and bring back the man I fell in love with.¡¯¡± She sighed. ¡°Even after Reese¡¯s, um, rape, I couldn¡¯t find it in myself to hate him. I told myself and her that it had to have been a mistake. I still can¡¯t believe I said that to her face. I pushed away a woman I considered a dear sister because I couldn¡¯t accept that Bruce would do something like that. I¡¯ve spent the last two years trying to make up for that, but I understand why she keeps me at arm¡¯s length most of the time.¡±


    Phil put his shirt back on as she spoke. He hadn¡¯t expected her to open up like this just because he said he thought she was in a relationship with Britt. He wisely kept his mouth shut though. If she chose to finally talk about it, he wasn¡¯t going to stop her. It might be that she needed to say it more than he needed to hear it.


    ¡°Anyway, the further he was from the man I knew, the less time I wanted to spend near him. I¡¯d go back to my old room, but he¡¯d follow me later. I made the mistake of locking the door one night. I woke up to the door being ripped off the hinges before he crawled into bed with me. He never hit me. He never physically abused me at all. He never even forced himself on me when I wasn¡¯t in the mood. But I soon began to feel like a hostage or a prisoner. I started staying in Britt¡¯s room. If anyone was his equal, it was her. She became my protector. That¡¯s why we¡¯re so close now. She was there for me when I needed it the most. Falling asleep in her arms each night finally gave me some peace of mind. I knew nothing would harm me if she was near.¡± She shrugged and smiled to herself. ¡°One night I decided to repay her kindness, and I felt there was only one way to truly demonstrate the depth of my gratitude.¡±


    She looked up and chuckled. Phil, as usual, had reacted to images in his head as she told her story. Hands folded and firmly set in his lap, his face red to the tips of his ears.


    ¡°Uhh, hmm, that was¡­ that was nice, that she was able to do that for you. So¡­ you two, um, aren¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not in a relationship like you¡¯re thinking, no. It was just a physical comfort thing. I don¡¯t know what it was for her, not entirely, but for me it was just nice to be held by someone who hadn¡¯t turned in to a monster. I craved the companionship without the heavy emotions usually involved. And, just so you know, since you got here it¡¯s slowed down a lot.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± he asked, surprised at her last sentence. ¡°What does me being here have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°I told you she was my safety net, right? My protection. Well, the reason for that is no longer here, is he?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, understanding what she was getting at. He jerked back a little as she suddenly leaned in with a wicked gleam in her eye.


    ¡°And between you and me, I think her attention¡¯s been elsewhere lately.¡± She winked, but not elaborating further. Phil was about to ask what she meant by that but was never given the chance. A throat was cleared quite loudly by the door and both of their heads whipped around to see who it was.


    Britt was standing there, her tall frame filling the doorway, arms crossed and face almost as red as her hair. Rose¡¯s eyes went wide as the color drained from her face. Phil didn¡¯t quite understand what was happening, but he knew she was pissed and braced himself for the inevitable impact that came from her anger.


    Britt wasn¡¯t pissed, however. Phil had mistaken her whole stance for one of rage, while in reality she was blushing from embarrassment, and her arms were crossed to keep from shaking with nervous energy. If she¡¯d arrived even a couple minutes later, Rose might¡¯ve revealed the biggest secret she currently had, and Britt wouldn¡¯t have been able to live with herself if that got out. Recognizing Phil¡¯s bracing gave her an out though, and she quickly used it to her advantage.


    ¡°Phil!¡± she barked and took some satisfaction in watching him jump.


    ¡°Yes!?¡±


    ¡°Go wash that pervert body of yours. You¡¯ve been summoned to the guild. Reese will be joining you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°The guild?¡± he asked.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, the guild! And they don¡¯t like to be kept waiting, remember?¡±


    ¡°Right! I¡¯ll be off then. Thank you for the healing, Rose.¡± He shot Rose a strained smile before attempting to leave. Britt refused to move from the doorway though, forcing him to try to slide passed her. His chest bumped her elbow and his leg brushed against hers, causing her head to whip around to stare at him. He gave her a terrified smile, apologized, and bolted for his room as fast as his legs would carry him. As soon as he was out of earshot, Britt walked stiffly over to Rose. She managed to make it to the stool that Phil had just vacated before deflating and hiding her face in her hands.


    ¡°Why would you tell him that?¡± she wailed into her hands. ¡°It¡¯s so embarrassing!¡±


    Rose continued to look shocked for another couple seconds, before she started laughing. ¡°Oh my god! You really are sweet on him, aren¡¯t you!? I was just teasing him!¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± muttered Britt.


    ¡°And here I thought it was just a passing thing when he put you through the coffee table. Oh, this is too good.¡± She giggled again.


    Britt leaned forward and leveled a finger at her. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word to him about this.¡± She leaned back and sighed. ¡°He¡¯s not even my type! What the fuck? He¡¯s shorter than me. Weaker than me. He¡¯s got no experience in the field. He stares at my tits and ass every chance he gets! Why!?¡±


    ¡°Cause they¡¯re pretty amazing?¡± offered Rose, earning her a glare from Britt.


    ¡°You know what I meant. Why does such a little wimp like that keep me up at night? Why am I so eager to start our daily workouts and training, and so disappointed to see them end? The little runt has the sex appeal of a mangy stray dog.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s his persistence? Maybe it¡¯s the fact that he¡¯s working so hard? Maybe it¡¯s because we lived in hell for two years and he¡¯s the one that saved us from it? Maybe it¡¯s his honesty? Who knows why we feel attracted to those we do. The real question you should be asking yourself is this: what are you going to do about it?¡±


    Britt leaned back on the stool, blowing her breath out at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly. Part of me wants to take him and have my way with him. When he grabbed my legs earlier, I panicked. I knew it was an accident, but didn¡¯t know how to react, so I punched him. It¡¯s my default state, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Only part of you?¡± Rose asked.


    Britt met her eye. ¡°The other part doesn¡¯t want to step on any toes. I¡¯m not the only one interested, am I?¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not. She is as well.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s just interested. I think she¡¯s head over heels for him. All that playful teasing must have turned into something real for her. It¡¯s because of him that she¡¯s finally getting counseling, you know.¡± Britt leaned forward again, cupping her hands together as she rested her elbows on her knees. ¡°What about you?¡±


    Rose shook her head. ¡°Hasn¡¯t even crossed my mind. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s lingering anger over him killing Bruce, even if it was justified from our point of view, or if I¡¯m just not interested in him in that way, I just know that I don¡¯t see him in that way. I adore him and the effort he¡¯s put in for us, but I don¡¯t see love in our future.¡±


    ¡°So just me and Reese, then, is it?¡± Britt said, shaking her head.


    ¡°Which means it should probably be none of us.¡±


    Britt chuckled. ¡°Was wondering when you¡¯d announce your presence.¡± She turned and faced the blonde woman who was entering the armory.


    Rose looked between them in surprise. ¡°You knew she was there? How long have you been listening?¡±


    ¡°Long enough,¡± answered Reese with a smile. ¡°How¡¯d you know I was there?¡±


    ¡°You giggled when Rose complimented my ass. So, ¡®none of us,¡¯ you say? Care to elaborate?¡±


    Reese nodded. ¡°You remember how childish I was acting when Rose and Bruce got together? Locking myself away. Avoiding them every chance I got?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Reese and Britt looked over at Rose.


    ¡°Of course you wouldn¡¯t, love. You were in your honeymoon phase,¡± Reese said with a smile. ¡°No one existed but you and Bruce. I was a wreck, emotionally. Britt did a far better job of hiding it than I did. No, don¡¯t worry about it now. It¡¯s all in the past. Anyway, it split the house. I was happy for you, but at the same time I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of the two of you. It was a constant reminder that it wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t want to risk something like that again,¡± said Britt, understanding what she was getting at.


    ¡°Right,¡± nodded Reese. ¡°To keep balance and harmony in the house, it has to be none of us, or all of us.¡±


    Britt laughed. ¡°All of us? God, the little perv would love that wouldn¡¯t he?¡±


    Reese smiled back. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m confident he would. However, since Rose doesn¡¯t feel the same way about him that we do, I don¡¯t feel that any good would come from anything that would develop between only two of us.¡±


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t mind if you two¡­¡±


    Britt shook her head. ¡°No, she¡¯s right. We¡¯re a team. For us to work best together, we all have to be on equal footing. Sex is just sex, but once you add emotion into it, the whole dynamic of the house changes. Dammit. Doesn¡¯t this just fucking suck?¡±


    Reese nodded morosely. ¡°Yes it does. That was the whole reason I started getting help too.¡± She chuckled lightly. ¡°Well, I needed it anyway.¡± She checked her watch. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time for me to go. He should be just about ready to go, and he probably shouldn¡¯t know we had this talk. Not yet, at any rate.¡±


    Britt stood, then pulled Reese into a surprise bear hug. ¡°You know I both love and hate you so much right now, right?¡±


    Reese chuckled into the other woman¡¯s chest, where she was locked in. ¡°The feeling¡¯s mutual,¡± came the muffled reply. Britt released her, then wiped at the tear she saw forming in Reese¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up just yet. Maybe one day she¡¯ll come around.¡±


    Reese barked a surprised laugh, then sniffed. ¡°We can only hope,¡± she said. Smiling at the two women, she turned and headed for the foyer to wait for the man she¡¯d just given up for the good of the party.

 Chapter 11

    When Phil came jogging down the stairs, he saw Reese was already waiting for him. He gave her quick wave as he joined her, but she didn¡¯t respond beyond giving him what appeared to be a sad smile.


    ¡°You okay?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yeah, just¡­ thinking about things. Come on, they¡¯re waiting for us.¡± She waved for him to lead the way. His gaze lingered on her for a second longer, then he walked over to the wall panel that hid the portal to the guild and pressed his hand against it. Binding the card he¡¯d received months ago had given him access to everything a party leader was supposed to have, so he wasn¡¯t forced to rely on the girls for everything. He still liked to have at least one of them along, however, because having access to something didn¡¯t mean he knew what the hell he was doing, and he was smart enough to know that.


    The panel slid open, revealing the portal. Phil stood back and waved Reese through with a ¡°ladies first¡± flourish. She gave him a tightlipped smile, not quite meeting his eyes as she stepped through. Phil cocked his head a little, confused at her subdued behavior, but figured if she wanted to talk about it, she would. She generally never held back on anything she wanted to say, so on the rare occasion she kept something to herself Phil had learned not to push. Sometimes people just needed their space. Shrugging it off, he followed her through.


    ¡°Ah! Mr. Thomas! Thank you for coming so quickly.¡±


    Phil looked around in surprise. He wasn¡¯t even fully through the portal yet and he was already being greeted? Well, he had been summoned, so they were clearly expecting him. Locking on to the source of the voice he gave a hesitant wave.


    ¡°Uh, hi¡­ Jack, was it?¡±


    Jack was quickly making his way over to them, his hand already stretching out for Phil¡¯s. The stern looking woman from their first meeting also accompanied Jack. Now that Phil wasn¡¯t freaking out like he had at their first introduction, he had more time to take her in. He was terrible at guessing someone¡¯s age, but he would¡¯ve placed her in her upper thirties, maybe low forties. Her brown hair was starting to show streaks of gray and was pulled into a pretty severe bun. Phil idly wondered how pulling it that tight didn¡¯t cause any pain. She carried herself upright and far too stiffly for Phil¡¯s comfort, her head tilted back a touch, giving him the impression that she was looking down her nose at him. The fact that she was dressed like the average female FBI agent shown on TV didn¡¯t help the anxiety she was giving him.


    ¡°Yes! Jack, and you remember my aide, Adele, right?¡± Jack beamed as he shook Phil¡¯s hand vigorously. The woman in question glared at the back of Jack¡¯s head, who winced like he¡¯d felt the gaze. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Cooper to you guys. Miss Campbell, pleasure to see you again. All goes well, I trust?¡±


    Reese nodded, her sullenness replaced by a professional smile. ¡°Well enough, Jack. So, why were we summoned?¡±


    Jack nodded approvingly. ¡°Straight to business. I like that. Follow me, both of you.¡±


    Phil glanced at Reese, but her professional mask didn¡¯t crack. She simply tilted her head, indicating he should take the lead. Jack turned and started walking quickly towards security, Ms. Cooper falling in behind him. Reese placed a hand on the small of Phil¡¯s back and nudged him up next to Jack while she fell in behind him, next to the aide.


    ¡°So, is anything wrong? The last time I was summoned it didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    Jack chuckled. ¡°Yes, I read the report on that. You¡¯re a gutsy kid, you know that? Turning your back on the council not once, but twice? Well, be that as it may, you still got your party leader title. As for this visit, no, nothing¡¯s wrong. Well, I mean it depends on your point of view. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    As they approached the security checkpoint, Jack waved at the guards who cleared a path for them to continue through without being searched. Quirking an eyebrow, Phil followed him through, nodding in greeting to the guards manning the station. Phil had to jog a couple times to keep up with Jack as he speed walked through the old concourse, leading them to what appeared to be an old first class lounge. Entering, they were greeted with a large room filled with chairs and tables, a bar off to one side, and in the center near the back of the room sat a massive desk covered in papers and computer monitors. Jack moved around to the back of the desk and waved Phil and Reese to a couple seats. Ms. Cooper moved to a nearby seat and picked up a tablet off the end table next to it.


    ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± He waited until they had, then began speaking again, pacing back and forth behind the desk. ¡°As you may have heard, Miss Campbell, the guild leader recently retired.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Yes, I was aware. He was such a lovely man, too. Always ready to help someone new. He did look a little pale the last time I saw him though.¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°Well, he was getting tired, and one can only spend so long locked in an office before it starts to take a toll. The fact that he was able to hang on to the post for a century is rather impressive.¡±


    ¡°A century?¡± Phil asked in an astounded voice.


    Jack raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Yes. A century. He¡¯s elf descended, you know. They tend to have longer lifespans.¡±


    Phil looked at Reese. ¡°So Rose¡­¡±


    ¡°Will probably outlive the rest of the team, yes.¡±


    Phil slumped in his chair. Just when he thought he knew the fundamentals, there was always something new dropped in his lap. ¡°Every day I keep learning how much I don¡¯t know. Anything you want to tell me?¡± Reese gave him a half smile, her eyes momentarily dropping to the floor before turning back to Jack.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ve been appointed in his place?¡± she asked, not answering Phil¡¯s question.


    ¡°That I have. The council seems to think I¡¯m the man for the job. Oh, don¡¯t make that face. Your opinion of them is well documented, Mr. Thomas. Rest assured that will have no impact on how well we work together.¡±


    ¡°Work together?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. I am the new guild master, after all. At the end of the day, you all report to me. Now, speaking of that, it¡¯s time to get down to business.¡± Jack stopped his pacing and faced the two of them, pressing his fists into his desks and leaning forward. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the vacation is over for your party.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Phil stared at Jack.


    ¡°He means it¡¯s time to start taking quests again,¡± explained Reese. ¡°It¡¯s been four months since we last worked, and you¡¯ve yet to take one.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯m still learning!¡± Phil objected. ¡°Wait, four months¡­¡±


    Jack chose that moment to interject. ¡°Ah, yes. That particular quest is still open, in fact.¡± He began shuffling through papers on his desk. ¡°I know I had it here somewhere¡­¡± he muttered. Ms. Cooper got up from her seat and walked over. Much more gently than Phil would have thought, she brushed Jack¡¯s hands out of the way and grabbed a folder. She handed it to him and returned to her seat.


    ¡°Ah, thank you. I would be lost without you.¡± She merely sniffed in response, working on her tablet again. ¡°Anyway,¡± he said, turning back to the pair. ¡°I hate to do this to you, Miss Campbell, but the incidents you were investigating that night still need resolution. We¡¯re stretched a bit thin these days, so no one has been able to cover your old stomping grounds.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Phil took the folder Jack offered him and flipped it open.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Guild Investigation Request


    DATE: 14 Nov 20XX


    Submitting Party: Police Chief Mark Gomez


    Reason for Request: Unable to determine the cause of death in numerous male corpses.


    Details: A rising number of male corpses in the downtown area have been discovered recently. The deceased men age in range between 18 and 35. All were found stripped of clothing. There is no sign of foul play beyond bruising found on the wrists and hips, and all of the victims were reportedly in good or excellent health. Post mortems have turned up no trace of poisons or drugs. (See attached reports.) Most victims were found in their own homes; however a couple were found in hotel rooms. Hotel clerks report the victims checking in with a woman. No trace of a woman was found at any location, and the witness descriptions don¡¯t match. We believe something outside of the norm attacked and killed these men.


    Party Leader Accepting Quest: Bruce Wright


    Quest Status: Ongoing


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°This is what you guys were working on that night?¡± Phil asked after perusing the file.


    Reese nodded. ¡°Yeah. In fact, we were on our way to the bar you were at following up a lead.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been studying up on past and common threats to the region, haven¡¯t you, Mr. Thomas?¡± Jack asked, holding up a hand to keep Reese from continuing on.


    ¡°Yeah. I hadn¡¯t realized so much went on behind the scenes in my own city.¡±


    ¡°Right? You live in a crazy town, I¡¯ll give you that much. Alright, using what you¡¯ve studied and that file in your lap, what¡¯s your conclusion? What are you looking for?¡±


    Phil flipped open the folder again and reread the request. ¡°Let¡¯s see. All were men. All in good health. Bruising on the wrists and hips¡­ hmm.¡± He flipped back through the autopsy reports, already having a rough idea of what they were looking for. ¡°That¡¯s unusual¡­¡± He looked up. ¡°All these men had erections when they were discovered.¡±


    Jack nodded, waving for him to continue.


    ¡°I know that¡¯s not as uncommon as people think, but doesn¡¯t that only happen if they die face down, or when they¡¯re hung? Something about gravity allowing the blood to flow into¡­ but these men were all found flat on their backs. So something needed them hard. It¡¯s a succubus, isn¡¯t it? But if they were already dead, why would they need them to stay hard afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Ever try getting that last little bit of a milkshake through a straw?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Phil, then his eyes widened as the image hit him. ¡°Oh!¡±


    Jack smiled. ¡°Anyway, yes, we¡¯re thinking a succubus. Maybe more than one, we¡¯re not sure though. They¡¯re rare. Almost as rare as your incubus buddy. Truthfully, we¡¯d rather have more like him than the woman or women we¡¯re looking for. He at least leaves his victims alive.¡±


    ¡°So you want us to resume the investigation?¡± asked Reese.


    Jack nodded. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re already familiar with the particulars. The only change is that there have been three more victims, bringing the total up to ten. It looks like she¡¯s attacking once a month, and she¡¯s about due for a top up. Any questions?¡±


    Reese shook her head no, then looked at Phil, who thought about it, then shook his own head.


    ¡°No, sir. I guess this day was bound to come sooner or later. I¡¯m sure the girls can answer any questions I come up with later.¡±


    Jack smiled and extended a hand. ¡°They¡¯re a remarkable team, and they won¡¯t steer you wrong. Show me what you can do, Phil.¡±


    Phil stood and took the offered hand, Reese standing beside him. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can ask for at this time. Now get going. I¡¯ve got a ton of work to catch up on,¡± he smiled tiredly, waving at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. Phil and Reese said their goodbyes and left the office.


    They took their time walking back to the lobby. The silence was awkward between them, and Phil drew the wrong conclusion as to why. He briefly waved the file in front of him.


    ¡°Are you going to be okay with this?¡± he asked the distracted woman.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± asked Reese, realizing he was speaking. ¡°Oh, that. Yeah, I¡¯ll be fine. Britt will be as well. Rose I¡¯m not sure about though. We¡¯re going to have to revisit the area we met you. Where¡­¡±


    He let her trail off. He already knew that part was going to be tough. He wasn¡¯t looking forward to it either. ¡°What led you guys to that bar? Was there a pattern to the attacks?¡±


    Reese sighed. ¡°Can we wait till we get home before we talk about it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure. If you want,¡± said Phil, a little flustered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Today just hasn¡¯t been going like I expected, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s let the others know, then we can fill you in as well.¡± She looped her arm in his and put on a clearly forced smile as she started pulling him towards the portal exit. Before they entered the portal though, Phil came to a stop and gripped her hand to keep her from moving. She stopped, mid-step, arm stretched out behind her, mentally refusing to turn and look at him.


    ¡°Reese,¡± Phil said softly. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    After a brief pause, she shook her head. ¡°No,¡± she said, fighting back a sob. Why did he have to be so goddamn nice!? she thought. He¡¯s making it so much harder than it already is! ¡°But there¡¯s nothing you can do about it, so please don¡¯t try, ok?¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Please!¡± she almost yelled. In a softer tone, ¡°please, just¡­ just let me work through this on my own, okay?¡±


    ¡°If¡­ if that¡¯s what you want,¡± he said. ¡°Just know that I¡¯m always here if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she whispered, still not looking at him. That¡¯s part of the problem though.


    Phil released her hand, finally allowing her to summon the portal home. She quickly went through, and by the time Phil had followed her, she was already at the top of the stairs heading for her room.


    *


    Rose found Philip pouring over some of her old notes in the library a couple hours later. She paused at the door to observe him as he compared a couple pages, then jotted down notes in his own book. She had to admire the dedication he was showing. Had been showing. Ever since his encounter with Robert, he¡¯d been solely focused on getting better at everything he could. She didn¡¯t really wonder how the other two had fallen for him. His hard work and determination was what had won over Brittany. His eagerness to learn, his kindness, his awkwardness, and sense of humor had won over Reese.


    In a way, she was jealous of those two. They had been able to move on from their love of Bruce. Granted, he had helped them along considerably by being the colossal asshole he¡¯d turned into, but that still hadn¡¯t been enough to completely push Rose away. She had lived in constant fear of him near the end and had taken to staying with Britt for protection and comfort, but part of her still yearned for the man she had loved. Because of that, in the deepest recesses of her heart, she hadn¡¯t been able to forgive Philip for killing him that night. It wasn¡¯t rational. It made no sense to any who would ask, but there it was. It was like Philip had robbed Bruce, the Bruce in her mind¡¯s eye, of the chance to redeem himself. It naturally followed that if he didn¡¯t have the chance at redemption, he also lost the chance to be the man she so desperately missed.


    Intellectually she knew it was absurd. When he died, Bruce was already far too gone to save. Maybe if they¡¯d caught it sooner, but the council had known already, hadn¡¯t they? They¡¯d let him run amuck, doing nothing as he turned into a monster to save their precious image. So, she should really place all the blame on them and not Philip, right? But it wasn¡¯t the council that killed him. It was the man in front of her. The man so trusting of everyone in the house that he sat with his back to the door without a care in the world. The man who was willing to walk into danger with three women he hadn¡¯t known four months ago. Everything he did was so earnest, so¡­ desirable, but she just couldn¡¯t see it. The wounds were still too fresh. She¡¯d been with Bruce for years. As handsome as he was becoming, Philip wasn¡¯t Bruce. Physically, emotionally, he wasn¡¯t the man for her.


    He did seem to be the man for Britt and Reese, however, and she needed to help that happen. She¡¯d seen Reese¡¯s flight from the portal earlier, had seen the confused Philip follow for a couple steps, then pause. He spotted her, then filled her in on what Jack had asked of them. Suppressing the emotions that welled up inside of her, she suggested he take a look at her old notes on the quest while she went and spoke with Reese.


    That had ended in failure on her part though when Reese told her she needed some time to herself. Rose had walked the house since then, trying to plan the best course of action. It had only been a couple hours since the women had their impromptu conference in the armory and the decision the other two had made was already fracturing the house. Being close to the man they desired and unable to act on their wants was a recipe for disaster. She had to make them understand this wasn¡¯t the same situation that she¡¯d been oblivious to with Bruce. They had all loved him, and she had unintentionally monopolized him. She had no desire for Philip. If those two wanted to share him, she wouldn¡¯t be put out at all. In fact, she¡¯d be thrilled for them. It¡¯s true her relationship with Reese wasn¡¯t what it used to be, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t want to see her happy. And to see Britt turn absolutely gooey like she had earlier? Rose knew only strong feelings could produce that result in the normally fierce woman.


    Rose straightened up, her mind made up. She was not going to let them miss out on happiness on her account. Watching the object of their affection stretch his back, Rose grinned. He¡¯d called her the ¡°nice one.¡± We¡¯ll see about that, she thought.

 Chapter 12

    ¡°We never did get around to discussing the quest,¡± Phil muttered to himself later that night. He wrapped a towel around his waste as he stepped out of his shower and left the attached bathroom into his main room. Flopping onto his couch, he grabbed the PlayStation controller off the coffee table and started scrolling through the menu on his TV. After studying the quest notes all afternoon and researching succubae the rest of the evening, he needed to unwind.


    He paused in his scrolling as he thought about Reese. He didn¡¯t know what was bothering her, but he wanted to help her somehow. He was just at a loss as to how. If she refused his company, like she¡¯d done for dinner, then there was nothing he could do. It had been a lonely night for him. Rose had just smiled and said she was busy, and Britt was working out so hard in the gym that she was actually red in the face and wouldn¡¯t even look at him. So, he¡¯d eaten by himself in the library. It¡¯s true they didn¡¯t always have meals together, but it had been a long time since no one was available.


    ¡°Maybe an online game,¡± he said to himself, reaching for his headset. If he couldn¡¯t find any company in the house, then he¡¯d find someone online to chat with.


    The door to his room suddenly burst open and Reese came running in. She stared at him for a second, red in the face and chest heaving beneath the tank top she wore for bed.


    ¡°You¡¯re alright!¡± she said incredulously.


    Phil stared back, very conscious of how much skin was on display in front of him. ¡°Uh, yeah. Totally fine. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Her eyes narrowed as she suddenly realized what had just happened. ¡°That little-¡±


    ¡°Phil!¡± cried Britt as she ran full bore into his room, bare feet sliding on the carpet as she came to stop.


    ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡± called Reese, looking at Britt.


    Phil stared at both women, completely baffled at their sudden entrance. The two were dressed for bed, and Phil¡¯s mind was about to overload. Reese in her boy shorts and tank top, Britt in running shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt that had shifted enough to reveal a hint of sideboob. He suddenly became very aware that he was only wearing a towel, and unfortunately the girls became aware of it at the same time. He wasn¡¯t quite quick enough to hide his body betraying his thoughts to them.


    ¡°Oh,¡± said Britt in wonder.


    Dropping the controller and planting his hands in his lap, Phil stared at them. ¡°What¡¯s going on ladies?¡±


    Rose¡¯s head popped in as she grabbed the door handle. ¡°You three need to talk. Tonight.¡± Then she slammed the door shut, enclosing the three of them in the room together.


    ¡°Rose!¡± yelled Britt as she stalked towards the door.


    ¡°The little bitch hoodwinked us!¡± muttered Reese.


    ¡°Uh, hello?¡± said Phil, still confused.


    ¡°Rose you open up this door right now!¡± yelled Britt as she banged on the door in question.


    ¡°No!¡± came the reply. ¡°I already told you two my feelings on this earlier.¡±


    ¡°And we made an agreement!¡± yelled back Reese.


    ¡°No, you made an agreement! I said I was ok with it being just you two!¡±


    ¡°Holding the door closed isn¡¯t going to help you, Rose! You know I can just go through the wall!¡± bellowed Britt.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair, Rose! You tricked us!¡± Reese stomped her foot, looking absolutely adorable in Phil¡¯s eyes as she did so.


    ¡°Um¡­ I just going to put on some pants while you guys sort this out, ok?¡± The girls paid him no attention as they continued shouting through the door at each other. Grabbing his sweatpants off his bed, he made his way to the attached bathroom and slipped into them.


    ¡°Rose, I¡¯m giving you to the count of three, then I¡¯m coming through that fucking door,¡± declared Britt.


    ¡°One.¡±


    ¡°You can rip through this door anytime you want!¡±


    ¡°Two!¡±


    ¡°But you need to ask yourself¡­¡±


    ¡°Three! Better move or you¡¯re gonna get hurt!¡±


    Phil stepped out of the bathroom quickly, wondering if she really would destroy his door.


    ¡°¡­do you really want to?¡±


    Britt froze. The tension in the air was nearly suffocating. Both Reese and Britt stared at the door. Rose continued.


    ¡°You two are the sisters I never had. Nothing would please me more than to see the two of you happy. My happiness will come in time, but I refuse to sit back and watch you torture yourselves in the meantime. If you¡¯re worried that I¡¯m going to go through what you did watching us, I can assure you that¡¯s not the case. I don¡¯t feel the way you do about him. So, don¡¯t hold yourselves back on my account, I beg you.¡± Her voice was cracking near the end of her speech, and it was clearly having an effect on the the two inside.


    Britt and Reese looked at each, then glanced back at Phil, who was finally starting to realize what was happening. No way, he thought. Uh uh. This is not really happening, is it? This only happens in cheesy stories.


    ¡°If there¡¯s one thing we should¡¯ve learned in the last few years, it¡¯s that things can change quickly.¡± Rose was sobbing as she finished. ¡°Never pass up a chance for happiness, because tomorrow everything could change.¡± The door opened slowly, giving them a view of Rose walking back down the hall before entering her room.


    ¡°She really is something else, isn¡¯t she?¡± said Reese.


    ¡°A huge pain in the ass is what she is,¡± sighed Britt as she stepped into the doorway.


    ¡°Britt?¡± asked Reese, a note of worry in her voice. Britt smiled over her shoulder at Reese before pulling the door closed. She then turned and faced Phil, leaned back against the door and blushed.


    ¡°So¡­ there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡±


    Reese¡¯s face lit up like a beacon as she hopped around to face him as well.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. You may want to take a seat, stud.¡±


    *


    Rose tiptoed down the hallway, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. She¡¯d stayed up late the night before, ears straining for footsteps down the hallway after she¡¯d left Phil¡¯s room, but she¡¯d heard nothing. No one had passed by her door at all while she¡¯d still been awake. As soon as she¡¯d woken up that morning she¡¯d leapt out of bed, thrown on her robe, and quickly trotted down to Britt¡¯s room at the end of the hall. The door was still flung open from when she¡¯d bolted out the night before, and Rose could clearly see the empty bed without entering. Trying to muffle her squeal of excitement, she quickly made her way down to Reese¡¯s room. Her door had been similarly flung open and her bed was as equally empty.


    ¡°Both!?¡± she whispered in astonishment. ¡°I guess he is fully recovered. Still, I didn¡¯t think Reese would go for that.¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°As long as they¡¯re happy.¡± Feeling proud of herself for forcing the issue, she tiptoed towards Philip¡¯s door at the other end of the hallway. She tapped on it lightly, not wanting to disturb anyone who might still be asleep but warning any who might be awake of her presence. She got no response to her knock.


    Must¡¯ve exhausted themselves last night, she thought to herself and giggled. Slowly, she opened the door and poked her head in, eyes heading right for the bed, expecting to see a mass of limbs and skin. The bed was empty though. In fact, it was still made. Confused, she pushed the door open wider and looked around the room, her eyes falling on his couch and she suppressed a burst of laughter.


    All three were still just as dressed as they had been last night. Philip was in the middle of the couch, his legs resting on his coffee table, head thrown back and snoring lightly with his mouth open. Reese was curled up to his left like a cat, her head resting on his thigh and a peaceful expression on her face. Philip¡¯s arm was resting on her waist and she had interlaced her fingers in his, holding on as if she thought he¡¯d disappear on her. Britt was tucked up under his right arm, her head resting on his shoulder while his hand held her shoulder in return. Rose couldn¡¯t help but grin at the trail of drool running down Philip¡¯s chest from Britt. She could relate to that herself. As she watched them, a pang of grief hit her as she remembered cuddling with Bruce like this. Something flared inside her as she looked at the man now surrounded with love and she momentarily saw red.


    She shook her head. They¡¯d fallen asleep talking. It was adorable. No need to ruin it. She quickly pulled her phone out from her robe pocket and took a picture of them, making sure to send it to each of them. She heard Philip¡¯s phone buzz on his nightstand, then a very loud ringtone went off. Startled, Rose quickly fled the room, barely getting the door closed before she heard movement inside. As silently as she could, she made her way downstairs. She felt like making breakfast for everyone this morning, and she knew just what she wanted to make.


    *


    I can¡¯t move, was Phil¡¯s first thought on waking up. He¡¯d thought he¡¯d heard his phone go off, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He was awake now, though, and that meant his body had certain priorities that needed to be taken care of. Unfortunately, he was pinned in place. Turning his head to the right brought his cheek in contact with a mess of red hair. Looking down, a mess of blonde hair covered his lap.


    ¡°So that wasn¡¯t a dream,¡± he softly said to himself.


    ¡°What wasn¡¯t a dream?¡± Reese said sleepily as she stirred. He moved his arm so she could sit up, but she refused to let go of his hand, creating an awkward seated dance as she tried to crawl out from under it. She was forced to relinquish her grasp briefly when she realized their hands were incapable of bending certain angles, but quickly reinserted her hand into his again as she sat up. He caught a glimpse of crease marks on her face that matched similar creases on his sweat pants, but they were quickly hidden when she cuddled into his shoulder. ¡°Did you mean this?¡± she said. ¡°If it¡¯s a dream, don¡¯t wake me up.¡±


    ¡°Too early to talk. Go back to sleep,¡± Britt muttered. She snuggled into Phil¡¯s shoulder for a second before she froze. She suddenly sat straight up, her eyes wide as she wiped at her mouth. She glanced at her hand, then looked at his chest. ¡°Oh god,¡± she said, turning a bright shade of crimson.


    Reese smiled. ¡°Mornin¡¯, drooly.¡±


    A horrified look came across Britt¡¯s face, and Phil couldn¡¯t help but smile. He told her there were towels in the bath and Britt nearly ran to it. She was about to close the door behind her, but then decided to throw a towel at Phil before she did. It only made it halfway across the room before losing steam and falling to the floor. Before Phil could move to get it, Reese had already left his side. Retrieving the towel, she walked back, sat sideways on his lap and started toweling off Britt¡¯s drool.


    ¡°It¡¯s a wonder she isn¡¯t dehydrated,¡± said Reese. It really was an impressive amount. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to learn about these types of things right away, right?¡±


    Phil blushed, thinking back to the night before and the long talk they¡¯d had after both women had confessed their feelings for him. Two girlfriends? This can¡¯t be right, can it? Am I allowed to be that selfish?


    As if sensing his thoughts, Reese cupped his face and looked him the eye. ¡°Hey. You¡¯re not having second thoughts, are you?¡±


    ¡°What? No! I¡¯m just¡­ is this really alright? It seems kind of selfish, doesn¡¯t it? Having two girlfriends? It doesn¡¯t seem fair to you two.¡±


    Reese chuckled. ¡°Those would be second thoughts, my dear, and no, we don¡¯t think it¡¯s selfish at all. We approached you, remember? It was our idea to share you, not yours. Well, if I¡¯m being accurate, it was Rose¡¯s idea, actually.¡±


    He quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Rose?¡±


    The bathroom door opened and Britt stepped out. She¡¯d obviously made an effort to tidy up her hair and look somewhat presentable. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, having heard them talking. ¡°That little pain in the ass. You heard her last night, didn¡¯t you?¡± She flopped down on the couch and ran her fingers through his hair, appreciating that she was finally able to show her feelings. ¡°Part of me wants to beat her senseless, but a bigger part of me wants to wrap her up in a bear hug and never stop saying thank you.¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you guys see in a dork like me, but I¡¯ll do my best to make you both happy. You¡¯ve helped me out so much since we met, I would love spending the rest of my life paying you back.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Britt¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a day and you¡¯re already talking about a lifetime?¡±


    Phil shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re bound for life anyway, right? May as well make the best of it and start this with the knowledge that we¡¯re stuck with each other.¡±


    Reese smiled. ¡°Well, he¡¯s already shown us that when he commits to something, he¡¯s all in. Why should this be any different?¡± She locked her blue eyes on to his green ones, rubbing his cheek with her thumb. ¡°I will definitely take you up on that offer, my love.¡± She brought her face to his, hesitated for the briefest of seconds as she licked her lips, then locked them on his for the first time. Her eyes closed as he hesitantly kissed her back, then she inhaled through her nose sharply as he committed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. They separated after a few seconds and stared into each other¡¯s eyes, then Reese, hands still cupping his cheeks, turned his face towards Britt.


    ¡°Want some?¡± she asked.


    Britt¡¯s hand suddenly went to her mouth and she gave a quick shake of her head. ¡°Morning breath,¡± she said. Reese shrugged and smirked.


    ¡°More for me then,¡± she said as she started to turn his face back to hers. Britt¡¯s hands were suddenly pushing hers out of the way, pulling him awkwardly under Reese as she clamped her own lips on his. Phil¡¯s eyes went wide for a second at the aggressiveness of the kiss, but then he smiled at the attack, closed his eyes and attempted to return the kiss with the same energy. She released him after a few seconds then sat back, breathing heavily. She stood up, her legs wobbly beneath her before she stabilized.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go get ready for the day. We, uh, still have a job to do after all. You two should do so as well.¡± She made her way to the door and pulled it open, glancing back at Phil, a blush and a smile blooming on her face before she fairly skipped out of the room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen her so¡­¡±


    ¡°Girly?¡± Reese finished for him, smiling at the other woman¡¯s departure. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think I have either, to be honest.¡± She gave him a quick peck on the lips. ¡°You¡¯ve made a new woman out of her. She¡¯s right though. Things to see, people to do and all that.¡± She got up from his lap and stretched her arms in to the air above her head. The movement exposed her belly and Phil couldn¡¯t help but stare. She dropped her arms and made her way to the door, also pausing like Britt did. She blew him a kiss, then left, closing the door behind her. Phil wanted to just sit and daydream about the situation he found himself in, but his body urgently reminded him that he had things to do, and holy hell did he have to pee!


    About twenty minutes later he exited his room, dressed, refreshed, and relieved, ready to start the day. He made his way downstairs and entered the dining room, a bit surprised to find all three women had beat him there. Rose looked to be teasing Britt mercilessly, while Reese was shoveling food into her mouth. Taking a seat, he said good morning to Rose, who positively beamed at him.


    ¡°Eat up! I can always make more!¡±


    Finally taking a look at the table, he was a bit surprised to see only one item on the menu.


    ¡°Pancakes?¡±


    ¡°Pancakes!¡± Rose said cheerfully. ¡°It¡¯s the official food of harems, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Phil didn¡¯t have a clue what she was talking about.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that?¡± Reese asked around a mouthful of food.


    ¡°Read it in a book somewhere,¡± Rose answered.


    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest fucking thing I¡¯ve ever heard. I¡¯m more of a waffles person anyway,¡± grumbled Britt as she reached for more. ¡°Does two women equal a harem, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more of a love triangle?¡± asked Reese.


    ¡°I thought that was when two people were competing for one person. We¡¯re sharing him.¡± Britt answered.


    An evil grin spread across Rose¡¯s face. ¡°Oh? Who gets to sleep with him first?¡± she asked as she took a bite off her fork.


    The other three at the table froze. Phil stared at his plate, waiting to see what the girls would say.


    Britt and Reese stared at each other, mid chew, eyes wide, neither one daring to speak first.


    Rose giggled. ¡°See? Love triangle.¡±


    She¡¯s supposed to be the nice one! thought Phil.


    *


    ¡°Oh no. Whatever shall you do?¡± MB said flatly. ¡°Two beautiful women are arguing about who gets to sleep with you first. What a travesty.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it,¡± grumbled Phil, careful to keep his voice low in the suit. ¡°It never occurred to me that it might be an issue.¡±


    ¡°Why would you? All you saw was two gorgeous women hanging off of you. It obviously didn¡¯t occur to them either. If I may offer a prediction?¡±


    Phil shrugged, or tried to anyway. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡±


    ¡°Knowing them, my money is on you sharing a bed with Reese first, but no sex for a while. She¡¯s still recovering from my¡­¡± the voice trailed off briefly. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯ll happen. Britt may join you later, or more likely they¡¯ll alternate, but she¡¯ll be hesitant about fooling around. She¡¯ll be worried about the obvious strength difference between the two of you. I know this may sound counterintuitive, but I recommend a gentle touch with her.¡±


    Phil¡¯s forehead furrowed in confusion. ¡°Gentle? I figured she¡¯d be more of the rough and tumble type.¡±


    ¡°Truthfully, so did I, but since I¡¯ve got nothing better to do in your head, I¡¯ve been observing her around you. I¡¯ve never seen her act so feminine before. She usually puts up such a strong front, well, like a tank rolling into battle. Now, occasionally, a soft side peeks out. She steals glances at you when she thinks you¡¯re not looking. She blushes like a schoolgirl. She was worried about morning breath this morning. When has she ever cared about something that trivial since you¡¯ve known her?¡±


    Phil thought about it but couldn¡¯t remember anything like that before. ¡°Huh,¡± he grunted in realization.


    ¡°Also, I think you have a physical effect on her as well. No, not like you¡¯re thinking, Casanova, although I wouldn¡¯t entirely discount that either, now that I think about it.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Remember when you put her through the coffee table, and she bitched at you because she landed on the candle? Swore she could still feel glass under her skin and that you owed her a new sports bra because it was cut and bloody?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Phil answered, not sure where MB was going with this.


    ¡°That didn¡¯t strike you as odd in any way? Earlier that very day you watched bullets bounce off of her like they were plastic BBs, but that afternoon she gets cut by glass?¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyebrows shot up under the helmet. It hadn¡¯t occurred to him at all to think of that. MB was right. The woman was bulletproof, so why had the glass cut her?


    ¡°Because she let down her defenses against you. It¡¯s a literal manifestation of you bringing out her softer side. Frankly, I didn¡¯t think such a concept existed, but there you have it.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to affect her in the field, is it? I¡¯d hate for her to get hurt just because she has feelings for me.¡±


    ¡°Nah. It should be fine. She¡¯s all business when on the job. Anyway, that¡¯s my recommendation for her. Treat her like a woman. We both know she wants to be treated like an equal professionally, but have you ever met a woman that didn¡¯t enjoy being complimented on her dress or being wined and dined like a princess?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking me that?¡±


    ¡°Right, forgot. Well, you¡¯ll figure it out. You¡¯re a smart fella. Okay, now that that¡¯s out of the way, what else can I help you with? I can¡¯t imagine you¡¯d actually hide in your suit in the armory just to avoid the debate about your bedfellows.¡±


    Phil smiled. Of course the voice knew why he was here, but for some reason wanted Phil to voice his thoughts and concerns. He couldn¡¯t figure out why but played along.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the case the guild master dropped on us. I don¡¯t suppose you remember much about the case that would be of use, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not enough to be of any use, I¡¯m afraid. Apparently having a post driven through one¡¯s head affects their short term memory. Who knew?¡±


    Phil rolled his eyes. ¡°Come on, man, we¡¯ve been over this. It was an accident!¡±


    ¡°I know. Just fucking with ya. Hmm. Remember how I told you that my room was pretty much a shrine I dedicated to myself? Well, I liked to keep notes about what I was doing. Guess I thought I was going to write a memoir someday or something. I¡¯m sure my notes are still sitting on my desk where I left them. There should be something in them about the last quest I was on. I doubt there¡¯s anything in them that Rose didn¡¯t already have though. She was much better at the research and investigation side of things than I was.¡±


    ¡°So should I not even bother with them? I know you don¡¯t want any of us going in there, and I¡¯m reasonably sure no one¡¯s been in there that I¡¯m aware of. Say no and I¡¯ll forget I even brought it up.¡±


    MB was silent for a moment. ¡°You know,¡± he finally said, ¡°I can¡¯t really stop you if you want to go in there. So why haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Because you once said you didn¡¯t want me to,¡± Phil said, sounding as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.


    ¡°Hm. It really is no surprise those two fell for you. The ghost of the asshole you killed asks you not to invade his privacy and you agree to it as a matter of course. You¡¯re something else, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just me, MB. The man I killed is dead. Accidental or not, he¡¯s gone. You, as you have been since we¡¯ve met, have been nothing but helpful. Bit of a smartass at times, but mostly helpful. I have no reason to think you¡¯d steer me wrong for any number of reasons, not the least of which would be that if anything happened to me, you¡¯d be shit out of luck as well. So honoring the only two things you¡¯ve asked of me is an easy trade off. I¡¯ve kept out of your room and haven¡¯t told the girls of your existence in my head. Tell you what: forget I asked. You¡¯re probably right about Rose knowing more anyway. Her notes were pretty extensive.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, man. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. What time is it? I need to start training for the day. Wish this thing had some sort of HUD like Iron Man has.¡±


    ¡°How should I know what time it is? If you don¡¯t know, do you think I would? I¡¯m trapped in your head, remember? If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it¡¯s close to ten, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good enough, I guess. I¡¯m going to go see what the girls want to work on today. Now where¡¯s that stick at? We really need to find a better way for me to get out of this suit on my own.¡±


    ¡°Have you considered contacting Jonas? He designed it, after all.¡±


    Phil stopped his rummaging in the armory and nearly slapped his helmet. ¡°No! Why haven¡¯t we thought of that before? Why didn¡¯t you bring it up before?¡±


    ¡°Because until recently your only thoughts were about using what you had to get stronger and tits. Frankly, I was enjoying the show.¡±


    Phil wasn¡¯t listening, however. He was already making his way to the dining room, the last place he remembered seeing the women. That¡¯s where he found them as he skidded to a halt, the metal feet of his suit screeching on the tile, but no one seemed to even notice his entrance.


    ¡°¡°Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!¡±¡±


    ¡°¡°Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!¡±¡±


    Phil retracted the helmet of the suit and just stared. Reese and Brittany were both leaning over the table with determined looks on their faces, engaged in one of the most intense games of rock, paper, scissors he¡¯d ever witnessed. Rose looked up from the match and saw him, smiling widely.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    Clomping over to her side, he leaned down next to her head.


    ¡°Um¡­ is this what I think it is?¡±


    Rose nodded vigorously. ¡°Yep! They¡¯re trying to settle the ¡®who goes first¡¯ question. Best seven out of ten. Reese is leading with five, but only by a single win.¡± She laughed almost maniacally. Her behavior was so out of character Phil actually took a step back.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not actually a villain or something?¡±


    To his surprise, she shrugged. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone someone else¡¯s villain?¡± She looked back and chuckled at his expression. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I¡¯m just enjoying the show. Do you know how long it¡¯s been since the house has been this much fun?¡± She got up and hooked her arm in his and pulled him away from the table. When she thought they were far enough away from the action, she stopped and stood in front of him. ¡°I know I don¡¯t always show it, mostly because I¡¯m still working through a lot of things in my head, but I can¡¯t express just how grateful I am for you.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Phil said intelligently.


    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more. I have to be honest with you. There¡¯s a part of me that hates you. It¡¯s a small part, but it¡¯s there. Even though I know there was no saving Bruce, you robbed me of the hope that he could¡¯ve been.¡± She held up a hand to keep him from speaking. ¡°I know it¡¯s completely unreasonable. I even know it wasn¡¯t actually your fault. I just wanted to lay it out on the table for you. Now that I¡¯ve said that, I want you to know that you are also one of my most precious friends right now. I know it sounds weird to say that right after telling you that I hate you, but we women are supposed to be complicated, right? I haven¡¯t seen those two have this much fun in years, and it¡¯s all thanks to you. So if I seem like I might be enjoying this a little too much, you¡¯ve only yourself to blame. Their happiness is mine, and one day, hopefully, that¡¯ll help the hate pass.¡± She leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. ¡°Thanks for being you,¡± she whispered in his ear.


    ¡°¡°Hey!¡±¡± Britt and Reese yelled when they saw Rose lean in to Phil.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested!¡± said Britt.


    ¡°If you¡¯re changing your mind you¡¯re automatically at the end of the line, ya know,¡± said Reese.


    Rose laughed, looked at a blushing Phil, then laughed harder. ¡°No!¡± she gasped out as she made her way back to her chair. ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong idea. I just wanted to say something to him in private.¡± She buried her face in her elbow on the table, shoulders rocking with laughter.


    Britt and Reese looked at her for a second, doubt written on their faces, but then they faced each other again.


    ¡°What¡¯s the score?¡± asked Britt.


    ¡°Six to five my lead. Next win is mine!¡± Reese said ferociously.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that. Ready?¡±


    ¡°¡°Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot!¡±¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Reese jumped in victory, her scissors beating Britt¡¯s paper. She bounced a couple times before racing around the table and leaping at Phil, her arms and legs wrapping around her armored torso as she planted a victory kiss on his lips. He quickly moved to support her with his hands, then silently cursed that he was in his armor and unable to feel her ass in his hands. ¡°You¡¯re mine tonight, buddy,¡± she purred.


    He smiled as he stared into her sparkling eyes. ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± he said. He couldn¡¯t help but think back on MB¡¯s words earlier, however. She¡¯ll be the first, but no sex. She¡¯s still recovering. Well, if that¡¯s how it turned out, then that¡¯s how it turned out. It had already been well over a year for him. He could wait longer if she wasn¡¯t ready.


    Still wrapped around him, Reese turned to look at Britt. ¡°He¡¯s all yours tomorrow, babe.¡±


    Britt stood there, arms crossed and smirking at Reese. ¡°What if I just take him while we¡¯re training today? He¡¯s already suited up, so he¡¯s obviously eager for some grappling time.¡± A look of shock crossed Reese¡¯s face. Her jaw dropped and eyes went wide.


    ¡°You would forsake the ancient laws of rock, paper, scissors?¡±


    Rose still had her head buried in her arms, giggling uncontrollably. Britt tried to maintain a smug expression on her face but couldn¡¯t hold it and started laughing as well.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t allow it,¡± offered Phil, chuckling himself. ¡°The laws of rock, paper, scissors are inviolable. Tempt me she may, but I am yours to do with today.¡±


    ¡°Aww. Look at you being all poetical and stuff,¡± Reese said, finally releasing her grip on him and sliding back down to the ground. She thumped his chest with a couple knuckles. ¡°What¡¯s with the supersuit? Were you expecting something more violent than a children¡¯s game?¡±


    ¡°No, actually. MB is surprisingly easy for me to bounce ideas off of, so I jumped in to see what could be done to improve the suit a bit.¡± No way am I going to admit that I was looking for advice on women from it, he thought.


    ¡°Oh?¡± said Britt, her laughing fit petering out. ¡°Did it give you any ideas?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, actually. Do any of you have any idea how to contact Jonas?¡±


    ¡°Whoa, slow down there, hero,¡± Reese said. ¡°You still haven¡¯t even completed a quest yet. You want to run straight to Jonas and start making modifications without any actual experience to base them on?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Phil scratched at the side of his face with an armored finger. ¡°When you put it that way¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± said Britt. ¡°On top of that, you¡¯re still not even using that suit at its full potential. You should master, or at least become more proficient, with the basic model before changing things up. Hell, it¡¯s only been a month since we discovered that thing even was a suit. I think we should focus on higher priorities right now and come back to this later.¡±


    Blonde and brunette heads nodded in agreement, forcing Phil to give a defeated smile. ¡°Alright, ladies. I defer to your more experienced wisdom. Can someone get me out of this thing so we can discuss our strategy for this succubus mission?¡±

 Chapter 13

    Phil collapsed on to his bed, mentally exhausted. They¡¯d gone over all the research data on succubae and the old notes from the original investigation, then attempted to plan their next course of action. Phil wasn¡¯t thrilled with the plan they¡¯d come up with, but it made sense, so he didn¡¯t really have any objections beyond it making him uncomfortable. He was so mentally drained that he¡¯d forgotten one very important piece of information that normally would¡¯ve sent all thoughts to the deepest recesses of his mind.


    A soft knock at his door followed by a nervous ¡°Phil?¡± immediately brought that information to light like a Broadway billboard. Reese! He quickly jumped off his bed and made his way to his door, barely keeping himself from running. Opening the door, he greeted the blonde with a huge grin, which locked on his face as his brain melted at the sight of her.


    She stood there, fingers nervously playing with each other, her cheeks a deep crimson as she looked away to the side. ¡°M-may I come in?¡±


    ¡°Hhhh¡­ oh! Yes, of course. Please come in,¡± he said, gathering his wits enough to regain the ability to speak. A small smile played at her lips at his reaction as she slid past him. Closing the door, he turned and took in the vision before him. She stood there, still not making eye contact, her hands now behind her back. The blue lace baby-doll top, see-through below her chest, perfectly contrasted with her light, almost pale, skin. It swished silently as she nervously rocked her shoulders back and forth.


    ¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he breathed. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re always beautiful, but¡­ wow.¡± He suddenly felt way out of his league as he gaped at the blonde beauty before him, clad as he was in an old t-shirt and comfortable grey sweats. She smiled and pulled her blonde hair over her shoulder, nervously stroking it with both hands.


    ¡°So, um¡­ should we go to bed? It¡¯s late, after all¡­¡± she said softly.


    Phil was grateful he¡¯d already showered for the evening and moved perhaps a touch too eagerly at her suggestion. ¡°Uh, yeah! Yeah, let¡¯s do that. Go ahead, I¡¯ll get the lights.¡±


    She giggled at his reaction, then turned towards the bed, giving him a view of her shapely ass, a blue T standing out sharply from her white skin. Feeling his blood rapidly rushing south, Phil waited until she had crawled onto the bed and quickly reached for the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. He gave his eyes a couple seconds to adjust, then made his way over to the other side of the king size and crawled under the sheets. They lay facing each other, barely visible in the darkness.


    He felt her hand reach for his under the sheets, and when she found it she pulled it to her waist. Taking the hint, he ran his hand over her waist to the small of her back and pulled her towards him, the feel of her skin under the lingerie exquisite. He felt her hands slide under his shirt, tracing the new muscles Britt had helped him earn.


    ¡°I remember thinking you¡¯d be kind of cute if you put in a little effort,¡± she said.


    ¡°When did you say that? I remember you saying I had pretty eyes, but it was a shame about the rest of me,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°When Britt rescued you from Chuck. You were unconscious in this bed. Rose said I was a sucker for hard luck cases.¡± Phil saw her smile.


    ¡°You know Britt was the reason I was unconscious, right? Beat me to a pulp after she pressed her boobs into my face.¡±


    Reese chuckled. ¡°And now she can¡¯t wait for you to get your hands on them. She¡¯s changed. We¡¯ve all changed, and it¡¯s thanks to you. We owe you so much.¡± She shifted closer on the pillow and kissed him.


    ¡°I¡¯d consider us even, actually,¡± he said when they broke apart. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to all of you that I¡¯m no longer the loner I was. You saved me in more ways than one.¡± This time, for the first time that he could remember, Phil initiated the kiss. The room went silent as they lost themselves in each other. Their hands explored each other¡¯s backs as they pulled themselves tightly together. Reese draped a leg over his as he reached down and filled his hand with one of her ass cheeks.


    She moaned into his mouth as she felt his manhood press between her legs, still tightly trapped by his sweats. She rubbed herself on it, their breathing increasing in intensity as they pushed against each other, their tongues wrestling for dominance. Reaching between them, she slid her hand down his stomach and under his waistband as he moved his hand up under her top to cup her breast. As their fingers came in contact with what they were searching for, Reese suddenly had a flashback, remembering the last time someone gripped her in such a way, and the last time she¡¯d wrapped her hand around a man.


    A sob escaped her as she suddenly pushed Phil away, keeping him at arm¡¯s length. Realizing what she¡¯d done, she looked more surprised than he did.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said as tears started collecting on the pillow. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I thought¡­ I want to¡­ but¡­¡±


    Naturally Phil was disappointed, but MB had already warned him this might happen, so he wasn¡¯t completely surprised. Allowing her to keep her distance, he took one of the hands she had on his chest and covered it with his own.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± he said softly. ¡°If you¡¯re not ready, we don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m happy enough just being near you.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if she heard him, however. She just kept apologizing over and over as she wept into the pillow. They lay there unmoving, his hand on hers. Eventually she calmed down enough to look at him again, and she met his eyes. Those kind, gorgeous eyes of his, filled with worry and love. She knew he wouldn¡¯t rush her. That he¡¯d wait as long as she needed him to. Everything he did, and didn¡¯t do, confirmed her feelings for him weren¡¯t wrong. She closed the gap between them again, slowly.


    ¡°Can you just¡­ hold me?¡± she asked quietly. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. She slid down the bed a little and pulled his other arm over to use as a pillow, burying her face in his chest, her arms pulled up between them against her chest, his shirt gripped tightly in her hands. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to feel protected in his arms. No, he would never hurt her. Not intentionally. She knew that. He would never force her to anything she didn¡¯t want to do. She still cried though. She cried for being sorry that she couldn¡¯t give him what he wanted yet, and she cried because of the memories that had robbed her of what she¡¯d wanted this evening.


    Phil never said a word. Just held her close, his hand rubbing her back as she cried herself to sleep. He silently vowed to protect her for as long as she¡¯d have him. All of them. Yes, they had their own strengths and traits to call upon, and he was the weakest in the group. Even knowing that, he still promised that he¡¯d do his best to shield them from this kind of pain. After a lifetime of avoiding everyone, he¡¯d finally found something to protect, and it would take all the demons of hell to rip them apart. He pressed his face into Reese¡¯s hair and kissed the top of her head, only allowing himself to sleep when he was certain she was.


    *


    ¡°So, it was a no go last night?¡± Britt asked, taking a sip of her light beer.


    Reese hung her head over her water. ¡°No go. We were so close, and then¡­ I couldn¡¯t. I remembered the last time and¡­¡±


    ¡°And he was sweet and compassionate and told you it was okay and held you tight the rest of the night?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Reese answered, a wistful look on her face. ¡°It makes me want him even more now, but I know the same thing will happen again. Ugh! And he was so ready too! I know it would¡¯ve been amazing!¡±


    Britt smiled and rubbed her friend¡¯s back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You know he¡¯ll wait and make it worth it.¡± She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. ¡°So, just how ready was he?¡±


    Despite her rolling emotions, Reese smirked at her friend. ¡°It was like he was smuggling an energy drink down there.¡±


    Britt raised an eyebrow. ¡°An energy drink?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talkin¡¯ Red Bull, babe.¡±


    Britt leaned back in her chair and observed Phil sitting by himself at the bar, also nursing a light beer. ¡°Really? Skinny guy like that? Never would¡¯ve guessed it.¡±


    ¡°Well, if all goes well, you¡¯ll find out for yourself tonight. It¡¯s your turn, after all. Don¡¯t look at me like that. Don¡¯t hold back on my account.¡±


    ¡°What happened to the laws of rock, paper, scissors?¡±


    Reese rolled her eyes. ¡°If we¡¯re going to get technical, we said ¡®sleep¡¯ with him. We never specified if it was actual ¡®sleep¡¯ or ¡®fucking.¡¯ I had my night. Now it¡¯s your turn. Go nuts, hun.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Britt quickly took another pull from her bottle, trying to ignore her own cheeks turning pink.


    ¡°Hey, ladies, are we really sure this is a good idea? Using me as bait like this?¡±


    The two women looked up at Phil¡¯s reflection in the mirror behind the bar and caught him watching them as his voice came in through the hidden ear pieces the team wore.


    ¡°Shit. You think he heard us? Are we on vox?¡± asked Reese, as she fought the urge to check her mic pack.


    ¡°No,¡± said Britt, giving the reflection a shy smile in case anyone was watching. ¡°His face would be bright red if he had.¡± She keyed her hidden microphone. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ve got the three of us watching out for you. Rose is flirting with the bartender a few seats to your right, drawing attention away from you in case the target is looking for the lonely type. Right now, you¡¯re a guy that fits right into her strike zone from what we¡¯ve been able to figure out. Right age range, healthy physical build, attractive¡­ anyway, if she comes looking tonight, you¡¯ll be a prime target for her.¡± She smiled to herself when she saw him blush a little at her comment about being attractive.


    ¡°Alright, if you guys say so. I trust your judgement. Oh, and Britt? You look amazing in that dress. Red really is your color, you know that?¡±


    She choked on her beer, causing a few heads to turn her direction, including the bartender¡¯s and Rose¡¯s. The bartender quickly made his way from behind the bar to make sure she was alright, leaving Rose alone.


    ¡°Smooth, girlfriend. And I am not flirting with him. Just plugging him for information. Nothing too interesting happens around here apparently, but I guess Phil already knew that since it¡¯s his old watering hole.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I liked it. Quiet and boring,¡± replied Phil.


    ¡°Well, aside from Reese¡¯s ¡®gas explosion¡¯ a few months ago and the attempted murder a couple months after that.¡±


    ¡°Attempted murder?¡± Reese asked, pretending she was reading something on her phone while the bartender made sure Britt was alright, who was still red in the face from Phil¡¯s compliment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± started Phil.


    ¡°Probably exactly what you¡¯re thinking, if what you said about your old friend is true. The old bouncer here went ballistic one night and tried choke some blond guy. Kept yelling something about his wife leaving him and it was the blond¡¯s fault. Last the bartender heard, the bouncer had skipped town after posting bond and the blond hasn¡¯t been seen or heard from since.¡±


    Phil shook his head. He figured Chuck had come back to the bar after that. It was his favorite hunting spot for some reason. Then again, it was his first time scoring one half of a married couple that worked here, so that was a factor he hadn¡¯t taken into consideration. Clearly it backfired on him. A worrying thought crossed his mind.


    ¡°Any word on what happened to Tina. Uh, I mean the bouncer¡¯s wife?¡± Raised eyebrows greeted his reflection, but the blonde and the red head didn¡¯t say anything. Glancing at the other end of the mirror, he saw Rose smile into her drink.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d ask. She¡¯s fine, actually. Apparently, she just started working here again now that her ex is on the run.¡± He saw her check the time on her watch. ¡°In fact, she should be starting her shift soon.¡±


    ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that a bad thing? She knows me. What if she blows my cover?¡±


    ¡°The cover that you¡¯re a lonely man that would love to get any piece of ass you can get, but are afraid of women so you drink by yourself at the bar? Isn¡¯t that what she knew you as before?¡± asked Reese, smirking at his reflection.


    Phil was about to retort to that, but realized she was right. He chuckled to himself. If anything, Tina would only help him solidify his cover. ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± he said, chuckling again into his mic as he took a long swig.


    ¡°Phil!?¡± came an astounded voice. As if on cue, Tina appeared behind him in his reflection. He swung around on his stool and gave her a small smile, trying to emulate the man he used to be when she¡¯d known him. It was harder than he thought it¡¯d be, especially given how radiant Tina looked now. Where he remembered a pretty, but tired looking woman now stood a virtual goddess. Gone were the baggy bar t-shirt and jeans she used to wear, replaced by a low cut shirt that showed off an impressive amount of cleavage and a skirt that displayed a set of amazingly toned legs. Her hair wasn¡¯t hanging limp over her shoulders, but was pulled into a high ponytail, allowing one to follow the curve of her neck and expanse of skin from her ear to her chest. What had changed the most, however, was her smile. She now had a smile that would launch a thousand ships. Had Chuck really had that much of an effect on her?


    He heard a couple throats clear in his earpiece, and a chuckle. Forcing his eyes to cease his tour, he smiled at her again. Fortunately, since she remembered him being an awkward sort of guy, she didn¡¯t think his behavior odd at all.


    ¡°H-hey, Tina. Long time no see. Y-you look good,¡± he tried to stammer out. He hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d changed that much in four months. This was harder than he imagined.


    ¡°Aww! Thank you, babe!¡± she leaned in and gave him a tight hug, her chest pushing into his.


    So firm, he thought to himself, pretending not to see the evil gazes levelled at him from the corner table. Outwardly, he hesitantly returned the hug. Tina pulled back, but kept her hands on his shoulders, giving them a couple test squeezes. Her eyebrows rose a bit as her hands trailed down his arms to squeeze at his biceps. Phil saw Reese grab at Britt¡¯s arm as she started to rise from her seat, fire in her eyes. He could almost see the flames leaping off the woman. Hoping to avoid needless violence, he shrugged out of Tina¡¯s grip, this time genuinely feeling awkward at the attention. She seemed to realize what she¡¯d done.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. You just seem so¡­ different. Have you been working out? Where¡¯ve you been? You disappeared the night of the explosion and no one¡¯s seen you since.¡±


    ¡°Um, well, Chuck and I had a falling out. I¡¯ve been keeping to myself. You haven¡¯t seen him around lately, have you?¡±


    ¡°Chuck? Oh, wow. There¡¯s someone I haven¡¯t thought about in months.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen him since that night either. Good riddance if you ask me though. I never liked that guy. He always creeped me out.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring it up, Phil!¡± Reese said into his ear. ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember their hookup because he didn¡¯t want her to. Incubus magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said instead. ¡°I started realize he wasn¡¯t a good guy too. Didn¡¯t like the way he treated one of my friends. We got into a fight and he left.¡± Not entirely a lie, he told himself. To his surprise, Tina reached up and cupped his cheek.


    ¡°I always knew there was a sweetheart hidden underneath that shy personality.¡±


    Was she always this touchy feely? He tried to remember. Shoulder pats when tipped well. One armed hugs to customers she liked a bit more than others. That was the extent of it, really. Glancing over Tina¡¯s shoulder he saw it was Reese¡¯s turn to be restrained as Britt slapped a hand on her shoulder to pull her back into her seat. Rose was giggling into the mic again. You don¡¯t have to broadcast that, you evil woman! Nice one, my ass.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Tina said, letting her arm drop. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you again. Let¡¯s catch up sometime. A lot has changed for both of us in a few months, and we should compare notes.¡± Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed his phone off the bar, unlocked it quickly by holding it up to his face, then quickly messed with something on his screen. Almost immediately a chime sounded in the small handbag she had placed on the bar. ¡°There. Now we have each other¡¯s numbers. Don¡¯t be a stranger, ok? Oh! Are you going to be here for a bit? My friend is coming tonight, and I¡¯d like to introduce you.¡±


    Still reeling from how quickly she¡¯d moved with his phone, he just nodded dumbly.


    ¡°Great!¡± she said, smiling brightly. ¡°I gotta get to work now, but I¡¯ll be back to visit.¡± She darted in and planted a kiss on his cheek before disappearing through the swinging door next to the bar. Phil snapped back in his seat, practically feeling slaps from the glares he was getting from a certain table. Slowly rotating back around and ignoring the pinpoint pain he now felt between his shoulder blades, he took a very long pull from his beer, upending the bottle before signaling for another one. After paying the bartender, he slunk in on himself to mask the desperate pleading he was about to do.


    ¡°You gotta believe me, girls. I¡¯m just as surprised as you are!¡± he whispered into his mic. ¡°She¡¯s nothing like she was the last time I saw her!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised,¡± came Rose¡¯s voice. ¡°Remember what I said earlier? She left her husband, and he¡¯s long gone on the run.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Phil hesitantly asked, confident that whatever she was about to say was only going to make things worse. She didn¡¯t disappoint.


    ¡°She¡¯s newly divorced and free to explore her options again. Whether the breakup was real or instigated by Chuck¡¯s poking around in her, she¡¯s still a newly single woman. She¡¯s rebounding, and she just made a very public display that she¡¯s picked her target for tonight.¡±


    The color drained from Phil¡¯s face. You evil, evil woman! Britt is going to turn me into a pretzel later! ¡°Uh¡­¡± was what he said out loud.


    ¡°Hmmph. Well, at least she¡¯s got taste,¡± muttered Britt. ¡°But if you think she¡¯s getting a taste before we do, you¡¯ve got another think coming, buddy!¡±


    ¡°I thought it was ¡®you¡¯ve got another thing coming?¡¯¡± said Reese.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t even make sense. He¡¯s supposed to rethink it, not rething it. Don¡¯t you raise your eyebrow at me! It¡¯s not my fault language standards in this country have fallen so far.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that, I just didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be the one complaining about it.¡±


    ¡°What? I¡¯m not just a pretty face and muscle you know. I read!¡±


    ¡°Uh, ladies, I¡¯m still trying to figure out the before part of that sentence.¡±


    He never got his answer, however. Tina walked out from the back, still dressed sexy, this time with a nametag on. She gave him a flirty smile, then her eyes lit up and she quickly walked passed him.


    ¡°Rachel! You made it.¡±


    Phil turned to see the most staggeringly beautiful woman he¡¯s ever seen in his life. Probably the most beautiful woman anyone in the bar had ever seen, considering all eyes were on her. All of them, including Phil¡¯s team. Easily six feet tall with long silky black hair, almond shaped eyes with purple irises were the highlight of her almost too perfectly proportioned face. If Phil had the skill to draw his ideal woman, she is what he would¡¯ve drawn. The cool Asian beauty radiated a sultriness that permeated the room and stabbed into Phil like a hot poker to the chest.


    ¡°Rache! Come here. I want you to meet a friend of mine.¡± Tina bounced over next to Phil, however he failed to notice as the tall woman sauntered over in her wake. His eyes were only for the raven haired beauty. ¡°This is Phil,¡± Tina introduced. ¡°Phil, this is my best friend, Rachel.¡±


    Rachel¡¯s eyes roamed up and down his body as she approached. She leaned in close and looked deeply into his eyes.


    ¡°He looks positively delicious, Tina,¡± the woman purred, a southern accent adding a pleasant lilt to her voice. ¡°Would you be willing to share?¡± It was the last thing Phil remembered hearing clearly before the woman¡¯s eyes took on a purple glow.

 Chapter 14

    Britt and Reese were too stunned to move. Even Rose was caught off guard. Everyone in the bar watched as the beautiful woman leaned in and gave the dazed man a long passionate kiss. He made no move to pull away. In fact, he hungrily leaned in for more. She pulled away with a smile on her face.


    ¡°Oh, this one is special, isn¡¯t he?¡± she said. She looked over at Tina, her eyes glowing again. ¡°Would you like a taste?¡± Britt saw the eyes the second time.


    ¡°Shit,¡± she muttered. That was their target, and she¡¯d just walked right up and taken him. She gripped Reese¡¯s hand tightly to break her out of the trance.


    ¡°Ow!¡± she whispered. ¡°What?¡± She then followed Britt¡¯s eyeline. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s the succubus, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already charmed him, hasn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    ¡°So, one way or another he¡¯s getting laid tonight. Shall we go save him, or do you want to keep watching him make out with Tits McGee there?¡±


    Britt made a face like she was debating it. ¡°She¡¯s got a great ass, too.¡±


    Reese lightly slapped at her friend¡¯s arm. ¡°The succubus has no effect on you but the divorcee licking our man¡¯s back teeth does? You were ready to rip her spine out earlier.¡±


    Britt shrugged. ¡°I know but watching those two like that¡­ it¡¯s so hot. I think I just learned something about myself. But we can discuss the waitress later. Let¡¯s go crush the succubus bitch.¡±


    The redhead stood up from her seat and started walking towards the women who were trading her man between them. The succubus was so focused on Phil she never noticed Britt and Reese walk up until Britt was right behind her. Before she had a chance move, Britt clamped a hand on her shoulder. The other woman jerked back so suddenly that Phil was left kissing air for a second before Tina quickly jumped in for her turn again.


    Rachel turned her head and flashed her eyes at Britt, but the redhead merely increased her vice like grip. Suddenly the bar started moving again, the patrons returning to their conversations, the bartender mixing his drinks, and Rose shakily stepping off her stool and joining the small crowd of women around the charmed Phil and Tina.


    ¡°Why.. didn¡¯t¡­ it-¡± Rachel gasped out between grunts of pain.


    ¡°Orc,¡± Brittany said with a smile. The succubus¡¯ eyes went wide, then dropped her head in surrender. Britt loosened her grip so the woman could speak clearly but didn¡¯t let go completely in case she ran.


    ¡°So the passive charm didn¡¯t work on you either. Why¡¯d you wait so long? He is your party leader, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Reese smirked. ¡°Because she just figured out she gets off watching her man with other women, apparently. I¡¯m still on the fence about it, but what she does on her nights with him is her business.¡±


    Rachel stared between them. ¡°You share him?¡±


    ¡°Like that¡¯s any of your business,¡± grunted Britt.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you share him with me? Just for the night! I¡¯m so hungry. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve fed.¡±


    ¡°About a month, if our math is correct. That¡¯s when the last body was discovered,¡± said Rose.


    The succubus looked at her in genuine confusion. ¡°Body? A month? What are you talking about? I just moved here a week ago.¡±


    ¡°You seriously expect us to believe that?¡± asked Reese, crossing her arms.


    Rachel nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m serious! I just moved here from Texas a week ago. Ask Tina¡­ oh.¡± She looked over to see the woman in question straddling Phil as her arms roamed his body. Phil himself had a handful of tit in one hand and very secure grip on her ass with the other. She glanced back at the other three women. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m willing to cooperate with anything y¡¯all want to know or do, but if we don¡¯t get these two somewhere private quickly, we run the risk of the cops being called for indecent exposure and lewd acts and whatever else that could be extremely embarrassing.¡±


    Phil¡¯s party traded looks between each other, looks of doubt obvious to all.


    ¡°Look, I get why y¡¯all might be hesitant to trust me, I do, but I swear I had no intention to kill anyone tonight or any night. I take enough to keep me sated and leave them with a smile and fond memory. I¡¯ll do whatever you ask to prove my innocence, but we have to leave soon. They got the full charm, and they won¡¯t stop until they fuck someone.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Fine,¡± stated Britt. ¡°Let¡¯s take them out the back way and get them home. A foursome wasn¡¯t how I imagined my first night with him going, but it could be fun.¡±


    Reese and Rose both stared at her. Even the succubus was eyeballing her.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked through gritted teeth, trying to keep her voice down. ¡°You need to feed, don¡¯t you? You can catch the load when he¡¯s done. That should suffice for now, right? Right. Tits McGee here needs to get off for the charm effect to lift, so she may as well continue with Phil or some poor innocent bastard is going to get jumped. And if you think I¡¯m going to leave him alone in a room with two sexed up strangers, you¡¯re out of your fucking minds. I¡¯m first though, dammit, cause this was supposed to my night. Now, someone cause a distraction while I carry these two out of here. Rose, go get the car. We¡¯re going home.¡±


    Rose leaned over to Reese. ¡°Are you ok with this?¡±


    Reese grinned at her. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be in there too. Someone has to keep an eye on our pretty friend here. You know, in case she tries something. I may also want a preview of what I¡¯ll be in store for in the future.¡± She winked at the last comment.


    Rose arched an eyebrow at her, then glanced at all the other women gathered around Phil. ¡°I¡¯ve created a monster.¡±


    *


    I can¡¯t move was Phil¡¯s first thought on waking the next morning. I hurt all over was his next. The last clear memory he had was meeting Tina¡¯s friend at the bar. After that it was a blur. He closed his eyes, trying to clear up the images. Red, black, brown. A steady rotation of colors that came with memories of pleasure. Especially the black. Oh, the transcendent pleasure of black. Purple eyes, blue eyes, hazel eyes. Something moved next to him. Opening his eyes, he tried to take stock of his surroundings. He was in his room. His bed. A mess of red hair rested on his shoulder, a sense of moisture ran down his side. Brittany, and she was drooling on him again.


    Movement to his left. The woman from last night? What was her name again? Rachel? That sounded right. What the hell was she doing here? He quickly realized he didn¡¯t care, staring at her naked form. His member twitched at the sight, followed by a peculiar sensation he couldn¡¯t recall ever feeling before. He craned his neck to see around Britt¡¯s hair and his eyes went wide.


    Tina!? What the fuck happened last night!? She was naked and nuzzled up to his manhood, using his hip as a pillow as she suckled on his tip like a baby would their thumb in her sleep. Any man can only take so much stimulation before it had an effect on him, and he was no different. Regardless of the confusion he felt, waking up to three naked, sexy women, one of them using his member as a pacifier, caused the expected reaction.


    Tina¡¯s eyes popped open in surprise at the sudden intrusion into her mouth. Her gaze met his baffled and embarrassed one for a second, then she surprised him by grinning and swallowing him. He groaned at the feeling and his head dropped to the pillow roughly. His movement jostled the other two women, waking them in the process. Rachel stretched and yawned loudly while Britt slowly sat up, wiping her mouth and blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She looked at Phil and gave him a sleepy smile before her gaze fell on Tina, who was doing her best to suck his soul through his pelvis.


    ¡°Again?¡± Britt asked. ¡°She¡¯s supposed to be the succubus, you know?¡± she waved at Rachel, who had rolled over and lay on Phil¡¯s chest with wide grin on her face.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since we were kids. I was a bad influence on her.¡±


    Tina had enough manners to not talk with her mouth full, winking at Phil.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± said Britt as she scooted to the edge of the bed and got up. ¡°Make it quick will you? It¡¯s Reese¡¯s day today, so this is technically against the rules.¡± With that said she went and closed herself in Phil¡¯s bathroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it, just this once,¡± came a groggy voice from Phil¡¯s couch. ¡°Special circumstances and guests and all that.¡±


    Phil¡¯s poor heart nearly stopped. How many more surprises was he in store for this morning? Reese sat up from where she¡¯d been sleeping on his couch, then stood and walked over to the bathroom. She was naked as the day she was born, and the sight of her nearly flawless body was enough to finish what Tina started. He grunted, and Rachel was suddenly moving next to Tina. The brunette gave a couple enthusiastic pumps on him, then pulled her mouth off with a pop and offered him to Rachel who wasted no time in inhaling him just as he started firing off in her mouth.


    She accepted his load eagerly, swallowing every drop until he stopped twitching. She gave a quick little suck to make sure she got all of it, then released him, leaving a strange tingling sensation behind that crawled through his balls and up his spine. He shuddered at the feeling, not sure if it was pleasant or uncomfortable.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Yep. Still positively delicious,¡± Rachel remarked, her eyes closed as she savored him and Tina giggling at her side. The black haired woman shuddered and let out a very satisfied moan.


    Reese, still waiting for Britt to exit, turned and address the remaining women. ¡°Done? Okay, my day starts now. If you¡¯re as helpful as you claim to be, Rachel, I may let you feed again later. If not, you¡¯ll be hungry, naked, and out of the house, got it?¡±


    Rachel was up and on her knees quickly. ¡°I promise! Anything you need, just ask! I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    For once this morning, Phil wasn¡¯t the only one who looked confused.


    ¡°You¡¯re way too eager,¡± Reese said, suspicion rising in her tone. ¡°What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± Despite being completely naked, she put off a menacing aura that had Phil rooted in place, and it wasn¡¯t even aimed at him. Tina flinched back, trying to not get in between the two women.


    Rachel pointed at Phil. ¡°He¡¯s the purest I¡¯ve ever tasted. The pleasure his seed fills me with is comparable to the pleasure we succubae give others. Perhaps even greater! For another taste, I would conquer hell itself.¡±


    While Phil, Reese, and Tina stared at her in confused wonder, the bathroom door opened and Britt walked out. Her eyes locked on Rachel.


    ¡°So what are you saying? He¡¯s got magic spunk or something?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°No, nothing so crude as that. It¡¯s his soul.¡±


    Britt gave her an odd look, then noticed Reese. ¡°Why are you naked? You didn¡¯t join in.¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°Watching you guys was hot. Just because I can¡¯t play with him doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t play with myself.¡±


    For the first time since he woke up, Phil finally managed to speak. Propping himself up on his elbows and taking in the bounty of naked women arrayed before him, he got their attention with a soft cough.


    ¡°Ahem. Can anyone explain what happened last night and what you¡¯re talking about now?¡±


    *


    ¡°You really don¡¯t remember any of it?¡± Rose asked incredulously.


    ¡°Uhuh,¡± Philip grunted out as he shoveled his breakfast into his mouth. Pancakes again, but this time Rose was thoughtful enough to include some fruits and eggs to accompany them. Swallowing, he continued. ¡°There are some flashes, red, black, brown. Pleasure. Eyes. That¡¯s about it unfortunately.¡±


    Rose sat back and surveyed the table. All the other women were digging in to breakfast as well. Red hair, black hair, brown hair. The blonde didn¡¯t participate, but Rose knew she was in there last night as well. She shook her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. Sure sounded like one hell of a time in there. I had to move down to Britt¡¯s room just to escape the noise and get some sleep.¡± She started laughing then.


    Philip paused in his eating to stare at her. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I just remembered the other day. You know, when Britt planted you like a daisy for fondling her thighs? What was it you said then? ¡®I only wish I had felt something. At least the beating would¡¯ve been worth it.¡¯ Something like that?¡±


    Philip nearly choked on his food. Desperately reaching for his drink to wash it down, he glanced over and saw a very red Britt staring at him. Reese was smirking as she continued eating, and Tina and Rachel exchanged grins at his embarrassment.


    ¡°What does that have to do with anything!?¡± he squeaked out.


    Getting herself under control, Rose took a second to compose herself. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking you¡¯ve got the most pathetic luck when it comes to Britt, don¡¯t you? You got beat after she waved her chest over you when you were stuck in the tree. You got beat when you accidentally copped a feel that you couldn¡¯t feel. And now you can¡¯t remember not only your first time with her, you can¡¯t even remember your first orgy! Worst harem leader ever!¡± She dissolved into a fit of giggles again, completely oblivious to everyone staring at her.


    The sound of a plate being forcefully pushed back and the clatter of silverware caught her attention as Philip got up from his seat at the head of the table. All eyes focused on him.


    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly not that hungry anymore. I¡¯ll be in the gym.¡± He walked out without giving anyone a second look. Rose¡¯s giggles stopped abruptly as he left. Britt and Reese exchanged glances and Reese nodded. Britt stood, looked at Rose briefly, then chased after Phil.


    ¡°Tina, Rachel, would you be so kind as to wait in the living room, please?¡± Reese said quietly, never taking her eyes off Rose, whose eyes were focused solely on her plate, hands in her lap. After waiting for the two guests to leave the dining room, Reese pushed her chair back and walked over to Phil¡¯s empty seat at the head of the table. She did this merely to get closer to Rose, who sat in her normal seat to the right of the head, but the movement had unintentionally placed her in an authoritative position over the brunette.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you do that?¡± she asked. There was no anger to the question, nor frustration or even curiosity. It was delivered with no emotional impact at all. Just a simple question seeking an answer. It hit Rose like a hammer blow from the gods.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know.¡± Her voice quavered. ¡°I really don¡¯t.¡±


    Reese sat back in the chair. Watching her old friend. The woman she once thought of as a sister. Rose hadn¡¯t moved. Still staring at her plate. Still gripping her hands under the table.


    ¡°You really do hate him, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The question cracked through the silence in Rose¡¯s mind. Did she? Well, yes, she¡¯d even admitted as much to him. But she had that under control. At least, she thought she did.


    ¡°I think you hate him more than you¡¯re willing to admit, even to yourself. You¡¯ve been teasing him a lot more recently, and while what you just said may have sounded funny in your head, the delivery was absolutely brutal. That man has been nothing kind and understanding since we brought him here. Especially to you, knowing what he took from you. And that¡¯s how you repaid him. By humiliating him in front of two women who love him and some guests.¡±


    Rose mumbled something that Reese couldn¡¯t hear. She leaned in closer.


    ¡°¡­want to hate him. I don¡¯t want to hate him. I don¡¯t want to¡­ but¡­ but¡­ I DO!¡± she yelled the last. Turning to Reese with fury in her eyes. ¡°I do! I fucking hate him so much! Why should he live while Bruce had to die!? How can he be so goddamn happy and nice while the ashes of my love were scattered in some shitty part of town? How does that worthless fuck have an orgy while I sleep alone!? How is that fair!? How can you love him!? Look at Britt chasing after him like some lovesick bitch in heat-¡±


    The sharp sound of the smack echoed around the large room. The fire in Reese¡¯s eyes more intense than Rose¡¯s fury just a few seconds before.


    ¡°I let you vent, but don¡¯t take it so far that you say something you¡¯ll regret!¡± Reese chastised from where she stood over Rose.


    Suddenly tired, Reese collapsed into the chair, slouching until her ass was at the edge of the seat. Rose similarly collapsed in her chair, with the addition of a bright red hand print on the side of her face. She made no effort to heal it, letting the stinging pain keep her under control.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got issues, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Reese let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t we all?¡±


    Rose looked over to the blonde. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Reese waved it off. ¡°It¡¯s not me you should be apologizing to.¡±


    ¡°I know. And I know he¡¯ll say something like ¡®don¡¯t worry about it,¡¯ or something like that, which will make it harder.¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. That¡¯s only the second time I¡¯ve seen honest anger out of him since he¡¯s been here. That should tell you something about him though.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°That he didn¡¯t choose to take his anger out on you, no matter how well deserved it was. He went to the gym. He was going to take that anger and use it for something productive.¡±


    ¡°Well isn¡¯t he a fucking hero,¡± Rose said dryly.


    Reese sat up straight in her chair. ¡°What would your beloved Bruce have done?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose said, eyeballing Reese out of the corner of her eye.


    ¡°You heard me. If you had pissed off Bruce like that, what would he have done? Or, to be more accurate, what did he do to people who pissed him off like that?¡±


    Rose really hadn¡¯t been expecting the comparative question. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Reese stood and planted her hands on the table as she leaned over Rose. ¡°Neither do I. No one does, because they haven¡¯t found the fucking bodies yet.¡± Rose¡¯s eyes got wide as she watched Reese make her way to the door. Reese stopped just before she left and gave Rose one last look. ¡°I¡¯ve got an appointment with my counselor today at one. I¡¯d like you to join me. If you don¡¯t I¡¯ll understand, but I really hope you will.¡± She then walked through the door to apologize to their guests, leaving Rose alone with her thoughts.


    *


    ¡°Mad or not, I¡¯ll never understand how you can run on a full stomach. I almost puke every time I try.¡± Brittany was sitting on the bench press watching Phil run on the treadmill. When he ignored her comment, she got up and stood next to him. ¡°I¡¯m not going away, you know.¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ want¡­ to think,¡± he said in quick breaths.


    ¡°Well think faster. I want to talk.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t¡­ work¡­ like that.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Britt said as she moved around to lean on the front of the treadmill, resting her head on her hands as she stared at the man working up a heavy sweat. ¡°No one¡¯s ever rocked my world like you did last night.¡± His eyes flicked down to meet her before returning to staring at the wall. Gotcha! she thought. ¡°And what you did to Tina¡­ damn, that was hot. I think she would¡¯ve turned inside out if Rachel hadn¡¯t distracted you.¡±


    Clomp! Clomp! Thud! Britt reached over and hit the stop button on the treadmill, then walked over to the other side of the room where the machine had thrown him after he¡¯d tripped over himself. She squatted down next to his prone figure and patted his forehead with a smirk.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t fair,¡± he said, groaning as he sat up and rubbed at his back. He was sure the belt had given him some hellacious road rash.


    ¡°It¡¯s what you get for being obstinate. I wasn¡¯t lying by the way.¡±


    ¡°Sure wish I remembered any of it. Rose wasn¡¯t wrong about my luck in that regard. First time I get laid in over a year, and it¡¯s an orgy with you, an old acquaintance, a succubus, and I can¡¯t even remember it.¡± He turned and leaned his back against the wall, closing his eyes to catch his breath. He felt Brittany settle in next to him and pat his leg.


    ¡°Oh, I think you¡¯ll get the chance to repeat the experience. That succubus seems to think you¡¯re some holy grail or something. As for Tina, after you fucked the charm out of her, she just kept going of her own free will. I think she¡¯s liked you longer than you know. As for Rose,¡± Brittany sighed. ¡°I think she¡¯d bottled up more than even she knew about. I¡¯ve never seen her be so¡­ mean. Intentionally or not. It¡¯s completely against her nature. Reese should be talking with her now.¡±


    Phil gave her a sidelong glance. ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly ok with the idea of other women, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Britt shrugged. ¡°Learned something about myself last night watching you make out with Tina at the bar. Last night was amazing. Besides, I¡¯m bisexual. I can¡¯t let you hog all the hot chicks to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t get your hopes up about how great I am. Most of that was the charm, I¡¯m sure. I¡¯m actually not that experienced. Hey, you said I fucked the charm out of Tina, right? So how come the whole night was a blur for me? She clearly remembered last night, if this morning was any indication.¡±


    ¡°No idea. We¡¯ll have to ask Rachel later. Clearly whatever she did affected you far more than she¡¯d intended.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s the deal with her, anyway? We went out searching for a succubus, and I woke up with one in my bed. I¡¯m fairly confident that wasn¡¯t the end goal we had in mind.¡±


    ¡°Succubus, yes, murderer we¡¯re searching for, no. She just moved here last week, apparently. It¡¯s hard for a succubus to fuck a guy to death from another state, no matter how talented she is. And damn is that woman talented.¡±


    ¡°So, there¡¯s another succubus out there?¡±


    ¡°Yep, and Rachel¡¯s agreed to help us track her down. All she wants in return is a taste of you.¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°What the fuck¡­ this is not how I thought all this would go.¡±


    Brittany laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us expected this chain of events, but then again, nothing has been normal since you got here. I meant that as a compliment, dumbass, so quit looking at the floor. Look at me.¡± She waited until he met her eyes. ¡°You have changed this house. It was a home, then it was a prison, and now it¡¯s a whole new home. One you built with your kindness and tenacity. I know you and I didn¡¯t get off to the greatest start, but now I thank god every day you stumbled around the corner that night.¡±


    Phil blushed, not knowing what to say as he looked into those blue eyes of hers. Before he realized what he was doing, he was kissing her. For a couple minutes the world around them disappeared, then their lips separated and they faced each other, foreheads pressed together.


    ¡°Want to recreate a little of last night? Maybe it¡¯ll jog your memory,¡± Britt whispered.


    ¡°Here!?¡± he whispered back.


    She smiled and straddled his lap, pulling her top off as she moved. As he took in the wealth of skin suddenly on display, she reached around to the back of his head and pulled his face into her chest.


    ¡°Yes, here,¡± she confirmed.


    He didn¡¯t respond, his mouth too full to speak.

 Chapter 15

    At about the same time that Britt and Phil were beginning their extensive cardio session, Reese was entering the living room to apologize to their two guests. She closed the door to the dining room behind her and walked over to the recliner next to the couch where the two women were talking quietly between themselves. They both stopped when Reese took her seat and gave her their full attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry about that. She¡¯s been through a lot in the last, well, couple years. I think it¡¯s starting to bubble over inside of her. She¡¯s normally the nicest person you could ever hope to meet. Well, second nicest.¡±


    Both women smiled at the correction. They both knew she was referring to Phil.


    ¡°It¡¯s really none of our business,¡± said Rachel. ¡°It¡¯s y¡¯all¡¯s home. We won¡¯t judge or criticize what happens here.¡±


    Reese gave her a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you. Do you ladies mind if I ask you some questions?¡±


    The two shared a look and shrugged. ¡°Go for it,¡± said Tina. ¡°As long as it isn¡¯t too personal.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to avoid that if I can. Can I start by asking why you didn¡¯t seem the least bit surprised last night to find out your friend here was a succubus?¡±


    Tina laughed. ¡°We grew up together in a small town in Texas. I¡¯ve known since she hit puberty.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Reese asked, shocked. ¡°Most mixed tried to keep their identity secret. Tends to scare the mundanes a bit.¡±


    Tina shrugged. ¡°Probably would have, if I was a ¡®mundane,¡¯ as you called it. I¡¯m fae descended. I can sense someone¡¯s spirit, or aura, energy, soul, whatever you want to label it as.¡±


    Reese stared at her. ¡°Fae? Damn. I thought they were just fairy tales, if you¡¯ll pardon the expression.¡±


    Tina shook her head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s ok. We get it a lot. We¡¯re pretty rare. Rarer even than that incubus asshole Phil used to hang out with.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you knew!?¡± Reese said, sitting straight up in her chair, causing the two women to giggle.


    ¡°My best friend is a succubus. I was her test dummy when she was learning to control her power. You think I wouldn¡¯t recognize charm magic when it was used near me?¡±


    ¡°So you let yourself be charmed by him?¡±


    Tina nodded. ¡°It was an easy out for my shitty marriage. My ex was a controlling asshole. Dictated how I dressed, controlled who I could hang out with, just an overly possessive jerk. Anyway, I knew if another man had me, he¡¯d lose it and leave because I was no longer his. I just didn¡¯t anticipate him actually attacking Chuck. I almost felt bad for that one, but then I thought about how he treated Phil like a pet and got over it. So yeah, I used Chuck as much as he used me. I don¡¯t feel great about it, but the ends justified the means for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve had your eye on Phil for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Tina smiled shyly. ¡°Yeah. First time I saw him, his aura blew me away. I¡¯d never seen someone so¡­ pure. It radiated off of him like a clear spring day. If only he hadn¡¯t been so shy and nervous around people.¡±


    ¡°We actually think that was Chuck¡¯s fault.¡±


    Rachel narrowed her eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I think he was somehow leaching charisma from Phil. I¡¯ve read about it before, but I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s done. I just know that once we brought him back to the house, the connection was severed, and he started to recover. The Phil you met last night is four months removed from the effect.¡±


    ¡°That son of a bitch,¡± Rachel muttered. ¡°He¡¯s lucky he didn¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Both Tina and Reese looked at Rachel.


    Realizing she was now the center of attention, Rachel elaborated. ¡°You know how our kind feed off personal energy, or what most would call the soul these days, right? Most of us have learned to control it and only take what we need. We¡¯re not eager to repeat the old witch hunts, you know? There are a few that take it too far, fucking men and women to death, but those gluttons are rare, and shunned by the community. It¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t a few bad apples in every bunch, right? There¡¯s another way for our kind to get power though, and it¡¯s extremely risky, potentially fatal.¡±


    Reese raised her eyebrows, waving a hand to go on and dispense with the dramatic pauses.


    ¡°It¡¯s bonding with someone in a way that steals not just their energy, but their potential energy as well. It¡¯s usually a lifelong bond, not that it matters much to the victim, since they generally only live about ten years once it¡¯s initiated, depending on their potential. How long did those two know each other?¡±


    Reese thought back. It¡¯d been a while since Phil had talked about Chuck. ¡°Um, fifteen years, I think? He said they met in middle school.¡±


    ¡°Fifteen!?¡± Rachel blurted out. ¡°And he¡¯s still alive? Either Chuck waited to apply the bond, or Phil had a lot of potential. Since he¡¯s still alive, we can count him lucky, but I¡¯m still curious when it happened. I¡¯m sure Chuck erased his memory of the event, but if we can find a way to reverse it, we can get an idea of when it might¡¯ve happened. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve got the wards around the house. They definitely saved his life, one way or the other. That might also explain why my charm affected him so strongly last night as well. His defenses against charm magic are practically nil after who knows how many years of being fed on like that.¡±


    ¡°So Chuck didn¡¯t really need to charm women for power, did he?¡± asked Tina.


    The Asian beauty shook her head. ¡°Nope. He got all he needed from Phil. Your incubus was just a horny bastard and wanted to notch up his headboard as much as he could, I¡¯ll bet.¡±


    Tina harrumphed. ¡°You¡¯d think someone with that much experience would¡¯ve had a better repertoire.¡±


    Now it was her turn to be stared at. ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, he had stamina and could go multiple times, but no actual skill, and he sure as shit didn¡¯t give as good as he got. Pretty damn selfish in bed, actually.¡± Her eyes seemed to lose focus for a second. ¡°Now Phil, on the other hand¡­ that guy¡¯s a natural.¡± Her eyes snapped back to focus as Reese gave a grunt and pointed at herself.


    ¡°Ahem, girlfriend sitting right here, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Tina said, giving her a sheepish smile.


    Reese rolled her eyes but gave her a smile. It¡¯s not like she couldn¡¯t understand the appreciation, and Tina had known him longer. She returned her attention to Rachel. ¡°Is there any way to rebuild his defenses?¡±


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. The idea of using that kind of spell is unconscionable to most of us. We just want to live our lives like everyone else. Doing something like that is beyond taboo and paints us all in the negative light we¡¯ve been hiding from for generations. Maybe your local guild hall has some information. I want to check in with them anyway. After what you¡¯ve told me about your rogue succubus, I want to let them know I¡¯m available to help. The only problem is, since I¡¯m not a member of a party, I can¡¯t access it.¡±


    Reese nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve actually got an appointment there this afternoon. You¡¯re welcome to tag along if you want. Tina?¡±


    Tina nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll come. I¡¯ve never been. Curious to see what this whole guild and party thing is about.¡±


    ¡°In the meantime,¡± Rachel continued, ¡°I recommend having Brittany stay close to him. Her immunity to charm magic is the perfect counterbalance to his deficiency.¡±


    As if on cue, Britt¡¯s voice drifted from the back of the house.


    ¡°Oh god¡­ oh yeah, right there baby! Don¡¯t stop! Yes! Yes! Oh god! Fuck me Daddy!¡±


    Reese buried her face in her hands and groaned. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think keeping her close to him will be a problem. They could¡¯ve at least closed the damn door,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t strike me as the ¡®daddy¡¯ type,¡± Tina mused.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet she¡¯s surprised too,¡± answered Reese. ¡°He¡¯s definitely brought out a side of her she never knew existed. Anyway, we¡¯ve got some time before we have to leave. Care for a tour? I can show everything but the gym, apparently.¡±


    *


    Rose hadn¡¯t received the memo about avoiding the gym. She¡¯d gone there to apologize to Phil for her actions earlier, and instead found herself standing in the doorway with her hands over her mouth at what she saw. Britt¡¯s outburst had interrupted her practicing her apology just as she had reached the door, and her eyes locked on the sweaty pair. She wasn¡¯t entirely certain anyone had ever thought to use the curling bench in that fashion before. They hadn¡¯t noticed her yet, so she quickly hopped over and hid in the hallway. She knew she should try again later. She knew she should leave them to their privacy. She knew that but couldn¡¯t help but take another peek.


    Glancing back around the doorway, she caught them in the middle of a position change, and the sight of Phil¡¯s package caused her to gasp. She didn¡¯t think it was loud enough to be heard, but Britt¡¯s eyes locked on to hers in the mirror, and the redhead smiled just before he re-entered her. The smile disappeared as her eyes rolled back and her mouth hung open. All of Phil¡¯s attention was focused on Britt, so he failed to notice the beautiful brunette watching them from the hallway, for which she was thankful, but she found it tremendously difficult to look away.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She¡¯d seen Britt in the throes of ecstasy before, having spent more than a few nights in her bed making it happen, but she¡¯d never been that¡­ worshipful. It was as if Phil was penetrating her very soul. Rose was even more surprised when Phil muttered something she couldn¡¯t hear and saw Britt immediately pull off of him and spin around to stuff him in her mouth. As he gripped the redhead by the base of her ponytail, Britt once again made eye contact with Rose and winked as Phil grunted. Rose watched Britt¡¯s throat work up and down, obviously swallowing his load, milking him for every last drop.


    This wasn¡¯t the Britt that Rose knew. The Britt that she knew would never be on her knees in front of a man like that, worshipping his manhood and swallowing his seed while staring adoringly at him. The fact that she¡¯d never actually seen Britt with a man didn¡¯t matter to her at all. The Britt that she¡¯d looked to for protection was submitting to this man. As the woman in question began licking that man clean, Rose took a couple steps back before turning and fleeing down the hall. Racing up the stairs to her room, she shut herself off from the world and tried to collect her thoughts.


    Earlier Reese had forced her to realize that she hated that man more than she thought she did. She also knew that it wasn¡¯t his fault that she did. As she¡¯d been reminded, he¡¯d been unfailingly kind and understanding towards her, giving her space when she needed it and listening when she had something to say. Still, she hated him. The one rock in her life for the last couple years had been Britt¡¯s strength. She could always count on her to protect her when she needed it, both in the field and here at home. So, what did it mean to see her submit like that to someone?


    Did it mean that Britt was weaker than she¡¯d given her credit for? Was that protection she¡¯d depended on a fantasy of hers? It couldn¡¯t have been. She knew Britt would¡¯ve destroyed anyone or thing that threatened her party without hesitation.


    ¡°So does that mean she recognizes him as stronger?¡± she asked herself. ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t order her to do anything she didn¡¯t want to do, so it¡¯s a decision on her part, right? Maybe she just loves big dick? Why does she give in to him so easily? He¡¯s not stronger than her at all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a partnership,¡± Britt said, closing Rose¡¯s door behind her. ¡°Although that dick is magical.¡±


    ¡°What are you-¡± Rose began, but Britt cut her off.


    ¡°You just watched me get plowed like a spring field. You owe me an intrusion of privacy.¡±


    ¡°If you wanted privacy, you should¡¯ve closed the door or used one of your rooms.¡±


    Britt shrugged. ¡°Fair point, but since I¡¯m in here now, we¡¯re going to talk. What you saw wasn¡¯t him overpowering me, or me submitting. It was give and take. I wanted to make him feel as good as he made me feel.¡±


    ¡°He should be on his knees in front of you.¡± She couldn¡¯t keep the bitterness out of her voice.


    ¡°He was plenty last night,¡± Britt shrugged, earning a disgusted look from Rose. ¡°I¡¯m still a woman, you know. My love and infatuation with Bruce was based on his physicality and the way he treated me as an equal. That appealed to the physical side of me. Phil¡­ he treats me like a woman.¡±


    Rose arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°Look, just because I¡¯m strong and bulletproof doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t like being complimented on my dress or having someone open doors for me. And yes, him undressing me with his eyes was pretty fucking annoying, but I began to realize he wasn¡¯t looking at me lecherously. He was admiring me. Any feminist would kill me for saying it, but I began to appreciate the way he watched me. Do you know how many guys are intimidated by my build? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m ripped and stacked with muscle, but there¡¯s definition and obvious strength, and for a lot of guys that¡¯s too much. It¡¯s unattractive. Not for him though. Not for Phil. He sees me as a woman. I think he¡¯s spent so much time being forced to watch from afar that he¡¯s come to appreciate the female form in all its shapes. I¡¯m sure he just stores it in his mental spank bank, but with any luck that will see far less use from now on.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re okay with being stared at by a pervert now?¡±


    ¡°That particular pervert, yes,¡± she said with a smile. Then she turned serious. ¡°Seeing me on my knees really bothered you, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Rose nodded. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re supposed to be the strong one! You¡¯re my protector! What am I supposed to think when you¡¯re letting him cum in your mouth like some¡­ some¡­ slut?¡±


    Britt glared at her. ¡°If you were anyone else right now, I¡¯d make you eat those words.¡±


    Rose shrank back in on herself. ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are, but we¡¯re going to move passed that for now.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m still your protector, you know. Whether I¡¯m sleeping with someone or not, whether I¡¯m in love with someone or not, I¡¯ll still rip the heart out of anyone that tries to harm you. The problem today is that you¡¯re the one doing the harming. This is precisely why Reese and I didn¡¯t want to give in to our feelings. We knew it would affect you. We just didn¡¯t realize it would be this bad. And it was even your idea!¡±


    Rose gave a self-deprecating chuckle and flopped on to her back on the bed. ¡°Right? And I was so happy for you two at first. You were over the moon in love and I felt nothing but joy. Then, somewhere, it turned into jealousy at your happiness. I think it was listening to you last night. The passion coming from that room was overwhelming. It reminded me of what I used to have with Bruce, and how I¡¯ll never have that again. It just stirred up so much resentment and hatred. I began to detest that you guys had fallen for the man who¡¯d taken him from me. Yes,¡± she held up a hand to forestall Britt¡¯s rebuttal, ¡°I¡¯m well aware that he was already gone, but it¡¯s not that easy, you know? And now he¡¯s taken you from my bed as well. What¡¯s a girl to do but hate him?¡±


    Britt surprised her then by leaning over and kissing her. A deep, passionate kiss that Rose instantly returned, her tongue exploring the depths of the redhead¡¯s mouth. Britt broke it off far sooner than Rose would have liked and smiled at her.


    ¡°I cherish the times we had. It was just as cathartic for me as it was you, I¡¯m sure. I wouldn¡¯t rule out anything happening again in the future, but you¡¯d better fix your attitude first, missy. I don¡¯t expect you to fall in love with him, but at least please try to respect his efforts for the party?¡±


    Rose nodded, then let a frown pull her face down as Britt got up and walked to the door. ¡°We¡¯re all heading to the guild after lunch. You should join us.¡±


    ¡°Reese already invited me. I¡¯m still thinking it over.¡±


    ¡°Please do. You¡¯re still a part of the team.¡± She smiled. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I still need to go brush my teeth.¡± She gave Rose a wink and left.


    Rose smiled, then she realized what she¡¯d said. ¡°What!? Eww! Gross!¡± she wailed and immediately ran for her private bath in search of her mouthwash.


    *


    ¡°It¡¯s bigger than I thought it would be,¡± remarked Rachel as she took in the guild lobby.


    ¡°That¡¯s what she said,¡± snickered Tina, earning her some groans and eyerolls. ¡°Oh, come on. That¡¯s a classic!¡±


    ¡°Just another word for old,¡± said Reese. ¡°You remember where the visitor¡¯s sign in is, hero?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah, I think so. Should be over that way, right?¡± answered Phil, pointing off to the right.


    ¡°Yep. Ok, we¡¯ll part here. My appointment¡¯s only an hour.¡± Glancing around to make sure not too many eyes were on them, she quickly pecked his cheek and made her way to security, Rose trailing silently behind her.


    Phil watched them go. ¡°I¡¯m glad she came,¡± he said to Britt.


    ¡°Me too. Come on, let¡¯s get this over with. Come on, ladies. Lot¡¯s of paperwork to fill out. It¡¯s not everyday someone requests access for a succubus. This is going to be interesting.¡± The tall redhead started walking towards the booth while everyone fell in line with her.


    ¡°Mr. Thomas!¡± a familiar voice cheerily shouted across the lobby.


    The group stopped and turned to see Jack trotting over to him, minus his stern shadow for once.


    ¡°Jack, good to see you, sir.¡±


    They shook hands briefly when he finally reached them, Jack giving the women a friendly nod.


    ¡°Ladies. So, Mr. Thomas, how goes the quest? You find that vile woman yet?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no. But we¡¯ve found someone who may be able to help us out greatly. Rachel?¡±


    The tall beauty stepped forward and extended her hand.


    Phil continued with the introduction. ¡°Rachel, this is Jack, the guild master. Jack, this is Rachel¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I never got your last name.¡±


    ¡°Warren,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Rachel Warren. I¡¯m a succubus.¡±


    Jack¡¯s hand froze mid shake, his smile turning wooden. ¡°A succubus, you say?¡± He turned his head stiffly towards Phil. ¡°I would hope, Mr. Thomas, that she¡¯s not the one we¡¯re looking for, since you brought her right into the regional headquarters?¡±


    ¡°No, sir, she¡¯s not. She only recently moved to the area. She wasn¡¯t in the state during any of the other murders.¡±


    ¡°I can vouch for that!¡± Tina offered, stepping forward and thrusting her hand out. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Tina Johns-, sorry. Tina Hart. Still getting used to using my maiden name again.¡±


    ¡°Um, nice to meet you, but for what reason should I trust your word? I¡¯ve never met you before now.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± she mused. ¡°Would it help if I said I was fae?¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ seriously?¡± blurted out Britt.


    ¡°Yeah! I mentioned it earlier¡­ oh, that¡¯s right. You were talking with your Daddy at the time.¡±


    Both Britt and Phil turned bright red, but fortunately Jack wasn¡¯t paying them any attention at all. His eyes were squarely on Tina.


    ¡°A fae¡­¡± he breathed. ¡°I thought you were-¡±


    ¡°A fairy tale. Yeah, we get that a lot,¡± she laughed. ¡°Anyway, Rachel and I go way back. Grew up together in Texas. I can promise you that if she was a bad succubus, I¡¯d be dead many times over, and so would these two.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Jack said, turning his attention to the couple now holding their breath before him. ¡°Mr. Thomas, as guild master, I request that you relay an order for me to Miss Hughes here.¡±


    ¡°Um, depending on the nature of the order¡­¡± Phil said cautiously.


    ¡°Should Miss Warren here make any aggressive move towards me or anyone in this guild, she is to kill her immediately.¡±


    Phil blanched. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but what?¡±


    Jack stepped closer to Phil, lowering his voice while adding authority to his tone. ¡°We are going to have a discussion in my office. Succubae are a level two security threat. As Miss Hughes is immune to their charm magic, she is the perfect escort for your friend here. The sooner you accept my request, the sooner we can retire to the privacy of my office without someone sensing her magic and alerting security. I¡¯m placing a lot of trust in you and your judgement, Philip. If I¡¯m wrong, none of you will leave this building alive, understand?¡±


    Rachel looked over and met Phil¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s ok. Go ahead. I haven¡¯t lied to any of you about how much I want to help.¡±


    Phil kept his eyes on Rachel but addressed Brittany. ¡°Britt.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± she said in resignation.


    Jack raised in eyebrow at the one word order but didn¡¯t say anything. Turning, he motioned for them to follow him. Like before he just waved at security and they let them through. Jack moved like a man on a mission through the old terminal before arriving at his office. He held the door open and ushered them in before quickly closing the door behind them. He showed them to nearby seating area and motioned for everyone to sit.


    ¡°Ok Mr. Thomas. You can drop the order now,¡± he said cheerily.


    ¡°Uh, ok. Britt?¡±


    Britt visibly relaxed, then joined everyone in giving Jack a very confused look. ¡°What the fuck, Jack?¡±


    ¡°I am so terribly sorry about that. Had to make it look good for any that may have been watching. Cameras everywhere these days! I¡¯m just glad I caught you before you tried to sign her in.¡±


    ¡°Since when is a succubus a level two threat, and why weren¡¯t we notified? The guild hardly ever paid attention to them before,¡± asked Britt.


    ¡°The guild down in Texas never treated me like a threat. Even asked for my help a couple times,¡± said Rachel.


    Jack shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s only regionally that the threat¡¯s been changed, and that only a couple hours ago. Two more bodies were found this morning. I trust you can verify the whereabouts of your friend last night, Mr. Thomas?¡±


    Phil turned a slight shade of red. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. I can confirm her whereabouts last night. Well, from, what? 8pm on?¡± He looked at the others for confirmation.


    Jack waved his hand. ¡°That¡¯s adequate. The dead men were both seen leaving different bars with someone after ten. If she was with you then her alibi¡¯s secure. We do have a dilemma though. Unless that woman is extremely talented, there¡¯s no way she was able to drain two men at roughly the same time in different parts of town.¡±


    Phil looked at Rachel, who shook her head. ¡°Even if she put everything she had into the effort, it would still take a couple hours to completely drain a fully grown man. Gentlemen, you¡¯ve got at least two murderers operating in your area.¡±


    ¡°Fuck,¡± both men said in unison.

 Chapter 16

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jack, focusing all of his attention on Rachel. ¡°This is going to sound harsh, Miss Warren, but I have to ask it. Why are you willing to help us against your own kind?¡±


    If the question bothered her, she didn¡¯t show it at all. She returned his attention, focusing her purple eyes on him. ¡°Two reasons, sir. One is bigger than myself. Even if it¡¯s just to a few of you, I want to help show that most of us aren¡¯t the demons we used to be. We understand why the community and guilds fear us, but that was generations ago. Many, many generations. We do have our bad apples, just like everyone else, but most of us just want to live our lives like normal. We only take what we need, either from a willing partner, or a pleasant one night stand where the other leaves with a smile. We¡¯re not any more monstrous than our orc friend over here.¡±


    Britt grunted at the comparison, but didn¡¯t object to it either, which Jack considered.


    ¡°And the second?¡±


    Rachel the succubus actually blushed. ¡°I want to help Phil. Something about him compels me to offer as much of myself- I¡­ I mean my assistance as I am able.¡±


    ¡°Awww!¡± Tina gushed. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you look that adorable since we started high school!¡±


    Britt eyeballed Rachel but didn¡¯t give any indication what she was thinking. Jack glanced back and forth between the succubus and the party leader, who was also blushing a little, but nervously looking at Britt. Jack suddenly had a much clearer understanding of what was happening but chose to ignore it for now.


    ¡°And what about you, Miss Hart? Did you want to assist as well?¡±


    ¡°Oh. I just wanted a tour of the guild hall, but sure, I¡¯ll help,¡± she said happily.


    ¡°A tour? You didn¡¯t want to join the party or anything? You just wanted to play tourist?¡±


    ¡°I can join the party?¡± she asked, the idea clearly having never crossed her mind.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± muttered Britt, low enough that only Phil caught it. ¡°Motherfucker did that on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I see no reason why not,¡± Jack said happily. ¡°It¡¯s up to the party leader, really, but who wouldn¡¯t want a fae on their team? Or a succubus for that matter!¡±


    Both Tina and Rachel exchanged glances, then turned to Phil, their eyes sparkling at the idea of joining the party, or, more accurately, him.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± he said, holding his hands up in defense. ¡°First of all, that¡¯s not a decision I¡¯d make without consulting the rest of the party first. Second, you ladies are aware it¡¯s a lifetime commitment, right? You¡¯d be stuck with me until I kicked the bucket.¡± They both nodded vigorously, clearly willing to make that sacrifice. He looked at Britt for help, but only found a contemplative look on her face. Seriously? he thought.


    ¡°I mean, as intelligence assets go, they¡¯d be amazing,¡± she said. ¡°Rachel, you can control how strong of an effect you cast, right? Like, getting someone to the point of wanting to impress you, but not enough to try to fuck you right there?¡±


    ¡°To an extent,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ll still need to sleep with someone for the charm to wear off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how she got us all the test answers in high school. The teachers were putty in her hands. After that, they¡¯d sneak off with whatever student or teacher they were having flings with. Everyone won!¡± Tina boasted, eliciting a chuckle from Jack, who was clearly enjoying the weight he¡¯d just dumped on Phil.


    ¡°So she¡¯d be useful for getting people to talk, Phil. Definitely better than me having to rough them up like I used to. They¡¯d say anything they thought I wanted to hear to get me to stop and couldn¡¯t always be trusted. But a man would sell out his own parents if they thought they¡¯d get a piece of her, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±


    Phil nodded, having to concede the point. ¡°Yeah, for Rachel, they¡¯d probably sell out a couple generations just for one of her dazzling smiles.¡± He tried not to notice the way she blushed at that.


    ¡°And Tina¡­ you can see auras. Does that mean you can generally tell who¡¯s a good person and who isn¡¯t without ever speaking to them?¡±


    Tina shrugged. ¡°Usually. I get a better impression if there¡¯s physical contact. For instance, Phil is probably the greatest person alive. That may be personal bias speaking, though, since I¡¯ve been watching him for a few years. You, Brittany, have a strong protective streak in you, and will do anything to shield innocent people from pain if you can. Your aura is very earthy, grounded, immovable, usually. Oh, and Mr. Jack-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ok, thank you,¡± Jack said. ¡°I¡¯m fine not having my aura read for me. I trust your skills, given what I know about Miss Hughes, and she¡¯s exactly how you described her. Bit rough around the edges at times, but solid and dependable. Well, what do you say, Phil?¡±


    ¡°To what? I said I had to discuss it with my party. Reese and Rose aren¡¯t here. I won¡¯t make this kind of decision without their input.¡±


    Jack held up a finger and pulled out his phone. He tapped at the screen for a couple seconds, smiled, and put it away again. ¡°They should be here shortly.¡±


    Phil¡¯s face fell. ¡°You pulled them out of counseling for this?¡±


    ¡°They can always head right back. They just need to give a yes or no, right?¡±


    Phil threw his hands up in frustration. There¡¯s no way he felt he could¡¯ve expressed the importance of the two getting the help they needed, especially since it revolved around the collective love life of the party, which the guild heavily frowned upon for reasons like this.


    They sat in silence for a few minutes while waiting for them to show up. Britt sat there watching the other women stare longingly at Phil, who kept shifting uncomfortably in his seat at the attention. Jack was too immersed in some mobile game to notice or care. Not soon enough for Phil¡¯s liking, the door finally opened and Adele ushered in Reese and Rose, who looked confused at being summoned. Rose¡¯s eyes were puffy and red, as if she¡¯d just recently been crying.


    ¡°Ah! Great!¡± Jack said excitedly as he put his phone away and leapt to his feet to greet them. Everyone else stood and faced them as well. ¡°Miss Campbell, Miss Mora! So glad you could join us. I apologize for taking you away from something important. We¡¯ll make sure you get comped on the backside for your time right now.¡±


    Rose nodded silently, while Reese crossed her arms and glared at him. ¡°This better be important, Jack. Your timing couldn¡¯t have been worse.¡±


    ¡°Level of importance is a matter of perspective, Miss Campbell. Let me explain, then you can decide. Mr. Thomas here has refused to make a decision without consulting his party members. Commendable, but inconvenient if I¡¯m to begin setting up the ceremony before sundown.¡±


    ¡°Ceremony? Ah. I get it,¡± Reese said. ¡°Britt? Any objections?¡±


    ¡°We may have to adjust the schedule, but I have none.¡±


    Reese smirked at the hidden meaning in her words, then turned to Rose.


    ¡°Rose?¡±


    Rose sniffled, but looked at Phil, Rachel, and Tina, before looking at Britt.


    ¡°If Britt approves, then I trust her judgement.¡± She glanced at Phil quickly before looking away. ¡°When it comes to the party, that is.¡±


    Ouch, thought Phil.


    Jack beamed. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll get started then, if the party leader has no further objections?¡±


    Phil turned to face the two women again. ¡°Are you sure this is what you really want? There¡¯s no going back once it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°¡°We¡¯re sure,¡±¡± they said at the same time, heads nodding vigorously. Phil shook his, trying to figure out where all that devotion suddenly came from. Twenty-four hours ago, he¡¯d only known Tina as a tired waitress in a rundown bar and he¡¯d never even met Rachel before, and now they were both pledging their lives to him. What the actual fuck, he thought. Sensing he was the only one that was waffling, he turned back to Jack and nodded.


    ¡°Brilliant! You¡¯ve certainly got an interesting party, Mr. Thomas! An orc, an elf, a mage, a succubus, and a fae, all being led by a human. Truly remarkable.¡± He turned to Reese and Rose. ¡°I hope that was important enough for you, Miss Campbell. Your family has increased by two today. Adele, please be a dear and escort them back to their appointments. If they wish, they can extend their time for another hour at my expense, as an apology for interrupting them.¡±


    The stern looking woman gave Jack a brief head nod, then ushered the girls back out. Jack spun around and clapped his hands. ¡°This¡¯ll be my first bonding since becoming guild master. Please be patient with me everyone.¡± He immediately moved over to the other side of the expansive room and opened up a chest. He paused for a second, turning back to the four of them. ¡°While I¡¯m getting this set up, would you mind telling me how all of this,¡± he waved his hands around, indicating all of them, ¡°happened?¡±


    He went back to pulling things out of the chest setting them carefully on a nearby table while Britt and Phil quietly debated how much they should tell him. Attempting to find a way to explain Rachel¡¯s eagerness to join him without revealing the foursome the night before proved more difficult than expected. Once they thought they¡¯d finally come up with a reasonable explanation they opened their mouths to speak, only to be cut off.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Jack suddenly said, whipping around to face them. ¡°You should know I¡¯m going to issue a statement from the guild that relationships within the party are no longer taboo. It¡¯s a massive pain in the ass arguing against them, and nearly every party has someone sleeping with someone else. Frankly, if it¡¯s going to happen, it¡¯s going to happen, and nothing we say will stop it. That means you don¡¯t have to hide the fact that you and Britt are sleeping together. And those two as well, if I don¡¯t miss my guess. Or Miss Campbell.¡±


    I sound like one of those player assholes when you put it like that, thought Phil. ¡°Uh¡­ I won¡¯t deny what you guessed, but how¡¯d you know about Reese?¡±


    ¡°Cameras, man! I told you earlier, right? They¡¯re fucking everywhere! You didn¡¯t think they¡¯d miss that little peck on the cheek, did you? I can access the feeds on my phone. Now just tell me everything that happened that led to this point. Take your time, leave out no detail. Start from the last time I saw you. This is going to take some time to set up anyway. Gotta hit the leylines just right.¡±


    For the next two hours Phil and Britt traded off telling the guild master the events of the last couple days, including the more personal details of the relationship balance in the house, if only so they could illustrate the sudden and dramatic shift in Rose¡¯s behavior. They did leave out the exact details of the previous night¡¯s adventures after the bar, since they weren¡¯t pertinent to the quest or any of his business. Phil had left out his night with Reese in the initial telling, but she had freely offered that information as well when her and Rose joined them halfway through telling. She had wanted him to understand why she¡¯d been pissed about being summoned earlier and so that he had a proper gauge of the party¡¯s emotional and mental status. That¡¯s when Phil realized they weren¡¯t just telling him this to pass the time. It was an oral report. When Jack had asked Rose if she¡¯d like to contribute anything to it, she asked to defer her statement until later.


    Eventually, Jack had finished setting up for the ceremony. It wasn¡¯t that there was a lot of equipment to set up. It was just three crystal orbs on pedestals. It had just taken Jack a while to track down the leylines flowing under his office. Phil didn¡¯t have a clue in hell what he was talking about, but accepted Reese¡¯s explanation that it was magical energy that flowed throughout the world. When he asked why they couldn¡¯t just mark the spots on the floor, he learned that they constantly moved about, and that they only had a limited time to complete the ceremony before the flow moved again. It was like a flowing river that changed its course over time, but much quicker since leylines weren¡¯t affected by geography, just usage. If someone further up the stream used a lot of power, it would divert the flow.


    ¡°Ok! Before we begin, I¡¯m going to be honest with you, a full blooded human has never been a party leader before. I honestly have no idea how this may affect you.¡± Jack shrugged. ¡°Hopefully all will go well.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me this now!?¡± Phil complained.


    ¡°Would you have changed your mind if I¡¯d told you earlier?¡±


    Phil glanced to Rachel and Tina and saw the worry in their eyes. The fear that they may not be able to join the party after all. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°No. No I wouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Jack smiled. ¡°I really like you, Phil, you know that? We need more like you in our ranks. Ok, ladies stand over here, please? Thank you. Now just place your hands on the orb like so¡­ perfect.¡± He guided Rachel and Tina over to the pillar and had them each grasp it with both hands, their bodies facing Phil¡¯s pillar. Next, he trotted over to Phil.


    ¡°Ok, now you stand here and place your hand on top like so. Just the one hand will be fine. Perfect. Ladies? You remember what to do? Great.¡± Phil stood facing Tina and Rachel as his current party members gathered around him. Britt placed a hand where his neck met his shoulder. Reese took his free hand and held it in hers, while Rose grabbed his forearm. ¡°Ok, by maintaining contact with the party leader throughout the ceremony, you ladies are agreeing to and welcoming your new party members willingly. If you do not agree with this ceremony and release the party leader from this point on, it will fail and there could be a backlash. Everyone understands this?¡±


    Britt and Reese nodded immediately, while Rose hesitated for a second before nodding as well. Jack nodded and made his way over to the third orb placed just off-center between the other two, creating a very shallow triangle. He looked over at Rachel and Tina, then glanced over at Phil and his party. Nodding, he lifted his hands.


    ¡°Alright, then! Let¡¯s hope this doesn¡¯t vaporize you, Phil!¡±


    ¡°Wait, what!?¡±


    ¡°Here we go!¡± Jack slapped his hands on his orb and Phil¡¯s world turned white.


    *


    Hello there.


    Who¡¯s there?


    I¡¯ve gone by many names. I prefer Gaia.


    Gaia? Like Mother Earth and all that?


    The very same. I am the goddess of this world. I gave it life.


    What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t see anything. I can¡¯t feel anything.


    Does that bother you?


    It¡¯s a bit disconcerting, yes.


    Perhaps this will help?


    Slowly, the world began to take shape. A floor rapidly spread out, rising to form walls, windows, a ceiling. Chairs and tables flowed up like liquid from the floor. A familiar looking desk occupied one side of the room. Phil blinked, slowly turning and observing his surroundings. This was definitely Jack¡¯s office. He jerked back in surprise.


    Before him stood, well, him. He was looking at himself. Reese, Britt, and Rose arrayed around him. Rachel and Tina were staring at his other self, and Jack was smiling gleefully as he gripped the crystal ball in front of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. He suddenly felt hands on his shoulders.


    ¡°We¡¯re between seconds.¡±


    Phil whipped around at the sound of the voice and his head collided with something firm, yet soft. Stumbling back a couple steps, he took in what was before him, or rather, who. She was easily nine feet tall, hair the color of fire, and the greenest eyes he¡¯d ever seen. Her sky blue skin contrasted with her hair, but it was her massive chest that had his attention. To his initial perception it was massive, but he realized she was fairly well proportioned for being nine feet tall. Tearing his eyes away from the wonderous peaks, he took in the white dress she wore, admiring how it hugged her body except where her long blue leg slipped out through a slit that went all the way up to her waist. He was reminded of a cheongsam, or what Chuck would call ¡°The Dragon Lady Dress.¡± Looking up, he met her gaze and was rewarded with a dazzling smile.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re much more of a gentleman than my son-in-law. He can¡¯t keep his eyes of my daughter¡¯s chest. My sister¡¯s as well, now that I think about it. I do so hope my nephew doesn¡¯t grow up like that. What the hell Su and Ephine see in him I¡¯ll never understand.¡±


    ¡°Um, Gaia?¡± he asked, confused. The tall blue beauty realized she was off topic and smiled apologetically.


    ¡°Terribly sorry, dear. The godly affairs of another plane of existence aren¡¯t something I should bother you with. So, I¡¯ll bet you¡¯re wondering what¡¯s going on, right?¡±


    Phil nodded silently, choosing not to bring up that he¡¯d already asked that twice. The tall woman moved gracefully around him and examined everyone currently frozen, nodding approvingly.


    ¡°A fae. Very nice. There¡¯s only about a dozen left on this world, you know? You¡¯re a lucky guy to snag one. A succubus. I¡¯m especially happy about this one. They¡¯re trying so hard to live normal lives now. With your help she¡¯ll be able to do great things.¡± She moved over to Jack and smiled. ¡°I like this guy. Always so eager. Madly in love with his aide but doesn¡¯t have the balls to tell her. Shame. She¡¯d let him take her on his desk if he only asked.¡± She giggled and moved over to Phil and his party. ¡°The orc. Did you know she thought you were cute right from the start? That¡¯s why she was such a bitch to you. Overcompensating like a school girl. She genuinely thought you were weak and didn¡¯t want you in the party though. Now she¡¯ll march through hell and back just to get you your favorite ice cream.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow. ¡°Really?¡± The tall woman looked up and smiled, giving him a small nod. Then moved on to Reese.


    ¡°The mage. She called herself a Merlin, once, remember? If only she knew the truth of it. She actually is a direct descendant of the man himself. They lied about him having children so that no one would attack them. Issues with the mother, you see? She wasn¡¯t well liked at times.¡±


    ¡°Who was the mother?¡±


    ¡°Morgana Le Fay.¡± She laughed at his expression. ¡°They probably also hid it so that Arthur never found out that Merlin was fucking his sister. Anyway, she has tremendous power locked away in her, she just doesn¡¯t realize it yet. The burden she still carries is a potent block to her full potential. It¡¯ll be up to you to help her achieve that. It will take time, and I worry it may come at great cost, but once unlocked, she will truly be a force to be reckoned with. Ah, the elf.¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the sad tone of voice when referring to Rose. ¡°Why do you say it like that?¡±


    Gaia sighed. ¡°Her pain is too great. I fear she may not recover. This is why I brought us here. She doesn¡¯t realize it yet, but she¡¯s about to do something catastrophic that may very well end the world. It¡¯ll be a snap judgement, and she¡¯ll immediately regret her actions, but it¡¯ll be too late by then. Remember when Mr. Nimble warned of a backlash if someone let go during the ceremony?¡±


    Phil nodded, then guffawed. ¡°Wait, Mr. Nimble? His name is Jack Nimble? Oh, please tell me his middle initial is B.¡± It didn¡¯t occur to him until later that he had focused on the wrong part of her statement.


    Gaia smiled, delighting in Phil¡¯s amusement, but also a tad surprised that¡¯s what he focused on. ¡°Bernard,¡± she confirmed. ¡°Anyway, Miss Rose here is going to remove her hand from your arm. The backlash of power that results isn¡¯t going to kill you, though. It¡¯s going to kill her.¡± She pointed at Britt, sobering Phil up immediately.


    ¡°Britt?¡± he asked, shocked. ¡°Britt dying will lead the world to destruction?¡±


    ¡°Not directly, but eventually. The loss of Britt will devastate the party. Rachel and Tina won¡¯t have joined because of the failed ceremony. You and Reese will never recover from Britt¡¯s death and quickly drift apart emotionally. Rose will take her own life over the grief of killing someone she cared so deeply for. Future wives... sorry, party members, will never know of your existence, and the event that your party would have stopped before it began will consume my world, leaving it a dead rock for the rest of eternity. Her half second of doubt and hatred will doom billions, all because she can¡¯t accept that her asshole boyfriend needed to die. Speaking of which¡­¡± she walked over to where Phil was watching and placed her fingers on his temple.


    He felt a tugging sensation, like someone was yanking out a few too many hairs at once. Wincing, he managed to avoid slapping at her hand. She must have realized that and gave him a grateful smile before mouthing ¡®sorry¡¯ to him. Slowly he felt something pulled from his head. He waited until she stopped moving before turning his head to see what she¡¯d done. In her hand was a white ball of gaseous energy. She let it weave between her fingers and around her hand before it settled in her palm, quivering slightly.


    ¡°Looks like the mess you left on Tina¡¯s chest last night, doesn¡¯t it? Oh, right, you don¡¯t remember, do you? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fix your memory problems before I return you. They¡¯ll take some time to fully return though.¡±


    Phil¡¯s jaw dropped. Is she really a goddess? Making jokes like that?


    ¡°What? Just because we¡¯re gods and goddesses doesn¡¯t mean we don¡¯t enjoy a good fuck every now and then. Haven¡¯t you read any Greek mythology? It¡¯s about the only aspect of deities they got right. Then there¡¯s my son-in-law. Every night he¡¯s got his dick in two or three different women. Look, I get that you¡¯re a pure soul and all that, but after turning an orc, a mage, a fae, and a fucking succubus into your personal harem, can you really criticize me for making a lewd joke?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ sorry?¡± he said, surprised she¡¯d read his mind. She waved it off.


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about it. If that shocked you, imagine how pissed off this pile of jizz got. Come on, man. You¡¯re dead. Lighten up!¡± She flung the ball on the ground then snapped her fingers, smirking. ¡°It¡¯s all about showmanship.¡±


    The ball flared brilliantly, a bright white light shooting up before taking the shape of a large man wearing jeans, boots, and a leather jacket over a red shirt. Blond hair fell to his shoulders, and a severe grimace made the man¡¯s face almost unrecognizable.


    ¡°Goddess or not, could you not compare my soul to a handful of jizz?¡± he grumped. Turning to Phil, he smiled at the astonished expression. Bruce held out his hand. ¡°Hey, Phil. Pleasure to finally meet you.¡±

 Chapter 17

    ¡°B-Bruce? You¡¯re, uh, taller than the last time I saw you,¡± Phil said, slowly taking the big man¡¯s hand.


    Bruce smirked. ¡°I imagine we have this beauty to thank for that. Ok, before she reveals her big plan for saving the world, I just want to thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank me? For what?¡±


    Bruce pointed at the frozen women. ¡°For taking care of them.¡± He walked over and looked at Britt and Reese, a sad smile on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen them look at someone with that much adoration and love in their eyes.¡± His gaze fell upon Rose next. ¡°But I¡¯ve never seen such hatred in hers. I¡¯m so sorry, my friend. It¡¯s not even your fault.¡± His had reached out to cup her face, but he stopped before he touched her, letting his hand drop to his side. Turning and walking back to Phil, he grabbed the smaller man¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Please, have patience with her. It may not be easy, but she¡¯s worth it. Her passion is like a pendulum. One day she¡¯ll swing back to the woman I knew, before I became a monster, and she¡¯ll be one of your greatest assets, allies, and friends.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± said Phil. ¡°I never intended otherwise.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡± Bruce continued hesitantly, ¡°should anything more develop, I can¡¯t think of another man who¡¯d be more worthy of her love. I certainly wasn¡¯t.¡±


    Phil couldn¡¯t say anything. He struggled to find something, anything, to say, but came up short. Fortunately, Gaia gave him an out.


    ¡°Well, this is all very touching. Should I leave you two alone for a bit, or may I explain why I pulled him out of your head?¡±


    Bruce rolled his eyes and let his arms drop from Phil¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Are all goddesses this tactless, or is it just you?¡±


    Gaia shrugged. ¡°My older sister is far worse, so count yourself lucky. Now, if I may? Good. Bruce, it¡¯s time for you to move on.¡±


    ¡°Time to begin my eternal suffering for my many sins?¡±


    ¡°Beats the hell out of me. No one knows what happens when you die, not even us deities. If you believe in that sort of thing, however, I¡¯d say you¡¯re in the clear. You may have noticed something about Phil while roaming around in his head, I¡¯m correct in assuming?¡±


    ¡°That he¡¯s probably the nicest guy to ever walk the Earth? Yeah, I may have seen evidence of that. I couldn¡¯t find a single hateful thought in there. Not against Rose, not against me, not anymore at least. Not even against Chuck, and that guy threw him off a balcony. Even Christ got mad and flipped tables once or twice. Impressive mental porn collection though. I really underestimated Britt¡¯s flexibility.¡±


    Gaia shook her head and smiled. ¡°Anyway, any corruption that was in your soul has been cleansed. As his fae lover pointed out, the purity of his soul is phenomenal. Phil, the reason no one thinks you have a power is because it¡¯s a passive one. If people spend enough time around you, any spiritual¡­ corruption, I guess that¡¯s a good enough term to keep using, gets cleansed. The more intimate your relationship, the stronger the effect. That¡¯s why Tina¡¯s attraction to you increased a hundred fold overnight. That¡¯s why Reese finally began treatment. That¡¯s why a succubus fell madly in love with you after one night of sticking it to her like you were drilling for oil. You were a kind, if lonely, person before the incident, and the power you inherited from Bruce here manifested itself off of that.¡±


    Phil stared at her in confusion. There have been people he hasn¡¯t liked before, and plenty of impure thoughts of just about every reasonably attractive woman he¡¯s ever met. From his own perspective, if he was that great, then the world was one large pile of dogshit.


    ¡°Not liking someone and hating them are two different things, young man. In fact, the only time I can find in your memories where you¡¯ve actually wished harm on someone was after you found out what Bruce did to Reese, and I¡¯d call that a perfectly reasonable reaction. Since he was already dead by your hand, it didn¡¯t really count. As for ¡®impure¡¯ thoughts¡­¡± She shrugged. ¡°Despite what some crusty old men said thousands of years ago, being horny isn¡¯t a sin. Hell, getting laid isn¡¯t a sin. Sleeping with someone else¡¯s woman isn¡¯t a sin, either, but it does make you a colossal asshole, so don¡¯t do that. You can trust my word against theirs on this. I¡¯m the goddess, after all.¡± She winked.


    ¡°Riiight,¡± Phil said slowly. ¡°So my power is what? Soul Cleansing? Doesn¡¯t sound very useful in a fight.¡±


    Bruce smacked on the back of the head, catching Phil completely unawares. ¡°Dummy. If you use a power like that well, you won¡¯t even have to fight. Besides, that¡¯s what the girls are for. They¡¯ll throw the punches so you don¡¯t have to. Even that suit you¡¯ve been wearing was mostly for defense, right? Phil, you¡¯re not a fighter, man. Don¡¯t try to be. Be a leader. The kind of leader I couldn¡¯t be. The kind of leader my father isn¡¯t.¡±


    The the mention of Bruce¡¯s father hit Phil like a truck. Bruce knew his father had put on an act, and even thought he understood why, but Phil didn¡¯t, and that¡¯s what he was counting on. Gaia smiled knowingly beyond Phil¡¯s eyeline, but said nothing.


    ¡°You have the potential to be the best of us, Phil. Learn to embrace and harness your skill. Use it to guide everyone to a better future. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m going to say this, since I hate it every time someone says it in a movie or tv show, but you can literally save the guild, and the world, with¡­ love.¡± He grimaced saying the last word, which kind of ruined the impact of what he was saying, but Phil got the message. He said he¡¯d help the girls be the best that they could be. He¡¯d be pretty stupid to not try and be the best that he could be as well, right?


    He nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do my best. That¡¯s all I can promise. So,¡± he said, turning to Gaia, ¡°what¡¯s the plan? How do we save Rose?¡±


    Gaia¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Interesting. I tell you Britt is going to die, and you ask about saving Rose.¡±


    ¡°Saving Rose saves Britt. Ideally everyone walks away from this in a better position than where we¡¯re at now. I¡¯m sensing Bruce has something to do with this, since I don¡¯t think you yanked him out of my head for a motivational speech.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re far too clever. If only my daughter had met you instead. Alright, we¡¯re not going to have much time after I release you, so I¡¯ll tell you now that you won¡¯t have Bruce in your head anymore. I know he helped with the suit, but I¡¯ve rigged up a surprise for you there. Your memories that were blocked with charm magic will be restored as well. There were quite a few, actually. I¡¯m only doing that as a thank you for what you¡¯ll do in the future, and I think you¡¯ll find them quite useful, especially once you relay them to Rachel. Bruce, you know what your job will be, right? Don¡¯t bother answering, I already know you know. This will be your final act on this plane. Make it a good one, ok? Phil, just stand there and be awesome. If Bruce does his job, everything will be alright.¡±


    Phil nodded, placing his trust in these two. ¡°Will we meet again?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I¡¯m a very busy goddess, you know? I¡¯m overdue for a vacation by a few millennia though. I think it¡¯s time I met my daughter¡¯s family. Don¡¯t you worry though. I¡¯ll keep an eye on you. You¡¯re my favorite human in centuries.¡±


    ¡°Um, thanks? I¡¯m not sure how to respond to that.¡±


    Gaia smiled and pulled him into a tight hug, smashing his face into her bountiful chest. Then she leaned down, bringing her mouth to his ear. ¡°Maybe one day you¡¯ll be lucky enough to experience a goddess¡¯ true skills. If you thought the succubus was heavenly, wait until I show you what¡¯s truly divine.¡± She brought her face around to his, winked, then pulled him into a passionate kiss. Then Philip¡¯s world went white.


    *


    As if he hadn¡¯t just had his tonsils cleaned by a tall, achingly beautiful woman, Phil found himself once again facing Tina and Rachel, gripped on all sides by Britt, Reese, and Rose. From those gripping him, he felt love, adoration, and hatred that rapidly changed to confusion, then sorrow and regret. He felt Rose¡¯s grip on his arm loosen, then it tightened on him again, harder than ever, as if she was clinging on for dear life.


    He was suddenly hit with emotions from in front of him. His eyes were locked on Tina and Rachel as he was hit with blasts of overwhelming joy and an intense sexual energy that had him hard as a rock, testing the threads of his pants.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Almost done, guys,¡± said Jack. He shook his head. ¡°There is a surprising amount of energy flowing through here¡­¡±


    Phil noted his worried tone but focused on keeping himself from being overwhelmed by the emotions flooding into him. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to be doing beyond just standing here. Jack hadn¡¯t said anything like this might happen. None of the girls said anything either.


    ¡°Stay calm, my dear,¡± Gaia¡¯s voice whispered in his mind. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a boost so you¡¯re on the same level as your women. Accept their feelings and show them yours. You¡¯re a communicator, Philip. Embrace it all. Embrace them all. Just save a spot for me.¡± With a parting giggle, the sultry voice went silent.


    Taking a breath, he allowed himself to accept all that was given to him, trusting that nothing would happen to him with his party around. He projected a calmness within him. An eye in the storm of emotion flowing in to him. He returned his feelings for everyone. How much he cared for everyone. His desire to protect everyone. His wish for a long and happy life with everyone. His determination to see through Bruce and Gaia¡¯s request to make the world a better place.


    Eyes widened all around him before he was hit with another wave of emotion. It was so intense he felt he could see the flow of energy connecting the six of them. Jack¡¯s eyes were huge, following the same paths as Phil¡¯s and he realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one who could see it. A rainbow river seemed to appear from beneath the floor, flowing from the direction of Tina and Rachel to Phil and his party. Tendrils circled up each member of the party, locking the women in place until the tendrils reached the center of their chests and immediately shot out from them, all centering on Phil. The simultaneous impact of the five tendrils lifted him off his feet, holding him a foot in the air and breaking his contact with the ball. Just before Jack could let go of his orb, it all ceased with a flash and Phil found himself standing on the ground again, the five women collapsed on the floor.


    Jack released his hold on the orb and backed up a couple steps, staring at Phil with wide eyes.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± he asked.


    Phil wasn¡¯t paying attention to him though. He was already down on one knee making sure the girls were alright. They were awake, staring at him in wonder. Even Rose, whose glares had been a permanent fixture since they¡¯d started this. They slowly started to sit up, nodding when he asked if they were alright.


    ¡°That was¡­ a lot more intense¡­ than I thought it would be,¡± breathed out Tina. Phil turned and saw her and Rachel crawling over to him, both breathing heavily and staring at him.


    ¡°I saw him,¡± said Rose in a near whisper. ¡°I saw Bruce!¡±


    Phil¡¯s head whipped around to meet her gaze. ¡°You did?¡± he asked.


    Numbly, she nodded. ¡°It was only a brief flash, but it also felt like a lifetime. He said goodbye and asked me to stop blaming you for his mistakes.¡± She suddenly lunged at him, throwing her arms over his shoulders and sobbing next to his ear. ¡°Oh my god! I¡¯m so sorry, Philip! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve been so horrible to you! He was right! You only did what you had to. I¡¯m sorry! You¡¯ve been so kind and understanding and I¡¯ve been a monster!¡± She wailed in sorrow, both at Bruce¡¯s goodbye and her treatment of Phil, the tears falling freely. ¡°Please! Forgive me! I¡¯ll do anything you ask, just please forgive me!¡±


    Phil wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she cried. He knew saying that there was nothing to forgive would be a mistake on his part. It would be denying the remorse she felt at her actions. Rubbing her back he forgave her, both in words and in his heart. He¡¯d known she was going through rough times and dealing with a lot of repressed emotions. Now she could truly begin the healing process.


    ¡°I forgive you,¡± he told the brunette. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything more than be yourself and do what you feel you need to do to get better, alright? All is forgiven.¡± Looking over her shoulder he saw Britt and Reese. Britt was smiling at Rose¡¯s back, but Reese was crying as well. He held out a hand towards Reese and pulled her in for a hug with his other shoulder. ¡°You ok?¡±


    Reese sniffled. ¡°I saw him, too. He said he didn¡¯t have much time, but he kept apologizing for what he did to me. It was him, Phil! The old Bruce. He said he didn¡¯t want forgiveness, just that he was truly sorry for the pain he caused me.¡± She reached back and took Britt¡¯s hand. ¡°He also said he¡¯s never seen you more beautiful. Love suits you.¡±


    Britt barked out a laugh, attempting to cover up a sob. ¡°Of course the jerk wouldn¡¯t visit me. He knew I¡¯d punch him.¡± Her words carried no heat, though, and she smiled warmly at Phil.


    Jack flopped into a nearby chair, uncertain about what to do, if there even was anything to do beyond reporting what just happened to the council. He¡¯d witnessed many bondings before, but never had he seen the fireworks he did today. The depth of the devotion these women shared for this young man was beyond anything he¡¯d ever experienced. What was it about him that drew them to him like moths to a flame? Jack pondered this, shaking his head as he watched the five women gather around the unassuming man. For the first time since he¡¯d taken this position, Jack wished he had a camera or two installed in his office. There was still something to confirm, however. Phil¡¯s contact with the orb had been broken. Had the bonding actually worked?


    ¡°Phil,¡± he called. Six pairs of eyes focused on him. ¡°We need to see if the ceremony worked. Your original three can confirm that what just happened isn¡¯t normal for a bonding ceremony, so I can¡¯t be sure what the results are.¡±


    Reese and Britt nodded in agreement.


    ¡°What¡¯s supposed to happen? How does it normally feel?¡± Phil asked.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure how it feels from the party leader¡¯s side, but for me, I felt a small tug from within, like someone was jerking a fishing line embedded in my chest,¡± said Reese. ¡°You could tell the ceremony was done when you felt a slight tension between yourself and the party leader, like you were both on opposite ends of the line. At least, that¡¯s how it felt to me.¡±


    Britt nodded. ¡°Yeah, it was something like that. Not what we just felt. This was¡­¡± she trailed off, trying to find a comparison that would fit.


    ¡°Like a joining of souls,¡± offered Rose, who was getting her tears under control. ¡°I felt your conviction.¡±


    ¡°Your desire,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Your joy,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°Your kindness,¡± offered Reese.


    ¡°Your love,¡± finished Brittany. ¡°I felt it all. We were one, all of us. I could sense the others too. It all happened so fast, but I¡¯ve never felt so¡­¡±


    ¡°Complete?¡± suggested Phil. ¡°That¡¯s how I felt. You were all within me. But Jack¡¯s right. We should test it out, to see if-¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re black,¡± blurted out Rose, who immediately turned red and covered her mouth.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Reese.


    ¡°H-he was going to ask me what color my panties were!¡± she said, embarrassed.


    Four pairs of eyes were suddenly drilling holes through the man in the middle of their group while Jack stifled a chuckle.


    ¡°You were going to ask Rose about her panties?¡± asked Britt, slowly popping a knuckle on each finger under her thumb.


    ¡°Wait! I have a good reason for that!¡±


    ¡°It better be,¡± said Reese, accompanied by nods from Tina, Rachel, and Britt.


    ¡°I was thinking about asking Rose that because it¡¯s not something she would¡¯ve volunteered. Certainly not to me. I¡¯m sure Britt also would¡¯ve objected to the question, but Rose was a more reliable barometer, since she¡¯s not in a relationship with me, right? But how did you know I was going to ask you that?¡± he asked Rose, desperately trying to deflect the attention away the nature of the question.


    Rose shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just knew, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jack. ¡°That is an interesting development. There are teams out there that have worked together for so long that they can communicate with just looks, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like a team that seems to know what their leader wants before even he does.¡± Jack leaned forward in his seat, scrutinizing the six still seated on the floor. ¡°I do hope this new ability you¡¯ve discovered doesn¡¯t lead towards any stray thoughts causing issues.¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it will. It¡¯s still about intent, isn¡¯t it? I doubt me thinking ¡®I want a sandwich¡¯ will send anyone running towards the kitchen. If I intended to ask someone something as a favor, I¡¯m confident they¡¯d still be able to choose to do so or not of their own free will. It wouldn¡¯t be an issue until I knew I was going to get them to do something, whether they wanted to or not. For instance¡­¡±


    Five pairs of eyes suddenly went wide and focused on Phil.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Reese.


    Phil smiled at her. ¡°You of all people should appreciate that measure. There¡¯ll be no repeats of history here.¡±


    Jack looked at all of them. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If Phil were to use his position to order anyone to do something solely for his personal benefit or pleasure that they don¡¯t want to do,¡± began Tina.


    ¡°We have full authority to deny the order and take what measures we can to either subdue or kill him if necessary, then report him to the guild, regardless of any orders he may attempt to give to protect himself,¡± finished Britt.


    Reese leaned over and kissed Phil forcefully. ¡°I love you so much,¡± she said after breaking the kiss.


    ¡°Philip Thomas, the more I learn about you, the more interesting you become, you know that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it, Jack. I¡¯m just me.¡± Phil stood up, then helped each lady to her feet as well. ¡°Is there anything else I should know or do?¡±


    Jack shook his head. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. As far as the ceremony goes, as unusual as it was, it¡¯s done. You¡¯re now a six person party. I don¡¯t know what else that little light show may have done, but I trust that you¡¯ll inform me if you start growing another head or something?¡±


    Phil smiled. ¡°Of course, sir.¡±


    ¡°Then I can think of no further reason for you to be here. I am going to have to report all this to the council, you know, so prepare for that. You¡¯re dismissed. Don¡¯t forget to pick up cards for Miss Warren and Miss Hart. They¡¯re guild members now, after all, and Ms. Cooper should have already started the paperwork.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thanks.¡± Phil started ushering the women through the door when a thought struck him. ¡°You know, Jack, Ms. Cooper works especially hard at your side, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    Jack frowned in confusion but nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, she does¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought of taking her out to dinner to express your appreciation? Tell her how you¡­ feel?¡± Phil smiled. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find her more receptive to your gratitude than you think. Anyway, just a thought. Have a good day, Jack.¡±


    Jack watched the door close behind Phil, his eyebrows hiding in his hairline, completely at a loss for words. There¡¯s no way anyone knew about that! He hadn¡¯t told a soul. However, he mused, that guy was an anomaly. Shrugging, he pulled out his phone and sent out a text. What¡¯s the worst that could happen?


    J: Care to join me for dinner?


    A: It¡¯s about damn time.

 Chapter 18

    Phil was stretched out on the couch in the living room a couple hours after they returned from the guild, watching TV. Rachel and Tina had left shortly after they¡¯d returned to begin packing up their apartments to move into the house. They¡¯d initially begged off the offer for their own rooms, but Reese had insisted on the grounds that it helped with party bonding, and Britt told them that they¡¯d have to begin their training if they wished to help out on quests. When they still hesitated, Reese also reminded them that they¡¯d be living under the same roof as Phil. They couldn¡¯t call a cab fast enough.


    Shortly after they¡¯d left, Rose had approached Phil. She pointed out that there were only two unused bedrooms left. One was currently set up as another guest room like his had been. The other was the master bedroom. Bruce¡¯s old room. Before Phil could even say anything, Rose told him that she wanted him to have it. He¡¯d stared at her, unable to think of what to say. She gave him a small smile and said she wasn¡¯t completely over everything yet, and that she¡¯d still continue to see the counselor Reese had introduced her to, but she¡¯d had a chance to say goodbye to Bruce now, and it was time to take that step. She was going to clean Bruce¡¯s stuff out of the room, and he should be able to move in the next day. She¡¯d then turned and walked upstairs. Phil hadn¡¯t been able to say a word the whole time. Britt had come up behind him, kissed his cheek, and said she was going to help Rose. Then she reminded him that it was Reese¡¯s day and that he should spend time with her.


    Reese, however, had told him to go relax, there was something she had to do. So, here he was, dozing on the couch while some mindless sitcom played on the television. He hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d dozed off until he felt a heavy impact and he jerked awake with an OOF. Taking a second to catch his bearings and realize he wasn¡¯t dead or dying, he focused on what had woken him up so forcefully.


    Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a dazzling smile greeted him.


    ¡°Oh good! You¡¯re awake,¡± Reese beamed at him. She was stretched out on top of him, her toes bouncing on his shins as she positively vibrated with excitement. ¡°Get up!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ what?¡± he said.


    She rolled off of him and the couch and danced around between him and TV. Her blue sundress lifted as she twirled, showing off a lot of leg before she came to a stop next to the couch again. She bent over at the waist, intentionally giving Phil a view of her cleavage as she brought her face to his. ¡°Get up!¡± she said again, kissing him quickly.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Kiss.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Kiss.


    ¡°Get up!¡± Kiss.


    As much as Phil enjoyed the attention, he was worried her bobbing up and down like that would eventually lead to a headbutt, so after her last kiss he grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and pulled her on to the couch with him, wedging her between himself and the back of the couch, containing her manic energy briefly.


    ¡°Noooo!¡± she mock pouted. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to get up, not pull me down.¡± He smiled and draped an arm over her waist. After giving her a peck on the nose, he asked what was going on.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking me on a date,¡± she said in a singsong voice. ¡°It¡¯s my night and I want a date. Take me to a fancy restaurant and spoil me rotten. Take me to McDonald¡¯s so I can steal your fries. Take me to see a movie so we can make-out in the dark like teenagers. I don¡¯t care where we go. Just take me somewhere so the world knows you¡¯re mine.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± he said, running his hand up and down her waist. ¡°I rather feel like I should be the one showing you off.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then we can show each other off. So, take me out and flaunt me.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°The only problem is that I have no idea where to go. I was a hermit, remember? Work and home except when I was dragged out by Chuck, and we only ever went to the bar we went to last night. I¡¯m actually pretty clueless about what there is to do in this town. Is there anywhere you¡¯d like to go?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Nowhere in particular. As long as it¡¯s with you.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Is this going to be one of those relationships where I ask you where you want to eat, you tell me you don¡¯t care, then deny all of my suggestions until I finally worm an actual answer out of you?¡±


    An innocent smile played across her lips as she looked off to the side. ¡°Dunno. Maybe?¡±


    ¡°Well, as I just said, I don¡¯t know any places to list off. If it¡¯s not delivery pizza or Chinese food, I¡¯ve got nothing.¡±


    She suddenly pushed him on to his back and straddled his waist, her eyes fairly glowing with excitement. ¡°Pizza!? I love pizza! I know just the place. Throw on your shoes and let¡¯s go!¡± She fairly bounced on top of him in her eagerness.


    ¡°If you keep bouncing on me like that the pizza will have to wait, babe.¡±


    She stopped and looked down, realizing what she was doing to him. ¡°Oops. Sorry.¡± She giggled, then got off of him. ¡°You good to go, or should I give you couple minutes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good to go,¡± he said, getting up. ¡°It was a near thing though. Come on, I¡¯ll get the keys and you can show me where we¡¯re going.¡±


    *


    ¡°How fucking stupid can you girls be!?¡±


    Chuck slapped his phone on the table, keeping his voice low so no one could hear them in the restaurant they were eating at. On the phone was a headline describing the discovery of two men killed in a mysterious but similar manner across town from each other. The two women sitting across from him glanced at the phone and shrugged, not caring in the slightest.


    ¡°So a couple fucks died with smiles on their faces. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± one of the women said.


    ¡°The big deal, Felicity, is that now they know there¡¯s more than one of you humping your way through the male population here!¡± Chuck stabbed at a piece of his steak in frustration at chewed on it angrily. This deal with their little group was proving to be more trouble than it was worth, even if the sex was amazing.


    Ever since he¡¯d hooked up with that waitress at his old favorite hunting ground, it had been harder for him to prowl the local bars and clubs for women. Apparently, bar staff liked to gossip amongst themselves, and word had spread that he¡¯d taken a bouncer¡¯s wife. He didn¡¯t see what the big deal was. People fucked around all the time, but apparently that dumb sack of muscle was well liked in the nightlife community, and Chuck had been harassed or chased out of nearly every popular bar in the city. Then the big bastard had attacked him when Chuck had tried to go back, forcing him to lay low. He didn¡¯t even remember the bitch¡¯s name. He¡¯d gotten his taste and moved on. At least, that¡¯s what he told himself. Tina, he sneered in his head.


    If he¡¯d known he¡¯d lose his wimpy little generator the next day, he probably would¡¯ve been more careful. Who figured that Phil, of all people, would end up as a party leader in the guild? After that orc bitch had taken him, their connection had been broken and Chuck had been forced to get his fill the old fashioned way. Unfortunately, not being allowed near the nightlife really hampered his efforts. People were less likely question their fuzzy memories about hooking up with someone after a night at the bar than they were any other time.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Enter these stupid bitches. He¡¯d met the two on accident as he was scoping out the one of the lesser known college bars. It wasn¡¯t as popular and had just opened up, so he was hoping his reputation hadn¡¯t preceded him like it had everywhere else. The place was pretty dead that night, but he¡¯d found two beautiful women sitting by themselves at a table. Eager to be the meat in a co-ed sandwich, he¡¯d planted himself in the remaining seat and introduced himself, attempting to hit them with his charm. Chuck soon learned that one couldn¡¯t seduce a seducer, as his charm had no effect on the women. After the three of them had gotten over the shock, they¡¯d spent the evening discussing their histories and problems they were currently facing. Chuck still got his co-ed sandwich that night, just not as much power as he¡¯d wanted.


    The problem that the girls had was that it was getting harder for them to cover for their acts. It was only a matter of time before the guild tracked one of them down. That¡¯s when they made a deal. Taking into consideration Chuck¡¯s run of bad luck with finding women, they agreed to let him feed on them as long as he provided a place for them to lay low for a while and had an alibi for their whereabouts. Chuck was about to suggest they just stop killing their marks, but then decided against it. As long as they were stupid enough to keep killing men, they would need him, and as long as they needed him, he got to keep fucking them. That gave him the double bonus of being with two women at once and being able to feed off of them. It was a mutually beneficial situation, so naturally the stupid sluts were doing their best to fuck it all up.


    ¡°Really, Charlie, you need to lighten up some. We were both hungry last night. You certainly didn¡¯t object to the double servings you got later on. In fact, you were so happy and energetic you almost satisfied me,¡± the gorgeous 22 year old said as she twirled her dirty blonde hair around her finger. Felicity wasn¡¯t one to worry about the big picture. All she cared about was running track and hunting dick. Everything else was just details.


    ¡°It¡¯s Chuck,¡± he gritted out, hating the name she used. ¡°And what about you, Lily? This whole thing was your idea. I figured you¡¯d be smart enough to avoid something like this? As long as they thought there was only one of you, covering for you wouldn¡¯t have been a problem.¡±


    The black woman shrugged. ¡°Tell anyone who asks that you were fucking both of us at the time. It¡¯s not like they can prove you weren¡¯t.¡± The swimmer tossed back her beer, then levelled her brown eyes at him. ¡°What about your issue? Find that little fuck yet? The one that can identify you to the guild? Seems to me that¡¯s the bigger problem here. No one but you knows our faces, but he knows yours. You might want to focus on that before you start lecturing us on critically stupid mistakes, because honey, you¡¯ve got a whopper hanging over your head.¡±


    Chuck¡¯s mouth snapped shut and he was barely able to contain his sneer. ¡°No,¡± he admitted in frustration. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to find a trace of him in four months. His apartment was even cleaned out the day I tried to kill him before he could talk. Doubtless the guild knows about me, but you know them. They won¡¯t go to the cops to find anyone who isn¡¯t a mundane. How does someone just disappear like that? He¡¯s clueless about the world, I made sure of it. Turned him into a loner and only dragged him out when I was bored.¡±


    Lily sat back and waved for the waiter to get another beer. ¡°He¡¯s had four months to learn, and he¡¯s got the guild¡¯s help probably. The longer you wait, the harder it¡¯s going to be. Take care of him and half our problems are gone.¡± She leaned forward and smiled. ¡°Hell, just drop him off with me and I¡¯ll have him eagerly crawling to his death.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that orc bitch. She looked tough. You may have Amazon mixed into that succubus, but I don¡¯t think you could take her.¡±


    Lily snorted. ¡°Watch me. Orcs are just muscleheads. All brawn. We Amazons know a thing or two about skinning an orc.¡± Her eyes flicked to the window they were sitting next to and narrowed as she found a target. ¡°Hello, sweet thing. I think I found my desert tonight. You want a helping, Fel?¡±


    The other girl looked up from her phone to see what Lily was talking about. ¡°Oh. He does look delicious, doesn¡¯t he? How about we take him, and Charlie here can have the pretty blonde that¡¯s with him?¡±


    Chuck growled at the use of that name again but turned to see who they were talking about. The food he was chewing fell out of his mouth as his jaw dropped. The man was standing taller than he remembered and had packed on some muscle, but that profile was undeniably Phil. So many months he¡¯d been searching, and the fucker just walked on by, happy as could be, and with a gorgeous woman on his arm to boot! Here he was, stressing out about everything and having to get fed secondhand by these bitches, and he was out fucking off with some hottie? How the fuck was that fair?


    ¡°Ladies,¡± he said after watching where the couple went, ¡°who¡¯s in the mood for pizza?¡±


    *


    Phil sat back and patted his belly. ¡°You were right. This place was amazing.¡±


    Reese beamed at him around the pizza she was currently devouring. Since her mouth was full, she gave him a thumbs up and nodded her head eagerly. He laughed, taking another drink of his soda.


    ¡°How¡¯d you discover this place?¡±


    She held up a finger as she swallowed, took a drink to wash it down, then she was ready to speak. ¡°Used to come here all the time when I was in college. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s still around. It¡¯s been a few years since I was last in this part of town.¡± She looked around and soaked in the nostalgia. ¡°I used to drag Rose and Britt here when we weren¡¯t in class or on a quest.¡±


    ¡°You guys have been together a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Phil also looked around and realized they were probably the oldest people here outside of the staff. The place was full of college aged kids, and he suddenly felt ancient, which wasn¡¯t something he typically did at 28.


    ¡°Since right out of high school, pretty much,¡± she nodded. She took another sip of her soda, casually looking around, making sure to see over his shoulder. She smirked. ¡°Those two girls are still stealing glances at you. That¡¯s my mission accomplished for the night.¡±


    ¡°Your mission, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I said I wanted to show you off, remember? Now there are two women who seem desperate to be sitting where I am. They¡¯re pretty too. If I was into it like Britt is, I¡¯d invite them over.¡±


    Phil choked on his drink, causing her to laugh. ¡°I said if I was. Don¡¯t get your hopes up, hero. You¡¯re mine and mine alone tonight.¡± Her face darkened a little. ¡°Although I don¡¯t think-¡±


    He cut her off my grabbing her hand. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m in no rush, Reese. Don¡¯t feel bad. Ok? I¡¯m happy enough just being near you.¡±


    ¡°But I really want to show you just how much I love you.¡±


    ¡°You do that just fine right now. We¡¯ve got the rest of our lives, right? There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    Smiling, she gripped his hand back. ¡°And it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have three other women ready to be stuffed and mounted by you, right?


    ¡°Three? I wasn¡¯t aware you two had allowed Rachel and Tina into the fold already.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that¡¯s our decision to make?¡± she asked, somewhat surprised.


    ¡°Uh, yeah? Did you think I¡¯d really be selfish enough to start collecting women like that? I¡¯m still getting used to the idea of having two girlfriends. I mean, it¡¯s only been a couple days. Now you¡¯re talking like I have four. Remember, we just met Rachel last night, and I¡¯ve only known Tina casually from the bar. As far as I¡¯m concerned, last night was an anomaly.¡±


    Reese sighed. ¡°You really are a dumbass sometimes, you know that?¡±


    Phil¡¯s stared at her in shock. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You do understand that Britt and I agreed to their joining the party knowing full well what they thought of you, don¡¯t you? You made it clear to them that this was a lifetime commitment. That there was no backing out. They still joined, and quite eagerly, I might add.¡± She leaned forward conspiratorially and lowered her voice. ¡°Tina¡¯s been in love with you for years, Phil. She just couldn¡¯t show it because of her marriage and your proximity to Chuck. Whatever magic you worked on her in bed last night just cemented her feelings.¡± She leaned back and let him absorb that.


    Phil continued to just stare at her. ¡°Tina? Tina was in love with me?¡±


    ¡°On top of that,¡± Reese continued, ¡°you had a succubus fall in love with you and pledge the rest of her life to you after one night in the sack¡­¡± she trailed off. They weren¡¯t looking at them currently, but the two young women behind Phil had visibly jerked when she¡¯d said ¡°succubus.¡± She hadn¡¯t realized they could hear them. She maintained her expression of amused exasperation at him but lowered her voice so that only he could hear her. ¡°I think your fans have a secret, hun. No, don¡¯t turn around, you idiot. They reacted when I was talking about Rachel. They¡¯re either similar in nature or are familiar with them. It might be time to go home.¡±


    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said, his voice equally low. ¡°Without Britt, we¡¯re pretty defenseless if they decide to try something.¡± Louder, he called for the check and made a show about wanting to get her home for some desert. His acting wasn¡¯t as bad as it might¡¯ve been, since that was something he genuinely wanted to do. Reese blushed appropriately, selling the performance. Paying, they got up and Reese immediately wrapped his arm in hers, pressing her chest into it so the whole world would know they belonged to each other. Blushing at the attention, Phil started moving them towards the door.


    Neither of them had seen the blonde texting away at her phone, nor did they notice the black woman grab her by the hand to pull her to her feet and follow. They had no idea it was too late until they stepped out of the restaurant.


    ¡°Howdy, mi amigo. Long time no see,¡± Chuck greeted them, his eyes glowing.

 Chapter 19

    Rose leaned her head against Britt¡¯s shoulder as they sat on the floor, leaning back against the foot of the bed in the master bedroom. Bruce¡¯s belongings had been packed in boxes except for a few keepsakes that Rose wanted, and now they were just resting before they actually started moving the boxes. Going through his stuff had been emotionally taxing for both of them. Rose¡¯s hand crept into Britt¡¯s, their fingers interlacing.


    ¡°I know this was my idea, but it still feels wrong somehow,¡± she said.


    ¡°This was his room for years. It¡¯ll be weird to see Phil use it, sure, but everything changes with time, you know,¡± answered Britt, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. ¡°I wonder how Phil¡¯s going to take sleeping in Bruce¡¯s bed. I already know it¡¯s going to be weird for me.¡±


    Rose chuckled. ¡°You finally get between his sheets, but not with the man you thought it would be?¡±


    Britt snorted. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll find out tomorrow. It¡¯s Reese¡¯s night tonight¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she considered that.


    Rose caught on to her thought. ¡°Should we switch the beds? I can¡¯t imagine sleeping in his bed will just feel weird for her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably a good idea. The other bed is where she shared her first night with Phil anyway. I¡¯m sure the sentimentality will appeal to her.¡±


    Britt felt Rose move next to her and glanced down, briefly seeing her brown eyes before they closed and Rose¡¯s lips met hers. She backed off quickly though.


    ¡°Speaking of sentimental,¡± Rose said, pressing her forehead against Britt¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯d love one last romp in this bed, in this room.¡±


    Britt sighed at that. ¡°A couple of days ago, I would¡¯ve eagerly taken you up on that. While I¡¯m certain Phil wouldn¡¯t object, little pervert that he is, it wouldn¡¯t feel right. Not yet at least.¡±


    Rose groaned but nodded. ¡°Sorry. I just¡­ miss you. It¡¯s been so lonely in bed, you know?¡±


    ¡°We can still share a bed, Rose. We just can¡¯t play like we used to. I¡¯d feel like I was betraying him.¡±


    Rose sighed, then flopped back down next to Britt. ¡°Just another thing he¡¯s taken from me, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not fair and you know it!¡±


    Hanging her head, Rose gave a small nod. ¡°I know. Sorry. This isn¡¯t easy. Saying goodbye helped, but I still need a lot of work. I guess I just realized how much you mean to me, and how much he means to you.¡±


    Britt held her hand and opened her mouth to say something before snapping it shut and jerking upright.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Phil!¡± Britt said. ¡°He¡¯s in trouble!¡±


    ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just do!¡±


    Rose sighed. ¡°Alright. Do you know where he¡¯s at?¡±


    Britt paused in getting up to look at Rose in shock. ¡°You¡¯re coming?¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s in trouble, that means something¡¯s happened to Reese as well. They may need a healer. Do you know where he¡¯s at?¡±


    Britt finished standing up and closed her eyes. ¡°Yeah, I can feel him somehow. He¡¯s in the college part of town. Reese must¡¯ve dragged him to Tony¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s twenty minutes away!¡± Rose exclaimed.


    Britt smirked. ¡°Still got your helmet?¡±


    *


    Phil could only stare as Reese¡¯s grip loosened on his arm and she stepped over to Chuck, nuzzling in under his arm and clearly charmed. Keeping his eyes on Phil, Chuck smiled and gripped her shoulder, pulling her in tighter.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty, man. Not sure how you scored this fine piece of ass, but I think I¡¯ll enjoy it tonight.¡±


    Phil¡¯s stare turned into a glare. ¡°If you do anything to her, I¡¯ll kill you myself.¡±


    A look of mock fear crossed Chuck¡¯s face. ¡°Oh no! Not the rage of Phil! Whatever shall I do?¡± He turned serious. ¡°You should¡¯ve just died when I threw you off that balcony. Might¡¯ve saved your pretty friend here. Your simple act of living has caused me far too much grief in the last few months. You and that bitch of a waitress.¡±


    ¡°Tina? What¡¯s she have to do with this?¡±


    ¡°EVERYTHING!¡± he shouted before realizing he was drawing stares from passersby on the street. ¡°Let¡¯s take this somewhere private, shall we? Ladies?¡± Phil suddenly felt arms on both side snake around his, the tight, athletic bodies of two women pressed up against him. A warning signal shot through is body like it had that morning with Chuck. Before he could react, the whole world turned inside out for a second and he found himself in an alleyway behind some buildings. The women were still clinging to him with Chuck and Reese in front of them.


    ¡°What the fuck is going on, Chuck?¡±


    Chuck shrugged. ¡°By now I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve figured out what I was doing to you and recovered from it, right? You never could have gotten a beautiful babe like this when I knew you. I guess you¡¯re lucky you broke the spell when you did. You only had months left until you died. Probably right about now, actually.¡± He grinned. ¡°Hell, you¡¯re going to die tonight anyway after I let the girls here have you, so I guess it all evens out.¡±


    ¡°Chuck, if you¡¯ve got a problem with me, you don¡¯t need to include her. Let her go and take me alone.¡±


    ¡°Awww. Isn¡¯t he adorable and heroic, Charlie? Can I have him now?¡± the blonde said.


    ¡°Later, Felicity. I want him clear headed as I take his woman here, then I think he should get one last throw with her. Call it a last meal, if you will. Or we could share her, just like we did Jenny Smith. Oh, that¡¯s right. You don¡¯t remember that, do you?¡±


    Phil¡¯s head rocked back in shock, images suddenly flooding his head. He vaguely remembered Gaia saying something about returning his memories but hadn¡¯t thought much about it since then. Now they all came flooding back. The events of the previous night came back in very vivid detail, and more kept surfacing. Women he didn¡¯t remember flashing through his mind¡¯s eye. A few, a dozen, tens, hundreds, Chuck present in everyone. Including his first time with a woman. Jenny Smith. The girl whose advances he¡¯d been oblivious to. He remembered every curve of her body, the taste of her, her moans, the scratches she¡¯d made on his back, the mess he¡¯d made on her stomach, Chuck scooping up some with his finger and mixing it with blood from Jenny, who¡¯d bled when Phil had entered her. His eyes had glowed as he licked the finger clean, then Phil and Jenny had jerked back, held in place by something they couldn¡¯t see, but Phil saw the faint tendrils of energy move towards Chuck from their chests and his satisfied smile when they connected. He remembered Chuck telling him to watch as he took Jenny in front of him. Over and over again.


    ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± he growled. ¡°That¡¯s when you did it. That¡¯s when you connected that spell to me.¡±


    Chuck raised an eyebrow. ¡°And how could you possibly know that?¡±


    ¡°Because I remember. All of it. You charmed me, shared me with women. So many women. Why? What could you possibly gain from that?¡± A thought struck him. ¡°Jenny! You said I was months away from dying! Where¡¯s Jenny!?¡±


    Chuck sighed. ¡°Well, shit. I don¡¯t know how you remembered all that, but whatever. Jenny¡¯s dead. Died a couple years ago. Guess she wasn¡¯t as strong as you.¡± He smirked, then used a couple fingers draped over Reese¡¯s shoulder to pull the front of her dress out. Taking a look down, he gave an approving nod as he continued speaking. ¡°After yours, my dick was the only one she ever tasted. Anyway, that¡¯s why you being cut off was a very bad thing for me. I didn¡¯t have a backup anymore. Do you know how fucking hard it is to find a couple of virgins in this town? I suppose I could¡¯ve hit up the high school, but I don¡¯t look as young as I used to, you know? They tend to freak out when str-¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Anything else he was going to say was cutoff when Phil¡¯s fist landed on his jaw. His movement was so unexpected that the girls clinging to him hadn¡¯t had time to tighten their grips before he was already pulling away from them and swinging. If Chuck hadn¡¯t been monologuing, he probably would¡¯ve seen it coming, but he¡¯d been too interested in his own voice and trying to see down Reese¡¯s dress to notice. Phil took another step forward as Chuck hit the ground and pulled Reese behind him.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Chuck yelled and suddenly Reese was pulled from his hand. Whipping around he saw the black woman standing there, her hand on Reese¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Do it, hero. I dare ya,¡± she said. Phil felt a ball of rage ignite at her unintentional use of Reese¡¯s nickname for him but kept himself from reacting. He held up his hands. ¡°Smart man. You couldn¡¯t handle fighting an Amazon. I¡¯ll let ya try fucking one later though, if you¡¯re good.¡±


    Cautiously backing up and keeping an eye on everyone, Phil tried to keep Chuck talking. He wasn¡¯t sure if his call for help had reached Britt or not, but he had to buy time in case it had. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s any of this have to do with Tina? She was just another notch on your belt, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    Chucked rubbed his jaw and grimaced, both at the pain and the mention of Tina. ¡°That bitch. Did you know all these bars talk to each other? I don¡¯t know how he found out, but that bouncer told everyone that I fucked his wife. Got me harassed and kicked out of bars all over the city. Cut off my easiest source of women. If it wasn¡¯t for these two, I might have had to stoop to using hookers.¡±


    ¡°I always told you going after the married ones would get you in trouble, man.¡±


    ¡°You certainly did, didn¡¯t you? Always looking out. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been so quick to toss you off the balcony. You might¡¯ve been some help when that bitch ruined things for me in this town.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just leave town? Find some new hunting grounds?¡± Phil asked, genuinely confused. It¡¯s what he would¡¯ve done.


    Chuck stared at him wide eyed, the idea having clearly never crossed his mind. He quickly recovered though. ¡°B-because I met these two! Who¡¯d leave town when you get the chance to fuck two hot sluts every night?¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a slut?¡± objected Felicity.


    ¡°Us, honey. He¡¯s not exactly wrong, you know?¡± said Lily.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind being called a slut,¡± Felicity said flippantly. ¡°But only when it¡¯s by guys who know what they¡¯re doing in bed. They have to earn it.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow. He was very aware that this was a tense situation and that Reese¡¯s life was literally in Lily¡¯s hand, but he had to draw out the conversation. Keep them talking. ¡°Are you a masochist?¡±


    She gave him a sneer. ¡°Only when it¡¯s done right. Jackhammer over here isn¡¯t worth my time, really. Just sticks it in and humps away for a couple minutes while grabbing my tits like they¡¯re handle bars or something.¡±


    Chuck¡¯s face turned red in anger. ¡°Maybe if you weren¡¯t such a dead fish I¡¯d last longer!¡±


    Reese chortled, catching everyone off guard as she swept her hand to her side and sent Lily flying away from her. The athletic woman rolled with it and was up on her feet in an instant but didn¡¯t advance again, unsure of this new threat.


    ¡°What the fuck? I charmed you!¡± Chuck whined in confusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m a mage,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m not immune like a friend of mine you¡¯ve met, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t have defenses that¡¯ll break down your spell eventually. You¡¯re very pretty, but not very smart, are you?¡±


    ¡°Reese!¡± Phil breathed in relief.


    ¡°Hi, lover. I tried to keep pretending, but when little tits over there bitched about his ability, it reminded me of Tina bitching about how bad he was.¡±


    ¡°Tina!?¡±


    ¡°Little tits!?¡± Felicity yelled. ¡°I¡¯m a fucking athlete, okay? Exercise burns fat. Tits are fat. They also get in the way when I¡¯m running.¡±


    Reese waved her off. ¡°Right, right. You¡¯re very beautiful. If you weren¡¯t a cold blooded murderer, you might even be gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck do mean ¡®Tina?¡¯¡± Chuck yelled, his rage outpacing his reason at this point. ¡°How do you know that little slut¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Because she watched me and two other women get dominated by Phil last night,¡± came a voice from a connecting alley. Tina and Rachel strode out into the dim light provided by the backdoor lights of the buildings.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Chuck began, his voice failing in shock.


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± asked Phil in a state of shock of his own. ¡°Not that I¡¯m not thrilled to see you.¡±


    ¡°Aww. Missed you too, energizer bunny,¡± said Tina.


    ¡°Britt called us. She got your distress call and is on her way with Rose. Should be here in a few minutes. Fortunately, my apartment isn¡¯t too far from here,¡± answered Rachel.


    Lily looked at the new arrivals and dropped her guard, raising her hands and backing away. ¡°Numbers are against us, Fel. I think we should call it a night. This was pretty boy¡¯s dumb idea anyway.¡±


    Felicity was only half listening to her though. She gave her a distracted nod but looked at Tina while pointing at Phil. ¡°Hold on. Energizer bunny?¡±


    Tina smiled. ¡°Oh yeah. He just keeps going and going and going. I swear, I was speaking another language by the time he fell asleep. He was a lot more memorable and talented than someone else I won¡¯t mention.¡± Her eyes flicked disdainfully towards Chuck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you a fucking energizer bunny. I¡¯ll show all of you,¡± Chuck growled as his eyes started to glow.


    ¡°Close your eyes!¡± yelled Rachel, pulling Tina behind her, her own purple eyes glowing much more intensely than his. Reese and Phil didn¡¯t hesitate to follow her instructions. Lily wasn¡¯t looking at Rachel, but both Felicity and Chuck immediately fell under her thrall. Lily stared in wonder as Felicity suddenly dropped to her knees, breathing heavily and squirming as her hand worked its way between her thighs. Chuck was immediately hard and awkwardly trying to walk towards Rachel.


    ¡°What the hell? You can¡¯t charm a succubus!¡± Lily exclaimed.


    Rachel looked just as surprised as Lily did. ¡°I was just looking to block his charm, honestly. These two must be the girls we¡¯re looking for, I take it?¡±


    ¡°Safe bet,¡± said Reese. ¡°Little dick over there was talking about giving Phil to the girls later.¡±


    Tina made a face. ¡°That name doesn¡¯t really apply to him, I hate to admit. He just doesn¡¯t know how to use it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the part you focused on?¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°What? He¡¯d gotten my hopes up, then dashed them. It was all so very disappointing,¡± Tina grumped. Then her face lit up. ¡°But now we¡¯ve got Phil! So it was all worth it in the end.¡±


    Reese raised an eyebrow at her as Phil blushed. Rachel just rolled her eyes as she held out a hand to Chuck¡¯s forehead as he tried to approach her, then she made a face as he grabbed her wrist and started sucking on her fingers. She pushed him away, and he stumbled in the direction of Felicity, whose hand was working furiously between her legs. Seeing her, he locked on to his new target.


    ¡°Oh hell no,¡± said Lily, who quickly grabbed her friend and vanished, reappearing down the alley way near the opening to the road. ¡°He¡¯s all yours!¡± she yelled back, struggling to get her horny friend to her feet. Anything she was yelling to get her friend moving was drowned out by the high pitched whine of a motorcycle shooting past the entrance to the alleyway.


    Phil suddenly felt hands grabbing for him and turned to see the lust filled gaze of Chuck, who¡¯d once again targeted the closest body to his. Panicking, Phil jumped back and lashed out with his foot, sending the other man flying with a spartan kick to the chest. Reese squeaked and jump out of the way as the blond man tumbled her direction before coming to a stop, unconscious after hitting his head on the pavement.


    ¡°Oh shit! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Phil said to her after she shot him a dirty look.


    ¡°Goddammit, woman! Move, will you?¡± they heard Lily yell. Felicity was still working herself over while trying to pull Lily down with her, Rachel¡¯s charm leaving her desperate for relief. The whine of a motorcycle returned and a sport bike turned down the alley, its headlight silhouetting the two succubae. ¡°Perfect!¡± Lily cried. ¡°You can take care of her! Haha!¡±


    Two figures got off the motorcycle, one racing past the women to join the crowd around Phil.


    ¡°Reese! Are you ok?¡± Rose asked as she ran up on wobbly legs while fighting with the helmet she wore. As Reese filled her in on what happened, Phil and Rachel started making their way towards the newcomer and the two women. Tina was checking on Chuck by nudging him over with her foot and seeing if he was breathing.


    ¡°Why the fuck can¡¯t I charm you?¡± Lily raged. Britt took off her helmet and pulled her hair loose from the clump it had become. She smiled at Lily.


    ¡°Orc,¡± she said. Lily¡¯s face narrowed.


    ¡°You must be that bitch Chuck was talkin¡¯ about. Back off, honey. You don¡¯t want to mess with an Amazon like me.¡±


    Britt kept her smile, and looked over at Phil. ¡°Hey, lover. Got your message.¡±


    Phil returned her smile. ¡°I noticed. So glad that worked.¡±


    ¡°Lover?¡± asked Lily, her face losing its anger and suddenly becoming one of worry.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Lover,¡± Britt said sweetly. ¡°And judging by your face I¡¯m guessing you tried to take him from me, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Lily stared, wide eyed, as Britt hung her helmet from her bike¡¯s throttle and took a couple steps towards her.


    ¡°So yeah, I just might want to mess with an Amazon like you after all.¡±


    Panicking, Lily swung. She knew she could handle an orc on a good day easily enough. Handling an orc whose man she¡¯d just tried to take, however, was a completely different matter. Her fist connected with the side of Britt¡¯s head, who¡¯d made no move to block it. The crack that followed sounded like a gunshot in the alley, and the scream that followed was deafening as Lily collapsed to the ground holding her arm to her chest. Phil wasn¡¯t a medical expert, but he was fairly certain the human hand wasn¡¯t meant to hang at that angle.


    Britt hadn¡¯t moved a muscle. The blow hadn¡¯t even caused her to move her head. She shook it now, though. ¡°Well, fuck, that¡¯s disappointing. I was hoping for a good fight tonight. Hey, Rachel, these the two we¡¯re looking for?¡±


    Rachel shrugged. ¡°Could be. I got here a couple minutes before you did. How did you get here so fast?¡±


    Britt smiled and patted her motorcycle. ¡°On my second favorite ride,¡± she smirked.

 Chapter 20

    As one would expect after Lily¡¯s screaming, a crowd rapidly began to form at the end of the alley, cell phones whipped out to record video. Of the thirty or so people attempting to see and record what was happening, it only occurred to one of them to notify the police of a disturbance behind the pizza place. The sight that greeted the police when they arrived a couple minutes later definitely had them scratching their heads.


    Before them lay one unconscious man, a woman with a very broken wrist, another woman whose hand was furiously moving under her pants and making obscene noises, and five other women who were crowded around one guy who was awkwardly trying to put them at ease.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I promise! He never actually tried to hurt me, and he told the other two not to charm me.¡±


    Reese nodded at his words. ¡°It¡¯s true. He went all supervillainy and started monologuing and shit like we were in a comic book or something. Talking about what he¡¯d done to Phil in the past and what he planned to do to him in the future. What kind of idiot gives away their plan like that?¡±


    Phil turned to Britt. ¡°How did you get here so fast? Weren¡¯t you back at the house?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Britt smirked and hooked a thumb at the black sport bike behind them. ¡°Like I said, on my second favorite ride. She¡¯s got a few aftermarket improvements. That idiot is lucky we didn¡¯t get here sooner, though. He¡¯d be worse than unconscious right now if I¡¯d have gotten ahold of him.¡±


    ¡°Second favorite ride? If that¡¯s your second, what¡¯s your first?¡± asked Tina. Britt didn¡¯t answer, but gave Phil a very pointed look, causing him to blush and Tina to smile and say ¡°oh¡± in realization.


    ¡°Excuse me!¡± a voice bellowed.


    ¡°What!?¡± Britt bellowed back, turning to see a couple cops standing at the end of the alley with their hands on their sidearms. ¡°Oh. Evening, officer!¡±


    ¡°Would someone mind explaining what the hell is going on here?¡±


    Reese smiled and patted Britt on the shoulder as she approached the cops. ¡°I got this. Come on, Party Leader.¡± As they approached the men in uniform, she let her hand brush behind a fold of her dress for a brief second, allowing her to pull a card out of thin air. Phil recognized it as one of the plain white cards they all carried, then raised his eyebrows as he saw text and a picture materialize on its surface. Phil pulled out his own card and examined it, surprised to see the same thing happening to his.


    On it, a picture he didn¡¯t remember posing for appeared in the upper left corner. Text showed up next to the picture listing his name Philip Thomas, his position Party Leader, his race Human, and his time in the guild 00Y 04M 14D. Under the picture it listed traits. His said Party Leader and Soul Cleanse.


    ¡°Soul Cleanse? What¡¯s that?¡± Reese asked as she glanced over at his card.


    ¡°Ah. Right, I haven¡¯t told you all about that, yet, have I?¡± She shook her head, giving him an odd look. ¡°Alright, after we get this sorted, we can have a meeting back at the house and I¡¯ll tell you everything, ok?¡±


    She looked at him for a couple more seconds, then nodded as they approached the cops. She held out her card and Phil imitated her. Giving them odd looks, the closest officer took them while his partner stayed back and kept a clear line of sight on both of them while also keeping an eye on the four women who were doing their best to look harmless. Britt was having less success than the others as she stood with her arms crossed in calf high riding boots and a leather jacket, a scowl directed at the crowd. The murmur of the crowd, the whimper of Lily as she cradled her wrist, and the moaning of Felicity made for a pretty overwhelming scene for the young cop.


    ¡°What are these?¡± the first cop said. WALKER, his nametag said.


    ¡°Those are our guild cards. You should report a 10-Alpha-Golf to dispatch and then wait for instructions from Chief Gomez,¡± said Reese, the model of professionalism.


    ¡°There¡¯s no such code,¡± the cop said, confused.


    ¡°Please, officer, I promise the sooner you make that call, the sooner you can pass this mess off to someone else.¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, he leaned his head over to the handset hanging off his shoulder and made the call as he held up the cards for another inspection.


    Looking over at Reese, Phil watched as her eyes flicked to the crowd while Walker was distracted with the cards. They flickered briefly, and suddenly phones started sparking and smoking in people¡¯s hands. Numerous cries of alarm and lots of swearing followed as the phones were dropped, their internals superheated and fried. Phil shot Reese a questioning look, but she just shook her head. He nodded, figuring she¡¯d fill him in later on what she¡¯d done, but also having a fair idea of why she¡¯d done it, which gave him an idea.


    Suddenly, the crowd found each other a lot more interesting than the alley. Quite a few of them were suddenly off and running, while others were staring deep into their neighbor¡¯s eyes as they walked off hand in hand. Eventually all that remained was their group and the cops, who¡¯d watched everyone scatter with confused looks. Phil felt Rachel come up behind him as she rested her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.


    ¡°What¡¯d you do?¡± he asked quietly.


    ¡°Exactly what you wanted. I gave them something far more interesting to think about. The level of control I now have is ridiculous. All I had to do was think about what a romantic night it was, and they did the rest. Before meeting you, all I would¡¯ve accomplished was an orgy.¡± Rachel sighed as she rubbed her head against his.


    Reese grunted, catching both of their attention. The blonde frowned and mouthed my night at Rachel, who suddenly released his waist and backed off, mouthing sorry in return. Watching her retreat, his eyes fell on Lily, who still cradled her wrist as she rocked back and forth in pain. After a thought, he saw Rose move over to treat her while Britt followed to pull guard on the Amazon/Succubus in case she tried anything.


    ¡°Rachel,¡± Phil asked quietly, mindful of the cops still talking to dispatch a few feet away.


    Rachel stepped closer, but kept her hands off of him this time, mindful of Reese¡¯s hawk like stare. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is there someway we can secure her, so she doesn¡¯t try to charm someone or do that teleport thing you guys do?¡±


    ¡°Blindfold her. She can¡¯t jump where she can¡¯t see. Same with the charm effect.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s seriously that simple?¡±


    Rachel chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s seriously that simple. It¡¯s all in the eyes for our kind. The passive charm that can mesmerize a room with is done with our peripheral vison. It¡¯s only when we focus on someone that we truly charm someone. Wrap a blindfold around her and she¡¯ll just be a blind Amazon, and Britt can easily handle that.¡± Even as she told him that, Tina was already moving to do it. Finding an old dish towel near the trash cans behind the pizza place, she wrapped it around Lily¡¯s eyes and gave Phil a thumbs up with a huge grin. Then he turned his attention to the other incapacitated woman.


    ¡°What about her? Anything you can do?¡±


    Rachel turned and looked at the track star. She had her pants and panties pulled down to her thighs now as she worked her fingers in and out of herself with reckless abandon. Her other hand had pulled up her shirt to reveal her small breasts and she was tugging on a nipple as her back arched, her only points of contact with the ground being her feet and her head. She was growing louder by the second, and the younger cop of the two was definitely getting himself worked up watching her. Phil had to admire his self-control in not approaching her.


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°¡¯Fraid not. She can play with herself all day, but it won¡¯t release the charm. Sorry. I hit her with more power than I¡¯d intended. Someone¡¯s gonna have to fuck it out of her. Probably multiple times.¡± She gave him a sidelong glance, but he held up his hands.


    ¡°No thanks. I draw the line at murderers. Besides, I think Reese and Britt would turn her into something resembling modern art if she touched me.¡±


    Reese shrugged. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t a killer, I might have considered it. I wasn¡¯t lying earlier when I said she was pretty. But these two have been sucking men dry for most of a year. If she got her legs around you, especially with her in this state, you¡¯d be done for.¡±


    ¡°We could always wake Chuck and let him take the hit,¡± Phil suggested, earning surprised looks from Rachel and Reese. ¡°What? They both have the ability to suck power through sex, right? So, it¡¯s unlikely she could drain him to death like other men, since he¡¯d be feeding off her at the same time. Not to mention he¡¯s under a charm effect too, so they¡¯d take care of each other in all respects. What do you think?¡±


    Rachel and Reese exchanged looks before Reese shrugged. ¡°That could work, yes. Not what I would have thought of, but a possibility. We can try suggesting it when the guild takes custody. Let¡¯s leave them as is for now, though, since we know they¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Are you guys done?¡± asked Walker impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ve been told to secure the perimeter and leave it to you guys. I don¡¯t know who you are, but you apparently carry a lot of weight with the chief.¡±


    Reese beamed at him as he returned their cards. ¡°Thank you, Officer. Blocking the alley from onlookers should be enough for us. Our people should be here soon to clean up.¡± Raising an eyebrow, he just nodded and turned back to his partner. He had to yank on the young man¡¯s uniform to draw his attention away from the Felicity Show.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen with the cops?¡± Phil asked as they moved to rejoin the rest. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be a secret, right?¡±


    ¡°Someone from the guild will pay them a visit and alter their memories. Make them think it was just a few kids fooling around or something. It¡¯s the college part of town, so it¡¯s not unexpected,¡± said Reese.


    ¡°That¡¯s actually why I picked this area to live in,¡± said Rachel with a smile. ¡°So much sexual energy here. So many willing partners who can¡¯t go ten minutes without wanting to fuck someone. They may all be adults, but they¡¯ve got the self-control of teenagers who just figured out that jerlking on their meat feels good. What?¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Phil shook his head and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just weird hearing talk like that come out of such a pretty face, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The Asian beauty blushed from her ears down to her chest, unable to respond.


    *


    A team from the guild showed up a few minutes later and took the team¡¯s vocal report of what happened, then took custody of the three troublemakers. The senior guild rep had raised an eyebrow at Phil¡¯s suggestion of letting Chuck and Felicity sort themselves out but hadn¡¯t said anything. Phil did notice, however, that Chuck had been revived before being tossed into the back of the delivery truck with Felicity and Lily. Felicity¡¯s cries and moans quickly took on a new rhythm before the door was pulled closed and secured. The party was then informed that they had to submit a written report to the guild master no later than sundown the next day, at which time they¡¯d receive their reward for completing the investigation if the two women in custody proved to be the culprits.


    Rachel and Tina went to retrieve some overnight items from their respective apartments and joined everyone back at the estate. Phil had asked them to so he could fill them in on everything he had learned about himself from Gaia, keeping his promise to Reese to explain everything. He stared at the faces arrayed around the dining room table, all of them gawking at him.


    ¡°So let me get this straight,¡± said Britt. ¡°A goddess stopped time, pulled you from your body, said Rose was going to destroy the world, pulled Bruce¡¯s soul from your body, and said your trait is some kind of soul cleaning ability that allows people to what? Improve themselves? Unlock hidden potential?¡±


    Reese raised her hand. ¡°I have questions about this ¡®future wives¡¯ thing you claim she mentioned.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I almost destroyed the world?¡± Rose said softly, her face dangerously pale.


    Phil slumped back in his seat. ¡°Ladies, I know it all sounds unbelievable, but I have no reason to lie to you. She even helped restore all my lost memories. All of them. Turns out Chuck was an even bigger asshole than I thought he was.¡±


    ¡°How much of your memory?¡± asked Tina, eyeballing him.


    ¡°I just said all of it, right? Yes, I do remember last night quite clearly now. Including that little birthmark on your left hip near the bikini line.¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°I believe him,¡± she stated.


    ¡°Future wives?¡± Reese asked again, more forcefully this time.


    Phil shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what she said! I¡¯m not making it up! If I could get her here to tell you all, I would!¡±


    ¡°You could just ask nicely, sweetheart.¡±


    The girls all started looking everywhere, trying to locate the source of the voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once.


    ¡°Was that¡­¡± began Rose.


    Phil nodded. ¡°Yes it was. Gaia, would you please show yourself and confirm everything I said? I would greatly appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And just how would you show your appreciation to me?¡±


    Heads whipped to the other end of the table where the nine foot tall vision of unearthly beauty was now standing. None of the women said anything as they took in the goddess. Her fiery red hair, her sky blue skin, her voluptuous curves. The goddess giggled and looked at Britt.


    ¡°Oh no, my dear. I only do that sort of thing one on one. Maybe if you¡¯re lucky in the future.¡±


    Britt turned red so fast Phil was actually worried she was going pop. Gaia then turned to regard both Reese and Rose.


    ¡°Really you two. That kind of thinking is completely out of character for both of you, although I know our man here wouldn¡¯t object in the slightest.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow as the two women repeated Britt¡¯s color changing performance. What kind of thoughts are they having?


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± Gaia giggled, looking at Phil. ¡°I can assure you, you¡¯d definitely enjoy yourself. We all would. But like I just said, I¡¯m more of a one on one kind of gal these days.¡± She winked at him.


    ¡°Right then,¡± Phil said, adjusting how he was sitting as mental images flashed through his mind. He decided it would probably be best to get on with it and save the girls any more embarrassment. ¡°Uh, shall we go over this again, please? Perhaps in a bit more detail. There was a fair bit to cover this morning.¡±


    Reese was shaken out of her stupor when he said that. ¡°That really was only this morning, wasn¡¯t it? Christ, today feels like it¡¯s lasted forever.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Gaia, clapping her hands and making herself comfortable in thronelike chair that hadn¡¯t been there a second ago. ¡°So, let me start with the good news. Rose, congratulations. If the world ends now, it¡¯s not your fault. I know you¡¯ve still got a long way to go but stick with Phil here and you¡¯ll know a happiness you¡¯ve only dreamed of. Oh, I don¡¯t mean that way. Whether you choose to love him in the future or not is something I can¡¯t see, oddly enough. Your own conflicting emotions and mental state leave too much in flux. But I can say that he will be the dearest friend you will ever have.¡±


    Rose nodded numbly but didn¡¯t say anything. She still had traces of red in her face after Gaia¡¯s earlier comment, so Phil just assumed she was still processing the information.


    ¡°Reese, he wasn¡¯t lying. I absolutely said future wives. Some you will love as a sister. Some you will continually butt heads with.¡± She shrugged and smiled. ¡°One or two you may even fall in love with yourself. Who knows? Whether that happens or not, the key thing to remember is that big things are going to be happening, and Phil is going to need all the support he can get. You¡¯re the First. It¡¯ll be your job to support your husband as best you can.¡±


    ¡°Husband? We¡¯ve only been together for a couple days.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Why¡¯s she get the ¡®First¡¯ title? We both confessed our feelings at the same time!¡± complained Britt.


    ¡°That may be, but she realized her feelings long before you did. That¡¯s why she felt the need to tell him what had happened between her and Bruce. Why do you think she started going to counseling? She knew what she wanted. What she lacked was the mental stability to tell him. She knew a full month and a half before you did how she felt. Therefore, First. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll always be his strongest. And his favorite ice cream is peanut butter cup.¡±


    Britt raised an eyebrow in confusion at that last piece of information. ¡°Uh¡­ noted?¡±


    Tina raised her hand, smiling brightly. She was clearly enjoying this more than anyone else. ¡°Ooh! Do me next!¡± Gaia smiled at the energetic 30 year old.


    ¡°The heart of a teenager in love and energy of the same. I do so adore the fae of this world. Even in the darkest of times you all just find the hope. You¡¯re also incredibly lucky. If you¡¯d have stayed in that marriage, you wouldn¡¯t have lived to see 40. Your methods were¡­ brutal, but as I see it, the ends justified your means, and you¡¯ve certainly traded up. Oh, you don¡¯t have to worry about your ex, either. He did some pretty nasty things recently and no one will be hearing from him for the next 15 to 20 years.¡±


    Tina¡¯s face froze at the mention of her ex, then fell as Gaia finished her statement. ¡°I was unhappy and being controlled, but once upon a time I did love him. I take no pleasure in hearing what you just told me. I only hope he finds the help he needs. I¡¯m happy now, being part of the party and near Phil after all these years, and I hope that John finds his happiness one day too.¡±


    Phil gave her a reassuring smile, which caused her eyes to glitter when they met his. He would honestly swear they were sparkling later if anyone asked him. Gaia watched the silent interplay between them with a soft smile of her own.


    ¡°Truly a gentle soul. Speaking of one in love, Rachel, how much do you think your adoration of Phil is a result of your heritage and his effect on that?¡±


    Rachel looked down the table in front of her, her fingers nervously running along the trim as she considered the question. ¡°If I had to be honest, I¡¯d guess most of it. I¡¯ve known Phil a day. The man I¡¯ve gotten to know since he woke up this morning is unfailingly kind and respects everyone around him, but I still know absolutely nothing about him, really. But last night¡­ I have never had anyone have the effect on me that he does. I somehow know that if I¡¯d run into him outside all of this,¡± she gestured around the room and at everyone present, ¡°and explained who and what I was and what I needed, he¡¯d have volunteered to help me out anyway. Not because of my looks or because he¡¯s the type to think with his dick, but because he¡¯d genuinely want to help. That¡¯s the impression I get from him. You can also tell a lot about someone by how they act in bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Phil¡¯s eyebrows, wondering where she was going with this. Gaia winked at him and waved him silent.


    Rachel smiled at him. ¡°Oh yeah. A lot of people out there claim to be selfless lovers, but secretly they¡¯re just waiting for their chance to rush to their own release. Even under the charm effect, your sole objective was to take care of all three of us last night. No matter what someone was doing to you, your focus was on whoever was in front of you. No matter how hard we worked to break the charm, you refused to give in until we were satisfied. Poor Tina was nearly catatonic before I managed to pull you away from her.¡±


    ¡°No complaints from me!¡± Tina chipped in.


    Rachel shook her head and smiled at her friend¡¯s comment. She leaned back in her seat and looked at Phil. ¡°Phil, we know nothing about each other. We just met last night, and I charmed you almost instantly. You have no reason to see me as anything more than a party member and a friend. I may be a succubus, but that doesn¡¯t mean I ignore the emotions of others. I talked it over with Reese and Britt before this meeting started, and I¡¯ve got their approval to see if a relationship is possible. As old fashioned as the saying is, and it may be a bit backwards since it¡¯s usually the guy who does it, but I¡¯d like to court you. Give us time to get to know each other. To see if these feelings are real, or a side effect from you turning me inside out last night.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Phil blinked. ¡°You, uh, certainly have a way with words, you know that?¡± Chuckles could be heard from around the table. Phil looked at Reese and Britt and they both nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s ok with them, then yeah, I¡¯d like that. You¡¯re stuck with me for life anyway, so we may as well make the best of it if we can, right?¡± Rachel¡¯s face lit up, then she quickly looked around, her cheeks a light shade of red as she realized everyone was watching her.


    ¡°Hey! What about me? I¡¯ve known him the longest, you know!¡± Tina suddenly interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a chance to prove myself too?¡± She looked at Britt and Reese, ¡°Or do I get a free pass and a spot on the schedule?¡±


    Gaia raised a hand to resume control of the table. ¡°You may sort out the little details later. Please allow me to finish explaining the bigger picture?¡±


    Tina shut her mouth and sat back but continued raising questioning eyebrows at Reese and Britt who were studiously ignoring her for the moment. To Phil¡¯s surprise, Rose raised her hand.


    ¡°Um, excuse me? He said you pulled Bruce¡¯s soul from his head?¡±


    Gaia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s probably the closest term for what I pulled from him, yes. It was the last piece of the man you once knew. Let me say that again because I know you didn¡¯t get it. It was the last piece of the man you once knew.¡± She waited a couple seconds for it to register, then smiled as Rose¡¯s eyes got wide and jaw dropped. Covering her mouth with her hands she looked back at Phil, who nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± he said. ¡°I got to meet your Bruce. He thanked me for taking care of everyone, even though you guys have taken way more care of me, and he asked me to have patience, because one day you¡¯d be one of my dearest friends and allies.¡±


    She stared at him. ¡°You¡­ you spoke with him? Did he say anything else?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Phil hesitated. There was no way he was going to tell her that he¡¯d sort of given his blessing about a relationship between them. That was not something she needed to hear right now, and he prayed that Gaia knew as much and didn¡¯t spill the beans. She responded to his thoughts by giving him a look that asked, ¡°who do you think I am?¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re missing the point, Rose. Phil killed the monstrosity the Bruce had become. He ¡®caught the dying breath,¡¯ as Reese would put it. That dying breath was all that was left of Bruce, which included the bond you all shared with him. During his time in Phil, that darkness that had taken over his soul was cleansed, allowing the man you loved, still love, to once more be himself.¡±


    What Gaia was trying to say finally clicked. ¡°You healed him?¡± asked Rose.


    ¡°I guess?¡± Phil said uncertainly. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how all this works myself.¡±


    ¡°He killed the monster,¡± said Britt.


    ¡°But saved his soul,¡± said Reese.


    All three women from Bruce¡¯s party stared at Phil in a mix of wonder, adoration, and confusion. Rachel and Tina exchanged glances, not entirely sure what was going on. Phil smiled awkwardly and shrugged as he met everyone¡¯s eyes. Reese¡¯s intense stare captured his attention, which is why he never noticed Rose leaping over the table at him.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°Rose!¡±


    ¡°Phil!¡±


    All the women save Gaia were suddenly on their feet trying to get to the head of the table to help the two. Coming around, they noticed Phil waving his hand for everyone to stop. Rose¡¯s impact with Phil had knocked them and his chair over, and the sight that greeted them was Rose wrapped around Phil planting kisses on his face and tears falling down her face. She planted one last kiss on his lips, then buried her face into his neck.


    ¡°Thank you! Thank you! You saved him! Thank you so much!¡± she said as she cried. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for being a bitch! All this time I hated you for killing him, but you really did save him!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Oh, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Gaia said suddenly, causing everyone who wasn¡¯t pinned to the floor or sobbing into a shoulder to look at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s interesting?¡± asked Britt.


    Gaia shook her head and gave a mysterious smile. ¡°Oh, something just cleared up for me, that¡¯s all. Don¡¯t ask details. A goddess needs her secrets. Now, Phil¡¯s being his usual kind self, but he¡¯s actually in a bit of pain right now.¡± Everyone turned to look at the pair on the ground and they noticed the occasional grimace from him.


    ¡°Phil? You alright?¡± asked Rachel.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said softly so as not to disturb Rose. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. It can wait until she¡¯s ready.¡±


    Tina glanced back at Gaia, who just smiled. Rose sat up quickly, having obviously overheard what was being said right next to her, and switched over to her healer mode. Her eyes glowed as she examined him.


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± she said as the glow left her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Let me heal those for you!¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Reese.


    ¡°Two cracked ribs and a fractured elbow, courtesy of the arm of the chair after Rose torpedoed him to the ground. He didn¡¯t want to say anything and ruin the moment. Such a charmer.¡±


    Phil rolled his eyes. He thanked Rose as she finished, then got to his feet and helped her up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked her.


    Rose nodded, suddenly embarrassed about her display and took her seat again. Everyone else took their seats as well. Once everyone had settled, Phil looked at Gaia.


    ¡°So, is there anything else you would like to tell us?¡±


    Gaia smiled. ¡°Three things, actually. One: When I removed Bruce¡¯s soul from Phil, I also removed the bond that the three of you had with him. That bond was connected to Bruce, and his departure meant a broken connection. Because of the threat from Rose¡¯s possible action, I allowed all five of you to bond with Phil at the same time. I had to put a little extra juice into getting it to work, since three of you were in the wrong position for a bonding ceremony. Hence the crazy ass light show and the unexpected boosted bond that resulted.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so for a period of time today all bonds were broken?¡± asked Phil. ¡°They had the opportunity to leave the party?¡±


    Gaia nodded. ¡°Yes. Since this case is rather unique, at the time I had to let things play out as they did. However, since I didn¡¯t really give any of you three the choice of remaining in the party or not, I¡¯m going to give you a one time deal. If you wish to leave the party, I can release you with no consequences. Does anyone wish to leave?¡±


    Britt and Reese were already shaking their heads before she¡¯d finished talking, which surprised no one. Rose was silent. She stared at Gaia as she absorbed her words. Conscious that all eyes were on her, she turned to Phil, who smiled at her.


    ¡°If you want to leave, I¡¯ll understand. You need to do what¡¯s best for you.¡±


    Rose turned and looked at Gaia. ¡°I want to be released from the party.¡±


    ¡°Rose!¡± Britt and Reese said, stunned. Phil was disappointed but tried not to let it show on his face. He¡¯d hoped she wouldn¡¯t leave but understood why she might not want to stick around while she was trying to come to terms with everything that¡¯s happened in the last 24 hours.


    Gaia smiled. ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Rose returned the smile. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re choosing to leave the party?¡±


    ¡°So that I can rejoin it of my own free will.¡±


    For a couple heartbeats no one said anything.


    ¡°¡°What!?¡±¡± Britt, Reese and Phil all said simultaneously.


    Rose smiled. ¡°It hasn¡¯t occurred to you? Not once have we been given a choice in whether we accept Phil as our party leader or not. He just was. Because of some stupid old law the guild has and a freak set of occurrences. He inherited us from Bruce. We didn¡¯t have a say. She took away that bond and apparently bent the laws of nature and magic to force us to party up again. Not once has anyone ever asked if we want him as a party leader. Those two got the choice,¡± she indicated Rachel and Tina, ¡°and it¡¯s plainly obvious how you two feel about him, but I want to be able to tell people I chose this. I chose him. I know I still have a lot to work on. I am completely messed up in the head. I need help. But I also know that when I get that help, he will support me the entire way. He will support all of us. So, I choose to leave the party, and then rejoin it my way.¡± She looked at Phil. ¡°So I can tell the world that you¡¯re my party leader.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. We¡¯ll take care of that later then. Now, the second thing I want to discuss is Phil¡¯s power. Britt, without orc pride, do you think you could take a punch from an Amazon and not feel it the next day?¡±


    Britt shook her head. ¡°Not at all. Their strength rivals our own.¡±


    ¡°And yet just a couple hours ago an Amazon shattered her wrist and half of her hand on your face and you didn¡¯t even flinch.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Britt shrugged. ¡°I was pretty pissed at the time. She tried to take Phil.¡±


    Gaia smiled, then looked at Rachel. ¡°Rachel, can a succubus charm another of their ilk?¡±


    Rachel shook her head. ¡°Only if they choose to be charmed. Otherwise our charms cancel each other out. We have a saying: You can¡¯t seduce a seducer.¡±


    ¡°But somehow you charmed not just a succubus, and boy was she fun to watch after that, but also an enraged incubus, both against their will. Then a few minutes later you managed to disperse a crowd with just a casual thought about romance. Btw, you saved four marriages and have started in motion six more with that. Good job, cupid.¡±


    Rachel blushed. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Succubae aren¡¯t known for that kind of thing.¡±


    Gaia paused and looked at everyone arrayed around the table. All eyes were on her, waiting to find out what point she was trying to make. ¡°What you may not realize is that Phil¡¯s soul cleanse did more than just help Bruce. It¡¯s helped all of you. For most descendants of the races, the limits on their power are self-imposed. They¡¯re told that this is what they¡¯re capable of, or that they can¡¯t do that. Most of that is a result of generations and generations of forgotten memories and skills. By being bonded with Phil, the barriers to your true powers are being knocked down. The more intimate you are, the faster they fall. Everyone has the capabilities of the pure bloods of old, you¡¯ve just forgotten how to use them and told yourselves you couldn¡¯t. He is cleansing you of many generations¡¯ worth of racial doubt. This is why I asked you all about leaving the party first. I wanted to be sure of your intentions. It¡¯s rare, but sometimes a goddess can judge someone¡¯s character incorrectly.¡±


    ¡°Like your son-in-law, perhaps?¡± offered Phil, earning him a scowl from the blue beauty. Then she sighed in resignation.


    ¡°Ugh. Fine! I¡¯ll give him a fair shot when I meet him, would that make you happy?¡±


    Phil chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not that concerned about it, but it might make your daughter happy.¡± The two were getting confused looks and raised eyebrows from the rest of the table, but they ignored them.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s all I wanted to say. It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m sure Phil and Reese want to get some hardcore cuddling in soon.¡± Both parties blushed at that, but obviously didn¡¯t deny it.


    ¡°Wait!¡± said Tina. ¡°You said there were three things you wanted to tell us. That was only two.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Gaia said, standing to her full height and smiling at Phil¡¯s obvious reaction to seeing her figure again. She spoke as she rubbed her lower belly. ¡°Number three: tonight was a freebie. Next time I visit, I¡¯m leaving with some of your baby batter, Mr. Pure Soul. Seeing all my grandchildren running around Genesis has given me baby fever again for the first time in a few hundred thousand years.¡± She was suddenly right in Phil¡¯s face, her massive chest pressed firmly into his. His eyes were lost in hers as she softly kissed the tip of his nose. ¡°And I can¡¯t possibly think of anyone on this Earth better suited to father my child.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± yelled Reese, jumping to her feet, but Gaia was already gone.


    *


    ¡°So even a goddess can get embarrassed?¡± asked Reese as she crawled into bed with Phil a couple hours later.


    Phil chuckled. ¡°Well, she made a big deal about Rose leaving the party and rejoining it, then popped out before actually doing it. It would¡¯ve been easy enough for her to play it off like she meant to do that but coming back and apologizing for forgetting was sweet. It was kind of¡­¡±


    ¡°Cute?¡± Reese said, smiling wryly. ¡°You can say it. She was. And because of that we girls got to wheedle a deal out of her.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What was that?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not getting your child until we do first.¡±


    Phil rolled to his side and propped his head up on an elbow, looking at her. She was nervously looking down and back to his eyes then back down again. ¡°Britt gave me grief the other day for saying I¡¯d spend the rest of my life with you guys, and you¡¯re jumping to children already. I¡¯m not opposed to the idea of having children, but hasn¡¯t all this seemed incredibly fast? Four months ago we didn¡¯t even know each other. Just a couple of days ago you two confessed your feelings to me, and now we¡¯re talking kids?¡±


    ¡°It just¡­ feels right. At least it does to me and Britt. I¡¯m sure it does to Rachel and Tina as well, even if they¡¯ve agreed to give us time before they officially make their moves on you. Does it not feel the same with you?¡± She met his gaze, a touch of worry in her eyes.


    ¡°Of course it does. I can¡¯t wait to start a family. It feels completely natural, like you two complete me. I honestly don¡¯t know how I feel about Rachel and Tina right now, but if you and Britt are supportive and encouraging them, I¡¯m willing to see where it leads in time. You two are the focus of my love and affection right now though, and I hope they¡¯ll understand that.¡±


    Reese smiled and cuddled in close to Phil, pulling him down to the pillow and kissing him. ¡°They understand. I spoke with them while you and Britt were switching the beds around. Rachel meant what she said earlier about wanting to take her time and win you over properly. Tina, while chomping at the bit, also said she¡¯d wait. She¡¯s been admiring you for years, you know.¡±


    Phil shook his head. ¡°She hardly spoke to me before. Just the occasional shoulder pat when I tipped her well. It¡¯s weird to see her throw herself at me like that. I¡¯m not even used to the idea of dating two women at the same time, and there are already two more waiting in the wings. Is this normal for the races? Typical male fantasies aside, I never imagined myself having a harem.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°If it¡¯s just the term you¡¯re having issues with, then don¡¯t think of it as such. Each of us cares for you in our own way. We¡¯re family. That includes Rose, too, even if she has no desire to share your bed. Thank you for your patience with her, by the way. I know she¡¯s been a royal bitch the last couple days.¡±


    Phil shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s going through a rough time. I can sympathize to an extent. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s more of a rebound from seeing us together?¡±


    Reese nodded. ¡°Yeah. It suddenly struck her that she¡¯d never be able to be like this with the man she loved, and her jealousy kicked over into hatred that you took that from her. Her kissing you tonight was one hell of a shock though.¡±


    Phil smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t read too much into it. I¡¯m not, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll either forget she did it or apologize later. She was just grateful. Um¡­¡± Phil paused, not sure if he should tell her what Bruce had said to him earlier.


    Reese poked his chest. ¡°I know that look. You want to say something, but aren¡¯t sure you should, right? Just say it. I promise not to laugh, cry, get mad, or tell everyone else, depending on what you need to hear to spit it out. Unless you¡¯re going to tell me having Rose throw herself at you like that turned you on, in which case we¡¯re going to have a long talk.¡±


    ¡°Well, I mean, she is pretty hot, you know?¡± he said teasingly.


    Reese growled at him. ¡°Four women and a goddess throwing themselves at you aren¡¯t enough?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding! Don¡¯t hurt me. But it is kind of related to that. Remember when I told you guys that I spoke to Bruce and he said thanks for taking care of all of you, and that I should have some patience with Rose?¡±


    Reese nodded.


    ¡°What I didn¡¯t tell you was that he said something else after that. Something I didn¡¯t think I should share in front of her. He, uh, kind of said that if anything developed between me and her, he was cool with it.¡± Even in the darkened room, Phil could clearly see how wide Reese¡¯s eyes got. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intentions towards that though,¡± he quickly amended.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ probably a good idea if you don¡¯t bring that up. At all. She¡¯s fragile right now. She may see that as him rejecting her, or, in a slightly more terrifying prospect, she may take his word as gospel and commit to you in an obsessive manner. If that happens, the rest of us will have hell getting time with you. Speaking of which, that¡¯s enough talk. I¡¯m getting tired and want to play around a bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Phil asked. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Reese nodded. ¡°Not all the way though. Not yet. But I did remember something from last time though.¡± She smiled. He raised an eyebrow and waited for her to go on. ¡°I was fine until I touched you directly.¡±


    He stared at her in confusion. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    She leaned in close to him, like she was trying to keep a secret between them. ¡°Want to see how far we can get with our clothes on?¡±

 Chapter 22

    Britt was just about to knock on Phil¡¯s door to get him and Reese up when it opened and Reese practically skipped out of the room, a big silly grin on her face. Britt glanced inside and saw Phil sprawled out on the bed face first. He was still wearing his sweat pants, but his shirt was off, and his back was covered in scratch marks. Britt instantly snagged Reese¡¯s arm as she skipped passed and answered the silly grin with a questioning look of her own.


    ¡°Let him sleep a bit longer. He earned it. A few times.¡± She giggled and got a dreamy look on her face.


    ¡°Did you!?¡± Britt asked, shocked, but Reese shook her head.


    ¡°Nope. Well, kinda? We did, but we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck does that even mean?¡± Britt asked, completely confused.


    Reese smiled and leaned in close. ¡°Apparently I¡¯m ok as long as it¡¯s not skin to skin.¡±


    Britt turned that over in her mind for a second before, ¡°With your clothes on?¡±


    ¡°Just like high school all over again!¡±


    Britt scoffed. ¡°Speak for yourself, goody goody.¡±


    A mock look of shock crossed Reese¡¯s face. ¡°Miss Hughes! Scandalous!¡± She laughed at her own wit, then looked down at herself. ¡°I¡¯m going to shower and change. I reek of sex, which is funny since I didn¡¯t actually have any. Should probably do some laundry too.¡± Britt wrinkled her nose, realizing that her friend did indeed smell like someone who had spent the night fucking. A lot. Releasing Reese¡¯s arm, she watched the woman strut to her room, giggling and sighing as she went.


    ¡°Good for you,¡± she said to the blonde woman¡¯s retreating back with a smile. Rose chose that moment step out of her room and also caught a whiff of Reese as she went past. Staring at Reese until she entered her room, Rose slowly turned and looked back at Britt, eyes wide. She quickly made her way to where Britt was still standing at Phil¡¯s open door.


    ¡°Did she¡­!?¡±


    ¡°Kinda?¡± Britt answered, unsure how to say it. She gestured at the still sleeping form that was drooling into his pillow. ¡°They didn¡¯t actually fuck, but whatever they did was apparently still one hell of a workout.¡±


    Rose brought her hands to her mouth. ¡°Oh my god, his back!¡± she whispered loudly. ¡°Should I heal him?¡±


    Britt thought about it, then shook her head. ¡°Nah. Only if he asks. Let him bear the wounds with pride until then.¡± She chuckled to herself. ¡°If he got that reaction out of her fully clothed, imagine what she¡¯ll do to him once she lets him in.¡±


    Rose gave her an odd look but didn¡¯t say anything. She just nodded slowly and started for the stairs.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Britt called after her. ¡°If you¡¯re getting started on breakfast, no more pancakes!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I love pancakes,¡± Tina said as she stepped out of Phil¡¯s old room. Her hair looked like a rat¡¯s nest and she was still yawning as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.


    Britt closed Phil¡¯s door and speed walked over to Tina. Grabbing her by the shoulders she turned her around and guided her back to the room. ¡°You could at least remember to put shorts on or something!¡±


    Tina looked at her in sleepy confusion for a second, then looked down. She chuckled tiredly as she realized she was only wearing a t-shirt that fell to her navel. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m used to being in an apartment by myself.¡± She closed the door as Britt was shaking her head.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive her. She¡¯s been like that as long as I¡¯ve known her. Always wakes up wearing less than what she went to bed with.¡± Britt turned to see Rachel step out of her new room, ready for the day to begin dressed in flattering jeans and a plain white shirt both hugging her figure perfectly. Britt admired the view for a second, then shook her head.


    You¡¯re with Phil now! No thinking like that! Well, maybe just a little, but NO acting on it! GodDAMN those are some long legs! She must have been staring more obviously than she thought, because she caught Rachel smiling at her, purple eyes twinkling. Feeling her cheeks heat up a bit, she tried to deflect the attention.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re up and ready to start the day. We still need to write up our reports of last night¡¯s incident and report to the guild. I think I¡¯ll hold off on making Phil train today.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I was under the impression you were pretty strict about that.¡±


    ¡°I am, but after last night, I think he¡¯s earned an easy morning.¡± Britt herself wasn¡¯t sure if she was referring to the incident at the pizza place or him making Reese dance this morning, but either way, she¡¯d go easy on him today. ¡°Tomorrow though, you and Tina will join us. I¡¯d like to get an idea of what you guys can do so we can work out party tactics and the like. You¡¯re on the team now, so get used to busy mornings.¡±


    Rachel beamed at her. ¡°I love mornings. Tina, on the other hand, I can guarantee hasn¡¯t seen a sunrise in at least a decade. Have fun with that.¡± She laughed as she left Britt standing there, making her way downstairs to help Rose with breakfast.


    Shaking her head, Britt started heading for her room. Figuring if she wasn¡¯t going to train today, she may as well get dressed instead of hanging out in her workout clothes. Phil may enjoy staring at her in leggings and a sports bra, but she really did prefer jeans and t-shirt. As she opened her door, Phil¡¯s door burst open behind her and she saw him trying put on one shoe while hopping. He was already in his gym shorts and a t-shirt.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Britt! I didn¡¯t mean to sleep in like that. Reese¡­ uh,¡± he broke off, blushing.


    Britt smiled and stepped over to him. Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him. ¡°Morning. No training today.¡±


    He dropped his shoe and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Oh, thank the goddess. I am too fucking sore and tired! Yesterday wiped me out.¡±


    She chuckled, then gave his back a couple good smacks, silently enjoying his flinch as she found the scratch marks Reese had left. Then she draped her arms over his shoulders and leaned back in his arms a bit to see his face. ¡°Yesterday wiped you out? Or was it Reese?¡± He blushed.


    ¡°Um¡­ Reese,¡± he said, a tiny smile playing across his lips. She laughed, then leaned in and kissed him deeply.


    ¡°Mmmm,¡± she moaned into his mouth before breaking off. ¡°You¡¯ll have to show me what you did tonight. It¡¯s my turn, and goddammit I¡¯m going to get my night with you, since I was robbed last time.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You know I remember everything from that night now, right? As I recall, you were anything but robbed. But don¡¯t worry, even if I have to fight off the gods themselves, it will be just us tonight.¡±


    She grinned, kissed him again, then pushed him away. ¡°You and me both, buddy. Now go take a shower. You smell like Reese.¡±


    *


    The party all met up for breakfast about thirty minutes later and ate in awkward silence. Phil was conspicuously not leaning back in his chair as he usually did, flinching every time he forgot, causing Reese and Britt share amused glances throughout the meal. Rose was keeping her distance from Phil, but everyone noted that she¡¯d given him larger portions than everyone else. Rachel spent as much time observing the silent interplay of the original four members as she did eating, while Tina happily stuffed her face, either oblivious to or not caring about what was happening around her.


    After breakfast Reese worked with Phil, Rachel, and Tina on their reports about what happened the previous evening, since they¡¯d never written one before. Phil was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea that both of his main worries had pretty much fallen in to their laps. The assigned quest that Jack had asked them to look into, and the nagging worry that Chuck was out there somewhere plotting his murder. He was actually more surprised that Chuck had been angrier at Tina than himself, but after thinking about it, he realized he shouldn¡¯t have been. With Phil, Chuck¡¯s plans to kill him came across as a standard bad guy needs to kill the good guy thing. With Tina, her actions had directly affected Chuck forcing him into working with the succubus pair that had been killing men for the last year. If they were the guilty party that is. It had occurred to Phil that they never actually discovered if the women were involved with all of that. They¡¯d just been involved with Chuck and his attack the night before, but Phil had a good feeling about it. What were the odds that there were more succubae out there killing people?


    Reports written up, they all grabbed a quick lunch, then made their way to the guild hall. As they made their way to the quest counter before security, Phil couldn¡¯t help but feel both like a badass and a bit embarrassed at the looks he was receiving as his party made their way across the lobby. Who wouldn¡¯t with five gorgeous women standing tall as they walked behind them?


    From what the girls had told him, most parties were evenly split with an equal number of men and women, which made sense. Women tended to be more proficient with healing and magecraft, whereas the men were more prone to excel at brute force and damage dealing. This wasn¡¯t always the case, obviously, but it¡¯s generally how it played out. There were few examples of all male and all female parties out there, and even a couple here and there that were built around a relationship with one member, leading to harem and reverse harem builds. All of these examples had frustrated the guild in their efforts to prevent relationships from forming within the party, but Phil had always thought that was a stupid idea to begin with. You can¡¯t expect people who put their lives on the line for each other to not develop strong feelings for each other.


    Even given that there was no set standard on how a party was built, Phil¡¯s party still stood out. Considerably so. Six members instead of the usual four. A tank, a mage, a healer, but no dedicated damage dealer and two extra members whose roles had yet to be firmly established. On top of that, his party members were all achingly beautiful. Phil couldn¡¯t help but notice how many eyes were trained past him and on a particular Asian beauty. In fact, now that he looked around, it seemed that everyone in the guild had stopped what they were doing and were just staring. Everyone.


    ¡°Hey, Rachel,¡± he said quietly as he looked around the lobby. ¡°You¡¯re not doing that passive charm thing again, are you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± came her voice, unexpectedly close to his ear. ¡°This kind of happens everywhere I go. Something you¡¯re going to have to get used to, I¡¯m afraid.¡± He glanced over and saw her wink. ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. They can admire the merchandise, but only one man here can take it for a test drive.¡±


    Britt rolled her eyes as Phil blushed. ¡°Back of the line, lover girl. You promised to give it time. Today¡¯s my day anyway.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°Of course, Brittany. It doesn¡¯t hurt to remind him I¡¯m willing and able though.¡±


    Britt smirked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s well aware. It¡¯s been two days since you¡¯ve met. He¡¯s not likely to forget that quickly. Now get the fine ass back there. You¡¯re stealing my time.¡±


    Rachel smiled and shot Britt a wink but fell in next to Tina where the two started whispering and giggling. Phil shook his head as they finally approached the counter. After waiting a couple seconds for the woman to acknowledge him, he finally grunted and waved a hand in front of her face. That seemed to snap her attention away from the succubus, and she reluctantly looked Phil¡¯s way with a fake smile plastered on her face.


    ¡°What can I do for you, Mr. Thomas?¡± she asked woodenly.


    Phil blinked in surprise. ¡°You know who I am?¡±


    ¡°Everyone in the guild knows who you are, Mr. Thomas,¡± she answered, sounding like she was relaying the most obvious information in the world. ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ right. We¡¯re here to submit our reports of last night¡¯s incident and follow up on the status of the quest.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    The woman nodded and started typing something into her computer terminal. She raised an eyebrow and typed a bit more. Frowning at the computer, she reached for a nearby phone.


    ¡°Ron? Hey, it¡¯s Anne at the front desk. Good, thank you. I¡¯ve got Mr. Thomas and party here with me and¡­ oh. Ok. Thank you.¡± Hanging up the phone, she looked at Phil. ¡°Ok, the quest has been marked completed, but the reward is being withheld. My supervisor is on his way out now to explain. If you and your party could just take a seat over in the waiting area, please?¡± She indicated the uncomfortable looking seats the plagued airports across the world behind them.


    Raising an eyebrow but nodding, Phil turned around and shrugged at the confused looks he was receiving from everyone. ¡°I guess we should grab a seat.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going?¡± asked Reese as they made their way over to the waiting area.


    ¡°She said the quest was complete, but they¡¯re withholding the reward for some reason. Someone¡¯s on their way out to meet us to explain, I guess.¡±


    Reese frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that before. When a quest is completed, the reward is automatically given.¡±


    They waited in the uncomfortable seats for a few minutes, trading theories as to what the hold up was. Soon they heard a clatter come from security and saw an older gentleman apologizing to the guards and picking up the stanchions for the lane dividers he¡¯d knocked over. His face was reddened, his salt and pepper hair was out of place, and he was breathing rapidly. Apparently he¡¯d hurried down here and collided with the retractable belts that divided the lanes for security. Getting them sorted out, he straightened up, fixed his suit coat, and tried to brush his hair back in place with his hands as he turned and made his way towards Phil and his party. Phil exchanged glances with Reese and Britt as they all stood to greet him.


    ¡°Mr. Thomas. Pleasure to meet you. I¡¯m Ron Coalson, from the rewards department.¡± He held out his hand and Phil took it, instantly regretting the choice as he felt the sweat and remnants of hair product in his grip. Coalson didn¡¯t notice at all as he surveyed the women around Phil. ¡°So the rumors were true¡­¡± the older man muttered in awe.


    ¡°Rumors, Mr. Coalson?¡± Reese asked, a sharp tone in her voice to let him know they¡¯d all heard him. Coalson jumped slightly at having been called out, but smiled and released his grip on Phil¡¯s hand, much to his relief.


    Hoping to keep the act subtle, Phil stood with his hands behind his back and tried to wipe it off on the seat of his pants. He didn¡¯t notice Tina hand a couple tissues to Rose, who was standing right behind him. Rose¡¯s eyes went wide for a second but stepped closer and did her best to wipe the shiny hand clean without drawing attention to what she was doing. She nodded stiffly when he gave a grateful look over his shoulder and then stepped back.


    ¡°Ah. Sorry about that,¡± Coalson said. ¡°Obviously you¡¯d like to know why you haven¡¯t received the reward yet, correct?¡± Everyone nodded. ¡°Right, well, we managed to get one party to confess to the murders.¡± He pulled out a notepad to check something. ¡°Lily, no last name. She said that her and the other one, Felicity, were responsible for the murders, and that Chuck Brown was their accomplice for the last couple months by providing them with a safe haven and alibis. They in turn shared their ¡®loot,¡¯ as it were, with him.¡±


    Phil nodded. That all made sense, given what Chuck had been raging about when the subject of Tina had been brought up.


    ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain the lack of reward though,¡± said Britt. ¡°Whether the culprits had landed in our laps like they did or not, we still secured them and turned them in to custody.¡±


    Coalson nodded. ¡°Right, well, that¡¯s not the issue. The issue is that we haven¡¯t been able to interrogate the other suspects yet.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Phil.


    ¡°They¡¯re, uh, still indisposed.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± asked Tina. She turned to Rachel. ¡°Just how much did you hit them with?¡±


    Even Rachel looked surprised. ¡°I hit them with a full charm, but I guess I had a bit more power than I usually do.¡±


    Reese chuckled. ¡°A bit? It¡¯s been well over twelve hours since they started. That¡¯s got to be taking a toll.¡±


    Coalson nodded somberly. ¡°It is, actually. In addition to dehydration and muscle fatigue, we¡¯ve been forced to have healers on hand to reduce the damage from too much¡­ friction.¡± He seemed uneasy going into further detail around the women, which proved that he didn¡¯t know them at all. Britt fixed that for him though.


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re fucking each other raw?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± he said. ¡°Until we can get anything coherent out of them in terms of a defense or confession, we¡¯re hesitant to fully close out the quest as completed and issue rewards.¡±


    Phil turned to Rachel. ¡°Anything you can do to help? You¡¯ve said your control is better than it¡¯s ever been, right? Maybe you could turn it off or something?¡± The woman thought about it, then shrugged.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt to try.¡±


    Phil turned to Coalson. ¡°Mr. Coalson, could you take us to where they¡¯re at? Maybe we can help.¡±


    Coalson shrugged. ¡°Why not? If it doesn¡¯t work, then we can just continue to wait.¡±


    Tina stepped forward. ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯d rather not see that man again. I¡¯ll just hang out here, if that¡¯s ok.¡±


    Rose and Reese both nodded and joined her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick around here too,¡± said Rose.


    ¡°Come on, girls. We can hit up the coffee shop while they take care of this. Britt?¡± asked Reese.


    Britt shook her head though. ¡°Nope. It¡¯s my day, and I¡¯m not leaving Phil alone with a succubus as they go into a sexually charged room. No offense, Rachel.¡±


    Rachel smiled. ¡°None taken, sweetheart. Shall we?¡±


    With nods all around, the party split up. The girls headed off to find the coffee shop, while Phil, Britt, and Rachel accompanied Mr. Coalson through security into the holding area. Making their way through the concourse, he led them to a service door. After enough twists and turns that Phil was convinced he¡¯d never find his way out again on his own, they took an elevator down. Once it indicated -10, the elevator came a stop.


    ¡°We¡¯re ten floors underground?¡± Phil asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Coalson. ¡°This is our holding area. The guild actually runs much deeper, but anything below this is classified, so I can¡¯t tell you about it.¡±


    Britt raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve got a holding area above a classified area? That doesn¡¯t seem like a tremendous security flaw to you? What if someone escapes and heads down?¡±


    Coalson smirked at the redhead. ¡°I assure you, Miss Hughes, if that were to happen, the only ones who¡¯d suffer because of the security breach would be the ones who did it. Follow me, please. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Rachel, Britt, and Phil exchanged glances, then followed the man. They made their way down a hall with empty holding cells to their right and a mirrored wall to their left, undoubtedly hiding security personnel and monitoring equipment, since no cameras or guards were present in the hall. Outside the last cell was a tired looking woman who barely managed a wave for Coalson as they approached.


    ¡°Hey, Ron,¡± she said wearily.


    ¡°Jess. Any change?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Not really. He¡¯s asleep again, but still going at it. She seems to be getting frustrated at him.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep?¡± Phil asked and stepped up to see.


    ¡°Wai- oh¡­¡± Jess tried to stop Phil from looking, but it was too late. He¡¯d already stepped forward and looked into the cell through the thick glass.


    Britt¡¯s worry about Rachel and him being influenced by a sexually charged nature was definitely a misplaced worry. The two were clearly just going through the motions at this point. Still under the charm, but physically too exhausted by this point to actually seem to care. Phil wasn¡¯t quite sure how he managed it, but Chuck was behind Felicity on the bunk, mechanically thrusting into her, and he was indeed sound asleep. His head was drooped forward, drool was falling from his lips on to her back, and he was snoring. Felicity herself had her head propped up on one elbow while her hand was mindlessly playing between her legs. Every now and then she gave a shudder and a whimpering moan, but that was it. Phil remembered her being fairly attractive and lively the night before, despite her flippant attitude towards everything, but now she was just a zombie going through the motions.


    ¡°Fuck me¡­¡± Britt breathed coming up next to him. He raised an eyebrow at her, earning him an apologetic shrug.


    ¡°They¡¯ve really been going nonstop since you brought them here?¡± asked Rachel.


    Jess and Coalman both nodded.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t even stop when they needed to, um, relieve themselves,¡± said Jess, shuddering at the memory. ¡°We just turned on the fire sprinklers in there to clean them up. I¡¯ve had to heal them a couple times since I came on shift because they¡¯ve literally rubbed themselves till they were bleeding.¡±


    Phil watched the pair for a couple seconds, then turned to Rachel. ¡°Think you could help them? Despite what they¡¯ve done to others, this is way beyond cruel and unusual, no matter how fitting it may be.¡±


    Britt moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. ¡°Knew there was a reason I loved you. These two would kill you as easily as looking at you, and you still want to show them mercy.¡± Phil smiled and kissed her cheek, earning raised eyebrows from Jess and Coalman, but he ignored them.


    Rachel was watching the pair, her eyes glowing a bit. Jess had apparently not received the memo that a succubus was now a guild member and freaked out.


    ¡°What are you doing!? They¡¯re already charmed! You could kill them if you do it again!¡±


    ¡°Quiet, please, this is taking a lot more concentration than I thought it would,¡± she softly reprimanded the healer. ¡°I can see the flow of the charm within them. This is amazing.¡±


    ¡°You can see it?¡± asked Phil. ¡°Is that new or something?¡±


    Rachel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to do this before. To be quite honest, it¡¯s never even occurred to me to try. I know why they¡¯re still going though.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Coalson said.


    ¡°Their own powers have kept it alive. Watch, the original charm wore off, but their instincts have kept them charming each other over and over again for some reason. Probably due to their exhaustion.¡±


    As she said that, they saw Felicity¡¯s eyes flash briefly. Phil panicked briefly, but Coalson waved the reaction off.


    ¡°Mirrored glass, son. Their charm only affects what they can see, and that¡¯s just each other.¡±


    Rachel shook her head and blinked a couple times. ¡°They¡¯ll probably finish up soon. Since he¡¯s asleep, that last charm of hers didn¡¯t take. She doesn¡¯t even have the juice to fire it off again.¡±


    The group watched them for a couple more minutes. Phil was morbidly fascinated. He felt like a voyeur but couldn¡¯t bring himself to look away. It didn¡¯t hurt that Felicity was attractive, even in her current zombified state. He knew he should feel uncomfortable watching this, but aside from the physical appreciation of the trim blonde woman, it was mostly clinical. Sure enough, Rachel¡¯s prediction came true. Felicity fell asleep just as Chuck started twitching behind her. After a couple weak spasms, he fell to the side, pulling out of her and falling completely off the bunk. Phil winced as the other man¡¯s head bounced off the concrete floor.


    ¡°Hm. Guess Tina wasn¡¯t lying about him,¡± said Rachel.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Britt scoffed. ¡°He still comes up short. We definitely got the better end of the deal.¡± She patted the front of Phil¡¯s jeans appreciatively. Rachel glanced over and the two women shared a smile.


    ¡°Yes we did, sister.¡±


    Coalson cleared his throat. ¡°Well then, I guess we didn¡¯t need your assistance after all. Let¡¯s leave this to the guards to separate them in to different cells and rest up while the healers do their thing. I¡¯ll escort you all back upstairs and notify you when your reward is approved.¡± He stepped past the trio and waved for them to follow him.


    The elevator ride back up felt awkward to Phil. Coalson kept glancing between three of them, clearly wanting to ask something, but not quite having the guts to do so. It was clearly irritating Britt, but Phil gave her hand a squeeze to keep her calm. Upon exiting the elevator, Coalson shot out the door like a bullet and quickly led them back through the maze to get back to the concourse. He got a call on his phone as they were walking and suddenly came to a stop. After a brief conversation with whoever was on the other end, he turned to them and said ¡°change of plans¡± before turning and walking back the way they came and down another hall. Confused, the trio followed him.


    They finally reached a door and Coalson opened it up for them, waving them in ahead of them. Inside they were greeted by Reese, Rose, and Tina.


    ¡°Phil!¡± Reese said with a smile, getting to her feet from the conference table they were sitting at. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°No idea,¡± Phil said, shaking his head. ¡°We just followed Mr. Coalson.¡±


    ¡°Please, have a seat,¡± Coalson said. ¡°Jack will be here momentarily.¡±


    No less confused, Phil and the women all took seats around the table. Phil almost took the head of the table out of habit, but quickly remembered this wasn¡¯t their house and sat off to the side. The coffee trio told them about being summoned from the shop and escorted to the room, and Britt relayed how the charmed duo had finally fucked each other beyond exhaustion, even slapping the table to try to recreate the sound of Chuck¡¯s head bouncing off the floor. Phil just shook his head as Tina giggled at the mental image.


    ¡°Phil!¡± Jack said a touch too loudly as he barreled through the door and took a seat at the head of the table. ¡°And ladies! My congratulations! Your first quest completed as a team. Have you received the reward yet? It¡¯s quite nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Uh, actually, sir, we haven¡¯t authorized payment yet,¡± Coalson said from the doorway.


    ¡°Why the fuck not, Ron? They completed the quest, they get paid. That¡¯s how it works.¡±


    Coalson started shuffling from one foot to the other. ¡°Um, we haven¡¯t had a chance to interrogate the other two suspects, sir. They only recently just¡­ finished.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve got Lily¡¯s testimony, don¡¯t we?¡± Jack actually looked a little pissed.


    ¡°But no confirmation that the other woman is a culprit as well, or what the gentleman¡¯s role in all that was.¡±


    Tina scoffed. ¡°That man is hardly a gentleman.¡±


    Jack nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Quite right. I know what he did to Phil and what he attempted to do to the lovely Miss Campbell here. Right in front of her man, no less. Despicable. Fine! Fine, Ron, I¡¯ll meet you halfway. Authorize half the reward for now. We¡¯ve got one confession. If we can get another, we¡¯ll get them the other half, as well as a bonus for the incubus.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± Coalson began.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a request, Ron,¡± Jack gritted out through his teeth.


    ¡°Yes, sir! I¡¯ll take care of it right now!¡± Coalson all but fled the room.


    Jack slumped back in the seat. ¡°Fucking finally. That guy needs to relax. It¡¯s not like the money is coming out of his own pocket or anything.¡±


    ¡°Jack,¡± Phil asked hesitantly. ¡°You wanted to speak with us? I was kind of hoping to turn in our reports, collect our reward, and then take the rest of the day off. Last night was a bit exhausting.¡± He pretended not to notice Britt and Reese share a glance and smirk.


    ¡°Completely understandable, and I¡¯ll let you all go shortly. I just had something to talk to you about and an offer.¡±


    ¡°Another quest?¡± Phil asked warily.


    Jack shrugged. ¡°You could look at it like that, I guess. I read your report about last night. Very well done holding your emotions in check. I can¡¯t promise I wouldn¡¯t have done something stupid after hearing what you did about your old high school crush. Her family¡¯s being compensated by the way. We¡¯re going to use the old ¡®recently discovered life insurance policy¡¯ trick. They¡¯ll never want for anything again.¡±


    Phil smiled appreciatively. ¡°Thank you, Jack. That means a lot.¡±


    Jack leaned forward. ¡°I also received a visitor last night as well. You may be familiar with her? Tall, redhead, green eyes, tits for days?¡±


    Phil facepalmed. ¡°She didn¡¯t happen to have unusually colored skin, did she? Sky blue, perhaps?¡±


    Jack smiled. ¡°Indeed. She told me some wonderful things, Phil. You, my friend, are truly blessed, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Phil slumped in his seat. ¡°What do you want, Jack?¡±


    Jack smiled and pressed a button on the desk. Everyone heard the door buzz and looked towards it. The door opened revealing a large man in a security guard uniform. Before him was one angry looking woman with dark skin, brown eyes, and hands cuffed in front of her. Lily sneered at Britt as she was forcefully sat down by the guard at the foot of the table.


    ¡°I want to test your Soul Cleanse, Phil.¡±

 Sorry

    Just logging on quickly to let everyone know I''m still alive. I was laid off at work and after moving halfway around the world back to Texas, I''m currently job hunting. I can''t justify to myself taking the time to indulge in the joy of writing as a hobby when there are bills that need to be paid. I hope you all can show me a bit more patience while I get things sorted. While I may not be the best at it, I do hope to continue bringing you the further adventures of Phil in this story and John in the other. I¡¯m not sure when that¡¯ll happen, but when I return, I promise to do so with shock and awe. Ok, maybe not that extreme, but if you happen to think ¡°Oh, he¡¯s back¡± with a grin when next I show up on the Update screen, then that¡¯ll be enough for me. Until then, please continue to support the other authors here and feel free to give it a try yourself.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    MZ

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± objected Reese.


    ¡°Not just no, but hell no!¡± yelled Britt.


    Their objections were met with agreeing nods from Rachel and Tina. Rose, on the other hand, raised her hand.


    ¡°Before I add my objections, what exactly do you mean? She¡¯s a murderer, after all, and none of us would like her anywhere near Philip if we can help it.¡±


    Phil couldn¡¯t help but nod along with Rose¡¯s statement. He was curious what Jack meant as well but wasn¡¯t eager to get anywhere near the angry succubus. He quickly glanced at Lily, then looked away. There was a lot of rage in those eyes. Wait, her eyes¡­


    ¡°Uh, Jack? Should we allow her to have her eyes uncovered? There¡¯s nothing to stop us from being charmed by her.¡±


    Jack waved off his concerns. ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯ve got a succubus of your own that¡¯s more than capable of countering the charm, and an orc who can discipline her as needed if she tries.¡±


    ¡°Discipline, my ass,¡± snorted Britt. ¡°I see so much as a twinkle in those eyes I¡¯m ripping them out of her head.¡±


    Phil chuckled. ¡°Need some new earrings?¡± Britt smirked at him but didn¡¯t say anything. Leaning forward, he placed his elbows on the table and focused on Jack again. ¡°What did you have in mind, Jack? I¡¯ll make no promises about whether I accept it or not, but I am curious.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not moving in with us, before you even suggest it,¡± said Reese.


    ¡°Plan B, then,¡± said Jack with a shrug. ¡°I¡¯d like you to hire her on for housekeeping duties.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, could you say that again? I think I misheard you,¡± said Tina. ¡°Housekeeping duties, did you say?¡±


    Jack nodded. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said, Miss Hart. I had hoped for her to reside at the estate with you as a live-in maid and see if Mr. Thomas¡¯ ability could rehabilitate our gluttonous friend here.¡±


    ¡°Gluttonous!? Who are you calling gluttonous, you pompous windbag?¡± Lily snarled from her seat.


    ¡°You, Miss Lily. Your lack of self-control is what got you into this position to begin with. If you and your friend had better discipline, you could¡¯ve easily lived normal lives like Miss Warren here. Instead you two chose to pig out once a month. While I applaud your decision to limit yourselves, we both know that was only because you knew you¡¯d get caught sooner if you ate hearty as much as you wanted. Nevertheless, because you wanted a ¡®cheat day?¡¯ Is that what you athletes call it? Anyway, because you wanted your cheat day, ten men are now dead that we know about, in addition to your attempt to add Mr. Thomas to their ranks.¡± Jack fixed her with a steely look. ¡°Be thankful the attempt last night failed. Had you succeeded in your attempt, I do believe Miss Hughes here would¡¯ve made short work of you once she¡¯d caught you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have removed her ribcage through her asshole,¡± said Britt. ¡°I still might.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t have you doing that, I¡¯m afraid. So, what do you think, Phil? I¡¯m sure you want to know the extent of your abilities as well, correct?¡±


    Phil stared at the table in front of him and thought about it before answering. He still didn¡¯t actually know how it worked. Was it a physical proximity thing, or was it an emotional proximity? He¡¯d been living with Rose for over four months now, and her anger over what had happened to Bruce had only gotten worse before it boiled over in the last couple days. That didn¡¯t fit with the whole cleansing of the soul he had imagined, unless it was like trying to beat a fever by wrapping yourself up in blankets. Phil didn¡¯t think that likely though. Gaia had said that the skill had formed based off his own personality and caring nature, and somehow causing someone to suffer before they got better wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d ever want.


    His time with Reese and Britt were different, however. They¡¯d held no grudges against him. He¡¯d worked and trained closely with both every day for months. Sure, Reese had invaded his personal space frequently as she¡¯d teased him constantly, and training with Britt in hand to hand combat had led to both of them always being very much within each other¡¯s personal bubbles, but Phil didn¡¯t think that had anything to do with their changes towards him. They¡¯d bonded as people. Reese had come to trust him enough to tell him of her past. Britt had gradually shifted from trying to see how much damage he could take to seeing how much damage he could deflect, with the occasional joke thrown in at his expense. Then both of them had apparently fallen in love with him, which had been a huge shock and relief to him, as he¡¯d long had feelings for both of them. Rose had always kept her distance from him emotionally though. She cared and had been friendly, but they hadn¡¯t bonded the way the others had. Phil shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think simply being around me is enough,¡± he eventually said. ¡°I think there¡¯s an emotional element to it as well. If there¡¯s no connection between us, I don¡¯t imagine there¡¯d be any effect. It also doesn¡¯t erase the fact that she¡¯s killed almost a dozen men that we know about. If I were to, uh, rehabilitate her, what would happen then? Sure, she might be in a position to feel remorse for her actions, but that would be little consolation to the families of those she and her friend killed.¡± Phil shook his head. ¡°Sorry, Jack, but I don¡¯t see this working out the way you want to.¡±


    Jack visibly sagged in his chair. ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured you¡¯d say something like that.¡± He sighed. ¡°And you¡¯re right, of course. She¡¯d still have to face some form of justice or retribution for her actions afterwards, regardless of the success or failure of the plan. If anything, it may actually be crueler to cleanse her beforehand.¡± Jack chuckled to himself. The woman in question seemed to have an opinion on the proceedings as well.


    ¡°What makes you think I¡¯d even agree to this brainwashing, anyway? I did what I did. If you¡¯re gonna kill me, then fucking kill me already. If you ain¡¯t, then can I go back to my cell? Why¡¯d you even bring me here?¡± Lily had kicked herself back in the chair, her feet propped up on the table, legs crossed at the ankles as she examined the metal cuffs around her wrists. She gave a couple experimental yanks before dropping her hands into her lap. Naturally the guild had means of securing the likes of Amazons and Orcs. Mithril handcuffs weren¡¯t cheap by far, but a necessary expense.


    Brittany glanced back and forth between Jack and Phil, clearly ready to oblige the woman¡¯s request, but Jack just shook his head. She slumped back in her seat, folded her arms across her chest and gave a grunt. Phil nearly chuckled at the redhead¡¯s act but managed to keep his face passive. This was a serious issue, after all.


    ¡°It was less about what you would agree to and more about how best to make use of Phil¡¯s intriguing ability. I do realize how selfish this sounds, but the idea of being able to rehabilitate those who¡¯ve strayed from the path is one we shouldn¡¯t overlook. Ah well.¡± He tossed his hands up in resignation, then waved one of them at the guard standing behind Lily. ¡°Go ahead and take her back to her cell. Once the other two have recovered we¡¯ll put them before the council for judgement.¡±


    The guard nodded, then heaved Lily to her feet with a massive hand clamped around her arm and escorted her out of the room. Apologizing for the inconvenience, Jack also stood and departed the room, leaving Phil and the five women alone. For a couple minutes after he left, Phil kept staring at the door. The girls exchanged glances with each other as he sat in silence, silently asking each other what was wrong with him. Reese finally gave a minute shrug and leaned over to Phil.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Phil said distractedly. ¡°Oh, yeah. Was just wondering if Jack remembered that none of us know how to get out of here without an escort, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Reese stared at him in wonder for a second, then started laughing. Like a switch had been flipped, the other women started laughing as well. Phil stared in shock as looks of relief washed over all of them, Brittany and Rachel laughing so hard their eyes were tearing up. He raised an eyebrow and turned back to Reese.


    ¡°Am I missing something?¡±


    She raised a hand to stall for time as she tried to get her laughter under control. Calming down, she took a breath and turned serious. ¡°We were worried about you. You do understand the full implications of what Jack said about it being cruel to cleanse her first, right?¡±


    Phil nodded, noticing everyone sobering up quickly at Reese¡¯s words. ¡°Naturally. The scope of their crimes really only leaves one option per the Guild charter. If the choice were given, no one would actually want to send someone who was truly remorseful for their crimes to their death.¡± Heads nodded in agreement around the table.


    ¡°But Chuck¡­¡± started Tina, surprising Phil. She was the last person he¡¯d expected to bring that name up.


    ¡°Has done far more than what I told you guys about. Believe me, I left a lot out.¡± Phil shook his head. ¡°I know I¡¯m supposed to be the caring and compassionate one, but trust me, the world is a better place without him in it. He¡¯s earned it, if only for Jenny¡¯s sake. Wait, is that why you guys were worried about me? Because those three are going to get the chair or whatever it is the Guild does for capital punishment?¡±


    Heads nodded, and Phil chuckled. ¡°I know you all see me as the kind and generous type, and I do try to be, but even I¡¯m disgusted by what they did. Death is too kind for them. People suffered because of their selfishness. People died. There¡¯s a part of me that sees the appeal of the ¡®eye for an eye¡¯ punishment system.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Rose¡¯s eyes went wide, then narrowed a little. ¡°That¡¯s why you suggested throwing those two in to the same truck together? Philip¡­¡± she trailed off, her tone full of disapproval.


    Phil waved his hands at her. ¡°No! I honestly had no idea it would get to the point that it did. I mean, come on! Even Rachel was surprised they were still going at it, right Rachel?¡±


    Rachel bobbed her head back and forth noncommittally. ¡°I figured it was going to take a while for the charm to wear off, I just hadn¡¯t anticipated them charming each other into exhaustion like they did. I do think it was the right idea to have them work it off on each other though. It wouldn¡¯t have been safe for anyone else to be on the receiving ends of their, uh, affections.¡±


    Rose glared at Phil a couple seconds longer, then relaxed her gaze. ¡°Sorry. I know you¡¯re not the kind of guy who¡¯d inflict needless suffering even on your enemies. I¡¯m just surprised you seem so indifferent. I know I shouldn¡¯t be, considering if even half of what you told us about Chuck is true. It just¡­ doesn¡¯t fit with the character model of you I have in my head.¡±


    ¡°Character model?¡± Phil asked, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Next you¡¯re going to tell me you have a stat sheet for me as well?¡± Rose flushed slightly. ¡°Wait, you do!? Are you some secret D&D nerd or something?¡±


    Brittany and Reese exchanged amused grins and Rose squirmed under Phil¡¯s gaze. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s a secret. It just never came up in conversation.¡±


    ¡°No kidding¡­¡± Phil said, the burst out laughing. ¡°Finally! Someone who can actually teach me how to play.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± exclaimed Rose.


    ¡°What? I¡¯ve always wanted to learn, but you know my history. Being a shut in with only one friend doesn¡¯t really leave a lot of opportunities to get a game going, you know? What do you play?¡±


    ¡°Uh, she¡¯s a level 9 half elf healer,¡± Rose said sheepishly. Tina groaned.


    ¡°So you¡¯re basically playing yourself?¡± the bubbly brunette asked, shaking her head.


    Rose¡¯s response was cut off as the room suddenly shook violently. A concussive wave turned Phil¡¯s stomach to jelly for a second as the roar of an explosion deafened them. The lights flickered briefly before cutting out completely, the emergency lights kicking on a second later. Tiles from the drop ceiling fell, landing all over the room, the table, and themselves.


    Seeing Phil dazed from the shockwave, Brittany immediately took charge, jumping to her feet. ¡°Is everyone alright? Phil?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Phil asked, wiggling a finger in his ear as he attempted to clear the ringing. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Ladies?¡± He looked around at his comrades, taking in their condition and the wreckage of the room. He was surprised it wasn¡¯t worse than it was. Dust lingered in the air from the dropped tiles, a light fixture hung haphazardly above Tina¡¯s head, and the emergency lighting cast a dull glow from the corners and sole exit from the room.


    Tina rubbed at the back of her head, then examined her hand. Phil could see the blood on it from the other side of the table where he stood. ¡°Tina!¡± he exclaimed, then quickly made his way around to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, her voice quavering. ¡°Damn light must¡¯ve caught me. It¡¯s not deep.¡±


    ¡°Rose?¡± Phil asked, turning to the wide eyed woman. ¡°Can you help her?¡±


    ¡°Wha? Oh. Uh, yeah.¡± She hesitantly got to her feet, took a couple shaky steps, then leaned on the table and took a couple deep breaths to steady herself. Brittany rubbed her back soothingly while she did so. Rose gave her a small smile, then nodded, indicating she was good to go. Her steps more confident, she approached Tina and began applying some of her healing magic.


    Rachel made her way over to the door and peeked out into the hall. ¡°It¡¯s all clear out here. Still no power to the lights, but no rubble or bodies or anything.¡±


    Phil nodded and turned to Reese and Brittany. ¡°What do you think that was? I¡¯m gonna go out on a limb and say explosion?¡±


    They nodded. ¡°Definitely,¡± answered Brittany. ¡°Close, too. Within the Guild.¡±


    ¡°But how? You know the security measures just to get past the lobby. There¡¯s no way anyone could get explosives down here, right?¡±


    Reese, Rose, and Britt shared a look before Reese turned to Phil. ¡°An explosion doesn¡¯t always mean explosives, babe.¡± She cocked an eyebrow at him while giving him a knowing look. It took a second before it dawned on him what she meant.


    ¡°Magic?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not the only practitioner of the arcane, you know. I don¡¯t use big spells a lot because it¡¯s mentally taxing, but even I could work up a sizeable fireball or explosion spell if I needed to.¡± She paused, thoughtful. ¡°A spell of that size would need some time to prepare though, and the caster would be drained afterwards.¡±


    Rachel perked up. ¡°Meaning they would need help. Inside help. Someone to ensure they have the time needed to prepare and to assist them getting out.¡±


    ¡°They may still be here,¡± Phil said. ¡°We need to get out of this room and see if anyone needs help anyway. May as well keep an eye out for suspicious looking people as we go.¡± Heads around the room nodded in agreement. Tina stood, thanking Rose as she did so and looked expectantly at Phil. Catching the hint, Phil¡¯s lips tightened into a grimace. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go. Britt and Reese take point. You¡¯re our main fighting force right now, especially since my suit is back at the house. Everyone else, keep an eye out and protect Rose. I sense her abilities will be needed more than ever right now.¡±


    *


    Rose¡¯s abilities weren¡¯t needed as much as Phil feared as they made their way down the maze of hallways. Bumps and bruises were the majority of the wounds they¡¯d come across on the few people they¡¯d encountered. A couple cuts like Tina had suffered from falling ceiling tiles and light fixtures. No one bothered to assist them in finding the exit, however, quickly rushing off down another hallway.


    ¡°Who designed this place?¡± Tina asked while they wandered.


    ¡°Kind of reminds me of a lot of old European cities,¡± Rachel said, drawing confused looks from everyone. Rolling her eyes, she explained what she meant. ¡°Everything is winding, and it looks like it was expanded as needed, not planned out.¡±


    ¡°Ah! There you are!¡± came a voice. They looked up to see a very out of breath Ron Coalson speed walking to the group.


    ¡°Thank the goddess,¡± Phil said in relief. ¡°Can you get us out of here? This place is a maze.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that, Mr. Thomas, and no, I can¡¯t get you out of here. I need you and your party to follow me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°Come with me. Now. This isn¡¯t a request, Party Leader. This is an order from Guild Master.¡±


    Phil raised an eyebrow. ¡°An order?¡±


    Ron nodded impatiently. ¡°Yes! An order! This is an emergency, Mr. Thomas! Lives are at stake!¡±


    Knowing his questions would have to wait, he simply nodded and gestured for the other man to take the lead. Gruffly, Mr. Coalson spun on his heel and stomped off back the way he came, not bothering to look back to see if they were following him. They were, most obviously because they had no idea where they were going and no idea how to get out of the labyrinth.


    Phil¡¯s sense of direction was terrible, but even he began to recognize the area they were in. It became even more obvious when they turned down a corridor with one side lined in glass and mirrors, or at least it used to be. Shattered glass layeverywhere, and a heavy smoke filled the hallway.


    ¡°Jess!¡± yelled Ron as he charged to the end of the holding area where the guard and healer lay immobile. He slid to her side, mindless of the glass shards slicing into his pants and legs, and examined her. ¡°She¡¯s still breathing!¡±


    ¡°Rose,¡± said Phil as he approached the two on the ground. Rose immediately moved to the other woman¡¯s side and began applying her healing magic. He glanced around while she worked, taking in the damage. The glass that had encased the cells was completely blown out into the hallway, telling Phil that the explosion had either come from within the cells or the hallway that allowed entry to the cells. The mirrored glass that had been standing to their left and hid the monitoring equipment was also blown out, revealing smashed cameras and monitors. Phil saw a couple prone forms in the narrow room. ¡°Tina, Rachel, check them out. See if they¡¯re alright. Britt, Reese, check the cells.¡±


    The women nodded and moved to follow his orders. Rachel and Tina shoved the damaged equipment aside and moved to examine the bodies, but both looked up and shook their heads. The monitoring personnel were dead. Reese and Brittany moved from cell to cell, looking for any evidence of what happened. Phil himself checked out the cell they were next to. Given how sparse the little room was, it took him no time at all to find Felicity. When he¡¯d last seen her, she¡¯d been asleep in her little bunk along the right wall. Now she was lying along the left, her body wrapped around the steel toilet each cell had. Phil¡¯s first thought was that the shockwave from the blast had thrown her across the tiny room where her back had connected with the toilet, snapping it. There was a smear of blood on the wall next to where her head lay. He already knew what he¡¯d find when he checked her pulse and wasn¡¯t surprised when she had none. Her lifeless eyes had already told him that she was dead. He leaned down and closed them.


    ¡°Phil, she¡¯s coming around,¡± Rose said to his back. He was momentarily confused, then remembered Jess. He stepped out of the cell and squatted next to the woman as she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Jess? Are you alright?¡± Ron asked, still cradling her.


    ¡°Hm? What happened?¡± she asked groggily.


    ¡°What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± asked Phil.


    Slowly, Jess sat up, then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Everything is fuzzy.¡±


    ¡°Concussion,¡± Rose said. ¡°Both types. The one from the blast that knocked her into the wall and the one she suffered from after hitting it. Even after taking care of it, her memories are gonna be a mess.¡±


    ¡°Phil!¡± called Reese. He looked around as she stepped out of the last cell and joined up with Britt. ¡°There¡¯s no sign of Chuck.¡± Phil was immediately on his feet and looked at Ron, who stood as well.


    ¡°He was in the middle cell,¡± the guild rep said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only one where the outer door was opened, or rather blown off its hinges.¡± Britt went back to the cell in question and motioned for Phil and Ron to join her. ¡°See? Looking at the blast pattern, I¡¯d guess this is where the explosion happened. Someone really wanted in that door. Look here.¡± She gestured at the bunk. ¡°Notice anything?¡±


    The men looked at where she pointed. Phil wasn¡¯t sure what he was supposed to be seeing, but Ron was.


    ¡°No debris.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± said Britt. ¡°This area is perfectly clear of any damage.¡±


    ¡°Someone shielded him before blowing through the door.¡± Reese examined the scene, then turned to Tina and Rachel. ¡°Those bodies you found. How¡¯d they look?¡±


    ¡°Dead?¡± offered Tina.


    ¡°Not just dead,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Murdered. Stab wounds to the chest.¡±


    Ron¡¯s phone rang in his pocket and everyone paused while he answered it.


    ¡°Yeah? Are you sure? Well get a detail down there immediately! Don¡¯t waste time calling me!¡± He hung up and turned to Phil and the girls. Rose approached, supporting Jess¡¯ weight. ¡°The entrance to floor eleven has been forced.¡± Jess gasped, while everyone else looked confused.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Phil.


    ¡°Trouble, Mr. Thomas. Lots of trouble. The eleventh floor is the entrance to a B grade dungeon. Only the guild master and the council have the authority to open that door. If what¡¯s in the dungeon manages to escape, this guild and the surrounding area will be destroyed in a matter of days.¡±


    Phil¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you saying something forced its way out?¡±


    Coalson shook his head. ¡°No. Someone forced their way in.¡±