Part 32 (1/2)

Was this the reason that tower had been smelling of brimstone? Was this how Bonny could perform all that magic with such strength?

I remembered an old legend somewhere that just like how dragons could breathe brimstone, they also shed brimstone as tears in a crystallized form. Was I holding a dragon tear?

Worst of all was the thought that she had been s.h.i.+pping these around as a pirate, possibly selling pure brimstone to people who couldn't use magic. The dangers of buying and selling magic to those that didn't use it normally...

I didn't want to think about it.

”Thanks, Hue. And stop making deals with dragon hunters.” I glared up at him.

He grinned. ”I promise no such thing.”

I shook my head and turned away. Ashe drew in next to me, her arm wrapping around my waist to pull me close like I had to her. She looked like she was about to say something but Hue interrupted.

”Oh, and Gnidori.”

I groaned and looked over my shoulder. ”What Hue?”

”I tried getting the code revoked.”

I turned my head back and stated plainly, ”The North Faerie Queendom is the new territory under the sleeping curse. It might be a while.”

He smiled and half-laughed. ”I wonder how that happened...”

I shrugged before Ashe took up my hand to drag me away. I guess she didn't want to talk now.

My eyes tossed away from Hue and toward Ashe with a half-smile over my lips. ”I wonder...”

Thirty-Four.

The Charming End The throne room was mostly empty when I arrived. When I say mostly, I mean it was filled with moaning and three people.

I cleared my throat a few times at the entrance after pus.h.i.+ng Ashe away so she wouldn't see what was going on. She poked her head around the side anyway, and then blushed and hid behind the door when I saw her looking. I knew she would peek again in a second.

The moaning didn't stop until one of my hatchets hurled from my hand and flew in to the throne, between Charming and some dark-haired woman. He looked up to me along with the two women, who quickly covered up their naked bodies by throwing themselves behind the backing of the throne.

”Uh... R-”

”Gnidori.” I growled.

”Right. Right. Could you give me a minute? Or you could join us. There is always room for more.”

”Not even beyond the looking gla.s.s, Charming.”

He stood up and I groaned before glancing away from the full frontal he offered. Of course he had no shame when it came to his body.

”If you aren't going to leave or join, then can we hurry this up?” He crossed his arms and I mirrored him, turning my head back to look him in the eye.

”I was so close to believing you had changed. Seeing you with Goldie, and then Ashe telling me about the kind of leader you are. But here you are...” I sighed while leaning to the side and pulling an arm out to wave at the girls behind the throne room with a forced smile. ”...with a couple of cute girls.”

I heard Ashe huff behind me, which made me glance back but she didn't hide her face behind the door. Instead she was glaring at me.

I said something wrong, didn't I?

I sighed and reached back for her, pulling her next to me. I squeezed her hand and she nuzzled against my neck. I didn't think she would get jealous from something so small. With feeling her next to me though, I think it was just because I had treated her like a child again by trying to keep her from seeing things kids shouldn't.

”I don't know what you mean.” Charming continued with a big grin forming on his face after watching my exchange with Ashe.

I pulled my hood down with my free hand and glared at him. ”You sure seemed in love with Goldie. Given up on her now that she's on another continent?”

”What?” He glanced back at the girls, and then turned to look at me again. ”Them? Gertrude knows about them. She knows about all my lovers.”

”Really?” I said with winging eyebrows. ”Then you won't mind me asking Goldie right now?”

”Now?”

”Yes.”

”If you can, then I wouldn't see why not.” He waved me off. ”Just hurry it up. You've already killed the mood.” He then slipped back in to the seat of his throne, crossing a leg over his knee.

”Wonderful.” I grinned. I didn't even need to unwind my hand from Ashe. I just lifted my fingers up and snapped while letting the surge of magic go. Ashe must have felt it escape me, since she s.h.i.+vered.

”I'm afraid you have to be a Tsar like me to snap your fingers and have someone come running to your aid.” Charming laughed before reaching his hand behind the throne. One of the girls yelped immediately.

He wasn't paying attention at all after that, which would make this even more fun. A glimmering ball of light flew in from the entry way and swirled around in front of me as it grew in size. Finally the red light exploded out and left Goldie standing between Charming and I.

The Tsar with a thousand lovers yanked his hand back and jumped from his chair. ”Gertrude?”

This was going to be good.

Goldie glanced around the chamber before her eyes caught the two naked women and Charming. Then she made my mouth drop open as she jumped against the Tsar's chest, pulling him in to a hug and a kiss, which he returned.

If it hadn't been for Reynard jumping from Ashe's shoulder to mine, I would have been staring the entire time their kiss lasted. Instead I stroked the fox that was rubbing against my neck. Ashe then smiled and pressed in against me to kiss the side of my lips. She certainly knew how to distract me; she probably even asked Reynard to jump on my shoulders too.

When Goldie and Charming finally finished I asked immediately, ”So I take it you knew about the women?”

She glanced to me after turning to Charming's side. ”Women? There are women here? Around my Kay's side?”

I ground my teeth as she looked around sarcastically and continued, ”Do you really think I'd try and keep this man to that kind of situation? We have an open relations.h.i.+p. Not that it even concerns you.”

My jaw clenched and Ashe leaned forward to ask, ”Open relations.h.i.+p?”

”We have s.e.x with other people, so long as the person is approved and it is only s.e.x. Right, honey?” Goldie explained before looking up at Charming.

”Exactly, sweetheart.” He smiled down to her with a gentle expression. ”If I knew you were coming back then I wouldn't have called them in.”