S Hart Playing with Tigers 2

write a sequel or to just drop the series. The only problem with that statement, is that I happen to be an
exceptionally bored person. My mind wanders more than most, and before I had even finished the first
novel I had already thought of various ways to continue the story.

I had received complaints far after publishing that Keel was too hard to break, was asked what I

thought it would take to actually shatter him. Another friend jokingly said that I would have a hard time
finding a worse situation to put him into than I had in the first book, that he couldn't possibly have worse
luck. And then of course, if I did any of these things, how could I make him likeable again?

Challenge accepted. Here's the book.
After writing it four, yes that's right, four times in a few months, I decided on what was staying

and what was going. I left in a lot of the erotica that my readers are expecting, but quite a bit was cut as
well for length reasons. Because of one heartfelt review that stated they didn't want to see such a horrible
circumstance for Keel, I decided to let everyone see only what was needed to understand the drastic change
in his lifestyle that is present at the end of the book. I hope it's just the right amount.

Enjoy.

- S. "Kaeli" Hart

Chapter One

Snow had started to fall the night prior, which had initially served as a source of entertainment for

the entire camp. As Kura glared out of her fur-lined hood, she could see that the novelty had died
overnight for many of her subordinates. She'd done this before; fought in a land where the climate was
drastically different. It meant that on the day the enemy started to wear heavier clothing, she needed to
pillage some corpses for a coat of her own. Weeks later, all of the piled dead were picked clean and in
order to get some much needed relief from the cold, those who hadn't planned ahead would have to suffer
until they could do the same. Kura had plundered a spare coat in case hers was ruined beyond repair, but
had offered the extra one to Mesa when she found her laid up in a tent with chattering teeth and a broken
thigh. They had been fortunate the year prior, when the season never brought the temperature below
freezing. Now, fires had to be burning at all hours just to ensure the wounded wouldn't freeze to death.

"Headmistress?"
Kura turned her face slightly towards the Akana member that had fallen in beside her, both

exhausted but still on their feet. "Yes?"

"The Empress wishes to have words with you at your earliest convenience."
Kura nodded once, "Tell her I'm on my way." The woman ran ahead, Kura lazily wandering

towards the tent that had been set up for Lassieta and Jade. Her path was surprisingly free of people, most
gathered around the fires in the predawn light. Even in such conditions, the majority of her troops were
still in high spirits, many gesturing with their hands as they relived and retold their stories, always trying to
outdo one another. She didn't need to see the other camp to know that they weren't doing as well, even
with their proper shelter from the cold. They had sent boys and merchants to fight for a cause that they
didn't seem to believe in, whereas the Sahrketh had come in droves at the mention of a fight to be had.
Veterans spackled the town they had taken and the surrounding fields, easy to pick out of the crowd
because they sported scars instead of injuries.

Kura watched one as she offered her thoughts to a young man, showing him with her hands one of

the fastest kills. Under the left arm between the ribs, so that even if they did manage to walk away, they
wouldn't be coming back. Kura had used that often lately, since she was tiring of the honorable combat.
After two years, it was just a matter of killing them as quickly as possible. She had even been scolded by
Lassieta for hitting one assailant in the temple with a small knife, apparently removing his chance to defend
himself. The way Kura saw it, he could've moved if he had trained better, and therefore it was his fault.

She finally made it to the massive tent, where an Akana member pulled aside the cloth curtain for

her. With a respectful bow of her head she moved inside and walked into the conversation between
Lassieta and Jade. A map had been laid over one of the tables they had pillaged with Jade's small form
bent over it, her calculating eyes on the city with the country's namesake. "I don't believe that's necessary."

Lassieta shifted her weight, her expression showing aggravation through a layer of filth. "I don't

care if it's unnecessary, I want to."

Jade rolled her eyes, then brushed her overgrown blonde hair away from her face. "We could do

that. Or..." She held up one pale finger, "We could, instead of your plan, brilliant though it was, make an
offer to end this nonsense. Write something up demanding the bastard on a silver platter in exchange for
our decision to refrain from just ending this the fun way."

Lassieta let her head loll to one side, narrowing misleadingly pretty blue eyes at Jade in

frustration. "And when they refuse?"

Jade considered for only a half second before a quirky grin broke over her pale lips and she met

Lassieta's eyes. "Then we go with your plan."

Kura walked to the table and leaned on it, looking at the charcoal scribbling Jade had left over

most of the map. After a minute she realized that it wasn't poor handwriting, but instead a language she
didn't know how to read, and she sighed as she met Lassieta's angry gaze. "What was your plan?"

Lassieta made a face as if it was a stupid question. "Go in for the kill, then burn the city to the

ground."

Kura smirked, "Very elaborate. You realize that they have twice the cavalry that we ever had,

don't you?"

Lassieta shrugged as if it didn't matter, "We've been here too long. People will start to talk."
Jade righted herself, sighing as she pointed at the map. "They're almost out of food. Since we

took the fields and cut off the trade routes they've been living off of food stores here," her finger slid across
the worn paper, "and here." She nodded mostly to herself as she chewed her lip in consideration. Her

green eyes searched the map absentmindedly as she rubbed her neck, still unaccustomed to her hair being
long enough to touch her back. "Akara and Loki successfully poisoned the third. Even though I'm sure
they've realized that by now, it should've taken a decent percent of their men and made them more wary of
what they're consuming. Judging by the size of the silos and the fact they still have to feed their beloved
cavalry, my guess is they're already falling from their last shaking leg." She met Kura's eyes, speaking
calmly. "They're trapped. Unless I missed my guess, they already have some that have perished from
starvation, and more on the way. It's foolish for them to continue. Imagine what hell is going on inside of
those walls now, and then what it will be like in another month." She shifted her weight, the bandage that
was wrapped around her torso uncomfortable under the heavy woolen coat she had stolen. "If we make
them a semi-reasonable offer, they'll be forced to take it."

Lassieta and Kura both nodded, then glanced at each other. Kura couldn't help but chuckle at how

ridiculous Lassieta's appearance had become. Her once perfectly groomed hair was wild like a savage, her
typically smooth skin scraped and filthy. "You look like you did when we were children."

Lassieta rolled her eyes and groaned. "Yeah, you're a fucking prize too. I could tell you were

heading this way by the smell."

Kura shrugged, lifting the lapel of her coat as she eyed the blood-stained white fur that lined it.

"It's the coat. Smells like the corpse I took it from..."

"Uh, excuse me?" Jade raised one blonde eyebrow, "Are you two done? I'd prefer to watch my

new wheat fields drift into the distance as I ride back home." She sighed, glaring between the pair as if
dealing with teenagers. "I'd think you two would be eager to end this and head back to your respective
men."

Lassieta smirked, her eyes distant as she remembered Oniku, the man that she had only had the

pleasure to be with once, but had been thinking of every day since. She'd sent some correspondence back
to him every now and again, his responses both hilarious and touching. He was waiting for her, and despite
the fact it made her soft and presented a weakness that could be exploited, she wanted him. Her face grew
serious as she nodded once in agreement. "Get me some paper and a quill."

Jade slid a piece across the table with foreign words written perfectly by a meticulous hand,

apparently already prepared for this turn of events. "Kura and I will deliver it with an armed escort."

Kura had gone silent, but gave a nod to show she had heard. "What are we planning to do if they

do hand over their beloved king?"

Lassieta shrugged, "Who cares?"
Jade pointed at Lassieta as she spoke to Kura. "I second that. I want to leave this wretched place.

The river's freezing, there's only red wine, and personally..." Her eyes went wide and her lip curled in
disgust, showing a longer canine that gave away her true heritage. "I can't stand the smell of the husbandry
we took last month any longer."

Kura raised one brow, more of Jade's personality shown in the last few weeks than in the years

they had been working beside one another. "Well, they're going to ask, aren't they?"

Jade nodded, "I figured we would just kill him. I already wrote the proposal, she's only supposed

to read it and sign it."

Lassieta pointed to one line, shaking her head slightly with confusion on her face. "My Siceran is

terrible, what does this line say?"

Jade glanced at it, "That we will pick their next ruler and a fraction of our forces will remain to

ensure that they're acceptable before we withdraw entirely. I didn't think you'd want to come back next
year to do this again, was I wrong?"

Lassieta chuckled, "Not at all."
Jade slid an inkpot with a quill in it to Lassieta. "It's good, trust me. Sign it."
Lassieta nodded and did as she was asked, not even bothering with the end of the document. If

Jade did anything she didn't care for she could always just fix it herself. Or kill her. It was really
dependant on her mood, but in reality she knew Jade well enough after the last two years that she laid a
great deal of respect and trust in the woman, even though Jade was technically a foreigner even in their
homeland. The night that she had nearly died for the Sahrketh had sealed their relationship, which was
developing very slowly into a friendship born from dependency. As Lassieta waited for the ink to dry an
Akana member came in with a stack of letters, handing them out to each officer she encountered. Lassieta
nearly purred her thanks as she opened her letter from Oniku, a smirk on her lips as she glanced at Keel's
millionth letter to Kura. "He'll be delirious when you let him know that you'll be returning."

Kura glanced at the envelope, then at Lassieta. Her curt nod attracted the attention of both of her

colleagues, her eyes wide when they looked at her warily. Her face paled at the look of suspicion on the
faces of the two women in front of her. "What?"

Lassieta let out a hesitant laugh, using Oniku's letter to gesture towards Keel's. "For a moment, I

had this feeling that you weren't going to respond to him."

Kura sighed, "I'm not."
"Why?"
Kura glanced at the two women that were staring at her, then grew somewhat defensive, standing

a bit taller as she raised her voice a fraction. "Because he isn't a fucking priority. Maybe you failed to
remember where we are and why we're here? Not to mention, one of us has to stay with the forces we
leave behind and I have no intention of letting the ruler of our country, or a wounded foreigner take that
task on themselves. You two are eager to return, so you'll do so. I'll stay."

Lassieta shook her head, "No. Loki can handle it."
Kura growled at her, "Not as well as I can."
Jade cleared her throat. "I have nobody waiting for me. If it would be alright, I'd be willing to

remain. I speak the language better than any of you and know what demands would be considered
reasonable. It would be the logical choice."

Kura gave her a look that labeled her insane. "You just made a lovely speech about how much

you despise this place. And you're wounded."

Jade slowly let her head loll to one side. "I don't believe I'm that fragile. I can handle this.

Easily."

Kura sighed, sick of the topic. "Not as easily as I can. I'm staying."
Lassieta shook her head slightly, thinking that this was a poor decision. "Then you send word to

him telling him you're staying behind. I'm not keen on being the bitch who has to explain that mess." Kura
remained silent as Lassieta started to read the message from Oniku, but Jade watched the way she folded
the unopened envelope and slipped it into the top of her boot. Kura noticed Jade looking and met her eyes,
nearly challenging her to say something about it.

Jade smiled and shook her head. "Be careful."
Kura raised one brow, "Of what, Headmistress?"
Jade chuckled, "Of losing what I see as your most precious asset."
Kura flushed, her eyes cast aside as she fumed. If she said anything else, Lassieta would realize

what was happening and force Kura to respond to Keel. The way she saw it, she had suffered some sort of
temporary insanity two years prior, growing enamored with a whore who was only barely old enough to be
called a man. A whore that had evolved from a scholar no less. Outside of their previous arrangement, she
was certain that he would find her lifestyle atrocious, depraved and savage. To make matters worse, he was
open with his feelings, to the point that it had become embarrassing.

The stack of letters that had piled up in her tent were for the larger part unopened, and she had

quickly decided that they would remain that way. She had faltered the day after reading the first, had in
fact taken a hit on her side that had removed her from combat for more than three weeks. The moment
where she saw a blonde young man screaming in fear in front of her, she had nearly dropped the sword. As
she remembered, she closed her eyes and sighed. His loving words had made her soft, vulnerable and easy
to manipulate. She had convinced herself that it would be better for the two of them to be apart, at least for
the foreseeable future. For him as well, since he would only go so far in life if he spent his time in her
considerable shadow.

Kura nodded to herself and took a deep breath, silently praised herself for the choice she had

made. "You need to look presentable before we head out." She glanced at Jade, then waved a finger
around in front of her face. "Go cut that hair."

Jade averted her eyes. "I can't raise my arm or I'll reopen the wound. They'll have to deal with it."
Kura laughed for a moment as she pictured it. Her, with her muddy braids and bloody, fleshy

coat, riding into the city beside Jade, who resembled a bizarre corpse after the strain of the last two weeks
that she had spent bedridden. "Well, in that case, grab the last of the cigars we found. We'll go in with as
much style as we can."

Jade pulled a cigar from her pocket and held it between her teeth, her lighter in her other hand.

"Consider it done."

Within the next fifteen minutes, two of the remaining horses had been tacked and brought to the

front of the tent, Kura sitting astride one as a young man helped Jade onto her charger. Lassieta watched

with a wry smirk on her face. Two battered and filthy women, wearing what resembled high grade trash, a
cigar jutting from the teeth of the underweight and pale blonde and a bottle of merlot in the grasp of Kura's
armored fingers.

Lassieta smiled and crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight as she shook her head.

"Make sure you come back, now."

Both Jade and Kura gave Lassieta a doubtful glance, both overly confident in themselves and each

other. Even wounded, Jade was not to be taken lightly. Kura had brought the Sahrketh to a new level of
terror in the city, since she would occasionally leave one person alive to return to them hysterical and
wounded. Together, they paired perfectly for the job at hand, the two thinking more like one another the
longer they were forced to work side by side.

The armed escort that they had spoken of was picked at random as they went through the camp,

anyone that was awake, armed and alert pointed to and told to accompany them. With a dozen Sahrketh
surrounding them they made their way to the front of the camp and onto what was left of the road that led
to the city of Sicero. Jade used a dagger to slice the end of her cigar, then took her sweet time lighting it.

Kura eyed the lighter, "I thought you lost that thing."
Jade raised a brow and glanced at Kura, then smirked, "Oh. The lighter." She sighed, "I told the

idiot what happened with the original. He gave me his." She glanced at it and shook her head. "If you're
staying, then don't assume for even a moment that I won't take the chance to claim Keel for myself." She
slid her eyes to Kura, gauging her reaction. "This is your last chance to take me up on my offer. I honestly
don't mind staying if you want to go back to him."

Kura's expression hardened, "Why would you do that? It's not as if you and I are close enough for

you to do me any favors."

"Because." Jade shifted her weight in the saddle, taking a long drag that came out as a black cloud

as she spoke. "You fail to remember that I'm close with him. My offer wasn't for your benefit, but for his.
He's mad about you," she inspected Kura's deteriorated appearance, "even if I have no idea why..."

Kura glared at her, "Neither do I. I'm staying."
Jade chuckled, "Won't everyone be happy to hear that." She licked her teeth, a smile on her face

as she took another puff from her cigar. Everyone else had initially wanted Keel because of his unusual
coloring, something that Jade had paid no mind whatsoever. After all, they looked to be related at a glance.
What had caught her attention was the mind that was hidden behind those innocent green eyes and flushed
face. He was fluent in more languages than she could claim, had managed to beat her in chess, and even
introduced her to a side of herself that she had previously been unaware of. When she had been wounded
two years prior, he had even gone so far as to put his own neck on the chopping block for her, potentially
endangering himself to save her from further injury.

Kura looked to her side in the silence, seeing Jade mulling over a plan to capture Keel. It made

her angry, but she had already made her decision and would live with it. When Jade pushed her mount
faster, Kura's brow knit. "In a hurry now?"

Jade laughed a cloud of smoke as they approached the gate. "Absolutely. Just so I'm sure I

understand the situation, you're done with him?"

Kura nodded slowly. "Yes."
They both reined in their horses under the gate, Jade smiling because she knew they were out of

arrows and timber, and that it would take them a few minutes to prepare any other nasty surprises. She
stood in her stirrups, leaning and glaring through the iron gate until a commanding officer was summoned
to deal with them. The man had a bloody rag over one of his eyes and his feet halted for a moment when
he saw them out of sheer surprise. He quickly appraised their condition, and since one was wounded and
both were filthy he assumed they had fallen on hard times as well. "Come to surrender?"

Jade and Kura exchanged amused glances, Kura enjoying a hearty laugh over this as Jade

chuckled and moved her charger closer to the iron gate. "Open this gate."

He shook his head, "Absolutely not. I won't have you monsters running through here, finishing

what you started."

Jade wrapped the fingers of her left hand around one of the iron bars and glared at him, angry

enough from his words that her eyes bled and shifted to that of the snow leopard that her bloodline
worshipped. Her fingers were white knuckled on the bars as she spoke through fanged teeth. "Started
what? If I recall correctly, and rest assured Sergeant, I always do, then all we've done is accept an
invitation to slaughter. If you're not pleased with the result, then perhaps you should broach the topic with
your commanding officer." She pulled up a canister for him to see. "I have a message for the council that

serves your pompous King, and I will deliver it to them personally. I have no intention, currently, of laying
a hand on anyone. But, should I need to return and break this gate down to gain my entry, that is subject to
change."

He grit his teeth and stared at her for a long moment, then swore and looked over his shoulder at

the nearly empty streets. "Give me a moment."

Jade relaxed in the saddle and took her hand back, taking another puff from the cigar. "Of

course."

Chapter Two

Kaji sighed and snapped his fingers, pointing at the bottle of rum over the bar. "Another." He

chewed his lip as the bartender refilled his glass, absentmindedly grumbling his thanks as he stared at the
news flier under his glass. He tilted the glass in his fingers, spying the headline through his drink.
Overwhelming victory.

Everything had been alright for awhile. In fact, things had been more than alright. He stared off

at the drink as he remembered Keel laughing and shaking his head at him, regrettably smiling at the image
he had commit to memory. Then, of course, the city's news fliers had released their first round of
propaganda articles covering the Sahrketh military's efforts in Sicero. Kinakah was a city of trade, it's
population the most diverse in the country. It was why they had decided to flaunt their victories in the
papers there instead of the smaller villages; to get people talking about how foolish it was to oppose the
Sahrketh by supplying exaggerated claims and half-truths. About six months after the Sahrketh forces had
made their first strike, the papers had started to run a series of articles detailing the actions of their two
highest ranking military officials. Grandmaster Localem Arada, and Headmistress Kura Maikaru. That
was when the carefree laughs had ended.

The moment that Keel had read it, he had been noticeably shocked, as pale as the paper in his

hands as he tried to justify what his lover had been doing. When Kaji had tried to explain on her behalf,
Keel had forced a pathetic smile and stated that he was fine. That evening, Kaji had laid in bed beside him
and felt him toss and turn until he eventually broke down and went for a quill and some paper. He had
written a near book for Kura, detailing his feelings for her as if he were still trying to convince her that he
loved her. To Kaji, it had seemed more like Keel was trying to remind himself of that, but he kept the
theory to himself.

A month later, he wrote another. Then another, and another, often enough that Kaji had made a

habit of looking for any more envelopes laying on the low table, waiting to be sent out. She never
responded. Kaji had been watching him try to cope with the lack of reassurance since. To make matters
worse, the news was released that she had been wounded not long after he had sent his second letter to her.
Nothing major, not by her standards anyway, but it had taken everything Kaji had to keep Keel in the
penthouse, talking him down because he was determined to go and find her. What Kaji had said that had
convinced him to stay only made the situation more unbearable for Keel. Namely that if he went, they
would see a human, and they would kill him on sight. He resembled the Siceran natives. Sadly, it was the
truth.

After that, Keel's sleep took a major hit.
To try and avoid his concerns had been Keel's most recent tactic, Kaji trying to keep up with him

as he started a schedule that had them both exhausted. Translating, swimming, meeting with anyone worth
half a damn in the city, reading piles of books on everything that he could find. He had even gotten
involved in Capoeria. Kaji's lips twisted up at the side as he cleared his throat, the memory of what he
looked like doing that more than appealing. He had started as well, but Keel had a few months on him.
Between all of that and a recent Ambassador position offered from Breiyan, Keel had been busy. That was
rather the point, but Kaji had been lost somewhere along the way, only remembered when the rain was bad
enough that they were trapped inside.

Since it was coming down in torrents, he knew Keel would be reading in the penthouse and likely

hadn't heard the news that the Sahrketh were finally finished. It gave him the rare opportunity to present
him with news that should make him smile. The smile wouldn't be for him though, which was the real
reason he had decided that some liquor was necessary. Finally he slid a ducat across the bar, wandering to
the stairs with one of the many fliers in his hand.

When he opened the penthouse door, he found Keel lost in a book, as he had expected. The

manner in which he was reading, however, was unusual for the typically gathered young man. He had
strewn one leg over the arm of the wingback chair, his body crammed into one of the corners of the cushion
as he clutched a handful of golden hair in pale fingers. His lively green eyes were darting around the pages
as if they had a purpose, reading fast enough that Kaji could tell he was having trouble keeping Kura from
his thoughts. He sighed and looked at Kaji over his book, clearly distraught even if he never voiced his
thoughts. He felt it was wrong to confide in Kaji about another lover, even if he would let him. "Any
news?"

Kaji took a deep breath and sighed as he smiled and held up the paper for Keel to see.

"Overwhelming victory for the Sahrketh. They'll be back here at the end of the week."

Keel blinked stupidly for a long moment. He had asked, but after receiving the same answer for

so long, what Kaji had said took an extra moment to register. He let out a sigh of relief, then wet his lips as
he eyed the room, on his feet and pacing as he thought of something else. Their return only presented more
problems for him. "Why didn't she respond to me, Kaji?"

Kaji sighed, his head cocked to one side. "They ran out of paper."
Keel looked to him, childishly hopeful, "Really? Does it say that?"
Kaji let the word fall from his lips, loud and flat like the sound of a dropped book in a library.

"No."

Keel glared at him, then went back to driving himself insane, pacing and playing with his hair as

he shook his head.

Kaji chuckled, watching him for a long moment. "Keel?"
Keel looked at him, both brows raised. "Yeah?"
"Does it really matter? She's coming back relatively unharmed. That should be good enough,

right?"

Keel thought for a moment, then let out a grunt of a laugh and nodded, smiling slowly as he eyed

Kaji. "Yeah, you're right." He laughed at himself and rubbed at his forehead, "She's not the affectionate
type anyway, I'm over thinking things, that's all."

Kaji bit his lip and nodded in agreement, his eyes slowly crawling down Keel's bare chest. The

additional exercise had kept him lean, not that he ate enough to make that difficult. Over the last two years,
he'd been active enough that what had started as only traces of muscle had turned to a sculpted frame.
Smooth pale skin, flexible, muscular. At his full maturity Keel had lost the nearly girly appearance to his
facial features that he had sported when they had met. Now he was striking in a different way, masculine
and handsome instead of naive. Kaji sighed as he tore his eyes away and stared up at the ceiling, begging
any gods that may be looking to give him strength. A matter of days and he would have to watch Kura
touching him. Worse than that, Keel would adore every second of it.

Keel shifted his weight when he saw Kaji staring at the ceiling and groaning, a grin slowly sliding

across his lips. "You alright?"

Kaji's brow knit and he shot Keel a glance that had him laughing. "I've been alright." Keel

shrugged, about to speak when Kaji cut him off, "A bit lonely, but now that you're back..."

Keel flushed, standing a bit taller as Kaji accused him of being elsewhere. He knew he meant in

attitude, and it was true enough. He denied nothing, holding his arms out at his side as he bowed his head
to Kaji. "I'm sorry. If it were you instead of her, I'd be acting the same."

Kaji highly doubted that, but wisely kept it to himself. He wet his lips and brought his eyes to the

open sliding doors that separated the bedroom from the lounge, "Want a drink to celebrate?"

Keel shook his head slowly, clearing his throat. He smiled at Kaji, gesturing for him to come

closer. "I had other things in mind."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, feigning stupidity. "Like what?"
Keel dropped his voice to a whisper as he moved to Kaji, who seemed to be refusing to play along.

He traced his finger along his belt with distant eyes. "Well, as you said. Now that I'm back..." He met
Kaji's eyes and flushed quickly enough that Kaji chuckled at him, which only made his embarrassment
worse. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

"Three weeks, two and a half days..." Kaji glanced out at the rain and thought for a moment, then

nodded once. When he turned his attention back to Keel he found him reaching for him and let out a low
moan, trailing his fingers along Keel's arm as it slid over his shoulder. "But who's counting?"

Keel smirked, eyeing Kaji's chest and abs with enjoyment. "You could've said something."
Kaji shook his head slightly, "I don't want you to feel obligated to spend time with me."
Keel took his hands back and unbuckled his belt, pulling his pants open in the front as he glanced

at Kaji through his lashes. He let out a soft moan as he started to touch himself, his fingers timid as they
had always been after any long break from Kaji's attention. "I want to."

Kaji groaned, glancing at the bed again for a brief instant before he hooked an arm around Keel

and nearly dragged him to it. He let Keel slide from his fingers onto the bed, his own breath coming
quicker when Keel blushed a fine shade of pink. Keel quickly kicked his pants off and spread his knees,
looking at Kaji between them.

Kaji fought with his clothes for an instant, then curled his body over Keel, taking him into his

mouth with a low moan as he locked eyes with him.

Keel's lips parted with a gasp, watching as Kaji took him into his throat. He bit his lip and shook

his head when Kaji's tongue started to work against him. After so long without, Kaji's mouth was too
much, and he nearly begged when Kaji reared his head and started to lavish attention on the tip of his
erection. He bucked his hips instead, silent because he still couldn't bring himself to ask for more unless no
other option was available.

Kaji paused only long enough to wet two of his fingers with his tongue, returning to his previous

task. Keel took a deep breath when Kaji's fingers pressed against him, craning his body to meet him,
almost slipping them inside of himself on his own. Kaji groaned around him, pulling his hand away as
Keel tried halfheartedly to follow his fingers. He looked up at him as he suddenly slid them inside,
admiring the way that Keel closed his eyes and nearly shuddered at the feeling. He was surprised when
Keel coaxed him to stop with his mouth, gesturing for him to lay on top of him instead.

He let out a grunt of a laugh, climbing onto the bed on top of Keel, his fingers still delving inside

of him in an effort to make him more comfortable. "Something wrong?"

Keel flushed, eyeing the kanji tattooed into Kaji's warm skin that branded him trouble. "You're

too good with your mouth..."

Kaji gave him a devilish grin and winked, "Keep complimenting me like that, and you're bound to

be sore when I'm finished with you."

Keel cleared his throat, moaning immediately afterwards. He closed his eyes and let his head fall

onto the bed, his fingers clutching at Kaji as he sighed, "Good."

Kaji paused for a moment, his resolve diminishing as he leaned and grabbed the lubricant, slicking

himself and replacing his fingers as he positioned himself. He watched Keel's expression twist as he sank
inside of him, savored every moment that he looked as if he were battling with himself over if he wanted to
truly do this. The fact that he still wasn't fond of the concept was intoxicating, because he only ever let
Kaji do this. It made him special. He sat up, running a hand up Keel's body to pull his attention away from
the discomfort.

Keel met his eyes, his breath heavy as he took Kaji's hand and brought his fingers to his lips,

sucking on them as he used his free hand to pull Kaji deeper. He moaned around Kaji's fingers, which was
enough encouragement that Kaji couldn't help himself. He took a firm hold of Keel's hip and started to
drive himself inside of him hard enough that Keel's expression tensed, his mouth neglecting his chosen
activity as he clutched the sheets and started to moan. Kaji sank as deep as he could and gyrated his hips,
smiling when Keel arched his back and let out a surprised moan, clearly trying his hardest to hold off his
climax already. He pulled most of the way out of him and spread Keel's legs a bit wider, watching as he
used only the head to tease him for a moment.

Keel was gasping for air, shaking his head. "Don't... I'll come."
Kaji thrust inside of him aggressively, leaning over him so that he could look in his eyes. "Then

come."

Keel let out a low groan, his eyes heavy with desire as he started to meet Kaji's hips every time

they snapped forward. Kaji slid a hand under Keel's neck and lifted him so that his throat was exposed,
licking him once before he started to kiss and suck on his skin, his hips relentless until Keel grabbed at his
arms and tensed, his body nearly shaking as he came. Kaji reached between them and felt Keel for a long
moment, glancing at where Keel's fingers were digging into his arms with a lazy smile. When he felt that
Keel was as finished as he could be, he relaxed on top of him, studying his expression as Keel caught his
breath.

Eventually Keel looked at him, his face flushed with embarrassment and arousal as he lifted his

head and started to kiss at Kaji's jaw. He moaned a few times when his body went rigid with the
aftereffects of pleasure, "Lay down... I'll get on top..."

"In a minute..." Kaji kissed him, sucked on his lower lip and flexed inside of him, smiling when

Keel writhed and let out a surprised noise. He sucked on Keel's tongue with a groan as he moved so that he
was putting pressure on the back of Keel's prostate, Keel's sounds of approval growing more urgent as he
became hard again.

Keel's brow was knit and his lips parted as he slapped at Kaji's shoulder once, "Stop that."
Kaji chuckled and nodded, pulling out of him slowly. He fell to the bed beside Keel, caressing

him as he straddled Kaji and caught his breath. After a few moments he wet his lips and put his hands on
Kaji's hips. Kaji watched with anticipation as Keel slid his hips back, his eyes closed as he worked on feel
alone. He closed his mouth tightly and winced as he let Kaji slide into him for a second time, then glanced
at him. The look in those green eyes was a reminder that he felt Kaji was worth the effort, and Kaji's breath

came a bit faster as he moved his hips, working his way into Keel until his ass was resting on Kaji's bare
skin.

He waited a moment, his eyes closed with enjoyment before he started to move. When he did,

Kaji watched with a distant expression, admiring the way that his muscle caught the lamplight. He shifted
his weight under Keel, his breath coming quicker. "Faster."

Keel nodded, working his hips with a measure of skill as he increased the pace. Kaji was groping

at his thighs, his orange eyes on Keel's body and his fingers moving closer to Keel's erection. Keel started
to moan constantly, his eyes closed as he felt Kaji throbbing inside of him. After two years of spending
time with Kaji exclusively, Keel had learned that his stamina was a curse more often than not. It wasn't
uncommon when they had been in the Harem for Kaji to outlast his patrons, so Keel had taken it upon
himself to learn every trick he could to throw Kaji over the edge.

Kaji watched Keel twist his body and drag his fingers from the inside of his knee up until they

disappeared underneath Keel's ass, gasping and moaning with closed eyes when Keel stroked his balls. His
brow knit, his body tightening until he let out a long moan and emptied himself.

Keel's mouth fell open when Kaji met his climax, masturbating for a few moments until he joined

him. He fell forward onto his arms, his head hanging from his shoulders as he caught his breath. When he
did open his eyes, he found Kaji smiling up at him and sighed. "Bath, then again?"

Kaji's smile disappeared as he let out a low moan, pulling Keel down to himself so that he could

kiss him. "Absolutely..." He slid a hand between them, taking some of the semen that was covering his abs
and coating Keel with it, smiling when Keel reared his head and gasped, panting with pure pleasure as Kaji
played with him. He started to slowly move again, but Kaji stopped him with his hand on Keel's hip. "We
have time, take a minute..."

Keel sighed and nodded, "I know..."

Chapter Three

Word had been sent long ahead of the press release regarding what had transpired in Sicero and

the Palace's remaining staff had been working day and night for the last two weeks to prepare the grounds
for the arrival of their troops. Every liquor wholesaler in Kinakah was contacted, all goods purchased at
top dollar to stock the palace's three bars and four function rooms. Caterers had been brought in and were
constantly arguing with each other over who would be serving what, each wanting to claim the largest
commission from the crown for their services. Matahari had eagerly thrown open the doors to her salon,
working tirelessly to ensure that every Onya, every servant and every remaining Akana member was
looking their best, even if they didn't care for it. Two hallways over, the infirmary was also restocked and
staffed with every doctor that they had on hand, as well as a handful of foreigners and a near army of
nurses and aides. The Gerudai had arrived and had set up a massive line of drums that wrapped the
Palace's walls, their own rum stacked into a pyramid of dark bottles in the center of the main foyer.

As Lassieta dismounted, she couldn't help but take a deep breath and smile, happy to be home at

long last. Despite the urge to run straight to the Harem and claim Oniku as her own, she had to spend a
moment staring up at the building that represented what they had just accomplished. A glance to her side
confirmed that Loki was doing much the same.

Jade remained on her horse, her eyes on the road to Kinakah and her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"I need to take care of something." She turned in her saddle and eyed the pair through overgrown and
dingy blonde hair. "Can you two handle this with only a few fatalities?"

Loki cocked an eyebrow and inspected Jade. Her pale face was beaded with sweat in the

afternoon heat. She had shed her disgusting coat far earlier, but still had it draped over the back of the
charger she had chosen, likely in case the torrential rains came again. It had left her bandage as the only
thing covering her chest, and had given Loki a perfect view of the fresh blood that had come from the
reopened wound about two hours before. He sighed, shaking his head with a hint of aggravation when he
spoke. "What do you need to do?"

Jade glared at him. "I don't believe that it concerns you."
He laughed to himself, "Oh, trust me, I'm concerned. You've been bleeding out for a few hours

now and after wearing that filthy thing there's a good chance it'll turn septic on you. If you're planning on
doing anything rash, I'd rather do it for you."

Jade glanced at the bandage as if it didn't matter. "I'm planning on taking the night in Kinakah,

actually."

Lassieta mumbled as she threw her reins to a servant and started to walk inside, "I'm starting to

wonder if I'm poor company. First Kura. Now you..."

Jade pulled a canister from the side of her saddle, shaking it at them with a victorious grin on her

face. She had a valid excuse to leave on hand. "I have the press release regarding the terms of their
surrender. I want to ensure they reprint it verbatim."

Lassieta nodded lazily, "Fine. Return tomorrow."
Loki leaned and tried to snatch it from her pale hands, but Jade cocked her head and glared at him

as she yanked it out of his reach. He sighed and turned to Lassieta, wanting to keep Jade from doing
anything rash, even if it meant going over her head. "You're going to let her travel like that?"

Lassieta shrugged, "I'd send you or a servant, but Jade words things better than the rest of us

combined, and I want word of what happened to be on the lips of every traveler as soon as possible. A
celebration of this caliber may be a poor decision for her anyway, she's wounded and can't be on her feet as
long as we can."

Loki groaned, eyeing Jade as he let the sound roll into a sigh. "Yeah, horseback seems so much

more appropriate than rest..."

Jade didn't comment as she turned her charger and forced it to a gallop right away, mostly to

worry Loki because in her opinion he had no power to stop her from doing what she wanted. Once she had
ridden through the Palace gate he finally tore his eyes from her and joined Lassieta.

They looked around the foyer, both enjoying the moment of relative silence before the storm.

They had gone ahead of everyone else, since Lassieta would need some attention to present herself as
anything but a filthy peasant, and Loki was the most capable escort that they had. By the following
afternoon, the Palace would be overrun with people.

Eventually Loki looked to the polished marble floor, his lip curled as he saw that Lassieta had left

a trail of dust and debris behind her. He had spent the time that Jade's bandage was being changed waist

deep in a river, clawing grime from himself, but Lassieta had been too busy helping with said activity that
she hadn't had the chance.

Matahari lurked in her doorway for a long moment before she slowly walked up to them. A firm

believer that if one had nothing nice to say to their employer, they shouldn't say nothing at all; she opted for
silence.

Lassieta stared at her for a long minute, then started to speak as she took the stairs, slapping hands

with every Akana member she passed. "I'll be in my suites. Have someone bring the Onya named Oniku
to me immediately. When you're finished with Loki, you can come up and cut my hair."

Matahari eyed the tangles and grime that had turned her once luxurious hair into what looked like

a dead furry creature tacked onto the back of her head, nearly reaching towards her as if that would change
her mind. "It would only take a moment to do so now... I can... Please?"

Lassieta chuckled, "I have my priorities, Matahari. My hair has never been one of them."
She sighed, nearly twitching with insanity as her eyes snapped to Loki. "What about you?"
Loki shrugged, his thoughts on Jade as he glanced back through the open doors. He nodded once,

and Matahari let out a sigh of relief, accustomed to tailoring the Sahrketh elite to whatever image she
deemed appropriate. The vagrant look didn't suit him anyway. She hurried him inside, careful not to piss
him off as she snapped orders to her fleet of assistants.

Lassieta was still scrubbing herself in the sink when she heard the door. She dropped the soap into

the basin and wandered to the doorframe, holding her breath as she watched an Akana member hold it open
for Oniku. She had been wondering through the entire trip home if she had perhaps read the letters as she
wanted instead of how they had been intended, and feared that he was perhaps being polite when he had
written that he thought of her often. He was an indentured sexual servant, technically working for her; of
course he would think of her often. Whether it was her, or her position he was dwelling on was entirely
unknown, until he saw her.

The smile that broke over his face would've been enough, but he let out a sound of relief and

nearly tripped as he ran to her, clutching her to his chest despite the filth that covered her. She let out the
breath she'd been holding as she wrapped an arm around his neck and held him close, burying her face in
his hair and taking a moment to commit the smell of him to memory. "Thank Saharion for that..."

He groaned and spun with her in his arms, nearly rocking with her, "I didn't get a letter from you

for so long, I started to wonder, and then they said that you were coming back early because someone was
wounded..." He shook his head and sighed.

Lassieta smiled, nearly laughing at him, "You thought I was hurt, did you?"
He nodded, his lips on her ear as he kissed it and whispered to her, completely fine with the stench

of horse and dirt on her skin. "It's foolish to think so, but I couldn't help but worry... Everyday with
nothing to do but remember the only occasion I had you... The way you touched me, your body in my
hands..." He let out a low groan, "Your lack of common sense."

She let out a loud laugh and slapped his ass, "So romantic."
He moaned and probed her ear with his tongue, his hands moving to her hips as he pressed himself

against her. "I think it is..."

Lassieta closed her eyes, swaying on her feet as she savored the feel of his hands. "I need to wash

myself. You don't want to know what you're touching."

He let out a growl, "You're really going to make me wait after that last letter you sent me?"
Lassieta cracked a devilish smile. Their letters had ranged from touching to nearly a sexual

experience on their own, and she had sent one with full intention that she would inspire many sleepless
nights for the young man. Apparently it had worked. "I could always just act it out for you later today."

Oniku paused, his eyes closed as he panted and nodded, finally pulling back enough to meet her

eyes. He dragged his thumb over her lower lip, remembering how it had felt on various parts of himself.
When he went to kiss her he felt her slip out of his fingers, and spent a long moment blinking with
confusion as she backed into the washroom. She smiled at him, removing her dirty armor and twisting out
of her clothes as she made her way to the side of the steaming tub. "Why don't you go wait in the bed, I'll
be right there."

Oniku shook his head because he hadn't seen her in so long it felt like a reward to have her so

close again. "No, I'm fine here."

Lassieta chuckled as she cleaned herself, occasionally glancing at Oniku. He had settled himself

at the side of the tub, his arms crossed on the tiled edge with his face behind them, only his blue eyes
visible and always on her under his short black hair. Once she deemed herself clean she stepped out of the

bath, surprised when he jumped up and snatched her off of her feet, slinging her over one shoulder and
carrying her down the hall as she wriggled and laughed. He smiled when she slapped at him, carefully
pulling her forward until her wet body was against his bare chest.

Their smiles faded quickly as he kissed her, his fingers dancing down her sides until he had a firm

hold of her ass. He pulled her against himself with a growl, Lassieta paused for a moment as she shuddered
with desire. He rested his forehead against hers as his fingers darted between her legs, stroking her gently
for a minute until he had her panting against his lips. He kissed her again, leaning into her so that she
would fall onto the bed, trapped underneath him. His hand disappeared for a mere instant, and as he rested
his weight on her again his bare skin was against hers. When she moved to wrap her arms around him he
instead grabbed her hands and held them firmly beside her head, restraining her because he had discovered
very shortly after meeting her what it was that she truly enjoyed.

Lassieta spread her legs for him, Oniku taking the chance to drag himself along her entrance with

a groan of delight. He propped himself up on his arms, still holding her down as he admired her body, his
eyes heavy with pleasure as he continually teased the two of them. When she tried to move her hips closer
he shook his head and moved with her, stroking her with himself until she was moaning and pleading with
him. She started to flex her arms in his grip, her eyes begging him for more. He wet his lips as he stopped
moving entirely, meeting her eyes. "Tell me that you want me."

Lassieta flushed, closing her eyes as she savored the demanding tone he had used. She wore a

hesitant grin, which struck him as odd, her eyes opening and meeting his with affection. "I need you."

Oniku froze, his eyes wide for a moment before his hips snapped forward, already slamming

inside of her again by the time he had brought her hand to his lips.

Lassieta enjoyed herself for a few minutes until Oniku's voice rang out, "Look at me." When she

did, her mouth fell open and her eyes glazed over with pleasure, the sight of the attractive young man
kissing her fingers and panting into her palm more than enough to elicit a reaction. Her lips pressed
together and her breath hitched, the look in her eyes absolutely contagious as she came. Oniku's brow knit
as he watched her come, his hips picking up speed because now he wanted to join her. His eyes were on
hers, heavy with desire when he shook his head slightly, moaning to her for a brief moment before he laid
on her and kissed her again. He had allowed her to have her hands again, and had to pause when she
smoothed his hair away from his face and moaned directly into his ear.

His expression changed to one of urgency, biting back a moan as he started to move again. He

grabbed her hip with one hand, aggressive enough that he risked hurting her as he reached for his own
climax. He heard her cry out as he buried himself inside of her, his breath heavy and his body rigid for a
long moment as he pushed her hip back onto himself.

Lassieta clutched at him, gasping as she felt him empty himself inside of her. For a long minute

they both caught their breath, tangled together on the edge of the bed. Finally Oniku rested his forehead on
hers, kissing her face with enough care that it brought a flush to her cheeks. She laughed under her breath,
petting his hair for a moment before she closed her eyes, "Gods help me, I love you..."

Oniku stopped for a moment, his eyes closed before he reared his head and looked at her, asking

her with his expression if she had just said what he had heard. She slowly slid her eyes to him and raised
one eyebrow, a smile crawling across her lips. "Something wrong?"

Oniku shook his head slightly, his lips parted with awe as he brushed his thumb over her eyebrow,

"Say it again."

She pondered for a moment, then looked at him as if he were insane. "I believe I already did."
He pressed himself against her closer, his expression sincere when he whispered to her, "Please."
She studied his face for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I love you. I thought you'd figured that

out..."

Oniku gave her a halfhearted laugh, the sound gone as he pulled her into another kiss, caressing

her as he started to moan. He pulled his lips off of her, his breath heavy, "It's good to hear anyway.
Especially with your Sahrketh upbringing..." He planted another kiss on her lips, then smiled, "Can I have
that in writing, please?" He laughed when she tossed him off of herself, glaring at him playfully.

Chapter Four

Keel turned away from the light of the early morning, his brow knit as he absentmindedly wished

whoever was knocking would take the hint and leave. A glance at the small clock on the dresser confirmed
that it was nearly noon. When he sat up a sharp pain stabbed through his lower abs and he clapped a hand
over it, his face twisted with discomfort. He had stated at some point the night prior that he didn't care if he
was sore, but now he wished he had put a moment's thought into the claim. When they had finally fallen
asleep the sun had been on it's way.

The knock came again. He brought his eyes to Kaji and smiled, unable to ask him to get up and

deal with the door when he saw him. He had fallen asleep on his side, his crimson hair strewn over his
face, long enough now that it obscured all but his lips and a glimpse of his tattoo from sight. He was
content enough that he didn't stir whatsoever when the sound came again, his massive chest rising and
falling rhythmically.

"I guess I'll get it, then." Keel stepped onto his feet, groaning under his breath as he forced

himself to stand upright. A few moments of trying to relax and the pain started to subside, a skill that he
had acquired and used since he had met the troublesome half-elf that was sleeping behind him. He sighed
and rubbed at his face as he located his pants, sliding them on and buttoning them as he dragged himself to
the door. He yawned as he opened it, expecting a message from the front desk, or at most a scorned
woman looking for Kaji. Instead, he found himself staring at Jade.

His eyes went wide and he flushed when he saw her, a recent trip to a salon in town not only

fixing her appearance, but making her even more appealing at a glance. Her platinum blonde hair was cut
short again with longer bangs that fell over her cold kohl-lined green eyes. Her lighter skin nearly shone in
the morning light, which was easy enough to see since she had left so much of herself showing. Her skirt
hung low on her hips and met the floor, a deep green silk that draped around her legs in the most flattering
way possible. For a top, if one was being generous, she had only donned a handful of beaded necklaces.

Jade wore a knowing smirk when his mouth fell open and he cocked an eyebrow, staring at her

body through the very little she had on. "It's been awhile, Keel. Can I come in?"

Keel nodded stupidly and fixed his expression, tearing his eyes away from her as he swept an arm

towards the penthouse and moved out of her way. "Of course, where are my manners. Can I get you
anything?"

She laughed under her breath at the offer, a glance at the bed displaying that he was likely tired

because of Kaji. "Not yet." She took a seat at the edge of one of the couches, hesitant to lean back on
anything with her current wound. "I thought I'd come and see how you're dealing with everything."

Keel shrugged, "My thanks, but it was unnecessary for you to make the trip. I had every intention

of meeting Kura when she returns to the Palace." He smiled, "Don't tell me she came back with you? I
wanted to surprise her."

Jade stared at him for a long moment, then shook her head. "No, Lassieta and I went ahead with

Loki. And don't concern yourself with the trip; I was here on business anyway."

Keel let out a sigh of relief, rubbing at his eyes as he took a seat opposite her. "Thank god for

small favors. The thought of missing her arrival and angering her..." He shook his head and made a
dismissive gesture, laying on the arm of the sofa as he eyed Jade. He didn't want to, but with what she was
wearing, and especially what she wasn't, it was impossible to avoid. "I see that you've returned in one
piece. Congratulations on your victory."

Jade had already realized that Kura had never sent the letter she was supposed to, and it took her a

moment to register that Keel had congratulated her because the news put a massive dent in her previous
plan. "My thanks. Not entirely true, however. Some ass planted a mine under Lassieta's cot and it went
off when an Akana member triggered it. As a result, my back has seen better days..." She shrugged, and
when she looked up she saw that Keel was upset by the thought. "It's fine."

Keel cocked an eyebrow, "'I tripped' fine, or 'a tree monster hooked me like a fish and tore me to

shreds' fine?"

She laughed, averting her eyes before she stood and turned, showing him the wound to settle his

concerns. The fact that he was worried in the first place was adorable to her, only encouraging her more.

Keel's face blanched as he surveyed the damage done to her back, spackled with what had to be

shrapnel and sewn together only recently. "You should bandage that..."

She shrugged, Keel wincing as it tugged at her wound. "I have, it just becomes cumbersome."

Keel cleared his throat, motioning to her chest as she turned and reclaimed her seat. "That's why

you went without the shirt?"

Jade nodded. It was a lie, but it served her purpose well so she used it. She needed Keel to find

out what Kura had neglected to tell him, but if she was the one to share such information, he would be
angry with her. An interesting position to be in. "You said you're heading back to the Palace soon?"

Keel nodded, his face still showing concern over the state of her back as he did. "Yeah, possibly

tonight. I was hoping to spend a few minutes with Lassieta, and once Kura gets there I expect I'll be tied to
a bed for some time."

She wore a hesitant smile at the claim, "I'm heading back shortly. You can accompany me, if you

want."

Keel considered and glanced at Kaji over the back of the couch, his brow low. He sighed and

shook his head, "I wanted to spend a bit of time with Kaji before I went."

She laughed under her breath, eyeing his hips. "I was under the impression you already had."
Keel flushed and slid his eyes to her, "More time."
Jade nodded slowly, sighing as she did. She was about to speak when Kaji came into the room,

rubbing at his eyes with one hand as the other found Keel's hair and tousled it on his way. He yawned out,
"I heard my name. What're we talking about?"

Keel smiled at him, clearing his throat a few times as Kaji stretched, gloriously naked and sporting

a hard on. "Put some pants on and I'll tell you."

Kaji shrugged, his arms falling back to his sides after a good stretch. He bowed his head to Jade,

"Headmistress."

She returned the gesture, "Troublesome whore."
He cracked a grin, nodding for a moment. "Interesting choice for an outfit, Headmistress."
She inspected Kaji's naked body with her eyes, reading the line of kanji on his thighs with a

stunned smile. "Same to you."

He smiled at Keel, the only person in the room who actually cared that they were both in various

states of undress. "You should take your pants off, otherwise you'll never fit in."

Keel flushed and sighed, rubbing at his head for a long moment, "Jade invited us to return to the

Palace with her."

Kaji nodded, his expression serious as he realized that Keel was trying to decide what was fair to

both Kura and himself. "Go ahead. I think I'll stay here."

Keel's brow knit and he looked to Kaji with incomprehension. "They'll be celebrating. There will

be women literally crawling over women, all looking for a man to celebrate with, and you want to stay
here? Alone?"

Kaji shrugged, "That was my plan, yes."
Keel almost asked why, but the way that Kaji was looking at him was answer enough. He didn't

want to see Keel with Kura. She had been ignoring him for the last two years, which he was willing to
attribute to what she had been doing at the time. Kaji on the other hand, had been sitting beside Keel the
entire time, doting on him and catering to his every need as best he could, and Keel still didn't feel
comfortable with his feelings towards him. Keel sighed, covering his eyes for a long moment before he
spoke. "I would really enjoy it if you came with me, Kaji. It won't be the same without you."

Kaji flushed, glancing at Jade and embarrassed because she had seen that Keel elicited a reaction

from him that nobody else could. "I'll go get dressed, then."

Keel turned to Jade, a tense smile on his face when he found her watching with amusement. "It

seems we're joining you, Headmistress."

Chapter Five

Lassieta giggled as she slapped another handful of bubbles into Oniku's face, only laughing harder

when he feigned mortal injury and clutched at the bubbles, screaming as he fell into the steaming
bathwater. She shook her head, grinning from ear to ear when he got on his knees and flung the soap at
her, "HA! Sneak attack!"

She palmed the soap then went to retort, but stopped when she heard the door to her suite open.

She leaned over the edge of the tub, her body slick with bubbles that had Oniku wetting his lips as he eyed
her curves. "In here, Matahari!" Her eyes glazed over and she moaned when she felt Oniku's hands on her
hips, his mouth next to her ear.

"Perhaps your hair can wait a bit longer, huh?"
Lassieta closed her eyes and nodded enthusiastically, absentmindedly backing her hips up in

search of Oniku's body. To their mutual surprise, Jade leaned against the doorframe, her eyes cast
respectfully away as she cleared her throat. "I hate to interrupt." She paused and closed her eyes with a
sigh, "I'm being honest," she smirked as she eyed the two bewildered faces that were staring at her with
disappointment in their eyes, "I really, really hate to, but Keel wanted to congratulate Lassieta and we just
made the trip from Kinakah. Do you want us to maybe go wait in the bar, or?"

Lassieta laughed, "Keel's here?"
Jade nodded, "Kaji is around as well."
Lassieta abandoned Oniku in the tub, his pout adorable as he reached for a towel to scrape bubbles

from himself.

Keel laughed when Lassieta jogged onto the balcony and tried to turn to him, her legs slipping

from under her and sending her to the floor for a brief moment before she scrambled to her feet and threw
her arms open. Aside from her nudity she was also covered in soapy bubbles, but as she smiled and winked
she gestured with two fingers for him to get up and hug her and he couldn't resist. She groaned as she
embraced him, honestly glad to see him. "It's been so long, how've you been?"

Keel shrugged and let her slide from his hands, which was remarkably easier when she was

covered in soap. "Kaji's been keeping me busy, and I've been translating whenever I get the opportunity.
I'm glad to see everyone returned unharmed."

Lassieta shrugged, "Well, almost. A few are worse for the wear. Kaji's here?"
Keel's brow knit with concern, "Yeah, he's chasing some Swordmistress already... You said you

have some wounded... Anyone I would know?"

Lassieta pondered for a moment. "Akara was badly burned. I don't know if you remember Mesa,

the Swordmistress that used to guard the Harem?" Keel nodded, able to smile at the memory of her. "She's
being brought in with a broken leg. And then there's Jade, but I'm sure she told you all about that."

"That I did." Jade gave Lassieta a glance over Keel's shoulder. After fighting at each others side,

Lassieta had learned that the look on Jade's face meant complications. She redirected her gaze to Keel only
when she was sure that she had Lassieta's attention. "I didn't realize until we were headed out that Kura
never responded to your letters, Keel. If I'd known, I would've kept in contact."

Keel smiled and shrugged, "It doesn't matter, I'd rather have her than her handwriting anyway."
Lassieta warily glanced at Keel and then locked eyes with Jade, her brow low as she started to

realize what had happened. Jade nodded with pursed lips, Keel luckily distracted with the view of the
clouds that were rolling in. Lassieta cleared her throat, "I just can't believe you've come back, Keel."

He raised a brow, curious to know why he wouldn't. "I gave you my word that I'd be here for

Kura upon her return. Is it so strange that I did as I promised?"

Lassieta nodded, growing more upset with each passing moment. She reminded herself that she

would need to beat Kura for this; put in the exact position she had meant to avoid. "Kura isn't coming back
for awhile."

Keel paled, "Why?"
"She opted to stay behind with the troops that are remaining in Sicero."
Keel glanced at Jade, who refused to look him in the eye. "Did she send anything for me?"
Lassieta shook her head, "No."
He thought for a moment, "Where's she stationed?"
Lassieta gave him an apprehensive glance. "Why?"

Keel shrugged, "If she can't come back, I'll go to her... The fighting has ended, I know my way

around the city and she must be missing me by now... Right?" When he looked at Lassieta, his expression
was nearly begging for her to agree. Instead she sighed and looked to the floor as she bit a lip.

Jade shifted her weight, her brow twisted with sympathy as she was forced to say what she had

heard. "She's done with you, Keel." She met his eyes when he turned to her, a silent moment shared
between them. "I asked her when we were alone, and she notified me that doesn't want to continue your
relationship any further. That's why I had gone to see you in Kinakah. I had assumed she would've at least
sent a note telling you so."

Keel's breath hitched, his face contorted with disbelief. He almost snapped at Jade, but instead

looked to the floor and shook his head. He was a fool for loving her after all, only made more apparent by
the collection of people who had to tell him what she didn't have the will to. "I... I have to go." He shook
his head distractedly, already heading for the door. "I'm sorry..."

Jade raised a palm to stop him but he quickly walked past her, slamming the door to Lassieta's

suite. Lassieta and Jade sighed at each other, both aggravated with Kura and the fact that they were forced
to deal with her issues. When a few drops of water fell from the sky Jade stared up with confusion, "I
thought the shower this morning was the last."

Lassieta shrugged, sitting in one of her chairs with closed eyes. She rubbed at her forehead, glad

for the change of topic. "You know as well as I do that it'll rain sporadically for a few more days."

Jade blinked once, her face still pointed at the sky. "Keel didn't have a coat... Do you think he'll

try to travel in it?"

Lassieta gave her a glare, "Not with Kaji still here and Kura still safely away. Just in case, have

someone find out where he is. I personally don't care to watch him drop dead from illness inspired by my
closest friend."

Jade bowed her head and left Lassieta's room, but hesitated at her door when she spied Loki

heading to his own rooms at the end of the hall. Matahari had done her job as well as ever, dressing him
casually, although Jade felt that it was likely more because he refused to give her the pleasure of dolling
him up as she would like to. Black pants hung just below freshly cleaned and oiled tan skin, and the
lamplight was accenting every curve of his muscle beautifully for her. There was enough of it, and with
blatant disregard for others eyes he had taken the shirt that Matahari had given him and left it over one
massive tattooed shoulder. It left the tattoo on his left side completely visible, the design only larger with
every victory he earned. He was avoiding looking at her, which she knew well enough because Loki
always knew exactly who was around him at all times, and yet his teal eyes were on his door as he reached
for it with one giant hand.

"Loki?"
He froze, his eyes closed before he glared at her. He had let them pull his longer russet hair away

from his face, something he now regret because he couldn't hide behind it any longer. When he spoke, he
made no attempt to hide that he was upset with her for her behavior the day prior, hoping it would get a
reaction from her even if he knew better. "What do you want?"

Jade cocked an eyebrow when she heard his deep voice ask her a question the same way he would

tell someone to go die in a fire. "Lassieta wanted someone to find Keel. The rain is starting up again and
she doesn't want him traveling to Kinakah through it. Can you?"

Loki rolled his eyes and shifted his weight, slamming his door as he stalked down the hall. In

truth, her actions were only half of what had him irritated as he groaned and made his way towards the
stairs. The other reason for his dampened mood had to do with the fact that he was the only male that
anyone had taken notice of while they were in Sicero. The consequence that came with being successful in
a country run by women was that he was now getting far too much attention from people he'd never want.
One woman, who had already been following him as he walked through the Palace, tried to come up beside
him as he reached the top of the stairwell.

He responded by putting his hand on her hip and shoving her away as he went by her. Even that

did hardly anything and he sighed when she merely stumbled for a step, regained her footing and tried to
follow him again. He knew well enough by the look on her face what she wanted without her having to
ask. Flushed cheeks, eyes heavy with arousal and locked on him, sweat beading on her features. She was
in heat, rare but easy enough to spot. He found it rather odd that everyone seemed to want him now, except
for the people that he would want in return.

He arrived in the foyer and tried to ignore her, shrugging her hand off of his shoulder as he curled

a lip and moved away from her breath at the back of his neck. Keel wasn't there, so he turned to the Akana

members that were guarding the door, having to yell over the roar of voices as the troops started to arrive in
droves. "Have you seen a blonde Onya run through here?"

The woman looked at Loki as if he were insane and shook her head slightly.
He sighed, about to go and look elsewhere when he came face to face with the woman who was

lusting after him. With a sigh he took her shoulders and brought his face in front of hers. "Listen carefully,
Swordmistress... Whoever. When I decide to breed, it won't be with someone like you. It won't happen.
Not tonight. Not ever. Fuck off." He tossed her back, her expression unfaltering as she wet her lips and
followed him with her eyes.

"If you change your mind-"
"I won't." He growled as he stormed off, turning on his heels and picking a different route when

he saw another one lay her eyes on him and try to speak to him. It would be flattering, if they even knew
him. They wanted him because they figured that he would pass on his skills to any children he fathered. A
laughable thought because rumor was that his father had been a gorgeous but constantly drunk potter from
the middle of nowhere. He cocked his head to the side and thought about that again as he slid his hands in
his pockets, wrenching his elbow out of the grasp of someone as he passed by. What he was in the mood
for, was someone who knew him when he was still a nobody. Women who would want him for himself
instead of his position and wealth. Jade had been nothing short of a bitch, and was wounded anyway.

The only others were Lassieta, currently mounted atop Oniku if he had to guess, and Kura. He

started to laugh to himself, shaking his head as he scanned the area for the only blonde head that should be
on the first floor. A thought occurred to him and his smirk withered. There was someone else, who he was
moderately certain would be available. He brushed the idea away and took a detour through the Harem,
because if he were going to visit the house he had just remembered, he would exhaust every other
conceivable option first.

Chapter Six

Keel slapped his shot glass down on the bar, his face hidden in one hand as he tapped it against the

polished cedar a few times. He didn't notice, or furthermore care when someone slid onto the stool beside
him. People had been swarming into the bar at a startling rate, some bloodied and maimed, all of them
nearly manic with excitement. Drums had started somewhere downstairs, even the bartender bobbing his
head to the beat as he filled endless glasses.

Loki studied the way that Keel was hunched over with curiosity, leaning to try and see his face,

which proved rather impossible when he turned away from him. "Everything okay?"

Keel flushed at the voice, deep and masculine enough to even put Kaji's to shame. He slowly

turned to Loki, and seeing him with a quirky smile on his face, let out a low groan. He shook his head.
"No, not really..."

Loki's brow knit with concern. "What's happened?"
"My lover's thrown me away, I thought you'd know that much."
Loki wet his lips as he eyed Keel's chest where it peeked from the top of his shirt. Muscular and

pale, hesitant and intelligent; maybe he would have company after all. The memory of what Keel had been
like in his hands had him shifting his weight and planning a long evening that would likely stretch into the
next morning, his eyes heavy with desire as he bit his lip. He almost moved closer, but realized that Keel
technically had two lovers. He smirked as he checked to make sure he had the right of it, ready to intervene
and offer him comfort if he did. "Kaji finally fucked up?"

Keel sighed, staring at the bar as he raised the shot glass for more. "Kaji's not the issue, Loki. He

never will be." He eyed Loki, wondering if perhaps he was aware of the situation and merely messing with
him out of some petty form of spite. "Kura stayed behind, I'm sure you know that much."

Loki shrugged, disappointment showing in his voice and eyes as he assumed that Keel had

overreacted, "She'll be a delayed, but she's still coming back. There's no need to act like a bitch about it."

Keel's lips twisted, his brow low with outrage. "She's also told everyone else that she's finished

with me. I was willing to go to her, but Jade and Lassieta felt the need to save me that miniscule bit of
pride and inform me of her thoughts on our relationship, since she neglected to do so."

Loki sighed, slapping a hand on Keel's shoulder, strong enough that it made him jump. "If it

makes you feel better, I've been promoted to a shameless piece of ass for all of my colleagues."

Keel gave him a questioning glance, "I thought you already were?"
Loki chuckled, "Yeah well... After a war they get aggressive about breeding. I'm having some

trouble finding a decent fuck who won't take with child..."

Keel tensed under his hand, then shrugged it off, downing another shot as he stared at him. "Keep

looking."

Loki gave him a glare that made him tremble. "If I was going to get that from you, I wouldn't've

let you know that I'm interested. You'd just wake up confused and sore."

Keel flushed and glanced at him, sadly certain that he was telling the truth. "You're horrible."
He sighed, nearly speculative as he accepted a glass of bourbon from the bartender. "I know. I

just wish that they all knew that as well." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder, Keel looking and finding
two women staring at Loki across the crowded room as if they could see nothing else.

"What the hell has gotten into everyone?"
Loki shrugged, tilting his glass and staring at it. "There's an old belief that when a woman takes

with child she should personally ensure that there's room for it amongst the living. They still blame
mothers with stillborns for not tying hard enough to carve a spot for their young. After a war with as many
deaths as this one, they figure it's the best time to have a child, since there are plenty of people to replace."
He groaned at the thought, drinking as much bourbon as he could stomach.

Keel eyed him, "You believe that as well?"
He slapped the glass back on the bar and turned to Keel. "Nope."
Keel wore a hesitant grin for a mere instant before it fell. "I wonder if Kura does..."
Loki paled, not liking this conversation and where it was quickly heading. Since Keel's expression

showed that he was in a mood to vent his anger and hurt regarding Kura, Loki decided he would locate
someone else to take the seat beside him. "Where's Kaji?"

Keel shrugged, growing more upset as he entertained the possibility that Kura might be as shallow

and lustful as the women behind them. "He's probably in a bed somewhere."

Loki nodded, "I'll see you around, don't drink too much."

Chapter Seven

Kaji rolled his head on his shoulders, staring at the ceiling as one of his past mistresses helped

herself to a long taste of him. He couldn't keep his thoughts off of Keel, but wasn't stupid enough to follow
him around until Kura sank her claws into him again. If he had, his mouth would get him in trouble. The
knock at the door went ignored by the woman as she tried her hardest to attract Kaji's attention, which she
had been unable to do since he had reluctantly joined her in her rooms.

The door opened despite the fact that she didn't answer, her lips leaving Kaji's skin as she glared to

the side. Loki of all people had barged in, standing in the door with an unimpressed stare set on her face.
He pointed at Kaji, then gestured for him to come along.

She snapped, "I'm rather busy at the moment, Grandmaster. Whatever this is about, it will have to

wait."

Loki glared at her, the look alone enough for her to shut her mouth. He met Kaji's eyes. "Kura's

finished with Keel and delayed her return to avoid him. He's taking it rather hard. I thought you should
know that he's drinking himself stupid in the Akana bar, and a few women in heat are starting to close in on
him." He smiled sweetly at the Swordmistress that had given him an attitude and bowed his head. "By all
means, try to continue now, Swordmistress."

Before Loki had even gotten his words out Kaji had flung her off of himself and started to jog to

the door as he fastened his pants and belt. When he went to move around Loki, he paused for a moment,
since the massive man had stepped aside for him; a polite detail he hadn't expected from the man he
counted as the only competition he'd ever had. Their eyes met for an instant before he was off towards the
bar, walking quickly as he went over what Loki had said. Keel would be upset for sure, but even then;
Keel would be entirely his if it were true. His heart started to pound with adrenaline as he crossed the foyer
and turned towards the stairs, glancing to his side when Loki fell in beside him.

"You're welcome."
Kaji groaned and rolled his eyes. "Thank you."
Loki gave him a nearly friendly grin, "I have a question that you may know the answer to."
Kaji cocked an eyebrow, a tense smile on his face. "Is about whether Keel prefers me to you?

Because I believe that you already know the answer to that."

Loki glowered at him for a moment. "I was going to ask what you'd do in my situation. There are

no Onya left in the Harem and I can't risk anything with these women."

Kaji's feet slowed as he eyed Loki. He had technically just done him a favor by hunting him out to

take his place at Keel's side, even though Kaji was very certain he'd been easy to find. Blood red hair and a
tattooed face had a way of making him noticeable. Still, he paused in the hall and considered for a mere
moment. "You're looking for sex, I assume?"

Loki let out a grunt of a laugh, "I thought that was obvious."
Kaji had been the man to ask, gesturing to the door as he quickly spat his answer. "There are

some in heat that aren't showing yet, stay off the women, switch to men. Palace staff are being picked
clean, try your luck in the nearest villages." With that he bowed his head and went on his way, Loki
chuckling at how simple that had been.

He called after Kaji, "Feel free to use Kura's suites until the rains cease. They're the only ones

that're vacant that nobody will sneak into."

Kaji nodded, regrettably grateful that Loki had done what he had. Otherwise, he wouldn't have

known and Keel never would've gone looking for him, since he didn't like to disturb him when he was with
a woman. Even then, it didn't change much in regards to his opinion of Loki; he still wasn't fond of him.
He hesitated at the door to the bar, countless faces talking about everything that had happened over the last
two years, women draped over Onya with liquor at their lips. When his orange eyes drifted over the room
he sighed, thinking for a moment Keel had moved somewhere else until he saw a blonde head of hair in
complete disarray over the bar.

Keel moved away from Kaji's hands when he slid them over his shoulders, muttering in Sahrketh

that he wasn't interested. Kaji wore a pathetic smile as he put his lips to Keel's ear. "Even if it's me?"

Keel flushed, turning to Kaji with a distraught expression. He tried to think of something to say,

but if Kaji was here instead of draped over a bed, he knew anyway. It was simple enough that he found he
didn't want to explain what had happened, because he would need so few words. After a moment he closed
his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, then brought one final shot to his lips.

Kaji eyed the liquor, watched him drink it, then took the glass from him and leaned over him to set

it on the bar as he slid a hand carefully around him. "Come on, you've had enough."

Keel sighed and nodded, slipping off of the stool onto feet that were disobedient with drink. Kaji

took his time heading back to Kura's rooms with him, and when Keel saw the door he sank his head into a
hand with a nearly angry groan. "Is this really the only place we can hope for privacy?"

Kaji nodded, "Sadly. It's fine, let's trash the place."
Keel gave him a slight smile, "She's not above killing me, I believe." He slid against the

doorframe as he leaned his arm on the handle, then threw the door aside, gesturing for Kaji to enter first.
Once they were inside, he slapped the door shut and made his way to her table, leaning on it with his head
hanging between his shoulders. Kaji came up behind him and slid his arms around him, resting his head on
the back of Keel's shoulder.

"You alright?"
Keel rolled his head to the side, his brow knit as he chewed on the question. "No. I'm not alright.

I'm upset, disappointed, and so angry." He shook his head slightly as he eyed her rooms. He had spent two
years waiting for this night, and Kura hadn't so much as given him a reason to believe anything would
happen. "I'm a fucking fool."

Kaji started to rub Keel's shoulder but he shrugged it off. "There's no way you could've known

she'd do this, don't be-"

"Like hell!" He started to pace, his expression twisted with pain and regret. "You knew this was

coming as well as I did. From the moment I sent that first letter to her and we saw no response, we both
knew that something was off. I just..." He raised a palm and let his arm slap back to his side, "I didn't want
to see it." He sighed, his face tense as he took a deep breath and covered his eyes. "At least Ayua had the
decency to tell me immediately that she wasn't interested. This is just... It's pathetic."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow at the mention of the woman Keel had barely had the time to meet. "You

still think of Ayua as well?"

Keel sighed, "Of course I do." He shook his head, "First her, then Kura... It seems that the

women that are worth keeping consistently find me... Not good enough."

Kaji shifted his weight, thinking about that. He could understand Keel's memory of Ayua being a

fond one; that woman was called 'the muse' for a reason. What he hadn't been able to grasp, over the last
two years especially, was why Keel wanted Kura in the first place. She had sex appeal, that had never been
an issue, but to try to have a relationship with her and to expect her to reciprocate was madness. They had
nothing in common aside from the fact that they both needed to breathe to continue living. Even though he
felt he would regret the question, he felt the need to ask. "Out of curiosity, why do you even want Kura?"

Keel let out a groan, turning to Kaji, "Because she can do every single thing that I can't."
Kaji flushed, his adrenaline spiking quite suddenly as he shifted his weight. He hadn't expected an

answer that made sense, and it brought another question to mind. He muttered under his breath, nervously
laughing as he did. "Makes me wonder why you want me..."

Keel shook his head, "I can't compare you to her. It would be unfair and relatively impossible."
"Why?"
Keel's eyes had wandered the suite as he spoke, but hearing the undertone of anxiety in Kaji's

voice, he met his warm orange gaze and shrugged innocently. "Because you return my affection."

Kaji swallowed the knot in his throat, "That's why you want me? Because I'll reciprocate?"
Keel shook his head, "No. I want you because I'm fascinated by you."
Kaji's expression went slack and he blinked for a moment in the silence, dumbstruck by the idea.

He studied Keel's face and let out a grunt of a laugh, moderately flattered. He wore a slight smile as he
walked up to him, taking him into his arms and pointing his face up at himself. "I'm rather enjoying this
line of conversation. Tell me more."

Keel flushed, still liquored up enough that he figured that there was no harm in humoring him.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Tell me why you love me."
Keel hesitated, embarrassed by the demand. He shied his gaze away, "You said I'd only have to

say it once."

Kaji smirked, "Well, I'm not asking you to say it, I'm asking you to explain it."
Keel took a deep breath and sighed, "Because you're a better person than I am." His eyes snapped

to Kaji's, and he was sincere enough in his statement that Kaji had no doubt that he believed it.

It was unusual to hear, especially considering their pasts. Kaji had been unwanted for anything

but sex his entire life. An accessory to those rich enough to afford him for a night, whose earnings went
into a debt that had been accrued by parents he could scarcely remember. The thought that Keel put any
stock in him was intoxicating because nobody ever had, and within a moment he let out a low groan as he
rested his forehead against Keel's. "I disagree, but I'm flattered nonetheless."

Keel shrugged, staring at the tattoos on Kaji's cheekbones. He was always quite stunning, but on

occasions like this he would notice the way that he truly looked to others at a glance. The masculine line of
his jaw and shape of his eyes were Sahrketh, the only other traces of that bloodline evident when he smiled
with canines that were ever so slightly longer than they should be. It partnered perfectly with the graceful
arch of his cheekbones and eyebrows. Overall he looked sculpted, nearly surreal. Keel let out a
halfhearted laugh as he remembered what his first impression of Kaji had been; artistically pleasing to the
eye.

Kaji arched a crimson eyebrow when he found Keel gazing at him for a moment longer than usual.

He wet his lips, somewhat concerned because it was rare for Keel to admire him. "Are you feeling any
better?"

Keel nodded slightly, his cheeks flushed as he eyed Kaji's lips. He slid his hands across Kaji's jaw

and into his hair, holding him there as he sank into a kiss with him. Kura's decision that he wasn't worth
her time made him feel unattractive and unworthy. Kaji, worshipped him even if he counted him as insane
for it. He whispered against Kaji's lips, his expression wrought with both embarrassment and desire.
"Make love to me, Kaji..."

The moan that Kaji let out at this request made Keel's heart race, the confirmation that he was still

desired only made better because it was Kaji who wanted him. He had expected to get a reaction for
phrasing what he wanted the way that he had, but wasn't quite prepared for how quickly Kaji was willing to
do what he'd asked. Before he had a chance to so much as reconsider, Kaji had torn his clothes open and
laid him on the table, bent over him as he touched him with one hand and sucked on his skin. Keel bit his
lip, staring up at the chandelier overhead as he felt his pants tugged off. The sound of a bottle of lubricant
confused him enough that he looked down in time to watch as Kaji ran a slick hand over himself and
immediately pressed against him. His jaw fell open, his breath heavy as Kaji held him close and worked
inside of him.

Keel went slack in Kaji's arm, Kaji rearing his head to watch his face as he closed his eyes and

moaned. He licked his jaw, then bit it, studying the way that Keel was writhing, still sensitive from the
prior night. Even if he was enjoying himself already, Kaji decided that it wasn't enough and used his free
hand to pleasure him as he gyrated his hips. The way that Keel threw his head back and grabbed at his
shoulders made him pant, trying for more as he suddenly pulled his hips back and started to dive inside of
him.

Keel spread his legs, his face pained as he looked between them and watched Kaji's hand run up

his length, play with the head for a moment, only to then do it again. With the glimpse of his muscular
body working against him as a backdrop for the view, he elected to close his eyes. The feeling, when
partnered with the sight would be too much, and he didn't care to finish just yet. Instead, he pulled Kaji to
his lips, kissing him passionately enough that Kaji slowed to savor it. For a long moment the only sound in
the room was that of heavy breathing, an occasional moan from Keel ringing out loud enough that it was
startling. Kaji relaxed on him for a minute, letting him catch his breath as he slowly rocked against him,
tracing his erection with his fingers. He let out a low groan into Keel's mouth, then pulled away long
enough to speak.

"I believe I have enough affection for you that I can take her place as well..."
Keel flushed horribly and moaned, putting his legs around Kaji as he tried to shimmy closer to

him. Kaji smiled and started to move again, his eyes closed in enjoyment as he rested on his elbow of the
arm he was still using to support Keel's body on the table. He was about to whisper that he loved him, but
sighed instead. He'd already pushed his luck enough. Instead he elected to show him, taking his hand from
Keel to drag his knuckle down his cheek and attract his attention. Once he had it he brushed his lips against
his, let out a distracted moan and kissed him, his lips pressed against him for a long moment before he
closed his eyes and did it again.

Keel's face burned with color as he ran his hands into Kaji's hair and smoothed it away from his

face, brushing a thumb over the word 'trouble' as he turned his head and slipped his tongue into Kaji's
mouth. When he did, Kaji started to drive inside of him again, hard enough that Keel gripped at him and

moaned as he let his head fall away from him. Kaji merely turned his attention to kissing every inch of
Keel's face, his hand brushing over Keel's nipple before he groped lower.

Keel's expression changed to one that Kaji had long-since memorized, his brow low and his mouth

cracked open as if he were overwhelmed. He let out a few strangled groans as his body tensed. His eyes
closed and he gripped Kaji to himself as he bucked his hips, nearly shaking with his climax. Kaji had to
pause for a moment to enjoy it, debating if he wanted to join him. Since he was likely going to be sore
anyway, and the sight of Keel's now muscular frame bent forward in orgasm was absolutely gorgeous, he
figured he could always go again if Keel wanted to continue. He leaned forward, on his toes as he took his
hand and put it on Keel's hip, holding him there as he slammed inside of him. He was vaguely aware of the
sounds Keel was letting out as he focused on the feel of him, so warm and tight, still trembling with climax.
It was enough, and an instant later he started to groan, his face tense as he buried inside of him one final
time and emptied himself. He cracked his eyes open, panting and pressing against Keel as he watched him
cope with the feeling.

For a minute they just watched each other, both still catching their breath as Kaji moved so that he

could prop himself up on his arms. He gave Keel a loving smile as he moved some of his hair from his
eyes for him, then caressed his face. Again he bit back the desire to remind him that he loved him, sure that
Keel had gotten the very obvious hints by now. He sighed, still smiling when Keel met his eyes and
relaxed. "Feeling better?"

Keel rolled his head to the side on the table, moaning in the aftereffects of pleasure as he watched

Kaji inspect him. He wore a playful grin as he flushed, "A bit." He flexed, eliciting a gasp of pleasure
from Kaji. He wet his lips and gave him a sultry whisper, "Do it again."

Chapter Eight

Jade glared at the pair of Akana members that passed by as she waited in the archive for the

paperwork she had asked for. She had decided on a whim to check the date of Enara's execution, and
judging by the time it was taking for them to locate the paperwork, she now wondered if the vile woman
had escaped again. Everyone had been so eager to go to war that Enara was forgotten in the chaos. Now,
the only one that remembered who was responsible for the entire issue that led to the bloodshed happened
to be the calculating woman with the scar under her chin.

The elderly scholar that she had sent to find the documents returned with a puzzled expression on

his papery face. "I apologize, Headmistress. It seems our records are incomplete."

She raised a brow, "How so?"
He put a piece of paper on the counter, "I have the declaration of high treason, I have the request

for execution, but I have no record of it being carried out."

Jade clenched her teeth, "Who was the one assigned to carry it out?"
He glanced at the paper, "A Swordmistress by the name of Rui." His eyes wandered the room as

he considered that and tried to think of where he had heard the name before, then he groaned, "Wait a
moment..." He shuffled back through the shelves of paper, and quickly returned with a folder Jade knew all
too well. It had the names of everyone that had been murdered while on duty in the Palace. She sighed
when he found the document with Rui's name on it.

She pointed and arched a nearly white-blonde eyebrow, "May I borrow that?"
He eyed her as if he wished to refuse, but offered it regardless. "Please return it when you've

finished."

Jade forced a companionable smirk, "Don't worry, I won't leave your records incomplete." She

muttered as she scanned the description of the event that had taken the woman's life. "As a matter of fact, I
can promise you'll have that missing death certificate as soon as is physically possible." She didn't bother
to watch his reaction, reading as she wandered out of the archive and into the adjoined library.

Her feet carried her through the bookshelves, automatically finding the book she wanted because

she had read everything here at least once. She glanced at the binding, then used both hands to pull the
massive atlas. When she dropped it on one of the tables the sound startled a few of the servants, who went
to hush her until they realized who she was. She paged through it quickly, leaving it open to the map of the
prison and the surrounding area. She read the line that had caught her interest, her brow knit as she trailed
a finger across the map. She narrowed her eyes at the area she knew held the hidden temple under the
waterfall, the edge of it only barely visible at the very corner of the paper. It had been formed from the
cavern that was naturally there, and Jade was willing to bet that there were a few unexplored caves, likely
ones that ran under and beside the prison.

Rui had been found dead in the subterranean complex, her neck snapped from a hard blow to the

face with what the scribe had assumed was a heavy mace. Jade wet her lips as she eyed the map again.
Enara wasn't the strongest woman Jade had met by far, but she wasn't the weakest either. If she had been
caught tearing the wall apart to seek her freedom, it wasn't unbelievable that she would use one of the
stones to club her executioner to death.

Jade snapped her fingers and motioned to the atlas. "Bring that to my rooms." She was halfway

through returning the document when she spotted Keel, absorbed in a book and enjoying it enough that his
brow was knit with what he was reading. She smiled and shifted her weight, watching him read for a long
minute before she walked up to his side. "I would've thought you'd be back in Kinakah as soon as the rain
ended."

Keel tensed at her voice, slowly bringing his eyes to hers. After what had happened on their last

time speaking, he wasn't entirely happy to see her. Kura had made a fool of him, he had reacted poorly,
and he had a lurking suspicion that Jade was interested in taking her place, which would complicate things
further. Still, she was what he considered a friend, and she didn't appear to want to discuss what had
transpired either. He nodded, then shrugged. "Kaji's still sleeping, or we would have."

There was a span of time where the silence became awkward between them, Jade taking the

opportunity to eye the cover of the book when he set it aside. "You're looking for folklore on Saharion?"

Keel nodded, glancing at the book with a sigh. "Rather impossible to locate and accurate story

regarding how he died."

Jade let out a low chuckle, her chance to get him into a conversation presenting itself. "They

killed him." She smiled when his brow knit with incomprehension and he looked at her, playing the
scholar side of his personality like nobody else in the Palace would be able to. "You didn't know?"

He gave her a doubtful glare. "Of all of the variations I've heard, that's a new one."
She held out a hand at her side, "I need to return this to the archives. Join me for breakfast? I'll

tell you what I've heard."

Even though he could identify that this was bait, the lure of a good story was too tempting. He

gave her a companionable smile as he rose to his feet, bowing his head at her. "If that's what you'd like."
As they started to walk he eyed the paper in her hands, even leaned over and started to read it. "What's
this?"

Jade sighed, glancing down at it. "Enara's last murder before she escaped."
Keel paled, his eyes on her face as he waited for her to announce that she was joking, only she

never did. "She's alive? Weren't you supposed to kill her before you left?"

Jade raised a palm, "Sahrketh way of life, I'm afraid. Always itching for a fight and never

covering their past mistakes. They should be thankful to have me here, or it would've gone unnoticed even
longer." She saw that Keel was on edge at the discovery, so she gave him a comforting smile, "No need to
concern yourself. Nobody will side with her now. She's running for her life, and I've dragged her back
here before."

Keel's lips twitched up in an attempt to smile that failed horribly. "When I last saw her she

promised me that she would kill me when we next met."

Jade's feet halted, her eyes sliding to Keel when she cocked one eyebrow. "Did anything else

happen that you haven't told me about?"

Keel started to shake his head, but stopped when he remembered one other detail. "Then I insulted

her."

Jade pursed her lips and nodded slowly, staring off at nothing in particular for a few moments.

"Well. At least now we know she isn't in Kinakah because you're obviously less dead than she'd leave
you." She gave him a playful glance as they started walking again. "Thank you for your help."

Keel laughed under his breath, "Anytime?"
Jade sighed, thinking again that they paired well. She wasn't about to broach the topic, since Keel

had only found out that he was available the night beforehand. When he thought she wasn't looking, his
expression was depressing to see. She slid the paper to the elderly scholar that had been waiting patiently
for her to return it, then started to lead Keel out onto one of the patios. For now, she would settle for an
obscure topic to keep him talking to her. "What version of their creation myth have you heard?"

Keel shrugged, thinking for a moment of the most popular summary of everything he had found.

"Saharion was quite taken with a woman from a tribe in the area. When they went to war, he let them drink
his blood, giving them the ability to defend themselves like they do. After that, I've heard everything from
him ruling, to him falling ill. One story even claimed he died from lack of worship, it's a mess. What
about you?"

She wore a knowing smile as she took a seat at a small table near the kitchens. "The first part is

sort of true, in a way. He was actually going to eat her but she didn't back away from him, and that's why
he was fascinated by her. Because she was so fearless he put her in charge."

"Hence a matriarchal society."
Jade bowed her head, "The part where your story is wrong, is where he lets them drink his blood."
Keel cocked an eyebrow at her, "That's how they explained the tiger stripe... thing."
She shook her head, touching her tongue to her teeth. "He didn't give them permission, though.

Once they started, they couldn't stop. They drank him dry. They say that his body was never found, and
that it still lies in wait somewhere in the jungle."

Keel glanced at the thick foliage that surrounded the palace, a chill running his spine. "That's not

incredibly creepy at all. No wonder nobody repeats that story, it's horrible. What could they possibly hope
to achieve by scaring people with that concept?"

Jade shrugged, "Rumor is that anyone of his descent that gets near him drops dead, because he's

trying to take his blood back." She smirked, "Imagine that, an inactive god coming back to reap his own
followers for their heresy."

Keel cocked his head to the side and let out a hesitant laugh. "The more I learn about your people,

the more concerned I get."

Jade blinked at him a few times, then shook her head. "They're not my people. We worship

Jarlnyn. I'd think you'd remember that I don't belong with tigers, I just run with them."

Keel let out a grunt of a laugh as he remembered the difference between Kura and Jade on the only

occasions he had ever seen them angry enough to show their true heritage. Kura had looked insane,
covered in blood and roaring after a pit fight. Jade, however, had come across as determined and collected
as ever. It made him wonder if their myths could explain that. "Jarlnyn... That's the white leopard god,
whatever happened to him?"

Jade wet her lips and rolled her head to the side. "I wouldn't know. At the palace, they still pile

food in her shrines."

Keel nodded slowly, "Interesting."
"Not really. The interesting part is that the food is eaten, and there is only one entrance that's

guarded night and day."

Keel paled and looked at her, nearly retorting that they must be some fat guards by now. The look

on her face warned him not to. The pursuit of folklore was fun because they were nothing more than fairy
tales to him. As he looked at Jade, an otherwise intelligent and credible woman, and heard her speak as if
they were real, he felt that this was a poor topic for them to share. "So you're going on the hunt again?"

Jade rolled her eyes, "I am so sick of trying to kill that woman. I never should've trusted it to

anyone else." She glanced at Keel, her brow knit. "I'd be more comfortable if you don't leave the Palace in
light of this little surprise."

Keel hesitated, laughing under his breath, "I have no intention of staying, knowing that Kura will

eventually return."

"Oh?"
Keel nodded slowly, watching as a servant came and set coffee and some fresh baked bread in

front of them. "She has her priorities. I'm not one of them." He met Jade's eyes, obviously hurt by her
neglect. He sighed and reached for the coffee, leaning back in his chair as he sipped it.

"Where are you planning to go?"
Keel shrugged, "Anywhere else."
"Back home?"
Keel made a face that showed that he felt that was a ridiculous idea, "Anywhere else, but there."
She chuckled, "At least tell me that you won't travel alone?"
Keel sighed with amusement, "Kaji isn't that easy to shake."

Chapter Nine

Keel stared with wide eyes from the door to the infirmary, astounded by the sheer number of

people that had been set up through the room. He had needed to weave through the wounded just to arrive
where he was, and even after such a fleeting victory as arriving at the door had been, he couldn't locate
Mesa. He had wanted to see how she was dealing with everything while he had the chance, but the task
seemed daunting with countless wounded all being cared for in and around the room. She could be
anywhere.

He sighed as he set his eyes on a familiar face, or at least what was left of it.
Akara had indeed been badly burned. The bottom right side of her jaw was exposed as her

bandages were changed, her teeth clenched in pain when the aide that was tending to her accidentally
dragged a few threads over the burn, her once smooth and beautiful skin now various degrees of disgusting.
Apparently, the burn ran from her cheekbone across her right side, and although he knew better Keel
couldn't stop himself from approaching her.

"Swordmistress?"
Akara hissed in a breath as the bandage was finally tucked behind her neck, carefully setting

herself back on the cot she had earned with a look of determination. She glanced up at Keel, an exhausted
smile on her face. "Onya. What're you doing here?"

Keel raised a palm. "I came yesterday to congratulate Lassieta..." He gestured to the bandages

with his chin, his face showing concern. "What happened?"

Akara waved a hand dismissively, "Someone broke a kerosene lamp on my shoulder."
Keel went wide eyed, unable to stop himself from inspecting the bandages. When he had been

much younger and infinitely dumber, Anne had accidentally broken a lit hurricane lamp on the stone patio
and he had tried frantically to put the resulting fire out. Nothing had seemed to have any effect on the
burning liquid, and he had tried everything from dirt to water and eventually prayers. The heat that it had
thrown was incredible enough that he was nearly doubtful of her claim, even though she had no reason to
lie. "I'm surprised you're alive."

She gave a grunt of a laugh, "Well. It seems that Grandmaster Arada is useful on rare occasions."
Keel raised a brow in disbelief, "Loki?"
She almost nodded but reconsidered and sighed. "Yeah. Before I was even finished flinching he

had pulled me into the snow and snuffed the fire with a wet jacket..." She sighed, apparently not
appreciative of his help. She wet her lips and pointed over her head towards a few lines of cots, about to
drift back to sleep. "You should see Mesa before you go. She's been annoying."

Keel chuckled and gripped her hand for a moment, "Heal quickly."
"Mhm. Won't I be a sight when I do?"
Keel pat her unmarred shoulder as he walked by her cot, searching for Mesa since Akara had

given him a hint of what direction she was in. As Akara had just said, she was being a pest, playing poker
with a young man who had recently lost an arm while her wounded leg was propped up on a rolled blanket.
She was pointing at him, and judging by the look in her eyes, accusing him of cheating. As Keel
approached he couldn't help but laugh at the conversation.

"Where the hell would I hide a card? Up my fucking sleeve?" He used his only remaining hand to

gesture to the void beside his torso, his brow low as if he would start a fight.

Mesa wagged a finger at him, then pounded her other hand on his cards. "I'm amazing at this

game, and the only time I lose is when someone cheats. Therefore, you're cheating! Maybe you're hiding
aces in your bandages, Saharion knows you have enough of them!"

The young man rolled his eyes then glared at her. "Why don't we calm down with a nice relaxing

walk around the..." He cocked his head to the side, feigning that he had forgotten her broken thigh. "Oh
wait."

She growled at him, her nails gripping at the wood of the table. "We could always just arm

wrestle."

He narrowed his eyes at her, enjoying the nasty turn of the conversation. "Or, we could have a

race."

She did a push up on the cot, her eyes murderous, "Fine! You think a broken leg will stop me? I'll

win when I drag myself to the first heavy door anyway, lefty."

Keel cleared his throat, still trying to contain a smile, even though it wasn't working as well as he

would like. Mesa pulled an attitude from nowhere, her face contorted with rage as she turned to him. Once

she had discovered who it was her expression changed, her face stunned for a moment as she blinked. Keel
gave her a wide smile, "Swordmistress."

Mesa let out a chuckle under her breath, ignoring the young man as he walked away and stated

he'd be waiting at the top of the nearest set of achingly steep stairs for their rematch. "Keel. I honestly
have to admit that I'm surprised you came back here."

Keel shifted his weight, "Well, I did."
Mesa nodded as if this was to be expected. "Kura's not coming back for at least another month, so

why are you here? Did Kaji leave you or something?"

Keel shook his head, "No, nothing like that. Actually, Kura did."
Mesa's eyes widened under her overgrown black hair, her lips parted in surprise for a moment

before she looked away and shook her head. "She's always made her decisions without exercising much
forethought." She gave him a comforting smile as she sat up in the bed, "Don't worry. As soon as she
remembers how horrendously boring daily life around here is, she'll be clamoring for your attention in no
time."

Keel flushed, the statement sadly true. If Kura did come back to him, it would be because she was

tired of the mundane. "I'm not sure I'll take her if she does."

Mesa raised a brow, "Oh?"
He leveled a serious glare on Mesa, not intended for her even if it was aimed at her currently. "I'm

not enjoying the fact that she discarded me this easily. It lets me know where I stand with her more than
her words ever had. And, I'm not looking forward to repeating this every time she has business to attend
to."

Mesa nodded agreeably. "Understandably so." She elbowed him, hitting his thigh because of the

low cot she was forced to sit on. "So have you decided who you're going after next?"

Keel pursed his lips and shrugged. He had passed up many opportunities to join women over the

last two years, only a few of them even worth a second glance. "I have a few that wanted me in Kinakah.
Maybe one of them..." He stared off at a cot as he ran through his memory of everyone that had seemed
interested, because once Mesa had brought it up, the idea was quite appealing. The woman that ran the
cafe on the north end of Kinakah was the only one he had trouble walking away from, since she was not
only attractive at a glance, but also surprisingly kind. He met her eyes and smiled, "One of them owns a
cafe, best coffee in town. I have to head back there for a night to wrap up some business, maybe her... If
she's even still interested."

"Sahrketh?"
He made a face and shook his head eagerly enough that it was nearly intended as an insult. "I

mean no disrespect towards you or Lassieta, but every other Sahrketh woman I've met thinks of me as a
walking sex toy and nothing else."

Mesa winked, "You're giving me too much credit to think I'm any different."
Keel laughed and shook his head, "You're different. You never acted on it."
Mesa shrugged, "You had other things in mind." Her face grew more serious for a moment. "I'm

sorry that things didn't work out with Headmistress Maikaru. Unlike all of them," she gestured to the
endless cots of women around her, "I know how much you wanted to be hers."

Keel sighed, "I am hers. That's not the problem though, is it?" When Mesa made a face that

showed she didn't understand his thought process he elaborated. "She was never mine."

"Ah." Mesa pat his thigh companionably. "Well, you never answered my question. Why are you

here?"

Keel shrugged, "I thought she would be waiting for me. I didn't know until last night that she'd

ended our relationship on her own."

Mesa dragged her eyes down his chest, "If she saw what you looked like now she'd regret it."
He groaned and rubbed at his forehead, "I'm not feeling especially attractive at the moment..."
Mesa chuckled, "You're still a... What did the Grandmaster call you again? Sexy beast?"
Keel laughed hard enough that he found he couldn't stop for a few minutes. When he finally did,

his cheeks were pink with flattery for the first time he could readily remember. "Thank you."

She enjoyed his laughter, relaxing on her cot and watching him for a moment. "Well, don't let me

keep you. You have a cafe owner to go and be beastly for." She held a hand out towards the door, "So get
to it." She raised one brow, "Or do you still need me to hand you over personally to everyone, because this
leg may not look bad but when I try to walk you're going to laugh."

Keel shook his head, a wry smirk on his pale lips as he eyed her. "Let me know when that thing

heals."

Mesa's brow twisted, "Why?"
Keel leaned over her, playful because she was a friend and he could afford to be. He eyed the

blanket that had been tossed over her groin, then met her eyes with a grin. "Well, if my coffee is bad, you
know..." He chuckled when she paled and slapped his ass, then shoved his hip.

"Stop teasing me. You're cruel."
He shrugged, "That's the second time you've said that to me. If you keep calling me cruel, I'll start

to wonder."

She rolled her eyes, regrettably grinning as she did. "Yeah, sure you will." When he started to

resume his survey of how many wounded they had, she tugged on his pants to get his attention. As soon as
he looked at her he noticed the flush on her cheeks. "But, if you were being serious... Masune said that
she'd get me back on at least one of my feet within a few days."

Keel let out a grunt of a laugh, entertaining the thought. "I'll keep that in mind."
She nodded once, "Good." A moment passed before she glanced up at him with a knit brow. "Go

already or you'll get me flirting- then you'll be sorry."

Keel laughed and nodded as he was forced to wander away.

Chapter Ten

"You alright?"
Keel nearly jumped at Kaji's voice, looking to him with surprise from the saddle as they made

their way towards Kinakah's western gate. He had apparently been wearing an expression that gave away
his thoughts, and blushed as he let out a nervous and entirely guilty laugh. "Why do you ask?"

Kaji gave him an indulgent grin, eyeing him carefully. "You looked like you were dwelling on

something."

Keel shrugged, "Just trying to decide on what to do. I don't really want to stay in Kinakah any

longer." He curled a lip and shot Kaji a glance, "I mean, it's not exactly where I pictured myself living..."

Kaji nodded agreeably, adding, "And Kura would be too close when she returns."
Keel sighed, "If you want me to stay and let her play me like a deck of cards we could always-"
"I wasn't objecting."
The pair smiled at each other, Keel clearing his throat as he fanned away a blush that he was

pretending was from the heat. "What did you have in mind for tonight?"

Kaji thought for a moment, then shrugged with a devilish grin on his face. "I thought you'd

probably be eager to take a woman, I was going to do the same. Two years without... You must be at least
entertaining the idea."

Keel eyed the passing foliage in an attempt to seem more proper than he actually was. Even if he

wasn't entirely willing to admit why, he felt the need to explain himself. "I didn't want you to think that
you're not enough..."

Kaji laughed, shaking his head as if the thought of Keel with a woman was no threat to him

whatsoever. "As talented as I am, there are certain things that I'll never be able to give you, Keel. If you're
craving a woman, don't use me as an excuse to procrastinate. Especially if it's just for sex, you should
know better."

Keel rolled his eyes, landing them on Kaji. "I was going to stop by the spa first. Care to join

me?" He arched one eyebrow when Kaji gave him a mischievous smile, "I'll take that as a yes."

Chapter Eleven

Keel laughed and shook his head at Imori as she opened her mouth, showing the stem of the

cherry she had just knotted with her tongue, "Where'd you learn to do that? These things aren't easy to find
around here."

She shrugged one slender shoulder, which sent her already skewed silk robe further down her arm

and threatened to leave her exposed. She winked and pulled it from her mouth, holding it up for him to see,
"I spent some time working a salon in the Jarlketh territory. It had a cherry tree outside."

He cocked an eyebrow, dragging his gaze down her body with a groan. Almond shaped eyes,

deep black hair and a face like a porcelain doll. She was incredibly slender, which he was surprised to find
he liked after his time with everyone at the Palace. The Sahrketh ranged from toned to muscular and
everywhere in between. She looked more like the women from Breiyan, in body at the very least. He
glanced at her eyes and let out a grunt of a laugh when he found her watching him. This was a trick and an
act, used to keep men coming back to the spa and bathhouse, and he could guess there would be no
invitation for more within the screened walls of the room.

Even so, he wet his lips and popped a cherry in his mouth, taking the pit and the stem and

dropping them into the dish beside him a moment afterwards. He gave her a slight smile when she looked
down and saw that he had not only done the same as her, he had knotted it twice. Some color found her
cheekbones as she gave him an apprehensive glance, Keel just watching her for a moment. When she made
no attempt to so much as move he looked away, assuming that she wasn't curious enough to inquire. With
a sigh he stood and slid the robe he'd been given off, walking into the heated bath and reclining at the back
of it with his head and arms on the edge.

There was a long moment where nothing happened, Keel opening his eyes to find her walking to

his side with soap and a razor. Her feet were silent as they glided over the smooth hardwoods, his eyes
regrettably climbing her ivory skin when her robe parted slightly and showed a glimpse of thigh.

"Clean shaven?"
He gave her a lazy nod, "Please." He had closed his eyes, determined to forget that he wanted her

when her thighs went over his arms and she sat behind his head. He looked up at her, eyeing the way that
she had tugged her robe up to cover only what was absolutely necessary. He took a deep breath and held it
for a moment, "Did you need me to move?"

She gave him a miniscule shake of her head, working up a lather at her side. "No, this will be

fine."

Keel flushed and closed his eyes, relaxing with a slight smile as she worked quietly at fixing his

appearance. When she was done she wiped his face clean, dragging a finger over his lips as if she counted
it part of her work. He watched her as she did it, opening his mouth slightly and letting out a breath against
her finger. "Everything okay?"

She nodded with a distracted smirk, "Where did you learn to do that with your tongue?"
Keel cracked a grin, "That was my first attempt. The thought had never occurred to me until you

did it."

She flushed and her breath came a bit heavier, "You must be good with your mouth."
Keel glanced at her hand, then tilted his head slightly and took her finger between his lips. Her

expression grew distant and her eyes drifted shut as she felt what he was doing. Since he didn't care to be
hard around a woman who was merely satisfying her curiosity, he turned his face away from her, her finger
sliding from his lips. He sighed, disappointed with himself as he spoke. "I translate in my spare time...
Side effect of that, I'm sure." With that he lifted her thighs and slipped out from under them, sitting up and
looking around the room. "If you're not interested, then stop."

Imori's eyes snapped open, on him with a look of shock. "I don't know what you're talking about."

When he glanced at her over his shoulder, the look he gave her said he doubted that entirely, and she sighed
as she averted her gaze.

He smiled, "It's alright, I understand why you do it." He considered a moment, remembering how

Kaji used to pretend to be someone else for Akara just to keep getting more of her money. He laughed
under his breath, "More than you realize..."

She shrugged, chewing a lip as she put her feet in the water and trailed her toe up his back, "How

would you know?"

Keel turned to the side, glancing at her foot before he met her eyes and smiled. He traced his

finger along the arch of her foot, then up her ankle slowly. He'd told her to stop if she wasn't interested,

and she had continued. He wet his lips, eyeing her thighs where they disappeared under the silken robe.
"Are you trying to distract me, Imori?"

She shrugged, her robe falling off of her shoulder again as she pulled it up beside her face and

moved her leg to the side, the robe parted in far too inviting a manner as she stared at him. "Is it working?"

He laughed under his breath and came to the side of the heated pool, placing his lips on the inside

of her knee as he groped at her thighs. His fingers worked their way under her legs, gently coaxing them
apart as he kissed his way closer to her. When she spread her legs for him and parted the robe, he wasted
no time in leaning forward and putting his mouth on her, Imori leaning back on an arm as one of her hands
held her robe to her chest.

Keel moaned at the taste of her, dragging his tongue along her for a minute before he sucked on

her clit. Once he had started he found that he couldn't help himself, and within moments he had pulled her
closer and started to stroke her with his fingers. When he slid two inside of her she cried out, Keel finally
taking his mouth off of her to touch her instead. He climbed on top of her, still dripping wet as he parted
her robe and placed his lips on her porcelain skin. He was about to position himself when the two of them
froze, eyes wide as they looked up at the screen that separated them from the rest of the spa and found the
woman that ran the place staring at them with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Ambassador Vitanus."
He closed his eyes and sighed, then smiled sweetly up at her. "Miss Grier."
She stared down at them and blinked for a long moment, then pursed her lips and nodded. "This is

no brothel, Ambassador. If you're looking for one, I suggest you head to Daiban or perhaps Kuragari.
Imori may be paid to show you a good time, but please don't push your luck."

Keel's brow knit and he forced a tense smile as he stood in the bath. The way things had just

worked out, it seemed that he had in truth shown her a good time and received nothing but a decent shave
in return. He groaned and nodded, "My apologies, what was I thinking." He glared at the woman as he
snatched a towel and climbed out of the tub, covering himself.

She glared at Imori, then wore a neutral expression as she looked to him and bowed her head. "I'll

see you out front momentarily, I'm sure."

Keel flushed and closed his eyes, bobbing his head with aggravation. "Of course."
Imori was mortified to say the least, but she did bite her lip and smile at him. "That was fun."
Keel forced a smile and cocked his head to the side. "Just wait." She looked at him as if she

didn't understand, then the sound of Miss Grier shrieking at Kaji for what she had found him doing filled
the bathhouse. Keel laughed and shook his head, searching for his pants and pulling them on. "Well, I
would ask what you'd be doing later tonight, but I don't think it would be wise for you. If she asks, blame
me entirely so that you can keep your job."

She gave him a look that asked if he were stupid, "What? You expected me to do anything else?"
He gave her a disinterested glance as he slipped his shirt on and grabbed his messenger pack,

walking into the front of the bathhouse in time to see Kaji strut away from his masseuse. The smug grin on
his face made Keel shake his head, certain that Kaji had at least gotten something from the woman who
was watching him leave with amusement.

Kaji paused as he came up beside the woman holding the door and waiting patiently for them to

leave, then bowed his head sweetly, "A pleasure."

She took a deep breath and waved them out, then muttered as the door slammed shut behind them,

"Was supposed to be a bath and a massage..."

Kaji stretched, looking quite pleased with himself until his eyes fell on Keel. The expression of

frustration on his face made him sigh. "You go ahead and use the penthouse."

Keel cocked an eyebrow, "Where are you going to go?"
Kaji shrugged, "I'll find a place." He leaned closer to Keel, talking quickly under his breath, "I

assumed by the extremely rare tension in your voice that you're going to need the whole place to yourself,
was I wrong?"

Keel shook his head without hesitation, glancing between two streets. "Coffee or library?"
"What?"
Keel glanced at him, "Ananya at the cafe, or Ena at the library?"
Kaji looked at Keel with surprise. "You had a whole list prepared, didn't you?" When Keel

shrugged he spent a mere moment reflecting on the two young ladies. "Ena is more to my tastes than yours
unless I missed my guess."

Keel gave him a curt nod, grabbing Kaji's hand and kissing it before he flung it back to his side

and started to walk. "Coffee it is."

Kaji chuckled, "I'll meet you in the penthouse at daybreak."
Keel gave him a nod to show that he had heard him, shouldering his way past people as he made

his way to the cafe he had been avoiding for the last two months. The woman inside had been more direct
than the few others that he had made friends with, had even coaxed him into a conversation regarding Kura
on one very awkward occasion. Keel had made it a point not to go back again because it had been hard to
walk out that evening once the invitation was there. Now that he didn't have to, he was hoping she would
offer her night to him again.

Chapter Twelve

When Keel had made it to Ananya's cafe, she was heading out of it, the pair nearly walking into

one another before he flushed and took a step back. He gave a wary glance at the building, "Is everything
okay?"

She gave him a smile, nodding. "Ran out of coffee. No point in staying open, is there?"
He shrugged, a playful smirk on his lips as he eyed her pretty face with appreciation. "Care to join

me for dinner?"

Ananya hesitated, eyeing him for any sign of malice. "What about your woman?"
Keel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, groaning for a moment. "I don't have one anymore."
Ananya considered for a moment, studying his expression. He was attractive, enough so that she

had been vying for his attention for some time. The fact that he was educated, a complete bookworm and
sweet as could be had only made it more depressing when she had learned of his relationship. This would
likely end with the following sunrise, but the opportunity may never come again either. To be his piece of
ass for a single night, or refuse and never even have that much. She let out a disappointed laugh, "Yeah, let
me go and clean up."

Keel smiled warmly at her, "Alright."
She gestured for him to follow her as she went around to the back of the building and scaled a set

of stone steps, unlocking her door and leaving it open for him as she moved behind the screen in the corner.
"I haven't seen you in awhile. I was starting to wonder what happened to you."

Keel shrugged despite the fact she couldn't see it, his eyes on the screen and wishing it had been

made of glass. "I busied myself with some work for awhile. I didn't think it would be polite of me to come
by while I still had an overprotective lover trained to murder who wanted me to herself."

She chuckled, "Why's that? I wouldn't have done anything."
Keel muttered, "It wasn't you I was worried about."
"Ah, she's the jealous type?"
Keel nodded, "You have no idea..."
A few minutes passed in relative silence before she stepped out from behind the screen, quickly

twisting her silken auburn hair up behind her head and holding it in place with a comb. His eyes traveled
down the crimson dress she had chosen, his mouth falling agape for a moment before he fixed it. The front
was cut far lower than he had thought she would be comfortable with, the corset top leading to a skirt that
was a shade darker and cut to fall in layers. The darker shade made her light skin nearly glow, and the style
accented her curves admirably.

He smiled, stunned. "Well, now I look like a street walker."
She laughed, "You look fine."
He shook his head, "If you say so... You're absolutely captivating."
She flushed, not accustomed to compliments. It made her slightly upset, because in truth, she

wished she could keep him. "Thank you."

Chapter Thirteen

Keel turned on Ananya as soon as they entered the penthouse, his arms slipping around her to

press the door closed and trap her there. He nearly purred as he wet his lips and buried his face in her hair
next to her ear, his breath hot and his tone low. "You're sure you want this? I don't intend to stop until one
of us is unconscious..."

Ananya closed her eyes, her entire upper body burned with a flush as she took a deep breath and

shifted her weight. It was now uncomfortably hot in the penthouse for some reason, and she found herself
loosening the bodice of her dress as she nodded. "Oh, I'm sure."

Keel smiled as he pulled her into a delicate kiss, which quickly grew into something far more

passionate, his hands running down her back with pleasure as he finally had the opportunity to touch her.
His fingers trailed down her skirt, then pulled one of her legs up to rest beside his hip, his palm sliding up
the underside of her leg. She let out a surprised moan, so he moved his mouth down her neck, content to
take his time enjoying her. He'd waited long enough for a woman that rushing seemed wasteful.

Ananya gasped when her bodice fell open, startled mostly because she hadn't noticed his other

hand unweave the back of the corset top. He pulled his head away long enough to stare at her chest, his
eyes clouded with lust. When he met her eyes with a nearly drunk smirk on his lips, the look on his face
was enough to make her flush fit to match her dress. He picked her up and brought her with him to the
bedroom, setting her on her feet only long enough to throw the sliding doors that faced the sitting area open
and coax her onto the silk bedspread. Ananya was panting by the time he laid on top of her, which among
other things, served to remind Keel that she wasn't Sahrketh and therefore would likely be easy to please.
He thought for a brief instant on that, but decided he didn't particularly care if she reciprocated or not. He
helped himself to her chest; something he hadn't had the luxury of enjoying in a very long time.

Ananya closed her eyes and bit the back of her hand to stifle a moan, unable to stop her body from

writhing even at such minor attention. Apparently this had been a beloved pastime for him at some point,
because he was worshipping her breasts with undivided attention. He slid an arm underneath her and
pulled her to his mouth, sucking on her and licking her for a moment. He only stopped when she wrapped
her legs around him and started to rub herself against him, her undergarments soaked enough that he could
tell through his pants. He closed his eyes and his mouth fell agape, his face flushed as he panted for a
moment. It was unexpectedly arousing that she wanted him so soon, and he had a moment where he had to
debate with himself over whether he should skip another of his favorites. He gave her an amused smirk
and sat up, gently laying her back on the bed as he ran his fingers up her skirt and quickly took the rest of
the dress off over her head, flinging it over his shoulder without a care for what a night on the floor would
do to the garment.

Ananya pulled the comb from her hair and unraveled her auburn locks over one shoulder, staring

at him through a veil of long lashes. She trailed her nails down her body to the top of her lace panties, and
smiled in victory when she saw some of his patience deteriorate. She kicked off her heels and spread her
thighs as she slid her fingers ever so slightly under the top of the black lace.

Keel was staring, his mouth cracked open to accommodate heavy breathing as he eyed her, flushed

and writhing in pleasure, showing him how she touched herself in nothing but a stunning lacy
undergarment. It was enough to encourage him to slide his shirt off and loosen his pants, but to Ananya's
surprise he didn't tear her panties off and take her. Instead he watched her, trailing his fingers from her
knee down her thigh. When she went to remove her hand he shook his head and wet his lips, "I was
enjoying that..."

She raised a brow and smiled, resuming the act of stroking herself for a moment. "Then, you

should join me."

Keel flushed and closed his eyes, but nodded, freeing himself from his pants and pleasuring

himself, since she apparently liked such a thing. After a minute he paused and ran his fingers up her hips,
then hooked his thumbs into her panties and dragged them slowly off. He finally removed her hand, but
quickly replaced it with his tongue, the two of them moaning as he tasted her. He took his time, sucking
and licking her with the utmost care, seemingly taking as much away from the experience as she was. He
slid two fingers inside of her as he locked eyes with her, her hips writhing wildly as she let out a low moan.
He wasted no time in finding the spot he had mapped on nearly every woman worth a damn in the Sahrketh
palace two years prior, Ananya's face surprised enough when she came that he knew she had never had the
luxury of enjoying such attention to detail. He waited until she had calmed to remove himself, licking his

lips and cleaning his fingers quickly with his tongue thereafter. He grabbed her waist and pulled her to his
chest, then turned and sat on the bed with her straddling him.

The way she stared at him as if she hadn't seen him before made him smile as he shimmied up the

bed and brought her with him. Before he had quite made it to the pillows she took the initiative and
positioned him, then slid him inside of herself. Keel grabbed her hips with tense hands, his eyes closed and
his chest heaving as he finally got a taste of what he had been craving for so long. Ananya ignored his
reaction to what she had done, and instead sought her own pleasure, her hips rising and falling rhythmically
for a moment before she increased the pace. Keel relaxed and closed his eyes, focused on the feel of her.
When she came he let out a surprised groan and decided that she had been controlling the situation long
enough. He pulled her to his chest and rolled on top of her, then propped himself up on his arms, his back
arched so that he could take her nipple in his mouth as he thrust inside of her.

Ananya's cries rose in volume instantly, Keel surprised by it because he hadn't even done anything

yet. Almost to prove to her that what he was doing was trivial, he sat up and brought her knees to her
chest, diving back into her in a position he knew would hit that spot that she had only just discovered. A
moment later he licked his thumb and massaged her clit, watching her climax again with nearly predatory
eyes. She dug her nails into his forearms, her head thrown back in pleasure for a few minutes until he
finally relented and reclaimed his hand. He slowed and let her catch her breath, grinning when it seemed to
be difficult for her. He stopped and moved her legs to his sides as he laid on her, his fingers playing with
her hair. "Do you need a minute?"

She nodded, gazing up at him as she panted and swallowed to relieve a throat dry from constant

moaning. "That was new... I think I've already enjoyed myself more tonight than I have in my entire life."

Keel smirked, "Be careful. If you compliment me, we'll be here for days."
It was intended to make her laugh, but she let out a sultry whisper that made him flush. "With

you? I'd like that..."

He let out a hesitant chuckle under his breath, no longer accustomed to the playful banter that

came with sex. Not with a woman, anyway. He kissed her face for a moment and slowly started to
pleasure her again, "I think I would as well, but let's see how exhausted I can make us by morning first."

She smiled and nodded, using one delicate finger under his jaw to draw him into a kiss. "Go

ahead."

Keel nodded, pulling his face away from her as he sat up again, his eyes on where they were

connected as he slowly thrust inside of her. He considered asking her to bend over instead, but chances
were high that she would think of it as too perverse. He laughed to himself, thinking that he would ask for
that either later or on their next roll in the bed, depending on when he felt she was lost enough in the
activity to oblige him. He glanced up at her, and seeing her moaning face, her hair tossed over the pillows
and her eyes clouded by lust, couldn't stop himself from reaching for his own climax. He grabbed her hips
and pulled her onto every thrust, his eyes closed and his face nearly pained by the feel of her as he pulled
out at the last second and finished himself with his hand. Apparently it had been enough for her to climax
again as well, because when he managed to look at her, she was touching herself again, her fingers and a
large portion of the bedspread soaked. He caught his breath, reaching for a towel to clean himself.

"Not that it bothers me, but why didn't you finish inside?"
Keel raised a brow, "I didn't think you'd want a child."
"What makes you think you'd be lucky enough to get one on your first try?"
Keel chuckled and held up his hand for her to see, the sheer amount of semen enough to make her

flush. To his surprise, she took his wrist and brought his fingers to her lips, smirking at him as she cleaned
his hand. Ananya had thought that something so perverse by her own standards would be new to him.
Instead, she found he watched her with content eyes. Aiming to impress, she crawled on the bed and took
him into her mouth, sucking every drop from him as he shuddered and stroked her hair. When her jaw
started to ache she let him slide from her lips, gazing up at him to find that he was ready for another round.

Chapter Fourteen

Keel sat at the edge of the bed, sweat dripping from his face as he slid his eyes to the already

sunny window, Ananya unconscious behind him. He rubbed his face for a moment. She had been fun,
even if she wasn't exactly everything he had hoped for in the bedroom. After about an hour she had merely
given up, not even bothering to participate. That didn't bother him so much as what had happened right
before he had finished, a few hours ago now. She had pulled him down to her face and whispered to him in
a language that she apparently didn't know he understood that she was starting to love him. It begged the
question of what he thought of her, and he had no answer. Of course they had been something close to
friends over the time he had spent in the city, and they would continue to be. When he thought of the
maddening feelings he held for Kura even now, however, his attachment to Ananya was nearly nonexistent.
He rose to his feet with a sigh, wiping some of the sweat from his face as he grabbed his pants from the
night prior and slid them on. As he buttoned them he eyed her and smirked, covering her with the sheet
before he reopened the sliding doors to the sitting area.

He had planned to venture to the front desk and beg for food and coffee, even dressed as he was.

His plan was ruined, however, when he discovered Kaji sitting at the low table and eating a piece of freshly
baked bread. He chuckled as he eyed the mountain of food that he had brought up. "When did you get
back?"

Kaji smiled devilishly, "Long enough ago that I considered giving you a standing ovation." Keel

flushed and grinned, explaining and denying nothing. Kaji tapped his finger on the silver pot he had
brought up with him, likely containing coffee. "Have a drink. I assume you need it?"

Keel nodded, eager to take both the seat and the coffee. As he poured his cup he glanced at Kaji,

"How was your night?"

Kaji shrugged, "My woman was boring. How was yours?"
Keel considered, reclining on the sofa with his cup. "Ananya was kind."
"That wasn't what I asked."
Keel smirked at him, "But that's the answer I'm giving."
Kaji pursed his lips and nodded, assuming she had been terrible. He motioned to a few letters,

"You have some mail from Breiyan, don't forget to resign before we go."

Keel gave him a hurried nod. "Any ideas on where we should be headed?"
Kaji pursed his lips. "Was sort of hoping to head back to the Palace one last time before we went

anywhere."

Keel eyed Kaji with confusion, "Why?"
Kaji pulled a flier from the tray on the table and offered it to Keel with a wink. Keel eyed the

paper, an ecstatic smile on his face as he eyed Ayua's name among the many that scrolled over the flier,
Kaiya and Engel as well. Singers, musicians, dancers, tumblers; they had too many names to recognize at a
glance. "That's a hell of a party."

Kaji smiled and nodded, "Too many notable faces missed the first few days and more are pouring

in by the moment. Sounds like fun."

Keel nodded, taking a deep breath, "Alright. Back to the Palace for one last visit. Think about

where you want to go while we're there."

Kaji stood and stretched. "Might want to get her awake and out of here. Would be rather rude to

let the housekeeper find her in here after we pay up and head out."

Keel sighed and nodded, "You go on ahead, I'll be down with her in a few minutes."
Kaji eyed the way Keel was glancing over his shoulder at her, fully aware that he was at one time

interested in her for more than a night. "Invite her to join us if you want."

Keel flushed and averted his eyes, but nodded. "I think she'll decline, Kaji."
Kaji gave him a companionable smile and ran his fingers through Keel's hair, then planted a kiss

on his head. "Well, invite her just the same. Just make sure she knows that I'm not easy to scare away."
With that he grabbed his pack, which he had more than enough time to fill while Keel was catching his few
hours of rest. He left without commenting more, sure that Keel could handle himself.

Keel wasn't half as confident. When he laid on Ananya, she shifted her weight, her pink lips

parted into a warm smile. "Morning."

Keel let out a hesitant chuckle and kissed the corner of her mouth. "How are you?"
She moaned, "Sore. Pleasantly, wonderfully sore. And yourself?"
He shrugged, "I'm feeling great."

She opened her eyes and looked at him, a flush on her cheeks. "Who was your friend?"
Keel bit his lip, "Thought you were asleep."
"I think I was for the most part. I only heard him as he left. Another one from the Palace?"
Keel gave her a slight nod. "He said to invite you to come with us."
"Where are you going?"
He thought for a moment, then laughed, "We don't know yet."
She made a face at him that labeled him crazy. "You want me to leave the cafe I took years to get

started, to run off with you after a single night together, and you don't even know where you're headed?"

Keel smiled, then shrugged. "It was a good night."
She flushed, unable to argue that. "And the better part of a morning as well..."
"Come with me?"
Ananya watched him for a moment, then cocked her head to the side. "How about this instead..."

She ran her fingers over his eyebrow and down his cheek, memorizing how he looked in the morning light.
"You could stay with me." He went to retort but she put her finger over his lips and gave him a glare that
asked for patience and he sighed. "I might not be a murdering Sahrketh woman, or a man trained to have
sex at any moment, and I can't promise I could make you happy. But I would try to."

Keel flushed, the offer sincerely heartfelt. He closed his eyes, "I can't do that."
"You still miss her?"
Keel answered the question by trying to avoid it. "She would be too nearby, I'd never forget her if

I stayed."

She let out a grunt of a laugh, "Alright, so go and have fun. If you find yourself missing me

instead of her, you can always come back, can't you?"

Keel sighed and nodded, then smiled and kissed her. When she slipped her tongue in his mouth he

moaned and pressed against her through the sheets, but she shied away. He groped at her body for a
moment, pulling his mouth from her, "We have time."

She chuckled, "I don't have the energy."
He paused, then groaned as he rested his forehead against hers. "Sorry."
She smiled and planted a tender kiss on his face. "Come on now, get off me. Your friend is

waiting."

Chapter Fifteen

Keel had been silent through most of their ride, but when the Palace gates loomed in the distance,

Kaji couldn't contain his questions any longer. "So she wasn't willing to come along?"

Keel shook his head. "No." He glanced at Kaji, "She's kind, as I'd said. That's why I wanted her

last night. She said that the invitation for more is there if I want to come back for it later, but she wasn't
willing to leave her business on a whim..."

Kaji cracked a devilish grin, "I think you're worth the risk."
Keel offered no comment, instead distracted by the sheer volume of people heading to the Palace.

The road was more than wide enough, but impatience had led to an interesting jam in forward progress.
Countless liquor merchants were shoving at each other as they struggled to get their wares through the
gates. Keel had to pull his horse off of the road at one point when a cart toppled and sent bottles of cheap
rum rolling and shattering across the path. Kaji merely abandoned his mount, then grabbed his pack and
jogged up to Keel's side.

"You might have better luck on foot. Palace staff will round them up later."
Keel sighed and nodded, sliding off of the saddle so that he could grab his worn messenger pack

and work his way through the crowd. As soon as they made it through the gates, Keel eyed the chaos that
the front garden had become with a puzzled smirk. Tumblers and dancers from the Gerudai Gypsies were
laughing and practicing under the massive trees. An incredibly tall man with dreadlocks that reached his
hips was stretching briefly, his clothes labeling him a Capoeirista.

Kaiya stood out in the crowd, her phoenix braids all pulled up at the back of her head, a few of

them chasing her as she jogged across the grass. Much as the last time Keel had seen her perform, she had
donned only a metal etched thong and bra, her skin as tan and smooth as ever. When she saw the pair she
recognized them and tilted her head back with a gorgeous smile, throwing a hand up in greeting. Even then
she didn't stop, merely continued on her way.

Keel's wide eyes found Engel standing with her head cocked to one side and a displeased

expression on her elegant face as Loki spoke to her, the gestures he was making with his hands telling a tale
of much perversion. He apparently said what he considered a punchline in his account of what he had been
doing, and she had to cover her smile as she laughed. Her usually pale face turned bright red as he planted
a kiss on her cheek and wandered away, only to land his hands on a stray Swordmistress and heft her over
his shoulder.

Keel shook his head with a stunned laugh as a few groups of young Sahrketh men started to play a

game of sticky hands. "This is anarchy..."

Kaji smirked, "I know. If you think this is great, just wait until we get inside."
Keel laughed, begrudgingly curious. "Alright, lets go."
Kaji gave him an excited smile as he grabbed Keel's wrist and dragged him inside. Permission to

partake in the debauchery with Keel at his side was rare. The foyer was a near whirlpool of people, all
hurrying through with no mind for anyone else. Keel laughed and his mouth fell agape when one woman
noticed him and grabbed his ass as he passed by, unable to even so much as get a good look at her because
of the speed everyone was moving at.

Screams rang out from the hall that led to the largest function room, more eager than Keel had

ever heard in the building; no small feat when taking into account what gatherings he had attended in the
past. As they turned towards the room with the most noise, Kaji spotted someone over the crowd, on his
toes and smiling with awe for a moment before he dragged Keel stumbling behind him. "I haven't seen
them in years."

Keel's brow knit, trying to keep pace with Kaji as he ran to the edge of the crowd of people that

were blocking the doorway. "Who?"

Kaji pulled Keel to his side and left his arm over his shoulders as he pointed to a fedora topped

head next to one that was shaved clean and tattooed with tribal markings. "The one with the tattoos is
Rourke, the Sahrketh drum master. The one next to him is Shiro. He was the Onya that made Matahari
famous."

Keel's brow knit at the name Shiro. It meant 'fifth' in one language, 'fifth son' in another, and 'last'

in yet another. He stood on his toes, trying to see over the wild crowd. For someone so incredibly famous
and well received, the glimpse he caught of the lower half of Shiro's face under the hat made him look
remarkably plain. As if to make himself more interesting at a glance, the young man had pierced his lip

and nostril, both ears lined with silver rings. He had a collar around his neck, and when he raised his hand
and smiled, Keel found a shackle on his wrist, worn down from presumable use.

The taller one, Rourke, raised one eyebrow and ran a rough hand over his tattooed scalp as he

searched for something. He smiled in victory, Keel following his gaze to a line of drums. He nearly ran to
them, tilting one of the drums on its side and rolling it with him to the corner.

Shiro was laughing and wagging a finger at a few women who were madly groping at him when

Rourke called for his attention. When he saw that he wasn't going to get it, he threw a piece of balled paper
at Shiro, knocking is hat clean off of his head. Shiro whipped his surprisingly yellow eyes to Rourke,
stunned until he saw the drummer flexing his hands over one of the drums he had surrounded himself with.
Shiro eyed the drums, stretching once as he retrieved his hat and jogged to Rourke, speaking quickly under
his breath as he motioned with his hands for everyone to move back. Rourke laughed and nodded, his
hands poised over the drums as Shiro took a deep breath. Once Rourke started a fast beat, Shiro jogged a
few feet, going into acrobatics that landed him sliding to a stop on his knees as he spread them apart. He
leaned back, showing for a brief moment exactly how fluid his hips could be before he rolled into a
handstand and landed on his feet.

Shiro rocked to the beat for a moment, his teeth glaring out in a wicked smile as he began to

dance. With one hand on the brim of his hat and the other dragging a thumb down his chest he started to
walk, that nearly sickening confident stride that had his head bobbing as he moved. He spun, his shirt
hanging by his elbows and his head thrown to one side as if in shame as he started to use his hips, rocking
as he did. He let the shirt fall into his hands, twisting it quickly in his hands to be like a silk rope, wrapping
it around his wrists for a mere moment with a fabricated flush as he locked eyes on Lassieta. When he
whipped it around he smiled again, apparently enjoying the look of want on everyone's face as he tossed
the shirt into the crowd. He playfully danced for a moment, perhaps forgetting that he had been stripping
as he spun and clapped his hands once. He stopped abruptly, snapping his belt free of his pants with an
audible crack before discarding that as well, his waistline dangerously low on his hips.

He paused for a moment and smiled as the room cheered and applauded, the crowd growing

riotous. He spread his legs a bit wider as he danced, holding his pants up with his thighs as he ran one hand
up his torso and across his face, the other skimming the top of his pants teasingly. He executed a few twists
and turns that aside from being intriguing and captivating, left him stark naked and on his knees, displaying
another piercing to the room for all to enjoy.

Keel stared with wide eyes and a flush on his cheeks, nearly ashamed that he had found it

attractive until he looked at every other face, including Kaji's. There was a moment where the riotous noise
calmed, then rang out loud enough that Keel laughed and winced.

Finally Shiro rose to his feet, tapping a fingernail on the ring at the end of his penis

absentmindedly as walked towards the throne. As he got to the edge of the room he took his hat and bit his
lip, winging it into the crowd and nearly laughing at the way people fought over it.

Kaji and Keel exchanged glances, both aware that the other had less than pure thoughts regarding

the slender stripping Onya, and neither willing comment because they harbored the same guilty thoughts.
Keel pursed his lips and nodded for a moment, "He definitely knows how to sell himself, doesn't he?"

Kaji laughed, "He does still accept offers."
Keel paled. "Really?"
Kaji nodded, "Yeah, the last I heard, he was still willing to accept offers so long as they were

'worthy of his time.'"

Keel chuckled and shook his head, about to comment that perhaps they should do something

similar when Lassieta spotted him and stood on the throne, one foot on each armrest as she flailed an arm
over her head and called to him. He laughed and moved through the crowd, about to step onto the dais with
the throne when he found himself face to face with Shiro. He froze and paled, intimidated by the celebrity.
The unusual color of his eyes was both interesting and unsettling, even more so when they locked on Keel
and refused to move. He let the edge of his lips curl ever so slightly into a smirk, cocking his head to one
side as if considering Keel. Eventually he bowed his head, "Onya."

Keel flushed and returned the gesture. "Fifth."
Shiro's eyes went wide and he smiled, pleasantly surprised that someone had figured out the name,

even if he was certain Keel would never discover where it had come from. He laughed and wagged a
finger, "No, that can't be right. You're a sexual servant, haven't you heard? You're supposed to decorate
the top of a bed, nothing more."

Keel let out a grunt of a laugh, "I could say the same to you."

Shiro nodded companionably, finally offering a hand in greeting. His yellow eyes inspected Keel

in a way that made his clothing more of a comfort item. "Shiro."

Keel bowed his head slightly, "I gathered as much. You can call me Keel."
Lassieta's face came up behind Shiro fast enough that it made Keel jump, "Or, you could call him

rude." Keel's brow knit, but she answered the question he was about to ask before he was given the luxury.
"Leaving the palace without so much as stopping into my suites, Oniku and I were starting to think that you
were blaming us for what Kura did." She chuckled, "Well, what she didn't do, anyway."

Keel sighed and shook his head, "I was distracted with something in Kinakah. My sincerest

apologies."

Lassieta threw herself back in the throne and snatched a wine glass, playing with it in her fingers

as Oniku leaned over the arm of the throne and fell onto her lap. "Apology not accepted!"

Keel smiled, "Really now?"
She nodded in a matter of fact fashion, "I don't know if I can ever forgive you, you rotten little

bastard." She smiled at him, the expression contagious. She gestured with a finger for him to come closer,
"Come here."

Keel flushed as he climbed over Shiro, who he realized had been naked the entire time aside from

his bondage collar and shackles. As he neared the throne Lassieta reached over Oniku and took his face in
her hands, pulling him into a loving kiss. She rested her forehead against his for a mere moment,
something that Keel had noticed was done between the Sahrketh when they felt the person was a dear
friend. "Alright, since you won't stop crying, I'll forgive you."

Keel's brow knit as he laughed, wondering if she had been using drugs recently. When Oniku

grinned up at him from where he was strewn over Lassieta's lap Keel offered a hand to him. "Oniku."

He slapped his hand into Keel's and pulled him into a tight embrace, the two laughing because

they were both now on Lassieta's lap. Keel managed to remove himself after a few tries. When he stood at
his full height he realized that Kaji had disappeared on him. The reason; he had been cornered by a swarm
of women that were currently vying for his attention. Kaji was loving every second of it. He took one
woman by the hand and held it over her head as she slowly turned, allowing him a full view of what he
would be missing if he allowed her to walk away. "Well. There goes my company for the day..."

Shiro laid back on the dais and stretched like a cat, locking eyes on Keel with his arms behind his

head. "You make it sound like you aren't in the same situation he is."

Keel glanced down at Shiro, unable to keep from admiring his naked body again since it was on

display. When he brought his eyes across the room he saw that there were more than a few pairs of eyes on
himself as well. They only had been leaving him alone because he had made it to the dais, likely why Shiro
had gone there as soon as he had finished his impromptu performance. "I'm somewhat finished with
Sahrketh women. At least for now..."

Shiro wore a wide smile as he spoke, "That's three."
Keel looked at him in confusion, "Three what?"
Shiro laughed under his breath, "Languages I've spoken to you in. That you seem to understand,

no less."

Keel flushed, unsure why except that it seemed appropriate to be embarrassed. Shiro had spoken

to him in Drayonic, and he had answered in the same without even so much as noticing that he had done so.
He shrugged and sighed, "You could say that languages are almost my favorite pastime."

Shiro raised a black eyebrow, his yellow eyes showing amusement as he spoke, "I assume I know

what your favorite is?"

Keel shook his head slightly, his flush finally subsiding. "Books."
Shiro's expression warped into one of near concern as he laughed at Keel. "Really?" When Keel

nodded, Shiro shook his head and sighed, "You're more bizarre than I thought." With that he rolled onto
his stomach and pushed himself onto his feet, taking the step so that he could look at Keel at nearly eye-
level.

Keel was stunned by Shiro's height not because he was impressive in size, but in truth because he

wasn't. He was shorter than Keel by only a few inches, but he was the first Sahrketh man that he had so
much as seen that didn't tower over him. Short and plain and incredibly famous. Shiro seemed to notice
the look on Keel's face as he eyed the top of his hair and sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Keel flushed horribly, but said nothing. It had been rude but he was fascinated by the entire idea

of someone like Shiro, and hadn't been able to stop himself from standing at his full height and cocking his
head to the side. Now, he felt like an ass. "Sorry."

Shiro merely sighed at him, the pair distracted by the Gerudai's floor show as they danced in.

Kaiya was in the front, belly dancing in nothing but the miniscule bra and thong Keel had spied her in
before, a few others flanking her and trying to mimic her. Shiro let out a laugh that made Keel look to him
oddly, the sound sudden and nearly mocking. He clapped a hand on Keel's shoulder and spoke quickly,
snapping his fingers and pointing at his discarded pair of pants until someone brought them to him. "I hope
to see you before you leave- Find me in Matahari's salon around noon tomorrow. I might have a job you'd
be interested in."

Keel nodded, about to ask what the job was when Shiro pulled the pants on, tripping and skipping

through the crowd and losing himself inside of it. His eyes found Kaiya again as she worked her hips to the
floor and started to pelvic thrust. He let out a sigh, unable to look away as she stood again. The way she
worked her hips, the hypnotic motion of her abs and chest; he may need a woman today after all. Laughter
rang out, Keel's eyes darting to the edge of the clear spot on the floor as Shiro started to dance towards
Kaiya, mimicking her well enough that it would be insulting if it hadn't been so well practiced. Kaiya
shook her head and gave him a playful glare, smiling as he came up beside her. She tried to make him
falter, going faster, whipping her hair over her head. Instead applause filled the room, the pair
unexpectedly well-matched since he could nearly anticipate her next action and carry it out as well as she
did.

Keel found himself chuckling and clapping along at one point when Rourke started to slam out the

beat from the Sahrketh rite of passage festival and the two immediately switched to that dance instead.
When Shiro grabbed her thigh and pulled her against him, she eagerly threw her other leg around him. He
ran a hand up her back and dipped her head dangerously close the floor as he spun once, then ripped her
back up to his chest aggressively. Kaiya laughed, flushed for the first time Keel had ever seen as she
removed her legs from him and then clasped hands with him.

Lassieta had turned into a nuisance behind him, whistling and cheering at the top of her lungs.

Keel glanced at her and happened to see Oniku smiling at him in a way that he found unusual. Since he
had caught Keel's attention, he took the opportunity to speak to Lassieta, who nodded and agreed to
whatever it was he had just asked. Oniku smiled and kissed her thigh, the only thing he could reach as she
climbed to the top of the throne and screamed for them to do it again.

Keel eyed Oniku as he approached, his brow worried by the look that said he wanted to speak with

him. "Everything alright?"

Oniku made a face and nodded, "Yeah, I was just letting her know I was going to go and have a

drink with you. Unless you made other plans?"

Keel glanced briefly at Kaji, who had shamelessly dropped his pants and allowed one woman to

show her oral talents right there in front of everyone. "No. A drink sounds great."

Oniku smiled mischievously and started to make his way through the crowd, Keel having a far

harder time since he was taking hands off of his body with nearly every step, constantly refusing in
Sahrketh. By the time they reached the hall he had grown impatient with it, his hands more aggressive as
he took one woman's wrist and flung it off of him. Oniku saw and chuckled. "I am so glad that that will
never happen to me."

Keel gave him a confused expression, "And why won't it?"
Oniku made a face, "Because I'm the Queen's consort?"
Keel paled and his feet halted, his eyes blinking dumbly for a moment. He wanted to correct

Oniku, since technically Lassieta was an Empress, but he was stuck on the second word out of his job
description. "Wait, what?"

Oniku eyed him with a proud smile, a palm raised towards the ceiling. "She asked me if I'd be her

consort last night. How could I refuse?"

Keel let out a startled laugh and clasped hands with Oniku, pulling him into an embrace that was

as excited as the one Oniku had greeted him with before. "Congratulations! I guess she did like you after
all?"

Oniku nodded, "I'm surprised you still remember that conversation. That was before they even

left."

Keel shrugged, "It was a good conversation..." It explained why Oniku, who should've been

escorted anywhere by an Akana member, was allowed to walk out of the function room by himself, and
also why everyone else kept their hands respectfully away from him. At one point Keel had enjoyed the
same unobtainable reputation and had been able to enjoy himself without every stranger in sight groping at
him, but Kura had thrown him away, so now he was fair game. He let out a grunt of a laugh at the thought,

putting his attention back on Oniku and his unexpected return of affection from Lassieta. "You realize that
you're the first foreign consort to a Sahrketh ruler, right?"

Oniku nodded with a proud smile, "Yeah." He gestured towards the hallways, "Come on, a drink

to celebrate!"

Keel nodded with a smile. "Definitely."

Chapter Sixteen

After a few drinks, Keel had finally begun to laugh freely again, even partaking in the riotous

celebration that had crashed into the bar with the first wave of Akana members. It wasn't until Oniku stood
on the bar and sprayed champagne over the roaring crowd of dancing warriors that he had even noticed that
his shirt had inexplicably disappeared. Oddly enough, his pack was still beside his feet, untouched and
forgotten in the madness. Apparently, the obscene amount of gold he was carrying was less valuable than
his bare chest at the moment. He turned away from Oniku and winced when he was sprayed in the face
with champagne, Keel glaring at him a moment later as he reached for a bottle of his own. As the two
engaged themselves in a childish alcohol war, Mesa happened to wander into the room unnoticed.

She stared with wide eyes and a bewildered smile, unable to believe that Keel was here,

nevermind what he was doing to pass the time. She yelled his name, but to her dismay, everyone else
joined her, thinking she was trying to cheer for him to win the battle of the bubbly. She laughed when
Oniku ran a hand over his champagne-soaked abs and started to dance. Keel flushed, averting his eyes and
about to sink back in his seat when Oniku caught him by his belt and started to shamelessly grind himself
against Keel's crotch. Keel pursed his lips and nodded for a moment, taking a deep breath that was let out
as a sigh. As he glanced at the crowd and saw their nearly fatal excitement he smirked, seemingly
disappointed with himself as he started to dance against Oniku.

Mesa backed a step away as the crowd grew violent, more than a few armed Akana members

shoving people aside so that they could vie for a spot beside the unlikely pair. With a still questionable leg,
she wouldn't risk injury just to get a chance to run her hands up Keel's thigh. Not in public anyway. Unlike
the herd of veterans that were scrambling for his attention, Mesa had seen Keel when he wasn't performing
for their attention. It was the young man that grew jealous, flushed at even a dirty joke and held his head
high despite being treated like a whore that she remembered.

She eyed him as he ran his pale fingers down Oniku's equally ivory flesh and started to kiss at the

back of his neck. Even though she figured he was doing so for their audience, she wasn't opposed to
watching either. With a minor grin she took one of the many recently vacated seats at the back of the bar
and put her still-sore leg up on the table, watching him with amusement.

Eventually, and much to the dismay of everyone packed up against the bar, a woman delivered a

message from Lassieta to Oniku that demanded his attention. When he eagerly ran off, Keel was left
standing on the bar by himself. His pants had stuck to his body with champagne, and left little to the
imagination. Even so, countless hands were still trying to climb his legs. He flushed terribly as he fought
to keep women off of him, laughing under his breath at one point and thinking he had made a poor decision
when he humored Oniku. He constantly took hands off of his pants and then released them, uttering
apologies and refusals as politely as ever, shaking his head or wagging a finger when he heard complaints.

The women slowly wandered off, a few pouting, a few aggravated enough that Mesa could tell

they would be visiting the Harem before the afternoon was out. One squealed in delight at the mention of
yet another retired Onya's return and chased a pack of her friends down the hall to vie for that poor
bastard's attention. Mesa laughed, knowing exactly how the day would pan out. It used to be part of her
work after all; public relations with the women that went to retrieve men from the upper dormitory. Her lip
curled as she realized she would only have the remainder of the week to enjoy herself before she was again
parked at the end of the hallway behind a desk, sickeningly confident men with overactive sex drives
surrounding her for Saharion only knew how long. She sighed and rubbed at her forehead, dreading the
idea.

"Swordmistress!"
She startled when Keel spoke to her, then laughed. She eyed him, his golden hair, still wet with

champagne and his chest gleaming with it as well. "How are you?"

Keel smiled and sat in the chair beside her, "I'm doing quite well, and yourself?"
She chuckled at the polite conversation. "Well, the leg aches whenever a cloud rolls over the sun,

but aside from that I'll live."

Keel gave her a warm grin and dragged his eyes over her. Since she'd been on her feet she had cut

her hair back the way it used to be, short wisps of black that framed her thin face. She wasn't especially
gorgeous, but with the hair, the personality and the smile she rarely showed, she wasn't exactly plain either.
She'd lost some muscle while condemned to a cot in the infirmary, now built like the more slender women
he had admired from his home town. A few weeks of active duty would fix that, he was sure, but for now
it was a welcomed change. "You look lovely."

Mesa stared at him with wide eyes, thinking for a moment he had lost all of the intelligence she

had once admired. "Oh, I didn't realize you were drunk already..."

Keel shook his head, his expression serious even though he had the hint of a smile on his lips. He

eyed her thigh, and after a moment's consideration, pulled it gently from the table onto his lap, massaging it
as he spoke. "I'm being honest."

For a few long minutes Mesa watched his hands, her lips parted as she quietly groaned. He was

better with his hands than she had figured, the feel of his fingers on her skin only made better by the fact he
was relieving what ache remained in her healing wound. She wondered if he knew what this was doing to
her, her heart racing and all of her concentration focused on hiding her arousal. He had taken to watching
his hands work as well, his face calm enough that it only added to her current problem. He shut his eyes
for a brief instant, and when they opened again they were on her own. That rare green gaze gave away all
of his thoughts, much as it always had. He knew.

Mesa flushed as she stared at him, her breath a bit heavier as his fingers moved ever so slightly

higher on her leg. He wet his lips as he averted his eyes, acting as if he wasn't doing anything inappropriate
at all as he skimmed a fingertip across the hem of her skirt. She bit her lip and shifted her weight, her eyes
on the room. She looked around as if out of boredom, in fact checking to see who was here.

At least he was intelligent enough to know that she might be the only person in the palace that

didn't want him so that she could brag. In fact, if she had it her way, nobody would be allowed to share the
enjoyment of any time spent between them. Even their long-standing friendship had been a well-kept
secret. The only reason it hadn't gotten to this point when he was an Onya was because she had found out
his heart was elsewhere. Since he was at the time opposed to anything of this nature, she had assumed he
was out of her reach. As he put his fingertip under her thong and ran it along the black trim she was
reminded that that was entirely not the case now.

Her eyes darted to him, and he slowly glanced at her in response, raising one golden eyebrow at

her. She cleared her throat and pulled a deck of cards from her skirt's only pocket, holding it up for him to
see. "You're from Breiyan, right?"

Keel smirked and nodded, "Absolutely."
She held the deck out for him, "Teach me how to play Solitaire. Nobody here has the patience and

I'm a terrible student."

His brow knit and he chuckled, but nodded and released her leg. "Alright." He sighed and shook

his head as he took the deck and shuffled it, only looking up when she stood and moved closer. He raised a
brow expectantly as she stood in front of him. "What?"

She gestured to his lap, "How am I supposed to learn when I can't see it straight on?"
Keel couldn't help but let out a low moan, his face drunk with arousal for a brief instant before he

forced himself to look concentrated instead. Only the redness of his cheeks showed his true thoughts as he
nodded and sat back in the chair, moving his arms so she could sit on his lap.

As Mesa straddled his legs and balanced herself on his lap she leaned forward, reaching for a

bottle that had been carelessly left on the other side of the table. Keel watched her ass as she did, the cards
in his hands between his eyes and their true destination. When he leaned forward only one hand held the
cards for her to see, the other snaked around her waist. As he counted them out into stacks in front of her
he dragged his fingertips up the inside of her thigh, Mesa's chest heaving for a moment before she bit her
lip and cleared her throat.

"Ok so, seven stacks to start with," he brushed his fingers over the silk thong, "this stack has one

card, you add one more per stack until the last." As he spoke he pulled her thong aside and cupped his
hand over her.

Mesa flushed and nodded, "Alright."
Keel rested his chin on her shoulder as he looked down at what he was doing, his middle finger

dragging across her entrance and past it to tease her clit under the table. "You flip the top card on each
stack so that it's facing up."

Mesa nodded, her eyes showing distraction as his fingers started to apply some skill.
Keel smirked, then wet his lips. "The point of the game is to organize all cards by both number

and color. Red with black, ace to king." When she started to nod again he slid a finger just barely inside of
her, her eyes closed and her lips parted for a moment. She eventually opened her eyes again, so he
continued. "Take the top card off of the deck." He tapped a finger on the deck to emphasize his point,
Mesa obediently doing as she was told. Keel eyed the cards, absentmindedly adjusting his weight under
her so that his erection was trapped between the two of them. He watched her close her eyes and try to

contain a moan, his own face flushed as he spoke, "You have a match, seven of diamonds on eight of
clubs." As she went to put it down he started to slip his finger further inside of her, his brow knit at how
tight she was. Her hand paused and her two fingers gripped the card tightly enough to turn her fingertips
nearly white. Keel gently coaxed her hand with the card to it's destination, glancing around before he dared
plant a kiss behind her ear and whisper to her. "We're going to have to move soon."

She nodded, her eyes closed and her lips parted as she turned to glance at him. "Why?"
Keel sighed and took a moment before his other hand dropped from sight. He grabbed her hips

and pushed against her, leaving no question that he was interested in her. She clenched her eyes shut and
bit both lips as she felt him against her ass. When she twisted to look at him he raised a brow at her, his
cheeks pink and his own heart clearly racing. She chuckled at the expression on his face, almost sarcastic.
It had been a dumb question. She nodded, clearing her throat again as he fixed her thong for her and set her
skirt back the way it had been. Her hands deftly collected the cards, and she went to stand without thinking
as she slid them back inside their case. Keel paled and grabbed her hips, holding her there for a moment so
that he could calm before walking through the halls with her. "Wait a minute."

Mesa smirked and glanced at him over her shoulder. "Sorry."
Keel laughed and shook his head, then bit his lip and closed his eyes. "I assume your rooms are

available?"

Mesa winced at the mention of her rooms, "Actually, I'm still waiting for a room in the Akana

dorm..."

Keel went wide-eyed. He'd heard that the Akana dorm gave even less privacy than the Harem,

and she didn't even have the room yet. By now, someone else would've been given Kura's room, since the
Palace was full of guests who required a place to relax after performances. "That's a problem."

She pursed her lips and nodded. A thought struck her and she smiled devilishly, "No it's not."
Keel raised a brow, but she seemed confident enough that he didn't push the issue, certain that she

had a place in mind with suitable privacy. A few minutes passed before he nodded and gestured for her to
stand, "Lead the way."

Chapter Seventeen

When Mesa had led him to the stable, Keel had obvious doubts. Thankfully, she didn't intend for

this to be their destination, quickly tipping the boy that brought her horse and one of the randomly
recovered ones from the palace grounds. When she went to pull herself astride she winced, Keel holding
out a hand and wincing with her out of sympathy, "Are you sure you should be sitting a horse? I mean,
your leg's still weak, isn't it?"

She eyed him as if he were retarded. "It's not a long ride. I'll be fine."
Keel sighed, but nodded since she was apparently not going to listen to reason anyway. "Alright."

As soon as he was mounted he turned his horse, locking eyes with her. "Where are we going anyway?"

She smiled in a way that made him only more curious, but offered no answer. Instead, she turned

and brought her mare to a canter, Keel quickly catching up to her. She rode around the outskirts of the
palace's grounds, then sharply cut onto a path through the thick jungle that Keel would never have been
able to find without her. The sound of the jungle life was calming, only more so when she slowed her
horse and they had a chance to look around. Keel turned to eye her body again and discovered her doing
the same to him, both smirking at each other as the path broke out into a small clearing at the base of a
steep waterfall. His eyes darted up to it, fascinated by the fact it was so close to the palace and yet entirely
hidden in the dense trees. The roar was loud enough that he could nearly feel it through the ground and his
borrowed horse, mist floating away from it slowly. "This is beautiful..."

Mesa let out a grunt of a laugh, "If you like that, you'll love this."
Keel's brow knit, about to ask when she charged the horse up a steep hill and onto a small plateau

of dark stone. He followed, confused when she dismounted. She bent and rubbed her thigh for a moment,
her face twisted in aggravation because of the pain.

"Are you okay?"
She nodded with a knit brow, lazily pointing at the rushing water. "Yeah, I'm fine. Take a look."
Keel leaned on the horse, not seeing what she was gesturing to whatsoever. He urged the horse

forward, only pulling back on the reins when he spied a narrow walkway behind the rushing water.
Halfway across, the stone shined with light warm enough that it spoke of torches. He cocked his head to
the side, intrigued enough that he dismounted and merely dropped the reins, wandering closer. A doorway
was carved into the rock, only a few feet from the falls, completely obscured from view from every angle
but the one he was looking from. He gave Mesa a questioning glance over his shoulder, "Where are we?"

She chuckled, "Saharion's former temple."
Keel paled, "Won't someone be inside?"
Mesa waved the idea away as she finally stood and limped past him. "No. My sister is the one

who takes care of it now, and she was in the bar when we left." She laughed to herself, adding, "Even if
she were here, she'd let us in. The bitch has been complaining that I have the sex drive of a rock for ages..."

Keel smirked as she passed by, unable to keep his eyes off of where her legs disappeared under the

short skirt. "Yeah, I was sort of curious about that myself, actually."

She glanced at him as she walked the slick path, not paying any mind to the fact she was on a

slippery rock a hundred-some-odd yards above a waterfall, with a bad leg. She offered nothing on the topic
but a shrug, then turned and disappeared inside the door. Keel carefully followed, grabbing at the rock at
his side as he turned into the hidden temple.

Clean-burning oil lamps lined the room, a massive urn of it in the center and lit, burning hot

enough to offer both warmth and dryness after the hazardous entryway. The room was crafted from the
same white marble as the palace and broke into stairs around a massive pillar that faced the door. Mesa
smirked at him as she backed towards the stairs, a look in her eyes that Keel could easily recognize after
spending so much time joking with her. She was in a playful mood, something that could quickly grow fun
or disturbing when he recalled all of his previous experiences with the Sahrketh. Despite her bad thigh, her
boots deftly moved across the marble, her hips swaying a bit more than he had ever seen as she trailed her
fingers across the massive center pillar and turned, racing down the stairs and out of sight.

Keel raised a brow, glancing around as if in guilt before he wandered after her. The stairs

wrapped the pillar and led to a room that much like the first was as hot as the jungle at least. He glanced
around, looking for her in the room of veils and fountains, a smirk on his face as he leaned and caught a
glimpse of her fingers around one of the marble pedestals that supported part of the spiraling fountain in the
center of the room. As he came around the pedestal he couldn't help but smile, her discarded boot a clue
that led to the other, a few yards away. He eyed the trail of discarded garments, his mouth inexplicably

dry. Perhaps it was because this was more alluring than most of the time he'd spent with women. Perhaps
it was the fact that nobody would know. Either way, he felt his heart racing as he found himself looking at
the back half of the room. It was a hallway that was separated by a line of columns, each small doorway
veiled with low lamplight glowing from within.

He parted a veil and looked inside, his face flushed as he caught another glimpse of her passing

through a few panels of sheer fabric, his eyes dropping to the shirt she had left on the floor. He knelt and
removed his boots, then set them aside at the door and unbuckled his belt as he wandered through the room.
He chased her shadow through what seemed like an endless corridor of veils that would be bothersome if
he had seen them under any other terms. He saw her come to a stop and look at him over her shoulder as
her silhouette held the skirt to one side with two fingers, then dropped it. Finally he parted the last veil, her
skin making her look to be made of gold in the lamplight as she eyed him over her shoulder. He spent a
long moment looking at her body, the slender curve of her lower back, the shape of her legs. As he came
closer and went to touch her he paused, his eyes finding scars on her back that were old enough to blend
into her skin tone. Even though she hadn't seen much of war, she still had her scars as well. He held her
from behind, gently kissing her neck where it met her shoulder.

When he felt her hand grab him through his pants he let out a low moan, his eyes closed as he

turned her and slid his fingers through her short black hair. He kissed her, pulled her against his chest,
grabbed her ass. He was nearly confused when she broke the kiss to pant, her eyes cast aside with a flush
on her face. Behind her was a mountain of pillows, so he clasped hands with her and lowered her down,
carefully crawling up her body as he planted kisses along her legs. When his lips were only at the top of
her thigh she was already shifting her weight, her expression one of arousal and something that Keel
couldn't place. He placed a kiss on her mound, Mesa gripping the pillows at her sides tightly as he did.
There was something odd about the situation, but he didn't feel it would be appropriate to stop to ask, so he
tried to ignore it, assuming that she must be worried about the welfare of her leg. He gently moved her legs
aside, the blush on her cheeks incredibly red as she closed her eyes.

Now that he was seeing someone else flush as often as he did, he realized just how sexy it could

be. He smirked for a moment before he licked her, savoring the sigh of pleasure she let out when he did.
Aiming to please, he sucked on her for a moment, about to add fingers when she grabbed his wrist and
locked eyes with him. She slowly shook her head with a smirk and gestured with one finger for him to
come closer. Keel's brow knit, confused and again feeling that something wasn't right. He climbed on top
of her, "Is everything okay?"

Mesa forced a smirk and nodded, pulling him into a kiss as her free hand loosened his pants and

felt him for a moment. Before he could press the issue she had positioned him, "Go on, I'm ready."

Keel flushed and wet his lips, sinking into a kiss with her as he pressed against her. He let out an

almost pained whimper as he worked inside of her. He broke the kiss and glanced at where they were
connected with a knit brow, wondering when her last time had been for her to have become so accursedly
tight. He got his answer when he felt something inside of her that had him frozen as his mind raced.
Never. She still had her hymen, something he had been certain was impossible among any of the women
that worked in the Palace. It explained quite a bit about her. She worked in the Harem but never wanted
the men, didn't participate in the outrageous acts that many of her peers thrived on. Keel flushed as their
eyes met, Mesa's face still aroused enough that he felt his own desire double.

"You're sure?"
Mesa smirked and gave him a curt nod, her secret revealed. Keel held her tightly, cradling her

neck as he kissed her and sank his hips onto her. She grabbed his arms and clenched her teeth as he applied
pressure, even winced when he finally broke her hymen and sank as deep as he could. Keel took a moment
for himself, his eyes closed as he panted. Mesa's gentle caress on his cheek brought his attention back from
savoring the feeling, his eyes warm and loving when he looked at her. She gave him a slight smile before
he kissed her, carefully moving his hips in an attempt to keep from harming her any further. Her lips
parted against his and she gasped, then let out a nearly silent groan.

He traced a thumb over her eyebrow, studying her face to try and gauge what she was thinking.

"Is everything alright?"

Her lip tugged into a halfhearted grin as she nodded, putting her lips next to his ear and whispering

to him. "I can feel your pulse."

Keel closed his eyes and moaned, gently rocking his hips against her, watching her expression for

any sign of serious discomfort. She showed none, so he sat up and coaxed her legs further apart, stroking
her clit as he moved as deep as he possibly could, her moan breaking the relative silence of the temple.

Mesa wet her lips and looked at him, only more aroused by the sight she found. He was slowly

sinking inside of her with a careful rhythm, his face flushed and those usually intelligent eyes clouded with
pleasure as he watched what he was doing through a few strands of gold. His gaze climbed her body until
they were looking at each other, Keel offering her a warm smile before he leaned forward on his arms and
thrust inside of her once hard enough to move her up the pillows she was resting on. She gasped, clutching
at his forearms for a moment before she let out her breath in a low moan. His breath grew heavy as he did
it again, repeating the act often and with less wait in between. When there was only a second between each
thrust of his hips, he sank his head lower and kissed along her neck, settling his weight on her as he pulled
her into his arms.

Mesa crossed her arms around his back, clinging to him as he started to move against her with

enthusiasm, his moans enough for her to start to lose herself in the activity. When she wrapped a leg
around him, Keel held her tighter, pulling her down onto himself every time he buried inside of her. Her
voice rang out constantly, Keel content to slowly enjoy her, since this would likely be his only night with
her. He reached lower and took a firm hold of her ass, moving against her with more skill until she finally
cried out in pleasure, her body nearly painful around him when she did.

He panted for a moment, taking a chance to catch his breath as she calmed. "Oh my God, Mesa..."
She cocked an eyebrow as she looked at him with curiosity. "What?"
He shook his head, "I wish I'd taken that playful offer you once made..."
She flushed, swallowing the knot in her throat as she brushed some of his hair from his eyes. "So

do I." She sent him a mischievous grin and slapped his ass once, "Troublesome linguist, always talking
when there's more important things we could be doing..."

Keel smiled at her, laughing under his breath as he kissed her and started to move again.

Chapter Eighteen

When Keel woke he was nearly stuck to the pillows with sweat. He looked for Mesa, but she was

gone, only the traces of their time together left behind to ensure it hadn't been a dream. With a miniscule
chuckle he relaxed for a moment longer, his eyes closed as he went over the night. Again he thought that
perhaps Kura being done with him wasn't as bad as he had assumed it would be. He finally sat up and eyed
his boots, using them as something to stare at as he thought. He had no idea what time it was or how long
he had slept. Kaji was somewhere for sure, but where was beyond him. Shiro needed to see him in
Matahari's salon at noon, and now he was in dire need of a bath at the very least. He started walking as he
stood, bending and retrieving his clothes and boots as he made his way up the stairs in the temple. The fire
from the day before was still burning, the room still vacant. Without Mesa here, it was unsettling. He felt
as if someone was watching him. A childish thought that he brushed away. There was nobody who would,
could, or cared enough to do so.

He nearly left, but as he laced his boots he happened to hear an echo through one of the halls that

led off of the main room. Curious, he followed the sound, his feet timid until he realized that the room
hadn't been finished and was in fact part of the original cave system. In the center, in the dark, was a statue
of the dead god that the temple was built for. It seemed unusual, to hide it here out of sight inside of an
already hidden temple. It was supposedly their creator, after all. Keel had been searching for any
information on the deceased deity for some time, but had never successfully located any artwork in regards
to him. Now he felt foolish as he stared at the marble face in front of him.

He had assumed Saharion was a larger tiger, like the Jarlketh deity named Jarlnyn. He was wrong.

Saharion's towering body was hunched forward, his clawed fingers stretched over the edge of the platform
the statue was posed on as if he were about to break it apart. A human body, even a mostly human face.
Instead of a snout or a nose, he had what looked similar to both, wide and angled on his head like a human's
would be. His lips were parted, tiger fangs visible underneath even on a statue. Keel shuddered as he
looked at the eyes, iridescent black and slit like a cat's. Impressive to say the least, it explained much about
what the Sahrketh strived to be. This likeness of him showed him with his hair strewn across his face, only
pants on his body and stripes etched into his back and sides. If not for the unusual face, and the fact it was
made of marble, this could be Loki. Down to the look of dominance in the expression that the sculptor had
chosen.

Keel shook his head and let out a grunt of a laugh, about to pat it when a woman who could only

be Mesa's sister walked out of one of the many caverns and noticed him. She raised her hand and her
voice, quickly running towards him, "Do not touch it!"

He flushed and stared at her with wide eyes, then glanced at the statue. He held up his hands

innocently and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect, I was only admiring it."

She slowed to a jog as she neared him, then shook her head at him. "We never touch that statue."
Keel glanced at it, his brow knit. "Any reason?"
She nodded and pulled a cigarette, lighting it quickly with a match. "Yeah. Because everyone

that touches it falls over deader than the rat I just killed with a shovel, that's why." She eyed him, the
cigarette jutting from between her lips. With the miniscule light source, it had taken Keel a moment to see
the family resemblance. Now that she was close enough, he could see nothing else. Mesa was apparently a
twin. Thankfully this woman had styled her hair differently, left it long and held it back in the sloppiest
excuse for a bun anyone could ever claim to have tacked on the back of their head. She eyed him carefully,
raising one eyebrow with a smirk. "I'm Eyre. I assume by the fact I saw you sprawled naked in the back of
the temple that you know Mesa?"

Keel flushed and averted his eyes, "My name's Keel. And yeah, we've... met a few times." He

glanced at her, "How would you know I was here with her?"

Eyre chuckled, "Because I know my sister. Nobody else would come here, never mind have sex

in here. We're the only two that aren't superstitious enough to be bothered by the damn place."

Keel snorted a laugh before he could stop himself, gesturing to the statue. "You believe the statue

strikes people dead, but you're not superstitious?"

Eyre eyed him for a long moment, enough that it unsettled him. "I didn't say 'we think it kills

people.' What I said was that it does kill people. I buried a thirteen year old boy a few days ago, and a
woman last week who had tried to clean it."

Keel watched her closely, looking for any reason to credit her claim to insanity or fever. As far as

he could tell, she was being honest. He brought his eyes to the marble face in front of him and slowly
nodded. "In that case, thank you for stopping me."

She shrugged, "You're lucky I was here."
Keel's brow knit. "Why are you here?"
She raised a brow at him, "I don't believe I have to answer that, outsider. One could ask the same

of you, and I assure you my answer is a lot better than yours."

Keel smirked. "Fair enough." He offered a hand in parting, "It was a pleasure."
Eyre took the hand with a quirky smirk on her lips, "I'm sure my sister was even more

pleasurable."

Keel flushed, about to head off when something caught his eye and he stumbled, his heart racing

and his eyes wide. The statue's hand was outstretched towards Eyre, where he was certain it had been on
the pedestal before. She sighed when he noticed. She glanced at the clawed fingers next to her as it were
not only commonplace, but inconsequential, then shifted her weight and smiled at him. "Safe journey,
outsider." She bowed her head at him and turned her back on the statue, heading back into the cavern that
Enara had escaped through to repair the wall and block it off.

Keel nodded enthusiastically as he backed out of the door and tripped his way to the entrance. He

nearly ran to the horse Mesa had left grazing outside, ignorant of the fact it had no saddle as he slung
himself on and brought it to a full gallop. The further he got from the temple, the more he wondered if he
had imagined it. After all, Eyre hadn't cared much at all. In fact, she seemed to find it nearly amusing. Or,
it had been Keel's reaction that had brought the calm smile to her lips. Either way, if she spent all of her
time around the thing and didn't feel it warranted concern, then he felt he had no logical reason to be
unsettled by it either. At least, that's what he was telling himself when he slowed his mount and slid his
eyes over his shoulder towards the waterfall.

With a glance skyward, he realized the hour and swore under his breath as he brought his horse to

a canter again. Shiro had spoken of a possible job that was to be discussed at noon, and as he passed
through one of the gardens by the Palace, a glance at one of the sundials confirmed that he was late.

Chapter Nineteen

Shiro raised a brow at Keel when he caught sight of him entering Matahari's salon in the mirror he

had been watching her work in. The well-groomed blonde he had seen the night prior now look disheveled,
tired and apologetic. "Good to see you again, Onya."

Matahari's pins slipped as she heard Shiro, who pulled his leg away when he was stabbed with it.

She glared up at him, pulling the extra pins from between her lips so that she could shake them at him.
"You agreed you wouldn't speak while I work."

Shiro sighed and nodded, rolling his head on his shoulder as if he were a scolded teenager. He

made a few quick gestures with his hand.

"Then you should've had your meeting before I started working. No complaints." She was about

to go back to her task but thought of something and glanced at Keel, then settled a glare of impending death
on Shiro. "And he has a name. It's not 'Onya.'"

Shiro rolled his eyes and whispered, "Yeah, it's part of a boat. Onya may be less insulting to call

him." He hissed in a breath when her finger slipped again, growling as he glanced down at her and found
her smirking.

Keel watched in silence for a moment, intrigued by the way that Matahari acted with Shiro

because she typically used venomous threats to keep her models in place. Kaji had said he was the Onya
that had made her famous, and apparently it had led to the bizarre relationship they now shared. Eventually
Matahari rose from where she had been crouched and held out her hand, one of her assistants stumbling
madly towards her with a fresh pipe and matches. She bit the end of the pipe as it was lit, her eyes crawling
across the salon until they rested on Keel. "Your hair has gotten too long."

Keel sighed as he grinned, "I know. It's nice to see you again, Matahari."
She bowed her head to him, more or less ignoring Shiro as he tested his fresh pair of pants in the

mirror. "And you, as well. I'm sorry to hear about what happened with the Headmistress." She sighed and
took a long drag from her pipe, bellowing out a cloud as she spoke again, "Such a stubborn bitch when the
mood strikes her."

Shiro paused in his inspection of his newest pair of pants, his yellow eyes on Keel for a moment as

he heard that there was some altercation with a Headmistress that even Matahari would give half of a damn
about. Before Keel spoke he glanced at Shiro, as if checking to see that he was busy with his previous
activity, but instead the two locked eyes. Shiro raised a brow at him, challenging him to respond or tell him
to mind his own business.

Keel sighed and looked away, "It came as a surprise to me, but I'm fine now. I only stopped by

because Fifth said he had a job offer of some sort and it caught my interest." His green eyes met Shiro's
with a hint of amusement. "But, since he can't talk and you're still busy with him, I'll come back later."

Shiro narrowed his eyes at him, "Oh no, you're not going anywhere. If I want to make Azil in

time for the fundraiser dinner, and I do, then I have to leave as soon as she's finished." He ignored
Matahari's nearly insane stare as he pointed to a chair next to the mirrors. "Sit and wait!"

Something in Shiro's voice had changed quickly when he commanded Keel to sit, and before he

had given it much thought he had walked over to the chair and parked himself in it, nearly confused as to
why he had obediently done as he had been told. He sighed and looked away, listening carefully as
Matahari and Shiro started to argue.

"I told you to keep that damn mouth muzzled here! You think I'll be tricked into a bed again? I

think not! Get out!" Matahari was nearly yelling, her teeth bared in anger as she pointed at the door with
one meticulously painted nail.

Shiro made a face as if her words were causing him physical pain, then eyed her when she had

taken a moment to let him reply, or leave. He made a few more quick hand gestures, nearly batting his
eyes at her. When she went to shake her head he spoke quickly and Keel realized what had sounded
different. "Please, Tahi! I didn't mean to make you angry, but you know how my schedule is, and I even
had to try to fit travel in to come and see you in the first place!" He let his voice drop to a sultry whisper as
he walked to her side, his plain face apologetic as he ran his fingers up her arm. "Please finish?"

Keel eyed Shiro. "Your voice..."
Shiro raised a brow as he dropped the facade and glanced at Keel, suspicious of him.
Keel bit his lip for a moment and stared at the floor, then looked back at Shiro with a nearly

concerned expression. "The way you use your voice, that's a trick done by the monks to the far south. If I

remember correctly that's a form of hypnotism." When Shiro paled Keel stood and continued. "No wonder
she doesn't have you speak."

Shiro raised a brow and eyed Keel as if he had ruined a great surprise, Matahari begrudgingly

fixing a seam on the pinned pants as he spoke. "Well. Smart and pretty do suit you well, Onya. I'm
surprised you didn't notice last night."

Keel shrugged, "It was quite loud last night."
Shiro considered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That it was. Anyway," he turned to the

mirror again, since Matahari had released him and quickly left the room so that he could speak to his heart's
content. "I've been working on putting together a business of sorts involving those with our considerable
talents. We're not common street walkers after all, we pleasure rulers and I don't personally feel like being
treated like a cheap whore anymore. No, instead I want people to see me walking down the street and
know that they can't have me because I am only reserved for the absolute best. The only way I can
accomplish that is to set a new standard in Azil. They can have their trash, but I intend to also make them
aware of the difference between those in our profession and common prostitutes. The problem I ran into
was the language barrier." He turned to Keel with a wry smile, "And who better to ask to translate illicit
offers for sex from the governing officials than an Onya that served the Sahrketh palace?"

Keel sighed, still distracted by the undertone in Shiro's voice. "You're setting up a massive Harem

of sorts and want me to translate the offers coming in?" Shiro nodded. "Why not hire someone native to
Azil?"

Shiro rolled his eyes, "I tried that. Everyone that I try blushes like a fool and quits after they

translate even one offer. I'd do it myself, but some of them are in languages I've never seen, and even if I
only translate what I can, it makes it impossible for me to accept any offers for myself because I'm too busy
at a desk..." His eyes snapped to Keel, "I can pay you whatever you want, I'm not really in this for the
money, just the prestige."

Keel snorted a laugh, "Money, I have plenty of. If I do it, it will be for fun." He rubbed at his

forehead, starting to get a headache from listening to Shiro's voice constantly trying to convince him to do
something with no regard for whether he would truly enjoy it. It was obnoxious. "Stop talking like that."

Shiro sighed, "I can't, I've forgotten how to use my normal voice. I know it's annoying when

you're trying to decide on something. Just think about it. If you want to try, then look for me in Azil
around festival season."

"And when would that be?"
Shiro held up two fingers, refraining from speaking because his voice was becoming a problem.
"Two what? Days?" Shiro shook his head and gestured upwards. "Weeks?" Shiro stopped him

by snapping his fingers and pointing at him, comfortably mute for the moment. Keel almost laughed at
how eagerly he had abandoned his voice, curious to the point of being rash. "Can you do anything fun with
that voice of yours?" Shiro wore a devilish smile as he eyed Keel and shifted his weight, then nodded.
Keel flushed, "Show me."

"You'd have to relax and let me."
"I will, just," he glared at Shiro as if warning him, "don't get carried away." He closed his eyes

and took a deep breath, trying to keep of thinking of anything at all in an attempt to let Shiro's voice have
it's full effect.

Shiro laughed under his breath and walked up to Keel, then put his lips next to his ear and let out a

low sexual purr. Keel flushed instantly, his body responding even though nothing had been said. "Put your
hands on me." Keel let out a nearly silent moan, his fingers trailing Shiro's chest for a moment. He dared a
glance at Shiro's face, understanding now how some communities referred to the monks that had surely
taught him this as witches. The piercing yellow eyes, combined with a voice that could convince his body
to do whatever he wanted; the possibilities for Shiro were endless. Shiro let a minor smirk find his face as
he considered. He wet his lips. "Kiss me. Make me think you want me, Keel."

Keel glanced at Shiro through a few stray strands of golden hair, his cheeks red as found himself

nodding. When he slid his hands over Shiro's jaw and held him in place, Shiro stared in mild surprise. The
sight of Keel when he was aroused was a complete contrast to what he had expected, especially considering
that this young man was a book-loving translator from a community of sexually repressed humans. Keel
let his lips brush Shiro's for a mere moment before he sank into a passionate kiss with him, his eyes closed
and a moan let into Shiro's mouth. Keel's gifted tongue started to lavish pleasure on Shiro's troublesome
mouth with enough skill that his ability with language seemed to be natural. Shiro shuddered, close to

losing his considerable control when he took Keel's hands and redirected them into his own. He gently
pushed away from Keel, shaking his head. When he spoke again, his tone was sharp.

"Now calm down."
Keel's brow knit, his eyes on Shiro in confusion as he took a step away. He had stopped before

things grew out of hand, but when Keel paid his voice no mind, he couldn't control himself. After a
moment he laughed, shaking his head slightly. "You must get into some very unique trouble with people
that don't know you can do that."

Shiro shrugged, an innocent smile on his face. He winked and waved, about to leave when he

glanced back at Keel over one toned bronze shoulder. He sighed, shaking his head as he wet his lips and
could taste nothing other than the attractive blonde that he had ordered to kiss him. "Make sure you're
paying attention when you're around me..."

Keel raised a brow out of curiosity. "Why?"
Shiro shrugged, "Because I almost took that further. Unless I missed my guess, you're with the

redheaded Onya, and I still try to play fair with those that share our profession."

Keel flushed, fixing his posture as he eyed Shiro. "You think you'd be able to trick me into being

yours? For more than a single night?" He chuckled and shook his head, "I'm a bit more complicated than
that."

Shiro eyed Keel in a way that made him worry. He could, and they both knew it. "All it would

take is a few minutes alone with you when you're tired or drinking. I've done it before." He licked his
teeth and raised a brow for a moment as he eyed Keel. "I've done it accidentally before. As I said, just be
careful. I don't want any complications, for either of us."

Keel nodded with a sour expression, the ache in his head not only annoying, but worse since he

and Shiro had started talking again. "As I said, I'll consider your offer. If I accept, you'll see me in Azil."

Shiro nodded, waving with two fingers as he disappeared behind a curtain. Within an instant he

was back in the clothes he had worn the night prior and walking out of the salon with smiles and gestures
exchanged with every attendant he passed. Keel watched him, nearly studied him. He was unusual,
enough so that it made it difficult to even guess what he would be like if Keel and Kaji did end up in Azil.

When Shiro went to cross the foyer a woman nearly ran up to him, her arm reaching for his as she

spoke with an almost concerned expression. Even though Keel was far enough away that he couldn't
understand the conversation he could easily guess what it was about. Shiro raised a brow as the woman
talked, a flirty smile on her lips for a moment. His eyes dropped to where her fingers were clutching his
arm. When he met her eyes he said something with a serious expression on his face. Her fingers released
him instantly, and she looked at them as if she didn't understand why they had. The next two words Shiro
said were easy enough to lip read. Go away. Sure enough, she backed away slowly, but shook her head as
she did.

Keel chuckled, cocking his head to one side as he watched. An unexpected bonus for Shiro, these

women wouldn't guess he had any talent outside of bed and therefore were the easiest to manipulate. It
made Keel wonder if he had sought out the chanting monks to improve his trade, or instead to keep himself
safe, since his words had just made a Swordmistress back away from him regardless of what she wanted.
He chewed his lip for a moment. "Fifth..."

Chapter Twenty

Lassieta and Oniku laughed as Keel ranted in a language neither could understand and tossed his

losing hand of cards on the table. He switched to Sahrketh mid-sentence, smiling as he complained, "And
you think I'm going to keep playing, that's the most twisted part! I've been watching the two of you trade
which card you're going to cheat with for the last twenty minutes at least!"

Lassieta shook her head, feigning innocence even as the corner of an ace was sliding from her

poorly chosen wrap. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" Keel eyed the card, then met her eyes as
he sipped his sixth glass of wine, his cheeks flushed with liquor and the tropic heat. She chuckled and
tossed the card on the table, "Well, I'm not used to cheating. I'll get better at it, I promise."

Keel smiled for a minute, then relaxed in his chair, his eyes drifting to the crate of wine that was

parked in the corner of the balcony. His smile faltered as he rolled his head to one side. He had seen Kura
carry it onto the balcony and tear it apart often enough when he had been repaying his debt that he couldn't
think of anything else once he'd laid his eyes on it. "She's not hurt or anything, right?"

Lassieta raised a brow, about to ask who he was talking about when she realized that there was

only person Keel would inquire about in the first place. Her amusement died and she glanced at Oniku,
who took the hint and wandered into the suite to find something to do. "No. She's fine. I mean, aside from
apparently being stricken retarded while we were away..."

Keel nodded, his eyes pointed at his glass for a minute. "I guess I was a fool after all, huh?"
Lassieta's brow knit, "What?"
Keel glanced at her, then made a dismissive gesture, "So many people warned me about her. Kaji,

Jade, Loki, Matahari. Even Kura herself. I'm not really surprised, just... disappointed."

Lassieta sighed, not sure how she felt about the entire upper tier of the palace talking about Kura

in dark corners and behind closed doors. She let a bitter smirk find her face as she amended that thought;
Jade had voiced her opinion straight to Kura's face. The worst part was that it had all been entirely true.

When Kura did return, Lassieta knew it was only a matter of time before she looked for a

replacement for Keel, but as she eyed him, she also knew that Kura wouldn't find it in the palace. Not
anymore. Keel had been one of the rare men that didn't fit the mold. Out of all of the men that had passed
through the Harem since her coronation, she only remembered a select few. The rest had become nameless
faces. Kura wouldn't deal with anyone that could possibly compete in a military setting with her, which
only left commoners. That thought was even funnier than the last. She had liked Keel for his intelligence,
and the only person they had on hand of the same caliber happened to be Jade.

"She's being foolish. I'd ask you to forgive her, but she would just see it as a victory over you, and

she'd do it again. If you let her discard you once, that makes it okay to do it again..."

Keel nodded, "Oh, I know. I'm not planning on taking her back." He sat up more in his chair, "I

just wanted to complain to someone who would leak my thoughts back at her."

Lassieta thought of something and wore a wicked smile as she fetched a quill and a handful of

papers. She slapped them down in front of herself and took the quill, setting a hilariously serious face on
Keel. "Ok, I'm ready."

Keel stared at her in confusion. "Ready for what?"
She used the feather to stab at his shirt, "Go on! Bitch and complain! I'm going to take notes, I

don't want to forget anything!"

Keel laughed, shaking his head for a moment. "If I wanted that, I would just write her a note

myself."

Lassieta raised a brow and looked at the paper, then slid it to Keel and held out the quill. "Do it."
"She'll be pissed if I do."
Lassieta made a face that labeled him crazy. "And you'll be long gone, right? Who cares, she

deserves nothing less."

Keel giggled and shook his head, "I can't! She'd be wroth with you!"
Lassieta shrugged, "I'm the ruler, kitten. Let her be pissed."
Keel arched an eyebrow with doubt. "I thought she was your closest friend?"
Lassieta nodded, "She is. But she was wrong, didn't listen to me, and then I had to be the one to

tell you about her stupid decision." She used the end of the feather to trace his eyebrow, a cruel smirk on
her face. "Besides, I think it would be funny to see her angry and unable to relieve her stress with a man,
don't you?"

Keel took the quill from her and went to write, but stopped and instead grabbed the wine. "I'm

going to need a lot more to drink before I anger someone who could probably kill me."

Lassieta snorted a laugh as she eyed Keel. Probably wasn't even close.

Chapter Twenty-One

Keel swayed on his feet as he proofread his letter, as drunk as he'd ever been as he stumbled and

pronounced each word with inebriated authority. "'Dear horrible murderer,'" He giggled, planning on
tearing this paper to pieces to safeguard his life after he and Oniku had a good laugh over it, "'Since you've
made it quite clear that you want nothing more of me, I've taken it upon myself to make you aware of my
perspective regarding your decision to avoid me. By choosing a life-threatening situation, no less.'" His
brow knit and he glanced at Oniku, who was contentedly watching Keel with amusement on his features.
"I mean, really? Who does that?"

Oniku shrugged, swigging from his bottle with a smirk, "The Sahrketh." He gestured to the paper

with his bottle, "Read on, you have my attention!"

Keel nodded with a devoted look on his face, then took a long gulp from the bottle he had been

emptying for the last twenty minutes. "My apologies, where was I? Ah! Here we are; 'I find the decision
both self-centered and childish, but the more I dwell on it, the more I realize that it summarizes you
perfectly.'"

Oniku chuckled and hissed in a breath as he heard this, a nearly worried grin on his face as Keel

continued. This was written to get a reaction, and if she did receive it, he was sure he would get one.

"'What I've taken away from this recent decision of yours is that you're far too busy keeping up

appearances for the likes of me, a talkative whore. I believe I have, on a few occasions, done favors for
you that made me uncomfortable without a care for my own well-being. Thank you for setting me straight;
it's a mistake I'm not prone to repeat. I consider your pride sickening, and I wonder if you'll be able to find
a replacement for me as easily as I can for you. It seems that the Palace is full of selfish, abusive, socially
retarded women. The way I see it; your doppelgangers. All they would need is black hair, a horrible
temper and enough emotional baggage to break a man in half.'"

He laughed and wet his lips, holding up a finger from the hand that was clutching the bottle to try

and pause Oniku's laughter. When Oniku snorted and nearly fell off of the couch, Keel fell into a giggling
fit as well, shaking his head for a moment.

Oniku finally calmed enough to swallow the gulp he had held hostage in his mouth for his outburst

of laughter, "Oh my god!"

Keel glanced at him, still chuckling, "You like it then?"
Oniku nodded, "I really want to see her reaction to that!"
Keel held the paper up, "Should I read more?"
Oniku clapped once, "There's more?"
He had squealed the word with childish glee in his voice, entertained enough that Keel started to

laugh again, "Oh yes, there's more. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right!"

Oniku took a few deep breaths, then reclined on the sofa, one ankle crossed over the opposing

knee as he feigned seriousness and locked eyes with Keel. "Continue, good sir."

Keel bowed his head in a quick nod, his lips tilted into a lazy smirk as he started to read again. "'I

cannot blame you entirely, however, since I am approached on a nearly hourly basis by those who wish to
gloat that they were correct. I was warned about you. Not by those who only knew your reputation, but by
those who knew you well. I thought I could tolerate your insanity, and only now realize how much better
off I'll be without it.'" Keel sighed, his brow low as he took a deep breath and continued. "'An emotional
scholar and a barbarous automaton. What was I thinking?'" He sobered a bit as he eyed the last line,
directly before his signature. "'My thanks for the opportunity to serve as a sexual outlet to mask your vast
insecurities.' Signed 'Keel, AKA; Kura's bitch.'"

Oniku had of course noticed the change in Keel as he read, saw that he was making a great

argument to mask his own feelings. Kura wouldn't know that when she read it though, and since he seemed
to be regretting his letter already, Oniku did his best to egg him on. "She deserves nothing less than the
pure rotten truth."

Keel nodded slowly, eyeing the words he'd written again with consideration. He tossed the letter

aside and sat on the couch beside Oniku, glancing at Lassieta where she had dozed at the table. "You
should move her. She'll be sore if she sleeps there."

Oniku leaned and looked, a warm smile on his face. "I will. She's fine, let her rest."
Keel sighed, not entirely comfortable with the amount of affection in Oniku's voice when he spoke

of Lassieta. It reminded him of what he was trying to avoid; namely the woman who had somehow

become important to him despite her thorough neglect for his feelings. "Whatever happened to Rein and
Arashi?"

Oniku let out a disinterested laugh. "Freed when Lassieta took me as her consort."
"Must've broken Arashi's demented little heart."
Oniku laughed and nodded, "That's why I had to insist." Keel chuckled, but quickly went silent as

he relaxed on the couch. Oniku took the opportunity to say what he had meant to before. "Thank you."

Keel raised a brow, glancing at Oniku as he brought the bottle towards his lips. "For?"
Oniku shrugged, "Lassieta tells me that if you hadn't intervened on the night we were brought

here, she likely wouldn't have paid me any mind whatsoever. In fact," he eyed Keel, "she seems to hold
you and Akara responsible for our happiness."

Keel shrugged, "Don't worry about it. I'm glad that you're both enjoying yourselves."
"But I really wanted to thank you..."
Keel felt a shudder run his body that let him know before he even ventured a glance how close

Oniku had moved on the sofa, his eyes closed for a moment. "I'm not really comfortable with men, Oniku.
You know that."

He bit Keel's ear lightly, his breath in Keel's blond mess of hair and his fingers carefully caressing

his arm. "That makes it all the more impressive that you got involved on our behalf, doesn't it? I want to
repay that debt to you, but we both know you don't need any money, and that only leaves carnal pleasures...
I have nothing else to offer..."

Keel groaned, looking away from Oniku even if he didn't remove his hands. "I'm not really in the

mood for this. Besides," he glanced at Oniku's pale fingers as they started to undo his belt, "I'm with Kaji,
and he's somewhat territorial." Finally he plucked Oniku's hand from himself and laid it on his own lap.
"Thank you for the offer though." He stood, thinking that this was when he should leave, since Oniku
operated like Lassieta. It meant that he would keep trying until he got what he wanted. "Speaking of Kaji,
I should try to figure out where exactly he's passed out."

Oniku stood as well, offering a hand to Keel since he apparently didn't care for his other bodily

appendages. "If you need anything..."

Keel nodded, "Same to you."
As Keel made his way to the door Oniku spotted the letter and called after him, "Hey!" Keel

turned to him with curiosity. He almost reminded him, but paused, careful not to glance at the paper again.
Keel had no intention of actually landing it in a place where Kura would be able to locate it, which meant
that he had found his way to repay him. "Safe journey."

Keel smiled and nodded, "My thanks."

Chapter Twenty-Two

It turned out that not only was Kaji still asleep, strewn over a couch in the Harem's lounge, he also

seemed content to stay that way until it was no longer physically possible. Since Jade was gone, Mesa was
missing, and Oniku was in a sexually charged mood, that left Keel wandering the Palace alone, his hands in
his pockets as he watched people recovering from nights of constant partying. His cheeks were still flushed
with alcohol when he settled in the Akana bar, ordering a glass of wine for himself. He spent a few
minutes relaxing as he read the list of new liquors on the wall, then reread it.

With a sigh he glanced around the room, his brow knit when he found Loki of all people, alone

and staring out of a window deep in thought. He was in one of the lounge chairs that bordered the room,
which Keel had thought to be oversized until he saw the massive man reclining in one. One ankle over his
opposite knee with a glass of scotch in one hand on top of that, he had his other hand covering the lower
half of his face. It was quite possibly the most docile he had ever seen him, or ever would.

Since it seemed surreal, Keel dropped his money on the bar and made his way over to him, his

glass of wine hanging from a few pale fingers as he came up beside him. He bowed his head even though
Loki hadn't so much as noticed him. "Grandmaster Arada."

Loki's brow knit and his eyes moved to Keel, dragging his gaze from where he was clutching his

drink until he saw his face. He took a deep breath, drank the rest of his scotch, then let out a long sigh.
"Ambassador Vitanus."

Keel paled, not sure why there was a change in their relationship, only that it made him

uncomfortable. "You can call me Keel, I'm still the same as I was."

Loki's lips tugged into a pathetic grin, "If you don't want to use honorifics and titles, then don't

greet me with them, Keel." He gestured to the lounge chair beside himself as he sat up, "Joining me or just
being polite?"

Keel shrugged as he sat in the chair, gazing out at the jungle as he brought the glass to his lips

with a hint of a smile. "Bit of both."

Loki gave him a mildly amused glance, "I see you're in better spirits than the last time I saw you."
Keel flushed, "What do you mean?"
Loki snorted a laugh, raising his glass for a moment until the bartender brought him another.

Once the man was headed back to the bar, Loki elaborated. "Drunk, jaded and depressed." He eyed Keel,
"With a woman on the loose who evidently wants you dead if she happens across you, and another who's
on her way back here to give her attention to anyone but you."

Keel paled and sighed, "I see you've been talking to Jade. Where is she?"
Loki gestured to the balcony, "Chasing Enara, where else? The woman can hold a grudge for

years."

"Well, she was almost killed. I think it's fair."
Loki rolled his eyes, "You've been missing since you arrived. Been sleeping around, or too

preoccupied with troublesome fantasies?"

Keel glanced at him, confused because to the best of his knowledge Loki had never learned what

Kaji's tattoos meant. Not to mention the amount of hostility in the statement from a man who had
previously treated Keel as a friend at the very least. He considered a moment. "You looked like you
needed to talk to someone. If I was wrong, I can go..."

Loki played with the glass in his hands, glancing at Keel for a long minute. Conversing about

personal issues was considered a weakness among the Sarhketh, which Loki found ludicrous. The problem
was that he couldn't talk to just anyone or they would mock him behind closed doors, which he knew from
experience. Keel was the best candidate he had ever had to complain at, but he wouldn't probably like
where the topic would take them. Loki sighed, finally looking back at the view of the jungle. "I have a lot
going on, currently."

Keel raised a brow, "Everyone does. I just spent most of my time concocting a letter to Kura that

will get me killed should she ever locate it." When Loki gave him a doubtful grin he shrugged, "But, I feel
better now."

"I would try that, but I don't like putting work into anything that isn't meant to be seen or used, or

create written evidence of what I think."

Keel rolled his head on his shoulders and sipped his wine. "So it's a woman?"

Loki groaned and shook his head, "No." He looked at Keel and sighed, "It's a man." Keel shifted

his weight in the chair with wide eyes, about to excuse himself when Loki added, "And it's not you, so
relax."

Keel let out a silent sigh of relief, already more at ease knowing that he would avoid that awkward

conversation. Their one chance at a relationship had ended before it had ever started, and despite the fact
that they had enjoyed their few nights together, Keel wanted it to remain in the past. "Anyone I know?"

Loki shook his head, "No. I'm not even sure I know him. Saharion knows I put the fucking effort

in, but the prick keeps giving me reasons that he can't meet with me."

Keel shrugged, "Stop in on him then."
"I did. He had someone with him."
Keel assumed he had found the problem, about to speak when Loki continued.
"I was there to ask his advice about Jade, but..." He blinked a few times as if trying not to see

what he clearly had, then shook his head and rubbed at his temple. "Now I'm not sure what to think."

Keel held up a finger, his brow low as he tried to fit the situation together. "You went to see him

to ask for advice regarding Jade. As in romantic advice?"

Loki's eyes slid to him and he wore a bitter smirk. "I think you remember well enough that I have

plenty of experience in that department. I was there because she's using my lingering attachment to her to
be a cruel bitch at every opportunity. I wanted his thoughts on that."

Keel nodded, "Okay. And this man, you like him?"
Loki shrugged, "He's a pain in the ass too."
Keel wore an expression of uncertainty. "I don't understand, Loki."
Loki groaned and rubbed his face again, then bit his lip and shook his head, clearly upset.

"Neither do I." There was a long pause before he averted his eyes. "He's an asshole, he's selfish like
nobody I've met before, he's cruel to the point of being childish, and he apologizes for relatively nothing he
does. And now I can't get the fucker out of my head."

Keel paled. "You want him..."
Loki made a dismissive gesture, "I've had him. Plenty. I just didn't realize he was taking others as

well over the years."

Keel cocked an eyebrow. "Out of curiosity..."
"I don't think he'd appreciate me telling you who it is after I said that, and dealing with his wrath is

more terrifying to me than the war I just returned from." He closed his eyes for a moment, apparently
reliving a memory before he drank the glass empty and held his hand up for another.

In the long moment of silence that stretched between them, Keel watched Loki, his eyes drifting to

the tattoos on his chest. The one in the center of the design that stretched from his chest down his arm was
from his original Swordmaster, who he had mentioned previously. He had traded his body to the man for
his training. "It's that Swordmaster, isn't it?"

Loki nodded slowly. His voice was a threatening whisper as he spoke. "If you tell anyone, I'll tell

your family what you did here."

Keel flushed instantly, nodding. He had no intention of repeating this conversation anyway, but

now it wasn't even possible. "Alright."

Loki's brow knit and he appraised Keel for a moment as he grabbed his next glass from the

bartender and sent him on his way again. "You know, most people don't agree to threats made against
them, Keel."

Keel shrugged and pursed his lips. "It was a fair trade. I won't ruin you, you won't ruin me."
Loki chuckled, "It's not me I'm worried about, it's him. If he found out that I spoke of him at all,

he would visit, but I'd be begging him to leave soon after."

"He sounds cruel."
Loki nodded slowly, then wet his lips and left them open as his eyes grew heavy with desire.

"You have no idea. Deliciously cruel. That's why I don't like where I am. There's no reason I should want
him for more than what we already share. His heart rotted out years before I met him, and he's made it
clear that he requires no more than a body to use once in awhile." He cleared his throat and took a breath to
settle his nerves. "I was thinking it was just the sex, but I know that if I wanted that, I could have it."

Keel offered a thought he hadn't come across on his own, "Perhaps you want him because nobody

else does?"

"I'm not that desperate."
"Then maybe you want him because you know you'll never have him."

They locked eyes, Loki nodding slowly as a smile conquered his face. "That may be the truth of

it."

Keel chuckled, bowing his head. "You seem to lean towards whatever is out of your reach."
Loki cocked an eyebrow, "I find that when I actually try, I typically get what I want through pure

stubbornness and determination. Being here, in the Palace... This was out of my reach. And here I am.
Jade's no different." He glowered at the treetops, "She just thinks she is."

Keel stared at him with apprehension bordering on fear. He had thought he knew Loki, but

hearing him talk about Jade as if she were a conquest was remarkably unsettling. "So, which of the people
that you want are you going to chase?"

"Jade."
Keel shrugged, sipping his wine. "You just said she's using you, didn't you?"
He grinned, a playful glint in his eyes, "I didn't say I was opposed to it. Merely aware of it. The

other option is too impossible. Even for me." He eyed Keel, "What about you? What're you planning to
do with yourself?"

Keel took a deep breath and thought for a moment, then shook his head as he sighed and shifted in

the chair. "I have no damn idea. Kaji's hell bent on joining me, no matter what I decide on. Breiyan is out
of the question..."

Loki tapped his glass against Keel's, "Well, you can't stay here; Kura's coming back and Enara

might have put the thought into looking for you. You're too easy to find in a place like this. If you want,
I'm heading to Azil once Lassieta assures me that she's sent word for Kura to come back. My house there's
large enough that we probably won't even run into each other inside of it." He eyed Keel, "You and Kaji
can join me if you want. Festival season in Azil... It's worth seeing at least once."

Keel considered, eyeing Loki carefully. There were various reasons to deny the invitation. He

knew that Kaji hated Loki, and that the feeling was rather mutual. Loki used to want Keel, even if he
seemed to have his hands full with everyone else at the moment. As a matter of fact, Keel felt that Loki's
long dead affection was the reason that the two couldn't stand one another.

If he did go though, he could at least occupy himself with Shiro's pet project. Finding a place to

stay during festival season would be nearly impossible, and he had to admit that the thought of being close
to the most dangerous man in Sahrketh history lent him a bit of comfort. Enara would be stupid to do
anything even if she did find him there, not that he truly felt she was looking for him in the first place. As
Jade had said, the woman was running for her life, and he could guess that Jade was close behind her.

Still, the call of Azil's electric lit streets and riotous parties was a temptation he had been

considering since he had seen Shiro. Convincing Kaji would be simple because he knew Kaji would give
him anything. He would just have to make sure to lavish as much affection on him as he could stomach to
make sure he felt secure, especially with Loki lurking close by.

Finally Keel raised his glass, "I'll talk to Kaji after this drink. Plan on two more for your trip."
Loki bowed his head slightly, "Pack light, we'll be taking the train from Stourand and the cabins

are pathetic."

Keel made a face, "I'm only bringing a change of clothes and gold."
Loki shrugged, sliding a playful glance at Keel. "I can tell you've never been; the clothes aren't

necessary."

Keel's lips slid to the side, "Not where we'll be working, they won't."
Loki laughed, "I'll meet you in Stourand. I have some things to tend to here."
Keel bowed his head, "Sounds good."
They smiled as they tapped their glasses and downed their drinks.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Keel slowly lowered his weight onto Kaji as he slept draped over the couch in the Harem's foyer,

smiling at the way he cracked his eyes open with familiarity. Once he had confirmed it was Keel on top of
him he went immediately back to sleep, slapping an arm over him to hold him there. Keel propped himself
up on his elbows, tracing Kaji's eyebrow before he trailed his finger over the design on his cheekbones.
Kaji sighed, yawning as he was forced to wake up. "Morning."

Keel slowly brought his eyes to the only window in sight. "It's still night, actually."
Kaji gave him a curt nod, "Then goodnight."
Keel shook his head and turned Kaji's face back to himself, fully aware that a few of the women

who had come to retrieve or return their Onya had stopped to watch the two of them. It would typically
bother him, but he planned on leaving them disappointed anyway. "Hey."

Kaji took a deep breath and looked at Keel, still tired from bed hopping for the last two days.

"Yeah?"

Keel smiled at him, "You want to go to Azil?"
Kaji cracked a grin, "I'll race you there."
Keel kissed him, then removed himself and stood, tugging on Kaji's hand to try and persuade him

to get to his feet. "Come on, we need to beat Loki to Stourand so we can have a night alone."

Kaji tensed, his brow low as he went over what he had just heard. "Why, that sounds like there's

more to this plan than you'd previously mentioned."

Keel sighed, "He offered to let us share his house with him. Lodging would be impossible to find

during festival season."

Kaji groaned and sat up, rubbing at his face as he considered it. Festival season in Azil was

tempting, even more so with the opportunity to enjoy it beside Keel. Loki had been nearly civil when
they'd last run into each other, but was also known for tricks and therefore couldn't be trusted. "You know
him better than I do, so be honest. Would he try anything?" His eyes snapped to Keel, demanding
sincerity.

Keel smiled at him and flushed, "No. He has his eyes on a few other people." He dropped his

voice to a whisper as he glanced around at the handful of women that were watching to see if they'd touch
one another again. "Besides, I have you so he knows better."

Kaji gave him a doubtful glance but said nothing as he got to his feet. When he stretched his pants

slid lower and showed the tip of his erection, born of waking on a couch but still enough to elicit a reaction
from onlookers. Keel sighed as he grabbed Kaji's pants and held them up for him. "Where's your belt?"

Kaji arched an eyebrow as his hands fell to his side. "I'm not sure. I seem to have misplaced my

boots as well..."

Keel gave him a sigh and a smile, nodding as he went to walk towards Matahari's and demand

another. "Come on, we'll get some before we head out." He stopped when he felt Kaji grab his wrist,
looking at him with confusion.

Kaji was glancing at the women around himself with a frisky smile. He switched to Yunan, "Want

to remind them why they remember us?"

Keel flushed, about to refuse when he couldn't find any reason to. He shifted his weight and

smiled, biting a lip as he eyed Kaji's pants. "Yeah, don't get too carried away. I had plans for you later."

Kaji moaned and pulled Keel against him, sinking into a kiss with him as he slid a hand under his

shirt and into his pants, feeling him under his clothes for their adoring public. When Kaji moved his lips
down Keel's neck and he let out a moan, they started to talk amongst themselves, appraising the display
with appreciation. Keel closed his eyes, holding Kaji against his skin for a moment. As Kaji's other hand
went down the back of his pants he gasped and shifted his weight, trying to shy away from him, but Kaji
held him tightly enough that he couldn't manage more than a step. This brought actual cheering, Keel
letting out a nervous chuckle as he shook his head. "That's enough, I think."

Kaji took a deep breath and sighed it out against Keel's neck before he reclaimed his hands and

kissed him, the two distracted enough with their lips that it took a few minutes to leave as they had
intended. As they did, the women exchanged stunned glances, then looked at their own Onya and sighed, a
few talking about the fact that Kura had recently abandoned Keel.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Kura had been staring at the tea set on the massive dining table for the last hour, inspecting every

annoying little sparrow on the side of the cups as they chased each other in a circle. There were people in
the room as well, but she couldn't care less about any of them. Anyone who had four different kinds of tea
time weren't worth any of her attention. She had absentmindedly slouched in the chair and started to rub at
her forehead, which then led to rubbing at her scalp where her braids sprouted from her head. The two
Akana members that were standing beside her weren't doing even that well. One had started to doze, the
other was playing with a piece of string in her fingers, constantly twisting it and unraveling it.

The man Lassieta had chosen to take over for the recently executed king had dealt with the

Sahrketh before, both with words and with weapons through his youth, and knew what would be
considered acceptable. The other two were ignorant of it entirely.

The conversation, as far as Kura had gathered before she stopped even halfheartedly listening, was

centered around their political standing with the Kyathe, and how it would be affected by the current
situation. When one of them said they weren't pleased to lose them as an ally, Kura snorted a laugh,
attracting three sets of eyes from the table.

"Is there something you find amusing, young lady?"
Kura picked at her nails, then glanced around for the blushing girl he must be talking to. She froze

after a moment, her brow knit as she slid murderous eyes to the older gentleman. She raised one eyebrow
at him, nearly asking if he were seriously speaking to her as if she were inferior. "Oh, I'm finding this
entire situation amusing." She stood and flexed her armored fingers, "A man armed with lace and best
wishes talking to me like he addresses these decorative reproductive devices that you call women." She
jerked a thumb over her shoulder, the two girls that had been crocheting in the corner looking up with pale
faces and wide eyes. "Not to mention, you're worrying yourself over what the Kyathe will think of all this,
even though they never so much as wished you luck when they heard we were coming. Perhaps you didn't
notice how they shrank away from your side, but trust me," she grinned, proud of the fact they were scared
to fight the Sahrketh again, "I did."

The Akana members glanced at each other and chuckled, the two older gentlemen guffawing at

how graceless Kura's words had been. The third, and newly crowned king, merely smirked at Kura,
thankful that she had stopped the endless chatter over useless topics for him. He eyed her, "Headmistress
Maikaru is absolutely correct. If they were truly our allies, they would've offered aid." He thought for a
moment, toying with a quill in his fingers as his eyes dragged over her exposed arm and the message
tattooed there. "Gentleman, we'll continue this discussion at a later time. I believe our guest requires rest."

Kura growled at them as they hurried themselves to their women and then quickly out the door.

Once they were gone she nodded to the Akana members, about to leave and head back to her damnably
pink quarters.

"Wait..."
She sighed, appraising 'King' Fredrick Stantz over her shoulder for a moment as she waited for

him to speak. He was handsome enough, plain but kind in appearance. His long brown hair was gathered
into a braid and his outfit the least stupid she had seen that day, only the ruffled white linen shirt with a vest
over it. To her, it looked like what a traveling circus would use to advertise, but he seemed to think it was
racy, so she hadn't commented. Yet. She made a gesture with her hands for him to hurry. "What?"

He flushed, his eyes averted for a moment as he laughed to himself. "Would you care to take your

dinner with me tonight? You must be tired of the endless solitude."

She took a moment to answer not because she was considering her response, but instead how

cruelly to phrase it. "I have no desire to dine with anyone who allowed their people to die while they
watched from the safety of their mansion. Eat well."

Their eyes met and he suddenly knew that there was no chance of even being friends, had in fact

been lucky that she hadn't brought herself to killing him yet. He set his jaw and nodded once, his eyes
looking around the room. "And you as well, Headmistress."

She stormed out of the room, not even giving him the formality of a proper goodbye because she

had finally gotten to the point that Lassieta had been at when she had last seen her. She wanted to leave,
and hopefully never return to this place. The water was freezing at best, the snow never seemed to melt,
and the leafless trees stood against a perpetually gray sky. To further brighten her mood, every place she
looked seemed to have a couple hiding in a corner, exchanging softly spoken words. Women nursing their
wounded men back to health, men that were unharmed chasing every skirt that passed by. They were

having a pleasant time, and they had lost. She could only imagine the riotous celebration that had
happened at the palace.

She sighed as she walked the stone stairs, thankful that everyone feared her enough to move away

from her as she passed. Of course with the good there was also the bad. Their losses had been crippling,
which might be why nobody had said a word directly to Kura that was even slightly disrespectful. A few of
the men she had encountered remembered her. She laughed under her breath as she remembered her only
visit to the pub in the cheap quarter. A young man had been telling a tale of how he had survived. When
he spoke of her tattoo she had laughed and he had turned to look for the person who dared mock a veteran.
Of course, then he saw her and stumbled backwards so fast he had tipped the table and knocked two of his
friends to the floor in their chairs.

"Headmistress?"
Kura looked up, a grin on her face as she found an Akana member with a stack of letters in her

hands. She nodded as she took them, "Any luck finding Gerudai rum?"

The woman sighed, apparently also disappointed with her answer. "No. It seems they aren't

welcome in the territory. If you want I can head east to Gerstan, perhaps try our luck there?"

Kura shook her head as she eyed the letters in her fingers. "No. We'll be heading out as soon as

Lassieta sends us word." She held the letters between them, "Here's hoping."

The woman chuckled and slapped a hand on Kura's shoulder before she walked off to hand out the

rest of the correspondence that had arrived. Under normal circumstances, they never would've exchanged a
word. Here, they had nobody else that they could speak to freely.

Kura sifted through the papers in her hands, finally locating the one with the royal seal pressed

into the wax. She tore it open as she closed the door to her quarters, leaning on the door as she hurriedly
read it. She let out a sigh of relief, the order for her to withdraw with the remaining Akana members finally
given. She smiled as she went through the rest, one from Lassieta and written by her own hand; easy to tell
because her handwriting was bizarre at best. When she opened it, she saw why it had looked like she had
scrawled her words in anger. Because she had. Kura paled as she read the endless lines of threats. She had
neglected to deal with Keel, but had forgotten in her adamant indifference that others would do so for her.
Lassieta had said that she wasn't keen on telling him, but apparently had gone right ahead and done exactly
that.

That didn't bother her so much. It was the additional lines that she had added at the end of her

letter regarding Enara's disappearance that made her pulse quicken. Jade was off dealing with that, and
Loki was undoubtedly enjoying some well-deserved time away from the Palace. So, Enara was running
around unsupervised, Lassieta was unprotected at the moment, and Kura was a fair distance away from
coming to her aid.

She grit her teeth and nearly hissed at the paper. She thought for a moment, then hurriedly packed

what few things she had, slinging the pack over one shoulder as she moved towards the door. The official
letter had stated that she should finish the week there before heading back, but she assumed that being a
terrifying bitch to the aristocracy could likely hasten the decision that they were in no need of Sahrketh
reinforcements to safeguard their new ruler.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Keel sighed happily as he shifted his weight in the tepid bath, glancing out over the jungle from

the thankfully vacant penthouse. The entire top level was lined with open windows to relieve some of the
heat of the afternoon. Lightweight linens had been hung over the many windows, offering a shred of
privacy if drawn, although Keel was certain that they were too thin to obscure much from any wandering
eyes. Luckily, they were too far up to really be seen anyway.

When Kaji entered the room, his fingers were clutching a frosted glass, his eyes searching for Keel

before discovering him relaxing in the stone tub. The heat had been unbearable for him when they had
arrived in Stourand that morning, and since Loki was apparently a day behind them, they had elected to
take a room so that Keel could try and cool down. "You look better."

Keel closed his eyes and nodded, a quirky grin on his lips as he put his arms on the sides of the

dark stone tub and rested his head on the back, seemingly about to fall asleep. "I feel better, maybe that's
why."

Kaji glanced around the rooms, shaking his head at the luxury that Keel had grown accustomed to.

The lower levels would've been cooler, but even now he had taken the penthouse to see the best of what
Stourand had to offer. "You are such a spoiled brat."

Keel opened one eye and brought it to Kaji. "The way I see it, we can afford to be." He laughed

under his breath as he crossed his arms over the side of the tub and laid his face on it, eyeing Kaji carefully.
Kaji was between Keel and the open-air dining area, lost in a background of vibrant green with glimpses of
the flowering vines that fell from the canopy behind him.

Kaji saw Keel admiring him and shifted his weight, wondering if perhaps the heat had gotten to

him after all. He almost never openly appraised Kaji's appearance, even though he'd done everything
possible to maintain it. This made twice in the course of a week. He gave him a worried smile, "What?"

Keel shrugged, "You look like you belong here."
Kaji's brow knit as he glanced behind himself, then he let out a low grunt of a laugh. "I do. I'm in

between Sahrketh lands and Traichi, both my bloodlines, remember?"

"Mmm." Keel let his eyes fall down Kaji's chest and abs, thankful that he had decided to shed his

shirt before entering the room. Even now, Kaji seemed blissfully unaware of the scorching heat.
Apparently that was as far as his fire elf half went, but even so, Keel found that he envied him for it.

Kaji stared when Keel stood in the tub and stretched his arms, the water clinging to his lean body

and showing every slight curve in the afternoon sun. He gave Kaji a playful grin as he stepped out of the
tub, ignoring the towel that he had set aside so that he could wander up to his side. Kaji turned his face
towards Keel and raised one eyebrow at him as he set the glass on the table beside them. "What're you
doing?"

Keel bit his lip and glanced around to ensure nobody could see them, then grabbed Kaji's face and

backed him onto the bed as he kissed him. Kaji gave in instantly, even moaning as he felt Keel climb on
top of him. He went to put his hands on Keel, but was surprised that Keel removed them and set them on
the mattress beside his head. When he tried again, those pale fingers wrapped around his wrists a bit tighter
and he leaned on his arms, holding him down more because Kaji was letting him than because he was
stronger. He licked Kaji's lips, then let out a whorish moan, rubbing himself on Kaji's erection through his
pants.

Kaji stared for a long moment before he started to smile. This was new, and entirely welcome.

After a few minutes, Kaji wet his lips, thrusting his hips upward once. "Want me to take them off?"

Keel raised a brow at him, "I will."
Kaji nodded eagerly, watching as Keel backed away, then pulled his pants open and off. As he

came back up the bed, Keel ran his fingers up Kaji's thighs, coaxing them apart as he kissed the head of
Kaji's erection and locked eyes with him. He reached for the lubricant, then went back between Kaji's legs.
He almost took Kaji in his mouth but instead gave him a devilish smile, "You know what I've been
wondering?"

Kaji shook his head, his eyes darting between Keel's grinning lips and himself, wanting him to

continue. "What?"

Keel flushed, dragging his tongue along Kaji for a long moment. "I've been wondering what you

look like when you're not on top."

Kaji paled, staring at Keel as if asking if he were being serious. In all of the time they had been

together, Keel had never asked. "You think you have the energy for that, do you?"

Keel shrugged, feeling Kaji with a slender hand as he moved up his body and laid on top of him.

He discreetly slicked himself with lubricant, then pressed against Kaji with a flushed face and propped
himself up on one arm. "I'd like to find out..." He looked down at Kaji, his eyes heavy with arousal and his
expression enough to make Kaji's heart race. "If you'd let me..."

Kaji considered, wetting his lips as he stared at Keel. The warm light made him look even better

than usual. Golden hair, a well structured face and the greenest eyes, all entirely Kaji's for the time being.
He ran one tan hand across Keel's chest and up his neck as his free hand grabbed Keel's hips and pulled him
against himself. Keel let out a low moan, sinking onto Kaji as he slid inside of him. Kaji took a sharp
breath every now and again as Keel worked into him, but steadied his breathing, watching Keel enjoy his
body with content eyes. Keel stopped once he was as far as he could possibly get, kissing Kaji's neck
passionately as he held him tighter. "Do you need a minute?"

Kaji shook his head, "I'm fine." When Keel gave him a questioning glance, Kaji started to buck

his hips against him, eliciting a surprised moan from Keel's parted lips. He held Keel closer and put his
mouth next to his ear, licking it once. "I like the pain, Keel..."

Keel let out a low groan, his eyes closed as he started to move. Kaji's hand fell back to the bed

and he let his body go slack as Keel sat up, dragging his fingernails along Kaji's sides as he did. He
glanced at Kaji when he did it, testing the claim. To his surprise, Kaji's brow was low and he was panting,
his eyes on Keel's hips as if begging for him to do more. Not one to disappoint, Keel pulled Kaji's knees
apart and became far more aggressive, pulling Kaji onto himself with every thrust. He was focused so
intently on what he was doing that it came as a surprise to him when he glanced at Kaji's face and found
him flushed and moaning, his eyes pressed shut and his mouth agape. The sounds he was letting out were
entirely new, even the way he would shift his weight was something Keel had never had the luxury of
seeing before.

After a few minutes Kaji wet his lips and met Keel's eyes. "Lay down, I want to be on top."
Keel flushed instantly. He hadn't expected such a request but once it had been made he was far

from able to refuse it. He nodded and removed himself, rolling onto the bed beside Kaji as his fingers
pulled him closer. Kaji moved on top of him, one leg on either side of Keel as he leaned forward and
kissed him, his hips sliding back and positioning Keel without him having to look. He broke the kiss to
grin, sliding Keel inside of himself in one swift motion.

Keel watched with curiosity as Kaji leaned back, propped up on one arm. He almost asked what

he was doing when Kaji moved his legs so that he was more or less sitting on his feet, but found out soon
enough. Like this, Kaji could do virtually anything he wanted with his hips. Unlike the women Keel had
been with, Kaji had the strength to suspend himself over Keel and choose whatever he wanted. His ass met
Keel's thighs and he gyrated his hips, then pointed them upwards as he rose. Keel's mouth fell open and he
watched Kaji with as much interest as he could when distracted by his fluid hips. "Where did you learn to
do that?"

Kaji was moaning constantly, but managed to groan out, "You don't want to know..."
Keel smirked, ignoring it for now as he watched Kaji. The look on his face was intoxicating, as if

he could barely take much more even though he was doing this to himself. With a knowing grin set on
Keel, Kaji brought his other hand up from his thigh and started to pleasure himself. He moaned at Keel,
nearly laughing at the look of stunned arousal on Keel's face.

Their eyes met as Kaji picked up the pace, still gyrating his hips for an instant before he would

slide back off of him. Keel lifted his head and could easily see where he was penetrating Kaji, his brow
knit as he started to bring his own hips up to meet Kaji's with every thrust. Eventually Kaji sat on him and
his breath hitched, his hand going faster until he came, his expression twisted with pleasure. It was
incredibly sexy, and Keel couldn't stop himself from joining him. Kaji panted for a mere moment, then set
nearly drunk eyes on Keel as he lifted himself off of him and smiled.

Keel stared with wide eyes, as if processing what had just happened. Kaji sat next to him and

caught his breath, running a hand through his crimson hair to free it from his face. After a minute he
glanced at Keel and let out a low chuckle. "What?"

Keel let out a grunt of a laugh, still staring at Kaji like he hadn't seen him before. "That was

great..."

Kaji shrugged, "I could probably do better if I had known ahead of time. I don't like to do that too

often."

"Any reason?"

Kaji cleared his throat and pointed at himself, still hard and ready for far more. "I end up

outlasting my partners."

Keel flushed, a playful smile on his lips. He wet his lips and shrugged, his tone playful. "I could

go again."

Chapter Twenty-Six

The only clue that the sun was rising was the way that the canopy slowly lit up, the exotic birds

flying and swooping wildly for what fruit had fallen in the night. Keel watched it contentedly, occasionally
sipping the rich black tea that had been delivered to their room a few moments before. He was too relaxed
to even startle as he usually would when Kaji ran his hands around his waist and pulled up to his back, his
warm lips pressing kisses down Keel's neck and onto his shoulder. Keel let his head fall to the side, nearly
cuddling Kaji for a brief moment in greeting. "How did you sleep?"

Kaji sighed, a smile on his face. "Very well. And yourself?"
Keel let out a grunt of a laugh and emptied his cup. "Pretty well. Probably the copious amounts

of sex."

Kaji chuckled against his skin, "Why did you want that, anyway? I'm not complaining, but over

two and a half years and you asked last night... Any reason?"

Keel flushed, his eyes still on the jungle. "I um..." He sighed, his voice a bit more quiet. "I

wanted know everything about you. Every kind of expression you make, every sound. What you like,
what you hate." He wet his lips, a fine shade of red. "It's one of the few things that you do that I hadn't
taken part in. I realized yesterday that I'd never seen it and that I wanted to, more than I thought I ever
would." When he heard no comment offered on the topic, Keel glanced at Kaji and discovered him batting
his eyes at him with an expression that was barely containing a smile, nearly shaking with excitement. His
brow knit and he chuckled, shaking his head as he took Kaji's hands from around his waist and made his
way back to the pot of tea. "Why did I tell you that?"

Kaji smiled victoriously, flexing his arms and striking a pose, "Because you're madly in love with

me."

Keel sighed, bringing his eyes slowly to Kaji and shaking his head. "I would have to be mad,

wouldn't I?"

Kaji let his arms fall to his side, leveling a suspicious glance at Keel. "You didn't deny

anything..." He cocked his head to one side quizzically, "Are you ill?"

Keel leaned against one of the low windowsills, sipping his tea for a long moment. "I didn't

confirm any of your insane theories either. Don't get carried away."

Kaji sighed, still grinning as he walked to Keel and leaned close to him, eyeing his face for a long

moment. "Come on, say it."

Keel eyed him as if he had lost his mind. "Say what?"
Kaji let out a low growl, one hand on the windowsill on either side of Keel. "Tell me that you

want me, Keel."

Keel flushed, then sipped his tea. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Keel sighed,

"I think I've said enough, don't you?"

Kaji relented and backed away, "I was hoping for too much..." He sighed and shrugged, willing to

wait. If Keel had just spoken of anything in regards to growing attached to him, he'd let him skirt the topic
of their relationship status for awhile longer. Even though Kaji had no intention of letting Keel get away
from him, he still knew that Keel would ideally want a woman to marry, even if only for appearances and
occasional sex. Since Kura was no longer a candidate, and had always been a poor one at that, it left a
gaping hole in any plans Kaji had for their future. "What are the women like back in Breiyan?"

Keel stared at Kaji, stunned by the sudden and seemingly random question. "Why?"
Kaji shrugged, "I never asked. I assume they're something like that cafe girl, right?"
Keel considered, then shook his head. "They're kept under lock and key by their families, so no.

Not really. Ananya had been with a man before. They're like..." His lip curled as he finished the thought.
"They're like Anne, actually."

Kaji remembered Keel's younger sister, the fact that she had immediately formed an unhealthy

opinion of Kaji based on his appearance. That, partnered with their disgust regarding any of the things that
he and Keel did when alone, would complicate things. "You are looking for a woman to take as a wife
eventually, aren't you?"

Keel nodded, "Not anytime soon, but yes." He forced a smile, "Even if only to keep my aunt and

father from tearing me apart over time, I think it's a necessity." He eyed Kaji, not liking the fact that he
was deep in thought. "Why? What're you thinking?"

Kaji shrugged, "I was just trying to figure out where you could find someone to suit your needs.

It's not exactly like you can head back to Breiyan and pick one out, is it?"

Keel hadn't considered that, not in awhile anyway. He sighed. "Honestly, I'm really not in the

mood to be discussing my hypothetical wife right now." He gestured to Kaji with his cup, "What about
you?"

Kaji let out a mad cackle, "I have no need for a wife or consort. Not from my homeland anyway."
"Why?"
"Because, if she were from Traichi, she'd fuck everything that she could wrap her legs around, and

if she were Sahrketh, it would be like working in the Harem all over again." He wagged a finger at Keel,
nearly chastising him. "I'm not keen on being anyone's property, or a source of entertainment for the locals
to laugh at."

Keel nodded agreeably. "What about a foreigner?"
Kaji shook his head with a look of incomprehension, "Why does it matter if I take a female partner

at all, Keel? I'm fine with just you, perhaps an occasional woman to fill the time when you're too busy.
Isn't that enough?"

Keel raised a brow at him. "I thought maybe you'd want kids. You're so fond of my treacherous

cousins."

Kaji rolled his eyes. "If I were to track down the women I've been with, I may discover I already

have some..." He narrowed his eyes at the thought. "Anyway, I brought it up because you won't be able to
take any of the women back in your homeland, and we're in the perfect position to find what meets your
needs while we're in a community that would accept what we do."

Keel paled, eyeing Kaji for a moment. He started to giggle, "Were you afraid I would replace you,

or that I'd take a woman who would close the door on you?"

Kaji flushed, "It would be the easiest way for you to get rid of me, wouldn't it?"
Keel rolled his eyes. "I have no intention of getting rid of you Kaji, I'm addicted." He flushed and

his expression dropped when he heard what he had just said, so he spoke quickly to keep Kaji from
responding. "I guess you have a point. Maybe we should keep an eye out to figure out what won't work
when the day finally comes. But, as I said, I have no want for a permanent addition to this already insane
schedule. I mean..." He raised a palm, then gestured to the bed, "Where would she sleep?"

Kaji laughed, "Anyway..." He glanced out into the trees. "We should probably see if the prick has

arrived."

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Loki had been waiting in the square when they happened across him, and was already packed to

leave. He wasted no time once they had joined him in ushering the two to the station, and when it came
into sight, Keel stared in awe. Because the festival in Azil was so popular and fast approaching, the station
was swamped with people from every nearby community.

Daiban elves were gathered around the fountain, each dressed in clothes that made everyone

around them look to be poor. The woman in the group had laid her immaculate white curls over one
ghostly shoulder, her backless dress adorned with silver and diamonds that made her painful to look at in
the sunlight.

Near the ticket booth, a few Kyathe descendants were arguing with one another, a young man with

long canines and dusty brown hair even shoving his traveling companion aside with a smile. People of the
wolf; they also traveled in packs. The largest of their men had a woman at his side who apparently only
had eyes for him. It made Keel rather envious for a moment.

A woman walked by that had Keel and Kaji staring with agape mouths, her hair wildly spiked and

her mahogany skin only covered by an ornamental thong and a few bangles. She walked as if she owned
the station, yanking on a gold-plated chain that was attached to a fully matured male lion. Keel paled when
he saw it come to her side, "She's Arketh, isn't she?"

Loki glanced at her and nodded, apparently bored with her already. "Yeah. If she has that lion,

she's religious. Don't talk to her or she'll never stop."

Kaji glared at Loki, "How the hell would you know?"
Loki cocked an eyebrow, "I've been down their way before."
"Not likely; they hate the Sahrketh."
Loki smiled, "I assure you, I'm the reason why."
As Kaji started to try and punch as many holes in the claim as possible, the whistle of the train

attracted Keel's attention. He stood in his stirrups as Loki went over to the ticket booth to secure cabins for
them. Kaji came up beside him on his horse, watching Keel with curiosity. "You've never been on a train
before?"

Keel shook his head, squinting to watch as the steam engine approached, "No. Have you?"
Kaji nodded, "Once. They're fun."
Keel glanced at him, "This train?"
Kaji shook his head, "No. They added this stop after I was in the Harem. Azil's right next to

Traichi, I would've been on it if it'd been available at the time..."

Keel nodded as he sat in the saddle and moved his mount closer, distracted by a huge group of

young women from his own community as they laughed and waited for it's arrival. He was starting to
inspect their extremely outlandish clothing and behavior when Loki's charger came to their side, his
expression showing amusement and urgency as he dismounted.

"Alright, they only had two cabins left for this station but they agreed to bringing an extra horse.

Gimme your reins and get all your gear."

Keel nodded, grabbing his messenger pack and slinging it over his torso as he dropped to the brick

platform. Kaji tossed his reins onto Loki in the least respectful way possible, and Loki responded by taking
them and whipping Kaji across his face with the leather. To his dismay Kaji took the lash and merely
glanced at him with a raised brow, hoisting his bag into his arms and heading for the platform. He'd been
whipped far worse for fun.

Loki growled as he led the horses to the other platform, "Saharion help me... I'll kill him before

we reach Azil..."

Keel stared at Kaji, expecting him to say something, but he never even attempted to. "When you

eventually do get in a fight with him, I want you to remember moments like these. It'll be you sleeping on
the floor." Kaji set his jaw and shifted his weight, refusing to be friends with the man he saw as the only
major threat to the one relationship he enjoyed.

Finally the train came to a stop, people rushing in fast enough that it quickly became chaotic. A

girl who was only a few years shy of Keel in age was laughing with her friends instead of paying attention
to the people around her. When someone knocked into her and she stumbled, Keel grabbed one of her
shoulders and her other arm to keep her on her feet. She paled, standing and giving the man who'd hit into
her a spiteful stare before turning to thank him. When she brought her face towards him with a smile she
flushed, the words at her lips forgotten when she locked her eyes on him. Her smile spread wider.

He nearly laughed to himself when he saw her hair, once the same blonde that had made him so

rare. She'd apparently decided that it wasn't enough, and had died most of her short and spiked hair with
every color of the rainbow, only her longer bangs still golden. She brushed them aside, her hazel eyes
inspecting him with desire. "My thanks."

Keel nodded once, "You alright?"
"Yeah..." She said it as if she were devising a plan, which Keel could tell was due to the fact that

she was. "Hey, let me thank you properly once we're all settled inside... Meet me in the dining car for
dinner?"

Keel gave her another nod, "Sure. Better pay attention, your friends just boarded." He pointed at

the stairs to the passenger car in front of them, the girl pale and scurrying to catch up to the other girls she'd
been with. He chuckled, Loki falling in beside them as he and Kaji exchanged knowing glances. "At least
we won't be bored."

Loki glanced at the two of them, confused. "What did I miss?"

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Keel had spent the first half hour on the train in their cabin, rifling through the pack that Kaji had

brought for something to wear that would be attractive. He eventually found a pair of pants that Matahari
had made for him, pulling them on with a glance in the mirror. Heavy distressed satin that was so dark red
that it bordered on black unless light hit it. He slipped a belt on, his eyes darting around for any of his
white shirts. When he found one he nearly laughed in victory, then sighed as he found a stain from
someone's makeup on it. "Well, that's just tacky.." He chewed his lip, looking at the other choices. "Black
it is."

"You're talking to yourself." Kaji glanced at him as he limned his eyes in kohl, his outfit as usual

only pants and boots. Formalwear when taking into account his two bloodlines.

"Yeah, I know. Toss me the shackles?"
Kaji grabbed the pair, currently shackled to each other and held them out for him. Keel finished

rolling the sleeves up on the shirt, shifting his weight as he eyed himself in the mirror. As he buckled the
shackles-turned-bracelets on he smirked, turning to Kaji. "Good?"

Kaji glanced at him and grinned, "Perfect. But, fix your hair, you look like you just hatched."
Keel nodded, opening the door before he grabbed the wax and coated his hands, messing up his

hair as much as he could as Kaji left the cabin. He hadn't dressed the part of a whore in awhile, but since
the girl who he had agreed to meet with clearly wanted one, he hadn't wanted to disappoint either.

The dining car was starting to fill up quickly, but because of the girl's bizarre hairstyle she was

easy to pick out. She was searching for him, and when she found him she raised her hand at him, waving
him down as if he could possibly miss her. When Keel smiled at her, Kaji immediately recognized the look
he was giving; the same smile he wore when he was with a mistress years before. It seemed that he needed
to keep up appearances to partake in female companionship now, but Kaji wasn't stupid enough to correct
him. It meant that this young woman would be gone shortly after they arrived; better for Kaji.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought my friend."
She glanced at Kaji and smirked, eyeing his muscular chest with approval. "That's fine. My

friends will be along soon. They wanted to freshen up."

Keel nodded, "We did too."
"Yeah, you clean up nice."
Kaji chuckled, rolling his eyes. "That's casual for him. When he's dressed formal you'll be able to

tell because he's wearing far too much."

Keel glared at Kaji, about to comment that Kaji's idea of casual clothes was to just remain naked,

but the waiter passed by and he took the opportunity to order a drink. He snapped his fingers, the young
man nearly tripping as he bent over beside their table, "Yes?"

"A bottle of Denori, Gerudai Rum if you have it, and whatever the young lady wants."
She chimed in, nearly singing her request. "Tequila!"
The waiter stood frozen for a moment, "We don't have Denori or Gerudai Rum, Sir. Is there

anything else that I can bring you?"

Keel glanced at the girl, and motioned to the table. "We'll join her. Bring shot glasses and the

bottle."

When the waiter resumed his work the girl eyed him with a playful grin. "Denori and Gerudai

Rum? I can't buy you dinner if your tastes are that expensive."

Keel waved a hand dismissively, "Don't worry about it, it's on me." He extended a hand to her

over the table, "Ambassador Keel Vitanus."

She flushed, "Ambassador huh?"
"Until a few days ago, anyway."
She laughed and took his hand, then turned it and eyed the shackle. "Of what, I wonder?" Keel

grinned, shrugging innocently. "I'm Haruei." She turned her attention to Kaji, "What's your name?"

Kaji had been distracted by a group of playful girls all slapping at each other and heading their

way. He let a carnal smile find him as he answered. "Kaji Sheinan." He snapped a finger towards them,
his voice hopeful as he turned to her. "Are those the friends you mentioned?"

She looked over her shoulder and laughed, nodding as the four young women all crowded around

the table. The two men stood, giving their seats to whoever grabbed them first. When the bottle of tequila
was set on the table the waiter paused, staring with wide eyes at the group. "We have a private dining car
available sir, would you care to rent it? It's only-"

Keel was leaning over the table, enjoying the way these women were licking their lips and eyeing

the two men. "Yes. Price is no issue, lead the way. Bring more tequila."

The girls laughed, two of them slapping hands together as they heard Keel state that he had money

and they were free to spend it. The tall redhead had her eyes on Kaji, and as they followed their timid
waiter up the train she feigned falling so that he'd catch her. She gasped and smiled, looking over her bare
shoulder at him, "You have strong hands."

He laughed under his breath, his fingers groping at her hips as he let out a low growl. "Just wait

until you see what else I have."

Loki entered the dining car in time to see Kaji leaving with his arms around the waist of a shapely

redhead, and decided to tag along. Once they were in the much nicer and quieter private dining car, Haruei
glanced at him, confused. Keel followed her stare and smiled when he found Loki standing behind Kaji.
"Glad you could join us."

Loki slowly inspected each of the girls, deciding that for tonight he'd take the brunette and maybe

the other redhead as well. "So am I..." He moved aside when a waiter sheepishly pardoned himself,
smiling maniacally at the two bottles of tequila he was carrying.

"Here you are, sir. What else can I get you?"
Loki clapped his hands together, "A bowl of limes, a shaker of salt, every appetizer you have on

this thing and an extra glass."

The waiter glanced at Keel questioningly, scurrying to accomplish the task when Keel just nodded

once and dismissively waved. "What's the salt for?"

Everyone made a sound of disapproval, Loki laughing, "You've never done body shots?"
Keel's brow knit, a quirky smile on his face, "No, show me."
Haruei put herself next to Keel, "Oh, I don't know if a proper Ambassador would be able to handle

it." She gave him a playful glance, nearly challenging him.

Keel leveled a stare at her that made her pulse quicken. "You'd be surprised by what depraved

things I had to do to get that title; I was an ambassador to the Sahrketh."

Loki ripped the bowl and shaker from the waiter when he was trying to set them on the table,

excitedly walking up to Keel. "Here, I'll show you. Girl, what's your name?"

She laughed, "Haruei."
Loki eyed her, "You know how to do this?"
She took the lime, pulling her shirt up and pants down, trailing it across her lower abs before

shaking salt on it. Keel raised a brow when she took the full shot glass from Loki and tucked it between
her breasts in her shirt, finally putting the lime between her teeth. "Oh, this I can do." He smiled as he
took a knee and slowly licked the salt off of her skin, then moved to the shot. When he reached the lime he
practically took it from her, sucking on it only for a brief moment before discarding it.

She looked at him with desire plain on her face, "It seems I was mistaken."
Keel shrugged, "Maybe later I'll show you what else I know."
Haruei smiled, "I'd like that."
Two of the girls had taken to the sofas that ran the walls of the dining car, taking shots to prime

themselves for the night. Kaji slid in next to them, "Sticky hands to decide who goes next?"

Loki laughed, "You think you can beat me? You'll find yourself sober."
"Challenge accepted."
Loki raised a brow, deciding to get under Kaji's skin, since he'd been making comments the entire

time they'd been near one another. "Alright."

The girls cheered, Kaji and Loki sitting across from one another, each using their right arm over

the low table as they started their game. Kaji blocked a few forward attempts, but still lost quickly, Loki
flicking him on the chin within a few seconds. "Told you not to play that with me, that's a military game."

Kaji shrugged, "Fine, fine. Just pick someone so we can get going."
Loki nodded, a shameless smile on his face as he pointed at Keel. "Him."
The girls laughed and clapped, unaware of the underlying situation. Keel stared at Loki for a

moment as if asking if he were serious. "I'm a guy, you moron, where were you planning on putting the
glass?"

"Glass?" Loki smiled devilishly, "Just take that shirt off and lay on the table for a second, I'll

make a fool of you yet."

Keel sighed, reluctantly unbuttoning his shirt and tossing it onto one of the sofas, a flush creeping

across his skin as he laid on the table and gave the ceiling his best bored expression. "Make it fast,
pervert."

The girls cheers died as they watched Loki nearly suck on Keel's lower abs, take his shot from his

bellybutton and land his lips on the slender blonde. As he did he let out a low moan and Keel flushed as he
shied away from him, sitting up and leaning forward to hide the fact that his body apparently remembered
Loki quite fondly.

"Oh, shit..." It was the redhead who'd said it, but the overall feeling was one of confused arousal,

especially when Keel closed his eyes and looked ashamed of himself. Kaji just stared at Loki with
seething hatred, taking his redhead onto his lap and pouring a shot for her. He glanced at Keel, and when
Keel did eventually look back at him and gave him a timid smile, he turned his attention to the woman on
his lap instead.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Keel's cheeks were flushed with alcohol by the time the windows grew dark, the group all singing

a drinking song as they worked on the last bottle from the case they had requested. Haruei laughed hard
enough when she sang a line prematurely that she leaned against Keel's now bare chest, looking up at him
as he laughed and tried to remember the next line. When he said nothing the group laughed and pointed at
him, Keel shaking his head as he had yet another shot. "That's not fair. If you want a drinking song, try
singing it in Avati."

Kaji smirked, eyeing the clearly drunk redhead that was hanging on his own arm. "That's fair to

who? Only you speak it..."

Keel shrugged, switching languages effortlessly and singing a few lines. Before anyone could

comment Haruei had grabbed his attention by dragging her nails across his jaw. The game commenced as
he looked down at her, biting his lip at the way she was staring at him. She sat up and kissed him,
something bordering on sweet that let him know she had very little experience with men. He laughed,
moving to one of the sofas and gesturing for her to join him. She straddled him, assuming this would be
something new for him, surprised when he seemed to have expected nothing less. He ran his fingers into
her hair, pulling her into a kiss that lingered teasingly, then came back with more passion. Her eyes shot
open when he slipped his tongue into her mouth, trying her hardest to reciprocate. Keel broke the kiss only
long enough to speak. "Relax, I'll take care of everything..."

Her breath came faster when he kissed her again, his tongue gently playing with hers. He ran his

hands up her back, taking a firm hold of her waist as he bucked his hips, advertising to her what it was that
he wanted. She was surprised when a moan escaped her, mostly because she hadn't intended to do it.
Keel's lips moved down her neck, one of his hands unweaving the top of her corset so that he could enjoy
her body. She writhed, wondering if she'd had too much tequila since the room felt incredibly warm.
When he took her nipple into his mouth she clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sounds that were
trying to escape her. She glanced at the table to see if they were being watched, her eyes wide when she
found Loki and her best friend engaging in something far more daring on the other side of the car.

Loki held a fistful of dark brown hair, coaxing his new playmate whose name he hadn't even heard

to take him deeper in her throat as the shorter of the two redheads sucked on his tongue, his hand buried in
her pants.

Haruei was distracted from the show when Keel unbuckled her belt, her hand finding his to try and

stop him. "Why don't we head back to your cabin?"

Keel raised a brow, then remembered what it had felt like to be watched the first time. He laughed

under his breath, "Alright." He pulled her shirt to cover her before he let her go, then stood and turned to
Kaji, who was currently battling to keep the two other women equally satisfied. "Pay them double for the
car, alright?" Kaji nodded enthusiastically as he sank his face into a bed of strawberry blonde curls. "And
don't come back to the cabin tonight..." He ignored his response, searching for his previously discarded
shirt. When he found it he slung it over one shoulder and put his hands on her waist, guiding her out of the
dining car and through the train.

Haruei stumbled when the train took a turn, flushed when Keel's hands were again the only thing

that saved her from flying into furniture. She laughed under her breath, "Thanks..."

Keel nodded with his head buried in her hair, "It's nothing." He reached around her and opened

the door to his cabin, finally removing his hands as she climbed onto the bed. He raised a brow and
checked the hallway to make sure nobody saw them, then shut it behind himself and flipped the lock,
turning playful eyes on his inexperienced company. He tossed the shirt aside, unbuckling his pants as he
climbed on the bed and leaned over her.

The fact that she was flushed reminded him sadly of himself, even if now he only did when

surprised or with Kaji. He trailed his fingers through a few pieces of her rainbow hair, a smirk on his face
for a moment before he kissed her. He could feel her trembling, obviously scared of what he was about to
do. As he worked his tongue into her mouth his fingers started to undress her, Haruei trying her best to
reciprocate. In Keel's opinion she was trying to hard. He broke the kiss and glanced at her with a knit
brow. "You're a virgin, aren't you?" She reddened quickly enough that it answered his question. He gave
her a reassuring smile as he kissed the side of her face, "Like I said, relax. I'll do everything..."

She nodded, obviously as far from relaxed as anyone had ever been. Keel brought his lips down

her jaw and neck, only stopping to suck on her throat as he groped her through her clothes. After a few
minutes he brought his hand up her thigh, pulling his face away only for a moment so that he could pull her

shirt askew and attack her chest. As he did he ran his hand over her crotch, allowing her the security of her
clothes, for now. Haruei stared at the ceiling as she ran her fingers into his hair, even glancing down once
to watch what he was doing with a mix of fear and arousal. He waited until the sound of her trying to
contain moans filled the room, then unbuckled her belt, taking his lips off of her long enough to hush her
when she shifted her weight. He pushed her pants down, his tongue moving down her stomach as he
touched her through damp undergarments.

She kicked her boots off, Keel smiling against her skin as he heard them hit the floor. If she was

letting him take her clothes off, he wouldn't complain. He sat up and wet his lips as he tugged her pants
free, exposing a pair of panties that framed her legs and hugged her hips well enough it was nearly a shame
to take them off. Even so, they came next. As he pulled them lower, he bent and kissed her mound,
moaning against her until he threw the panties onto the floor. He groaned as he took a firm hold of her
thigh and pulled it aside, licking her once before he paid some attention to her clit.

Haruei was gasping and nearly panicking when he had taken her undergarments off, but as he

started to suck on her, his tongue made her forget her anxiety, her eyes glazing over in pleasure as she
timidly reached lower and ran her fingers through his hair. Her moans broke the momentary silence and
without committing any thought to it, she spread her legs, clamping them around him again when he moved
between them and stroked her with two fingers.

Keel paused and moaned when he started to slip his fingers inside of her and found that she was

incredibly wet. Even then, he could only fit a single finger inside of her at first, Haruei's face contorted
with mild discomfort as he did. He took a moment to rear his head and check on her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, her brow low, "Yeah, don't stop..."
Keel went back to what he had been doing, but paused when inquisitive fingers delved into his

pants. He let out a sigh of pleasure, sitting up long enough to pull his pants open for her to sate her
curiosity before he started to suck on her again. He was lost enough in the activity that he hardly noticed
her hand clasping around him, playing with him and smearing precome over him. It wasn't until she ran a
slick finger over the very tip that she got a reaction, Keel taking his lips and tongue from her long enough
to give her an appreciative glance and a grin.

She wet her lips, her heart racing as he added another finger. It became a battle for her to stay

still, one that she was quickly losing. Keel had to hug her thigh to his shoulder as he bucked his hips into
her hand.

"Are you procrastinating?"
Keel stopped and laughed under his breath as he pushed himself up on one elbow, meeting her

eyes with a smile. "Not entirely. It's going to hurt for awhile, I was hoping to make it less horrible for
you..."

She panted, inching her hips towards him, "It's good enough, just go ahead."
Keel cocked an eyebrow and glanced down at her, then smiled and shook his head as he moved

between her legs and sat on his heels. He rubbed himself against her for a minute, watching her register the
difference between his two fingers and what she had been playing with a moment beforehand. "You're
sure?"

She nodded once, her breath heavy and her eyes clouded with arousal.
Keel pressed against her, his eyes closed as he dealt with another painfully tight woman. He had

sort of hoped she would settle for hands for a bit longer, but he wouldn't refuse even if it was slightly
uncomfortable to start this way. When he felt her hymen he paused, the two staring at each other as he
sighed and pulled his hips back, snapped them forward once and claimed her virginity. She jumped and her
eyes watered, her teeth clenched at how simple and painful it had been.

Keel laid on top of her, slowly sinking as deep as he could as he kissed her, wiping away a tear

with his thumb as he held her close. "Tell me when you want me to move."

Haruei nodded absentmindedly, her fingers sliding along her own body until they were inspecting

where he was entering her. She closed her eyes and let out a nearly silent moan, then stared up at him as he
watched her. He bit his lip and flexed once, watching the way she gasped when he throbbed inside of her.
"I'll be careful, I promise..."

She nodded, holding his hips as if she didn't believe him. "Alright."
Keel swallowed to relieve a tight throat as he slowly started to move, watching her expression of

uncertainty for a moment before he curled his body over her and brought her nipple to his mouth. One of
her hands left his hip and slapped onto his back, clutching at him as he carefully sank inside of her and
lavished as much pleasure on her as he could. He slid his hand under her ass and angled her hips up to

meet his, relieved when he found a spot she seemed to like and let out a loud and surprised moan. She
glanced at him as if they were sharing a dirty secret, Keel taking his mouth from her chest so that he could
move a bit faster. He sat up and looked down at where he was entering her, his expression distant as he
pulled mostly out of her and snapped his hips forwards hard. He smirked drunkenly when she gasped and
let out a long and nearly confused moan.

She was obviously feeling better. He licked his thumb and brought it to her clit, meeting her eyes

with a slight smile as he started to go at the pace he enjoyed, his thumb kneading her until she started to
shake her head. Her mouth fell open and she clenched her eyes shut, her fingers digging into his forearm as
she came.

Keel grit his teeth and groaned when she clamped down on him, thinking to himself that this

virgin business wasn't as much fun as it had initially seemed. This was already nearly too much for her to
handle, and he was starting to crave a bit more reciprocation from the women he was laying with. When
she calmed and looked to him, nearly scared of what had just happened, he gave her an indulgent smile and
laid on top of her again, not intending to stop until she was dehydrated or he couldn't continue.

Chapter Thirty

Keel groaned as he felt the train slow, reluctantly opening his eyes and wincing at the light coming

from the window. He sat up on his elbows, his face twisted in discomfort as his head throbbed. Haruei
shifted in her sleep beside him, a smirk on his lips as he pulled the sheet to cover her. With a yawn he
stood, but nearly fell when the train jerked to a stop. He put a palm on the window, his brow knit as laid
his eyes on Azil. "Oh my god..."

The streets beside the window were filled with vendors selling various items, none of which

seemed even remotely useful. The cart closest had nothing but masks that glittered obscenely in the
morning sun, most covered with a mix of decor and feathers. The next over had a woman whose outfit was
merely paint, her fingers deftly painting the face of one of her customers as she smiled at him. The other
side of the cobblestone street had been dominated by a man selling exotic pets, a massive snake hanging
from him as he argued with someone for a more suitable price. He pointed at a tiger cub that was clawing
at the edge of it's cage and hissing, his mouth constantly mouthing the word Sahrketh with fear in his eyes.
Keel smirked, already well aware of his concern. If Loki, the only pureblood Sahrketh he'd seen on the
train, happened to see that he was selling their sacred animal, the vendor would have problems in his future.

When Kaji knocked on the door Keel turned with excitement, biting his lip as he tossed Haruei her

clothes. "Haru, get up, we're here."

She groaned and pulled the sheet over her head. "Where?"
Keel slid a shirt on over his bare chest, nearly tripping as he raced to put his pants on. "We're in

Azil, get up."

She shot upright in the bed, her eyes wide as she glanced out the window. "Oh my god, we slept

too long!" She dressed herself in the bed, finished and on her way to the door before she remembered Keel
and swung back to plant a kiss on him. Keel blinked for a moment when she hurriedly pulled away, "I
hope to see you again, you going to the festival?"

Keel scrambled for an answer, deciding on the truth because he was strapped for time, "I'm not

sure."

She smiled at him and winked, "I'll be looking for you!"
With that she slid the door open, Kaji already gesturing for Keel to hurry. He pointed at the bag

beside Keel's feet. Keel tossed it at him then grabbed the clothes that had been strung over the cabin,
shoving them into the other pack. He sat only long enough to pull his boots on and tie them, then the two
were in the crowded hall, making their way towards the exit.

Loki watched the endless passengers pour out of the train onto the streets, his eyes searching for

Keel among the masses. When he found him he smirked, then looked at Kaji and sighed. He had rather
hoped Kaji would 'accidentally' oversleep and ride the train the full duration to Uragwei, but here he was.
He mounted, the reins for the other two horses gripped in one fist as he stood in his stirrups and waved an
arm.

Keel pointed when he saw Loki, "There."
Kaji stalked up to Loki, his brow low, "Why didn't you wake me when you saw we were getting

close to our stop?"

Loki shrugged innocently, gesturing to the horses. "Someone had to think ahead. Besides, you're

here, so relax."

Kaji glared at him, about to say something when Keel's warning glance caught his eye and he

decided against it. Keel gave him a small smile, Kaji flushed with restrained anger as he growled and
looked away.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Anyway, mount up. The house is only a few streets away."
Keel climbed into his saddle, suspicious of the fact that the horses were fully tacked when they

met up with Loki. It meant that he had been awake for some time, and likely had ample opportunity to
warn Kaji of the impending stop. When he looked at Loki, the arch of one auburn eyebrow confirmed the
theory.

As Loki had said, the ride wasn't long. Four streets over and two blocks down, Loki's estate was

in what would be considered the wealthy end of town. It took Keel a moment to remember that Loki
technically had money, even if he rarely had the opportunity to spend it. Some sort of business he owned
on the side, if he remembered correctly.

The two story building was made of white brick, much like the more expensive homes in the

Sahrketh territory. Aside from that, the similarities abruptly ended. Giant windows with impeccable white

trim spotted the side of the house, and an archway over the ornate door was held up by two massive pillars.
Unlike most of the houses on the street, his had some well trimmed flowering trees behind the gate that
lined the short brick walkway, which Keel was grateful for, since it would make his house that much easier
to locate when they went out and wished to return. Even then, his yard was only as large as his bedroom
had been, the land in Azil too precious to fill with foliage.

Loki dropped from his saddle and left his charger on the front patch of grass, ushering them inside

of the gate before he closed it. "I'll have someone take them to the farm on the north end of the city later.
They board Onisau whenever I come, I'm sure they won't mind two more horses..."

Keel nodded, Kaji groaned.
Loki sifted through his keys, unlocking the door and holding his hand out with a flourish. "Help

yourself. There are three bedrooms upstairs that are empty, pick whichever you like. You'll know mine
when you find it."

Kaji muttered, "Covered in bottles and bandages?"
Loki hissed at him through his teeth, "More like whips and chains. Care to try some?"
Kaji smiled sweetly and leaned his head on Keel's shoulder, "Perhaps we will."
Loki narrowed his eyes at him, then wandered inside with his pack in hand.
Keel took a deep breath and glanced at Kaji, who again had gone silent. "You need to stop doing

that."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, "Doing what?"
Keel nodded sheepishly, muttering, "He's harmless until you piss him off, you realize?" He sighed

as he went inside, admiring the table in the small foyer and the roses that were displayed on it. When he
brought his eyes up he found a lounge with a bar that branched off of the foyer. Loki had already stripped
down to his pants as he scaled it and grabbed a bottle, then jumped down and disappeared through another
door. Keel listened for a minute, making sure he was out of earshot. Since he couldn't really tell with how
silent the interior of the house was, he headed for the stairs, glancing at Kaji over his shoulder as he did.
"You coming?"

Kaji shrugged, "I'm not sure yet..." He groaned and curled a lip at the roses, since the only reason

he could think of someone like Loki having them there, was because he was planning on having sex or
something close to it. To seem like he had the ability to be anything other than a nuisance. Even if he was
only messing with Keel for the enjoyment that came with getting under Kaji's skin, he wasn't keen on
listening to Loki with a lover in the near future. "Do we have to stay here?"

Keel sighed as he went up the stairs. After a quick glance at the three open doors he went back to

the top of the stairs and took the room that he had seen first, disrobing as he went into the washroom.
When he heard Kaji come inside he didn't bother to go to him, instead spoke as he started a bath to get the
smell of Haruei's perfume off of him. "I have my reasons for wanting to be here."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, "Like what?"
Keel hesitated, thinking for a moment. He didn't want to mention the situation with Enara, since

Kaji had a tendency to worry about his safety to the point where it became cumbersome. He closed his
eyes and sighed, pulling the only reason that he knew would please Kaji, even if it wasn't at the top of his
own list of reasons. "Because I want him to get it through his thick head that I'm no longer available. If
you leave, then that plan won't work nearly as well, will it?"

Kaji flushed, his expression one of anger, "You didn't seem to put up much of a fight when he had

his hands on you last night. Did something change?"

Keel glared at him over his shoulder, "What was I supposed to do with five women watching,

Kaji? Tell him he isn't allowed to fuck me anymore? Because you must remember well enough that I'm
not exactly proud of what happened with him. I have enough trouble dealing with my feelings for you,
nevermind the memory of what I did for him." He shook his head as he climbed into the tub, scouring
himself quickly, "If you're going to be like this, then go."

Kaji shifted his weight and stared at the floor for a minute, then glanced at Keel when he heard

him getting out of the tub. "And how would you feel if it had been me?" When Keel's hand hesitated with
the towel he was wiping himself down with, Kaji cocked an eyebrow. "What if he was touching me, and I
moaned and had to take a minute to calm myself afterwards? In front of you... How would you feel?"

Keel flushed and closed his eyes, then glanced at Kaji, his eyes glassy. Kaji paled and felt his

heart race as Keel bit his lip. Finally he sighed out, "I'm sorry. I didn't want it, Kaji. I really didn't. But
you know as well as I do that the two of us react rather quickly to almost nothing." He shook his head and

threw the towel into the hamper hard enough to slam it into the wall, then wandered up to Kaji's side and
met his eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Kaji let out a low noise and nodded, ashamed because he knew that the one to blame for that

minor incident was in truth Loki, and he had just taken it out on Keel because Loki wouldn't care. He
groaned as he slipped his hand behind Keel's neck and pulled him to his chest, dropping his pack as he
coaxed Keel to put his arms around him. "It's alright."

Keel nodded against his shoulder, firmly doubting that it was. He glanced at Kaji, who still

looked upset, then ran his nose along Kaji's jaw, speaking under his breath. "We could always take the
opportunity to remind him who exactly I do belong to..."

Kaji took a deep breath and held it, closing his eyes as he savored that statement. "I'm still angry,

not at you but at him... I don't think I can be gentle right now."

Keel moaned against his neck, then reared his head and gave Kaji a slight smile. "I don't recall

saying that you needed to be." He wet his lips and pressed his body against Kaji, "Actually, I think that it
would probably be better if you weren't."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow as he looked at Keel, then dragged his eyes down Keel's gloriously naked

body with a sigh of appreciation. "Whatever I want?"

Keel flushed and nodded, "Whatever you want." He was surprised when Kaji took a firm hold of

his jaw and nearly smothered him, falling onto the bed with Keel trapped underneath him.

Kaji groped down his sides, pressing himself against Keel through his clothes. When Keel's pale

fingers went to urge him to move faster he took his hands and brought them up above his head, then
snapped his belt free of his pants and belted his wrists together. A quick glance at Keel's face made him
smile, able to feel Keel spreading his legs for him already and craning his hips towards Kaji's. He glanced
up at the headboard, and for once was glad that Loki was as twisted as he was, because the headboard was
built specifically with kinky sex in mind. He slid an arm under Keel and moved him up onto the pillows,
placing Keel's fingers on one of the bars in the headboard as he looked down at him. "Hold on to that and
don't move."

Keel gave him a hurried nod, confused as to the reason his hands had been removed from the

situation. He watched as Kaji rolled his head on his shoulders and looked down at him. Kaji gave him a
grin as he took his ring finger and traced Keel's lips with it, then replaced it with his tongue. Keel shifted
his weight as Kaji's fingertip trailed lightly over his neck and down his breastbone, only to slowly move to
one of his nipples and circle it. Kaji studied the look in Keel's eyes as he teased it, Keel's breath heavy as it
hardened against his touch.

Kaji let out a grunt of a laugh as his finger moved to the other side and he brought his tongue to

where it had just been instead, tracing the same pattern he had drawn with his hand. Keel stared at the
ceiling for a long moment before he closed his eyes, savoring the sensation as Kaji stared to move lower
with his hand, taking the time to lavish attention where his touch had just been as he went. The feeling of
his fingertip going down the line between his abs made Keel moan and crane his hips up in an attempt to
get him there faster. Kaji smiled as he avoided Keel's erection, the sound of disappointment that Keel let
out satisfying for him as he coaxed him to spread his legs.

Keel closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he both heard and felt Kaji get off of the bed, then

shortly rejoin him. He gasped when he felt something hot and incredibly wet touch up against his ass, his
eyes snapping to Kaji in time to watch as he leaned over him and slid two fingers inside of him. He let out
a small cry and shifted his weight, his brow low as he watched the muscle in Kaji's massive forearm move,
could feel him massage the back of his prostate. He glanced up at Kaji's face, and the expression of
contentedness on his face made him blush. He was happily watching Keel's reaction to everything as he
felt him with his fingers, and made no attempt to do more, or to join him.

"Are you alright?"
Kaji gave him a sadistic smile, "Oh, I'm fine." He spread his fingers, and as he did Keel let out a

loud moan and his eyes closed with surprise. Kaji let out a minor laugh, sitting up and wetting two of his
fingers on his free hand with his tongue before he brought them to the very tip of Keel's erection. He ran
his fingertips over him for a long minute, then started to tease him with his hand, rubbing a thumb slick
with precome over the head until he had Keel nearly shaking with it. When he started to pleasure him with
his hand, only barely moving, Keel tried to buck his hips to make him do more, and he released him
instantly.

Keel set his jaw and flushed, embarrassed because he had quickly figured out why he wasn't

allowed to use his hands. Kaji was going to tease him, and when he finally begged, chances were good that

there would be a price of some sort for what he wanted. He gave Kaji an apprehensive glance, his cheeks
burning with color when Kaji responded with a knowing smile. "Something wrong?"

Keel firmly shook his head.
Kaji almost purred as he leaned over him and dragged his tongue over Keel's nipple, smiling as he

met his eyes and watched him lose a measure of control. Deciding that this wasn't enough, he withdrew his
fingers and positioned himself, close enough that Keel couldn't ignore the feeling of him waiting there, or
get anything substantial from him.

Keel wet his lips as he stared at the ceiling, his eyes distant as he gripped the headboard a bit

tighter. "Please?"

Kaji arched an eyebrow at him and sat up, "Please? Please what?"
Keel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which was let out as a moan when Kaji pressed

against him slightly. He had to take a moment to collect himself enough to look at Kaji, his expression one
of pure lust as he whispered, "Fuck me unconscious, Kaji."

Kaji froze for a moment, his jaw slack and his eyes wide. He snapped his hips forward sharply,

Keel gripping at the headboard hard enough to hurt his hands as he let out a lewd moan. Kaji laid on top of
him, holding his hips and slamming inside of him hard enough that Keel wasn't able to keep still
underneath him. He let a nearly drunk smile find his face as he closed his eyes and rested his lips against
Keel's neck, listening to him cry out constantly. He took a deep breath against Keel's neck, and let it out as
a moan. "Gods, I am so lucky that you put up with me..."

Chapter Thirty-One

Locating Shiro had been surprisingly easy, since his name was apparently spoken everywhere.

From commoners to politicians, they all knew him, although none seemed to know him very well. His
business was located in the center of town, a huge building that had apparently been a hotel before he
outright bought it and renovated the entire premises to fit his needs. When Keel and Kaji arrived at the
door, they both gave each other questioning glances at the sign over the door.

"Fifth Onya Services?"
Keel chuckled, committing that to his memory to use on his quest to figure out where the name

came from. He knocked with a smile that was forgotten when he laid his eyes on the woman that opened
the door.

Immaculate white feathery hair was twisted up at the back of her head, giving them a good view of

her extremely unusual face. Suede-thin gray fur covered her completely, her indigo eyes slit like a cat with
teeth that matched. One of her longer ears was pierced at the end, a ring with Shiro's name on it hanging
from where it poked out of her alabaster hair. She cocked her head to one side, a long gray feathery tail
whipping around behind her as she smirked and waited for them to speak. Finally she sighed and shifted
her weight, raising one white eyebrow in mild frustration. "Well?"

Keel blinked away the shock of discovering what he was trying to reason could not be a cat girl,

"Shiro... Umm... He asked me to come by. Is he here?"

She shook her head and took a step back so that they could enter, moving in a way that made the

skirt that was wrapped around her hips hug her muscular thighs. "He's on assignation, he should be back
shortly, if you'd care to wait?"

Keel nodded stupidly, studying her because he didn't entirely believe what he was seeing. He

offered her a hand, "Keel Vitanus."

She smiled slightly, bowing her head and refusing his hand. "Rudi."
Kaji walked in as they spoke, his eyes on her tail with a look of absolute fascination. "I hate to be

impolite, but I have to ask..."

She sighed and turned to him, an unimpressed stare leveled on him. "It's a deformation that

removed me from my homeland. Any other questions?"

Kaji paled and shook his head, pointing at her tail, "I was going to ask how you can walk with that

thing."

She rolled her head to one side and considered, seeing only sincere and friendly curiosity on Kaji's

face. She gave him a slight smile, her canines showing as she dragged her tail up the inside of his pant leg,
"I manage."

He eyed her with want, swallowing a knot in his throat as the fur from her tail found his fingertips

and he was allowed to run them over it. "And so you know, I wouldn't call you deformed..."

She cocked an eyebrow, "What would you call me then?"
He grinned, "Perfected. I'm sort of a cat person, myself."
She laughed, running her tongue along her canines as she eyed him. "Technically, so am I." She

motioned to her cheekbones then pointed at him, "What's this about?"

He shrugged, a devilish smile on his face. "I've taken the time to label myself. That way, there's

no confusion regarding my intentions."

She smiled, "What does it say?"
Shiro's voice rang out from the doorway, "Trouble." He filed past them, counting out paper

money in his hands with concentration as he shook his head. He held the cash out for her as he took his hat
and whipped it onto a couch. "Contact Ambassador Durani for me, let the bitch know that I won't be taking
referrals from her anymore. If she asks why, tell her that her last 'friend' needs to pay for his additional
attention."

Rudi nodded, taking the money and winking at Kaji before she turned and went towards the open

doors of a massive library. As she went, she dragged her tail along his crotch and his jaw dropped,
following her with obvious desire.

Shiro turned and offered a hand to Keel, "Glad you came."
Keel bowed his head, "As am I."
Shiro turned his eyes on Kaji and nodded for a moment. "I was hoping you'd tag along. Want to

make some fun money?"

Kaji shrugged, a mischievous smile on his face. "Unless it's offers from men, yes."

Shiro cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Keel, then let loose a grunt of a laugh as he turned and

gestured for them to follow, as always preoccupied with something. "I assume you're here because of what
we discussed?"

Keel nodded, "Absolutely. Your bait was too tempting."
Shiro sighed, relieved. "Thank Saharion for that, I've been giving up one of my days of rest to

translate these offers and as I said, I can't even touch some of them." He went into the library, Keel and
Kaji unable to keep their eyes off of Rudi when she bent over and pulled a few papers from a cabinet near
the floor. Shiro paused and narrowed his eyes at her when he realized his company had trailed behind and
gotten distracted. "Hey! I don't pay you to pose!"

She made a face at him over one gray shoulder, "You don't pay me at all."
Shiro rolled his eyes, "Honestly, you really need to find a hobby. This lounging around and

counting my money habit is becoming tedious."

She shrugged and glanced at the cash in her hands as she stood with the contact information she

needed in her hand. "I'm enjoying it."

He snapped, "I'm not! Get a fucking job!"
Keel held up a hand, his head aching from Shiro's underlying vocal abilities. "Stop, for the love of

God..."

Shiro glanced at him and sighed, "I apologize. She makes me insane, I can't stand her."
Rudi walked past him slowly, a smile on her lips and her tail twitching playfully as she brought an

ear towards him. "He loves me, he just doesn't know it yet."

He glowered at her, "Like a crippling disease, my dear."
She laughed, "Because you can't get rid of me, or because I make your knees weak?"
Shiro set his jaw and gave her a stern glare until she eventually left the room. Once she was gone

he shook his head, then located a massive stack of papers and held them out for Keel. "The others come in
every evening to collect their offers. I hate to ask you to get right to it, but we're running behind a bit."

Keel shrugged, happily reading the first with an amused smile in regards to the contents. "I don't

mind. Give me some paper and a coal pencil; I'll rewrite them in Sahrketh."

Kaji sighed, holding up a palm as he tried and failed to understand what was written on the offer

in Keel's hand. Even with three languages under his belt, it was written in what looked to him like pretty
scribbles. "I can't really help him with that..."

Shiro considered for a mere moment before he pointed at another stack, "Open offers are on that

table. Help yourself, keep the proceeds."

Chapter Thirty-Two

Kaji dragged his feet into Shiro's library, a quirky smile on his face when he found Keel carefully

translating offers from a much smaller stack at his side. "Have you been doing that since I left?"

Keel blinked stupidly and looked at Kaji, his cheeks red with embarrassment. "You're back

early."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, "I'm back late. You've been working too hard. You're going to burn out

if you don't take a break..."

Keel shrugged, "I only have a few left; might as well finish." He sighed and grabbed his second

cup of coffee, sipping it with a curled lip when he found it had gone cold on him. "How was your
woman?"

Kaji wore a satisfied grin as he leaned against the table. "Worth the trip. Her legs, Keel..." He

laughed under his breath, staring off at nothing in particular as his crimson hair fell over his shoulder to
hang beside his face. "Amazing creature..."

Keel sighed and nodded, biting his lip as he glanced at Kaji's hips, where her lipstick had left

imprints of kisses that disappeared below his belt. The side effect of reading illicit requests throughout the
day was that he had gotten quite flustered by some of them. The occasional disgusting offer would come in
and allow him time to calm, but overall, many of them were more than appealing. The way that Kaji was
leaning on the table spoke of satisfaction. It was rare for Kaji to have enough sex, but when he did, it was
also easy to spot. "You're probably exhausted. Aren't you?"

Kaji nodded slowly, nearly apologetic because he knew the look in Keel's eyes by heart. He

glanced at the table he had snatched his offer from, "Why don't you grab one of the open offers as well?"

Keel's flush got remarkably worse as he shook his head, "No, I don't think so."
"Why not?'
He shrugged, waving a hand towards the papers, "We don't know any of these people, what if

someone finds out where I came from? I don't believe that my family would appreciate the knowledge of
what I've been doing, and as fun as blackmail is to handle, it's just easier to go find someone suitable on my
own."

Kaji's brow knit and he cocked his head to one side, "So, you're telling me that it's okay to sleep

around, but wrong to charge for it?"

Keel considered, then laughed under his breath. "I guess I am."
Kaji rolled his eyes and shook his head as he grabbed the chair next to Keel and dragged it closer

to him. He sank onto it with a sigh and gave Keel a minor laugh, "I'll never understand you."

Keel sighed, "Neither will I..." He leaned against Kaji as he lazily wrote out the last offer, Kaji

reading the words that were being hastily scrawled on the paper between them.

His brow sank and he sent an uncertain glance at the original. "You sure you're getting that

correctly?"

Keel pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "Sadly. You should've seen the one I had a few hours

ago. I had to take a break afterwards to settle my stomach."

Kaji was about to speak when a woman wandered through the front door that made him forget

what he was about to say. Tall and voluptuous, her image spoke of money and gifts aplenty. A priceless
silk gown that was cut low in the front fell to the floor, slit to her hip on one side where it tapered off with
crow feathers lining the bottom. Heels made of actual silver with a garnet placed atop each meticulously
cared for foot, smooth legs that met wide hips. The top of the gown tied at the back of her neck, a collar
made of silver with a matching garnet imbedded in the center glowing a deep red that matched her dress.
The silver stood out well against her cinnamon skin, her complexion dark enough to make Kaji's seem
light. Her feathery hair fell in waves from her scalp, short and pulled away from her eyes with another
glittering piece of jewelry.

Keel glanced at Kaji, then followed his wanting gaze to her as she talked with Rudi, his eyes wide

as he eyed her naked back and obscenely expensive choice of clothing. When Rudi pointed at them, Keel
paled, her dark gaze turning on him with curiosity. She had used kohl around her eyes as Keel had done
before, but she had also added a line that stretched from the outside edge of her lashes across her temples.
It was the only thing that allowed him a hint in identifying her, and he whispered, "Hanyou... People from
across the seas..."

Kaji blinked dumbly, trying to form a thought as she walked that tempting body down the

hardwoods towards them.

Her voice was rich and seductive, a perfect match to her appearance in Keel's opinion. "You're

Shiro's new translator?"

Keel nodded slowly, staring at her with wonder. After a moment he realized she was still standing

and got up from his chair, taking her hand when she offered it, "Keel Vitanus."

She eyed the papers, then looked at him suspiciously, her eyes dragging down his appearance with

a shred of scrutiny. "Vilarian Yenague."

Keel glanced at the piles he had laid out, swallowing the knot in his throat as he held hers out for

her. She took them and saw that he had rewritten them all beautifully, an impressed smile on her lips as she
eyed him with new interest. "You did all of this?'

Keel flushed and nodded. "Yes, Miss."
"You can call me Yena, everyone does." She hugged the papers to her chest, glancing at Kaji and

then back at Keel. She seemed to understand the situation between them at a glance, likely because she had
seen Keel leaning his head on Kaji when she had entered. She gave him a warm smile as she inspected him
again, "If you're interested, I have some time now. After reading these all afternoon you must be dying for
some attention?"

Keel had been trying not to look at her, but when she calmly stated that she was free for a quick

roll in a bed, he blushed horribly and his eyes snapped to her in surprise. He was halfway finished with a
polite refusal when he saw her exotic eyes and nodded instead. "Honestly... I would love that, Yena."

Her ruby lips slid into a pleased smile. "As would I." She put her arm around his waist, casually

leading him away as she spoke. "It's rare to see someone of your heritage working in a place like this. You
must be either very accepting or indebted to Shiro, which is it?"

He sighed, "I was an Onya, actually."
"Saharion's followers, or Jarlnyn's?"
Keel's brow sank and he wore a curious grin as he eyed her, educated enough to have already

figured out which human community he hailed from, and which two Keth races were within reach of him.
"Sahrketh."

She bowed her head, "So, I assume you're familiar with the half elf who's branded himself trouble,

then?"

Keel nodded as she led him to the stairs and up them, too wrapped up in admiring her to care

where she was taking him. "We're close. How did you end up working here, if you don't mind the
question?"

Her eyes met his and she chuckled, the sound nearly unsettling. "I was invited by Shiro when my

last husband took me through the festival three years ago. I declined at first, but Turago was on his last leg
at the time and after he passed away..." She forced a smile, "I was in a similar situation to yours. Fourth
wife, I wasn't eager to go back. Shiro presented the idea, and now I run this city from featherbeds."

Keel nodded as he eyed the papers in her manicured hand. He had seen that much, some of the

names familiar to him even though this was his first trip to Azil. She had quite the following. "You're
from Hanyoura, aren't you?"

She laughed, wetting her lips as she cocked an eyebrow at him, "Are you scared of that?"
Keel shrugged, "I'm not sure what that entails exactly, so not yet." He wore a flirty smile, "Do you

intend to scare me?"

She opened a door to a massive bedroom, glancing at him through a veil of dark lashes as she let

out a sultry whisper. "If you'd like."

Keel moaned, his body responding instantly. He switched to her native language, harder but far

more appealing to hear. "I think I'd rather explore how kind you can be, at least today."

Yena set the papers on a chair by the door, then stepped out of her shoes and unwove the side of

her dress calmly. She smiled again as she brought her hands behind her neck and untied it. In an instant it
was on the floor, and Keel's jaw was close behind it. Even as flattering as the outfit had been, it had hidden
just how shapely she was. Large chest, wide hips, flat stomach and the legs of a dancer. He was staring at
her with awe even when she unbelted his pants and slid his shirt off for him. Her ruby lips curled into a
smile, "Seeing an Onya blush... That's new."

He let out a halfhearted chuckle and shook his head, still staring at her with want. "You're quite

stunning..."

She rolled her head to one side and smiled at him as if she found him adorable. "And you're quite

timid."

Keel swallowed the knot in his throat as he slid his hands onto her warm skin, smooth as could be

under his fingertips. As soon as he had touched her, he found that he couldn't stop, his hands groping at her
as he closed the gap between them. He kissed her, his lips more confident with each passing moment. He
gasped and paused with enjoyment when she slid her hand over him and started to pleasure him.

She had a slight smile on her face as she eyed him, something in her gaze hinting at danger to be

had if he would enjoy it. "What is it you want, Onya?"

He trembled when he heard her use the term he had been avoiding for so long, moaning to her. "I

should be asking you that, shouldn't I?"

She shrugged slowly, her eyes growing playful, "I can do, and enjoy anything."
Keel bit his lip as he dragged his eyes down to her breasts, "Show me something, then."
Yena laughed as she pushed him to the edge of the bed and shoved him onto it, pulling his knees

apart before she licked him from back to front, quickly angling her head to take him into her mouth and
throat on one fluid motion. Keel stared with surprise, moaning under his breath when the corner of her lips
showed a smile. He jumped when he felt her fingers at his ass, his eyes closed when she slid two inside of
him and worked his body with expert hands. Once she had him moaning constantly she dragged her tongue
off of him and took her hand back, fetching lubricant quickly.

Keel's brow knit when she slicked him, since she was still at the foot of the bed. He realized why,

when she sat with her elbows draped over his thighs and pressed her breasts around him, his eyes wide as
she started to move. "Holy shit..."

She winked up at him, sucking on the head of his erection every time it came up between her

breasts. Keel sat up, curling over her and caressing her neck before he ran his fingers into her hair. He was
distracted from what she was doing when he realized that the feathery appearance of her hair had to do with
the fact she had feathers growing from her scalp as well as the purely black wisps that he had been
admiring when he laid his eyes on her. Her tongue swirled around him and he closed his eyes, noting he
should inquire about that later, since there was something else new and interesting happening that he should
be enjoying.

When she leaned back and met his eyes, Keel clenched his teeth and came, his brow low and his

expression overwhelmed. "Oh my god..."

She laughed as she took her head off of him, licking her lips and then him again once. "Never did

that one before?"

Keel shook his head slightly. He hadn't even imagined that before, not that it was anything but

impressive. "I think I'm out of my league here..."

She chuckled and shrugged, "Not necessarily." She crawled on top of him, laying on his chest as

she played with some of his hair, rearranging the strands of blonde how she wanted as she spoke. "It took
me awhile before someone asked for that, even longer to figure out how to do it well..." She met his eyes
and winked, then went immediately back to his hair.

Keel smiled at her, "What's the most unusual request you've gotten?"
She thought for a long minute, "I had one patron who wanted me to put him in a dress and use a

toy."

Keel cocked his head to one side, his brow knit as he tried to figure out why that would be

enjoyable at all. "So, he contracted a woman even though he wanted a man?"

She shook her head, "No, he likes women. He just likes to be humiliated." She gave him a

knowing smile, "I think that did the trick."

Keel let out a grunt of a laugh and nodded, "I bet it did." He started to study her face again, the

almond shape of her eyes, her coppery skin and ruby lips. He let out a pleasant sigh when she noticed and
snaked her hand lower.

Yena smiled at him. "Ready again so soon?"
Keel shrugged, lifting his head so that he could kiss at her face, "Kaji doesn't give me much

downtime..."

She started to press her lips against his skin, her breath heavy as she shifted her weight. Before

Keel realized how she had done it, she had gotten him inside of her, already moving to sit up as she sank
down on him. He let out a groan, watching as Yena sat up and brought his hands to her breasts. He
watched as his hands felt them, the weight of them in his and the feel of her hardened nipples against his
thumbs intoxicating. Kaji kept him more than just satisfied, but he had realized only after Kura was no
longer a possibility that he truly adored a perfect pair of breasts. Yena's didn't disappoint. He sat up on his
elbow and took one nipple in his mouth, moaning at the feel of it on his tongue. The taste of her skin and

the sounds of approval she let out only served as encouragement. He dragged his teeth along her skin,
savoring the shudder of pleasure that it brought both of them.

His hand caressed her sides until he had a firm hold of her ass, groping it before he started to

thrust up inside of her. The way that she gasped made it impossible to keep his lips on her, so he opted to
use his tongue instead, teasing her as he started to enjoy everything her body had to offer.

Yena slid a hand under her breast and smiled, holding it for him as he let out a sigh of enjoyment

and helped himself. She had apparently distracted him too well, since he had stopped moving against her.
With a chuckle she slid her feet over his thighs and used her legs to push them apart, pinning him down as
she leaned forward on her free arm and started to move faster.

Keel's lips fell off of her with a startled groan, his eyes closed for only a moment before they went

to her face. The way she was smiling at him made his heart race, and without thinking much about it he
pulled her to his chest and rolled with her, sitting up and delving inside of her aggressively. He looked
down, watching as he slid inside of her. When he glanced up at her face, he saw that she apparently
enjoyed things a bit rougher. His fingers slid along her coppery skin to her thigh and up to her knee,
pulling it up so that her leg was flush with his chest. He bit his lip and his brow knit as he started to move
inside of her hard and fast enough that she had to put a hand on the headboard to keep from moving away.

Yena was panting, her ruby lips parted as her tongue licked at them. She arched her hips, her

moans louder than Keel had expected as she made it so that every snap of his hips would hit a place she
enjoyed inside of her. He licked his thumb and brought it to her clit, her eyes closed as she writhed against
him. When she came he had to take a mere moment to enjoy it, caressing her clit and kissing at the inside
of her leg where it was laid over his chest. She trembled, her eyes distant as she let out a strangled moan
and tried to catch her breath. She glanced at the clock, then met his eyes and gave him a curt nod, "I have a
dinner meeting..." She wet her lips, then smiled at him. "Unless you're coming with me, the next time,
you'd better come with me."

Keel cocked and eyebrow and laughed under his breath. Unusual phrasing, but this was her trade

and as much as he wanted to keep her all night, she had said she had 'some' time. He hadn't made an offer;
she was wasting money if she was with him. He nodded slowly and laid on top of her. "How long do we
have before you need to go?"

She shrugged, "Fifteen minutes, then I'd better be on my way to the baths. Think you can manage,

or are you going to join me on assignation? The pair I'm joining would be thrilled."

He shook his head, "I can work with fifteen minutes." He slid his hands to her hips, holding her in

place as he kissed her, working for his own pleasure. Yena's expression changed to one of pleasant surprise
when he started to move against her ruthlessly, her hands clutching at the sheets as she felt her body
respond.

Keel gripped her tighter, his eyes closed and his breath heavy as he felt her tighten around him,

vaguely aware that she had climaxed merely from a change of pace, but too busy enjoying himself to give it
much thought. The way that she felt, gripping at him in every way she could; he saw why she was a
commodity. He pulled out and grabbed her legs, rolling her over and diving inside of her again. He bit
gently at the back of her shoulder and neck as he moved inside of her, his breath as labored as hers as he
reached under her and groped at her chest. When she pressed her hips back onto him and spread her legs
wider he let out a hoarse groan, his brow knit as he heard her moans growing in volume again. "Can I
come inside of you?'

She nodded. "That's fine..."
He let out a groan of pleasure as he buried himself, holding her against him as he filled her. She

panted, gasping when he decided that she should have a bit more and slid his hand under her, working her
clit with expert hands for only a moment before she cried out again. Once she had, he laid on her, kissing
her shoulders occasionally as he caught his breath. "Thank you..."

She let out a satisfied chuckle, "No problem."

Chapter Thirty-Three

Shiro walked into the building with a thin sheen of sweat on his body. His posture and expression

showed how his mood had soured as he took his hat and tossed it onto one of the tables at the edge of the
room. When Rudi went to greet him he needed to only give her a look for her to smile at him and turn on
her heels, walking away with her tail flailing around in amusement. He wet his lips, wandering slowly
through the lower level until he came to the lounge.

Keel was reclined in one of the chairs with a glass of brandy, Kaji draped over the arm of the chair

beside him and asleep. The look of relaxation on their faces made him smirk and let out an unimpressed
laugh as he approached, bowing his head in greeting to a few other notable coworkers as he went. He sank
slowly into the chair opposite Keel, only having to hold out his hand for one of the young men that worked
the bar to bring him a drink.

"You both look like you've had an entertaining day."
Keel shrugged slightly, sipping his brandy as he eyed the prints of lips that covered parts of Shiro's

chest and half of his face. "You don't look very pent-up either, Fifth."

He gave Keel an amused grunt, cocking an eyebrow, "Do I ever look stressed?"
Keel considered for a moment then nodded, "When Matahari threatened to throw you out of the

salon, you did."

His lips turned up at the edge, almost a smile. "Tahi threatens many things. She never acts on

them. It's a hoax; her attitude."

Keel nodded agreeably, playing with his drink for a long minute. When Shiro shifted his weight

and searched his pockets, he came up with a cigarette case, something that caught Keel's interest because
smoking was only practiced amongst commoners and nobles. Shiro was neither. "I didn't realize you
smoked."

Shiro shrugged, holding up one for Keel to see. "They're from the specialty shop down the street.

I only have them after I've had a stressful day, so you wouldn't know." With that he grabbed the matches
from the table beside himself and lit it, taking a long drag before he pulled it from his lips with two fingers,
holding the smoke in his lungs for a long moment before he bellowed a scented stream of gray. "You could
say that they help me relax."

Keel smiled, actually enjoying the unusual and crisp scent in the smoke that drifted through the

room. "Have a lot to be worried about?"

Shiro shifted his weight and crossed his legs, one ankle over the other knee as he nodded. "Yeah."
"Your patron?'
He let out a grunt of a laugh and shot Keel a look that said he had no trouble with any of those.

"No. I had to go and intervene when one of the high ranking Swordmasters from the Guild across the
square refused to let Aragi move on to his next appointment..." He rolled his eyes, "I'm very weary of
people with weapons believing that they can intimidate me. You'd think that they would realize that I fear
relatively nothing after the experiences I've willingly opted into, but no." He studied Keel. "Who'd you
fuck?"

Keel flushed, averting his eyes as he muttered. "Yena offered me a bit of time before she headed

out."

Shiro bobbed his head slowly, taking another drag and letting it out as a moan. "She's alright. If

you want an experience, Perina used to be a contortionist in a traveling show." He saw Keel's pale face and
shrugged, "Or not. Honestly, I would've thought you'd be a bit more wild behind closed doors, Keel. You
never cease to amaze me."

Keel brought his eyes to Shiro, "You do remember I'm from Breiyan, don't you?"
Shiro inclined his head, "Fair enough. Sex at all is risky business for you, isn't it?"
Keel nodded, "If they find out it could be."
Shiro made a face, "They would have to talk to the perverts we've been screwing to find that out

and then they'd be at fault as well." He cocked his head to one side as he blew a smoke ring, smiling when
Keel laughed. "How did the offers go?'

Keel shrugged, "Finished for today."
Shiro closed his eyes and bowed his head, "My thanks." He gave Keel a smile and glanced at

Kaji, who had fallen asleep beside Keel's elbow. He gestured towards him with his cigarette. "If not for
him, I'd thank you a bit more intimately. Unless you think he'd be okay with it? Perhaps join in?"

Keel's face reddened at only the implication. "Even if he was alright with it, I don't know that I

would be. I have... Issues with men."

Shiro cocked an eyebrow doubtfully, "Your mouth worked fine when I tried it."
Keel closed his eyes and sighed, then settled a bitter smirk and a stern glare on Shiro. "With the

concept, not my ability. And, that was only a kiss."

"Breiyan upbringing?"
Keel shied his eyes away, bringing his brandy to his lips. "Not entirely..."
Shiro rolled his head on his shoulders, "Did something happen?"
Keel nodded, "Yeah." He sighed, "Out of curiosity, how did you meet Rudi?"
Shiro wagged a finger at him, "You have my attention, tell me what happened."
Keel rolled his eyes, "I don't want to discuss it."
Shiro sighed, eyeing Keel with concern. "Keel, look at me."
Keel did on reflex, unable to look away when he was caught in Shiro's piercing stare.
Shiro slid off of his chair and wandered up to Keel, glancing at Kaji for only an instant to make

sure he was asleep before he took Keel's chin and made him look him in the eye. "Tell me what happened."

Keel flushed, halfway forming words before he bit them back, his head starting to hurt. He'd

forgotten that Shiro's latent vocal talents were always present, and now that he remembered he shied his
face away from him. Shiro sighed, his voice ringing out with a bit more presence. "Please."

Keel felt his body respond to Shiro's sensual voice, his eyes closed in embarrassment even though

he was sure that Shiro didn't care whatsoever. "A handful of Onya forced themselves on me at the Palace,
alright? So stop..."

Shiro eyed him with sympathy, climbing onto Keel's lap and straddling him in the massive lounge

chair. Keel shifted himself away, his eyes stern and his voice firm as he gave Shiro a warning glance.
"What are you doing?'

Shiro shrugged, running his fingers over the chair and into Kaji's hair, rousing him from his nap.

"Hey Trouble, wake up."

Kaji blinked his eyes open, rolling his head to look at Shiro. He saw what he was doing and

cocked an eyebrow, then looked at Keel, who seemed terrified by the idea. "What are you doing?"

Shiro bent, still perched on Keel with his face beside Kaji's. He probed Kaji's ear with his tongue,

then bit at it. "You two were watching me when I danced at the Palace as if you were interested."

Kaji closed his eyes, his mouth slack as he let out a shameful groan. "Yeah? Everyone was..."
Shiro dragged his fingers across Kaji's jaw, letting out a low moan directly into Kaji's ear that

made him gasp. "Well, now I'm interested as well..."

Kaji sat upright, sliding away from Shiro so that he could meet Keel's questioning gaze. They

were both very interested, at least in his body. Pure curiosity for what the most famous Onya would be like
played a large part in that. The problem wasn't even the potential of getting attached to Shiro, since they
both knew that it would be a one time occurrence if they decided to accept. The problem, was whether
Keel would be comfortable with such an idea. "What do you think?'

Keel sighed, flushing as he turned his head away. "I want more brandy."
Shiro sat up, and as he did, he started to work his hips against Keel, skillfully enough that Keel's

fingers dug into the leather of the armrest. He put his hands on Keel's chest, running smooth fingers up his
collarbone and his throat, coaxing Keel to rest his head on the back of the chair. Once he had, Shiro gave
him a nearly drunk smirk, taking a long drag of his cigarette before he bent over him and kissed him.

Kaji's eyes darted between Shiro and Keel's expressions, confused when Shiro reared his head and

Keel went slack underneath him. Keel stared up at him for a long moment, blowing smoke to the side with
an expression of mild fascination. It didn't make him cough, which was curious enough on it's own, and the
taste was oddly refreshing. "What the hell are you smoking?'

Shrio gave him a lazy smirk, "Gradanta."
Keel closed his eyes with a minor nod, his body incredibly relaxed. He had read about it before, a

plant from overseas that had been imported and grown by the monks to the distant south. The fact that
Shiro had it on him was only more proof that he had at least been there, although he had formed a habit of
smoking it, which hinted that there was even more to the story Keel had yet to discover. They used it to
prepare for meditation, since the plant had a reputation for causing anyone who imbibed it to calm
instantly.

True to what he had read, he found that he didn't really have any inhibitions once he had accepted

one oddly offered taste of it. He moaned, content enough that he turned to Kaji and wet his lips. "We did
both have some interest, didn't we?"

Kaji shrugged and eyed Shiro's slender body, nodding. "No matter how much we tried not to..."

He studied Keel's expression, which was close to the one he wore after a night of particularly satisfying
sex. He chuckled, "You alright?'

Keel closed his eyes and nodded, lifting his hips and pressing himself against Shiro as he spoke.

"If you're going to be insistent, then ask Kaji. I'm fine with it if he is."

Shiro cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Kaji, who was considering as he watched Keel.
Finally Kaji answered, "You don't get to fuck him."
Shiro sighed and bowed his head, "I can work with that."

Chapter Thirty-Four

Rudi sighed as she sorted the mail, about to go and drop off a new stack of offers when she

paused, her tail curling behind her thighs as she took three calculated steps back and turned her indigo cat
eyes on the lounge. Keel's head was thrown back over the top of one of the lounge chairs, his eyes closed
as he moaned and pulled Shiro's hips against himself. Her eyes followed Shiro's body to where his mouth
and hands were on Kaji, and she growled.

"Shiro! You shameless slut!"
He pulled his head off of Kaji only long enough to speak, "Fuck off, Rudi."
She glowered at him, watching as he not only let Keel enjoy him, but also lavished pleasure on

Kaji, who was staring at everything that was happening with desire. To make matters worse, this was
apparently not enough for her employer, who had one of his hands wrapped around himself, occasionally
playing with the barbell at the end of his erection before he would go back to stroking himself. Her
expression changed as she watched him touching himself, a blush fierce enough under her suede thin fur
that it showed through it slightly. "You're having more trouble enjoying yourself these days, aren't you?"

He ignored her, so she tossed the stack of letters into one of the empty chairs, about to shove Kaji

aside when Aragi grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. She glared at him, but he shook his head.
"You know you weren't invited. That's not your job anyway."

She glowered at him before she stormed out of the room. Aragi rolled his eyes and turned back to

his stack of offers, completely fine with the sound of the threesome next to him as he focused on his own
work.

Kaji looked down at Shiro for a moment, then started to thrust into his mouth and throat, his brow

knit as he felt his climax coming. Skilled tongue aside, he had another barbell in his tongue, much to Kaji's
surprise, and it only made it better. Shiro pulled off of him, taking his hand from himself to pleasure Kaji
instead. When Kaji came, Shiro closed his eyes, moaning at the feel of hot semen hitting his face. He
clasped his lips around him when he was only half finished and sank down Kaji's length again, swallowing
him anew as he arched his hips for Keel.

Keel shifted his weight, his throat dry from moaning. He had already finished once, but Shiro

didn't even seem close, which he found unusual until he took into account just how much sex the man had
on a daily basis. He sighed as he sat up, his brow low as he met Kaji's eyes. His hands slipped around
Shiro, touching him with enthusiasm as he pulled him back to lay on his chest. Kaji cocked an eyebrow as
Shiro's lips slid free of him.

Keel put his head on Shiro's shoulder and his eyes dropped to Shiro's erection. He touched his

tongue to his teeth as he moved so that Shiro had his legs over his own. When Keel spread his knees, it
forced Shiro's apart and gave Kaji one hell of a view of what they looked like together. Keel's hand found
Shiro's erection again, his hips working against him for a moment as Shiro relaxed and caught his breath.
"Make him come, Kaji."

Kaji laughed and sank to his knees, running his fingers up the inside of Shiro's thighs with a low

groan. Shiro cocked an eyebrow as Kaji licked him, nearly sarcastic as he absentmindedly cleaned his face
with a combination of his fingers and tongue. "Be mindful of your teeth with that barbell, hmm?"

Kaji rolled his eyes as he took him into his mouth, Keel's hips working faster as he started to pant

into Shiro's ear. Shiro let out a groan, his eyes closed as he focused on the feeling of the two of them. He
carefully put his hands on the side of the chair and sat up, his brow low.

"Harder."
Keel bit his shoulder when Shiro held himself off of him a few inches, giving him room to move.

He slammed into him, Shiro's head thrown towards the ceiling as he let out an appreciative groan. Kaji
flicked the barbell with his tongue, then swirled his tongue around him and took Shiro as deep as he could
go, moving against him fluidly. Shiro started to moan constantly, his voice his own worst enemy at times
like this because the sound of him enjoying himself was contagious and on more than a few occasions
finished his partners before he could truly enjoy himself.

Keel blushed, glancing around to find that Shiro's sensual voice had caught everyone's attention.

Two men at the bar had started to touch themselves, one woman in the corner already reaching her climax
as she watched them. A guild of whores, even they apparently weren't used to Shiro after the time they'd
spent with him.

Keel groaned, giving in and listening to Shiro cry out, which made his body light on fire. He

moaned and started to slam into Shiro hard enough that he was making Kaji's job harder, and finally Shiro

cried out and came. He whimpered a few moments later, when Kaji was still sucking on him and Keel
climaxed inside of him, his face pained and his breath erratic. Everyone else got a perfect view of his
expression, dripping with perverse enjoyment as he savored the attention. After he had finished, he relaxed
his arms, contentedly sitting on Keel and laying his head back on him as Keel rubbed at the side of his
arms.

Kaji dragged his tongue off of Shiro and closed his eyes, resting on Shiro's thigh. Shiro

absentmindedly tousled Kaji's hair. "Good work, Trouble..."

Kaji purred, which had both Shiro and Keel laughing. Shiro carefully sat up, lifting himself until

Keel fell free of him. He gasped, then wet his lips with a drunken smile. "Thank you both. Usually
everyone gives up on me on a night like tonight." He glanced over his shoulder at Keel, then to Kaji as he
stood. "You make an interesting pair..."

Keel blushed and shrugged. Kaji fell into one of the chairs and cleared his throat, "What was that

about with Rudi?"

Shiro rolled his eyes and glared at the door, bending and grabbing his pants as he did. He didn't

put them on, since he would need to clean himself if he didn't want to ruin them, so he slung them over a
shoulder instead. "I'm tiring of her so quickly... Gonna replace her with a fucking dog if she doesn't
stop..."

Keel emptied the glass he had been drinking when this fiasco had started, then motioned to Shiro

with it, "You never answered my question, how did you meet her?"

Shiro groaned, "She's a charity case. I picked her up off the street, paid for her. She's working off

her debt to me now..." He shook his head, fetching another of his interesting cigarettes and lighting it
before he even made an attempt to explain that mess. "I don't let her accept offers; she's too rare, someone
may try to keep her and I don't feel like scraping her up off the street again. Thought I was doing her a
favor by bringing her here until she found something better, but now she won't fucking leave. Ever." He
met Keel's eyes. "Slave trader had her chained up, I paid pocket change for her and she still has yet to work
it off."

Keel glanced at the doorway, considering that. "You won't let her accept offers, so how's she

supposed to repay you?"

Shiro gestured to the room around himself, "For all I care she could go now, she's the one who

insists that she repay my kindness. Instead, she's constantly pissing me off and enjoying herself. At my
expense no less..."

Kaji rolled his head on the back of the chair so that he was facing Shiro, adding his own thoughts.

"I think she only gets upset that you're sleeping around because she wants you for herself."

Shiro chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette and shooting a glance of pure amusement to Kaji. "I

don't care. I have no use for a housecat. It's not gonna happen, not now, and unless she finds some way to
make herself far more useful, not ever." He glanced between Keel and Kaji, then smiled and winked,
"Thank you both. If you need, there's a bathhouse I had added at the end of the hall on the second floor."

Keel shook his head, "No, we're staying with Grandmaster Arada, we'll clean up there."
Shiro arched an eyebrow, "You do have some interesting connections, Onya." He waved with two

fingers, his lips pulled up into a wicked smile as he walked through the building, comfortably naked as he
seemed to always be.

As soon as he was gone, Keel turned to Kaji with wide eyes and a stunned smile on his face. Kaji

laughed and shrugged. "He is a whore by choice. You agreed, so don't act surprised."

Keel flushed slightly, still laughing under his breath, "But still... It took him so long..."
Kaji shrugged and nodded, glancing at the clock. "We'd better get back to Loki's."
Keel gave him a suspicious once over. "You want to go back to his house?" Kaji nodded as if that

was normal. "Why? You hate him."

Kaji pursed his lips and lolled his head to one side, sliding his orange eyes to the smoldering

temptress in the corner who was still touching herself under her dress. "This is a bad place for me to try
and sleep..."

Chapter Thirty-Five

Lassieta giggled from where she was laid out on a bed of pillows, the lamp inside of the small

alcove giving more than enough light through the veil to show Oniku as he bent over her and whispered to
her. When she laughed again, Kura took a deep breath and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. When he
kissed her fingertips and ran his hands into her hair, Kura curled a lip and wandered away. They would be
having sex again at this rate; something she had been walking in on and hearing often since her return. At
first she was happy for her friend, but now when she looked at Oniku, she wanted to hate him. Where Kura
had once been irreplaceable and sought after company, now the pale skinned, black haired idiot had taken
her spot at Lassieta's side. But, try as she might she couldn't bring herself to despise Oniku, who was so
much like Lassieta that it seemed nearly unnatural.

Kura made her way to the balcony, looking at the unopened crate of wine. She sighed as she

pulled a knife from her belt and pried the top off. Reduced to drinking alone while her closest friend had
sex a mere room away. She shook her head and took a seat, putting her feet up on the table as she uncorked
the wine. When she brought it to her lips she saw what it was and rolled her eyes. Sicero merlot, Not only
a reminder of where she had just returned from, but also of Keel, since this wine was his apparent favorite.
Lassieta had kept the wineries that were taken in the south, but had relinquished the rest back to their
surviving family members. Even so, it led to an endless flow of the pricey liquor and the Sahrketh could
barely drink it faster than it came in.

She rolled her head on her shoulders, her eyes on the view for a moment. When Lassieta let out a

low moan, Kura closed her eyes and sighed again. She took the bottle with her through the Akana door,
snapping her fingers at a group of Akana members that were just coming in for their shifts. "Go guard
Lassieta. If there are any problems, I'll be nearby." They all nodded with smiles, always prepared to take a
night of relative rest. Technically, Kura wouldn't be allowed to leave at all without trading places with one
of the other officers that were residing in the Palace. Since Jade was chasing Enara's shadow and Loki was
taking personal time, she had none left to ask for a moment's peace. Lassieta wouldn't so much as notice
her missing, she was sure. She'd been after Oniku enough that it made her wonder if the woman was in
heat.

She wandered around the Akana dojo for a moment, seeking a distraction. Akara was still

recovering from the incident with the kerosene, which meant that her very short list of friends had been
completely depleted. As usual, her desk was piled with requests for leave and applications for the Akana,
even though the trials were months away. She'd been avoiding them, but since she had nothing else to do,
she could spare enough time to perhaps even read them. Usually she would slide the stack in its entirety
into the bucket she used for trash, but after a victory like the one they'd had, there was nothing else to steal
her attention. Even the raids on the diamond mines had temporarily ceased as soon as word had spread that
the Sahrketh were returning.

A few hours passed where Kura lazily read each paper, only occasionally setting an application to

the side to consider later. When she came across one written as a letter her face twisted with
incomprehension, the language foreign and the handwriting slurred as if the person who had written it had
been drunk. Her eyes went wide and a flush found her face as she read the first line. "Dear horrible
murderer?" She glanced at the name at the bottom, expecting it to be anonymous. Instead Keel's hand had
beautifully written his name, followed by the title of 'Kura's bitch.' She felt her adrenaline hit her as she
read the note, furiously reading and re-reading each line to make sure that she had translated them properly.
When she finished she crumpled the paper in one hand, gripping it tightly as she rose from her chair and
stormed through the palace.

The look she gave anyone that crossed her path had people moving aside as she passed, one

servant even squealing as he plastered himself to the wall. When her boots finally stopped she had made
her way to the bar. She slid onto a stool, gripping the counter tightly as she slapped the bar a few times to
attract the bartender's attention. When he came closer, the smile on his face made her even more irate,
"Four shots of bourbon."

He raised a brow, able to smell the wine on her breath. As he readied her shots a woman slipped

onto the stool beside her and let out a carefree laugh, unaware of the underlying murderous rage that Kura
was struggling to keep contained. "Hey, where's your beautiful man these days?"

Kura's eye twitched as she reached for the first glass, refusing to answer. She downed each and

slammed her empties onto the bar, motioning with one armored finger at the glasses. "Again."

Her unwanted company leaned closer, "Did something happen?" When she put her hand on

Kura's shoulder, she lost what little control she had. Her eyes snapped to the woman and she grabbed her
hand, pulling it in front of her. An instant later, it was broken.

Lassieta was pulled from her bed when a few Akana members frantically burst into her room,

wide eyed and scared of something. "What is it?" She felt her own adrenaline spike as she hurriedly tied
on a sarong and slipped into a robe, running and snatching a sword from an Akana member as she ran into
her sitting area.

One of the women gestured wildly towards the still-open front door, fumbling for words. Since

she couldn't describe the problem, and it seemed urgent, Lassieta glanced at the balcony, looking for Kura.
Her eyes narrowed when she found it vacant. "It's Kura, isn't it?"

They all gave a cumulative nod, one waving at the door again. "The bar!"
Lassieta swore under her breath as she ran for the bar, but stopped short and stared in shock,

occasionally blinking as if that would reset the scene in front of her. To say that fighting had broken out
would be an understatement. More than half of the women in the bar were not only veterans, but they had
gotten enraged to the point where many of them were covered in deep black stripes, all tearing each other
apart like animals. Kura caught her eye as she took one young woman by her hair and pulled into her other
fist by the dreadlocks in her grasp. Lassieta grew hopeful when someone else came up behind her, wishing
that she wouldn't need to get involved. To her dismay, Kura threw the first woman's face towards the floor
and brought her foot up into a brutal kick, sending her spinning to the floor before she grabbed a stool and
swept the other's legs from under her. By the time her second assailant hit the bar Kura had shoved her off
of it and to the floor, only to duck another punch and come up with a bottle that she had snatched from
apparently nowhere.

"Well... Fuck." Lassieta shifted her weight and licked her teeth, surveying the damage that the

bar had taken. The mirrors were shattered, a few sporting some blood. The bar was cracked; no small
achievement when considering it was solid hardwood. The lamps had all been jarred enough that Lassieta
feared the flying liquor would ignite the Palace, so she turned over her shoulder. "Get me chloroform.
Masune should have some on hand." She waited patiently for the woman to return, thankful that she had
been in a panicked rush because things seemed to only be escalating. Once she had the bottle she ripped
fabric from the clothing of one of her Akana guards and dampened it, then tucked it into her sarong, darting
inside. The Akana wouldn't deal with Kura after seeing her in battle. In fact, nobody else had the balls to
do so other than maybe Loki, and he wasn't exactly present.

Kura turned her gaze on Lassieta, completely lost in the violence. She went to grab her, but

Lassieta dropped her shoulder and let Kura slide to her side, then rolled over her back until she had her in a
headlock, ripping the cloth free and holding it to her face until she stopped kicking. With that done, she
dropped her friend to the glass-covered floor, the Akana struggling to get everyone else under control as
Lassieta sighed and tossed the cloth aside. She set her eyes on the nearest Akana member, "Bring the
fucking lunatic to my rooms when you're finished here." Her eyes found a piece of balled up paper in
Kura's fist, and she grabbed it with irritation.

She opened it and sighed, finding her explanation for Kura's outburst, overdramatic though it was.

She set her eyes on Oniku, who was still glancing at the mayhem after wandering up to join her. She
stepped over a few people on her way to his side, then slid him an unhappy glance. "So." She handed the
letter to Oniku, who she knew well enough to assume he had been responsible for her finding it. "What did
we learn?"

Chapter Thirty-Six

Keel glanced up from his book when he heard a knock at the door, looking around for anyone who

may answer it before he could. Loki was the only one in sight, currently occupied with his morning routine
on the patio. He looked out of place, framed by the ornate doorway as he wielded his weapon on carefully
placed white brick. Since Loki was content for the first time in ages, and this was the only part of his day
that he bothered to devote to himself, Keel smiled and dropped his book on the cushion beside himself.

When he pulled the door open he had expected for Shiro to be dropping off a stack of offers for

him to translate. Instead, he found a tall and lithe elf leaning against one of the pillars that framed the front
of the house. His unruly white hair was cut shorter than Keel's but mimicked it in style enough that they
both noticed, silently inspecting each other for a minute. He was almost purely white aside from his icy
blue eyes, which were locked on Keel with a look that he couldn't place. A length of black rope was slung
over the leather armor that covered his torso, and the steel on his right arm reached from his shoulder to his
knuckle.

When he narrowed those cold blue eyes at Keel, he felt a shudder run his spine. For all of his

elegant facial features, this elf was terrifying once his expression changed. Something about the way he
pushed off of the pillar and reared his head as he curled his lip seemed even more unwelcoming than the
gesture would've normally been. His tone was venomous and his voice low as he leaned forward, a hand
on the doorframe as he brought his face to Keel's and hissed at him. "Who the fuck are you?"

Keel paled and wet his lips, confused and intimidated; not a very pleasant state to be in. He

realized quite suddenly that he was a guest, and as such, didn't deserve the hostility at a glance. His cheeks
flushed as he tried to convince his feet to stay put, the elf too close for comfort. "I could ask you the same
question."

He stood and cocked an eyebrow, leering at Keel as if he could eat him if he were so inclined. He

raised one slender finger, "Listen carefully, doppelganger slut." Keel flushed, his eyes wide with insult as
his mouth cracked open in shock. "When I ask a question, I expect it answered immediately. Especially
when it concerns who is taking residence in the house of my successor. So, I'll ask one more time. Who
the fuck are you, and why the fuck are you here?"

Keel stammered on words for a moment, his mind trying to process everything that had just been

said. Loki owned the house, this man was looking for his successor in the house, therefore this was Loki's
old Swordmaster. Loki had taken many trainers, but Keel knew well enough that there was one he had not
only slept with often, but also wanted and could never seem to catch. Judging by the fact that this elf was
referring to Keel as a look-alike slut, he was the one that Loki had been speaking of. And, he clearly had
the wrong impression. Keel threw his hands up and finally took the step back that he had been fighting,
deciding on politeness. "I'm just a guest here for the festival season..."

The elf rolled his head on his shoulders, appraising Keel with a cold stare as he shifted his weight.

"Move aside."

Keel did as he was told, averting his eyes because the hostility that this man could give in a glance

was enough to send his adrenaline into overdrive. "If you're looking for Loki, he's in the-"

"I can help myself, slut." He paused as he was next to Keel, looking down at him with scrutiny.

After a moment's consideration he shut the door and gestured for Keel to follow him, but Keel elected to
remain a few feet behind him as he moved through the house. The elf leaned and glanced in rooms as he
passed until he came to the open patio doors. He narrowed his eyes at Loki when he found him, then let a
low chuckle seep from his lips.

Loki froze when he heard the sound, his eyes wide as he nearly dropped his sword and spun to

face them, "Kyo..." Loki, who had never shown anything but confidence and amusement, was staring at
the elf with fear. It was enough to set Keel on edge.

Kyo slid his hands into his pockets and sighed, lolling his head to one side until he was staring at

Keel. Light hair and eyes with a pale complexion. Kyo took in Keel's appearance with a curled lip, then
spat his words. "Explain this."

Loki's eyes darted to Keel, then returned to Kyo. "That's Keel. He's a friend."
Kyo chewed on the name for a moment. "Keel. Kyo. Those sound similar, don't they. I mean, if

one was to look at us at a glance the similarities abound." He raised a brow at Loki, his expression harsh.
"Don't they?"

Loki took a step away from him, his chest rising and falling quickly as he met Keel's eyes. "Go

run along to Kaji."

Kyo's brow knit at the mention of another person, also a man. He glowered at Loki as he fanned

his slender fingers around the patio, "A fourth player for the stage? Or are there more men hiding around
here? In the foliage perhaps?"

Keel shied away, worried for Loki because he had apparently gotten him into some sort of trouble,

even if it had been completely unintentional. He cleared his throat to attract Loki's attention, hesitant as he
gestured to the stairs on the other side of the foyer. "If you need me, Loki, I'll be-"

"He doesn't need you." Kyo glared at him, shifting his weight for a moment in the awkward

silence. "So leave." Keel glanced at Loki again with indecision, so Kyo barked, "Now." That seemed to
be enough encouragement and Keel backed away a few feet before he turned and retrieved his book,
jogging up the stairs with it until Kyo and Loki were left alone on the bottom floor. Content that the blonde
he had been surprised by wouldn't return, Kyo walked onto the patio and gripped the edge of the table,
setting a stare on Loki that made him set his jaw and take another step back. "Explain."

Loki shrugged, acting as if there was nothing he should be ashamed of. "He's a friend from the

Palace."

Kyo spat, "He's not Sahrketh, Loki. Do I look like I've been stricken retarded?"
Loki sighed, "He was an indentured servant when I met him."
Kyo thought about the possibility, going over what he knew of the Sahrketh Palace. A foreigner,

which the blonde he had just seen most certainly was, would only be used in certain positions to work off
his debt. Since he was adorable, like a puppy, it was safe to assume that the young man had worked in the
Harem. "Did you fuck him?"

Loki closed his eyes, his heart racing as he nodded. "Yeah, I did." He sighed as he met Kyo's

eyes, standing behind the decision he had made so long ago. "As often as I could. But he's not interested.
Not in me, anyway."

Kyo licked his teeth, his fingers white-knuckled on the edge of the table as he leered up at Loki.

"But, you want him?"

Loki shifted his weight and looked away, unable to meet Kyo's eyes. "I did..."
Kyo gave him a curt nod and stood, turning and tearing the door aside from where it had leaned

closed. Loki held up a hand, "Kyo, wait!"

He spun and stared at Loki with enough anger that it made him rethink his request for Kyo to

remain on the property. "Is he a suitable replacement, Loki?" He narrowed his eyes at him, "I would've
though that I had been too much for you to handle, but it seems I wasn't enough, is that it?"

Loki shook his head, treading carefully. "He's no replacement, Kyo. What you and I do, that's

different."

Kyo shook his head as if to rid himself of the statement, "How?"
Loki groaned and pulled his shirt askew, revealing Kyo's name tattooed on his chest. "Because.

I'm yours anyway. Remember?" He saw that it had an effect, so he continued. "I wanted Keel for the
same reason you wanted me."

Kyo cocked an eyebrow, almost laughing at the ridiculous statement. "And what would that be? I

find it hard to believe that the blushing fool is in any way capable with a weapon. I'm surprised that he's
even competent with his dick, but he clearly must be to have caught your attention."

Loki gave him a glance that warned he was going too far, "I wanted him because he shuddered and

flinched when I touched him."

Kyo went wide-eyed, then flushed, considering the statement as he eyed the patio. He wouldn't

deny that the implication wasn't true; it absolutely was. When he had met Loki, he had accepted him as a
student under their unusual agreement because Loki hated the idea, and that had brought him pleasure. It
was rotten, and low. A nineteen year old nobody and an elf that hated the world, they had traded what they
could for mutual gain. The issue was that Loki had started to lean into his cruel hands instead of pull away
from them. He swore under his breath, closing his eyes for a long minute as he went over what had
apparently been going on in his absence. "Who's Kaji? Another innocent little playmate you're trying to
corrupt over time?"

Loki made a face of disgust, "Absolutely not, I hate the pain in the ass. He's another one from the

Palace, but I'd be content to never see the bastard again." He saw Kyo give him an unimpressed glare and
sighed again as he added, "Also, he's Keel's lover."

Kyo smirked bitterly, a laugh starting low in his throat before it poured from pale lips that had

parted into a cruel smile. He enjoyed himself for a moment at Loki's expense, then shifted his weight as he
gestured towards the stairs Keel had disappeared from. "You're chasing a stupid and incompetent version

of myself, who's in love with another man, and you even let them bed in your house, invited? Are you
surprised that it isn't working for you?"

Loki rolled his eyes, "Keel and I were finished before we even started, Kyo. I told you he's a

friend."

Kyo gave him a curt nod, "Who you want to fuck."
Loki nodded as if there was nothing wrong with that. "Just like most of the other people I deal

with. I don't see why you're having trouble grasping the idea. Perhaps you're starting to age after all?"

Kyo met Loki's eyes and held up one slender finger. "Watch the mouth, Mister Arada. I believe

you remember how much trouble it's gotten you into before." He bowed his head when Loki blushed,
proud of what he had done to him in the past. "My issue, if that's what we want to call it, is that I finally
took your advice to pay you a visit at your summer estate, and the house is filled with whores. Regardless
of your feelings, you've already said you let one of them fuck you-"

"I said nothing of the sort." He was aware that interrupting Kyo was on par with looping a noose

around his neck, but he couldn't stop himself. "I agreed that I had slept with him, but he wasn't exactly the
one running the show. I paid for him, destroyed him, and dropped him back in Kaji's hands."

Kyo raised a brow at this, finding it amusing enough that he didn't even visit the topic of Loki

cutting him off. "You resemble me more with each day that passes." He rubbed at his head and stood,
"You liked him for awhile?"

Loki nodded, "I'm getting over it. It seems everyone I want feels differently anyway."
Kyo rolled his eyes, groaning, "Devii help me, there are more?"
Loki sighed, "There are always more that I want and can't have, Kyo. That started with you and

has held firm since."

Kyo wouldn't look at him, pretending that he hadn't heard what Loki had just implied despite the

lack of anything to distract him in the emptied patio. Finally he sighed and rubbed his head, a migraine on
its way. "I should go."

Loki flushed and shook his head, eyeing the rope Kyo had looped over his chest with adrenaline.

"You don't have to."

Kyo glared at him, "And where would I sleep if I stayed? I refuse to be anywhere near the room

with the two loving whores inside, Loki."

Loki averted his eyes and shrugged, "My bed is available."
Kyo glared at him as he rolled his head on his shoulders. "And where would you sleep?"
Loki wet his lips, having forgotten that Kyo refused to sleep beside anyone, ever. At least, not

when they knew he was there. There had been two occasions that Loki had woken and found a pale arm
wrapped around him, only to find it gone with the sunrise. He still felt the need to offer. "Underneath you
if you'd let me. In the bedroom beside theirs if not."

Kyo cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "Pushing your luck as always, I see. You're more

work than you're worth."

Loki sighed, "Why does everyone keep telling me that..." He finally took a deep breath and

walked closer to Kyo, stopping at his side and appraising his appearance with a fond gaze. "I have some
merlot if you'd like."

Kyo glanced up at the sun, still rising, and let out a grunt of a laugh. "I may be lecherous, but I'm

no lush, Mister Arada."

Loki bit his lip as he brought his fingertips to one of Kyo's longer ears, flinching when Kyo pulled

it away and set a stern glare on him. Kyo had never responded well to being touched, but on rare occasions
he would let Loki cross the line. He had just discovered that today was not one of those rare times. "Sorry.
I'd forgotten."

Kyo stared at him, doubting that entirely as he slid a hand under the steel that was covering one of

his arms. He unbuckled his armor carefully before he held it up for Loki to take. Loki hugged the sheath
of steel to his chest, accepting the rest of Kyo's armor one piece at a time until he was standing with
nothing but his belt, pants, and boots on. "Set that in your bedroom and bring me a shirt."

Loki smiled playfully, ducking his head into the armor in his hands so that Kyo hopefully wouldn't

see. Of course, Kyo glanced at him and noticed, then sighed and rolled his eyes as he wandered into the
kitchen. "Did I stutter, Loki?"

"Demonic elf..." He turned and walked away, a smug grin on his face because he could feel Kyo's

heavy stare on his back, and because of his current task, he knew Kyo wouldn't do anything about the

comment. He left all but his own pants in the bedroom as well and nearly skipped back down the stairs.
When he found Kyo distractedly playing with the rope in his hands, he reconsidered his fleeting victory.

Kyo's eyes snapped to Loki and he wore a cruel smile. When he swung the end of the rope in one

hand, Loki flushed and Kyo started to laugh. "I believe I warned you to watch that mouth, Mister Arada."
He stalked up to Loki, who had stopped short at the foyer. He swung the rope over his head and pulled him
closer by it, his eyes on the shirt in Loki's hand. He took it and threw it onto his shoulder, turning and
surveying what furniture was in the room.

Loki looked around as well, then realized what Kyo was planning and shook his head, his heart

racing at the idea. "No, Kyo."

The only part of Kyo that moved happened to be his light blue eyes, staring Loki down in an

instant before he resumed his inspection of the rooms attached to the small foyer. "Oh, I think so." With
that, he started to walk. Loki took the rope from around the back of his neck and tossed it on Kyo, who
pulled his shoulders up and halted immediately.

"I said no."
Kyo raised a brow at him, a stunned smile on his face as he whipped his head to face Loki, nearly

asking if he had seriously made an attempt to refuse him. When a pale hand reached for him, Loki backed
away, eyes wide with apprehension. Kyo settled a stern glare on him, his smile gone and his tone firm.
"Come here, Mister Arada."

He shook his head, not wanting an audience to the type of sex that he and Kyo shared. "No."
Kyo nodded, his lips pursed for a moment before he took the shirt and tossed it away. He glanced

down at his hands, working a pair of rope shackles into existence in a heartbeat. His hand whipped out and
grabbed Loki's arm, and despite his best efforts to twist out of his grip, Kyo knew him well enough to have
him prone on the floor in a pathetic span of time. He sat on Loki's lower back, humming a song to himself
as he slipped the rope around one of Loki's wrists, then wrestled the other behind his back as well. Loki
struggled for a moment, trying to tear off the rope even if he knew from experience it would only serve to
piss Kyo off. After a few minutes, Loki stopped fighting, just laying his head flat on the cold marble floor
as Kyo bound him from wrist to elbow. Despite his size, Kyo was strong, he figured it would be pointless
to continue.

"I have a room more suited to your wants upstairs, you know."
Kyo let out a grunt of a laugh. "That's nice."
Loki sighed, "The bed's built for bondage."
Kyo sighed happily. "I'll enjoy that later."
"Why here, Kyo?"
Kyo leaned so that his lips were against Loki's ear, sliding his hips back to press himself against

Loki's ass as he nearly moaned his words to him. "Haven't you guessed? Because I want your little friend
to see exactly who it is that you belong to, Mister Arada."

Loki closed his eyes, sadly aroused by the thought that Keel may indeed walk in on them at any

moment. The only reason he was still reluctant, was because he didn't want anyone to see him under Kyo's
talented hands, whore or not. It was lewd, the way he acted for Kyo, more than he usually strived to be.
And with Kyo, it was unintentional. "That's unfair."

Kyo's expression was one of agreement as he sat back up and finished his knot. "I don't see why

you're surprised by that, Mister Arada. Perhaps you're aging as well."

He slowly turned his head to the side and glared up at Kyo. The face that was smirking at him

with menace was still deceptively youthful, Kyo's heritage lending him a much longer state of beauty than
most would enjoy. He almost insulted Kyo, who was a handful of years older than him at least, but given
his current position he reconsidered. He groaned and muttered, "The floor is cold, you know."

Kyo laughed and stood as he easily dragged Loki onto his feet by his bound arms. "Let's see if we

can make you more comfortable then."

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Keel had been trying to read in the room for awhile, letting Kaji catch his sleep as he stole worried

glances at the door that separated him from the hallway. Leaving Loki alone with the Swordmaster that
had arrived was like leaving Loki with a feral tiger, except he knew that Loki could probably handle that
better. There wasn't anything Keel could really offer in the way of assistance, but he had developed a
knack for talking people down, which had never been one of Loki's stronger attributes. After a few hours
of indecision, which felt more like days, he opted to sate his curiosity. There had been no signs of life on
the upper level of the house, and the possibility that Loki had been trying to explain the situation alone the
entire time was unnerving.

He carefully opened the door and glanced around, but found nobody in the mostly white marble

interior to greet him. He tossed the book back inside of the room and closed the door carefully, one hand
on it to ensure he wouldn't wake Kaji as he chewed one of his lips. As he approached the stairs he heard
what he assumed was a conversation, but halfway down, he halted and his face reddened.

It was Loki's voice alright, but it was different than he had ever heard. He flattened himself

against the wall, his eyes wide and his lips struggling to suppress a stunned chuckle. Too curious for his
own good, he slid along the wall on the landing where the stairs flipped direction and glanced around it.

A chair had been dragged into the foyer, and the Kyo was seated in it, reclined with a dagger in his

hand that he was using to itch at part of his temple as he rolled his head on his shoulders and watched Loki
ride him. The purpose of the rope was made clear when Keel spied it twisted into a far too familiar pattern
over Loki's bronze torso, his arms bound behind his back and tied to the harness. Keel's brow knit when he
saw Loki pause, catching his breath for a moment before Kyo raised his free hand and brought it down hard
on Loki's ass, coaxing him back to work with a low moan.

Kyo wore a smug grin as he spun the dagger in his hand, his fingers pulling Loki to lay against his

chest for a moment. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Loki's hair, taking in his scent for a long
moment before he brought the dagger up and dragged the blade flat against Loki's cheek. Loki's eyes
snapped open and he halted instantly, setting a questioning glance on his partner that he only smiled in
response to.

He worked his pale fingers deeper into Loki's shaggy auburn hair. "I like this shorter."
Loki thought for only an instant before he turned his head and started to move again, apparently

content enough to go back to enjoying himself. "Don't get too carried away."

Kyo chuckled as he put a lock of auburn hair between the edge of the blade and his thumb, then

tugged gently and allowed it to fall to the white marble floor. This continued for awhile, Loki stopping
with closed eyes after every few tugs of the blade so that he could pant and calm himself. Kyo even turned
Loki's head to get the other side at one point, familiar as if they had done this before. Loki's hunched body
still rocked against Kyo even as he dedicated his attention to a randomly inspired haircut. When he was
finally finished he pushed Loki upright, his eyes heavy with desire as he slid a hand up Loki's chest, over
the weave of rope onto his throat. He gripped him tightly, Loki nearly jerking away from him before he
moaned and leaned into the strong pale hand instead.

"Better." He brought his hand higher, up the side of Loki's face and trailed his thumb over Loki's

parted lips. "Now you look more like the boy I met."

Loki trembled as he moaned, his body picking up speed as he leaned back. Kyo grabbed his

harness and helped him, panting as he studied the way that Loki's body reacted to everything. Like this he
was putting pressure directly on Loki's prostate, and within moments it had him trembling, his massive
arms nearly twitching against his restraints. Loki wet his lips, his brow low. "Let me finish, Kyo. You
said you would."

His pale lips tugged to one side as he grinned. "Get up."
Loki obediently stepped onto his feet, nearly bobbing with anticipation as the elf stood and

glanced at the table that greeted anyone that entered the house. In an instant the vase of roses was sent
across the house and Loki was slammed onto it face first, Kyo running his pale hands over Loki's body and
to his ass with a drunken glaze to his eyes. He spread Loki and slammed into him hard enough to move not
only Loki, but the table he was laying on. Loki let out a wail of pleasure, leaning back onto every thrust of
Kyo's hips.

Keel stared, his eyes heavy with arousal as he watched the look on Loki's face. It suddenly

occurred to him that Loki had mentioned on their first night together that he liked things rough when he
was the one receiving. Apparently that was the absolute truth, because Kyo wrapped his body around him

and bit his neck hard enough that Keel winced in sympathy. Loki, on the other hand, closed his eyes and
moved his head so that Kyo would have more room, standing on his toes as he arced his back and let him
get even deeper inside of him.

Kyo pulled his head off of him with a gasp, glancing down at Loki's hips as a drunken smile

graced his pale lips. "Good boy..." Loki shifted his weight and writhed against the table, his brow low and
his eyes closed as he savored the statement. Kyo caressed down Loki's side, his hand finding Loki's
erection quickly as he went to kiss the side of his face. Only, his cold blue eyes found Keel instead. Keel
flushed, his mouth open as he stared at Kyo with wide eyes. When he was about to try and explain, Kyo
smiled. "Shh."

Loki panted against the table, Keel's eyes darting between the two as he realized that Kyo had

been here, waiting for this exact situation. He sighed, averting his eyes for a moment. Loki's wail of
pleasure caught his attention, and when he looked up again he found him mid-orgasm. And Kyo, of course
was smiling at Keel as he thrust inside of him a few more times, not even blinking as he joined him. His
hands gripped Loki tightly and pulled him back onto himself, his lips pursed with enjoyment as he let out a
sigh and stared at Keel. In that glare, Keel saw hundreds of things, but more than anything, Kyo was
stating one thing. Loki was his, and he didn't like to share.

Keel rolled his eyes and shook his head, turning and walking away with such little interest that

Kyo cocked an eyebrow, wondering if perhaps Loki had been telling the truth when he said that Keel
wasn't interested in him. He let out a low chuckle and bent, kissing Loki between his shoulder blades as he
halfheartedly buried himself inside him one last time.

Loki moaned, his eyes cracked open after a moment. "Feel better now?"
Kyo shrugged, leisurely untying Loki's hands. "Much, and yourself?"
Loki flushed, wetting his lips, "Sort of tired, actually."
Kyo laughed under his breath as he pulled out of Loki, his hands picking up speed where they

were untying him. He leaned over Loki and whispered in his ear, "Just wait, then." He probed his ear with
his tongue, Loki nearly melting underneath him when he did. "I did say I would enjoy the bed later, didn't
I?"

Chapter Thirty-Eight

It was nearly midnight when Kaji woke, stumbling his way into the washroom, and shortly

afterwards down the hallway and stairs in search of the kitchen. He barely noticed the person in the corner
of the room as he went for some water, muttering, "Prick." He was nearly finished with his glass when he
realized that the typical response wasn't forthcoming. When he turned to the tall and muscular person in
the corner of the room, who he had assumed was Loki, he instead found Kyo staring at him over a glass of
merlot. He paled, laughing for a second. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were... someone else."

Kyo forced a smile for an instant, then dropped it immediately. "You must be Kaji."
He nodded slowly, closing the distance between them and offering a hand to the pale elf in front of

him, "Kaji Sheinan."

"Swordmaster Dasan." Kyo glanced at his hand, fully aware that it was considered extremely rude

to refrain from accepting it. "I apologize, but given your reputation I can guess where your hands have
been and I don't really care to have blonde whore on me."

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, appraising Kyo slowly. He sighed, "I see you're a friend of Loki's."
"Well, it is his house." Kyo stared down into his wine, perfectly content if the conversation ended

at any moment. After a few minutes of awkward silence he supplied a question, mostly because Kaji
seemed nervous in the thick quiet that blanketed the kitchen. "Where is your little prize, anyway?"

Kaji shrugged, "He's around somewhere, I'll hunt him later." He sipped his water, "So you've met

Keel, then?"

Kyo let out a grunt of a laugh, ignoring the question because the answer was obvious. "Why are

you staying in this house? You must know that Mister Arada is something of a deviant when it comes to
claiming what he wants, and yet you keep your lover, who he covets, within his reach."

Kaji narrowed his eyes at him, "If I had it my way, Swordmaster, they never would've had the

opportunity to spend enough time to even become friends."

Kyo cocked and eyebrow and nodded in agreement, sipping his wine. "I'd prefer that things had

worked that way as well, but it seems we're both chasing lost opportunities."

He switched to Yunan, certain that Kyo would be able to speak it, since he had yet to meet an elf

that couldn't. When he asked his question, he used the form of the word 'like' that meant romantically
inclined, "So you like him, then?"

Kyo's eyes snapped to Kaji, murderous and cold. He answered in Sahrketh, discarding the

additional meaning of the words in favor of avoiding the topic. "Saying that I like him is like saying that I
like my wine, both true and misleading. Don't worry yourself over it, we can handle ourselves, me and
him." He studied Kaji for a moment, able to identify his two bloodlines with relatively no trouble. Despite
how rude it was, he touched on a subject nobody else had. Only elves ever seemed to notice, and all of the
others that Kaji dealt with acted with a measure of politeness. "You're part fire elf. What happened to your
ears? Every other halfbreed I've seen has something. Makes me wonder where else your lacking."

Kaji sighed, glancing around and trying his hardest to ignore the insulting question and comment.

Usually Loki would be around somewhere, but he was missing entirely. With the bitter and antisocial elf in
front of him, he rather hoped Loki would intervene, but he was nowhere to be found. "Where's Loki?"

Kyo gave Kaji an indulgent smile, playing with his wine before he set a glare on Kaji that made

his heart race. "He's tied up with something at the moment. He'll be available in the morning, if you need
him."

Kaji eyed Kyo with concern. Working in the Harem had taught him how to gauge a patron in an

instant, and when he looked at Kyo, he saw the same aggressive perversion that he had spotted in Loki
years before. And in himself. The difference, was that Kaji would be willing to try anything, but these two
opted to exhaust every activity with enthusiasm. Unable to compete with them in a physical setting and, in
a glance, bested by their kinks in the bedroom, he felt that there was nothing else to say. He bowed his
head, "Goodnight, Swordmaster. I'll see you in the morning."

Kyo rolled his eyes, sighing his words. "Keep a leash on your human, Trouble."
Kaji groaned and shook his head as he went for the front door, wanting to be anywhere but near

the pale elf. Without even bothering with money or boots, he stepped outside and made his way to the city
square, ducking into Shiro's business because he could guess that there would still be plenty of people
awake and that he would be welcome there. As he closed the door, the sound of Keel laughing caught his
attention, and he looked to the side, spotting Keel at the desk he had been using with a stack of papers
beside him and Rudi perched atop the desk itself.

"I was wondering where you'd gone..."
Keel looked up at Kaji with a smile, "If you're here, I guess you met that Swordmaster?"
Kaji gave him a brief nod, eyeing the way that Rudi's legs looked crossed on the table she was

perched on. The tip of her tail twitched, letting Kaji know that she was looking at him and could plainly
see where he had his eyes. After a moment he met her gaze and his lips tugged into a smirk. "Hey, kitten."

She laughed under her breath, rolling her head on her shoulders, "You have a pile of offers. I don't

know what you did with the Councilman's daughter, but apparently you did it well?"

Kaji cocked an eyebrow, taking a stack of paper from Keel when he held it up for him. He winked

at him, "Anything fun in here?"

Keel's eyes went wide and he nodded, trying to contain some laughter, "Interesting, at least."
Kaji sighed, "Oh, that's encouraging."
Keel raised a palm, "They're all looking for some fun, the festival starts in a few days. After

seeing the Sahrketh rite of passage festival, I'd think you'd understand that much."

Kaji nearly purred at the offer on top of his pile of paper, "What about you?"
Keel raised one golden eyebrow, not following. "What do you mean?"
Kaji shrugged, glancing at Rudi. "If I take an offer, what are you going to do?"
Keel made a dismissive gesture, "I'm not entirely sure. I'll figure something out."
Rudi's smile was playful as she asked, "You won't get jealous?"
Keel flushed and cleared his throat, "Not of women. I can have Kaji whenever I want." He met

her eyes and smiled. "Not the case for you though, is it?"

Rudi cast her eyes aside, "I have no idea what you mean."
Keel and Kaji exchanged glances, Kaji spitting out their thoughts. "Yes you do, you want Shiro

and he seems to fuck anyone but you."

Rudi sighed and shrugged. "Can't catch his attention. He sees me as a burden. Story of my life."

She thought for a moment, then glanced at Keel, "I have a plan though."

He leaned his head on a hand, watching her patiently. "I'm listening."
She smirked, "I'm going to start a business that will compliment his and draw just as much

attention. That way, he has to see me as an equal, and I can repay him."

Keel chewed his lip as his eyes wandered the room. "How are you going to do that with no

money?"

She sighed, "I'll find a way."
Keel let out a grunt of a laugh, "And what business will be able to compete with this one? I mean

no offense, but I've seen how much money these people are offering, it's insane."

She smiled devilishly, her canines showing as she said, "A gentleman's club."
Keel paused, his brow low as he went over what he knew of such establishments. His eyes darted

to her, and he nodded slowly. She wouldn't need to accept offers, and Shiro's fear that she would be stolen
and abused would be easy enough to prevent by hiring security for the building she would hypothetically
own. "That may actually work."

She winked, "I've had time to think about it." She thought of something and snapped her fingers,

pointing at Keel and then Kaji, "That reminds me, Shiro wanted to see you both about what you're dressing
as for the festival. He said to wake him when you arrived."

Kaji turned and looked over the lower level of the building, nearly vacant in the predawn hours

aside from a few coworkers coming in from their assignations. "Where is he?"

"Follow the stairs to the top floor. He's in there somewhere."
Keel stood and bowed his head, Kaji rifling through the offers in his hands as he absentmindedly

scratched Rudi behind her ears. She purred, Kaji cracking a grin as his eyes found her. "I didn't know you
could do that."

She wore a flirty smile as she set her eyes on his, "There are plenty of things that I can do that you

wouldn't know about. Run along now; once he's up for the day you'll have trouble finding him."

Kaji bowed his head to her, "It's a shame that you prefer him, kitten."
She sighed as they walked towards the stairs, her indigo eyes showing longing as she reflected on

that. "I know..."

Keel glanced back at her until the turn in the stairs cut off his view, then glanced up at the top

floor. His brow knit and he wore a quirky grin as they went up the last flight, the entire upper level
apparently Shiro's personal apartment. The door was left open, so he knocked on it as he went inside, Kaji
trailing a few steps behind him as he read his offers. The design of the interior was completely different

than they had expected, and even Kaji was distracted enough by it that his hand dropped to his side with the
papers as he looked around.

It looked remarkably barren. There was no furniture, no paint. Nothing. Keel's brow knit,

blinking at Kaji stupidly for a moment. He had gone to great lengths to ensure that the rest of the building
was dripping with money, and had completely neglected his own quarters. The sound of footsteps attracted
their attention and they turned in time to see Shiro towel off and jog down from the roof. He paused as he
was wiping his face, gazing at them over the towel for a moment. "Oh, good. You're here. I was hoping
you'd come by first thing in the morning, but this is better." He offered a hand to each of them, his breath
heavy and his silken voice exhausted.

Keel glanced at the narrow set of stairs he had just descended. "What were you doing?"
Shiro cocked an eyebrow and glanced at them with a smile. "Meditating, why?" He laughed

under his breath, "I do have my priorities. Fucking is only one of them." He made a dismissive gesture
and walked off, pulling a door open and holding an arm out for them to join him in one of his bland rooms.
"Everyone else has told me what they're going as. Well..." He let out a grunt of a laugh, "Aside from Rudi,
but her skin is costume enough."

Keel shrugged, "I didn't realize we had to dress in costume."
Shiro nodded as he went into the room, falling into a white couch that only served to make the

room look that much more sterile than it already had. "Everyone does. And I mean everyone. Even the
poor dress as whatever they can throw together."

Keel considered, eyeing Shiro. "What're you going as?"
Shiro's lips pulled to one side, "I'm going as a Tunoran monk."
Keel arched an eyebrow, "I would've thought there would be more spectacle involved."
Shiro laughed, "Have you ever actually seen one of the monks?" Keel shook his head and Shiro

bowed his head, "They dress in their piercings and paint god wards on their bodies. Only wear the robes
when the rains come."

Keel shifted his weight, trying to figure out why a community of monks would teach a Sahrketh

whore their tricks. Since it would be rude to ask, he glanced at Kaji, who was staring off at the corner as he
considered possibilities. "What do you think?"

Kaji nodded slowly, then glanced at Keel, studying his frame for a minute. "Do you have any

kohl I can borrow?"

Shiro pulled himself from his couch and went through a door, quickly returning with a stick of it.
Kaji took it and sat on the floor, flipping one of the offers and sketching Keel quickly and

skillfully enough that he and Shiro looked at one another with surprise. He drew himself on the back of
another and looked between them, then started to add what he had thought of and smiled as he turned the
papers for them to see. "A demon, dragging around an angel in shackles. I think it gives the right
impression. Not to mention it'll be great advertising for your business."

Keel flushed as he stared at the drawing of himself, wide eyed before he looked at Kaji and then

back at the sketch. "You never told me you can draw..."

Kaji looked at him as if he didn't understand, then glanced down and shrugged, not entirely proud

of it. "It's an old hobby, I don't do it anymore." He sighed, "What about the idea though? Good or not?"

Keel glanced at the papers again and nodded, "Seems fine to me."
Shiro nodded once, "You'll start a riot."

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Kura's eyes had been on her bandaged hands for some time when she realized that one of her

Akana members had stopped to watch her, perhaps waiting to see if she wished to talk about what had
happened. Instead, she set a murderous glare on the woman until she shied her gaze away and kept on her
way. It seemed to Kura that the entire palace was in on an elaborate plan to drive her insane because of her
decision to end the relationship with Keel. It had started with Lassieta's letter, calling her out on her plan of
ignoring Keel until he went away. It had worked, but because she had left it to Lassieta, the two hadn't
spoken much. Oniku's constant attention only made for a rare discussion anyway, and that meant that most
of their words were related to business.

As if that wasn't enough, everyone was still talking about the 'blonde Onya' who got himself

tangled up in an immature if not apparently sexy battle involving champagne and Oniku. Then, he had
disappeared for the night, only to be seen kissing Shiro, the world's most talented stripping whore the next
day. Kura let out a low growl, certain that Shiro had given more than a few words to Keel on the topic of
their laughable romance. A few overheard conversations had been centered around the sight of Kaji
groping at him in the Harem's lounge, all regarding how he seemed to be so much more comfortable with
men since his release.

And then, the letter from Keel. Kura gripped her bandaged hand into a fist. She couldn't blame

him for her overreaction, but she was more than willing to challenge everything he had written. The
problem was that some of what he had scrawled on that accursed paper made her wonder. He had stated
that her fellow officers and Akana members had warned him of her tendency to be a heartless lover. As if
they had seen it happen before. She rolled her eyes, wishing that Lassieta hadn't taken the letter and burned
it while she had been unconscious. Granted, she likely would've been reading it constantly if Lassieta had
let her keep it, but now she had to operate off of what memory she had of what he had written.

He had been drinking, his handwriting had been poor enough to make that apparent. Even then,

his comments had let her know two things. First, that he was aware of her many flaws, in detail. Second,
that he at one time hadn't cared about any of them. In fact, if he went through the trouble of writing it, it
meant that he was still thinking of her often enough that he had felt the need to hurt her. She let out a grunt
of a laugh, feeling a small fleeting victory at the thought. She slid off of her chair and stretched, feeling
somewhat better because she had decided that he was only being cruel to her to hide his own pain.

"Childish..." She nodded after she had whispered it, feeling good enough with this conclusion that

she decided to pay a trip to the Harem.

Mesa looked up from her doodles, drawing various people being eaten by horrendously scrawled

crocodiles. She was halfway back to her 'artwork' when she paused and her face paled, her eyes going back
to Kura as if checking to make sure she had seen correctly. "Can I help you, Headmistress?"

Kura considered and nodded slowly, "Who's available?"
Mesa shrugged, "What are you looking for?"
"Someone different."
Mesa went silent for a long moment, glancing around before she replied flatly, "We're in between

men worth keeping at the moment, Headmistress. Perhaps you could try your luck with the Breiyan
Embassy. I hear they have a young man that may be suited more to your needs."

Kura glowered at Mesa, furious and insulted. "What are you implying."
Mesa stood, taking a deep breath. "I'm implying nothing. You asked who we have here that's

different. I answered you honestly. Nobody. The only 'different' men we've had since I started working
here have all been freed or become a consort to the Empress herself, leaving us with such a lack of talent
that we've even had to take some of the men from the lower dorm just to keep at half capacity up here. If
you're looking for someone like Keel, you'd be better off just looking for Keel. Not that you'll have much
luck should you find him."

Kura stared at her for a long moment, deciding what she wanted to say or do. She stabbed a finger

at Mesa, "Watch your fucking mouth. If I recall, you were freezing to death when I came to your aid."

Mesa bowed her head in appreciation, "Which is why I decided to be upfront and not waste your

time."

She narrowed her eyes at Mesa. "You've seen Keel recently?"
Mesa nodded once, "Yes."
Kura considered for a long moment, "Did he say anything to you?"
"About what, Headmistress?"

"You know what I'm asking."
Mesa nodded, "He said that he's still yours, but that you were never actually his. I believe that's

the topic you were inquiring about, correct?"

Kura closed her eyes. "Is there more?"
Mesa nodded slowly, "Of course there is."
Kura sighed, eyeing Mesa for a long moment with a low brow. She jerked her chin towards her,

"Why would he discuss such things with you?"

Mesa shrugged, "I wouldn't know. Perhaps because I saw him the day after he found out that two

years of waiting for your reply had been wasted and that he was as much of a fool as everyone claimed for
expecting any different? Possibly because he was distraught and had nobody else to turn to. It could also
have something to do with the fact that I've always treated him with respect when most people treated him
as an accessory, like a flashy piece of jewelry to flaunt in front of their peers. Honestly, I can't figure out
which it is."

Kura tightened her fist at her side. Mesa held her head high, expecting to be struck and wagering

that it was worth it. Kura growled her words, "Who's the most popular man that's currently here?"

Without hesitation she stabbed a finger at the couch behind Kura, who turned and laid her eyes on

a girly looking young man with chestnut hair and brown eyes, bland as could be against his darker skin.
She glanced at Mesa and slowly made her way beside him. "What's your name?'

He glanced at her and cleared his throat, his voice careful not to insult her as he quietly replied.

"Ganjin, Headmistress." She studied the way he wouldn't meet her eyes and sighed. He'd been abused
enough that there was no chance of him doing anything impressive. She groaned as she walked away,
Mesa smirking as she sat at her desk and watched her leave.

Chapter Forty

After their brief discussion with Shiro, Kaji had headed out to fulfill one of his offers. It left Keel

the option of hanging around the building until sex broke out again, or returning to Loki's house and the
situation therein. Since he was still overtired, he opted for the latter. Only, when he opened the door to the
house, he saw Loki sitting on the end of one of his couches in his bar area, his head in his hand and a bottle
of bourbon at his feet. Keel glanced around for Kyo, and since he didn't see him, he timidly approached
Loki.

"You okay?"
Loki gasped and sat up, turning to Keel with surprise. He cleared his throat and looked away, his

brow low as he felt Keel stare at the bruises and welts that covered his body. "Yeah... I apologize for Kyo,
he has a bit of a mouth on him..."

Keel shrugged, not caring about that. "Where is he?"
Loki's face twisted with emotion, his voice low. "He left."
Keel eyed him with sympathy. "Any reason?"
Loki nodded slowly, reaching for the bourbon. "I tried to talk to him. It was a mistake." He

glanced at Keel, "Where've you been?"

Keel took the chair opposite Loki, shrugging, "I thought you two would want the house to

yourself. I translated the offers that came in for Shiro, had a long conversation with his housecat."

Loki looked at him as if questioning his sanity, "Housecat?"
Keel chuckled and made a dismissive gesture, "Supposedly a deformed Naraketh girl, she has a

tail and everything. It's rather unusual."

Loki cocked his head to the side and took a deep breath, then let it out as a sigh. "Jade sent me

some correspondence from Daiban. Seems Enara was there last, so feel free to wander to your heart's
content. I really don't think she would bother to hunt you out anyway, but Daiban's a hell of a trip to make
over beating a talkative Onya to death."

Keel shrugged, "I'm not worried about it. As Jade said, she has others things to worry about."
Loki nodded, his eyes on the floor and his expression distant. "I need a woman, have you met any

that are fun over there?"

Keel smiled, "Just tell me what you're looking for and I can probably find a few no matter what

you're asking."

Loki let out a low chuckle, his expression warping with discomfort as he leaned back on the

couch. "I want to take my anger out on someone. Find me a masochist, Keel."

Keel flushed and laughed, "What color?"
Loki smiled wider, "You know how my tastes run by now, don't you?"
Keel eyed him as if he didn't understand, then he realized he did, in fact, know exactly what Loki

would want. "Light hair, light eyes, pale skin?"

Loki winked, "Good boy."
Hearing the phrase come from Loki reminded Keel of the way he had looked the day prior, and he

looked away as he flushed and cleared his throat. "Your hair looks better like that."

Loki glanced at himself in the mirror over the bar and he nodded, the short cut allowing people to

see his face, where it was usually obscured under a shaggy auburn mess. "Kyo did it."

"I know."
Loki closed his eyes and sighed. He wore a playful smile, "You saw us, didn't you?"
Keel nodded, "Yeah. It um... explains a lot."
Loki groaned, shaking his head as he stared at the ceiling. "I don't understand him. He acts like

he's jealous, then when I try and talk to him, to make anything happen, he flees."

Keel shrugged, "You know him better than I care to."
Loki glared at him, nearly trying to convince Keel of what he was saying. "He's not as bad as he

makes himself out to be."

Keel finally met his eyes, cocking an eyebrow, "Neither was Kura, but that didn't exactly work out

for me. Sometimes, they prefer to be alone, Loki."

Loki shook his head, not fond of the comment because it was entirely true and he was used to

being able to acquire whatever he wanted through sheer hardheadedness. "You still think of her don't
you?"

Keel closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, then let it out as sigh. "Of course I do."
"You spent how long vying for her attention?"
Keel did some quick math in his head, "Almost three years."
Loki nodded, pointing at the door, "I've been dealing with him for eight. And he still won't give

me a chance." He sighed, his face contorted with anger and emotion, "Jade isn't fond of me, the prick won't
even consider me. What the hell is the point of being important in politics if nobody gives a fuck about you
otherwise?"

Keel was staring at Loki as if he believed he was about to pretend this had never happened. When

his breath came heavier, Keel averted his eyes. "Do you want me to leave?"

Loki shook his head, his hand gripping the bottle tightly. "No, you can stay if you want." He

glanced at him, studied him for a moment. "Why won't you consider Kura?"

Keel flushed, seeing that Loki was trying to find a reason everyone kept refusing him, since he and

Kura had much in common. "It doesn't matter, she doesn't want me. She discarded me, Loki. Like an
unwanted pet."

Loki cocked his head to the side and his lips tugged into a doubtful smirk, "No she didn't."
Keel glanced around, "How do you figure?"
Loki shrugged, biting his lips for a moment. "She didn't come back because she couldn't deal with

you. Not because she didn't want you."

Keel's brow twisted, "I didn't realize that my affection was that intolerable."
Loki let out a mocking laugh, "You didn't?"
Keel paled. He had intended to be sarcastic, but Loki's response was unsettling. He stared at Loki

for a long minute, reluctant to let the idea of what he had started to think take hold.

Loki took a deep breath, his words careful as he looked at a few minor scars on his hand. "I'm

rather surprised you've forgotten so quickly how hard it was for her to tolerate your kindness." He sighed,
his voice hinting at compassion. "We aren't raised like you. You know that. What you want, she can't
handle like your blushing girls back home. And since fear isn't an option either, that only leaves
indifference." He met Keel's eyes, more serious and caring than Keel had seen him before. "The reason I
fear Kyo, isn't because he's cruel. I can handle any abuse he can unleash on me. I'm afraid of him when
he's affectionate. Because honestly," his voice twisted and sounded strangled as his throat tightened, "I
don't know how to deal with it."

Keel took a deep breath, shocked that Loki had just shared his thoughts on the matter. He was

silent for a long moment, "Even so, Loki... I can't spend years wondering if she's even alive, to then try
and hide how I feel to make her more comfortable. Since she can't meet me halfway, it won't work. To
swallow my pride and be unhappy with her is a waste of both her time and mine."

Loki nodded, running his tongue along his teeth as he stared at the floor. "Then you shouldn't've

claimed that you loved her at all." He thought for a moment. "I know her better than you think." He
glanced at Keel and shook his head, "If she asks for you, you need to take into account that you're dealing
with someone trained to feel nothing. The fact that she even allowed you to speak of your feelings without
tossing you away; that is meeting you halfway. It's harder than you think, what the two of us do..."

Keel sighed, his eyes closed. "I'll take it into consideration, but as I said, she hasn't asked for me."
"It's hard to ask from across the continent."
Keel met Loki's gaze. "She has the address, I believe."
Loki let his head fall to the side, "Fair enough." He stood and stretched his arms, his brow low as

he did. "The insatiable bastard..."

Keel chuckled and decided that he should perhaps find something else to busy himself with. Since

Loki was in an oddly talkative mood, which unsettled him, and Kaji was off with a woman somewhere in
town, he stood and bowed his head. "I think I'll go see what Azil has to offer."

Loki smiled, "Library is on the south end."
Keel flushed, muttering, "Thank you."

Chapter Forty-One

Kaji walked into Loki's house, his hand still on the door in case the elf was still present. When

nobody at all stirred, he assumed Keel must still be at Shiro's business, and turned to leave. He didn't make
it to the street, however, since a young girl with a paper and a half eaten apple was walking up the path and
refused to move out of his way.

"Nobody's there."
She sighed, glancing up at Kaji. She offered him the folded paper, "I was told to look for a big

guy with scribbles on his face."

He took the paper, reading a message from Keel that said to bring Rudi and meet him at an

obscure address. He sighed, about to move on his way when he realized the girl was still standing in his
path, her palm outstretched. He groaned, rifling through his pockets. When he dropped a gold ducat into
her palm she stared with wide eyes, then kissed the coin and winked as she turned and ran.

Kaji shook his head, smiling as she raced away, as if she expected him to ask for it back. It was a

severe case of overtipping, but because that was all he had in his pocket, that was what she had gotten. At
least now he could assume that messages sent to him by courier would arrive as quickly as possible.

Chapter Forty-Two

Keel shook his head, his brow low as he leered at a handful of contractors and addressed them in

their native language, which only upset them because they had been talking about him the entire time,
assuming he wouldn't speak it. "So you know, I do know the difference between the mahogany I asked for
and that atrocious pine you keep wanting to switch it out for. I believe I'm overpaying as it is, don't push
your luck. There are literally hundreds of people just itching to take your place."

Kaji blinked stupidly at the brick building, currently covered in scaffolding with people scouring it

and laying down a deep red paint over it. He glanced at Rudi, who was too busy staring people down to
even notice where they were or that Keel had apparently taken it upon himself to randomly renovate the
long-vacated bar. Finally he closed the distance between himself and Keel, who had cocked his head to
one side with his hands in his pockets, studying what they were doing with scrutiny.

"What's all this?'
Keel raised a brow and glanced at him. "Did you bring Rudi?"
Rudi grumbled from behind him, her tail between her legs as a few passerby started to point at her.

"This better be worth the embarrassment of walking through the city center..."

Keel spun and grabbed her hand, dragging her through the open doors as he motioned for Kaji to

join him. Once they were inside he put his hands on her hips and placed her at the end of a catwalk,
countless hands working to seat it seamlessly on the stage at the back of the older building. "You're going
to give me a percent of your earnings starting next year to repay it, but it's yours. I had them start without
you, do whatever you want with it; we can foot the bill for now." He let go of her and crossed his arms,
nervously glancing between her back and the many people who had stopped working to stare at her.

Rudi blinked stupidly for a moment, her ears dropping to the side of her head as she turned and

watched a few people go back to replacing the previously cheap interior with the best of what Azil had to
offer. Her pale lips searched for words as she set her indigo eyes on the mirror that was waiting to be hung
behind the bar, her name already painted on it in calligraphy. Finally she looked at Keel and Kaji over her
shoulder, a cautious smile on her lips. "Is this my bar?"

Keel's brow knit and he nodded once, thinking that it should be obvious, since he had just told her

to finish what he'd started for her.

She turned, nearly tangling her feet on her tail as she stared at him for a long minute. "Why would

you do this?"

Keel shrugged and glanced at Kaji, who had no complaints. He sighed, "I have more than enough

money, and it's not a gift. You said you'd run it, that you'd give Shiro a run for his money." He smiled, "So
I invested in you." He held up a finger to pause her thanks, "You're in charge of finding suitable security
and women to work it. As I said, I'll pay expenses until it's up and running, you just start paying me what
you can once it's turning a profit and we'll call it even."

Rudi started to chuckle, her lips curling up into an overjoyed smile as she turned and looked at the

walls. Her tail thrashed around for a moment, "This is mine, then?"

Keel nodded, "Yeah. Your name is on the title, mine's second as an investor..."
Rudi's laugh was contagious as she turned and gestured to the catwalk, "How long until I can

open?"

Keel thought for a moment, "I wanted to have it finished before the festival. I thought it would be

better for business, unless you think you'll need more time to-"

She held up a finger to pause him, "That's perfect, I can work with that." She glanced at Keel over

her shoulder, cat eyes dragging down his body with appreciation before they snapped to Kaji and repeated
the appraisal. "We should celebrate."

Keel flushed and raised a hand, "I didn't do this for sex, I just thought you had a good idea and I

wanted to help you start..."

Rudi walked up to Keel, her wide hips swaying until she stabbed a finger into his breastbone,

moving him back a step. "Who said that you have a choice in the matter?"

Keel's eyes grew heavy with desire immediately, his face flushed as he dragged his eyes down her

shapely body, his brow knit when he found her tail again. He wasn't sure exactly how this would work, but
once she had delivered the news that she was going to sleep with him whether he liked it or not, he figured
he would find out soon enough. He muttered, "It's Kaji's money too, don't let him escape..."

She licked her teeth as her eyes slid to Kaji, "Oh, don't you worry about that." She dragged her

tail up the inside of Keel's leg before she rolled her head back to him, "Where are you staying?"

Chapter Forty-Three

Loki jumped when the door flew open hard enough to hit into the wall, about to yell that they

should destroy their own home when he set his eyes on Rudi and all complaints were forgotten. She had
her hand on Kaji's belt and had thrown him into the wall, Kaji panting until she tore his belt off and freed
him right there in the foyer. Keel sighed as he walked in behind them, smiling and shaking his head as he
kept his eyes away and busied himself with closing the door. He was heading into the bar for a quick drink
when he noticed Loki, and the look on his face. He glanced at her as she dragged her tongue along Kaji's
erection from base to tip, then looked back at Loki's pale face.

"Housecat."
Loki nodded slightly, "I can see that..." He took a deep breath and shook his head to tear his eyes

off of her, turning to Keel. "I thought you had been exaggerating..."

"Nope." Keel drank down a quick glass of scotch, then slapped the glass back on the bar as he

took a deep breath and walked up behind Rudi, who had crouched on the floor as she serviced Kaji. He
grabbed her hips and carefully coaxed her to lift them, laughing when she lifted her tail between his pant
legs and wrapped it around his thigh. He curled his body over her, looping his thumbs under the straps that
held the top of her dress and carefully peeling it off of her.

She moaned around Kaji, one hand traveling down her abs to unweave the dress from where it was

gripping her hips. Keel chuckled, "We need to head upstairs. First bedroom on the right."

Rudi sighed as she let Kaji slide from her mouth, glancing at Keel over one bare gray shoulder as

she flipped her white hair away from her eyes and stood. "You're so strict, Keel. Like an old man."

Kaji had started to touch himself, his brow low and his eyes glued to Rudi's body as he groaned, "I

agree... Bed's upstairs..." He took her hand as she delicately stepped out of her dress, gloriously naked and
on display for the three men. Loki let out a long sigh and then closed his eyes, heading out the door
because he knew where to find some company for himself and didn't care to witness or hear what was
going to be happening.

Rudi smiled at them over her shoulder as she made her way up the stairs, biting her lip as her tail

thrashed around. "You coming?"

Kaji laughed, too many dirty retorts in mind to choose from. He nodded and followed her, but she

ran until she came to the bedroom that they had mentioned. Once inside, she turned to him and pulled her
hair free, white and feathery over one gray suede shoulder. Her lips parted in a mischievous smile, only
made better by the glimpse of teeth. Keel leaned on the doorframe and smiled when Kaji grabbed her,
more excited than Keel had seen him with a woman. Apparently he liked the cat attributes, probably more
than he realized he would. Since he was enjoying himself thoroughly, Keel took a seat and watched, the
rare sight of how Kaji acted with women making him smile.

Rudi gasped and panted, her eyes heavy as Kaji pulled her down on top of himself on the bed,

turning her so that she was straddling his face and her own was resting on his hip. He stared for a moment
in awe, running his fingertips along her tail and smiling when she jumped from it. With a low groan he
sank his face onto her, sucking on her and licking her, nearly careful with her. Then of course she started
to reciprocate, and the feeling of her rough tongue on his skin made him gasp, his eyes closed for a moment
as his heart started to race. He slid two fingers inside of her, sucking on her skillfully enough that she had
to take a break. When her tail came down and wrapped under his chin he started to buck his hips, impatient
because it was entirely new and incredibly sexy. He sat up slightly, moving her forward as he wrapped his
arms around her thighs and held her to his lips and tongue.

Keel laughed under his breath when Rudi clawed at the bed, her eyes closed for only a moment

before they opened and locked on Keel. His smile dropped as her expression changed, her mouth open and
her eyes clenched shut as she came. He swallowed the knot in his throat and shifted his weight, flushed
and starting to entertain the idea of joining them after all. He missed his chance, Kaji rolling on top of her
and fluidly moving so that he could slide inside of her, the pair letting out a mutual groan of enjoyment.

She reached for his face, stroking the words on his cheekbones for a moment before he sat up and

started to move. He didn't take his eyes off of her for even a moment, the sight of her far too precious to
miss. When she spread her legs wider he arched an eyebrow, moaning as he saw her lick two fingers and
start to play with herself. Her free hand went to her chest, a lazy smirk on her face as she stared at him
through her lashes. Kaji let out a low groan and shook his head, fully aware that she was doing this on
purpose; being as lewd as possible to shorten his stamina. It bothered him because it worked so well.
When she came she arched her back and grabbed his forearm, Kaji's mouth hanging open as he stared at her

expression. He swore under his breath and buried himself a few more times before he joined her,
seemingly disappointed in himself. He chuckled as he caught his breath, stroking her face for a moment
before he kissed her. "Why did you do that?"

She smiled and licked his chin, which made him let out a low growl in response. "Because," she

pointed over her head at Keel, "I wanted to start with him."

Kaji groaned and sent a glare at Keel. "You should've let me help with the bar. I would've

preferred to be her favorite."

Keel arched an eyebrow, nearly laughing. "Shiro's her favorite. Not me. Hate him instead."
Rudi nodded when Kaji glanced at her, as if it should be expected. "Off, Trouble. I have a boat to

tend to."

Kaji sank his head as he chuckled, "Figures."

Chapter Forty-Four

Flaming poi cut through the darkness of the night, drums thundering and competing for the

approval of the crowd in the electric-lit streets of Azil. Women wore tiny outfits in most occasions, some
even forgoing that to just dance and party in nothing but paint and masks. Enara watched from her small
apartment with bitterness, sipping a glass of brandy as the revelry passed by under her tiny balcony. She
eyed the costumes, thinking that many were too bland to even be legal under the circumstances. One man,
for example, had dressed as a duck. Not even an interesting duck, but just that, a mallard. She rolled her
eyes, raising a brow as she set her gaze on a demon who was leading a shackled angel.

She sat back as she watched them, the demon making a show of how he would touch his captive.

It was driving the crowd nearly to violence. She warmed her brandy, but her fingers stopped as she
realized she had seen them before. The demon was impossible to place, his body covered in black and
purple paint. But the blonde...

She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at the innocent looking young man as he passed directly

in front of the building. When he flushed and shied away from his demon, she felt her lips tug at a smile.
"Keel..." She let out a low chuckle and shook her head at the coincidence.

Someone had been chasing her for awhile now. She had realized that much when one of her

contacts failed to respond on time. She assumed it was either Kura or Jade, but figured it could possibly be
Localem, should the other two obvious favorites be preoccupied with something. The wonderful part of
what she was thinking, was that all three of them had at one point wanted Keel to themselves. The way
they had bickered over him had been nearly scandalous before she was forced to flee the Palace.

When she had given her confession, she had the foresight to take Jade out of the picture, at least

for the occasion. What she had never expected was for Kura to not only bring her whore with her, but for
him to be able to translate her confession accurately. If she had known about his language skills, he
would've been removed from her equation as well, but alas, she hadn't. It was information she would've
been able to use if he had ever accepted one of her many offers, but he had apparently been scared of her.

She considered that as she watched him slowly move with the crowd through the streets. He

wasn't afraid of her when she had looked him square in the eye and promised to murder him. Actually, he
had mocked her. The sound of shattering glass attracted her attention a moment later, and she looked down
to realize she had just clutched her brandy until it crumbled in her grip. She wrung her hand once to free it
of the stinging brandy that was seeping into the fresh gashes in her palm, then quickly returned to her
thoughts.

If they wanted to chase her, she would eagerly leave something for them to find. A gruesome

present to remind them of who they were dealing with. No matter which one of them came, it would have a
lovely rippling effect. Not to mention, it would serve as a distraction from what her newfound friends
would be doing at the time. She turned her head slightly, speaking softly. "Find out why Keel Vitanus is in
Azil and how I can lure him away from his companions."

She eyed the twins behind her, two kindred spirits who enjoyed much of what she did, and some

things that even she wouldn't take part in. The older one, who bragged about his five minute lead on his
brother at every opportunity, met her eyes with curiosity. Ixnyn and Oyinaru. In Avanya; Bait and Switch.

"Are we on the hunt again?"
Enara grinned, bringing her eyes to Keel for one last glance. "You could say that. Get him for

me; price is no issue. Buy the city if you have to."

"Should I postpone our departure?"
She thought for a moment then shook her head with a knowing smile. "No. I think I want to take

him with us. Leaving him here wouldn't send the right message."

Oyinaru bowed his head and went to do her bidding, grabbing a belt with two daggers and a pouch

of gold as he went.

Chapter Forty-Five

Loki sighed as he leaned on his bar, glancing around the empty foyer with disappointment. His

evening had been put to a premature end when the woman he had been carrying home on one shoulder had
run into a pack of her annoyingly overprotective friends. Apparently they had already met a few other men
claiming to be a reputable Swordmaster, which only irked him further. He grabbed a bottle of bourbon,
carefully pouring a shot for himself. When he heard the door he rolled his eyes, expecting it to be both of
his guests, probably in a group of women with wandering hands. He downed the shot, wet his lips and
brought his eyes to the foyer, only to then drop the glass and stare with wide eyes.

Keel laughed and sang to himself drunkenly as he stumbled through the door, leaving it open

because he had forgotten that he was alone. He put a hand on one of the pillars and searched for
something, his eyes narrow and his cheeks flushed with drink. When he saw Loki he let out a low, nearly
predatory chuckle, then righted himself and licked his lips.

Loki felt his face burn with color. Keel had donned a bondage harness with a pair of feathery

wings for his costume, his wrists shackled with a few links of chain hanging from both hands. Combined
with the look of playfulness on his face, and the flush on his cheeks, he had grabbed Loki's attention better
than if he had lit the house aflame. Light hair, eyes and skin, with the same wings that reminded him of
Kyo and shackles to top it off; he was having a hard time tearing his eyes away.

Keel stopped and looked around when he reached the door to the bar, and seeing that they were

alone, he bit his lip as he smiled, hooking his thumbs into the top of his pants, letting the weight of his arms
push them low enough that there was little doubt he was interested in sex.

"I was looking for you..."
Loki stared, no less than three of his most unlikely fantasies crashing into reality because of the

turn of events. "You were?"

Keel let out a small chuckle and nodded once, then rolled his head on his shoulders and brushed

his thumb across his abs. "Yeah, I was hoping you'd be here..."

Loki cocked his head to one side, considering the situation. He brought his eyes to the mirror over

the bar, at his hair that he had tinted red for his own costume of Saharion. He had added the marks on his
face to imitate tiger stripes, but if he were drunk enough he supposed they would pass for the word trouble
in Yunan. Keel was drunk, and because they both had a similar frame and Loki had the clearly crimson
hair, he had assumed that Loki was Kaji. He sighed, about to try and explain when he set his eyes back on
Keel and groaned instead. "Well, here I am."

Chapter Forty-Six

Keel woke with a massive headache, going to rub his eyes when he encountered a blindfold. He

pulled it off, then looked at it with a knit brow. "Odd..." It was unlike Kaji to leave him in clothes,
nevermind a blindfold and costume. And he knew by the discomfort in his lower half, Kaji had been here.
He sighed and relaxed for a moment, rubbing his head as he glanced with pained eyes at the window.
Finally he put the effort into getting out of the bed, which took far longer than he wished. He unbuckled
the harness that was still strapped to his chest, shifting his weight and rubbing at some claw marks on his
skin with curiosity.

"Wish I remembered what we did..." He laughed under his breath, shaking his head as he hunted a

pair of pants.

In the kitchen, Loki was still scrubbing the remnants of his costume from his scalp, rushing to

finish the task when Kaji strolled inside like a cat. He eyed him, but saw that he had no idea what had
transpired in the night and went back to work, eventually pouring a bucket of cool water over his head to
free himself of the detestable color he had been talked into using. "That stupid housecat and her dumb
ideas."

Kaji glanced at Loki, grabbing an orange as he took a seat at the kitchen island. "What did she do

this time?"

Loki shrugged as he toweled his hair. Rudi had suggested the costume to him on her way out

earlier that week, and as much as he wanted to blame her for what happened, he couldn't. "Nothing
important. You just coming in?"

Kaji smiled and nodded. "You been here all night?" He had expected Loki to show some

aggravation over the fact he had, but instead Loki just gave him a mischievous grin. Since it was
unsettling, he turned his attention to the town's flier, "Has Keel shown up yet?"

Loki nodded, debating if he wanted to let Kaji know what had transpired just to shut his mouth for

awhile. He figured he would figure it out soon enough, since there was more evidence of his night that
Kaji was sure to notice. "Yeah. He came back last night, actually."

Kaji sat up on the stool, eyeing Loki with suspicion. "Oh?"
Loki gave him another curt nod. "Stumbling drunk, no less."
Kaji narrowed his eyes at Loki and started to eat his breakfast. The two watched each other,

nobody broaching the topic they were both on when Keel came into the room in a fresh pair of pants. They
both watched Keel as he walked, oblivious to the tension in the room as they both locked eyes again.

Loki broke the silence of the room with polite conversation. "Did you sleep well?"
Keel shrugged, "Probably... I can't remember." He poured himself a glass of water and downed it,

then poured another and leaned on the counter beside the sink. Kaji's eyes found the marks on Keel's pale
skin from Loki's nails, the corresponding bite on the back of his neck. Keel smirked at Kaji when the glass
had almost met his lips, giving him the look that he usually did after a particularly wild night of sex. Kaji
raised a still ink-stained eyebrow and looked to Loki, who averted his eyes and offered no comment. Kaji
wet his lips, then pursed them, no longer interested in his food.

He almost snapped, but hesitated. Loki had red hair the night prior, Keel had come back in alone,

likely searching for Kaji. He trusted him, knew he wouldn't do anything with Loki unless tricked into it. If
he told Keel what had occurred, he would definitely be rid of Loki, but Keel would also feel incredibly
guilty. He laughed under his breath, ready to turn this situation against Loki in the most entertaining way
he could think of. He smiled sweetly and turned to Keel. "So, how're you feeling?"

Loki's brow knit and he shifted his weight, unsure of what Kaji's game was. He had clearly

figured it out and Loki was prepared to defend himself, but he didn't seem to be interested in tarnishing
Loki, which was an unsettling development.

Keel flushed, his eyes on Kaji with fondness. "Sore, no thanks to you."
Kaji gave him a proud smile, "I am incredible, what can I say?"
Keel let out a grunt of a laugh, "And incredibly careless. You left me in that stupid harness all

night, blindfold and all."

As Keel drank the rest of his second cup, Kaji shifted his weight and nodded. "It won't happen

again." He set unimpressed eyes on Loki. "I don't know what got into me last night to turn me into such an
asshole."

Loki clenched his teeth and glared at Kaji as he spoke to Keel, "Seems like you had the best sex

of your life last night."

Keel laughed, shrugging as he stared into his glass. "Apparently, my legs are still numb."
A victorious smile from Loki.
Kaji shrugged, almost laughing, "I'm just that good."
Loki swore under his breath and glowered at Kaji, now wanting the credit and unable to claim it.

Kaji responded by licking his teeth, nearly challenging him to argue with what he had done. I would make
Keel aware of the way that they acted when he wasn't looking, and they both knew that it would ruin his
opinion of Loki in an instant, removing him from Keel's life indefinitely. Finally Loki broke the eye
contact, livid.

Keel groaned and set his glass down, exhausted but unable to sleep any longer. "Where's Rudi?"
Kaji shrugged, "I have no idea. Why?'
Keel chewed his lips for a minute. "She was supposed to bring me the offers from last night to

translate... I guess I'll head over there." As he passed by Kaji he trailed his fingers over his shoulder
affectionately, Kaji nearly able to hear Loki grind his teeth from the other side of the kitchen.

"Have fun, no more booze today." Once Keel was gone the two stared at each other for a few

minutes. "Be careful, Grandmaster."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Of what, Onya?" He shifted his weight and held up a finger, "I want you to

know; he started it."

Kaji glanced at the red dye that was still tinting the edge of the sink and wet his lips. "And I'd like

to remind you, he started it because he thought that you were me." He wore a proud smile as he rose from
the stool. "Imagine how much better it is when he's not 'stumbling drunk.' Because that's what I get." He
waved over his shoulder as he walked towards the stairs, "Have fun down here, alone. I'm sure you're used
to it by now though, right?"

Loki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, not responding because he was in fact guilty. Not to

mention, now he had given Kaji something to use against him. The real reason he had invited them had
more to do with Jade's request that he do so than anything else. She wanted him to keep his eyes on Keel,
just in case. She had said that it was because he was a friend of hers that she wanted to keep. A lie. Keel
was a friend of hers that she wanted to promote to consort. Even so he had accepted. Stuck in a house in
Azil, supervising the man that Jade was hoping would become Loki's replacement. He forced a smile and
nodded, "How do I always get in these situations..."

Chapter Forty-Seven

Keel opened the door to Shiro's business and found himself staring at a Sahrketh woman who was

just heading out. He paled because for a moment, he had thought it was Kura. He laughed under his breath
when he realized that she not only lacked the scar on her cheek, but her face was also different, heart
shaped with playful green eyes. Not to mention she was smiling, something Kura had only ever done when
mocking someone. He averted his eyes, about to slip past her, "Excuse me, Swordmistress."

When he went to move by her she put her hand on the doorframe and barred his route, leaning her

face beside his. "You're Keel, aren't you?"

He flushed and nodded, his eyes on the meticulous braids that hung behind her hips. So much like

Kura's; this woman was a problem for him. She even had a tattoo on her arm, although hers was a serpent
instead of a warning that she was an incredible bitch. "Yes."

She offered him a hand in greeting, "Swordmistress Liyn. I never had the opportunity to make an

offer to you when you were working at the Palace, and when I saw you last night..." She smiled sweetly,
averting her eyes for a moment before she moved close enough to him that he could smell the lavender she
washed her braids with. Another similarity that he couldn't help but notice. "I just dropped off an offer for
you. Think about it?"

Keel slowly nodded, wetting his lips as he turned her hand in his own and stroked his thumb over

her index finger. He kissed it as he stared at her, his cheeks pink as he let her go with a grin. "When?"

She smiled, clearly excited by the idea. "Tonight?"
Keel shook his head with a sigh; Rudi's bar was hosting a celebration that he had agreed to be

present for. The club had done incredibly well on it's first night, probably even better during the festival.
He was obligated to be there, as much as he wanted to ditch and spend the night with a playful and
affectionate version of the woman he'd been missing. "Tomorrow would be better."

She thought for a moment, then arched one ebony eyebrow at him. "First thing in the morning,

then? I only have a few days before I have to return to the Palace, I was hoping to spend them with you..."

Keel moaned under his breath, intoxicated by the scent coming from her skin, even if he was in

truth only craving who she was reminding him of. "That'll be perfect, Swordmistress. I'll meet you here."

She laughed, "You didn't even ask how much I offered..."
Keel shrugged slightly, biting back a smile as he took a blatant look at her body. "I'm sure that

whatever you were willing to spend is more than acceptable, Swordmistress."

She gave him a lustful glance before she walked off, nearly walking into someone before she

chuckled and turned her attention to where she was going. Keel lowered his head to try and hide the fact he
was staring at a pair of muscular thighs that were attached to an absolutely perfect ass. He growled in
frustration as he walked into the building, closing the door behind himself.

When he was on his way to the desk they had started to jokingly call Keel's prison, he head Rudi's

moan and his feet slowed. He brought his eyes along the floor to the door that led to the lounge, currently
empty because of the hour. Everyone from the guild had been busy in one fashion or another the night
before, which made him more than a little curious who she was with. He silently walked to the edge of the
doorway and peeked inside, a surprised smile on his face when he found her with Shiro.

Keel shook his head and went to the desk full of offers, plucking the one off of the top with his

name on it. He folded it and put it in his pocket when Shiro stormed out of the lounge, covered in sweat,
his hat, and nothing else. He had Rudi in his hand, towing her along behind him for a few feet before he
laid his eyes on her and decided to continue. He pulled her up to himself and slammed her against the wall,
licking and biting at her as he slid inside of her again. Rudi's nails clawed at the wall as she pressed herself
back on him, lustful eyes on Keel for a moment before she chuckled. "Pervert."

Keel sighed, "I'm not the one having sex in the entryway."
Shiro moved against her like he had when he had been dancing, Keel sadly having a perfect view

of her as her face twisted with pleasure and she came. When Shiro rested his head behind hers he started to
speak to Keel, "I'll have someone bring those by the house later..." He let out a low groan as he reached
around her and started to work her clit, smiling when she started to moan louder. He glanced at Keel,
panting as he slowed for a moment. He wet his lips, laughing under his breath when he found Keel sitting
and translating them despite the loud sex happening a few feet from his desk. He wasn't looking at them
anymore, focused on his work. Shiro chuckled, "Let me know if we're distracting you."

Keel glared at him and sighed as he shook his head, then looked back down, quickly penning the

first offer. "Not at all."

Shiro grinned, halfheartedly moving against Rudi. "I said I'll have someone bring them by later.

You don't have to do that now."

Keel pulled the folded offer from his pocket and held it up for him to see as he read the one in

front of him. "I'm accepting an offer that starts first thing in the morning. I won't have time to do them,
since she wants me for a few days. I need to get started now." He finally met Shiro's eyes, ruffling the
edge of the stack of mismatched paper beside him. "Unless you want to translate these yourself while I'm
away?"

Shiro shook his head, "In that case we'll move upstairs..."
Rudi growled, keeping herself against him when he tried to move away.
Without hesitation he slapped her ass, "Stop. He's doing me a favor. Go wait on my bed."
She glowered at him, "Which one? You sleep in so many it's hard to recall which is actually

yours..."

He cocked an eyebrow, running his fingers around her tail, tugging on it teasingly. "You know

damn well where I sleep. Get up there, or I might opt to take a much needed nap before we go to your
'establishment' instead."

She sighed, glaring at Keel as she let Shiro back away and stalked towards the stairs. "Thanks."
Keel bowed his head, "Sorry."
Once she was gone, Shiro walked up to Keel's desk and leaned on it, watching him work for a

moment. "I didn't think you'd put any stock in someone like her."

Keel shrugged, "I didn't realize you wouldn't."
Shiro cocked an eyebrow, "My thanks just the same. I'd offer to take her bar off your hands, but I

assume you're not gonna let me do that."

Keel wore a knowing smile, "It's already turning a hell of a profit, isn't it? Maybe you should be

more accepting in the future when someone brings up an idea..."

Shiro bobbed his head, then sighed. "You're taking an offer for tomorrow?"
Keel hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."
"What's the name?"
"Swordmistress Liyn. She's Sahrketh."
Shiro's brow sank, about to ask more when the sound of purring attracted his attention. He looked

to the stairs, where Rudi's feathery tail was dragging around the edge of the wall in plain sight. "Sounds
good, have fun. If you need anything you know where I'll be."

Keel ventured a guess, "Underneath or on top of Rudi?"
Shiro winked, making his way up the stairs and dragging his fingers along her tail until he

disappeared from sight.

Chapter Forty-Eight

Shiro's battle cry brought a scream from the crowd of performers that had packed into Rudi's new

club, music coming from the back of the stage loud enough that it could be heard outside and down the
street. He clapped his hands over his head, everyone joining him with enthusiasm as they danced against
each other. With a liquor-induced giggle he started to dance, his hands on his body as he worked his hips
to the beat. Rudi threw the curtain at the back of the stage to the side, storming the catwalk with a playful
smile. When she came up to Shiro she plucked his hat from his head and gave him a hard shove, countless
hands grabbing him to cushion his fall as she picked up where he had left off.

Keel laughed when she used one long ear to knock his hat to cover her eyes, a wicked and fanged

smile on her pale lips as she turned and clapped, her tail whipping around dangerously as she did. She
worked her hips to the floor, then put a palm flat on the catwalk and raised her ass, her tail curled behind
her as she bounced her body to the beat. When she stood she whipped her hair over her head, which
knocked Shiro's hat free. Before it hit the floor she had caught it with her tail and brought it to one hand,
tossing it up and catching it on her head.

She winked and laughed in response to the hysterics that this entire act had thrown people into.

She didn't have enough time to loosen a single button on her shirt before Shiro had come up behind her. He
bit his lip as he tentatively took his hat with two fingers, then shoved her forward in hopes of knocking her
off of the catwalk. Much to the surprise of everyone there she grabbed the pole at the end of the catwalk
and swung, snatching the hat back with a far-too-sweet smile on her face.

Keel was distracted when he felt Kaji's hand on his body, his face already turning to kiss him

before he could see him. Kaji moaned with pure enjoyment as Keel slid his arms over his shoulders and
held him close, Keel grinding his hips against him in a way that promised a great night. Keel sucked on his
lower lip, his hips pressed against Kaji and shimmying down over his thigh to the music. Kaji flushed and
moaned, his eyes heavy with anticipation as he spun Keel and pressed himself against him through their
clothes.

Keel's mouth fell open as he panted, aroused enough that Kaji could very easily just bend him over

the bar and he wouldn't offer a single complaint. Instead, he put his lips next to Keel's ear, his low voice
coming out in a hot whisper against his skin that had him flushed. "Loki's not in the house right now..."

Keel nodded, taking Kaji's hand and dragging him to the door. Kaji glanced at their joined hands

and smiled, thinking that perhaps Azil had been a good choice. This was the first occasion they were in
plain view of the public that Keel had shown anything bordering on affection. He amended that thought;
the first time outside of the Palace. Keel led him back to the house and as soon as he had hit the door shut
he turned and pulled Kaji against himself, tearing his own pants lower so he could place Kaji's hand on
him.

Kaji let out a sigh of approval, his eyes heavy with arousal as he leaned into a kiss with Keel that

had them both moaning. He pulled away from him for an instant, shaking his head with a smile. "Gods
help me, I love you..."

Keel flushed, but met Kaji's eyes with a smile before he bit his lips. He let out a grunt of a laugh

as he put his lips right up against Kaji's, a long line spoken in another language that Kaji didn't know. Kaji
laughed, certain that he'd just given him the reply he wanted, only had done it in a way that allowed him the
option to deny it if he was asked.

"I wonder how many years it'll take for you to look me in the eye and tell me that without blushing

like a fool?"

Keel's flush got worse and he shrugged, "You don't even know what I said."
Kaji nodded slowly, dragging his fingers up Keel's body so that he could caress his cheek. "Yeah,

I think I do."

Keel wet his lips, not denying anything as he stared at Kaji's tattoos and started to unbuckle his

belt for him. "I hate to sound like a whore, but I want to move to the bed..."

Kaji closed his eyes for a mere moment to savor the request, then ushered Keel up the stairs,

listening to the house to ensure they were alone. No need to let Loki hear Keel moan unless absolutely
necessary. Satisfied that Loki was gone, he closed the door to their bedroom and pulled his shirt over his
head, Keel's eyes heavy with arousal at the sight of his muscle stretching and coming into view. Keel had
already stripped and sat himself of the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his hands on the bed at his
sides. Kaji kicked off his boots and stepped out of his pants, smiling as he came to the edge of the bed and
rested his erection on Keel's face.

The sight of Keel's lively green eyes staring up at him as he let out his tongue was enough to make

Kaji groan before he had even done anything. Keel smiled as he licked him from base to tip, closing his
eyes as he turned his head and slid Kaji into his mouth in one fluid motion. He was well versed with his
tongue, something Kaji was reminded of as his own lips parted and he started to pant. When Keel's fingers
climbed his thighs and traced the tattoos there, he put his hands on Keel's cheeks and pulled away from
him.

Keel arched a golden eyebrow at him, curious to know why he had stopped him until Kaji climbed

on top of him and kissed him. His heart started to race as he heard Kaji toss a bottle of lubricant aside,
shortly followed by Kaji's strong hands taking hold of his legs and tearing them aside. As Kaji sat up he
sank inside of him, Keel letting out a surprised moan as he met Kaji's eyes. "Hurry..."

Kaji bit back a smile as he started to move, studying Keel's face as he held his legs open and

slammed inside of him. After a few minutes he decided that he'd rather have Keel on top of him, and with
no warning he laid on him and rolled, Keel blinking stupidly for a moment as he found he had been moved.

What Kaji hadn't expected was for Keel to sit up and spread his legs, touching himself and

cupping his balls so that Kaji could see where he was penetrating him. Downcast green eyes with hair of
gold and ivory skin, his cheeks pink with embarrassment as he put himself on display for Kaji's eyes. It
was enough to have Kaji shifting his weight in anticipation, his brow low as he ran his fingertips up the
inside of Keel's thighs and coaxed him to start moving. Keel let out a soft moan as he moved his feet
beside Kaji, sliding one hand up to Kaji's chest as he leaned forward and started to move.

Kaji shook his head and wore a halfhearted grin, still unable to help but wonder how exactly he

had caught Keel's attention, only glad that he had. Keel saw him admiring him and his cheeks reddened as
he moaned, not looking away as he typically would. Instead, Keel started to work for his own pleasure, his
body moving against Kaji quickly and fluidly enough that Kaji grabbed his hip and thrust into him every
time he sank down to him. When he felt his own climax coming he paused for a mere instant, then started
to move Keel with his hands, closing his eyes and savoring the sounds he was letting out. When Keel
swore under his breath and whispered Kaji's name, he buried himself and pulled Keel to lay on him, kissing
his face religiously as he moaned and came inside of him. Keel's mouth was hanging open, his eyes
clenched in perverse enjoyment as he finished himself with his hand.

Kaji wet his lips as he caught his breath, then turned Keel to face him and kissed him, the two

breathing heavily as a shudder of pleasure ran his pale body.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Keel groaned when the curtains were pulled aside, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the

bright mid-morning light. Since Kaji's arm was still slung over his bare torso, he made the effort of looking
to see who it was that had come into their room. Rudi's waving tail gave her away despite the low light of
the corner beside the window. "Rudi, what are you doing?" He felt her climb onto the end of the bed, his
eyes closed as he felt her toss Kaji's arm aside and lay herself on top of him. "You know, I would think
you'd be tired after last night, sweetheart."

She chuckled, playing with his hair for a moment before she kissed his face, "Actually, I was

asked to get you both up. Shiro wanted to know if you were still accepting that offer, and Kaji's mistress is
waiting for him."

Keel groaned. He had barely spent any time thinking about the job at hand, too busy with Kaji

and his work to dwell on why he had accepted Liyn's offer. When Rudi used that rough tongue on his
cheek he made a face and shoved her slightly, remembering why he didn't keep cats. "I'm up!" She purred
and kissed down the side of his face, her lips on his neck until he flushed and opened his eyes. "Rudi?"

"Mmm?"
He smirked, "Get off of me."
She groaned and sat up, glaring at him for a moment before her lip curled. "You're no manner of

fun at all..." Her eyes climbed Kaji's body and she started to smile.

"Don't even think about it. He has a woman waiting for him."
She growled and rolled her eyes as she climbed off of the bed. "I see how it is."
Kaji covered his head with a pillow, Keel smiling as he grabbed it from him and he merely

replaced it with his hand. He glanced at Rudi and pointed at the door. "We'll be down in a few minutes."

She nodded and wandered out the door, leaving Kaji to Keel since he was being a pain.
Keel eyed Kaji as he tried to sleep, smiling at the kanji on his face. He shoved his shoulder,

"Hey."

Kaji raised an eyebrow, groaning for a moment before he turned and cracked one eye open to

make sure it was Keel next to him. "What?"

"That offer. How many days was it for?"
Kaji rubbed at his face, "Two days, I think. Why?"
Keel shrugged. He knew why he wanted Liyn, and it was pathetic enough that he was

reconsidering. "I'm wondering if I should perhaps decline that one that came for me..."

Kaji chuckled. "Probably should just take it. I won't be much use when I get back and you're such

a pervert; the wait will drive you to madness."

Keel sighed, his eyes drifting across the room. It was intended as a joke, he was sure, but he didn't

exactly want to spend two days in a house with Loki when Kaji was absent either. "I guess I'll keep it
then." He looked back to Kaji, "The offer was for an extra day, though."

Kaji shrugged, "So long as you come back eventually..." He smiled at Keel and turned, planting a

kiss on his lips before he rolled off of the bed and went for the washroom to ready himself. When they
were on their way to the building, Keel's Swordmistress ran into them, a pleased smile on her face when he
went to her side and looped an arm around her waist.

Kaji raised a hand in parting, forcing a smile as he watched Keel wander off with a woman who

looked remarkably like Kura. As soon as Keel was wrapped up in a conversation with her, Kaji took a
moment to eye her, raising one crimson eyebrow at the serpent that ran her arm. An unusual tattoo for
anyone who worked in the Palace; they believed that snakes worked only to cause harm. He glanced at her
face and let out a disinterested laugh, then turned and wandered into Shiro's building to meet his own
mistress.

Chapter Fifty

As soon as the train slowed, Jade stepped off of it, walking quickly through the streets with a

small piece of paper in her hand. It only had one thing written on it; Loki's address in Azil. Since it was
festival season she felt that finding suitable lodging would be near impossible. As disturbing as the idea of
dealing with Loki was, she was certain she could handle him easier than many of the locals. She eyed the
house with a small laugh. Of course it was huge; he seemed to always want to outdo anyone at a glance,
likely the reason that the estate in Kinakah was too large to walk without a map. She turned onto the
walkway, checking to ensure that it was the right number before she slipped the paper into her armor.

When she was about to knock, the door opened, Jade wide-eyed as she stared at Rudi. The two

both inspected the face they were presented with as if shocked that the other was there. Rudi cocked her
head to one side, Jade raised one platinum eyebrow.

Finally Jade spoke, even if she didn't move when she did, still frozen with her fist hovering over

where the door had been moments beforehand. "I think I have the wrong address."

Rudi shrugged, blinking a few times as she eyed Jade. "Who are you looking for?"
She sighed and eyed the number on the house again. "I was looking for Grandmaster Arada... It

seems my information was incorrect."

Rudi shook her head, "No, this is his house."
Jade eyed Rudi with more than a little skepticism. "Is he here?"
Rudi looked at Jade as if she were worried for her mental health and nodded as she moved aside

and held out an arm for her to enter. "Yeah, he was eating, last I checked." Once Jade had moved inside,
she pulled her heavy cloak off and slung it over an arm, holding it out for Rudi to take. Rudi eyed it with a
smirk. "I don't think we've met. My name's Rudi, I'm a friend of Keel and Kaji's."

Jade paled, "Headmistress Jade Arkarvita." She shifted her weight, taking the cloak back because

this was apparently not a demented looking servant as she had initially assumed. "Keel and Kaji are still in
Azil?"

Rudi nodded, not understanding why that would be a problem. "They're apparently not back yet,

but Kaji should return shortly. Keel will probably be along either this evening or tomorrow morning." She
bowed her head as she pointed past Jade, "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my work."

Jade's brow sank on her face and she nodded, moving aside and letting Rudi pass with a look of

shock. She absentmindedly tossed her cloak over a couch as she stormed through Loki's house uninvited.
When she found him he was just starting to stretch and paused at the sight of her, as if he didn't believe she
was there.

"Jade?"
She nodded and sat on the edge of the fountain in his garden, her eyes narrow as she went over

what she knew and what she had just learned. "I was wondering if you had any room for me here, but your
housecat just told me that you still have both Keel and Kaji staying here as well... I thought they would've
moved on from Azil since the Festival."

Loki made a dismissive gesture with his hands, thinking for a moment that she had come to

announce that she had done what she set out to do and was joining him on holiday. "She's not my housecat,
she just wanders in when she pleases." He came up to her and crouched in front of her, on eye level with
her when he smiled and ran his fingers across her pale skin. "I told you, you can use my bed whenever you
want."

She let out a grunt of a laugh, "You think I came here to see you?"
He paled, his eyes darting around as if there could be no other explanation. "Why are you here

then?"

She sighed, "Enara."
Loki's brow twisted. "She's still alive?"
Jade nodded, "She fled Daiban. Probably knew I was there."
"You think she's here in Azil? During a festival season?"
Jade nodded, pulling the canister that was strapped to her thigh and offering it up to him. "I'll

trade; sex for help."

Loki gave her a sadistic grin, "I never asked for help you sick pervert."
She grinned and nodded. "Jokes. Always jokes with you." She flicked some of her hair away

from her view, staring into his eyes with amusement. "I offered what you would ask for, didn't I?"

"Always business with you." He sighed, "I'll help you find her, but if what I uncover is useful,

you're going to have to give me more than a night of pleasure." When she raised a brow he elaborated. "I
want at least three."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Help me kill the bitch and I might even take you up on that

relationship you endlessly ask for."

Loki flushed, his hands reaching for the canister and prying it open instantly so that he could go

over what she had found. "Tell me what you know."

Jade spent a moment enjoying the look on his face before she stood and started to strip off her

armor. "She left Daiban sometime last week, but the contact she had there sent a message to Azil for her.
She had a map of the Palace with a few patrols mapped out on it... Whether she's here or not, someone here
knows where to head next and that's enough for me."

Loki nodded, his eyes scanning the papers with thought. "Was she ever actually in Daiban or was

her contact there merely that?"

Jade chuckled, "Oh, she was there. Her taste for brandy gave her away."
Loki looked to Jade, asking if she were serious with his teal eyes. "Brandy?"
Jade nodded, "She likes a type of cognac that has to be shipped overseas. Since it's hard to find

she pays well and buys it crates at a time." Jade helped herself to some of the grapes that were resting atop
a bowl of fruit on the table in the garden. "It's called Hanyou gold, it used to be used as currency over
there."

Loki nodded, busying himself with setting the papers back in the canister and retrieving his sword.

"As a good a place to start as any."

"Where's Keel?"
Loki made a dismissive gesture, glad for the answer that he had. "Laid out on a bed somewhere.

He started to accept offers again, evidently..."

Jade thought about that, not caring so much that he was sleeping around, but instead worried by

the possibility that Enara had found him. "Has he been away for long?'

Loki thought for a moment, his expression wary as he glanced at her. "A few days..."
Jade shifted her weight, "When he returns, tell him to head back to Kinakah. I don't think she's

actually still here, or would come all the way here looking for him. But, if she does stumble across him, I
don't think she'd pass up the opportunity either..."

Loki nodded in agreement, strapping on his swordbelt as he bent and grabbed his boots. "I'll send

him back as soon as I see him."

When he went to leave, Jade looked at him questioningly. "Where are you going?"
Loki smiled at her over his shoulder, his eyes on her body. "I want my reward, so I'm going to go

and ask around at the pier on the south end. Care to join me?"

Jade paused for a long moment. "If I had realized that the prospect of having me for more than a

night would motivate you so easily, I would've absolutely abused the fact before."

Loki laughed, "There's still plenty of time for you to abuse me. Foreplay later," he held up the

canister, "time to work."

Chapter Fifty-One

As Jade and Loki busied themselves with terrifying the locals, Kaji was wandering into a lounge

in search of a distraction. Rudi had disappeared to work on her business, Shiro was laid out on a bed
somewhere and Keel was still with his Swordmistress. It left the house far too empty considering that two
other people lived there. He sighed as he sank onto one of the lounge chairs, a scantily clad young lady
bringing a glass of wine to him without him so much as having to speak. He slid down in the chair and
stared at the chandelier for awhile, thankful that there was enough business that he remained unnoticed. As
he was sipping his wine he noticed the Swordmistress that Keel had accepted the offer from, a smile at his
lips as he looked around for Keel's choppy blonde hair; the fastest way to spot him.

After a minute he sat up more, turning and checking at the bar. He wasn't with her. Kaji's brow

knit as he looked back at her, his eyes wide when he saw her flirt with a young man from town and slap her
hand on his ass. Kaji wet his lips, considering the situation. He had taken many unusual clients, but here in
Azil there was no reason for Keel to be left in a room, since this woman was clearly not on business. In
fact, the reason she had wanted him for three days was allegedly so that she could enjoy him to her hearts
content. It stood to reason that she would keep him with her unless he was physically injured or asleep.
Not to mention, he was certain that Keel would have kept her satisfied enough that she wouldn't be out
flirting with others while she had him laying in her bed.

Against his better judgment, Kaji stood and moved closer, keeping his eyes away as he

eavesdropped. He sighed when he heard her say that she had no plans for the night, confused. When she
went to leave he grabbed her arm, checking to make sure she had the same tattoo he had spied on the
Swordmistress that had taken Keel.

"Excuse me, Swordmistress. I hate to pry, but... Where's Keel?"
She blinked at him stupidly, then as if remembering something she smiled. "Don't you worry. I

plan to enjoy him again later. He asked me to bring a man back with me; make the evening more fun. You
understand." She winked at him, thinking the flush on his face was caused by the thought of what would be
happening and not from blind outrage.

"You're lying."
She paled, her brow knit as she tore her arm from his grasp. "Why would I lie?"
Kaji growled. "That's an excellent question."
She appraised Kaji quickly with her eyes, almost judging if she could take him should a fight

break out between the two. "Mind who you're talking to, Onya. I could murder you where you stand
without batting an eye."

Kaji almost retorted that such an act would be incredibly stupid considering that they were staying

with Loki, but he bit his tongue. If he said too much, she would disappear. With Keel under her
questionable care, that wasn't an option he was willing to consider. Even though he was far larger than she
was, the possibility that she was actually a Swordmistress meant that trying to do anything on his own
would be foolish. He spoke through his teeth, "My apologies, Swordmistress. Enjoy your evening."

Liyn wore a smug grin as she looped her arm around the man she had lured to her side and

wandered off. Once she was outside, Kaji left as well. He slapped the back of a passing message runner
and pointed at her. "A bag of gold if you follow her and report to the Arada estate where she ends up."

The boy eyed Kaji and then quickly found the woman, nodding. He smiled, well aware of the guy

with red hair and scribbles on his face and how much he overtipped. "For two I can have the city watch
her."

"Done." The boy immediately set out in her direction, Kaji watching as she turned onto a street

and his messenger nonchalantly followed. As soon as they had left his sight he made his way to Shiro's
establishment, ripping the door open hard enough that it nearly came off of it's hinges.

Shiro had been sitting on Keel's favorite desk and paging through the offers that had collected for

him, but when he heard the door he brought his eyes up in time to see Kaji jogging into the room. He had
never seen Kaji look anything other than content, aroused or amused, and it made his heart race.

"What is it?"
Kaji grabbed stacks of papers and paged through them quickly, only to discard them and search

the next. "The offer Keel accepted, where is it?"

Shiro thought for a moment, raising one palm in confusion, "He has it with him." He saw Kaji

grab the edge of the desk and hang his head between his shoulders, his jaw set in anger. Shiro climbed off

of the desk, dropping his stack of offers across the floor so that he could grab Kaji's shoulders and turn him
to himself. "What happened?"

Kaji quickly went over what had transpired in the lounge, and when he spoke of her comment that

Keel had asked for another man to be brought in, Shiro's eyes widened. After seeing how nervous Keel
could be when approached by another man even with Kaji at his side, he knew it to be a poor lie as well as
Kaji had. Shiro sighed, snapping his fingers to attract everyone's attention. "I'm unavailable until further
notice." He grabbed his hat and slapped it over his hair as he dragged Kaji into the street with him and
towards Loki's house.

"Where are we going?"
Shiro wet his lips. "We're going to wait until your messenger comes back with her location, then

I'm going to have a discussion with the bitch."

Kaji shook his head slightly, "She's a Swordmistress, Shiro. She'll just kill you."
Shiro set a pair of unsettling yellow eyes on Kaji, his tone seething with anger. "Perhaps you've

forgotten that I'm responsible for anything that happens to the people I send out, but I haven't." He sighed,
shaking his head, "I was distracted when he told me about her, this is my fault."

Kaji rubbed at his head, upset enough that his hand was shaking. He recalled reassuring Keel that

he should take the offer, which when he thought about it, was suspicious in more ways than one. The
woman had looked too much like Kura, had even smelled like her when Kaji had grabbed her arm in the
lounge. She was bait, meant to lure Keel away from Loki's house and away from Kaji's overprotective
eyes. "Keel never let anyone know he was accepting offers..."

Shiro considered that, "Are you sure?"
Kaji nodded as they walked, "He implied that it was wrong to charge if he enjoyed himself."
Shiro cocked his head to the side, "Someone who knew him at the Palace did this."
Kaji added, "Someone who knew he was Kura's favorite as well."
Kaji was about to go over a list of people that may have been upset with Keel from his time at the

Palace when he spied Jade and Loki. The pair were talking under their breath, apparently concerned about
something as they approached the house. Jade was shaking her head when Kaji's boots hitting the
pavement attracted her attention, the look on his face enough to make her pause. She held up a hand, her
voice stressed when she saw that Keel wasn't with Kaji, "Where's Keel? He's supposed to be back by now,
isn't he?"

Kaji's brow knit as he looked between Jade and Loki, his voice showing stress like it never had.

He was never told what had happened with Enara, had in fact never even discovered that she hadn't been
killed. The look in Jade's eyes was enough to make him pale, because she was scared of something and
asking about Keel. "He's gone..."

Chapter Fifty-Two

Keel slowly opened his eyes, closing them again as the bright light coming in through the skylight

sent a sharp pain through his head. He groaned, rolling his head on his shoulders, his body apparently tied
to something, not that it was too uncommon for him. Even so, he had no idea where he was or even how he
had gotten there. He had walked into an apartment house with Liyn, had barely put his hands on her when
his memory abruptly ended.

“You’re finally awake?”
His brow knit, his head far too heavy to lift and his eyes misleadingly painful. He knew the voice

but couldn‘t place it, only certain that it wasn’t the woman that had bought him for the next few days. It
was one that his body apparently knew as well, since a shudder ran his spine when he heard it. “Who are
you?” He groaned, realizing he had asked in his own language and not theirs.

When he was about to speak again the voice rang out a second time, using his language with ease,

“I'd think you’d remember me. I have to say I’m insulted.”

He paled, his breath coming faster as he finally placed the voice. He whined, “Enara…”
Enara smiled, “There you go.” She finally stood from her couch, dropping her book since she

now had something far more interesting to entertain herself with.

Keel closed his eyes tighter and shook his head, pulling timidly at his bonds and shifting his

weight on the bondage table he was tied to, shaking from fear and adrenaline as he registered how horrible
this situation could be. “If you do anything to me, Jade will kill you without a second thought.” He left out
the fact that Jade was planning on doing that anyway, hoping it would at least make her reconsider
whatever she had planned, even if only for a moment.

She laughed and trailed a fingernail from his groin up to his chin, “Well, I plan on her finding you,

but by the time she does I’ll be long gone.” She chuckled, the sound enough to make Keel's skin crawl,
"And so will you, if all goes according to plan." Her hungry eyes fell over his very exposed body, a smile
coming to her lips. “Do you know why none of the Akana Onya wanted to accept my offers?”

“Because you’re out of your fucking mind.”
She shrugged, eying the plethora of tools she had laid out on the dining table. “Not entirely. They

were scared. The most beautiful thing in the world to me is a man on the brink of death begging for
pleasure. Granted it takes days to get to that point, and if I miscalculate…" She laughed under her breath,
almost companionable as she smiled at him. "But, that is somewhat the point isn’t it?” Her smile widened
as she watched his face twist into one of absolute fear.

Keel remained silent, not wanting to give her any ammunition because he was well aware of what

she could do with any sort of phrase uttered carelessly. She had started a war over Lassieta claiming she
didn't care for her job; he could only imagine what she could do with what he could tell her about the things
happening at the Palace now. When he felt her fingers press against him he clenched his teeth, trying as
hard as he could to keep from getting hard for this woman despite the fact they both knew it was impossible
for him to control what his body would naturally do. She manipulated his body easily, eliciting whimpers
of defeat from her captive as soon as he responded, a few discreet tears as she finished.

“Relax now. I would hate for you to warp my equation by overexerting yourself.”
He hissed at her through his teeth. “There's a special place in hell for you.”
She laughed, “Oh I’m sure there is.”

Chapter Fifty-Three

When Kaji had engaged in an argument with Jade over why Kaji hadn't been told about the

underlying threat, Shiro had moved to Loki's bar. The two were taking shots every few minutes in the
silence, the quiet only broken when one of them would raise their voice from the foyer to talk over each
other. Shiro cleared his throat as he poured some bourbon for Loki, "This 'Enara...' Is it the one I heard
about a few years back?"

Loki nodded slightly. "Yeah." He sighed, "She's not what I would call pleasant company."
Shiro glanced at Kaji when he heard him let out an aggravated sigh, then redirected his attention to

his drink, playing with it for a moment to keep himself focused. "Dangerous?"

Loki considered, then nodded. "More dangerous with her mouth than her hands. She had a

reputation for accidentally hurting some Onya before we realized what she had done."

Shiro sighed, shaking his head. "He should've told me."
Loki nodded in agreement, downing the shot before he slid off of the stool. "Wish he had told

Kaji, actually. Not a fun surprise for him, I'm sure." Loki walked to the front door, turning and gesturing
towards the house. "Keep an eye out, I'll be back shortly."

Jade's brow knit, abandoning her halfhearted argument to speak to Loki instead. "Where are you

going?"

Loki glanced at the clock, then met her eyes, "They should know by now where she was shipping

that brandy."

Jade sighed and nodded, her eyes drifting to Kaji, who was staring off at nothing in particular with

worry. "It'll be alright, Kaji."

His eyes snapped to her in the meanest glare he had ever set on another person. "Don't treat me

like a child, I know what she can do."

Jade cocked an eyebrow, lifting her head and running her knuckle along the scar from where

Enara's pet monster had hooked her like a fish. "I believe I do as well."

Kaji rolled his eyes, hating that she was right. When a knock came he tore the door open, relieved

that his message runner had returned. He was about to ask when the boy started to speak.

"There's an apartment house behind the Hanyou Blacksmith on the south end. She's in there."
Kaji gripped the boys shoulders harder than he meant to as he brought his face to eye level with

him. "Did you see a blonde man there? Almost my height but slender?"

The boy made a face and gave Kaji a dismissive shake of his head, "No, she had plenty of men

there, but none of them were blonde."

Kaji swore, motioning to the gold on the table as he wandered a few steps away and clutched at

his hair. "Where the hell could she have taken him?"

Shiro stood and stretched, then wet his lips, his face showing thought as he wandered through the

room to the door, "I'll go talk to her."

Kaji nodded, nearly hitting into Shiro as he tried to join him, only Shiro held up a hand and shook

his head, nearly apologetic. Kaji glared at him, "I'm going with you."

"I don't think that would be wise. Out of all of us I believe I can command the most honesty from

anyone. I haven't applied myself in years with my voice... When I do..." He shrugged, looking towards
the road, "It would be easier for me and faster for everyone if I went alone."

Kaji sank his face into one hand, nodding slowly. "Promise me that you'll be thorough and

quick?"

Shiro nodded, and with that he was out the door. As he walked he pulled one of his cigarettes,

closing his eyes as he struck a match and lit it. He walked the streets from memory alone, people moving
out of his way as he let out a large cloud of smoke and started to whisper a chant under his breath. When
he opened his eyes he kept them cast towards the cobblestone street, focusing on his voice and trying to get
it to cut like a knife, the way it used to before he had decided to apply it only to sex.

By the time he arrived the sounds coming out of him had people moving away rapidly. He finally

looked up, leaning to look down an alley at the apartment house that had been mentioned. He was familiar
with it; he had bought Rudi outside of it from a slaver that conducted his business there. Two burly men
with far too much hair and little appeal were conversing outside of it. When they turned to Shiro and went
to stop him he glanced at one, then the other. His voice came out like the crack of a whip when he
muttered at them, "Sleep."

As he walked into the building he heard them both fall to the cobblestones, shaking his head

because it was so easy to deal with them that it would be unfair under other circumstances.

Chapter Fifty-Four

Enara smiled up at Keel from between his legs, admiring the way he shook with either fear or pure

hatred when she dragged her tongue along the barbell she had pierced him with. She couldn't tell which it
was that earned her a reaction, nor did she care. He winced when she tugged at it with her teeth, looking
away from her as he whimpered. It hurt, there was no question of that. The only problem was that she had
been tormenting men for years and had her ways of keeping them hard, whether they wanted to be or not.
The threat that she would rip it out if he disobeyed her had encouraged Keel to focus on what pleasure she
did give him. Such as the toy she had slid into him shortly after they had stopped exchanging words. The
gag in his mouth had been welcomed, because at least she had stopped demanding replies from him.

The piercing had been done as a punishment when he refused to moan for her, connected to the

matching pair of barbells that graced his nipples by a delicate chain. He shook when she tugged at it, his
eyes watering when he felt her move the toy inside of him. He had stopped looking at her long beforehand,
but when she walked away, he couldn't help but glance at her.

"Oyinaru?"
Keel glanced to the bed in the corner, where two young men had been sleeping tangled together.

One reared his head, his strawberry hair distorted from sleeping in an unusual position. "Yeah?"

"Give me a hand with this?"
He nodded, yawning as he came to her side. He met Keel's eyes and smiled at him when he found

him nearly begging for help, raising one eyebrow as if asking if he were joking. After a moment he turned
his attention to Enara again. "What're you doing?"

She had moved over by the fireplace, her hand on something as she muttered. "I want to make

sure he remembers where he stands. So much pride for a whore."

He laughed, "You want me to hold him?"
She smiled, "I want him to watch."
Keel's brow knit as he saw her raise a glowing branding iron, shaking his head frantically as he

tore at his bonds, screaming into the gag as Oyinaru put his hands on the side of his face and held him still.
His chest started to heave and he cried openly, struggling as best he could as she took a gentle hold of his
erection and met his eyes. "Deep breath, Onya. This one's going to hurt."

Chapter Fifty-Five

Shiro fanned out a long line of papers across the table in Loki's house, his eyes on each for only a

brief instant. He tapped the one that caught his eyes, his voice hoarse and quiet. "The woman who had
made the offer has been caught in a human trafficking ring in the last ten years. The record was gone, so it
took some work to find out, but she's apparently been at it since. She said it was a pair of twins that had
paid her for Keel. Young men, human, identical. They paid her well with precise instructions regarding
how she would need to present herself to lure him into accepting her offer. Oyinaru, and she didn't know
the name of the other one. Turns out it was Ixnyn. I followed the names and description and found out
some disturbing shit on the two of them. They were blacklisted from our clientele for violent behavior with
one of our members before we even formed."

He sighed and leaned against the table, meeting Loki's eyes since Jade was busy staring at Kaji's

worried face. "She said they had her deliver him unconscious and untouched to the station yesterday
morning. They only paid through to Kinakah. When I went to the station, one of the clerks remembered
them. It seemed that they were heading for a warmer climate, and were discussing it with the young man
before they boarded."

Loki wet his lips. "You're telling me that the bitch is bringing him back to the Sahrketh territory?"
Shiro nodded once. "It seems that way." He pulled a folded piece of paper from his back pocket.

"The only bag they had sent ahead was sent to an address that's only an hour from the Palace itself."

Loki nodded, "I want to know where that Swordmistress is."
Shiro raised a brow, nearly hesitant. "Why?"
Loki grit his teeth, "I want to kill her. Immediately."
Shiro rolled his head on his shoulders, his eyes downcast. "You can't."
Kaji glared at Shiro, wondering for a moment if he had the audacity to defend or protect her.

"Why?"

Shiro sighed his answer. "Because I did."
Kaji paused, then sighed. "How?"
Shiro shrugged, "I told her to hold her breath. It was something to see..." He eyed the information

he had gathered, "You better not miss that train. On foot it's a month to walk and horses aren't much
faster."

Loki nodded, tossing his keys to Shiro, "Lock up when you leave, hand the keys to Asha when she

comes to clean."

Shiro bowed his head, offering a hand to Kaji when he passed by. "Safe journey."
Kaji nodded absentmindedly as he shouldered his way past Shiro, too distracted by current events

to be polite. Two days until they would reach Stourand, nearly another before they could get to the Palace.
The thought had him biting his lip hard enough that he could taste blood.

Chapter Fifty-Six

Keel cried constantly now, his throat hoarse with it after the last two days, his body exhausted and

unable to fight back for various reasons, not the least of which being that she denied him food. Only water.
She had brought out a good deal of her ‘toys’ already, but there were still a few waiting for when he was
weaker, such as the straight razor she had left open on the table in such a way that it would catch the
slightest light and gleam directly in his eye. So, trying to preserve his sanity, he refused to look anymore.

Enara eyed his already deteriorating form with pleased eyes, “You really are perfect Keel, I can

see why everyone wanted you so badly.”

He sobbed, “Stop… Please… I’ll do whatever you want, just stop!”
She laughed under her breath as if the claim was ridiculous. “This is what I want you to do.” She

dropped the weight of the whip from her fingers, holding the handle firmly. “This is going to hurt, Keel.
You can scream if you want.”

When she cracked the whip against his back he couldn’t help but scream, his body lunging

forward from where he was now hanging. She'd had him moved the last time he had fallen unconscious so
that he was still firmly tied in place, but on his feet. He caught his breath, his head hanging and his face
twisted in pain. She was waiting until the initial bite of the whip had started to relent so that she could do it
again. What worried him, was that she was starting to get the reaction she wanted. Even a bullwhip, which
was only used as an act of discipline, was making him aroused.

He shook his head, wondering why this was happening to him, why nobody had noticed a missing

Swordmistress at least and come looking for him as well. He was a valuable asset. Shiro's business still
needed him for translating at the very least, he had made himself useful. He let out a groan as he wondered
if Kaji had even noticed yet, a glance at the skylight only letting him know the time of day even if he
couldn't exactly tell which day it was.

Another crack of the whip. His body tensed and he tried to move away from it as it landed and

split his skin again. He sobbed once, then clenched his eyes and teeth closed, not wanting to give her the
pleasure of hearing his voice unless he couldn’t contain it. Perhaps someone had arranged this, someone
who hated Keel as much as Enara, although nobody came to mind. He had stopped screaming for help the
night prior when Enara had given him to the twins, two virile and perverse young humans who had an
addiction to sharp carnal pleasures that nearly put Enara to shame. He groaned when he remembered
eyeing one of them, trying to convince him to help him. In retrospect, he would've had a better chance at
talking Enara down.

At first he had screamed for Kura, and at one point he was certain he had even called for Kaji, as

impossible as it would be for him to come for Keel seeing as he was currently with a mistress or two. He
had prayed, something that he hadn’t done since his mother had died. Now he was whining the names of
all of his past lovers in desperation, Lassieta included as he sobbed and heaved.

When the whip struck again he screamed, the sound ending in a sob that went silent, his voice

nearly destroyed. One of the twins shifted his weight on the sofa, rousing his brother as he looked to Keel
with a smile. Their names had been given but Keel had ignored them, figuring that it was easier to just
remember to despise their existence. Keel caught his breath, tense and waiting for the whip again with
hands gripping the chains he was hanging from tightly.

“It seems the boys want you again.”
Keel stared at the twins, his mouth hanging open and dry from his wails. He tried to back away as

best he could, shaking his head vigorously as he stared at them in fear. “No… Not again…”

Enara coiled the whip around her arm as she walked in front of him, appraising the state he was in

with an expertise that Keel found disturbing. She nodded slightly and grabbed the gag Keel hated the most
already. The toy inside of it was removable, but would hold his jaw open, a hole in it for one of the twins
to use his mouth without fear of him getting any ideas. Not that they had used his mouth much anyway. In
the end they had decided the night prior to both use something else, simultaneously. It had made Keel try
to suffocate himself in the pillows. Only, when he had managed to knock himself out they had pulled
smelling salts and he was bound where he was currently hanging to bar the chance of another suicide
attempt. Keel shook his head and screamed in anger and terror in every language he could, not even sure
what he was saying aside from blatantly refusing. But, Enara had her ways. She grabbed the barbell in his
erection and pulled gently, stopping his thrashing immediately.

“Calm down or I'll rip it out and put another in. You know I will if you make me.”

Keel froze, staring at her much like he had over the last two days. The amount of blood he would

lose would make him weak, but probably not kill him, so he stopped. He closed his eyes and sobbed as she
put the harness on his face, slipping two fingers into his now forcefully opened mouth and gagging him
slightly just to demonstrate that she could. Keel stared at her with tears in his eyes, wondering what he
could’ve possibly done to deserve this. Of course he knew the answer; he had been able to contend with
her, and then had even had the bad taste to mock her directly after he had proven himself useful. He was
merely a tool she would use to inflict pain on everyone that had been involved; a warning perhaps. He
cried now as the twins approached more out of general panic than self-pity. He assumed he would have
plenty more time for that. The twins didn’t exactly work fast.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Jade was perched in a tree, her face tense as she pulled out a collapsible scope and whipped it in

her wrist, the mechanism sliding to its full length from the harsh movement. When she put it to her eye she
gasped, able to place Keel’s blonde hair anywhere. She felt a spike of adrenaline as she saw the way he
was hanging by his arms, the fact that he stopped breathing, then gasped for air, his body frail as if he had
been on a hunger strike. When she felt someone crawl up onto the branch behind herself Jade lowered the
scope, glancing once to ensure it was Loki before she looked again, “Took you long enough to get here.”

“I’m sorry, it took everything I had to try and keep Lassieta from following me. Is this it?”
She considered, biting her lip, “Yeah he’s in there, so she is as well. Lets go get him.”
Loki glanced at the property, where pairs of young women were walking the perimeter with

miscellaneous weapons, then back at Jade. “You don’t want to try and take out her guards first... That’s
somewhat rash of you.”

Jade paused, the scope lowered for a moment as she wondered if Keel would even survive if they

did get him now, let alone took the time to single out guards. “You can handle it.” She slid the scope back
in her pocket, then grabbed the tree branch, falling off of the side of it and hanging by her one arm for a
moment so that she could land the way she wanted on the jungle floor.

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Enara smiled at Keel over her glass of brandy, sitting back on her sofa with her legs crossed,

bobbing one foot, nearly impatient. This was a waiting game that she was playing, and she was determined
to win it, if at all possible. He had stopped moving, his body starting to shut down after days of endless
strain with no nourishment. She had a schedule to keep, so to hasten the process, she had handed over the
straight razor to the twins that morning. Her eyes dropped to the blood on the floor and she rolled her head
to one side.

"Keel?"
He made no attempt to move, his eyes barely cracked open when he heard her voice. After a

moment he realized she wasn't going to continue talking until she heard a response. Since he felt that the
only punishment for disobedience she had left was to simply kill him, he ignored her, instead listening to
his erratic heartbeat. He glanced at her and started to heave when he saw her flip the straight razor open
again, making a pitiful attempt to form a sound when she approached him.

The crash of glass in the hallway caught her attention, but when she turned Keel was still staring at

the razor, trembling without any intelligent thought in his head. His eyes never left the blade as she quickly
grabbed his chin and pointed his face at her own. "Open your mouth."

Keel didn't react, still staring at the gleam on the razor even when she slipped a finger between his

lips and tried to force his jaw down. He set his jaw, finally looking her in the eye as the door was ripped
from it's hinges. She didn't even flinch, glowering at him as she put the razor inside of his mouth,
determined to do what she had threatened even if it meant that she was putting herself in danger. A look of
surprise and above all hatred came across her face as blood came from her clenched teeth, Keel not noticing
much as the side of his mouth was sliced by her shaking hand, the razor falling to the floor with a fresh
stream of blood dripping from his lips.

She spat her mouthful of blood onto Loki as he tore her away from Keel, all she had time to do

before he backhanded her and sent her flying into the floor. When she struggled to get up she pulled the
dagger from the side of her neck, tearing at the floor as she glared at Loki through her hair. She tried to say
something, which proved impossible with the amount of blood she was choking on. Loki wiped his face
with his hand and looked at the blood on his fingers, then delicately stepped on her robes to keep her in
place.

Jade came running into the room, sweat on her brow as she glanced down and saw Enara. A look

of pure insanity flashed in her eyes, Loki wearing an appreciative grin as she ran to Enara and straddled
her. He watched as Jade tore into her, bare hands and brutal strikes her choice of weapon as the spots of
the snow leopard started to show on her pale skin. When Enara stopped moving, Loki pulled his sword and
offered the hilt forward, Jade's hands finding it over her shoulder. She was panting as she spun the blade,
staring at Enara as she held it with both hands over her head. "Look at me."

Enara did, incoherent eyes on Jade for a mere instant before she saw was coming. Nobody

flinched at the sound of the blade hitting the marble underneath her, all glad to have her dead.

Keel watched the life drain out of her, staring because he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't

get back up. He didn't blink, his eyes wide as he watched her blood pool under her body, vaguely aware of
Jade's voice tried to attract his attention.

"Keel! Look at me!!"
When he didn't seem capable of responding, Jade pressed her ear to his chest, her brow knit as she

heard his heartbeat. He stopped breathing for a few erratic beats of his strained heart, then gasped in some
air, his chest heaving as his head lolled to one side and finally fell forward.

Loki studied Keel for a long minute with a pale face, then stepped closer. "Move aside."
Jade obediently took a step back, Loki sliding an arm around Keel and sighing when he started to

hyperventilate at the feel of Loki's hand. He hushed him, lifting him slightly as his other hand unbelted his
wrists. As soon as he was free he went slack in Loki's arm, Loki glancing down at his face barely in time
to see him drift unconscious. He glanced around, laying Keel carefully on the bed as Jade started to tear
apart one of the sheets. He almost asked why until he glanced down at his arm, curious to know why it was
wet, and found it dripping with blood. He took a step back and looked at what Enara had done and his
breath caught in his throat. "He's bleeding out..."

Jade nodded, tying tourniquets where she could and hastily bandaging what she couldn't. "You go

on ahead with him, I'll be right behind you."

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Kaji had been pacing the foyer despite Lassieta's outright command that he stay with her, too upset

to endure small talk and half-assed reassurances that everything would be fine. They had dealt with Enara,
but not like Kaji had. He knew the extent of her twisted mind, and therefore felt that he knew better. Jade
surely did as well, because when they had parted ways she had said nothing. As if Lassieta's optimism
wasn't grating enough, Kura had been in the suite as well. Nobody had elected to tell her what had
happened because she would be uncontrollable when she found out. In light of the situation, she was one
of the last people that he wanted to deal with. He knew Lassieta had wanted to spare him the heartbreak if
Keel should return only to be prepared for a pyre, but he felt that he needed to see what had happened even
if that was the case. After all, he had promised Keel that he would be there for him at all times.

Masune stood by his side, the two occasionally glancing at each other in tense silence as the sun

slowly made it's way over the Palace. When she ran to the door, Kaji had been pacing by the salon and
nearly tripped as he ran past her, Loki's charger racing down the path to the Palace covered in a thick froth
from exertion. Kaji strained to see through the distance, only able to spot a dark crimson blanket in Loki's
massive arm.

He let out a pained whimper, expecting the worst and shaking his head already. "Did you find

him?"

Loki ran the horse into the foyer and gestured for Kaji to come closer, sliding Keel into his arms

only long enough to dismount before he carefully peeled the comforter off of his face. "Yeah, we found
him..."

Kaji's face twisted in disbelief as he saw Keel. He was too thin, too pale. The gash on the side of

his lip was still trickling blood down his chin, which only served to make his skin look that much more
pallid. Kaji's lips searched for words and constantly came up short. Loki averted his eyes. Kaji didn't say
what he wanted, namely that they had wasted too much time. The weight of the body in his arms was
wrong, far too light. He choked on a groan, his face tense as he bit his lip and studied Keel's expression.

When Kaji traced a finger over Keel's eyebrow, everyone was surprised that Keel reacted. He

flinched and pulled away from Kaji's hand, screaming with a voice that was so hoarse it didn't sound
human anymore as he blindly pushed him away. Kaji jumped, stunned into a state of uselessness as Loki
immediately hoisted Keel into his arms and ran him into the infirmary. Masune chased after him and
barked orders wildly to the staff she had assembled, quickly bending over him as they laid him out on a
table. She had also apparently assumed he had died on the trip back, because her voice was startled as she
went to work on him.

Jade came up slowly, dismounting outside the gate with a remorseful expression on her face.

Enara's body was carelessly thrown over the saddle of her own charger, blood staining the horse's chestnut
coat. She sat on the floor next to Kaji for a moment, the two staring with wide eyes at the infirmary door as
Masune and her staff struggled with not only Keel, but Loki as well. He was trying to help, but his size
alone provided more of a hindrance than anything else. Seeing Keel was absolutely impossible, too many
people huddled around him and hurrying to do what Masune was demanding. After a moment Jade cleared
her throat, glancing at Kaji. "I should go and tell Lassieta that we've returned. Why don't you come with
me?"

Kaji shook his head, staring at the infirmary door. "I'm not moving until I know what's going to

happen to him."

Jade almost voiced her opinion that he wasn't looking at the same man he had known, but instead

nodded and pat Kaji's shoulder as she made her way towards the stairs. He had enough to cope with, and
he hadn't even seen what the blanket was hiding.

Chapter Sixty

Lassieta sat with her eyes closed and her arms crossed over her chest, ignoring Kura's burning

stare as best she could. Kura had finally stopped vying for information when every question was greeted
with a nod or a shake of Lassieta's head. It wasn't until Jade slipped quietly into the room that Lassieta did
anything, standing in a way that made Kura believe that she was prepared for terrible news. Jade quietly
took a seat at the table, taking a bottle of wine from the crate before she did. "We've returned."

Lassieta nodded slowly, studying Jade's expression. "And?"
"She's dead. He's downstairs. Go see for yourself."
Kura felt her pulse quicken at the mention of a man, only one person that she could readily think

of that Lassieta would want her to stay away from. Her eyes darted between the two of them, her voice
stressed. "It's Keel, isn't it?"

Lassieta locked eyes with her, "Yeah."
Kura paled, not liking the way that Lassieta was looking at her, a far too familiar the tone in her

voice. Like the times that she had come to Kura with news of a death they didn't care for. "What happened
to him?"

Jade glared at her, spitting her words with more anger than Kura had ever seen her show. "Enara

did. You two were so caught up in the fight that you let the bitch escape, and now I can't even find out
what she'd been planning!"

As Lassieta started to argue the statement that Enara's escape was her error, Kura felt her anger

spike and she slammed a fist on the table to attract their attention. "What did she do to him?"

Jade stood and leaned on the table, the look on her face actually frightening enough that Kura

backed away from her. "It may be easier to ask what she hasn't done. If he lives, I'll be amazed." With
that she bowed her head at Kura, letting her enjoy that information, since Jade felt that Kura had acted like
a child and therefore, also had a share of the blame.

Kura's eyes searched the balcony as she started to shake her head, about to walk to the door when

Lassieta grabbed her wrist. She swung at her, but Lassieta pulled away from her fist as Jade joined her in
restraining the woman. "Let me go! I'll kill you Lassieta! I swear!"

Lassieta snapped at her, "You have no business being down there! You'll be more obnoxious than

helpful, and you relinquished your legal right to be present in this situation when you discarded him!"

Kura paused, her eyes wide as she relaxed in the four arms that were holding her. "Let go of me."
Lassieta gave her a stern glare. "If you so much as greet Kaji or go near the infirmary, I will

relieve you of your position. Do you understand?"

Kura glared at her, "Why? I only want to know what's happening to him!"
"Because the only person who may know something to help Jade figure out what Enara was about,

happens to be the young man who's dying downstairs. And right now especially, he doesn't need you."

Kura slumped, hiding her face as best she could until they released her. When Lassieta's grip

loosened she flung her arm away, standing at her full height to stare at her friend with hurt eyes.
Eventually she glanced at Jade, then turned and made her way into the Akana, taking the long route to go
down the stairs into the foyer. Since she could tell Lassieta wasn't merely threatening her, she set her eyes
on the corpse thrown over Jade's saddle. Her boots started to clap against the marble faster as she neared
the horse, which was being held by a confused and disgusted servant. When she came to his side she
shoved him hard enough that he fell to the ground, her armored fingers tearing into Enara's robes as she
eyed the trees overhead.

Jade was only barely coming down the stairwell when she looked up, cocking one eyebrow at

what Kura had done. Enara had been hung from the trees that were outside the palace, bloody and on
display for all to see. The fact that she had managed to suspend her directly over the doorway was both
gruesome and impressive. It must've taken her some time to accomplish it; the trees were moderately far
from the door and she had needed countless ropes make sure she stayed exactly in the center of the entrance
until Kura deemed her dead enough.

Jade took a deep breath when she found Kura standing in the center of the front walkway, her

hands bloody as she stared up at Enara's body. "A little showy, isn't it?"

Kura snapped, "I don't think so."
Jade raised a hand, taking a step back. "I thought you should know that one of the reports from

yesterday listed eight missing Akana members; all veterans."

Kura glared at Jade, sadly interested in the claim. It was an attempt to distract her from Keel with

her job, and to her dismay, it worked. "Are you sure they didn't miscalculate? Eight missing is unheard
of..."

Jade shrugged, "It's possible. I have someone checking on it now." She took a deep breath as she

glanced up at the woman hanging over their heads, shaking her own. "She was doing something..."

Kura averted her eyes, groaning as she rubbed at her head. "Doesn't matter. She's dead now."
Jade shifted her weight uneasily. "Yeah. But she made no attempt to run." The two locked eyes,

Kura's brow twisted with concern. "Loki didn't sneak into that room, I wasn't willing to waste the time
getting in there. She knew we were outside her door, and she didn't move. Instead, she went after Keel
again."

Kura closed her eyes as she heard this, then shrugged, "She's always been hell bent on making a

point. I don't see why it warrants concern."

Jade cocked an eyebrow, "Because she let us kill her." She shook her head with confusion, "Like

she had already won... Now we have missing Akana members, and the top tier of the Palace is too busy
waiting to see what will happen with Keel to give too much thought to anything else..." She sighed, "It
doesn't add up, we're missing something. Keep your eyes open."

Kura bowed her head, then her eyes snapped to Jade. "You think that Keel will come around and

be able to tell you what happened?"

Jade's eyes went wide and her face paled, then she slowly shook her head. "I don't think so." She

went to leave, but paused, her face turned to the side so that Kura could hear her clearly, "Keep an eye out,
as I said. It is my opinion, that Keel was used as a distraction." She glanced at her, then walked away.

Chapter Sixty-One

Kaji finally stood when Masune came out of the infirmary, her expression unreadable as she

wiped her bloody hands on a soapy towel. "How is he?"

She glanced at him, then sighed, "He's alive, and asleep."
Kaji eyed her warily, "Will he be okay?"
At this she hesitated, then shook her head an shrugged. "I don't know. I tried to get some food

into him, but he's not exactly cooperating. I'll try again later..." She started to walk, motioning for him to
follow. "They're moving him up to the vacant room beside Jade's. I'll be staying in there until he's dead or
stable. I assume you'll want to be present as well?"

Kaji nodded, "Yes..." He swallowed the knot in his throat, hesitating for a moment. He would

have his answer eventually, but felt that maybe he should know before he laid his eyes on Keel what to
expect. "How bad is he?"

Masune made a face that didn't sit well with Kaji. The woman had amputated limbs and had

people die in her arms before, so for her to think that it was serious was extremely unsettling. "He's lost a
lot of blood. His heart's having some trouble. Had to get it started again at one point, but it did and he's not
bleeding anymore... We'll know in a day or two if he'll be capable of coming around."

Kaji felt a low noise escape him, "Did he say anything?"
Masune paled, eyeing Kaji apprehensively. "A few things. He's not all there right now, some of

them made no sense. We kept losing him." She sighed and shook her head, muttering as she did,
"Probably better that he gets the rest anyway..."

Kaji wet his lips, too curious for his own good. "What sort of things did he say?"
Masune tensed, her brow low as she looked at Kaji. "To start with, she was planning to cut out his

tongue. He started begging one of my aides to stop her."

Kaji stared at Masune, not seeing her at all as the idea of what that would do to Keel weighed on

him. A translator who couldn't speak. It would be worse for Keel than death. Kaji's lips looked for
something to say, but after a few tries he gave up. When an aide came to Masune's side and announced that
they had settled Keel in the room she had mentioned, he raced up the stairs, tearing the door open so that he
could lay his eyes on him.

Because of the heat of the evening, they had left the sheets at the foot of the bed, giving Kaji a

great view of the collage of wounds that covered his torso and arms. Masune had ordered that they put
pants on him despite the severe wounds inflicted on his lower half, unsure how he would cope with that if
he came around and saw it. Kaji whimpered as he came up to the side of the bed, pulling a bandage askew
slightly. When he saw a barbaric line of stitches he set it back in place and slipped onto the sheets next to
Keel, staring at his chest as it rose and fell.

He dragged the knuckle of his finger down Keel's bicep as he looked at how thin he'd become. He

hadn't eaten since the morning they had gone to Rudi's. His skin was incredibly pale, and to add to his
concern, every breath Keel took seemed to take too much effort. Masune slipped into the room and closed
the door he had neglected.

"I um... I have someone making something we can give him while he's out. I might need your

help though..."

Kaji nodded, bringing his face forward and pressing his mouth against Keel's shoulder. His neck

was bruised badly, nearly purple in some places with the perfect print of the hands that had been wrapped
around him. He didn't smell right either, the scent of his skin covered by the crisp odor of antiseptic.
When he went to take Keel's hand into his own, Keel winced and flinched. He glanced down at the bony
fingers in his own and a long whine escaped him when he saw that he'd been clawing with them, trying to
get away until he'd destroyed his fingertips. He closed his eyes and rested his hand on his shoulder instead,
listening to him breathe until Masune returned.

Chapter Sixty-Two

Kura had only barely received the confirmation that the eight Akana members that Jade had

spoken of were indeed gone when another Akana member came running to her in the halls, her face pale
and her expression urgent.

"Headmistress!"
Kura glanced at the report and folded it, slipping it into her back pocket. "More missing?"
The woman slowed, nodding as if confused. The fact that Kura had expected such unsettled her,

and it showed in her voice, "Three more from the Akana, and one of the towns bordering the mines was
raided two days ago, we just found out."

Kura sighed, "I'm more worried about our companions than some missing diamond..."
The woman hesitated, "They didn't loot..."
Kura looked at her as if she had misheard her. "What did they take?"
The one word she said put Kura on edge instantly, "Veterans."
Kura wet her lips, nodding slowly. She pointed down the hall, "I want every remaining Akana

member to pick a partner for their rounds, double up on Lassieta and keep her balcony and skylight sealed.
Constant check-ins. Patrols near the prisons are to cease immediately. Let the common guards handle it."

She nodded, jogging off to implement Kura's command as Kura went in search of Jade and Loki.

She found them both in the same place, standing guard in the hallway that led to Lassieta and their own
rooms, as well as the previously vacant spare suite. Loki glanced up when she approached, as usual the
first to spot what was out of place.

"Trouble, Headmistress?"
Kura hesitantly nodded her head. "More missing. Have either of you heard anything?"
Jade shook her head, Loki following suit shortly afterwards.
Kura took a breath to speak, but paled and froze when she heard the door behind her rip open and

Masune call for ether. The reason was obvious when she heard a broken but familiar voice sobbing in
every language she had ever heard, manic and irrational. Her breath caught and she closed her eyes,
shaking her head until Masune ran back inside and the crying slowly faded into nothingness. She waited
until Masune sighed and ordered the door closed to turn and shake her head, "Someone is collecting people
experienced with war... I thought maybe you could figure out why. If you do, I'll be in the bar."

Chapter Sixty-Three

Kaji hadn't slept in what felt like years, worried that Keel would come around when he eventually

did pass out. He had spent the first day making sure Keel was still breathing, but on the second day Keel
had woken in a panic and become frantic enough that Masune had opted to knock him out. He had only
been awake for a few moments at best ever since. They had been trying to get food into Keel for the better
part of a week, but every time they had managed so much as a morsel he would end up curled around a
bucket shortly after, his body unable to handle even a clear broth for more than a few minutes. Masune had
assured him that even that would keep him from starving to death, but the thought hadn't brought him any
peace yet.

Kaji's brow sank on his forehead when Keel started to jerk in his sleep, his body twisting in a way

that didn't sit well with him. He glanced over at Masune, who had only just decided to catch what rest she
could, and decided not to wake her. It was a common enough occurrence that he opted to see if Keel would
even wake with his nightmare. When he did, Kaji jumped, Keel's hands clapping onto his own gaunt face
as he shook his head and let out a terrified cry.

Kaji gasped, shaking his head as well as he reached forward and took Keel's hands from where he

was tearing at his hair. "It's alright... Come on, breathe."

Masune had woken as most of the Palace had when Keel had let out his shrill scream, her face

more than exhausted as she stood and made her way to the door. She talked over her shoulder as she
slipped out of the room, "Calm him down if you can. We should try to get something into him while he's
up."

Kaji nodded, talking slowly and carefully to Keel, as he would to a wild animal. "Come on, deep

breath."

Keel started to hyperventilate, shaking his head frantically and speaking in a multitude of

languages that Kaji had no hope of understanding. Incoherent eyes met Kaji with confusion. Keel's breath
hitched for a mere moment and then he started to sob. Kaji groaned and gently pulled Keel against his
chest, petting his hair carefully for a few moments as he tried to convince him to relax. He sighed when
Keel started to weakly attempt to pull away from him.

Since the typical assurances that he was safe seemed to have no effect, he sighed, checking to

make sure that Masune was still away before he put his lips next to Keel's ear and sang to him. He only
knew a few songs, and had picked the one from his own childhood because he was certain that it was the
furthest from Enara he could get in Keel's recollection. Sadly, it starred a boy and his scruffy dog, but Keel
didn't seem to care what the topic was.

Keel's chest slowly stopped heaving with cries as he listened to Kaji's voice, his brow knit before

tears started to fall constantly. Kaji brushed them aside as often as he could, startled when Keel said the
first sentence that made any sense, already halfway asleep. "I miss you..."

Kaji closed his eyes, his lips twisted with pain as he nodded, "Yeah, I miss you too." He saw Keel

start to slip back into his broken sleep and regrettably shook his head. He rolled Keel so that his face was
in his hands, completely dead weight. "Keel, wake up."

Keel's brow knit, clearly confused by the command. His mouth fell open and he looked around, a

tremor wracking his frail body for a moment when he tried to sit up on his own. He asked something in a
language that Kaji didn't catch, then wet his lips, panting as he focused his eyes on Kaji's face, eyeing his
tattoos especially. "...Kaji?"

Kaji flushed, nodding once as he blinked stupidly at Keel. It was the first time Keel had so much

as recognized anyone, and against his better judgment Kaji started to hope that he was getting close to
recovering his wits. "Yeah, I'm here."

Keel let out a low and wounded whine as he leaned against Kaji, clinging to him tightly. He

buried his face in Kaji's chest, chanting apologies as he started to cry again. Kaji felt his throat tighten as
he stroked Keel's back and pet his hair, wondering if this was the first coherent moment that Keel had or if
he was still delirious.

Masune slipped back inside the door after a minute, a bowl of steaming broth in her hands as she

came to the side of the bed. "Keel? I need you to drink this."

Keel shook his head, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion when he did finally manage a

reply. "It can wait..."

Kaji let out a sigh of relief, pulling Keel onto his lap as he rocked with him, his eyes on the ceiling

to thank whichever god had brought Keel back from the edge. He buried his face in Keel's hair and took a
deep breath, nearly moaning at the scent of him as he cradled him in his arms. "It's alright..."

Masune wet her lips, trying the reasonable approach as she had thousands of times with little

success. "Keel? Can you look at me?"

Keel tensed, then slowly glanced at her over his shoulder, still plastered to Kaji. Against Kaji's

broad and healthy tan chest, Keel looked even worse than he had in the bed for the last few days. Smaller
than anyone should ever be with a complexion that made him look like a corpse. His bloodshot, glassy
eyes surveyed Masune, hinting at recognition as he stared at her. "What?"

She held up the bowl so he could see it. "You haven't eaten hardly anything in over a week.

You're confused, and you're still healing. You need to have this."

He stared at it for a brief instant, then shook his head, set on falling asleep in Kaji's arms. Kaji had

to intervene and turn him so that he was facing Masune, then reached for the bowl. "Give it here." Masune
nodded, watching with exhaustion as Kaji coaxed Keel to sit up. He whispered to Keel, "Come on. At
least try."

Keel shook his head, his eyes heavy with fatigue. "I'm too tired..."
Kaji sighed, "For me?"
Keel glanced up at him, trying hard to process the request. He timidly took the bowl and went to

drink it down, Kaji stopping him after each sip to make sure it wasn't making him ill. Once Keel had tasted
it, he was hungry for it, even let out a low sound as he finished the bowl. Kaji kissed his forehead when he
had finished, finding Keel more awake then he had been before. Even the taste of sustenance, no matter
how mild, had convinced his body to rouse for a few minutes.

Keel blinked as if the light was too bright, his brow knit as he sat up and rubbed at his eyes. When

he caught sight of his hands, he paused, then slowly shook his head. Bruised fingertips, scrapes and rope
burn. They didn't look like they belonged to him anymore. He groaned, his eyes on the bruises and marks
on his deathly thin wrists. His body was weak and painful, his throat burning. He closed his eyes for a
long enough span of time that Kaji wondered if he had fallen asleep. In truth, he was taking an inventory of
what hurt and where. He suddenly looked at Kaji, a question at his lips that nobody had expected. "What
happened?"

Masune's eyes went wide and her face blanched. "That's not good."
Kaji looked at her, worried, "Why?"
Keel started to jog his memory. "We were in Rudi's... Then there was that woman..." He shook

his head, his lips parted and his eyes narrow for a moment.

Masune tried to get his attention, her tone urgent, "Never mind that, Keel. Get some sleep, we'll

talk when you wake up."

Keel ignored her request and held one slim finger up to her, searching the room for anything to

spark a memory. Nothing seemed inspiring, until he set his eyes on the glass of brandy Masune had been
nursing and the image of Enara smiling over one exactly like it came to mind. When he did remember, it
all came back at once and he held his breath, shaking his head as his eyes watered uncontrollably. Panic
suddenly gripped him, and he scrambled to the head of the bed, nearly frantic. He slammed into the
headboard with his back a few times before he absentmindedly realized that he had reached a wall, then he
gripped the sheets in front of himself and froze, his eyes wide and his lips trembling. "Oh my god... I..."
He shook his head once, looking at Kaji as if asking if he were real. "I... She..." He looked down at
himself, at the stitches and wounds upon wounds that marred his flesh, as if to confirm that he was correct.
He shook, gasping for air as his heart pounded.

Masune tried to move into his vision, worried that his heart would fail on him again if he didn't

stop. "Keel, you need to calm down. You're not in any condition to deal with this right now."

Keel didn't seem to even hear her, his breath growing rapid as he trembled and went over what had

happened. When he started to touch the parts of him that had been injured, Masune made her way to the
table at the edge of the room and grabbed a bottle of ether, holding it up for Kaji to see, as if asking his
permission. Kaji glanced at Keel, unsure what to do.

It wasn't until Keel wore a completely lost expression and slowly looked to the open balcony

doors that Kaji realized what Masune feared. He hadn't thought it would be possible, not with Keel. Then
again, he still didn't know what had happened when Enara had him. Only Masune knew the extent of what
had transpired, and even then, only physically. Keel's gaze snapped to Kaji, his eyes wide before he darted

towards the doors. Kaji barely made it there before him and struggled to keep Keel inside of the room,
Keel screaming in absolute fury as he tore at the wall and tried to throw himself over the edge.

Masune's voice rang out, calling for help as she doused a rag. He saw what she had done even as

he tried to slip past Kaji, something he would've had no luck in doing even at his peak. He stared at the
cloth in her hands as if it were a dagger, shaking his head frantically. He whined, his eyes wide and tears
streaming his face, "Don't... Please don't..."

She held up the cloth. "It'll make you calm down."
Keel pursed his lips, crying as he looked at it. Finally he shook his head, still swatting weakly at

Kaji's arms. He tore at Kaji, eventually sliding to his knees as he weakly slapped at him, his voice nearly
inaudible and horrified. "I can't handle this..."

Kaji knelt and pulled him closer as he stopped fighting him, pointing Keel's face at his own as his

thumb wiped tears from his cheeks. "Yes, you can."

Keel groaned, locking eyes with Kaji and completely sincere as he choked out a few words

through grit teeth. "I don't want to."

Masune's staff had entered as they had their brief discussion, Loki and Jade standing at the door

with concerned faces. Masune sighed, rubbing at her head with her free hand for a moment. "Keel, I don't
want to drug you, but don't think for a moment that I won't if it'll keep you alive. Try to calm down,
please..."

Kaji's expression was still shocked as he stared at Keel, not a single thought eager to occupy his

mind as he watched the man he loved shrink away from everyone and curl into a ball on the floor, his arms
folded over his face as he silently sobbed. Kaji glanced at the other faces in the room, looking for help and
finding none. Jade and Loki had averted their eyes, apparently unable to handle the sight despite the fact
that they both murdered for a living. Masune's aides were fidgeting, waiting for orders of what they should
be doing, and Masune herself was more than just exhausted. Finally Kaji sank to the floor next to Keel and
went to curl his arms around him.

Keel pulled his eyes up over his forearms, glaring at Kaji for a long moment before he put his

hand flat on Kaji's chest and shoved him away. Kaji looked at him questioningly, wounded by the gesture.
Keel ignored the hurt expression on Kaji's face, settling back into the position he had been in for a long
moment. In truth he wanted Kaji, but Kaji had just denied him his freedom, and after what he had just been
through the thought was inexcusable. After a few minutes he looked at Kaji again, his eyes watering anew
as he reached for him, his arm weak enough that it dropped to the floor as he did. "I'm sorry..."

Kaji rubbed at his face for a long moment, then slid back to Keel, holding him and burying his

face in his hair for a second time. He nodded, switching to Yunan to speak. He knew well enough that
none of them could speak it except maybe Jade, and since they weren't willing to try anymore, he felt that
they had no right to understand the conversation. Maybe that was why Keel had been rambling in every
tongue he could through the week. "No need to apologize, you did nothing wrong..."

Keel leaned against him, his eyes mostly closed and his expression dead to the world for a long

moment. Masune saw the fight in him had died and let out a long sigh as she pointed at the doors to the
balcony, addressing an aide quickly. "Lock those and take the key with you when you go." As soon as
they had started to file out, she turned and fell back onto the couch, already asleep when she relaxed her
head on the edge.

Loki hesitantly looked at Kaji, and surprisingly was the first to break eye contact. He hadn't been

allowed to be in the room unless called for, but hadn't tried to be either. In his opinion, the man that he had
once been friends with was gone, and he had already given up. The thought alone made him feel guilty and
inferior, and now he flushed under Kaji's heavy and accusatory stare, backing out of the room quickly. He
towed Jade with him for a few feet before she ripped his fingers from her arm. "I'll be along in a minute.
You go ahead."

Loki nodded, eager to escape the sight of Keel and Kaji tangled on the floor. "Don't be long."
Jade glared at him as if he were a fool as the door closed, then sighed, pulling her weapons off of

her hips and from her various holsters. She tossed them onto a table across the room because she could
guess why Keel had been trying to get on the balcony and she didn't want to give him another chance to
attempt anything of the sort. When she timidly walked to Kaji's side he stared at her, unsure what she
could possibly want. Jade saw him looking and offered no words of comfort, instead crouching beside
them. "Have you eaten?"

Kaji nodded, glancing at Keel with a sigh. "Yeah, we finally got some food into him just a few

minutes ago."

"I meant you."
Kaji raised a brow and glanced at her. He had to think about his answer, probably not a good sign.

"Not today, no."

She nodded once, stretching her arms towards Keel as she gestured with her chin. "Go tell the

prick to get you some food. I'll take care of him for a few minutes, if you'll let me."

Kaji pulled Keel tighter against himself, "I'm not leaving."
Jade sighed, about to retort that he'd be little help taking care of Keel if he didn't take care of

himself when Keel glared at her. His rough voice cut like a knife, "You can ask for food, can't you?"

Jade's eyes went wide as she saw Keel looking at her as if he didn't trust her. She pressed her lips

together, her brow low as she nodded. "Yeah..." She sighed as she stood, her eyes cast aside as she
registered that she was being rejected as a source of comfort. She gave them a curt nod, then turned and
left without another word.

Once she was gone, Keel pulled Kaji's arm across his chest, leaning back on him on the floor.

Kaji stroked his hair, the repetitive motion relaxing Keel as he tried to keep from thinking about what had
happened. After what felt like forever, Kaji cleared his throat, "We should probably move onto the bed."

"I can't... My legs..." He gasped a breath, letting it out as a low whine.
Kaji groaned, his voice quiet. "You're still healing, you can't stay here on the floor."
Keel closed his eyes, able to feel the burn of fresh stitches in so many places that he didn't want.

His lips twisted and he nodded. Without adrenaline, his legs were useless, and Kaji ended up carrying him
to the bed and laying him across it before he climbed next to him and propped himself up on one elbow.
His eyes found the marks on Keel's neck, the bruising still visible that stretched to the slices that were
stitched together at his side. Claw marks were almost healed under the stitches, and led to where fingers
had bruised their image into Keel's bony hips.

Keel glanced at Kaji, and saw where he was looking, his trembling fingers tentatively touching his

side. He tried to remember what blade had caused the wound, his brow low before he heard Kaji's deep
voice.

"Keel?" He met Kaji's eyes, distracted from his thoughts. Kaji shook his head, "Don't." Keel

sighed and nodded, relaxing against the pillow and staring at the ceiling. Kaji traced his ring finger over
Keel's eyebrow, but pulled his hand away when it made Keel shudder. "I'm sorry..."

Keel had used what energy he had, too mentally exhausted to even cry now. Instead he stared at

the ceiling with dead eyes, and it took him long enough to register that Kaji had spoken that he no longer
could figure out why he had apologized at all. By the time Jade opened the door and a servant came in with
a cart stacked high with everything edible that the kitchen likely had, Keel was asleep.

Chapter Sixty-Four

Kaji's breath was on Keel's arm when he woke up, and after checking to make sure it was him, he

closed his eyes again. Kaji was sleeping peacefully, but judging by the look on his face it was more due to
the fact that he had nothing left to run off of than anything else. When Keel took a deep breath and let it
out, it came out as a shudder, the stitches on his side pulling uncomfortably at every movement.

He had recalled what Enara had done to him physically the afternoon prior, but now he started to

go over what had happened in full. He had started off hoping that someone would come for him. He knew
at the time that Kaji couldn't. Enara would've murdered him on sight. Even so, everyone else he dealt with
here had served in the military and could've easily come to his aid.

He tried to remind himself that they had no way of knowing that he was missing, but he

remembered something else immediately. Jade, telling him to be careful because she would be too far
away to help him. Kura, who he had angered Enara for, had left him and was probably going about her
business as usual, perhaps even ignorant of the event that had led to Keel's current state. She had let him
translate that meeting because she had assumed she would be there to protect him, and because she had
reasoned that Enara would be dead before they had left.

He shook slightly as he remembered calling for Kura, his face flushed because that was perhaps

the last person who would've come for him in retrospect. His thoughts started to drift wildly, his mind
sluggish. After a few minutes of growing panic, he sat up and held his head, groaning.

Masune looked up from the orders she had been writing up for medicines, her brow knit as she

watched him. "Keel?"

He didn't move, instead hunched over with his head in his hands as he waited for her to continue

with another request that he either eat or sleep. Since she never said anything afterwards he came to the
conclusion that she wanted to hear his voice, something he wasn't eager to offer for various reasons. Not
the least of which was the fact that his throat was still raw from all of the exertion it had suffered recently.
Finally he managed to croak out, "What?"

"How are you feeling?"
He looked to her as if asking if she were being funny. "Really? You can't guess how I'm feeling?"
She smirked at his attitude, a good sign in her opinion. She rolled her head on her shoulders. "I

meant physically."

He shrugged, "Everything is excruciating, sore or exhausted."
"Do you want something to help you relax?"
He shook his head, "I've had enough drugs recently, I believe..."
She wanted to keep him talking, so she gestured to Kaji, one of the only things in the room that

Keel didn't seem to mind on the rare occasion he had woken long enough to look around. "Kaji hasn't left
your side for more than a minute."

Keel laid his eyes on Kaji, slowly nodding. He started to think about that, his face twisted with

pain when he wondered if he would ever be able to give Kaji the attention he deserved again. Not to
mention Kaji had always called him beautiful, and he felt such a claim was a lie now, in every way it could
be. He let the weight of what had happened to him sink in, ashamed not because it had happened, but more
because Enara had been right. By the end, he was enjoying what little pleasure she allowed him, even if
only in body. The fact that he had done exactly what she wanted with no control whatsoever had shown
him a large part of himself that disgusted him. He was now the person that he would never want to meet,
or so much as talk to. "He deserves better..."

Masune quickly changed topics, since this one had soured. "He needs the sleep. Why not come

join me over here?"

Keel nodded absentmindedly as he slowly rose from the bed and dragged his feet to the table,

carefully setting himself in the chair and blinking away a wave of lightheadedness. He found himself in
front of a tray piled high with various foods, and even though the prepared dishes had gone cold hours
beforehand, he stared at them as if someone would take them away at any moment. Masune saw him
looking and held out a hand for him to help himself. As Keel put a finger on a plate and dragged it in front
of himself she called for an aide and asked for fresh food to be sent up. Keel barely heard her, savoring the
first bite of actual food he could remember. It was cold, the texture was terrible and it was under seasoned.
Also, possibly the best wildfowl he had ever tasted. It occurred to him that he would likely have the same
reaction to a stale piece of bread, and he let out a grunt of a laugh, busying himself with eating as much as
he could before a steaming plate replaced the one in front of him.

He glanced up at the girl that had set it down, uttering a half-assed thanks before he turned his

attention back to his food. When he glanced up he saw Masune watching him with a nearly motherly
expression, his bite of food halfway to his lips as he froze. He sighed, averting his eyes as he tried to
decide if he was willing to engage in polite conversation or just ignore her. Since she had been taking care
of him tirelessly, he opted for the civil choice. There was much he didn't know anyway, and she would
probably tell him. "Who came for me?"

Masune sighed, wanting to avoid the entire event until she was forced to discuss it. Since he didn't

look like he was about to slice his wrists with the knife in his hands, she answered him. "Grandmaster
Arada and Headmistress Arkarvita followed Enara's path from Azil as soon as Kaji alerted them to your
disappearance."

He paused, cocking an eyebrow at Masune as if he didn't believe her. "Jade was there when I was

found?"

Masune nodded. "Yes she was. She's been guarding your door every moment since."
Keel bit his lip, then nodded. "What happened to..."
"She's dead."
He glared at Masune, not angry at her so much as he was with the situation. "Are they sure this

time?"

"Her body is hung outside, on display for anyone who wants to see it. I'll take you later if you

want."

Keel shuddered and shook his head, taking another bite. He eyed a glass of wine that was set next

to his plate, and took a sip before he bothered to continue the discussion. The taste was euphoric, and he
flushed when he felt a nearly sexual moan try to start in his throat, choking it back painfully because he
didn't want to hear it. "I don't really care to see her again. Dead or not." He sighed, "And what of the
twins?"

Masune's brow twisted, "Twins?"
Keel froze, his eyes wide and his body tense at the questioning tone of her voice. "The twins that

she had with her, where are they?"

Masune saw him start to panic and stood, holding out a hand to try and stop him from growing

nervous. "I'll ask, just... stay calm."

Keel turned in his chair and watched as Masune pulled the door open and invited the two inside as

she stepped out. To his surprise, Jade sent Loki in, not even glancing to check on him. Loki even asked if
she was sure and she nodded with a hurt expression on her face, diligently keeping an eye out for anyone
coming to bring her news of the current situation. When Loki saw Keel not only awake but looking at him
with fear in his eyes he paused.

"Finally awake?"
Keel's fingers gripped the back of the chair tighter, "The twins that she had with her, did you see

them when you found me?"

Loki nodded, not liking the fact that Keel was waiting for an answer as if it would determine his

sanity. So, he lied. "They were outside sharing a drink. They died first."

Keel let out a sigh of relief, grabbing at his heart as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Thank god for that. They... They were worse than her at times... I was wondering where they had
gone..."

Loki wet his lips, nervous because he in fact had no idea where the twins went. He needed to

remedy that problem, now if possible, but had no reason to leave so suddenly after waiting outside of Keel's
door for the last few days. "Has anyone else come to see you?"

Keel shook his head, his anxiety starting to ebb as he eyed the plate in front of him, sadly already

full. "No. I don't want any company."

Loki nodded, ready to leave and start hunting the two young men that they had forgotten were a

threat. They hadn't seen them on the property, but Shiro had mentioned them. In their haste to get Keel to
Masune, they hadn't bothered to look for them, had assumed they had gone off after they had departed the
train. Now they had a long list of missing people from the Palace and surrounding areas. "I need to go and
check on something, unless you want me to send Jade to do it instead?"

Keel shook his head, his tone unwelcoming as he stared blankly at the mountain of food in front of

himself. "I'm fine with Masune." When he heard Loki at the door he turned his head to the side, talking
quickly in his broken voice. "They were talking incessantly about folklore. Mostly Saharion. I thought for
a minute there that they were planning on..." He made a dismissive gesture, glancing once at Loki before

he turned back to his glass of wine. He wasn't supposed to know what he had figured out over the meals
they had eaten in front of him, and he had no way of knowing if Loki had been privy to such information
either. Since he thought they were dead anyway, he assumed it no longer mattered. "Thank you..."

Loki froze, his heart racing as he nodded. It made him want to leave even faster, since he had

foolishly left a loose end that could be tied into a noose at any time. "You're welcome." He sighed as he
heard the words come from his lips, then sent Masune back inside.

Masune felt a wave of relief when she saw that whatever the answer had been, it hadn't sent Keel

into a suicidal panic again. Since he had stopped eating she leaned on the door to make sure it was as
closed as possible, her voice hopeful. "I'd like a chance to check your injuries, if you think you're up to it."

Keel groaned and rubbed at his forehead. "I'd really rather not."
Masune curled a lip, almost apologetic. "Kaji hasn't seen them."
Keel looked at her in confusion. "What?"
She gestured with her hands as she explained. "When you were brought in we were so busy trying

to stop the bleeding and keep you awake that he had to stay out of our way, and afterwards we had you
bandaged. He has an idea of what happened, but only that. It might be better to check while he's sleeping."

Keel thought about Kaji's reaction to what lay under the pants he had on, and realized that he

would take the information quite hard. He reluctantly nodded, his expression concerned. She had done this
with intent, he was sure, but it had worked. In fact, he was both grateful and angry that Kaji hadn't found
out the extent of the damage he had taken. It meant that Kaji didn't have to worry as much as he would
otherwise, but by the same token, Keel would have to show him eventually and watch his reaction. When
Masune gestured for him to stand he shook his head. "In the washroom, in case he wakes up."

Masune gave him an agreeable nod, "You'd probably be more comfortable if you had a bath

anyway."

Keel slowly followed her, his bruised fingers hesitantly untying the loose pants that they had put

him in. He leaned back on the counter in the washroom, his eyes closed as he waited for her to satisfy her
curiosity, as well as his.

Masune carefully peeled his pants off, wincing in sympathy when he hissed in a breath. "Saharion

help me, I don't know how you can stand at all."

Keel cracked an eye open and looked down at himself, his lip curled at the lines of stitches across

the inside of his thighs. Masune made her work brief, checking that the burn on the base of his penis was
healing well enough to allow for a proper bath before she started the water. Keel trembled when she went
to touch him, and the two locked eyes for a long moment over the prospect.

"You have more stitches I need to check."
His eyes watered and he hyperventilated, fully aware of the wound that she was speaking of. It

lay hidden directly between his legs. "I was wondering what that was..."

"It was one of the wounds that nearly killed you, I can't in good conscience ignore it."
Keel nodded, trying to get control of himself. It took him a few minutes, and when he did nearly

tell her to go ahead he found that he couldn't.

"Do you want me to wait until you're asleep?"
He nodded, nearly enthusiastic. "Please. Just don't let Kaji see it. Not yet." He looked away

from her, feeling pathetic because he couldn't deal with it. "How long until the stitches come out?"

Masune eyed the healing wound on his thigh that had been one of the deepest, where Enara had let

him bleed out. She considered for a moment, then met his eyes as she pulled his pants back up to his
awaiting hands. "I'm tempted to leave them in for at least a few more days." Enara had missed his artery
on purpose, thankfully skilled enough with a blade to know what would take time to kill her captive. Even
so, they had been severe. "If you want I can take these out now."

Keel followed her gaze to the line of barbaric stitches that stretched down his sides. "Alright."

Chapter Sixty-Five

Kura stared with eyes that hinted at wavering sanity, waiting as patiently as she could for the aide

she had bribed to come to her and give her news of what was happening in the suite that she was banned
from entering. Nobody would tell her much of anything in regards to Keel, so she had taken it into her own
hands. Finally the girl came into the bar and sat next to Kura, ordering a glass of wine. As the bartender
turned to grab a glass she whispered quickly to Kura. "He's awake, and eating solid food finally."

"How did he look?"
The girl thought for a moment, her face hardened at the memory. "Dead."
Kura sighed, not liking the answer but grateful for the fact that it seemed honest. "Thank you."
"Jade also wanted to see you. She sent an Akana member off running. It seems important."
Kura's brow knit, "Did he seem coherent when you saw him?"
The girl nodded slightly, "Hungry and depressed, but yes."
Kura slid a handful of ducats over the bar for her and clapped a hand on her shoulder as she

passed, making her way to the hallway she had been avoiding. Jade was pacing there, Loki missing.
"What is it?"

Jade looked up with relief, gesturing to her own quarters and closing the door behind them once

they were alone.

Kura saw the look of concern on her face, and opted to start the conversation, "Keel said

something of note?"

Jade nodded, chewing her lip before she spat out her words. "Yeah. There were two young men

with Enara. We had assumed since they were missing from the property that they had left her in Stourand,
but he apparently got to see plenty of them." She shifted her weight, "He told Loki that they were talking
about Saharion quite a bit."

Kura's face blanched. "There's no way that they would know where he is or how to rouse him."
Jade let out a mad cackle, "She escaped the prisons through the caverns that lead to the temple; she

would've walked right past him and she can read the god wards imbedded in the floor. It's not that difficult
to figure out and she was sadly not as dense as Eyre is. We have veterans missing. I think it's safe to
assume that they intend to bring him back. It would also explain why she was so content dying at my
hands. She successfully kept our attention away from the two young men that have been running around in
the shadows..."

Kura shook her head, "The amount of people he would need to kill would be monumental to get

his blood back from them! It's a pathetic plan, and they'll die even if they succeed."

Jade took a deep breath, setting her eyes on Kura. "I don't think they care if they do, so long as

you all die with them. Enara's way of thinking; make a point, get your revenge."

Kura groaned, still skeptical of the claim. "Two running around here you said?"
Jade nodded, "A pair of human twins. Men, I don't know what they look like but one's named

Oyinaru... I forgot the other one."

Kura nodded, trying to think of where she would be if she were in their place. To head straight to

Saharion would be stupid, but they had to be hiding their captives somewhere. "Ask Keel what they look
like."

Jade hesitated, "I can't. He thinks they're dead."
Kura eyed her suspiciously, "Why lie?"
Jade sighed, "Because when he asked he had a knife in his hands, and he tried to throw himself off

of the balcony last night. It seemed more intelligent to Loki to withhold the fact that they're not only
unharmed, but also unsupervised."

Kura closed her eyes and shifted her weight, trying not to really register what Jade had said,

"Anything else I should know?"

Jade considered for a moment, "Loki is gathering who we have left, he thinks that they're using the

prison or the cavern right behind it. An extra person was spotted in the kitchens, another in the infirmary. I
think that's how they found out who's been active with a weapon lately. Masune keeps checking on our
best, they're probably down there..."

Kura gave her a curt nod. "I'll look into it. Tell Lassieta that the three of us will be heading to the

temple, and that I would greatly appreciate if she didn't send an army of help with us. Sending more food
for him would be foolish."

Chapter Sixty-Six

Masune raised a brow as she saw a line of her aides assembled, her eyes on Kura with concern.

"What's the meaning of this, Headmistress?"

Kura stared at the line of aides with unmasked suspicion. "I need to know if anyone here is an

imposter. I know you pick your staff as carefully as I pick mine. One here doesn't belong. The numbers
don't match."

Masune blinked dumbly, but nodded without arguing. She walked to the end of the line of aides,

looking each in the eye as Kura walked beside her. She motioned for each that she passed to leave, until
she came to a face that she had never seen before. At a glance, he had looked Sahrketh, but as close as they
were Masune could smell the tar that he had pulled through his hair to make it black, could see the kohl that
he had dragged through his eyebrows and lashes to blend in. His brown eyes danced with amusement, even
under the circumstances. Obviously he would be found here, but he didn't seem to care. Masune sighed,
turning to Kura with a nod when she instead found herself with a knife at her back and her left arm held
firmly in his grip.

He had the tip pressed against her skin through the linen she wore, right over a kidney. One jerk

of his hand and she would be dead, no matter how gifted she was with wounds. Kura saw the look on
Masune's face, her eyes darting to meet the man behind her. She sighed, bowing her head once.
"Oyinaru." The other aides backed away, uncertain of what was happening, only that it was not going to
end well. A few ran, searching for help.

He smiled and winked, "Ixnyn, actually. Oyinaru is... unavoidably detained."
Kura glanced at Masune, the two both unsure of what the other was planning. After a moment's

pause, Masune sighed, glancing calmly at him over her shoulder. "This is quite a situation we're in. I don't
suppose you'd let me walk away and settle this with her on fair terms?"

He shook his head, his lips pursed. "No, I'm sorry. Playing fair doesn't usually benefit me."
She nodded slowly and sighed. Her fingers reached inside of her shirt carefully as she spoke.

"Well, I have to say I didn't expect anything civil from you. But, it was worth a try." She took the razor
she had in her shirt and flipped it open, then quickly went to the end of his arm and swung to her left,
slicing his face over her now crossed wrists with a look that he had never expected her to wear. She
struggled to free herself, his shock not enough for him to release his grip. Kura already had the knife he
had been holding, and angled it towards his neck as she battled him into a headlock.

He laughed, pulling Masune towards himself sharply and slamming his bloody face into hers. The

crack of bone ensured one of them had broken something. Kura's voice turned predatory, "Drop her!"

He rolled his eyes, his free hand meeting hers on the handle of the knife. "Or what? It would be

incredibly foolish of you to kill me with my brother running around, wouldn't it? " He raised a brow,
laughing even as blood dripped from his face. When he started pulling Masune closer by her arm, Kura
was forced to choose. To have Masune unharmed, or to locate the twin of the man in her grasp. As he had
Masune's snarling face an inch from his own, Kura regrettably sank the dagger into his throat, even then
needing to pull him away from Masune by his lean torso as he choked and kept his grip on her. He laughed
for a mere second, blood spewing from between his teeth before his body started to go slack. Once his
hand fell free of Masune, Kura threw him to the floor, standing over him with a boot on his chest to ensure
he would stay down.

"Where is he?"
Ixnyn smiled at her, the gesture twisted and disgusting considering the circumstances. He mouth

his words, "By now? With Saharion."

Loki skid to a stop at the infirmary doors, his sword in hand. What he found was Masune hunched

over a mirror and working her nose back into place with a pissed off expression, and Kura standing over a
bloodied mess of a corpse. His brow knit as he glanced around. "There were two. Where's the other one?"

Kura sighed, her face perplexed as she stared down at the corpse under her foot. "This was the

only one that was here."

"Did you find out where the other is?"
Kura met his eyes and gave him one curt nod. "He said he's with Saharion."
Masune spat a mouthful of blood onto his face as she held a towel to her broken nose.

"Thankfully. Both dead at long last." She didn't notice the reaction that Loki had to such information, his
face pale and his hands shaking as Masune pulled the towel from her face and checked how much blood
there was.

Kura needed to get rid of her, so she wet her lips. "Don't tell Keel about this."
Masune raised a brow, so Loki spoke. "I had told him they were already dead."
"Ah." Masune nodded, "I'll be heading back up, have someone drag that thing out of my infirmary

before you run off."

They both averted their eyes and nodded, but as soon as she was gone they took off for the temple

behind the waterfall, only stopping someone on their way to grab Jade for them.

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Keel toweled off carefully, his body no longer as sore but twice as sensitive from his long soak in

the hot bath. He heard Masune come back into the suite, so he slowly put his pants back on, about to tell
her that he was planning on trying to get some more rest when he saw her face. He paled, his eyes wide.
"What happened?"

Masune sighed, shrugging as she took her previous seat at the table. They had filled her in on

what had happened, and what Keel didn't know, leaving her with only one option. She would have to lie.
"I tripped on the stairs and rode my face into the foyer. Ignore it, I'll be fine."

Keel looked at her for a long moment, then climbed back onto the bed. "When can I leave?"
"The room?"
"The Palace."
Masune sighed, eyeing him as he pulled the sheet to cover himself. "A few days after I remove

those stitches. Don't think you'll be able to just jump on a horse right away or exert yourself either, it
would be a mistake."

Keel nodded, his eyes heavy with sleep already. He had started to entertain a far more disturbing

thought when he was in his bath, and despite how horrible the answer could be, he asked. "Will everything
still function?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, "Probably. I would refrain from having sex for awhile if I were

you, though. It would be too much too soon."

Keel gave her a sick chuckle, "I'm really not feeling very 'attractive' right now, so I don't think

that's going to be much of a problem."

She met his eyes. "You had a minor tear. Not enough to be fatal, but if you don't wait awhile

you'll be wishing for death again. I can promise you that."

Keel stared at her, flushed in embarrassment. The fact that she knew who was on the receiving

end of his relationship with Kaji, as well as the jab at him regarding his pathetic suicide attempt was
mortifying. All he could offer was a nod in response before he laid his head on the pillows. Without the
stitches in his sides and back he found it much easier to get comfortable, and he was out before Masune had
even gone back to her work.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

The temple was as vacant as ever, Loki and Kura on edge as they glanced around. She wet her

lips, the silence only broken by the muffled roar of the water rushing overhead. "I expected more to be
here... It's empty."

Loki sighed, "Keel was saying something about Saharion. That they were talking about him when

they had him... The other one's here." He drew his sword, wetting his lips as he slowly wandered towards
the open cavern to the side of the entry room.

Kura watched him as if asking if he were insane, and even went so far as to warn him. "Be

careful."

He nodded with a low brow, searching for anyone in the relative darkness as his feet came to a

stop on the edge of the marble floor where it broke into the cavern. When a match struck, its quick burst of
light showed not only Saharion's monstrous size, but a figure perched atop it. He was casually strewn over
it, as if it were in fact made of marble. His smiling face took a long drag of a cigar before tossing the
glowing match aside.

"I was starting to think Ixnyn had failed me. I see now that my dear brother was waiting for you

ignorant savages to figure out where he was." Oyinaru shifted his weight from where he was sitting astride
the figure's neck, even leaned on an elbow that was centered on its head. "It took you long enough."

Loki eyed the supposedly dead god, then looked to Eyre's dead body at the base of the pedestal.

The Akana members that had gone missing were lined against the back wall, all lifeless and slumped
against one another like trash. Loki sighed and shifted his weight, flexing his grip on his sword as he
looked at the glowing end of the cigar. "Get off of that."

Oyinaru hugged Saharion's head, even cuddled it for a minute with a smile. "Why don't you come

over here and help me down?"

Loki rolled his eyes, far from stupid enough to do anything of the sort. "That thing's dangerous,

look what it does." He gestured to Eyre's lifeless face with his blade, but Oyinaru chuckled and shook his
head.

"No, no. No games, now. You and I both know he only strikes his own followers dead. I'm not

Sahrketh. Technically, this is the safest place for me in your entire Empire. Isn't it?" He licked a thumb
and vigorously scrubbed a spot on the 'statue's' face, then took the cigar and held it close so that the glow
would reveal the god's skin under the paint that they had hidden him in. "I have to say I never thought I'd
have the honor to mount a weakened god, but now that I have! I may make a habit of this, it's
exhilarating!"

His low chuckle echoed off of the cavern, Kura and Loki both standing on the other side of the

line of god wards imbedded in the floor. There was a time when they could've walked right up to the
pedestal, but there had been enough deaths recently that they knew that was no longer an option. The
current belief was that the god was taking his blood back, and should he get enough of it, he would be able
to seek it out instead of waiting for it to come to him. As the two most feral fighters in the Empire, many
had claimed that Kura and Loki had more of Saharion in them than the rest. Just in case that was true, they
refused to even enter the room. Going down in history as the last person the god needed to kill to come
back wasn't a pleasant theory to either of them.

Kura sighed, her jaw set as she shifted her weight. "You plan on staying there forever?"
"We both know that you can't let me. I have a few friends out picking up some more for him now,

it's really only a matter of time." He sat up again, rolling his head on his shoulders as he smiled at them.
They would have to get rid of him, but should they come inside they would not only be dead in short order,
they would risk everything. If the god returned, he would be understandably upset with his so called
followers and it would spell the end for the current Sahrketh lifestyle. "He probably doesn't need much
more. His color is returning under this layer of paint. Come, see for yourself." He lolled his head to the
side with an amused grin.

Kura shook her head, her tone curt, "If he comes back, you think we're the only ones that will

suffer? He'll annihilate your people on principle alone. You should've researched your perch better,
because the creature you're sitting on is absolutely wild. Rabid. He'll destroy everything he sees."

Oyinaru leaned closer, a look of anticipation on his face in the low light as he moaned, "Do you

promise?"

Loki heard familiar steps behind him. He nodded, turning to Jade as she came to their side. "I am

so happy that I convinced you to come work here at times like this..."

Jade met Oyinaru's eyes in the relative darkness of the cavern in front of her, her gaze dropping to

Saharion's face for a mere instant before she looked to her colleagues. An interesting situation, because
they had to remain where they were, or risk far too much. She nodded slowly, then pulled out her
preloaded crossbow and took her shot without any warning.

Oyinaru jerked his head to the side and gasped, some of his strawberry hair whipped from his face

as the bolt flew by. He smiled and ran his tongue along his teeth. She would only have one shot with the
collapsible crossbow she used, since it was meant as a last resort. "Pity. Now what?"

Jade groaned and dropped the crossbow as she rolled her eyes, shifting her weight. She had

fought with Lassieta when the message came, trying to convince her that a large amount of Sahrketh in the
vicinity would be exactly what he had wanted. She swore under her breath as she eyed her own sword then
looked at Loki and Kura's, trying to decide whose was in the best condition. "Why do I always get stuck
with these jobs?"

Loki chuckled and offered his hilt to her. She took the sword and tested it a few times in her

hands, feeling the weight of it before she took a step over the wards in the floor. As she did, Oyinaru
jumped down from his perch, spinning a pair of daggers out of their holsters. He held them out at his side
as a wicked smile glared at her in the darkness of the cavern. She walked around the pedestal he had at his
back, taking a quick swing at him from a distance to gauge his competency with the weapons. He deflected
it without so much as looking, wetting his lips in anticipation. "You look like him you know."

Jade raised a brow, "Like who?"
"The blonde." He shifted his weight, "I wonder if you'll cry out like he did as well." He let out a

satisfied groan, "He screamed for you, you know. He chanted names in my hands, begged for you to help
him. It's why we neglected the gag for so long... Nothing sexier than shattering someone's hope."

Jade lunged in anger, swinging twice at him with bared teeth. As she pulled her hands away one

glove was sliced along her fingers, the leather thankfully protecting her skin. It reminded her that this was
only another tactic to make her hasty, and therefore foolish. She took a deep breath as she watched him,
seeing that he wasn't going to move from the side of the pedestal under any circumstances. Perhaps if she
kept him talking, he would falter. "He's alive. You failed."

He laughed and wagged a blade at her, "No. He's alive, but he's not the same as when we first

took him." The insanity in his eyes was terrifying, "I can assure you, he's broken."

She had taken another swing at him and he had deflected it again, so she pulled away from his

reach and sneered at him. "You obviously didn't get to know him very well. He's harder to break than
you'd think." She jerked her head towards Loki and Kura. "We've all tried."

Oyinaru rolled his eyes, knocking her sword away again when she took the opportunity. "I know

everything about him. I know he'll pray if you push him hard enough. I know that the only thing he hates
more than the Sahrketh is me, and my presumably deceased younger brother. I know that he begs for a
blade if you present it at the right time. Hell, I even know that he was begging for the bitch that threw him
away, cried for her like a child."

Jade's eyes went wide and before she could stop herself she had leaned forward and swung at him

again, her skin spotted like a leopard as she did everything she could to subdue him. Keel had been
begging for Kura, and the thought was infuriating. Oyinaru quickly disarmed her and sank both daggers
into her shoulders, ending up behind her with his arms around her, and her stuck in place by his blades.
She hissed in a few deep breaths at the pain, meeting Kura's eyes with anger. At herself, Onyinaru, or
Kura, she couldn't say, only that she had lost control.

He let out a low growl as he licked her ear, nearly purring to her. "Now. What an interesting

situation. You should call for some assistance."

His intention had been to use her as bait, but Jade instead grabbed his hands where they were

sinking the blade into her and dragged him for a split second. She spun and threw his hands, landing him
stumbling with surprise into Kura's waiting grasp. He met Jade's eyes in shock as Kura buried a knife in
his spine and twisted, surprised by his lack of foresight. He had assumed when he laid eyes on Jade and
when she had faltered that it meant she was weak, frail even. What he hadn't counted on was her sheer
stubbornness. Jade slumped forward, catching her breath as she stared at him. "That's the one who threw
him away, you sick fuck."

Kura stared at the floor as she held him, twisting the blade again for good measure until he

eventually went slack in her hands. She held him for only a moment before she flung him unceremoniously
to the side, glaring down at his corpse with cold eyes. When she looked to Jade, about to speak, her
expression fell and was replaced by one of pure shock and fear at what she saw.

Jade felt the hair on the back of her neck and arms stand on end, and slowly brought her eyes up

over her head. Saharion had moved closer in silence, his black eyes staring at her as he crouched over her,
a hand outstretched and one claw able to reach her hair. She shrank down, out of his grasp. "Oh..." She
stared at the lifeless face as it bared its teeth at her, sliding along the floor to where Loki and Kura were
waiting for her.

Loki sighed and shook his head as he looked at her arms, "You get wounded so often."
Jade glared at him, upset and still on edge. "I'm really not in the mood for one of our playful

arguments right now." She eyed Oyinaru's body, then met Kura's eyes and growled as she walked away,
her shoulders useless for the time being. "I'm going to go tend to my wounds. I assume you two have the
decency to allow me a night of rest after this."

Loki bit his lip and looked to the floor. After a long moment he took a breath to speak and Kura

held up a hand to stop him, sensing one of his rare thoughtful discussions.

"We need to get this situation under control."
Loki nodded, "Alright. I'll go check with Lassieta. See where she wants that fucking thing put."

He threw a hand towards Saharion, who had again changed positions, now reaching for Loki with madness
poorly hidden in his expression.

Kura glared at Saharion. She used to be afraid of him, as she probably should be. Now, she had

grown accustomed to looking at him, and had in fact become bored with the idea of him. As long as
nobody touched him, he was jailed. "Just tell her it can't stay here. Not anymore."

Chapter Sixty-Nine

Jade sighed and sank her face into her hands despite the fact it pulled at her freshest stitches, a

pain she found she grew more accustomed to with each passing year. Although she had become rash over
the news that Keel had in fact been calling for Kura, something else was grating on her more than that. The
problem was, that she couldn't place it. The knock on her door made her growl, her eyes closed as she sat
back up and pulled a towel over her shoulders to cover herself. "It's open, Masune."

Loki opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind himself. "It's me, actually." He leaned

back on the door and stared at the floor for a long moment, his expression more somber than she had seen
before. "Lassieta's sending me. I thought I'd stop and see how you're doing before I go."

Jade nodded, "I'll live." She eyed him, the way he let his auburn hair cover his eyes, the fact that

he wouldn't look at her. He pressed his lips together, standing as if to leave. "Is she sending you because
you're the most competent, or because a Grandmaster's request is an international affair?"

He wore a bitter smirk, "A bit of both. I'm the only person she knows who can find the Tunoran

community." He sighed and rubbed at his neck, glancing around her rooms. "It seems that being
dependable doesn't work out for the two of us very often, does it?"

Jade let a weak grin find her as she nodded. "Story of our lives." She pointed at the table across

the room, at the salve that Masune had given her to numb the wounds. "Can you grab that for me?"

Loki glanced at it, then finally met her eyes with a quirky grin. "Are you in pain? Is that

possible?"

She rolled her eyes, "I bleed like everyone else, Loki."
When he handed it over he let out a grunt of a laugh, "And here I thought you were

indestructible."

She took the small jar and turned it in her fingers absentmindedly a few times. "Actually, I'd be

accident prone one out of the two of us."

Loki eyed her stitches, "Not entirely. I seem to have the bad taste to constantly want what I can't

have. Worse than an accident, I do that to myself with intent."

Jade's fingers paused and she brought her eyes to his, a long moment of silence between them as

she saw the look in his eyes and realized what was bothering her. It was the same look he had given her
when she was pinned by Oyinaru, sympathetic and so eager to help, but completely unable. An expression
of pure want, which she hadn't seen him wear until that evening.

She had known for some time that he was chasing her, and would even submit to her most

ridiculous demands if she only asked. Perhaps the only woman he would relent to, he seemed to have no
respect for almost any other. She was somewhat certain that the reason he had wanted Keel had to do with
the fact that the two of them were so much alike. For a man who started out in a farming village, then slept
with a sadist in trade for training, he had high standards. "I've always admired your determination when
you set your sights on something."

His face didn't change, only his lips moving. "A lot of good it's brought me."
She pulled the towel off and unscrewed the cap as she spoke, "It brought me here, are you

implying that I've been unkind to you?"

"Yes." He had said it flatly enough that she paled, having forgotten that he never practiced

subtlety in conversation. "You accept me only long enough to keep me returning. What bothers me is that
even though I know that it's what you're doing, it never ceases to work. I'm leaving now, but when I return
I expect either a chance, an honest chance at more than sex with you, or nothing at all."

She flushed as she met his eyes. "You'd just give up on me, so easily?"
He nodded once, "You leave me no alternative."
"Why now?"
He sighed, breaking eye contact as he answered. "Because every time you end up in one of these

situations like earlier, a part of me wrenches at the though that I've missed my opportunity. We're not
children, there's no reason to wait."

"If we entertain the idea that you and I can be more than just colleagues who enjoy an occasional

night together, we open the door to a whole new set of problems that I personally don't care to deal with."

"Like what?"
She stood, snapping at him. "You fail to realize how easy it would be to lure you into a trap if I

was set as bait. Look at what just happened with Keel, Loki! He went missing and you dropped everything
you were doing to find him!"

He made a face that disagreed with her words and wagged a finger at her, "No, actually. I was

after Enara, with the sole intent to murder her, this time until she was dead. Great job on that before we
left, by the way. Keel happened to be there as well, an added bonus that we found her when we did, but
nothing more. Not to mention, I wasn't exactly doing anything important. Chasing ass on vacation isn't
exactly a matter of national security."

She stared at him for a long moment, not liking how the conversation had turned. "So you

wouldn't come if it had been me?"

He grabbed at his hair and swore, pacing away a few steps before he spun and raised his palms.

"What do you want from me, Jade? Honestly, there's nothing I can say to please you. Would I come for
you? Of course I would. Would it ever happen? Nooooooo."

"That's what Keel thought as well."
He sighed and put a hand on his hip, the other rubbing at his face, "Stop using what happened with

him as a hypothetical situation to escape dealing with me on fair terms." She paled, but he continued. "It
wouldn't happen with you because the most obvious difference between the two of you, gender aside, is
that you're a violent insensitive bitch who has no qualms murdering when you deem it necessary or fun.
He's a whore, Jade. His abilities, although quite impressive, are in an entirely different area. If anyone
tries to capture you, I pray for them."

She smirked despite herself. "What exactly are you looking for from me?"
He let out a sigh of relief as he met her eyes, hopefully getting close to reaching her on a personal

level. He knew well enough that she usually showed no emotion, but that there was someone inside of that
pretty and cold exterior that demanded another look. "Your company. I'd settle for that. You, willingly
and happily spending some time with me when you're not ordered to would be enough to start with."

Jade looked to the floor, but slowly nodded. "You're such a pain in the ass."
"I know." He sighed, "Think about it. When I return, no answer would be enough of an answer

for me."

"Safe journey."
Loki gave her a nod, "Heal quickly."

Chapter Seventy

Keel rolled over, reaching for Kaji. When his fingers only found a cold and empty set of sheets he

sat up on his elbows, perplexed by his absence. "Kaji? Where..."

Kaji heard the rising panic in Keel's voice and called back to him immediately, "In the bath. Hold

on, I'm coming."

Keel nodded, sitting up as the looked around the vacant room. "Where's Masune?"
Kaji hit the drain for the tub as he came into the room, still dripping wet with a towel around his

waist, "She said that you don't need her constant supervision anymore, then she headed down to the
infirmary."

Keel laid back down for a minute, discreetly checking what stitches remained under his pants.

"She didn't take out the stitches first?"

Kaji's brow sank, "I thought she already did?"
Keel shook his head, "Not all of them..." His eyes drifted the room, "I want them out. I thought

she'd try it while I was sleeping..."

Kaji watched where Keel's hands had gone under the sheets with concern. He sighed when he

remembered they had spoken of a wound on his leg that had nearly bled him dry. "If you're up to it, I'll
take you down to the infirmary."

Keel nodded, throwing the sheet off of himself. Out of habit, he headed to the door with only

pants on, then happened to catch a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors. He stopped and sighed,
looking around for a shirt. "Can you go and ask Oniku if I can borrow something to cover my chest?"

Kaji raised a brow, "You could ask him yourself, it's only two doors away."
Keel paled and shook his head, biting his lip for a moment. "I don't want anyone to see what she

did..."

Kaji nodded, grabbing his pants and sliding them on before he was at the door. "Then, I'll be right

back."

Keel waited impatiently, nervous in the massive room by himself. Kaji thankfully returned almost

immediately, a white linen shirt in his hands. "That didn't take long."

Kaji nodded with a grin, "He took the shirt off his back."
Keel let out a grunt of a laugh as he twisted into the shirt. When Kaji opened the door he eyed the

hallway, he absentmindedly rolled up the sleeves to escape some of the afternoon humidity, fighting with
buttons a moment afterwards. "Jade and Loki are gone?"

Kaji wore an expression that showed he had wondered about the same thing. "Something must've

come up." He saw Keel tense at the suspicion, and held up a hand to calm him. "If there was anything that
could possibly involve you, they would've at least told me, and I've heard nothing."

Keel started to walk as he gave a wary nod, his eyes on Kaji as he waited for him to close the door

behind them. "Have you seen them lately?"

Kaji considered, coming to Keel's side as they walked. "Not since last night." He saw an Akana

member stop in her tracks when Keel passed by, her face pale and her eyes wide at the sight of him.
Luckily Keel didn't see her, too determined to free himself of the stitches that were bothering him to give
much thought to who may be looking at him. He trusted that Kaji could keep an eye out for the two of
them to spot impending trouble, and indeed he did. Kaji grabbed Keel's elbow, "Keel."

Keel walked dumbly until Kaji's grip on his arm stopped him, looking at him with a puzzled

expression. "What?"

Kaji was looking over his shoulder, his face worried as he gestured with his chin for him to take a

look. Keel stepped back as he turned, landing his eyes on Kura.

She had been on her patrol when she saw him, easy to tell by the reports she had nearly crumpled

in one fist as she stared at him with a pale face. The two merely watched one another for what felt like an
eternity, neither opting to say or do anything until the other did. Her eyes hinted at shock as she inspected
his gaunt features, saw how thin and frail he had become.

After awhile something in her expression hardened, her eyes darted to Kaji and she bowed her

head, about to keep on her way. But her feet didn't move. Instead she set her jaw and closed her eyes,
debating with herself exactly what it was that she truly wanted to do. She looked to Keel and before she
could stop herself she spoke. "Do you have a minute?"

Keel's face twisted with childish anger, "Do you? I find it hard to believe I fit in your schedule so

suddenly, what changed?"

Kaji tightened his grip on Keel's elbow, "Keel, I don't think-"
"Shut up, Kaji." He wrenched his arm free, walking towards her with anger on his thin face.

"Why, Kura? Why did you stay behind?"

Kura watched him, her pulse quickening as she faced him. "Because I didn't want to see you."
He nodded, his lips twisted as he appraised her, "That's what I thought." He shouldered his way

past her, walking towards the infirmary until Kaji's voice stopped him.

"You're being unfair, Keel."
Keel glared back at Kaji. "I'll meet you back in the rooms when I'm done with Masune." He met

her eyes and inclined his head in a gesture so formal he intended it to be an insult. "Headmistress."

She raised a brow at him, "Onya."
He flushed and stormed off, angry enough that he didn't care for the escort that he had previously

been relying on. If anything, he had made what was about to happen easier on himself, since convincing
Kaji to leave the room while Masune removed his stitches would've been difficult.

Kaji and Kura both watched him leave, Kura eventually sighing and rubbing at her head as she

looked at Kaji. She bowed her head, about to leave again when Kaji cleared his throat.

"Do you have time for a drink?"
She paused, "Yeah, I'll buy."
Kaji nodded, flanking her as she made her way to the Akana bar that she had previously destroyed

in a fit of anger. When he sat at the bar he looked around, unaccustomed to taking a stool beside someone
on equal terms in the Palace. Every other time, he had been with a patron. Now he was sitting next to the
Headmistress by invitation. The bartender eyed her as if scared of her, timidly approaching.

"What can I get for you and your guest, Headmistress?"
"Wine, for now."
Kaji shrugged, "Same, I guess."
As he went off to fill two glasses for them, Kura oddly enough started the conversation. "I don't

dislike him, you know."

Kaji glanced at her, "I know. I'm willing to bet that's the problem, isn't it?"
She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes, that's exactly the problem. When I took him, I

didn't expect..." She sighed, not bothering with that sentence. She wet her lips, reaching for the glass when
it was placed in front of her. "And now he hates me."

Kaji considered that, rolling his head on his shoulders. "I don't know about that. He wouldn't be

so angry if he didn't still want you."

She glanced at Kaji, eyeing him for a long moment before she let out a pathetic excuse for a laugh.

"Try convincing him of that."

Kaji smirked, "He would be mad if I did."
She played with the wine glass on the bar, shifting her weight on the stool as she did. "How is

he?"

Kaji closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then laid his head on the bar. "Not so great..." He

groaned, ranting before he could help himself, "He flinches when I move too quickly, every now an again
he just stares off at something, he hardly eats." Kaji ran his hand into his own hair and grabbed a fistful of
it, then let his head hang by it over the bar, "Without Masune there, I'm afraid to sleep..."

Kura eyed him sympathetically. "I wish I could help."
Kaji groaned out, "So do I." After a few minutes he sat up again and drank the wine down

quickly, sliding the glass across the bar for the bartender to take. "Just give him some time. If he's going to
come around, it won't be for awhile."

Kura hesitated to speak, not sure she would like the answer to the question she was about to ask.

"Does he blame me for what happened?"

Kaji shrugged, "I wouldn't know." He looked at her again, "But, I don't."
She nodded, slapping a hand on Kaji's shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "If I'd known, there

wouldn't have been a body left to hang in front of the Palace."

Kaji raised a brow and licked his teeth. "Wish you'd found out."
Their conversation was interrupted by one of Masune's aides. Her words, although spoken

carefully and calmly, were quite disturbing to both who heard it. "Masune wanted to know if you could
move him back upstairs."

Kaji's brow knit with incomprehension. "Why? Did something happen?"
The aide nodded, "He's out for at least the afternoon; Masune used ether on him."

Kaji's face contorted with outrage as he stood, gripping the girl by her arms as he tried to get more

information from her. "Why? What happened?"

Her face blanched as she stared at him, not understanding what his problem was because she

lacked the knowledge he had of the situation regarding Keel. "Nothing happened. He asked her to."

Kura stared with shock, then looked at Kaji, who looked as concerned as she felt at least. He

muttered to her that he had to go and she nodded, then stood and followed him. If Keel was unconscious he
wouldn't know anyway. When they nearly jogged into the infirmary, Masune was sitting beside him with a
wrist in her fingers, her other hand on his neck as she stared at a clock. Finally she wet her lips and
nodded, meeting Kaji's worried gaze with a calming smile. "He's fine. Just a bad panic attack, he won't
even remember it when he wakes up."

Kaji looked at Keel's sleeping face, watched the way his chest was rising and falling as if looking

for clues to the contrary. He cleared his throat, "Maybe he should stay here, in case something happens..."

Masune shrugged, "If you'd like." She raised a brow at Kura, unsure about her presence but

unwilling to comment after Kura had sunk a knife in an assailant for her just days prior. An aide came to
her side and gave her a message, Masune groaning and rolling her eyes as she stood. "I'll be back shortly.
If it makes you feel better then feel free to stay with him until I return." Kaji nodded as she stood and
smoothed her robe, "That woman gets in more trouble than the rest of her colleagues combined, honestly..."
She shook her head as she walked out of the infirmary and made her way up the stairs. Kaji watched her
for a moment in curiosity, then turned to Kura.

"Who do you think she was talking about?"
She was staring at Keel, her eyes studying him for the first time in two years. "Jade was stabbed

yesterday."

Kaji's pulse quickened as he heard this, "What happened?"
Kura shrugged. "Enara's little henchmen paid a visit. Rest assured, they're as dead as is physically

possible."

Kaji felt anger rising in him, baring his teeth as he asked, "How can you be so sure?"
She glared at him, "Because I killed them both myself." With that she reached forward, carefully

pulling the linen aside to inspect the bruises that even now stretched down Keel's neck. Her lips twisted as
she remembered what Oyinaru had said when he was toying with Jade. She shook her head slightly, her
eyes glassy when she pulled her hand back. "I wish I could kill them again."

Kaji watched her for awhile, giving her an opportunity that she would otherwise never have. He

only grabbed her wrist and shook his head when she went to unbutton the shirt and take a look at his chest,
"You don't want to know."

"I've seen plenty of wounds in my time, Kaji. I can handle it."
"Jade and Loki couldn't."
Her fingers paused and she glanced at him as if asking if he were serious. "What do you mean?

They brought him here, they obviously had already seen everything she did, didn't they?"

Kaji nodded, "Except the effect it had on him, perhaps." He took his hand back, "Fine. If you

think it'll ease your mind, go ahead. You won't have the opportunity once he's awake."

Kura hesitated for a moment before she unbuttoned his shirt, her eyes wide as the already scarring

claw marks came into sight. She took deep breath as she peeled his shirt aside and let it out as a groan of
sympathy when she found the healing gash in his side, the bruising on his hips still dark enough that she
could make out both of the twins handprints. She nodded once as she eyed the spots where the stitches had
been removed, knowing all too well that it wasn't Masune's finest work, which meant that she was on edge
when she had put them in.

Kaji eyed her suspiciously as she buttoned the shirt again, "You alright?" The glare she sent at

him made him chuckle, "Sorry."

She sighed and took Keel's hand, rubbing his fingers between her own for a minute until he jerked

away from her, even in a drug induced sleep. The reason, she soon discovered, had more to do with the
damage he had done to his hands, scraped to pieces and bruised on his fingertips and wrists. She set his
hand back on the cot he was on and stood, nodding to Kaji as she slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thank
you." She looked back at him with concern. "If you could keep in touch when you run away this time, I'd
be appreciative."

Kaji stared at her doubtfully. "You want me to send you correspondence after we leave?" She

nodded, and although he could sympathize with her he saw the need to jab at her. "That depends. Will you
write back this time?"

She flushed, slowly bringing an unimpressed stare to Kaji's face. "If that's what it takes, then yes.

Don't expect me to sign my name and risk Keel finding out, but if it would make you feel better then I
will."

Kaji considered the situation between the three of them, his eyes drifting to Keel and then back to

her. "You're aware that he may never want you again, aren't you?"

She nodded slowly. "More often than not that seems to be the situation."

Chapter Seventy-One

The knock at Lassieta's door confused her because nobody had bothered to do so over the last

week, too busy to pay any mind to proper etiquette. Oniku glanced at her, his brow knit with confusion
when they made no attempt to enter. He wore a lopsided grin as he opened the door, his expression slack
when he found Keel standing in the hallway with his exhausted eyes cast towards the floor.

When he realized that the door had opened, Keel looked up at Oniku and bowed his head to him.

"Masune said that Lassieta wanted to talk to me before I left?"

Oniku nodded stupidly, taking a step back and gesturing for him to enter. "Yeah, how are you

feeling?"

Keel sighed, sick of answering that question in particular. "I'll probably live." He offered Oniku's

shirt to him when he stepped inside.

Oniku shrugged, "You can keep it, you probably have nothing with you to wear..."
Keel shook his head, "Matahari sent up something more suited to my needs." He put a thumb

under the lapel of the housecoat he had donned, bringing Oniku's eyes to his outfit. Although worn
casually enough that it looked somewhat like a mockery of what it was meant to be, Keel had switched to
the style that Breiyan was known for. A crisp white oxford with a lightweight black jacket that reached his
lower thighs, a pair of heavy black pants under that with a pair of boots meant for travel.

Oniku took his shirt from Keel's hands, his eyes wide when he saw the amount of damage even his

fingers had taken. "You're leaving for awhile this time, aren't you?"

Keel nodded, not meeting Oniku's eyes since he had sounded disappointed when he had asked and

Keel didn't care to explain much of anything anymore. "There's no reason for me to stay." He sighed,
turning his attention to locating Lassieta. As he had suspected, she was watching from her balcony, her
hair twisted up and her legs crossed as she sipped her tea. He gave her a weak smile as he walked out with
her, bowing his head as he helped himself to the chair beside her. "You wanted to speak with me?"

Lassieta nodded slightly, her concerned gaze studying the way that Keel almost leaned away from

her. "Yeah, I wanted to make sure you were fit for travel before you left."

Keel shrugged, glancing at her as he crossed his arms over his chest. His tone was almost

apologetic, "I'm eager to be on my way."

"Heading anywhere special?"
"Kaji wanted to go to Traichi."
Lassieta gave him a warm smile, "The train should be relaxing, what with the festival season

over..." She had stopped because Keel's already wan face had grown a shade lighter and he had looked at
her as if he believed she were joking. "You're not taking the train?" Keel shook his head. "It's a long ride
through some boring jungle otherwise."

"I don't care."
Lassieta's brow knit, "Any reason to make your travel a month longer, or just want some time

away from people?"

Keel sighed, "I have no interest in revisiting the train that I was shipped on like a piece of

property."

She wore a look of sympathy, "You're not going to go see your family?"
Keel's breath hitched and he croaked out, "I don't think I could look my father in the eye just yet...

Was there anything you needed me for? If it's all the same I'd rather wake Kaji and be on my way."

Lassieta took a deep breath, "I have a feeling that you know what happened here."
Keel looked at her warily. "What do you mean?"
"With Saharion."
Keel closed his eyes, then nodded once, "I know more that I should, not that I was looking for the

information. It's incredibly careless to leave him where visitors can stumble across him. I'm surprised
nobody else had figured it out yet."

Lassieta sighed and shrugged, "We don't fix things until they break. He'd been in there as far back

as we can tell. They'll be moving him soon, but I'd prefer if you failed to mention your discovery to
anyone."

Keel gave her a pathetic smile, "Nobody would believe a scarred whore anyway."
"But they may believe a linguist from a family of businessmen and merchants."

Keel froze, his eyes finding her again. "I'm no traitor. There's nothing that anyone can offer me or

subject me to that would convince me to sink to that level. Not after dealing with..." He shook his head,
avoiding Enara's name with fervor. "Where's Kura?"

Lassieta cocked an eyebrow, "She's probably in the Akana. Do you want to see her?"
Keel thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not particularly."
"Then why ask?"
Keel groaned, "Because I wanted to know which way to leave." He thought of something,

meeting Lassieta's eyes with a hint of interest. He couldn't discuss certain things with Kaji, not willing to
make him deal with more than he already had. "The woman that they paid to lure me away... They made
her look so much like her." His eyes drifted to the table, "She smelled like her, smiled like her... Same
hair, skin, even a tattoo in the same place. They knew better than I did that I would take their bait because
they used a willing version of her."

Lassieta leaned towards where he was looking, watching him stare off at the table. "So, you still

want her then?"

Keel shrugged, then shook his head. "I was recently reminded that the real Kura is far less

appealing." He met Lassieta's eyes with insult. "She has too much pride, she acts like a child... I can't
handle her, and now I don't have the energy or desire to try." His brow sank as he looked away again,
accidentally showing a glimpse of the small remainder of the bruises around his neck to her when he did.

Lassieta reached forward, about to touch it, like a child who wants to see with their hands. When

Keel glanced at her and saw her reaching for him he flinched and startled, knocking the chair over and
shaking his head as he backed away, his eyes wide and his chest heaving from where he had ended up on
the floor against the rail of the balcony. His voice was twisted and low, his fingers digging into the stone
underneath him. "Don't..."

Lassieta stared with pure shock, her face pale as she held up a hand to Oniku, who had run to see

what the noise had been about. He turned and saw Keel, and let out a low sound as he walked closer,
offering a hand to him.

Keel turned his face away from them as he got to his feet on his own, wincing when he did

because he could've done without the trip to the floor. He took a moment, his eyes closed as he caught his
breath, a hand clapped over his heart as he listened to it pound in his ears. After a few minutes he looked at
Lassieta and Oniku, "I uh..." He took a deep breath, then let it out as a shuddering sigh. "I need to go."

Lassieta nodded, her brow low as she and Oniku exchanged mutual worried glances. "If you're

heading through the jungle to Traichi, take two chargers from the stable for yourself and Kaji. Help
yourself to whatever supplies you need."

Keel bowed his head, "My thanks." He was at the door when he turned back to her, "I'll keep in

touch."

Lassieta gave him a reassuring smile, "I hope you will."

Chapter Seventy-Two

Kaji had finally realized what was truly wrong with the situation; Keel had been acting as if he

were alone. He barely spoke, and oftentimes would refrain from even looking at Kaji as they traveled. To
make matters more awkward, he wouldn't bathe or undress in front of Kaji, which he had at first been able
to do unnoticed. When Kaji had walked in and he was changing his clothes at a run-down inn the week
prior, Keel had pulled the sheet from the bed to cover himself, staring at him as if terrified. It had made
Kaji reflect on the last month. He hadn't seen as much as a glimpse of Keel's naked body since before he
had been stolen from him. Not that he felt Keel would be eager to be naked much anymore, but it still
didn't sit right with him. He wondered if Keel was afraid he would touch him, or if he was hiding
something. Either way, it hurt.

They had made it to Traichi earlier than they had expected. The path was coated in sand that only

covered the stones more as they neared the city. The jungle was thicker here, the foliage choking the path
with the occasional spark of color from a flowering vine or an exotic bird. Keel had cocked an eyebrow at
the patches of glass on the sand as they passed the sign that pointed towards the path to the western gate,
but offered no comment. When the canopy broke and Traichi came into sight, Kaji had expected Keel to
take a moment to look, so he slowed his horse and glanced at it himself.

Black stone had been used to make a wall that surrounded the city, flowers growing wildly over it

until it was nearly obscured from sight. Since wood was incredibly dangerous for a city that housed fire
elves, many of the buildings matched, all stone or brick, occasionally one of clay, since it was easy enough
to replace. The dormant volcano that Kaji had spent his younger years scaling loomed in the background,
and through the trees the distant sound of the ocean could be heard. The white sand had covered the road
before, but here it was deep enough that their horses would have some trouble navigating.

When Kaji gave a cursory glance at Keel, he found him taking in the sights, waiting for a question

or comment, but he never made one. Instead he met Kaji's eyes for a split second and nodded, then looked
down at his hands, waiting for Kaji to lead the way to his house. Since the scenery had amazingly failed to
rouse interest in the previously curious young man, Kaji cleared his throat and urged his mount towards the
gate they had been heading to. "Are you hungry?"

Keel glanced at him, then shrugged. "I'll eat if you are."
Kaji muttered, "That's not what I asked, Keel." He rubbed at his head, bringing his mount to a

canter so that he could get there faster. Keel followed without a word, even dismounted and stabled his
own horse without so much as meeting Kaji's eyes. Kaji glanced up at the house as they were passing
inside of it, nodding to himself that he should probably thank his neighbors for keeping the property
maintained in his absence. Dark stone exterior with so many flowering vines that the house gave off a
scent like a florist's boutique. Kaji glanced at Keel over his shoulder, "What do you think?"

Keel bowed his head, "It's beautiful."
Kaji sighed, shaking his head when he heard Keel speak with as little interest as possible. They

were just walking in the door when Kaji finally snapped, his tone curt. "I said I'd help you handle this, but
I can't do that unless you talk to me."

Keel flushed, still looking at the floor as he walked into the house. He eventually tried to speak,

but his words were snared before they could escape, and in the end he just shook his head and looked away
again. "I'm sorry."

Kaji nodded, "I'm also getting quite weary of how sorry you are. You haven't done anything

wrong..." He sighed, "I can't talk to you, I can't hold you. Hell, you won't even let me look at you..."

Keel closed his eyes, guilty of every accusation. "What do you want from me, Kaji?"
He walked towards Keel, his feet slowing when Keel took a step away from him. He pursed his

lips and gave him a curt nod, gesturing to Keel, "That. The way that you move away from me like I'm
going to hurt you. I want that to end..." He saw that Keel was upset by the thought as well, and dared ask
what he had been avoiding. "What happened when she had you?"

Keel met his eyes, "You don't want to know."
Kaji let out a grunt of a laugh, aggravated by that response as well. "I asked. Tell me."
Keel sighed, looking away again. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Do you know what I did while you were missing?"
Keel sighed and shook his head. He hadn't asked because he was trying to avoid the topic entirely.
"I spent my time chasing you with everything that I had, praying that there would be a person at

the end of that trail to recover. When they brought you into the Palace, I thought you were dead. And there

was only one thing that hurt worse than that thought." He waited until Keel gave him a questioning glance
to continue. "When I touched you, you screamed." He saw Keel pale, but didn't stop, willing to deal with a
meltdown if he had a chance to get some of what had happened from Keel's lips. "I've never intentionally
hurt you, Keel. You know that. This... It isn't fair. You asked me to help you, and I'm trying." He walked
up to Keel, his brow knit with concern when Keel backed away until a wall blocked his progress. "You're
going to tell me what happened."

Keel stared at him, afraid of him because he didn't want to share what he counted as hell. He

knew well enough by the look on Kaji's face that there was no hope of him dropping this crusade to hear
about it, but he didn't have the will to describe it for him. He thought for a moment, his eyes cast aside as
he slid his light coat off and hesitantly unbuttoned his shirt. Kaji watched him, confused but patient. Keel
brushed his thumb over his neck, where the bruising had been the worst. "The twins... They liked to choke
me."

Kaji flushed. He hadn't heard of any twins until now. "Twins?"
Keel nodded, continuing. He raised his arm, dragging his fingers over the scar that was cutting

across his ribs and side. "Straight razor." He closed his eyes, his lips trembling as he traced where the
claw marks had been, "Enara's nails..." He took a deep breath, gesturing to his nipples, his voice strained
and painful to hear, "Two piercings, connected to the third by a chain." His hand nearly shook as he looked
down at his hips, then met Kaji's eyes. He shook his head slightly, his eyes glassy. "I don't... want to talk
anymore."

Kaji's eyes dropped to Keel's belt, shocked by the discovery because he knew well enough where

she would pierce. "A third piercing... How much more did she do?"

Keel's eyes watered, the moment he had feared finally here. His pale hands reached for his belt,

then dropped to his sides, unable to complete the action he had started. He didn't offer anything, but didn't
shy away either. After a minute Kaji swallowed a knot in his throat, glancing at Keel's eyes before he
slowly unbuckled his belt. When he went to unbutton Keel's pants he heard him let out a low sound, saw
him look away. He stopped and slid a hand into Keel's melancholy hair, pulling him against his chest
instead. He brought his fingertips to the edge of Keel's mouth, to the inexplicable slice that had been at the
edge of his lips when he had been brought in. "What was this one?"

Keel heaved, his face twisted as tears welled in his eyes. "She was trying to cut out my tongue..."
Kaji let out the breath he had been holding as a groan of sympathy, clutching Keel a bit tighter.

Keel had eagerly offered that information, which made Kaji even more uneasy in regards to what he had
been hiding with his pants for so long. He brushed his thumb over the spot at the edge of Keel's mouth
religiously, his expression pained. "Come upstairs with me."

Keel nodded, tense in Kaji's hands. "Alright."
Kaji tangled fingers with him, pulling him up the stairs slowly.
The top floor had no walls, only pillars to support the roof and ornate railings around the sides of

the level. Heavy crimson curtains fell from the ceiling to the floor, some drawn, some closed for privacy.
The thought that they could be heard would've been embarrassing, but the reason for such an unusual style
was apparent enough when a breeze came through the room. It was built to escape the heat.

Kaji's bed happened to be up against the rail when they came across it, and as soon as Keel saw it

with his hand in Kaji's, his feet slowed. He shook his head, his heart racing as tried to back out of the
situation. He leaned away from Kaji and tried to let his fingers slip from his grip, his eyes wide and his
voice stuck in his throat. "Kaji, I don't..."

Kaji sighed, eyeing Keel. "I just want to take a look."
Keel glanced at the bed and then back to Kaji, unwilling to do this, but unable to deny him the

option after treating him so poorly over the last month. He closed his eyes, allowing Kaji to more or less
drag him to the bed and lower him onto it. When Kaji picked up where he had left off, Keel flinched and
pulled away from him. After a few minutes he took a deep breath, settled and still as he looked at Kaji with
concern. Kaji wet his lips, looking at Keel's face as he deftly unbuttoned Keel's pants and hooked his
thumbs under the fabric, then slid them lower. "Lift your hips." Keel made no effort for a long moment,
then suddenly did as he was told, looking away as Kaji pulled his pants off.

Kaji took a moment before he looked down at Keel's body. He took a sharp breath in surprise and

turned away, the collection of scars absolutely painful to see. He swore under his breath as he forced
himself to take the opportunity. Keel's hushed whisper came from his lips as he found each without
looking, his fingertips dancing over them. "Straight razor, hunting knife, whip." He bit his lip for a
moment as he spread his legs, showing the last from where it was set, "That was the razor as well, I

think..." He spread his legs and brushed his fingertip over his ass, his voice choked and quiet, "The twins,
at the same time..." He heard Kaji make a sound as if he was going to be sick, and since he felt it must be
over how disgusting he now looked, he finished quickly. He stroked timid fingers over the kanji that had
been burned into his flesh, the word 'whore' now marring his skin forever. "Branding iron." He trailed his
finger to the tip of his penis, where two small scars spoke of a piercing nearly torn free, "And the third
piercing."

He grabbed the comforter underneath him and flipped it to cover himself, rolling on his side and

tearing a pillow to cling to as he set his jaw. "I told you, you didn't want to know. Add to that the want to
die, starving to death as two young men laughed at you, knowing nobody will be able to find you, or
possibly even care to... Then you'll have an idea of how fun things became." He sighed, "Oh, and that
you've wasted your life, can't forget that. Dying as nothing more than a whore who won't be missed..."
Keel sighed into the pillow, his eyes stinging with fatigue in response the amount of sunlight that was
pouring into the room from the parted curtains. He hadn't been doing well on the odd occasion he did
sleep, and the strain of doing this had been unwelcome.

Kaji watched him from where he was leaning over the edge of the bed, his eyes sympathetic. He

had assumed that Enara had treated Keel much like she had Kaji on the occasion he had been with her, only
made it last for days and bled him dry, turning her attention deadly. This was far worse than he had
expected, and he was surprised that Keel had even taken it as well as he had. He looked at Keel's face for a
moment, seeing that he was upset, and cleared his throat. "Let me see it again."

Keel glanced at him, not understanding why he would want to. The look on Kaji's face gave away

none of his feelings on the matter, but his deep voice had been quiet and careful. "Why?"

Kaji gave him a weak grin, "It's not that bad."
Keel gave him a doubtful glare, but groaned and hid his face in the pillow, one of his hands tearing

the comforter aside. "Fine."

Kaji put his hands on Keel's knees, understanding a bit better now why he jumped at such a small

thing. He bit his lip as he ran his fingers up Keel's thighs, over the scars. They were fading, and the idea of
what this must've looked like when he was brought in was heart wrenching. Keel writhed, his face hidden
but his body flushed enough that Kaji smirked. Even now, he was blushing like a virgin. Kaji took a knee,
kissing one of the scars on his thigh gently.

Keel tore the pillow off of his face and sat up on his elbows, staring at Kaji with what started as

outrage. As he saw Kaji tenderly kissing his healed wounds, the look on his face was enough to make Keel
relax. He wasn't interested in sex, he was just doing what he knew. Kaji glanced up at him for a long
moment, about to go back to what he had been doing when Keel stopped him, his brow knit as he saw
something he hadn't before in Kaji's eyes.

He held Kaji still by his hair for a long moment, studying his face as he tried to place the

expression on his face. Kaji hesitantly met his eyes, and Keel flushed when he realized what it was. In the
last month Kaji hadn't spent even a moment with anyone, too busy with Keel to pay attention to others.
Keel had made a point of being poor company, and it had worn Kaji down. He was contentedly lonely, and
it was Keel's fault. Keel sighed, his brow low as he traced his thumb over Kaji's cheekbone.

Kaji blushed, his eyes closed as he savored Keel's touch, something he had only just been able to

enjoy when it had been taken away from him. He turned and nestled his face in Keel's hand, a low sound
coming from him as he did. He looked at Keel slowly, as if asking why he was suddenly willing to put his
hands on him, and Keel felt his heart race. "Come here, Kaji."

Kaji nodded, climbing onto the bed next to him, laying on his stomach and resting his head on the

pillow beside Keel, staring at him. "Everything okay?"

Keel shrugged, "I don't think so." He carefully put his hands back on Kaji's face, coaxing him

closer. When he had him a mere inch away, he paused, Kaji's breath on his lips and heavy like never
before. Nervous Kaji, no small achievement.

Kaji wet his lips and swallowed to relieve a tight throat, his eyes on Keel's face as he dared to slide

his hand across his chest. Keel gasped and flinched but didn't shy away, encouraging him to try what he
hadn't yet. He looked at Keel's lips, tracing them with his eyes. He brought his hand up Keel's torso and
touched them, wanting so much to kiss him. He switched to Yunan, since he felt that the words were more
beautiful to hear and the meanings would suit his needs better. When he spoke, his voice was strained with
emotion and his eyes watered. "I love you so much, Keel..." He shook his head ever so slightly, meeting
Keel's eyes again. "You'll never understand how much."

Keel flushed, more because of how incredibly sincere Kaji had been than from hearing the phrase

he usually avoided. He realized that Kaji honestly didn't care whatsoever about aesthetics, was in fact far
more concerned that Keel had suffered the pain they had afflicted. He revisited the idea of Kaji, only
realizing when he did that he had set their relationship aside to wallow in self-pity. It felt selfish to enjoy
Kaji and everything he had to offer, since he felt that he had learned a great deal about himself that Kaji
still wasn't aware of. He sighed, opting to notify him. "I moaned for her, Kaji."

Kaji's brow knit, "What?"
"I moaned for her, I begged for release. I said anything she wanted to try and get it from her. She

made me her pet, and even though I knew that I wouldn't be allowed to finish until my death was definite, I
begged for it." He shook his head, glancing around for a moment. "You were looking for me, and I was
trying to end everything faster." His breath hitched, "I thought I was stronger than that. Turns out, I'm not.
I'm pathetic. I thought you should know." When he glanced at Kaji, he saw him consider the information,
nearly afraid that he had convinced him that he wasn't worth the effort he had spent to keep him
comfortable.

"That's not pathetic. This; telling me that I deserve better. This is pathetic. I believe I'm of an age

where I can decide for myself what I deserve and what I want. Right now, just like every day since I met
you, that would be you, and you alone."

When Keel took a breath to retort Kaji finally brought his lips to Keel's, silencing him with a

passionate kiss. Keel tried to move away, but since he had just let Kaji know why he avoided him, and it
was a stupid reason, he didn't stop. He gently held Keel against him, kissing him even though he wasn't
reciprocating, craving the acceptance he knew should be there. When Keel stopped trying to back away
from him, he brushed Keel's hair from his face and kissed him again, his mouth meeting every place on
Keel's lips as if he could mark them as his own. He paused for only a moment, "I want you, Keel. And I
always will."

Keel let out a whimper, a few tears falling from his eyes as he kissed Kaji. He hadn't noticed how

heavily he had feared Kaji would discard him until the weight of it was gone, and as soon as he heard Kaji
say what he truly needed to hear, he couldn't stop himself from participating. Kaji gave a mental thanks as
Keel finally put his hands on him, unfamiliar as if they hadn't met his tanned skin before.

Kaji pressed his body against Keel, carefully cradling him as he let Keel's hands explore his bare

chest. When they found his open pants, Kaji had to stop and sigh, looking at Keel in a way that asked if he
were serious. "You don't have to, I'm fine with this."

Keel slid his hand over Kaji's erection, examining it as if he had forgotten. He wasn't sure if he

would be able to stomach sex, so he didn't offer any invitation. Instead he watched the way Kaji reacted to
his touch. Keel flushed when Kaji bit his lip and closed his eyes, clearly battling to keep himself under
control. When he moved his hand faster along Kaji's length, Kaji carefully grabbed his wrist and shook his
head, "Slower..."

Keel looked at him with incomprehension. Kaji asking for less pleasure was unheard of. "Why?"
Kaji moaned, then wet his lips, glancing at Keel in a way that made his heart race. "You haven't

so much as come near me since we left the Palace..." He brought his eyes to Keel's timid fingers, then let
out a relaxed sigh as he kissed his forehead and groaned into his hair. "I love when you touch me. I don't
want it to end just yet."

Keel couldn't stop himself from admiring the sight of Kaji as he enjoyed himself. Overgrown

crimson hair fell over the pillows away from his exotic face, the deep auburn tattoos on his skin now
resting over a beautiful and quite rare flush. His warm orange eyes were heavy with pleasure as he
halfheartedly bucked his hips into Keel's hand, a soft moan muffled in the pillow he was laying on. Keel
watched his body move, lean muscle under smooth bronzed flesh. Even though some of his muscle had
faded, he was as attractive as ever. Keel smirked and glanced at the other two lines of kanji tattooed along
the top of his thighs, eventually looking at what he had in his hand with a sigh.

To prove just how worried Kaji had been, he had neglected to shave anywhere but his face, deep

crimson hair grown out in a place that Keel had never had a chance to see it. When he again tried to lavish
pleasure on Kaji, Kaji's grip on his wrist tightened and he met Keel's eyes with a shake of his head. He wet
his lips and pulled Keel closer, resting his face in Keel's golden hair again. "No need to rush..."

"You're afraid I won't do it again, is that it?"
Kaji's jaw tensed as he nodded slightly, his eyes closed as he took a deep breath and savored the

scent of the young man who was laying his head on his shoulder. After a few more minutes he shifted
uncomfortably, his brow knit as he let out a low groan. Keel's hand had become far more eager than it had

initially been, and after a month and more of abstaining from this, he didn't have the will to stop him again.
His breath hitched as he rolled onto his back, taking the hand that wasn't wrapped around Keel to himself as
he gave up.

Keel watched with longing when Kaji's body tensed, admiring the look of enjoyment on his face

as he moved Keel's hand faster and came. He let out a low moan, catching his breath for a long moment as
he brought his hand up and rubbed his face. He glanced at Keel when his hand was rubbing his mouth as if
he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, and Keel couldn't help but smile.

Keel glanced at his body, then met his eyes again. "You okay?"
Kaji eyed him, raising a brow as he nodded. Under the circumstances, he found the question odd,

since Keel was the one who would have problems with what they had just done. In fact, Kaji was stricken
with a nearly fatal glee over Keel allowing him so much as a kiss. "Yeah, I'm fine." He looked around for
something to wipe himself clean with, then sighed as he remembered that all of his linens were likely
folded in the washroom, since the woman who came to clean had developed the bad habit of treating the
house as if it was her own years beforehand. He didn't want to get up, since Keel would either fall asleep
or grow nervous at a moment's notice and he was taking great comfort in spending time with him. Instead,
he pulled his pants off and pouted as he used them to rid himself of his semen, then dropped them to the
floor beside the bed.

Keel looked at him as if disgusted. "Those pants were expensive, you know."
Kaji chuckled, the idea of complaining about something's price completely preposterous since they

were still sitting atop a heap of money. "I can buy another pair later." He turned to Keel, his warm orange
eyes inspecting the scars on Keel's body with compassion. After a long moment he realized that Keel had
turned his head away, apparently not fond of him looking at his body anymore.

Keel paled when Kaji rolled on top of him, turning to face him with wide eyes and trembling lips.

"What're you doing?"

Kaji shook his head as he kissed him, settling his weight against him as he slid his fingers into his

hair and cradled his head in his strong hands. "Just returning the attention, if you'll let me."

Keel's heart was pounding in his chest as he felt Kaji's warm skin against him, his weight both

comforting and nearly suffocating as Kaji kissed his face and down his neck. He shook his head, about to
push Kaji off of himself when Kaji's lips found the scar he had been eyeing along the side of his torso. Kaji
slid a hand down his body as he sucked on Keel's skin, moving so that he could slide an arm under Keel
and pull him off of the mattress to meet his lips and tongue. He ran his fingertips along Keel a few times
until he felt him grow hard, moaning as he tasted his skin.

Keel writhed, shaking his head as he closed his eyes and let out silent complaints, somewhat

hoping Kaji wouldn't notice. The feeling of Kaji's massive arm holding him just off of the bed, the way he
pressed his bare skin against him, his always talented tongue and hands, Keel was only on edge because he
was sure that he could guess where this would lead. Especially considering that Kaji was hard again as
well, currently pressing himself into Keel's leg as he gently pleasured him with a hand.

Kaji brought his tongue to Keel's nipples, wanting to love each wound he had sustained, even if

only to make himself feel better. The hand that was trapped under Keel's thin back found the marks from
the whip that had broken his skin, and he let out a groan as he caressed them one at a time. Keel had gone
slack in his arms, so he licked him from his breastbone to chin, then kissed him, checking on him to make
sure he wasn't reliving a bad memory at Kaji's hands.

Keel had an expression of concern on his face when Kaji's lips found his own, and a tremor ran his

body for a long moment before he met his eyes. Watching Kaji's face calmed him, as if confirming who
was touching him would keep his anxiety at bay. Kaji kissed his jaw, then brought his mouth next to Keel's
ear. "If it's too much, I can stop."

Keel let out a low sound, then shook his head, even moving his hips against Kaji's hand as he

flushed. He didn't tell him to continue, but he couldn't exactly tell him to stop either. The pleasure was
such a contrast to the pain that it was nearly unbearable. Kaji moaned in Keel's ear as he felt him vie for
more, knowing from past experience that it was Keel's silent acceptance of his attention.

His deep voice was hot against Keel's ear and he smiled as he felt Keel's heart race, "Move up the

bed."

Keel timidly did as he was told, slowly so that Kaji's hand wouldn't leave his body for even a

moment. When he sat up against the headboard he found himself face to face with Kaji again, only now
Kaji was looking at him with the same expression he used to wear when they had first met. Caring, but

nearly predatory. It meant that he had given him his chance to refuse, and that he would now continue until
he felt that they were finished. The thought made Keel groan with uncertainty.

Kaji backed down the bed, kissing the marks on Keel's skin as he went. He skipped over where he

was still feeling Keel, his lips on the scars on Keel's thigh instead. Keel watched him as he moved to the
next, his adrenaline spiking when he felt Kaji cup his balls and move his tongue up the inside of his thigh.
He shook his head, his face pale as he weakly tried to stop Kaji from kissing the one he was surely heading
for. He put both hands on Kaji's head and tried to keep him away, but Kaji took his hand from Keel's
erection and clutched his fingers. "Kaji! Stop!"

Kaji let out a nearly aggressive moan as he closed his eyes and buried his face in Keel's golden

curls, licking the thankfully healed mark once before he threw his weight against him and sucked on it.
Keel felt his entire body jar from the force of Kaji's shoulders, his head thrown back in perverse pleasure as
Kaji insisted on lavishing attention on the once terrifying wound. Keel's mouth fell open, his face tense as
he felt his arousal grow. He let out a girlish moan, blushing as he relaxed. As mortifying as it was that
Kaji had dared to do it in the first place, it was euphoric.

Kaji waited until Keel's fingers stopped trying to fight him to let them go, then pulled himself

away for a brief instant. He glanced at Keel, and seeing a look of confusion on his face, he raised one
crimson eyebrow at him before he slid his arms under Keel's legs. In an instant Keel felt himself pulled
down the bed and his legs spread, his hips lifted towards the ceiling. He stared with wide eyes as Kaji
licked his lips and retuned to what he had been doing, now with enough room to get closer. Kaji hugged
Keel's body to his face, touching him again with one hand as he sucked on his skin.

All Keel could do was clutch at the sheets and watch, ashamed by how the sight of it was making

him writhe. His whispered pleas changed tune rather quickly. He had been halfheartedly asking him to
stop, but as Kaji licked him once from back to front he took a moment to savor it, then wet his lips. "Oh
my god... Make me come, Kaji..."

Kaji let out a low groan, gripping Keel firmly where his leg met his ass so that he could gently

lower him and bring his mouth to meet his hand. He ran a finger over the scar on the tip of his erection,
then kissed it, sucking Keel into his mouth slowly. He moved both his face and Keel's body, his arms
easily strong enough to do this forever if he had to. When he glanced at Keel, he found him staring back
with a nearly pained expression and his lips slowed.

Keel panted, shaking his head, "Don't stop!"
Kaji picked up the pace dramatically, his eyes closed for a moment as he considered doing

something else to give Keel what he now obviously wanted. He didn't stop as he shifted his weight and set
Keel back on the bed, his hand diving for the side of the mattress. He felt Keel tense underneath him, but
didn't care to stop long enough to explain why he had fetched the lubricant. Instead, he quickly slicked his
fingers and dragged his lips along Keel until he was merely kissing him, looking at him as he carefully
stroked his ass with them.

Keel considered for a moment, then averted his eyes and nodded. They both knew what would

feel the best, and despite the fact that Keel wasn't ready for sex, Kaji's hands were a different story
altogether. He went back to using his mouth on Keel, waiting until he was moaning constantly to press his
fingers against him. When he did, Keel tried to shy away, but Kaji put a hand on his hip and held him still,
forcing a finger inside of him as he tried to distract him with his mouth.

Keel let out a whimper at the feel of being penetrated again, reminding himself that it was Kaji.

Since it didn't seem to calm his nerves whatsoever, he propped himself up on one elbow and watched Kaji,
his eyes heavy with pleasure when Kaji quickly turned his hand and found the spot he had been heading
for. After a minute he relaxed, his moans more urgent as Kaji sped up with both his mouth and his hand.
Finally Keel's breath hitched and he tensed, grabbing Kaji's head and burying himself as he came in his
throat. Kaji moaned at the taste, something that made Keel's flush return with vengeance.

Kaji reclaimed his hand and tentatively sucked on Keel for a moment after he had completely

finished. When he let him slide from his mouth he adjusted his jaw a few times, out of practice after such a
long break from using his oral talents. He brought his eyes up Keel's body until they were resting on Keel's
face.

Keel was catching his breath, wetting his lips with eyes that were closed from either exhaustion or

pleasure, neither one could say. When his muscles tensed with the aftereffects of pleasure he let out a low
moan that quickly warped into a sigh. Kaji climbed along the bed and laid next to him, pulling him closer
so that he could kiss Keel's skin.

"You're alright?"

Keel nodded slowly, his eyes cracked open and focusing on nothing in particular. "Yeah. That

was almost painful. For a minute there, I thought..." He let out a halfhearted chuckle. "Thank you. I
didn't realize how much better I'd feel." He let his head loll towards Kaji, his eyes closed again. "I'm
exhausted."

Kaji nodded with a distracted grin. Keel hadn't needed to finish voicing his concern, since Kaji

had wondered for a moment as well if Keel would even be able to finish. Thankfully, he had, and as Kaji
glanced at Keel's face he wondered if he would perhaps be relaxed enough now to sleep for an entire night.
He kissed Keel's forehead and settled more comfortably next to him, the heat of the afternoon growing to a
degree that the comforter would be bothersome despite the open-air style of the top floor. "Get some sleep.
I'll be here when you wake up."

Keel nodded slightly, already drifting to sleep.

Chapter Seventy-Three

Keel finally opened his eyes when he was certain he couldn't sleep any longer. He glanced above

his head at the open wall, the moon high in the sky. His brow knit, his mouth was dry and his arm was
asleep. A quick glance proved that Kaji was indeed still beside him, or rather, on him. He had clung to
Keel in his sleep, his face against Keel's neck and his heavy body thrown halfway onto his chest. Now that
he was awake, he realized that they were stuck together with sweat and grimaced at the feel of it. He
almost woke Kaji, but sighed instead. He looked content. He swore under his breath, trying to twist out
from under him. Kaji's breath against his skin changed, nearly panting as he groaned and pulled Keel
tighter to his chest. He could feel Kaji's hands twitch with his dream and smiled, hoping it was a pleasant
one. He tried again to slip out of the bed and again Kaji's arms gripped him, a low whine coming from his
lips as he mumbled something.

Keel cocked an eyebrow and it suddenly occurred to him that Kaji had only talked in his sleep

once before, and that it had been downright hilarious when he had. With a playful smile he shifted his
shoulder, "Kaji?"

Kaji let out a low moan and pressed his hips against Keel, his breath heavy as he moved his face

into Keel's neck. Keel stared at the ceiling with wide eyes. Apparently it was a good dream after all. He
curled his arm around Kaji's head and planted a kiss in his hair, "Kaji, move over. You're crushing me."

Kaji shook his head slightly and whimpered, muttering a protest. Keel chuckled, carefully lifting

Kaji's arm off of him so that he could manage his escape. As soon as he dragged his body an inch along
Kaji's skin, Kaji let out a low noise and blindly pulled him to his chest, hugging him in a way that made
Keel concerned. Like he'd be snatched away at any moment. Keel swallowed, his throat dry as he spoke a
bit louder. "Kaji, wake up."

Kaji groaned and his arms relaxed, one hand moving up Keel's body until it disappeared against

Kaji's face. "Yeah?"

"I need a drink."
Kaji nodded dumbly, "Kitchen is downstairs to the right."
Keel smirked, "You'd have to let me go first."
Kaji's brow knit and he looked down, realizing quite suddenly that he had been stuck to Keel the

entire evening. He reluctantly pulled away from him, "Sorry." He yawned and rolled onto his back, "It's
not morning yet. Why are you up?"

Keel slid off of the bed and found his pants from the afternoon prior, pulling them on hastily. "I

told you, I'm parched."

Kaji glanced at him as if he didn't believe him. "No unpleasant dreams?"
Keel shook his head, pulling on his discarded pants and wandering towards the stairs without

giving the change another thought. He nearly jogged through the house until he found the kitchen. The
room was larger than he had expected, as if it was meant to serve a houseful of guests at a moment's notice.
In the center of the room there was a large fire pit with a kitchen island built around it, all dark tile that had
been well cared for. Opposite that, half of the room had been lined with counters that were bare from Kaji's
absence, only a few pans hanging over the sink. When Keel turned the faucet and nothing happened, he
cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. He sighed, turning to go and ask Kaji why his house was mocking him,
but found Kaji hurrying through the kitchen with a fresh pair of pants thrown over one shoulder.

He glanced at Keel, his expression sour. "I forgot to turn the water back on. Give me a minute."

He tore a door that Keel had assumed was a closet aside and descended a set of stairs, disappearing into the
darkness for a few minutes. Keel warily wandered closer, and jumped when he heard the sound of metal
hitting metal.

"Everything alright?"
Kaji's face came out of the darkness with a smirk. "Why wouldn't it be?" Keel moved aside as he

came back to the kitchen and closed the door. "It should be fine now, just let it run for a minute."

Keel nodded as he tried it again, nearly surprised that whatever Kaji had done had gotten it

working again. "You can turn your water off here?"

Kaji nodded absentmindedly as he went to a shelf and pulled down a glass. Keel talking about

anything at all was welcome, especially because the curiosity in his voice was more like it had once been.
"We're supposed to turn it off if we'll be gone for more than a week. They purify it on the other side of
town. No point in wasting it, is there?" He set the glass beside Keel, eyeing him with curiosity. "You
slept well?"

Keel nodded, waiting as the clear water ran into the drain. "Can I get my drink yet?" Kaji gave

him a nod, so he filled the glass and turned the water off, leaning on the sink as he drank it down. He eyed
the glass, turning it in his fingers a few times. "You know, we only have plumbing in our house in Breiyan
because my aunt insisted. I'm sort of surprised you have it here... Pipes are expensive, aren't they?"

Kaji let out a long and amused chuckle, glancing at Keel as if he were a fool. "They're expensive

because they're exported. From here."

Keel flushed, feeling stupid. "I'd forgotten." He filled the glass again and sighed as he looked

around the moonlit kitchen. "What else do they make here?"

Kaji shrugged, "Anything that requires a lot of heat. Glass, porcelain, pipes. You get the idea."

He chuckled, "And a heavenly dark rum from the natives."

Keel smirked, sipping the water as he turned to the window and glanced down the lamp lit streets.

"Interesting place. I have to say, I'm regretting that we didn't go and purchase something to eat on our way
in."

Kaji raised an eyebrow. "Are you hungry now, then?"
Keel nodded, "Very."
Kaji took the opportunity to put the pants he had snatched on, then wandered to the door they had

dropped their packs at, searching for a shirt inside. "Put on your boots, the sand is spackled with glass in
some parts."

Keel looked at him as if he were mad, then leaned to see that the moon was high in the sky. "It

has to be the middle of the night, where were you planning to go?"

Kaji let out a grunt of a laugh, "Just do what I said, I'll show you."
Keel reluctantly did what Kaji asked, then found one of his own shirts and slipped it on, more to

cover the healing marks on his skin than anything else. As they wandered the streets, Keel was intrigued to
hear music coming from the tiny city's center, lively and greeted with laughter often. Keel glanced at Kaji,
who was walking beside him with an unconcerned expression. "Is there a celebration or something?"

Kaji shook his head, "Not that I'm aware of." He saw Keel looking towards the city center with

uncertainty. "Something wrong?"

Keel shrugged, looking at the sand underfoot as they walked. "I'm not looking forward to a

crowd." He glanced at Kaji, flushed because he was embarrassed by the fact a large gathering made him
feel vulnerable. He had been snatched from everyone's eyes in one of the heaviest populated cities in the
world, in daylight hours, and went unnoticed because of the volume of people.

Kaji thought for a moment and smiled, "I won't be leaving your side even if you beg. The only

place that we can get a meal right now is in a tavern, so you'll have to either go without until sunrise or dare
it."

Keel nodded, biting his lip as Kaji pulled a door open and gestured for him to go inside right as a

wave of riotous laughter broke out in the tavern. He slipped inside, most of the patrons of this bar gathered
around an elf who was regaling them all with a song about her lover. As he looked around he halfheartedly
listened to the tale, apparently a satire regarding how she caught the attention of her man.

She beamed with excitement as she gestured with her bronze hands, bringing the story to life as

she told it. "He locked the door and ran for cover, wanting no more from this fiery lover, but in his haste
he'd fled so fast, he misplaced his feet and fell on his ass! The bolt was no match for these hot hands, he'd
forgotten I hail from fire elf lands... I asked who she was and he started to blubber," she laughed under her
breath and shrugged innocently, "that I'd grown far too jealous of his dear old mother."

Keel smirked at the story and looked to Kaji, who responded with a warm smile as he ushered

Keel through the lines of patrons to a free table in the back of the tavern. He let out a shrill whistle and one
of the men behind the bar nodded that he'd heard him, bringing two tall shots of rum that looked nearly
black to the table. Kaji had a brief conversation with the man under his breath, smiling all the while until
the elf couldn't see him, then the polite expression dropped from his face as if weighted with stone. He
sighed as he sat, bringing his eyes to Keel. "I apologize. Fiyuri likes to hear her own voice."

Keel raised a brow and glanced at the elf that had sang her small tale. She was colored like Kaji,

even if her face lacked any tattoos, they could be siblings at a glance. "It was entertaining." He turned the
shot in his hands a few times, "I wonder if it was true."

"Knowing Fiyuri it was. She has a reputation around here as a bard, but her songs range in quality

from captivating to absolutely atrocious."

Keel nodded with a nervous smile, glancing around and seeing only relaxed and extremely casual

faces lining the walls and gathered around the hearth, which was set up much like Kaji's kitchen. A huge

fire pit with an ocular skylight over it was in the center of the tavern, elves surrounding it with rum and
smiles. "Seems very relaxing here."

Kaji gave him a curt nod, "Then you should try to relax."
Keel looked at him as if he didn't understand, then realized how tense he was. It was likely

showing on his face. He flushed and shrugged, "It'll take me awhile." He finally brought the shot to his
lips and drank it down, his brow twisted with the taste. "Spiced rum?"

Kaji nodded as if that was to be expected. "Spiced everything. It takes some getting used to, but

after awhile everything else tastes horrid by comparison." He watched as Keel stared off at the table,
growing concerned. "Are you alright?"

Keel nodded with a weak smile, meeting Kaji's eyes. "You're like this place. Warm and friendly."
Kaji gave him a debonair smile, "Or hot and slutty; more honest on both counts." When Keel tried

to stifle a small laugh, Kaji reached across the table and ran his hand over Keel's, serious because his
attempts to make Keel relax were evidently unwelcome. Keel glanced around, making sure nobody was
looking before he tangled fingers with him. Kaji's chuckle made him look to him in confusion. "You don't
have to be like that here."

"Like what?"
Kaji shrugged, "We don't have to pretend for even a moment that we aren't interested in one

another." He jerked his head to one side, Keel following the gesture and laying his eyes on two young men
who were exchanging various bodily fluids on one of the benches by the fire. "That's why I wanted to take
you here."

Keel flushed as he saw the two elves, so wrapped up in each other that their clothes had started to

smoke with heat from their bodies. The blonde had buried his face in the lap of the one with the orange
braids, both exposed in the middle of the room for anyone to see if they turned their heads. Only, when
people did glance at them, they just smiled and shook their heads slightly, then returned to the conversation
that was going on. Keel flushed, "That might take some getting used to as well."

After a long moment he turned to ask Kaji about restocking his house to avoid having to come

here for food in the future, and found Kaji had slid his chair beside him, his face only an inch away and his
eyes on Keel's. "Will you stay with me this time?"

Keel looked at him as if he were insane. "Why would I leave?"
Kaji shook his head slightly, "I meant like this. I'd rather not be shut out again, if you can help it."
Keel's face burned with a blush, and even though he had just found out that nobody would think

that they were odd here, he couldn't help but glance around for someone who was disgusted. Satisfied that
everyone else was absorbed in their own business, he averted his eyes. "Yeah." He let out a weak laugh,
meeting Kaji's eyes. "You know it will be awhile before I'm able to..." He held up a hand for Kaji to finish
the thought, and Kaji laughed.

"That's fine." He eyed Keel's smooth skin where it was showing at the top of his shirt,

remembering bruises that had been there not long ago. "I'm surprised you touched me at all. I didn't
realize how much she'd done. Why didn't you tell me before we left the Palace?"

Keel shrugged, "You were worried enough."
"That's my job."
Keel sighed, averting his eyes. His eyebrow twitched with regret once as he recalled Kaji standing

in his way when he was trying his absolute hardest to throw himself off of the balcony. "Well..." He met
Kaji's eyes with a polite smile, "My family will be glad you were there. If I had been with only Masune, I'd
be part of the patio at the Palace until the next heavy rain..."

Kaji swallowed the knot in his throat and played with his glass of rum, then hastily drank it down

and raised the glass to show the bartender that he needed another. He held up two fingers once he had his
attention, asking for two more glasses.

Keel shook his head, "I don't want another."
"They're both for me."
Keel flushed, watching Kaji stare at the table, obviously upset by the memory and the manner in

which Keel had broached the topic. Once the glass was replaced with two more, Kaji downed one, then
brought the other to his lips, hesitating to drink it. "You made me afraid to blink, Keel." He glanced at him
for an instant before he drank that as well, then sat back in his chair, his jaw tense as he took a deep breath
and shook his head. "You're the only person I've wanted to keep. Ever." He bit his lip for a moment, "I
kept thinking, while you were missing... What would my life be like without you? Do you know what my
conclusion was?"

Keel sheepishly shook his head.
Kaji gripped his hand tightly, rubbing his fingers as he sighed, "That I wouldn't have one. I don't

want to do anything without you again, and I don't care to hear jokes about how close I came to losing you
after I had only just gotten you back..."

Keel averted his eyes and nodded, "I'm sorry..."
Kaji sighed, his expression one of concern as he brought his hand to Keel's chin and made him

look at him. "Stop apologizing." He forced a tense smile at Keel, his brow low as he dragged his thumb
over Keel's lip.

Keel nodded, but before he could speak the food was luckily brought and set on the table in front

of them, a spicy seafood sort of affair with what had been caught that day. Keel silently ate, regretting his
tasteless joke. He tried to make conversation, the only new and neutral subject the plate of food in front of
him. He cleared his throat, "I forgot we were this close to the ocean."

Kaji nodded slowly as he ate, then gestured over his shoulder, "I'll take you, if you want."
Keel shrugged, playing with his food since the sting of hunger was oddly gone now. Kaji noticed

and met his eyes, his gaze serious enough that Keel sighed and ate anyway. He had been failing horribly at
regaining the weight and muscle he had lost, and Kaji wouldn't hesitate to argue with him if he didn't.
When he was finished he sat back in his chair, watching Fiyuri as she told one of the epic tales from their
folklore. He smiled, and Kaji let out a whispered thanks when he saw it.

Chapter Seventy-Four

Keel woke slowly, rubbing his face for a moment before he opened his eyes. A toucan had

perched on the rail above the headboard and he slowly cocked his head to the side as he and the bird eyed
each other. The sound of a woman's rich laughter made it fly away, Keel's brow knit as he sat up on his
elbows and listened. The sound faded quickly, but was replaced by splashing from the lower level of the
house. Keel slipped out of the bed, hurriedly finding a pair of pants and pulling them up before he crept
downstairs. He glanced into the room to the left, the circular pool showing a young elf bathing. Keel eyed
her when she played with her hair, raising her hands and smiling as she left her shorter hair spiked wildly
around. Kaji's familiar chuckle came from around the corner shortly after.

Keel averted his eyes and went into the kitchen, trying not to disturb them as he fetched a glass of

water and sat on the kitchen island. He stared out the window, unable to complain if Kaji sought his
physical pleasure elsewhere. It wasn't as if he was looking forward to their next time in the sheets. It
would be awkward, if he was lucky. If he wasn't, it would end prematurely and someone would be upset.
Either way, the thought was unpleasant enough to silence any complaints he might've had over Kaji
entertaining a playful, gorgeous woman in his pool.

He sighed when he realized he could hear the conversation, halfway through sliding off of the

kitchen island when he froze and paled.

"Well, you'll get over whatever it is soon, I'm sure."
Kaji's sigh came before his reply. "I don't think so, Fiyuri."
Keel's brow twisted and before he could stop himself he leaned, glancing at the woman in the

pool. He hadn't noticed because he hadn't seen her face, but the short hair and slender build were identical
to the storyteller that he had so enjoyed listening to. He sat back up as she climbed halfway out of the pool,
obscuring himself from sight.

"Can you put something on?"
She laughed, "Distracted? Has it been so long for you, Kaji? " There was a moment of silence

before her tone changed to one that was careful. "I'm sorry... I was just trying to make you laugh. Devii
help me, you must really be upset."

Kaji leveled a stare on Fiyuri that would've shut anyone else up, but she made her living with her

bothersome mouth and nothing would stop her except possibly her death. She crawled along the wet tiles
until she was leaning on crossed arms over his knees, staring at him with compassion that many people
didn't know she was capable of. "Tell me."

"No."
She sighed, glancing around, "It's the blonde upstairs, right? The one from the tavern last night?"
He groaned and ran his fingers into his hair, "What if it is, Fiyuri? What could you possibly do to

make this situation better?" He raised a palm, waiting for a response that he assumed would never come.

"I could talk to him if you want."
Kaji let out a loud laugh, then shook his head, a sarcastic smile on his face. "That would amaze

me, because he won't talk to me about it, not really, and this whole 'touch until they talk' routine you've
gotten into would be disastrous if you tried it with him."

She leaned and rested her face on his lap, blinking up at him for a moment before she smirked, "I

notice you didn't tell me to stop."

Kaji growled at her and stood, sending her onto her ass on the wet tiles under his feet. "Good

point."

She sneered, then sighed and took a deep breath. "I can help, Kaji. You're being a fool."
He snapped, his tone angry but his voice still quiet because as far as he knew Keel was still asleep.

"There's nothing you can do to help me, and the idea that you want to help him is outrageous. You haven't
even met him."

She stood, shaking her head and wagging a finger in his face, "You've been around those tiger-

eyed bitches too long, Kaji! There's nothing wrong with being concerned for a friend, especially one that's
pulled me out of a tavern or ten when I had trouble!" She crossed her arms, shifting her weight as she
leveled a stare that spoke of insult to him. "How exactly do you plan to remedy your problem if you're
acting like this? Keeping it to yourself, letting it build until you lose your patience... You know better than
that. Hell, even I know better, and as you've said before I'm as careless as they come."

Kaji glowered at the floor, not fond of how this conversation had turned, or even that it had started

in the first place. Fiyuri lived three houses over and her pool had sprung a leak a few weeks beforehand, so

she had been sneaking in and using Kaji's for the better part of the last month. Even knowing that Kaji had
returned, she had opted to do so again, and found him relaxing inside of it with a bottle in one hand.
Somehow, that had led to this. He sighed when she went to hug him, pulling away from her because
although he was dying for some affection, it wasn't hers he wanted. "Don't you have a man?"

She shrugged, "I'm between partners right now, actually..." She eyed the way he was silently

going over his options and slapped his shoulder playfully. "If you want, I'll go give him a ride, would
brighten his mood infinitely, wouldn't it?" Her laugh faded quickly as Kaji closed his eyes and sighed.

"A woman tried to kill him. She tortured him for a few days, as a sexual servant. So stop with the

jokes."

Fiyuri's eyes went wide and her ears went out to the side, her lips pressed together because she had

never expected anything more severe than Kaji perhaps forgetting his birthday or cheating on him.
"Well..." She looked away and sat on one of the chairs, pressing her fingers to her mouth for a moment
before she shook her head. "I surprisingly haven't heard that one before."

Kaji took a deep breath and looked for his bottle of rum with a somber expression. "Yeah..."

When he found it he sat at the edge of the pool and put his feet inside, swigging from the bottle. "We were
on good terms when we were in Azil. He was finally touching me without hesitation, had even allowed me
to fawn on him..."

Fiyuri wet her lips. "That's not the case anymore, I could see that much last night..."
Kaji nodded, "Well he was stolen from me. I can't figure out what part was the worst, so much

happened so quickly." He sighed and rested his head in a palm, then took another long gulp of rum.

Fiyuri eyed him with compassion. "You really love this one, don't you?"
Kaji let out a pathetic excuse for a laugh and met her eyes, distraught. "Like nothing else..."
Fiyuri gave him a companionable smirk, then moved to sit next to him, hitting her shoulder

against his, "You found him though."

Kaji let out a pained noise and shook his head, swallowing the knot that had formed in his throat.

"No. I didn't. A friend of his, someone I always hated... He found him. He brought him into the Palace
and I swear to you Fiyuri, I really thought he was dead. You wouldn't believe what she'd done to him even
if I told you. He was..." Kaji shook his head, searching for the words he wanted, "He was a body, just
dead weight when I had him in my arms. Nothing left. I tried to wake him up, and nothing... It wasn't
until I touched his face that we realized he was still breathing. The reaction to my touch... It still bothers
me."

Fiyuri raised a brow, "Why? What happened?"
Kaji turned to her with hurt on his face, "He screamed. Like I had burned him."
Fiyuri glanced towards the doorway that led to the stairs, her face wrought with concern. "It

must've been hell for him."

Kaji sighed, "I keep remembering the days after, and..." He groaned, "They were horrible."
Fiyuri leaned against him, kicking a wave across the water as she did. "Anything you want to talk

about?"

Kaji shrugged and let her lean on his shoulder, watching her delicate feet kick at the water like a

child. "He tried to kill himself."

"Oh?"
Kaji nodded, "I stopped him and he was upset with me for it."
"He obviously wasn't thinking straight, Kaji."
"Doesn't make it hurt any less."
She considered the situation, trying to understand given what Kaji had divulged. "Where are you

two now?"

"He's hesitant around me. Like he can stain me, or I can catch something from him." He sighed

and shook his head, "He's a bit better, but I can't help but wonder if this is going to be permanent."

Fiyuri raised a brow, looking at the tattoos on Kaji's thighs as she cuddled his arm. "Would you

love him any less?"

"No."
"Then it doesn't matter if it is." She smiled, sitting up and meeting his eyes. "So stop wallowing

in it." She pulled him closer by his face, resting her forehead against him as she brought her lips close to
his. "If anyone can fix him, it'd be you. You might need to change your tattoos though if you don't stop."

He laughed under his breath, "Change them to what?"

She traced a kanji at the end of the tattoo on his left cheek with her fingers. "It would be a quick

alteration, see you just add the suffix and make it 'troubled.' May suit you better now since you're acting
like such a whiny bi-" She squealed as he shoved her neatly into the pool, then laughed when he gave her a
smirk. She swam away a few feet and winked at him. "Did you get any food before you bedded down?"

Kaji shook his head.
She laughed and made her way to the edge of the pool, walking to where she had left her robe.

"Go start a fire, I'll bring you something to welcome you back."

"Sounds good." Kaji pulled on his pants and glanced at her over his shoulder, "Oh, and Fiyuri?"
She raised a crimson eyebrow at him. "What?"
"If you tell anyone about what I said," he smiled and eyed the scar on the bottom of her ass, "I'll

tell everyone about the time you fell out of the tree while masturbating."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "A weak threat for a former stalker to make. You'd be just as

guilty as I would be embarrassed."

Kaji shrugged and raised a palm as he walked through the house, "And it would be entirely worth

it." He chuckled as he came into the kitchen, but froze when he found Keel sitting on the kitchen island,
faced away from him. He glanced over his shoulder at Fiyuri as she let herself out of the side door, then
looked back to Keel. "Keel?"

Keel turned his head towards him, "Yeah?"
Kaji inspected his expression for a long moment, but couldn't tell if he had heard their discussion.

"Did you sleep well?"

Keel nodded casually and took a sip of his water. "Yeah. A toucan woke me up, apparently hell-

bent on staring at me as I slept."

Kaji wore a hesitant smirk as he came around the island, standing between Keel's knees as he

leaned on his arms and looked up at him. "Have you been awake long?"

Keel sighed, his eyes on Kaji's tattoo for a moment before he dipped his fingers into the glass and

used the water to trace the suffix onto Kaji's face. Kaji paled, his heart racing as he found out that Keel had
indeed heard. He averted his eyes, about to try to explain when Keel pulled him closer and kissed him. He
groaned, his hands hesitating a mere inch from Keel's face in indecision. He finally gave up and snaked his
arms around him, hoisting Keel off of the island and onto his feet. Keel broke the kiss with wide eyes,
writhing as if trying to escape. And Kaji let him go.

Keel leaned on the counter, biting his lip for a moment before he timidly pulled Kaji into another

kiss, the motion starting over as it had nearly ended. When he did free his lips from Kaji's he spoke to him
quietly, "I can understand that you want to talk to someone, and I know you won't dare with me..." He
sighed, shaking his head and lightly brushing his lips against Kaji's, which had Kaji trembling with
restrained want. "I was fine after... Well," he flushed and smirked at the memory, "you remember."

Kaji nodded, "Every second that I'm alone."
Keel laughed, "I'm not going to tell you that I'm comfortable with it, and I'm not going to say that I

necessarily want to either. But, if you want me, you know where I am."

Kaji considered, "Is that an open invitation to pester you whenever I want?"
Keel nodded, "Yes, it is."
"Even if you shy away from me?"
Keel sighed, "Yeah." He gave Kaji a quick kiss, then turned and wandered through the kitchen on

his way to the stairs. "She's right you know."

Kaji raised a brow, "She is?"
Keel nodded and paused at the bottom of the stairs, only long enough to speak his mind before he

jogged to the second level. "You've helped me put myself back together a few times now. Thank you for
that." Keel had left so that Kaji would get to work on the fire Fiyuri had demanded, but also to avoid any
of the emotional conversations that could've easily followed the statement. What he hadn't counted on, was
Kaji wandering into the room when he was slipping a shirt on to cover his scarred torso. He paled and
raised a brow at him, "What is it?"

Kaji shrugged, walking to Keel's side and eyeing him for a long moment. He put a finger inside of

the shirt and slid it over so that it the collar fell off of Keel's shoulder, then did the same to the other side as
well. Keel flushed, his heart pounding as Kaji slid his hands slowly around him and pulled him to his
chest. Keel let out a low sound as he hit up against Kaji's muscular torso, meeting his eyes with a shred of
fear. Kaji studied his expression, taking Keel's advice to enjoy him whenever he wanted. He ran a thumb
over Keel's cheek, then trailed a finger along Keel's jaw to point his face up towards his own, leaning into a

kiss with him. He waited until Keel was reciprocating to let out a low groan, pulling him tighter against
himself. He eventually pulled away from him, "You need a bath."

Keel raised a brow at him, then realized Kaji wanted to play in the tub again. He averted his eyes

and bit his lip, but nodded. "I do, actually."

Kaji chuckled as he wandered towards the tub, leaving Keel confused because under typical

circumstances Kaji would steer him there, or drag or carry him depending on the mood. This time, he had
left him his chance to escape. Keel eyed the stairs, but his gaze quickly dragged across the floor to the
curtained-off section of the upper level that held the bath.

When the curtain finally parted and Keel came to his side, Kaji gave him a weak smile and started

the water for the bath, sitting on the dark stone edge of the basin. He held out an arm for Keel, who
hesitantly walked into his reach. Kaji kissed his abs, untying his pants for him as Keel trembled and
watched him. "Kaji... I can't yet." He shook his head slightly, "Honestly, I'm not comfortable with this..."

Kaji's lips paused. "I won't do anything that hurts you." He met his eyes, "I won't go further than

I did yesterday. I promise you."

Keel considered and nodded, his breath heavy now that they had set a limit. When Kaji pulled his

pants down in the front he whimpered, his fingers carefully finding Kaji's hair as he leaned closer and
brought his face lower. He let out a strangled moan as he felt Kaji's hot tongue, lovingly caressing his face
as Kaji took him into his mouth and sucked on him until he was achingly hard. Kaji stopped long enough
to shut off the water, then stood and pulled Keel into a careful kiss. He smiled against his lips as he tapped
the side of his head, "Relax, Keel."

Keel flushed and closed his eyes, almost apologizing before he managed to stop himself. He

nodded instead, taking a deep breath and holding it for an instant. Kaji kissed the spot where his mouth had
been sliced and he let out his breath as a pained groan. When Kaji's erection pressed against his own he
started to pant, his hand timidly traveling lower until he trailed his fingertips over the two of them, Kaji's
lips far more eager when he did. Kaji sat on the edge of the tub again, pulling Keel forward so that he
could straddle him. Keel's lips twisted and he eyed Kaji uncertainly. "You said..."

Kaji gave him a comforting smile, "Just trust me."
Keel averted his eyes as he sat on Kaji, "Alright."
Kaji stroked his face as he took Keel's hand and put it on himself, his own fingers sliding to Keel's

erection so that they could both participate, and Keel could watch as they did. Keel relaxed as he rested his
forehead against Kaji's, glancing down between them with distant eyes. Up against one another like this he
noticed the difference in their skin tone, a reminder that he was technically putting his hands on someone
that he would've never met if not for a massive debt and a stroke of bad luck. As Kaji let out a low moan
against his face, he found himself oddly thankful for the way things had worked out. His eyes found the
scar at the tip of his penis and he took a sharp breath, closing his eyes as he turned his face to the ceiling
instead.

Kaji kissed at his throat, "It's alright." He ran his hands along Keel's neck, trying to reassure him.

Because of the twins, however, Keel pulled away from his hand, then looked at him apologetically and
moved Kaji's hand to his cheek instead, cuddling it as his other hand picked up some speed. When Kaji's
fingers started to apply some skill, teasing Keel for a long moment, he let out a surprised moan, his cheeks
flushed as he kissed Kaji and opened his hand. Within an instant he had started to touch both of them, Kaji
groaning and shifting his weight with anticipation as he mimicked what Keel was doing. He sucked on
Keel's lower lip as he took his hand from Keel's face and ran it down his back and between his legs. Keel
noticeably tensed, his breath coming quicker. Kaji pulled his head away for a moment, studying Keel's
face. "You want me to stop?"

Keel thought about it for a long minute, then shook his head, his face cast to the side. "No..." He

flushed, his expression uncomfortable as he took Kaji's wrist and finished moving it lower. "Go ahead."

Kaji hesitantly nodded, groping at Keel for a moment before he brushed a finger over him. When

he did Keel jumped and closed his eyes, and Kaji elected to stop anyway. He pulled Keel to rest on his
chest, stroking his back for a long minute.

Keel was rather surprised when Kaji leaned backwards and pulled him into the massive tub with

him, gasping for air and laughing as he got to his knees in the water and wiped some from his face. "Oh
my god!" He shook his head, startled completely out of his panic by the man that was sitting up on his
elbows with a content smile. "Why did you do that?"

Kaji shrugged, moving some of Keel's hair from his eyes. "I wanted to see you laugh, what a

stupid question."

Keel gave him a playful glare and shook his head again, his amusement slowly fading as he saw

Kaji's expression change. He was about to speak when Fiyuri called to Kaji from the street.

"I don't see any smoke coming from that house!"
Kaji called back, "I'm coming!" He rolled his eyes and sat up, cradling Keel's head for a moment

as he kissed him. Keel tried to follow his lips when he stood, looking down at the bath as Kaji tore a towel
from beside the tub and made his way towards the bed. "Wash up, I'll be right back."

Keel gave him a curt nod, looking around for the soap. He turned a curious gaze towards the stairs

when he heard Kaji and Fiyuri argue about something. When Kaji came upstairs with a look of
aggravation, Keel cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Kaji leaned on the railing and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Well, when the idiot went back to

her house she ran into some of my old friends, and happened to mention I was back." He took a deep
breath and let out a groan as he eyed Keel with concern. "I um... Can't really turn them away, it's sort of a
tradition here. When someone comes back after such a long time away, everyone gathers and they
celebrate..."

Keel paled but nodded, his gaze drifting the room. "That's fine."
Kaji added, "They're coming here."
Keel froze, then nodded again, his eyes closed. "I'll get dressed."

Chapter Seventy-Five

Kaji had settled himself beside Keel, their fingers tangled together as he carried on discussions

that he was obligated to have after being away for so long. He had introduced Keel as his partner many
times, Keel refusing to comment because he wasn't sure what he would say if he did. In fact, he had said
nothing at all, his eyes searching the room constantly. Every pair of hands had something to welcome Kaji
back, Keel regrettably entertained when the baker and his lover arrived.

After setting out a long line of cakes, they playfully slapped each other with chocolate-covered

hands. Keel laughed under his breath when he went to kiss her and instead took a fistful of melting
chocolate and swathed it through her hair and onto her face. She stood there for a moment with her mouth
agape, staring at him in shock before she shifted her weight and grabbed the sugar that they had been
decorating the cake they had brought with, then slapped a large portion onto the chocolate that covered his
shoulder. He raised a brow at it, then nodded. He picked her up as if to pull her closer, then dropped her
on the remaining flour, covering her pants in it and sending a cloud through the kitchen, his fingers fanned
out at her sides as he smiled at her.

Fiyuri had been casting worried glanced at Keel constantly, and when she saw his expression

change she glanced over her shoulder at the pair, then tossed a slice of fruit at them to grab their attention.
"You're making the place a rotten mess, go outside if you can't behave."

The two both averted their eyes and apologized, the young man hooking a thumb towards her.

"She started it." She glared at him, then her hand came from nowhere with a whipped topping and crushed
the white fluff directly into his face. Following directions, she escaped through the door as he clawed the
dessert from his face and cocked his head to one side. He wet his lips, nodding agreeably at the taste. He
stood a bit taller and bowed his head to the room. "If you'll excuse me, I have a young woman who needs
baking lessons." He sauntered to the door and pulled it open, the room laughing as he set his eyes on her,
then gave chase.

Fiyuri shook her head with a smile and went back to what she had been doing. Keel watched as

she glanced at the fire pit and shook her head, picking up some of the red-hot coals and rearranging them to
her liking, pulling her hand back completely unscathed. His brow sank with mild interest, wondering if
Kaji could possibly do something similar. Someone tossed a sword with lobsters skewered on it across the
grill as they passed, another few sliding bottles onto the counter as they came in. The room was filling
quickly, and in no time the noise became overwhelming.

Kaji's attention went back to Keel when he felt his hand gripped tighter, pulling him closer to his

side and wrapping an arm around him as he bowed his head to the woman he had been speaking with. He
ducked his face into Keel's hair, "If you want to go upstairs, I understand."

Keel shook his head with a knit brow. To leave was to give up on trying to resume a normal life,

and he had told Kaji he would try. So he would. "No, it's fine."

Kaji gave him a doubtful glance, then turned him and kissed him in front of everyone, holding him

there as he flushed and tried to back away. Kaji leaned against him, the wall blocking his escape until he
realized what Kaji had actually done. Nobody was talking to him because they saw that he was busy. He
had just made himself unavailable for conversation when the most people had entered, saving Keel the wait
that he would've endured as he greeted each of them. Kaji held him close as he stood, glancing around as
he whispered to him. "Come on, we'll settle down in the lounge with some rum, how does that sound?"

Keel gave him a sheepish nod, biting back a smile when he saw someone reenacting a story that

had them holding their hands out at their sides, claiming something was 'this big at least.' "Is everyone here
like this?"

Kaji gave him a smirk and a nod, "Yeah, for the most part."
Keel bobbed his head, "This explains a lot about you."
Kaji shrugged as he dragged his fingertips down Keel's arm to his hand, towing him along behind

himself as he moved through the house. On his way he tapped the head of someone who was already
enjoying the pool with his lover. "Move it outside." The pair sighed in unison, but nodded. When they
arrived in the lounge Kaji settled himself in the corner that was covered in pillows, coaxing Keel down to
sit between his legs. Keel shook his head, but Kaji waved around the room, more than a few same sex
couples tangled together in various states of undress. "Come on, like this nobody can accidentally touch
you but me..."

After a moment's debate Keel groaned and did as Kaji wanted, and as the room started to fill with

people he was glad that he had. Kaji wrapped an arm around him when the rum was passed around,

smiling down at him as singing broke out. Keel watched him for a long moment, unaware of the smile on
his face as he saw Kaji start to laugh and sing along, raising the bottle to his lips before passing it to the
next waiting pair of tan hands. One woman walked into the room and cackled as she whipped a fiddle from
behind her back, tossing a tambourine up that countless hands fought for. In an instant the raucous noise
became a song centered on running away to join the gypsies, a surprisingly fast and playful tune that Kaji
apparently knew by heart. Fiyuri passed through the room, winking with a smile at Kaji and Keel as she
demanded someone light the fire.

Keel was only barely starting to enjoy himself when the fire roared to life with the silhouette of a

woman with a poker and the smell of red hot iron filled the room. For a second that seemed to stretch on
forever he stared, his lips trembling as he held his breath. He started to shake his head, heaving and closing
his eyes. Kaji's brow knit as he looked down at Keel, then up at the fire. He paled as he realized what had
bothered him. He clasped a hand over Keel's eyes and held him tighter, hooking his chin over Keel's
shoulder as he bit a lip. His hand was too late, Keel had seen it, and he could feel his thin body nearly
twitching with panic in his arm. "It's alright, breathe."

Keel nodded, his lips pursed before the nod turned into a shake instead, his hands clawing at Kaji's

thighs as he backed into Kaji, his feet trying to put distance between himself and the fire. Despite his best
effort his anxiety only got worse and he brought a hand to his throat, trying to gasp in some air and finding
it impossible. "I can't..."

Kaji grabbed him and stood, swiftly dragging him to his feet as he walked him out the nearest

doorway onto the patio. When a few people asked if he was alright Fiyuri made excuses for them, claiming
too much rum was to blame before she hastily changed the topic, bringing everyone's attention to the song
that she was starting to lead them away from what was truly happening.

Keel grabbed at his chest, shaking his head frantically as his heart threatened to run itself into

disrepair, Kaji's strong hands the only thing that kept him from falling to the stone of the patio. He felt a
wave of panic, sobbing as he heaved and carefully took to his knees.

"Keel, you need to calm down..." Kaji wrapped himself around him, stroking his back religiously

as Keel tried and failed to calm himself. "Come on, deep breath." Kaji was confused when what he said
only seemed to make things worse, completely ignorant of the fact that Enara had said the same words to
him right before she had sunk the branding iron into his flesh. Keel clapped a hand over his mouth, trying
to keep his stomach under control as tears streamed down his face. His breath was shallow when he
grabbed Kaji's thigh in a tight grip for support.

Kaji glanced towards the tree line, then at the house, unsure what to do for a moment. He hefted

Keel into his arms and ran with him, ducking low branches and skipping around a few patches of glass in
the sand until the jungle abruptly ended and gave way to a secluded beach. He slid to a stop in the white
sand of the beach, sending the sand everywhere as he sank into it with him and pet his hair. He hushed him
constantly, rocking him and holding him where the blissful revelry wouldn't reach Keel's ears. The sound
of the ocean seemed to slowly accomplish what he couldn't, Kaji whimpering with the same lost expression
he had worn at the Palace on his face when Keel finally took a sharp breath. Keel focused on the sound of
the waves, his eyes closed as he clutched at Kaji and cried. After what felt like forever he started to breathe
more evenly, his fingers digging into Kaji's back as he shook.

"I'm sorry..."
Kaji sighed, wiping tears from Keel's face as he shook his head, "I keep telling you; you've done

nothing wrong." He pulled Keel onto his lap and curled around him, his hand in Keel's hair and holding
him against his shoulder as he started to sing to him. Keel's breath hitched, his eyes opening with
confusion for a moment before he buried his face in Kaji's hair and clung to him a bit tighter.

When someone approached, their steps timid, Kaji turned his head to the side and let his voice trail

off. Fiyuri was watching them with worry on her face, her voice small as she asked, "Is he alright?"

Kaji shook his head. "No."
"What happened?"
Kaji just shook his head again and went back to nestling his face against Keel. Fiyuri cast a

glance back at the house, then sat herself next to them and leaned her head against Kaji. He eyed her for a
minute, but let her stay since Keel didn't seem to mind.

Kaji whispered, "You want to take a swim?"
Keel shook his head, exhausted and upset. He tried to pull Kaji closer as he let out a sound like he

was going to ill. "Not yet."

Kaji shifted his weight, taking Keel's hands and bringing them to his lips. "I'll go with you, it'll do

you good. If you want, I'll even drown Fiyuri for her bothersome fire."

She slid a glare at him as Keel wore a regretful smile.
After a moment Keel turned and looked at the water, the waves distorting the reflection of the

moon as it hung over the horizon. Even in the night there was enough light to see the remnants of a boat
just off the path, and aside from that, merely ocean and beach that stretched on endlessly. Keel's breath
hitched a few times in the aftereffects of his panic attack, his lips parted as he panted and eyed the water. A
few minutes passed before he nodded, Kaji helping him to his feet. His shaking hands unbuttoned his shirt
and he twisted out of it, exposing himself to the cool air with a shudder that was more inspired by
memories than from a chill.

When Keel went to set his shirt on the sand he remembered Fiyuri and set terrified eyes on her,

and sure enough she was staring at him much the same as he was looking at her. Her eyes studied the scars
on his torso, her brow low and her mouth agape as she slowly shook her head.

Keel looked away from her, cringing until Kaji slid his hands onto him and hushed him. He

pulled a shoulder up and rubbed his face on it, his expression twisted with disgust as Kaji reassured him
and moved between the two of them. After he had calmed down a bit, Kaji backed towards the surf, giving
Keel a worried smile as he followed with his wrist in Kaji's grasp.

Fiyuri didn't really understand why the swimming would help in the least, still shocked by what

she had seen on his skin into speechlessness. Once Keel was knee-deep in the water, however, he let go of
Kaji and nearly jogged into the surf, diving under it and coming up with a sigh of relief. Kaji crossed his
arms and watched him, Fiyuri walking up behind him.

He glanced at her for a mere moment, then went back to Keel again. "He only does two things to

relax. It was either this or Capoeira, and with the scars you won't see, this was a wiser choice."

She paled, "There are more?"
Kaji nodded, his voice twisted as soon as Keel went under the water again. "Many. She branded

him too."

Fiyuri closed her eyes, hearing the comment for what she assumed it was. "I'm sorry for the fire, I

didn't know that-"

"It's fine." He shifted his weight, his brow low and his eyes more than just concerned. "He'll be

okay..."

Fiyuri watched as Keel floated on the waves and rubbed at his face. "Well I guess now I know

why he's named after part of a boat."

"His family owns a shipyard or something, actually. Name came from that."
Keel sighed, "I can hear you, you realize."
Kaji smirked, "Eavesdropping prick."
Keel let out a weak laugh and let out the breath he had been holding, sinking into the water, When

he stood he was closer than he had been, walking towards Kaji as he moved his hair from his eyes. He took
a deep breath and set exhausted, bloodshot eyes on Fiyuri for a moment, contemplating her. Kaji seemed to
trust her, even if he referred to her as an idiot it had apparently been in fun. He wet his lips and swallowed
a knot in his throat as he shied his eyes away from her, his fingers reaching for Kaji and grasping him by
his belt. "You said you'd come in with me."

Kaji smirked, "I did, didn't I?"
Keel nodded, glancing at him. Fiyuri let out a minor laugh as Kaji caressed his hand and

wandered into the water.

Chapter Seventy-Six

Keel walked through the gardens, glancing up at the bed through the rail that served as a wall.

Kaji was still sleeping, peacefully enough that he hadn't bothered to so much as try to tell him where he
was going. And, because of the nature of his last dream, he was craving a few minutes to himself.
Nightmares he had started to learn to deal with, memories were a different story. He nearly jogged down
towards the beach, a towel over one shoulder as he made his way through the empty streets. The path
through the thick jungle was longer then he remembered, and for a moment he wondered if he had managed
to take a wrong turn. Finally the jungle broke onto a white sandy beach, the glow of the impending sunrise
lending enough light to ensure that he was alone.

He sighed and stared at the water as he took off his shirt, throwing it over a carelessly left boat as

he walked into the surf. He took a handful of water and wet his face and hair, then dove under. As hard as
coming to terms with his feelings for Kaji had been before, now the idea of Kura was far more bothersome.
He had dreamt of the night that he had told her he loved her, and the smile she had given him as a response.
At the time, he was relieved that she accepted his feelings, even if she made no attempt to return them.
Now, he didn't know what to think. She had tried speak with him before he left, but the sight of her about
to walk away had hurt enough that he'd grown angry and irrational, had wanted to wound her as quickly as
possible and then run off like a child.

He finally broke the surface of the water, gasping for air as he whipped his hair over his head. For

what felt like months he had been convinced he didn't want her, and one look from her with something
bordering on regret had set the possibility in his head to fester all over again. To add to his confusion, Kaji
seemed to be on decent terms with her, where he never had been before. He started to swim again,
recalling the most recent letter from her that Kaji had hidden in the bottom of the linen closet. Over the
two months they had been in Traichi, they had been coming with frequency that was rather insulting when
he recalled that she had never technically written to him. If he understood correctly, Kaji had not only
spoken with her at some point, but was keeping her updated on how Keel was doing, seemingly at her
request. She never signed the letters, but her handwriting was unique enough that it was either from Kura
or someone who had a bad case of the shakes.

He turned onto his back, floating on the waves as he stared at the slowly illuminating sky. To

spend any time thinking of Kura, who had done relatively nothing for him, felt wrong. Kaji was still vying
for his attention, and the man had run himself ragged trying to do whatever he could for Keel. He closed
his eyes and remembered Kaji's breath on his ear as he had whispered that he loved him. His cheeks
burned with color at the memory and a soft moan escaped his lips. Before he had put much thought into it
he was swimming back to shore, suddenly in dire need of Kaji. Troublesome for sure, annoying at times
and often too overwhelming, Kaji was the only person who had even attempted to offer Keel the patience
he had needed after spending time at Enara's hands.

He was jogging as he reached the damp sand of the beach, but after he ripped the towel and his

shirt from the discarded remnants of the boat he started to run through the jungle. He didn't stop until he
had reached Kaji's house and slammed the door behind him, walking up the stairs quickly as he caught his
breath.

Kaji blinked stupidly at the empty side of the bed, halfway to his feet when Keel came up the

stairs, sopping wet, flushed and panting. "Is everything okay?"

Keel gave him a slow nod, wetting his lips as he eyed Kaji. He saw that Kaji was incredibly

confused so he gestured to his face and wet hair, "I took a quick swim is all..."

"Ah..." Kaji raised a brow and glanced out at the barely lit streets, then back at Keel. "I would've

gone with you, you should've woken me."

Keel shook his head, his brow knit as he pursed his lips. "I didn't want to bother you. You looked

content."

Kaji sighed, about to go into a small speech over how he would enjoy any invitation no matter the

time when he was distracted by Keel's pale fingers unbuttoning his pants. He glanced up at Keel's face, and
since he wasn't red with embarrassment, assumed that this wasn't intended as a sexual display. He sighed
as he moved up the bed and put an arm behind his head, relaxing on the headboard and watching him
anyway.

Keel slid the pants off, looking around for a place to put them while they dried until he finally

tired of it and just tossed them onto the rail. He cleared his throat as he toweled off his hair, "Do you need
more sleep?"

Kaji shook his head slowly, as awake as he possibly could be. He pulled a knee up so that the

sheet would hide his erection from Keel. "No, I'm fine."

Keel nodded and tossed the towel into the hamper, then wet his lips and remained silent for a long

moment before he flushed and glanced at Kaji. "I um..." He shifted his weight, closing his eyes as he
gestured with his hands, trying to find the right words. "Is it alright if I join you?"

Kaji paled, then instantly flushed, his eyes wide as he pulled the sheet from the other side of the

bed. Keel carefully climbed onto the empty half of the bed and laid on his back, looking at Kaji as he
absentmindedly touched himself. Kaji smiled and rolled onto his side, kissing Keel with affection as he
nearly purred for him. It had been an eternity since Keel had willingly come to him, and even if this was as
far as the situation would go, he was grateful for it.

Keel gently moved Kaji off of him with a hand on his broad chest, "Lay on your back for me?"
Kaji let out a low groan as he did, staring with wide eyes as Keel leaned over him and his hand

went in search of the lubricant. Once he had it he straddled Kaji and slicked his hands, pleasuring himself
as his other hand went between his legs. He moaned, his eyes closed for a moment. Kaji hadn't noticed
when he had grabbed Keel's knees and pulled them apart so that he could see, but he had even gone so far
as to lean his head to one side, his eyes distant as he watched Keel gently work two fingers inside of
himself.

"Oh my god, Keel. Please, let me do that for you..."
Keel shook his head with a hesitant smile, "I think it would be better if I did this part myself..."

When he met Kaji's eyes he found the man staring with wide eyes.

Kaji glanced at Keel's fingers and wet his lips, shifting nervously underneath him because he had

heard two words far clearer than the rest of what Keel had said. This part. That implied there was more he
was willing to do. When he brought his eyes up Keel's torso, about to protest, he found the traces that were
fading from his wounds and let out a sigh. Keel wanted to be in control of as much of the situation as
possible, and even if it felt wrong to Kaji, he wouldn't deny him. "You're sure?"

Keel let out a long sigh and nodded, his eyes closed and his face relaxed at the distraction of what

he was doing to himself. When his mind started to drift back to times more unpleasant, all he needed to do
was glance at Kaji and he calmed instantly. After a few minutes of getting comfortable with his fingers, his
other hand left his erection long enough to tug at the sheet between Kaji and himself.

Kaji pulled it lower for him, watching with something bordering on caution as Keel ran slick

fingers up his length. Finally, he removed his fingers from himself, crawling the few inches up the bed so
that he could hold Kaji and position him. Only, once he felt him there he paused, his breath coming
quickly as he nearly shuddered at the feeling.

Kaji saw Keel's expression change and slid a hand over his cheek, rubbing at the side of his face.

"Look at me."

Keel cracked his eyes open and brought them to Kaji, and as he did he lowered himself onto him.

By the time their eyes met, the pair were both staring at one another with pleasure, sharing the moment as
Keel slid down so that he could meet Kaji's body. Once he had Kaji as deep as he could physically get,
Keel took a deep breath and let it out in a moan, putting his hands on Kaji's strong chest as he moved his
feet beside his hips. Kaji saw what he was planning and wet his lips, shaking his head even if no protests
were eager to come from his lips. He had wanted to worship Keel when they had finally gotten this far
again. Keel had not only removed the possibility, he had reversed the plan entirely. This was Kaji's
favorite, since it allowed him the best view, and Keel knew that.

Keel raised his hips slowly, then sank back onto him again, rhythmically moving against him at a

pace that was torture for Kaji. He bit his lip and watched as Keel looked down between his arms and saw
what he was doing. As if he knew that Kaji wanted to take over, he met his eyes and gave him a timid
smile. "There. I started it for you."

Kaji let out a loud moan and pulled Keel to his chest, kissing him as he started to move for them,

Keel's lips barely able to keep the connection because of how quickly he needed to breath to cope with the
feel of Kaji diving inside of him. Kaji slid a hand over Keel's neck and pulled him closer, his other hand
traveling down Keel's back to grab his ass and push him down onto himself. Keel was tense, in more
places than he probably realized. Kaji whispered to him, cradling Keel as he moaned and clawed at Kaji's
arms. "Relax and let me..."

Keel's face reddened instantly, and he couldn't contain the nearly pained wail that the statement

caused to form in his throat. He tried to calm his breath long enough to focus on relaxing, which seemed
impossible for a few minutes until his entire body went slack and he was laying on Kaji. He grabbed Kaji's

hair and kissed at his neck, drunk with the pleasure that came with carrying out the request. Kaji groaned,
his eyes closed as he moved his head to the side to allow Keel all the room he wanted to kiss and suck on
his skin. He started to move against Keel again, careful with him because he wanted to be able to do this as
often as possible.

Keel was enjoying himself, about to ask for more when his eyes shot open and his breath hitched,

quickly shaking his head. The last time he had begged wasn't something he wanted to deal with.

Kaji felt his body tense, could nearly hear Keel's racing pulse. He paused and hugged him tightly,

pressing his lips against Keel's shoulder for a long minute. "It's alright... Relax."

Keel nodded, letting out a groan of uncertainty as he clung to Kaji. "Tell me again."
Kaji's brow knit, his eyes drifting over Keel's skin. "Tell you what?"
Keel clawed at him, trying to pull him closer, but didn't say anything on the topic.
Kaji thought for a mere instant before he coaxed Keel to rear his head and look at him. "I love

you more than anything else, Keel." He smiled warmly at him, even if his eyes showed how worried he
was. "I always will."

Keel flushed and closed his eyes for a moment, then sat up, bringing Kaji's hands to his body.

When Kaji started to pleasure him with one hand, Keel let out a soft moan, finally content, even if he had to
stare at Kaji to maintain the feeling. He sighed and shook his head, absentmindedly running a pale hand
over his eyes as he pleaded under his breath. "I want you so much, but every time I try..." He looked to
Kaji for a solution, since he had always had one before.

Kaji sat up and kissed him, holding him there when Keel tried to pull away to start talking again.

He didn't care to hear it at the moment, and Keel was getting lost with memories that Kaji felt nobody
should revisit. Once Keel began to reciprocate, he slowly rolled on top of him, hushing him when he let
out a startled moan at the feel of Kaji inside of him. He took Keel's hand and put it on his cheek, grinning
at him. "Look at me, watch me, love me..."

Keel flushed but gave a minor nod, gasping when Kaji pulled back and snapped his hips forward.

Seeing Kaji's expression grow distant with pleasure was unexpectedly soothing. Kaji did it again, closing
his eyes halfway as he wet his lips, his hand groping down Keel's body until it found his hip. He held him
in place as he started to move with a purpose, the two staring at each other as he took over. Kaji let out a
sigh of relief when Keel started to moan, watching his expression warp with pleasure and something
bordering on fear when he closed his eyes.

He kissed Keel once, then moaned to him. "Look at me."
Keel's eyes snapped to him and he let out a low groan, his cheeks reddening as he did. After only

a moment he started to pant against Kaji's lips, his brow knit with tension. "Oh god... Don't stop..."

Kaji sped up, growing a bit more forceful with his hips as he kissed Keel again. After a few

minutes Kaji's breath hitched and he propped himself up on his arm, looking down at where he was
entering Keel with an overwhelmed expression. It had been too long for him, and the sight was too much.
He reached for Keel, pleasuring him with his hand as he buried himself inside of him and came.

Keel's body when rigid, his eyes on the ceiling and his expression tense as he felt Kaji come inside

of him. He let out a few heavy groans before he joined him, pulling Kaji down to meet his lips. He
moaned into his mouth, bucking his hips slightly in the throes of pleasure. A tremor ran his body and he
wrapped his arms around Kaji, trying to ignore it.

Kaji hushed him, caressing his face as he kissed him. When he pulled out of Keel, he let out a

satisfied growl, laying on Keel even though he was covered with semen. Kaji's lips started to assault Keel's
face constantly, words spoken between kisses. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Keel shook his head, slack against the bed as Kaji kissed at his skin and stroked his cheek and

hair. "No, I'm fine."

Kaji sat up on his elbows, looking down at Keel with a smile. "Why today? Did something

happen?"

Keel shrugged, "Weird dreams..." Kaji cocked an eyebrow, Keel shook his head, "Nothing like

that... When I went to the beach I was trying to relax, and I just..." He shrugged again, "I wanted you.
Badly." He studied the tattoo on Kaji's cheekbones, a hesitant grin on his lips. "So I came back."

Kaji nodded slowly, chuckling for a moment. "I might buy a house on the beach if that's all it

takes."

Keel smiled and shook his head, "Always making everything about the sex..."
Kaji gave him a questioning glance, "I believe that I stated, quite clearly, that I love you. If I

recall correctly, you made no attempt to-" Kaji smiled under Keel's hand when it clapped over his mouth,

then kissed it until he took it away. He saw Keel staring out at the brightening sky, relaxed and deep in
thought. "You're sure you're okay?"

Keel nodded, his brow knit as if to label Kaji an idiot for asking. "Yeah."
Kaji smiled and slid off of the bed, pulling Keel until he was sitting up. "You taste like the

ocean."

Keel nodded, his lips pursed as he glanced down at himself. "And, I'm covered in semen..." He

met Kaji's eyes and cocked an eyebrow as he stood, walking to the washroom and pulling the drapes aside
so that it was completely exposed to the view. "Out of curiosity, how much have you been telling her?"

Kaji turned to Keel, his brow low as he used a towel to wipe himself clean. "Fiyuri? She asks

about you every once in awhile, I just tell her that you're doing better everyday. She said she has
something that might help the scars disappear, if you want I can go and get it from-"

"I meant Kura." He glanced at Kaji over his shoulder, one golden eyebrow arched as he filled the

bath. "You've been writing to her since we arrived, haven't you?"

Kaji flushed, glancing at the support pillar that held the linen closet. "What makes you think

that?" The look Keel gave him made him sigh, "She wanted to make sure you were alright, and you made
no attempt to speak with her, I felt that it was fair..."

Keel shrugged, "I didn't ask why, Kaji. It's fine. But, what have you been telling her?"
Kaji thought for a moment, gesturing with his hands. "That you're eating again, you've started to

visit the beach on occasion. Your color is returning... Things like that, why?"

Keel nodded, clearing his throat. "There's a letter missing." He glanced at the linen closet, the

dates on the letters telling him that one had either been lost or destroyed. "What was in it?"

Kaji closed his eyes, "That one wasn't about you."
Keel grew wary, "What did it say, Kaji?"
Kaji shrugged, nearly insulted. "She ran into my brother. He's looking for me."
Keel considered, gesturing to the house with his hand as he stopped the water and searched for his

favorite soap. "Get it, let me read it."

Kaji shook his head slightly, his face hardened. "I can't. I burned it before I finished reading it."
Keel's eyes went wide and his face paled. He eyed Kaji, the way he was standing with his arms

crossed over his broad chest and his face turned away. "Why would you do that?"

Kaji made a dismissive gesture, "I didn't care for what he had said."
"He's your brother. You can't hate him that much."
Kaji glanced at Keel. "He was trying to get Kura to sleep with him. And he's only half of a

brother, at best."

Keel's lips pressed together, his eyes cast to the floor for a long moment before he sank into the

steaming water and washed himself. He said nothing, which caught Kaji's interest.

"Are you alright?"
Keel gave him a curt nod, "Why wouldn't I be?"
Kaji made his way to the side of the tub and sat next to it, leaning his head back onto the stone rim

of the basin as Keel scrubbed himself clean. "That is a good question, isn't it?" He heard Keel's hands
pause, but didn't say anything else.

Eventually Keel spoke, "I'll write the next letter to her."
Kaji paled, glancing at Keel over his shoulder. "Why?"
Keel turned to Kaji, and paused when he found him apprehensive. He shrugged, "I could tell her

just as easily how I'm doing. You can read it if you want." He hesitated, adding, "I'll never leave you,
Kaji. Not as long as you still want me." He blushed horribly, but didn't look away, his expression nearly
concerned, "You do know that, don't you?"

Kaji flushed, closing his mouth to try and contain a low moan even if it hadn't worked as well as

he had hoped. "I do now..."

Keel gave him an appreciative grin, nodding as he returned his attention to what he had been

doing.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Kura glanced around, ensuring nobody was walking through the gardens as she opened the letter

from Traichi. When her eyes found the paper she nearly dropped it, Keel's penmanship as immaculate as
ever. She closed her eyes and bit her lips, checking again that there was nobody around. She crouched
next to one of the taller flowerbeds, scanning the words he had written for any insults. Much like the last
letter she had seen from him, this one was about the two of them. Unlike the previous and infuriating
paper, this piece of his mind went over each of the things he wanted to discuss carefully.

She read the first line again, chuckling, "'To my curious stalker...'" She shook her head with a

smile, but as she read the pages he had written it fell and changed to one of concern. He said that he wasn't
willing to try with her, not again, even if that was what she wanted. The reason; he couldn't handle her
dropping him again. He admit that he had begged for her at Oninaru and Ixnyn's hands, but that he had
been begging for her for some time and she shouldn't think too much of it. She closed her eyes and sighed,
rubbing at her forehead before she turned an upset gaze back to the letter.

He still thought of her often, but he was sure that would end soon enough. He asked how she had

handled surviving what she had for so long, asked if the sight of brandy or the smell of red-hot iron would
always reduce him to a state of panic that could prove fatal.

After that he went over what Kaji usually would, that he was able to sleep through most nights,

and should he have an issue Kaji seemed to have no trouble helping him deal with it. His heart, which had
been a concern when he was brought in, seemed healthy enough, even if it went wild at the slightest
reminder of what had happened. He mocked her penmanship, asking if she wrote on horseback often, and
she laughed when she saw it, the sound as sad as her expression surely must've become. He asked that she
avoid Traichi for the foreseeable future, and explained that he couldn't handle women so much as
accidentally touching him anymore. That she would be no different, could in fact be worse.

She let out a small noise when she saw the way he had ended the letter. 'Wishing that you had

written to me before.' Kura sighed, agreeing with that now. Her eyes dropped to the line he had added
after penning his name and she cocked an eyebrow. Kaji had apparently been angry with what she had
written in regards to Reishan, and he asked that she keep the details to herself when she next wrote to Kaji.

It let her know that this was the only letter he intended to send, and that although he was fine with

Kaji and herself keeping in touch; he was done. She shook her head, unable to argue his feelings although
she was ready to perhaps share her own.

When Reishan showed up at the Palace looking for a handout, he had gone to her immediately,

preferring her over Akara, as he had in the past. He had put his hands on her, leaned closer to her with the
same playful smile she used to adore. It was surprising that she didn't remember hitting him, only his look
of stunned insult when he glared up at her from the floor, one tan hand clasped over the side of his quickly
bruising cheek. He had asked what the hell was wrong with her, and at the time she had just turned and
walked away. Where he had gone, she didn't know.

They were friends, supposedly, but there was no real reason she should've turned him down. She

already knew exactly what he would offer in a bed, and it wasn't unappealing. Even after what had
happened years before, she was certain she could stomach sex with him, and she had assumed Keel was
finished with her before she had the confirmation in her hands. She glanced down at the papers, sighing. It
had been an easy enough answer, even if she wanted to pretend otherwise. She wanted more than a few
nights. The only person she felt was ever capable of dealing with her severe and numerous issues, was the
young man that no longer wanted her.

As she thought about that, her eyes drifted to the south, her fingers folding the letter and sticking it

into her armor. She took a deep breath and set her jaw, then turned on her heels and walked through the
kitchens back towards the foyer. Jade was heading out with Loki, the two smiling and talking. She arched
an eyebrow, wondering how that situation would work for them, even raising a hand in parting as they
bowed their heads to her. Once they were gone she turned and went up the stairs, opening the door to
Lassieta's suites to discover her and Oniku tangled together on a sofa, cackling and giggling as they drew
terrible renditions of one another on some spare paper.

"Lassieta?"
She glanced at Kura, her face still wrought with amusement as she pulled her hair up and twisted

it. "What is it?'

Kura took a deep breath, "I need your advice with something."
Lassieta snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes, "It's about Keel, do you think I'm retarded?"

Kura glowered at her, shifting her weight as she crossed her arms. "I see you've been thinking

about this already."

Lassieta gave her a curt nod, lazily drawing a moustache on her doodle of Oniku. "What do you

want me to say? I can't change his mind about anything."

Kura sighed, "You talked to him before he left, though, didn't you?"
Lassieta nodded slowly. "Yeah. We spoke briefly."
"Did he say anything about me?"
Lassieta's expression grew distant for a moment, then she sighed and moved so that she was facing

Kura. "Yeah, he did. He said that Enara baited him with a Swordmistress she had tailored to be just like
you, because she had known he would take it."

Kura paled, her brow knit. "What does that mean?"
Lassieta shrugged, "I'm not sure. I'd tell you to ask him, but I'm not sure that would be wise."
As Kura thought about what Lassieta said she wandered towards the balcony, the sound of

Lassieta and Oniku arguing serving as a constant distraction. Apparently he had also drawn a moustache
on his sketch of her, Kura regrettably laughing when she heard it. Everyone had someone, and she had
thrown her best candidate away over appearances. She groaned and closed her eyes, turning her face
towards Lassieta as she leaned on the rail of the balcony. "When is my term up for renewal."

Lassieta thought for a mere moment, then shrugged as she started to sketch some large and curly

eyelashes onto her doodle. "Six months? Why?"

She had sighed her answer, but she knew it had been heard when the paper fell from her friend's

hand. "I'm resigning."

About the Author

I was born and raised in southeast Massachusetts. Yes, I do say "wicked" in place of the word

"very," I survive mainly off of coffee, and I refer to shopping carts as "carriages." Even so, I was raised in
a community that still hums with folklore and superstition, and has a flair for drama that would put most to
shame. Although that may not come across in novels such as these, I have a separate hard drive that holds
my other work. I prefer to write stores centered around dark humor, drama and terrible circumstances
mixed with folklore crashing into daily life. I'm thin as a rail, listen to music while I write and have been
caught on multiple occasions dancing in my chair while I edit and proofread. I've tried many outlets for
creativity, and the one that I enjoy the most is my writing, closely followed by my artwork.

I do not enjoy long walks on the beach, I am not overly fond of watching the sun rise or set and I

have not yet traveled to see anywhere far off and fantastic. I am, however, a damn good shot in a FPS. I
drink beer, hate bananas for no good reason and my favorite season is winter because someone needs to
love it. I write fast and often, and if my first novel wasn't enough of an indication, I like to please
everyone.

Contact me at

Goodreads

or at my

blog.

I am not as bad as you think I am. (Disclaimer-

statement entirely subject to how bad you think I am.)

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