“It is a dream we both inhabit,” Felora explained. “I enter your dream, and together, we spend time together. The one whose mind the dream originates in controls it.”
“If, and I mean if,” Sean said, “I agreed to that, you’d enter my dream for the night, but I would control it and what happened in it?”
“Yes,” Felora nodded, her eyes glowing red.
“What does that get you?”
“Energy. The energy you would replace during the night, I would siphon away. You would feel languid and tired the next day. We don’t use this method often, as it requires us to place ourselves in the trust of the other.”
“It’s a dream. How is that placing yourself in trust of another?”
Felora glanced to Saret, who shook her head. “I can’t say.”
“I mean, it’s a dream… wait, dreams are said to be another way to touch the soul. Your soul would be inside of me?”
Saret’s smile vanished, “Sean, you are asking questions whose answers I wouldn’t wish to have known to others.”
“Apologies, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Our Agreement still stands; the secret stays with me. I just want to make sure no one is harmed by agreeing to her offer.”
“If you allow me in and allow me to leave, there is no harm to either party,” Felora said.
“If we do a shared dream, you’ll abide by my wishes and not try to force my dream?” Sean asked.
Felora looked like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. “Agreed.”
“I need to make sure the others are okay with me upgrading your baths, since they had to agree to work on the Oaken Glen, as well. I’ll send Ven once I know.”
“Ven?” Saret asked.
“Ven, come here please. I have a message for you to deliver.”
A streak of silver appeared next to Sean, “Yes, sir?”
“You have a Messenger Fairy in your employ? Very well. I shall await Ven’s word,” Saret said, getting to her feet with a grace Sean had never seen in a person before. “I do hope we can do more business together, MacDougal. Maybe more personal business,” the last words were sultry, pitched to lead Sean’s mind straight into the gutter. “Good day.”
Sean exhaled deeply when Saret left the room. She had not used any energy, but that sentence had an effect regardless. Shaking his head, Sean took Ryann’s hand. “Ry, come on.”
Blinking as her eyes refocused, Ryann looked around puzzled. “We’re done?”
“Yeah, time to head home.”
“I shall escort you out,” Felora beamed. “I do hope to hear word soon, Sean. I’ll be eager to see what you have in mind for us.”
Ryann’s brow furrowed and Sean frowned at Felora. “I’ll explain tonight,” he told Ryann. “It’s not what she’s hinting at.”
“Spoilsport,” Felora laughed as she led them down the stairs. “Besides, after the dream, maybe you’ll reconsider. I can offer so much more than I know you’ll let me.”
Sean kept his eyes off the Fox Moonbound when she returned their boots. “Thank you, miss. They’re perfect.” He was not flattering her either, because the boots looked damned near new.
“I’m happy to serve you, sir,” she replied.
“Have a good day,” Sean said as he turned for the door.
“Don’t keep me waiting, Sean. No man should keep a woman waiting for the release they both want,” Felora smirked when she opened the door for him.
His cheeks heating, he did not reply as he left the Den. Ryann was beside him, glancing back at the door where Felora was standing, watching them go.
“Sean, what did she mean?”
“I’ll explain tonight, Ry.”
Ryann frowned but accepted it. Looking up, her frown deepened, “It’s approaching midday already. We were in there that long?”
“Negotiations took longer than expected,” Sean replied. “I need to spar... let’s hurry home and get some work in.”
Chapter Eighteen
The rest of the day was normal until dinnertime. Sean explained what happened at the Den, and everyone seemed worried when he finished. “Sean, are you sure this is the only way to help?” Fiona asked.
“Pretty sure. I’m going to check with Chastity to make sure she wants this. If she says yes, it’s a price I’ll pay. That’s if the others agree to upgrading the Den, that is.”
“What if they were lying about the dream?” Ida asked.
“We’d make them pay,” Sean replied. “She wasn’t, though. My world did a lot of research into lucid dreaming, which sounds like what she’s going to do. I’ll have all of you to help me with the exhaustion afterwards.”
“If that is what you wish, Master, we will support you,” Myna said.
“I’ll look at doing that Fiveday night if the others agree,” Sean said. “I’ll have done the Shaping for Eva and Fredrick, so my energy will be down anyway. Oh, that reminds me about Angus and his wife.”
A quick explanation of the deal he made with Angus had the others smiling and shaking their heads. “Always helping others,” Fiona said. “We are proud, but how are you going to help her and keep it a secret?”
“I’ll ask to put the clip in her hair. I should be able to check her while I’m making the clip, so the contact to help her would be brief, I hope. If worst comes to worst, one of you can ask her if she’d like a cup of tea to keep her here longer. I can put her to sleep if needed, like I did to Marjorie the other day. Then it would be easy to fix the problem and wake her up. We can be shocked that she fainted and then help her home.”
“Complex,” Myna said. “We will find a way to make it work, Master.”
“It’ll be good to have Chastity back,” Andrea said. “Our room has felt empty the last few nights.”
“Since dinner is over,” Sean said, standing up, “I should get going. Andrea, do you have the food for Chastity and Marjorie ready?”
“I’ll go get it.”
“Enjoy your evening,” Fiona told him. “I was thinking of going to the inn on Nineday when Mageeyes is out for the party.”
“I look forward to it,” Sean smiled, bending over to get a kiss.
“We’ll bring him home safe,” Ryann said.
“I know you will,” Fiona replied. “Enjoy your evening, too.” The twinkle in her eye was lost to Sean, who had already started for the door.
“Here you go, Sean,” Andrea said, bringing a basket to him. “You can drop the basket off in front of the shop on the way back. One of the Messenger Fairies will let me know so I can retrieve it.”
“Okay, Andrea,” Sean said. “You have a good night. We’ll try to get Chastity back home as soon as we can.”
“Thank you.”
Sean left the house carrying the basket, with Ryann and Ida following him down the stairs. Once they reached the street, Ryann took up position a few feet ahead of him and Ida walked beside him.
“Sean,” Ida said hesitantly, “we all support you, but I still worry.”
“It’s okay to worry,” Sean told her, putting his arm around her shoulder as they walked. “I still think it was a better option than the first thing she asked for.”
“It’s silly,” Ida murmured. “It’s normal for successful men to have mistresses, even if they have multiple wives. Yet you disdain the notion, staying true to those who are Bonded to you. It makes me happy.”
“I’m the way I am. I might have changed enough to love more than one woman, but I’m not going to spurn that for an easy piece of ass. To me, it’s disrespectful to those you love to sleep with someone else. Even though everything has changed, the thought is still the same.”
Ryann headed for the alley that had the stairs to the bathhouse. “I thank you for it,” she said, meeting Sean’s eyes before stepping around the corner.
Sean smiled after her, “That is what makes it right to me. I want all four of you to be happy.”
Ryann knocked on the door, and they waited a few minutes before Chastity answere
d it. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting all of you,” Chastity said as she stepped aside. “Is everything okay?”
“I have a question for you,” Sean said. “Would you be okay with your mother losing all her memories of the abuse so she can move past it?”
“What?” Chastity was clearly puzzled.
“Sean, let us have the food. We’ll go see Marjorie while you explain it,” Ryann said.
“Yeah, sure,” Sean replied, handing the basket over. “Have a seat, Chastity.” Sean motioned to one of the few chairs in the room.
It took him a few minutes to explain the plan to her, and Chastity stared at him with hopeful eyes. “You’d do that for me?”
“If you agree and the others do, too, I’ll send her a message tonight and arrange for it to happen. I’ll try to get her to help your mother before I pay her if I can. It’s your choice if you want this to go forward.”
Chastity’s eyes shone and tears started to flow. “Why? I can’t… you are…” Words failing, she began to cry silently but hard.
Moving over to her, he put his arm around her and held her as she sobbed into his chest. “It’s fine, Chastity. If you want it—”
“Yes,” she managed to sob the word out.
“Okay, I’ll have it handled,” Sean soothed her, rubbing her back. “You need to stay strong for your mom a little longer, okay? Andrea misses having you home, so we’ll get you back as soon as we can.”
Ida and Ryann came back out and knelt down next to her, each of them giving her a hug. Sean was able to pass her off to Ryann before he slipped into the hall. Taking a deep breath, Sean reminded himself that he was a good man. When he came back into the room, Chastity’s crying had stopped.
“Thank you, Sean. Please tell Andie that I’ll be home as soon as I can,” Chastity said, her lip trembling, clearly holding her emotions in check by a thin thread.
“Okay. Enjoy your dinner. I’ll send word once I know when Felora will stop by.”
Nodding, Chastity stayed quiet and shut the door behind them. As they started toward the Oaken Glen, Sean thought about Weaver and what he could do to pay the man back— legally— even if what he really wanted was to rip the man’s guts out and feed them to him.
“Sean,” Ryann said softly, “you’re hurting my hand.”
Blinking, he eased his grip immediately, “Sorry, Ry.”
“Thinking about Marjorie?” Ida asked from his other side.
“Wondering what I could do to pay the fucker back without getting us all in trouble,” Sean admitted. “People like him deserve a long, slow, painful death.”
“Maybe he’ll attack you like Oriv did,” Ryann said with a smile. “That would make it easy.”
Sean chuckled, “Yeah, it really would, but I doubt he’d do it. He’d just as soon kill himself out of remorse.”
~*~*~
At the inn, Ida went to sit with the apprentices while Ryann and Sean joined the already full table of Shapers and smiths. “Sorry for the delay,” Sean said.
“Wondering what kept you,” Joseph said.
“Checking in with Chastity and Marjorie. Speaking of which—”
“Can I get your drinks?” Lilly asked softly, making Sean stop talking for a moment.
“Hot cider,” Ryann said.
“I’ll join her,” Sean said.
“Another round for us, please,” Ryan said, passing over the payment.
“I’ll be right back,” Lilly said and headed for the bar.
“Before she gets back— you’ve all heard that Dame Mageeyes wants her inn upgraded to match our bathhouse. It’s up to you all if that happens,” Sean began. “I went looking for help for Marjorie and found it, but the cost will be that the Den of Iniquity gets the same deal as the inn. They pay for costs, but we hook them up. I need for it to happen for Marjorie. Will you do it?”
Fredrick spoke first, “None of us is opposed to having a beneficial relationship with Dame Mageeyes.”
The others agreed with him.
“As for the other, none of this happens without you to begin with, and the Den isn’t going to cut into our business at all,” Fredrick said. “I’m willing to allow it.”
“I don’t like that place, but Fredrick is right,” Eva said. “I agree.”
The others all agreed one by one. Knox made them all laugh and shake their heads when he jokingly asked if they would get discounts at the Den as part of the deal. Lilly came back with their drinks, distributing them so Sean was the last to receive his like always.
“I have a question for the table, if it’s not too forward,” Lilly said, staring at Sean. “Rumor has it that you’re all working on a project together. Would a position be open there in two tendays?”
Ryann spoke before anyone else could, “What would qualify you for a position you know nothing about?”
Lilly turned to meet Ryann’s annoyed gaze, “I’m able to get along with most people. I was asking if there would be a position available for interviews shortly. How have I offended you?”
Ryann looked away, “You haven’t. I apologize.”
“Lilly,” Sean said, dragging her eyes back to him, “I apologize for her. Ryann felt threatened by you before. Please forgive her.”
“I accept the apology and I forgive her,” Lilly said.
“As for the other, we don’t know, but if it happens, we’ll tell you. I wouldn’t want to cause Dame Mageeyes any problems.”
“It won’t cause any trouble; my Agreement with her expires in two tendays. I will hope to hear from you soon.” Turning to the rest of the table, she bowed slightly, “If you need anything else, please let me know.”
“Ven,” Sean called out and the Messenger Fairy appeared on the table. “Go to Felora and Saret and let them know the deal has been accepted. Ask Felora to visit Marjorie tomorrow, and tell her that on Fiveday night, I will keep my end of the bargain.”
“Yes, sir,” Ven said, zipping off.
“Here’s to helping family,” Sam said softly as she raised her mug.
“Family,” the others murmured and saluted.
“When does Brendis get back from his trip?” Ryann asked.
“Tenday,” Sam sighed. “The house feels empty without him there. Brendan misses him immensely.”
“Can’t think of the last time he left the city,” Joseph said. “Don’t you normally hire one of the merchants to take your goods for you?”
“He’s wanted to do more of late,” Sam said slowly. “He watched all of us doing more and building something new, and felt like he wasn’t helping at all.”
“Since your husband is away, maybe we should have a lady’s night,” Eva said. “Italice, Ryann, Myna, Fiona, Ida, you, and myself. Would tomorrow night be good?”
“Onim,” Ryann said, “can you ask Fiona and Myna if they’re okay with that?”
“Right away,” a small voice said from behind her before another silver blur zipped off.
“Did they all come with you tonight?” Joseph laughed.
“A few,” Sean chuckled.
“Excuse me, MacDougal, do you have a moment?” Sean recognized the man that had approached their table by his voice, Sergeant Carmady of the Hearthglen Guard.
“Sergeant,” Sean said, “did you want to talk here or privately?”
“Privately would be better, sir,” Sergeant Carmady said.
“If you’ll all excuse me,” Sean said, getting to his feet. “Empty table over there?”
Following Carmady, Sean took a seat after the guard did. “I’m sorry for intruding on your time, but the investigation of the attack on you is still ongoing. I… have the unhappy duty of letting you know that one of your Bonded is the sister of one of the guards that attacked you.”
“She told me she met you when she went to see him,” Sean said. “Was there anything else?”
“The investigation is still ongoing. I did wish to ask about the man who spoke to you that night.”
“Yes?”
“Can yo
u tell me anything about him?”
Sean thought back to the night of the attack and gave a brief description of the man and the conversation. “Someone told me he’d been seen at one of Dominguez’s parties. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It could just be a rumor, and that is all I know.”
Forged Bonds (Binding Words Book 4) Page 18