by Logan Jacobs
“I’m sorry for disguising myself,” she apologized in a low voice. “I couldn’t think of any other way to get what I wanted.”
“And what is it that you want, exactly?” I cocked one eyebrow and folded my arms over my chest.
“Adventure!” Eva exclaimed, and her eyes lit up with passion. “Heroic deeds, close calls, scrapes, and falls. I want to live, Great One. My family has a long warrior history, and I don’t want to spend my time cooped up in some moldy castle.”
“It’s a very nice castle, though,” I pointed out in a teasing voice. “Lots of windows, good carpets…”
“It’s a glorified prison if you’re female,” Eva argued in a flat tone. “I’m trapped there, and my father is the warden. You heard him talk about how I should just enjoy knitting.”
“Why is he so protective over you?” I asked in a thoughtful tone. “He didn’t seem to feel the same affections for his sons.”
Eva sighed, and her gray eyes looked downward. “Perhaps I’m the son he wishes they were, but he won’t admit it.”
“So, you two are close?” I felt like I could get her to open up, and I had a sudden urge to learn everything about her. Her past, her dreams, the sound of her laughter, the way she smelled after making love, and her taste.
“I suppose so,” Eva said with a shrug. Then she turned away from me, moved over to the stream to sit down, and looked over her shoulder expectantly. “Lucian was the favorite son, but that’s not saying much.”
I moved to sit beside her, and I lowered myself onto the stream’s edge. There was a drop of a couple of feet before my boots splashed into the water, but my legs were longer than Eva’s since her bare toes dangled above the small creek without getting wet.
“What about Tobias?” I pressed as I cast a sideways glance at the duke’s daughter.
"Duke Junior, you mean." Her eyes darkened, and her gaze flicked anxiously across the water. “My older brother follows directly in my father's footsteps. He has no mind of his own.”
“He seemed fine to me.” I thought about my interactions with the eldest son of the duke, and I shrugged my shoulders.
“He’s fine,” Eva sighed, and she shook her head to emphasize her words. “He is a great warrior, but he has no urge to see the world. Sometimes, I wish we could swap bodies.”
“Well, you managed to pull off being a man for an entire day,” I pointed out in an encouraging tone. “Not many could do that.”
“It was so hard to avoid you all day, Great One,” Eva said in a pained voice. “There are so many questions I have for you, so many things I want to talk to you about. You’ve seen the world, yes? What’s it like out there?”
“Whoa, slow down,” I laughed. “First off, I’m not originally from this world, so I haven’t seen as much of it as you would think.”
“You are from another world?” Her gray gaze was full of curiosity as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye.
Her suddenly demure demeanor was incredibly attractive, and the sensation of our lips pressed together and the firmness of her ass returned to the forefront of my mind. I shook my head to dispel the thoughts of a moment she didn’t remember, but I made sure to tuck it away for a better time.
Being the God of Time was pretty awesome sometimes.
“I was summoned here,” I explained in a godly tone. “It is my destiny to save your world.”
“I think it is my destiny to join your cause,” Eva pressed with intensity in her smoky-gray eyes. “Please, Great One, you have to let me stay with your party. It is the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”
“What about what your dad wants?” I countered, and I folded my arms over my chest. Just because we’d talked for a while didn’t mean I’d forgotten about the bit of drama in the audience chamber after she’d asked to come with me. “I think he’d prefer it if I sent you home.”
“You don’t know how frustrating it is to not have a choice in your own life,” she murmured in a disappointed tone. “Being the only girl is the worst thing that could have ever happened to me.”
“Don’t say that,” I replied. “I like that you’re a girl. You’ve got all the right parts.”
Her cheeks flushed again, and I chuckled.
“Look, I’d love to help you out, but my main goal is to get to the king as soon as possible,” I sighed and raked a hand through my hair. “I don’t have the time it would take to turn back and take you home myself, but maybe I can get one of the men to travel with you.”
“Please, Great One,” Eva pushed, and she grabbed my hands in hers as her eyes pleaded with me. “Let me prove my worthiness to you.”
“Your father will be royally pissed at me, though,” I reminded her, and I was unwilling to be swayed by her emotional argument.
“I wrote him a letter, it’s fine,” Eva assured me. “Don’t you want all of your followers to be happy? I already worship you, so you’ll only be hurting yourself by losing a member of the group.”
“I never needed ten men to start with,” I pointed out with a frown. “Your father insisted I have an escort, but it will add weight to my presence when we go to see the king.”
“That’s wise,” Eva said, and she inclined her head.
Suddenly, Mahini and Elissa burst through the bushes with their weapons up, and their eyes widened when they landed on Eva and me.
“Great One,” Mahini gasped. “There you are. We’ve been looking for you.”
“We thought something bad had happened, Bash,” Elissa explained, and she shot a questioning glance at Eva. “Isn’t that the duke’s daughter? What is she doing here?”
“She disguised herself as one of the guards,” Mahini informed the tiny goddess as her piercing blue eyes flicked to the armor laying in a pile behind us. “Bash must have caught on to her treachery and unveiled her.”
“It’s true,” Eva sighed. “You have sharp eyes.”
“I miss nothing,” Mahini assured her with daggers in her eyes. “Try to trick us again, and you’ll regret it.”
“At least there’s another woman in our group,” Elissa pointed out. “It was getting a little overcrowded on the men’s side.”
“She’s not joining us,” I said in a firm voice.
“What?” Mahini’s eyes widened with surprise. “Why not?”
“Because her father said no.” I shook my head. “It’s not worth the drama.”
“The duke would never think of getting upset with you, Bash,” Elissa reminded me. “He was so impressed with your power he almost peed his breeches, remember?”
“I remember,” I laughed.
“I don’t understand,” Mahini said in a confused tone. “Why can’t she join us? She obviously wants to, enough to sneak into our party.”
“That’s one vote for me staying,” Eva said with a bright smile. “What was your name again? Probably something exotic and beautiful, huh?”
“It’s Mahini,” the desert goddess replied as a smile twitched up the corners of her lips.
“And I’m Lissy,” my wife said, and she stuck out her hand.
Eva took it cautiously, but I could see an amused twinkle in her gray eyes.
“It’s a pleasure to be formally introduced,” the duke’s daughter said in a tone befitting a noblewoman. “When I saw the two of you in the audience chamber, I was inspired. My father told me there weren’t any women fighters, but you two expose his lies with your very existence.”
“I am a Golden Sword mercenary,” Mahini added in a kind voice. “But I’ve encountered lots of women who fight. It is not unheard of, just rare.”
“I’m still learning,” Elissa admitted. “You seem like you would be fast.”
“I am fast,” Eva replied with a grin. Combined with the refined lines of her face, and her large eyes, the flaw was more adorable than unappealing. “And stealthy, too. At least, when I’m not trying to avoid a god, that is. The Great One found me right away.”
“Please, call me Bash already,” I groaned
playfully.
“Are you certain, Great One?” Eva’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “That is a high honor to bestow upon me before I prove myself worthy.”
“Everyone calls me Bash.” I shrugged. “It’s not a special honor, it just makes me feel better.”
“Well, then I will do my best, Gre-- er, Bash.” Eva blushed again, and I found it fascinating how she was an even mixture of badass and princess. She was a mystery, but I had a feeling it was a secret I would soon unravel.
“Alright, back to the matter at hand,” I said as I clapped my hands. “Namely, you getting back to Bullard so I can sleep soundly at night.”
“I would never think to disturb your sleep, Bash,” Eva insisted in a worried tone. “I will keep watch every night to ensure nothing interrupts your slumber. I swear it.”
“Ooh, I like her,” Elissa giggled. “She’s sassy.”
“Takes one to know one,” I teased with a wink.
“The little one is right,” Eva interjected. “I have spunk and fire. I would be useful during your journey. I can take care of myself, and I pro--”
“You aren’t coming with us,” I repeated for what felt like the millionth time.
“Please, reconsider, Great One,” Mahini murmured, and she furrowed her dark eyebrows. “She would make a good addition to our party.”
I shot her a sideways glance to communicate how little she was helping the situation, and I saw the amusement in her piercing blue eyes. I would find no allies in my women, and I sighed in defeat.
“One more day,” I cautioned after the girls’ faces lit up with excitement. “I’ll allow one day for a trial period, but if you don’t impress me within twenty-four hours, then it’s back home you go.”
“Yes, Great One!” Eva squealed with delight, and she threw her arms around my neck to squeeze me tightly. “Thank you so much! I won’t disappoint you, I promise.”
“You are wise to allow her a chance,” Mahini said in a pleased tone.
“This is going to be fun!” Elissa giggled, and she took a seat on the other side of Eva. “I like the idea of having more women around. It’s like sisters I get to fight alongside with.”
“That would be amazing,” Eva breathed with wide eyes.
I shook my head with a wry smirk, and I envisioned the kind of shenanigans the two women were bound to get into. It looked like it was already shaping up to be a close friendship, and I only hoped Evangeline would show me something substantial so I didn’t have to separate them again.
“Are you prepared for this adventure?” Mahini asked me as a smile twitched across her lips. “Or is it more than you can handle?”
“Oh, I can handle one more,” I assured her with a confident tone. “The question will be can the three of you handle me?”
Mahini nodded firmly, Elissa licked her lips, but Eva merely blushed and looked down at her feet.
“Come on,” I said as I rose to my feet and held out my hands to Mahini and Elissa. “Let’s get to bed.”
“It is almost my turn to keep watch,” Eva said with a rueful smile. “I suppose I need to hurry if I still wish to bathe first.”
“We’ll give you some privacy,” Elissa said as she dusted off her bottom and took my hand. “But you’ll want to hurry if you want some venison for dinner. I’m bound to eat all of it.”
“I had some trail food earlier,” Eva replied with a small smile. “Thank you for the warning, though. I’ll remember that if I’m ever hungry around you.”
“Sleep well, Evangeline,” Mahini said with a wave before she took my other hand.
“Goodnight,” I said, and then I led my women back to our tent and left Evangeline alone in the woods.
The meat had finished roasting by the time we made our way back to the campground, and the three of us dug into our portions greedily until grease dripped down our chins. I lovingly dabbed Elissa’s face clean with a rag, but Mahini merely rubbed the grease off on her elbow.
“What?” she asked as I gave her an amused smile. “I’ll bathe in the river before we leave.”
“It’s more like a puddle if you ask me,” Elissa said with a wrinkled nose. “I’ll wait until we have hot water!”
“You might get pretty stinky if you wait that long,” I warned her.
“As long as you can stand me.” Elissa shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter how nasty you get,” I said with a grin. “I’ll devour you anytime.”
After dinner, we crawled into our tent, and we snuggled up in our favorite position. Both girls sighed in contentment once their legs were tangled up in mine, and their heads laid against my chest.
“What a long day,” Elissa observed in a sleepy voice, and then she yawned wide and loud. “I’m ready to sleep.”
“Me, too,” Mahini added as she joined in the red-haired beauty’s yawn. “Tomorrow will be another long day of riding, so get your rest.”
“I hope you both sleep like a baby,” I said, and then I kissed each of their foreheads.
“Babies don’t sleep very well,” Elissa informed me as her eyebrows furrowed. “Why would you wish that?”
“I suppose you’re right,” I chuckled. “Then I suppose I hope you sleep like a childless woman.”
“I hope I am not childless for long…” Elissa’s voice turned thoughtful.
“I do want the Great One’s child,” Mahini said with a small shake of her head. “But there is too much adventure left to be had.”
“You can’t go on adventures when you’re a mother?” Elissa sounded disappointed, but then she shrugged. “Oh, well, being a mother would be amazing, so I think it would be worth it to stay home with the children. I can always go on more adventures later.”
“I’m glad you both want to have my children.”
“Don’t you want to?” Elissa lifted herself up onto her elbows, and she blinked her emerald eyes at me hopefully.
“Of course,” I replied, and I rubbed her back soothingly. “That’s kinda why I’ve been making love to each of you every night and pouring my seed deep inside of you both. I want each of you to bear me many beautiful children.”
Both women smiled at me with adoration, and no one spoke for a few moments.
“Eventually, we will be back home in Bastianville, right?” Elissa sighed with pleasure.
“Sure.” I grinned. “After we go see the king, we are free to head home whenever we want to.”
“I am probably pregnant already, but if not, I think we should focus on having babies once we are back in Bastianville,” Elissa declared with a firm nod. “My father would love to have some grandchildren before he leaves this world, after all, and Torya would help me. She’s always stood in the place of my mother when I needed someone.”
“That all sounds great,” I said in a cautious tone, “but babies are a lot of work, and they take up a lot of time.”
“I would take care of everything,” Elissa insisted, and her emerald-green eyes burned with passion. “You wouldn’t have to lift a finger. I just want to cradle a baby with your face.”
“Any baby with your eyes would be gorgeous,” Mahini pointed out with a half-smile. “I would love to be Aunt Ni-Ni.”
“Oh, that’s adorable,” Elissa giggled. “See, Bash, we can do this. Bastianville will help us, too, I just know it.”
“Alright, alright,” I laughed and held up my hands in surrender. “Once we get back to Bastianville, we can have all the babies you want. Same for you, Mahini.”
“Thank you, Great One.” Mahini blushed and looked down, and her jet-black locks slid across her face. I tucked them back behind her ears with a gentle sweep of my finger, and the desert goddess leaned into my touch.
Elissa squealed and showered my face with kisses, and then she plopped back down by my side and snuggled in close.
“You’re amazing, Bash,” she murmured in a sleepy voice. “Thank you for being my hero, my husband, my lover, and the father of my babies.”
I woke up before the
sun rose, and I slipped out of the tent while I pulled my shirt on over my head. Evangeline sat on a log next to the smoldering remains of the previous night’s fire, and even with her back to me, I could see the strong lines of her neck and shoulders. My women were right, she would make a fine addition to our little crew, but I had to know it would be worth the duke’s anger.
Eva had to prove herself worthy, and I was beyond curious to see how she managed to do it.
“Good morning, Great One,” Eva greeted without turning around.
“Morning,” I chirped as I took a seat on the log next to her. “How did you sleep?”
“I didn’t,” she replied, and I noticed the deep bags beneath her eyes. “After my watch shift was over, I grew hungry again, so I decided to eat.”
“At least you can take care of yourself,” I replied, and I bumped my shoulder against hers. “But that’s not enough to prove your worth to me.”
“I know,” she sighed, but then she fixed me with a determined expression. “I cannot go back to the castle.”
“We will see,” I said in a vague tone, and then I lifted my gaze to scan the campsite. “It doesn’t look like anyone else is up yet.”
“I am,” Riondale’s voice said from the shadows beyond the smoldering embers. The young lieutenant stepped into the light and took a seat on a log on the other side of the firepit. He nodded at me, but then his eyes fell on Eva, and his mouth fell open in surprise. “Miss Evangeline, what are you doing here?”
“I apologize, Lieutenant Riondale, I paid off your man, Banner, to let me switch places with him,” the duke’s daughter explained in an apologetic tone.
Riondale closed his mouth, and his face turned beet red. “I see, my lady.”
"The truth is,” Eva continued in a soft voice, “I disguised myself as one of your men so I could join the expedition to the palace. I knew my father would never allow it, and I felt compelled.”
“Did you know about this, Great One?” the lieutenant asked in a shocked tone.
“Of course,” I laughed, and Evangeline’s eyes shot to my face.
“You did?” she breathed.
“Yeah, I knew all along.” I shrugged my shoulders. “You couldn’t look me in the eyes back in the audience chamber if I remember correctly.”