“Yes, well, if you want to, you can rename it once you own the ship. I thought it was appropriate, and the people at the yards thought it was a fine name,” Fya replied, sniffing haughtily. “I also got it for well under the budget you gave me. Though some of that is Zelirana’s doing. She’s really good at negotiating, and while she didn’t get the ship for much of a discount, she got them to include about two thirds of the extras you asked for.”
“Truly?” Evelyn asked, her eyebrows rising as she looked at Zelirana curiously. “I knew you were good at talking to people but… are you certain you aren’t wanting to be a quartermaster? I know that’s the position that Star was looking at, but there isn’t any reason there couldn’t be multiple people dealing with it.”
“Thank you, but no. I’d be happy to help her if she requests my assistance, but I rather like the idea of being the personnel manager,” Zelirana said, giving a satisfied smile. “No, if I had any request, it’d be for you to treat me as an actual harem member.”
Evelyn saw both of the twins blush at that, as well as Ilyra. It amused her a little, but she didn’t pay them much mind, instead studying the succubus for a few seconds, tapping her lower lip thoughtfully. The woman seemed sincere, which was… odd. Very odd, at least for a succubus… but she’d likely be pleasant enough in bed, so Evelyn finally nodded.
“Why not?” Evelyn said, smiling at the succubus. “If you try to touch my mind or drain me, though…”
“Oh, I know better than that. I have survival instincts better than that of a baby angel.” Zelirana assured Evelyn, prompting a gasp of outrage from Vaneryth in the process.
“That’s just rude!” the angel sputtered. “Angels have survival instincts!”
Zelirana just grinned at the angel in return, and Evelyn turned to the twins, raising an eyebrow as she asked. “And the two of you? Are you regretting your decision to sign on with me?”
“No… not at all,” Moon said, glancing at her sister as she shrugged nervously. “It was a fascinating trip, and I think that living aboard the ship will be incredible.”
“We both feel that way.” Star agreed. The redhead hesitated before adding. “I just… wish we could’ve seen our parents. We just can’t afford to spend that much going to see them.”
Evelyn smiled, glancing between them for a moment, then spoke calmly. “In that case, I have good news for you. As part of my job while you were gone, I got a pair of vouchers from Xalryx.”
“Um, vouchers for what?” Star asked, her eyebrows rising slightly.
Evelyn transmitted the information to the two women and waited. She only had to wait for an instant before Moon gasped, sounding almost strangled.
“These are round trips to Corrida!” Moon exclaimed, her eyes huge. “It includes passage the entire way! Why did you—”
Evelyn raised a finger to her lips, silencing Moon and Star, though both of them looked like they were practically vibrating with the urge to speak. Once she was certain they were going to listen, she spoke calmly.
“I told you two about my parents. They’re gone, and personally, I would hesitate to approach them these days even if I knew where they were. I’ve done a great many things that would make them unhappy… but I suspect they would want to see me more than they’d disapprove,” Evelyn told them calmly, meeting their eyes. “You have been missing for several years, and you explained the expense they went to in order to find you. I can respect that, and not allowing them to see you after three years of silence… that would be torture. So, I chose to arrange for you to meet them.”
“But… the sheer expense of this! And what about Ilyra, Vaneryth, and Zelirana?” Star protested, but Evelyn could see the excitement beneath her guilty expression.
“The cost was negligible for me. No, truly,” Evelyn said, smiling a little more at their incredulous expressions. “Xalryx is a dragon, and they have the ability to get drastically reduced rates for their hirelings. In this case, it cost a hundred mythrite of the reward I would have been paid. As for the others…”
Evelyn paused, looking at them curiously. Ilyra blushed, then spoke quietly. “I… really can’t go home, and I wouldn’t want to, not yet.”
Vaneryth shrugged, an expression of embarrassment on her face as she said. “As for me, I was sent back, I’ll note. I can’t blame you for wanting to be reunited with your parents.”
“If you think I want to go back to the lower planes, you’d be completely wrong,” Zelirana said, sniffing disdainfully. “Succubi are looked down on in many realms, not just by angels, and as such even with my current power I’d likely end up in a place just as bad as when enslaved. At best, I’d end up ruling some pathetic mud-pit of a realm. I’ll stay as I am, thank you. It’s safer.”
Evelyn couldn’t help a smile, looking at the succubus in amusement. It certainly added context to the demon’s actions thus far, and she inclined her head slightly before focusing on the twins again.
“I… well, thank you,” Moon said, sounding flustered.
“The only real question I have is… when? If you’re going to be leaving soon…” Star said, chewing her lower lip.
“That isn’t a concern,” Evelyn replied, smiling thinly as she glanced at Fya curiously. “While you were away, I made some inquiries, and I know of a shipyard that can redo the exterior of Djinn’s Gift in four weeks. Including today, I’ll give you one month to return. That should give you approximately four weeks at home as well.”
“Really?” Fya asked, her eyes narrowing. “What colors were you planning?”
“Black and red, of course,” Evelyn said.
“No.” Fya replied flatly.
“Why not?” Evelyn asked, a hint of annoyance welling up inside her. “They’re the colors I like.”
“Because the ship is pretty. Black would make the curves almost impossible to see, and make it look dangerous, not pretty,” Fya told her, glowering. “If anything, it should be blue and silver or blue and gold.”
Evelyn took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then looked at the rest of them, noting the variety of outfits that they wore. Both Ilyra and Vaneryth favored light colors, Zelirana preferred dark ones, and the twins were in more… middle of the road colors, really. She supposed it should have been harder to tell the two of them apart than it was, but she hadn’t had an issue with it.
“What do the rest of you think?” Evelyn asked, seeming to startle them.
“You’re asking our opinions?” Vaneryth asked, her eyebrows rising.
“Far be it from me to agree with an angel, but for once I do. This is startling,” Zelirana said, causing the angel to examine her warily.
Evelyn sighed, then explained. “The problem is that this argument will last for days if I allow it to go on. As you’re going to be aboard the ship, I should at least listen to your opinions.”
For a moment everyone was silent, then Vaneryth started it off first. “I… prefer the current appearance. That’s likely unsurprising, but I rather like the metallic trim more than anything else. Even black and gold would look good to me.”
Ilyra nodded quickly, smiling as she spoke up. “I agree with her! I wouldn’t go with black, though. Maybe pink with silver trim? I’ve always been told that isn’t appropriate for vehicles, though.”
“Um… black and red seems a little too dark to me,” Star said, giving Evelyn an apologetic look. “Though I do think that it’s a little too bright as it is.”
“Yeah… and I don’t like the idea of how greens or purples would look…” Moon murmured.
“Perhaps a compromise is in order?” Zelirana asked, drawing attention to herself as she brought up a hologram of the Djinn’s Gift. “What if instead of going primarily black, the ivory hull was primarily scarlet with gold trim? I believe that it would make the ship suitably imposing, with an eye to beauty.”
With a gesture, which Evelyn knew was unnecessary, the succubus changed the color of the hologram’s hull from ivory to a bright shade of red, and
she examined it for a moment. She wasn’t sure about how imposing it was, but…
“Ooh, I like it!” Moon said, looking at the hologram more closely. “I didn’t exactly like bright colors for it, but that’s nice, closer to the middle of the road.”
“Show us a nice blue, too,” Fya interjected stubbornly. “Side by side!”
“As you wish,” Zelirana said, and the projection moved to the side as another copy of the ship sprang into existence, then the hull turned a royal blue. It was pretty, Evelyn admitted, but she preferred the brighter colors of the first option.
Everyone was about to speak when Evelyn spoke up, her voice firm. “Wait. Rather than argue about this, why don’t we take the simplest option. You, E5.”
“Yes, Captain?” the Doll who’d been almost unnoticed as she performed maintenance on a nearby access panel asked, turning to face Evelyn. This one looked like an elf with green hair and eyes, with a slightly slimmer, more athletic build.
“Each of us will send an implant message to you, choosing one of these two holographic models. You will not inform us of who voted for which, you will simply tell us which received the most votes, or if there was a tie,” Evelyn informed the Doll.
“As you desire, Captain,” E5 said, standing at attention.
Evelyn immediately sent a message to the Doll, voting for the version with the red hull, then waited. Fya gave her a dirty look, then looked at E5 for a moment. It took a few seconds while they all stood there, waiting.
“Results compiled. Forty-five votes received—” E5 began, and Evelyn interrupted.
“Wait, forty-five? There are only six of us!” Evelyn protested, just a bit bewildered.
“You asked for implant transmissions. Did you not intend for the rest of the Dolls to vote, Captain?” E5 asked, looking at her curiously, and Evelyn’s mouth opened, then shut as she stared at the Doll in confusion for a few moments. This was unanticipated.
“I… had not considered it. Do you have preferences, or is it simply random?” Evelyn asked, looking at the others as her confusion turned to curiosity. All of them had perked up a little as well.
“Due to our personality chips, we do have preferences, yes,” E5 confirmed, nodding agreeably. “They are based primarily on the emotional states we are intended to emulate.”
“Fascinating,” Zelirana murmured, examining the Doll speculatively. “I didn’t know that was possible.”
Evelyn paused and rubbed her forehead for a moment, wondering once again if it was really a good idea to keep the Dolls. It didn’t matter, though. If she was going to have a ship, she needed some form of crew, and even if they made her slightly uncomfortable, there was no reason to simply pass them on to someone else. Somehow that made her even more uncomfortable.
“Shouldn’t we hear the results?” Ilyra asked hesitantly after a moment.
“Yes, we should. Let me modify my previous instructions, E5. Tell us how many votes the winner received as well.” Evelyn said, letting out a soft sigh.
“Yes, Captain. The hologram with the red hull depicted received thirty-six votes,” E5 said. “Will that be all?”
“Would you mind explaining why so many Dolls voted for the red one?” Star asked, a hint of fascination in her voice.
Evelyn didn’t interfere as the Doll paused for a couple of seconds, looking at Star. That on its own was fascinating to her, as that was an extremely long period for a computer of a Doll’s capabilities. After a few seconds it spoke.
“According to the information I have compiled, it appears that the majority voted for red because brighter colors are associated with positive emotions. While blue is appropriate for the night sky, it is also associated with sadness and negative emotions,” E5 said at last, her voice almost containing emotion in it. “As such, the majority of Dolls voted for red. Our purpose is to improve the lives of those we work for.”
“Interesting,” Evelyn said, then smiled a bit more as she looked at Fya triumphantly. “In which case, the hull color is settled.”
“Fine, but it isn’t being renamed, Milady,” Fya replied, raising her chin slightly as a mischievous light glittered in her eyes.
“Agreed,” Evelyn said, then looked at the others, smiling wryly as she focused on the twins in particular, nodding to them. “Now, then… don’t the two of you have arrangements to make? I’m not waiting if you delay a few days.”
“Oh, right! Thank you again!” Star said, hesitating for just a moment, then she stepped forward and hugged Evelyn. Moon barely even paused before joining her sister, which caused Evelyn to laugh.
“Enough of that, you two,” Evelyn scolded. “You have things to do. Go. See your parents, and come back afterward. And don’t get kidnapped mid-way, hm? I’d hate to have to come all that way to deal with more mercenaries or pirates.”
“But you would, wouldn’t you?” Moon said, letting go and smiling up at her. “Since we work for you, you’d come all that way, just to deal with them?”
Evelyn paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, I would. And then it’d come out of your pay, so you’d best not do it.”
“We won’t. We don’t need our pay docked,” Star agreed, smiling broadly.
“Yeah. We’ll let you know as soon as everything is set up!” Moon agreed, and the two darted deeper into Daggerhound.
Evelyn watched them go, then spoke to the Doll. “E5, go back to what you were doing.”
“Yes, Captain,” the Doll agreed, and Evelyn watched it for a moment, a bit uneasy. No, watched her.
“You really are kind,” Ilyra said after a few seconds, her voice soft. “I… was a little afraid after the poachers. I’d never seen anyone like that, but then you sent them to meet their families, and it cost you money that you didn’t have to spend.”
Evelyn opened her mouth to retort, but Fya giggled and interjected first. “You’re right, Ilyra! Oh, she’d try to deny it, but Milady is the best friend you could ever have, the staunchest ally in all the universe, but also the worst enemy you could make. You don’t have to worry about her abandoning you or selling you out, ‘cause she’d never do that.”
“Oh, shush,” Evelyn said, glowering at Fya. “My reputation wasn’t built from nothing, you know. I wouldn’t be so feared otherwise.”
“Perhaps not… but I believe that it would have to do with the ‘your worst enemy’ aspect of things. I remember your explanation to Moon and Star when we were waiting to have the control chips removed,” Vaneryth said, her voice quiet in the hallway. “You were targeted. They made themselves your enemy, didn’t they?”
Evelyn looked at her, then sighed and looked at the ceiling before changing the subject. “Regardless, I’ve found a buyer for Daggerhound, so we’re going to need to transfer the things we’re keeping to Djinn’s Gift in the next few days. Rest up, all of you, it’s going to be a fair amount of work, then we’ll have most of a month to recover.”
She paused halfway down the hall, gesturing to Zelirana, a slight smile creeping onto her face as she added. “And if you’re really wanting to get on my good side, now’s the time to do it, Zelirana. I’m tense and could use some help loosening up.”
“It would be my pleasure, Evelyn,” The succubus replied, practically purring the words as she followed.
The look on Vaneryth’s face was amusing, Evelyn thought, as was the way Ilyra had blushed, but she didn’t pay it much mind. They’d either get used to it, or they wouldn’t. At least the new ship would have more space to spread out, rather than the relatively compact crew space of Daggerhound.
Chapter 35
“I give up,” Zelirana said at last, her breathing heavy as she pressed against Evelyn’s side, letting out a faintly aggravated sigh.
“Oh?” Evelyn asked, leaning down to give the demon a kiss, feeling more relaxed than she had in a few months. Zelirana kissed her back hungrily, and she was very good at what she did, sending another thrill of pleasure through Evelyn. They broke the kiss after several long moments, and t
he succubus nuzzled into Evelyn’s neck gently.
“It’s… a couple of things,” Zelirana replied, her hands stroking gently down Evelyn’s side. “One is that I know you’ve got more endurance than I do. You don’t know how aggravating that part is… succubi are used to being able to outlast anyone.”
“Mm… even Fya?” Evelyn asked, arching an eyebrow skeptically. The bed wasn’t large enough, in her opinion, and that meant that they’d been pressed close the entire time they were together. Which wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
“No, but she’s a djinn. They’re practically made of magic,” Zelirana said, shrugging as she pouted. “That isn’t the main thing, though… you know why the… obedience training wasn’t effective on me?”
“Because demons are naturally rebellious and destructive?” Evelyn asked, examining the demon more closely now, as this was the most relaxed she’d seen the succubus. She’d shapeshifted her wings away to make the most of the space they’d had, and Evelyn had enjoyed herself. Immensely, for that matter.
Zelirana laughed, smiling widely at the comment, her eyes glittering in the dark room. When she spoke, she sounded amused. “Oh, we are at that… but that doesn’t quite cover it, hm? With how destructive demons are, don’t you sometimes wonder why our realms in the lower planes don’t collapse into anarchy all at once?”
“Mm… I hadn’t thought about it much. But most places with a true free for all don’t last long… at least if there isn’t someone to impose order on it,” Evelyn said, then her eyes narrowed as something occurred to her. Anarchy was a good way to describe Rakal, yet there had been a certain order to the city. Even if practically anything could be bought or sold there, and if you could get away with almost anything, the Commodore had been able to keep it from spiraling out of control.
“It looks to me like you may have thought of something,” Zelirana murmured, nibbling on the lower part of Evelyn’s right ear, which sent a shiver of pleasure through her. Her ears were quite sensitive, which made them a vulnerability in positions like this. Not that she was going to complain.
Chosen of Chaos (Eve of Destruction Book 1) Page 23