Jared and Kiara waited patiently as a dark limo pulled up to where they stood, next to the broken bus. Senguine hadn't asked many questions when he had requested a ride, aside from their location and status. Not even two hours later, it appeared to have arrived.
Kiara had assured him that she would handle getting the rest of the field trip home.
Humans
, she had called them. It still seemed foreign to him, but much less foreign in the aftermath of what he had just done.
The driver stepped out, and Jared was surprised to see that he was wearing a blindfold. "Good evening, sir. I trust you two are guests of Miss Senguine?"
Jared nodded, only realizing after the futility of the gesture. "That's us."
With practiced motion, and without the use of his eyes, the driver swiftly opened the vehicle door. "Please, step in, sir."
He and Kiara shared a glance before crouching to enter the high-quality vehicle. The seats and windows were immaculate. Jared had never been in a limo before, but he had heard a few things. He eyed the fried in the corner, and, after only a moment of hesitation, reached for the handle.
As they started to move, Jared was pleased to find the fridge fully stocked. There was far more wine than necessary, but there was plenty of other snacks to satiate his appetite. He quickly pulled out handfuls of various snacks and passed some to Kiara, who opened hers gratefully. Neither had eaten all day - the food packed for the field trip had been eaten during their preparations for the dousa ambush.
As they ate their fill of various refreshments, Jared glanced through the window to the front seat. He noted with relief that the man was no longer wearing the blindfold. Even if he was proficient, he was much more comfortable having a man who could see driving the vehicle.
They made good time. He couldn't see the speedometer from where he was sitting, but if he had to guess, he'd say they were going well over the speed limit - twenty or thirty, most likely. In the fine transport they had, however, he could hardly tell.
He slumped back and released a small burp. Kiara rested her head on his shoulder, also looking content. They were both exhausted from the day's activities, and more so from the more recent events. They had talked about small things to keep themselves awake while waiting for the ride. Their current mood left room for no serious discussion.
Jared closed his eyes and rested his head on hers. How this was going to work, he had no idea. He might hate himself tomorrow morning. He might break it off with her and never see her again - or, at least, stay distant.
The thought made the fire in his stomach rumble angrily, and he sighed. Even if it was the right thing to do... He wasn't sure he could bring himself to do it. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her against him tightly. She sighed contentedly in reply.
He felt a twinge of guilt. What about Quinn? During his lovemaking session with Kiara, he had been unable to recall her face. That frightened him. He concentrated, willing her to form in his mind.
The image of her smile came easily, and he relaxed somewhat. What would she think? Sure, she was fine with him having sexual relations with another woman, but, despite his intentions, it had gone past that.
He wasn't sure he could call it love, really. It had only been a few hours since they had copulated, after all. But he felt... powerful affection for her, much stronger than a married man should have for a friend. Affection he knew, if he wasn't careful, could blossom into genuine love.
Would Quinn be angry? Understanding? Tolerant? Resentful? He had no idea, not even a clue as to what she would decide. Worse yet... She might see this as a means to escape any love that had been budding between them. She had grown more accommodating, but she still seemed to feel a great deal of lust. Perhaps she would see Kiara as a means to keep his lonely heart occupied, while she herself could merely enjoy the sex.
Kiara shifted next to him, and he looked down to find her gazing at him, concerned. "You grew tense again, Jared. Are you alright?"
Jared smiled and allowed his clenched muscles to relax. "Just worried about the future. I'll be fine."
She frowned, apparently not satisfied with that answer. "Are you... having regrets?" She pulled back a bit. "Would you like me to -"
"No." Jared folded his arms around her. "I made my decision, and I'll stick to it." He put his chin on her head and gave her a squeeze. "Whatever the consequences."
Kiara sighed quietly in his embrace as she returned it. "I am now twice indebted to you. I doubt it's a debt I can ever repay."
Jared chuckled. "You don't ow me anything, Kiara. I made my choices."
"But I put you in a situation where you had to choose..." she muttered. "I'm sorry."
"Would you take it back if you could?"
"In an instant."
Jared pulled away but left his arms on her back as he stared at her. She hesitated, recognizing her mistake. "It worked out in the end... I think. I only mean that if a similar situation came up, I would be much more cautious, especially when soliciting help."
Jack shook his head. "If you had gone alone, you would be dead. You did the right thing."
Kiara hesitated but finally relented. "I suppose I should be grateful," she mused, "That you are such a powerful demon."
Images of the recent battle flashed into his mind, and he winced. "Let's... not talk about that right now."
She smiled in understanding and laid her head back on his shoulder. Jared closed his eyes and allowed slumber to come upon him.
Before he could fall asleep properly, he felt Kiara nudging him awake. "We're almost there," she murmured. Jared stretched and yawned, trying to rouse himself. He needed a good nap. Tomorrow, he was sleeping in for sure.
He looked out the window as they neared Fairway. Suddenly, all of his nervousness returned. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, ignoring the potential consequences of tonight. Maybe the dousa found Fairway and took their revenge. Unlikely. Maybe Senguine would withdraw her offer of protection. More likely. Maybe Quinn....
They pulled in through the gates of the sanctuary smoothly. Outside the tinted windows, Jared could make out two figures in the moonlight.
Quinn
.
He didn't wait for the driver to step out and open their doors. The moment the vehicle pulled to a stop, Jared yanked open the door and stepped out.
Quinn's concerned frown faded into a smile as he stepped out. He rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. It was going to be alright. She was with him now.
Quinn returned the embrace as Senguine looked on. Kiara sheepishly exited the vehicle behind them, and the driver pulled around and out the gate. But in that moment, Jared simply relished the feeling of having his wife in his arms again. Reality could wait.
She held him patiently, stroking his hair with her fingers. "Are you alright?"
"I didn't know if I'd see you again," Jared murmured, his head buried into her chest.
He felt her chest heave as she chuckled at him. "And I was afraid you'd never come home."
They stood there for a few minutes, holding each other. Senguine opened her mouth to interrupt, but Kiara shushed her. Aside from a disparaging glare, she offered no further protest and waited.
Jared took a deep breath and pulled away to face Miss Senguine, putting an arm around Quinn's shoulder. "All right. I'm ready to talk."
Senguine's narrowed eyes betrayed nothing. "Quinn said you were facing dousa. Due to having a certain political arrangement with them, I need to know what happened - in full detail."
Jared took a deep breath. "And this can't wait until morning?"
"No."
"I didn't think so." Jared recapped the encounter with the dousa to the best of his memory, with the occasional tweak. No major misinformation, just slight adjustments to the violence levels of what had occurred.
Kiara jumped in every once in a while to offer supporting details. She was, after all, much more aware of what was happening than he had been. Senguine gave no indication of what she thought until near the end of his explanation, when he recounted his deal with them.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You let them go? After they threatened one of your vassals?"
When Jared nodded, she scowled. "Why? From your description, it sounds like you were experiencing quite the height of battlelust. What pulled you back?"
Jared hesitated. He hadn't disclosed any portion of his and Kiara's relationship. "I... frightened Kiara. And she pulled me back."
Senguine turned her attention to Kiara. "What did you do,
exactly
?" Her tone was razor sharp.
Kiara flinched. "Nothing. I grabbed him, trying to get him to calm down. One moment, he was about to hurt me, and the next..." She lowered her head. "He was back to normal."
"Hmph." Senguine sighed miserably. "We'll discuss this portion another time. I will look into your relationship with the dousa, see if they're being truthful. As for the two of you..." She folded her arms. "Kiara, you knew I disapproved."
"Yes."
"Did she tell you of my disapproval?"
Jared hesitated for a moment. "Yeah."
"And you went anyway? Why?"
Jared sighed. "You've always struck me as a bit paranoid. I thought you were just against anything that was the least bit dangerous."
Senguine scowled. "You are the weakest that you will ever be. Should you rise to your potential, the number of lives you could save is much greater than a bus full of ignorant children!" She pinched her nose. "I have a mind to discontinue my offer of protection. Certainly," she remarked drily, "You no longer have a need for it."
Jared hesitated. "You knew my father personally."
Intimately, even
. "A ferronaught. You are right to say that my actions were foolish, but I wouldn't take them back." He looked to where Kiara stood across from him and Quinn. "But I would be more foolish to reject your offer and ignore your counsel." He took a deep breath. "You were right. It worked out well, but it was a bad idea."
Senguine's scowl lightened. "I see." She glared at Kiara. "And you?"
Kiara shrugged helplessly. "I am his vassal. I'll follow where he goes."
"Good." Senguine relaxed, a small smile returning to her face. "Then you will stay here tonight. As a new vassal, it's important that we keep you safe. Especially on a night of a full moon..."
Jared froze. She wasn't his only new vassal. "Wait! We forgot Zoe!"
Kiara blinked, then cursed. "I'll get her. But you're right."
Quinn raised her eyebrows. "Wait, Zoe? Like your childhood friend, Zoe? She was there?"
Jared winced. "Yeah. And I... We..."
