Passion scanned out into the corridors as far as she dared. She still couldn't feel Zerret or Lox. The hour had already past, and they were all starting to wonder where their Keeper-Host was. She was finding it hard to keep from feeling what the rest of the women in the chamber were feeling as well. The door opened and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Norri was a blur as weapons flashed in her hands. Vale crouched behind a high back chair and brought her crossbow to bear on whatever stepped through the door. Sly stepped in a ring of spears wedged into the floor also poised for battle.
"Good. All of you will be getting a little something special from me this evening," Zerret said as he stepped into the room. Lox was only a pace behind. "Lox will explain everything. I am going to seal this door from the outside and come around through the viewing port in the ceiling."
{Ladies, we are reasonably sure that in the next three days the fortress is going to come under attack. The pisser is, Lunixri is going to be on the attackers' side. Trinseccet knows, and has not let on that she knows,}
Lox began.
{Just go with it. I will tell you the real truth personally after I make our chamber disappear,}
Zerret sent to Passion. A loving gentle pleasure poured into her senses with his words. She had to brace against the wall to hold herself up.
{The Dark Barons sent Dyneehlu in to kill Loc. She did and now they are coming. Lunixri knows I am awake, and could stop the whole thing. But Zerret and Trinseccet have made her think I am a raging sex beast with little control of my telepathic skills. Trin has hidden away the rest of his harem. So it won't be long before Lunixri finds out she and her dragon half are the only ones left in the fortress,}
Lox informed them all
. {Now after Zerret pulls a switcheroo on the other side of the door, we will be hidden from everyone save Zerret and Trinseccet.}
"How is Lord Trinseccet going to protect us?" Vale asked.
{She isn't. Zerret is. He could kill her if it came down to that,}
Lox sent sadly
. {He is trying to bait the Barons so we won't ever need to think like that again.}
"He would defend me? You would help me? Even after what I have...." Dyneehlu choked out as she broke down into heavy sobs.
Zerret pulled the doors closed, leaving the womenfolk to tend to things. Pulling his magical energy forth, he focused on fusing the door and frame into a solid object. It took a bit of time and more effort than he had considered. He would just have to deal with it. Backing out of the entryway, he imploded the walls and fascia. Weaving the broken materials into a flat wall it appeared the hall was a single corridor and that the door of his chamber never existed.
Turning on a heel, he headed in the direction of the dining hall. He geared himself up and locked away any feelings that might stay his hand. It was time to light the fuse. He sculpted himself into a creature of gothic horror. Plating his skin, enhancing the bulk of his musculature, and donning razor sharp bone-blades put him in the right frame of mind.
He manifested a cape to cover two large coiled tentacles he morphed from just under his shoulder blades. Raising a foot, he slammed open the doors to the dining hall with it. Screams and clattering furniture echoed from all around the hall. Trinseccet turned to look at him. She would likely have smiled if it were physically possible. Lunixri stood in the dragon's shadow as always.
"Dragon! What are you trying to burden me with, you bitch!?" he yelled.
"Whatever do you mean, child?" she questioned in return. Fiery humor in her eyes, ice in her words.
"The curse, you lesbian lizard! Who do you think you are, slut?!" he raged.
Some of those that had started to flee slowed their retreat in interest of the argument.
"I am Trinseccet, Lord of this Fortress and you will respect your place or I will kill you," she growled.
"Give it your best shot, you fire breathing whore!" he screamed.
Everyone ran. The threat of being burned alive by the dragon blanked all other thoughts. Lunixri had moved out of the fray, taking up a position along the kitchen wall. The dragon reared up and backhanded one of the dining tables at him. He jumped straight up, letting the table pass beneath him. It smashed into the rush of guards before they had much of a chance to cross the room's threshold.
She snarled and raised her head in an audible inhalation. His feet touched the floor and he morphed just before the curtain of searing flame engulfed him. Instinct took hold, coiling his structure to withstand the deadly inferno. He was almost at his limit.
Trinseccet's flame bathed him for three heartbeats. She was out of breath, and let the flame subside. A few of the tables behind her nephew were burning and a swath of the hall carpet smoldered. A pillar of ash stood in place of her nephew.
"Is it fucking dead?" Lunixri asked.
"Nothing survives a dragon's flame, save another dragon," Trinseccet stated proudly.
"You told him about the curse? How?" she asked.
"I didn't tell him anything. I simply answered a question."
Lunixri stormed out to look the dragon in the face. "What question?"
"How?" the dragon sneered.
"Did you tell him about the pact?"
"Would it matter now?" Trinseccet said, turning away from her glare.
"I wanna know, and that should be enough. As long as I wear this collar you are my slave. Now tell me how much you told him or I will hurt you. I will blank the memories of everyone in the fortress again. And this time I will leave them so stupid they will starve to death if you don't tell them to eat."
"I told him it was my curse, nothing more," Trinseccet said mournfully.
"That is all you told him! Loc told him, then. I didn't have him killed soon enough," Lunixri said putting her hand to her chin. "This is getting troublesome. You can get out of the fortress. And he can't get in."
"I don't think he figured that part out yet," The dragon interjected.
"Well it's dead now so figuring out I am a Jinn doesn't much matter, does it?"
"You are still too clever for me. I guess you have my number yet again," Trinseccet grinned at her.
"Why are you grinning and when did you return to your elven guise?" Lunixri questioned, coming face to face with herself.
"She didn't, you stupid heartless cunt!" he said as one of the coiled tentacles lashed out and wrapped around the white leather collar around her throat.