The Divine Gambit

12. Branding

Everyone stared at me as if I had grown wings and started to fly around the room. Which really shouldn't be an expression I used anymore, considering I could actually do that. It took several seconds for anyone to acknowledge what I had said.

The first person to react was actually Evgenia herself. She robotically stood from her chair, slightly bowed in my general direction, and said, "I'll collect my belongings."

Cynthia's gaze shifted from confusion through an expression of understanding and then to expectancy. She viewed me as a parent would view a teenager who had just knocked over their glass at dinner; an exhausted, mildly disappointed, 'you need to clean up after yourself, now' sigh escaped her lips. Beth and Sam stood frozen behind me, completely captivated by the spell of the train wreck I was conducting.

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait, Ev, that's not what I meant. Please, sit back down for just a moment. I want to talk to you. Give me a chance to explain, please."

She had only taken two steps from the table but stopped retreating when I spoke. Her eyes lingered on my face for several stressful heartbeats, and then she glanced at Sam and Beth. When she returned to the table and sat back down, I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Sam, Beth, and I joined the two already at the table, and again, all eyes were focused on me, awaiting my inevitably fumbled attempt to clarify what I meant.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I closed it when no words came to mind. I considered how I wanted to clarify what I was doing and what I wanted to happen. Several times, I had already made a mess of things with Ev by jumping with my instincts first and speaking without thinking. I wanted to avoid that if I could here. Thankfully, everyone had the patience to allow me to find my thoughts.

"What did you mean by 'getting your things'? What do you think I was doing?" I asked. I needed to understand Evgenia's position in order to explain where I was.

"I was gathering my possessions here in order to leave since you had just dismissed me," Ev responded. Then she frowned, continuing, "I haven't been fired twice in one week before. I'm not sure I've been fired before this week, actually."

Ah. What a mess.

"I wasn't trying to fire you. I suppose I should've maybe explained a bit before doing that. Alright, just, give me a minute to find where I want to start."

The silence of the room was deafening, and the weight of the expectations, mostly from myself, was overwhelming. I meandered through my mind until I found the thread I wanted to follow.

"So, uh, Sam and I are a thing, now? You probably figured that out. Beth is onboard and was very encouraging about it."

Cynthia opened her mouth to ask a question, but I continued speaking.

"I promise it's relevant. Sam came to our room last night upset and confused about how I was treating her, which, completely fair. The pertinent part is that she mentioned I hadn't accepted her Fae Book friend request. That was because I didn't know what Fae Book was or that she had sent me a request. I rectified that this morning.

"On there, in addition to all of your lovely requests, I had another two thousand messages. Someone must have concluded that I was actually a dragon because messages from about mid-Thursday on were very direct and personal. I was pretty grossed out by a whole lot of the requests I was getting. Literally being solicited for sex and body fluids and several bids for body parts. Eugh.

"Anyway, I had almost completely cleaned out my backlog of messages when I opened a very vague message trying to invite me to an exclusive club. A club for 'labor connections.' They sell people. That's pretty gross, but they have a whole website, and they have pictures and a list of attributes with each mugshot, and it's so dehumanizing and disgusting.

"The part that really affected me was when I realized I wasn't actually different from them. Of course, a lawyer could probably make an argument highlighting differences between us, and even I'll admit that there are some pretty obvious ones. But, as of right now, the lawyer could be here against her will. She has no choice in the matter. If I tell her to do something, she has to do it. She was already my slave. I hate that it took me this long to see that. I'm not really happy with what it says about me as a person.

"So, Ev, I'm not trying to fire you here. I haven't precisely used your talents to the maximum, but I have no doubt that I will actually need you, or someone like you, to assist me in the near future. Especially considering all of those business opportunities I just declined through private messages. I just couldn't stomach the idea that I was holding you here while you had absolutely no say in the matter.

"I want your help if you have any interest in offering it, but I don't want it like I had it."

The room sat in silence again once I had concluded. Until Beth giggled and whispered, "'Couldn't stomach it.' That's the truth." With the air cleared and the atmosphere changed, I realized I hadn't actually asked for anything specific. It wasn't really fair to leave it up in the air. I needed to provide some direction to what I was asking for.

"I think that, given the circumstances of denying something around 1500 requests in one sitting, I am very shortly going to be inundated with people trying again. There's going to be a lot of work to be done soon, and a lot of work that needs to be done that I probably won't know to do. I would appreciate your assistance, if you're not disgusted by me.

"I was hoping that you could write a new contract for yourself, but one that acknowledges you as a person. You know, with compensation for your services, stipulations for time off, and perhaps some kind of incentive structure where you take a percentage of contracts you negotiate. I don't know -- I'm just a dumb kid. This is your home field, and you'll be able to do it better than I can. I know I just dropped it on you, so, don't feel like you need to do this today. But, I couldn't have you do this while under the weight of the other one; it wouldn't be fair. I figured if I released you and then had you decide what would be fair, it would have a better chance to be. It's not like you're going to take advantage of yourself."

Over the past week, I had started learning how to interpret Cynthia's facial reactions during our communal discussions over dinner and conversations in the living room. She was, for a consummate and dedicated professional, surprisingly candid in displaying how she felt. As I said the final line of my request, her eyes snapped to me in desperation and objection. At the same time, the anxiety and pressure Evgenia was feeling spread throughout the room and filled my senses. Somehow, I was making things worse. Still, no one else verbally responded, so I trudged on, attempting to smooth over my impulsiveness.

"It doesn't need to be concluded today. I just couldn't live with myself holding it any more. You're welcome to remain here for as long as you wish. I'm not firing you, and I'm not asking you to leave. I just wanted you to have the option."

Evgenia, thankfully, finally responded, "I understand, James. Thank you. I have much to consider. If you'll excuse me, I need some time to myself, and then I need to head to the office."

No one prevented her this time as she went down the hallway and to her room, the latch clicking as she gently closed the door. I really hoped I wouldn't be going to Aisling in two days, saying that I scared her personal advisor off and now needed a replacement. I definitely needed the assistance.

Cynthia was the first to break the silence after Evgenia left.

"I agree with what you've tried to do, James. I don't know if she's ready for it. There's a lot more going on under the surface than any of us know with Ev, but it's her place to share. She desperately needed you to do that, but I doubt she understands her own needs."

Beth added, "I don't think she even realized that being completely obedient to you ten minutes after meeting you was weird. There's a lot to unpack there."

I groaned, "Why can't anything be straightforward and clear cut? I trust you. If you say I need to hear it from her, I won't press for it. Now, with that bombshell dropped, I have a couple more to do.

"First, we are going out dancing tonight. Sam, Beth, and I, at least. Cynthia, you and Ev are invited, but I only know Zoey will be there and nothing more. I don't know how many people she's coming with or where we're going or anything."

Sam interrupted me, "She told us she had half a dozen regulars with a couple other potentials and that we'd be going to a place downtown that catered to both magic and non-magic clientele. Apparently, they make a big to-do about how there might be spirits or werewolves or elves or whatever showing up and drinking there, and the mundanes eat it up. Some of them dress up in costume and pretend to be one of us, most of us glamor down to look like one of them. You get a nice mix, and the whole place has a suppression field built into the foundation so that wizards can't quite tell who is and who isn't."

Beth further said, "Yeah, she said to bring comfy shoes because her group likes to get loose and stay on the floor until closing and that a couple of the girls would probably find a guy to take home for the night." Beth shifted nervously at the table before continuing, "I can figure out what she's saying, but I've never actually been to a club before. I don't really know what we're doing. Dancing isn't my thing, drinking isn't my thing, and I definitely don't need to pick up a guy."

I smiled at the vehemence of her final clause. "We're joining them to prove to Zoey that I'm not holding either of you against your will by having a relatively normal night out. Really though, you've never been to a club or a bar?"

Beth shrunk from the question, embarrassed, and her answer explained why "I'm only 19, and I look like I'm 15. I don't have money to waste on a fake, energy to spend on blowing off steam, or friends to go with anyway. Besides, bar guys make really inconsistent marks. Some of them might let you crash at their place for a few days, but the vast majority just want to score that night and then kick you out in the morning and never see you again. I couldn't get in, couldn't afford the entertainment, had no one to go with, and there wasn't a point in chasing a mediocre payout."

Sam put a hand on Beth's shoulder, "I haven't really been either. I was interested in trying it once, but I had cut contact with all the people I knew and buried myself in work. I'm glad I get to be there with the two of you, and Beth and I get to do something for the first time together."

Her genuine smile and comforting words seemed to assuage Beth's insecurity. The younger woman turned to me and said, "So, we're going shopping for some casual clothes after meeting with Antonin. I'm coming with you to your lesson, and we'll go afterward. You need something a little more dressy and some day-to-day things that aren't the casual sportswear I picked up Monday. Sam and I are in a similar boat -- we have those extra fancy dresses for our public appearances and some gym clothes, but nothing casually nice to go out in."

She faltered and lowered her eyes to the table, "I mean if that's okay with you. I know we already spent a bunch of your money on clothes this week, and we do already have stuff we could wear. I just figured the club probably has a dress code of some kind. Maybe not, though, since they basically allow cosplayers in."

I wrapped an arm around the diminutive woman and pulled her into my lap, surprised that she hadn't taken that position to begin with. I suppose the tone in the room wasn't exactly right for lap seating when she first sat down.

"Beth, let's get something straight here. It's not my money -- It's our money. We're closer than any married couple already, even if it's only been a week. You don't need to ask permission to buy something for yourself. You deserve to have nice things that are yours. Additionally, I do actually need some nicer clothes, because I have been invited to Aisling's estate for dinner tomorrow evening. This is a perfect time for me to shop for those. And, since you'll both likely be accompanying me in the future, this serves the secondary purpose of getting the two of you outfits for those events."

I pulled the card Aisling had given me from my wallet and handed it to a curious Cynthia.

"She gave me that in person and said that you would know how to read it. I don't know anything besides that."

Cynthia looked over the blank card for a moment and then handed it back to me while explaining what it was.

"It's keyed to your mana signature uniquely. You'll need to release a small amount of your mana into the card and then hold it there. When I activate it, a hologram display illuminates for me alone, but all it says is that the information contained is for you. Very complicated creation for what amounts to a disposable invitation."

I did as instructed, and sure enough, a hazy, monochromatic six-inch resemblance of Aisling grew out of the card and greeted me. The recorded message was incredibly formal but came across as fluid and regal instead of stiff and perfunctory. It lacked the dollop of edge that Aisling usually had, making her come across more like a friendly office manager rather than the local regent you were beholden to. Eventually, she gave me the address to her vista in Villanova and asked me to call the day before if I had any particularly outlandish dietary requirements. Given that it was already the day before, I decided to ignore it. Evgenia already told me that vegetarianism wasn't abnormal for immortals, and I could always just not eat whatever I didn't want.

When the recording concluded, I looked around the room for the first time in a few minutes and realized everyone's eyes were expectantly looking at me.

"You guys couldn't see that, even though I activated it?" I asked incredulously. All three women answered at the same time.

Cynthia said, "Not even a hint that you activated it."

Sam responded, "The card grew blurry a few moments after you took it, and then it faded back to normal a couple seconds ago."

Beth gave the most significant response, "I could see the hazy outline of Aisling in that suit she wore to dinner. And I could hear that she was speaking, but it sounded like it was underwater or on the other side of a room that someone was vacuuming in. Muffled, unclear. It kinda hurt to try to listen to."

Cynthia looked between the two younger women, astounded and shocked by their answers, "You shouldn't be able to perceive anything at all! Besides how focused he was, I couldn't tell he opened it."

Sam blushed like crazy and then held her arm toward her mother across the table. Cynthia stared at her daughter in confusion until an orb of fire the size of a quarter began bouncing between Sam's fingertips, performing a dance that lasted nearly 30 seconds. Cynthia sat back in her chair, flabbergasted and speechless for the second time in a minute.

Sam explained, "Something happened after we, well, you know. Similar to Beth. Antonin said she had a piece of J's soul, right? I might now, too. So it makes sense that we could see it a little bit. And I got a whole bunch of mana of my own now. Or something like that, because it feels like James', and using it to do anything is easy."

Cynthia remained still, staring at her daughter and listening to the bumbling explanation. After a moment of hesitation when Sam trailed off, Cynthia stood and walked around the table, giving her daughter a hug. It lasted much longer than I thought it would, the two O'Briens whispering to each other as they embraced and Cynthia held her daughter's face. It was awkward and uncomfortable for Beth and me to sit there silently for the ten minutes as they had their moment. I was happy it was happening; I just wished I was a little bit less of a captive forced to observe.

Eventually, the two separated, and I could clearly see their eyes were puffy, irritated, and swollen despite the brilliant smiles on their faces. The small amount of emotion I could feel through my bond with Sam felt lighter. She felt free, airy, and unburdened. For the first time since she had returned to my life, she seemed at peace, unconflicted, and tranquil.

Now that I no longer felt that I would be interrupting, I said, "So, we need to go talk to Antonin. I have a lot of questions for him today. Are both of you coming with me?"

~*~*~*~

"Drakeling, what on earth are you carrying in my library?"

Antonin's voice rang out and echoed throughout the otherwise abandoned archive. As usual, he was sitting at the tables, hunched over an ancient tome while writing in a modern notebook. At least he was until Sam held the door open for Beth and me to enter. Now his eyes were firmly on the three of us.

"A bribe. A tithe? An inducement? An offering? An offering. I'm sticking with an offering." I stumbled over my words as I carried my equally ill-defined belongings to the elderly elf.

"You'll need to elaborate on why you are bringing me things I did not ask for, drakeling. Explain yourself."

"Well, you see, I had no idea what to actually offer. You had asked for a coffee to start the sessions, which made sense, but I had no idea which of the nicer specialty ones you'd like, or if you'd like any of them at all, or if they'd just all be an annoying indulgence for you. So I got a whole bunch, and your regular order as well, so that way you can pick, and then I'll know for the future."

"Mmhmm. And the boxes?"

"Pastries, naturally. Coffee shops tend to sell them."

"James, why are you bringing all of these things into my library?"

"I know you've almost certainly planned out something that will be relevant for my development in your world, but I have a lot of questions to ask today. I was hoping to ask them before we started the lesson proper, so that I could have your full attention. I don't think you'll be happy with what I have to ask about, so I decided to bring extra refreshments in an attempt to balance it out."

"Questions I will always have time for, given that they are reasonable and somewhat relevant. Stop wasting both our time and bring the drinks over here. Samantha, Elizabeth, thank you for assisting our lost lizard. It's no wonder he needed both of you."

The three of us universally looked at the elf with surprise written plainly on our faces.

"Oh, don't act so surprised. Cynthia's initial report suggested it was inevitable, and I'm not even mildly bemused by the concept of a three-person relationship at my age. It also gives us another data point to attempt to understand your innate binding ritual. Sit down, you three, and drakeling, pass me a Boston creme and the Colombian hazelnut with no milk while you ask your questions."

I did as Antonin asked, and the three of us joined him at the table. Given his apparent knowledge of the changes in our situation, I reluctantly knew where I needed to begin. I took a deep breath under the guise of cooling my drink before raising my shaking voice.

"Is there anything out there that would make my dragon inherently afraid? Something so saturated in magical energy that I would instantly know that it was undefeatable and entirely unassailable? Something with several orders of magnitude more magical energy reserves than I could ever have? Or, perhaps, a way to pretend to be something like that."

"An elder dragon would make your dragon soul bow in deference, but there wouldn't be such a gap between you in raw power, just in experience and guile and leverage. And there are no elder dragons near here, or the rest of us would've shared in this experience with you. There is a class A wizard in our realm, but he is visiting his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-nephew outside Richmond currently. The nephew recently had a child, and the wizard is bringing gifts. Don't repeat that information. Even then, he's more of an honorary class A for his ingenuity and determination rather than unrefined strength. No, drakeling, I cannot think of anything that would dwarf you as such."