“Do you have any children?” Yvlan asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked and sat up a bit straighter in my seat.

“What?”

Yvlan repeated herself. I chuckled and took another bite of my food.

“It is a serious question,” Yvlan said. My thoughts briefly turned to Fiul. I could see him, in the basement of the Clucking Hen, bright-eyed, not knowing who his mother was. If I were him, would I want to know? Is that why Yvlan hadn’t told him, because she was afraid that he’d be ashamed of her?

I dispelled those thoughts. I had bigger things to worry about.

“You’ve never lived on the road,” I said, “have you?”

Yvlan shook her head. “Only briefly, as I traveled here,” she explained, “but I knew it was not a life for me.”

I shrugged. “I probably have at least a dozen children, somewhere or another.”

Yvlan’s eyes widened and she let out a disbelieving chuckle. “Gods above, Jonas,” she muttered, “have you never heard of birth control? Didn’t they have that when you were growing up?”

I snorted and said, “Of course I have.” I was a bit offended, I was 55 years old. I wasn’t a dinosaur. “And believe me, we could have used a hex or something.”

“But…” Yvlan said, prompting me to continue.

“A folk tale,” I said. “Many women, especially in rural areas, believe that having a Hunter’s child brings good luck.”

“And they were fine with you just walking out of their lives?” Yvlan asked incredulously.

I shrugged again.

“I made it clear what it was from the beginning,” I said. Though, sometimes I hadn’t walked out, I’d run out, but Yvlan didn’t need to know that. “Besides,” I added hastily, “in terms of providing for a child, even a bar wench is more equipped than I am.”

Yvlan nodded slowly, as if she was having trouble understanding what I was saying.

“This is a surprise for me,” she said, “what is it you people call it? Culture shock?” I chuckled. Yvlan rolled her eyes and continued. “In my homeland, to not have a father is a mark of shame. Of course, to not have a mother is worse, but a father is who teaches you the daily necessities. To cook, to clean, to sew. A child with no father is lower than a child with no parents.”

There was a hint of bitterness to her words. Maybe that was why she didn’t tell Fiul about his real parentage. I didn’t know much about Yvlan, but I knew she had had a husband at one point, years ago. But I hadn’t seen her husband around, nor did she seem like she had one anymore. Or maybe, the bitterness was from something more personal, something I could relate to.

“Hey,” I said, “I didn’t have a father for a while and I turned out fine.”

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Yvlan eyed me, as if she was silently questioning if I’d actually turned out fine, but then her gaze softened.

“What happened?” she said.

“I don’t know,” I said, truthfully. “One day, he just up and disappeared. Must’ve walked out on us.”

“I’m sorry,” Yvlan said, her eyes twinged with sympathy.

“It’s been over forty years,” I said. I could count on one hand the amount of people I’d talked to about this. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Forty years ago…” she said wistfully before pausing. She looked at me and shook her head, before asking, “How old are you?”

I considered lying to her, but I figured she’d see through any lie I gave in a second. Yvlan was…perceptive.

“Fifty-five,” I said, twirling more noodles onto my fork. Yvlan didn’t do a good job hiding her surprise. “The Hunter’s Mark,” I explained. “It keeps me young.”

“I see…” Yvlan said.

“Anyway,” I said, eager to change the topic, “how’s the prisoner I gave you?”

Yvlan shrugged. I sighed.

“You are asking for…so many things from me…” she said, an exaggerated pain dripping from her words.

“If it’s money you’re after,” I said, “I don’t have it.”

Yvlan snorted and said, “I am aware. I do not need your money. I need your body.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. Yvlan clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“I need your allegiance,” she said. “Your loyalty. In Urelian, this and your body are the same.” She leaned over the table and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look her in the eyes. “Besides, when I finally take you, it will be because you beg for it.”

I won’t lie, that did something for me. But I wasn’t going to let her know that. I ignored how fast my heart was beating and slowly pulled her hand off of my chin. I didn’t break eye contact as I kept staring into her eyes. Her hand gently wrapped around mine, our fingers interweaving and interlocking. She leaned in closer, until our noses were touching and lips were just a hair’s breadth from touching.

“I won’t blindly follow you,” I whispered.

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” she breathed.

“You will not control me.”

“Good.”

Somehow, she got even closer and still, our lips didn’t touch. I felt an ache in my heart and a part of me screamed to kiss her, but I tried to push it down.

“This is a temporary alliance,” I muttered, “nothing more.”

“No,” Yvlan said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Either you will be mine, or I will be yours. There is no other way.”

Then, she leaned back in her chair, her hand sliding out of mine.

“Your prisoner is contained,” she said. “I can take you there.”

I glanced at Gerry’s office and said, “I’m not done here.”

“I can have the papers delivered to your apartment,” Yvlan said. I just looked at her. She was too smart to believe that I’d really trust her around all the material in the office. “No one, including me, will look at them,” she added, quickly. “I swear on my honor.”

I sighed and, against my best judgment, nodded.

“I need some sleep,” I said. Yvlan smiled slyly and undid the top button of her shirt. “Only sleep,” I added quickly. I got up even faster and walked into the bedroom.

I closed the door behind me and undressed, stress melting off my shoulders as I got into bed. The bed was soft, almost as soft as the one in Char’s room. Sometimes, I regretted the fact that I was never comfortable enough licking boots to be promoted. Money couldn’t buy happiness, but it certainly could buy better mattresses.

I sighed and closed my eyes. In truth, I wasn’t that tired, but I knew I should sleep.

After a couple of minutes, I heard Yvlan step into the room and softly close the door behind her. I heard the fluttering of cloth as she undressed and I felt the blankets move as she slipped under the covers. I held my breath in anticipation, or maybe fear, but she didn’t do anything untoward. Instead, Yvlan just wrapped a single arm around me and buried her head into my neck. I fell asleep not too long after that, lulled to slumber by her soft breathing and the warmth of her body.