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“I think you need this.” Bree offered Rowan a glass with an inch of Bourbon in it. By chance or choice, she had picked a Barrell Strength, approaching one hundred and twenty proof. Ignoring the burn, Rowan drank half in one big gulp. “This could work,” the Ranger tapped her index’s fingernail on the paper. “Two two three. Good job, kid.”

“Thanks,” Lizzie straightened her back with pride.

“I need a moment alone,” Rowan blurted.

“Yeah, go figure. Let’s give your dad some space, sweetheart. How you’d like riding on my back around the town?”

“I don’t know…”

“Please, Lizzie. I’ll give this schedule a good look,” Rowan said. “But first, I need to… deal with the fact that mommy made someone… steal my hugs without my consent.”

“OK, Daddy,” Lizzie said, trying to convey: See how good a daughter am I? Hurry up to get over this adult stuff and get back to teaching me to ride a bicycle.

They all exited, but Rowan stopped on the porch, taking the paper and the glass with him. He waved at Lizzie, as she rode on Bree’s shoulders, then facepalmed. Of course, it made sense. Cora liked him from the start, that’s why she bitched all the time about Grace, then gave Grace the poison to kill the Knyaz, indebting the woman to her. When Cora tried to collect the debt, Grace found a subterfuge and added Isla to the game.

“Why, Grace… why?”

An imaginary discussion started in his head. Reproaching Grace her betrayal of trust. It was stupid, all she had to do was tell him the truth, have a polite conversation with the Nekojin, and stay friends. And about Isla… it was true Rowan had the hots for the blonde, but that’s why he had a high WIL after all, to resist urges.

Why was Grace so insecure? There was no complete answer, and sometimes women, or men, behaved irrationally. The new, scary world, with Mana and Magic, could have pushed her beyond the limits of socially acceptable behavior.

It was surprising that Isla fell into the trap, though.

“Fuck, I’m stupid…” The hints had been there. Grace jokes about staring at Isla’s boobs herself… casually caressing each other arms… They had something going between them before he even appeared in town. Grace had pushed Isla into his arms, that was sure. Nevertheless… Isla had been every bit as passional as his wife, every single night. So, she did like him…

He wanted to keep what he had with Grace, they were an item now, and he loved both her and Lizzie, but… at all costs? Was it worth it? What would happen with the other two? Shame, for Isla, when exposed, and hurt, for Cora, when rejected?

He gobbled the rest of the Bourbon. What a waste! This is meant to be sipped slowly, enjoying the nose, the aftertaste… The drink enveloped him in a long Kentucky hug, and he made up his mind.

“Yes, my friend, you are right. Bourbon always speaks the truth. Let’s go for it.”

[Rowan to Bree]: Can you take care of Lizzie for a couple of hours, please? Maybe a little more? I have to get this solved.

[Bree to Rowan]: I’ll take her home, to play with my kids. Sam is homeschooling them, so taking a break is not a big deal.

[Rowan to Bree]: I owe you one.

Two hours were more than enough, but better safe than sorry. He had to solve everything before Grace would come back from the rehearsal.

[Rowan to Isla]: Hi. Where are you?

There was a short wait before she messaged him back.

[Isla to Rowan]: Up to the College, to check on some of those nerds that defected to us. You know, scaring the shit out of them, yelling: you better deliver on those projects or else, usual stuff.

[Rowan to Isla]: Oh, so you’re nearby. Can you make a stop by the house? I have something important to tell you.

[Isla to Rowan]: Give me five minutes. I just yelled at the wrong laboratory. All nerds in lab coats look the same to me.

He smiled and started to walk back and forth, his heart beating hard in his chest. Ten minutes later, the police car stopped in front and Isla entered moments later.

“What's up?”

Grabbing her midriff with one hand and caressing her neck with the other, Rowan leaned forward and kissed her softly. Surprised, her body stiffened, and it took a long second before she kissed him back.

“We shouldn’t… this is… wrong…” she panted a minute later when the kiss ceased.

“Wasn’t it wrong last night too?” he whispered in her ear, biting on its lobe. Again, her body tensed, and there was a shiver, and they kissed again. Soon, they landed on the couch, tearing at each other clothes. A policewoman’s attire was a complicated thing, though, and she did most of the job. Ten minutes later, after a short but extremely wild love-making session, her head lay on his chest, hair spread all over. She had such long and beautiful hair…

“I fell in love with you the first day, when you shot yourself to save me,” she said, caressing his cheek.

“I would have never guessed,” he said, and he was honest.

“I’m not good at showing my feelings… And you and Grace were already… I would have never…”

“I know. Same here. Never, if Grace hadn’t started it.”

“So you’re OK with it?”

“No,” he shook his head, making her jerk, and stare at him. “I’m not OK with it.”

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“I don’t understand. Do you want me to join you two, or not?” she frowned. “Why make love to me if not?”

“I wanted you to know how I feel about you, and things evolved,” Rowan said, catching her wrist before she got away. “And yes, I want you to join, but what Grace did was not OK. She made promises that were not hers to make, then tried to cheat her way out of her deal with Cora, instead of talking with me. She had an affair with you behind my back and pushed you in my bed, without my consent. That’s pretty serious, you should know better than that.”

“I… know…” Isla lowered her head. “But we didn’t have an affair… we… did it only once. Before that, it was years ago… after my divorce, when a jerk she trusted, a former boyfriend, left with her car. We thought men are assholes and… Forget that. She really loves you, that’s why she did it. I’m sorry I let myself dragged into this, but that cat wasn’t a choirboy either. She blackmailed Grace, told her she’ll reveal to the world she poisoned the Knyaz if she didn’t let her have a piece of you. And she pushed Grace to murder him in the first place.”

“Who cares about the Knyaz? OK, they poisoned him, so what? Suck it, Vladivostok. Public opinion? Blow me. This is not Kansas anymore, it’s a world in which we survived mainly because of Cora. The Knyaz was a jerk manipulated by Viscardi, and I should have taken his head off in the first place, not fought him. Cora saved our skins a lot of times, and she’s a young adult, all alone on an alien planet, all her folks dead. I’ll try to talk her out of this obsession with me, but if she persists… I’d make good on what Grace promised. That’s what a Count is supposed to do."

"You… like her? Like… desire her? Love her?” Isla leaned her head back, inspecting his reaction.

“I have no idea, Isla. I consider her a friend. With Grace, I could see a path toward love, from the beginning. You, I desired from the first second I laid my eyes on your… err… eyes. With Cora, it’s… different. I find her mind strange and her human parts … sexy. The rest, I don’t know. I imagine making love to her and that tail slapping my face… it’s weird.”

“If you can imagine her tail on your face while making love, trust me, it’s all good.”

“So you won’t mind if Cora—”

“Fuck the cat, for what I care, but you deal with telling Grace. I have to go. See you tonight?”

“Nope. I need some time off, you two almost killed me. Literally.”

“Good to know we’re not the only one worn out.” Patting his cheek, Isla started to dress back and did it in a minute, a true display of skill. They kissed one more time, and she rushed off, giving a short siren signal before taking off. Rowan waved and went upstairs to take a shower.

Five minutes later, when he got back, Dmitri, with a deep frown on his forehead, was changing the blanket on the sofa. Groceries bags were put on the table.

“I’ll put it in the laundry basket. Maybe next time you could go to the bedroom?”

“Gosh! You saw us?”

“Only a second, then I went to my room through the back door. At least, now I have an image to match the sounds. And yes, I could hear you loud and clear. Every. Single. Night.”

“Sorry…”

“Whatever… Please, put some silence spells or something in the room. I considered moving into one of those central apartments, but they’re awful. Cora’s design sucks.”

“Absolutely. Excuse me, I’m on a tight deadline here,” Rowan said, calling Cora.

[Rowan to Cora]: Where are you?

[Cora to Rowan]: At the power station, next to the Technoforge. We just finished the tests on the core engine. I’m testing my suit’s improvements next.

[Rowan to Cora]: Can I talk to you for a minute? I mean face to face? I can be there in a few minutes.

[Cora to Rowan]: I’ll be outside.

Exiting the house, he went to his new car and started the engine. The new power station was seven miles south of Elkins. He drove slowly, not because of the Bourbon—already processed by his Awakened body— but trying to put his thoughts in order. Cora was already outside, in her suit, which was now shorter, about Rowan’s height, but looking somehow more intricate.

“It’s beautiful,” Rowan said.

“Thanks. Can’t wait to test it. What do you want us to talk about?”

“Your feelings. Are you sure you like me, Cora? Can’t we just be friends?”

The suit was dismissed and she came forward, hugging him. Cora’s head came to sit in the same place Isla’s stood, twenty minutes before, her cat-like ears twitching. “Only if you’re sure I can’t be anything else for you.”

“And… if I’m not?”

Her eyes sparkled, both from tears and hope. “Who told you I have feelings for you, Grace?”

“Lizzie…”

“She’s smart,” Cora nodded. “And a natural at ear scratching.”

“There’s something important to know before you commit. It’s about Isla.”

“I know you love her too, I’m not blind. It’s OK. She’s a good person.”

“I’ll ask you again. Are you sure I’m worth the effort? It’s a lot of… unknown involved.”

“I’m sure, Rowan,” she fondled his cheek. “I’m not the average girl, and you’re not the average man.”

“Can I… kiss you? I’m—” Curious became a thought. She pushed herself up on her toes, grabbed his neck, and they kissed. It felt normal enough. A pointy tongue timidly searched his, and her teeth were also more sharp than usual, but for the rest, it was pleasant and sweet.

“I stole you a kiss when I flew with you in my arms, and you were sleeping,” she confessed. “Sorry.”

What’s one more kiss stolen, in the great scheme of things? Welcome to the club… He kissed her again, more intensely. Her face flushed and her tail wagged wildly.

“Let’s take it with baby steps,” he proposed, releasing her. Cora nodded, took a step back, summoned her suit, and took off. He sighed and shrugged, returning to the car.

The return took fifteen minutes, driving slower, because his heart was heavy with worries. Back home, he took some time to properly sip from that good Bourbon before Grace returned.

“Hi, honey,” Grace waved, getting out of her, and he rose to meet her.

“I know everything,” he said directly.

“I c-can e-explain…” Grace kneaded her hands.

The hurt and fear in her eyes hurt him too and he took her in his arms, kissing her hair. “I know you love me, but this was a bit too much. We need to talk.”

She started crying, hard, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her inside. Dmitri was preparing some food. The Greek rolled his eyes and went away. They sat on the couch, with her eyes avoiding his.

“I’m… so sorry… I just… didn’t know what else to do… the cat blackmailed me…” she sobbed.

“She’s a young adult with more knowledge than common sense in her brain. What would you have done if you’d get stranded on another planet, all alone, all your family dead, imprisoned in a ten-by-ten cell for two months? She hung on to life by hanging on me. On us. If polyamory with Isla is OK, why not with her too?”

Grace understood. She rose from the couch and went to pour herself an inch of Cognac. “Is there anything I can say to make you change your mind?”

“I’m afraid not,” he shook his head.

She shrugged, and took a sip, staring into nothingness. “I’ll tell you what I don’t like about Cora. More than she uses a litter to pee. That you two share this bond… the new world, the magic… that’s something I can’t stand.”

He came near her, caressing the back of her head, and searching her eyes. “I might share nerdy stuff with Cora, but what we share is unique to us. And it’s so vast and important that it fills my heart. I won't leave you, if that's what you fear, but know I told Cora she's... welcomed in my heart. What you do with this... is up to you."

Grace's head came to rest in the same spot the other two rested before, and he hugged her. Ten seconds later, he felt her body relax.

“Very well,” Grace sighed, emptying the glass. “You can romance the cat… I did it to myself… Lesson learned: Crime doesn’t pay.”

“I think Viscardi would disagree,” Rowan smiled, fondling her shoulder. She smiled back, a bitter smile that raised her cheeks, squeezing her teary eyes.

“For what is worth, I'm sorry. If only I could rewind time..."

"The important thing is to keep things straight from now on. It's a new world and we can count only on our friends and family."

Grace nodded, half-smiling. "Remember to scold Lizzie likewise hard when she cheats on her homework. I’ll go change and help Dmitri prepare lunch. C’mon, you old bastard, I know you’re eavesdropping.”

“Mazeltov,” the Greek saluted. “I’m glad you two… or should I say four? have finally come to your senses.”

A few moments after Grace went up the stairs, a notification arrived.

For daring to pursue your heart’s desires declaring your love to Isla, doing the honorable thing of repairing a broken promise to Cora, and putting your foot in the door to make things straight in your relationship with Grace, I, The Warlord, award you, Rowan Allinder, 3 APs. For losing the confrontation, Grace Allinder will have her secondary Class and Perks readjusted.

The Warlord wishes you to have a good marriage, for marriage is a battle.