She was being watched.

A part of me wanted to step away now. Right here, to go and grab whoever was targeting Renn… but there was something wrong.

It was a woman. Not a man.

“Pram will be so happy. I can’t wait to tell her,” Lamp said excitedly.

Brandy translated for her, since Lamp was more so talking to Renn than Brandy.

“I’m sure she will be. Did you meet her?” Renn asked.

Lamp shook her head as Brandy translated again, and I noticed the figure appear in the new alleyway we were walking past.

What the hell.

I looked away from the cloaked woman, and back to the three women in front of me. Renn was walking in the center, with Brandy and Lamp on either side. Listening to Brandy translate willingly was… something I probably would have enjoyed. If not for noticing that stalker again.

This was the second time I had seen them. Yet something told me it was not the second time they’ve been following her.

I would have expected them following myself or Brandy… or maybe even Lamp, an obvious foreigner to this land… but Renn?

Why Renn? Why not Brandy, one of the few higher ups of one of the greatest companies in Lumen?

And why did it take this long for me to notice?

We rounded a corner… and I waited until we crossed the street, and passed another dozen buildings before checking again.

One alley was empty. The next had junk, and someone rummaging through it… Then the third proved it.

The cloaked woman hurried between the alleyways, as to get ahead of us.

Was it possibly someone from the embassy? I had seen them for the first time when Renn and I had gone to that restaurant, after the visit to the cemetery… but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be a member of the Eastern Embassy.

Someone might have heard about the girls after all. Or seen them.

Hopefully that was all it was. Just someone from the embassy keeping tabs on the one who was supposed to be in charge of the eastern girls.

Yet…

“Still, I’m glad that everything is going well so far,” Renn said.

Brandy nodded as she repeated her words for Lamp, who nodded quickly and reached over to take Renn’s hand. “So far!” Lamp said as she drew closer to Renn.

Watching Renn, I noticed the way her hat shifted a little. I knew if I was able to see Renn’s face I’d likely see a huge smile, and probably a blushing face.

Maybe I should worry for other reasons.

Renn was beautiful. And that was not just something I begrudgingly admitted. Even in a massive city like this, where the beautiful moved to in droves to find a better life amongst the capitalist riches, Renn was unique. Pretty enough to draw eyes, while also even-natured enough to make anyone who got a chance to talk to her swoon. Man or woman, it seemed.

Which was better? A spy from the Embassy, or some kind of weird pervert who Renn had ensorcelled with but a smile?

“Vim?”

I blinked and looked away from the empty alleyway we were walking past. The three women were looking back at me, staring at me.

“Hm?” What had I missed?

“What do you think?” Renn asked.

“Think what?” I asked back.

“About the Embassy,” Brandy said. She sounded… off put. She was also staring at me with the most concern. Lamp and Renn didn’t look that bothered, but Brandy did.

“So far it sounds good, no?”

Renn nodded, and Brandy sighed. “It does, doesn’t it,” Brandy said as she looked away from me.

“Are you okay with what is happening?” Lamp asked me.

“What’s happening is what you and Renn want, that’s all that matters,” I told her.

Lamp gave me a weird smile, made weirder thanks to her stiff scars. Renn noticed it and frowned at her, and then her frown turned into a glare as she looked at me.

“What?” I asked Renn.

“What’d you say to her?” she asked. I noticed that Renn’s hand squeezed Lamp’s a little. Maybe not enough to hurt her, but enough to make Lamp look down at her hand. She had noticed the increase in pressure.

“She asked if I thought everything was going well. I said as long as you and she believe so, then yes it is,” I told her honestly.

“The only honest man to walk the earth,” Brandy said softly.

Renn glanced at her, and we had to come to a stop as a set of large wagons rolled by the street we needed to cross. They were empty, probably heading to a warehouse to be loaded.

While the wagons crossed… I noticed a figure out of the corner of my eye. I kept still, and didn’t even turn my head, and glanced at the cloaked woman. She was hurrying across the street, doing her best to look normal and not out of place as she ran across the street before the wagons reached her.

She had meant to use the wagons to hide her from our sight.

I sighed as I planned on what to do next.

Now that I knew for sure she was stalking us, I needed to deal with it. But I had to do so carefully.

If it was really just some kind of employee or guard of the Eastern Embassy, my capture or slaughter of them would just ruin everything Brandy and Renn had accomplished so far.

It was a woman after all. I hadn’t noticed before, but now that I saw them more clearly thanks to the daylight and seeing them so many more times I could tell by their frame and the way they ran. And although there were plenty of female bandits, thieves and whatnot… she didn’t seem intent on kidnapping or attacking us. Just following us. Or rather, following Renn.

Looking back at the women in front of me, who were all now back to talking amongst themselves… I decided to pull Renn aside once we were back and Brandy and Lamp were safe inside the Society building.

Renn had asked about the dangers of the alleys before. Maybe she had noticed something. Seen something, or done something. Maybe just by asking her a few questions I’d be able to discern the truth.

“Let’s go,” Brandy led Renn and Lamp across the street. I hesitated a moment as they crossed, and did my best to keep myself from charging into the alley that the cloaked woman had ran into.

I’d be able to catch her. Easily. But as much as I wanted to…

“Damn,” I whispered as I stepped forward, following the women back to the company.

Half an hour later, and a few coins tax for crossing a district, we finally returned to the company. We entered through the depot, since it was near closing hours for the main lobby and bank, and they’d be busy at this time. Last minute deposits and business was always a rush here in Lumen.

“Renn,” I stopped Renn from entering into the building alongside Brandy and Lamp.

She still held Lamp’s hand, and now also Brandy’s. Somehow that had happened without me noticing. My fault really, since I had instead focused on the cloaked woman who had followed us all the way back home.

“Vim?” Renn tilted her head at me, and I could see her thoughts on her face.

She wanted to go with them. To tell the girls the good news. Or well, to see their reactions upon hearing it from Brandy and Lamp, since she wasn’t able to say it herself.

“I’ll need to borrow you for a moment,” I said.

“Borrow? Renting her isn’t cheap, Vim,” Brandy teased.

I gestured lightly in defeat, which made Renn smile and nod. “Okay. Tell Lamp I’ll come see them soon,” Renn said as she looked at Lamp and smiled apologetically.

Brandy explained the situation, which made Lamp smile at me. “Don’t like sharing her, do you?” she said to me.

“He doesn’t!” Brandy laughed.

“You’re the ones not sharing right now,” I said back.

The two burst into laughter as they released Renn, who quickly looked at all of us. She hadn’t understood of course, yet she had a huge smile on her face all the same. She stepped away from them, giggling happily as she came to me.

Before Brandy and Lamp stepped into the building, Renn reached down and grabbed onto my right hand.

“Look’ter!” Brandy broke into another laugh as they went into the building, and I ignored Brandy guffawing all the way into the building, being pulled along by Lamp with a quirky smile.

“Why’d you grab my hand Renn?” I asked her. Had she understood? Surely she hadn’t learned the language yet?

“You seemed jealous,” she said with a smirk.

Taking a small breath, I felt an odd twitch run down my spine as I stared at the very obvious amusement on her face. She was mostly teasing me, yet a part of her was completely serious.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Since she already held my hand, I decided to use it. I pulled her along, over near a few empty carts. Ones that the workers should be getting ready to transport to the nearby warehouse where they were stored. They were empty, and without horses attached to them. I took Renn into the center of them, hiding us a little. A perfect place to talk quietly.

“What’s wrong Vim?” Renn asked as I stared at one of the carts. It had a weird scratch on its side, near the wheel. Looked like an axe’s work.

“That cart’s been attacked,” I said.

“Huh? Oh… Well, it does look it,” she agreed. She didn’t seem to find it as interesting as I did.

Looking away from it, to stop myself from wanting to go find out what had happened, I looked at Renn. She smiled up at me upon my fixation, and her hand squeezed my own… reminding me we were still holding hands.

“Did you notice?” I asked her.

“Your jealousy of Lamp? Yes. It’s clear as day… and although not entirely unfounded, I must admit a little silly.”

Blinking at her, I was about to say something but stopped myself.

Not entirely unfounded? What?

Renn giggled, most likely thanks to what she saw before her, so I simply sighed and let it be. “When I was gone, did anything happen Renn?” I asked her.

“Lots,” she said.

“Anything that I should know?” I specified.

She frowned, and her hand squeezed my own again. “What happened, Vim?” she asked, and most of her earlier teasing had disappeared. She was now taking this seriously.

“I’m not sure yet… but there’s a problem,” I admitted.

“What kind?” she asked as she looked around. Her eyes fell on the damaged cart, and her eyes narrowed at it.

“Not the carts,” I said.

“Oh.” She seemed glad about that, for some reason.

“You asked before about the people in the alleys,” I said.

She nodded. “You said to avoid them.”

“Yes. Avoid them. Why did you ask about them?” I asked her.

“Well… I saw them. And just wanted to know what they were doing, and why. There seemed to be a lot of them, and none of them seemed to be working or doing anything… just kind of hanging out in the dark,” she said.

I nodded. “Did you talk to any of them?”

She shook her head. “No? Not that I know of. I mean… I talked to a lot of people Vim, while you were gone. I worked at the bank for two days, and also in the depot. I talked to not just those who work here, but the customers. A lot of them. Hundreds of people,” she said.

“Any of them noteworthy?”

She nodded. “The king was one. The man who gave me that gold coin as a tip. Then there were a few like that man who tried to flirt with me, the king scared him away though,” she said.

I nodded. She had told me about them during our little dinner date. “Anyone else?” I asked.

Renn thought about it for a moment, and I knew better than to doubt her memory. That was one thing I could always rely upon, after all.

“Honestly not really. I… haven’t really had any issues, Vim. Even the man who had annoyed me, by ignoring his advances, wasn’t that big of a deal. It’s not like I was ever in any danger, or felt like I should be,” she said.

“Then why are you being followed?” I dared to ask her.

Renn blinked and looked up at me… and after she realized I was being serious she looked around, as if she’d suddenly see them.

She wouldn’t. They hadn’t entered the depot, and from what I could tell had ran off once we entered it.

“Am I?” she asked.

“I believe so.”

“Why do you think that?” she asked seriously.

“They’re not following me, or Brandy. I thought maybe it was Brandy… but they had followed us to the restaurant the other night, and I found them waiting for you at the Embassy. They hadn’t followed me from the building, but instead had been waiting for you and the rest to exit the Embassy,” I explained.

“Huh…? Really?”

I nodded.

“Sure they’re following me, Vim? There’s Lamp too,” she said.

“I’ve thought of that. I’m hoping it is someone from the Eastern Embassy, checking you and the rest out. To see if we’re abusing the girls or not,” I said.

“Ah… would they do that?” she asked.

“They might. They do have a knight order, though I know nothing about it,” I said.

“They do?” she asked, her hat shifted as she looked up at me. She had found that interesting.

“They do. Lawrence told me about them. They’re supposedly rather dangerous,” I said.

“Is… that a good thing? Should I not let Lamp and the others go there then?” she asked worriedly.

For a small moment I stared at the woman who was suddenly far more concerned with those human women than she herself.

Renn stared at me, waiting for my answer.

She really did value them. Or was it that she just… didn’t worry? Maybe she thought she’d be fine, no matter what? Because of me.

“You should worry for yourself Renn, someone might be targeting you,” I said softly.

The jaguar blinked, and suddenly her eyes were narrow. Her pupils became slits, becoming very inhuman looking… and then she gave me a toothy grin. “Worried? While I have you in my hands?” she asked as she lifted her hand; the one holding my own.

Taking a small breath, I sighed at her. “Careful Renn. You’re strong, but you can still get hurt,” I warned her.

Her smirk softly died, and our hands went back down as she lost her little moment of joy. “I know, Vim. I know full well how easily I can die. I have seven ways to prove it,” she said.

“Seven? The seven sins?” I asked, wondering what that meant.

Renn tilted her head, and then that toothy grin returned as she suddenly giggled. “Seven sins! Haha!” she laughed, a hearty one that made me glance around to make sure no worker came by to see what all the fuss was about.

There weren’t just humans here after all. Magdalena and Wynn worked in the depot… I smelled Wynn nearby, but hadn’t seen him yet.

If he knew what was good for him he’d stay gone.

After a moment Renn’s giggling died down into soft chuckles, and she reached up with her hand that held mine to wipe her eye free of happy tears. I let her move my hand around, even as she used the back of it to wipe her other eye.

“Seven sins…” she giggled and nodded. “In a way that’s correct… But no, Vim. I mean seven family members. Seven people just like me. Just as strong. Just as astute. I know I can die, since I had watched all of them do so,” Renn said gently.

Ah.

Her eyes went downward, to our hands. She had noticed that I had squeezed her hand a little tighter.

“Sorry,” I apologized, hoping I hadn’t hurt her.

“Hm… for making me laugh, or making me cry?” she asked.

“Both?” I wondered. She hadn’t realized I was apologizing for the hand.

She nodded. “I suppose I can accept that. So… what do you want me to do? Or say? What should I do?” she asked me.

“As the protector, it is my job to protect you. However… if I overreact, and the observer is simply someone sent by that embassy, my actions might endanger what you are doing. It might… impede or even ban them from being allowed into the embassy,” I told her.

“That’d be horrible,” she said.

“Yet those humans are not worth losing you, or any other member. By all rights I should not even worry about them, and go find out immediately,” I said.

A horse neighed nearby, and I noticed the many sounds of hooves as they drew closer. They had brought the horses to take these carts away.

Renn noticed a few moments after I, and smiled softly at me and then pulled me away, back out of the carts. Towards the door.

“Are you giving me the choice, Vim?” she asked me as she headed for the door.

“Will I regret giving it to you?” I asked her.

After all, that was the entire point. I was the protector, and I did my job… but I was not the arbiter. I was not the jury. I guarded, but I still had to get permission to do certain things.

Killing immediate dangers? Sure. But right now there was no proof that woman was a true danger. Not yet.

I mean… for all I knew it was just an admirer. I’d believe it, since I couldn’t keep my eyes off her either… and if it was that bad for me, who knew what it was like for normal people.

Yet… what if Renn didn’t accept my protection? What if she really did tell me no? That she didn’t want my help? Like so many others?

How many of those I protected have refused my efforts? Refused my protection?

Many. And I had no choice but to abide. Even when they suffered because of it.

Trek was like that.

“If I asked you to find out?” she then asked.

“I’d go hunt them down now. I could probably still catch them if I left now,” I said.

“What would you do once you caught them?” she asked.

“Well…”

We came to a stop before the door, and I watched as she hesitated before opening it. She glanced at me, and held my gaze for a moment.

“What if you found out they were from the embassy? And that they don’t mean any harm, and were just investigating us?” she asked.

“I’d still have to kill them, Renn,” I said softly.

“But why?”

“Who knows what they’ve seen while watching you. What if they noticed something they shouldn’t?” I asked her.

“What if they didn’t?”

I shook my head. “I can’t think like that at this moment,” I told her.

Stepping around her, which made my arm somewhat wrap around her since she still held my hand, I opened the door for her. To stop her from getting too emotionally vested in this conversation.

“If you tell me not to kill them on sight, I will accept that… but there will be a price for that,” I told her.

“What kind of price?” she asked as I pushed her into the building. They were hooking the carts up nearby, and I was tired of the workers staring at us.

Stepping into the hallway, I closed the door behind us and was glad that I couldn’t see or smell anyone nearby.

“I’ll go see if I can find them. Then follow them. If they go back to the embassy… I’ll accept that they’re probably just checking on us. If they go elsewhere, I’ll do what I need to,” I said.

“How’s that a price Vim? That’s the best scenario I could ask for,” she said.

“The price is that while I’m gone, you’re going to be sitting right next to Brom and Brandy. Until I get back,” I said.

“Oh. That’s not much of a price either, Vim… I like them both,” she said with a smile.

“Hm… You might change your mind later. Brom and Brandy can both become painfully overprotective when they put their mind to it,” I said.

“I look forward to it,” she said with a smirk.

Stepping down the hallway, I pulled her along. “Then first let’s go to my room,” I said.

“Oh? Shouldn’t you hurry?”

“I should. But Brom will need his gift if I’m to leave him to protection duty,” I said.

“His… Oh…” Renn’s hand squeezed my own as she realized what I meant.

“I’ll give him the one I’ve been carrying Renn, not yours,” I told her as we headed up the stairs.

“I figured… but I was still hoping you wouldn’t have,” she said honestly.

“Why’s that?”

“We won’t match if you do,” she said softly.

I paused before opening the Societies door, and looked back at the woman who was smiling softly at me.

“That’s what you’re upset over?” I asked her.

“Yes and no… I was more so upset that you had promised him that spear in the first place. As if you didn’t even want me to win, or have a chance to,” she said quickly.

“Renn…” I sighed as I opened the metal door. I held it open for her as she entered after me.

“What? What was I suppose to think? You offered me a wonderful prize, then went and offered him a more serious one. I mean… a bath, Vim! Just a bath! It’s not like I was asking for your bed,” she said.

“For your information I had planned to give him the spears when I made them,” I told her.

Renn paused, and her hand squeezed me to a stop.

I paused again, and knew I should probably not let her keep me any longer. That woman had been a human, but if I didn’t hurry even I’d lose her scent.

“Spears?” she asked oddly.

Hm? Oh. Plural.

“Yes. I had planned to give them both. One for him, the other for his sister. She’s the better warrior of the two, Renn,” I told her.

Renn groaned and released a deep sigh as she shook her head. “You give and take, I swear,” she mumbled.

Chuckling at her, I renewed my tug on her to get to my room. I needed to hand her the spear, and then hand her off to Brom swiftly. To catch that woman.

Plus…

Glancing back at the woman who was sniveling at me, mumbling under her breath about how I was stealing her prized treasures and gifts… I found that I couldn’t help myself.

“You don’t need permission to climb into my bed, by the way.”

Renn’s face remained red all the way until I left her in Brom’s capable hands.