Page 48 of The Oracle's Journey

Lhoris put a hand on the small of my back and introduced me, “This is my wife, Ozanna.”

I noted the lack of last name. Having only just wrapped my head around the fact that the human equivalent for our relationship was man and wife, I hadn’t considered what to do about my last name. It was all a bit mad once I stopped to think about it.

Beside me, Lhoris continued. “I assume from the look on your face, you’ve met my brother, Lobikno.” That earned a chuckle from Guille, who leaned over to the door and knocked.

“Come in,” said an unfamiliar male voice. The guardsman, Guille, opened the door and revealed Emma, Eve, Duke Nicolas, and Lobikno playing cards in the parlor.

“Good evening,” Lhoris said as we entered the room. “Is Judith well, Eve? I see she’s absent.”

Eve rolled her eyes. “She claims she is well but retired early for the day. Though I suspect she’s coming down with a cold.”

“Please, come join us,” said Duke Nicolas. As Emma introduced us, we sat down on a ridiculously soft sofa, dangerous for the way it tempted me to fall asleep the moment I settled into it.

“Well, now that you’re all here,” Emma started somewhat hesitantly, “I have some apologies to make.” She set down her cards, smoothed her skirts and turned to me. “For running away, getting into the wyvern nest, putting you in danger … I am deeply sorry.” She bit her bottom lip, eyes flicking to the ground. “I can’t apologize to the guardsmen that lost their lives. I wasn’t thinking properly, but the way I disposed of them so finally is inexcusable. It was the only way I saw that we would be vulnerable enough, so you wouldn’t fight the highwaymen when they came for me. It was stupid and dangerous, but I had to find a way to get you and Lhoris to cross paths, have space to develop a bond. They died on this journey so I could bring you together.”

“You killed them intentionally?” Nicolas asked, his expression pained.

“Nicolas,” Emma said, her eyes welling with tears, “you got to know me in the dream space, but in real life, before the wolf attack, I was …” Her words faltered.

“Bugnuts crazy?” Lobikno offered. He turned to Nicolas “Emma was terrifying, your Grace. We laugh about it now, but in the moment, it was chilling.”

I was pleasantly surprised that the grumpy old elf already seemed so at ease with the formal use of “your Grace.”

Eve nodded sadly. “He is correct, your Grace.”

After glancing at Lhoris, I asked, “Why us, Emma?”

Wringing her hands, Emma bit her lip. “Just, look at the two of you. You’re the joined embodiment of balance. Everything from your strengths bolstering each other’s weaknesses to the contrast in your appearance. Together you’re the stability I lacked. I was about to turn into another creature when we were waiting to enter the great hall. When you two stepped up and held my hands, it was an instant relief from the chaos of my power. That’s when I realized exactly why I needed you two. I was just too stupid to see it sooner. I could have spent less time being furry. That plait was a stop gap, just so I could go deeper into the magic to bring the dire wolves in.”

“So, when we consummated our bond,” Lhoris said, not a bit ashamed, “we were finally able to generate the stability you needed?”

Emma and Eve blushed along with me, feeling like a silly maiden again. Something about that word consummated made me pause. Had Emma truly duped us into marriage? Could someone get married if they don’t actively agree to it … or even know it was happening?

“I, uh, don’t know if it was the … that or if it was because you blended your energies. Or something.”

Duke Nicolas spoke with a crooked grin. “Oh, one is quite a bit like the other in magic. It’s about …”

“Intent,” we all said at once.

Lhoris' dark skin went a little darker and one corner of his mouth turned up in a sheepish half grin. It appeared I wasn’t the only one bored enough to listen to his magic theories on the journey.

Though that night in the hammock, I had only intended to lose myself in Lhoris’ sinfully inviting body, not to bind us together. Perhaps it was Emma’s intent, not ours, that mattered that night. That thought did not sit well with me. How could I tell if it was Emma’s will or mine?

Duke Nicolas smiled rakishly at Emma, who blushed and glanced away. I absently put a hand on Lhoris’ thigh and caressed the long muscle beneath my fingers. Had I been compelled to do that? I wasn’t sure Emma was aware of the effect she could have on people. Oftentimes, the ones she cared about were unaffected, while others in the vicinity were. Who’s to say such selectiveness couldn’t work the other way around?

“Right, who else do you need to apologize to?” I asked, hoping to move away from the topic of our consummation. I needed a little more time to think about it and talk to Lhoris.

“Lobikno, Eve,” Emma said, almost cringing. “When Ozanna and Lhoris … ya know. Well, I may have projected their energy a little.” She paused and glanced between them. “If you haven’t noticed, I can do that kind of thing.”

I groaned inwardly as the topic of our consummation remained on the table.

“So, you mean,” Lobikno started, “that I gave Eve that kiss because of my little brother’s afterglow?” He scrunched his nose and scowled a little. “Ok, it’s a gross reason, but it makes more sense.”

“More sense than just wanting to kiss me?” Eve said, hurt in her eyes.

Lobikno sighed and, to his credit, turned to the girl prepared to offer his truth. “I accepted the bargain because I’m an asshole and thought it was cute to watch you tremble. But I only meant to kiss your cheek. I wouldn’t take something like that from you for some stupid bargain. Then you just looked so hopeful when it came time, so I obliged.” And for a second, Lobikno gave her a soft smile. It was one of those rare moments when I could see the resemblance between the brothers.

Eve’s brow furrowed a little and she crossed her arms, looking anywhere but at Lobikno.

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