Flame of War (Binding Words Book 5), page 17
part #5 of Binding Words Series
“It’s true,” Aria said, stepping into the tub. “Even Harpy blood doesn’t bother him.”
Sean’s eyes darted to Aria’s sun-kissed skin before he looked away. “Correct. Oh, Aria, can you find a way for us to get some cuons?”
“They’re expensive, but I can ask around,” Aria said. “Not surprised you want some.”
“You’d feel better having some around, too,” Sean chuckled.
“There is that.”
“Will they listen to anyone other than you, Aria?” Quinna asked as she stepped into the tub.
“Sean,” Aria said. “I’m sure he can get them to listen to all of you, too.”
“Really?” Quilla asked, taking a seat next to her sister. “I thought they only listened to tamers.” She looked at Sean. “Are you capable of taming?”
Sean shook his head and did his best to keep his eyes off her massive breasts just beneath the water. “No, it’s not a Talent. It’s a gift that lets me speak with them.”
“Speak with them?” Tiska asked, sighing as the jets hit her back. “Oh, these are delightful.”
“I can understand any language spoken in front of me,” Sean said. “Welcome to the first secret to be kept.”
“He doesn’t seem capable of sharing that, though,” Fiona said. “There are some things that only he can do.”
“Yeah, I’m not sure why,” Sean admitted. “I find it a bit odd.”
“The healing is the only gift we know of that has been passed on to us,” Myna said.
“True,” Sean said slowly. “I had thought maybe the Magic Bond or Infinite Possibilities had, but maybe that’s just me sharing Talents and not the gifts being shared?”
“You call them gifts,” Prita said from the corner, mostly out of Sean’s view. “Why do you do that?”
“Well, that’s a long story,” Sean said awkwardly.
“We can explain it to them later,” Fiona said. “It’d take longer than the bath.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—!” Prita said quickly.
“It’s fine,” Sean said. “I’m not upset. It’s more the biggest secret of the family, and it’s a long story. Any of them can tell you when there’s time.”
“It’s okay,” Myna said, patting Prita’s knee. “Calm yourself.”
“I’m going to bail,” Sean said. “See you all for dinner. Enjoy the tub.”
“Will you grab me a towel, too, Sean?” Andrea asked. “I want to check in with Glorina.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Sean got out, all too aware of the eyes on him. Drying off, he wrapped the towel around his waist before bringing one over to Andrea. “Are the clothes in the cabinets?”
“Yes. I have them labeled so everyone knows which shelf is theirs and Prita can put the clothes into the right one,” Fiona said.
“Thank you, dear. You do think of everything,” Sean smiled as he walked toward the cabinet.
“Why did he cover up?” Quinna whispered.
“He’s very modest,” Fiona explained, not bothering to whisper. “It’s not any of you. He was that way with me and Myna when we first knew him, too.”
Sean was glad his back was to the tub as he stripped the towel off and dressed. Andrea was only a few seconds behind him and left the room with him.
“Sean?” Andrea called out.
“Yeah, Andie?”
“Are you really okay?”
Sean gave her a lopsided smile. “Mostly. I felt like meat on display, honestly. I’m sure it’ll pass in the next few days.”
“Okay.” Stepping closer, she leaned in and kissed him. “You can talk to us, too, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” Sean murmured, pulling her in for a hug. “Go do your thing. I’ll see you all at dinner.”
~*~*~
That evening, Sean walked into the dining room and gave the others a nod as he took his seat at the head of the table. “Sorry for the delay.”
“I was wondering where you’d gone off to,” Fiona said.
“Just checking some things,” Sean said.
“Pull the rope behind your chair,” Fiona told him. “It’ll let them know we’re ready.”
Sean saw the bell pull and did as she said. The faint hint of a gong reached his ear. A minute later, the door to the room opened, and Glorina, Lona, and Mona entered with carts. Glorina pushed her cart down to Sean’s end of the table.
“Sir, we have a three-course meal tonight. It would be more, but the major deliveries weren’t scheduled until tomorrow. I apologize.”
“It’s fine,” Sean said. “Please serve.”
“To start with, we have pork-wrapped chicken bites,” Glorina said as she placed a plate in front of Sean. “Oh, your glass hasn’t been filled yet.” Glorina poured the wine for him. “Please, enjoy.”
Sean looked up to see the cooks beginning to take the carts away. “You’re not eating with us?”
“Not for a course dinner, sir,” Glorina said. “Mistress Fiona has explained that we will be joining you for normal meals. It’s not something we expected, but we are honored to do so. A course meal requires that we stand by, ready to serve the next.”
“Sean,” Fiona said softly, “when we entertain, we won’t have everyone present for that, either. They will eat in here while we use the formal dining room.”
Sean looked at his plate. “Like Fredrick’s?”
“Yes, dear.”
“I don’t like it, but I’ll accept it for now.”
Glorina bowed her head. “Please enjoy the meal, sir.”
The food was excellent. The wine paired well with the appetizer and the entrée, which turned out to be peppered steak strips with sautéed vegetables and noodles. Dessert was a caramel custard cup.
Glorina, Lona, and Mona thanked them for the compliments when everyone had finished. Sean sighed as he got to his feet. “Bit of a walk tonight to make it to the Oaken Glen. Who’s coming with?”
“Just me and Ida,” Ryann said. “The others are going to start showing the new girls how to use what you’ve given them.”
“Before you go, husband, will you give them a bit more?” Fiona asked. “Prita, too?”
Sean nodded. “I’ll just step outside the room.”
Once he was in the hall, he took a deep breath. Exhaling, he gently and carefully opened the new Bonds and gave them all a bit more energy. Even through the closed door, he heard the indrawn breaths when the energy hit them. What he hadn’t expected was the piercing blast of sound that jarred his nerves and made him flood the Bonds.
“Fuck!” he shouted, cutting them off instantly.
“Sean?” Ida said, leaving the dining room to find him with concern on her face. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Sean said, the sound having stopped almost as soon as it began. “Some kind of burst of sound?”
Myna poked her head out. “Prita. She apparently has more than just the ears of her heritage. She cried out, and those of us with better hearing got a blast of it. They’re all out right now, including the cooks. We’ll take care of them. You should go.”
“Fuck. Tell them I’m sorry.”
“Just go. You staying will be worse for them, and Prita, especially,” Myna said softly. “We’ll handle it.”
“Thanks,” Sean said as he headed for the front door.
Ryann caught up to them. “Sean, it’s not going to be a problem. You did the same to me, remember?”
Sean thought back to when he made Ryann pass out what seemed like ages ago. “Yeah. Still feel bad for doing it. It just rubs me the wrong way... almost like sexual assault.”
“It’s far from that,” Ida told him.
“That’s your old world talking,” Ryann said as she walked out the door with him. “None of them will be thinking badly about you. Take it from me: it’s a price to pay for the Talents you give them, and all of them would gladly endure much worse for the same. Would you rather it felt like molten fire in their veins like it did for the guys?”
Sean exhaled, “No, but also yes.”
Ryann snorted, “We both know you’d be torn up over the second one more. You’re a good man, husband.” She kissed his cheek as they left the manor behind. “Now, I’ll be doing my job, so try not to distract me too much.”
Sean smiled. “Can’t have my shield distracted.”
Chapter Twenty
The table the group had taken over in the taproom was nearly full by the time Sean arrived. “Sorry for the delay. It’s a bit of a walk,” Sean said as he took his seat.
“Things aren’t good,” Fredrick said after Tabitha took drink orders for the table. “Blackhand has an Agreement to sell all their coal to Denmur’s group only.”
“The other smiths don’t even realize he now has them over a barrel, too,” Joseph spat. “Fools.”
“That’s going to make it nearly impossible for us to do our normal work,” Sam said.
“Anyone else deal with coal?” Sean asked.
“MacLenn said he can get some in, but it won’t be sustainable,” Fredrick replied. “I’ve arranged it so they can have at least a few tendays reprieve. It did take from the association fund to do it.”
“My share won’t be affected, will it?” Justin asked haughtily.
Sean stared at him. “This is a group of equals.”
“No. I don’t use coal and didn’t approve the expenditure. That can come out of their shares, but not mine. The association’s projects don’t use coal.”
The smiths all glared at Justin, but he ignored their looks. Fredrick’s lips puckered. “Fine. Your share will be untouched. The rest of us are fine with it, yes?”
Justin shook his head as the others all agreed. “Our association shouldn’t be dealing with our private businesses.”
“I can understand why you think that way,” Jefferson said. “It’s stupid and shortsighted, but I understand.”
Justin inhaled sharply, “I’m not sure a man who smells like offal can understand anything.”
“Enough,” Fredrick said. “We have other pressing problems, as well.”
The table fell silent when Tabitha dropped off their drinks for them.
“I have until the next party to prove a good reason for me to stay in,” Ryan said. “Italice and I announcing our courtship helped, but it didn’t stop them from pressing.”
“Same,” Italice growled. “I don’t know why they are being so aggressive about it.”
“Coal is going short… we’re being pressured more,” Sean muttered as his mind took off down a new tangent.
“He’s got that look in his eye,” Knox chuckled. “What are you thinking now, Sean?”
“An idea... it might solve another problem, and maybe give Italice and Ryan the help they need. The smiths, too. I’m seeing Giralt tomorrow. He gave us the okay for the heating runes, but I have a more involved idea that needs his knowledge to work with.”
Justin snorted. “Giralt isn’t going to get involved, not with everything getting so unstable.”
Fredrick sighed, “Justin isn’t wrong. Giralt isn’t known for taking risks.”
“We’ll have to wait and see,” Sean grinned. “I’ll just keep the idea close to the vest for now. Don’t want to disappoint if it doesn’t work.”
“When did you really fail last?” Nick asked, his hand holding his wife’s.
Sean’s mind flashed back to the ruins of Oakwood. “Before I came to this city,” he said softly.
“Of course it was,” Justin said as he got to his feet, his cup mostly full. “I’m done. Good evening, all.”
Sean watched him go, waiting until Justin and his apprentice had left the inn before he spoke, “I think we have a problem— Denmur stepped up his attacks on the association after Justin joined us.”
“Sean, you think he’s siding with Denmur?” Eva asked.
“I have some people looking into it, but yeah, I think so. It was him or Nick,” Sean said evenly. “No offense, Nick, but before yesterday, it was a big question mark.”
“I can see why you would think so, with how long it took me to come forward,” Nick replied. “You know why I waited, though.”
“I do now,” Sean said. “Jess, will you come sit beside me, please?”
Jess glanced at Nick before she moved seats. “Nick has been hopeful all day, but won’t tell me why. All he’s said is that there’s a strict Agreement holding him from saying.”
“Will you give me an Agreement to hold what is about to happen a secret from anyone not currently at this table, or Amedee, Charie, and Saret? It has to be on your life. If you do, I can do what Nick has been hopeful for.”
Jess stiffened and looked back at Nick, who gave her a tight smile. “Nick?”
“I think it’s the right thing.”
“I agree, MacDougal.”
Feeling the weight settle on him, Sean put his hand on the table. “Your hand, please.”
Jess hesitantly placed her hand in his. The moment she did, Sean used flesh Shaping to look into her. He nodded, looking into her bone marrow. Of course, it’s the same reason... split heritage. I wonder how many people have similar problems, but no symptoms?
“Jess, what do you know about your heritage?” Sean asked, his eyes closed.
“There is an old rumor that my great-great-grandmother wasn’t Human. My mother’s line has had sickly people, like me, appear ever since. That is all I know, though.”
“Nothing else?” Sean asked.
“I have good night sight,” Jess replied. “Better than I should have if I was only Human.”
“You have a choice,” Sean said softly. “Human or mixed. I can fix your problem, either way, but it means you fully embrace your other side more than being Human, or you become just Human.”
“Nick?” Jess asked softly, looking worried.
“You don’t know what the race is?” Nick asked Sean, his eyes darting around to see if anyone not at the table was listening in.
“No, I’m sorry.”
“Human, then, just like my husband,” Jess said.
“But—” Nick started to say.
“No. I don’t want to end up with Fae blood or similar and outlive you by hundreds of years.”
“Very well,” Sean said. He pushed his energy into her, changing her marrow so it would be Human and stop producing the other cells. Since he was doing that, he also made sure she was in perfect health, fixing her broken small toe among other minor problems.
When he finished, he took his hand away and took a deep pull off his ale. “All done.”
Jess sat there, blinking. “Oh… you can…?”
“Jess?” Nick asked worriedly.
Jess turned to face him, giving him a bright smile. “I’m fine, Nick. I feel better than I ever have. My toe isn’t broken anymore, either.”
“You look healthier,” Eva said. “Not as pale.”
“She’s right,” Sam said. “It is a little odd to see your color change like that.”
“Beautiful, as always,” Nick said, having eyes only for Jess.
“Always helping others,” Ryann murmured.
Jess gave Nick a soft kiss before she turned back to Sean. “We owe you, Sean. What you just did, we were told repeatedly couldn’t be done.”
“I don’t need anything. The association should care for each other,” Sean rebuffed her gently. “Nick is one of us, and as are you, because of him. We help each other, just like we are helping the smiths during this bullshit with the coal, and we’ll do everything we can for Ryan and Italice.”
“He just can’t take people owing him,” Joseph laughed.
Jess looked at Nick, who just shook his head. “I know Jess, but from what I’ve seen of him, it’s nearly impossible to make him change his mind. We’ll just have to do better for the association. He’ll accept that.”
Sean shrugged. “You’re not wrong. I should get going, since it’s such a long walk home. I’ll see you all tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to hearing about Giralt,” Fredrick said.
“Have a good night, Sean,” Ryan said. “I hope your plan works.”
“If it does, you might end up moving up to be the head of your family,” Sean chuckled.
Italice raised an eyebrow. “That would be impressive.”
