Dashing Devil Omnibus 1: Books 1-3, page 113
Chapter 37
Boyd woke the next morning feeling refreshed. Silvie and Raev were still sleeping soundly curled up under his wing. All three of them were naked once again—dancing had gotten both of the women a little worked up. Raev was the middle spoon, Silvie the little, and Boyd the big, wrapped around them both.
He felt good, better than he had in a long time. Maybe better than he had ever felt. He felt settled; things were… right. The little inconsistencies that he noticed but couldn’t explain or investigate had all fallen into place. Everything made sense.
Well, most things.
Tinker showed him the files he needed to see to confirm that four monsters instead of four Heroes had died the other night. He would have killed them himself, after seeing some of the videos they had so joyously captured. The one with the freshly Changed child particularly got to him. The way the child had cried and begged would stay with Boyd forever, and the captured audio wasn’t even all that clear.
It wasn’t limited to the four deceased not-Heroes either, though. They’d had guests—some of whom he recognized as Heroes, and others he didn’t know. Tinker had files on all of them, but Boyd hadn’t dug into those just yet. It became a list of problems to take care of when he had the means. One of the questions that remained, though, was how Tinker had gotten the data. Most of it, including the videos, would have been highly protected. Boyd decided not to press on that issue yet, either.
Silvie also had Davis grant him access to what he called his Influence Board. It was a complex chart that Boyd would have to spend some time studying to understand. Supposedly, it showed which Directors fell on which side, and who they influenced most in this little shadow war. Boyd had seen enough to understand that they had about a third of The Authority with them, and fifty to sixty percent against them.
Everything matched what his former and current lover asserted; he would accept their story for the time being. He would also do what was asked, mostly because he had no reason not to. Becoming a better Hero and setting an example wasn’t a very big ask, not for him at least.
After he and Raev had reviewed the files, they blew off some steam with some dance practice. It had been a good time filled with laughter and joy. Tinker took a little time to unwind, but soon was twirling around him and letting herself be lifted and spun about. She was in it for fun, so they didn’t bother learning any particular steps, just laughed and smiled openly.
Silvie enjoyed herself in a similar fashion, though she did insist on at least beginning to put together a routine for their first opportunity to dance in public. Mostly, she was just overjoyed that Boyd had not rejected her after she’d revealed her status as a double agent. The fact that he still wanted to dance with her was a massive relief.
He’d spent the most time with Raev, though, beginning to learn the steps for the Bachata. She had video tutorials all ready for him and everything. It would take some work for him to adjust to the way he would have to hold himself and move on account of the difference in their size, but he was confident he would get there—or at least close enough to capture the essence of his lover's favorite dance.
Lying in bed now, reviewing the events from the day before, Boyd realized that things were still being kept from him. There was something more happening, and pieces that still didn’t fit. The communities in the Wild Lands were part of it. How did they exist? The cities and towns of The Authority were always at risk of falling, how could smaller communities survive?
Almost all of the fauna and a good portion of the flora in the Wild Lands was Powered. Even most of the plant had defensive or movement-based powers, with only a few being passive and good for resource gathering. The predators were the biggest issue, though. Smaller towns got away with two or three A-Ranked Heroes with support to keep them at bay. Without them, however, the lower ranked Powereds and civilians would either be picked off slowly or wiped out all at once.
Even with two or three A-Ranked Heroes, the smaller towns often relied on support from regional and global response teams to deal with threats they couldn’t handle. This arrangement meant that the small towns needed the larger, dense population centers of the cities simply to exist. You couldn’t get enough A-Ranked or S-Ranked Powereds without them.
That was because only one in five hundred thousand people were born with A-Ranked Powers and one in three million were S-Ranked. A town would have to be massive to support the numbers needed to ensure you had enough high ranked Powereds born each generation. Or, he supposed, you could just make people have lots of kids.
So where were these smaller communities getting the Powereds they needed to keep themselves sustainable? More importantly, why did The Authority hunt them? That was the word his women had used.
The Authority wasn’t searching for them. They weren’t seeking them out for trade partnerships or offering to bring them under The Authority's protection. They were hunting them. Boyd tripped over the realization that it was Tinker and Mindy who had made the statements about hunting.
Once again, he was forced to accept that he had categorized them as ‘his women’. He should probably watch that possessiveness, thinking of them as ‘his’ was a dangerous mindset. After a little thought and enjoying the intermingled scents of his lovers, he decided to accept that thought process as long as he didn’t let it lessen them. They were his; he was theirs. They were equal and bound. Devoted.
He smiled into the back of Raev’s head, at peace for the first time in a long time. Some might be daunted by the prospect of going against The Authority, changing the thousand-year-old organization and their Heroes. They had trained him well, though. That training included being mentally capable of facing insurmountable odds and remaining calm and collected.
To be honest, they had a lot going for them. A full third of the organization they were attempting to change was already on their side. They had funding and support. So much so, that even while they were essentially hiding in the Wild Lands, they were in the luxury penthouse version of a secret base.
Boyd wasn’t sure how to feel about the outside organization, the one led by the mysterious woman who was obsessed with him due to a prophecy. Killing the evil members of Tinker’s team had been acceptable. The civilians’ deaths were not. Having their support was good, but they would need to be changed, just like The Authority.
That was a problem for later, though. He needed to train and settle his relationships, first. Today that meant hunting with Raev in the morning, completing some anti-porter training in the afternoon, and then preparing for his date with Tinker in the evening.
She’d tried to cancel their date, given all that had transpired, but Boyd quickly put an end to that. Sure, there was a lot going on, but it sounded like that would be the case from here on out. He’d just been handed a very large mission, one that he could always be doing something towards. Taking time out for his lovers was going to be vital.
On that note, he very much wanted to make them breakfast before they woke. Fortunately, he’d thought ahead last night. His loves were only under his wing, and he’d dragged a blanket close enough to grab before they’d laid down to rest.
He lifted his wing just enough to get the blanket under it, working the cover up and over his loves with his tail and one arm. Once they were covered, he carefully slid back and away. Each stirred a little, but then Raev pulled Silvie a little closer to her front and nuzzled into the back of her neck and hair. Boyd watched them for a moment, taking in the lovely scene.
He carefully moved off the ridiculously sized bed—fortunately its construction meant that even his massive form moving across it didn’t disturb its other occupants. He made his way over to his large closet and gathered up a pair of shorts. Then, it was over to the much more reasonable, if still lavish, bathroom attached directly to the bedroom that they’d showed him last night to do his morning ablutions.
Boyd checked back in to make sure Silvie and Raev were still sleeping before heading towards the Great Room and the kitchen. He sensed that Tinker was already awake and working on something. He’d asked if she could make him a spear similar to his sword for today’s hunt the night before. He’d then had to make sure she fell asleep before he let himself do the same—because otherwise he knew she’d have been up all night working on it.
She must have gotten up and decided to get an early start. Just to see if he could, he tried to send her warm feelings down their bond the same way he’d done yesterday with Silvie. Unfortunately, he could feel that it hadn’t worked. It likely required the more stable Devotion level of a bond.
As Boyd walked through his little office, he hoped Daisy wasn’t in the kitchen already. He wasn’t ready for an early morning encounter with the young woman. Fortunately, the Great Room was empty, although morning bird song played softly on speakers from somewhere. The lighting was a little different, too, as if adjusting to fit the time of day. It was a lovely open space and Boyd could tell Silvie had put a lot of thought into it.
The kitchen area was also empty, and easy to figure out. One section had clearly been designed with Boyd in mind and had all his basics. The counters were a little higher, along with larger cabinets and appliances. He even spotted his favorite cast iron skillet hanging in a prominent position.
The inventory system was accessible through a well-placed viewscreen, and he quickly tracked down everything he needed: a bag of potatoes, a few dozen eggs, some fresh garlic gloves, onions, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, sausage, bacon, and a shredded cheddar cheese blend. He set to making some breakfast casseroles, chopping potatoes, mincing garlic, and dicing the onions and other vegetables.
‘You should probably admit that you enjoy cooking, at least to yourself,’ Mindy’s voice entered his mind.
That wasn’t entirely true, he didn’t really enjoy cooking… but he did enjoy feeding his lovers. In response, Boyd let his mind wander to how happy he was that Mindy was back in his life as he cooked.
‘Kuh-he. Okay… just, okay. I’ll be out in a little while.’
“What are you doing?” A high, musical voice called out from behind Boyd, making him start and spin around. Daisy was floating towards him on fluttering wings, little glowing soap bubbles trailing behind her.
Boyd grumbled internally at Mindy for not warning him.
“Making breakfast,” he rumbled back, pouring the egg mixture over three different casseroles he was making—one each for bacon and sausage, and a vegetarian one for those who preferred it.
“Isn’t that literally my job?” she asked with a skeptical tone.
“About that...” Boyd sighed. He decided he had to give it one more try, now that he had a better understanding of the situation.
“Don’t bother.” The fairy woman sighed as well. “Silvie and Mindy filled me in. I’m even less likely to leave now that I know you all are trying to improve things for Changed like me. I appreciate that you are concerned for my safety, but you really don’t need to be.”
“What about Connor?” Boyd asked as he returned to his prep work.
“The school they are sending him to is one they use for their own people,” Daisy replied. “From what they said, they have an S-Ranked reality bender on staff. He’s safer there than he has ever been. I guess the kids literally can’t die while on campus, and the campus itself is in a pocket dimension or something.”
Boyd didn’t have any other tools to use to dissuade her. “It is your decision of course,” he said. “I just don’t think you fully understand the danger we are in, or how much more we will face in the future.”
Daisy sighed again. “You aren't going to get that I’m more than tough enough to take care of myself without a demonstration, are you?”
“It isn’t about your Power,” Boyd rumbled back. “I’m perfectly willing to believe you are strong—stronger even than Silvie. I have a way to compare how strong people are with my Black Flame Vision… so, no, I don’t need a demonstration to believe that you can defend yourself. We are going against The Authority, though, and you are a civilian. I'm supposed to protect people like you, not expose them to that kind of danger.”
“That’s very noble of you,” Daisy responded with a slight edge of sarcasm. “I am aware of the danger that I am exposing myself to. I have also considered what it means for Connor, and as his guardian, I accept the consequences for both of us. You aren't exposing me to anything. This is my choice.”
Boyd glanced up from his breakfast prep to confirm that she was watching him sternly, arms crossed over her chest. Daisy was wearing black slacks and a white blouse again. He’d appreciated the professional clothing the morning before, but now it felt out of place. Her multi-colored hair was pulled back in a simple ponytail.
“Understood.” Boyd sighed.
He couldn’t claim to respect free will if he tried to repress it. If she was making an informed decision, he had no right to question it. “I will continue to make you aware of dangers as we face them so you can continue to make informed decisions. If you change your mind, I’ll help find you an out. For example, were you aware that the person who may try to capture me had the Power to control Omega Ray?”
“Yes,” Daisy confirmed. “As well as the fact that she is very unlikely to hurt a woman in your sphere of influence to avoid pissing you off. Apparently, I count.”
“Okay,” Boyd accepted this with a nod and went back to preparing his breakfast casseroles.
He liked to pre-fry the potatoes a little before baking the casserole. It was the best way he’d found to get them to pick up some flavor. There was nothing worse than bland potatoes in an otherwise flavorful dish.
He thought of that instead of the woman who was obsessed with him. Based on Mindy’s warning, he would avoid finding things out about her for now. Supposedly learning too much about her could make her aware of you.
“Good. Now, why are you doing my job?” Daisy pressed.
“I will likely cook from time to time. Turns out I started liking cooking for Silvie, and preparing food for Raev is even more fun. I can’t wait to see how she responded to a couple of these,” Boyd admitted. “I also wanted to free up a little of your time so we could go over a few things. If you would like to prepare some sides and drinks while I finish up here, that would be great. These will go in the oven in a few minutes.”
“Oh, well… okay then, I guess they weren’t lying.” Daisy seemed taken aback. “What kinds of sides?”
“We won’t need much to go with these, it’s supposed to be a single dish breakfast, after all,” Boyd rumbled in response. “Some fruit might be nice, though. Put out some bagels or bread for toast. Juice and coffee for the drinks.”
“Okay,” Daisy responded and fluttered away, leaving Boyd to his work.
He ended up making seven breakfast casseroles in total. There were two extra heavy on the meat for him and Raev, then four assorted with options that should please various tastes. The seventh he’d made with egg whites and veggies for those without improved metabolisms or the will to put extra time into working off a heavy meal.
“This isn’t because dinner wasn’t very good, is it?” Daisy asked after a few minutes.
Boyd glanced over to find her washing some berries.
“That wasn’t my best effort, but I’ve never worked in a kitchen like this.”
“Dinner was good.” Boyd replied.
It hadn’t been the best, but it was edible and had flavor, with no crunchy or mushy noodles. Boyd hadn’t tried the chicken, but Raev ate it readily enough. He didn’t remember anyone complimenting it, though. Oops.
“No it wasn’t,” the small woman sighed.
Her wings were keeping her aloft in front of the sink. They didn’t flap nearly rapidly enough to allow the steady hover she maintained, but that wasn’t uncommon for Powereds. Boyd couldn’t hover like that—but if only physics were at play, he was far too heavy for wings the size of his to lift or keep himself aloft. Add on his ability to carry several tons in flight, and physics went right out the window.
“At least not compared to what you would have made,” she said. “That’s obvious now.”
“What do you mean?” Boyd asked, returning to sauteing mushrooms and spinach to make sure they picked up the flavor from the seasoning he was using for the health-conscious option. It would be silly to over season that one by boosting the sodium content, so he had to do other things to boost the dish’s flavor.
“You’re over there mincing fresh garlic and slicing mushrooms.” Daisy sighed. “The sauce was from a jar, and I used a spice mix for the chicken. That’s how I learned to cook. I’ll admit right now that I was wrong about my cooking being better than yours. So, if you are trying to get rid of me because you don’t think I’m good at it, just say so. My contract gives me time to improve, and I will.”
Chapter 38
Boyd glanced Daisy’s way to find her watching him with defiance in her iridescent eyes. The kitchen area was large, and she was a ways away from him, but her eyes were large and rather expressive.
“I am sorry no one complimented your cooking last night,” Boyd began, addressing the real root of the problem. It had been impolite, even if the food hadn’t been fantastic. “It was good. But it was also a taxing day and I personally overlooked expressing that to you. I’m sure that was the case for the others, as well.”
Daisy’s lips dropped into a slight frown, “That’s not…”
Boyd held up a hand to forestall her. “That said, I know you aren’t fishing for compliments right now. If you want to get better at cooking, do so. As one of the people who will be eating your cooking, I encourage it. Dinner last night was good, but it could have been better. Using fresh ingredients does go a long way. I’ll show you the tutorial database I used when I was learning to cook with the other stuff I want to show you in a minute.”
“Oh. Okay. Thanks,” Daisy responded before going back to washing and slicing some fruit.
Boyd finished up with the casseroles and got them in the oven. Daisy was still working on a couple things when he finished up, so he tidied up his station and set up one of the view screens in the kitchen to walk her through a few things.
