Lottery King 8, page 23
“Are you sure, your majesty?” Rune asked.
“Maybe we should consider stopping any communication via that servant.” Gemma frowned.
I paused for a moment to consider.
“Is there a way to intercept the messages?” I asked. “Find out if he knows more about this threat to the goddess? Then send the messages along so they think they still have the upper hand until we’re already moving into the fight?”
“Yes, I can arrange that, your majesty,” Rune said. “I can also arrange two teams, one for each of the representatives.”
“Good,” I said. “Once they’re in custody, I want them brought to me wherever we are stationed.”
“Yes, your majesty.” Rune nodded.
“What about me, your majesty?” Vallia finally joined the discussion.
“I want you to come with me,” I said, and I felt like that had been obvious. “We might need to rely on your power, is that okay?”
“Yes, of course,” Vallia said easily. “I can’t do very much with it, and it would be an honor to lend it to you, your majesty.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Vallia and I shared a glance that spoke more than words could have. There was a bit of teasing in her golden irises, and I let my eyes flirt back with her. I definitely wanted access to her power if I needed it, but I also wanted her knowledge of the stars nearby in case we came across new information.
There was no way to know what we would find in the two camps until we got there. We might come across a new and important piece to the bigger puzzle, and I wanted Vallia’s knowledge base close at hand if that happened.
Plus, I couldn’t deny that I just wanted to spend time with her. It would be nice for Gemma, Helena, and Nyxx to get to know her a bit more, too. And that would also give Vallia a chance to start to integrate with my family in small portions instead of suddenly being surrounded by all six of my other lovers at once.
“Although…” Vallia’s eyes suddenly looked worried.
“What?” I asked in a gentle tone. “What is it?”
“I don’t have…” Vallia glanced down at her dress for a second before she shook her head. “Nevermind, it’s not important.”
“Cove,” I said without taking my eyes off Vallia. “Have someone, maybe Nymerial, help Vallia with a full wardrobe. We can’t have her marching through the jungle barefoot or underdressed.”
I caught affectionate glances from my four wives and two fiancées, and Vallia looked up at me with amazement on her face.
“Make sure she has all the clothing she might need for any occasion,” I continued. “Clothes and footwear appropriate for hiking through the jungle, day-to-day casual wear, pajamas, and formal gowns, too. Get everything she might need, or anything she likes.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Rune said with a little smirk. “I will have Nymerial work on that immediately.”
“Thank you,” I said, and then I carried on with the plans before anyone could argue with me.
Not that anyone looked like they wanted to argue with me except Vallia, but she seemed to accept my generous gift.
We finalized every detail any of us could think of over the next few hours. Gerald had lunch delivered out to the shed for us, and by the time we concluded, it was nearly dinnertime.
But everything was as sorted and planned as possible. We would leave tomorrow as soon as we got word that the last troops were approaching the city. Nyxx and Gemma had agreed that I should be the last commander to arrive and that no troops would move into the final position until I was present.
It was a precarious balance of a lot of moving pieces, and we had to make sure everything went according to plan. We’d worked the travel time into our plan, and everything was carefully arranged like cogs in a precise timepiece.
“Is that everything?” Helena asked, and she glanced around between Gemma, Nyxx, Rune, Cove, and me.
“Yes, it should be,” Gemma said.
“We’ve covered every detail,” Nyxx confirmed.
“We should spend the rest of tonight trying not to worry about tomorrow,” Poppy suggested.
“I make no promises,” I sighed with a wry smile.
“Maybe we can distract you, then,” Ivis murmured.
“You’re encouraged to try,” I laughed.
“I suppose I have some shopping to do?” Vallia asked in an uncertain tone.
“Yes,” I said. “Prioritize clothing for this trip, I want you to make sure you have what you need for this, but I was serious. Order whatever else you like.”
“Your majesty,” Vallia mumbled. “I really don’t need–”
“I insist,” I said. “And if Nymerial tells me you’re not getting whatever you want and need, I’ll put Poppy in charge of outfitting an entire wardrobe for you.”
“Oh, and she’ll get you way more than that!” Ivis giggled.
“You bet your ass I will,” Poppy laughed mischievously.
“You’re really better off making your own picks,” Nyxx chuckled.
“Okay.” Vallia smiled, and she looked almost as if she was starting to feel like a part of our group.
“Good.” I grinned, and I reached out to squeeze her hand affectionately.
I longed to kiss her, but she looked a little nervous as I leaned an inch closer. I suspected she wasn’t sure about her place still. She’d been much more confident in the information she added to our work, but the relationship between us was clearly still a place of uncertainty.
I decided not to push her, and I gave her a warm smile instead.
“Cove,” I said. “Would you take Vallia to find Nymerial, please? Then accompany them on their shopping trip? And bring a security team with you.”
“Of course, your majesty,” Cove said. “I wouldn’t dream of going out without one.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“If you’ll follow me, Miss Vallia?” Cove said in a friendly tone.
“Okay,” Vallia murmured, and she followed Cove out of the shed.
“I have plenty to attend to in here, your majesty,” Rune said. “Is there anything else I can help with before I begin?”
“Make sure Firo is up to date on everything when he comes back from the teachers’ mansion.”
“Of course, your majesty,” Rune said. “I believe he will be back shortly.”
“Great, thanks,” I said, and then I smiled at my six ladies. “Okay, drag me away and force me to relax already.”
“Finally!” Poppy laughed. “Come on, let’s get some dinner, and then I think a full-body massage is in order.”
“Okay.” I smiled. “But you’ll have to take turns. I only have two hands.”
“Not us!” Helena laughed. “You.”
“Together we have twelve hands to pamper you with,” Dinah giggled.
“Oooh,” I chuckled with realization. “I guess that sounds pretty damn good.”
“Good.” Gemma grinned. “Let’s go inside.”
“I’ll keep you posted if anything arises, your majesty,” Rune said as we walked toward the door.
“Thanks,” I called back over my shoulder.
My ladies pulled me from the shed, across the yard, and into the house. Then Helena and Nyxx guided me to lounge out on the couch while the others went toward the kitchen.
“Drinks and food coming up!” Ivis called over her shoulder.
The four of them disappeared into Gerald’s kitchen, and Nyxx pulled my shoes off while Helena stepped behind me to start massaging my shoulders.
Poppy, Dinah, Ivis, and Gemma returned a few moments later. Poppy had smoothies and two glasses of whiskey on trays, and Dinah held a tray with assorted nuts and dried fruit. Gemma sat on the floor at my feet and started to massage the foot Nyxx hadn’t already scooped into her lap, and Ivis walked over to set up the entertainment system.
“A friend of mine told me about a new show we should watch,” Ivis said as she switched the system over to one of our many streaming services. “She said it’s really funny.”
“Whatever my ladies want,” I said, and I sighed deeply as Helena found a tight knot in my shoulder.
Soon, six pairs of hands were on my body working to relieve the tension in every muscle. Poppy, Helena, Dinah, Ivis, Nyxx, and Gemma even worked the ache and stress from muscles I didn’t even know I had. Nyxx found a weird and so satisfying point of tension under each of my arms, and Dinah located some kind of insanely good pressure point in the heels of both of my feet.
It all felt so incredible and mixed together with the two glasses of whiskey, I relaxed deeper than I would have thought possible. Especially considering I was flying out to command an army in a brutal war the next day.
We watched whatever show Ivis’ friend had recommended, but I couldn’t have recalled anything from it by the end of the night. I started to drift into a state of such deep relaxation that it bordered on hypnotized sleep.
After the fourth or fifth episode, my ladies agreed we should go to bed, and someone turned off the television and sound system. I wandered upstairs under their guidance like a zombie, and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Thankfully, I had a deep and restful sleep, and when I awoke the next morning, I felt as ready as possible for what lay ahead.
My ladies and I gathered in the kitchen as we ate our breakfast quietly, and I tried to subdue the feelings of impatience as I waited for the time I would finally get to be useful. It was a difficult wait as everyone around me worked on the issues, and all I could do was keep myself from going crazy until it was time to leave for Brazil.
Finally, about two hours before lunch, Rune came into the room with a determined look on his face.
“Your majesty,” he said. “It’s time.”
Chapter 14
Suddenly everything was moving in fast forward. Nyxx, Gemma, Helena, and I made hasty goodbyes to Poppy, Dinah, and Ivis. Then Rune and Firo hurried all of us, including Vallia, and another team of shadow nymphs, through the mirror portal to the airport.
We loaded onto the jet in a matter of two minutes, and Gemma smiled welcomingly at Vallia.
“Come sit with us,” my mermaid fiancée said.
“I don’t…” Vallia shook her head nervously and looked at me for guidance.
I gave her an encouraging smile, and I nodded.
“I’d like that,” I said softly.
“Um…” Vallia chewed on her bottom lip. “Okay.”
I walked with my four beauties to the front area of the jet’s cabin, and Vallia took a deep breath. Helena, Nyxx, and Gemma sat down in the plush seats, and my Grecian wife motioned for Vallia to come to sit with her. The flight attendant hurried through the cabin to alert us we would be taking off before he moved at a speed walk to his own seat and buckled in.
We were in the air faster than I ever knew was possible, and once we were at cruising altitude, Rune came up to check on us.
“We should arrive in Brazil at around two in the afternoon,” Rune said.
“Thank you, Rune,” I said. “Keep me posted on any updates while we’re in the air.”
“Of course.” Rune nodded and headed back to sit with Ena, Kage, Firo, and the other shadow nymphs.
I sighed heavily as the excitement of action continued to buzz in my veins. My brain had dumped a fair amount of adrenaline into my system in the rush of getting into the air, and now I was stuck sitting and waiting again.
This couldn’t be good for my long-term brain health.
Gemma had insisted Vallia sit up front with us, and now my four women sat silently as they all seemed to wait for someone to speak first.
“I think it’s fascinating how much traveling you’ve done, Vallia,” Gemma spoke first in an easy tone.
“I suppose the memories have come in useful finally.” Vallia shrugged her shoulders nervously.
I wondered if Vallia knew that my other women were aware of the sexual developments in our relationship. She potentially felt really uncomfortable if she thought it was supposed to be a secret, and I tried to come up with a sly way to let her know everyone here knew everything they needed to.
But as the ladies conversed, Vallia relaxed, and I decided it wasn’t necessary for me to say it out loud.
“It must be so difficult to have your past be just a jumble of memories out of order,” Helena said with empathy.
“I can’t imagine how frustrating that is,” Nyxx agreed.
“It’s troubling,” Vallia sighed, and she snuck me an affectionate glance. “His majesty assured me we can continue to look into my past even after my memories lose their utility within the realm of this mission.”
“You can call me Michael in private,” I said easily.
“Oh,” Vallia breathed, and her cheeks blushed.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Gemma laughed lightly.
“Mmmm,” Nyxx hummed in agreement.
“What is?” Vallia asked.
“Being given permission to forego royal protocol,” Helena answered. “It’s so familiar… getting to call him ‘Michael.’”
I chuckled as the four women shared a laugh of connected experience. My body sank into my seat as I enjoyed the easy conversation between Helena, Gemma, Nyxx, and Vallia.
The blonde woman wasn’t as quick to chatter as my other lovers, but they brought her into the conversation naturally. I learned more about Vallia on the flight than I’d expected.
She loved pineapple juice and walnuts. That one surprised me. And she always dreamed of visiting Ireland in hopes that it would spark memories inside the locked chamber of her mind.
“When was the last time you were in Ireland?” Helena asked.
“I don’t know,” Vallia sighed. “Everyone has always said my accent is Irish, so I must have been born there and spent at least part of my childhood there…”
Vallia’s golden eyes became sad, and I remembered what she’d told me about not having memories from childhood. It was like she just assumed there had to have been a childhood in her past, and I started to wonder.
I quickly shook my head and dismissed the idea of her being born in her adult form. I’d seen plenty of crazy shit in the world since becoming king, but that was too insane even for the Eternal Realm. She had to have been a child at some point, even if it was a hundred thousand years ago.
We changed into more appropriate clothes during the flight, and I found I liked how many pockets my cargo pants had. The boots were pretty comfortable, and I knew they would be great if I had to do a bunch of hiking through the jungle. My ladies changed into similarly rough clothing and boots for what lay ahead, and they helped one another braid their hair back and out of the way.
Rune and Firo walked up to our section of the cabin a short time later, and they both had serious expressions on their faces.
“We’re getting close,” I assumed.
“Yes, your majesty,” Rune said. “We will be landing in about ten minutes.”
“I need to brief you again on the plan,” Firo said in a firm tone. “We are flying into what is essentially an active warzone, and I need all of you to follow my directions without question or hesitation.”
Nyxx rolled her sapphire eyes, and Gemma gave the dragon-man a small smirk. But they both listened closely. Helena nodded with respect, and Vallia’s eyes went wide with sudden realization about what we were heading into.
“Go ahead.” I nodded my permission.
“We will arrive at the private airstrip in Curitiba,” Firo explained. “It’s a city south of São Paulo. You will not deplane the jet. We have a mirror on board that will bring you all directly into our secured camp.”
Nyxx nodded like she thought that was a brilliant choice, and I nodded my understanding.
Vallia looked a little like she wanted to melt into a puddle on the floor and get soaked up into a tree so she never had to do any of this. Silently, Helena reached beside her and took the blonde woman’s hand in hers.
The small gesture helped Vallia relax, and it brought a wave of warmth and appreciation through my heart.
“Once we are inside the camp,” Firo continued, “you will all be about as safe as possible while near the city. Remain inside the camp’s perimeter unless instructed otherwise by myself, Nyxx, Ena, or Kage.”
“Oh, good, I get some say,” Nyxx joked.
Firo gave the sassy shadow nymph a smirk before he concluded his little speech.
“We will meet with the first teams that set up the camp,” Firo said. “They arrived and secured the location this morning, so it will probably be a bit chaotic still.”
“Security measures were first priority, I assume?” Gemma asked.
“Yes, Commander.” Firo nodded.
At that point, the captain’s voice announced we would be landing and for all of us to take our seats.
“I will see you when we land, your majesty,” Firo said, and he gave my shoulder a light pat before he went back to his seat.
I felt the shift as the plane began to descend, and I peered out the window for my first real look at Brazil. Beautiful, green, mountainous forests covered the majority of the landscape in every direction I could see from my window. The ground was full of tropical plant life, and I thought I saw a huge expanse of water near the coast. The word “estuary” popped up in the back of my mind from some middle school geography class. It was beautiful.
The plane descended and landed quickly, much like takeoff had been, and then a rush of movement and action followed. We were ushered to the back area of the cabin where two shadow nymphs held up a mirror that looked just big enough for Helena to get her wings through. Firo would no doubt have to bend over to get his seven-foot frame through to the other side.
“Follow behind after a count of ten,” Ena said, and she disappeared through the mirror a second later.
Kage muttered the count of ten under his breath before he followed her through, and then after another twenty seconds, Firo nodded.
“His majesty first,” Firo said. “Followed by Queen Helena, Miss Vallia, Commander Gemma, and then Nyxx, you will precede me.”
“I will come last,” Rune said.
