[Infinity's End] Edge of Tomorrow - Ch 07
Jun. 29th, 2010 12:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
n_wilkinsonTitle: The Edge of Tomorrow
Series: Infinity's End, Book One
Summary: Ione makes a difficult decision when her allies call for her imprisonment, forcing her to flee for her life. In the hands of the Theravada, she meets Gale Arlen, rumored leader of the rebels, and learns what it truly means to choose a side.
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22)
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Chapter Seven
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Time passed, as it was wont to do, whether Ione was ready for it to continue or not. Late summer started the fade into early fall, turning half the forest into a dizzying array of oranges and golds, reds and yellows. Ione couldn't appreciate a view that had always captivated her, not when it was risky to so much as leave Antoinette's home, much less enter the forest.
She missed her freedom. Her family. Her life. Ione wondered what they were all doing at the moment. If her mother and Souya even knew what had happened to her. If they thought her dead and buried somewhere by the nobles. If her brothers were even then out searching for her. If her friends even knew the truth of why she’d left or if they’d been force-fed lies. If Malcolm was back from his patrol yet and if he and Theron had demanded an explanation for her absence.
It was all just too much. Too much fear. Too much worry. Too much hiding. Of being forced to conceal herself.
She felt cooped up in the space of Antoinette’s house. Ione was more used to wandering the streets or spending her time in the solitude of the forest. Her mana was a restless presence inside of her, occasionally fighting at the rails of her control. It was not used to this complacency, and Ione longed to be doing something rather than just sitting around and waiting for the answers to come to her.
Logically, she knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life hiding out in Roublesville, mooching off Antoinette's kindness. She supposed if it came down to it she could leave Grayshire’s reach completely. Could abandon the forest, cross the mountains, and see what was beyond. Venture to the other side where no one ever went. Or if they did, they didn't return. That was certainly an option, truthfully her only one. Unless she considered joining the rebels.
Hmph. The very idea of that was laughable. Not only had she actively worked against them in the past, but Ione had also captured a fair few. Or been associated with those who had. That was hardly a ringing endorsement. It didn’t help either that she couldn’t realistically see herself fighting her former unit. Taking on Vaughn or Faye. Or battling her friends. Going up against Ryder or Raine or even Malcolm.
That last one especially.
Sighing, Ione pushed herself to her feet and wandered to the back of the house. It was silent since Antoinette was out at the local market, trading her neighbors for whatever goods she didn’t make herself. Ione’s steps carried her to the back garden, the fence high and the fruit trees thick enough to serve as an adequate concealment. It was pleasantly warm but not overly hot, the sweet smell of fruiting trees thick in the air. Ione inhaled deeply and let the cloying fragrance wash over her.
Fenris was missing, had wandered into the forest at some point, but Ione wasn't worried about him. The wolf could take care of himself. He was a spirit after all. Though his absence left her feeling a mite lonely. The moments where he wasn't directly at her side were very rare, and she felt his absence keenly.
Bored, Ione flopped down on a bed of grass dividing two flowerbeds – one holding a plot of squash and the other tomatoes – and stared up at the blue sky. It was fully visible here in the village where the tree cover was slimmer than the outright forest.
A butterfly floated across her vision, gold and black markings quickly identifying its sort. Another rare monarch, the second she had seen this week alone. Antoinette either had a whole slew of them, or she kept seeing the same one flutter about the garden. Either way, Ione watched as it landed on a nearby leaf, just within touching distance. She sat up to admire the intricate design that decorated its wings.
“You're a pretty one, aren't you?” she murmured softly, daring to inch closer. “I've never seen markings like yours before.”
In all honesty, the amount of times she'd seen a monarch butterfly at all before coming to Antoinette’s were few and far between. Much less this nearby. Ione could probably count them on one hand with fingers left over.
The butterfly's wings fluttered as it suddenly took to the air, flitting towards Ione's face. It hovered before her, and Ione received the impression that it was looking straight at her. As if judging her. Weighing her very soul. Confused, Ione lifted a hand on automatic. She watched as the butterfly landed on her index finger, its mass barely tangible.
“What--” she started to ask but then fell silent.
It was like a spark had raced across her skin. A sudden and sharp but not painful jolt. And Ione felt it then, the taste of aether that brushed across her own, carrying the scent of old wisdom. This monarch bore magic of its own. It was no ordinary butterfly.
“Fenris speaks well of you,” a small voice answered, feminine and gentle, airy like a whisper but holding a hint of something stronger behind it. “I wanted to see for myself the human he has chosen.”
Ione nearly felt her jaw drop. And only the fact that she’d met other spirits before kept that from happening.
“You are one of them? A spirit?” she clarified.
There was a soft giggle. Her wings lowered and raised again as Ione felt the butterfly adjust her hold on her fingers.
“Yes, I am. You are called Ione, yes?” She waited to see Ione’s nod. “I saw you in the forest earlier, and it surprised me. I didn't know that humans still believed in the old ways.”
“Not many of us do,” Ione admitted, feeling honored in more ways than she could admit. It wasn’t everyday that random spirits came up to her. Especially not without Fenris nearby.
But that fell away as she considered the monarch’s words. Ione had the vague sense that she’d seen this butterfly before. Not just here at Antoinette’s but somewhere else. Somewhere with magic and… fighting? Was it on a patrol then? While they were battling rebels?
She thought for a moment more. And the memory slowly unraveled. Seeing Grayson. Watching him escape with help from the man in the fox mask. And then, the flutter of orange and black wings.
“So you were the one I saw? The day I fought the rebels?” Ione paused to see if the butterfly would say anything. “Have you been following me?”
“Only a little,” the monarch answered and suddenly took to the air, fluttering around Ione's face.
The human watched, head turning this way and that. Until the monarch took it upon herself to be seated on Ione's right ear. There was the sensation of little insect feet curling up in her hair.
“I am Aponi,” the butterfly introduced, voice more audible now.
Ione considered that and adjusted her position, leaning back on her arms. “I'm sorry. I don’t know that name. My mother taught me all the old ones, but it seemed she missed yours. Unless you’re… newer? Younger?” She wasn’t exactly certain how to word that without offending her new companion.
Aponi, however, chose to ignore it. “I'm more surprised that a human knows of us at all,” she said instead, and her wings fluttered in such a way that they sounded like a wordless whisper to Ione's ears.
Tilting back her head, Ione looked up at the sky. She idly watched a few scattered clouds as they floated lazily by without recognizable pattern.
“Did you speak to me only out of curiosity?” she asked after a moment, content to lie there.
“Something like that,” Aponi answered vaguely. Her aether was a soft, floating embrace as it caressed Ione's own. Somehow perfectly in tune. “I was curious. You’re different than the others. You feel… hm… Unique.”
Ione wasn’t certain what she meant or even what to say to that.
“Thanks?” she ventured. “You’re different, too. I’ve never met anything quite like you. Most of the spirits I’ve met were mammals. Though my brother does have a little lizard.”
Aponi let out a light laugh in her ear. “We come in many forms. But none of them are like me. I’m unique, too.”
Ione turned that over in her head. She was on the verge of questioning Aponi further when the back door suddenly flew open with a loud bang. Ione sat up in a rush, poised to jump to her feet and dive behind one of Antoinette’s nearby rose bushes. But that was only until she heard a voice exclaiming from the house.
“Mama, have you heard?” someone – a very familiar sounding woman – called out. “Ione’s-- Ione!”
There was a blur of soft red and forest green before Ione was abruptly all but flattened. Then, a sudden warm body that clutched her as if she had been gone for years rather than just over two weeks. Aponi took to the air in a matter of seconds simply to avoid being crushed by the attack of affection, and arms encircled Ione, threatening to squeeze the life out of her.
“You're alive!” Ophelia practically bawled, nearly knocking Ione back to the grass with the force of her caring tackle. “You’re alive! You’re here!”
Ione wiggled and desperately sucked in a breath. But then, Ophelia's embrace was threatening to squeeze every bit of air from her.
“I'm… fine,” she gasped. “But… I won't be for much… longer if you suffocate… me!”
“Oops, sorry!”
Ophelia scrambled backwards as Ione gulped for air. She wondered if perhaps her friend had cracked one of her ribs. It sure as hell felt like it as she watched the black spots disappear from her vision.
She’d always secretly thought that Ophelia's attacks of affection coupled with her ample assets were enough to kill lesser men. And women as well. Dangerous weapons, those were. Which made Ione grateful for her own less than considerable bosom. No breast envy for her. She had seen the weight those suckers forced on their owners, and Ione wanted none of it. All that jiggling with running, too. She shuddered at the mere thought.
Once she had recovered enough to speak, Ione turned back to her. “Why are you here?” Ione asked and cautiously pressed fingers against her ribcage to make sure each was whole and uninjured.
“I should be asking you that question!” Ophelia countered, sitting back on her heels. “You vanished out of thin air! No trace of you at all. Your parents are worried sick! Everyone’s worried sick! We all thought the worst. That you’d been kidnapped! That a demon had gotten you in the woods. A stray Merihem. Anything! Everything!”
“Vanished? Like hell!” Ione exclaimed, indignation making her forget about the pain.
Nearby, Aponi settled safely on a leaf, watching the conversation between the two with a keen interest. But she remained silent. As though hoping Ophelia wouldn’t notice her.
“They were planning to arrest me!” Ione continued with a jerk of her hand. “They were probably going to execute me, too.”
“What!” Ophelia all but shrieked, red hair standing on end. “Why?”
“Because of me,” a voice intruded from behind them.
But Ione recognized that deep growl in an instant. Not to mention the thrum of his aether as it curled with her own. She didn't even have to look over her shoulder to see Fenris approach. Every inch of her could feel it where their mana was so closely intertwined.
Ophelia's eyes became wide and large as she stared. And stared. And stared at Fenris some more. As if she had never seen the grey wolf before in her life.
“Fenris... talked. He talked, didn't he?” She scrambled forward, hands clutching onto Ione's shoulders and giving her a good shake. “Please tell me he talked, and I'm not hearing things again.”
Ione tried her best to console and calm her. “Yes, he--” She blinked then. “Again?” she questioned. “What do you mean again?”
Ophelia glanced from Fenris to Ione and back. Her shoulders shook, but Ione couldn’t tell if that was from surprise or something else entirely.
“There’s this lizard in the archives,” the redhead whispered. “And sometimes, I swear that she speaks to me.” Ophelia’s eyes were abnormally wide as she gave an emphatic nod.
Ione had a sudden moment to worry about her friend’s sanity until it occurred to her that Jeredu worked there, in the archives. And that his familiar, Komodo, was a gecko. Apparently, the timid thing could be a talkative one at that. When she put her mind to it, that was.
“He talked,” Ione confirmed, shooting her familiar an annoyed look from the corner of her eyes. “In fact, he's quite the chatty beast now that we've been outed.” She carefully disengaged Ophelia's grip from her arm.
Ophelia blinked, confusion swimming in her waterglass eyes. “Outed?” She cocked her head to the side.
This time, it was Ione's turn to stare. She turned those words over in her head and came to a single conclusion.
“You mean you haven't heard?” she asked as Fenris plopped down right beside her.
“The nobles haven't declared you treasonous yet,” Fenris answered for Ophelia, surprising Ione with his knowledge. Though she supposed that explained his prolonged absence.
“Treason?” Ophelia repeated in confusion, only for understanding to suddenly strike her as she looked between the pair with realization. “You have a familiar! And it’s him!” Her enthusiasm faltered. “Ione, you didn't...?”
Shaking her head, Ione forced herself to her feet. She brushed bits of grass and leaves from her clothing to buy time before turning back to her friend.
“It's not as bad as they’d leave you to believe.” Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. “I've known Fenris for as long as I can remember, Ophelia. He's not a demon. He’s my friend. He’s… family.”
Ophelia stood there stiffly. Trust in Ione warred with all that she had been taught at the Conservatory, which battled what she’d undoubtedly been taught by her mother. It was a hard fight to face, and Ione didn't blame her for her skepticism. If she hadn't been told the truth from the moment she was capable of understanding, Ione would believe the worst of Fenris and Aponi as well.
Aponi!
Ione suddenly remembered the butterfly's existence. She hurriedly glanced around, hoping that Aponi hadn't vanished in the excitement. But no, there she was, calmly relaxing on the leaf of an orange pansy. Nearly blending into it if not for the black markings.
Beside her, Ophelia didn’t seem to notice her distraction.
“I believe you,” the redhead accepted slowly, her troubled gaze unable to meet Ione's own. “Besides, my mother trusts you. She remembers the old stories, still tells others about them. And otherwise, she wouldn't let you stay here. That's good enough for me.”
Her shoulders were squared with resolve. Ione had a vague moment to realize how much she resembled Hayden when he had warned her. How much the pair of them was alike under it all. Not that she’d thought them dissimilar before. This was just a new dimension to the couple. New and unexpected but decidedly good.
Ione smiled then and heaved a sigh of relief. She reached out to pat Ophelia, even as she held out her other hand to give Aponi permission to rest on her finger. The butterfly needed no coaxing, taking to the air and choosing Ione's ear instead. It seemed to be a preferred perch for her. Ione thought it strange that Aponi would be so used to a human's presence. Perhaps she’d been bonded to one before.
“Thanks to Hayden, I managed to flee before they caught me,” Ione informed Ophelia then, wondering why he hadn't explained as much to her yet. Or maybe Hayden was simply keeping Ione's secret, even from his lover. “He warned me, you know. Told me that they were coming for me. Didn’t even care that he’d been in danger, too.”
“You have great friends,” Aponi murmured in her ear, a strange inflection in her tone. As if she were... wistful perhaps? “That they would risk so much for you is very admirable.”
Ione's lips curled into a light smile. “That I do,” she agreed. “They’re the best.”
Ophelia was staring at her again. Or to be more honest, staring at the butterfly who adorned Ione's ear like some sort of hair barrette.
“And now the butterfly is talking,” she said in a small voice. “Do all the animals talk around you, Ione?” She peered around as though searching for more.
“Just these two.” Ione shook her head with a chuckle.
Though she supposed it were possible for more to speak to her if they wished. Ione could remember talking to a beautiful white fox several winters back, but the vixen had only been visiting, curious about the human Fenris deigned to form a bond with. Ione had mentioned her pretty eyes, and Fenris had been in a snit for days after that, thinking she'd complimented the fox over him. A rather cute reaction.
“This beautiful one is Aponi,” Ione introduced, albeit belatedly. “I only met her today.”
Ophelia, looking torn between bowing and curtsying politely, settled for tilting her head. “Pleasure to meet you, Lady Aponi.”
Aponi giggled and shifted on Ione's ear. “What an interesting human,” she commented with a dance of insect feet. “I like her, Ione. Can we keep her?”
“Should I take that as a… compliment?” Ophelia asked with one arched brow.
Ione inclined her head. “Coming from them, it's pretty much an honor. They’re normally pretty careful around humans. Especially ones they don’t know.”
She felt her face twitch with suspicion that Aponi couldn’t see from her perch. But Ophelia just clapped her hands together with delight. Now that the initial shock was wearing off, she was downright giddy. Fascinated by something she’d never experienced before. Something quite unlike anything else. Meeting a spirit was always special. And something told Ione, that Aponi was better still.
“Are they all so pretty as this?” the redhead asked then, all but gushing as she peered closer. Gaze flicking from the butterfly to Fenris and back.
“Oh, yes. I really like this one. We must keep her, Ione. Forever and ever.” Aponi nearly preened herself right off Ione’s ear.
Ione didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, they are,” she told Ophelia with complete honesty, forgetting herself for a moment. “But not many are quite this lovely. She’s interesting, too. I’ve never met another butterfly spirit. I hope she sticks around. I’d like it if she did.”
Aponi unexpectedly stilled on her ear. And she was silent for a long moment. So long that Ione thought she’d misspoken. Then, she did the strangest thing. Aponi gave almost a shiver. A veritable full body shake that ended as soon as it began. And Ione only felt the warm tingle of her aether afterwards. Soft and gentle. Soothing.
“I think that I’ll keep you instead.” Her wing brushed Ione’s face, and she rubbed against her hair. “Definitely a keeper.”
Ione had a second to wonder at that. To feel that something important had just happened. But she didn’t have time to ask as she heard a suddenly noise from the house. The sound of Antoinette returning and puttering about the kitchen. Then, Ophelia snatched her hand and was dragging her back towards the door.
And all thoughts of anything but good friends and dinner that was soon to follow left her head completely.
* * *
Aside from Antoinette’s delightful company and cooking, there was also another advantage to living with her. Running water. One wouldn’t expect to find such a thing in this podunk village when some of Ione’s neighbors at home didn’t have it. But it was there and fully functional and seemingly not all that unusual. Apparently, they lived rather well outside Meropis and Moriarty. Larger houses. More room. Friendly neighbors. And indoor plumbing.
Which all meant that Ione still got her daily bath without fear of being seen in a common bathhouse. Better yet, it meant that she didn’t have to share. That Ione could enjoy it all alone and without interruption. Especially this night.
Antoinette had gone to visit her ill cousin and to help tend his equally sick family. Ophelia, who’d had been given a vacation by her master and was staying the week, went with her. Hoping to catch up with her variety of relations. That just left Ione and her growing menagerie. But last she’d looked, Fenris was fast asleep on her bed. And Aponi had fluttered off into the garden for a lingering meal among the summer flowers.
Ione was left to her own devices. To see to her own needs. And she had one need in particular.
She hadn’t seen Malcolm in over a fortnight. Not since the day before her fateful flight from Meropis. And really, once a woman had had a taste, once she’d realized that certain part of herself. There was just no going back.
Ione lingered in the bath long after she finished washing, refreshing the warmth of the water with her aether. She was comfortable and content, not worried about anything in particular, and could take her time with both Ophelia and Antoinette otherwise occupied.
Her mind was pleasantly empty, but she soon filled it with thoughts of Malcolm. His hard muscles and the way his arms were always tight around her middle. His hands, big and strong and calloused in all the right places. Squeezing and kneading at her flesh. The feel of him as he slid inside. Hot and hard and oh so delicious.
Ione shifted in the water and allowed herself to sink lower. Letting her head fall back and neck rest on the rim. She closed her eyes with a smile as her right hand slowly caressed down her chest and trailed over her sternum.
Malcolm was wonderful; that much was certain. But like it always did in these times, her mind strayed. It flowed over to Ryder. Just as strong as Malcolm but taller, longer in the leg and torso. And from what she’d glimpsed during some of their breaks on patrol, other parts of him were longer, too. Not as thick. But then, she’d never seen him in his full glory. Never felt him stiff and dripping from the tip, ready to ease inside of her. Never felt his hips rise up to meet hers with each thrust.
Her hand circled her breast once before ghosting down to her stomach. It wasn’t quite as flat as it’d been when she was training all the time but with the barest hint of curve now. Not unpleasant, just different underneath her fingertips.
Her mind wandered again. To Vaughn and his hair that always fell in his face, so dark that she couldn’t decide if it was black or brown. His eyes that were too old for the rest of him. His almost stoic manner, more sedate than the others. And she wondered what it would take for him to heat up. To come completely undone. What she’d need to do to make him scream her name.
Her hand went lower still, tracing over the line of hair from her belly to her groin. It was scratchy beneath her fingers, but that only made her breath quicken. And it went a bit faster when she caressed over the edge and went to the line where hair ended. She outlined it with her fingertip, back and forth and around. The water of the bath made the movements easier as she slowly went deeper.
Then, there was Irvine. Boyish face and perverted gaze that lingered on Vivian’s bustline. But his hands always seemed steady, and his bronzed skin was impossibly inviting. Just begging her to run her tongue over the curve of his rounded cheeks and down his throat. She wondered at his experience. If she could’ve had the chance to teach him how to really please a woman. How to make them plead and shriek out their pleasure.
Ione circled herself with a smirk and shut her eyes.
So many men. So many options. Ione rather liked them all. At least in the safety of her own head. Where she could think of them in peace, where she could lust after their so pleasing bodies and not have to worry about their less than savory personalities.
But why settle for one? Why do that when she could have the lot of them in the privacy of her fantasies? When she could do whatever she wanted without thought to consequences or broken hearts?
Ione bit her lip then and stroked in the opposite direction. Harder and then slower. Faster. Lighter. Trying to find the right speed to suit her mood. The perfect counterpoint that would lift her to the edge and beyond.
She eased her fingers back over her folds, using the wetness there along with the water to ease the slight bit of friction. She circled the outer edge and dared to slip inside before moving back out again. Rubbing a long and lengthy stroke from front to back and then to her starting point. She felt heat gradually spark and coil in her belly, and it jumped as she gave herself the tiniest little pinch. Just a subtle dig of her nails that brought the taste of pain to her actions.
And there it was. Exactly what she wanted.
She ghosted her second hand, her left, over her belly and to her already hardened nipples. Ione dug in her fingernails there, too. And she was rewarded by another pleasurable spike that plateaued out at the top. Ione moaned as she rubbed with both hands in sync, dual sensations from above and below. Letting it wash over her. Allowing it to coil gratification inside her core.
Ione stroked just a twinge harder.
“What are you doing?” a small and very intrigued voice asked then from just above her head.
Ione froze. Fingers stilled mid-stroke. Even as her arousal burst like a bubble brushing a stickpin.
“It looks painful,” that same voice added, high and feminine.
Her eyes snapped open. Hovering just above her face was the black and gold form of Aponi. The butterfly seemed concerned, wings flapping more than usual and antenna swaying back and forth.
“Are you alright?” she questioned, pulling a bit higher to look at Ione from head to toe.
The human, for her part, felt suddenly self-conscious and sunk down further into the tub. Not that the clear water hid anything. Not even the red flush, which now had little to do with arousal, that had overtaken her skin.
“Why…” Ione cleared her throat at the pitch. “Why do you ask?”
She felt her mind racing, trying to think of a way out of this mess without mortifying them both. She didn’t know how much time Aponi had spent around humans, but it didn’t look like a lot if she had to ask about this. Most spirits figured it out quickly enough. Especially after they got an eyeful or two.
Aponi wiggled her antenna again. “Well, you moaned. I’ve never heard you make that sound before. If the water’s too hot, you should just get out.”
Ione felt her eyes widen, and she shook her head. Racking her brain once more. But another voice chimed in before she could even think to form an answer.
“She was just playing with herself.”
Ione swiveled her head to Fenris, who was beside the now open doorway. And when the hell had that happened? Hadn’t she locked it with this very scenario in mind?
“Playing with herself?” Aponi repeated. Almost quizzically. She flew over to perch on the edge of the tub. Seemingly unbothered by the steam curling up around her.
“Oh, yes.” Fenris swished his tail with amusement. “Ione does that a lot. More than most humans. She likes to play with others, too,” he informed her with far too much smugness. “But that got boring for me to watch after the first few times. It’s not like with us. Humans are all roughly the same shape and size. It’s so dull and disappointing.”
Ione sat up, sloshing water around. “It is not!” she defended with an emphatic gesture. “There’s lots of variety. Just in activity and not the participants.”
“So you claim,” the wolf countered, and his lips were pulled back into a toothy grin as he walked closer, nails clicking on the tiled floor. “I have my doubts. And besides, it couldn’t have been that entertaining since you kept changing partners. Malcolm was the only one who lasted more than a couple of times. The rest mustn’t have been any good. Or maybe it was just you.”
Ione spluttered and nearly flailed in the water. Aponi and Fenris laughed together. A high and flighty sound mixed with a rumbling bark. Ione stared at them both and then promptly scowled. It was bad enough from Raine and Vivian. Now, she had to add these two in as well?
She glanced from one to the next. Aponi giggling on the side of the tub. Fenris chortling as he sat on his haunches just off to the left. Ione shifted in the water, preparing to get out and leave the two comedians behind. But then, a sudden and wicked thought occurred to her. And she flicked the surface of her bathwater. Her lips split into an all too devious smirk. One that neither of her companions seemed to notice.
With the barest trickle of aether rising, Ione prepared for her attack. And in one smooth motion, she cupped her left hand under the water, while her right summoned power to her fingertips. She didn’t even hesitate as she went for them both, one with each hand. Aponi received a complete drenching, and Fenris didn’t fare much better. They both spluttered at the water that suddenly inundated them.
Ione laughed at their expense as she heaved herself free of the water. They were still staring at her in shock as she drained the tub and used her magic to dry up the water now on the floor. Ione was even nice enough to shoot a bit at each of them to help them along, too.
If anything, that only made them even more surprised. Still gaping at her and her audacity. But they were forest spirits, weren’t they? They were used to the outdoors. It was just a little water.
Ione was still grinning when she wrapped a towel around herself and walked out the door. She made it halfway down the hall before she heard the scramble of paws and the sudden whoosh as Aponi flapped after her. Her smile didn’t even falter when Fenris leapt at her and proceeded to lick her face. Nor when Aponi circled her head like some vengeful bird of prey.
Ione just gave as good as she got. And left it at that.
* * * * *
a/n: Ah, another chapter posted, more pieces of the puzzle revealed. Things should start picking up soon here in the next few chapters.
Series: Infinity's End, Book One
Summary: Ione makes a difficult decision when her allies call for her imprisonment, forcing her to flee for her life. In the hands of the Theravada, she meets Gale Arlen, rumored leader of the rebels, and learns what it truly means to choose a side.
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (19) (20) (21) (22)
Chapter Seven
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Time passed, as it was wont to do, whether Ione was ready for it to continue or not. Late summer started the fade into early fall, turning half the forest into a dizzying array of oranges and golds, reds and yellows. Ione couldn't appreciate a view that had always captivated her, not when it was risky to so much as leave Antoinette's home, much less enter the forest.
She missed her freedom. Her family. Her life. Ione wondered what they were all doing at the moment. If her mother and Souya even knew what had happened to her. If they thought her dead and buried somewhere by the nobles. If her brothers were even then out searching for her. If her friends even knew the truth of why she’d left or if they’d been force-fed lies. If Malcolm was back from his patrol yet and if he and Theron had demanded an explanation for her absence.
It was all just too much. Too much fear. Too much worry. Too much hiding. Of being forced to conceal herself.
She felt cooped up in the space of Antoinette’s house. Ione was more used to wandering the streets or spending her time in the solitude of the forest. Her mana was a restless presence inside of her, occasionally fighting at the rails of her control. It was not used to this complacency, and Ione longed to be doing something rather than just sitting around and waiting for the answers to come to her.
Logically, she knew she couldn't spend the rest of her life hiding out in Roublesville, mooching off Antoinette's kindness. She supposed if it came down to it she could leave Grayshire’s reach completely. Could abandon the forest, cross the mountains, and see what was beyond. Venture to the other side where no one ever went. Or if they did, they didn't return. That was certainly an option, truthfully her only one. Unless she considered joining the rebels.
Hmph. The very idea of that was laughable. Not only had she actively worked against them in the past, but Ione had also captured a fair few. Or been associated with those who had. That was hardly a ringing endorsement. It didn’t help either that she couldn’t realistically see herself fighting her former unit. Taking on Vaughn or Faye. Or battling her friends. Going up against Ryder or Raine or even Malcolm.
That last one especially.
Sighing, Ione pushed herself to her feet and wandered to the back of the house. It was silent since Antoinette was out at the local market, trading her neighbors for whatever goods she didn’t make herself. Ione’s steps carried her to the back garden, the fence high and the fruit trees thick enough to serve as an adequate concealment. It was pleasantly warm but not overly hot, the sweet smell of fruiting trees thick in the air. Ione inhaled deeply and let the cloying fragrance wash over her.
Fenris was missing, had wandered into the forest at some point, but Ione wasn't worried about him. The wolf could take care of himself. He was a spirit after all. Though his absence left her feeling a mite lonely. The moments where he wasn't directly at her side were very rare, and she felt his absence keenly.
Bored, Ione flopped down on a bed of grass dividing two flowerbeds – one holding a plot of squash and the other tomatoes – and stared up at the blue sky. It was fully visible here in the village where the tree cover was slimmer than the outright forest.
A butterfly floated across her vision, gold and black markings quickly identifying its sort. Another rare monarch, the second she had seen this week alone. Antoinette either had a whole slew of them, or she kept seeing the same one flutter about the garden. Either way, Ione watched as it landed on a nearby leaf, just within touching distance. She sat up to admire the intricate design that decorated its wings.
“You're a pretty one, aren't you?” she murmured softly, daring to inch closer. “I've never seen markings like yours before.”
In all honesty, the amount of times she'd seen a monarch butterfly at all before coming to Antoinette’s were few and far between. Much less this nearby. Ione could probably count them on one hand with fingers left over.
The butterfly's wings fluttered as it suddenly took to the air, flitting towards Ione's face. It hovered before her, and Ione received the impression that it was looking straight at her. As if judging her. Weighing her very soul. Confused, Ione lifted a hand on automatic. She watched as the butterfly landed on her index finger, its mass barely tangible.
“What--” she started to ask but then fell silent.
It was like a spark had raced across her skin. A sudden and sharp but not painful jolt. And Ione felt it then, the taste of aether that brushed across her own, carrying the scent of old wisdom. This monarch bore magic of its own. It was no ordinary butterfly.
“Fenris speaks well of you,” a small voice answered, feminine and gentle, airy like a whisper but holding a hint of something stronger behind it. “I wanted to see for myself the human he has chosen.”
Ione nearly felt her jaw drop. And only the fact that she’d met other spirits before kept that from happening.
“You are one of them? A spirit?” she clarified.
There was a soft giggle. Her wings lowered and raised again as Ione felt the butterfly adjust her hold on her fingers.
“Yes, I am. You are called Ione, yes?” She waited to see Ione’s nod. “I saw you in the forest earlier, and it surprised me. I didn't know that humans still believed in the old ways.”
“Not many of us do,” Ione admitted, feeling honored in more ways than she could admit. It wasn’t everyday that random spirits came up to her. Especially not without Fenris nearby.
But that fell away as she considered the monarch’s words. Ione had the vague sense that she’d seen this butterfly before. Not just here at Antoinette’s but somewhere else. Somewhere with magic and… fighting? Was it on a patrol then? While they were battling rebels?
She thought for a moment more. And the memory slowly unraveled. Seeing Grayson. Watching him escape with help from the man in the fox mask. And then, the flutter of orange and black wings.
“So you were the one I saw? The day I fought the rebels?” Ione paused to see if the butterfly would say anything. “Have you been following me?”
“Only a little,” the monarch answered and suddenly took to the air, fluttering around Ione's face.
The human watched, head turning this way and that. Until the monarch took it upon herself to be seated on Ione's right ear. There was the sensation of little insect feet curling up in her hair.
“I am Aponi,” the butterfly introduced, voice more audible now.
Ione considered that and adjusted her position, leaning back on her arms. “I'm sorry. I don’t know that name. My mother taught me all the old ones, but it seemed she missed yours. Unless you’re… newer? Younger?” She wasn’t exactly certain how to word that without offending her new companion.
Aponi, however, chose to ignore it. “I'm more surprised that a human knows of us at all,” she said instead, and her wings fluttered in such a way that they sounded like a wordless whisper to Ione's ears.
Tilting back her head, Ione looked up at the sky. She idly watched a few scattered clouds as they floated lazily by without recognizable pattern.
“Did you speak to me only out of curiosity?” she asked after a moment, content to lie there.
“Something like that,” Aponi answered vaguely. Her aether was a soft, floating embrace as it caressed Ione's own. Somehow perfectly in tune. “I was curious. You’re different than the others. You feel… hm… Unique.”
Ione wasn’t certain what she meant or even what to say to that.
“Thanks?” she ventured. “You’re different, too. I’ve never met anything quite like you. Most of the spirits I’ve met were mammals. Though my brother does have a little lizard.”
Aponi let out a light laugh in her ear. “We come in many forms. But none of them are like me. I’m unique, too.”
Ione turned that over in her head. She was on the verge of questioning Aponi further when the back door suddenly flew open with a loud bang. Ione sat up in a rush, poised to jump to her feet and dive behind one of Antoinette’s nearby rose bushes. But that was only until she heard a voice exclaiming from the house.
“Mama, have you heard?” someone – a very familiar sounding woman – called out. “Ione’s-- Ione!”
There was a blur of soft red and forest green before Ione was abruptly all but flattened. Then, a sudden warm body that clutched her as if she had been gone for years rather than just over two weeks. Aponi took to the air in a matter of seconds simply to avoid being crushed by the attack of affection, and arms encircled Ione, threatening to squeeze the life out of her.
“You're alive!” Ophelia practically bawled, nearly knocking Ione back to the grass with the force of her caring tackle. “You’re alive! You’re here!”
Ione wiggled and desperately sucked in a breath. But then, Ophelia's embrace was threatening to squeeze every bit of air from her.
“I'm… fine,” she gasped. “But… I won't be for much… longer if you suffocate… me!”
“Oops, sorry!”
Ophelia scrambled backwards as Ione gulped for air. She wondered if perhaps her friend had cracked one of her ribs. It sure as hell felt like it as she watched the black spots disappear from her vision.
She’d always secretly thought that Ophelia's attacks of affection coupled with her ample assets were enough to kill lesser men. And women as well. Dangerous weapons, those were. Which made Ione grateful for her own less than considerable bosom. No breast envy for her. She had seen the weight those suckers forced on their owners, and Ione wanted none of it. All that jiggling with running, too. She shuddered at the mere thought.
Once she had recovered enough to speak, Ione turned back to her. “Why are you here?” Ione asked and cautiously pressed fingers against her ribcage to make sure each was whole and uninjured.
“I should be asking you that question!” Ophelia countered, sitting back on her heels. “You vanished out of thin air! No trace of you at all. Your parents are worried sick! Everyone’s worried sick! We all thought the worst. That you’d been kidnapped! That a demon had gotten you in the woods. A stray Merihem. Anything! Everything!”
“Vanished? Like hell!” Ione exclaimed, indignation making her forget about the pain.
Nearby, Aponi settled safely on a leaf, watching the conversation between the two with a keen interest. But she remained silent. As though hoping Ophelia wouldn’t notice her.
“They were planning to arrest me!” Ione continued with a jerk of her hand. “They were probably going to execute me, too.”
“What!” Ophelia all but shrieked, red hair standing on end. “Why?”
“Because of me,” a voice intruded from behind them.
But Ione recognized that deep growl in an instant. Not to mention the thrum of his aether as it curled with her own. She didn't even have to look over her shoulder to see Fenris approach. Every inch of her could feel it where their mana was so closely intertwined.
Ophelia's eyes became wide and large as she stared. And stared. And stared at Fenris some more. As if she had never seen the grey wolf before in her life.
“Fenris... talked. He talked, didn't he?” She scrambled forward, hands clutching onto Ione's shoulders and giving her a good shake. “Please tell me he talked, and I'm not hearing things again.”
Ione tried her best to console and calm her. “Yes, he--” She blinked then. “Again?” she questioned. “What do you mean again?”
Ophelia glanced from Fenris to Ione and back. Her shoulders shook, but Ione couldn’t tell if that was from surprise or something else entirely.
“There’s this lizard in the archives,” the redhead whispered. “And sometimes, I swear that she speaks to me.” Ophelia’s eyes were abnormally wide as she gave an emphatic nod.
Ione had a sudden moment to worry about her friend’s sanity until it occurred to her that Jeredu worked there, in the archives. And that his familiar, Komodo, was a gecko. Apparently, the timid thing could be a talkative one at that. When she put her mind to it, that was.
“He talked,” Ione confirmed, shooting her familiar an annoyed look from the corner of her eyes. “In fact, he's quite the chatty beast now that we've been outed.” She carefully disengaged Ophelia's grip from her arm.
Ophelia blinked, confusion swimming in her waterglass eyes. “Outed?” She cocked her head to the side.
This time, it was Ione's turn to stare. She turned those words over in her head and came to a single conclusion.
“You mean you haven't heard?” she asked as Fenris plopped down right beside her.
“The nobles haven't declared you treasonous yet,” Fenris answered for Ophelia, surprising Ione with his knowledge. Though she supposed that explained his prolonged absence.
“Treason?” Ophelia repeated in confusion, only for understanding to suddenly strike her as she looked between the pair with realization. “You have a familiar! And it’s him!” Her enthusiasm faltered. “Ione, you didn't...?”
Shaking her head, Ione forced herself to her feet. She brushed bits of grass and leaves from her clothing to buy time before turning back to her friend.
“It's not as bad as they’d leave you to believe.” Her voice was uncharacteristically soft. “I've known Fenris for as long as I can remember, Ophelia. He's not a demon. He’s my friend. He’s… family.”
Ophelia stood there stiffly. Trust in Ione warred with all that she had been taught at the Conservatory, which battled what she’d undoubtedly been taught by her mother. It was a hard fight to face, and Ione didn't blame her for her skepticism. If she hadn't been told the truth from the moment she was capable of understanding, Ione would believe the worst of Fenris and Aponi as well.
Aponi!
Ione suddenly remembered the butterfly's existence. She hurriedly glanced around, hoping that Aponi hadn't vanished in the excitement. But no, there she was, calmly relaxing on the leaf of an orange pansy. Nearly blending into it if not for the black markings.
Beside her, Ophelia didn’t seem to notice her distraction.
“I believe you,” the redhead accepted slowly, her troubled gaze unable to meet Ione's own. “Besides, my mother trusts you. She remembers the old stories, still tells others about them. And otherwise, she wouldn't let you stay here. That's good enough for me.”
Her shoulders were squared with resolve. Ione had a vague moment to realize how much she resembled Hayden when he had warned her. How much the pair of them was alike under it all. Not that she’d thought them dissimilar before. This was just a new dimension to the couple. New and unexpected but decidedly good.
Ione smiled then and heaved a sigh of relief. She reached out to pat Ophelia, even as she held out her other hand to give Aponi permission to rest on her finger. The butterfly needed no coaxing, taking to the air and choosing Ione's ear instead. It seemed to be a preferred perch for her. Ione thought it strange that Aponi would be so used to a human's presence. Perhaps she’d been bonded to one before.
“Thanks to Hayden, I managed to flee before they caught me,” Ione informed Ophelia then, wondering why he hadn't explained as much to her yet. Or maybe Hayden was simply keeping Ione's secret, even from his lover. “He warned me, you know. Told me that they were coming for me. Didn’t even care that he’d been in danger, too.”
“You have great friends,” Aponi murmured in her ear, a strange inflection in her tone. As if she were... wistful perhaps? “That they would risk so much for you is very admirable.”
Ione's lips curled into a light smile. “That I do,” she agreed. “They’re the best.”
Ophelia was staring at her again. Or to be more honest, staring at the butterfly who adorned Ione's ear like some sort of hair barrette.
“And now the butterfly is talking,” she said in a small voice. “Do all the animals talk around you, Ione?” She peered around as though searching for more.
“Just these two.” Ione shook her head with a chuckle.
Though she supposed it were possible for more to speak to her if they wished. Ione could remember talking to a beautiful white fox several winters back, but the vixen had only been visiting, curious about the human Fenris deigned to form a bond with. Ione had mentioned her pretty eyes, and Fenris had been in a snit for days after that, thinking she'd complimented the fox over him. A rather cute reaction.
“This beautiful one is Aponi,” Ione introduced, albeit belatedly. “I only met her today.”
Ophelia, looking torn between bowing and curtsying politely, settled for tilting her head. “Pleasure to meet you, Lady Aponi.”
Aponi giggled and shifted on Ione's ear. “What an interesting human,” she commented with a dance of insect feet. “I like her, Ione. Can we keep her?”
“Should I take that as a… compliment?” Ophelia asked with one arched brow.
Ione inclined her head. “Coming from them, it's pretty much an honor. They’re normally pretty careful around humans. Especially ones they don’t know.”
She felt her face twitch with suspicion that Aponi couldn’t see from her perch. But Ophelia just clapped her hands together with delight. Now that the initial shock was wearing off, she was downright giddy. Fascinated by something she’d never experienced before. Something quite unlike anything else. Meeting a spirit was always special. And something told Ione, that Aponi was better still.
“Are they all so pretty as this?” the redhead asked then, all but gushing as she peered closer. Gaze flicking from the butterfly to Fenris and back.
“Oh, yes. I really like this one. We must keep her, Ione. Forever and ever.” Aponi nearly preened herself right off Ione’s ear.
Ione didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, they are,” she told Ophelia with complete honesty, forgetting herself for a moment. “But not many are quite this lovely. She’s interesting, too. I’ve never met another butterfly spirit. I hope she sticks around. I’d like it if she did.”
Aponi unexpectedly stilled on her ear. And she was silent for a long moment. So long that Ione thought she’d misspoken. Then, she did the strangest thing. Aponi gave almost a shiver. A veritable full body shake that ended as soon as it began. And Ione only felt the warm tingle of her aether afterwards. Soft and gentle. Soothing.
“I think that I’ll keep you instead.” Her wing brushed Ione’s face, and she rubbed against her hair. “Definitely a keeper.”
Ione had a second to wonder at that. To feel that something important had just happened. But she didn’t have time to ask as she heard a suddenly noise from the house. The sound of Antoinette returning and puttering about the kitchen. Then, Ophelia snatched her hand and was dragging her back towards the door.
And all thoughts of anything but good friends and dinner that was soon to follow left her head completely.
Aside from Antoinette’s delightful company and cooking, there was also another advantage to living with her. Running water. One wouldn’t expect to find such a thing in this podunk village when some of Ione’s neighbors at home didn’t have it. But it was there and fully functional and seemingly not all that unusual. Apparently, they lived rather well outside Meropis and Moriarty. Larger houses. More room. Friendly neighbors. And indoor plumbing.
Which all meant that Ione still got her daily bath without fear of being seen in a common bathhouse. Better yet, it meant that she didn’t have to share. That Ione could enjoy it all alone and without interruption. Especially this night.
Antoinette had gone to visit her ill cousin and to help tend his equally sick family. Ophelia, who’d had been given a vacation by her master and was staying the week, went with her. Hoping to catch up with her variety of relations. That just left Ione and her growing menagerie. But last she’d looked, Fenris was fast asleep on her bed. And Aponi had fluttered off into the garden for a lingering meal among the summer flowers.
Ione was left to her own devices. To see to her own needs. And she had one need in particular.
She hadn’t seen Malcolm in over a fortnight. Not since the day before her fateful flight from Meropis. And really, once a woman had had a taste, once she’d realized that certain part of herself. There was just no going back.
Ione lingered in the bath long after she finished washing, refreshing the warmth of the water with her aether. She was comfortable and content, not worried about anything in particular, and could take her time with both Ophelia and Antoinette otherwise occupied.
Her mind was pleasantly empty, but she soon filled it with thoughts of Malcolm. His hard muscles and the way his arms were always tight around her middle. His hands, big and strong and calloused in all the right places. Squeezing and kneading at her flesh. The feel of him as he slid inside. Hot and hard and oh so delicious.
Ione shifted in the water and allowed herself to sink lower. Letting her head fall back and neck rest on the rim. She closed her eyes with a smile as her right hand slowly caressed down her chest and trailed over her sternum.
Malcolm was wonderful; that much was certain. But like it always did in these times, her mind strayed. It flowed over to Ryder. Just as strong as Malcolm but taller, longer in the leg and torso. And from what she’d glimpsed during some of their breaks on patrol, other parts of him were longer, too. Not as thick. But then, she’d never seen him in his full glory. Never felt him stiff and dripping from the tip, ready to ease inside of her. Never felt his hips rise up to meet hers with each thrust.
Her hand circled her breast once before ghosting down to her stomach. It wasn’t quite as flat as it’d been when she was training all the time but with the barest hint of curve now. Not unpleasant, just different underneath her fingertips.
Her mind wandered again. To Vaughn and his hair that always fell in his face, so dark that she couldn’t decide if it was black or brown. His eyes that were too old for the rest of him. His almost stoic manner, more sedate than the others. And she wondered what it would take for him to heat up. To come completely undone. What she’d need to do to make him scream her name.
Her hand went lower still, tracing over the line of hair from her belly to her groin. It was scratchy beneath her fingers, but that only made her breath quicken. And it went a bit faster when she caressed over the edge and went to the line where hair ended. She outlined it with her fingertip, back and forth and around. The water of the bath made the movements easier as she slowly went deeper.
Then, there was Irvine. Boyish face and perverted gaze that lingered on Vivian’s bustline. But his hands always seemed steady, and his bronzed skin was impossibly inviting. Just begging her to run her tongue over the curve of his rounded cheeks and down his throat. She wondered at his experience. If she could’ve had the chance to teach him how to really please a woman. How to make them plead and shriek out their pleasure.
Ione circled herself with a smirk and shut her eyes.
So many men. So many options. Ione rather liked them all. At least in the safety of her own head. Where she could think of them in peace, where she could lust after their so pleasing bodies and not have to worry about their less than savory personalities.
But why settle for one? Why do that when she could have the lot of them in the privacy of her fantasies? When she could do whatever she wanted without thought to consequences or broken hearts?
Ione bit her lip then and stroked in the opposite direction. Harder and then slower. Faster. Lighter. Trying to find the right speed to suit her mood. The perfect counterpoint that would lift her to the edge and beyond.
She eased her fingers back over her folds, using the wetness there along with the water to ease the slight bit of friction. She circled the outer edge and dared to slip inside before moving back out again. Rubbing a long and lengthy stroke from front to back and then to her starting point. She felt heat gradually spark and coil in her belly, and it jumped as she gave herself the tiniest little pinch. Just a subtle dig of her nails that brought the taste of pain to her actions.
And there it was. Exactly what she wanted.
She ghosted her second hand, her left, over her belly and to her already hardened nipples. Ione dug in her fingernails there, too. And she was rewarded by another pleasurable spike that plateaued out at the top. Ione moaned as she rubbed with both hands in sync, dual sensations from above and below. Letting it wash over her. Allowing it to coil gratification inside her core.
Ione stroked just a twinge harder.
“What are you doing?” a small and very intrigued voice asked then from just above her head.
Ione froze. Fingers stilled mid-stroke. Even as her arousal burst like a bubble brushing a stickpin.
“It looks painful,” that same voice added, high and feminine.
Her eyes snapped open. Hovering just above her face was the black and gold form of Aponi. The butterfly seemed concerned, wings flapping more than usual and antenna swaying back and forth.
“Are you alright?” she questioned, pulling a bit higher to look at Ione from head to toe.
The human, for her part, felt suddenly self-conscious and sunk down further into the tub. Not that the clear water hid anything. Not even the red flush, which now had little to do with arousal, that had overtaken her skin.
“Why…” Ione cleared her throat at the pitch. “Why do you ask?”
She felt her mind racing, trying to think of a way out of this mess without mortifying them both. She didn’t know how much time Aponi had spent around humans, but it didn’t look like a lot if she had to ask about this. Most spirits figured it out quickly enough. Especially after they got an eyeful or two.
Aponi wiggled her antenna again. “Well, you moaned. I’ve never heard you make that sound before. If the water’s too hot, you should just get out.”
Ione felt her eyes widen, and she shook her head. Racking her brain once more. But another voice chimed in before she could even think to form an answer.
“She was just playing with herself.”
Ione swiveled her head to Fenris, who was beside the now open doorway. And when the hell had that happened? Hadn’t she locked it with this very scenario in mind?
“Playing with herself?” Aponi repeated. Almost quizzically. She flew over to perch on the edge of the tub. Seemingly unbothered by the steam curling up around her.
“Oh, yes.” Fenris swished his tail with amusement. “Ione does that a lot. More than most humans. She likes to play with others, too,” he informed her with far too much smugness. “But that got boring for me to watch after the first few times. It’s not like with us. Humans are all roughly the same shape and size. It’s so dull and disappointing.”
Ione sat up, sloshing water around. “It is not!” she defended with an emphatic gesture. “There’s lots of variety. Just in activity and not the participants.”
“So you claim,” the wolf countered, and his lips were pulled back into a toothy grin as he walked closer, nails clicking on the tiled floor. “I have my doubts. And besides, it couldn’t have been that entertaining since you kept changing partners. Malcolm was the only one who lasted more than a couple of times. The rest mustn’t have been any good. Or maybe it was just you.”
Ione spluttered and nearly flailed in the water. Aponi and Fenris laughed together. A high and flighty sound mixed with a rumbling bark. Ione stared at them both and then promptly scowled. It was bad enough from Raine and Vivian. Now, she had to add these two in as well?
She glanced from one to the next. Aponi giggling on the side of the tub. Fenris chortling as he sat on his haunches just off to the left. Ione shifted in the water, preparing to get out and leave the two comedians behind. But then, a sudden and wicked thought occurred to her. And she flicked the surface of her bathwater. Her lips split into an all too devious smirk. One that neither of her companions seemed to notice.
With the barest trickle of aether rising, Ione prepared for her attack. And in one smooth motion, she cupped her left hand under the water, while her right summoned power to her fingertips. She didn’t even hesitate as she went for them both, one with each hand. Aponi received a complete drenching, and Fenris didn’t fare much better. They both spluttered at the water that suddenly inundated them.
Ione laughed at their expense as she heaved herself free of the water. They were still staring at her in shock as she drained the tub and used her magic to dry up the water now on the floor. Ione was even nice enough to shoot a bit at each of them to help them along, too.
If anything, that only made them even more surprised. Still gaping at her and her audacity. But they were forest spirits, weren’t they? They were used to the outdoors. It was just a little water.
Ione was still grinning when she wrapped a towel around herself and walked out the door. She made it halfway down the hall before she heard the scramble of paws and the sudden whoosh as Aponi flapped after her. Her smile didn’t even falter when Fenris leapt at her and proceeded to lick her face. Nor when Aponi circled her head like some vengeful bird of prey.
Ione just gave as good as she got. And left it at that.
a/n: Ah, another chapter posted, more pieces of the puzzle revealed. Things should start picking up soon here in the next few chapters.
