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  “I take it there are no further details?” I asked Henry who ignored me.

  I deserved that for cutting him off.

  “Bidding starts at five gold,” Henry said loudly to the gathered crowd. My lone competitor scoffed, throwing his hands up. “It’s for life…”

  I blanched, quickly closing my mouth. I thought five gold coins was nothing. Four was about two grand on Earth. Meaning her life of servitude was worth less than a beater car. Yikes, Lornia was brutal.

  “Five gold,” the man in the front said with a big grin as if he knew I wouldn’t have the balls to outbid him.

  “Six,” I instantly replied.

  “Fuck you, son of a whore!” the man shouted, literally kicking a dog. The animal slammed into the side of the stage. The mutt whimpered away in pain with a limp.

  Joseph’s notes were emphatic about confronting commoners. Never get involved in problems that the serfs create. Always be a noble. Never get emotional.

  I welled with anger. A primal scream erupted from my lips. “Grovel at my feet and I’ll forgive you,” I demanded.

  Calm Trevor, this is the magic. You’re feeling its anger. This is not…

  He scoffed, grabbing his crotch. “I’ll do what the hell I want, pathetic idiot.”

  Burning him alive sets my dominance of this shitty hovel they call a town. They’re eyeing me. Doubting me. And he’s laughing at me now!

  “Is that a challenge?” I asked, my hand on my sword hilt.

  He laughed. “I accept your challenge.”

  He sealed his fate. I can do this.

  He unclipped a huge wood axe off his hip.

  When the man charged, I almost froze. The snarl, the sharp blade, and those eyes meant I was about to die if I did nothing.

  With grim determination I leveled my empty palm at him. My body coursed with an inferno of magic.

  There was no warning of my intent. My body surged with power until flames blasted from my hand in a massive torrent, wrapping over his body.

  There was a brief scream as his run faltered into a halt. The magic poured from the gems to the spell, increasing the powerful heat.

  He was not just burned, he was consumed. When I cut off my spell, a brisk wind burst him into a scattering of ash.

  There were screams of terror, most of the others in the area held up their hands fearfully. Death was likely common here, death by immolation, probably not.

  Two women from the side group vomited. I casually strode over to ash pile where his corpse would have been, finding his coins glowing with heat. After kicking the pile, I uncovered what remained of his weapons. There was wailing in the background that I ignored.

  “Five gold was it?” I asked and the prisoner smirked while Henry gulped.

  “Anyone else want to bid more than five gold?” Henry said with a crack in his voice.

  Torgrin came running over to my side in dismay with a map under his arm. Nice, exactly what I needed.

  “Going once, going twice, sold for five gold. Pay the handler and accept the binding,” Henry said, dragging the next servants up.

  Just like that - life resumed. The duel was over. Bidding was going on in the background that I ignored.

  “Ah, thanks, Torgrin,” I said in a pleasant tone. The glow of heat faded, allowing me to scoop the coins off the muck. I blew the mixed ash that used to be a man off the gold and silver. “Who had that sword again?”

  “George, Master Trevor. Ya… Ya… never said you’re a master mage,” he said, all but shaking with fright.

  Hmm. I turned him into flecks of carbon to float into the wind. This power was surreal!

  I inspected the gem in the staff, seeing it was half drained. During my spell I pulled from both stones equally. Definitely consumed too much. When I tried to find the dead man’s rejuvenation aura, it was missing. Maybe I consumed it in flame or it recharged while I was in a magical rage.

  “We’re good with his death?” I asked Torgrin in an icy tone.

  Deep down, I was feeling nothing. There was a void in my emotional pit of a heart. I wasn’t sure if I made a mistake flying off the handle with my anger. One thing was certain. I proved I was not some weak man.

  “His widows are supposed to get half of his—”

  I dumped the entirety of the man’s worth into Torgrin’s hands. “If you cheat them of one coin, I’ll know.” He nodded quickly, fearful of my warning.

  I yanked the map from his arm before he could scurry off. I slotted it under my own, turning to the man with the cat ears. A friend of the deceased picked through what was left, grabbing the axe head that survived while the handle had disintegrated.

  This morbid fascination was not like me.

  Or was it? I bit my fingernail in frustration.

  I’d killed a man.

  While I’d run about a million scenarios in my mind of Lornia, none involved a duel to the death over a bidding war. I spun down the rabbit hole of doubt.

  Was a Lornian man the same as a human from Earth? Was the magic controlling me? Or was the power unlocking a darker side. Was I even good anymore?

  The feelings were crashing over me when a nearby throat-clear yanked me out of my thoughts.

  “We need to bind,” the well-built woman said in a soft tone.

  “So direct, no drink first?” I said in a dry tone, my eyes reverting to the spot of the dead man.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  I glared at her. “Why’d you care?”

  She folded her arms at me, holding back a retort. The human with cat features stepped forward, walking around my new servant.

  “Her document says the terms. She is to serve you for life, in exchange you must provide shelter and food,” the handler said, handing me the document.

  His palm came out for the gold.

  I retrieved the coins, exchanging the full fee. The catman quickly tossed the coins into a locked box.

  At this point, I had a million questions regarding this contract they termed a binding. Saying I wasn’t from Lornia seemed unwise, so I just went with it.

  There was a thumbprint box. A blood soaked print meant… I removed my short sword from its casing, nicking my arm. My right thumb went to the growing bubble of blood.

  I stuck my thumb into the contract box, waiting for something magical to happen. The catman handed me the contract, then removed the collar from the servant’s neck. I check the document. Name - Susanna Brickenshire. Next of kin - None.

  “Susanna?” I asked. She nodded. “I need to see George, then we’ll take you to see my sister.”

  Torgrin came running back to me. “You still owe me two silver,” he reminded me.

  I handed the man his silver before asking, “His widows?”

  “Uh… young and able to have more children. They will find new husbands since they have all that gold,” Torgrin said with an uncaring shrug.

  I wanted to ask if they could start a business, or if they wanted help, but held back. I shouldn’t antagonize the ladies or draw more attention to myself. Hopefully, people would give me a wide berth now.

  “Are they going to try to stab me in the back?” I asked.

  “Uh… no. Not likely. They’ll head to Clruss where they have family. Both women were young, chasing fortunes with their husband. So, wait, you’re trying to find George?” he asked to change the subject, likely wanting to be rid of me.

  “Lead the way,” I said, with Susanna following close to me.

  I undid my sword belt, giving a relieved sigh when I was free of its tightness.

  “Here,” I said, handing the weapon to Susanna.

  Her face scrunched when she drew the weapon from its sheath.

  “What is this made of?” she asked, and I shrugged. “It’s not the right temper. It’s,” she said testing the flex, “almost like—”

  Snap!

  She stood there in shock, guiltily holding two halves of a busted weapon. I growled with frustration. That sword was thirty thousand dollars.
The strongest that could be made apparently. It also was apparently a giant rip-off.

  “Damnit, Susanna,” I scolded her. “Why did you do that?”

  “Uh… I’m strong. Not strong enough to break a sword like a stick,” Susanna said in dismay.

  I scoffed. “Apparently, you are. That cost more than you did.”

  “Really?” she retorted.

  “Yup.”

  “You need a better blacksmith,” she said with a laugh that Torgrin joined in on.

  I sighed. “What are your skills?”

  “Many.”

  I was going to spin on her, demanding full answers but we arrived at a candle maker. There were, surprise, lots of candles and honey.

  “George this is Master Mage Trevor, don’t give him an attitude or he’ll burn ya to ash,” Torgrin said, leaving us.

  Hell yes! That was the best introduction a man could ask for.

  “This idiot broke my sword. Didn’t even say sorry,” I said, thumbing at Susanna.

  She grumbled, “Wasn’t my fault you bought a toy.”

  “It was a real sword.”

  “Was not.”

  “Was too.”

  Her sweet, upturned, pert nose went into the air. “It broke like a toy.”

  I groaned in frustration. She was sexy, and yet, pushing all the wrong buttons. “You got a replacement I can buy that might be from an elf?”

  “Uh yeah, certainly,” George said.

  He retrieved a sword with no sheath. It had a handle that was made of real ivory. The material had either started as a huge tusk, being swirled down with precision crafting, or it came from a naturally curved shape.

  There were patterns of carvings drawn in the handle. I found the intricate engraved trees to be exquisite. The sword certainly was interesting and exactly what I’d need to get out of debt.

  “How much for the sword, a crate of honey, and a crate of candles?” I asked.

  George pretended to suddenly be extremely interested in the weapon. “The sword is worth at least ten gold. I could -”

  “Four or he burns ya, and I say ya challenged him,” Susanna said, forcing the man to gulp. Yes, another win. Haggling was the worst and Ms. Noshirt seemed to love it. “You get to sell two boxes of watered-down honey, and candles made by your blind daughter.”

  I was going to tell her to shut the hell up when George countered back with four gold five silver. We left with a deal somewhere in the middle. Apparently, servants could negotiate for their lord or lady. Actually, that made sense when I thought about it.

  Susanna carried the crates toward Riverten’s exit while I studied the patterns in the sword. I really loved this blade. It just felt right in my hands.

  “That’s a nice blade. Won’t snap in twain,” Susanna grunted.

  “Two, but I do like the unique vocabulary choice,” I replied.

  The pace was casual, allowing us to leave the thin wooden walls of the town. The smell of feces was burned into my nose, and I felt like I needed seven baths from just going into that shit hole. Of all the places to setup a base in this land, why did the magical gods deposit me so far into the wilds?

  Susanna stopped and I didn’t notice due to my thoughts. She was at least a hundred feet behind me when she asked, “Where we going?”

  “To another planet,” I said casually. “Let’s go.”

  She loved hearing this, jogging to catch up.

  “Warlocks are so sexy,” she said with a smirk from ear to ear.

  “Mage, Susanna. I’m a Mage,” I said as if correcting a child.

  It does feel good to be looked at like that again.

  “Does the Master want pleasure in the woods?” Susanna asked, catching the way I looked at her. She gave me a sexy wink.

  I shook my head. “We just need to get out of sight of town. Then you can get to meet my sister and get some of that sour smell off you.”

  “Then a pleasuring?” Susanna asked.

  Who called it that? But those eyes. They… loved the power I held. I saw she feared me as much as she lusted for me. Lornia was going to be one wild ride if I was assertive and dominant.

  I rolled my eyes, not letting her see my smile. We were walking further into the wood in a random direction. “How did you end up in those chains?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” she muttered.

  “Tell me,” I commanded, and she fidgeted. “Telling me will make me happy.”

  “Um.” She let out a long exhale.

  “Take your time if you need to,” I said letting her get comfortable.

  She nodded. “I’m from Brickenshire. A newer town that used to be called Bricken Fort. During the ratkin wars of Marrin’s reign the city boomed in population. After the war, the northern city died off. My grandfather built his first house there. My family, with aunts and uncles, cousins, and siblings lived in a nearby commune.

  “Dryads swept in, invading south in a daring raid. I grew up as an eldest with any older brothers and am trained in the sword. I slew with abandon trying to turn the tide against an overwhelming foe. A big chief dryad called off the others to single combat challenge me. Most of these scars are from him,” Susanna said, grabbing a hand to have me run my fingers over her wounds.

  My heart paced, a pain from my bottom lip had me halting my bite and grabbing control of my lust.

  “And then what?” I asked in a dominant tone.

  “We fought. What felt like hours, was likely only minutes. I figured we killed each other because I bled until I passed out with dozens of wounds. When I awoke my family was gone, our commune devoid of all value, and only I remained.”

  “I’m sorry,” I blurted, and she frowned.

  “Most warlocks -”

  “Mage!”

  “Fine, mage. Thank you, I think. Weeks of healing meant I was in debt. I signed on to guard a Brikenshire baron. The city is big enough for a dozen barons, three viscounts, and a count. I was told to let the Baron’s son finish in my ass,” Susanna said, her voice oozing venom.

  What!? Lornia was so weird.

  “I don’t get it, I thought women were super easy to get in Lornia?” I said with a grunt.

  “Yes. This was an initiation. To prove the lad was my dominant and rightful master. The father was teaching his son a lesson,” Susanna said, and I winced. “All his guards and servants had to do this. Even the males.”

  Shaking my head in dismay I asked, “Is this common in Lornia? Men courting servants?”

  “Men having sex with each other: yes. No one cares whom you love besides the full fey. But with servants, not so much. It was all about the power to dominate. You’re really taking me to another land, aren’t you?” she asked curiously. “And your wife. I’ll share you, but not into females.”

  “No wife. So, you don’t like women sexually?” I asked.

  “There were a few orgies where women were present, but no, it's not for me. The nearness of a naked woman is nice to look at but I prefer big men like yourself. Especially the kind that save me from living in squalor while working twelve hour days,” Susanna said, and I was starting to understand.

  Just a thought of an orgy of naked flesh sent tingles through me.

  I gotta quit watching group sex on pornhub. This sexy woman was just saying she did what my guilty side only fantasized about. Then again… Focus, Trevor.

  Controlling my thoughts I said, “Back to the baron. They only want guards they can completely control. You already signed before they impressed their will…” I let the sentence hang. “Did you have a husband?”

  “I was scheduled to get married a few times. But I’m... big and intimidating. Plus I’m poor. Potential husbands would visit the farm and we never came to terms. Then I found Barton, and we were eager to become man and wife.

  “After the dryad raid, I was deemed not worth the investment until I could prove I could take care of the baron’s son. Barton grew tired of waiting and was arranged to marry the Baron’s daughter,” she sa
id sadly.

  “You’re family. Do you want to get them back?” I asked.

  She tilted his head back in confusion. “Revenge on the Baron or my family from the dryads?”

  “Both?” I asked. “Both works.”

  “Pleasuring first?” she asked with that damn charming smile until you saw the caked-on stains on her teeth. Then there was shit in her hair.

  I let out a long exhale with a shrug. “Makeover first. You’re mine now. You’ve been slipping, Susanna. It’s pleasuring first, Master,” I instructed her, jabbing a finger into her shoulder.

  “Yes, Master,” she said with a bow. Even her back muscles were lean and fit. Yummy. “One problem, Master. What’s a makeover?”

  “Let me pick you up, Susanna,” I said, positioning myself so I could carry her like a lady.

  She fit perfectly into my bulging arms. Could I have just touched her arm or held her hand for the magic to work? Yup. Like hell I was telling her that.

  Magic swirled through my core from the gems, filling my body with energy. I thought of the gateway with happy thoughts. All those happy thoughts of a cleaned up Susanna.

  CHAPTER 11

  Earth - Trevor’s Estate

  March 17th 2023

  “Let me set you down,” I said when we arrived on Earth.

  My feet crunched into a foot of snow. Chilly winds caused goosebumps to ripple over my skin. A light dusting was descending and I inhaled in the glorious scent of cedar trees. I held a finger up to Susanna before we headed for my home.

  “You’re not on Lornia,” I sternly warned her.

  She scoffed, rubbing her filthy body to keep the chill at bay. “Clearly.”

  “If you do not do exactly as I say, bad things can and will happen. There is magic here. Others will call it technology. Nod if you understand.”

  I could see she wanted to speak but held back, merely nodding.

  “Tell me of this map,” I said, unrolling the parchment to see a replica of the map I found in the book earlier.

  “Crimm is the capital. The vast majority of the Lornian Realm lives along the Goddess River. That strip of cities is held by the twelve dukes that form a council. There are a few dukes outside that area but not many. The current king is King Partel and he is in his first year of rule,” Susanna said, and I smiled.