“Lou.”

My wife’s voice calls out to me from the doorway of my rarely used study where I have been sitting for the past several hours. It can’t be helped. This mystery group of summoners is driving me crazy.

While I was confident in my conclusions earlier, after some time to think, I realized that I was making serious leaps in logic based on what I know. I’m assuming that this group is going to summon a drakkon just because I see drakkon on a list but there are a hundred things they can summon if they want to destroy this kingdom. A thousand things, many of them bringing far more benefits than a drakkon would. A thousand things to anticipate and plan for.

Or, perhaps all of my guesses are correct. Maybe my uncle is in the capital right now colluding with a bunch of amateurs who think summoning dangerous elementals is a good way to throw a tantrum. Is my father involved? I know that this can only end in blood. I would hope that his convictions about the art would be enough for him to disobey my uncle but if it isn’t, am I willing to let my father’s blood be spilled to save the Tome name, my name? And what does it say about me if I am?

“Enough.” Kierra’s hands grab my shoulders as she leans over me, eyes flicking over the dozens of pages. “Ignoring me and my dinner for your little writings. You’ve certainly grown bold.”

“These are not little writings,” I grumble. “I am trying to think of the worse elementals a group could summon if they wanted to disrupt the kingdom. As in, anything a touch subtler than a drakkon but just as effective at getting their point across.” If my uncle is involved, I have to hope that he would be a moderating influence but it’s just as much as a problem if he is since the records gathered by my family over the years are quite extensive.

“Of course, I could be completely wrong and they could be aiming for maximum damage. Summoners built the kingdom once before, whose to say they can’t do it again?” And wouldn’t it tickle my uncle to rule a kingdom of summoners? Not even I could say that doesn’t sound tempting. “In that case, they may summon three drakkons and kill the contractors once the devastation has been wrought.”

In which case, we’re all royally screwed.

“None of which you can solve from here. We have already written instructions for the succubi. They will investigate. Worrying will help nothing.”

I can’t help thinking she’s too naïve. Or perhaps too eager for a challenge. While I’m dreading world-ending threats, she’s probably anticipating them.

My mind whirs with visions of behemoths that can crush mountains with a single step and deadly shadows that can slip through the slightest cracks in walls. I see cloud-like beings who permanently darken the sky, raining spores that cause mass delirium. I see rats, simple rats, with the intelligence of men. Or butterflies who spread plague and disease with each beat of their wings—

“Iyaahh!” An undignified yelp escapes my throat as I’m lifted into the air. My wife decisively walks out of the study, kicking the door shut behind her. I try to squirm out of her grip but it’s too difficult to exert my full strength while being carried like a bag of potatoes. “Let me down!”

“I refuse~” she says with an annoying amount of amusement. “Sitting in the dark brooding about what may happen is pointless. You have other things to focus on.”

“You keep saying that but it’s not true. If I can anticipate what they’re going to do—”

“You are not anticipating what they will do. You are trying to undermine your best guess.”

I wince. “I’m not undermining the drakkon theory. I just realized there were several more likely scenarios. Having a plan for those scenarios in place would significantly reduce the fallout.”

“Tell me, how long will it take you to create these plans? Will you spend now until this supposed catastrophe ignoring me and your health to save a few more irrelevant people? No. If they die, they die. It is your king’s duty to see they are protected, not yours. Your duty is to me tonight.”

My jaw gapes and she takes advantage of my lapse in struggling to speed up. I hardly notice the jolts as she carries me up the steps. Saints, I knew my wife could be cold but that was…something else. How many people could say that with a straight face and without the tiniest hitch in their voice?

The harsh words are enough to shock me out of my thoughts. She’s right. I could make a hundred plans based on the most likely elementals they could use and I could still be completely wrong. Saints, it might not even involve summoning. Summoners aren’t exempt to other means of hurting people. Illegal use of alchemy can achieve the same results. Or maybe they’ll resort to banditry.

I’ve decided not to rush to the capital to distance myself from whatever this is. No matter what, I won’t be there fast enough to stop what they’re planning. There will be casualties. Stressing about saving a couple people when the whole city might be gone by time I get news is a touch ridiculous. Especially since I’m less concerned about the people themselves as I am what their deaths will do for summoning’s reputation.

Flying through the air brings me back to the moment as I land on our bed. Kierra stares at me with hooded eyes. “Don’t worry. I will make sure none of those pesky thoughts can bother you anymore.”

I gulp, ready for her to pounce on me in her usual style. She surprises me by turning around. I sit up but before I can call out to her, she opens the door and I’m distracted by Geneva entering the room, followed by Bell. My little imp dashes across the room and leaps onto the bed, throwing herself at me. I catch her and flop down onto the bed, nuzzling against her.

“Hello, my little saint.”

“Coo~”

“No greeting for me, my summoner?” Geneva says cutely. She pauses at the end of the bed, tail slowly whipping through the air.

“Heh.” If I’m being honest, I forget to greet her because she’s always next to me. We have very few meetings.

Bell wiggles out of my arms as the bed dips. My wife crawls toward me, eyes predatory. “I like when you’re stubborn,” she whispers. “It gives me an excuse to get creative.”

“As if you need the excuse,” I counter, unconsciously licking my lips. I reach out to her but she bats my hand away. Kneeling, she pulls her dress over her head and tosses it aside. My eyes move to her chest, barely contained in by the cloth used to bind it. She meets my gaze as she reaches behind her to undo it. I don’t see where she tosses it as my attention is solely focused on the twin mountains looming over me.

In a trance, I sit up, reaching for her. I frown as she grabs my wrists. She pushes my arms toward the bed as I push to reach her. She’s winning but my will is divided. The further she pushes me down, the more she leans over me, getting me closer to my goal.

In the end, she pins me, but I spring my trap. Taking advantage of her lapse in attention, I turn us around, quickly reversing our positions. I enjoy the victory for about two seconds before her foot kicks me off. Frantic scrambling manages to keep me on the bed and I stare at her with a dropped jaw. “Kii!”

“What’s the matter, dedia?” I swallow my complaints as she slides her panties down her long legs. It’s a little hard with a dry mouth. “Have I been making it so easy for you lately that you’ve forgotten how to hunt for your dinner?” She makes beckoning motions with her hands. “Surely you didn’t think your…assets would cowl me forever.”

“Would that be so bad?” I mutter. I didn’t intend to be heard but with those long ears, it’s inevitable.

She chuckles. Then she moves, faster than I’ve ever seen her move before.