Rory saved them from the dangers of smoke inhalation by putting out the flames and pushing most of the greasy black smoke out of the intersection. Maggie informed them that the stench of burning would likely attract more denizens of the Underneath, but they’d be long gone by then.

With inordinately angry and unreasonably disgusting fungus monsters behind them, they headed into the access tunnel and watched as Maggie operated the simple locking mechanism and rolled the giant door to the side.

“It’s weird how when you look at the hole for the release from basically any angle you’d be looking for it from, it’s invisible. It’s like some Indiana-Jones-slash-Labyrinth kinda shit,” Layla commented as they walked past the huge rolling door.

“What are you talking about?” Rory asked.

“C’mere,” the succubus dragged him back through the doorway, to stand in front of where the door would be if it were closed. “See, look where the release for the lock is. You can’t see the hole at all. There’s no way you’d find it without spending an hour standing here touching every inch of the tunnel. It doesn’t help at all that this… I dunno, vestibule, or whatever this widened area in front of the door is called… is almost all unworked, hacked-up stone, instead of the smooth surface of the tunnel. Just like the leap of faith in ‘The Last Crusade’ or the optical illusion wall at the beginning of ‘Labyrinth’,” she explained.

The salesman was actually paying attention now, instead of focusing his senses on listening for roaming monsters. He looked over at the area where he’d seen Maggie reach into the stone and pull something back to release the locking pins.

“Wait, where’s… oh, I see what you’re saying. You’re right. I can’t see where she…” he started, then trailed off.

He walked to the spot he was sure she was standing when she opened the door, then felt around on the stone for nearly a minute.

“Hell. Maggie, where’s the recess for the lock? I’m standing right here,” he raised an eyebrow.

“Right there, boyo,” she grinned, and stuck her hand into the rock face about two feet from where he’d been searching, then withdrew it and wiggled her fingers.

Rory felt in exactly the same spot she had just touched and marveled as his hand seems to disappear into the rock. He knelt down, still with his hand on the release, and looked straight on into the hole.

“I can see it from this angle. Why can’t I see it standing up?” he wondered.

“S’an old dwarven trick. Yeh leave the area rough-worked, an’ chip it just right so’s the catch blends in wit’ the rest,” she smiled.

“Wait, are you telling me this isn’t magic?” Layla’s mouth fell open in a little ‘o’.

“Nae. Just craftsmanship,” the dwarf grinned again.

“Damn,” Rory whistled.

“Now, if’n yer done admirin’ me stone-work, we got places ta be,” the old dwarf shooed them out of the vestibule and began rolling the door back into place.

The Chosen watched as she went about reengaging the locking pins with a half-dozen metal-on-stone CLUNKS.

With that done, they hurried on to the next intersection, which was mercifully clear. Maggie informed them the next rest area was just before the third intersection, and they’d be able to stop for lunch there. With that in mind, even Layla double-timed it, and they made respectable progress by Jack’s standards, though as always Erin wanted to continue on to the third rest stop before eating.

“Hon, let the rearguard have lunch,” Jack stuck out his tongue at her.

“Oh, please. We were making thirty to fifty miles a day over hard wilderness on the way to Moryven. They’re not tired, just spoiled,” she scowled.

Layla leaned against the rest stop wall, slowly trailing down the worked stone until she fell in a heap among her dress.

“So… tired… can’t… go on. Need… biscuits…” she looked up at the dreadnought. “Or kisses.”

Erin held her scowl for exactly nine seconds, until she broke and a giggle sputtered from between her clenched jaws.

“Biscuits do sound good,” she grinned.

“I was really hoping you’d pick door number two, but honey-puffs will work as a distant second,” Layla mock-pouted.

“Speaking of kisses, how’s your tank?” Jack asked the succubus.

“Give or take, three days. Why? You volunteering?” she winked at him.

“Nope. Just wanna make sure you stay in fighting trim. The difference between your firepower now and back on the trail is obvious,” he winked back.

“Fair,” she smiled, then pulled herself up and walked over to where Rory stood next to Maggie, chatting about dwarven masonry techniques.

The succubus molded herself to the salesman’s body, pressing her gentle curves against his lean frame. Maggie’s eyes widened as Layla invaded Rory’s personal space.

“Excuse me, tall, dark, and handsome,” she purred.

Rory’s head swiveled down to look at her, his brow furrowed, but his lips pressed together to hide his smile.

“Yes, muppet?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I’d sure like for you to dip those dextrous fingers into a certain hole. It would make me… so happy,” she smiled up at him.

“Wha’s happenin’?” Maggie’s eyes were wide.

“The tart wants lunch, and she’s asking for it in the most Layla way possible,” he opened his Arcane Storage and dipped his fingers into the relevant ‘hole’.

A box of baked goods came out of the glowing aperture.

“Oh Rory, you know just how I like it,” Layla snatched the box and bounced away.

“Ah… ah dinnae understand wha’ just happened,” Maggie’s gobsmacked expression made Rory chuckle.

The salesman retrieved four lunches from his storage and passed one to Maggie first, then the other two Jack, then he sat down on a stone bench next to Maggie. He watched the girls laugh and trade bits from their plates, then turned back to the dwarf.

“Layla and her family were in a car accident when she was a teenager,” he started, then paused. “Hmm, cars are-”

“Ah know wha’ a ‘car’ is, boyo,” she smiled gently.

“Okay. Well, her dad, her mum, and her little sister all died, and Layla was… maimed. Before we came here, she had trouble doing strenuous tasks, and some days she had trouble walking,” he explained.

“Cause yeh dinnae have healers in yer world, yeah?” Maggie asked.

“Not magical ones, no. We have to heal the slow way,” he smiled bitterly.

“So, the Nightfather gave ‘er a new body when she came here, and she’s enjoyin’ every minute o’ it, is what yer sayin’?” Maggie looked over at the succubus.

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying,” Rory followed her gaze.

Layla snatched a piece off Erin’s plate, then made an indignant face when the dreadnought stole her biscuit and bit half the pastry off. She looked over at the salesman and the dwarf, realizing they were watching her.

The succubus’ expression blended into a complicated mix of emotions, but finally, she smiled at Rory and winked. The salesman winked back at her, and Layla’s expression smoothed into one of genuine happiness.

“D’yeh think when the new wears off, she’ll change at all?” Maggie asked him.

“I doubt it. Right now, she’s like a kid with a new toy on Christmas morning, but I’ve known her for a few years, and she’s more herself, happier, than she’s been in that time. Other than the extra impulsiveness, I think this is who Layla really is. She might settle down a bit with the hot and horny routine, but she’s always known what she wanted and gone after it like a bulldog,” he replied, smiling gently.

The succubus stole another glance at them, smiling softly in return at Rory’s gentle expression. This time, Erin saw her look and turned to follow her gaze.

However, when she got to Rory’s face, the salesman’s countenance had changed like a magic trick, and instead of the tender smile he had given the succubus, his tongue lolled to the side, his lips were yanked back in a rictus over his teeth, his eyes were wide open and crossed, the left eye rolling back and forth independently of the right, and his eyebrows were squinched up in the middle of his face.

It was an anatomically absurd expression.

Rory’s crossed eyes couldn’t see Layla’s shock at the sudden change, or Erin’s incredulous reaction to the facial contortion, but he could hear the succubus’ reaction when she turned and saw the dreadnought’s astonished face. She snorted. Loudly.

Jack’s head swiveled around. Erin turned to look at Layla, who was now biting her lip in an effort to recover control of her mouth. Rory let his face return to normal, so fast that both Jack and Maggie missed the bizarre expression entirely.

“What the fuck is even happening right now?!” Erin glanced repeatedly between the salesman and the succubus.

Slowly, Layla and Rory turned to look at each other, and when their eyes met, it was finally too much. They both began to giggle, first under their breath, trying to hold in the laughter, then failing at all semblance of self-control.

They laughed until Rory got a stitch and Layla fell off her seat.

“I swear to god, I will SEPARATE you two!” the dreadnought growled.

“I don’t think it would help,” Jack kissed her on the cheek, only somewhat mollifying her befuddled anger.

The succubus reached up from where she lay on the floor and stole the last bite of biscuit from Erin’s unattended plate.

“Not a chance,” she breathed out between giggles.

====================

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