The next day, Jade sat at the table in her room as an illusion of Anateri Baltoris, the sapphire dragonite from the orientation simulation, instructed her. Jade threw yet another small toy at the face of the offending illusion as it spoke. The ball was wide barely hitting her ear. She threw a wooden block and cheered it went through Anateri’s eye. The arcane construct ignored the assault. Lilithana had installed an illusion projector in her room for lessons. It wasn’t strong enough to make the illusion solid.

By the end of her morning lessons the floor was covered in toys. Despite her target practice on Anateri, Jade did all of her assigned work. She intended to keep up her studies. She was going to show Purple-Bug and that stupid golem she could do it.

Jade finished the last of her math problems to find that that cleaning golem had not arrived. She hit a button on the intercom next to the table. “The cleaning golem is broke again.”

“The golems are working properly.” Cinder’s voice came back. “You are now responsible for picking up after yourself.”

“What?”

“We had golems cleaning for you because you needed to learn more important things, like language and not clawing up everything in your room.”

“The golems clean.” Jade snapped.

“Not any more. You will not get lunch until you have cleaned your quarters.”

Jade groaned and hurled insults but there was no response. Her stomach grumbled. She went across the hall and knocked softly.

***

Zagreus heard a knock and felt Jade’s presence outside. “Hey Kitten.” He said as the door opened.

Jade entered.

Lilithana was sitting up in his bed. She was in her alive mode. Her body healed faster like that. She had been awake for a few minutes and had not spoken other than to request some water. She was stable but her skin looked a sickly yellow. She hadn’t looked at him since she woke up. Lilithana said weakly to Jade, “How is your hand?”

Jade smiled and wiggled her fingers. “I did it all by myself.”

“Good. You will make a great mecromancer one day.”

“Thank you.” She said and bowed, like she had been taught. Jade looked around the room like she was searching for something. He sensed she was annoyed and nervous.

“What ya need Kitten?” Zaggy said.

“I’m hungry.”

“It’s almost lunch time.”

“But Bug-Girl won’t give me food.”

“Why?” He said.

“Because she is mean.” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“Tell me why.”

“She says I have to clean my room first.”

“Then clean your room. It’s not that big.”

“But the golem’s clean.”

“Taking care of your living space is a good habit to get into. It is part of growing up.”

She scowled at him. “I don’t want to clean my room. I don’t want to grow up. I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to be a Mecromancer.”

He kneeled activated a ball of silence around the two of them. He sternly said. “I will have to leave one day and you will become a mecromancer. That is the price we pay for being here.”

Her face scrunched up in a scowl.

“Don’t be so upset. We have it far better than most people out there.”

“I know.” She pouted.

“There are times you will need to challenge them but you can’t fight them on everything. They will break you. I don’t want that to happen to you. You have to be smart about your battles.” He felt like an ass telling this to a child but she was a survivor and she understood better than most adults.

“I know.” She nodded.

“Can you please clean your room?”

“Will I get real food today? Lili is up now. Will you ask her for me?”

He leaned in and whispered. “I can do better than that. I got you a surprise for lunch.

Her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. She bounced on her toes. “What is it? What is it? What is it?!”

“It’s a surprise. If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.”

“Pleeease.” She begged.

“Clean your room while I help Lilithana get a shower, then you will get your surprise.” He deactivated the ball of silence and Jade ran back into her room. The door shut behind her.

Lilithana said. “Should I be concerned about you hiding things from me Eleventh?”

“No. I told her how things are.” He disconnected the batteries and checked her vitals. He had sensed her emotional morass but she had been doing her best to hide how she felt. Touching her was almost sickening. The implantation had been rough for her. She had used her body to control the power output for days on end. He felt her fear and shame mixed with other, deeper, confused feelings.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was strained.

He pulled the covers off her. “We need a shower. Can you stand?”

“Probably.” She said.

He undressed both of them and lifted her.

“You don’t have to do this. I can have the golems wash me.” She said as he stood her up in the shower. She braced against the wall.

“I want to.” He stood behind her washing her slowly.

“Do you find my condition amusing?”

“No.” He wet her hair, carefully. Water in her rabbit ears really annoyed her.

“I didn’t mean to pass out in your room.” She said.

“What guy doesn’t want to find a sexy woman in his bed?”

Her emotions swirled, “So is that your plan? Clean me then use me?”

“What has gotten into you today?”

“Nothing.” Her presence vanished. She was now in dead mode. “What did you do while I was out?”

“I woke up yesterday and have been resting, reading my lessons and keeping an eye on you ever since.”

“Is that all? You did not do anything to me, sexually?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Are we really having this conversation?”

“Yes. Do you not find me desirable anymore?”

“I just said you are sexy.”

“Yet you did nothing to me. I was weakened. I still am. I am at your mercy.”

“Can you start making sense?”

“You are no longer a mortal. You are a mecromancer. Did you not act because you did not realize what that means?”

“We both feel like hell. I was planning on waiting until we both had recovered a bit. We can try after Jade’s birthday party if you want. But I can’t make any promises.”

“I don’t understand. Try what? Are we starting over? What promises? What are your intentions?”

“Sex. Obviously. I feel like hell and don’t want to push my body with chocolate. I can’t promise my cock will work. Does that answer your questions?”

“What about… our dates?”

“What about them?”

“Are they going to continue?”

“Yes. Obviously.”

“But you are a mecromancer now. My claim should not be valid.”

“So?”

“People change when their power structure changes. Or more precisely they reveal the deeper reason they do something. Maybe you just went along with our dates because you lacked the power to resist. Maybe you resented my control over you. Maybe you want to reject me or to exert your own power over me. Maybe you desire another. Maybe you wish to find a different mate now.”

He remembered his orders to seduce Cinder. But he tried to ignore that thought and tell the truth that mattered to him. He hoped she didn’t notice his omission. “I like what we have. It’s simple and clear enjoyment for both of us. Do you want to change it?”

“No. ” She shook her head. “I want to keep you as my claim. Do you wish to continue our dates?”

“Yes, you have treated me well. I will honor your claim as long as things between us remain equal.” This was a strange way to talk to a woman, but this was Lilithana’s dead mode. It was better to be precise than to try and say things nicely.

“Your pulse changed when I mentioned you finding another mate. Why?”

He groaned to himself then said, “I finally met Karimere. She gave me an order. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“An order…?” She hesitated then nodded. “I understand. There is nothing else?”

“No. Between training and being a surrogate father, I barely have time for you. I have no interest in finding anyone else.”

She went back to alive mode with a rush of lustful sensations. She straitened up and let go of the wall, turned and kissed him wrapping her arms around his neck.

He held her tight to keep her on her feet. Her emotions were raw but she did well to bury her other feelings under her lust.

*I am glad I claimed you.* She sent as she broke the kiss and turned back to lean against the wall.

A random thought escaped his mouth. “What were you planning to do if I refused to be your claim anymore?”

“I didn’t plan for that eventuality.”

“You plan for everything.”

“I had many plans. None of them included you seeing me so weakened and barely in control of my emotions. That stupid Kytheras almost ruined everything.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I was confident that I could convince you continue our dates.” She leaned back against him, pulling his arms tight around her. “I can be quite persuasive, when I want to be. I will have you, until you leave for Geothae.”

He ignored the implied threat and dropped the pointless question. He was courting Death, literally. Danger was expected. He suspected Lilithana cared for him on some level. He also suspected it would be foolish to test how a Goddess of Death handled rejection. Luckily for him, he enjoyed his time with her. He kissed her neck and wished he felt better.

She moaned softly.

He stopped himself before things got too far. They finished their shower and got dressed. He helped her and she accepted without protest.