The house becomes a whirlwind of activity as everyone readies for the impromptu party. Nomad and Anna handle the inside of the house while Gajin focuses on readying the gardens, the activity distracting him from his grief. Most everyone else is outside the house, running their respective errands, leaving me with just Talia for company.

Everyone’s mistress, as Alana succinctly described the ex-dorm mother, lounges on the bed, doing a few vocal exercises, as I drag a long box into the room. To save time and make traveling easier, we left quite a few things back in Victory. Some leftover stock from Howie, some of the building supplies we never got to use and Alana didn’t donate, a few trophies from the campaign. There were only two items that absolutely had to come with us, besides our luggage. My gold and Alana’s brother.

The latter is what I’m currently dragging into the bedroom. There were several discussions about the best way to transport Khan. The two largest concerns were keeping him contained and out of sight. People wouldn’t take kindly to seeing a man bound and gagged in the back of a wagon, no matter our reasons. Given that there is currently an order for my arrest, my concerns about being reported to the local authorities seems irrelevant now.

As usual, my succubus had a wonderful suggestion that eliminated all our concerns. Hibernation. There are plenty of creatures in the world that sleep through the colder months of the year, for matters of survival. A condition that can be artificially induced, keeping Khan both quiet and out of sight, disguised of cargo. We didn’t even have to feed him.

In the center of the room, I undo the locks on Khan’s box, wrinkling my nose as I open the lid. He certainly smells like he hasn’t washed in over a week. I suppose sleeping doesn’t keep one fresh, an obvious oversight. I take in his peaceful features for a moment. Looking at him like this, it seems impossible that he’s an enemy agent, mind-controlled to sow discord and chaos throughout the kingdom. That’s what so insidious about those who abuse the mental affinity. You don’t know anything’s wrong until it’s too late.

But tonight is a night of throwing caution to the wind. Of ignoring our problems for one night and dealing with the consequences in the morning. Khan may be an enemy spy, or saints forbid something far worse, but tonight he gets to be just another merrymaker.

On the top of the box’s lid is a spell. It was put there in case of emergency, specifically in the event that Geneva, Bell, or Kierra aren’t available to wake the sleeping man. Utterly unfathomable circumstances but since it isn’t completely impossible and Alana was worried, the spell was carved into the box.

There is no reason I need to wake Khan now. Everyone will be back in plenty of time to wake my sleeping brother-in-law. However, the campaign has made it clear that my lackluster approach to my magical education is a problem. I am not as strong as I think I am. Or, my strength isn’t the answer to every problem. The titans, with their massive size, are too much for my prodigious strength and their magic can get through the magic resistance of my oozey base form. In one year, we have to return to the north and possibly fight dragons. If we’re to stand a chance, the least I’ll have to do is embrace my magical potential.

In that spirit, I find myself curious about the spell. It’s certainly worth the scrutiny. Hundreds of variables and coefficients all etched into the top of Khan’s box. Surprisingly, it’s not all gibberish. The activation and affinity variables are obvious. Beyond that, I recognize some variables that relate to different parts of the body from Geneva’s few lectures on the physical affinity. They only make up a fraction of the spell.

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I don’t need to understand it to cast it but for the first time, my ignorance frustrates me. I must be frowning heavily as a soft hand caresses the back of my neck. Only then do I realize that Talia’s humming has stopped. “Is something the matter?” Talia asks, crouched beside me.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Perhaps something isn’t right. “Do you understand any of this?” I ask, gesturing to the top of the box.

She hums beside me. “No. I recognize many variables from healing spells I’ve seen.”

“That makes sense.” Does it make me feel better or worse that Talia is just as ignorant about this as I am? Mm, definitely worse. I doubt very much she would be just as ignorant if this were a mental spell. “Do you know who this is?” We haven’t filled her in about all the details of our vacation, have they? We haven’t as she shakes her head. “Well, this is my brother-in-law, Khan James. Suspected traitor to the north.”

“…he appears to be in a state of slumber. Magically assisted?”

“Uh-huh.”

She leans forward, clearly interested. With her playing the role of a flower so well, it’s easy to forget that she is a serious academic. Saints, the reason she’s become everyone’s mistress is the chance to further her knowledge and, by extension, her personal power. “Then this spell is meant to wake him? A complicated process, it seems.”

“Definitely not as simple as slapping him across the face.”

“Are you going to cast it?”

“Mm.”

“…without confirming it’s true design?”

The strange question makes me turn to her. “What do you mean?”

“Are you unaware of your elementals’ natures?”

“That they’re amoral, scheming monsters? I’m well aware.”

“You are quite trusting despite that.”

“Well, they’re certainly dangerous but they’re rational creatures.” I point at the slumbering Khan. “Messing with him won’t give them anything compared to what they would lose pissing me off so there’s no need to worry.”

Talia gives me a look. To those unfamiliar with her, I’m sure it’s the same as every other look. Even to me it looks no different from her normally placid expression but, from the conversation, I’m guessing she wants to say something but is hesitating as it may break her role as a flower. “If you want to advise me, I wouldn’t mind.”

“…I do not know succubi and I do know it is a mistake to think of them as human. However, I do know those of privilege. Whether it is talent, blood, wealth, or power, privilege breeds arrogance. And arrogance clouds judgment.” She touches my chin with two fingers as she leans closer, ensuring the whole of my attention is focused on her. “You say they are rational creatures. That anything they may try with this man is not worth your ire. But what if the succubi believe that you will not discover their trickery? That there is no risk at all? Then why would they not attempt to grab more benefits?”

I frown as I contemplate her words. It wouldn’t be the first time the succubi have tried to sneak a plot past me. By the saints, Geneva planned to drive a wedge in my relationship with Alana as a catalyst for conquering the north. Shackling her by forcing her to only act “in my favor” is not much of a shackle, as what she deems to be in my best interests often clashes with my own definition. Worse, she doesn’t care about the means of achieving her ends, something I care about deeply.

“Forgive me if I speak out of turn, but while most think too little of the succubi, I think you may think too much of them. No creature is infallible or without some weakness.”

“…you make good points.” I grab her hand and gently squeeze the fingers. “Thank you for the reminder.” Maybe the power of my prime form has made me too confident in more than one aspect. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this spell but I also wasn’t very strict with Geneva when I allowed her to put Khan to sleep.” If anything, the damage has already been done, but there’s no need to tempt fate. “We’ll leave brother-in-law to Kierra. Come.” I stand and pull Talia to her feet. “You can dress me for the night.”

For Talia, the tiny smile flashing only a hint of teeth may as well be a face-splitting smile. Knew she’d like that.