A Walk in the Dark Chapter 30 by Maggie Finson

Well, in spite of the distractions and annoyances, I was home and it felt good. Oh, before you say anything, yes, I considered Kae'song's Citadel to be home. Don't give me grief over that, I've had enough of that recently, okay?

Besides, I'm not in the best of moods and you probably wouldn't like what I did if you did try to give me grief about that. You've been warned. Even if I would feel bad about it after the fact.

Marisol greeted me with a smile and curtsey. “Welcome back, Lady. It's good to see you. How was your journey?”

“Interesting.” I answered then waved her questions aside. “Don't ask, please.”

Evangaline smirked and Sam diplomatically found something else to watch just then. “Oh, I see, m'lady.” Marisol nodded then looked at Evangaline significantly.

“This is my sister Evangaline.” I told her with a sigh as I almost collapsed onto a couch with a sigh of pleasure. “She is going to be around off and on, so give her the same courtesies you would me or Sam. Evngaline, this is Marisol, one of my maids. I'll let her introduce you to the others. Right now I want a hot bath, some wine, and a nice quiet meal.”

Sam smirked at me and mouthed. “You are such a girl.”

I grimaced and gave him the time honored one fingered salute, to which he nodded and grinned.

It just wasn't the same doing that to your husband as it had been when when we were friends. Sigh.
Not to mention that we'd both been guys back then. I was still working on getting my head around all that, but had almost decided it wasn't worth the bother. I loved Sam, he loved me, we worked well together both personally and in other situations... Why fuss about something that obviously worked and often felt so good when it was working?

“Your bath is ready, m'lady.” Marisol answered simply then looked to Evangaline with a curious lift of one eybrow. “Will your — sister — be joining you?”

“Why not? And she's actually my half sister. Don't ask, please.” I waved Evangaline over and gave her a questioning look. One she answered with a grin and nod. “I hope it's hot and sudsy.”

“We know what you prefer, m'lady.” Marisol answered almost smugly.

“You are gorgeous!” Evangaline admired me once I'd stripped to get into the bath.

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved that off with a blush. “Thanks and all that, but my mother is a goddess and my father is a god, what did you expect out of something like that?”

“I think Aphrodite is going to be jealous.” She answered as she removed her own clothing and I got a good look at her body in all it's glory.

“You might want to worry about that, too.” I pointed out. I mean the girl had a body that was perfectly proportioned with all the right curves and indentations, which combined with her delicately featured but strong face and wealth of blonde hair just seemed designed to make other women scream “I hate this girl!”

“Daddy is a god after all, and my mother was an uncommon beauty among humans.” She shrugged. “I can't help it any more than you can, after all.”

“Point taken.” I nodded and settled into the nicely hot, sudsy, and scented bath with a sigh. “Come on in, the water is wonderful.”

“Ohhh,” She let out a little groan of pleasure as she joined me in the huge tub. “This is sooo much better than woodland springs.”

“I would think those would be kind of chilly.” I nodded as I settled deeper into the wonderfully comfortable tub.

“Yes, but the upswelling of water does nice things, too.” She smirked while making motions towards her crotch and breasts with a grin.

“I'll take your word for it.” I answered and settled in for a nice long soak before I even started thinking about scrubbing things anywhere on my person. Or what she had been implying.

Several hours later, soaked, scrubbed, washed, shampooed, gently dried, oiled and powdered, Evangaline and I emerged from the bathing chamber clad in comfortable silk robes and slippers with very contented expressions on our faces.

“Thought you two would look like prunes by now.” Sam greeted us with a grin to show he was teasing. He had obviously bathed and taken advantage of more comfortable clothing,too, given the short robe and sandals he was wearing. “Dinner is ready, by the way.”

The meal was wonderful, and wine after, ale for Sam flowed in large quantities. I know I literally dragged a half conscious Sam into our bed chamber and did things that brought him back to full attention in more than one way after we'd had our fill.

I think Evangaline went out and took advantage of several unsuspecting guardsmen who were lucky enough to be off duty just then.

All in all that was a good evening and night.

And it was about damned time, too. After all, I deserved a break of some kind by then didn't I?

Through some miracle, or dare I say this? Thanks to Mom and Dad, I actually had a nice restful sleep that night. Following another, but quicker bath that morning, I emerged from my bed chambers in an almost decent gown — okay, so it was cut to really show off my figure, and the neckline barely had a claim to existence at all — I found everyone but Sam, who was still contentedly sleeping gathered in my living, oops, receiving room.

Evangaline gave me a lazily pleased little grin, while my other girls, minions, whatever they were, all exhibited the same — umm --- satisfied expressions. Even Lisarra had that particular look. I just shook my head and didn't really try to think about what they'd all been up to the previous night. Probably a lot like what I'd done with Sam.

My girls were getting into their, well, girl roles very well, it seemed.

Evangaline — my half sister — gave Evangaline my maid, a little smirk and started things off. “Hi sis. I found that one of your very competent maids has the same name as I do.”

“Yeah.” I grimaced at that one and let out a sigh. “I'm going to need to call one of you something different. I don't want both of you running to see what's going on every time I call your names. Or resort to something idiotic like 'Evangline 1 and Evangaline 2.”

“Easily solved.” My sister grinned. “Since Evangaline over there has precedence of place here in time spent and everyone else around her calls her by that name, just call me Vangie. I don't mind.”

“Oh, that works, I suppose.” I silently thanked whatever, whoever, was watching things just then for not exercising their sense of humor over the whole thing and gave my half-sister a smile. “Thanks, Vangie.”

“Well, that's what Daddy usually calls me anyway.” She shrugged then got an impish look on her beautiful face. “Unless I'm in trouble over something, then I tend to hear all my names shouted at once. Not necessarily in the proper order, mind you, but you get the idea.”

“I guess even gods can get exasperated.” I answered with a little grin while hoping that didn't happen to me. I knew it was a vain hope, but you know how that goes. Kids get into trouble. Parent's yell at them for it at first. Actually the idea of hearing Mother (Llolth) screaming out all the names I had — not all of which I was sure I knew by then, by the way — actually had me laughing. “I'll bet things get interesting whenever that happens.”

“Oh yes.” Ev — Vangie nodded and chuckled. “But I'm cute, and know how to use it. Daddy never stays mad at me for long.”

I decided to let that one pass and just nodded before giving my maids an expectant look.

“Breakfast is ready, m'lady.” Marisol smiled and waved to the table in the center of the room. “Should you or your friends and sister require something besides tea, juices and caff, we will get them for you.”

I gave my sister, and my girls a warning look and nodded to Marisol. “That will be sufficient, thanks.”

Caff on this world is kind of weird. It's like coffee but not. The flavor is different, sharper and more citrus like, but it's ground from beans and is served hot most of the time. I've had caff served cold on purpose and for me it's just as nasty as cold coffee was back where I came from. But it did about the same thing. It woke you up, and if strong enough, I swore it could wake up a zombie.

Speaking of which...

Once we'd started on the meal, fruits, grain dishes served with milk, sugars and more fruit as toppings — seems none of us were that fond of meat any longer, at least not for breakfast — a disheveled Sam emerged from our bedchamber, grabbed a carafe of steaming caff and headed for the bath with a muttered. “Morning.”

“He never was good for anything just when he wakes up.” I sighed and fondly watched him enter the bathing room while waving off any offered help from our maids. “Unless there is something really important to do right away.”

My maids and girls, okay minions, already knew Sam and his morning quirks well enough to have diplomatically ignored him until he was awake enough to really carry on a coherent conversation. Vangie just smirked and nodded in understanding as she said. “Men. Gotta have them around for our own sanity most of the time and often as not they do prove to be amusing.”

This from the girl who spent half her life as a guy. I just nodded my head and did my best to not think about the weirdness of her curse even if my own life was filled to overflowing with weird stuff.

At least I didn't change sex every month or so. Nope, once was more than enough for yours truly, believe me.

So I cut her some slack there.

Once we'd finsished breakfast I got down to business. I'd written a letter for Mrrthiss and needed someone to deliver it. "Annisathhhe, Oesetthe, I need you take a message to Caeth'Og. I know we just got back and all that, but this is pretty important. I think we need to warn them about the things that happened on our way back and what the Temple of Jupiter in Irris is doing. The message tells all about that and also has orders for Queen Mrrthiss to send messengers to the other nearest Dhro'aaa enclaves with a request that they meet with me about all this.”

“You're ordering a queen to do things?” Vangie gave me a long look then nodded. “Well, you are at least a demi-goddess, so I guess that works all right.”

“She also owes me.” I pointed out, choosing to ignore the demi-goddess thing at the moment. That was territory I sooo didn't want to tread at the moment. I mean I was still, kind of, working my head around being just female and an elf, even if it was a weird kind of elf that most decent people would try to kill on sight. “And sending two of my Dhro'aaa minions with the message will show her I'm serious about this. Plus avoid the problems a non-Dhro'aaa messenger might encounter once they've arrived there.”

“Good thinking.” My half-sister nodded, then added. “But a magic user and an — umm — thiefy type out alone given what has happened recently might not be such a fine idea, you know?”

Thiefy type. So that was what passed for diplomatic with my new found sister. That one I just had to remember for another time, though I had to work to keep from losing it and laughing my butt off when I heard her say that. Oesetthe was an assassin, pure and simple. Thiefy Type!

“Kae'Song has already detailed some soldiers to go with them.” I assured my sister, and the two who would be carrying the message. Oesetthe actually looked disappointed at that. I think she was looking forward to practicing her sneaking and skulking on the way. I soothed her by saying. “Don't worry Setthe, I'm sure you can practice all you want on the soldiers accompanying you and Annis on this one. Just don't scare the poor guys to death or hurt them while you're doing it.”

That perked Setthe right up again and she nodded happily. Annisathhhe just rolled her eyes and sighed in resignation. But there was a twinkle of amusement in her ice blue eyes even then.

I really needed to talk with Mama about just what, and how, she she had done what she did to my minions. They were having an easier time with the changes they'd gone through than I'd ever dreamed of having. Yup, one long mother- daughter conversation was on the horizon there.

Once that was all taken care of, Evangaline — Vangie, and I wandered out to one of the balconies to talk for awhile. I mean it isn't everyday you find a sister you never knew you had, right? And we had a rather obnoxious, even if he laboring under a curse, and kind of stupid brother to talk about.

“So who put the curse on Reggie?” I asked again. “And could we maybe find her and get her to at least tell us what she did?”

“Circe.” Vangie answered then shuddered. “Talking with her about the curse? No, I don't think I'd want to converse with her in cow, sheep, or pig. She was really pretty nice to Reggie all things considered given some of the things she could have done to him. We just need to give things time and between him and me, we'll remember the right wording and get it straighted out.

“Asking Circe for that is a not happening kind of thing, trust me.”

“Just a thought.” I shrugged. “It is kind of embarrassing when your own brother is determined to — umm — smite you, you know.”

“Ahh, that's not so unusual given our family and the circles they and we tend to hang out in.” Vangie soothed me then grinned. “Besides, Reggie doesn't really want to 'smite' you. He's just going through the motions to satisfy the curse and make himself look like a complete idiot. It's hard on him, really.”

“Whatever you say.” I nodded and then a feeling I was getting really too well acquainted with came over me. “Uh oh.”

“Someone is calling us.” Vangie nodded with the same expression I was sure covered my own face. Dread and a bit of anger. “Do you recognize who it is? I'm only familiar with Daddy.”

“Nope.” I grimaced while trying to fight the calling. “It's not Mom, and I haven't visited anyone but her and dad so far.”

“Oh, this is not....

“Good.” She finished once we'd been pulled to wherever the place was the person calling wanted us to be.

I looked around and had to agree with her. Our surroundings were kind of — Greeky. Well, you know what I mean, all the columns, open spaces, statues, and sylvan surroundings. I agreed with her. “Nope, I don't think this is good at all.”

“Ahh!” A booming voice interrupted anything else we might have said to each other. “The youngest daugters of Dannan, and Llotlh's favored child finally grace my abode.”

“Don't, please don't, tell me this is who I think it is.” I lowered my head and bit my tongue to keep any smart assed responses from escaping without me planning on them doing it.

“Welcome to my Hall, ladies.” A being who could only be Jupiter entered the area. How could I tell he had to be Jupiter? Maybe it was the lightning bolts he was holding when he greeted us. It could have been something else, I suppose, but I'm going with first impressions here.

No, somehow, given what I'd already heard, I didn't think this was a good thing at all.

How, just how, do I keep finding myself in these idiotic situations?