“My beloved, I do believe we made the right decision coming here today.”
“My heart, I cannot help but agree! Your instincts are as sharp as a blade today, just as they always are.”
“No more than a dull butter knife in comparison to your razor wit, my love.”
The softly spoken words were punctuated by the wet smacking sounds of kissing, which was almost enough for Jadis to break down and start laughing. Still, she managed to keep her serious face on. Glancing at Aila, she saw that the redhead was sitting more stiffly than usual, which was a clear sign that she was struggling to maintain her cool as well. Kerr wasn’t even trying. The archer had turned away, leaning over her seat with her face pressed into the crook of her arm while her whole body shook with laughter. At least she was keeping relatively quiet.
Jadis tried not to stare at the two gnomes, Nevan and Orla. The two prospective guild members had stepped away from the table to have a private chat while they considered Jadis’ offer of employment, and somehow that had devolved into the two snogging each other in the corner of the meeting room that was partially obscured by a potted plant. At least they were in the love goddess’ temple. Hopefully Lyssandria wouldn’t mind.
Hoping that they would be done soon, Dys kicked Kerr’s shin under the table. At the prompt, Kerr did her best to pull herself together, though her face was beet red and her eyes were wet with tears.
“Have you come to a decision?” Aila loudly asked, her voice somewhat more strained than normal.
“Yes, we have!” Nevan replied without missing a beat as he gave his wife one last kiss on the back of her hand. “Pass us a pen and we’ll sign on the line! Fortune favors us today, and we would be fools to not take the opportunity presented to us!”
Jay grinned at the man’s silly pun as he and his wife reapproached the table. Before sitting, he pulled out Orla’s chair for her with a flourish, acting the part of the extravagant gentleman. Once he had taken his own seat, he took the proffered pen from Aila and began filling out the paperwork that would make the two of them official members of Fortune’s Favored. Jadis found that she really liked the two gnomes and was happy to have them joining the team.
Nevan and Orla were deeply in love with each other. But not just in the way that Jadis and her mates were in love. The two gnomes were dramatic with their love. Dramatic, public, and completely unashamed. Restraint didn’t seem to be an option between the two, not when it came to each other. Whenever they were near each other, they were holding hands or touching in some way. When they were apart, they were constantly looking towards each other. Whenever they had a spare moment, and even times when they didn’t have spare moments, they were engaging in ridiculous, over-the-top displays of affection. It might have been creepy, if it wasn’t so obviously genuine.
The charm of the couple was enhanced by their individual natures. Each gnome was a character and would have been eye-catching on their own. The two together were just adorable.
Nevan was not a handsome gnome. His pale blue eyes bulged a bit and his nose was too big. His slick black hair had a single curl that bobbed over his forehead like a fishing lure and his goatee was trimmed thin and tight. The tattoo-like markings on his face made him almost look like someone had painted cat whiskers on him, and when he smiled, he had a wide gap between his two front teeth. And yet, despite his outwardly goofy appearance, Nevan had a powerful charisma to him that stemmed from his unwavering confidence. The man didn’t walk; he strutted. He didn’t talk; he made speeches. He didn’t just grin; he lit up his entire being with emotion.
Orla, on the other hand, was as attractive as Nevan was not. In fact, she was the most attractive gnome that Jadis had ever seen, by a large margin. Her heart-shaped face and button nose looked like they belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, an idea only enhanced by the killer body displayed with clothes that were only just barely on the right side of scandalous. Her long, black hair was tied back to show off the elegant curve of her neck and shoulders as well as the delicate design of her skin markings. The swirls and stripes marking Orla’s neck and shoulders were so intricate that Jadis had a hard time believing that they were natural and not an actual tattoo. As beautiful as Orla was, it was her energy that truly drew the eye. She was just as confident as Nevan was, if not quite as boisterous. Still, she had some aura about her that oozed a sexy self-assurance that almost made Jadis wish the woman was single.
Almost. Seeing the couple together, Jadis couldn’t even dream of doing anything to come between them. They were clearly made for each other.
“I was a tiny bit worried at first,” Orla admitted as she watched her husband go over the documents. “The rumors surrounding you three – or should I say just you? – are not entirely pleasant.”
“I can imagine,” Jay grimaced as she nodded at the gnome. “I’ve heard a few myself. Which ones have you heard that had you concerned?”
Orla absently pointed out a signature line that Nevan had missed with a tap of one finger as she answered Jay’s question.
“Oh, there were some about you three being fakes, of course. Then there were the ones about the empire having kept a secret enclave of Nephilim hiding in the wilds of Weigrun.”
“Don’t forget the variations where some other nation was hiding the Nephilim and the empire rescued you from their controlling clutches!” Nevan laughed as he reviewed his completed contract.
“Yes, those as well,” Orla smiled indulgently at her hubby. “Of course, the one that did actually concern me was the rumor that one or more of the ‘Nephilim Sisters’ had been possessed by a demon and was brought to the temple district so they could be purified, or restrained, or used for breeding, or some other of a hundred different variations on the story.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Syd sighed as she slumped back in her chair. “The rumor mill around here is brutal, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, yes,” Orla nodded sympathetically. “It’s especially bad right now due to the demonic invasion. Far too many nervous people with too much time on their hands. Idle minds often think of the worst.”
Not to mention a few first-prince-aligned agents purposefully stirring the pot, Jadis was sure. She kept that opinion to herself, though. Best not to sling accusations against someone who might be the next emperor right in front of the new hires.
Nevan and Orla’s insight into the rumors surrounding Jadis lined up with what Sabina, Bridget, and Sorcha had learned the previous day. During their outing around the city, they had visited many of the smiths, enchanters, and merchants who had been brash enough to send Jadis advertisements for their wares. In every case, it seemed the individuals had been reaching out in order to get more information on what was happening with the Nephilim, more than they were genuinely trying to forge business connections. Jadis was the talk of the town, and everyone had an opinion.
Combining what the trio had learned with Eir and Thea’s experiences with the noble letters and visiting Eir’s parents, the picture Jadis had gotten was frustrating. Not dire, but certainly annoying.
The nobles seemed to have a pretty good idea of what was going on. None of the ones that Eir’s parents had spoken of seemed to believe the accusations of working with the Samleos cult. The speculation among the nobility was on why the false accusation had been made and what fight specifically was happening between the two princes. It was obvious to everyone who knew the royal family that some kind of power play was going on. The only questions were what moves were being made and what the results would be once the dust settled.
It was the commonfolk, those who didn’t have the level of insight of those who regularly attended court, who were running wild with the ridiculous rumors.
The rumors were generally all over the place, ranging from fairly accurate to outrageous tales of fantasy that sounded so outlandish Jadis couldn’t imagine how anyone could believe them. Sorcha had heard over a dozen different versions after spending only an hour in a weaponsmith’s shop listening to the customers who were coming and going. It was worse in the bars and taverns.
Wild rumors Jadis was prepared for. What she hadn’t been ready for was the apparent misinformation campaign.
A good number of the rumors were centered around Jadis being a danger to the empire. Be it the supposed connection to the Cult of Samleos, her habit of “Demon Taming” as it was being called, or the rumor that she was a “False Hero” sent to trick the populace as part of some malicious prank on behalf of Destarious, there were a lot of negative things being said about Jadis in the streets.
It was the rumor about her being a False Hero that was really getting under Jadis’ skin. That information about her having a God-given mission from Destarious was not public knowledge. Or at least, it shouldn’t have been. Only Vraekae and the High Priests should have known about that. And General Egilhard. And Runar. And the Princes…
A lot of people knew about her mission. More than she knew about in all likelihood. Which meant the rumor mill could have gotten the information from any one of a dozen different sources. However, the fact that her mission was being framed in a negative light made her certain that it was Prince Hraustrekr who had orchestrated the malign rumors against her. Whether it was because he was trying to counter whatever he thought Kestil was doing with her or because he was just being a petty asshole, Jadis didn’t know or care. Whatever the reason behind his actions, Jadis was growing to loathe the first prince, and she hadn’t even met him yet. For all his public appearance as a strong and brave military commander, he had yet to show his face to her.
That was the part that infuriated her the most. If she could look the man in the eye, she had some confidence that she might be able to work things out with him. Not to be friendly, but to at least get him off of her back. But he had remained distant so far. Which was probably what Kestil wanted. The second prince wanted a long, drawn-out affair to keep Hraustrekr distracted for a while. Jadis didn’t know why Kestil wanted that, but she had some hope that it would be worth the inconvenience.
If it wasn’t, she’d just punch Kestil in the nose again.
As Nevan and Orla wrapped up the process of filling out their paperwork, Jadis set aside her negative thoughts. She didn’t want to waste any more mental energy on stressing over things she couldn’t change than necessary. She’d be vindicated in the end, she was certain, especially since she had the temples on her side. The bad rumors would be quelled and the truth would become more and more accepted. Maybe not the whole, unadulterated truth, but enough to get her public reputation back in order.
“I’ll bring these to the city hall for processing,” Aila said as she gathered up her copies of the contracts. “I assume you two still have a place to stay while we are in the capital? Or do we need to arrange lodging?”
“We’re renting a fine little house right now,” Nevan brushed the concern away. “No need to worry on our account. We quite like the cozy little love nest! It has charm, even if it is a tad cramped at times.”
“Do you have lodging?” Orla asked, one perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised. “Other than the temples, I mean. I can’t imagine staying here will be a permanent situation.”
“No, not yet,” Jay answered the question, “but we’re looking into setting up a branch office. Actually, do you know any good real estate for sale that might fit a mercenary company’s needs?”
Orla thought about it for a moment, one delicate finger going to her chin. She slowly shook her head as she gazed off into the distance.
“No, I don’t think I do know of any such places. But I will ask a few contacts I have who might have an idea or two.”
“As shall I!” Nevan announced with a dashing grin. “I believe my cousin, Íte, used to broker properties in the city. I’ll ask her if she can offer any insight or recommendations.”
It took every ounce of willpower in Jadis’ bodies to resist asking Nevan if his cousin had long brown hair covering the entirety of her body. It was a struggle, but somehow, she managed to keep her tongue in check. Thanking the two for their help, Jadis officially welcomed the lovebirds into the guild. As they parted ways, she reminded them that they would be holding a training session in the Charos Temple’s training hall the next morning so that they could meet the rest of the company as well as demonstrate their combat skills.
The two happily promised to be there, bright and early, then headed down the hall while holding hands and whispering what Jadis assumed were sweet nothings into each other’s ears while giggling like school children.
“Alright, I guess that’s settled,” Jay said with a satisfied smile. “I think they’re going to fit right in.”
“Sure will,” Kerr drawled. “Couple of weirdos like them couldn’t be a better choice for the company.”
“Shall we keep looking for more members now that we have them?” Aila asked as she glanced up at Jay. “Personally, I think we should take this opportunity to fill out our roster. Maybe find some support staff. Right now all we have is Hans and if we are going to have an actual branch office here in the capital, we’ll need more than just him.”
“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Jay nodded. “Keep your feelers out and we’ll see if we can get anyone else with some promise.”
“In the meantime,” Syd drawled, “I have a date I need to get ready for.”
Kerr scowled at Syd’s words, a note of frustration coloring her voice.
“Damn dice. I knew I should have used my loaded set.”
“If you had, I would have noticed and you would have forfeited your date altogether,” Aila primly sniped at the sniper. “You can be sure of that.”
“Not a chance,” Kerr countered. “You aren’t anywhere near observant enough to catch onto my dice.”
“Maybe,” Aila admitted. “But I know you and I know when you’re being tricky. You’d out yourself. Guaranteed.”
“No I wouldn’t!” Kerr gasped in mock horror. “You take that back!”
“Going to have to agree with Aila on this one,” Syd said as she grinned at her two arguing lovers. “She’s absolutely got your number by now.”
“You shut up and quit it with the nonsense sayings,” Kerr snapped at Syd, waving a hand to shoo her away. “What number? Go plan whatever you’re going to do with the lucky winner. Whatever you do with Sorcha, I expect three times as much when it’s my turn.”
Jadis just laughed as she headed back to her rooms, leaving Aila and Kerr to banter. She needed to dress up and get ready. She did have a goblin to entertain soon, and depending on how the date went, maybe even woo. The thought sent a little nervous thrill through Jadis. She hoped Sorcha was feeling as much anticipation as she was.
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