Quincunx Ch. 27

They played gently with it till it eventually softened and they left me lying naked while they dressed and gave my shrivelled head one last kiss with their goodbyes. After they went I lay awhile before dressing and checking on the time, the stars gave me a quarter night, too early to visit Xen or seek to recover Rash's money from the banker.

I was sat drinking coftea when a flustered Miri burst through the door.

"Davor," she cried, trying to recover her breath.

"What's the matter," I asked, jumping to my feet in alarm.

"Rash, she can't find her necklace, she thinks Svelt stole it."

I relaxed at the news, half fearing that there might have been a second attempt or something.

"Okay, I'll come over but it's too late to think of doing anything this evening."

"She wants to go there now."

"And listen to him deny having it, you think he'll meekly hand it back?"

We walked hurriedly over and Jay let us in. I listened calmly while she told me of her discovery and then put the case for doing nothing till the morning when she could raise a complaint with the ministry, if she had noticed straight away we'd have had more chance as it was he could claim that it had been stolen after he had returned it.

I left her feeling annoyed and angry at his arrogance and belief that we could do nothing to hurt him back. As soon as I got back to my room I sent an eye to see what I could find in his bedroom. I found his wife's jewels and a necklace such as Rash had described, the matching earrings were also there and I created a mini tunnel and took the whole box.

Downstairs I scouted out his vault and negated the spells I'd found, studying them carefully as I drew of their power so as I could reinstate them after I'd finished, and then floating his treasure chests though a new tunnel and back to my bedroom.

I opened up another tunnel, this one to my bedroom at home and shifted it all through; following them to bring back the money he's charged Rash along with her necklace and earrings. I wasn't sure yet how to return them to Rash without admitting magic was involved in their recovery.

The next thing on the to do list was my visit with Xen, it wasn't that I didn't want to see her but I was in such confusion with her and Cal that I half wished that I could stop time and take a week to think things out.

With my anger and excitement fading after my raid on Svelt's's house I decided to take a walk to the market and get a cup of tococaleth to drink while I thought about what to say to Xen. Even though my time had been filled her absence over the past day or so had left me wanting to hold and kiss her again.

When I got to the tococaleth stand I sat and sipped on my drink, my thoughts wandered back to my problem, it was pointless making pro and con lists in my mind, no matter how many plusses and minuses there were I had to let my heart be the judge and not some arbitrary score.

I sat there looking out on the night and the people still milling around this small portion of the market. What were their problems and worries, my lovesick struggles my own little part of that larger world, around me there were people making hard choices, why was mine so difficult.

I finished my drink and wandered home, Grepp and Kenval were there, drunk enough to be boisterous and insisting I join them for coftea. I told them I was tired and slipped into my room to their raucous laughter.

Locking my door I sat on the bed and again wondered about visiting Xen, I wasn't being fair to either of them. Though her questions seemed innocuous Cal seemed to be subtly hinting that she might come and live with me, something I knew Xen would never do.

I looked up and pictured Xen's bedroom and tremulously opened a tunnel. I watched Xen scramble out of bed as I walked through, her nightdress flowing behind her as she rushed to hug me and plant her lips on mine.

We kissed passionately as my prodder twitched into life, I felt it grow and press against her as the kiss went on.

"Oh I'm so glad you came," she said, holding onto my arms as she stepped back.

"Hard time settling back in?" I asked.

"No, I missed you," she replied.

"And I missed you," I said, admitting the truth to myself.

She drew me to her and gave me a short sweet kiss. "Even with Cal and the others begging to share your bed?"

I gave a quick laugh. "Sex isn't everything, sharing a bed isn't sharing a life."

I pulled her into my arms and lifted her, she wrapped herself around me as I carried her to the bed.

"I think I love you," I said as I set her down.

"And I love you," she replied. "I was afraid you were going to pick Cal, she's so in love with you as well."

"I know, I love her as well but you're the happy ending to my story."

An end to this story perhaps, but his new found skills were going to be put to the test in the next one.