The Huntsman and the Nix Ch. 09 - END

"Homes at my fancy estate where everyone has to kiss my royal butt," Jaunt said in a muncy voice.

Rab's eyes shifted. "Do you live on Detuth, Jaunt?"

"He can't live there," Sutter said right away, shaking his head. "I forbid it. He's banished."

"Like I would ever want to live on your shitty little butthole of a planet," Jaunt said to him.

"Arrest him for insulting me, Justica Forsyte," Sutter breathed.

Isobet laughed. "That law isn't in effect anymore, Sutter."

Jaunt turned to Isobet. "Marry me, beautiful."

"She likes me," Sutter said, also turning to her. "Tell him, Isobet. Don't be cruel and give him hope."

"Don't do it," Jaunt said. "Have a life with me instead."

"I swear, if you say one more fucking word, I'm going to murder and vent you," Sutter said, turning back to Jaunt.

Jaunt leaned forward, looking deeply into Sutter's eyes. "One. More. Fucking. Word."

There was silence.

"Are you going to live on Detuth, Sutter?" Rab said.

"If Isobet wants to live there with me," Sutter answered right away, still staring into Jaunt's eyes, his jaw working.

Isobet looked at Sutter. "What?" she said.

"Real smooth," Jaunt muttered, breaking his gaze and looking away. "Did you even ask her?"

"It was implied," Sutter muttered.

Sutter looked at Isobet and then leaned in, lowering his voice so everyone had to lean forward a little to hear. "I didn't mean to say it that way. I need to get you away from your seven older brothers and that snoring limp-dick so-called best friend of mine. Come to Detuth with me, Isobet. I'd like to go home now."

She stared at him and her eyes went to the Nix, who were waiting. She glanced at Jaunt, who was looking elsewhere. She turned back to Sutter, solemn, and then her eyes narrowed. "Say I'm dangerous," she said.

"I'm dangerous," Sutter said right away.

She laughed, Sutter smiling. "Yes," she said. "I'll go with you."

Sutter looked at Jaunt, his smile turning into a sneer. "She's coming with me."

"Like I didn't help you," Jaunt said. "You were circling the drain. You fucking owe me, Sutter."

"I gave you the jacket."

"I already had it, stupid. I stole the jacket eight years ago. I only wore it to piss you off and because I wanted to make you give it to me again."

"So, do you want to come?" Sutter said, turning to Rab and the other Nix.

"I want to," Usta said.

"Me too," Wer shot, giving Usta a glance. "Not just her."

All the Nix had turned to the women. Then the Nix looked at one another, and then they all turned to him, Sutter waiting.

"Yes," Rab said.

* * *

[Isobet]

She was lying on a hillside on Detuth, the sun warm on her skin. They were at Sutter's estate, which included a mansion that was probably ten times bigger than the Big House on Tilles and full of a ridiculous amount of very valuable things and also he owned all the land around.

There were seven other houses to the south of the estate, houses with land, reached by a long winding road, all of it about two hours from Baltik, the capital of Detuth.

"I like it here," she said to the sky, on her back.

"Wait until I take you out west. We'll lose ourselves in the great forests for a while," Sutter said, stretched out under her, naked, also facing up. One of his hands was still on her breast, the palm of his other hand resting on the mound of her sex, his fingers deep in her slick folds, although he wasn't moving. His sex was still trapped between her thighs.

"Hot water pills," she said.

"Dozens of tins of hot water pills," he agreed. "A bath every day. I want to take you to Siclia."

She withdrew, squirming, Sutter helping, and turned over. Sutter didn't seem to mind, adjusting his hands. He cupped her butt and watched her breasts as she propped herself on him.

"All right," she said. She put her head down on her folded hands on his chest, listening to his heart. "Ero always wanted to see it, so Malia and Wer will have to go, and if they go, you know Miter and Presha and Beta will go, and if--"

"They can join us later," Sutter said, one hand lifting to run up and down her spine. "I'll send the shuttle for all of them."

Her head came up. "We're going without them?"

"Only for a few weeks. Then we'll invite them for the wedding."

"What wedding?"

"Our wedding, killer. Keep up."

"You're the Prince of Detuth."

Sutter looked around. "Don't say that so loud. Someone will hear."

She eyed him. "I'm a Nix."

"Not good enough for you, Justica? I won't really inherit my title until I marry someone," he said, looking around and then staring at her as if he'd just seen her. "Hello. You'll do."

She laughed. "You're a huntsman."

Sutter shrugged with one shoulder. "Being a huntsman was just something I was doing after the war to keep myself sane, Isobet. I didn't know I'd meet you. If it helps, I've loved since you tried to murder me on Tilles Moon."

She smiled and then pursed her lips, considering. "Where else are you going to take me?"

"I'll take you anywhere you want to go. We'll climb the esteglia on Cetran and watch the Ostiapan migration. I'll take you to Ethia Six, to Belit to see the flower festivals. But first I want to marry you on Siclia."

"What will Chavel think?"

Chavel was his steward, a stiff man, very Detuthian, from an old family, the man humorless and ancient.

"I know he never smiles, so it's difficult to tell, but Chavel is so happy I'm living back on Detuth, he wouldn't care if I married a handro," Sutter said.

She wrinkled her nose. "So, I'm better than a handro, you're saying."

He shrugged. "I don't think I could keep up the belching."

Her eyes dropped and then flashed to his. "Can we marry on a boat?"

"Pretty much a requirement on Siclia. A big boat."

"My brothers will be there?"

"That's why it's a big boat."

She came up, her head turning, going still and staring. Sutter looked. The animal had obviously chanced on them, not knowing they were there in the tall grass. It was just as still, staring back at them, not far. It could have fit in her hand, long fluffy soft hair, huge luminous eyes taking up most of its face, four delicate paws and padded feet, compact, a small hooked beak and very large fluffy ears. It came up on its back legs, looking at them, made achit-enu sound and ran away, its round fluffy butt.

"What was that?" Isobet said.

"A dovrit," Sutter answered, squeezing her bottom, giving a soft laugh.

"It's more tame than Tilles here," she said.

"I'll get you a pet lotti, killer, if you'd like."

"All right," she said, laying her head back on her hands on his chest.

"You want a lotti?"

"No. I'll marry you on Siclia."

Sutter grinned and put his head back, his hand returning to caressing her spine.

She sighed again. "I miss Jaunt. Is he going to come to the wedding?"

"Three words I would never combine. Why would I invite that asshole?"

"He's your best friend."

"I suppose," Sutter muttered. "Is Detuth going to have a Nix justica?"

"Eventually," she said.

They were quiet. Isobet sighed. "I'm the only one who cares that he's gone. Adelaid, I mean," she said.

"Then it's good that someone does," he said.

She came up and he opened his eyes, looking at her. "Is it ever difficult for you to be here?" she asked him, thinking about times she'd found Sutter staring into the distance or at a part of the house, his eyes far away.

Sutter shook his head, reaching to stroke her cheek. "Not anymore, killer. I can remember them now. It's good to be home."

END

Hey, everyone. It was great to hang out with you again. Thanks for reading my strange adaptation.

Right now I'm about a third into an erotica novel about a space pod that goes off target and dumps my heroine in the middle of ancient times on the surface of the world her station orbits. I'm having fun.

If anyone would like a particular story, let me know in comments or email. I've kind of exhausted the Luterian and Vanata worlds, seven books in those, but there are the Calthus and Tatus Worlds. I was thinking about another fairy tale, but I was also thinking about a sequel to Fearsome. Let me know what you think, if you want.

Until next time.

-Harp

Bruja - "witch" in Spanish

Reine - "queen" in French

Speculo - "mirror" in Latin

Nix - "snow" in Latin

Nivea - "snowy white" in Latin

Chione, or Khione - Greek, goddess of snow/ice