When Void and I finally finished talking with the neighbors outside, we entered The Gnashing Teeth to find Doun showing Zelda where all the different drinks were located behind the bar. I briefly looked at the floor and saw the water draining into a series of holes I never noticed before along the walls. I wondered if the water was going to seep down to the roots for the tree to use.

  I paused briefly to take in the scenery. Despite being very familiar with the pub, it took on a new aura now that I was the owner.

  Granted, I had no intention of giving orders or acting like I owned the place. As far as I’m concerned, Mira and Doun are the co-owners and will be until they no longer walk on Alios. The only difference between yesterday morning and now is I have the family crest on the door and the profit margins are larger.

  Well, that and I just kept my in-laws’ anti-slavery activities secret for the time being.

  I placed my hand on Void’s waist and nodded toward a table near the bar. We approached and I set the cake box we picked up earlier in the day on top.

  “What’s that for?” Doun asked.

  “I’d like to have a little celebration,” I replied.

  Doun pointed to a rack of bottles Zelda was working on. “Be sure to organize those with the open ones up front. What are we celebrating?”

  “You sounded like you enjoyed last night, so I figured you’d like a party,” I joked.

  Void gasped. “Oliver!”

  Doun let out his badger chortle. “I’m warming up to you, son. That was a wonderful idea.”

  “Dad!” Void continued.

  I laughed. “Alright, let’s give Void a break. It’s actually something big. Let me go get Lia and Tizek. Void? Mind asking Mira to come up from the back?”

  I went upstairs and found the two teens playing a card game in Tizek’s room. As usual, Tizek was scratching his head with bemusement while looking at whatever Lia was doing. He was clearly losing this round.

  Lia turned to look at me. “Hi, Oliver. Thanks for…” she paused and looked at Tizek.

  Last night, Lia had come in to sleep with Void and me again. She had another nightmare about killing people again and needed the comfort. I gave her a knowing nod because I still didn’t want Tizek to know. I suspected he’d want to join us as well and have a big cuddle party if he found out.

  “It’s only a few coins. I just found a way to get a small monthly income off of a pair of lecherous guards just now,” I deflected. I gave Lia and Void a few coins yesterday to buy Lia a mask again after Void hid the incriminating evidence. She’d have to go out again later today to retrieve them now that we were safe from prying eyes.

  Lia looked grateful at my response.

  “My Lord? Do you wish to play?” Tizek asked as he gestured to the cards. “I wish to have an ally in the battle.”

  I looked closer at the game and saw it was a form of war. Lia and Tizek each put a card face down and the higher value card won while ties went to a second round.

  Seeing the results, Tizek had approached the game by playing his strongest hand first and became predictable. Lia caught onto the straight-forward nature of Tizek’s style and discarded weak cards early on. She was now dominating the fight since she knew Tizek’s best cards were already gone and all she had to do was play a slightly higher value card.

  “I don’t think so, buddy. You need to think about why Lia is winning,” I said.

  Tizek’s head bowed and his frills fluttered. “May I have a hint?”

  I grinned. “Nope! You can work it out. Besides, I have cake downstairs.”

  I barely got the words out of my mouth when I was met by a shower of cards raining down on my head and Tizek sprinting down the stairs. I had said the magic words and the frilled-clan teen wasn’t about to miss out on sweet treats.

  Lia gently set her cards down and stared at Tizek’s strewn about the floor. “What’s the occasion?”

  “You’ll find out. Come on, get your mask, Zelda is down there training,” I replied.

  Lia put on her cute butterfly mask and we descended the stairs.

  On the main floor, Tizek was literally hopping with glee as he stared at the cake box while Void, Mira and Doun sat at the table.

  “What’s the occasion?” Mira asked.

  “It’s a big day—” I started.

  “Let me get you some drinks!” Zelda piped up and rushed behind the bar.

  “Hold on, I barely showed you where the bottles are,” Doun grumbled.

  “That’s fine. No alcohol for Tizek, Void or I. We’ll take juice,” I said.

  Void looked at me and was about to open her mouth. I gave her a firm stare and whispered. “Trust me on this one, I’ll explain later.”

  You see, my dear audience, Vialina was not aware of the effects alcohol had on developing fetuses. I didn’t want to ruin the surprise with an explanation just yet. Thankfully, Void trusted me enough not to complain.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “I don’t want one either,” Lia added. “It’s not right to drink if Tizek isn’t allowed to.”

  Lia properly deduced part of why I said that. I didn’t want to drink in front of Tizek due to his severe addictive personality.

  “I’ll take one,” Doun finally said. Mira added her agreement.

  I pulled a pair of chairs up to the four person table and sat down. Everyone looked at me expectantly.

  “Thank you all for gathering around,” I started. “The last two days has been a big change for everyone and I’d like to celebrate.”

  Everyone nodded and looked at me, waiting to continue. “First of all, congratulations are due to Doun and Mir—”

  “Oliver!” Void shouted. “Be serious!”

  “I am!” I protested. Mira chuckled musically while Doun was enjoying seeing me needle Void. “I was about to congratulate them on improving their profit margins.”

  Void glared at me like she didn’t believe that was my intention. It wasn’t.

  Doun glanced over at Zelda before speaking. “I appreciate you helping us out, Baron.” I could tell Doun didn’t want to reveal why I bought the place in front of a stranger.

  “It’s no trouble. You gave me a place to stay when I had nowhere to go. I believe in paying it forward,” I replied. I also looked over at Zelda who appeared to be struggling with filling glasses with juice. She was taking quite a while and she was fiddling with the glasses behind the bar.

  “Having trouble?” Mira called out. “I can come help if you want.”

  “No,” Zelda said. “I’m just a little nervous. I’ve never been around a noble before.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big, lovable oaf.” I tapped the cake box in the center of the table. “You can join us, too. It’s a big celebration.”

  Zelda gave a quick curtsey and came around the bar with seven drinks. She was extremely careful in selecting the glasses and placed them before each of us. I pulled a seventh chair for her and, when she went to sit, accidentally spilled her juice on her apron.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry!” Zelda exclaimed. “Where’s a rag?”

  “You can find one in the kitchen,” Mira said.

  Zelda put her glass on the tray and gave another curtsey. “Please, don’t wait for me.” She rushed off to the kitchen area after setting the glass and tray down on the bar.

  After Zelda left, I stood. “Your newest employee doesn’t want us to wait, it seems.”

  “Yours, technically,” Doun said. I could sense a hint of sadness in his voice.

  “Remember, I’m only the owner on paper,” I admonished. “You’re the boss until you’re ready to retire.”

  Doun gave me a grateful nod before tapping the box. “What’s the cake for?”

  I pulled the cake box lid off and revealed the Chantilly cake inside. The white frosting had an array of colorful fruits layered on top and had impressive piping work along the sides. A small sign crafted in sugar-work was pressed into the top.

  “What’s it say?” Mira asked.

  “Congratulations on your first fight,” Void read the words. Void had to since the message was in Standard Vialinan. I had forgotten to specify Low Vialinan.

  Doun looked confused by the statement. “Your first fight?”

  “Oliver and I argued over the Grand Creator. He doesn’t think He exists,” Void explained.

  “I was being overly rude about it and apologized,” I added.

  “Good,” Mira said. “It’s not wise to blaspheme the Grand Creator.”

  “I agree.” Doun tapped the table and pointed at the cake. “Why the cake?”

  “It was our first argument and I made amends for it. I suggested we commemorate it since it’s part of a healthy relationship,” I explained.

  Mira squinted at Doun. “Doun dear? Why didn’t you get us a cake after our first fight?”

  “It was after Dr. Payan said you were pregnant,” Doun hedged. “We didn’t have the money. Besides, I didn’t know a cake was custom!” Doun really wasn’t great under this kind of scrutiny from his wife.

  Mira burst out laughing. “Dear? We live here, Oliver doesn’t. It’s a custom from his world, not ours.”

  “It’s not even a custom from mine,” I said. “I’m just being strange. Come on, let’s cut this thing. Tizek is drooling on the table.”

  Everyone chuckled at Tizek wiping away his saliva as he stared at the cake.

  I retrieved a knife along with a few plates from the bar back and returned to the table. When I did, I wondered what was taking Zelda so long. She must have been trying to wash the stain out of the white apron at the moment. Fruit juice wasn’t the easiest to clean.

  I returned to the seat and slid the wooden knife into the cake. It was most and the fruit layers were amazingly balanced in the dessert. I knew my midsection was not going to like the expansion it was going to experience, but I couldn’t resist a good Chantilly.

  After serving the cake, and telling Tizek to hold on eating it, I nodded to Void. “I think it’s time.”

  Void hesitated and looked at her parents. I could tell she was churning the prospects of them admonishing us for our irresponsibility. She pinched her ice larch ring and spun it a few times on her finger in thought. After taking a deep breath, she reached into her pouch and pulled out the vial then slid it on the table.

  “Mom? Dad? You’re going to be grandparents,” Void mumbled.

  The room was silent. Everyone stared at the green and yellow swirls spinning around each other in the vial. Doun slowly picked it up and stared at the colors in the vial. Mira leaned in and joined Doun to stare at the dancing lights.

  Then something strange happened, something I’d never seen before. Doun’s hand went to his face and covered his mouth. His clawed fingers pinched the space between his eyes and he began to weep.

  “Um, is this bad?” I asked while Mira rubbed Doun’s back.

  Doun shook his head and his voice quivered when he spoke. “No. I’m overwhelmed. I’m happy and I’m ashamed. I saw those lights and remembered when Mira showed me Void’s.”

  He paused for a few seconds to compose himself. “Then I thought of how I couldn’t do that for Mira again. She’s still able and…no, Void. I’m happy to know little ones will be in the house again.”

  “You don’t have to be sad,” Mira comforted. “We talked about it and came to terms.”

  “Yet you’re still young enough and—” Doun started.

  “Doun? Stop,” Mira commanded. “I wouldn’t have anyone else but you. Stop making Void’s announcement morose.”

  Doun wiped away a tear and looked at me. I was ready for him to lay into me for not using protection. Instead, he reached out, gripped my hand and gave it a shake.

  I smiled and shook it back. That triggered a big shriek from Lia who rushed around the table and pulled Void into an embrace. “I’m going to be an auntie!”

  Void and I were inundated with hugs and congratulations from Mira and Lia while Doun looked on with a content look on his face.

  Tizek, however, was staring at his cake slice. I laughed. “Tizek, buddy? Let’s have a toast first then you can have your cake.”

  Tizek was quick to pick up his glass and wait. The rest of us lifted ours and clinked them together. I then downed my juice.

  And I winced. The juice had a slightly off taste to it, like flowers were steeped in it. “Ugh, I think the juice went bad.”

  “Mine is fine,” Lia said as she sipped hers.

  “M’if’n,” Tizek tried to say. He had sucked down his juice and already had a fistful of cake in his mouth.

  “No,” Void said as she smacked her lips. “Something is definitely off about this.”

  “I’ll check the jug,” Doun said and he got up to go to the bar.

  I turned to Void to say something when a strange haze grew in my brain. For some reason, Void was looking irresistible. She turned to look at me and, when our eyes locked, she froze and stared at me.

  We were drawn to each other as the world around us vanished. My vision tunneled to see only her while all sounds around us turned into muffled whispers.

  Void’s hand caressed my cheek and began to pull at the buttons of my purple shirt. I flung my hat away and slid her trousers down her legs. I felt her thighs under my hands and the warmth made a tingle surge up my skin.

  Something gripped my shoulder and Void swatted it away. She briefly pulled away and began to remove her shirt. I followed and, soon, both of us were stripped bare. All that existed in the world was Void.

  Another grip on my shoulder and Void pushed away the offending obstruction. I heard strange noises in the background and some coalesced into recognizable voices.

  “What’s that juice smell like?”

  “Flowers. Regvald’s Curse!”

  “Go find Zelda!”

  “Lia, check the cellars. Tizek? Out back. We’ll check the front.”

  The voices faded and Void became my whole world. I felt stiff below as I pulled Void into my body. She gripped the back of my head and began to kiss me deeply and firmly. Her tongue came into my mouth and I joined. I felt the sharpness of her teeth and the scent of her fur in my nose.

  Void pulled me down and I felt hard wood beneath my hands. Her thighs wrapped around my waist and she invited me inside.

  Then we joined. Every thrust brought me the most pleasurable sensation I ever experienced. Deep moans came from Void’s throat as she writhed beneath me. Her breasts pressed against my chest and forced the tingle down my spine once more.

  We lost ourselves in each other for an eternity. She pulled my head next to hers in ecstasy and I responded by kissing the nape of her neck. Her voice gasped in my ear with every thrust against her waiting hips as I drank in every ounce of her warmth.

  I felt something soft land on me and I didn’t care. All that mattered was Void and I was all that mattered to her. More voices intruded on our union from the empty nothing surrounding us.

  “What is this?”

  “It says Gully Jack in Low Vialinan.”

  “How are you four involved with a gang lord?”

  “I don’t know if Oliver—”

  “Explain.”

  “This will be hard to believe, but Oliver time loo—”

  The voices faded away once more as my focus on Void and our pleasure asserted itself into my mind. All that mattered was this incredible experience with the object of my passion.

  We continued for an immeasurable amount of time, both infinite and instant. I felt a coming release and I pressed in hard, willing every moment of this experience to continue.

  Then I felt content. I rolled off Void and felt something hard and cold press against my back. We stared at each other and drank in our gazes. It was the greatest sex I had in my entire life and I could tell Void thought the same.

  As I stared in her lovely eyes, I felt as if a fog was blowing away from my mind. As it did, I began to feel…what’s going on?

  I began to come to my senses and saw I was under a blanket. I had removed all of my clothing and, along with Void, we were lying on the floor of the pub. She, too, started to blink in confusion.

  “What just happened?” Void asked.

  I had no idea.

  “You two have a lot of explaining to do,” a voice called out.

  Void and I looked up and, each sitting on a chair staring down at us, was Mira and Doun. Lia and Tizek were sitting nearby looking sheepish.

  I stared at them and felt bemused as to what I was doing lying on the floor with Void. Then it hit me…we just had sex right in the middle of pub in front of everyone.

  Void gasped and hid under the blanket on us while I looked up at my future in-laws.

  “I’d like to explain,” I started, “but I have no clue what just happened.”