Page 2 of Starfall (Stand Alone Tales #20)

E mery sat in the back yard on the lush grass. There shouldn t be grass, but Nori s place defied all normal expectations. It was a warm summer afternoon in the middle of winter.

She smiled and stroked the head of the three-tailed cat on her lap.

You look comfortable, Rowen spoke softly.

Emery looked up at him and nodded. I am. It is very comfortable down here, and Archimedes here won t let me up.

Does he have three tails?

He does. He s one of Nori s first experiments and is a sweetie.

He looks sweet. How does she keep him fed?

There are no rodents or stray sheep in the area, and her grocery bill is huge. She chuckled and kept rubbing the head that was as large as her thigh from knee to hip.

He crouched next to her, and his shirt was dangling from his hand. You are upset.

I was. I am getting better. She sighed. I am sorry I was so agitated. I wasn t expecting the last forty-eight hours.

I wasn t either, but I am glad it has happened. This was the shove between us that I think was needed.

Great, so if I behead another ogre, we can have a first date.

He stroked hair from her cheek. Or we could just go to the party tonight and try and dance.

She stared at him. I don t have an invite. I know those things are fairly strict. There isn t a plus-one vibe.

I will ask Hunter for one. He pulled his phone out and sent a message.

It isn t necessary. I don t think I am up for a party.

What aren t you telling me?

I am banned from council events. The human nature and ogre blood make me unwanted.

He paused and then scratched the kitty s head. Please allow me to deal with that.

She snorted. Why would you want to? It is a bit of an old boys club as far as I have been able to ascertain.

Yes, well, there are more ladies nowadays. More women with power are entering the space.

I am firmly in monster class.

Then, they will make room for you, or every grain harvest will fail.

Emery looked at him. Don t be stupid. I have read all the books about ogres rampaging and spoiling the ground they walk on. Eating men and magic in equal measure.

I will have to brush up on my ogre history. Rowen sighed.

Don t. It s gross. I am very glad that I didn t grow up in it. She played with Archimedes ear.

Nori came out and said, Rowen is clear. No contamination, no venom, and the bite has already closed.

Emery looked at him. You can put your shirt on.

He smiled. You sure?

Yes. Archimedes, get off.

The cat opened his eyes a slit and settled back.

Baby boy, I have to go.

Rowen said, She needs to leave with me.

Nori shouted, No! as Emery grabbed for the tails as the huge cat tackled Rowen and tried to get him into a position to crush his skull with his enormous fangs.

Rowen was surprisingly calm. He got his hand under Archimedes jaw and pushed back. Emery watched as he slowly grew his horns, and his neck had thickened to support them.

Rowen got to his feet and looked at Archimedes. Stop. She is not leaving town.

The big cat shuddered and took the shape of an adult. You said she was leaving with you.

She is, but only for today.

I hear the decrees. No ogres in town. She s an ogre.

Decrees can be changed. So, did they know you could shift?

Archimedes snorted. No. Why?

Emery stared at him. Because you are taller than I remember. You can turn your tails off?

Of course.

Why did you let me cuddle you all those times?

He looked at her as if she wasn t bright. Because you smell good.

Rowen went around him and wrapped his arms around Emery. She does, but you can t have her.

Archimedes growled. She s ours.

Rowen was surprised. Ours?

The beasts, the shifters, the changelings. She is ours. She takes care of us, feeds us, shelters us. She guards us, so she is not leaving. We will tear this town to the ground if you try and make her leave. He leaned forward and growled.

Nori blinked. Archimedes?

Please call me Archie.

Can I get you some pants?

Do I need them? Archie frowned. You run around the house naked.

When there are guests, clothing is standard.

I will return to my natural form then. He disappeared into fur and lashing tails.

Emery blinked. Did he just...

Rowen chuckled. He did.

And he s...

He is.

Nori paused, Glad I delayed the neutering.

Archie growled with his tails tucked in.

Rowen reached out, and Archie s muzzle sniffed his fingers. Even if Emery cannot take care of you and yours, I will take it on.

There was a weird sort of shimmer in the air.

Nori whispered, An oath from a season. He s locked in now. As long as you are alive, you are in charge, but as soon as you pass, it will be all him.

Emery asked Archie, You are good with that?

He purred and rubbed up against her.

Rowen pulled her away and went, No more marking her.

Emery was off her feet and dangling. She had shifted to her tall form and was still dangling. You don t know what you are promising.

You will tell me when it is too much, and I will take care of it, he murmured.

She turned her head, and his stag-like face was near hers. Well, at least the rescue, caf , and hostel will be okay if I get booted out of town.

Nori sighed. And your other businesses will simply be sold off.

Rowen smiled. Other businesses?

She shrugged. One or two.

Nori snorted. Six more plus the three she mentioned. She s an owner of small businesses that need help. She gets them up and running and popular again while keeping a certain amount aside to help the magical who are having a rough time. She gives meals, lodging, and medical assistance to a variety of creatures.

He smiled at Emery. You do?

Well, yeah. I know what it s like not to know where your next meal or a safe place to sleep is. My adoptive parents were great, but they wanted me to be a responsible adult the moment I turned eighteen.

Nori snorted. You mean you took off because they were after you to have your soul split.

They wanted what was best for me and thought that if they could get the ogre portion out, I could live a nice, normal life. They tried; it hurt; I left the next day. I don t go home for holidays or anything. Emery sighed. Can you put me down?

I can. Yes. He nuzzled her temple and inhaled. I don t want to.

Why not?

You fit me, body and soul. I want to see your star blaze and your teeth bite. His voice was a rumble of sound that barely formed words. Have you ever ridden a stag through the woods?

Um. No.

Would you like to? I can arrange it. I will kneel down, and you can climb onto me, moving around until you are comfortable. Then hold on, and I start to move.

She blinked slowly. Uh. I have no idea how to respond to that.

You just have to say yes when you are in the mood for it. I will handle the rest.

Emery stared into his eyes and at his horns.

Nori chuckled and cleared her throat. Well, if he isn t infected, can I get fresh venom samples from you for antivenin? Your contribution works on all ogre bites. Takes care of them right away.

Okay, but do you have something for me to rinse out with?

Yeah. This time, I got it ready. So, will you?

Um, yeah, I will be there right away. She cartoonishly pumped her arms and legs.

Rowen snorted and set her down. I get the idea.

She settled, walked back to the lab, and got the extraction kit out. It was like collecting from a snake, but she had to provide the pressure. Her face always ached after extraction.

The other two were just coming into the room when she bit through the cloth and rammed her thumbs against the roof of her mouth as she milked the venom. It smelled like grape soda and acid, and she faced the mirror to see when her fangs were empty.

The steady stream of purply crimson showed no signs of stopping. Her eyes were wide when she held up two fingers for Nori, and another collection vessel was quickly prepared. She got the first one three-quarters full and then stopped pressing for a moment to extract her fangs from one vessel, hand it off to Nori s gloved hands, and then bit into the next vessel and pressed on her glands again until they were empty.

Emery carefully pulled her teeth free and felt them retract into a normal position. She flexed her jaw. So, you should be able to make all you need for a year with that. Fuck, that hurt.

Yeah. That... That s a lot. Can I black-market any of this?

Emery blinked. Half an ounce after you remove all links?

An ounce? You have gotten sixteen here.

Emery massaged her face. Fine. One ounce. Remove the link to me here and now, please.

Of course. Nori drew off the magical venom and carried it carefully to her apparatus at the far end of the lab. She added materials that would sever the tie between Emery and her venom so it could not be used to trace or bespell her. They had learned that lesson early.

Rowen asked, What is she doing?

Oh, she s severing the link between me and the venom, so those who want to use it for spell work can t summon me or use me as a battle drone. She grimaced. Again.

It has happened before?

Twice. After that, we started the protocol. There is a mild curse that only activates on contact with the venom and turns into something more dangerous.

Like what?

Ogre transformation fluid but only if they are using the venom for an attack on another being. If there is ill intent in the spell that uses it... boom. Ogre. She snorted. The antivenin is popular as well. It works on a lot of venomous creature bites. Most of them, actually, once Nori is done with the formula.

Rowen blinked. You sell your venom?

Sure. It has paid for about five of my businesses, and they paid for my next four.

Nori worked and muttered with Archimedes watching over her.

Goodbye, Nori. Thanks for running the scans.

Yup. Anytime. Feel free to bring him by anytime you bite him. Next time, aim lower.

Rowen laughed, and Emery blushed. There isn t going to be a next time.

Oh, Emery, you know that s not true. Rowen chuckled, and they left the alchemist s lab and her pet.

Back in his car, she scrubbed her face and muttered, Fuck.

What s wrong?

I am stuck like this for a few hours. I hate having to work like this.

Perhaps you should take a day off. The diner is operating smoothly.

She wrinkled her nose. Do you skip the gym?

Well, no. But I get to watch you day in and day out, and occasionally, I go over there to get on the case of one of my clients just to watch you flip your shit and put extra cheese on everything.

When did you pull your horns in?

While you were milking your venom.

She wrinkled her nose. Ah.

What does that feel like?

It s part getting your teeth stuck in a toffee apple and a little like having a sour candy causing a drool waterfall while your sinuses drain.

So, not great.

It is unique. Probably similar to the first time you got your horns stuck in a t-shirt.

He laughed. I refuse to confirm that I have tried that, but yeah, it was awkward.

Can you take me back to my place?

Sure. May I take you out for lunch?

She paused. Like a date?

Precisely like a date. I will take a shower and be back in half an hour.

That s fast.

An hour?

Better. She smiled. Do you have a place in mind?

I do. Do you like barbeque?

I do. I really do.

Good. I will be back in an hour. Wear something washable. He grinned. He pulled into her driveway, and she nodded.

One hour.

She nodded and returned to her house, opening her door with a pulse of magic. She slipped into the house, watched through the glass as Rowen drove off, and tried to calm her thudding heart. Emery headed to the shower and scrubbed, trying to blot out the fact that he knew it all, or most of it, and he was still wanting to get closer.

Maybe watching her savage a rack of ribs would cool his interest.

She washed out the conditioner in her hair and sighed. He had found the thought of her biting him during sex to be arousing, so her gnashing teeth probably wouldn t turn him off. Maybe she should eat like she was having afternoon tea. Nah. She couldn t disrespect the lives of the animals she was about to consume. It definitely beat having to chase them down in the woods and kill them herself. Puberty had been rough, but she hadn t killed any humans, so she considered it a win.

She picked out a dark tee with no decoration, dark blue jeans, and dark sneakers. She got carried away with handheld food and wasn t going to hold back.

The jokes about food and sex drive might be accurate, but she didn t care. Rowen had been verbally sparring with her for a few years by this point, and she always stopped the battle by eating something sugary, usually on a stick. He would flush, open and close his mouth, and leave. Now, she knew it wasn t because he was speechless.

She dried her hair and pulled half of it into a high ponytail. It would keep it off her face. She put on a clear lip balm that would defend her from the hot sauces she preferred, and she got her purse. Her phone had messages from Orla, so Emery spent a few minutes answering them. When she looked up, she felt Rowen pulling into the driveway.

His timing was good.

She got up and walked to the door, locking up and using the key for a change. Rowen stepped around and opened the passenger door. You look lovely and sparkling clean.

That is what happens when you shower.

And yet, sweaty Emery is adorable and is a smell I have committed to memory.

She blinked as she buckled up. That s... I am unsure of how to think about that.

He chuckled and put the car in gear, backing down her driveway. Why do you live out here instead of in a more expensive area?

Well, first, this place is paid for. So, no worries there. Second, I like to put my money back into my businesses and keep expanding my eclectic empire.

You don t stick to one business model?

Oh, hell no. The world is changing, and any business can lose popularity at any moment. So, I keep my focus on the type of shops that can enrich the local population. Small grocery shops that are not distant from bus stops, animal shelters, caf s that sell food at reasonable prices. When folks have full bellies, they are calmer and can make better decisions. When they can go to a free clinic for small issues before they become big ones, they get better faster and can keep their savings. Stuff like that.

He smiled. So, you have humanitarian businesses.

If you say so. I just feel that everyone is happier if the basics can be taken care of. She shrugged. Time in group homes showed me that once the basics are good, other things can be reasoned out. If you are desperate, you panic, and some folks get violent.

He nodded. The fight-or-flight response.

Yes, well, if you are small and shaped like prey when the larger prey is panicking, they will trample or attack the smaller prey to preserve resources.

What you are saying is that one of your guardians attacked you.

They tried. They were human and just thought I had gone crazy . They couldn t believe the changes, so they didn t. But I stayed up and watched over the other kids from that day onward.

So, you don t sleep much.

I do now, mostly. But not during school. That was different, but it helped me burn off some of that initial rage. When I was fostered and got adopted finally, it was great. No more back and forth to the group home when my file was sent to court and the adoption petition was denied. I had to remain there until the court settled on their no, and then, it was months before I was back at my foster home.

Shit.

That sums it up. I learned what was a friend and what wasn t and how strong I could be without changing my face. That was important. Now, I am stuck for a while, and going out into public like this feels strange. She looked down at her arms. Oh fuck. Go back. I have to change my shirt.

Why?

The cut marks. Some people know what they are on sight and make sure to comment on it.

What do you normally do?

Go on a rant about survival and minding their own fucking business. I am alive and have made it to adulthood and into my thirties, but those morons obviously have suffered some kind of brain damage and never had to learn from their mistakes.

So, if it happens, do that.

It won t bother you?

Nope. He chuckled.

Emery rubbed at her arms. I can hide them for a while, but I really like eating, so my glamour slips.

If it bothers you, cover them with barbeque sauce. I will help you lick it off later. Rowen grinned.

Isn t it a little high in carbs for you?

I will work to burn them off later. You could join me? He glanced at her. We have spare workout gear at the gym.

You want me to work out after lunch?

Do you ever get full?

She blinked. Oh, no. Well, you have been quick with your research.

Your friend Orla read it to me over the phone while I showered.

She laughed. That sounds like something she would do. She s doing well?

She is.

Emery relaxed in relief. Good. I wasn t sure.

Don t you wonder about her mother?

No. She s fine. We are connected until she linked to another. It isn t much of a tether.

You can just survive with that?

Sure. It doesn t take much out of me, and what it does is easily replaced.

He pulled into the restaurant parking lot. Will you explain how?

Feed me, and I will tell you anything.

Rowen came around and helped her out of the vehicle. I will bear that in mind.

She smiled and stepped down, ending up against him for a moment before she pulled back. Sorry about that.

He grinned. Don t worry. I have plans to be much closer.

Whoa. First, you have to feed me.

Fair enough. Let s go in.