The fabric of her robe fell down more, so she held it closed over her bust, but her shoulders were entirely bare. Her hair was dark, similar to Yun in color, but not texture or length. Where Yun had shoulder-length and mostly straight hair, with just the slightest of waves, this woman had thick curls, visible even though they were braided back. It fell to somewhere down her back, though I couldn’t tell where, given she faced us.
“Yeah, still the wrong room,” Carter said, his voice lacking some of the humor he usually held. “Go on back and tell the Admiral this didn’t work.”
“Work?” Kenyon frowned, then widened his eyes to suggest he’d just worked through this all. “Oh,” he said, loudly.
“I’m not doing anything, just offering guiding to espers. Isn’t that the point of a guide?” She walked up to the edge of the hot tub, then let the robe fall away entirely. She turned her back, gripped the edge of the hot tub, then hopped up to sit on that edge. A quick twist—one I averted my eyes for—and she slid into the water.
At least that hid most of her, though from what I’d seen, it was all fucking flawless.
The woman could have been a model, with a large chest and wide hips, the sort that called to a man in some primitive way. She had this slightly vacant expression, as though she were willing to do anything, like the lewdest of promise.
“We have a guide,” Carter said, tone offering no leeway or argument.
“So? Espers are often guided by others when needed. I can assure you that I can handle the task—or any other you find your current guide might not fulfill.” The words held no malice, as though she truly didn’t give a damn about Yun. It wasn’t a competition to her, which was the only reason I didn’t snap. The woman seemed oddly empty, like she had no depth to her, nothing beneath the facade. It made me wonder what the fuck the Guild had done to her…
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Kenyon said, having finally caught up to what the rest of us were seeing. It often took him a while, but he always got there eventually. “Look, we have a guide, and we don’t need any of your, um, services.” Kenyon spoke while staring up at the ceiling of the trailer as if meeting her gaze was a betrayal in and of itself. He’d always been the loyal type, something I’d never call myself.
Yet here I was, ignoring a clearly willing woman and guide just because of Yun?
The idea seemed so strange to me that I struggled to even make sense of it. It felt like I was reading a script for a movie,told how I should react, but knowing it didn’t fit me at all. I rarely turned down anyone,especiallyafter a dungeon.
Which had me hesitating all the more. Was that why the guild had pulled this little stunt now, of all times? Was this whole fucking thing directed right at me?
Even if I didn’t openly advertise my perversions, my needs, they weren’t secrets, either. Lots of people talked about what happened after I used my powers, when I craved nothing more than a willing, warm body.
Fuck, did that mean they sawmeas the weak link?
I didn’t much care for that idea at all, but it didn’t make it any less true.
“I’m not trying to replace her,” the woman said. “I’m just offering to take some of the pressure off her shoulders. It can’t be easy to handle the four of you, especially if rumors about her are to be believed. Are you turning me down for her benefit or for your own?”
Thathit home, made me pause.
Which was it?
Would Yun be happier if she didn’t have to deal with us all alone? Maybe a break for her would be beneficial, right? Given the way she reacted to touch, even if we’d broken through some of that, it was still a lot for her…
Were we just being possessive? Selfish? Obsessive?
I hated not knowing the answer to that, the unsettled feeling inside of me.
“Nice try,” Carter said, his voice armed with a cruel edge. “What’s your name?”
“Marleena Blume,” she said, her perfect lips pulled into an easy smile. Not a seductive smirk, not a coy ‘I’m just a sweet little virgin,’ look, either. Instead, it seemed as though it were the most neutral expression a person could wear, as though she had no true thoughts or opinions inside her.
I had a feeling that I could ask her to do anything and she would. Not happily, perhaps, not with any sort of excitement, but as though she had no free will of her own.
I turned a look over to Carter, remembering what he’d said the Guild had offered.
A guide who will never leave and will do anything you want.
Well, this woman certainly fit that definition, didn’t she? And no matter what the Guild had thought we’d do or think about it, I didn’t find it appealing at all.
Nah, I wanted Yun’s little temper tantrums, I wanted her bite, I wanted the way she rolled her eyes at my jokes and refused to meet my gaze when she felt cornered.
As it turned out, any old warm and willing body wouldn’t do. There was one very specific warm and not always willing body I wanted.
“Marleena,” Carter said, tone one that would make a normal person cower. Carter could cover his darker side, the ugly parts of himself, well. He could hide that when he wanted, showing the world someone who smiled, who laughed, who went with the flow and didn’t seem to think too deeply about much.
