Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) by Daniel Schinhofen (best black authors .TXT) 📗

“I don’t doubt that,” Micklen said. “Magus Ursinda told me I have to bathe to eat. Since I was here, Jenn asked me if I wanted to join them.”

“That makes sense,” Gregory said, realizing Dia had played a joke on him.

“We were talking about our favorite thing,” Yukiko said with an innocent tone.

Gregory’s eyes widened as he remembered what she’d called her “favorite thing” last night, and he glanced at Yukiko in shock.

Giggling, Yukiko gave him an evil grin. “You. Nothing specific. Just you.”

They’re all out to get me tonight, Gregory groaned to himself as he finished pumping water.

“Well, not entirely true,” Jenn said, watching Gregory tense again.

“Yes, they told me about the scars,” Micklen added. “Yuki was saying they came from a bane wolf.”

“I told her the story had to wait for you,” Yukiko said.

“Oh... uh, sure,” Gregory said as he sat down to wash, putting his back to them. “It was on age day…”

~*~*~

The story was finished by the time he’d stopped washing himself.

“Hmm... must have been frightening,” Micklen said.

“It was terrifying,” Gregory said, heading for the tub.

“Terror I know well,” Micklen said grimly, looking into the distance. Shaking her head, she focused on him when he sank into the water. “Most freeze up when terror grips their heart. Very few can push past it and act. That saved your life.”

“It did,” Gregory agreed. “Proctor Bishop really saved our lives, though.”

“I can’t see Harrison being able to take its head and not cut you,” Yukiko said. “Bishop is a master of her blade, unlike him.”

“Yes,” Gregory agreed.

“Sounds like another story,” Jenn said as she splashed some water into her hair and slicked it back. That action brought Gregory’s attention to Micklen, whose hair was also plastered to her head. Because her hair was wet and flat, he could easily see the jagged stumps of horns poking up from her hairline. Pulling his eyes from the remnants of her horns, he found her glaring at him.

“I’m sorry,” Gregory apologized. “I didn’t mean to stare.”

“He doesn’t mean anything bad by it, Kass,” Jenn said, touching Micklen’s arm. “Besides, you did some staring when he came in.”

Micklen looked away. “I don’t like being stared at because of them.” She pushed her hair so they mostly obscured the stumps again.

“I do apologize,” Gregory said softly. “It was rude of me to do so.”

Micklen glanced at him and saw only contriteness. She looked at Jenn’s hand, then patted it with her much bigger one. “Okay, I accept. Your wives speak only highly of you. You can’t hold prejudices if both of your wives have blood other than human.”

“Blood is just blood,” Gregory said. “It’s the person who decides who they are. I’ve known enough high and mighty assholes to know that blood is just an excuse to try making others feel bad.”

“I told you,” Jenn said. “This is who he is.”

Micklen exhaled noisily before dunking her head briefly underwater. Flinging it back, she sent water flying, but also her hair, revealing the jagged stumps again. “You did. I’m getting out. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Gregory bowed his head to her. “I’ll see you at din…ner,” he stuttered when Micklen stood up.

He’d thought she was impressive when he’d seen her at the smithy, but as she got out of the tub, he knew he’d vastly underestimated her. Chiseled and powerful were the only two words he could think of that fit the statuesque woman as she went past him.

“Yeah, you were right,” Jenn giggled as the door shut behind Micklen. “Then again, we weren’t much better.”

“I think she could kill someone without meaning to,” Yukiko said. “Greg?”

“Huh?” Gregory asked, then coughed. “I… I’m sorry.” He splashed water in his face. “I’m a horrible husband. Here I am with you two, and I still looked at another woman.”

Yukiko slid to one side of him and took his hand. “Most women would be hurt right now. You’re right to apologize.”

Jenn moved to his other side and mirrored Yukiko. “However, we’re both as guilty as you. We did the same as you with both her and Dia. I never thought that I would be attracted to women, but it appears that I am. Yuki helped me see that.”

“And Jenn helped me see that I am the same as her,” Yukiko said. “As long as none of us touches without the approval of the others, it’ll be fine. If you agree, that is.”

Gregory sat there as his wives held his hands, and he sighed. “Darkness calls me Aether, and maybe I am him reborn, but at the moment, I have to wonder if one of you is Vera.”

Both women giggled and leaned in to plant kisses on his cheeks.

“I think it’s Yuki,” Jenn said. “Despite what Darkness said, she’s the one who helped lead us to this happiness. She shared her heart with me when she never had to.”

Yukiko gave Jenn a soft smile. “You flatter me, but it isn’t so. Maybe our souls have just resonated now that we’re married and in love. I feel like we are parts of a symphony in harmony with each other.”

“Looking, no touching,” Gregory said, feeling odd about it. “I want to agree, but the idea of you looking at another man like that… it feels wrong to me.”

Both women laughed and kissed his cheek again. “No other man can catch our interest, dear one,” Yukiko said.

“I’ll never want another man,” Jenn said.

“Okay,” Gregory said. “I agree, but if any of us feels jealous, we have to tell the others and we’ll reevaluate this.”

“Agreed,” Jenn said.

“That’s the best course of action,” Yukiko nodded. “We should be going. We’ve been in here long enough.”

~*~*~

Entering the private dining room, Gregory