The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (pdf to ebook reader txt) 📗

The Minotaur sighed at the predictable interruption and Ginger turned even pinker at the giant’s words, while the now-offended Harpy turned on the Gigas with a stern look on her face.

“Hey! My name is Celeste, not Bird-Brain! You nasty little bully!”

“You called me that before.” Nina observed with a yawn; “I don’t really mind the nasty bully part, but call me ‘little’ again and I’ll be having talkative-turkey for dinner.”

Celeste’s face turned as scarlet as her bond-mate’s and she ruffled her feathers as she glared at the Gigas with impotent rage.

“Nina, leave her alone.” Nameless ordered with a sigh; “We need to focus on the assignment.”

The Gigas shrugged as she looked to her man.

“What’s there to focus on? Anyone steps towards the girls in the auction house, I kill them. Easy.”

Ginger and Celeste exchanged worried looks at the giant’s careless bloodlust, the former thinking she had perhaps been a bit too familiar with the Gigas in the past and the latter thinking she should maybe talk less around her.

“Minotaur tail hair?” Baron asked out of nowhere, gesturing at Nameless’s neck where Milly’s braid was.

“Uh, yeah, Milly made it for me.”

“Not very practical having your girl tethered to you like that.” The young man noted.

Nameless felt a sharp spike of annoyance from the girl in question, and was quick to defend her.

“She braided it for me long before we had any intention of joining the Aegis. At the time, neither of us were thinking about practicality.”

Baron sucked air between his teeth, but didn’t argue the point.

Nina was walking along at Nameless’s hip, and as she had so recently demonstrated with Celeste, she wasn’t one to just let things slide.

“You got a big mouth on you kid.” The Gigas remarked as she loosened up her murder-arm, jiggling her hammer back in forth in preparation of using it; “You gunna talk shit about me next?”

Baron drew in a deep breath and shook his head.

“No. And I wasn’t talking shit about her either. Just an observation of fact.”

Milly let out a huff, her annoyance growing even plainer and her glare nearly boring a hole in the back of Baron’s head.

“Can I scratch him, just a little?” Erica whined.

In response to the rising tension, the other three felines let out a low growl, their blue fur bristling and crackling with electricity as their ears flattened.

Ginger and Celeste shared a look and wisely, and uncharacteristically, kept silent.

“Enough, girls. All of you.” Nameless stepped in before things could get worse; “We have a job to do, and it’s an important one.”

No one disagreed with him, so he continued, striving for diplomacy.

“I know where my strengths lie, and I’m pretty sure I know where yours do.” The corner of the taller man’s mouth twitched, but again he didn’t argue as Nameless continued; “Every heartstone that passes through that place while we are assigned there will go through my hands before it leaves, agreed?”

“Sounds good to me.” Ginger shrugged, though she was watching Baron.

He frowned.

“Is that how it works? Your… ability?”

“You can call it a gift.” Nina observed; “In fact, I insist.”

Nameless could see the other man’s ears flush, whether with embarrassment of annoyance, he didn’t know.

Losing patience, he tried to be as direct as he could.

“Look, Baron, you and I never really meshed. I think we can at least agree on that, but if something bad happens because you and I are bickering over nothing, I won’t forgive myself. And I doubt you will either.”

“I didn’t mean-” Baron began, but stopped himself with a curse, finally turning to face Nameless; “Yes, it is true that we got off on the wrong foot at the academy, and I will accept the blame for that. It was my mistake to think that your only qualification was your bond-mates. But right now you all seem to think I’m being passive aggressive or something, and I assure you that I am not. I am trying to focus on our assignment. If we’re working together, Jennifer and I need to know exactly how your gift works!”

It was Nameless’s turn to blush, having mistaken Baron’s behaviour so very badly.

Insanely he wished that Volka were here to give one or both of them a wedgie to ease the tension, but the Valkyrie was off trying to shape the mob of monsters that had responded to her call into an effective fighting force.

“Some Empath I am.” He sighed; “I’m sorry, you’re right.”

Baron stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly measuring his sincerity, before turning away and resuming their trek.

“Uh, Baron. My name is Ginger.” The redhead corrected from behind them; “People just call me Jenny because of my hair.”

He didn’t bother answering, though once again they all saw his ears turn red.

Nameless took it as a good sign that the professional young man could make mistakes just like anyone.

They spent the rest of the walk to the auction house discussing how his powers worked, Baron seeming especially interested with his ability to communicate with his bond-mates directly.

“Are you able to see what’s going on in the real world when you are completely in their mind like that?”

“Yes and no. It’s sort of like how you can effectively blind yourself by focusing all of your attention on a different sense. I am aware of what’s going on, but-”

“When he’s doing it you’ll know.” Erica promised; “He looks just like he does when he busts his nut, all slack jawed and dopey-faced.”

“Here’s to hoping I don’t become overly familiar with the sight.” Baron remarked drily, finally displaying something close to humour.

Embarrassed, Nameless mentally scolded Erica for her indiscrete phrasing.

Then Milly broke in, trying to be helpful as she pointed at his face in excitement.

“Just like that! He’s doing it