The Fantasy Trove

 [tags: violence, mind control, non-erotic]

 

Bobby looks forward to getting home to recover from his traumatic day. Fate has other plans.

 

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Chapter 13

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PTSD

 

“We’re almost out, Master,” the maid informed me as we rounded a corner. “I see light up ahead.”

 

“Please, stop calling me ‘Master,’” I asked for the umpteenth time. The nagini lead the way with Guardian Derrick slumped over her snake half, and the maid carrying Al over one shoulder, bringing up the rear. The drow elf’s strength was surprising; she didn’t even sound out of breath after bringing the ginger man this far.

 

“But you are my master, Master,” she informed me. I’d tried everything I could think of to get her to stop—even giving her a direct command as her master—but nothing changed. “I see that it causes you stress, Master. However, the magic that binds me to your service makes it so I can address you as nothing else. I can change how I address your wives and friends, though, if that pleases you?”

 

“Wives and… Wait!” I turned and stared at the midnight-skinned woman in shock, just then realizing what it meant to have her in my service. What were Shayna and Elly going to think about her? Had I bitten off more than I could chew? I hadn’t wanted a slave, but it was that or let her die.

 

Just one more to add to your harem, Charlotte teased me, but I ignored her.

 

“Quiet,” Princess Ashani Devesh Aaban waived two of her six arms to silence us. That was another headache I didn’t care to think about. At least she wouldn’t be coming home with me. I can’t imagine how Shayna would handle that. “I hear someone outside.”

 

“I’ll check it out,” I offered, preparing to unsheathe my poison-coated cane blade.

 

“Be careful, Master,” the maid begged in a hushed whisper. I nodded to her even as I grimaced at her calling me master.

 

Orienting to where I could see the light ahead, I took careful steps. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, the rock-strewn ground wasn’t conducive to stealth.

 

“You might as well come on out,” I heard Consul Willmont’s haggard voice call out, followed by a gasp and a groan. “All of the damned gnolls are dead. You must have—” another wet gasp, and it sounded like he tried to regain his breath. “—killed the Alpha.”

 

I picked up my pace, jogging to the entrance. The sun sat low to my left, illuminating a grizzly scene. Dead gnolls lay scattered around, many dismembered and most bloody. To my right, with his back against the cave entrance, rested Willmont. From the look of things, he’d fought valiantly against overwhelming odds. The way he held his stomach and bled from numerous other scratches and cuts told me he’d won, but at a cost.

 

“Of course… It’d be you who… survived,” Willmont sneered at me before leaning over and coughing up blood. “I don’t suppose… you’d taken any potions from that worthless maid before….” Willmont’s eyes fluttered as he choked on more blood. I remembered the maid saying he was close to death some time ago and wondered how he’d lasted this long.

 

“I have one vial left, Master,” the maid spoke up, coming out of the cave. She gently set Al down on an almost clean rock patch before rushing to her previous master. “We all survived, thanks to Master Brody. Master Rhinehardt, Master Brody, and Master Mckay were all grievously wounded and required most of the vials. However, I saved one in case you still needed it.”

 

“Dammit, whore!” Willmont snarled and spat dark reddish-black liquid to the side. “Hurry and… give it here!”

 

The maid rushed to comply, pulling out a vial from her decolletage. The wounded Paladonic Knight snatched it from her, swallowing the milky contents in one large gulp.

 

I saw her smile for the first time since I’d met the maid. It made my insides turn cold.

 

“One might be… enough. As soon as I’m—urghk!” Willmont made a strangled noise, toppling and vomiting dark fluids across the uneven ground. “What--?!” was all he managed to ask before his body locked up in painful spasms. I had to look away, seeing why he’d held his stomach. His intestines and other viscera spilled out and shook along with the rest of him. He was well-built, and I heard his bones crack as he convulsed. A low gurgling wail emanated from his throat as his body ravaged itself.

 

“Come, Master,” the maid took my arm and guided me away from the horrific death. I would have lost everything in my stomach if I had anything left. As it was, I dry-heaved multiple times until the maid left me alone, resting against a tree trunk.

 

I wiped the saliva from my lips as I tried to catch my breath. A rustling sound nearby drew my attention, and I grabbed my cane, terrified that a gnoll had somehow survived.

 

A nervous chuckle escaped me a moment later when a red fox poked its pointed nose out and cocked its head as it regarded me. I’d never seen a fox in the wild before, and I kept my grip on the cane, just in case it was feral. I didn’t even know there were foxes in California, though this one looked a little larger than I thought it should be.

 

Our eyes locked for several long moments. Then, just when I got the crazy idea to start talking to it, the creature turned its head towards the cave and scampered off.

 

The nagini and maid returned a moment later, carrying my fellow Knights.

 

“What happened to Consul Willmont?” I asked the maid, still shaken from the gruesome death.

 

“I will submit myself to your punishment, Master,” the drow said solemnly. “He was close to death already, and I lied to him. There were no vials left to heal him.”

 

I had flashbacks of the dark woman holding a vial to my cock as I came and remembered that my seed was deadly. I shut down any further questions about that.

 

“He treated you poorly, didn’t he?” I asked, switching the subject.

 

The elf shuddered in memory and nodded before saying, “He often had me… entertain his guests. I’m a lowly servant and must obey my master, but some of the things he made me do….” She shuddered again before shaking her head and continuing. “He also planned on you dying today. He took this from you after your first mission. It’s rightfully yours.”

 

In her hand, she held out my pendant. It had a new silver chain, but I recognized the worm metal device as soon as I saw it.

 

Ha! I told you! Charlotte crowed in my head as I reached for the trinket, though my stomach felt leaden.

 

The bastard set us up! He must have known there was an alpha and expected us to die. Suddenly, I didn’t feel as bad about his death, though it was still horrific.

 

“Please, allow me, Master,” the maid moved before I could argue, and I felt her warm hands placing the chain around my neck.

 

Something flowed through me as its warm metal surface fell against my neck.

 

Don’t worry. I won’t rub it in too much that I was right all along. Charlotte’s giggle was both girlish and cynical. I wondered if she was choosing to gloss over what the maid said or trying to distract me. The latter, she admitted to my thoughts.

 

“I would return to my people,” Princess Ashani said, her accent sounding even more apparent now that we were out of that cave. “They will be looking for me and should not find me in the company of these Knights. But, Mr. Brody, this maid tells me you have a good heart. You do not belong among the wicked Knights. Should you leave their order, my family will happily reward you for your efforts.”

 

“I didn’t do much,” I admitted, embarrassed by her attitude. Then my jaw dropped as the over twelve-foot snake-woman transformed into a thick-muscled woman that came eye-level to me. Seriously, her arms were at least as thick as mine and maybe bigger. This was no pampered princess but a powerful woman. Yet, her large breasts still sat bare and proud above her washboard abs, looking incongruous on someone so strong.

 

“You fought valiantly, and it is plain to see that you are not like your fellow Knights in their disdain for non-humans. I saw you move to free me when you were attacked.” Ashani regarded the maid momentarily before turning back to face me with her golden brown eyes. “Treat this one with honor as you have tried to do. I see the conflict in you and know you are the right master for her.”

 

“Do you need any clothes?” I asked, already taking off my shirt despite its filthy and ragged appearance. It’d work for her better than nothing.

 

She gave a light laugh before responding. “None will see me as I move. Take care, Knight Bobby Brody. Your friends are waking.”

 

The last sliver of the sun dropped down as the princess finished talking. With it, the shadows appeared to leap up and swallow her, leaving nothing but memories in their wake.

 

“I will meet you back at home as well, Master,” the maid said. “I will do as promised, deleting the files on you before I see you again.” She bowed low, and before I could respond, she took off running.

 

Sighing, I turned to where Guardian Rhinehardt and Al were starting to stir. I truly hoped the maid would successfully clear Consul Willmont’s notes about me and remove the surveillance software in our house and vehicles. I didn’t know how tech-savvy she was, but she claimed she could do it.

 

“What… happened?” Al asked as he sat up. “I feel like I was hit by a truck. Ah, truck-kun, why didn’t you take me to another world?”

 

“Nah, bitch,” Guardian Rhinehardt grumbled, talking over Al. “I don’t do weed. Now, we can start talking if you have some cocaine to shove up my ass.”

 

“Um… I don’t think either of you is fully awake yet,” I shouted as Charlotte giggled in my head.

 

Both men blinked before turning bleary eyes on me, then clutched their heads and groaned.

 

“Not so fucking loud, man,” Derrick murmured. “I haven’t had a hangover like this since making the first-round draft pick. Where are we?”

 

I gave them a modified version of events, stating that the nagini broke free, killed the alpha, and fled. I claimed to have carried them all the way out while they slept.

 

It’s a good thing they don’t have all their faculties because you’re a terrible liar, Charlotte teased.

 

Not all of us are created to deceive and trick people, I snapped at her, annoyed with more than just her. I hated lying but accepted that it was needed in this case. I also hated that I was suddenly alone, having to deal with this. I understood why the women left, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.

 

“Where’s the other one?” Guardian Rhinehardt asked, still rubbing his temples. I didn’t remember having such a headache after waking and wondered if both men were okay.

 

“The other—oh! You mean Willmont’s maid.” I felt a nervous chuckle try to force its way out and swallowed hard. “I don’t know what happened to her. One moment she was giving us some vials that helped us recover from our injuries, and then she fell over, dead. I couldn’t find any injuries on her.”

 

The maid kindly asked that I claim she was dead, and Charlotte had demanded it. They were both afraid that Derrick would try to claim her, and as much as I didn’t want a slave, the elf was adamant that she wanted me as her master.

 

“Consul Willmont,” Derrick snapped, correcting my relaxed speech. “No injuries, you said? I’m sure you checked her over real close. Too bad. She was good at… what she did. Well, if she died like that, it’s a good bet that Consul Willmont is dead too.”

 

“Yes, Sir,” I said, not liking how he referred her. “I found… him as we got out of the cave.” I couldn’t bring myself to mention his death, the visceral image still plastered in my mind.

 

“That’s just up that way, right?” Derrick asked, and I nodded. “Good; I’ll go get his keys and meet you back here in a moment.”

 

“You’re leaving us alone, Sir?” Al spoke up with sudden concern. “What if there are more of those monsters around?”

 

“The alpha is dead,” I said before I could think better of revealing my knowledge. “The rest died when it did.”

 

“That’s right, Carpenter Brody,” Guardian Rhinehardt said as he got to his feet. “There should be nothing dangerous around for some distance. Gnolls tend to clear out any natural predators. I don’t suppose you cut off its head to take back as a trophy?”

 

“Uh, no?” I said, confused. This isn’t some video game where I get bonuses for carrying around a decaying head, I thought. But, of course, I didn’t say that to the tall man. “I didn’t know I should. Do we need it for anything?”

 

“Proof,” Derrick shrugged as he looked back towards the cave entrance. “But I suppose the cleanup crew will verify its death when they arrive. Would’ve been cool to get it stuffed and mounted. I’ll have to talk to Protector Bingham about that. Maybe he’ll hook me up.”

 

The tall man didn’t wait for a response before hiking back to the cave entrance.

 

“Dude, we… we almost died!” Al said as he stared at his shaking hands. “Almost died! I don’t want to die. Being a Paldonic Knight was supposed to be all babes and fun. Not this. Almost died!”

 

I took two quick steps to the man and gripped his shoulders hard. Slapping him might pull him out of his downward spiral, but it might also make him antagonistic. I’d seen how he’d fought, and he was no slouch.

 

“Keep it together, Alfred Mckay!” I said, bent over with my face inches from his. Charlotte fed me the words, and I internalized them as I spoke. I hadn’t let myself think about how close we all came to dying today and didn’t need Al reminding me. “You’re alive. You’re going back to Jolene. Don’t think about what could have happened. Instead, concentrate on what did happen. That’s how you work through this.”

 

“But Willmont died!” Al shouted in my face. “He didn’t make it. That could have been us. He won’t be going home.”

 

“Willmont abandoned us,” I replied in an even tone, leaving out how the old man intended us to die. “He left us on our own and paid for that. Teamwork saved us. We worked together and made it through. Don’t forget this day, and remember its lessons.” I felt like I was spouting platitudes now, but I noted some of the fear leaving Al’s freckled face.

 

“That’s some good advice,” Guardian Derrick said, rejoining us. “You must have seen some shit to think like that, Carpenter Brody. So listen to him, Carpenter Mckay. If not for him, we’d still be in that cave. We owe him for hauling our asses out of there. He must be exhausted after carrying us so far.”

 

I blinked, unsure of the praise coming from one of my basketball idols. “I just did what I had to do, Sir. I’ve still got enough in me to get to the vehicles.”

 

I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t the one to carry them out.

 

He knows you’re in a homunculus body and thinks that’s why you still have the energy, Charlotte informed me.

 

“Then we should get going,” Derrick commanded. “It’s already getting late, and we still have a couple hours to get home. I’ll take Willmont’s SUV. Carpenter Mckay, are you good to drive?”

 

“I… I don’t know, Sir.” Al got to his feet, and I could tell he was still shaken.

 

“Then give your keys to your partner, and let’s get moving.” Derrick suited actions to words and started returning to where we’d parked the vehicles.

 

“Yeah, that’d probably be best,” Al said, handing me his keys and following after Guardian Rhinehardt.

 

“You can consider yourselves warriors and heroes today, gentlemen,” Derrick intoned in a voice I recognized from my coaches. It was the one they used when they wanted to praise and build the team up. “I’ll write up the report when we get back. So you boys get some rest and enjoy your wives.”

 

Something struck me then, and I had to ask, “Sir? Who is going to tell Consul Willmont’s wife?”

 

Derrick gave me a strange look before responding. “Did you see a wife at his home this morning? I think she died some time ago. He never talked about her, so I’m not sure. Hell, I don’t think he even had any kids. I’ll let our superiors know, though I’m not looking forward to that conversation. Do me a favor, though? Don’t discuss anything about today until after I submit my report. Consul Willmont was highly respected, and if you even hint that he might have abandoned us, it won’t go well for us.”

 

That was all news to me. Hadn’t he mentioned his wife when dropping off my phone a few nights ago? And how didn’t he have kids? I thought that was the entire purpose of First Knight, to ensure that a new generation would be available.

 

The rest of the hike transpired in silence until we reached the Jeep and SUV.

 

“Remember what Carpenter Brody said,” Derrick informed us as he opened Consul Willmont’s white SUV trunk. “Focus on the fact that you both lived. Don’t dwell on what could have happened. There’s a change of clothes back here for each of you. I wouldn’t recommend heading back in what’s left of your armor.”

 

I found the clothes Guardian Rhinehardt mentioned and quickly changed. Al did the same, and we hid our bloodied and tattered armor in the spare wheel compartment of the SUV. I kept my weapons with Derrick’s blessing.

 

“You’re my responsibility now, so I’ll contact you soon. Otherwise, you both acquitted yourselves well today. So get some rest, and enjoy the company of your wives.” The tall man didn’t wait for a response before jumping in and driving away.

 

“Let’s get home,” Al said as he entered his passenger side. “I don’t care if you speed. I’ll pay for any tickets you get. I just want to get home.”

 

I nodded but planned on keeping my speed reasonable. No sense in putting ourselves in more danger after escaping certain doom.

 

Al tried to sleep on the way back but soon woke up screaming. He wouldn’t tell me what the dream was about, but it wasn’t hard to guess. After that, he talked my ear off until I drove into my driveway. Another car was parked there that I recognized, and I found my anger rising before I even stepped out.

 

“Get home safe, Al,” I said through clenched teeth. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Let’s do something.”

 

Al jumped out but didn’t move to get into his driver’s seat. “Um, how about now? Now’s good, right?” When I stared at him, instead of responding, he shuffled his feet and looked embarrassed. “Look, I don’t want to go home yet. Jolene is great and all, but she won’t understand what we went through today. You do.”

 

I ground my teeth in annoyance, but a nudge from Charlotte pushed me to agree. “Okay, we can set up the spare bedroom for you. You should call Jolene, though, and have her come over. I need to take care of something, and it might be good to have another witness there, anyway.”

 

“Uh, yeah, sure!” Al nodded eagerly, pulling out his phone as he followed me inside.

 

I didn’t wait for him before storming into my house.

 

“Adam!” I shouted as soon as I stepped inside. “You’d better have a fucking good reason to be at my house again. I’m really getting sick and tired of your bullshit!”

 

“We’re back here,” I heard Elly call out from the family room. I heard Al talking to his wife as he followed me.

 

“Go ahead, ask him!” Adam said as I entered the room. His hand was still in a cast, and I noticed a bandage around his head. “Or get a mirror. Shapeshifters can’t hold their form in front of a mirror.”

 

I stopped as I took in the room. Adam hadn’t come alone. A mature woman stood by his side, looking displeased. My wives sat on one couch, appearing relaxed, but I noted some tension around Shayna’s blue eyes.

 

“That’s actually not true,” Elly said with a chuckle. “Evil can’t hide from a mirror; a shapeshifter isn’t evil by itself.”

 

Not all shapeshifters, I thought darkly as I recalled the one that tricked Megan. Sheldon Lance was a bastard that could rot in hell as far as I was concerned.

 

“What’s going on?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level and failing.

 

“Adam thinks you’re an impost—” Shayna started to say, but Adam cut her off.

 

“You’re not the real Bobby Brody! You’re a fake pretending to be him. Admit it! You’ve been busted.” Adam stood triumphant, confident he’d figured everything out.

 

I stared at him for long moments, trying to gauge his sanity. When it was clear he was serious, I burst out laughing. Charlotte echoed my sentiment, which only made me laugh larder. The anger and fury of a moment ago were still there, but it felt perfect to laugh.

 

Of course, this pissed Adam off, and he stomped his foot like a petulant child. “I mean it! You can’t be Bobby!”

 

“Calm down,” the older woman placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder before facing me. “I think you need to address his concerns, young man. He has some grave accusations. Can you prove you’re not a doppelganger pretending to be Mr. Bobby Brody?”

 

“I can’t prove a negative,” I told her, working on controlling my mirth.

 

Then Charlotte had to sober me up. She’s an undercover cop, and she believes him. Tread carefully.

 

“What makes you think I’m not me?” I asked, noticing that no one else was laughing. Even Al had taken a couple steps away from me.

 

“I saw the real Bobby’s corpse once they let me out of that back room at the whore house,” Adam began. “Bobby and I were good friends, and you knew you couldn’t trick me, which is why you’ve been such an asshole. Also, where were you after the explosion? Why did it take you a week to come back? And you don’t really look like my buddy, but a close approximation.”

 

I could tell that the cop took these accusations seriously, and I swallowed, realizing I could be in trouble.

 

“We tried telling them that we knew it was you, but they didn’t want to listen,” Elly said, and I noticed Shayna nodding in agreement.

 

I took a deep breath to order my thoughts before speaking. “First of all, Adam and I weren’t good friends. I can barely stand you. You proved yourself to be a self-centered, egotistical, chauvinistic, entitled prick at the bar, upset that I went home with a lady instead of you. That was also the first time I’d really met you, so you know you left quite an impression.”

 

“Then why did he invite me to that whore house, huh?” Adam sneered as though that proved his point. “He even offered to pay for everything. Why would he offer to do that if the real Bobby couldn’t stand me?”

 

I didn’t run a whore house! Charlotte snarled in my head. It was a brothel. There’s a difference.

 

“Because I didn’t have to pay for it,” I said easily. Of course, it wasn’t the entire reason, but I couldn’t tell him I’d used him as bait and a shield against questioning. “And I invited you because I felt sorry for you. It was pity, not friendship. You were so pathetic about not getting laid; I figured I’d offer you an olive branch. Besides, it was a brothel, not a whore house. There’s a difference.”

 

I felt Charlotte’s appreciation as I heard Al’s slight chuckle. I also watched with inner glee as Adam’s face grew darker as I spoke.

 

“That doesn’t answer the rest of the questions!” Adam all but spat.

 

“So you admit you weren’t really friends before the accident?” Shayna asked, sounding like a lawyer grilling a witness. “And didn’t you originally tell us you didn’t go into the brothel? Instead, you claimed you stayed outside and waited for our husband. I think you need to get your story in order.”

 

“It doesn’t matter!” Adam snarled at my wife. I took a step forward, ready to pop him in the mouth for his attitude, but a look from Shayna, coupled with Charlotte’s warning, stopped me. Adam was trying to goad me. “He’s a fucking liar and a fake, and I can prove it. If he can’t answer the questions, then that proves he’s a shapeshifter.”

 

“That’s not how that works,” I said, finally calming my voice. Of course, it helped to know Adam was trying to get me to snap in front of this cop. I wasn’t about to let this douche-nozzle win. “But I’ll play your game. I was terribly hurt in that blast. The same people paying for the brothel trip also paid to get me the best healing available. It was in Utah, and it took them a week to reconstruct my face using the latest science and magic techniques. They weren’t perfect, but at least I’m alive. Did I miss anything?”

 

“No!” Adam snarled as he stepped up to me. I held my ground, looking slightly down at him as he glared at me. “You’re lying! I know it. I heard about how poor you are. There’s no way you could afford that whore house or be healed like you claim!”

 

Adam’s good left hand reached back as if ready to punch me, and I smirked at him. “Sure you want to do that? Didn’t turn out that well the last time you tried to punch me.”

 

“You told me he broke your hand with a bat,” the undercover cop said, sounding quite displeased.

 

Elly stood and walked over to the older lady, her phone in hand. I suspected my wife was getting ready to show the cop footage of Adam attacking me.

 

“It doesn’t matter!” Adam screeched, spit hitting my face in his rage. “He’s a liar! He’s evil! He needs to be stopped!”

 

I thought he was about to punch me, even after my warning, but when his hand came from behind his back, he held a gun.

 

“What the fuck?!” I stepped back to gain some distance, holding my hands up.

 

“I’ll prove you’re not Bobby!” Adam screamed, a manic look in his hazel eyes. “I’ll shoot you, and everyone will see!”

 

His left hand shook as he aimed the pistol at my chest. Time slowed as I waited for the inevitable. I had enough time to curse myself for stepping away instead of disarming him immediately. I also noticed the undercover cop patting her empty hip and glaring at Adam.

 

Movement caught my eye. Despite myself, I looked and saw Shayna moving behind the deranged man. Adam must have noticed my eyes shift as he started to turn, but my wife struck. Shayna gripped his wrist, twisting painfully as she brought the man’s hand down behind him.

 

Someone cried out as the gun went off. Both dropped to the ground, and the world became a blur.

 

I remember charging forward, gripping Adam’s collar and pants, and throwing him away from my wife. There was blood all over her front.

 

After that, I don’t remember what happened until I came to on the floor. I’m told I turned on Adam in a rage, and it took Al and all three women to pull me off him. Ultimately, the cop clubbed me in the back of the head, knocking me out. I was too far angered to realize that Shayna was one of those trying to get me under control. Even Charlotte couldn’t break through my haze or over my body.

 

Only a few moments had passed when I woke up, though I had a splitting headache. Shayna and Elly leaned over me, and I noticed the cop on the phone with paramedics.

 

I wanted to reach out to my wives but found my hands cuffed behind my back.

 

“Shayna!” I gasped, tears blurring my vision with worry and concern. “Are you okay?”

 

“Are you back with us?” Elly asked instead of giving me an answer. “Are you sane?”

 

Before I could answer, another voice sounded out. “Holy shit, what happened here?” Jolene entered my home, her red hair done up in intricate curls.

 

“Excuse me, ma’am, but you can’t come in here,” the cop told her, still holding the phone to her ear.

 

“But my husband’s in there!” Jolene argued until the older woman pulled out her badge. Then, Al went to his wife and pulled her back to the kitchen.

 

“Will someone please tell me if my wife is okay?” I demanded, losing my patience.

 

“I’m fine, Bobby,” Shayna said, cupping my cheek in her hand. The tender look she gave me warmed my heart.

 

“But, the blood?” I asked, still seeing her front darkened with the substance.

 

“Adam ended up shooting himself in the ass,” Elly said with a straight face, but her eyes sparkled with mirth. “Then you lost control.”

 

“Sorry about that,” I apologized. “I saw the blood and thought the worst.” I shuddered, remembering the last time I’d lost control. After that, I needed a lot of therapy, but the other kid required even more. Adam was damned lucky I hadn’t gotten a good hold on him.

 

“Don’t apologize,” Shayna smiled. “I can defend myself, but knowing that you care that much for me… Well, I think I owe you an apology. I’ve been very rude and distant, and—”

 

“No!” I cut her off, wishing I could pull her into my arms. But instead, I let my face and words express how I felt. “You had every right to be concerned. I understand. But why did you put yourself at risk? For me?”

 

Shayna didn’t answer immediately but leaned down and pressed her lips to mine in a gentle kiss. When she pulled away, there were fresh tears in her bright eyes.

 

“Because despite myself and my concerns, I still care for you, ya dummy!” Shayna punched my chest as though to counter the tenderness of her kiss.

 

Before I could respond, the cop appeared over me. “If I undo the cuffs, can I trust you won’t attack Adam?”

 

I looked around for the asshat and saw paramedics looking over him. He was face down, pants cut away, showing an ass whiter than snow, except for the blood. One paramedic held his cuffed hands above his head, while the other patted gauze around the seeping hole in his left cheek.

 

“Yeah, I’m good,” I told her. “I’m sorry if I hurt you when I lost control.” There was a reason I worked so hard at martial arts as a kid: to avoid episodes like the one I’d just had.

 

Before answering, the older woman chuckled, which did wonders for her stern face. “You’re pretty strong, young man. Had you hurt me, I’d have you in the back of my car, not lying on the floor. It took all of us to hold you back, but you didn’t fight us; you only pushed to get to my nephew.”

 

“Nephew?” I asked, getting worried for a whole other set of reasons.

 

She shook her head and chuckled again. “My older brother’s youngest son. I always knew he was a hothead and a bit spoiled, but I never thought he’d do something this stupid. I’m guessing you’re going to want to press charges?”

 

“This isn’t the first time he’s attacked me,” I said. A man can only forgive so much. “He needs help.”

 

“One of your girlfriends showed me how he broke his hand. The dumbass told me a different story. So I’m guessing the lump on his head is from another attempt to hurt you?” When I nodded, she grimaced and shook her head. “My brother’s going to be pissed, but Adam did this to himself. I know he’s family, but I agree that he needs help. I’ll see if I can’t get it for him. The kid was always too pretty for his own good. Looks like it went to his head. Anyway, I’ll expect to see you tomorrow at the precinct. I set my card on your counter.”

 

Having said her piece, she undid my restraints and went to talk to the paramedics.

 

“This has been one hell of a day!” I groaned, rubbing my wrists.

 

“You can tell us all about it after they leave,” Elly said, rubbing my shoulders.

 

“Hey, uh, Bobby?” Al said, poking his head out of the kitchen. “It looks like things are a bit strained here. I talked with Jolene, and I think I’ll head home after all.”

 

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” I asked, noting his wife was hugging him from behind.

 

The first smile I’d seen on him since escaping the cave flitted across his lips for just a moment before he nodded. “Jolene has promised to keep my mind occupied. I know she can do it, too. I’ll hit you up tomorrow.”

 

“I’ll expect to see you at the precinct also, Mr. Mckay,” the cop said as they left.

 

“You take care of her,” I told Al. “She seems like a good wife.” So maybe not all redheads were evil. It just took a magically induced love spell to keep them in line.

 

“Oh, trust me, he does!” Jolene cackled with a wink as they walked out the door.

 

After the paramedics left and the officer pulled promises from us that we would call her tomorrow, I found myself staring at the blood stain in the carpet.

 

So much bloodshed today. When had my life become so violent? I worked hard to keep myself in check and live a life of peace and calm. I knew what could happen when I let myself go, but today has been a lot.

 

“We’ll call the cleaners and get that taken care of tomorrow,” Shayna informed me, slipping her arm around my waist. I really liked this new side to my shorter wife. “My father knows some discreet ones who have worked for his company before.”

 

“Come back to our room and tell us what Consul Willmont needed you for today,” Elly said. She must have seen something in my face, for the next moment, I found myself held within two sets of loving arms.

 

I opened my mouth to tell them I was okay but couldn’t force any words past the sudden lump in my throat. I’d thought I was holding it together and staying strong, but the dam burst in the sudden warmth and comfort of my wives’ embrace.

 

I’d been through hell today. First, Consul Willmont called me to his house suddenly. Well, that wasn’t so bad, other than his bipolar attitude toward me. Then going into the gnoll’s cave, Willmont abandoning us, being outnumbered and overpowered and fighting desperately for our lives, only to be saved by a creature that is both terrifying and beautiful. And that nagini was a princess?! The sex with the maid was unique for me, but even that was a close brush with death. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sound of the alpha’s laugh, nor the way Willmont looked as his body convulsed as he broke his own bones. Then, when I thought I was home and safe, I had to deal with Adam once again!

 

Hey, you got your pendant back and finally won Shayna over, Charlotte consoled me. So today wasn’t all bad.

 

I pulled my wives tighter into the embrace and even sent a mental hug to the succubus.

 

“Thank you,” I managed to say when I was confident my voice wouldn’t break.

 

“I think you’d better sleep in our bed tonight,” Shayna said, and if I had any doubts about her intentions, the feeling of her hand squeezing my ass dispelled them.

 

“Are you sure?” I had to ask, not wanting her to do something she’d regret later.

 

My dark-skinned wife pulled away to look up into my eyes, and I couldn’t mistake the sincerity there. “I may not know if I’m being turned on by something else, but I do know that tonight you proved that you genuinely care about me. And I won’t deny that I do care for you. I love you, Bobby Brody, and I want you in our bed tonight.”

 

“I want him inside more than just our bed tonight,” Elly said teasingly. “I think a bit of love-making is the perfect way to wash away the stains of today.”

 

Once again, I felt my eyes water at how wonderful these two women were.

 

I promise I’m not doing anything to encourage this, Charlotte informed me. But, having said that, I hope you don’t mind if I also enjoy it. I did expend a lot of energy trying to protect us today.

 

Slut! I teased her with an inward smile.

 

You really say the sweetest things to me! Charlotte laughed, and I felt that things were about to get better.

 

Of course, that’s the moment things usually go to shit.

 

The doorbell rang, and all three women groaned. I turned to get it, but Shayna pressed her hands to my chest and shook her head. “I’ll get rid of whoever it is. This bloody shirt will probably help scare them away. You go get in the shower. I don’t know what you did today, but you kinda stink.”

 

Elly laughed as she took my hand and dragged me to the master bedroom. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but you really do, my love.”

 

We made it as far as the bedroom doorway before Shayna yelled, “Bobby Brody, get your ass out here!”

 

Elly and I exchanged quick glances, and I shrugged, turning to see what fresh disaster now awaited me.

 

“Explain her!” Shayna demanded as I entered the front hallway. The maid stood outside the door, hands clasped before her and her head bowed.

 

“Master, I have cleared all of the recordings my previous master had and reprogrammed your house AI to no longer spy on you, as I promised.” The maid’s meek voice was easily heard by all.

 

I groaned at the same time Elly asked, “Master?”

 

“Who is she, Bobby, and why is she calling you ‘master’?” Shayna’s arms were folded, and she tapped her foot, waiting for my response. “Is this some sick sex joke you’re playing?”

 

I glared at the dark elf. Her white hair covered her pointed ears, but her beauty and graceful mannerisms would give away her non-humanness to anyone who was aware.

 

“No!” I said, half terrified that the maid would make some comment about us having sex while I was sick. But, thankfully, she kept quiet. Then, heaving a sigh and rubbing my temples, I said, “Maid, come on in. Let’s all go talk in the kitchen. I don’t want to be in the living room right now.”

 

“Maid?” Shayna appeared even more upset at my way of addressing the drow elf. “I can see how she’s dressed like a sluty French maid, but I’m also sure she has a name. Why do you let him talk to you like that?”

 

The tall elf looked at my short wife, and somehow it didn’t appear that she was looking down at Shayna despite the height difference. “I see my master hasn’t had an opportunity to explain. He does not mean any disrespect, Mistress Brody. I do not have a name. I sense that is something my master wishes to rectify, but there wasn’t time earlier after he saved my life and took me as his slave.”

 

“SLAVE?!” The pain and rage I saw in Shayna’s beautiful face stabbed me through the heart. Before I could respond, Elly interjected and ushered my African-descent wife to the kitchen.”

 

“Come on,” I waved the elf to follow us.

 

“I’m sorry, Master,” she begged. “I was trying to diffuse the situation. However, I will accept whatever punishment you deem worthy. I only wish to make your life better.”

 

“Punishment?” I asked, appalled that she would immediately go there again. “I’m not going to—”

 

Charlotte cut me off with a quick thought, and I couldn’t find fault in her logic.

 

As we entered the kitchen, I told the maid, “Your punishment will be to help us find a way to break the spell holding you.”

 

“I… don’t want to be released,” I heard her, but her voice was barely above a whisper. I doubted my wives heard.

 

“What?” I asked the elf in a level tone. “Please speak up so everyone can hear you.”

 

The maid’s shoulders slumped even more than they had at Willmont’s massive home, but when she spoke, everyone could hear her. “I do not wish to be freed, but if that is Master’s will, I will obey. I will accept that punishment.”

 

“You realize how this looks, right?” Elly asked as she held an arm around her sister-wife. “A black woman showing up at our door, telling us she’s your slave?”

 

“Shayna, I understand why you’re upset, and you really have every reason to be,” I told my wife. I’d never considered how she would take this side of things, but now that it was out, I planned to get ahead of it. “I really didn’t have the chance to tell you everything. I couldn’t precisely explain on my way home via phone call. And then when I got here and the whole thing with Adam… I really didn’t have a chance.”

 

“Well, now’s your chance.” The look Shayna gave me right then said I either explain it well or make peace with the afterlife.

 

The maid and I spent the next hour telling them what happened during the mission. The maid became hesitant when it came to the part about her draining my balls to save my life, but I remained blunt and honest. I didn’t want to hide anything from my wives.

 

“Wait,” Elly said, her eyes growing large with concern. “You mean his semen is poisonous now? He could have killed us both tonight!”

 

“No,” the maid said, seeing the misunderstanding. “It was, but the poison was cleansed from his system. If he still had it, he’d be unable to control his erection or actions. So it is safe for you to be together.”

 

We explained how I took over the slave brand, reaffirming that I intended to free her. Then, the maid went into detail about how Willmont had conspired against me, killing me the first time at Charly’s, intending to claim my pendant and my wives.

 

“How did he plan on claiming us?” Elly asked, shaken by that revelation.

 

“I remember him saying that the spell could be transferred the morning after First Knight,” I said. “That was before I really knew what was going on and after my pendant protected me from the love spell. He offered it to me as a way to let me go if I so chose.”

 

“Which you didn’t take,” Shayna said. At least she was no longer glaring at me.

 

“Of course not!” I agreed. “You were both pregnant with my child, and you know how I feel about being there for them.”

 

“It doesn’t hurt that we’re also very attractive women who were in love with you,” Shayna continued in a cold tone.

 

“You forgot to mention incredibly intelligent, brave, resourceful, and it helped to know that you both chose me during the party.” I met her blue eyes without flinching at her accusation.

 

“Flatterer,” she accused, but I could see no heat in her eyes. “So, he killed our husband, took his pendant for protection, and planned on claiming us… That bastard! And he was so nice when he told us how brave you were to go on that mission to the brothel.”

 

“I don’t think it would have worked out as he planned since we had the spell broken by Bobby’s mom,” Elly piped in. “Of course, I don’t know how we would have kept that secret from him, then. I’m glad things didn’t work out that way.”

 

I recalled them telling me that having the spell broken was tantamount to treason for them. So that was another reason I was grateful things hadn’t gone that way.

 

The maid took over explanations then, telling us about the surveillance—which we suspected—but also about how we weren’t careful enough. Finally, she admitted that she’d played dumb around Willmont so he’d underestimate her. Meanwhile, she’d done online courses, was quite proficient with computers, and had many other skills.

 

“So…we’re safe?” Elly asked the question that was on all of our minds. “No more hiding?”

 

“You’re safe within your own home,” the maid said. “However, you should still be cautious outside. And if any Knights discover that Bobby has another being sharing his body, they will strive to kill him immediately.”

 

“Are there any other secrets we should know about?” Shayna asked, looking between the maid and me.

 

I sighed again, not knowing how this was going to go over. “Maid, will you please reveal your ears to my wives?”

 

During the entire conversation, the maid’s snow-white hair covered her ears. While her red eyes could be explained away as an affectation or contacts, this would show that she wasn’t human. Considering how she viewed the supernatural world, I didn’t expect Shayna’s response.

 

The maid tucked her pale hair behind both pointed ears and looked down at the table.

 

Shayna’s blue eyes regarded the maid for long moments before she turned and looked at me. Her poker face was on point, and I couldn’t read her until I noted how her hands were shaking.

 

Is she that upset with me? I wondered, thinking of all the progress I’d just lost in our relationship.

 

Ehh! Charlotte made a buzzer sound echo in my skull. Guess again!

 

Glancing at Elly gave me no clue as she regarded the drow elf with complete curiosity.

 

Shayna spoke just as I opened my mouth to ask her about her thoughts.

 

“Dammit! God damn, mother-fucking shit!” She said a few more choice words and phrases that I’ll refrain from writing here. But, I doubt I’ll ever forget the stream of profanity that escaped my petit wife. “Those werewolf cock-sucking sons of gully dwarves lied to me my whole life!”

 

I was unsure if I should reach out to comfort her or start looking for a bunker to hide in. It didn’t look like her anger was directed at me, but I couldn’t be sure.

 

Wait for it… Charlotte advised me. Other than when the succubus let her lust get the better of her, she hadn’t steered me wrong, so I listened.

 

Shayna’s eyes snapped up to meet mine, and I was shocked at the steely determination I saw there. Anger still showed in how her jaw clenched and her fingers tapped the table, but her eyes held a different fire.

 

“We’re going to bed. Now!” Shayna surprised me once again, as that was the last thing I’d expected her to say. She turned to the elf before continuing, “Ma’am, you can sleep in the spare bedroom. Bobby won’t be sleeping in there tonight. We can discuss how we’ll handle you living here more in the morning.”

 

That sounded very much like I was in hot water. If the maid was in my room, that meant I’d be sleeping on the couch.

 

“Yes, Mistress,” the elf said as I got to my feet to grab some blankets.

 

I didn’t make it a step before Shayna’s vice grip on my wrist pulled me along in her wake. I decided it wasn’t in my best interests to fight her or ask what was happening.

 

Shayna closed the master bedroom door behind me, and I realized we’d left Elly alone with the maid.

 

Don’t worry about her, Charlotte informed me. She’s ensuring the elf is cared for, and then she’ll join us.

 

Any idea how she’s handling having the maid here? I asked my resident mind reader.

 

Of course! Charlotte’s reply came fast and cheery, getting my hopes up. But I’m not going to tell you. You didn’t want me reading their minds, remember? It’s not something I can control, so I won’t stop. But I’m also not going to give you the benefit of it.

 

Gee, thanks, I thought, pouring every bit of sarcasm I could into it. Hadn’t she just been advising me on how to behave by reading their minds?

 

You’re welcome, came her too-happy response before she became mock-serious. I wouldn’t want to tempt you away from your high and mighty morals just because I’m the ultimate temptress.

 

“You’re talking to her, aren’t you?”

 

With a start, I realized that Shayna was in front of me, light eyes locked on mine. I don’t think I’ve written much about it, but with her dark skin, those blue eyes are spectacular. Anyway, I’m getting off point.

 

I nodded as I said,  “Yeah. She told me she won’t read anyone’s minds to benefit me.”

 

“I forgot she could do that,” Shayna said grimly. “I suppose that means she already knows what I want from her?”

 

“From Charlotte?” I asked, but the succubus talked over the top of me. Considering it all came from my mouth and throat, that was an odd experience.

 

“Yes, I do, and I’m entirely on board with it,” Charlotte’s voice issued from me.

 

“That’s still creepy!” Shayna complained with a shudder.

 

I felt a weird sinking sensation all at once, like something snatched me from behind my belly button and yanked. My vision shrank briefly before returning, but I still felt off.

 

“Is this any better?”

 

My mouth moved as it always did when Charlotte spoke through me, but this time it felt like it was happening to someone else. I tried to move my body, but nothing happened.

 

Shayna took a few steps away from me, her eyes wide before catching herself. But, then, that hard iron look re-entered her gaze as she shook her head.

 

“No, that’s actually worse,” Shayna said with a hard edge to her tone. “It’s bad enough that I know you’re in there. I don’t want to see my husband in that form.”

 

Charlotte brought my right hand up and examined my nails. Only it wasn’t my hand or nails that I saw. It was Charlotte’s human hand! With sudden understanding, I realized that the succubus had taken over and actually changed my body into hers.

 

Let me out! I demanded in a panic, trying and failing to seize control.

 

In a moment, Charlotte mentally giggled. It’s been so long since I felt my own body.

 

“Oh, kinky,” Elly said as she entered the bedroom. “Am I already asleep, Charlotte? I don’t remember crawling into bed.”

 

“Wait, what?” Shayna asked, confused. That didn’t last long before it was replaced with anger. “Now you listen here, demon. Any deal we might have made is off the table if you pulled me into your mindscape before I was ready.”

 

Charlotte gave a dramatic sigh and shook her head before responding. “We’re all very much awake. This is the real world, not my mens mundi. I did this to prove a point and get you to understand something before you make your deal. Your husband is big on being completely honest with you both, and I want to show that I will do the same.”

 

“And what’s that?” Shayna’s jaw had to hurt from how hard she clenched it.

 

“Your husband has the most impressive willpower I’ve ever seen,” Charlotte said as she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. “Seriously! He’s doing everything in his power to regain control right now, and I actually have to put in effort to stop him.”

 

“You’re point?” Elly said, and I could see she was also starting to get angry.

 

“Just this,” Charlotte took a moment to cross her legs and interlace her fingers over her right knee. “Everyone assumes that this is Bobby’s body and that I simply reside in here with him. You tend to think that he lets me out to speak from time to time.

 

“Well, that’s not the case,” Charlotte continued as she met the two sets of eyes boring down on her. “This body is equal parts each of us. Even so, if I wanted to, I could take over this body, put him into a slumber he’d never wake from, and go live as I pleased.”

 

“Then why don’t you,” Shayna demanded.

 

I felt inner turmoil from the succubus as she took a deep breath. “Because I don’t want that. I know you don’t believe me, Shayna, and I don’t blame you. After Bobby put that kid in a hospital, his father asked me to look after him. At first, I did it because I owed his father an outstanding debt. He literally saved my life and my soul. But then I got to know Bobby. I saw what a great man he could be. He is intelligent, funny, smart-mouthed, compassionate, and very pig-headed.”

 

“You fell in love with him,” Elly broke in, a curious glint in her brown eyes.

 

“I did,” Charlotte nodded. “When Megan broke up with him, it also broke my heart. After that, I did everything I could to be the perfect woman for him. I tried to seduce him again and again but kept failing. Because he had the pendant, I couldn’t read his mind to know his desires. Also, I didn’t have the grand—and by grand, I mean incredibly creepy and invasive—resources of the Paladonic Knights.

 

“It took him seeing his old flame die on the national news for me to get him into my bed.” I felt tears form in Charlotte’s eyes and run down her cheeks as she opened up to these women, who were technically her rivals. “I hadn’t won his heart but was only a distraction from his pain. I’d hoped to use this form to slowly win him over, but the very next night, he met you both. I won’t say the words for him, but I will tell you that he feels deeper for you both than he did for Megan. He’s fought hard to win your trust, and I know my presence has made that all the harder.”

 

“You said you had a point to this?” Shayna asked, now tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. “Or was this all a show to tell us that you’re madly in love with our husband? That you got to sleep with him before us? Or that you can take him away if we upset you?”

 

Charlotte didn’t take offense at Shayna’s rudeness but wiped at her tears before driving on.

 

“I suppose I got a little side-tracked, but I wanted you to know why I made my own decisions. At any moment, I could take over and do what I wanted. I could have my freedom. But it would cost me more than words can express. That’s why Bobby is in control. I don’t want to interfere with his life more than I have to, but I want to be a part of it. I already know what you plan on talking to me about in my mens mundi, Shayna. I just laid all my cards on the table and told you my only demand.”

 

Elly surprised us all by moving to hug Charlotte while the corners of Shayna’s lips twitched in agitation.

 

When Elly pulled away, Shayna spoke. “I don’t like you in my mind, demon, but I can respect where you’re coming from. Elly told me you can’t read minds in your mindscape, so let’s continue this conversation there.”

 

Charlotte nodded, and without warning, I was thrust back into the driver’s seat of my own body. I wanted to rage and scream at Charlotte, never to do that again; however, the raw emotions I still felt from her kept my mouth shut.

 

And so it was that I finally was able to crawl into bed with both of my wives once again.

 

 

*    *    *    *

 

1072 A.D.

 

Ardin woke as the sun sat high that afternoon, his head ringing, pain lancing through his skull. Groaning, he placed his hand against the tree trunk, then fell back in alarm.

 

The tree was home to thousands of bugs and three different types of birds. One of the branches high up was sickly from bugs eating too deep into the limb, and the tree had already worked to cut off that branch.

 

He looked at his hand through bleary eyes, glad to see he no longer glowed. He still looked healthy, but he was starving.

 

He didn’t know how he understood so much about the tree, but he knew that one of the nests held eggs. With a tentative hand, he reached out again and laid one finger against the rough bark. Knowledge flooded into his mind on contact. He knew every bird roosted in its branches, every insect and bug that called it home, and even that one of the roots was pushing up against a rock buried deep underground.

 

“The ambrosia,” he muttered, understanding where this gift came from. He reached into the pocket in which he’d stored the fruit and marveled at it. Yet, somehow, his new ability only partially worked on it. He couldn’t fathom how it worked but knew it had enough left for his wife and unborn children.

 

When he tried harder to understand its powers, his headache grew worse. All he got for his troubles were images of color and chaos.

 

His rumbling stomach recalled him to his other dilemma, and he looked up the tree to where the eggs were. He couldn’t see the nest from this position, but touching the tree again told him how to climb to reach it.

 

Only once he reached the nest and picked up an egg, he learned they were inedible; the chicks would be hatching soon.

 

Reaching the ground, his stomach twisted into a knot. He needed to eat soon. He thought about setting a trap for the parent birds but didn’t know if they were edible and wouldn’t know until he got his hands on one. His new gift was handy but not perfect.

 

Falling to his knees, hands on the ground, Ardin was overwhelmed with imagery and knowledge. In almost no time, though, his mind sorted and cataloged what he needed to know and what was important. He couldn’t see the entire world, but he knew a location a little to his left where rabbits were hunkered down in their burrow.

 

With almost comical ease, he snared, cleaned, and cooked one. The sun was still high in the air, and Ardin returned to the road and jogged west.

 

He took full advantage of his new gift when he reached the next village. He was aware of a small bag of coins buried by touching the hard-packed road.

 

This little town was poor compared with Athens, the city with the pagan temple, but Ardin located a hovel where the owners were willing to give him a bed and food for a bit of acquired coin.

 

They informed him that he would have to wash up before eating with them and pointed him to a bucket filled with cold water. He was more than happy to wash off the grime and stink of the last week. When he was done, his skin red from scrubbing, he found his clothes were missing. They hadn’t been much—torn leggings, really—but he was naked without them. He’d kept the ambrosia, pendant, and coins with him as he washed, unwilling to let any of it out of his sight.

 

The man of the house approached him with some clean clothes. Once again, Ardin was amazed at his ability to communicate. The man spoke his foreign language, and Ardin managed to talk it back as though he’d done it his whole life. For no extra cost, they were giving him these clothes. Their son had died of fever almost a month ago and wouldn’t need them anymore.

 

Ardin played with his ability while he waited for the food to cook. He could learn anything about something he touched, but only its current state.

 

By playing with the coins, he couldn’t tell when they were buried, but he also noted that his knowledge only extended to the object itself and its immediate surroundings. He couldn’t, for instance, touch one coin and know the status of the coins it touched. But he could see that it touched three other coins.

 

Dinner turned out to be an interesting affair. He knew the meat in the hearty stew they fed him came from their last livestock. After their son’s death, the family fell on hard times, and they struggled to grow enough food to feed themselves, much less make it through the coming winter.

 

He didn’t know much about farming, but the vegetables told him the ground wasn’t healthy enough to grow what was planted. Ardin asked about what they used for fertilizer and told them that his village often used fish remains to strengthen the crops.

 

Their daughter looked disgusted at the thought, but when he handed her his empty bowl, their fingers brushed. He knew she wasn’t a virgin in that instant and would happily spread her legs for him if he offered some coins. She was attractive enough and only a year younger than him. She would have been old by his village’s standards, but the idea repulsed him. Not because he was married—though that was reason enough. She’d picked up a disease and would likely die within the next month if not treated.

 

He was mildly surprised that this Christian family was willing to whore their daughter out. He knew from that single touch that the parents were aware of her activities and condoned it for the extra coin.

 

Ardin knew by shaking the man’s hand before going to bed that they held no ill will towards him and meant him no harm. However, that didn’t stop him from securing the door before sleeping or leaving before the sun was up the next morning.

 

He left the bag of coins behind. That family needed it more than he did, and he could always use his new gift to find more or get paid by using it to help others.