10

It was getting dark, and the colours of the twilit horizon were a glorious wash of dark purple and blue across the dusky skyline. A soft breeze twirled leaves in the air. While all the houses we were going to check out were outside the city proper, all of them were in the rich boroughs to the southwest, allowing direct and quick access by means of the highway, so the drive would be short given the distances involved.

Criss & Cross were still hyped about the clothes, and I tuned out their chatter. I was getting too much time to think, and my mood was quite dark. I was going to cancel the firing range. There was no way I was going to expose us to a free weapons area that might contain demons, who might be able to notice us without us knowing about it. Delegation – I was going to let the girls handle the building of the shrines, they could spend a few hours on Friday looking for a builder, and make a final decision next week.

I needed more wizards, and quickly. Not many, but enough to create a small tactical team that would work well together. We’ll need some practice in sneaking around and hand signals. I was going to need some specialized commo, operational and possibly some night vision gear. There just wasn’t enough time for everything. The only quick and easy recruit I could think of was Mellanie from martial arts, assuming she had the talent, and I wasn’t too enthused about the prospect. She was dangerously aggressive, which might well put all of us in mortal danger, and she’s taller than I am. Silly perhaps, but none of us are truly rational where preferences are concerned. With people, rational means explaining why we did what we did, and making it seem logical in retrospect.

I was pretty sure that no demons were attending jiujitsu practice, and I’d need to have wizard sight active tomorrow, which nonetheless represented a definite danger. It would give class a certain edge, and I’d better activate it after I part from the girls – without wizard sight, the minor spells they can use in a fight were of limited utility. You needed to see just where to cut or call fire, and ordinary vision was quite inadequate when considering the task of seeing inside a body.

I also needed to do some investigating of my own. My thoughts were running in so many directions, I’d missed the obvious. Six demons, in a specific place, meant something. While computers and Sigint were no replacement for Humint, nobody overlooked them, not these days. The building complex in which Matt and my father had their own offices held a number of companies. It was almost certain that at least one of them was either run by or dealt with demons. Also, I needed to get my hands on the full architectural and infrastructure plans for that particular complex, and scout it properly. If it was a center of demonic influence, they probably had hidden egresses and chambers. That’s what I would have done, in their place.

I slowed down when we reached the grounds of the house we were to see. Quite extensive and not at all run down, they seemed suitable, though it was difficult to see just how green things were in the dark. With a sigh, I stalled for a moment, activated the sight spell, and looked over the life and power lines that ran through everything. After a moments focus on the view, I tried to memorize everything, wondering whether my impression, that the place wasn’t too healthy, was accurate. Another thing I’d neglected to accomplish was study the requirements for our would-be hideout, mostly because I hadn’t understood what little the book had shown me on the subject. Magical architecture and geomancy were fiendishly complicated areas of study, and I wasn’t really up to learning even the bare basics in a few days. There were concepts there that were well beyond my present limited comprehension. That explanation from the book always pissed me off, and made me all the more determined to transcend those limits. Which was probably exactly what the sneaky thing wanted. I kept feeling that it was playing me like a violin.

Stopping by the driveway, we saw a BMW already there, and the realtor was leaning on it, smoking. When I lifted my hands from the wheel, I noticed that they were shaking. Delayed reaction. I’d killed and nearly died again, today. Reading about after action shakes was one thing, and always left me skeptical. Weakness, right? Wrong. Experiencing was very much different. I took a big breath, steadied myself in the seat, and hit the dashboard with my fist. A bit of pain helped.

I stepped outside smoothly, and opened the door for the girls, bowing them out.

“Chris, it’s your play. I’ll just look around. Make him think you’re two rich lesbians, I’m the chauffeur cum bodyguard. Have fun.”

The look on Kristen’s face was hilarious, but Christine shut her up with a light kiss on her mouth. “Come on lover,” she grinned at me and fondled her friend’s butt, “Let’s look at this tumbled heap of brick and cement.”

It was certainly a big house, or rather, more of a mansion. Very spacious, if sparsely furnished, with a large basement, a tennis court and a pool. I walked behind the realtor, a spiffy ‘hunk’ in his late twenties, not really listening to his salesman’s spiel, trying to concentrate on the currents of power that ran through the mundane walls, floors, pipes and lines of electrical and phone connections. The book would have to make the final decision as to suitability in matters arcane, grading the houses, and we’d have to make a choice based on that and our own impressions.

Christine’s act was flawless, and Kristen’s reluctance made it all the more delicious, which was damnably distracting. She had the poor realtor almost drooling, and he had to walk slowly and attempt to cover his ‘problem’. Chris’ hands were running all over her friend, light touches, caresses and the occasional squeeze, but the crowning touches were the kisses and way she rubbed herself, most especially her chest, on her friend. Her words were just as titillating, though I tried very hard not to listen, as she seemed to add a description of just what she could do with Kris in each and every room. Very explicit descriptions too, and she was obviously having the time of her life, laughing loudly and freely.

Our distinguished guide actually pulled a kerchief and wiped dripping sweat away from his face and forehead, and after almost an hour I took pity on him, and ‘reminded’ the girls of our next ‘appointment’.

Once we were out of sight, Kristen leaped on Chris, truly cross, and started pummeling her. “Ouch! Bitch, are you feeling butch tonight?” Chris taunted, and I came to a sudden halt, causing the tangle of girls to fall from the seat.

I turned back to look at them, “No catfights while I’m driving and can’t watch, girls,” I smile as Kris hissed at me. “Seriously, you will not even think about hitting Christine, understood, Kristen? We have more than enough trouble without domestic violence. If you have a problem, talk about it. Think about what you want to say, and we’ll talk when we get home.”

Kris sulked in her corner of the backseat, hugging herself and shooting fulminating looks at Chris, but she slowly calmed down and seemed to ruminate, hopefully thinking on what she wanted to say. Chris made a point of not looking at her, taking out a small mirror and playing at fixing herself up, making a production out of looking and sounding self satisfied. Which did not help with Kris’ temper, not at all. And here I thought redheads were supposed to be the tempestuous ones. Just goes to show that you can’t always trust book learning.

The drive back was very quiet, and when we left the garage, the tension was almost palpable. Defusing it was simple enough – I simply opened the goodies bag. The girls were delighted with the tiny digital cameras and the smartphones I produced for them, and started tinkering immediately, reading the instruction booklets and fiddling with all the buttons, while I went to shave the beard and remove the disguise.

“Why don’t you call your parents using your new phones, and give them an edited version of today. Better flood them with information, at first, until they grow used to things.”

They were quite enthusiastic in their descriptions, and spoke to their parents for a surprisingly long time. More than enough time for me to prepare a serious dinner.

I heated up some hot and sour soup, left over from the Chinese takeout, added pork in black bean sauce with white rice, sweet potatoes in chili sauce, and a couple of milder things for Chris, brought out breads, cheeses and cold cuts, set the table and served.

Kristen was audibly appreciative, and had no trouble with the hot stuff, and we spent more time practicing spells. “It needs to become instinctive, automatic, you need to learn to react before you think. It’s the only way you’re going to survive. The cutting spell, aim for the neck or chest and put more power behind it. The firestarting spell can be used to incinerate flesh, as well. Once you learn to see beyond, you’ll be able to use the spells much more effectively, but for the nonce, do what you can. We won’t be going after demons or teaching the local elemental courts prudence, not until we’re ready.”

With the vision spell, it was easy to see exactly what they were doing, but describing the slight variations that one could use to shift the energies just so was simply impossible. Subtlety without sight required more genius than any of us had.

Chris sighed explosively, and the fork she’d animated fell with a clank. “Do you think I’ve lost weight?” she asked, obviously concerned.

I looked at her carefully, tilting my head, and shrugged.

“I think you have, at least some,” Kristen volunteered.

“Possibly,” I added, “and we need to watch that. We can’t afford to run our bodies down, we need a lot of fuel. Later, Chris, you’ll be able to do incredible thing with your body. Not mere disguise, but actually change your features, moving the bones around. You’ll regulate your body functions and enjoy a level of physical vitality we can’t even imagine at present. You’ll be able to be any girl or woman you want to be.”

Most of the rest of the meal, they talked of what changes they wanted to make, and which movie stars or models they’d impersonate. I let them fantasize away, mostly disagreeing with the changes they wanted to introduce.

“Really, you’re both lovely. To become perfectly beautiful, the changes you’ll need to make are very minor. For you, Chris, perhaps a slight widening of the face, a bit… no, it’s difficult to say. We’ll need to experiment. Turn the hair into liquid fire, perhaps, bluish-red, blood-scarlet, add a bit of blue to your eyes. Your body is already close to perfect, and a serious exercise regime and martial arts will tighten you up in no time. You’re deliciously soft and bountiful,” I smiled as Chris blushed and looked away, and Kristen very deliberately took a drink.

“As for you, Kristen,” she had an ‘oh, oh,’ expression on her face, and my smile widened, “It’s even more difficult. I think you need to let your hair down, the ponytail is a bit too business-like. You’re stuck in the ‘cute’ stage, and we’ll need to mature you a bit, make you look older to finish the changes time would have made on its own, but directing them to accentuate things, possibly sharpen your cheekbones. You’d look like a predatory sex-vixen,” Chris giggled at the expression, and Kris almost choked on what she was trying to swallow.

“For the body, Kris,” I LOOKED at her, pausing to take a bite, making them wait, “I’d need a much closer acquaintance to make any sort of judgment. Doesn’t that strike you as reasonable, Chris?” who just nodded shyly, before returning her attention to the food. Kris was almost certainly blushing, but on her darker skin it wasn’t readily noticeable.

“Now,” I set the utensils down, “plans for the next couple of days. You need to practice more, and on Saturday you might be ready to try breaking the first circle of life and attempting the wizard sight spell. Don’t be upset if it doesn’t work the first few times, I’m certain you’ll manage it next week. It’s a deucedly demanding spell. We won’t go to the shooting range on Friday, as I’m not comfortable with the possibility of concealed demons. We’d be much too vulnerable. As you might recall, we’re buying a house to set up for the first enhancement ceremony, which will be a major landmark for all of us. For the ritual, we’ll need shrines to all six elements, with certain materials inside them, and I just have too much on my hands. I want you two to handle the construction of the shrines and the acquisition of the requisite materials. I’ve already copied what is needed from the book, I’ll show you where the papers are. Try to see what you can find, and tell me what you have on Sunday. You’ll be getting your new laptops tomorrow, so you won’t be dependant on the computer stations here. You know how to search for things?”

They nodded, Kristen a bit more hesitantly.

“Seriously, if you have any questions, ask. It’s imperative that the matter be handled perfectly – we can’t afford any error in the shrines’ construction, and any delay might just prove to be fatal.”

“Fatal?” Chris asked, eyes narrowing.

“Demons, elementals, wizards, gods, silly,” Kristen answered, “we’re in deep doo-doo, no matter how much money we can spend. It won’t do us any good six feet under. What do we do tomorrow morning?”

“Another house, we have three more in all.”

“I am NOT,” Kristen declared, back straight, “getting pawed up tomorrow, you lezzie slut!”

“Riiight,” Chris mocked, “you were humping my fingers like a rabid bitch, when I had them on your ass! It got you soooo hot!”

Kris flinched, “Did not!”

“Did so!”

“Girls, please!” Sometimes it was not so very difficult to remember that I was dealing with fifteen year olds. “Tomorrow, Kristen, you can play with Christine for the edification and delight of our realtor. But no pinching. Good enough?” I figured that payback was what she really wanted, and Chris would probably enjoy it.

“Right!” Kris said, “You got it, boss!” she actually saluted.

“Hey, now…” Chris woke up.

“Now, don’t tell me YOU won’t enjoy it?” I quirked a brow.

“Welllll…” her skin turned a delicate rose, and she mumbled something into her food.

“Anyway, once we’re done with the food, you’ll get some pepper spray practice, and please don’t go anywhere without a canister. It might not work on demons, but it should be enough for most creeps.”

“Target practice!” Kris whooped, “But what about real guns?”

“I can probably arrange to use the range the police uses, but I’d feel better about setting up a range in our new refuge. If the house we pick doesn’t have one, it’ll be your job to have one built, and it’ll also be your responsibility, policing it and such. What do you think?”

Kris pursed her lips and actually thought about it for a moment, leaving me stunned, and very, very happy. She might not be as bright as Chris, but she’ll certainly do. Steady and thoughtful can be more valuable than brilliant and erratic. Not that Chris had proven in any wise erratic.

“Well, I don’t know anything about it. Permits, laws, all that stuff,” she looked at me.

“I can direct you to people who can help with that, Kris, and you can find what you need all by yourself, easily. Information is easy to come by, and popular thought to the contrary, people are generally helpful. Especially,” I smiled at her, “when a pretty girl is involved, and they stand to make some money.”

“And the rest of tomorrow?” Chris asked, “Other than more spell practice, there’s the jiujitsu thingie. Do we need to prepare something special for it?”

“No, not really, aside from some loose comfortable long sleeved clothing with no buttons and such like, which is what you’ll need to have on. Before that, we’ll stop at my lawyer.”

“Lawyer?” they asked in unison.

“Yes, I need to prepare a will. Ordinarily, everything I have would pass on to my parents, and thereafter to my dearly beloved sister. If I croak, I’d rather have you getting a major chunk of things. I’ll show you a computer file you’ll need to open, if anything happens to me. I’ll also introduce you to my lawyer, she’s a very nice woman, as you’ll probably need her help for a variety of things. From shrine building contracts to gun range construction, for example. She’ll also handle much of the house purchase, and I need to tell her about that.”

From inquisitive expressions, the looks on their faces had turned to horror, and it was obvious that they wanted to say something, and were casting about for the appropriate words. None surfaced, and they went back to the food, eyes lowered.

I’m not a solipsist, per se, but ‘the world ends when I die’ wasn’t too far from what I’d always felt like. Facing up to possible immortality and very close clashes with imminent mortality had made me think about unpleasant possibilities, and if the girls, by some miracle, managed to outlive me, well, it was the least I could do.

“Ahem,” Chris hesitated, “Just what do you need a lawyer for, really?”

“Well, in all honesty, I haven’t, not that much. Mostly questions where it was easier to pay a bit than to do all the research myself, and still not be certain that I wasn’t missing something. My grandfather, Alex’s father, was corporate shark, and she’s his protégé. That’s how we met, and she’s been very helpful when I needed to construct shell corporations and deal with taxes. With money and problems, it’s always good to have lawyers on retainer.”

“So, you’ve never been arrested?” Kris asked.

“Hardly. Christine only knows my father, but mom’s a judge. Remember my mentioning the police range? Ten years ago, she was still prosecuting criminals, and I spent a lot of time with her, at work. I still touch base every now and then with a few police officers. Good people, really. I even helped them with a few cases of computer fraud, under the table.”

“Right!” Chris smirked, “You’d know all about that dirty, filthy business.”

“Ayup,” I affected an accent.

The practice with the pepper sprays went well, though the atmosphere was somewhat subdued. Criss & Cross snuck looks at me when they thought I was looking elsewhere and wouldn’t notice.

It didn’t take them very long at all to gain satisfactory proficiency, and we were still too worn out from the recent practice session to try more spells.

“Time for some physical activity. A few hours a week of martial arts is nowhere near enough to keep in shape, and you’re going to need muscles and endurance. Swimming will buff you up without those awful weight-type muscles.”

“What about running?” Kris asked.

“Running is very unhealthy, it’s a constant shock to bones and sinew, and Christine would find it exceedingly uncomfortable. She’s too well endowed, though I’ll admit the sight of her bouncing about is quite fetching,” I ducked a hurled pillow, and shook a warning finger at Chris.

“Definitely swimming,” Chris crossed her arms beneath her breasts, frowning, “and some water does sound good.”

“Can you swim?” I asked as we walked to the pool, recalling our last time in the pool. They’d not displayed real skill at moving about.

“Well, breast stroke for me,” Chris replied.

“I’m more of the flail about, dog paddle,” Kris admitted sheepishly.

“Well, come on, I’ll teach you. Chris, just swim steadily. Finish at least thirty laps, try doing ten each using just the arms and just the legs. I’ll show Kris how to do more than just float.”

I led them to the pool, and pulled on a pair of Speedos – we kept a stack of bathing suits by the pool. I turned around, and gasped. The lighting cast shadows across their bodies, but it was obvious that they were nude. As I looked, Chris entered the waters, and Kris walked over to me, and with my magical vision still active, I could see that her temperature was rising. Whereas Chris kept a thatch of pubic hair, Kris was baby smooth, and I couldn’t help but stare.

“Right,” I tried to keep my voice steady, “Stand right there, and I’ll show you how to move your arms, for the breast stroke.”

I demonstrated and she followed suit, and then I stepped behind her, taking her hands and guiding her through the requisite movements. The feel of her skin was exquisite, like liquid silk, and she was so firm. Without conscious guidance, my hands found their way to her breasts, my erection pressing against her bare behind.

Kristen trembled in my arms, breathing loudly, seemingly paralyzed. Her nipples had pebbled, and I fondled them with meticulous attention, biting down and chewing on her neck and ears. She half fell back against me, and I braced myself to support her weight, moving one hand down.

She was dripping, and moaned loudly as I cupped her bare mound, rubbing her pussy. For a full ten minutes, a real test of endurance for me, I played with her sex and breasts, pinching, fingering and fondling. Her back arched with a sharp shriek, thighs clamping down on my hand, body turning limp. I held on to her, and only just managed to hold myself back from dropping her to all fours, and mounting right on.

Sex standing up, even something like this, is really draining. I sighed softly, picked her up, and entered the waters. Kris gasped as the cold touched her, and turned around, still cradled in my arms. I stared into her brown eyes, still smoking with passion, and kissed her on the forehead, nose, then lips. She hugged me tightly, and pressed her lips to mine, hard, before subsiding. The relative coldness of the water helped me calm down.

Chris swam closer, “So we get to test all the torture devices on her, right?” she looked at us intently.

“They should be delivered tomorrow,” I replied without answering.

“Sounds like fun,” Kris said weakly.

“Oh, it will be,” Chris smiled, “Now, teach her to swim,” she ordered peremptorily, and swam off to continue with her laps.

Teach her to swim I did, and Kris caught on quickly, despite all the feels I stole. I had to stop after a squeal caused her to sputter, as she almost swallowed some of the pool’s water.

Athletic as she was, Kris was soon swimming fairly gracefully, and I demonstrated free style for both of them.

When the muscles began to protest, we went to the hot tub, and talked. Kris wanted to know more about guns and martial arts, while Chris was more interested in the shrines and the spells they’d learn next.

“Kristen, I don’t believe we mentioned this, but it’s vitally important. Don’t ever teach anyone magic, not even after you can detect talent with wizard sight. The book is required to initiate my talent, and only I have the proper connection to it, and if someone did manage to learn from you, they’d be at risk of life and limb,” I nearly kicked myself for forgetting that point.

Kris nodded thoughtfully, and I began to lay out my plans for dealing with the threats that faced us, and what we would do in the near future. The book’s admonition that the elemental courts were necessary for the function of nature stuck in my craw, and I was nonetheless determined to teach them a lesson.

“The books of magic you’re looking for,” Christine said with a frown, “what about the archwizard before you? Didn’t he have his own library?”

She really is good, I noted to myself with a satisfied smile, “Excellent point Chris, I just thought of that myself. I’m very lucky to have found you. You just might be smarter than you’re beautiful, at that.”

Compliments seemed to embarrass her more than anything, and she sunk down to her neck in the water, looking away. I opened the book again, not anticipating any welcome news.

Demarthos Alkavrin Kelletar kept hidden strongholds with a full library in Greece and in India. They are almost certain to remain intact, given the stringent security measures he employed. This book is a key to all the defenses, but third circle spells of the circles of mind and spirit are required to pierce the veil he placed around them. Gathering books on your own is thus wasteful of neither time nor resources.

“So we won’t be breaking into that treasure trove anytime soon,” I added. “Can you think of anything else I’ve missed, Chris? Or you, Kristen?”

A few minutes passed in silence while they pondered the matter.

“We need some serious reinforcements,” Kris struck the water in frustration, droplets flying in all directions, “but since they have to be young, it’s a problem. We need all sorts of skills. The best bet are the younger college students.”

“We’re not recruiting much, at present,” Chris responded, “we need to keep a small inner circle, until the first enhancement. Even after that, we’d need time to become more formidable. The concentration of demons worries me. With the meteor shower you mentioned, you said the book told you that it involves power. Perhaps they’re planning something for that?”

“A very good point,” I nodded, “we should be enhanced a few days before the 23^rd of August, so we’ll spend half the time remaining studying like mad, the rest hunting demons. If we can spoil whatever it is they’re planning, we’ll be a step ahead. Then some more limited recruiting, quick training, and wipe the demon presence from the city. There shouldn’t be too many of them around. I hope. Until then, I’ll gather more information about the companies resident in the Easthaven complex. If we can connect the demons to any of them, much of the trail will suddenly become clearer.”

“So tomorrow it’s another house, lawyer, and class? Plus all the spells we can cram in between?” Kris asked.

“Essentially,” Chris replied, “though you’re neglecting the fun part, which I for one have no intention of forgetting. I think I’ve turned nympho or something, all I want is more orgasms,” she bit her lip at the revelation.

Kris looked shocked, and then intrigued, but before she could embarrass her friend, I cut in, “There won’t be quite as much fun and games as we might wish,” I couldn’t help but frown, “according to the book, spellcasting takes a lot of energy, including sexual energy. Our sexual drives will be, likely already are, much reduced from what they would ordinarily be. Once…”

“Show me that in the book,” Chris scoffed.

The decrease in sexual potency is more pronounced with male practitioners. The diminution of the female sexual drive is not readily noticeable.

“Oh well,” I sighed, “don’t expect too much out of me, then. A very good thing we’re getting all the toys. And on this note, lady wizards, let us go to bed. I’m exhausted. Just don’t forget to use the refreshment ritual before you actually sleep. Without it, we’d have trouble surviving the coming day. Days, I suppose.”

Criss and Cross kept up a light chatter as we washed off, alternately casting aspersions on my manhood, and speaking of just how they’d help it recover.

“Girls, are you trying to kill me?” I pleaded, “Remember that I’m casting second circle spells, where the cost in personal energy is much greater than the little spells you’ve cast. A modicum of mercy, patience and foresightedness, please. If I survive the month, the enhancement ritual should really help.” Of course, then I’d face third and fourth circle spells, which were sure to be killers. Somehow, I just didn’t believe that Chris would be willing to wait fourteen years for serious sex.

The three of us entered one of the guest rooms, and Kris shut the door behind us. I was weaving on my feet, so tired. They took my shorts off, but proved to have mercy. Performing the ritual was difficult, as my concentration wavered, but I managed it, and descended into blissful sleep.

Waking up was a pleasure. An intense, wet, hot ecstasy, the feeling of mouths sucking my cock and balls. I kept my eyes closed, moaning as they kept the indescribable pleasure coming, soaring, as they employed tongues and lips with a tentative, exploring approach that kept my mind on the WHO, rather than the what. My attempt to concentrate on spell casting was pitiful, and soon abandoned. I recalled that I hadn’t even thought of asking Kristen for a blowjob, yesterday, not after what she’d been through. They must have started before I’d truly woken, for I found that I could not hold back. I was not even certain I wanted to prolong it, reaching for the explosion, only just managing to warn them with a cry of “AHHH!”

I released spurt after spurt, feeling empty and yet warm and contented with the ejaculation done. Opening my eyes, slowly, I was surprised to note that it was fully dark. Reaching out, I felt warm, fragrant, feminine flesh, eliciting a giggle. “A real cum bath,” I recognized Chris’s voice, and rolled over a body, and then another, using hands, mouth, lips, and teeth. How long we squirmed in the darkness, the girls’ voices rising again and again in shouts of rapture, myself climaxing again between a pair of squirming, tight young buttocks, painting Kris’ back with cum, I could not say.

We’d neglected to close the curtains, and dawn’s light brought an early end to our threesome.

“Wow, what a start to the day,” Chris licked her lips, looking both satiated and exultant. “That’s how every day should begin, so says the nympho sorceress,” she declared grandly. While I’d read that girls could be as sexually ravenous as the boys, it was another thing I hadn’t really believed. Probably because of, as Chris had called it, societal norms and bullshit.

Kristen looked a bit guilty, probably because, in the dark, she’d doubtless had a bit of fun with her friend. So she tossed a pillow and ran off, Chris a-chasing behind. Lovely behinds, too.

The abrupt change, from monastic abstinence to an abundance of eager beauty, was much easier to digest than all the rest of it, I couldn’t help but admit with a short bark of a laugh. Then again, the loyalty binding was probably responsible for short cutting past their normal emotional hang-ups. I couldn’t complain, but I wasn’t going to forget it, either.

I’m not sure what sort of fun Criss and Cross managed in the shower, but Kris seemed even more weighed by guilt, Chris even happier. That just wouldn’t do.

“Kris,” I handed her a plate with sinfully rich waffles, “Don’t worry about your games with girls. You’re definitely not lesbian, and even if you were, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s what you are, what you like, what you do, and as long as you don’t hurt someone needlessly, you’ve nothing to be ashamed of. Be yourself, and rejoice in it. Damn,” I shook my head, “ain’t I bombastic?”

Kristen was staring at me, eyes wide, and Chris was laughing freely.

“But I do mean what I say, and I also say what I mean. I want you to be happy. That’s an order, apprentice. Remember that you’re going to school with US next year, and no one will laugh at you. At least not more than once,” my smile was chill. “Now eat.”

We ate, mostly in comfortable silence. As usual, the very extended meal was interspersed with spells, and they learned several new cantrips from the book, as I studied several more second circle spells. I’ll definitely break the first circle of transmutation today.

Once that empty feeling that went with too much magical work set in, we took a break and went swimming. They’d not bothered to dress at all today, while I went with underwear, and Speedos in the pool. That dangling bit had to be kept safe and sound. I learned swimming on a competitive team, but I was not interested in competing, and quit the team a couple of years ago. But six years of thrice weekly sessions do leave a mark, and I spent an hour helping the girls smooth their style, and began teaching them backstroke.

I showed them some of the basic stretches they’d be doing quite a bit of in beginner’s class later today, and we were interrupted by the delivery of the laptops and the boxes of sex toys. There was no time to play with the toys, and we went to dress up for the house showing. I expected to be stunned, and was not disappointed.

Kristen was red blazing hot in a crimson bodysuit that seemed indecent, even with the skimpy skirt, glued as it was to her superb figure. Christine overdisplayed her cleavage in a form fitting outfit of white and gold, and she seemed set to burst out of it at any moment. Talk about eye candy.

“Girls,” I said somewhat hoarsely, after I digested the display, “We need to buy some serious jewelry for you, next shopping trip. Not that diamonds could compare, but they are girl-friendly, right?”

They stepped forward as one, and kissed me on the cheek. “Very funny,” I cleaned the lipstick off, “consider me marked. Just remember, it’s Kristen’s turn to play.”

I went off to play chauffeur, and this time the realtor was a very well kept middle aged woman in a business suit. The house she presented was quite a ways smaller than the one we saw yesterday, but even more opulent and luxurious, and she bore Kristen’s antics (which were somewhat cruder then her friend’s) with impressive equanimity. The flows of force and life in the house and on the grounds meant nothing to me, but I studied them intently nonetheless. Cynthia, the realtor, suggested that we look at a nearby house that had only just come up on the market, and the girls looked at me, spoiling our little game.

“Certainly, we should have time. You’re scheduled to meet the lawyers in three hours,” I told the girls and raised a brow in question, and Cynthia nodded, “Plenty of time.”

The second house of the day was somewhat above the upper limit for the price I’d specified, but it was enormous, and it had everything, including a range. The girls like it a lot, and so did I, as it would serve to house the large number of wizards I planned on recruiting. Cynthia could tell that we liked it, and warmed up to her presentation, tossing numbers and adding the details of the many tech-toys and appliances the house was graced with. Two basements, one of them serving as a home movie center that could seat twenty, an underground garage for thirty vehicles, and ever so much more.

I only just managed to cut things short, as we’d be pressed if we wanted to keep our schedule. I’d told her three, but we actually had five hours before the lawyers, as I’d made a reservation at a restaurant. Cynthia evinced no surprise when I told her that we liked the house, and that we’d inform her of our decision within a week.

We drove off, and the girls exchanged ‘wows’ over the houses we’d seen, and started to plan changes, pick rooms, and make comparisons. They were so excited and absorbed, they didn’t notice where we were going – at least, not until I parked. I’d dismissed the wizard sight a while ago, not wishing to court any avoidable risks, and judged the risk taken without a semi-active magical signature that allowed me to detect potential hostiles to be slightly less than that taken by retaining it. The book concurred with my decision.

“Where the hell…?” they were surprised to see our destination. Rich neighbourhoods demand special dining experiences, and this was one. Vorvild’s was fairly new, and while it was as snobbish as the location suggests, the décor and food were supposed to be impressive. I knew the girls would like it.

They did, too. They outshined the females among the diners in beauty, youth and style, and Christine helped her friend assume a façade of graceful comportment. Everyone was staring at us… no, at them. We dismissed the sommelier, explaining that we were meeting with lawyers after lunch, so soft drinks were indicated, and ordered. After Kris cast a couple of ‘mischief’ spells, I warned her not to attract elementals and demons to attack us, and she looked suitably chastened.

The food was as good as advertised, and the girls basked at the attention. Kristen couldn’t hide the fact that she was somewhat intimidated by our surroundings – the place was decorated as richly as the houses we’d seen, and the diners looked like heavyweights. But she relaxed soon enough, the mellow melody of the piano, our approving looks and the excellent food settling her down.

We declined the offer of desert, as we had to be on our way, and I drove with uncharacteristic speed. The ‘early fetish’ was deeply ingrained. Rather than place it near the City Courthouse, Crystal’s law office was located in an office building that mostly contained investment firms. A smart move, really, when litigation is not a significant part of your repertoire.

As a senior partner in my grandfathers old firm, Crystal wasn’t going to cater to our needs personally. That was what minions were for. But she did make time to see us, and was as pleasant and lovely as ever. You’d never guess the cool looking brunette was over forty, not in a million years.

“Logan!” she greeted me, “Growing up to be a shark and a rake, just like Pete! Such lovely ladies, excuse me, heiresses. Please, Christine, Kristen, take a seat.”

The girls seemed startled at the recognition, and somewhat ill at ease.

“Now, Crystal, Pete wasn’t much of a shark. Lawyers only take a piece of the pie, even if the bite can be painful. It’s the people who own the pie who’re the real sharks,” I smiled and shook the hand she proffered.

“Touché,” she nodded, “But why the sudden concern for your health? You’re beautiful and sixteen.”

“Excuse me?!” Christine interjected frostily.

“It’s a line from a song, one of the oldie moldies,” I explained. “Crystal doesn’t like them young, she prefers…”

“Hey now!” Crystal interrupted, “That’s a bit too personal. Is it a secret?”

“No, not really. I wanted to introduce the girls, as they’ll be doing quite a lot of work for me, and will need the occasional legal advice, and thought I might as well. Accidents happen, and it wouldn’t do to leave them destitute. Not thinking about it doesn’t make it not happen,” I shrugged.

“And the house? Striking out on your own quite so soon? What about college? There’s an excellent law program at…”

“Not that I have anything against your alma mater,” I smiled, “but I’ll finish a degree in math and economics next year, and I don’t think I’ll bother with more than that. I don’t need the certs, not really. Studying remotely is much more convenient than campus living, as well. As for the house, well, home is getting a bit too small for me and my sister. It’s get away, or kill her. Frankly, I’d rather kill her, but I don’t think my parents would be too happy with that,” I shrugged once more.

Crystal was in no wise shocked or perturbed, as she’d heard about my ‘sister woes’ before. Her advice on the subject had proven quite useful, too.

“Wise. So, besides spending time with lovely ladies, what are you doing these days?”

“Wallowing in quotidian ennui and shameless luxury. Retirement agrees with people.”

“Retired? So soon? I thought the plan was at eighteen.”

“Well, not quite retired, no. You might want to invest in Alkastar’s stock offering, and pick up a few options for Yorkmere. But I am looking for an apprentice or three, and I will retire from finance in a few weeks at the latest,” I looked sideways at the girls for a moment, and she nodded understanding, writing down the names of the companies I’d mentioned.

Then she proceeded to chat with the girls, spending a few minutes covertly questioning them and putting them at their ease. She reached a state of comfortable, respectful truce with Christine, and got more from Kristen than she should have.

“Logan, it was wonderful to see you again, and I must congratulate you on your skill. It can’t be luck,” she chuckled, “I remember how much you trust it. ‘Lady luck is a fickle mistress’ is your expression, right?”

“So it is,” I rose from the chair, and dry kissed the back of her hand, a courtly gesture I’d quite forgotten to practice on the girls. “But I’m allowed to change my mind, and reluctantly, I must. My luck has turned.”

She frowned, understanding that I’d not said which way it had turned, but regained her smile as she shook Criss and Cross’ hands.

“Ladies, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how lucky you are. Logan is devoted, loyal, and most important, he listens. I’m sure I’ll see you again. Will you have a house warming party?” Crystal asked.

“Probably not,” I tilted my head in thought, “we’ll be too busy settling in. If we do, you’ll hear of it. Have a good day, and don’t let them catch you cheating.”

Her secretary directed us to the associates we needed to see, and we completed the paperwork for the will in a trice, as I’d sent the details ahead. Alerting the second associate to prepare for the real estate purchase took a bit more time, but we were still done well before my estimate of how long the rigamarole would require.

We drove back home, and they quizzed me about Crystal. She’d always treated me as a miniature adult, and she’d profited thereby. Peter Reeves hadn’t picked her by accident or with looks in mind, and she is as sharp as a razor. A bit predatory, but I like her humour and manner, and she is one of the few people I never had to slow down for at all. Chris is bright, but Crystal is quite possibly smarter than I am. I gave them the short version of our acquaintance, and Chris suddenly asked, “Do you like older women?”

“It’s not age, or even looks or smarts. It’s not entirely rational, if you know what I mean. Sometimes I hate people for absolutely no reason, and in such cases I keep a tight reign on things. And sometimes,” I reached for her hand, “I like people, just like that. Even more rarely, I FEEL for people. I can’t really describe it. It’s actually similar in a way to panic or intense fear, that hollow thing in the stomach, a completely impossible sensation that comes out of nowhere. A physical echo, a shadow of what I feel. Do you see?”

“No,” Chris admitted, “Not really. But like you said, it’s not something you can explain or really describe. In a way, I do understand, I suppose.”

In the few hours we had left before jiujitsu, we had another leisurely meal and spellcasting session. I broke the first circle of transmutation, and learned yet another second circle spell, the life magic which enhances physical strength. The cleaning and pool service had taken good care of the house, and I browsed the surveillance records to see if there’d been anything suspicious.

The girls were excited about their first martial arts lesson, Kristen letting out a few Bruce Lee type yells. We drove slowly in our trikes, waited for the ‘oh they’re so cute’ ballet dolls to make their way outside, and walked in. I showed Criss and Cross where to stow their things, making sure they had nothing dangerous left on, and showed them where to go.

Before I entered my practice room, I activated wizard sight. I was sufficiently used to it by now that I kept from staggering at the physical drain.

Dan was there, of course, and so were Doug and Mellanie, neither of whom showed any potential. There was an unfamiliar black haired girl with her back to me, who blazed with the warmth of wizardly potential.

She turned to look at me, and I only just barely heard Dan’s introduction.

“Logan, this is Miko Lee. We’ll be working full contact today, she’ll pair up with you, as you’re of a size and comparable skill.”

“Kimiko, actually,” she dazzled me with a smile, “But everyone calls my mother Kim, so I usually go by Lee.”

The name snapped me into focus. Another Lee. Hopefully not, because Kimiko was one of the most beautiful girls I’d ever seen, and that FEELING I’d mentioned to Chris was eating at my stomach’s interior. After class, I was definitely going to show her a magic trick.