Trinket (Reverse Harem)

Marcus Saves The Day (because of course he does)

Ethat leaned verrrry close to Marcus, clicking his teeth.

"I said no murder!" I hissed at Ethat.

"Brother, we have to return the bird to the Lord-Raven," Korr said mildly.

"With all his feathers?" Itek asked Korr.

"Yessss, tasty feathers," Ethat whispered to a mildly concerned appearing Marcus.

"Please don't give him any ideas." I nudged Itek in the side. I sort of liked Marcus. Watching him turn Yanice and Deliah into embroidery thread was one of my great joys.

"Yes, and I'm giving my very violent brother the idea we need to return the bird to his master."

Marcus noted the bruises on Korr's hands and wrists. Korr gave him a malevolent look.

"Bones count," Ethat growled.

"Technically, I guess they do?" Korr tapped a finger against his lips.

"Alive and with all of his feathers!" I tugged on Ethat's shirt.

"I would be a lot less concerned if we had a necromancer," Korr said with a sigh.

"We can find a necromancer," Ormiss said.

"Yes, yes, but the time and the cost. A quality necromancer than can return a skilled and sophisticated individual to full like-it-didn't-happen function is very expensive." Korr sighed again. "I do not have the budget to pay that bill every other day, and if I have to send word back home that I need a higher allocation because Ethat once again ate someone, I may as well not need a necromancer at all. For either of us. And then we'd have to wonder if Theia could use her charms to our benefit."

I glared at him. If that was a reference to the God of Barren Branches liking the smell of my hair...

Korr winked. It was. The asshole. That wasn't funny!

Ormiss asked Korr, "So it's just cost keeping you from letting your brother eat all the birds he wants? Because if it's a matter of cost, I will happily pay the bills if you find the necromancer."

"Well, that's the second difficulty. the matter of sourcing the necromancer. I'm aware of a couple hiding down in the belly of Haven, but they're skin-slinging-bone-hacks, not artisans. Those are hard to find, generally don't stay on this continent, or at least in this city. Perhaps you could learn it."

Ormiss' eyes narrowed. "No."

"I keep hoping that Theia will be able to source us a necromancer who will be content to settle down with us and be less of a skin-slinger than the usual." Korr turned icy, blizzardy eyes on me.

"I do not plan on collecting consorts like a dropped piece of wet dough collects lint," I told Korr. It was impossible to stay angry at him. He was just too fucking charming. Korr gave me a wicked smile, ducked swiftly, clasping one bruised hand against my cheek, and kissed me for a slow, freezing minute.

The peace of that mountain stole over me and I sighed against his lips. He took that as an invitation to slip his tongue past my parted lips, sending a freezing shiver along my nerves, and every part of me tugged and sparkled like he and Asund hadn't just ravished me a few hours earlier.

Marcus cleared his throat, having determined Ethat was probably not going to eat him and he could ignore the dragon breathing on him.

We pulled apart, even though it felt like my scars were tearing, and for a second, my brain fractured into a dozen different well... images. Like a dozen different thoughts occurring at the same time, but they were all memories of thoughts that hadn't been mine.