Bertha stood up from her meditative position as I entered the antechamber. She glanced from me to Abby, and there was no hiding the surprise in her eyes.
“Abby, this is Bertha, my champion,” I said. “Bertha, this is Abigail, formerly a core of the Temple of Cirylia.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Abby said, but I could feel the sudden tension in her voice.
“I have little love for your goddess, Abigail,” Bertha told her, “But if my master sees fit to protect you within these halls, then consider yourself under my protection also.”
Abby’s mouth tightened into that coral line again, and she nodded. “I thank you.”
“How are you faring?” I asked Bertha.
“Well, Master. I’m glad you’ve seen fit to keep the imp hidden for now. He bothers me something fierce.” Bertha smiled at me before she resumed her meditative position right in the center of the room. A smile touched the corner of Bertha’s mouth, and she indicated for me to join her for a private conversation.
“Do you mind giving me a minute?” I asked Abby. “Just don’t step here.” I pointed to the tile with the Fan Blade trigger.
“Thank you for the warning,” she said before I left her.
“I see you’ve made a new friend,” Bertha said as I approached.
“Ah, yeah,” I whispered. Abby was busy staring at the demonic bat decoration garnishing the far wall, wholly oblivious to our conversation. I hadn’t done anything with the dungeon core yet, but my elf’s special ability almost required that I consider it. Bertha knew almost nothing about it, but I’d have to discuss my desires for many-to-one relationships at some point or other.
“If your fear is my jealousy, dismiss it.” The half-troll paused, and her eyes gleamed with mischief. “Great warriors are to spread their seed wherever they please. It strengthens their breeding partners. The continuing strength of Zagorath is your priority. Puck and I benefit from every step you take on the road to greater power. You are my Master. Who am I to disagree with your will?”
Relief raced through my body. “You continue to surprise me, champion.”
“I was your first,” she told me, a glow of pride in her tone. “And I shall always be your first. No one can take that from me. I was your first champion and the first to warm your bed.” Bertha chuckled, her jazz-singer voice always pleasing. “May I venture to speak beyond my station for a moment?”
“Sure,” I said, surprised for the umpteenth time how well-spoken she was compared to her kin. “I’m all ears.”
“The little one…” Bertha nodded toward Abby. “She’s soft. Breakable. Do your best to be gentle. She looks as if she’d shatter if you should take her quite the same way as you did me.”
“We’re not quite at that point yet,” I said with a stifled laugh, almost coughing with some slight hint of embarrassment. “But I appreciate the advice.”
“I doubt it will be long. I can already see how she thirsts for you, Von Dominus.”
I didn’t answer her on that; I was too aroused by the thought of the deed that apparently wasn’t too far away.
“I’d better get back,” I said. “It’s impolite to leave a guest by themselves—especially when she could trigger a trap at any moment.”
Bertha offered me a knowing smile as I turned my back to her and approached the female avatar. Abby was still studying the giant bat, running her hands over the carving and peering through the razor-thin slits lighting up the space.
“Where’s the light coming from?” she asked, looking back at me.
I grimaced. “My soul forge. I only found it after I started to excavate.”
“You mean you didn’t have one, to begin with?” she asked, astonished.
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t.”
“You know what that means, right?”
“Yeah. There was another dungeon here, a long time ago.” I joined her at the carving and let a hand slide over one of its eyes, down to the bat’s slitted snout and its gaping maw. “I think Entropy destroyed it and stripped the core away. Over time, everything started to shift back to the way it was before. Maybe Zagorath was a Temple of Lilith, once upon a time.”
“I just can’t understand how you’ve learned so quickly,” Abby murmured, looking over me. Again, she couldn’t keep her eyes off my chest, the lean curve of my arms. She probably didn’t even realize she was doing it. “How you’re so powerful.”
Bertha coughed and Abby’s hand retreated.
“Maybe we should take a look upstairs?” I asked. “The view from the mountain is something special.”
“An excellent idea,” Abby said.
Bertha smirked a little as I passed by her, and I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. She might have believed a powerful man like me could sleep with whomever he chose, but I doubted the half-troll would refrain from blocking me at every chance she could get. And she knew exactly what I was up to. The view from the mountain, indeed!
As we entered the sloping passageway leading to the surface, Abby glanced back to my champion and then to me. I kept any sign of uncertainty off my face. If Bertha wasn’t bothered with Abby, then they’d grow to like each other. Or, at least, they’d learn to interact civilly. Thankfully, my champion seemed neither possessive nor overly attached to me. She appreciated a pleasant reward for her labors and she was also absolutely right—she was always going to be my first, no matter what happened afterward.
My second, however, seemed like she would require a little more persuasion, even despite Bertha’s words of warning. Well, no matter; I was certainly up the task.
Chapter Twenty-Four
After the final flight of wide stairs, Abby and I were on the open peak of Shadow Crag. A screech made Abby flinch toward me and catch hold of my arm. The warmth passing through me from her gloved hands sent an electric thrill down my spine, and I chuckled at the contact.
“Easy,” I murmured in her ear. “They can’t
