Page 102 of A Light in the Dark
“I’ll make sure we can set your fort up to have good ranged weaponry and ammunition—and how to best hide your arsenal from the experienced gamers. That’ll give us all a good goal to work towards. And you might be able to finish off a bunch of those jerks on your own merits, too.”
“Will it be okay if I just kill off as many people as I can?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll let our team know that you’re a vicious tyrant and will murder all you can. You’ve had a hard life, and you deserve to murder as many of us in the game as possible.”
“Let’s get our hair and nails done first. Then I think we should go find out if we can dress up as pirate queens for the game.”
“I like the way you think. We’ll squeeze in dinner somewhere in this adventure.”
“I’m also going to need clothing that convinces Joel not to leave my house at night. I either have jeans and t-shirts or attire suitable for an attorney.”
The woman snickered. “I think I can probably help you with that, too. Calden is incapable of resisting the urge todress me up, and I’ve figured out how women’s clothing works from his shopping efforts. By the time I’m done with you, Joel will be following you around while drooling.”
“That’s an excellent start.”
We shopped for clothes first,buying enough to fill most of Calden’s SUV. She dressed me in a pair of tight jeans and a blouse with a plunging neckline and sleeves that exposed my shoulders and quite possibly used magic to stay on. While I held no confidence I’d remain covered for the rest of the day, if I managed to lure Joel out of his clothes and to a bed, I’d view it all as money well spent.
While Coraline had wanted to spend Calden’s money on the venture, I’d opted to showcase my independence, paying for the stylist, who gave me a trim and contained it within a French braid, a trend people were embracing to show support for Earth’s refugees. As my adventure in the woods hadn’t done my hands any favors, I had the nail artist even everything out, repair a nail with a minor crack, and apply green polish the match of a luna moth’s wings.
By the time we returned to Coraline’s home, a rumpled Joel waited, his hair sticking up every which way. Judging from his attire, Calden had thrown him into the most casual clothes he could find that happened to fit. I laughed at the man’s expression, which was a blend of dismayed and irritated. “Did that mean wolf refuse to let you dress in one of your suits?”
“He really did. And then he didn’t believe that I need atleast twenty minutes to tame my hair after a shower. I was told my hair could run wild and free.”
I could see myself spending time smoothing his hair with my fingers. “Wild and free is a good look on you when in a casual environment. I approve. We conquered, but apparently, I’m dressed to Calden’s standards rather than mine.”
Joel took his time looking me over. “I think I’m going to have to have a talk with Calden about his standards.”
“His standards are expensive.”
“I can afford it.”
“After buying all that silk, are you sure?”
He scowled at me. I grinned.
“She won that one,” Calden informed the luna moth shifter, strolling into the entry area of the townhouse. “As I have been informed that you are a reader, the fireplace has been lit, I’ve started dinner, and there’s a selection of books available for your enjoyment. Read and relax. Hot chocolate or coffee service is also available.”
Coraline giggled. “We get the couch?”
“I did reserve the couch for us while giving them the armchairs. Maybe my father will come over, see that everyone is reading, and leave for a change.”
Judging from Coraline’s bark of laughter, she had zero faith that his father would leave them alone. “Fortunately for us, he’s probably monitoring Stonecreek’s election while regretting his offer to help if Valerie’s elected.”
I heaved a sigh. “I’m going to need your help, Calden. You, too, Joel. That man goes down in our game for this, and I need you experienced gamers to secure my victory over him. Mostly, I want you two to lure him out so I can throw things at him in the game.”
“Shoot,” Joel informed me with a grin. “If you want to actually kill him in the game, you’re going to have to shoot him.”
“What’s the most primitive weapon I can get my hands on in that game to maximize my satisfaction over his murder?”
The two men regarded me with narrowed eyes before eyeing each other. After a few moments, Calden said, “I promise I won’t kill your woman in the game if you promise not to kill mine for the sake of making my father pay for his crimes.”
“I find these terms to be acceptable. Once your father has paid, we will maintain a grace period for the remainder of that day’s gaming, after which our women are fair prey again.”
To make it clear they discussed serious business, they shook on their deal. Coraline raised a brow, and judging from the way she twitched, she struggled to keep from laughing or smiling. “I thought we weren’t supposed to make deals with the enemy, Calden.”
“In this case, sacrifices must be made. As my father needs to be put in his place, I’m willing to make a deal with the enemy. As far as enemies go, Joel’s not a bad choice for such things. Nobody would believe we’re engaging in a temporary alliance even if you told them. Please don’t tell them. If anyone finds out, it’ll become utter nonsense. Everyone wants a shot at my father. They just want to defeat him in single combat. I know better than to take my father on in single combat. If we’re working together, we might get rid of him early and reduce him to being a supplier.”
“Wait, supplier?” I asked. “What does that mean?”
