Chapter 111 Goodbye.

I tried a downward slash, a thrust, a full strength overhead chop that would have bisected a troll from head to groin.

Every strike just whooshed right through. My sword was completely useless, and I might as well have been swinging a pool noodle at a bad mood. Deeply frustrating. “Man, fuck this guy!”

“Physical damage won’t work!” Juniper called, which I had just figured out the hard way. She was already gathering magical energy into a concentrated pulse. “This requires a magical counterstrike! Elsa!”

Elsa was already moving, and the fact that she was moving toward the thing instead of deeper into her blanket pile spoke to just how rough this encounter was.

She’d drawn her sword and the blade was glowing white-hot with channeled energy, brighter than I’d ever seen it.

The magic reserves she’d unlocked after the ritual were pouring into the weapon until it was almost erupting out of her hands.

“This is MY time!” Elsa announced as Juniper channeled some magic into her sword. “I am the First Maiden and I will protect this party and its beautiful champion!” And then she planted her feet, raised the glowing blade above her head, and swung.

The blast of energy that came off her sword split the air with a crack and hit the wraithlike creature dead on. White light exploded across the field so bright I had to shield my eyes. The thing, whatever it was, screamed, and then vanished with the explosion of light that came from the attack.

Elsa stood there for about two seconds with her sword still raised, looking like the most badass five-foot-nothing, ninety pound tiara-wearing woman in a platemail bikini ever.

Then she wobbled, her eyes went glassy, and she sat down hard on the grass. “So sleepy,” she said.

I jogged over and knelt beside her. She was conscious and alert, just completely gassed. Her arms were limp at her sides and her face was pale from the exertion. “Did I kill it?” she asked, looking up at me with those big blue eyes.

“You annihilated it,” I chuckled.

“Good.” She tried to lift her hand to touch my face and couldn’t quite get it there. “My body is… so weak.”

Yeah, she was fine. She was definitely winded, but she was performing. I knew her well enough to know that much.

Juniper slithered over and gave the princess a once-over. “You overdid it,” she said. “You channeled more magical energy in three seconds than most mages release in an hour. Your body can’t sustain that kind of output with a CON of four.”

“Actually it’s five after the ritual,” Elsa said with a yawn.

I scooped her up and carried her back to the house, and she happily giggled as she threw her arms around my neck and pressed her face against my chest.

Ayra healed the magical fatigue as best she could and then flopped onto the couch next to the princess, yawning hugely. “What a terrible fight,” she murmured. “I suppose I deserve a spanking for not being more effective. Arf.” The “Arf” was barely audible, and it was the saddest little bark I’d ever heard. I’d seen a lot of ASPCA commercials in my day, and this was right up there.

Juniper checked Elsa’s vitals and confirmed she’d be fine after some rest. The princess was already half asleep under a blanket, and her tiara was crooked again. I straightened it because she’d want me to, and kissed her on the forehead.

Then I got up and headed outside again. Clementine was on the porch steps waiting for me. She’d finally transformed back and was sitting with her arms crossed and her tail curled around herself.

“That psychic thing was bullshit,” she said when I sat down beside her. “But… it was uncool of me to doubt you, I guess.”

“You’re fine. I’m flattered that that was the most devastating thing it thought you could imagine.”

She blushed and snorted at that and leaned into my shoulder. “We need that meeting with the Countess, fuckface. I’m getting real tired of spending every night out here when I could be watching my dramas and sitting on your face.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” I kissed the top of her head. “Come inside. I’m calling Miller to see if there’s any news. I don’t care that it’s after midnight—he said two days, it’s been a few.”

“Nice.” She stood up and stretched, and that was when the blue notification popped into my field of vision.

[ BOND UPDATE: CLEMENTINE KIM — GREATER STEED. ]

Bond Status changed: AMICABLE → DEVOTED↑↑↑

New skill unlocked: Transcendent Gallop.

Effect: Mount achieves supernatural speed far beyond physical limits. Duration scales with bond strength.

All physical stats adjusted upward.

? STR: 18 (+2)↑

? DEX: 18 (+2)↑

? CON: 18 (+2)↑

“What are you staring at?” Clementine asked, squinting at me. “You’ve got that dumb face you make when the System is talking to you.”

“Your bond just leveled up,” I said, grinning. “You’re Devoted now.”

Her ears went back and her face turned strawberry milk pink so fast I could practically hear the blood rushing. “Excuse me? Devoted? I’m not devoted to you, fuckface. I’m tolerating you at best. Like I’d ever be devoted to you.”

“You are making me marry you, though,” I pointed out.

Her blush raged on. “You have to take responsibility, that’s all. It’s not like I’m head over heels, completely and totally in love with you.”

I smirked at her. “But you totally are.”

“Well, so what! It doesn’t mean anything if I am,” she huffed, crossing her arms. Her eyes went huge as she realized just what she’d said. “No, wait—I mean—okay, so maybe I’m a little completely in love with you, but—”

“You also unlocked Transcendent Gallop. And your physical stats all jumped by two.” I decided to interrupt her to rescue her from herself.

She opened her mouth to keep complaining, then closed it. “How much stronger are we talking?”

“STR 18. DEX 18. CON 18. Honestly, you’re a beast.”

She looked down at her hands, flexed them, and then looked back up at me with narrowed eyes. “Fine. The System can call me whatever it wants as long as the numbers keep going up. But just because we’re engaged and I’m committed to spending the rest of my life with you and bearing your children or whatever doesn’t mean I’m, like, Devoted.”

“Of course not, Clementine.”

“Don’t you fucking smile at me like that. At least you’re saying my name correctly now.” She sighed, letting out a smile herself.

I scrolled to Miller’s number and pressed the green button. It rang twice.

“Coleman?” Miller’s voice came through calm and unsurprised, like he’d had the phone on the counter next to his coffee this whole time. “It’s like one in the goddamn morning. What the hell is going on?”

“Sheriff. You said a couple of days. It’s been more than a couple of days, and the nightly nonsense out here is getting old. What’s the word on the Countess?”

He audibly sighed through the receiver. “I was going to call you tomorrow morning. Beaumont’s people got back to me, and she’s willing to meet.”

“When?”

“She said within the week. I’ll have a time and location for you by morning.”

“Appreciate it. Sooner is better.”

“I’ll push,” he said. “Sit tight, Coleman.”

He hung up without anything extra, which I was starting to respect about the man. I needed to adopt that “no goodbyes” phone etiquette. It seemed manly. Probably wouldn’t go over great with some people though.

In any case, it was time for bed—and I had a hell of a bed.