THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Their embarrassment was almost palpable as they straightened their clothing, avoiding each other's eyes. David stepped closer, tilting Shay's chin up with one finger before pressing a brief but thorough kiss to her lips. She made a small sound of surprise that melted into something quite different before he pulled away.

"That's hardly proper monitoring technique," he murmured, then turned to Katrina, repeating the gesture with equal attention. When he stepped back, both women appeared slightly dazed, their earlier embarrassment transformed into a different kind of flush.

"It's really not appropriate to eavesdrop on your sister when she's sleeping," David admonished gently.

"I wasn't sleeping," came Vivian's voice from the bed, smug satisfaction evident in every syllable. "And I sensed you both lurking out there since midnight. Amateurs."

Shay's expression darkened as she glared past David at the bed. "You little—"

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion over breakfast," David interjected smoothly, stepping between them with practiced ease. "I find I've worked up quite an appetite."

The deliberate innuendo had its intended effect, distracting both women from their brewing argument as their attention redirected to him. The complex jealousy and competition between his shadow maidens required careful management—a delicate balance of attention and restraint that kept their rivalry productive rather than destructive.

"I'll have the kitchen prepare something special," Katrina offered quickly, eager to assert her usefulness.

"I'll help," Shay added, unwilling to be outdone.

David watched them hurry down the hallway with barely concealed amusement. Behind him, he felt Vivian's arms slide around his waist as she pressed against his back, her naked body warm against his skin.

"That was mean," she murmured against his shoulder blade. "Getting their hopes up when you know you're going to be busy with me all morning."

David turned in her embrace, studying her face with an expression that made her breath catch. "Who said anything about being busy all morning?"

The mixture of disappointment and indignation that crossed her features was almost comical. Before she could protest, he leaned down to whisper in her ear, his breath sending visible shivers through her body.

"I was thinking more along the lines of all day."

Vivian's crimson eyes widened momentarily before a slow, triumphant smile spread across her face. She reached up to twine her arms around his neck, rising on her toes to press her body more fully against his.

"The others will be furious," she said, not sounding remotely concerned about this prospect.

"They'll survive," David replied, his hands settling at her waist. "Besides, I have tasks for them that will keep them occupied."

A shadow rippled near the door as Luna materialized partially from David's shadow, her golden eyes observing the pair with her usual inscrutable expression.

"Breakfast is being prepared," she reported, showing no reaction to Vivian's state of undress or possessive posture. "Seraphina wishes to discuss the business matter regarding those cocoa beans you gave her. She's been searching for alchemists or mages who could reduce their growth duration." Her golden eyes shifted to David. "Also, you cannot spend the entire day here. We need to meet with Elara and see Yue about your condition."

David nodded, mentally adjusting his plans. "Tell Seraphina I'll join the discussion shortly."

Before Luna could dissolve back into shadow, Vivian's posture changed subtly—from lover to predator in an instant.

"When?" she asked, her crimson eyes narrowing as she stared at Luna.

Luna tilted her head, the motion unnervingly inhuman. "When what?"

"Don't pretend," Vivian hissed, taking a step forward despite her nakedness. "When did you and David sleep together?"

David sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. This particular complication was one he'd hoped to avoid for a while longer.

A smile spread across Luna's face—revealing teeth far sharper than any human's. "What business do you have with my affairs, little pup?" The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

Vivian's hand rose in a fluid gesture. Darkness coalesced at her fingertips before shooting across the room, wrapping around the hilt of her obsidian sword and yanking it back to her waiting grasp. The blade hummed with anticipation as she assumed a fighting stance, apparently unconcerned by her lack of clothing.

"If you were that interested in David," she snarled, "you could have had the courtesy of giving us space rather than spying on us from his shadow."

Luna's aura flared in response—an ancient, predatory presence that made the shadows in the room writhe like living things. Her golden eyes began to glow with internal light, her form growing less human by the second.

"Listen well, pup," Luna growled, the harmonics in her voice suggesting something far larger than her human shell. "You don't understand your place in the hierarchy. You're a distraction. I am his guardian, his protector since before you learned to hold that toy sword."

"Enough," David said quietly, but with enough authority that both women froze. "How the hell did I find myself in this mess?" he muttered to himself before addressing them directly. "Luna, return to Seraphina and inform her we'll be down shortly. Vivian, get dressed."

Neither woman moved immediately, the tension between them still crackling like static electricity.

"Now," David added, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Luna inclined her head slightly, casting one final warning glance at Vivian before dissolving into shadow.

Vivian lowered her sword slowly, her expression a mixture of frustration and wounded pride. "You could have told me you and her were—"

"We aren't discussing this now," David began, his tone firm but not unkind. Then, seeing the flash of hurt in Vivian's eyes, he moved to her side, his hand gently lifting her chin.

"When we're alone," he said softly, his voice dropping to an intimate murmur meant only for her, "only you matter to me. Nothing else exists in those moments. Remember that."

Vivian's heartbeat quickened, the warmth of his words spreading through her chest like wildfire. For all her deadly skill and newfound confidence, this simple reassurance affected her more deeply than she cared to admit. She felt the familiar heat rising to her cheeks as she searched his eyes, finding there a sincerity that banished her doubts.

"I... yes," she whispered, momentarily forgetting her earlier anger. Her crimson eyes softened, the sword in her hand lowering of its own accord.

David brushed his thumb across her lower lip. "Now get dressed. We have work to do."

She nodded, suddenly remembering their purpose as the sword disappeared into its dimensional sheath with a practiced gesture. As she moved to retrieve her clothing, her steps carried a new lightness—the certainty of a woman who knew exactly where she stood.

As she dressed, David returned to the window, gazing up at the sky above Valemir. To ordinary eyes, nothing would appear amiss in the clear morning blue. But David could see the subtle distortion, the almost imperceptible thinning of reality due to his fractures.

Their timeline had just accelerated significantly. The fractures spread to his body, which pulsed in response as if in recognition of a kindred dimensional anomaly.

"I'm running out of time!"