“I’m your destiny,” Tybalt repeated. “How do you know that?”

  “When I’m not visiting you, my dreams tell me the future. Possible futures. This power has been passed down among the women in my family for as long as anyone can remember. It kept our people alive over the years we were forced to run from place to place, looking for a home. It requires some interpretation, but that’s mostly to distinguish between your own dreams or wishes or fears and real things. You’re real, though. Right?” She spoke these last words with a note of triumph in her voice.

  Tybalt nodded. “I guess you know I am. That still doesn’t answer my question. In every possible future, you’re supposed to be with me? Is that what you mean by destiny?”

  “Laying my cards on the table, no,” Vidalia replied. “Not in every possible future. Just the ones I actually want to pursue. I could live a long, safe, dull life without you. Be the wife of some ordinary man. I’d be happy enough, I imagine.” She paused and licked her lips. “But that happiness would make me absolutely miserable.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new definition of misery. Do you know how many people would kill to know that they could live a safe, happy life with someone who loved them?”

  Tybalt didn’t even need to ask whether Vidalia’s life with him would be safe. There was apparently a high enough chance of him dying that her future self—one of her future selves?—had been in mourning for years, despite not being particularly old.

  “Darling, I know what you are. Would you give up being a necromancer and the chosen servant of a great god to live an ordinary, happy life?”

  Tybalt had trouble processing Vidalia’s fairly straightforward answer. He was stuck on the first word she had used.

  In the Nietian language, the vocabulary of terms of endearment was extremely well developed. Polygamy being common, there were gradations of affection, different words for different roles in a family, and phrases that connoted either a love match or an arranged marriage, as well as concepts in between. There were also terms like “boyfriend,” “lover,” “mistress,” “concubine,” and others to describe significant relationships short of marriage.

  This gave the word Vidalia chose to call Tybalt by, the version of “darling” that she used, particular significance. The word was old-fashioned, and more a word for commoners than nobility. It was very close in meaning to “mate” and had connotations of a woman talking to a spouse—specifically one that had been chosen for love and nothing else. Tybalt felt simultaneously deeply flattered—this beautiful young woman was strongly implying that she expected and wanted to fall in love with him and become his wife—and confused.

  It took him a moment to respond properly.

  “No, I wouldn’t,” he said. “Vidalia, how is your Nietian so good? You have hardly any accent.”

  “I spent a lot of time learning it,” she replied, smiling proudly. “The younger generations in my tribe all speak the language at least a bit, but I’m one of the best.”

  So she actually understood what she was saying, then, I guess. She’s subtly implying I’m going to marry her one day.

  “You must be,” Tybalt said, nodding. “All right. Now let’s get down to business. I’d love to do… the things you obviously had in mind with tonight’s dream.” He gestured at the candlelit bedroom all around them, which surely did not exist in real life anywhere in these mountains. “But your future self’s visit creates a sense of urgency.”

  Vidalia nodded, but she did not sound particularly hopeful as she spoke. “I’ll help however I can. I should say up front that I’ve been trying to avoid telling you things you didn’t need to know. Safer that way. And you should know that visit was just from one possible future me. Nothing is set in stone. There are even futures where we never meet.”

  “How was it safer not to give me information?” he asked, eyes narrowed.

  “It keeps the future on a narrower band of paths,” she said. “I’m not very active in shaping events myself, so my just knowing things doesn’t have a huge effect. You, on the other hand…”

  “I leave big footprints all over the future,” Tybalt guessed. “Still, maybe you should trust me with a little more information. Given that the future version of yourself that I… ran into… is a real possibility.”

  She nodded. “All right. I considered that you might ask me that once you learned about my powers. Here is the basic information I feel confident in giving you before we actually meet. First, you will probably fail to keep your class completely under wraps. If I’m correct about that, no matter what, you cannot be dragged back to your civilization. In those futures where you return to Niet with your squad, they always kill you.”

  He nodded. There had been a part of him that had still hoped he might eventually be powerful enough that the Kingdom would see his value instead of executing him, but he had known it was a long shot, especially after getting the quest to kill off his squad. Going back was not Plan A.

  Tybalt thought about telling her his thought processes but reasoned that she already seemed to know his side of things surprisingly well.

  “The important thing is to level your class as quickly as you can and not worry so much about containing the secret,” Vidalia said firmly.

  “I’ll be an outlaw if my class gets out—”

  “You’ll be an outlaw cut down before your prime, or you’ll be a king. Those are your two possible destinies, Tybalt.”

  “Cheery.”

  “It’s not so bad,” she said softly. “A king can be loved by so many people. My people, for instance, have been looking for a leader to give us a permanent home for over a century.”

  Is that her agenda? Tybalt wondered, his cynicism cutting through the haze of innocent sincerity that seemed to emanate from Vidalia. Find someone who can protect her people from the Kingdom? That’s not incompatible with my goals, though…

  “I know it’s a lot of pressure, but there will be consolations,” the fox girl continued. She stepped back and curtsied cutely. “For instance, you already have your very first willing follower.”

  “I thought you were… something else.”

  “You’ll have many lovers, darling,” Vidalia replied. “I know that powerful men always have multiple women, whether wives or concubines, and for the record, I don’t mind sharing. But above all else, a man—especially a man who wants to be a leader—needs someone who gives him unconditional support. Someone who has absolute faith in him. For you, that’s me.” Again, she spoke with a sense of conviction—certitude—and a smile.

  How can she say these things without being embarrassed? Tybalt wondered. Well, she is blushing, but how can she say these things after we just met—

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “How long have you known me?” he asked suddenly, interrupting his own train of thought. “In the dreams, I mean. The ones that predict the future.”

  “You could tell. I’m coming on too strong, then.” Vidalia looked chastened.

  “Um, don’t feel bad,” Tybalt said. He reached over and began stroking her big, fluffy ears, which had drooped somewhat with her downcast expression. She noticeably leaned into his touch. “I’m just trying to understand what I’m getting into. Men fantasize about hearing this kind of talk. But I don’t feel like I’ve earned it. No, I know I haven’t.”

  “You will,” she said. “I know you will. To answer your question, I’ve been dreaming about you almost since I awakened my class.” As she spoke, she melted into his chest. Tybalt moved his right hand from her ears to her back and embraced her without a thought.

  Since she was thirteen years old, then. That’s a long time. She’s at least eighteen. Maybe twenty. Couldn’t be older than me.

  “The dreams used to be a lot more innocent than this,” she added, and Tybalt became more intensely aware of her warm, soft, nubile body pressed into him. They shared a short, knowing chuckle.

  “Sorry if it sounded like I was judging you or something,” he said. “I do have some doubts—questions—but mainly I just don’t want to disappoint you.” It was strange for him to find that he meant everything he said to this girl.

  “I don’t want to disappoint you either—or get disappointed! But I have faith. I don’t just throw myself at men, I—”

  Tybalt leaned down and cut her off with a chaste but firm kiss on the lips. It was just meant to calm her down. A gesture to show that he understood and cared.

  He moved slightly away, but she pulled him back in and planted a much deeper kiss, channeling some of the same heat from earlier. Tybalt’s left hand found itself pressed between her bare thighs, and he shifted it slowly up until it pressed against the moist heat of her. Vidalia softly moaned.

  Tybalt took a deep breath. Then he pushed her gently but firmly off of him.

  “We’ll have plenty of time for that, if I live,” Tybalt said. “Back on topic, what else can you tell me?”

  “Not too much,” she said. “Try not to kill too many of my people, please. It shouldn’t do you any good to slaughter more beastfolk than you need to, and of course, it’s counterproductive if you were hoping to make allies.”

  “That makes sense. Should I try to negotiate with them? If I have the chance—”

  She shook her head. “Probably won’t work. Some of our people, it might surprise you to know, aren’t very trusting of humans. Once you have me by your side, they’ll at least have to hear you out. As for negotiations while you’re still with your squad, I wouldn’t bet on that succeeding. Just avoid confrontation as much as you can until you and I meet up.”

  “There’s nothing you can say to them?”

  “I’m the eccentric girl from the family where all the women are potentially crazy, remember?” A note of bitterness crept into her tone. “Never mind that I’ve saved all their worthless lives before.”

  He smiled to himself. That feeling was very relatable.

  “Maybe I should just sneak away from my squad and come find you, huh?” Tybalt said. “We could have this conversation in person, and you’ll finally have someone around who appreciates you.”

  The fox girl scrunched her face up slightly.

  “I feel like you might have some ulterior motives,” she said after a moment.

  “If I do?” he replied, grinning.

  “Just because I’m all over you in dreams, don’t think I’m easy, all right? I’m not that kind of girl.” But she spoke with a hint of a smile.

  “Perish the thought. What about my idea?”

  “I would love to see you sooner rather than later,” Vidalia said.

  “But…”

  “Your lieutenant is important. In a lot of futures, she’s a part of us. If she isn’t an enemy. This is the time period that probably determines which one. So, work on her. I imagine you already had some plan for that.”

  Oh… Interesting! My instincts about the Lieutenant were right. At least partly.

  Tybalt nodded. “Stay with the squad for now, then. My class is probably going to come out, regardless of what kind of effort I put in to keep it secret. Everyone but Lieutenant Sperry is expendable. Is that all?”

  “I don’t think there’s much more that would be useful before we meet. I don’t want to distract you with irrelevant long term projections, and the truth is, there are enough possible futures that I always have to be careful what information I give. The fact that the version of me you made contact with in the Tower was apparently from a future where you die is the only reason I made an exception to my usual rule of not giving specific information. And I already feel like I’m going to regret it. This is a decision we’re making out of emotion, not logic.”

  He thought about what she’d said for a moment.

  “This is quite a gift you have,” he said finally in a quiet voice. “And a burden. It must be lonely. Having to decide what other people get to know, never being sure what’s right.”

  “The class made some of my ancestors chiefs, but yeah, it’s a burden sometimes.” There was a note of pride at the beginning of the sentence that rapidly faded as she continued talking. She raised fingers as if making a list as she continued speaking. “This stupid class is hard to level. I’m pretty physically weak. Too weak to be useful on the farm, which is a big deal for us. People listen to me when there’s an emergency coming, but how often is that going to happen? I’m really only powerful here. In the dreams.” Her voice dropped to near a whisper. “And some people think my mother was mad. My grandmother too. You’ll have to decide for yourself if you think I am or not.”

  “That sounds hard,” Tybalt said sympathetically.

  There was a brief silence, and then Vidalia closed the gap between them completely and laid her head on Tybalt’s shoulder. He smelled a different scent than he had noted so far—not the musk of her body but a gentle aroma of strawberries.

  He caressed her hair and then put his arm around her shoulder.

  She leaned her soft body into him, and he felt what must have been almost her full weight.

  It was surprisingly light.

  That other version of Vidalia was a mother of one. This one… well, she’s missed some meals. He would hesitate to call her malnourished, but she didn’t have any extra pounds. Her dress almost hung off her.

  “It was hard,” she said into his neck. “But I’ve always had things to look forward to.” She looked up at him and winked.

  “I’m your destiny, huh?” Tybalt asked. It sounded absurd spoken out loud, but it didn’t feel absurd. Not with the scent of her hair still in his nostrils.

  “Yeah, I’m all yours,” she said in such a low, breathy whisper that he could barely hear it. Even that small sound shook her body, as if she had just made an important decision and knew that she could no longer take it back.

  He felt a protective instinct that he would have tried to deny he even had.

  I need to be careful with this girl, he thought. He didn’t manage to come up with any strategic reason why. He just wanted to be gentle with her, because that was the feeling she inspired.

  He leaned down and kissed her, slow and tender. She reciprocated. He placed a hand around her waist possessively, and he felt her melt into him more.

  She pulled away and opened her mouth to speak.

  Then the world shook. A loud noise drowned out whatever the fox woman was trying to say next.

  She tried to speak again. The world shook once more.

  And Tybalt found himself opening his eyes again.

  His body was wrapped around the barrier he had erected between himself and Markus, as if cuddling it. The same position he’d been in with the fox girl, except lying down instead of upright.

  Gods, how embarrassing, he had time to think. I’m so glad we put up this stupid wall… Otherwise he might very well be making out with Markus. Then his mind returned to something that felt much more important.

  I still don’t know if I can trust that girl. In the dreams, everything she says feels true. When I’m awake, it’s more like too good to be true… Speaking of which, what the fuck woke me up?

  Then Baldwin’s voice filled his mind. Tybalt recognized the timbre of it instantly, and not just from hours earlier when they had last spoken.

  Master! I’m back with the remains you ordered me to collect.

  This was the same sound that had awakened him.

  Tybalt groaned quietly.

  Patreon is currently 20 chapters into the future... pretty darn close to the end of book 1!