Vivyka rejoined the group at the tavern the next day as they sat around a table, eating lunch. She sunk into a chair with a blissful sigh. Her skin had a few smudges of silver sparkles, and a necklace hung around her neck. She twirled the little silver meerkat between two fingers.

“A bit happy?” Tess asked, rolling her eyes.

“Mmm… very.” Vivyka grinned and bit her lip as she looked off into the distance, remembering something pleasant. After a minute, she put her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Hey, let’s stay here another night. I’m sure you know some place to have fun, right?” she asked Matt. “This is Halimi after all, the party town.”

“Not going back to Brex?” Matt asked.

She sighed. “No, he won’t be there tonight. The twins get him all to themselves for a bit,” she said, obviously disappointed. “But some normal human fun would be nice.”

“Still just as insatiable. You've gotten worse, I think.” He smirked. “Just had a god and you still want more.”

“And I used to be a such a good, sweet girl once upon a time.”

He shook his head. “Look what I did.”

“Too bad you didn’t get any of this,” she said smugly.

“Didn’t I?” He raised a brow and gave her a half-grin, making one of his dimples appear. “I seem to remember you being pretty damn… feisty.”

“How can you listen to this?” Tess asked Sera, then shot Matt a disgusted look.

Sera shrugged. “Nothing to do with me.”

Vivyka quickly covered up the desire in her eyes with a glare. “Little girls fighting off monsters shouldn’t be confused with confident women having a good time.”

His smile disappeared and Sera rubbed his leg comfortingly beneath the table. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay here,” Sera said, changing the subject.

“Why? ‘Cause the ex-bad boy needs to be protected from all his anti-fans?” Vivyka grumbled. “To hell with him, I deserve to have it my way.”

“Why would you deserve anything?” Tess wanted to know.

“Was it you who found out the location to the Temple of the Gods?”

Sera sat up straight in her chair and gasped. “Did you really?”

“I have my way of getting what I want,” she said, shooting a smirk at Ayden.

He chuckled. “Guess your way pays off sometimes.”

She grinned and winked. “Pays off every time.”

“I think I’ll stick to other ways,” Tess commented.

“You only wish it was you last night,” Vivyka said.

Tess leaned against Ayden and smiled smugly. “Trust me, I’m not missing anything.”

Vivyka and Matt both lifted a surprised brow while Ayden turned red and hid his face behind Tess’ shoulder, making her chuckle.

Sera, bursting with joy and unable to stay seated a moment longer, jumped out of her chair and rounded the table to hug Vivyka tightly. “I can’t believe you actually thought about me when you were with him… wait, that didn’t sound right.” Everyone laughed. “Shush,” she told them, smiling and blushing a little. “Thank you, so much!” she told Vivyka.

“No prob,” Vivyka said. “Can I have what I want now?”

Sera went back to sit beside Matt. “Okay with you?”

“Sure,” Matt said easily, then to Vivyka added, “We can go to Fox Tavern tonight, you’ll like it.”

“Oh, you won’t be there?” she asked, mockingly sweet.

He smirked a little. “Sorry, you’ll just have to do your best to ignore me. You can do that, right?”

She turned her attention to Sera. “Anyway, I can get you into the temple, too. Only someone who has been given something by a god can enter.”

“As in…” Ayden started, but then shook his head. “Never mind.”

Vivyka laughed. “I think you’re mind has just gone straight to the gutter since you started getting some,” she teased and he blushed. “I like it.”

“I’m not Sera,” Tess said. “No flirting with my boyfriend.”

Vivyka’s smile dropped and she was about to say something, but Ayden spoke first, “She’s not flirting with anyone, Tess.”

Vivyka recovered herself and scoffed lightly. “I wouldn’t want him anyway,” she said, making a show of looking Ayden over. “He wouldn’t last the night, I’d break the poor thing.”

“Surprised she hasn’t broken him,” Matt chuckled.

“Shut up,” Tess told him, glaring.

He rolled his eyes. “I didn’t have to screw you to know that. I wasn’t even thinking about that actually.”

Vivyka suddenly laughed as it dawned on her that all the women at the table had been with him, he had even been their first. “Are there any women you haven’t screwed?”

“Plenty,” he said easily. “Haven’t touched any of the ugly ones.”

“You’re such a pig,” Tess told him.

“I won’t argue with that,” Vivyka put in.

“So, Brex gave you something?” Sera asked.

Vivyka gave her a small, apologetic smile. “He’s letting me barrow this.” Vivyka told her, holding up her hand and showing her an intricately engraved silver ring. “And the entrance to the temple is way up in the Snow Peaks, in a cave.”

“Ugh, cold,” Matt muttered.

“Oh no, you’ll have to put on real clothes,” Vivyka said, glancing at his exposed chest beneath his open sleeveless jacket.

“So will you,” he shot back looking pointedly at her top which barely covered enough to be called decent.

“Gladly since there won’t be anyone up there I want touching me anyway.”

“But there might be more gods to screw,” he returned.

She suddenly grinned. “Oh, clothes aren’t a problem for them.”

—————

Vivyka spent the afternoon alone, wandering around the city and wishing she had more money. The shops here were much better than Brunya City. They suited her style, and she would have loved to go on a shopping spree. She had to admit that a small part of missing Mathias was being able to buy anything she wanted. She had loved wearing the best.

She sighed longingly as she passed by a shoe shop; it’s window displaying a pair of Valery West boots with embroidered roses and tall, stiletto heels. By the end of her time in Seaport, she had completely filled one of Mathias’ closets with shoes. A girl could never have too many shoes.

Eventually, she found a second-hand store and went in. The clothing was used, but there was a lot in her style. She was able to put together a new outfit for that night: a black corset top and a short red leather skirt. It looked like the skirt she had worn the night she has left Mathias. She hesitated, wondering if it would have a negative effect on him. She shook her head. Who cares, she thought spitefully. I’ll wear what I want.

When she got back to the tavern they were staying at, however, she started second-guessing herself. Honestly, the idea of him reacting badly scared her. She sighed at herself. She had spent a glorious night with a god, and here she was obsessing about Mathias again. What was wrong with her?

Before heading up to her room, she stopped by the bar and took a shot of tequila to bolster her courage. After changing, she decided on one more shot before meeting the others, before facing him. The first had made her felt good, the second even better, and after another quick one for the road, she was feeling sufficiently light and easy.

Fox Tavern was a large rectangular room, lit by dozens of lanterns hanging from the ceiling, many of them made of stained glass and casting colorful lights. The decor was mostly dark wood, with a few leather arm chairs, and deep orange drapes covering the windows. A stage was set up against the far wall, near a doorway that led to the back rooms. A band of female bards played there on some lutes and drums, their rhythm steady and sensual.

“Nice skirt,” Matt commented, when she found the group seated at a corner table.

She smiled and shrugged. “I like it. My other one got ripped.”

His jaw tightened. “You wearing it to remind me?”

“No, that’s just a bonus.”

“How sweet,” he said sardonically.

She scoffed at his biting tone. “Not my fault if your memories aren’t so nice. At least you don’t have mine,” she said pointedly, though there was no heat in her voice. She sighed heavily then and messed his hair as she often did Ayden’s. “Now stop. I’m not letting you ruin my night.”

Matt ran his fingers through his hair and glanced at the others, as if to say; are you seeing this?

Tess and Ayden both looked at her strangely, but Sera looked like she understood.

Vivyka glanced down at Matt’s glass. “What’re you drinking?” she asked.

“Ale, as always.”

She scrunched up her nose. “I’m gonna get a real drink. They have something in this city called Tequila. It’s great,” she told them, then headed to the bar.

When she came back and set down two glasses, Tess asked, “Who’s the other for?”

“Me.”

Tess shook her head. “I've never seen the point of getting drunk.”

“You wouldn’t,” Matt said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she huffed.

He smiled. “You’re a fighter, you want to be ready at all times, not have your mind clouded. I’m the same way.”

“Oh,” she said, instantly deflating. “Well, yeah.”

“What’s your excuse, puppy?” Vivyka asked.

Ayden shrugged. “A drunk mage isn’t usually a good thing. Magic can be very dangerous. And getting drunk…” He shook his head. “It’s just dumb, anyway.”

Vivyka shrugged as she sat next to Ayden, then downed one of her shots.

Matt glanced from Ayden to Tess. “How come she can call him puppy and you don’t rip her head off?”

“She doesn’t mean it as an insult,” Tess said simply.

“It was never an insult, just a fact,” Matt pointed out.

“You had a tone.”

He rolled his eyes. “I think you just like any excuse to hit me.”

Tess grinned. “That too.”

Vivyka laughed. “He’s not the only puppy. You've gone from macho to mouse. At least while she’s around to keep you on a leash,” she added, glancing at Sera.

Matt ignored the last part and smirked at Ayden. “At least I’m not braiding hair.”

Sera batted her lashes at Matt.

“Not a chance,” he told her and she laughed.

“This place reminds me of Black Fire Tavern in Seaport,” Vivyka said suddenly.

Matt chuckled. “Yeah, minus the cross-dressing half-orc that the owner just had to let sing every Friday night.”

She laughed too. “Don’t forget the horrible off-key sailors.”

“Oh, but they were great.” He grinned. “How’d that song go? A lonely sailor so long aboard, I took my sword and finished the hoard...”

“Then had a sea hag after,” she finished. She smiled and met his gaze for a moment. Maybe it was the way he was looking at her, but a memory ran through her mind…

She was filling several mugs with ale when he walked in, his two friends in tow. He nodded toward their usual table, and they headed for it without question. Instead of joining them, Mathias walked purposefully to a door at the back of the tavern. His smoldering blue eyes met hers for a moment as he past.

She watched him enter the storeroom and felt the familiar wave of desire. She realized that ale was overflowing one of the mugs and stopped pouring. Grabbing a rag, she cleaned up the mess, then hurried to deliver the drinks to a group of sailors. One of the men grabbed her wrist before she could get away.

“Hold up, sweetheart.”

Jake, one of Mathias’ friends, leaned closer. “You don’t want to mess with that one, buddy.”

“What’s it to you?”

“That’s Mathias’ girl,” he informed him.

The man immediately let go. “Sorry.”

Vivyka smirked and walked away.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Her boss asked as she headed for the backroom.

“Just gonna get something.” She stepped into the dark room and closed the door, biting her lip as anticipation fluttered inside her. She couldn’t see him at first, but then he stepped out of the shadows of a tall stack of crates.

He dropped the cigarette he was smoking onto the floor and stepped on it. He was to her in two strides and pushed her against the door. She closed her eyes as his hands roamed over her and his lips pressed against her throat. When his fingers started undoing the laces of her top, she grabbed his hands. “I can’t be gone that long.”

He resumed what he was doing. “You’ll be gone as long as I want you to be.”

She smiled as she weaved her fingers into his hair and pulled his mouth to hers. His kiss was hard and deep as always, just as it should be in her opinion. He pushed her top over her shoulders and down her arms. His strong calloused hands caressed her soft, naked flesh and she sighed, loving the feel of him.

“I swear you’re gonna get me fired one of these days.”

“He wouldn’t dare fire you.” He picked her up and set her on top of a large crate.

“Is there anyone who dares to not listen to you?” she asked, pushing his jacket off and running her hands over his beautifully sculpted torso.

“Yes,” he said against her throat.

She undid his pants. “Who?”

“Dead people,” he answered with a low chuckle. “Why? Are you not wanting to listen to me?”

She grinned. “Only if you tell me to stop.”

“No chance of that,” he said huskily.

“Good.”

“Tell me,” he demanded.

“I want you,” she breathed.

“Enough to beg?”

She kissed his jaw. “Don’t make me.” She grabbed a fistful of his hair roughly and kissed him greedily.

A while later, as she walked out of the room, combing her fingers through her messy hair, Mathias grabbed her from behind, stopping her. “We’re going out later,” he told her. “Wear that short red skirt of yours.”

She nodded. “Where?”

“The Claret Cat.” He ran his hand over her stomach, then grabbed her waist and pulled her around to face him. “And you’re dancing for me,” he said, looking down at her with a heated gaze.

She grinned up at him. Though she had hated when he had first started making her dance for him publicly, she loved it now. She loved to see his face, to see how much he desired her. He liked to show her off, to make others guys jealous, and she liked to help. “With pleasure,” she told him.

He kissed her before pushing her away and giving her bottom a smack. “Get back to work,” he ordered lightly and smiled at her before he went to join his friends.

As she got to the bar, her grumpy boss motioned to the tray full of mugs on the counter. “Get those to table five,” he barked in annoyance.

She nodded. Her legs felt a bit wobbly and her hands trembled slightly. It wasn’t easy to work after Mathias had finished with her. Not that she was complaining. A shiver shot through her as she thought of it. She bite her bottom lip. No, she wasn’t complaining at all.

Vivyka shook the memory from her mind. She didn’t want to remember the good times. She only wanted to remember the bad, the times when he lost his temper. She wanted to think of the abuse. She wanted to hate him, not admit how much he still affected her. She sighed heavily and downed another shot.