“Midnight…” Benobal growled as a ring on her finger lit up, “Remove them from Oasis.”

  “No… I won’t.” Midnight spoke with hardly a shiver in her voice, “You can’t make me!”

  Benobal’s fury shifted from me to her most efficient subordinate in an instant, “After everything I’ve done for you, you would dare disobey me?”

  “Yeah, I would.” It didn’t feel great sweeping her up in this mess, but I had to appreciate her innocent chuckle. She didn’t used to stand up for herself so well either, “No way am I hurting Big Sis.”

  Whether or not she could was unclear at this point. I’ve made decent progress in my sorcerous journey, but it’s only been a few weeks. If it came to blows, I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of my new sisters were dead by the time we overcame her or escaped. Of course, I would never want to hurt my darling little sister either. That’s why I had to make sure she wasn’t involved,

  Benobal growled as a small pistol appeared from her sleeve. I watched the mana gather in its barrel as her clawlike finger wrapped around the trigger, “Fine. I’ll do it myself.” Her eyes now turned to me and she fired a bullet of piercing fire.

  I once watched her kill an arrogant young upstart of the Ygdra family through two stone buildings with this little gun. A perfect headshot, surely owing to one of her many rings. It was remarkable how dangerous a bereft mortal could become with enough money.

  While it would have been easy, Madam Benobal did not aim for my head, but the thigh. An uncharacteristically kind act from her. She was like a grumpy aunt to me, so it really warmed my heart.

  None among the harem moved an inch, myself included. The only sound was Midnight crying, “Nooo!” as her daggers materialized in the bullets path, but much to slow.

  Io always says the best defense is a good offense. My blade of aether flame formed before me and the bullet split in two, exploding in two paths like a parted river before fizzling away into light upon the rest of the harems’ barriers.

  “What—” Benobal glared at me like she’d just seen her first magic trick, “Do you think I’m joking?”

  She fired again, this time in the ribs. Of course, I split the bullet in two. Then another.

  Since I wasn’t actually fast enough, I had to keep dispelling and reconjuring the aether flame blade in the bullets path. This was a huge waste of mana but apparently it looked impressive enough.

  “Wow! Ember, when did you get so amazing?” Midnight looked at me with the same wondrous eyes she had when I picked the lock on her top client’s safe as a member of the Welfare Division.

  “You’re playing a dangerous game—” Benobal’s voice stuttered as the gun flew from her hand. Her wide eyes followed it to find a chuckling Goldie.

  “I did it!” She reached her hand out and gasped when I snatched it from the air.

  “You know, I always wanted to see how this gun felt in my hand,” I turned a smile to Benobal and laughed, “Too small, if you ask me.”

  “Just what are you going to do, Ember? Threaten me into turning over Oasis??” Benobal desperately lit up her rings yet nothing had happened yet. I still had time to talk. “You’re a fool if you think I’ll let royal whores like you run amuck on my land. The lot of you should be ashamed.”

  Royal? I could have sworn I said we were the imperial harem. I daresay I don’t appreciate her attitude.

  “No such thing on all counts,” I charged the gun with aether flame and aimed straight up, creating a hole in the ceiling wide enough to let sunlight sparkle off each of our gold robes’. “Most importantly, I have no intention of threatening you. Such actions would reflect poorly upon my master. I told you I was here to purchase Oasis, did I not?”

  “Stupid girl… Where did I go so wrong?” Again, she didn’t raise me. “How could you ever hope to purchase this island? Do you have any idea how much gold exists within Oasis?”

  “It’s hard to say,” I gave a nod to Goldie and Flat, “Is it more or less than this?”

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Stones exploded to the sky as a golden block the size of an ale hall materialized. Wood splintered outward from the walls into a freefall and the floor cracked with a disastrous tremor.

  Benobal stumbled forward and stared at me with confusion and hate until the crumbling floor stood still. Before falling on her face, the Madam was pushed back to a standing position and righted upon the solid floor.

  “Where the hell did you get all that gold?” She was almost as shocked as she was mad, “You think you can just wreck my home and leave Oasis alive?”

  “Apologies. It didn’t look so large last time I saw it,” I nodded to Little Rock in the back and she pushed the golden monolith further up before reducing the ceiling to a stack of floating bricks so it didn’t collapse. Her control was incredible, but she’d burn her mana gems out in no time if I didn’t wrap this up. “This is solid gold, and I can set it down wherever you like. All you have to do is raise the Dreadheart flag and take a seat on the Mortal Council. We will take a meager one percent of profits and nothing else will change.”

  For a moment I thought I was getting through to Madam Benobal, but her glare focused again, “I don’t know what a mortal council is supposed to be, but I may as well paint a target on my back.”

  “Naturally, Oasis will fall under our protection. Even the Silver Witch would struggle to break our barriers and we can offer sorcerous instruction to anyone in your employ.”

  “Nonsense.” Benobal spat, “I’d rather die than turn this island over to the Gandeux.”

  Wait, what?

  I opened my mouth to argue when one of her rings dimmed as a flash of light flooded the room. It dulled and I was met with the eyes of a man I hadn’t seen in years.

  “Brent? Is that really you?” He was an aspiring mage when I met him, but now it seemed he was taking mercenary contracts with the likes of Benobal.

  “Ember? No way!” He ran up and gave me a hug, “How long has it been? To think you’ve returned at last… We need to get together sometime—”

  “Is everyone around here useless?!” Benobal cried, inciting a laugh from Midnight who had ended up by my side at some point, “Kill her, you oaf! She is attempting to take Oasis!”

  “What?” He did double takes between the Madam and I, “Ember? She wouldn’t do that… Can such a thing be done? I mean, it’s a whole island.”

  “It’s true,” I chuckled, “I am offering Madam Benobal this incredible block of gold—”

  “Holy shit!” He smacked his forehead, “Is that all gold? How are you holding it up?!”

  Brent was a simple man with deep pockets, and he never disappointed—today included. My business was with Benobal however, and I stepped passed my old client to stare her down, “The hell are you talking about Gandeux? I told you I’m here for—”

  The world disappeared in a blur as I felt a deep pain in my chest. My barriers shattered like a dream in the morning and my head suddenly felt hot. I coughed a mouthful of blood as the ceiling came back into focus.

  What… just happened…

  “Shit, Ember, are you okay?!” A slender silhouette got in the way, and I recognized the voice, “Grace, get the hell over here!”

  I felt a holy warmth as Flat disappeared. The air ruptured in percussive booms in the distance. I tried to turn my neck down, but it felt like I was wringing my spine between my hands.

  “Madam Benobal,” A faint voice spoke, “What are my orders?”

  “Kill the girls in gold.”

  How—Why?

  “Don’t worry, Ember.” Grace’s tears felt cold against my bloodied chest, “You’re gonna be okay… okay? I promise! Just stay with me.”

  As my head slumped, I watched my friends—my sisters fly into the floor or out of sight with each blast. A silhouette charged toward them with her hands outstretched.

  Is that… Flat? Who is she fighting? Where did they come from? A bulky man shrouded in darkness threw out one fist after another. Furniture and floor alike yielded, seemingly turning to dust with the force of each blow. He reeled back once more as Flat approached and I felt my heart sink into my chest, like it was almost going to fall out the other side.

  No—don’t!

  Flat normally pushed space out of the way or compressed her opponent golems into the ground with her sorcery, but the best she could do here was deflect. Her arms were thrown out of the way and the assailant was already in the air with another fist plummeting.

  I could almost see the wave where space distorted as it grew inches from Flat’s face when a pained grunt came from the mage. A rock bounced off his face and the entire building shook. More of the floor crumbled away and I heard Little Rock’s voice cry out.

  “Hurry, Grace. We need her back now!” Her voice sounded urgent, but I still wasn’t sure how I got here in the first place. In the back, on the ground, and covered in blood. As the wounds healed, I felt clarity return to my mind.

  Trying to push off the ground with an elbow, I discovered I couldn’t control my arm. Either one, turns out.

  “I-I’m trying!” Grace cried.

  What is happening— My thoughts came to a halt as I looked down.

  My chest was a bloody mess. My smashed ribs were in splinters and the golden light along the edges didn’t seem to be moving at all. The gory pit gurgled and I noticed it to be the beat of my heart, so deep it could nearly fall out the other side.

  That can’t be… No matter how lucid I was within my panic, I couldn’t move a muscle. Completely paralyzed. Does Grace have the power to heal me? Is this it?

  I felt the floor shake and Flat rolled into place at my side, a twisted, bloody mess.

  Who could do this? I can’t go yet. Not… Not now. I haven’t done anything yet.

  “Big Sis!” Midnight appeared at my side. Her arms felt so warm. “You finally came back. Please… please don’t leave already.”

  Tears welled in my eyes as I stared into hers. I could only imagine how I looked because it was reflected in her terrible expression. If only for her, I wished for a moment I never left Oasis.

  I’m sorry, Sis… It wasn’t supposed to go this way.