Iris and Lady Valerie stood together at the edge of the swamp. Two Knights and four Immortal Legion stood warily, ready to act in Iris's defense. Lady Valerie only had a pair of Knights from the Order of Deep Waters, who lounged as they waited for the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent to appear. The goat, an offering, bleated plaintively as it tried to reach a palm frond just beyond its reach.

  Lady Violet fidgeted and wriggled. Her excitement at seeing her serpentine friend again was palpable. The handover of the hold to Iris had kept Lady Violet too busy to visit and play. When Iris requested Lady Violet introduce her to the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent and Indu, the other woman had been eager to make arrangements.

  They didn't wait long for the Great Serpent to arrive. As Iris had heard, the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent arrived by lifting her great head up from the waters of the swamp. It was a dramatic show, but having been forewarned, Iris was prepared for the petty god's ostentatious arrival.

  Hotaru watched with wide eyes, while Pisces hid behind her. Lady Violet beamed up at the Great Serpent, happy to see her. The warriors rested their hands upon their weapons, discipline demanding they be ready while orders stayed their hands.

  Lady Violet curtsied to the Great Serpent, Iris following her lead. "It is a pleasure to treat with you once more, Lady Serpent," Lady Violet said. "Allow me to introduce Iris, concubine of the Bringer of Judgment, your disciple." They raised their heads once the serpent acknowledgment them.

  So you are my disciple's concubine, the Great Serpent said. Iris felt the weight of the Great Serpent's attention. It felt like Lady Biyu's presence, but heavier and better controlled.

  Iris was a little surprised the Great Serpent knew of her, but she kept it from her expression.

  "I am."

  I had thought you would look… different.

  "How so?"

  More like my child. Darker in skin, hair, and eye. Slender.

  Iris wondered if she was being baited, but she pushed down the slight irritation, replacing it with a smile. "The similarities Lady Bringer speaks of are superficial. And on the matter of your daughter, will she be coming to meet us?"

  Lady Serpent was silent a moment, her eyes fixed on Iris. When she spoke, her tone was flat. Indu will not come. She refuses to meet with you.

  Lady Violet wilted. Iris felt her irritation increase.

  "Why?" She managed to keep it from being a demand, but it was a near thing.

  Surely you already know. Would you agree to meet with someone your lover replaced you with?

  Not unexpected, but it was a nuisance. Iris considered her options, and spoke words to the Great Serpent she would rather have thrown at her daughter. "I could not replace Indu, for they were never lovers. Lady Bringer has told me something of the cause of their falling out. I've come to offer her a remedy to that issue."

  What remedy could you offer? the Great Serpent asked.

  "My Path is one of transformation and glamour," Iris said. As she spoke, she flexed her technique, dispelling the appearance she had made for Biyu. Her natural form had dull curly red hair, broad hips but a smaller chest, giving her a pear shape. Lady Violet watched her transformation with surprise and interest. Iris gave them a moment to take in her true form before she reverted to her usual guise. "I am willing to train your daughter in my techniques. With them, she can travel openly with Lady Bringer. She can join our family."

  The Great Serpent was silent for a long time. She wished the serpent was as easy to read as Lady Violet, who was obviously startled by her suggestion.

  She is still an Elf, the Great Serpent pointed out at last.

  "Lady Violet does not feel the natural revulsion Humans have for Elves from Indu. Therefore, she is not an Elf."

  You have come to find your spouse's former lover for what purpose? Why would you seek someone who shall replace you? Particularly when she is, as your people say, a Monster?

  "I want Lady Bringer to be happy. She regrets what passed between her and your daughter. Perhaps it is impossible, but I come seeking to reconcile them. I will have to approve of her, of course. But even if I do not… she will receive my techniques. That will make Lady Bringer happy."

  The Great Serpent considered Iris, and she felt something settle around her. It was like the attention of a god, but it was a light touch instead of the weight of presence she was growing accustom to.

  When the Great Serpent finally spoke, it was with regret. You have come in vain. Though I appreciate your willingness to offer my daughter such a gift, she is beyond such concerns. She is… The Great Serpent turned to Lady Violet, her daughter's friend. They could tell she was weighing her words. In the end, she chose to speak. My daughter has passed on, and lives now within a city of the dead. When she has appeared to Violet, it has been as a thrall. A ghost given flesh. My détente with the Empire and its gods requires that my thralls remain within the bounds of my domain. She cannot leave the swamp.

  From the things Lady Biyu had not said, Iris had suspected it. She had still hoped it had been something else. Setting her lips into a line, she said, "Lady Bringer has told me that gods trade in favors. I suspect gods like you can also trade souls. Am I right?"

  The Great Serpent's will fell upon her, and her guardians stumbled under the weight. Iris forced herself remain on her feet through the god's ire. Take care, child. You speak of trading my daughter like some cheap bauble, Lady Serpent chastised.

  "I only mean to suggest that should she wish it, you could place your daughter in Lady Bringer's care." She did not wish to accidentally summon Lady Biyu's attention, so she used a moniker rather than her name. Normally, she would use 'Lady Biyu', certain her spouse would not mind it.

  My daughter offered to share her life with Biyu once before. She refused. The Great Serpent lowered its head to Iris's eye level. That left much of the great serpent's head beneath the water. Does she know you have come to pursue my daughter in her name?

  "She does not. I know Lady Bringer regrets rejecting Indu deeply. She has mentioned it many times. I hoped that I could, at least, fulfill one of her promises." For a moment, she considered the politeness of the question she wanted to ask. Remembering she was speaking with a man eating serpent, she asked, "Is that why she passed on?"

  … in part. In my realm, where she could look as she wished, she found a place to be happy. She chose to stay, even though it was a place for the dead. The cost of staying in such places is one's life. The Great Serpent twisted its head, so it could take her in with a single eye. She added, I made a mistake. I showed her a wonderful afterlife she could attain without Judgment. That is a lesson I believe Lady Bringer has taken to heart.

  "If she will not come to me, may I go to her?"

  You may. I will escort you, if you are certain in your resolve. However, you will have only a month to convince her. After that, you risk never returning to the mortal realm.

  "I'm coming too," Hotaru stated. The Knights and soldiers added their salutes. Pisces whined to Hotaru.

  Take whomever you will, but be certain you wish to do this. I will not guarantee your safety, except to conduct you to the place she resides and back. I suspect that Lady Bringer will not thank you for interfering in this, either.

  Iris bowed to Lady Serpent in thanks for her warnings. Her mind had been made up before she left Lonely Knoll. Turning to the Sweepers, Iris commanded them, "Defend the hold. Christopher will stand in for me in my absence. Do keep an eye on him."

  Lady Violet spoke up for the first time. "You're going into Elven lands with a mere six guards?" Her expression lay somewhere between admiration and doubt.

  Hotaru, her expression a smile now that the serious business was past, replied. "Nah, she's got more than six guards. We're just the ones you can see."

  The Deep Waters Knights gripped their swords, their previously relaxed stances stiffening as they looked for the hidden dangers. They heard rumors of the Immortal Legion's dead members, but apparently they had discounted them.

  "Lady Violet, would you please inform your husband I will be back in no later than a month?" Iris curtsied as she made her request. Lady Violet gave an uncertain nod, but her expression was troubles.

  Lady Serpent took on a Human guise, standing upon the waters of the swamp. She beckoned, and hesitantly the warriors followed Iris as they followed.

  The trip to Lady Serpent's Hell took a few hours. Once they got used to walking on water, the soldiers relaxed enough to pay attention to the scenery. They were still tense, watching for beasts or Monsters, despite being escorted by the god of the domain. They encountered Sacred Beasts, but instead of attacking they bowed in submission to the Great Serpent. There was a frog, a wolf, and a timid spider that hid in its web among the treetops. The soldiers offered the petty gods salutes as they passed.

  At the end of their journey was a wall of mist, which separated the Great Serpent's domain from her Hell. When Iris attempted to enter the mist, she felt a strain. The mists recoiled from her touch, and the world at large seemed to pause. The wind had been blowing, but the grass and leaves were frozen mid-motion. Sound, other than their breath and words, disappeared. No frogs croaked, or insects chirruped. Lady Serpent, leisurely leading them up to that moment, was rigid and stiff. Her eyes stared at an empty spot. Only it was no longer empty. There stood a translucent image of Lady Biyu, at the border of the Great Serpent's Hell and domain.

  The Great Serpent responded in what Iris could only call fear. She reared back, her mouth open and hissing in threat with serpentine fangs. Poison sprayed at Lady Biyu. Iris was shocked. She had expected Lady Serpent to be happy to meet her disciple once more. Not recoil.

  Lady Biyu did not look at Iris directly. She looked at the Immortal Legion and the mists before turning her attention to Lady Serpent. She gave a slight bow, one fit for an equal, not a disciple. "Greetings, Master. I hope you are well."

  There was a moment where Lady Serpent stared at Lady Biyu. This time Iris caught the uncertainty of Lady Serpent's spirit, leaking as it was after being startled. "You've grown more than I expected, my ado—my disciple. I am… was well. Will I be?"

  Lady Biyu did not assure her master immediately. She looked over the swamp, and Iris could see a fondness as she did. When she finally turned to answer the Great Serpent's concern, she said, "You may still call me adorable, if you wish, Master. I think you are the only person who has ever called me that." There was a beat before she answered the question she was asked. "I would hope that would assure you, but I will be direct. You have nothing to fear from me today, Master. In the future we will have to have a conversation. I fear it will not be pleasant, but… I believe we can come to agreement."

  "You do not intend to slay me?"

  "I will not lie to you. I have the desire, but I believe we can make other arrangements. Sucking Death will be destroyed, though. It is an abomination."

  Some of the tension left the Great Serpent, who made her face smile at her disciple. "My adorable disciple, may I ask what brings you here?"

  "I am here for my wayward concubine. Courtesy requires me to greet you first. If you do not mind, Master?"

  Lady Serpent waved a dismissive hand, finally relaxing.

  "What are you doing, Iris?" Lady Biyu's expression was neutral as she addressed her. Her eyes did not quite meet hers.

  Pride and her desire to surprise defeated good sense for what she would say. "It is a secret, Lady Biyu." She lifted her chin proudly, challenging her spouse. To her surprise, Lady Biyu flinched.

  "I see." The sadness in those words almost made Iris reconsider. Almost. "Lady Serpent, I request your guarantee to return those who accompany Iris, regardless of the outcome of her quest."

  "You will not ask me to ensure the safety of your concubine, Lady Bringer?"

  Lady Biyu shook her head. "She's chosen to enter your Hell. Tradition, if not the rules of this world, say she does so at risk to herself. Let it be so, but those who accompany her do so on my orders. I will not have them suffer the same risk. Should she fail at her quest… she must be sent to Judgment, but I accede to you the first claim should the Heavens be denied her. That will be our trade, for the guarantee of the others."

  Iris thought it would hurt less to have been slapped. Then again, Lady Biyu might not have seen a slap as punishment, given what they did in their bedchamber.

  Lady Serpent shook her head. "I have no intention of punishing her for failure. She was to be my guest! Perhaps something would happen to her, my Hell is not a place of complete safety, but I have no interest in taking her."

  Lady Biyu shook her head. Iris felt a cold pit in her stomach as Lady Biyu spoke. "Reward without risk is without value. She chose to take on this quest in secret, without my blessing. My blessing being broken is what drew me here. She quite literally cannot enter your Hell with my blessing." She turned to look at the Captains of Iris's Immortal Legion. "Hotaru and Pisces, you too will be without my blessing in the City in the Sky. Be wary you are not reset. You will no longer be Hotaru Twicedead should that happen."

  Hotaru paled. She stood up straighter, and bowed, accepting the charge. Pisces stridently whispered complaints to Hotaru, but in the end he would accompany her.

  Lady Biyu gave Lady Serpent a bow before she was gone. She hadn't acknowledged Iris after that.

  "Are you certain you should continue?" Lady Serpent asked her. There was a tremble in her voice, and Iris wondered if Lady Serpent was reconsidering allowing Iris into her Hell.

  Iris nodded firmly. After a moment's hesitation, Lady Serpent led them into the mists. Iris felt Lady Biyu's blessing break as she followed.

  Beyond the mists was a village. It seemed normal enough at glance, but as the eye roved over it, one was forced to realize there was more village before them than there should be. The eye strained to take in the details, tucked too tightly together. Iris was familiar with such warped spaces, having passed through them the few times she communed with Lady Biyu. Now she knew where Lady Biyu had learned it. Elves from the village abased themselves to Lady Serpent as she passed, but their eyes were unfriendly when they saw the Immortal Legion and their emblems. Lady Serpent acknowledged the Elves with a wave as she led them deeper into the lands of the dead.

  Much of the time Lady Biyu spoke of her time with the Elves, she spoke obliquely. Rarely did she mention Elves, and instead referring to them as the people of the Great Serpent. The few times she spoke of her last days with Indu, her words were so abstract they crossed the border into metaphor or metaphysics. Until Iris heard the reports of Lady Violet making friends with the daughter of the Great Serpent, she had assumed Indu was dead. That proved true, but Iris had planned for it.

  Lady Biyu had mentioned traveling to her master's Hell, or realm. There were never details. Seeing City in the Sky for herself, she failed to understand how Lady Biyu was impressed with Lonely Knoll. The geometry made her ill if she put too much effort into understanding it, with layers of city built over each other in a giant cube. Iris was flummoxed by the architecture. The soldiers fared little better, but Hotaru and Pisces were unaffected. That included the seven dead soldiers, who had become 'real' after passing through the mist. Even their Captain and Lieutenant, Hotaru and Pisces, looked realer now than they had as thralls.

  "You've seen something like this before?" Iris asked Hotaru and Pisces.

  I have, Pisces said. This is what the cities of the seas look like. Except for how twisty it is.

  "I've seen some hidden realms while we traveled. A couple were this," Hotaru said.

  "You never mentioned them," Iris said. Hotaru often chattered. She was surprised this hadn't been one of her topics.

  "No. I thought you might be unhappy since you couldn't see'm like I could. So, why disappoint ya?"

  "I see. Lady Serpent, will you lead us to your daughter?"

  The Great Serpent could not meet Iris's eyes, her previous surety gone after meeting Lady Biyu. "My not so adorable disciple invoked an ancient custom. Long ago, in my youth, it was not unusual for mortals and Heroes to challenge Sacred Beasts for boons. We would open our realms and Hells for them, or even bid them pass through our domains if we were gods of the land. Should they succeed to reach the end, or achieve a goal, we would grant them an agreed upon boon.

  "Gods work in trade… for a price you have promised to pay I offered to bring you here, but you have not paid and as I have said, Lady Bringer has invoked an old custom most have forgotten. I can no longer lead you to my daughter, not that I had intended to. I set you this task: find my daughter. If you should find her, then you will have completed my quest, whether you succeed in convincing her to go with you or not." She gave a nasty grin. Affected, but no less effective for it. "I need not make your quest difficult."

  Before Iris could turn away, Lady Serpent added, "Look for Indu where children gather."

  Iris curtsied in gratitude before turning to her soldiers. "Let's go." All saluted her, except Pisces who bowed. They walked the path Lady Biyu walked two years before.

  Iris had been in the necropolis for a couple of weeks. Hotaru and Pisces insisted on doing the scouting themselves, leaving Iris in the protection of the rest of the squad. The Immortal Legion, living and dead, set up a guard rotation for watching her. Those off rotation enjoyed the city. The others watched over Iris in the room they were given. When she was allowed out, Iris's escorts led her to places that Hotaru had approved of. The Eternal Revelry was strictly off limits.

  In such a large city, Iris would have thought she would be ignored. It had gotten out that the living were in the city. Her guards spent most of their time fending off the curious who came to get a peek at her. Iris was the only one known to be alive, and the Immortal Legion acted as markers to find her. Fortunately, while people would look at her, there was too little difference between the living and the dead for their interest to last long. After a few days, the people had forgotten she was even there.

  Today they went to a little food shack run by Elven nomads. Everything the shack served included meat. In the Southlands, meat was saved for special occasions. Most meals consisted of vegetables and grains with a few pieces of chicken or pork. The antelope meat was rather good. It was roasted with fragrant spices and served wrapped in flatbread with a yogurt sauce. Iris had never had anything like it. Hotaru gushed over it, and the Immortals willing to eat Elven food enjoyed the meal. As good as it tasted, it was messy to eat. She would have preferred to use utensils like a civilized person. The looks the Elves gave her when she asked for a fork and knife were just rude. In a fit of pique, she ordered a second wrap and ate it piece by piece after sending one of her soldiers to fetch her a fork. Most of it went to Hotaru and Pisces. One wrap was more than enough for her.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Once the meal was done, Iris asked Hotaru, "Any word of Indu?"

  Hotaru grinned and bobbed her head. "Yep! She's living on the third slab, near Endless Alley."

  "… is it really endless?"

  "As far as anyone knows. I don't got the time to walk forever. Gotta find Indu, before your deadline." She shrugged. "But, no one claims to have seen the end. Might be one of those things… mis— mis— oh, what is it?"

  "Misnomer?" Iris suggested.

  "No! Well, kinda? When you fool people into thinking things that ain't true. Like the buskers with their sleight of hand tricks."

  "Misdirection?"

  "Yeah, that! They might just say it's endless, so people give up before reaching the end."

  "I doubt it," Olivier from the Immortal Legion said. "If you tell me its endless, and I had all the time in the world, I'd take it as a challenge."

  "You do have all the time in the world," Isaac, another soldier, replied.

  "Not here I don't. I have to go back to Lady Bringer."

  "If you'd like to take a month to see if you can reach the end of Endless Alley, I can ask Lady Bringer on your behalf," Iris said.

  "I, uh, don't need time off, Miss Iris. I was just making a point that if you tell people there's an endless alley, and they have all the time in the world, then someone's gonna test it out."

  Iris gave Olivier a flat look. "I was teasing you, soldier."

  Olivier blinked, blushed, and saluted. "Of course, Miss Iris."

  Finding their way to the third slab near Endless Alley proved easy enough so long as they followed Hotaru. She and Pisces had a feel for the city that none of the rest of them did. The Immortals had been recalled, now that their quarry had been located. They enclosed Iris in a protective ring.

  They came out in an open city square, where a fountain burbled and people strolled languidly taking in a fine spring day. Children were playing in the square. Hotaru led them to the children.

  "Ho, children. Is Indu around?"

  An older boy looked at Hotaru and her companions with suspicion. Suspicion turned to understanding, and he rudely pointed at her. "It's yer fault Big Sis left!"

  The other children, hearing this pronouncement, looked at them with outrage on their faces. They yelled and cried, and a few demanded they give Indu back. She knew Indu liked children, it was one of the few things Lady Biyu had mentioned, but she was impressed with how much the children here loved her. It gladdened her.

  Iris held up her hands, trying to placate the children. Her guards stood between the children and her. There was little they could do. None of them would strike down a child.

  "I only want to talk to her."

  "Yeah, 'bout what?" the older boy asked. He'd become the de facto spokesman, and the children yelled out their support for him.

  "I've come to offer to make her a concubine."

  The older children flushed, but many of the younger ones just tipped their heads. Concubines weren't so rare they wouldn't have heard of them, but it wasn't something children would have a clear understanding of. The older children, on the other hand, had the wrong impression. She could see it in their eyes.

  "Big Sis isn't a whore!" one outraged girl yelled.

  The older boy, put off step by Iris's admission, puffed up. "Yeah!" he agreed.

  "No, she isn't," Iris agreed easily. She took a step back, as Hotaru moved between her and an aggressive older girl. "My spouse loves and misses her."

  One of the younger children called out, "She's the living girl!"

  The children broke up into discordant chattering. They questioned each other, her, or threw out rude insults. More than a few of them were too foul to come from the mouth of children, and she scowled at them disapprovingly.

  "What would your Big Sis think, hearing you speak like that?"

  "She'd ask us to repeat it so she could learn, then tell us not to say it again," said another girl. She was smirking at them, and there was something to the way she held herself with pride that made Iris pity her.

  A few children, still paying attention, chorused their agreement. There was even laughter.

  Iris smiled for a moment, then took in a breath. "I just want to talk to her. She's being silly running away."

  "You got goons," said a little boy. He pointed at her soldiers.

  "Because I'm a fragile flower." That earned chortles from the children.

  "No one can hurt you here. If they do, Lady Serpent'll punish'm," said another boy. He squirmed. "She made my da go away." The boy was uneasy, but not sad. Maybe he thought his father deserved it.

  "Where did he go?"

  "Sucking Death," said another child. Iris wasn't sure who it was, or if they were a boy or a girl.

  "That's just a rumor," another boy said. The children started squabbling again.

  Iris turned to Hotaru. "What now?"

  "We find a place to camp out near here, and I go looking for her again." She paused. "Maybe this time, we bring her to you?"

  Iris glanced at the children. "You aren't going to kidnap her, are you?" she asked.

  Hotaru looked aghast. "Of course not! I'll just, like, talk to her."

  A woman with dark skin walked over to them, glancing at the children with a shake of her head. "I'm right here," she told Iris.

  Iris looked upon Indu for the first time, and she was confused. "I thought you were a Monster?"

  Iris looked over Indu critically, who returned her gaze. She was taller than Lady Biyu, but still a shorter woman. Not quite as tall as she was. She was also much more slender than Anya or Iris. Her hips were well-defined, and beneath the tunic she wore Iris could make out the curves of her breasts. She had the physique of a common girl, and Iris found herself wondering if she and Anya might not be to Lady Biyu's taste.

  "In my village," Indu said, "your hips would be too big."

  "This is not how I usually look," Iris said. "Lady Bringer helped me craft the body I usually use. I'm much better proportioned in it."

  "Oh, so you usually look like me?" Indu asked. There was a hint of mirth in her voice, but also an undercurrent of sadness.

  Iris shook her head. "I look nothing like you. My proportions are more generous than yours." She looked at Indu speculatively. "If your Mother granted you that body, why aren't you more…?"

  Indu lifted her arms, and twirled a little. "I had help from the people here. Mother didn't craft this for me. She allowed me to change how I look. I want to look ordinary."

  Iris lifted her brow, looking pointedly at Indu's hair and skin. When the serpent woman didn't understand her pointed look, she said, "I've never met a woman of your distinctive coloration."

  Indu looked at the back of her hand. "I was told I should keep something of myself. My true body. That I might lose who I am, if I abandoned it all."

  Iris snorted. "Most of us have no idea what we look like. Have you ever seen a mirror?"

  "Who needs a mirror? The waters of Mother's swamp worked well enough. I've always known what I look like." Indu looked at Iris critically, particularly the cut of her robes. "And you won't convince me you didn't grow up with a mirror."

  "I did." She looked at her hand, turning it. It had been a long time since she saw the hand she had been born with. "It made me glad, that I could be as lovely as my mother."

  "Now that we're done with insulting each other's looks," Indu prodded. "What have you come for?"

  Iris introduced herself, something she would have done if Indu hadn't started out insulting her. "I am Iris, concubine of Lady Bringer, from the family Kimmel Lostlakes Elderwoods."

  She waited for Indu to introduce herself, but the woman just looked more and more put out. "You came here to brag about your relationship with Biyu?"

  Iris braced herself for Lady Biyu's attention to turn on them, but it never came. She wished her techniques worked so she could hide her embarrassed blush. Clearing her throat, Iris said, "I was introducing myself. Now it's your turn."

  Indu lifted a brow. "We already know who the other is." At Iris's disapproving frown, she sighed. "I am Indu, daughter of the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent, and what you Humans call a Monster."

  Iris got what she wanted, but she wasn't happy about it. "If you're going to be a concubine, you'll have to learn how to introduce yourself."

  "I don't see why. No one here expects me to introduce myself like that." Indu indicated the city square they stood in, and the people going about their business.

  "I came to invite you to join our family."

  "Then you wasted your time. I'm dead."

  "So are many of Lady Bringer's servants. It would be appropriate for at least one of her partners to be dead."

  "You know I'm beyond earthly desires, don't you?"

  Iris looked at Indu's Human form. This time, Indu picked up on the doubt on her face.

  "I changed my form, so I would be accepted."

  "Not so that Lady Bringer would marry you?"

  "That's when I was still alive."

  "You could change your form, here, while alive?"

  "Yes. My first try was… wrong. I wanted to look like my Mother's daughter, but… it was like a child's clay doll." They looked at each other. Indu reluctantly continued. "It was nice, to have men look at me with desire."

  That was the first kink in Iris's plan. What if Indu had no interest in women?

  "You never bedded a woman?"

  "Why would I?" Indu asked. She indicated her body, and the people around her. "There's no lack of willing men here."

  "If it were me," Iris said. "I would have found a woman to bed. I'd want to have known what it could have been like."

  "If Biyu rejected you, you'd have found a woman to sleep with?"

  Iris squirmed. She thought of herself as less self-conscious than many she knew. It was part of her training as a noble, one she agreed nobles needed to learn. But, this was an admission that embarrassed her. "I've thought about bedding a woman other than Lady Bringer… to see I'm doing it wrong." At Indu's stare, Iris squirmed again. She felt a momentary vindictive streak as Indu frowned. "After she bedded her wife, Lady Anya, she… it was obvious she had learned a few things. It left me wondering, 'what if I did so too?'"

  "Ah. You didn't bed Lady Anya?"

  "We don't have that kind of relationship," Iris said quickly.

  Indu tipped her head. "You are all part of the same," she waggled a hand, signaling her nebulous understanding of their relationship, "'family'. You all like women, you both bed 'Lady Bringer'. Why wouldn't you bed each other? Especially if you think you can learn something?"

  Iris squirmed again, and she looked down at her feet. "I… I want Lady Bringer to be the one to tell me to lay with another woman… and watch…"

  "Mother said you were a pervert," Indu said after Iris had squirmed under her gaze. "I thought I knew what the word meant." She frowned. "I now find I lacked perspective."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, when Elves talk about perverts, they usually talk about a defiler of goats. Humans have the same?"

  Iris nodded in agreement. She didn't like being called a pervert, but taking offense now would impede her goal. Being compared to a man who 'loved' his livestock was insult over injury, but she would persevere until she could take her vengeance later. No, she wouldn't be forgetting this. On the other hand, if Indu was doing it intentionally, she would actually be impressed with her. That would not stay her hand, but it would improve her opinion. For now, she disregarded the voice that said she should push the woman off the side of the city.

  Indu gestured to herself. "I had the body of an animal, and when I was in my season wanted men to sleep with me. It is very hard to 'understand' the term, when it is the most you can hope for."

  Iris wasn't sure what to say, but her previous plot for vengeance suddenly felt petty. "Did you ask Lady Bringer to…?" She regretted asking the pointless question. The answer was obvious.

  "Of course not. I didn't want her to hate me. Not that I'd have known what to do if anyone had agreed." She shook her head. "In the spring my body would burn with desire, but I had no idea how to give it what it wanted."

  Iris was fascinated, but had drifted a bit too far from the topic at hand. As an interview question, though, it worked for her. She considered Indu. She lacked the proportions, but she was wonderfully exotic looking. While she had derided the color of her skin and hair, she was not that far off from those from the far north with skin like coal, or those who were permanently bronzed by the sun from the west. She wasn't stupid. No, that was a disservice to the serpent woman. She was thoughtful. Contemplative, even.

  Iris was leaning towards wanting the woman in their family. She also worried that Lady Biyu might lose interest in her and Lady Anya once she had her old object of affection back. That was something she had worried about after seeing Lady Biyu's longing and loss the few times she mentioned her. Wanting to take that pain away was what led to her taking this route. Perhaps she should have talked to Lady Biyu about it. The way she had reacted when she found Iris on the border to Lady Serpent's Hell had her doubting herself, but she thought this was one of the times when it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. Iris thought Lady Biyu would accept it as done, but she was sure that in this case Lady Biyu would have been wrong.

  "How did you enjoy it?" At the curious gaze, she reminded Indu of what they had been talking about. "Taking a woman to bed."

  Indu fidgeted then. It was a wringing of hands, and a squirm of her hips. Not quite the same as what Iris knew she did when embarrassed or anticipating spending time with Lady Biyu.

  "You enjoyed it."

  "Not as much. I do prefer men. But… women aren't so bad." Indu then smiled. "Doesn't matter."

  "It doesn't?"

  "Biyu doesn't want those things. I did ask her to marry me, but I never expected to bed her."

  "But you wanted to."

  Indu's triumph washed off her face. She contemplated it, her eyes down. "That wasn't the point. I just wanted to be chosen. Why would she choose me now, after all this time? When she has two of you already?"

  "She misses you. If you wish to join the family, I think she will make you a concubine… or her second wife, if you wish it." Indu lifted a brow. It took Iris a moment to understand her doubt. "With my techniques, I thought you could attain a Human form. You could join the family openly. Lady Bringer wouldn't have to worry about protecting you the way she used to. And even if she did, she is powerful enough now that I think she could." She indicated the Immortal Legion standing guard demonstratively.

  Indu lifted a brow. "And you'd just give it to a Monster? An Elf?"

  "The Marshal of our Order of Knights is an Elf."

  "He is?"

  "She is."

  Indu pursed her lips. "You could stand to be around me, knowing what I am?"

  "Those who worship Lady Bringer do not feel disgust for Elves Humans naturally do. No one in the family, among her Immortal Legion, or the Knights of the Order would hate you."

  "I could travel with you? See more of the world than a swamp?"

  "I'm stuck in Elderwoods, although I'll be going to Lost Lakes for the winter. I'll send you to Lady Bringer in Shadow Gate. One of the great cities of the Empire." She looked around them, at City in the Sky. "I'm not sure if it's grander than this."

  Indu thought about it, looking at her hands. "Did Biyu ask you to come get me?"

  Iris shook her head. "No. I decided to do this on my own."

  "Then you don't even know if she'll accept me in your family."

  "As I've said, she'd frequently mentioned her regret in refusing you."

  "That's a good question. Why are you here, seeking another woman for your… wife?"

  "Spouse," Iris corrected distractedly. She considered how to answer the question. "She always looks so sad when she mentions you. I want her to be happy. It's my duty." Iris took a deep breath, and told a truth that was also a lie. "If I can reconcile you two, then I'll be satisfied as her wife." The lie was bedded in her fear that Lady Biyu would lose interest in her with Indu beside her.

  "What's the difference between a wife and a concubine?" Indu asked.

  "The short answer, the one that matters to you, is that a wife is someone a noble marries for politics. A concubine is a companion you take for love or… fun."

  "And you just called yourself her wife, but you've said you were a concubine."

  "I was raised and trained to be a wife, like Lady Bringer was. Because of… well, you know how we met, don't you?" Indu nodded. "I'm supposed to be a commoner. Someone without rank. I can't officially be her wife… but I'm the most qualified."

  "Then shouldn't you be with her? Instead of here?"

  Iris pursed her lips. "You may be right about that. Lady Bringer and Lady Anya are having issues, too." She sighed. "But, Lady Bringer and I are the only ones qualified to manage a hold. Allie is too young, and lacks the education. Lady Anya could probably muddle through, but she's in no condition to be sent off to a strange place, all alone. I was the best choice from several bad ones."

  "You couldn't leave it to Lord Jeffery? Lady Violet has told me he's doing a fine job." Iris gave Indu a black mark, for assuming a wife would be honest about her husband's competency.

  "He was intended to be a temporary steward. Leaving him in charge too long… we did leave him in charge too long. He's building a road to the Southlands. One that March Lostlakes commanded, but if I'd been here I might have been able to fight it." She shook her head. "We have more important things to spend money on that we can't, now."

  Indu nodded. "Am I meant to be a replacement for you?"

  "No. In fact, I rather emphatically hope you aren't." She gave Indu a brief, threatening smile. "But I also wanted a chance to judge your… fitness for our family."

  "Your judgment?"

  "I like you. Lady Anya probably will too. Allie and Bert… well, they may take time to warm up to you."

  "They dislike Elves?"

  "They're orphans. They can be a bit suspicious of new people."

  Indu brightened. "Children?"

  "Youths." Indu's delight turned to disappointment. "You really do like children, don't you?"

  Indu gave a nod. She looked at her hands. "You want me to leave this place, where Mother protects me, to go to Biyu, who might not even want me?"

  Iris nodded. "Yes," she added, since Indu wasn't looking at her.

  Indu looked fondly around the square, particularly the children. "You offered me techniques, so I could hide among Humans." Iris nodded. "Then, I'll go. But only if you swear an Oath to my mother."

  Iris felt a prickle of fear run up her back. "What Oath?"

  "First, you'll offer those techniques to my brother and sister. Hak and Invidia. They desire to find mates for themselves, and it would allow them to travel."

  Iris nodded easily. She could agree to that.

  "That easily?"

  "Lady Biyu's mentioned Hak. I can trust him with my techniques. I don't know Invidia, but… I won't refuse you on this. I was prepared for you to request it for siblings."

  Indu nodded at that. "Second, I will be allowed to travel."

  "I told you, we are already traveling."

  "And after Shadow Gate?"

  Iris's lips pressed together. "If you wish to travel, I'm sure Lady Bringer will assign you guards to escort you."

  "So you can't actually promise me that?"

  "I…" Iris didn't agree immediately. That would come across as disingenious, but she also wanted to think it through. She would not lie to Indu. "Yes, I can. Lady Bringer will want you to be happy. Besides, she is the Bringer of Judgment. Her agents must travel the world to collect Lost Souls. You will have the opportunity to travel. I can't be sure you'll have an escort. But, you will go with Lady Bringer's blessing."

  Indu considered Iris, before naming her next term. "I want a child."

  Iris was taken aback for a moment. At first, she thought Indu meant one to eat, but quickly chastised herself for the foolish thought. She looked at the children in the square, discreetly watching their Big Sis talking to the people threatening to take her away.

  The first child to come to Iris's mind she quickly discarded. That would only cause trouble. "Allie and Bert will one day have children. Would you be happy with grandchildren?"

  Indu blinked slowly at that. "A grandmother?" She thought about it, and her lips pulled back into a smile as she remembered some of the village's grandmothers. "I could dote on the child, but leave the hard parts to their parents?" Her eyes lit up again. "Oh, and I would have many of them."

  "Nobles don't tend to have a lot of children," Iris said. She didn't want Indu to be disappointed, or worse call the Oath unfulfilled, if there was just a single grandchild. "And Allie and Bert are still a bit young. You'll have to wait a few years."

  Disappointment crossed Indu's face. "What of you? Three women, and not one of you plans to bear a child?" She paused, thinking. "No, Alison and Albert aren't yours. I remember that."

  "I would, if Lady Bringer commanded it. Lady Anya… never will. As for Lady Bringer…"

  "It's unlikely," Indu agreed. She considered for a moment, then shook her head. "No. That's not good enough. You said she was in a city?"

  Iris nodded, feeling her shoulders slump. So close.

  "And Alison and Albert are orphans?"

  Iris blinked, as she followed the logic. "You want Lady Bringer to adopt a child for you?"

  "Is that too much to ask?"

  "I suppose not," Iris said. She swallowed. It really wasn't, although they'd need a servant to watch the child. Having a dead woman raise a child without help sounded like the beginning of a tragedy. "I'll have to insist the child be weaned. Older would be better. Young children do not fare well on long trips. It would be better if you waited until Lady Bringer arrives in Lost Lakes."

  Indu deflated a little. "I… would like to hold a newborn. Before we came here, when I dreamed of following Biyu from the swamp, I dreamed about helping to raise her children. Maybe it was naive, but… I wanted to be there for the birth. Now, I wonder if that might not make me sad."

  "You will have the chance. I'm sure of it."

  Indu flashed a smile. "Are you sure you want to make this Oath? You are trusting your word will be upheld by Biyu and your family."

  "I do." Iris made the Oath, invoking the name of the Great Ruby Eyed Serpent after being told it by Indu. The Great Serpent appeared, in her Human guise, to witness the Oath. There was a look of anxiety on her face, strange to see on a face typically devoid of emotion.

  Iris and her companions found themselves suddenly upon the shore of the swamp. Hotaru's eyes burst alight, as the blessing of her Master was renewed. Pisces too flared to life. The dead faded away, all but Indu. She writhed, as her flesh sloughed off. Indu's flesh was made of the stuff of Lady Serpent's Hell. Having left, the flesh sublimated to smoke.

  Hotaru captured Indu's soul, and fed it power to keep her from becoming a Lost Soul. The body disintegrated, but Hotaru smiled confidently as she held the woman's ghost by the hand. The fire of her eyes went out, her desire to protect no longer active.

  "Lady Biyu," Iris called out. Upon her words the ghostly visage of Lady Biyu appeared to her. Iris was relieved to see her. For a moment, she was afraid Lady Biyu would not come for her.

  Lady Biyu took in Indu, the ghost fidgeting in her presence. "What have you done, Iris?"

  Iris swallowed, and then told Lady Biyu about her Oath. What she promised.

  "What did Indu agree to?"

  Iris licked her lips. "She will be your companion."

  "That is all? She will not offer to be my consort, or join the family. There is nothing more to her promise than that we will travel together?"

  Iris gave a nod.

  "She will be going to Judgment, Iris. You know what she has done. What if I cast her into the Hells? What if the Heavens are open to her, and she goes? Your Oath would be broken either way. I would lose you."

  Iris swallowed. "I know what she has done. The Heavens cannot be open for her. And she is too good a person to deserve the Hells."

  "My Master was good to me, and yet I desire to cast her into the Hells. You were foolish. So foolish." Lady Biyu slapped Iris. She staggered under the strike, and tears rose up in her eyes. Then small arms hugged her tightly. "I do not want to lose you, Iris. Should you be slain by the Oath, and fall short of the Heavens, I would have to give you to Master. I'm a god. There are some things I do not have a choice in."

  Iris hugged Lady Biyu back, and felt a chill go through her body. She had not considered that Lady Biyu wouldn't have a choice. Gods had rules, most of them made and enforced by they themselves, but… few gods broke rules, and the few times stories spoke of them, the gods paid a price for it. Iris hadn't thought of that.

  Lady Biyu did not cling to her long. They separated, and Lady Biyu looked Iris in the eyes. "I love you, Iris. Do not do something like this again without speaking with me." Iris gave a nod.

  Indu watched from the side, her expression unreadable as she watched the display of affection before her.

  Lady Biyu turned to her old friend, after releasing Iris. "We will speak later, Indu. It is a strain to remain her. I am sending Lily May Illwind to collect you." She considered for a moment, but she didn't say what she might have wanted to before she disappeared.

  Lily May appeared moments later after a cold wind blew through them. There was a moment where she looked around. Seeing Indu, she deflated. Disappointed eyes turned to Iris. "Oh, Miss Iris, what have you done?" asked the Herald.

  Iris was unrepentant, event after Lady Biyu's rebuke. "What I thought was best."

  Lily May shook her head slowly before offering an arm to Indu to escort her. The serpent woman looked uncertain before she took the arm. "Talk to Lady Bringer next time," she said before she and Indu disappeared.

  Iris frowned, looking where Lily May had stood. What she had done was for Lady Biyu. She loved the woman. Even if Lady Biyu tired of indulging her fantasies, she would stay with her. Even if she had just delivered her the woman she would leave her for, she would remain faithful. After all, that was the real reason she never took Lady Anya to bed.