No Results

Meanwhile, at police headquarters. Chief Magnus stood before a chart pinned to the wall, his cigar between his fingers. He pointed at the chart, frustration evident on his face. "Since Elysia left two days ago, no progress," he grumbled, looking sternly at his officers.

"Sir, we have no leads to follow," said the sergeant sitting in the front row, her voice hesitant. 

"What are you trying to say?" Magnus asked, giving her the evil eye. He did this on purpose and will make it up to her later today. She was his mistress at the office. His wife approved of her. He could not be too soft on her before the others. 

The sergeant tried to make himself smaller in her seat.

"This is still the main suspect," Magnus said, pointing at a photo of Ignatius.

He blushed as he struggled to take his eyes off the beautiful face. "Bloodrose had leads. She brought us, possible suspects," Magnus continued, his excitement growing.

Magnus fell into his chair, blowing a fire ring into the air, leaving a blackened ring on the ceiling. "I thought she would be back after a day."

 "I miss our detective, don't you?" Magnus complained.

"The office looks dull and smells of sweat and... well, you know," the female sergeant said, sounding depressed.

"I only come to work to see her walk by my desk," a small, bald officer said.

"Bloodrose always solved the crimes. We did everything she asked," added the female sergeant.

Magnus only promoted females, and the men would always stay plain officers. He had five sergeants, all of whom were his mistresses. Luna resisted his charm, to his dismay.

Magnus waved them out, glaring at Ignatius's picture. He had a nagging feeling that Ignatius had taken Elysia away. He and the beauty named Luna were missing for two days. "Did she take a holiday with Luna without saying anything?"

"Love can mess with your mind," he muttered.

"Gwen and Britney stay," he said as the officers left his office. 

Magnus pulled on his cigar, blowing rings towards his door, and he missed her figure in his doorway. He placed the cigar in his ashtray as the two sergeants closed the door.

**********

Luna and Elysia walked the bustling streets of the dwarven city. Dwarfs hurried by, busy with work, their footsteps echoing against the cobblestone. The air filled with the sounds of hammers, striking metal, and the hiss of steam from the various contraptions. Lining the streets, shops and stalls crowded the sidewalks, displaying an array of goods, from intricate jewellery to steaming hot food.

The steam tram stopped, and they entered, finding a quiet corner. "Now that we have privacy," Luna said, her voice low.

Elysia took her hand. "Tell me what is bothering you."

Luna stared out the window as the tram moved, the cityscape blurring past. "There is this human woman, Clair."

"She has her sights set on our Ignatius."

"Ignatius has many women. Does one more matter?" Elysia asked, her eyes searching Luna's.

"Something feels off about her. Call it a detective's gut feeling," Luna replied. "She does not look like the family type. She would get rid of us in a heartbeat."

Elysia's eyes widened. "You mean she wants to keep him for herself?"

Luna nodded, glancing down at Elysia's high heels. "I want to dress a little riskier than usual," she said.

Elysia inspected her clothes. "What do you mean? You can wear a bag, and it would still arouse men."

"I only want one man aroused by me," Luna complained.

"Your tricks do not work on him?" Elysia asked.

"That is the problem. Since we were teens, nothing worked on him."

"I came into his room naked once, and he covered me with a towel," Luna said, laughing.

"He berated me, telling me that I am special and must keep my charms for the man I would fall in love with."

"I tried everything from open bouses to letting the wind blow up my dress with no panties. Nothing worked."

Elysia smiled. "That's the type of man I fell in love with."

"I did not listen, though," Luna said, sadness in her voice.

Elysia brushed her hands through Luna's hair. "Other men melted before you. You could manipulate them as you desired. Yet, they never showed real affection or commitment."

"You are correct. How do you know." Luna said, surprised.

"When I fought on the front line. I had the same experience; men and women would do anything I asked."

"Yet I found men that loved me. They had no hidden motives, no bragging to the others about their exploits. They were the men to die for." Elysia said, staring out the window. "Ignatius is a man, and I will not lose him."

"I understand your fear, Luna. Let us find a tailor to shorten those skirts."

"Tailor your blouses to show more cleavage. Use all your charms to seduce the man," Elysia said with resolve.

"We must stop Clair, but how to go about it?" Luna asked.

"Christie said she had warned him about Clair. He did not take her seriously, laughing off the matter," Luna said.

"She must be pretty and intellectual to impress Ignatius," Elysia said.

"Yes, she works at the library. She knows about history and ancient cities."

"Ignatius always has his nose in those books," Luna complained.

"No exes to make him jealous," Elysia noted.

Luna turned pale as the blood drained from her face. Elysia hugged her. "Okay, let's leave that idea. I can see that it would only make things worse."

The tram stopped, and they got off. A tailor shop loomed before them. Its windows display elegant dresses and finely tailored suits. They walked with purpose towards it, ready to implement their plan.

***********

The library had ten floors, each the size of a small town. Ignatius marvelled at the vast amount of literature. Dwarfs worked diligently, and the library's atmosphere was serene. Contrary to what he believed from stories in his old life, dwarven women were quite pretty.

"Luna has been acting strangely lately," Ignatius whispered in Christie's ear.

"She has something to lose now," Christie whispered back.

"What do you mean?" Ignatius asked as he took a book off a shelf.

Christie sat on his lap as he opened the book. His hand rested between her legs where she held it.

"She did not love Bradley. She had never been in love before," Christie whispered.

The dwarf across from them looked up, placing his finger before his lips. His eyes widened as he saw Christie on Ignatius's lap. The mask made the dwarf feel uncomfortable. He stood and left, placing the book back on the shelf.

"She married him, doing that with him," Ignatius said, paging through the book.

"She regrets her actions and wants to make a good impression on you. Her heart aches for your approval," Christie said.

"Her parents will be a problem in the future. I know they hate me," Ignatius said. "Found it."

Christie looked at the page. "What language is that?"

"Primordial Elven, my dear," Ignatius said as he kissed her neck. "You smell divine," he kissed her shoulder.

"My natural succubus scent, my love," Christie replied.

"It talks about underground tunnels near the forges," Ignatius continued to read. "It mentions a dangerous weapon."

Christie leaned back. "Zarkon said that Luna is adopted."

"She does not know this. Her father bought her at an auction when she was a baby. That's why she is the only elf of her kind in Queens town."

She places his hand on her breast, her nipple hard through the bikini. He fondles her breasts. He had never compared Luna to any other woman before. The revelation came as a surprise.

With platinum blond hair and blue eyes, her body stood out, and her features were unique.

Her father wanted her sword skills, and she would make a wife for a wealthy son-in-law to boost his own business." Christie noted.

"He wants to use her as a puppet for his selfish purposes," Ignatius said as he slipped his hand under her bikini to play with her nipple.

"Correct," Christie said, out of breath.

"One more thing," Christie said, moaning. "Be careful around Clair. I will say no more."

"We should go back. Elysia and Luna will return from their shopping trip soon. We have urgent business in the room," Christie said, her eyes sparkling with desire.

"Okay, I found what I was looking for," Ignatius said, lifting her off his lap.

************

Clair waved at the serving girl to fill her glass with wine. Marcus frowned at the price of the red wine. Clair caught his eyes staring at the bottle, his brow furrowed.

"It is the best local wine they have," Clair said, sipping the dark red liquid. "The meat is tender, and the cheese sauce is exquisite."

"I must say, Clair, you know how to treat me well," Marcus replied, his knife gliding through the steak.

Marcus enjoyed the meal. He was a frugal man with his own lawyer's firm in Mithrilen. He had associates who ran things in his absence. When Clair marries this sap, he would return to manage things. She would enjoy her new marriage for a few weeks before she took measures to inherit his wealth. Ignatius made his heart race. If he had been a woman, he would have stopped at nothing to gain her as a wife. Clair would always be his number one. He had loved her since they were children.

Clair placed her fork on her plate, her steak half-eaten. "What have you discovered?" she asked.

Marcus looked up from his meal. Clair wiped her mouth with a napkin. "If you want me to drink from you again, give me positive news," Clair said, licking her lips seductively.

Marcus wiped the sweat from his brow. "Thank you, Clair, for treating me well," he said, eyes on her mouth. She had come from Silvi's Coffee shop. Part of her surveillance and information-gathering trips. She had sucked him dry before they went to the restaurant.

"Tell me, man. I can do it again after our meal, but only if you have positive feedback."

"Twice in one month," Marcus said in awe.

"He owns the building. The coffee shop is co-owned with his partner, Luna." Marcus said, taking a sip of his wine.

"That bitch. She must go as soon as possible," Clair said, tearing a bread roll and spreading a generous amount of butter.

"What about the maids?" Clair said, spreading the butter with force.

 Marcus watched as the last bit of butter disappeared on Clair's roll. "He does not pay them. They work for a subsidiary that owns their houses," Marcus said, taking a bite of the dry roll.

"Someone else is paying his maids. How disappointing, or lucky for me," Clair said, her mouth full of bread roll. "They must be the first to go after that bitch, Luna."

Clair hated the elf. She was one of the most beautiful elf women she had ever seen, and she had confessed. "I know Luna can handle many men at the same time," Marcus said.

Her lustful acts must not sway my Ignatius. Clair declares.

"He should spend my money carefully." She leaned forward, her blouse revealing her charms to Marcus, who almost choked on his dry bread roll.

"He does not seem allergic to anything. As far as his medical records show," Marcus said, his eyes glued to her cleavage.

"How will I get rid of him once we marry? The women must go as well. He will be mine and his wealth," Clair mused.

"We could use a slow-acting poison," Marcus suggested his attention on her magnificent assets. That would mean being ploughed for months before he succumbs to it. I do not feel that this is the right way to go." Marcus said in protest.

Realising what he had suggested, he could kick himself. He did not want to see his Clair with another man for months.

He would get lonely. Clair did show him affection now and again. She had been very generous. Since they had arrived in this town, he had bought a large home there. He would live here and make this his home base. Something felt magical about Misty Cove; he loved it here.

"You're a genius, Marcus. When we get to my room, prepare. I hope you have recovered," Clair said, licking her lips for effect as she stared at her school friend.

She had seduced him back then. He did all her homework just for a chance to fondle her. As they grew older, she had to up the seduction. She did not mind. She grew used to him after all the years.

She had him under her thumb if she did things to him. And allowed him to plough her now and again. He would be putty in her hands forever. Marcus did not mind being used by her. He would one day win her heart and claim her as his wife.

"How to get rid of the elf," she said

After her parents had passed away in a mysterious accident, the duke married her. She was but seventeen. He killed the duke. The man had groomed her for his parties. The duke died slowly and painfully over a week. She even allowed him to finish inside her since coming here. He would make sure to protect his interests.