“He is referring to Aya,” Desiree filled in the missing parts. “If Caitlyn unleashes her, Aya will be here inside of three seconds.”
“Aya,” Hayden summoned the child. I could only imagine the tension the adult women of House Epona felt as Aya came running my way.
Honestly, I didn’t think about it. My body pivoted despite the weakness in my left leg and the pain coursing through my body so that I caught Aya before she could come around me. My instinct was to not trust Wicked Whore and Leona.
“Cael,” Aya sobbed, “you are bleeding. I got you shot.”
“What are you talking about? This scratch? It hardly hurts at all,” I lied to her. “Pain happens, Aya. Winners fight through the pain and get on with their lives and…”
“Aya is a winner,” she sniffled. I pushed her far enough back so that we were nose to nose and forehead to forehead.
“Weak,” Leona sneered. Aya’s face clouded in shame. I didn’t get angry, I laughed.
“Aya, that was from a supposed Amazon who couldn’t kill me with four arrows. It only took you two arrows to get closer and you are only nine,” I chuckled. “If she couldn’t get the job done with four arrows, what does that make her?”
“A loser?” Aya’s eyes grew large.
“Precisely,” I kissed her nose. “You don’t need to listen to losers. You are a winner and since you are also kind, you should take some time out to give Leona some lessons so she won’t always be a loser. That’s what taking responsibility for your people means.”
“Okay,” Aya nodded. “I don’t like her but I’ll do it for you.”
“No,” I shook my head, “you will do it because in you is the blood of greatness. True greatness is measured in the lives you save, not the lives you take.”
“Pathetic,” Wicked Whore commented in a disgusted tone.
“You’ve picked a fight with Aunt Desiree,” Aya peeped, “so you must not be terribly bright. Cael has taught me to pity stupid people like you, not hate them.”
“Caitlyn, control your infant,” Wicked Whore snapped.
“I apologize, Ursula (the Wicked Whore’s name). Aya, don’t talk to stupid people,” Caitlyn directed. “It is a waste of breath. Now come here and stand with Mommy.”
The best part of that was that the ‘stupid people’ could be referring to me. We all knew it wasn’t, but it was a plausible excuse their opponents had to swallow. Hayden wouldn’t allow further conflict.
“Have your wound tended to and I will have you driven home,” Hayden instructed me as she rubbed my hair. Aya reluctantly headed to her Mom.
“Can I ask a second favor?” I looked up to Hayden. My first was on Tuesday.
“Your life hangs by a thread spun by the most slender spider ever imagined,” Hayden clearly found me amusing. I nodded. “Ask away.”
“Once my wound gets dressed, can Leona and I address the other three males,” I requested.
“We can weave a convincing lie and keep the New Directive program going,” I stated.
“What makes you think Leona would possibly help you?” Hayden grinned.
“She helps, or she coughs up an arm, or two eyes,” I reminded the crowd.
“I’d rather face mutilation,” Leona snarled.
“I’m cool with that,” I beamed pleasure at Leona.
“Do not presume to dictate my actions, male,” Hayden chided me.
“I wouldn’t think of it,” I responded. “I admit I’m still a bit unsure about when you ladies want honesty, humor, or for me to keep my mouth shut.”
“You are odd,” Hayden was grinning again. Sex.
“It is truly amazing to me how many women I can attract with the line ‘I laugh at death’ – mainly because it is true. Please do not mistake my flippancy for a lack of fear. I’m scared alright. Voiding my bowels and begging for my life merely seems counterproductive in the given circumstances,” I explained.
“You will come home with me,” Hayden mused/ordered. Yes, it was sex.
“No can-do High Priestess,” I sighed. “I have a date tonight and it is against corporate policy for me to fraternize with company personnel during my internship. Thank you for the consideration, but you’ll have to wait 78 days like all the other crazed psychopaths you call a congregation.” Katrina broke out in laughter.
Europa, Loraine and Caitlyn followed suit. In seconds, Daphne, Paula, Violet, and Tigger joined them. A few had to explain things to their families.
“Convincing men to do what we want them to do is a difficulty we had not envisioned,” Katrina chuckled. “I can guarantee he is a fully functioning heterosexual man.”
“Cael, how many women have you been with since Monday morning?” Katrina demanded.
“Ugh… let me think,” I lowered my head.
“He has to think about it?” one woman questioned another.
“Let me see – Monday was sex-free which was rather remarkable.”
“Tuesday I had sex with three women, Wednesday it was four, Thursday was four, Friday there was only one though I did have sex with her on two separate occasions. I had sex before showing up here this morning and she might still be at my place for a repeat performance if we wrap this up quickly,” I detailed.
“When do you find time to work, or do you prematurely ejaculate?” Ursula frowned.
“Most of those encounters happen off the clock,” I insisted.
“He’s fucking our teachers,” Europa volunteered. Gee, thanks Europa.
“I confess, I slept with two of their teachers – but, in my defense, they were really good-looking, single and fit in well with my cover story that I was helping the children’s education,” I defended my indefensible actions.
“Besides, it isn’t like it takes that long. I can normally take a woman to orgasm in under ten minutes though the longest took twenty-two minutes,” I explained.
“You are lying,” Leona glared.
“No. The female orgasm – the reason the Creator gave men fingers and tongues,” I wiggled my fingers.
“As a side benefit, tongues are really handy for romantic exchanges,” I added.
“Do you have any siblings?” Hayden inquired.
“Sorry – only child,” I shrugged, winced then swayed. There was a growing pool of blood on the floor around my knee.
“Sydney,” Hayden addressed a member of her entourage, “take Cael to the Aid Station and tend to his wound. Leona, you will go with them and help concoct a lie to appease the worries of the other males.”