The villagers near Shadowglade Forest surrounded Aria and EMI with cheers and gratitude. Women offered baskets of fruit and flowers, excited children ran around them.
"Thank you, heroines!" shouted an old man, his voice trembling. "Those beasts have been tormenting us for weeks!"
"It was our duty," Aria replied with a curt nod, though she accepted an apple from a shy girl.
EMI smiled, bright and open.
"We're happy to help! If you need anything else, just let us know!"
Alex, a few steps back, watched with his hands in his pockets. The name "Shadowglade Forest" was as cliché as he'd predicted. But while feigning indifference, a unease gnawed at him inside: Zarek's gaze. That lackey of the dark mage had looked at him not with hatred, but with… recognition. As if he knew a secret that Alex himself was unaware of.
---
Later, in the Duke's luxurious mansion, the group gathered in the main hall. Aria spread a map over the oak table.
"Zarek confirmed the target," she said, her finger pointing to the village. "The dark mage wants something here. We cannot allow more disappearances."
EMI leaned over the map, her expression serious.
"We'll reinforce the defenses. Guard posts here, here, and here. And regular patrols."
Alex, sitting in a separate armchair, wasn't speaking. His eyes scanned the map, but his mind was elsewhere.
"Alex?" asked EMI. "Do you have any ideas?"
He blinked, returning to the present.
"Yeah. Don't underestimate Zarek. His retreat was too orderly. This was a test, not a real attack."
Aria frowned.
"A test?"
"Of us. Of me," Alex said, his voice low. "And now they have the data they wanted."
---
That night, Alex lay in his four-poster bed, staring at the carved ceiling. The mansion was silent, but his mind was roaring.
Why did that guy look at me like that? What does he know?
The door to his room opened with a soft creak.
Alex sat up with a start, only to see EMI peeking in, her face illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window.
"EMI? What…?"
"Shhh!" She put a finger to her lips and entered, closing the door noiselessly. She wore a silk robe over what seemed like a thin nightgown. "I couldn't sleep. I thought… you might not be sleeping either."
Before Alex could answer, another soft knock at the door.
EMI stiffened. Alex sighed.
"Come in."
Aria entered, wearing a black satin robe that clung to her curves. She stopped upon seeing EMI.
"Oh. You already have company."
"And what are you doing here?" asked EMI, crossing her arms.
"The same as you, I suppose," Aria replied with a challenging smile. "Worrying about our resident strategist. He seemed… troubled today."
Alex rubbed his temple.
"Girls, it's late. And I'm fine. Just thoughtful."
"That's what worries us," said Aria, stepping closer. Her perfume, something spicy and expensive, filled the space between them. "Thinking too much can be dangerous. Sometimes, a distraction is needed."
EMI interposed herself, literally, stepping between Aria and the bed.
"He needs to rest, not… distractions!"
Aria arched a perfect eyebrow.
"And spending the night discussing strategies with you is restful? Please, EMI. At least my intentions are honest."
"What is that supposed to mean?" EMI blushed.
Alex stood up, feeling the situation slipping out of his control.
"Look, you two, I appreciate the concern, but…"
"Be quiet, Alex," they both said in unison, not taking their eyes off each other.
The tension in the room thickened, charged with something more than simple concern. Aria was the first to break the silence.
"You should go to sleep, EMI. You need energy for tomorrow."
"Why so eager to get rid of me?" retorted EMI, defiantly.
Aria gave a slow, confident smile and shot a loaded look at Alex.
"Isn't it obvious? Alex and I are engaged. It's only a matter of time. It makes sense… to get used to the proximity."
Alex felt heat rise to his face. Engaged! Since when?
EMI let out a snort of disbelief.
"That's ridiculous! Alex has never said anything about that!"
"Does he need to say it?" Aria moved even closer to Alex, her shoulder brushing his. "The chemistry is obvious. The connection. It's… inevitable."
Then, with a deliberately slow movement, Aria untied the sash of her satin robe. The garment slid from her shoulders and fell to the floor with a soft whisper.
Alex held his breath.
Aria wasn't wearing EMI's practical cotton nightgown. Her body was wrapped in a minimalist and devastatingly effective black silk and lace set. The translucent fabric hinted more than it covered, caressing the curve of her hips and the arch of her chest. The moonlight played on her pale skin, illuminating her like a beautiful and dangerous ghost.
"Too forward?" she asked in a voice that was pure silk.
Without waiting for an answer, she slipped into the bed, sinking into the sheets. She settled onto a pillow and looked at EMI with absolute challenge in her gray eyes.
"Goodnight."
EMI blinked, her face a mask of shock, indignation… and something else. Something competitive that ignited in her eyes.
"That's not fair!" she protested, and then, in an act of pure impulse, her hands went to her own sash. "Friends can sleep together too!"
"EMI, you don't have to…" Alex began, but it was too late.
EMI's silk robe fell. And it revealed something that made even Aria let out a faint sound of surprise.
EMI wasn't wearing a childish nightgown. She wore an ivory lace set, delicate and surprisingly daring, with thin ties on the shoulders and a neckline that hinted at a generosity her loose clothes normally hid. It was innocent and sensual at the same time, and the scarlet blush covering her face and chest only added to the contradiction.
Aria regained her composure first, a slow, appreciative smile curling her lips.
"My, my, EMI. I'm impressed. That lace… is a bold choice."
"Shut up!" EMI squeaked, and then, in a clumsy and adorable motion, she jumped onto the bed, crawling over Alex to get under the covers on the other side, burying her burning face in a pillow.
Alex stood beside the bed, staring at the two incredibly attractive and half-naked young women now occupying his bed. His normally quick mind had turned into a swamp of static.
I'm not an idiot. I know this is a wet dream for anyone. But this is… this is a strategic minefield. One wrong step and everything blows up.
"Alex," said Aria, her voice a husky whisper from her side of the bed. "The bed is getting cold."
"Y-yes! It's time to sleep!" added EMI, her voice muffled by the pillow, but her leg, bare and soft, accidentally brushed against Alex's.
He closed his eyes, muttering a prayer to any god who might be listening. Then, with the resignation of a man walking to his execution, he lifted the covers and slid in between them.
The space was tight. His shoulders brushed against Aria's on his left, firm and cool. His back felt the heat of EMI on his right, nervous and trembling. The air smelled of expensive perfume, floral soap, and pure sexual tension.
"Comfortable," murmured Aria, turning onto her side toward him. Her breath brushed his ear. "We could get used to this."
"Aria!" grumbled EMI from the other side.
"Yes, dear?"
"Stop teasing him!"
"Me? I'm just making observations." Aria's hand landed casually on Alex's chest, her fingers drawing slow circles over the fabric of his t-shirt. "The heart rate is interesting. Very… accelerated for someone going to sleep."
Alex grabbed her wrist, not with force, but firmly.
"Aria."
"Yes, future husband?"
"Go to sleep."
She laughed, a low, satisfied sound, but withdrew her hand. For now.
EMI, perhaps feeling she was losing ground, moved. Her arm hooked clumsily over Alex's torso, her hand landing on his stomach. She was rigid, clearly not knowing what to do now.
"It's… for comfort," she murmured, justifying herself.
"Of course," Alex said, his voice strained.
The next minutes were exquisite torture. Every tiny movement, every adjustment, brought a new contact. The soft curve of Aria's breasts against his arm. The smooth skin of EMI's thigh against his. The room was silent, but the air buzzed with unspoken energy.
"You know," whispered Aria, breaking the silence, "in some kingdoms, sharing a bed like this is considered a formal prelude."
"In most, it's considered a logistical nightmare," Alex muttered.
EMI tightened her arm around him.
"It feels… nice to me. Warm."
"Yes," Aria agreed, her tone a purr. "Very warm."
Alex squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on his breathing, on anything other than the feeling of two incredible female bodies pressing against him. Finally, the physical exhaustion from the battle and the mental stress of the night began to overcome him.
Just as sleep was pulling him under, he heard one last exchange, whispered over him as if he were a bridge.
"You're not going to win, you know," said Aria, her voice low but clear.
"I'm not competing," whispered EMI, but her grip tightened.
"We're all competing, dear. Always."
Sleep claimed Alex before he could hear the retort. He dreamed of maps turning into bodies and strategies dissolving into sighs. And, in the back of his mind, a part of him, the part that wasn't terrified, found the whole scenario absurdly, dangerously exciting.
This definitely… can't become a habit, was his last coherent thought, as the warmth of Aria and EMI lulled him into a deep, complicated sleep.