Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

It was a city park.

There was a playground with children running around. Slides, monkey bars, and all manner of contraptions that I'd never seen before dotted the area. Klix hadn't just subsidized housing; she was also paying for recreational areas as well. The size of the park was closer to a resort compared to the dinky partial block picnic area that we had in Zeb. I saw a few Scarlets walking around in full armor, which made me wonder why the Bandits would choose an area that was guarded for their entrance, but it made sense in a way. As long as the Bandits didn't do anything suspicious and acted like normal people, they could walk around in relative safety.

Miel opened the door and glanced at us. "Don't go anywhere until I get back." Her gaze swept over all of us, then she got out of the vehicle and walked across the parking lot.

"We just have to sit here?" Aelin leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. "Ugh!"

"It gives us a chance to distribute some of the gear that you got." I had an idea and pulled the dolphin necklace out of my CB. "Here Gesai, I got you something."

Aelin snickered from the front seat, but I ignored her as I leaned forward in my seat.

"What..?!" Gesai started to turn around when I touched her shoulder, but I wrapped my left arm around her neck and pulled her close to me. "No peeking yet." I knew she could easily break my grasp, but she allowed me to grip the gold chain on either side of the pendant, then I slid it around her neck. Once I hooked the clasp, I let the emerald fall against her chest as I pulled her hair out from under the chain, then let it fall over her shoulders.

The redhead touched the pendant and looked confused.

"I couldn't handle anything that would help you, so instead of getting a Dungeon item, I bought just a regular Mundane necklace." I saw Oz watching me intently. "Since everyone else was getting upgrades of some kind, I didn't want you to be left out."

"A dolphin?" Gesai smirked. "Is that how you see me?"

"Is there something wrong with a dolphin?"

Oz started laughing, and Jenne joined in. Even Aelin had a smile on her face, which gave me the feeling that I had been set up.

"Dolphins are a symbol of eagerness." The tips of Gesai's lips pulled up as she smirked. "In bed."

"Oh…" I glared at Aelin, who started laughing. Yep, I'd been set up.

"It's beautiful though." The older woman fingered the green animal.

"You like it?" I tried to ignore the other women in the vehicle.

"I think it's great. Dolphins were my favorite creature when I was at the Cathedral." Gesai let the pendant fall against her shirt. "So yes, I like it, even if you didn't know what it implied."

"You mean, now that he knows what it implies." Aelin bounced her eyebrows.

"Hey!" I wrapped my arms around the neck of the woman in front of me. "You don't have to tease her." I looked between Oz and Jenne. "She's still your teacher."

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"Isn't she yours too?" Oz smirked.

"Not really." Gesai slid her hand over mine as she leaned back. "I'm more of a mentor for Atlas right now, but eventually, he's going to go past even where I can follow." She leaned her cheek against my hand. "Unlike the three of you."

"How do you know that?" Oz shifted in her seat.

"Because you three were just as paralyzed as I was. So even if there is some divine blood somewhere in your system, there isn't enough for you to claim a city." The older woman smiled. "Atlas, Pixie, Ether, Rix, and even Justia are all going to eclipse all of us, even if I had a head start. Sure, it's going to take years before they reach my level, but when they do, they'll be much stronger than I'll ever be able to be."

I detected sadness in her voice, so I squeezed her. "You know I'll never stop needing you." I looked at Oz, then Jenne and Aelin. "All of you."

"So you do plan on adding Jenne to your harem!" Aelin smirked. "But we've been over this…"

"You're already taken." I finished her sentence. "Aelin, I know you're trying to keep yourself entertained by adding women to my harem, but have you considered that maybe Jenne doesn't want that?"

The blonde waved her hand at me as she looked at her friend. "What's not to love? He's kind, powerful, and going places. Why wouldn't you want to join that?"

"Why don't you?" Jenne looked away from both of us.

"Because I'm with Justia..." Aelin's eyes lit up. "Nope! You can't have her! I'm not sharing! There's some things I won't do even for a bestie!"

"I don't think she was talking about Justia." Gesai was studying the golden woman. "But that may also explain why Atlas didn't attract her."

"You're going to try to steal one of Atlas' girls?" Aelin's eyes got wide. "Who?!? Is it Ren?"

The look on her face told me that it wasn't. In fact, she looked more insulted at the implication that she'd try to seduce one of the women that were with me.

"It's not anyone that's already joined." I swallowed as the only option clicked into place, but I wasn't going to say it even if the look on Aelin's face was begging me to.

"Who does that leave?" Aelin scrunched her brow. "She's the only one you're not with."

That wasn't true. Technically, I hadn't been with either Rix or Fray, even though they were both linked to me with the seal, but pointing that out would focus the conversation back on me, and I wasn't going to fall on that sword.

"Pixie." Oz snorted. "You're seriously interested in Miss entitled?"

Aelin's jaw dropped as she stared at her friend. Considering that Jenne wasn't trying to deny it, I took that to be all the confirmation that I needed for my theory.

"She's not that bad." Jenne's voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"Not that bad?!" Aelin closed her mouth. "She knows Justia and I are together and openly flirts with her!"

"As much as you go on about Atlas growing his harem, she probably thinks that you're sending out hints." Oz smirked.

"I thought you hated her!" Aelin pointed at the other brown woman. "You keep swearing that you're going to kill her!"

"She's irritating." Oz sat back in her seat. "But maybe she would be tolerable if she, you know. Got some?"

"TMI." I started to wave my hands, but Gesai had my arms pinned around her to where I couldn't move them.

"What he said!" Aelin pointed at me as she focused on Jenne. "And I'm not going to sacrifice my best friend just to make some spoiled brat less irritating." Her face softened. "But if that's what you want..." The blonde sighed. "Really?"

Jenne looked at Gesai like she was wanting approval.

"If you want her to be your problem, I'm happy to give someone else the headache." The redhead patted my arm.

"None of this matters if we can't find them though." I looked around and saw Miel walking back towards the vehicle. "It looks like it's time to go."

Gesai twisted in her seat to look at me. Having to stay in the vehicle while we went into a dangerous place where she couldn't rush in and save us was visibly eating at her. On instinct, I gave her a quick kiss.

"For luck."

The older woman let go of my arms and kissed me back, this time for longer.

When she pulled away, she was smiling. "For luck."