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

Ether was waiting for us as soon as the elevator doors opened.

"Hey." I tried to force a smile. "Have I ever told you how pretty you are?"

I heard Oz sigh behind me.

"That's your plan to apologize for running off and leaving me here?" The milky woman put her hands on her hips. "Seriously?'

"I have gear for you too." I touched my CB and scrolled through the menu. I stopped before I got to the folder labeled For Ether and tapped on the item I saw. I pulled out the gelatinous ball. "I got you this too!" I held out the color-shifting ball.

"What is that?" Her red eyes looked over it, but she didn't take it.

"A slime ball." I shook it, and it shifted from transparent blue to a mix of transparent red and purple. "You know, because you said that if you were going to have a summons, that you'd want a slime."

Ether took the ball from me and squeezed it. The colors shift to transparent blue. "Okay, that is neat." She looked at me. "You don't have to buy me stuff. Just tell me what you're doing."

"Well, you were asleep…"

The white-haired woman held up her hand to cut me off. "Justia already told me. Klix forbid me from going, and you wanted to get out as fast as you could." She sighed. "I'm not upset at you; just that I had to sit here all day." She gave me a hug, then looked up at me. "Your dad's awake."

"Is he here?" I nodded down the hall as I held on to her.

"Yeah." Ether chuckled. "The Scarlets tried to put him in Klix's bedroom. That didn't work out well for them."

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Why would they do that?" Oz moved around from behind me now that we'd established that Ether wasn't looking for a target.

"It's got the most comfortable bed in the palace." Ether laughed. "He took the room at the end of the hall."

"I should go see him." I draped my left arm over Ether's shoulders as she held onto me. "I take it by the lack of celebrating that Klix hasn't found them yet?"

Ether shook her head. "No, but she did come back a few minutes ago. I don't know if she has a lead, but there's only so much you can tear up in the city."

I pulled the collar of my shirt so that I could look at the seal on my chest. Rix's dagger and Pixie's sword were still there, along with my staff and Ether's shield. I could also see icons for everyone else who had the seal on them. Which meant that they were still alive at least. "How's Astrid?"

"Ren and Justia have been with her most of the day. Kara took her down to the training room for the teens to try to rehab her since she's been stationary for so long. They were only there for a bit, but the Scarlet I talked to was hopeful that she'd be back to herself within a week."

"What about Trent?" I started walking down the hall but stopped when I realized that Oz wasn't following us. "You're not coming?"

"I need a shower." Oz waved at me. "You probably do too. And you should take off that bloody rag. It smells."

"What bloody rag?" Ether looked up at me.

"The bandage Aelin put on him when he got stabbed." Oz waved her hands in front of her. "But he's fine now! Gesai healed him once we got back to the car!"

"You got stabbed!" Ether growled. "Aelin didn't tell me about that!"

"It was just a scuffle with some Mundane." I lifted my jacket to show her and misjudged just how much blood I'd lost. The white sheet was soaked in my black blood, and there were plenty of dried black spots that really stood out against my milky-white skin.

"That doesn't look like a simple stab." Ether glared at me. "Oz is right. We should get you cleaned up, then you can see your dad. Waiting thirty more minutes isn't going to kill him."

"But…!"

My protest was cut off as Oz grabbed my right arm. "Come on!"

I let myself get dragged by the two women towards the showers. My father could wait a few minutes before I saw him.