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

Fray followed us into our room.

Not that I minded having the green woman around, but she was starting to seem clingy again. And that wasn't good for her focus in the Dungeon, because it made her reckless.

"Are you okay?" I stretched out on the bed. Oz and Ren were giving Aelin the list of things they wanted from the store, which meant that we had a little bit of time to relax.

Fray nodded as Ether sat down next to her and started rubbing her shoulders.

"It's just…" I tried to think of the right word. "You've seemed off as soon as we got here. I know you said that it's just the glamor, but you seem…" I knew I wasn't going to say the right word. "Tense."

"It's just a lot of space and it makes me feel really alone." Fray began fidgeting with her fingers.

Ether looked over at me and nodded at Fray.

"You can stay here if you want." I stretched out my foot and didn't even come close to touching her. "The bed is big enough that you could fit multiple people in here and they'd never bump into each other."

Fray looked over at Ether. "Are you sure that's okay?"

The ivory woman nodded. "If it's too uncomfortable for you to sleep in the bed, then we could get Oz and move your bed in here." She looked over at me. "Or we still have the camping supplies."

I had thought she'd turned those back in, but apparently she'd kept them.

She looked back down at her hands and mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"That works too." Ether patted her shoulder. "Do you want some help?"

"It's okay." Fray seemed to brighten a little. "I can grab it." She scooted off the bed and rushed out the door.

"What's going on?" I eyed Ether as she crawled over to me and snuggled up beside me.

"She's going to get the blankets and pillows from her bed and put them on the floor…" Ether pointed at the walk in closet. "In there."

I was able to stop my humor at only a smile. It was endearing how shy the woman was, but at least she'd built up the courage to ask Ether even if it had been prompted.

There was a knock on our door frame. I looked over to see Shelly standing in the doorway.

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"Are you going to go with Gesai?" He was looking in our direction, but not directly at us.

"I think we have to." I motioned for him to come in. "Come on in, I've been wanting to chat with you for a little while."

"Oh. Well. Um." He shuffled in a little.

"Sit down." Ether tapped on the bed with her foot. "I promise he won't bite…"

I covered her mouth before she could finish. "Seriously. Come sit. I wanted to see how you were doing with…" I scowled at Ether as she licked my palm.

She bounced her eyebrows at me and licked it again.

"You win!" I removed my hand. The saliva on my hand didn't bother me. Knowing that she'd keep upping the ante until I relented did.

The ivory woman smiled triumphantly.

"Anyway…" I turned back to the other man. "How are things going for you?" I motioned around the room as Fray walked in hidden by an armload of blankets and pillows. "How do you feel about all this?"

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to work with you." Shelly still wasn't looking at me.

"You just seem a little…" I looked at Ether for help, but she just shook her head. "Uncomfortable."

"Oh." Shelly took a deep breath. "It's just…" He looked around. "Intimidating."

"How so?" I could understand how Trent and even Aelin could be a lot.

"You." He winced like he expected me to attack him.

"Me? How am I the intimidating one?"

Shelly looked at Ether, then over to Fray who was walking out of the room. "You're the great Trent Vowler's son! Do you have any idea how much my parents tried to get my older sister in his class?" He looked at the door like he expected Trent to walk in. "And everything here is yours. It's your father. Your team. Your harem." He shook his head. "If I mess this up, there's no going home for me. Actually, there may not be a home for me to go back to…"

"I thought your parents wanted to get your sister in Trent's class? Why would they disown you?" I didn't understand.

"Because Faer is a vindictive harpy and the current heir." Gesai answered for him from the door. "She was in my year."

That got my attention. "So you know his sister?"

"She wasn't on the team, but she tried to get our tank killed so there'd be an opening. She almost got expelled over it." Gesai nodded at Shelly, "When he graduates, there's a good chance that he can replace her as the heir. And if I know Faer, that's not something that she'll relinquish without a fight."

"Which means?"

"That Faer is going to get married in the next five years to someone powerful enough for her to take over the family. Then she'll use Mitchel as a bargaining chip." Gesai twirled her finger in the air. "Probably to someone here."

"Just like that?" I looked over at Shelly who was nodding. "And what happens if you get sent back home?"

"Then my parents ship me off to a minor family in a different Ward." Shelly took a cautious breath. "So I can't afford to step on any toes. Because as long as I stay here, my parents will have ground to push back." His brown eyes pleaded with me, "So I'm not going to rock the ship." He got up and gave a little bow to Gesai, "But I am very thankful to be part of the team."

I watched him leave. There was a part of me that felt bad for him.

"He seems like a good kid. A lot better than I thought he was going to be." Gesai turned to me. "We're ready to go."