“Mm … so good ...” the sound of his voice rumbled in the back of his throat as he slowly pressed into her. In response she pressed further back against him as he filled her to the brim. He felt how incredibly tight she was folded around him and could hear her appreciation of each moment that he took her.

There was still plenty of cock left as he easily filled her but with such size he came at her with a deliberate patience. A hand smacked her ass in a stinging spanking. He rubbed her ass cheek afterward then did so again, a little harder but definitely nowhere near being over the top.

It was hard enough to make the skin pink though after a few more times her had stopped. Against such pressures though he could keenly feel the pleasure that erupted through him with each thrust and slowed then stopped, throbbing there as he collected himself.

“Don't move,” he was prolonging his pleasure as much as her own. Leaning down his lips pressed to the back of her shoulders then to the top of them before he crept to her neck allowing his tongue to trace over her there.

By the time he got to her neck though he was reaching around a hip, fingers brushing over her clit as he began moving just as slow. His voice whispered into her ear.

“OK, you can move now,” and with that he took her earlobe into his mouth nibbling on it softly.

Appreciation came in ample measures and each slap bestowed unto her encouragingly jiggling rump had the buxom woman before him cry out in even greater delight than before. She was never truly beaten although such light smacks felt quite appealing to the young woman whose body tingled in the aftermaths of several rougher touches which were brought down on her along with the girth of his member pushing into her, molding her to suit his size better than with every previous thrust, but it soon came to an end as he, too, had been close to being overwhelmed.

“Ahhh ..” Shuddering with bliss, there was solely the thought of riding it out until the end even though the man had already stopped dead in his tracks, obviously amassing what remained of his composure in order to extend the pleasure for the both of them. She appreciated it for his earlier loving attentions had her threaten to fall over the verge of release for quite some time now.

Veronica was on that high when he first ceased bringing her close to the edge only to leave her longing for more and now he finally gave permission to move freely. “O-Okay. Just .. one second.” Soft breaths flowed from her lips in those few moments of recovery for the young woman happened to be fairly eager to continue yet held herself in check for the sake of her client, moisture dripping from that warm and inviting snatch as their passionate union kept the nectar of her loins flowing ever so steadily. She took a few more moments to cherish those moments of being teased, gasping at the pleasantries washing over her earlobe before grinding her hips back into his.

She could feel her legs tremble as that pole ground up against her insides, his every inch leading to heated breaths which bled over into whimpers, then moans once the red haired woman got used to taking the reins once more. It was difficult to focus with that finger stealing over her love pearl and the cool saliva from his licks along the vein of her neck, but somehow she managed to keep going without missing a beat.

“Ungh .. S-So good ..” Slow and steady Veronica gyrated those admirable hips back into his own, spearing herself on that magnificent rod. His warmth spread through her and amassed in the center of her being, more wood for the wildfire wreaking havoc within her as it combined with the caresses sweeping over her aching clit. Out of sheer desire did the red head increase her pace, moving slightly faster than he had before, taking him just that tiny bit deeper, moaning feverishly amid the pleasures crashing down on her. Soon, however, not even taking matters into her own hands could prolong the fire racing through her core any longer.

“Give it to me.” She tried her best to hold out, but was no longer certain as to how long that would work out in her favor. It was a rare thing, to be brought this close and denied time and time again only to struggle with the urge to climax and the need to satisfy the man responsible for it. They were both close, that much Veronica knew, but a woman of her talents could not be seen cumming before the Master for the night unless he so desired and with hot, panting breaths the busty red head encouraged release above all else. “Give me your cum ..”

He keenly felt her movements once she managed to steady herself enough. He felt that warm fondness return to him as her sex sealed over his length and spiraled against it. In little time she had him throbbing, pre already leaking out of that tip as he continued attacking all he could of her senses.

That tongue sweeping over her neck while that finger never left that button rolling against that special pearl one way then the other. Her encouragement for him to give it to her had him driving forth a little harder as she spiraled about him. She would hear all those blissful groans and while he had barely considered clean up he had been about to pull out of her when she requested that hot spunk.

Who was he to deny her request? He gave her that seed, firing into her as those heavy balls emptied out into her. “UHHH!” He remained lodged inside her as more and more of that built up essence was finally allowed the freedom that he yearned for.

She could hear him panting, his touch leaving her clit as a hand rubbed over her ass cheek now giving her some time to collect herself as he did just that.

“OH FUCK! OH YEAH! So fucking good,” he agreed. He stayed inside her, pretty much guaranteeing that he remained hard and she felt each pulse feeling his heart beat as he calmed. Clearly this didn't happen everyday.

[color=#400040] “I've abused my station though it was definitely worth it.” Yeah, it wasn't his money but this had to be one of the best perks, no the best one, of his job thus far. Slowly he drew out of her rear though, still twitching with each beat of his heart.

“It will be some time before we reach our destination. Are there any other questions I may be capable of answering?”

Saliva stained those ruby lips amid the pleasure striking down upon her every nerve end, hot breaths washing over the seat Veronica was clinging to out of sheer desperation in those final moments of their lovemaking. She was growing increasingly eager to let it all out while her hip movements escalated the situation each time they flushed back into his, but there was no willingness on her part to release before he gave her the green light by granting the sole wish coursing through her mind at the time.

Stuffing Veronica from behind one last time with that molten eruption of spunk had been one drop too many in the pool her own amassed pleasure had become, forcing the enthusiastic red head to slip over the edge with an elongated, ecstasy stricken cry. Tight inner muscles folded about him with even greater fervor than he had known, chaotically clenching and unclenching about his trapped manhood while her unoccupied depths spilled a minor trickle of crystal clear nectar, hinting at just how intense it had been for the young woman to endure.

“More than worth it ..” She was trembling in the aftermaths of that blessed high, but nonetheless coherent and panting for much needed oxygen. It took time to come down from their mutual bliss, but soon that hot ember began to slide out of her, leaving behind the mark of his release as some oozed onto the floor of the carriage.

It was none of her concern to clean up after them and after a short while even the buxom red head began to set up straight once more, returning to her seat while covering the ample charms her body possessed with the garments she’d worn before. Something about the uneasy ride with the carriage had been all but forgotten in those past passionate minutes and even now her nerves felt just as numb as before, allowing her to ignore it all the same.

Fiery crimson eyes fixated on the man once more. “No, no I think I’ve covered everything I need to know about the job before we arrive.” Unless Veronica was meant to ask more about him personally, there really was nothing more he could tell her when the man with more information expected to instruct her himself.

Well, there was one thing, but it was probably less likely they were going to pay her up front even if leaving wherever they were headed to would be unlikely if her client had many riches at his disposal. Guards, for one, would be difficult to pass by on the way out, not that cheating anyone was in her best interest given her profession. “On second thought, perhaps there’s one question you could answer. I take it payment will be taken care of after my task has been fulfilled?”

The servant nodded. “After the job. You wished to have the funds protected and it is easier to move it all at once though if you are in agreement some of the payment could be up front in the form of jewelry. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, whatever you fancy from some or all the pieces for your disguise I am unsure of the values of each piece, another servant was charged with acquiring them. Someone with more knowledge. You can decide after looking over the pieces and I'll handle all of it afterward.”

He made whatever arrangements with her that had been necessary and even commanded the driver to have the carriage cleaned after they arrived at their destination. It was a large manor that rested atop a mountain overlooking the city below. At the base of the mountain was a gate that they passed through. The driver had to get down unlock the gate then lock it back up after passing through it. There was a low hanging wall there as well though once at the manner she was escorted away.

Most of the travel was flashed over, just like in a dream. One moment you were just there and could assume how you got where you were though with no knowledge of it at all.

She was lead into a waiting room and given refreshments. She did not have to wait long before a middle aged man arrived. His black hair and mustache had patches of gray in it and his brown eyes reflected a long stern life.

He was dressed in blue expensive clothes and wore white gloves. He wore a ritzy ruby ring on the ring finger of his left hand, definitely not the sort to be a wedding ring. His eyes widened briefly and he dismissed the servants with him and those that had been in the room offering up refreshments and the like. He delayed until they were alone.

“Splendid. A spitting image. No, better even. Now straight to the point you will be masquerading as my date this evening. I won't bore you with all the details but this is rather last minute so to speak.

“Make a brief appearance then be scarce until dinner. Do not shame me, nor make your profession obvious to anyone and we shouldn't have a problem. Are there any questions that you have that couldn't be answered?”

“Sounds fair enough.” In truth such exotic goods may benefit her appearance, but in the end there was always the matter of income and what had to be covered with regular currency. She had to eat, pay rent among other things and a ruby ring or anything of the sort would make a member of the lower social class all the more susceptible to becoming the next victim of a crime committed by one of her fellow class members. It was best to play it safe until that changed, if it was ever meant to change, of course.

The remainder of their travel passed by in the blink of an eye, but it never disturbed the flow of the experience any while more and more of her memory played out.

Veronica soon watched in awe as they approached their destination and while it wasn’t the first time for her to lay eyes on something as luxurious as the manor they were evidently being brought to, it was a first with regards to actually setting foot in one of such unparalleled grandeur. It would be on the staff to get out through the gate later on although even if things went sour for whatever reason, the estate’s surrounding walls may not be too trouble to scale later on. However, for the moment, the beaming red head marveled at the sights being offered to her.

She was escorted further inside and gladly accepted the refreshment, but kept herself in check nonetheless. If there was a dinner, Veronica didn’t wish to be part of it with a full stomach. If not, well, generally none of her clients went out of their way to arrange for something to eat in the first place, so not a great deal changed for the young red head. Soon what appeared to be her client arrived, the sort of man any woman of the lower classes could only dream to marry, for his very appearance down to the very last article of clothing spoke of the riches he had to offer.

After announcing her respect with a mild bow, the young curvaceous woman before him listened to the man attentively before responding to the question posed to her. “Yes, sir. I do have one or two questions, if you don’t mind answering them.” She paused briefly before pressing on. “How am I supposed to carry myself over the course of the evening? Your servant couldn’t tell me much about Lady Winthrop other than why I was chosen to take her place. Though I’m supposed to make myself scarce until dinner, a few general guidelines for emergencies would be much appreciated.”

While he mentioned he wasn’t going to bore her with the details, Veronica figured it best to at least have something to go on. “Some clarification on exactly what kind of events are planned for tonight would be great, too, particulars and the like that’ll help me prepare for what’s to come. I was informed there might be a meet and greet among other things.”

Whether answers had been received or not, there was little else for the busty woman to ask which hadn’t already been addressed. “I believe that would be all. Shall we get down to business then? You’ve arranged something for to wear, I heard.”

“Feel free to address those issues.” He had waited for her to finish though taking to answering the questions all together rather than individually. After she concluded he grinned just briefly.

“Vanity perhaps … no, to be honest a rouse of sorts. I had always boosted about being in a relationship with the Lady when I wasn't. Needless to say the opportunity has arisen to make impressions though no one present has met the young Lady her image in portraits are common enough. My servant may have been mislead in all the details. Essentially you are to make an appearance and conduct yourself in a manner that reflexes well on me though other than that you are free to do as you see fit.

“Several of us wizards are meeting and will be secluded discussing matters though each will probably have an entourage with them, at least one servant for the majority of them though some of the wealthier ones will have their bodyguards, servants and plus one's.”

He gave her a general over view of the situation first. “After our discussion their will be a dinner. We should have enough time to bring you up to speed on basic etiquette. This meeting is on another Shadow which I will take you too when the time is upon us.

“After you are announced you can mingle, take a walk or tour the manor for all I care. You only need to keep up appearances with the other elites. And yes, you will be provided things to wear.”

If there were nothing else she was shown her gown and accessories, and had a vague memory of being taught simple matters such as walking and carrying herself in expected ways along with a crash course of the differences between forks and the arrangement of four course meals to get her familiar with the set up before the main event.

While he had never given her a name she would discover from other servants that he was Viscount Troy Adder. Memory had shut passed with her learning these little things. When Viscount Adder say her next he was well dressed though this time sporting a walking stick with a silver python head. Without much preamble he asked if she was ready for what was ahead.

“You look good by the way,” he commented afterward as his eyes peeled over her quickly. It was clear that he was a little nervous whether at this masquerade or the meeting itself.

Difficult as it may be to suppress a grin of her own, Veronica managed even in light of the fact that there was more to the tale than the servant let on. No matter. She wouldn’t shame him for lying to his peers as long as it offered an opportunity for her to earn a living, not that it was any of her business in the first place. Still, Veronica had no idea they’d be an assembly of wizards. If they expected anything of her, things might turn out differently. She got to deal with her clothes before long, however, wasting little time getting started.

Something easy on the eyes had been selected for her, a halter less albeit sumptuous evening gown which enhanced the pure bountiful charms of her upper body before the garment widened about her ample hips, folding lightly on the ground while the lowest portion dragged over the floor along with her sexy, swinging gait. She probably never wore anything as exquisite her entire life and the extravagant embroidery made her realize nothing in her small collection had been quite as beautiful either.

She moved on to the shinier things before long and settled for a single golden bracelet, one ruby ring and a low hanging necklace to promote the effect of her cleavage on the other attendants of the festivities tonight. Anything else might’ve been too much for an occasion such as this where her own looks mattered more to the person who hired her.

So many exhilarating goods could’ve graced her flamboyantly voluptuous form and while the temptation was great, the nubile red head refrained from putting on too much artificial allure in order to make herself the main attraction found by his side, not one of the numerous luxurious pieces of jewelry Veronica could choose from. She believed that to be the idea anyway and it was her job to abide by his wishes although how one would think higher of an expensive ring than the picture perfect hourglass figure wearing it while flaunting her most exotic glamour had been beyond her. Getting back to her brief training session had time pass in a blur once more, leaving her with the memory of what happened in the meantime.

“You’re quite handsome yourself, Lord Adder.” She responded in kind, being enterprising enough to pick it up both name and title of his although with the prospect of getting paid and winding up with a pleased client upon successful deception certainly enhanced her mood. Still, it would’ve been a lie not to compliment his looks and while there were worlds between them, there was always the matter of easing into her role. She moved closer nonetheless given how easy it had been for her to discern his current state of mind, like someone handling business with a prostitute for the first time although it couldn’t really be that. She was trying to ease the tension nonetheless with a near radiant expression of hers whilst those fiery ruby eyes swept over him.

“Yes, I’m ready.” Veronica finally stated, then looked herself over once more. “How will you lead me before the others, if I may ask? Are we supposed to hook arms?”

“Yes, by locking arms.” He grinned patting the back of her hand then locking arms with her. He escorted her to a grand father clock in one of the numerous rooms, tapped his walking stick on the floor thrice and the clock slide aside revealing a portal set into the wall. It was shimmering and blue, suffice it to say while they could have walk the Shadows this transported them to their destination straight away keyed to their destination.

It was a grand room and there were eleven other portals here that probably lead to the abodes of the other guests. In the chamber was a large stone statue of a knight and there were several individuals here. They had been announce and she could see various sorts. Bodyguards, skalds, various servants and entertainers among the guests themselves.

Most did not appear to be spell casters though there was a small fraction of the guests that she would have deemed odd. Those were probably of low caste putting on an appearance or so she would have guessed if they did not have attendants.

Only one, a rather tall tan skinned muscular foreigner had none. Various tattooed runes were etched upon his arms and she assumed he was from a warmer climate given the attire … it just seemed out of place, though his eyes rest upon her among several of the others.

It had been easy to tell who was gay among the men, with the women it was tougher. Some were jealous and some … it was only a little tougher though.

Not long after the last guest arrived it appeared that the wizards were getting ready to head off. One had been that foreigner that still seemed out of place.

“There will be a performance of the tragedy Corin's Sorrow this way, that way for a concert -” One of the servants of the host had been announcing as people were braking up into groups as the wizards departed to their meeting.

“That's oh so riveting ...” a man beside her said. He looked to her and seemed to recognize her. Not as Veronica though thankfully. “Lady Winthrop … I must have been out of the room when you were announced.”

He bowed, took her hand and kissed the back of it. He was a well dressed man, blond hair and blue eyed, quite handsome and young about her age. “Oh, my manners. I am Lord Giles Edmond. Care to take in the manor? It is quite large.”

If anything, the other guests reminded her just how out of place her presence here happened to be although the attention bestowed on her by some of the others didn’t pass by unnoticed. She wasn’t the only one out of place, but unlike the tanned man amongst the people her own appearance matched the others to an extent. She tried not to stare at anyone in particular although taking in the crowd certainly had been on her list. Most of her time was spent trying not to offend the jealous whilst offering warm smiles to the men out of pure courtesy. It wasn’t long before the wizards departed and a servant announced entertainment for the evening that a man seemed to have recognized her as Lady Winthrop.

Lord Adder had high expectations of her with regards to maintaining the illusion and keeping a low profile, but after being spoken to, her interest in attending any of the aforementioned performances ebbed away. She tended to pursue the simpler pleasures in life. Such exclusive plays and performances probably weren’t much to her liking in the first place. Men, on the other hand, very much were depending on their appearance. Someone in her profession often lacked the opportunity to be seen to with a reasonable degree of courtesy when compared to the engrossed looks and demeanor of the people attending the festivities Veronica happened to be part of tonight.

Solely plying her craft was forbidden, not utilizing her charms to enjoy a greater portion of the evening. She got away from the crowd, too, which was sort of the point the way Veronica understood it. She doubted anything that could be done in such an environment reflected poorly on Troy hence accepting the proposal of touring the manor had been a most inviting prospect.

“Why, are you not an avid viewer of such riveting performances?” Veronica remarked with the same lighthearted smile that came easy to her. Deep ruby eyes briefly glanced toward the servant making the announcements before shaking her head, fixating on Giles once more. “Neither am I, I’m afraid. Taking in the manor would be preferable. I’ve not yet been able to explore anything yet I feel there’s plenty to be seen.”

She didn’t really have much of a reason to hook arms again although left the matter open to how Lord Edmond preferred to take in the manor before accepting it as the norm since Veronica lacked knowledge on how things worked when not with an alleged romantic interest. At the same time there was the matter of knowing his way around the place which probably meant he’d seen the manor before. Perhaps there were annual meetings between the wizards. “Have you come here often in the past, Lord Edmond?”

In all likelihood there had to be a woman whose partner happened to converse with the one and only Lady Winthrop right then and there, out of sight, out of mind of the man before her, but on the other hand Veronica couldn’t tell with which Lord or Lady Giles Edmond arrived with in the first place. She may have been dealing with a well-played ruse of a servant aspiring to meddle in the greater social classes although that may have been a bit too far-fetched. Playing a game of her own likely planted such thoughts in the back of her mind without any rhyme or reason to them whatsoever.

“Afraid not. I enjoy the simpler things in life for the most part. This way,” he lead her on though he did not link arms with her. With most of the servants attending the guests or busy in the kitchen most of the place seemed deserted outside of those two areas where guests were being entertained, the kitchen and of course wherever the wizards were.

“Actually I've never been here before,” Giles confessed as they moved about. “I am familiar with the layout though, one of my quirks is my utter fascination with architecture and all these old places have a similar layout. I've studied the designs of the architect extensively and If you seen one of his places you've essentially seen them all with the exception of the variance in secret passages and concealed doors. “

Of course each place was decorated differently too. Here there were lots of trophies. Their host had to be a hunter or taxidermist. There was a wing that was set up like a museum that they toured though. The collection had a piano used by a famous composure, art work collected among the various Shadows and of course stuffed animals.

“There's a zoo here of sorts ...” Lord Edmond looked at her and thought for a moment before he explained. “In the garden out back is a hedge maze. At the center is a building and inside it is a portal that leads into a zoo of illusionary magical creatures. Well, I'm guessing about it being a portal. The space inside the place could be on this Shadow but warped there being larger on the inside, I know about zero about magic. Would you care to see it? I haven't been through the maze though but saw it out back earlier. Conversation came up about the maze and I heard about the zoo.”

Away from the masses Veronica enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with exploring the manor in greater detail. She doubted finding her way back alone would be quite as simple as with someone to escort her through the halls and corridors, but there was a hint of surprise on her features nonetheless when he confessed never having set foot into it himself.

“My mistake. I shouldn’t just assume such things.” Few things were worse than assuming, but in this case it did little harm in the long run. It explained why they weren’t getting lost, however, and sharing the excitement of seeing something previously unknown was quite a fair deal better than being the only one new to everything around the manor. If the architect had been responsible for interior design as well, Veronica was probably mistaken in her assumption yet again, but didn’t really mind the fact quite as much.

Hunter trophies riddled the scene, at least Veronica suspected they had to be just that, and for better or for worse, their numbers were nothing short of astounding. Someone had to have enjoyed a great deal of hunting in his life or merely taken up a hobby of practicing taxidermy over the years. She wasn’t all too delighted at the sights, no matter the accomplishment of taking some of the creatures down, but the prospect of seeing something else was all too welcome to the young red head.

“A zoo of magical creatures? Illusionary or not, that’s quite an interesting proposition.” She smiled mildly at that. “It seems worth exploring, not to mention actually seeing some animals in motion would be a welcome change.” They weren’t going to be real, but at least they weren’t killed, stuffed and put on display somewhere. She was left to wonder though. Were they going to be back in time? Lord Adder might be upset to find her absent from the scene in case his meeting with the other wizards ended prematurely, even more so if the whole time the alleged Lady Winthrop spent time with another man.

She decided to go for it anyway. It was best to leave the crowd to itself, otherwise there might be some suspicion as to her demeanor the longer the buxom woman surrounded herself with other people. “I'm wondering why the owner placed the portal in such a remote location, but then again they probably want any visitor to make an effort in order to get there.” Again, a grin flashed across her features. “Ah, but that presents us with quite a challenge, doesn’t it? Solving the maze may be our only option to sate my curiosity now. Would you care to take the lead? I’d like to see it.”

While the two of them were underway, Veronica couldn’t help but strike up some idle conversation. She didn’t know much beyond the name of her current escort and thought it wise to at least try and socialize to an extent rather than be little more than Adder’s public window dressing. “May I ask where you hail from, Lord Edmond?”

“From what I've heard the challenge of the maze made seeing his collection more worthwhile. You had to earn it. Magical creatures are rare and most common folk do not ever see one. Wizards are blessed with encountering them but for everyone else it's scarce.

“They turn up from time to time. We've both heard the stories of Brownies making shoes for a cobbler or a chance encounter with one of the Fae but for most even though we know them to exist we do not brave the dangers to see them.” At least that was the best he could think of.

“There's probably a magical cheat for him to get there but there not there for him but to impress guests and the like.” Through one of the various doors out back he lead her to the garden. It was warm and the sun bathed her skin. Sure enough she could see the entrance of the hedge maze it flanked by two lion shaped shrubs both crouched and ready to pounce.

A plum of smoke rose up into the air from the center of the maze, her guess was that something was there like a beacon. Here's the zoo, not much further … it seemed to say and while it provided no clue as to where to go in the maze you had some indication as of your progress.

“the center … I heard that there's a brazier there lit by magical flame to give you a rough idea of how close your are. Don't worry those blow hards will be speaking all evening so we'll have plenty of time.” He gave her a smile then headed in leading the way. Every now and then he glanced to the heavens to take note of how close they were to the center and while they would have to double back every so often it hadn't been a big deal.

There were also other animal shaped shrubby here too.

“I originally hail from the Shadow of Lyndoria. I have moved since though and have lived here and there though I currently reside on the Shadow of Brindel.” That was where she hailed from though there were six countries there and she resided in the one the Shadow was named for.

“Work causes me to move around a good deal. I do a lot of traveling, though the most interesting place I've ever been ...” He paused for a moment looking again to the sky namely the smoke as if getting his barrings as to where they were.

“Here. In this garden with you Lady Winthrop. Auran would be second though a distant one.” He smiled at her though it was the creepy sort that never really made it to his eyes. He seemed distracted by something and she noted him giving her the once over, yeah this was not the first time but before it felt more normal … this seemed, well she had been use to lustful looks before though this was both similar and dissimilar. It was new, she just couldn't quite place it.

“Have you ever been to Auran?”

Some magical creatures Veronica had been accustomed to, but such was the life of the woman she wasn’t paid to impersonate so keeping it real down to the surprise was key. However, for the moment Giles had an attentive listener and plenty of eye candy to go around, enough to keep him from tiring her or at least make the best effort to keep the alleged Lady entertained as they made their way outside and into the maze. “I’m glad they’ll take some time. I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone by not being found on the scene once they conclude their meeting.” Implying to have come from Brindel herself might have aroused suspicion hence letting him speak seemed to be the more prudent alternative.

She paused though once he addressed their current location as the most interesting one he ever traveled to, with her being right in the center of the scenery. Drinking in the sight of the man before him at the time, Veronica nearly lost her composure for one could read all kinds of things into body language. “You are aware I’ve arrived with Lord Adder by my side, aren’t you, Lord Edmond?” She replied. “Though you flatter me I doubt my love would appreciate me talking to another man like that or having one of them speak to me in such a fashion. It wouldn’t be appropriate for someone of my reputation.”

“As for your question .. I’ve never been to Auran, no, but I’ve heard of it every now and then.” Few could resist her allure throughout the night, but amongst nobleman and women it seemed a bit odd to be cast into the spotlight like that. She had some experience with all kinds of people, too, and Giles certainly rubbed her the wrong way given how he behaved all of a sudden. She could do little more than ponder on what this was all about while the back of her mind busied itself by preparing for the worst.

Something was most definitely off with the man before her, but for now Veronica played her part. “Some things I could never really figure out on my own, how to get there for instance although once there is one of the greater issues for me when it comes to visualizing the whole thing. Since there’s no sky, just air, I’ve always wondered if people like me could actually walk on anything, let alone reach the Shadow of Auran in the first place since I doubt Air Elementals and the like have any use for solid ground beneath them.”

She smiled despite her growing unease. The more Veronica thought about it, the more she second guessed her choice to follow him into that maze. What was it about him checking her out that felt far out of the ordinary? He and Lady Winthrop weren’t involved in any way, were they? Or was there something else to it? She couldn’t quite place it although the notion of Auran had her think back on her own life for a brief moment. No, it couldn’t be about her for the world was far too great a place for anyone to recall her real identity here of all places. There just had to be some form of attraction Giles felt toward her, nothing more.

Veronica never passed up on the opportunity to dig deeper though showing signs of suspicion may lead to some unexpected consequences. Moods changed from one moment to the next and with that creepy smile pestering her mind there was more than enough reason for the lone woman to be more cautious from now on. Perhaps she just took it the wrong way? Obviously that would’ve been incredibly unlikely, but the chance, no matter how miniscule, was still there. “Perhaps you can shed some light on those matters for me? After all you’ve been there personally.”

“Oh, I am very aware of all that. I didn't mean in some romantic sense you see. It is not often that I get to converse with another or just unwind,” again with that creepy smile though it had not seemed that he had been disappointed or felt rejected in any way but simply clarifying matters for her.

He had not rushed on to answer about Auran but thought it over first, smiled then nodded. “Of course, I wouldn't mind. The first misconception is the fact that there is no ground … well that is partially true. There is no ground but there are floating islands. Not just Air Elementals dwell their. Sylph and other air sprites, pegasi and other majestic creatures are there though in their case I do not believe that they are native but were taken there probably by some wizard or powerful being.

“I was part of a group and paid big money for a wizard to not just Shadow Walk to that realm but to cast a flight spell. It's dangerous but at the same time a blast too. Fortunately there were only some Griffons that we had to deal with but before we went our guide discussed the dangers of storms and the like ...”

He turned slightly gazing up at the smoke once again before looking back. He smiled as he removed a silver ring he was wearing. At once the ring transformed into a dagger though the pommel was still a ring. It was obvious that while a finger was inserted into it the dagger transformed into a simple ring and reverted once it had been removed.

“Well I've been to Auran but truth be told I used other methods. This is far easier than I expected Lady, your brother sends his regards -”

And he was coming at her. It was clear that she was mistaken as Lady Winthrop. It was clear that this was an assassin, whether a real Lord, impersonating one or some other explanation was probably something she would not learn, though Veronica knew that this was a memory of Chloe though the impulse to run was there. A dagger could hurt or kill, the impulse of that memory was for her to run though there was no telling what would happen if she resisted that impulse and got stabbed … the memory was likely to end, perhaps if things changed too much the memory would end.

The crazy matter though was that Giles maintained that smile all the while.