Chapter 11

Lori had just left the manor home of the Earl of Stockworth and was on her way to check in with the leader of the thieves' guild in town again.

Both men had previously given their word the day before that no one had reported seeing anything, but she still checked daily with them to make sure.

No one knew the young man she had been talking to when she was last seen. No one heard anything in the middle of the night either. At best no one knew anything.

It was like Suzan just disappeared in the middle of the night.

When Lori arrived she had gone back to the room that Suzan had stayed in and tried to do a trace spell, but there had been too many people who had stayed in the room. And trying to do the bed was just as futile. The last couple who had been in it had had sex there, and so all the trace spell did was lead back to them.

Lori was growing frustrated.

She had used every trick she could think of. If Suzan had left something behind then they could have used that. But everything was gone. Joi, Katie, Mark, and Lena were still searching and talking to everyone no matter who it was to see if they had seen her.

Mark wasn't happy to let her travel alone in the city while they were looking for Suzan, but Lori pointed out she wasn't likely to be kidnapped like Suzan with the entire city looking for a kidnapper and Suzan was targeted for a reason they didn't know.

While she was traveling between buildings she felt her phone vibrate.

Looking around herself quickly she then spun a spell to make sure no one was close and then quickly ducked into an alley.

Lori pushed the answer button on her phone.

"Lori what's up? You wanted me to call? Say, when did you add voicemail? How did you do that? Is it on every phone? You have to teach me that spell as soon as you can," said Dusty's head.

"Voice what? Dusty ... Dusty ... Dusty stop! This is serious! Suzan is missing," said Lori quickly.

"WHAT! What do you mean missing? How long has she been missing?" Dusty asked.

"Ever since she came on a contract with Joi, Lena, and Katie just over four weeks ago, but after it was complete, someone took her. They setup her room to look like she was still in it, but they took her from it," said Lori.

"We're on our way. Are you somewhere where we can safely port?" asked Dusty.

"Dusty, you can't bring everyone. Not at this range. If you try you'll be out of commission for several days and we need you now!" said Lori.

"We need everyone we can get on this!" said Dusty with strain.

While weeks away in another kingdom Marie rode close to Dusty and said "No you need to go now and we'll catch up soon. Lori is right if you try to take all of us with you, you'll just be out again and her trail will get colder. Go and we'll catch up.

Nodding Dusty got off his horse, handed the reigns to Seth, and asked Lori "Are you where I can port safely?"

"Yes I am. Whenever you're ready," said Lori.

Holding his phone Dusty said "Outgoing Transit, Lori" and then he was gone.

"I hope this works out well," said Daniel with some concern

And the three of them rode on quickly trying to cross several kingdoms to get to where they were.

With a soft sonic boom Dusty appeared next to Lori.

Lori quickly gave him a hug and said "We have the entire city looking for her. She made quite a few friends the way she quickly completed the contract."

"Where was she last?" was the only thing Dusty asked.

"Follow me and I'll take you there," said Lori as she grabbed his hand and led him off to the Inn.

Dusty was tired after the porting, but he needed to find Suzan. While he was sure she could take care of herself, if she had been gone for just over a month without any word to anyone, that didn't bode well.

The biggest problem was the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what he would do if he lost her.

Going straight into the Inn that Lori pointed out to him Dusty walked up to the counter and slammed his fist on it. Lori was caught off guard because her plan was for him to try this own trace spell on the room she used to be in. He might have better luck as her husband.

"My wife was here a month ago with her friends and disappeared. I find it hard to believe that you have no idea what happened to her. If you don't want this building to disappear off the map with you in it you better start talking," said Dusty before Lori could stop him.

"Dusty, this isn't helping. This man has been questioned by everyone! He doesn't know anymore than anyone else here," said Lori as she swept her arm around the room.

"Someone does! Someone had better start talking. Where is my wife, she is called SUZAN!" said Dusty loudly.

While he was first speaking he failed to notice the two women who entered while he was at the counter. They both had cloaks on that covered their heads and completely hid their bodies. They had magically appeared in between buildings and then stepped into the Inn.

It was warm and more people should have taken notice of them, but strangely they didn't.

At the mention of his looking for Suzan one of the women in the doorway walked over to where he was and put a red nailed hand on his shoulder.

Dusty spun around and grabbed the hand by the wrist was surprised to feel a solid bracer on her.

"Look, please don't do that. I'm really busy right now. I'm looking for someone, I'm looking ... Suzan?" asked Dusty quizzically.

Using her left hand that he wasn't holding, she flipped the hood back and Dusty came face to face with his wife.

Dusty's mouth dropped open and he was staring hard at her.

Behind him Lori just gave a low whistle.

"Suzan, I ... wow ... you look ... what happened ... I mean ... you ... wow ... I mean ... wow ... holy crap ... wow," babbled Dusty as his eyes darted all around her face and he kept staring at her.

It was obvious to all, including Suzan, that Dusty had stopped just short of drooling on her.

"What our resident idiot is trying to say is that you look incredible and oh, just where have you been?" asked Lori sternly.

"That is a long story, but you didn't have to bring Dusty here to get me," said Suzan softly as she looked deep in her husband's eyes.

"Suzan don't you know how worried I was when I heard you were missing? Of course I came, would you have expected anything less of me?" asked Dusty quietly.

Dusty could see her eyes tearing up and then she grabbed him around the chest, where Suzan snuggled deep and then softly started to cry.

As he stroked her hair to let her feel safer, Dusty at first thought something was wrong with him, but then he realized that Suzan was squeezing him very tightly. Before he realized it he was gasping for breath as breathing became very hard to do.

Lori stood by and watched, something was happening and she really wanted to know what it was.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to grab you so tight," said Suzan softly as she quickly released him.

She had been squeezing him as hard as she could because she was used to doing that whenever they were together, mainly because it made her feel safe and he never seemed to notice, but she had forgotten about her changes since they had last seen each other.

Lori thought it was odd that Dusty was rubbing his ribs and so she started watching Suzan even closer.

"Suzan, what happened? How did you get so strong?" asked Dusty.

Before Suzan could answer Lori realized something else that was wrong, and swiftly pushed Dusty out of the way. She grabbed Suzan's chin and turned her head back and forth several times to look at her face.

"Suzan, why isn't your makeup running? Waaait... you don't wear makeup. What is on your face? What is going on here?" asked Lori as she got a better look at Suzan's face.

"Before I can answer that Lori I have to first ask, is anyone else here looking for me?" asked Suzan.

"Just Joi, Lena, Katie, and Mark. Oh, and just the entire city," said Lori matter of factly.

"Lori I need you to tell everyone I'm Ok. If you'll contact Mark and have him and the others meet you here I'll go tell the Earl I'm alright. Oh can you call our other friends too, I seem to have misplaced my phone," said Suzan with a shy smile.

"Ok, I was on my way to talk with a certain leader from the shadows anyway. I'll tell him and everyone else that we found you. Meet you back here in, say an hour?" said Lori and she turned to head out without waiting for a response.

Grabbing Dusty's hand as if she was scared to let it go she pulled him close and kissed him.

Tasting sweetened cherries and looking surprised at Suzan, she then said softly as she broke the kiss "Later, we have a lot to discuss."

Leading him out the door by the hand they quickly went to see the Earl.

Later that afternoon found the group with two tables pushed together to talk

Joi, Katie, and Lena were overjoyed to see Suzan. Once Lori had called Mark, and he was able to get away from the women to take the call, she told him she had found Suzan and to meet back at the Inn in an hour.

Suzan began to tell her tale of what happened.

"And that's when we left. I couldn't leave Anita there. Who knows what that bastard would have done to her," said Suzan as she nodded at her friend.

Everyone could see the attractive woman sitting next to her with her long straight brown hair, her brown eye shadow, ruby lips, and her bright brown eyes.

"Suzan, aren't you hot in that cloak?" asked Joi suddenly out of the blue

"No, believe it or not I'm good," said Suzan with a smile before she looked over at Dusty with a shy smile for him only.

She was still holding tightly on to Dusty's hand. She hadn't let it go once since she had found him today.

"So let me get this straight, you were kidnapped to become some spoiled Prince's wife, they painted you in some kind of permanent makeup that can never be removed, they gave you bracers that enhance your body, because they didn't ever expect you to ever turn down the Prince, and you have a magical sword that only you can use?" asked Lori

"Well there are some "other" changes, but I don't feel comfortable talking about them except with Dusty," said Suzan quietly.

"If I may, can I see the sword?" asked Lori.

Letting go of Dusty's hand and then reaching behind her, Suzan grabbed the sword propped against the wall and held it out to her hilt first.

Without thinking, and totally forgetting what Suzan had just said, Lori took the sword from her by the hilt and quickly pulled it free of it's sheathe.

The sword immediately slipped from her fingers to smack into the table with a resounding clang. If the table hadn't been as thick as it was it would have broken clean through it.

"Holy shi ... you weren't kidding were you?" asked Lori in shock

Looking at the sword Lori, Joi, Katie, and Dusty tried to magically examine the sword.

"It's beyond me. All I see the magical glow, but nothing else," said Katie.

"Me too," said Joi

"I can see the etched spell patterns but I have no idea how their interlocked. I can see what makes them up and how they are worded, but not how to unravel them. How about you Dusty?" said Lori to a shocked Katie and Joi.

"Same here. Someone went through a lot of trouble. There are interlocking spells within interlocking spells. There is no safe way to remove then without knowing where to safely start, and if you try it will just relock any of the spells you might have previously unlocked," said Dusty.

The two of them, lost as they were discussing various attributes of Suzan's sword, totally missed the looks of disbelief from around the table.

Suzan's and Mark were the only ones that were giving looks of admiration for their spouses, everyone else's looks were ones of shock that Lori and Dusty were able to see so clearly the spells that others couldn't.

"Dusty do me a favor, hand me the sword please? I need to test something," said Suzan out of the blue.

Looking at her strangely, Dusty reached for the hilt and jerked it free of the table.

Because he put so much strength into it, it shot over his head. He didn't expect to be able to lift it all as he did. Anita was totally baffled he was able to move it at all like he did.

"Thought so, Dusty can use it because of how strong he is," said Suzan smugly.

Everyone else just looked at Dusty in awe as he held a sword up, and while it was heavier than it should have been, wasn't too heavy for him to use. In fact it felt just right in his hands.

Handing the sword back over to his wife she took it from him and easily slid it back in it scabbard and propped it against the table.

"So what now?" Joi asked.

"I'd like to go home to Tara for a bit and unwind. I think the guild can do without us for a little while longer. And I'd like to show Anita where she'll be living now. She has no where to go and I offered her a place with us," said Suzan.

"Ok we'll get started out in the morning then. If you don't mind we'll sleep two to a room for safety and then get started. Anita can bunk with me," said Joi with a smile.

"Thanks Joi. I wanted to spend some time with Dusty. It's been a while," said Suzan softly as she reached over and squeezed his hand.

Taking the hint Dusty quickly excused himself and Suzan, and then escorted her to their room for the night.

As soon as the door was closed Suzan was all over Dusty. He was so happy to have her back that he didn't even care that there wasn't much light in the room to see by.

He just barely got his shirt off before she helped him out of his pants and then pushed him back into the bed. Standing back up she stood still for a moment so she could slowly open her cloak and give Dusty a look at what she was wearing underneath.

Looking at him seductively Dusty thought the top and skirt/shorts outfit she had on was the most erotic thing he had ever seen on her and Suzan could see his eyes get bigger and his naked member jump as the cloak slipped from her shoulders.

She was going to burn the outfit as soon as she got better clothing, but after seeing Dusty's reaction to it she decided to keep it for a while longer.

Dusty saw the soft light reflecting off of her smooth legs and he felt a lump in his throat. He was so ready for her at that moment it was all he could do to contain himself.

Quickly coming out of her clothing, Suzan then mounted him and stayed on top and wouldn't let him turn her over. Somehow she managed to keep a lip lock on him the entire time and soon she was in total control as Dusty eventually lay back and let her do what she wanted to him. He could now feel a need coming from her to be in charge.

Dusty noted from the start was that Suzan was very ready and he went in very easily, though he could feel that there was something different about her, but at the time it was the furthest from his mind.

Eventually he realized that she also felt softer somehow as he tried to touch her all over while they were together.