Looting the 13th floor 8.., p.1
Looting the 13th Floor 8: A Reverse Portal Fantasy, page 1
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Chapter 1
The sun blazed down on my face as I stood outside my new house that was finally furnished. I had tipped the movers after they carried in the final leather recliner, and the place was officially ready to be lived in.
Waves from Cabrillo Beach crashed behind me, and the house sat on a hill that overlooked the golden sands. There was a faint hint of salt in the air, along with the distant laughter of beachgoers that carried on the wind. It was almost impossible to believe the two-story structure was actually mine. Especially considering the shitty apartments I had spent most of my life in.
I craned my neck to look up at the spotless paintwork that gleamed white under the California sun, and I grinned at how fucking far I had come in life.
None of this would have been possible if I’d never stumbled across the magical portal in my office building. Trying to find a quiet reading spot had resulted in me passing through a doorway that transported me to another world filled with magic, evil beasts, and beautiful monster girls.
My life as the Outlaw King of Hollowfell had come at me fast, and I’d grabbed every opportunity available to me. I spent my time in the magical world slaughtering the evil beasts of the High Society, looting their hoarded treasure, and building an army willing to fight alongside me.
Meeting my lovers had been one of the best things about stumbling into the magical world, though, and they were even more excited than I was about the house I’d just bought.
Cleo strutted around the outside of the building and purred in approval as she studied it. The cat-girl’s furry ears twitched through her black hair as her tail swished with each movement of her curved hips. I grinned as I glanced down at her abs that peeked through the gap between her black shorts and shirt. There wouldn’t be a baby bump for a while, but I knew my kid was growing inside her.
The idea of having a little cat-person baby filled me with happiness, and I knew Cleo was going to be the most badass mother ever.
She was already insanely protective and hissed at any strangers who even glanced at her midriff.
“We have fancy castle,” the cat-girl said smugly as she showed off her tiny fangs. “It is very fitting for our family.”
“Damn right.” I grinned. “Only the best for my ladies.”
Kali the Dusk Nymph could barely contain her excited squeals as she stared up at the house with tears in her blue eyes. Her sparkling wings reflected the sun like starlight, and her pink curls bounced with each nod of her head. Kali’s tiny frame was hugged by her plum dress that skimmed over the curve of her ass invitingly.
I ran a hand down her arm as she snuggled into me and wiped her eyes happily.
“It’s perfect,” she breathed. “I can’t believe you own this!”
“It’s basically a mansion,” Myra said as she strode out from the front door. “There’s so much room inside!”
The siren pushed her icy hair back and linked arms with Cleo. Myra was a confident beauty who had incredible powers with water. I saved her from the clutches of the High Society and freed all of her species along with her. I adored how sassy and cool she was, and her tall frame was lean from a life of swimming.
I put my arm around Kali’s dainty shoulders and walked with her through the front door of our new home.
Our living room was fucking huge with sliding doors that led out to the patio. A spiral staircase sat between the living room and kitchen, and Kali had lit apple-scented candles. The furniture we’d picked out was all in place, and I grinned at the size of the TV that almost took up the whole wall. Cream-colored wallpaper made the space bright and roomy, and the hardwood floors glistened invitingly.
“This space just radiates joy,” Ash said as she glided down the stairs with her hand caressing the banister. “I can feel the golden energy that seeps out of the walls.”
The hippyish dragonling was a blur of red curls and pale limbs as she skipped down the steps and twirled her way around the living room. Her green wings were tucked into her back, and her laughter filled up the whole house. Ash was devastatingly beautiful and brought so much happiness to our group. I had broken the dragonling free from a barbaric auction among the worst of the High Society, and she had been at my side ever since.
“Did you say something was oozing in the walls?” Althea chuckled as she plonked herself onto the white sofa. “I hope not. Liam paid a lot of money for this place.”
I shot the witch a grin as her stormy eyes met mine, and she ran a hand through her dark green hair. Althea was incredibly powerful and had amazing control over her magical abilities. Her long legs gleamed as I drank in the view of her sprawled out on the sofa, and it was hard to ignore how her silver shirt clung to her impressive chest. She had taught me a hell of a lot about magic and brought a wise energy to the group.
“I didn’t say ooze,” Ash said. “I said there was joy seeping from them!”
“Is seeping better than oozing?” Nuri giggled as she fell onto the sofa beside Althea.
The adorable fireling swung her short legs onto Althea’s lap as she made herself comfortable. Her golden hair was braided back, and her tiny horns looked unbelievably cute poking out from her head. Nuri’s fiery wings shone brightly, and her orange workout set showed off her sexy curves. She was the newest of my lovers, but I already completely adored her. We had recently saved her whole family from the clutches of the harpies, and her people had quickly become my powerful allies.
It was the best feeling imaginable to have my gorgeous women under the roof of a luxurious house I had paid for. We’d viewed so many places by now, but I’d made the decision to go for one.
The furniture had finally arrived, too, so the luxury house actually looked like a home.
There was a dark green sofa that ran right along the right-hand side wall, and it was covered in ridiculously giant cushions that Ash had picked out. An oak coffee table was piled high with Kali’s cooking magazines, and Althea had filled the house with burning incense that smelled like spice and bonfires. None of the features matched very well, but it was a perfect mix of all of my women’s tastes.
I pretty much just picked out the TV that was basically a cinema screen and had been happy to let my lovers decorate however they wanted.
It was truly bliss being here.
There was something therapeutic about staring out at the golden sands and glistening water from the comfort of my mansion. In fact, it was crazy how calm Earth always seemed to me now that I spent half of my time in the magical chaos of Hollowfell.
“I’m going to have a smoothie,” Kali said as she skipped to the open kitchen. “Would anyone else like one?”
“Me, please!” Myra said.
The nymph nodded happily and pulled open the door of the giant fridge that we had filled with fresh supplies.
“Good evening,” a robotic voice said loudly.
Cleo hissed and raced at the kitchen at full speed while she pulled her sickle out from somewhere in her tight outfit. The cat-girl sped past so quickly that I barely had time to process what she was attacking before I managed to grab her waist.
“Whoooaa!” I chuckled. “It’s just the fridge, Cleo.”
“No,” the cat-girl hissed as she barred her tiny fangs at the appliance. “It spoke! Fridges do not speak! I know things about them!”
“This one does!” Kali said excitedly as grabbed two smoothie bottles. “We can even program it to have different accents! How exciting!”
She handed Myra her drink and then flicked through the manual that had come with the fridge. The nymph was almost fluent in reading English thanks to how long she spent watching cooking videos with subtitles and poring over recipe books. I was seriously proud of her, and she always stuck her tongue out adorably as her blue eyes carefully scanned over text.
“Well… just know that I will protect the kitten from any and all intruders,” Cleo growled as her golden eyes narrowed at the appliance. “Including this fridge, if necessary. I owe it no loyalty.”
I stroked the curve of her waist and kissed her forehead lovingly. The cat-girl’s motherly instincts were already super protective, and I adored how much she loved our kid.
“You will always protect our kitten,” I said gently. “I have no doubt about that, but we don’t need to worry about the fridge. I’ve been told it’s a totally trustworthy appliance.”
“There is no evil man inside?” Cleo asked suspiciously as she continued to glare at the door.
“None,” I said firmly. “I’d never allow it.”
“I can make it into a lady voice,” Kali said as she squinted at the manual. “Would that be less alarming?”
“I do not think anyone should live in the fridge,” Cleo huffed as she finally eased her stance. “It would be very cold and confusing.”
I snorted with laughter as I scooped the cat-girl toward me and felt her arms curl around my shoulders. Cleo’s plump lips found mine as she
Then the fridge suddenly said something in what sounded like Korean, and I looked over to see Kali frowning as she pushed the buttons at the side.
“Hmm,” she said. “That didn’t sound right.”
The beautiful nymph continued to press buttons as Cleo ran a hand over her abs. It wouldn’t be long until she started to show a bump, and I couldn’t wait for how gorgeous she was going to look.
“Let’s sit on the patio,” Ash said. “It’s such a beautiful evening, and I can’t get enough of this view!”
The dragonling grabbed a throw blanket from the sofa before she hurried outside, and Nuri raced after her to claim a spot on the outdoor furniture.
“Let’s go,” I said gently as I stroked Cleo’s hair.
We strode out into the warm air of the evening, and I looked out at the distant waves of the ocean.
Myra grabbed my arm and pulled me down onto the comfortable couch that rocked gently as I sat. There was just enough room for five of us to squeeze on while Kali and Nuri made themselves comfortable on the two chairs.
“This is the life,” Althea sighed happily. “It’s hard to believe this place is really ours.”
“Every inch of it,” I said as I gently rocked the couch.
“I wonder how things are going back in the Harpy Realm,” Nuri said as she played with her golden braid. “I hope my brothers are helping out with all of the rebuilding.”
“I have no doubts that your father is making sure of that.” Myra grinned. “He was clearly so impressed with you, Nuri. I didn’t think he was going to let you leave that hug before we went to the portal.”
“I know,” the fireling giggled. “He’s just so happy to have me back, and he’s in awe of everything Liam has done for our world.”
She shot me an adoring smile as she curled her feet up underneath her on the chair.
“The sky over the Harpy Realm is so similar to Earth’s now,” Kali said as she stretched out her legs. “It won’t be long until that sunshine stretches over all of Hollowfell!”
“We still have a long way to go for that,” I said. “There’s thousands of those High Society fuckers out there waiting to be slaughtered.”
“Do you think they’re still panicking?” Althea asked with a hint of smugness. “Killing the harpies off really sent them all into chaos.”
“Probably.” I nodded. “I don’t know which species is going to be next to plan something, but those assholes were freaking out big time.”
I’d sent out scouts cloaked with invisibility potions over the days after the war. My main focus had been finding out if anyone was plotting retaliation or trying to build their own army.
Dragonlings had reported back with news of packs of evil monsters fleeing in every direction. It was clear that the downfall of the harpies had sent the High Society into a terrified frenzy. Nobody showed any signs of a planned attack or even an attempt at fighting us, though.
Not yet at least.
It gave my people time to take a breath and focus on rebuilding their lives, but I knew the peace wouldn’t last forever.
“What do you think they’ll do next?” Nuri asked as the evening sun reflected off her wings.
“I reckon their next move is going to be big,” I said. “There’s enough smart species among the High Society for them to know the level of skill they’re up against. But we’ll be ready for whatever they have to throw at us.”
“Our army is the strongest in all of Hollowfell,” Cleo purred as she rested a hand on her belly. “The Outlaw King will always lead us to victory.”
“But right now…” I grinned. “We can enjoy a night in our luxury home before we have to worry about killing High Society scum.”
“Our home,” Althea sighed gently as she ran her fingers over the back of my hand. “I like hearing that.”
All of my women glowed with happiness as we looked out to the golden sands from our comfortable patio. I had realized that having my awesome life on Earth was crucial to how I performed as the Outlaw King in Hollowfell.
Being able to recharge my body and mind in complete luxury really set me up to be the leader I needed to be. Having the blissful moments with my lovers was necessary for me to lead my people in the magical world. It was a crazy double life, but it was fucking perfect for me.
“The kitten is hungry,” Cleo proclaimed as her furry ears twitched. “Maybe a pizza would be good for that.”
“The kitten is?” I chuckled. “I have a feeling the kitten’s gorgeous mother is also keen for some food?”
“I could eat.” Cleo shrugged as the other women nodded enthusiastically.
“Sounds good to me,” I said. “Order whatever you want. You remember how to use the new address on the app?”
“Yes.” Kali nodded confidently as she pulled out her cell which was protected in a ridiculously pink cover.
The nymph had blown me away with how well she adapted to all things Earth, and her reading skills seemed to get better every day. She opened the takeout app on her phone as Ash and Cleo perched beside her to watch.
My mind drifted back to Hollowfell as the women discussed pizza toppings.
The harpy war had been the hardest battle we had ever fought, and I wondered what other horrors were waiting to strike. Each High Society species I learned about seemed to be more horrific than the last, and we now knew that some of them had their own kinds of magic, too.
Their powers were linked to the black rock that lined so much of Hollowfell, but I still didn’t really understand why. Destroying the green-flecked element dulled the evil monsters’ strengths, and the dragon stones were our key.
Using my staff was another thing I always missed back on Earth. I was the only human for centuries to be capable of wielding a dragon stone to use magic, and that filled me with deep pride. Learning how to cast spells had been the most thrilling experience of my life, and I’d shocked myself with how quickly I learned. Using magic was a complex skill that took a lot of getting used to, but I’d now mastered several spells that had saved our lives countless times.
Kali ordered our food as the sun gradually went down and cast its final glow over the ocean. I felt completely content as the women flocked in and out of the house to pull on their skimpy pajama shorts and tops. The parade of barely dressed beauties was the cherry on top of an awesome day, and I made sure to pull each of my lovers in for a kiss before they sat back down.
Our pizza didn’t take long to arrive, and we ate it out on the patio, along with some ridiculously expensive wine. The alcohol that filled the pantry had been a gift from my friend Elijah’s family.
Their business took my Hollowfell loot in exchange for insane amounts of money, and they were endlessly grateful for my contributions. I had told them that the pay I got was more than enough, but Sam Cohen insisted on showing his gratitude with crazily expensive gifts on top of my earnings.
“Everything is perfect,” Kali sighed happily as she dabbed a napkin on her lips. “Can you believe how wonderful our lives are now?”
“It feels like a dream,” Althea said. “I’ll never forget that day that Liam broke me free and led me into my new life.”
“Me, neither.” Ash nodded as she twisted a red curl. “I was about to be sent into a life of being nothing more than some bandit’s trophy, but Liam changed my fate. I’ll never stop being grateful for the life we have now.”
The scales along the dragonling’s cheeks shone gently as she tilted her head and smiled. I could have spent all evening just staring at the beauty of my women, and they made me just as happy as I made them.
“You all deserve this,” I said as I grabbed a pizza slice. “Only the best for my badass warriors. You belong with me leading our army to greatness.”
“We really are powerful,” Myra said smugly. “Our skills are developing so much with every war we fight…”
“It’s like we’re our own little army,” Nuri said as she sipped her wine. “Perfect for monster slaying.”
“That’s what we do best.” Myra grinned. “Fighting beside you all is almost as fun as the other activities we do.”
The siren kissed Cleo’s cheek and made my head spin as I pictured them all piling into our new bed together. I really was the luckiest guy in the fucking world.
